Too Faced Selfie Powders

We are in the age of the Selfie and there doesn't look to be an end to it anytime soon. We all have done it at some point, whether it's as a lone traveller in front of an iconic landmark or just a quick shot of you and your friends in the pub toilet! 
 Instagram has given us a platform to upload our pictures which we can edit to suit our mood. It's great to light up a dark picture or help to smooth your features but just don't take it too far guys. We see so many Instagram shots which have been filtered to within an inch of their lives. Making the subject almost unrecognisable.

Too Faced are jumping on the bandwagon of the filtered generation and have launched their Selfie powder compact.

 What are they?
 Lightweight finishing powders pressed into a mirrored compact. There are three different powders which feel almost cream to the touch. They each give a super fine veil of powder to the skin.
 Sunrise is a golden, yellow powder which brightens and adds a warmth to the skin.
Totally toasted is a soft tan which has a bronze glow.
Moon River is a lavender tone which helps to brighten the skin tone. Especially good for a sallow skin tone that needs neutralising.

Do they work?
 Obviously they will never work to the extreme of a photographic filter but they do help to subtly brighten. The lavender Moon river works really well to give a radiance without any shimmer or sparkle. Just naturally highlights. The golden works in much the same way but highlights with a warmth rather than the coolness of Moon river.
 Totally toasted is basically a really sheer bronzer. Looked great used as a natural contour.

These are a nice alternative to a regular powder, helping to mattify without looking powdery and flat. They brighten naturally and give a subtle radiance. If you're an avid Instagram filterer then I don't think you'll be deleting the app any time soon but these will go some way to helping you to achieve a healthy natural base.
 Available from April at £32.00 for the compact of three powders.

www.debenhams.com


 

Sali Hughes Tuesday Chat

Did you catch Sali Hughes on our Tuesday chat series last night?

Chanel Collection Méditerranée

 

The weather is definitely on the up now and there is no better way to embrace this than with a Chanel Summer collection.

 Inspired by the French Riviera during the 1920’s this collection is a compilation of the tones of the Mediterranean. The blue skies, bronzed skin of the gorgeous women and pops of colour from a near by beach umbrella or sailing yacht.

 In my mind I am already there!

 Starting with the skin. The Lumiére D’eté is a limited edition radiant bronzing powder. 

 

 Embossed with a delicate camellia flower and ever so delicately tinted with a warm golden shade and fine reflective pigments to catch the light. Can be dusted all over the high points of the face for a natural tanned appearance or on a deeper skin tone use as a soft highlight on the cheekbones and décolleté.

 This mirrored compact is £40.50.

 No heavy flat powders to be seen in this collection for the eyes. Light reflective, smudgy, creams in the classic Chanel stylo twist up applicator. There are five shades in total all of which are limited edition.

 

 

 These stylo’s are travel friendly and glide onto the eyelid in one creamy swipe. Due to their high content of water they feel cooling on the skin making them perfect for a hot climate. We have two of the available shades in 107 Campanule and 147 Caroube.

 

 107 is a lavender shot with a fine lilac shimmer sparkle. 147 is a warm tan brown with a golden shimmer. The finish is a multi shimmer, satin finish which sparkles in the sunlight. Perfect to use as a base or to layer on top of each other.

 The additional colours are a baby blue, apricot and sage green.

 Each Stylo is £19.00 each.

 There are a selection of Rouge Coco shine lipsticks. We have the shade 507 Insoumise which is a sheer finish, moisturising texture in a flame coral. A look stunning on all skin tones but compliments a tan or darker skin tone beautifully.

 Each lipstick is £25.00.

 Two glosses are launched with this collection. Both are limited edition. We have shade 447 Allegria which is a striking cherry red with a mirror shine.

 The glosses are £22.00 each.

Of course a summer collection is not complete without a nail varnish for your fingers and toes. We like to mix it up and contrast our toes to our nails but matching always looks very chic.

 

 Four colours in total taking their inspiration from the steep rocks, the azure blue sea and the exotic flowers strewn along the coastline.

 We have the three most striking colours in 707 Mediterranée, 717 Coquelicot and 727 Lavanda.

