Diorshow Collection

Dior show collection is a capsule collection featuring some new everyday essentials.
 We have three key eye pieces to show you...

 Diorshow Mascara
 I can't keep up with the amount of mascara's Dior launch but the latest is a reinvention of the classic. 

Huge brush but the formula of the mascara is really nice. Creamy and long wearing with no flaking. The brush itself is really bristly and adds volume easily.
 The USP of this mascara is the updated formula. It has a patented anti-drying formula with an air-lock system that helps the mascara to stay fresh and fluid. This is great news as we have found that Dior mascaras have previously gone dry after a few weeks.
 Diorshow Mascara is £25.00

 Diorshow Pro Liner
 This new liner is a hybrid. It looks like a kohl but feels like a gel on application. It has a bevelled, angled edge so you can get close to the lash line and use the angle of the liner to create a flick.

 














 The liner is a twist up and the product glides on very easily. It's hard to get a fine line with this liner and you can't really blend the line you have created. Once on though this is waterproof and lasts really well. Good if you want a solid, un-blended line. Great for watery eyes or for humidity and sports.
 Available in six colours and is £20.00.

Diorshow Brow Styler
 In our opinion this is the best of the new launches. It's a firm plastic brow comb. It has a twist up end which then dispenses the serum-like gel out through tiny hole in the brush.

The formula of the gel is lightweight and non sticky. It separates the brow hairs and holds them in place.
 Available in three colour options of clear, light brown and ashy blonde.

 Be careful not to wind the the end too much as it can dispense too much product and leave your brows looking wet rather than groomed.
 The Diorshow Brow styler gel is £21.00

 All three pieces are available nationwide from June 2015.

Tuesday Chat - NPU

Sorry it was a bit late this week guys but we had some internet issues!
 Take a look at this weeks Tuesday chat.....

 

L'oréal Pin-up collection

 It's been the 68th annual Cannes film festival and as the official makeup sponsors of the event L'oréal have launched their pin-up collection.

 
 We have two of the eye shadows in pin up pink 507 and French Riviera 505.
 Shimmering finish pearl eye shadows with good colour pay off and no drop down. Shades lay down and blend easily providing sheer washes of colour. The eye shadows are £5.49 each.

 Also for the eyes is L'oréal's first flexible tip liner pen in jet black.

 The tip creates a really nice finish. Firm enough to apply colour and reach into the inner corners but flexible enough to move with the shape of the eye. Not too wet either so you don't get the product in your lashes. Ink dries off quickly too which helps prevent transfer. The superstar liner is £6.99.

Another mascara has joined the already vast L'oréal mascara line up. It is a dual ended mascara. One end coats the lashes in white micro fibres to build volume and separate the lashes. The other end is a curved, bristly brush which provides the intense black to the lashes. The mascara is very black and the slightly curved brush makes application easy. Gives a very spiky, separated finish but helps to curl the lashes well. The false lash superstar mascara is £10.99.

For the lips there is just the one colour in the collection called My sky is the limit 504. Extremely glossy, sticky texture but the colour doesn't translate as vibrant as you may expect. It's quite a translucent pink. To get the pink as bold as the image you would need a lipstick underneath also for sure. The gloss is £6.99.

 













 The nail varnish in this collection although very pretty, feels a little disjointed. All of the colours seem to be more clashing rather than working in harmony. The nail varnish is called Dating coral 305. A rich coral with a sheen finish. Perfect on toes and fingers for the Summer. The nail varnish is £4.99.

Really nice products individually but not really a collection we would purchase to wear all together.
 Available mid May.

Perfect Summer Makeup Tutorial

Did you catch Nic's Summer tutorial on Friday. Using coppers and golds to catch the sunlight this look would work on all skin tones and eye colours.
 We are now trialing our tutorials at a slightly earlier time of 5pm on a Friday. What do you think of this time slot? We would love your feedback.
 Hope you enjoy.....

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess

  It literally isn't summer until Estee Lauder drop their Bronze Goddess collection.

 This years collection centers around shimmering nudes and compromises of a new limited edition gelée bronzer, limited edition illuminating powder gelée, limited edition all over illuminator and powder bronzer all for the skin. For the eyes, lips and nails there is a new shimmering nude eye shadow palette, a limited edition face and eye palette (online only) pure colour gloss pen and new pure colour nail lacquer.
 We have a selection from this collection to show you.

 The bronze goddess shimmering body oil makes an appearance this year. The fragrance of this has become synonymous with the summer and is a scent I can always detect when someone is wearing. 

