Our fragrance favourites at the moment

We have been planning to do a female fragrance tutorial for ages now but just haven't gotten around to it. There are so many fragrances released throughout the year it's mind blowing. The fragrances we have chosen for this blog are ones that we always return to time and time again. We only wish we had smell-o-vision for you!

Escentric molecules-Molecule 01

First is a fragrance that we have smelt on a few men we know. This fragrance is unisex however it does always seem to smell nicer on guys!
 This fragrance consists of an ingredient called Iso E super along with pink pepper and green lime. It has a naturally sandalwood/cedarwood scent but on initial spritz it doesn't really smell of anything except alcohol. This scent works on your pheromones and will develop differently on each individual. Once it has been on for 10 minutes it develops into a quite earthy, woody scent. I can never smell it on the skin after a while but so many people ask me what I am wearing when I have it on so I guess it's just my natural pheromones attracting people in!!
100ml is £66.00 and available from Liberty http://tidd.ly/e9232bc3

Jo Malone- Blackberry & Bay

  This is not only a favourite of ours but also Tanya Burr's. It's no secret that we adore most of everything which Jo Malone launches however this one will always be the best in our eyes. Fruity, autumnal, fresh but with a woody depth. It's just scrumptious and by no means sweet or sickly. This also has a cedarwood base note so maybe cedarwood is the common factor in our faves! Not a fragrance for longevity unfortunately so if your purse stretches team with the shower gel and body cream also.
30ml-£40, 100ml-£82.00 and available from www.jomalone.com

Chanel-Coco Noir

This can be described by no other words than sexy! it's intense but not overpowering, fruity but not sickly and again has a spicy, woody undertone. We can smell it on someone a mile off it's so recognisable. It smells of pure richness and luxury. Not as soapy as Chanel No5 but not as lively and green as Chanel Chance. Sits somewhere in between. The bottle if nothing else is reason to purchase!
 50ml is £75.00 and available here http://tidd.ly/26d69dbc

Terry de Gunzburg-Flagrant Delice 

Pure almond soapy-ness (is that a word?) The combination of almond milk, fig and red currant almost give it a coconut undertone. You smell the almond first of all and once it develops its the fig which stands out. Luxurious and summery but with the heavy solid glass bottle it is definitely one for the dressing table and not the handbag.
50ml-£71.00 and available from SpaceNK here http://goo.gl/NlAiTf

I know these are all on the rather pricy side but you really do pay for the quality in the ingredients used. These are all luxury items which will last months so won't need replacing as quickly.

Trish McEvoy 24 Hour Eyeshadow and liner

For serious staying power from a cream shadow check out these shadow and liner sticks from Trish McEvoy.

 With a good inch of twist up colour these sticks are creamy and blendable. The colour pigments are rich and the payoff is amazing. Each colour has a shimmering finish. As you blend these the shimmer does spread out so be aware that the shimmer does travel onto the skin around the eye.

The longevity of these cream sticks is amazing. Even after removing the colour there was still a feint stain on the skin.

 These are £24.00 each so not cheap but because of the high pigment a little goes a lot way.

http://tidd.ly/bea151c9 

Illamasqua Once

The leaves outside are starting to turn golden at the edges and the air is crisp in the mornings. Autumn is a beautiful time of the year when natures colours become rich and deep. These tones have been well represented in Illamasqua's latest Autumn collection.

 Launching 29th August in store and online is their Once collection.

 Illamasqua describe this collection as decadent and lavish, dabbled with rich textures and autumnal delicate colours.

 The imagery has a very baroque period feel whilst using more modern day techniques of sculpting the face to reveal it's natural contour.

 For the eyes there are three new vintage metallic eye shadows (£22.00). Cream-gel texture with a soft but buildable colour. The shadows are creamy and easy to blend however you need to work fast. Blend each shade immediately as when they dry off they are hard to budge.

 The colours are totally wearable and look great on their own or as a base under a powder eye shadow. Each colour is infused with a tiny gold fleck which gives it an almost wet look finish.

The powder blush in Naked rose is in the regular colour line up. A soft powder pink with a cool undertone.