  

 

707 is a turquoise blue, 717 is vermilion red and 727 a vivid violet.

 The remaining colour in 697 Terrana is a chocolate bronze shot with pink shimmer.

 Each nail varnish is £18.00.

The Collection Méditerranée is available nationwide from 8^th May 2015. www.chanel.com

What do you think of this summer launch, is it something you will be wearing on your holiday this year?

Bourjois Aqua Laque

These have been on my desk for a week now and I hadn't had a chance to have a proper look at them. The sun came out and I felt like I needed a touch of colour so slicked one on quickly. Wow! I love them!

 
 Now if you like a staining product (like the Bourjois rouge edition velvet)then these are not for you.  If you don't mind touching up and like a lightweight texture with zero tackiness or sticky feeling then these are perfcet.
 As the name suggests these are literally like applying water to your lips. Lightweight, comfortable with no sticky feeling at all and are also very versatile.
 If you like a bold lip then apply a good layer of this and build it up. It gives you an opaque gloss finish lip. I actually prefer to wear this by applying a layer and then buffing into the lips with a lip brush or patting in with my finger. Patting the product into the lip takes down the shine some what but it does increase the longevity.
 They have high moisturisation and never dry out the lips or cling to dry skin.

 The brush is a firm, doe foot applicator that gives great precision and doesn't overload with product.

Because of the water like texture apply in small amounts and build.
 We have four of the shades available..

If you wear them full on glossy then they tend to come off quicker on your cup or someones cheek but when buffed on they don't transfer.
 The other four shades have more of a plum or brown tone.

These are £8.99 each and available now.

 

Clinique Instant facial

A gritty style exfoliator is not something we often use. If your skin is sensitive or problematic they can irritate however sometimes you feel your face just needs it.
  Yesterday my skin just looked dull, my base had gone patchy and I had a few dead, dry skin areas covering old blemishes that had dried out. I felt my face just looked like it needed a good old fashioned scrub!
 I had a rummage amongst the new collections on my desk and took home the new Clinique turnaround revitalizing instant facial.

 It's a combination of an exfoliator and a mask in one so great if you don't have too much time.
 After cleansing and toning I patted my skin dry and then gently massaged this exfoliator into the skin. It feels gritty but not too abrasive, it doesn't make your skin go bright red and never feels uncomfortable. 
 It softly lifts away dead skin and gently buffed off dry skin patches from old blemishes without making them sore.
 Once massaged all over I left it on for 5 minutes. 
 I am attracted to anything sparkly and once massaged all over you can see a fine glitter all over the face (this is the titanium dioxide it contains).

 After 5 minutes I washed off with warm water whilst still massaging the product in a circular motion.
 It washed off easily and I wasn't left with that awful gritty feel to the skin that some abrasive exfoliators can leave behind.
 The next morning my skin felt so soft and had definitely got it's glow back. 

 This is designed to be used 3-4 times a week although I have just been using it as and when I feel my skin needs it.
 Good for all skin types but especially good for those who's skin is dull or flaky due to harsh weather or old healed blemishes that just need a bit of help to rid the dead skin.

Available from 17th April for £35.00 for a 75ml tube.


 

 

Chicken Skin AKA Keratosis Pilaris

Chicken skin sounds so horrid doesn't it!? If you are not sure what this is then it's basically bumpy, rough, dry patches of skin which usually has a red pimply appearance and is often on the backs of your upper arms.
 A strange thing to write about you may think but this was something that affected Nic's arms growing up and occasionally now too. Nic always felt really embarrassed in school during the Summer months when you have to wear short sleeves. You know how cruel children can sometimes be, taunting you about something which is a little different to everyone else.

Image from victoriahealth.com

With the weather heating up here in the UK we start to reveal a little more skin and sometimes these skin complaints can affect your confidence. If this skin condition is on your mind here is a little info about it.

So what is it?
 It's medical term in Keratosis Pilaris. It is very common and totally harmless. Anybody can suffer from this but more frequently it arises in young females and people who suffer very dry skin which is often fair.It's something which can appear during puberty and usually disperses in adulthood.
 It is usually inherited from one of your parents and is basically a build up of keratin in the skin's hair follicles. The keratin sits in the hair follicles, blocking it and causing a rough patch of spotty skin.