The oil is presented in a 45ml glass bottle with vapouriser spray dispenser. The oil itself is transparent but encapsulates a super fine golden shimmer pigment. Enriched with skin nourishing emollients this oil will moisturise a parched skin whilst providing a heavenly coconut scent and radiant shimmer. If it makes me look like the visual of Carolyn Murphy just casually hanging out in the pool this summer then I'm dousing my body in it!
This bottle is £29.00.

The illuminating powder gelée-£32.00

  


























This powder doesn't really feel like a gelée at all. The texture is extremely sheer and the powder is super fine so that it glides on like a second skin. The highlight is a warm apricot and looks beautiful on the cheek bones and over the brow for a humid skin effect highlight.
All over illuminator-£33.00

Cream highlighting stick which tints skin in a peach/gold radiance. Looks great as a blusher on a lighter skin or as a highlighter on a deeper or tanned skin.

 The stick makes it convenient to sling in your bag and apply on the go. Easy to touch up with and build up as your tan increases.

The shimmering nudes eye shadow palette is the cherry on the cake for this collection.

 It is basically everything you need for all-in-one bronzing for the face and eyes.
  The slimline mirrored palette contains five universal bronze shades from nude through to deep mocha all with a radiant finish.

 Sweep your brush all over or pick out the individual shades and use on the eyes and also the cheeks as a bronzer or highlighter.

 Specifically for the eyes are three shades in gold, olive and smokey charcoal, all obviously with the shimmering finish.

  A dual ended brush is included which has a padded applicator and a small blending brush.

All three shades blend beautifully together and work in harmony with the bronzing tones also.
 This palette is £44.00.

We LOVE all the pieces from this collection and will be featuring this palette in a tutorial over the next few weeks so stand by for that!

 This collection is available now while stocks last http://www.esteelauder.co.uk







 

Emma Lomax SOS Kits

We travel a lot and spend ridiculous amounts of time in airports. There is always something we suddenly realise we have forgotten or need so we were super excited to find these SOS bags, they are genius!

 Emma Lomax does a ton of different makeup bags and wash bags but it's her kits that we love the most.
 Of course you don't just have to use these when travelling. They are handy to carry in your handbag or keep in your car.
 I have checked the UK guidelines regarding hand luggage on flights https://goo.gl/cFQonj and all of the items featured in the kits are permitted on board. If you are from elsewhere in the world then please do check your airline restrictions on hand luggage before travelling. We would hate for you to have it taken off of you at the airport!

 Mini Gold Lips SOS Kit-£20.00

 This kit includes...

1.Small hot pink, zipped bag.
2.Nail polish remover pad.
3.Antibacterial wipe
4.Plaster
5.Sewing kit containing grey, red, white and black cotton and small needle. Also in the sewing kit bag is a small gold safety pin, a black button and a white button. Two plastic backs for earrings.
6.A nail file.
7.A tampon.
8.Two pink kirby grips/bobby pin
9.A hair tie
10.A shea butter and vitamin E lip balm

Gold Heart SOS Kit-£26.00

 This kit includes...

1. Medium sized gold zipped bag with red velour heart.
2. Hair brush and mirror.
3. Nail file.

4. Shea butter lip balm.

5. Antibacterial hand wipe.

6. Nail polish remover wipe.

7. Tampon.

8. Angled tweezers.

9. Antiperspirant wipe for under arms.

10.Mirror.
11.Plaster.
12.Sewing kit containing grey, red, black and white cotton and a fine needle. A pink hair tie, white and black buttons, small gold safety pin, two hair grips, 2 plastic earring backs.

 Aeroplane SOS Kit in Pink-£30.00

 

































This kit includes...

1. Clear plastic bag featuring velour pink aeroplane.
2. Hair brush and mirror.
3. Toothbrush.
4. Foam ear plugs.
5. Nail Clippers.
6. Angled tweezers.
7. Phone charger lead.
8. Mint.
9. Tampon.
10. Mirror.
11. Hair tie.
12. Toothpaste.
13. Sewing kit containing grey, red, white and black cotton with fine needle. A small gold safety pin and a white and black button. Two plastic earring backs.
14. Two hair grips.
15. Two nail varnish remover wipes.
16. Sanitising hand wipe.
17. Portable power bank battery charger.
18. Plaster.
19. Orange Stick.
20. Shea butter lip balm.
21. Nail file.

There are other kits available especially for the gym and festivals. The festival kit even has a waterproof fold up poncho!! How cool is that!?