For the lips are two glosses (£16.50), one new and one a re-promote. The new shade called exquisite is an oyster pink. Shimmering soft pink with a pearl like reflection. The second colour called opulent doesn't look that special in the tube but is beautiful on. It is a nude beige shot with fine pink and gold pearl finish reflections.

 

 Lastly to finish off the look is a new nail varnish (£14.50) in the shade melange. An antique teal with fine rose gold highlights.

A beautiful uncomplicated collection that anyone could pull off with confidence.

Available 29th August.

www.illamasqua.com

Becca Beach Tint Shimmer Soufflé

Summer is unfortunately winding up here in the UK but if you live in the southern hemisphere (lucky you!) it's now starting to heat up. Becca (being an Australian brand) have just launched these beauties ready for Summer down under. At least it means we can try and drag summer on a bit here in the autumnal north.
 Becca Beach tint soufflé comes in six shades and is an air whipped powder-gel for the cheeks. The texture feels like sponge and translates onto the skin with a powder finish. Colour is soft and each shade is a mottled blend of colour pigment and a shimmering gold.
 These blend easily and provide natural but blendable colour. The gold shimmer is subtle and provides a very delicate golden radiance. Each colour is infused with a scent corresponding with the name of the shade. They smell gorgeously fruity.

We have four of the shades to show you. They look like little planets of colour in the pot. The same colours run all the way through the pot, not just the surface layer.

 

These look so beautiful on the apples of the cheeks on all skin tones. They blend into the skin to look like a natural, radiant flush. Would also make a great highlighter on a darker skin tone. Despite being a powder-gel these feel quite a dry texture on the skin. They last well and there is no transfer as there is in cream blushers.

Each beach tint is £22.00 and available from SpaceNK online and in stores.
http://goo.gl/3cSzgr

Daniel Sandler Watercolour blusher for Macmillan Cancer

Joy Watercolour blusher

We have been using Daniel's watercolour blush for ages and are always excited when he launches a new shade. If you haven't got around to trying one then his latest shade is a great one to start out with.
 As with all watercolour fluid blush give them a good shake to mix the pigments.
 Apply a drop to the back of your hand and then use your finger tips to softly pat onto the apples of the cheeks and blend.
 The liquid texture blends into the skin with a velvet texture. Once on this blusher has amazing staying power. Being water resistant it is a great choice in humidity and on holiday.
 The colour pigment is so vibrant that only a drop is needed. You can then build from there.
 The awesome news about the latest shade called Joy is that it is launched in support of Macmillan cancer.
 Macmillan nurses do an outstanding job of supporting people and their families who are going through their cancer treatment. They offer emotional and practical support and also help the patients family deal with and understand treatment which their loved one is receiving.

Only 300 bottles of the new colour called Joy are being produced and so stock is limited. Each Joy watercolour is £15.50 and £5.00 from each bottle sold will go towards Macmillan cancer support.

The colour is a soft powder pink which gravitates more to a cooler toned pink rather than a warm pink. 

Joy

 Would work on a porcelain fair skin tone or create a vibrant pink pop on a deeper skin tone.

 Sits nicely on all skin types including oily.

 This shade is limited edition and is available now exclusively from www.danielsandler.com

Zoeva Luxe cream lipstick

New from Zoeva this month are their cream luxe lipsticks. In six richly pigmented shades these colours have some serious staying power. Containing Ivy, mallow and elderflower extract these soothe and nourish lips. The creamy texture provides a satin finish which although it's moisturising it doesn't have a glossy finish.

Vibrant colour pigment is instantly transferred onto the lips with little need to build it up. The colour wears evenly but the staying power is so good that the colour is still true even hours after application.

We have three of the new shades available...

 

The packaging is a sleek gun mental, magnetic snap lid.

Each lipstick is €8.50 or around £6.75

https://www.zoeva-shop.de

Bobbi Brown Sheer Brights

Bobbi Brown are continuing the pastel trend through to Autumn this year and are launching fifteen new eye shadows.
  These powders provide sheer washes of vibrant shades. Imagine a beautiful watercolour painting using muted tones of a vibrant colour.... does that make sense !?