How can I treat it?
 
Because of the nature of it being inherited you are limited to what you can do however by following these tips you can certainly help the situation and give your skin a helping hand.
 As with a lot of skin complaints you need to treat from within. Unless you have medical reasons not to then ensure your diet is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Food which contain this are Flaxseed, walnuts, oily fish such as salmon, sardines and certain vegetables including brussel sprouts and cauliflower.  You can take supplements also.
 Topically it's good to use a gentle body exfoliator. We like the Clarins tonic body polisher http://goo.gl/2x0rvt or Garnier Body tonic scrub http://goo.gl/fGJwES
You don't need to scrub everyday but at least three times a week. It helps to loosen the plugs of keratin and soften the rough texture.
 You can also purchase exfoliating gloves to wear in the shower which are great if you don't have a lot of time http://goo.gl/3wSHJc
 Slather on a rich body cream massaging it well into the affected area. We are a huge fan of Eucerin Aquaphor skin balm http://goo.gl/wKsKA8 but generally any rich body cream will work. Apply this every morning and evening.

Follow these tips and it will certainly help. Don't forget to wear your sun cream if you are out in the sunshine, this area of skin is often sensitive so needs extra protection.

Do you suffer with Keratosis Pilaris? If so what are your top tips?




 
 

Triple threat eyeliner tutorial

In honour of our recent Tuesday chat with Val Garland Sam has created a graphic liner look.
 If you missed it on Friday take another look here.....

 

Val Garland Mastered Online Makeup Course

We recently interviewed the one and only Val Garland for our Tuesday chat series. We were so excited for this interview as Val Garland is someone we have admired for years and I think our excitement is quite evident in the video which you can watch again here...

If you are not familiar with Val Garland's work and you are a makeup fanatic then you absolutely must check her out.
 Val is a leader in the makeup industry and her work has been featured in all of the worlds top publications including Vogue, AnOther, Vanity Fair, i-D and many more.
 There possibly isn't a famous face that she hasn't created a masterpiece on.

Jennifer Lopez for W magazine. Images courtesy of Streeters.com

Sienna Miller for Vogue. Images courtesy of Streeters.com

Emma Watson for Vogue. Image courtesy of Streeters.com

Kiera Knightley for W Magazine. Images courtesy of Streeters.com

 Alongside her editorial work Val has worked with some of the biggest brands helping them to create beautiful images for their advertising campaigns.

Lady Gaga for MAC. Images from Streeters.com

Cara Delevingne for TopShop. Images courtesy of Streeters.com

Kate Moss for McQueen. Images courtesy of Streeters.com

Lanvin. Image courtesy of Streeters.com

Her portfolio also includes more extreme makeup artistry that has certainly been the inspiration for us and many other makeup artists.

Image from Streeters.com

Image from Streeters.com

Image from kikipad.com

  Val has just launched Val Garland Mastered which is her new makeup school.

 This is a three month online course costing $1350 (£995).

It is not your typical course where you learn 'How to' create looks but more of an insight on how with the right attitude you can get to the top of your game in the makeup industry using key information supplied by Val and her team. Almost like a three month apprenticeship with Val, watching and learning.

 Each week you will be sent new videos and set projects to help build your knowledge and get you industry ready.

 There is an opportunity for your work to be seen and shared amongst other promising makeup artists globally.

 This course is ideal for professional makeup artists who want to progress their career. Beginners can also apply but you need to be committed and show a great passion.

 As well as information from Val herself you will also have access to information and advice from other industry insiders including us here at Pixiwoo as guest experts. We will be offering advice within the social media world of makeup artistry and giving you an insight into how we built our Pixiwoo brand and how we maintain our level of success.
 Val's team have also announced that the Mastered course is collaborating with the amazing i-D magazine to offer Mastered students incredible opportunities to promote themselves and for their work to appear on i-D.com
 Check out below why Val loves i-D magazine...