All of these kits are available from http://www.emmalomax.com and they deliver in the UK all over Europe and in America. Check the website for expected delivery times and shipping costs.


 

Tuesday Chat: Tattoo removal

Nic has a tattoo on her back and a tattoo on her foot. Both were done quite a few years ago and although she loved them at the time she now feels they just don't fit her image any longer. Nic quite often likes to wear dresses to events and loves delicate high shoes but often feels the tattoo on her foot can sometimes ruin the look of the shoes.

 She recently begun a laser tattoo treatment on both her foot and the tattoo on her back.
 She thought you may like to take a look at how the treatment is done and how it feels during.





Have you ever had this treatment done? Nic would love to see your before and after pictures. You can tweet them to her at @nixiepixi

Chanel Collection Blue rhythm de Chanel

Chanel seem to be branching out just lately from the classic tones we know them for and producing some pretty impressive brights.
 We recently told you about their collection de Méditerranée http://goo.gl/Aqrjwv which also had some bold colour choices.
 This collection is still on the same lines as the previous collection but more of a sultry Summer evening look.

The eye quartet used in this visual is the Tissé Jazz palette birth £40.00. A mix of midnight blues and smokey grey.

L: Tissé Jazz R: Tissé Smoky

We have the Tissé smoky quad featuring black, pewter, silver and pearl shades.
  Each shade has a shimmer, metallic finish with good colour pigment. The shades perform nicely with each other for a perfect, blended gradient.

There are two mascara's in the collection (£25.00). One in midnight blue ( this makes the whites of your eyes so bright), the other is a turquoise with a fine silver glitter pigment. The plastic style wand ensures great definition. Use on it's own for a vivid lash look or wear on top of a black mascara for a more subtle hint of blue to the tips. Looks great worn solely on the bottom lashes too.

The only lip product is the high voltage volume clear gloss. This has a mirror like shine and contains pink peppercorn to stimulate the circulation and revive the natural colour of the lips along with vitamin E for hydration (£26.00).
  

The nail varnish selection is beautiful. Again two blue shades, one in navy and one in a more royal vibrant blue (£18.00).

Vibrato Nail Varnish

This collection is limited edition and available nationwide from 29th May 2015.

Urban Decay: The Stockpile

 Okay so this is every lip fanatics dream vault...The Stockpile.
If you remember back to October we gave you a sneak preview into Urban Decay's Vault..http://goo.gl/T6ZRPN  This sold out almost instantly and we are pretty sure The stockpile will be equally as popular.

 What's in The Stockpile?

 Encased in a presentation box which has a magnetic catch are ten revolution lipsticks and ten 24/7 lip liners in complimenting colours.
 Revolution lipsticks have intense colour payoff which transfer instantly onto the lip with one slick. 
 Containing a nourishing mix of avocado oil, cocoa butter and shea butter these are a great remedy for dry lips. Because of their moisturising texture they won't cling to dry lips. The texture is thick, opaque and very comfortable on the lips. The colour pay off is ridiculously intense and bold.

 All of the ten shades are part of the regular colour line up so hopefully some of your favourite shades are included in the set.
 It's also a great opportunity to try something you wouldn't normally go for. Please note you can't swap the colours, they come as they are in the set

To ensure your lipstick lasts and looks crisp Urban Decay have included ten of their 24/7 lip pencils. Not only are these long lasting but also waterproof. They act as a primer and a liner so when used with your lipstick they will ensure your colour lasts you through the day.
 Each liner works in harmony with the colour positioned with it in the kit, they even have the same name as the lipstick in case you jumble up the order of them in the box.

 The Shade selection

Colour selection is great in the Stockpile. Shades range from nudes through to vibrant reds.
 The line up is as follows.....

 

Lipsticks

Lipsticks

Lip Liners

 

Lip Liners

 This collection of lipsticks and liners is  £180 but worth £310. This will be exclusively available from Selfridges from 21st May 2015.
 There are only 300 of these available and it's going to go super fast.
 To find out the moment it lands in store you need to register your details via this link..http://www.selfridges.com/content/article/urban-decay-sign-up 
 This is online only and can be purchased from www.selfridges.co.uk
 Selfridges do ship to over 60 countries including the states and Australia. To check if your country is on the shipping list you will need to visit the Selfridges online site.

Anastasia Waterproof Créme colour

We have told you recently about a lot of new waterproof products but these new créme shadows from Anastasia Beverly Hills are something else!
 I think after a nuclear war the only remaining things would be cockroaches and the colour of these eye shadows.
 The colour intensity is the same on the skin as it is in the pot.
 They are cream shadows and apply to the skin in a slick of thick, creamy colour. Blending is easy so long as you blend immediately. Once these dry off there is zero movement and you will be left with a blob of opaque matte colour so work fast.