The fifteen shadows have been broken down into three groups depending on their finish. Natural matte, shimmer and metallic. Please note though each colour is not available in each finish. Hopefully the colour you like will be in your desired finish!

The shadows are sold individually in their classic flip top compact although they also fit into a customisable palette which is sold separately.

We have five of the new shades to show you....

Natural matte finish....

Sunrise Pink, Cornflower, Pistachio

Shimmer finish....

Berry Sorbet

Metallic finish....

Aegean Blue

As you can see from the photographs the colour payoff is not as vibrant as it looks in the compact. All the textures were easy to blend although they were a little crumbly in the pan when you push your brush into it. Use small amounts and build up but don't expect the colours to get too strong. The whole idea is that these are sheer washes of colour.
 Our favourite colour was Pistachio. This looks beautiful swept under the lower lash line to brighten the whites of the eye.

 These eye shadows are £17.50 each and the collection is available from September exclusively at Bobbi Brown free standing stores and online at www.bobbibrown.co.uk

Real Techniques Nic's Picks

If you follow us on Instagram and Twitter you may have seen us posting pictures of the long awaited Nic's picks. We are sooooo excited for this limited edition collection and are so happy to now be able to share them with you.

This set contains five brushes with three of them being a new set exclusive. Each brush has a beautiful silver handle with the Real Techniques logo and brush name printed in the classic Real Techniques colours.

What's included......

• A duo-fiber powder brush to gently pick up the powder pigments and softly buff it into the skin. Product will be picked up and distributed evenly over the face allowing you to control the amount applied.
• A cheek brush (set exclusive) which has denser bristles to enable you to build colour. Imagine an expert face brush but softer and rounder. The tapered finish means you can use this for bronzer and highlighter application also.
• An angled shadow brush (set exclusive) designed to fit in the crease of the eye to add depth. The soft angle also makes applying shadow under the eyebrow arch simple.
• A base shadow brush which is one of Nic's all time favourite brushes. Flat enough to pack on the colour with but firm enough to blend with. Also great for buffing over concealer.
• An eyeliner brush (set exclusive) which is softly angled. Perfect brush to apply shadow to the lashline and for creating a blown out liner look with eye shadow. Use with gel liner to create a feline flick which is made easy by the angle of the brush.

 As with all Real Techniques brushes these are cruelty-free and are hand cut for precision.

These brushes are LIMITED EDITION and will be available WORLDWIDE from 1st October 2014.

 They will generally be available from all of the usual Real Techniques stockists however

 to avoid disappointment of your regular stockists not having them go to the Real Techniques website (link below) where they offer INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.

For all questions and queries regarding the shipping please check out the Real Techniques website where it should be able to answer you questions.

Remember these are only available from 1st October for a limited time so if you are thinking of buying yourself or a loved one a great Christmas present then stock up!
 We would love to hear what you think of them.

www.realtechniques.com 

Anastasia Dipbrow pomade

I know, I know..our blog and instagram seems to be full of Anastasia Beverly Hills products but they are just so damn good!! Every time we think they can't develop or improve a product, they do. ABH products are a staple brand in each of our makeup bags. "What do you have on your brows" is the most asked question whenever we have used this product so we though we better introduce you properly.

Dipbrow in Soft brown in action right here!

 Drum roll......Dipbrow!!

 In a 4g glass pot this cream brow product will give your brows natural structure, texture, definition, colour and enable you to softly build your shape without your brows looking false and bonkers!
The texture looks quite satin on application but instantly transforms to a matte, natural finish.
 The colour lays down with ease and is creamy enough to manoeuvre where you want it but not to creamy that it slips about or transfers.