 The course begins May 15th and runs until August 15th 2015 but applications close on May 6th 2015 so don't miss out.

 You can learn more about the course via the following link and it will also give you information on how to apply.

http://bit.ly/1PBayiY 

To view more of Val Garlands work check out her Instagram account on @thevalgarland or through her agency www.streeters.com

JT Makeup Gilding Flakes

We are like magpies here at Pixiwoo, instantly attracted to anything that catches the light!
 Check these gilding flakes out from JT Makeup.

  Gilding flakes are primarily used by makeup artists to create unique looks or for body painting however with the Summer around the corner and festival season kicking off these make a beautiful adornment for something a bit different.
 Both Nic and Sam have actually created looks using something similar so take a look again for some inspiration.... 





What we love about these little pots of treasure is that they are broken up into flakes, making them more manageable.
 There are a few colour themed pots to select from. We have the following..

Autumn Rose- Think of all of the colours created during Autumn. The beautiful burnt amber tones, rose golds and bronze.

 Gold- Standard vibrant golden flakes.

 Peacock- Peacock feathered inspiration including golds, mints and turquoise flakes.

Gilding flakes are quite fiddly to use but they are not designed to sit even and perfectly on the skin so don't be too precious about getting them even and exact. They will break and crumble but you can build them up and add pieces.
 They need to adhere to a cream or gel texture. Apply your makeup as normal and then using a flat brush press a little cream eyeshadow or vaseline over the area you wish to apply. Choose your gilding flake and roughly shape it to required size. Press onto the area carefully using tweezers. Softly buff a dry, fluffy brush over the top to smooth it down and brush away any hanging edges. You can catch any falling pieces and pop back into the pot to use again. You can layer pieces on top of each other or wear them in patches on their own.
 Use them on the face or body and have fun!
 These gilding flakes will be available soon on http://www.jtmakeup.co.uk
but are available now from https://www.love-makeup.co.uk  http://www.screenface.co.uk http://www.preciousaboutmakeup.com/


 

The Body Shop New liners

Check out this video done by Sam for Body Shop UK #Ad featuring four new liners.....


Bold Oversized felt liner
This is for those of you who like a dramatic, bold and glossy liner. Felt tip pen style application gives you a thick, black line.

Velvet Gel liner
Available in brown and black these gel based liners have a metallic hue. The twist up liner applies a fine creamy line.

Matte Kajal liner
 Highly pigmented matte liner which gives a super blended diffused line. Containing fair trade marula oil and black rose water to assist the glide of the product.

Skinny thin felt liner
 Felt tip pen style applicator but with a super fine point. Feline flicks are made super easy and will have a precise intensely black edge.

Available now from www.thebodyshop.co.uk


 

MAC Philip Treacy

This April MAC have collaborated with world renowned couture hat designer Philip Treacy.
 The relatively small collection comprises of two highlighting powders, three lipsticks, re-promote fluidlines and paint pots.
 
  The collection is available later this month in selected MAC Pro locations,  free standing stores, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Fenwicks Brent Cross and John Lewis Southampton.

We have one of the highlighting powders in the shade Nude Pink.

A beautiful satin finish powder in a flesh toned peach. The strips of silver don't translate too much onto the skin but just gives a really subtle highlight.
 No glitter or shimmer just a soft radiance powder. Subtle enough to be dusted all over or just use on the apples of your cheeks for a natural tint.

This powder is £23.00 and comes in a standard plastic MAC style packaging, no limited edition style case unfortunately.

We have two of the lipsticks in the collection..

left: No Faux Pas Right: Cardinal

No faux pas is a matte hot pink with a warm yellow undertone. Cardinal is a burgundy red with a satin finish. Both are bold, vibrant colours.

 
Both lipsticks are £15.50 each.

Collection is available later on this month (April).

Val Garland Tuesday Chat

If you missed last nights Tuesday chat then you are in for a treat! We spent some time with the amazing Val Garland. I think our excitement is quite evident in this video!
 Grab a cuppa and take a watch......

How to contour tutorial

Nic has been doing some fab back to basics tutorials and on Friday she created a guide to contouring to your face shape.
 Take a look below....