Available in 6 shades of not particularly everyday colours.....

  These colours are not going to be your everyday shades but they have multiple uses.
 Used as a block colour over the eyelid they make a strong impact when worn on their own. You can use them as a long lasting base underneath a powder eye shadow.
 Use them as a liner along the lash liner which will withstand even the most watery eyes.
 Great for use in body painting also.
 They dry off completely matte on the skin.
 I couldn't remove these with water or a face wipe. You have to use a really oily makeup remover. Massage the remover into the skin well before rinsing. Be careful not to drag the skin around the eyes.

They are $18 each and are available from anastasiabeverlyhills.com

Adriana Lima Met Ball Tutorial

Did you catch Nic's tutorial on Friday? She recreated the beautiful Adriana Lima's look for last weeks Met Ball.

Louise Young Super concealer trio

Here in Norwich where we live there are a lot of talented people. Makeup artist Louise Young is another resident of this fine city (she also taught Sam at college).

You would have seen us use lots of LY brushes in our various tutorials and also Louise's eye shadow palette but Louise also now has concealer palettes.

 Louise is a working makeup artist (view her work here http://www.louiseyoung.co.uk/)

Louise has launched four different concealer palettes which each contain three complimenting shades. 

The light palette contains 2 pink toned concealers and one yellow based concealer.

The lightest colour on the left would probably be equivalent to an NW15 in MAC's Studio finish concealer. The second colour has the yellow/peach base equivalent to an NC15 in MAC. The third colour isn't too dissimilar to the first shade however it is a little brighter pink so would work well as a colour corrector.


The medium palette again has two pink based concealer and a beige.

The first shade is the darkest in the palette and is a warm nude, probably closest too an NC30, the middle colour is pink based and still pretty fair in around an NW20. The third shade is a mix of pink and beige but translates lighter on the skin.

The medium olive palette obviously has warmer tones and would be good on a medium skin tone.

This palette would suit if you normally wear around an NC30/NW25. The third colour is much warmer and could be used to contour with.

The dark palette has a really nice selection of tones.

 A mix or terracotta, rich chocolate and an ashy beige (the third shade is an awesome contour shade on a fair/medium skin tone).

Each palette has a miniature pointed brush which is great for precise application to blemishes or scars. For use around the eye we would opt for a larger, fluffy brush to blend with.

The texture of these concealers is quite fluid rather than a thick cream which makes it easy to blend with. They feel sheer on the skin but are easily buildable. The finish is more of a satin finish than a matte. If you have a combination/oily skin you will definitely need to powder these as they feel quite moisturising on the skin.

Each palette is £20.00 and available direct from Louise Young at http://www.louiseyoungcosmetics.com or from Beauty Bay http://www.beautybay.com 

We love the slimline packaging and mirrored lid for transporting around and touch ups on the go.

MUFE Aqua Collection

We often get asked about waterproof makeup in preparation for holidays and general water based fun in the sun! Likewise if you reside in a hot and humid country you may also be interested in products that won't slide off of your face by lunchtime.
 Makeup Forever have a great selection of waterproof products for the eyes.

Aqua matic
 Waterproof twist up cream eyeshadow sticks. 

These have a pointed tip for precision and added sharpener in the base so you can maintain the defined nib.

 These sticks are super smudgy and are soft enough to be blended with the finger or a brush. We only had the shade in iridescent electric blue but found this shade to be strongly pigmented and deliver a smooth, even finish. These do dry off fairly quickly so apply and blend straight away. Can be worn as a base colour under powder or layered with other Aqua matic shades.  Aqua matic is available in 12 shades and are £16.00 each.

Aqua Cream
Similar product however pressed into a pot. Cream eye shadow in 18 shades which are highly pigmented and have a delicate mother of pearl sparkle.

 We found these needed to be built up a little more than the Aqua matic to be able to achieve the same payoff. The shades blend out beautifully creating a diffused edge which looks amazing blended into the socket.

shade 19-purple

 












 All the Aqua creams are £17.00 each. 

Aqua eyes  
 These are the eyeliner pencils in the waterproof range. They have a kohl texture and once dry will not fade or transfer. Especially good for people who have watery eyes.

  Available in 19 shades

Shades in 7l-Turquiose 9L-Gold

 Check out the Waterproof range from Makeup Forever here..
http://www.makeupforever.com 
www.preciousaboutmakeup.com