The colour choice is what makes dipbrow so great. Rather than your flat standard, taupe, brown, black etc the colour choice represents the actual tones present in real hair. Browns with warm undertones, browns with red pigment, ashy blonde.
 Once dry this product is waterproof and smudge proof! Yes ladies and gents you can swim and sunbathe and pretend your brows naturally always look like this! This is an ideal brow option for oily skin or if you live in a humid country. This does not budge. you need to use an oily eye makeup remover to lift it off.
Apply with a fine angle brush or use a tiny liner brush to flick in a fine hair texture.
 There are eight colour choices however the colour in chocolate has gone AWOL from my desk so I only have seven shades to swatch you. Chocolate would sit between dark brown and auburn in the colour line up.
 

 There are lots of stockist options for you to purchase online and they all sell them for around £15.00 each with various international shipping.

Anastasia Beverly Hills - http://anastasiabeverlyhills.com

Beauty Bay - http://tidd.ly/12fb577c

Sephora - http://www.sephora.com

Saucebox Cosmetics Etude matte palette

 One of the best things about travelling overseas for work is the brands and products you pick up along the way.  We know a lot of the products we feature may be tricky to get hold of overseas so thought we would feature Saucebox. Based in the U.S but with distributors in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UAE and South Africa. Check out their website to view stores. They also ship internationally so Europe don't panic! We recently discovered Saucebox cosmetics and particularly liked their Etude palette. Filled with eight totally matte neutral shades.

 

The palette is magnetic so the shades are interchangeable. The shades are in large pans also so tons of product.

Matte shades are notoriously hard to blend. These shades blended well although the black shade took a little more work. It blended but needed to be built up a little more to get a thoroughly black finish. I found the black shade smelt strange too but maybe that's just my weird overly sensitive nose!

 

These colours are great on their own however we loved to use these shades through the socket to create a natural contour. Some of these colours are great to use through the brow also.

Not a cheap palette at $50.00 (around £30.00) and shipping costs also but a great addition to any kit, especially for matte lovers.

http://sauceboxcosmetics.com/ 

Antonia Burrell Cleansing Oil

We recently got our hands on the Natural glow cleansing oil from Antonia Burrell. First things first this is 100% pure plant oil. If you are sensitive to essential oils this may not be for you but it IS suitable for all skin types even oily/combination.
 Contained in a Swiss violet glass bottle to protect the bio energy of the plant ingredients from UV light. The texture of this cleanser is a smooth, rich oil which emulsifies and turns milky when mixed with water.

Because of the totally amazing, relaxing scent I have mainly been using this in the evening. Antonia Burrell recommends 4-6 pumps however for me that was way too much, 2 pumps were just the right amount. Apply over a dry face, taking your time to really massage this luxurious oil into the skin. If I have extra time in the evening I have even been massaging it in with my face massage roller (mine was from The Body Shop).
 Add water and eventually the oil will turn to a white milk. Rinse away or use a warm wash cloth to remove.

Key ingredients include Tuscan Cypress tree extract which is a natural astringent and helps with cellular renewal. Bitter orange to soothe inflammation and treat blemishes, Tea tree to heal and Lavender to soothe sun damage and dry skin.
 All of these ingredients will benefit most skin types.
After using my skin looks radiant and glowing. Any redness from active blemishes is soothed and I found this oil helped speed up the healing process of old blemishes.

With all of these premium ingredients this is not a budget cleanser but waking up in the morning with clear, radiant skin makes it worth the money.

A 50ml bottle is £29.50 and 100ml £39.50 and you can purchase from http://www.urbanretreat.co.uk

Kiko 3D Instant volume lipgloss

This August Kiko are launching their new 3D volume gloss. Available in 21 shades from clear through to beige, pink, plum and fuchsia.
 The 6.5ml lip gloss has a flexible paddle style application wand which moves to allow precision application.
 The texture of the gloss is almost like a gel finish which feels creamy with standard tacky gloss texture.
These glosses are seriously high shine but thankfully have no glitter in them. Just pure mirror shine glossiness!
 Containing the ingredient which everything seems to contain at the moment.. good old hyaluronic acid. This acts like a moisture magnet helping to give a full plumpness to the lips.
 Because of the juicy moisturising finish these lip glosses keep their shine well and as they wear off they simply fade rather than stick to dry areas.
 These have a little tingle on applictaion but it doesn't feel like it's stinging the lips. It's more of a menthol style tingle.