Jurlique Sun care

Having spent a lot of time in Australia we know first hand just how harsh the sun is there. Because of this we tend to think that whatever range of sun care that originates from down under is going to be pretty awesome stuff.
 It makes sense for an Australian brand to launch a sun care range and this May 1st Jurlique are launching their sun specialist range. Very kind of Jurlique to launch just before our Summer even though it's Autumn/Winter in the southern hemisphere!

The new Jurlique sun screen is only available in the SPF 40 high protection with a PA+++ rating (high protection against UVA aging rays) making it suitable for all the family.
 What I particularly like about this sun cream is that where most brands just focus on the very important job of sun protection, Jurlique also include ingredients which have great skin care benefits too.
 Jurlique always use home grown ingredients (they actually own a farm in Australia!)and for this sun protection they have used a blend of botanical ingredients including...

Black Elder-helps reduce skin redness
Chamomile-skin soothing
Calendula flower-comforts skin sensitivity
Licorice Root-Helps to fade discolouration and brighten
Pepperberry-Hydration
Riberry-Helps promote production of collagen and elastin
Shea Butter-Intense moisturisation

 It doesn't contain any parabens, artificial colours or formaldehyde.
Gentle enough to use on the face and body, even on a sensitive skin.

100ml is £27.00


 Jurlique sunless tanner is another new launch this May and is great for people who are a bit nervous of applying a full on fake tan all over. This is a gradual tanner which you apply each day as your regular body lotion. Each day it will gradually give you a subtle colour which builds over time. 
 The colour will never get too dark as it works on your skins natural melanin, making it an individual colour on everyone. If you are really fair skinned you won't look orange, just a few shades darker than your natural skin tone.

I would apply it each day but use an exfoliating body scrub about every three days to ensure the colour doesn't build up in dry skin areas or go patchy.
 Do make sure you wash your hands after each use (or use a mitt) because it does stain your fingers.
 It also doesn't have that horrid biscuity smelling scent that regular tan has.
 Colour will begin to gradually look darker after two to three hours and will be completely developed within six hours of application.
 A nice product to use throughout the Summer months or just for a week in advance for a special occasion.

What's inside?...
Again naturally derived ingredients which are native to Australia.

DHA-The tanning ingredient which is derived from sugar cane
Sweet Orange-natural tan accelerator
Safflower seed oil-moisturising 
Glycerin-Smoothes and prevents dehydration

This does not have sun protection in it so you will still need to apply an SPF before catching the rays.

150ml is £24.00

Both of these products are available from 1st May at www.jurlique.co.uk
 

 

Chanel complete correction CC Cream

As we all start to get excited for our Summer holiday we get asked a lot about which foundation is a good one to take away.
 It's still nice to have a little bit of coverage but something that will also protect our skin in the sun.
 The Chanel CC cream is not a foundation but it's one of the best CC creams we have come across for the amount of cover it gives.
 CC creams (if you're not familiar) address skin tone and help to correct any redness, uneven skin tone and pigmentation.
 If you are someone who suffers from any of these then you should be wearing a high SPF in the sunshine to protect and prevent further darkening of pigmentation. This particular CC cream has a mega dose of sun protection in the form of SPF50/PA ++++. What does this SPF rating mean? SPF 50 gives you fifty times your own skins protection against burning. The PA part of the sunscreen cover means the grade of protection against UVA which was established in Japan. The UVA rays are the ageing rays and the four+ indicates a very high level of UVA protection.
 It contains a peach complex which is unique to Chanel. This helps stimulate the skins defence barrier. Hyaluronic acid helps to moisturise the skin and give it a plumped, hydrated appearance. 
 Coverage wise this is really good. It goes on with quite a thick, creamy texture initially but blends out to a medium cover. It has a soft, pearly finish and makes the skin look radiant and fresh.
 It absorbs into the skin well and doesn't leave a greasy residue. 
The texture sits well on all skin types although if your skin is particularly oily it may be too radiant.
 The colour options are limited to four shades however the lightest shade
 The shades are Beige 10, 20, 30, 40. We have two of the shades..