We have a selection of the pink shades to show you .....

 
We really like these glosses. The colour pigment is true to how it looks in the tube and they feel very comfortable on the lips. Plumping effect isn't hugely obvious but lips do feel moisturised and the finish bounces the light over the lips making them appear fuller.

Available later this month in stores and online for £6.90 
www.kikocosmetics.co.uk

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit

As working makeup artists we constantly get asked how to contour. We have all seen the images of Kim Kardashian, Beyonce etc with the stripes of contour and highlighting colours. Yes they look fabulous but does this really translate into an everyday makeup for everyone else. Well the answer is yes it can but not to the extremes that we see in the media.
 What we can sometimes forget is that the celebrity images we see are not always real. Often pictures in magazines are air brushed and edited to give an image of perfection. Also these girls (with the exception of KimK) probably don't go down to the supermarket with full contour on either. They are often wearing this look when they are on stage performing under bright lights on a stage which is a good 10ft away from the closest eye.
 For normal daylight and close up this look when done incorrectly can look awful. Product placement is usually around the correct area of the face but it's the colour tones selected that let the look down.
 It's common for people to contour with their bronzer which usually ends up looking too warm or orange. It's totally dependant on your natural skin tone which shades you need to use but the colours to go for are not what you may think.
 On a medium, olive or darker skin tone you can get away with using a warm contour colour however if you are lighter skinned you need to go for a more ashy tone. Think of the natural greyish/taupe's that a real shadow would create.

We have seen tons of contouring palettes over the years but we have to say Anastasia Beverly Hills have pulled out all the stops with their new contour palette. There really is a contour and highlight shade for every single person out there.

The original contour kit seen below ($40.00) has been around for a while and consists of six shades. Three highlighters and three shading colours. This palette comes with these colours inside and the palette is magnetic so you can swap the colours around.

 Vanilla and banana are both a matte highlighter whilst sand has a shimmer finish (no glitter). Java, fawn and havana are three matte colours with varying levels of warmth to suit a good range of skin tones. We particularly love the colour fawn. It's the perfect contour for a fair skin. The texture is soft but doesn't drop or flake. The colour payoff is really great so you can apply small amounts and build to the level you need. These last well and don't cling or go patchy.

Although these colours are a good selection Anastasia has gone one step further and released twenty-one more shades so that no one is left out. As the palette seen above is magnetic you can just purchase the individual new colours and slot them into your existing palette. You can of course re-purchase the same colours above if these suit best.
The 21 shades are sold individually and when purchased will come to you in a little black envelope for you to put into your palette. If you don't own the palette above you can put your refill into any magnetic palettes you may already have such as a Z-palette etc.
 The individual refills are only available from http://anastasiabeverlyhills.com/contour-palette.html at the moment which is based in the States however they do ship globally. Each refill colour is $14.00 (around £8.30).

This book is not available to purchase, it's just to show you the colour range of the individual shades.

If you purchase six refill colours you will receive an empty magnetic palette to put them in for free. It is definitely worth purchasing six colours because a discount bundle price is then applied and the price for six shades and a palette is $40.00. What a bargain!!
 It is hard to choose colours via online sites but the Anastasia website is really good at helping you choose your shades by asking you your skin type and your skin undertones. It will then select colours which may suit.

 If you are unsure of your undertones then this guide is a good one to follow....

Warm-Yellow, golden; veins on wrist appear mostly green
Cool-Pink, rosy; veins on wrist appear mostly blue
Neutral-Balance between warm and cool; veins on wrist appear blue and green
Beige-Caramel, honey, deeper in tone than neutral; veins on wrist appear blue and green
Olive-Slightly green, bronze; veins on wrist appear blue and green.

 The colours available are mixtures of highlighters and contour shades along  with some colour correcting colours (that's the crazy orange, peach and yellow shades).
These palettes will last forever and the colours can also be used as eye shadows for days when a contour is not necessary!

Head over to the Anastasia website now to check out which shades suit you..http://anastasiabeverlyhills.com