 Overall a great product to wear all year round but particularly in the Summer months. Giving you an even tone and radiant complexion and particularly benefits those with pigmentation or sensitive skin.
 This product does not replace your regular sun cream. If sun bathing with just this product on you will quickly sweat it off. A professional sun cream is designed to be sweat proof and waterproof. You also need to apply a large quantity of suncream, more than people often realise. This would be a very expensive product to use as your sun protection. Available now online and from all Chanel counters at £44.00 for 30ml.


 
 

Louise Roe Tuesday Chat

Tuesday Chat's are back and we have kicked off with the amazing Louise Roe. Take a look at our chat below and see more from Louise on her blog at www.louiseroe.com or follow Louise on Instagram @louiseroe

Mama Mio Pregnancy products

There seems to be quite a baby boom at the moment amongst the people we know. Maybe it's the Fifty shades of grey effect or maybe we are all just at that age where we think it's time to finally grow up! I hope it's the latter!
 This is Stacey writing this blog and I am currently 17 weeks pregnant and counting. 
 I have never really experienced anything quite like pregnancy. I never knew that literally something changes in your body every single day and there are huge differences from one week to the next. 
 I always thought how my body looked during pregnancy would really bother me but in fact it really doesn't (I'm sure not everyone feels this way though).
 Worrying about stretchmarks and weight gain really is the last thing on my mind. I worry more if all I have wanted to eat today is a piece of toast and did the 'standing up to quick' pains mean I have damaged my baby! Although the nausea is most unpleasant I also welcome it in a weird way. I feel as though if I feel nausea then everything is ticking along as it should.
 Anyway I digress...
 I haven't really worried too much about stretch marks because I honestly believe they are mostly genetic however I do want to give my skin it's best opportunity to stretch with as much help as I can give it.

We recently had a meeting with Emma from SpaceNK and she was filling me in on what's hot in terms of caring for pregnancy skin.
 She said I absolutely had to try Mama mio products. 

 Emma told us how the Kardashians and Tamara Ecclestone are among Mama Mio's fans so I thought I better give it a go!

 I haven't tried all of the products in the range but here are some of my favourites so far..

The Tummy Rub Butter

This smells so delicious I just want to eat it (not in a weird craving way!) A 120g pot of cream which has a thick, rich whipped cream texture. Not so thick though that you are dragging the skin and rubbing for ages. It absorbs really easily. 
  It contains organic Coconut, Avocado, Sacha Inchi, Olive, Rosehip, Argan, Sweet Almond Oils and Shea Butter.
 My skin has been so itchy however I haven't had any itching since using this. It helps to soothe the skin whilst increasing skin elasticity. They recommend using this for four months after having your baby also to help skin bounce back to how it was.
 This is £23.50 and I have been using it from my hips to top of my ribs and all the way round to my back every morning. I can dress immediately and it doesn't leave a film on my skin.

The Tummy Rub Oil

So because I use the butter during the day I use this oil at bedtime.
 I have already been testing out other oils which have left my skin texture feeling nice however I found that they increased my skin itching. I felt like they sat on the surface of my skin and took forever to dry off which made my skin feel more itchy.
 This oil which has much the same ingredients as the butter but is packed with omega rich, organic oils.
 I keep it next to my bed and as i'm laying in bed (usually by 8pm!) I watch TV and massage it gently over my stomach and hips. It doesn't even make the sheets oily.
 This oil is also in 120g pump action bottle and is a little more expensive at £27.00.

Lucky Legs Leg Gel

At 17 weeks I think it's a bit early to suffer with swollen, tired legs but I have been using this gel on the odd occasion. 
Lightweight gel containing Menthol, Spearmint and zesty Lemon plus the moisturising benefits of  Lavender, Chamomile, Arnica and Murumuru Butter.
 This feels really refreshing, cooling and a little tingly. It would be lovely on tired legs and I will definitely be keeping this with me in the Summer months.
 The 100ml pump style bottle is £19.00

Mama Mio have lots of other products in their range so be sure to check them out at SpaceNK http://goo.gl/Yqq6Xh

SpaceNK do have global shipping so check out their site if you live outside of the UK.