World AIDS Day at MAC

You have probably started to see everyone wearing the red ribbon in support of World AIDS day on the 1st December.
 MAC has always been an influential ambassador for World Aids day and to support the cause they have their range of Viva Glam lipsticks. With every purchase of a Viva Glam lipstick the whole cost(minus VAT) goes towards women, men and children living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
 The current campaign features Miley Cyrus as the ambassador. She has a bright orange lipstick and shimmering lipglass which is beautiful for the Autumn/Winter season.

Credit: MACcosmetics.com

 The MAC AIDS fund launched in 1994 and has supported organisations around the world to help fund services which provide help and medical assistance to those living with HIV and AIDS.

 The sale of one single Viva Glam lipstick helps to....

* Provide one pair of shoes for a child orphaned by AIDS
* One month of transport for a woman/man to travel to see a doctor
* 8 nutritious meals
* 14 glucose monitoring strips
* 1 vegetable seed starter kit
* HIV prevention workshop to educate
* 2 safe sex kits

 along with so much more...

 So far the MAC AIDS fund has raised $400 million (US) for the sale of Viva glam lipsticks and to celebrate this they are doing something quite special at the MAC Pro store in London.

To help the cause on Tuesday 1st December at the MAC PRO store on Carnaby street, London will be various industry influences selling Viva Glam lipsticks. 
 Sam and Nic will be there along with Sali Hughes, Henry Holland, Bourgeois and Maurice and Reba Maybury all staggered throughout the day.
 We would absolutely love your support for this so if you are in London tomorrow (1st December) swing into MAC at 30 Great Marlborough Street (on Carnaby Street, adjacent to Liberty) London. W1F 7JA. Come say hi and purchase one of the gorgeous Viva Glam lipsticks to show your support.

 Can't wait to see you and thank you.

Replica by Maison Martin Margiela

A certain scent can instantly transport you back to a fond memory or place. Since 1994 Belgian fashion designer Martin Margiela has been launching a new scent to form the Replica fragrance collection.
 Each fragrance note is carefully hand picked to represent a time, place or emotion. Each individual fragrance is labelled detailing it's source and period of the original item.
 There will definitely be a fragrance in the collection which you can make a personal connection with.

100ml elegant but totally unisex glass bottles with cloth label detailing inspiration and fragrance description.

Flower Market

Description: Freshly cut flowers, wet petals, buckets and vases brimmming with water, leaves crushed on the floor and a multitude of floral compositions. Period is Paris in 2011.
 Top notes of crushed leaves and freesia. Middle notes of sambac, jasmine, tuberose and grasse rose, base notes of cedar wood and oak moss.

Smells ever so softly floral, almost soapy like fresh linen.

Funfair Evening

Description: An odour of candy fills the air. Funfair captures the sweeter scent of the festive atmosphere. Period is Santa Monica 1994.
 Top notes of Sweet apple, pear and star anise. Middle notes of Morrocan rose, Egyptian orange blossom and marshmallow. Base notes of amber, white musk, vanilla and caramel.
  
A sweet smelling scent with a smokey undertone (I guess that's meant to resemble the hotdogs).

Lazy Sunday Morning

Description: Evokes the memory of a sunday spring morning in white bed linen, with a view over the Boboli gardens. Period is Florence 2003.
 Top notes amber seeds, pear accord and lily of the valley. Middle notes of iris, rose absolute and orange flower. Base notes of white musk, indonesian patchouli oil and white woods.

Soapy smelling but with a freshness. Lily of the valley is the standout note.

 Beach Walk

Description: Evokes a memory of a Sunny Summer's day. Period is Calvi 1972.
 Top notes of Bergamot, pink pepper, lemon. Middle notes of Ylang ylang, Heliotrope and coconut milk. Base notes of musk, cedar wood and benzoin.

Smells exactly like suntan lotion and holidays. The coconut milk is the strongest scent.


Promenade in the gardens 

Description: Evokes the memory of a walk in the heart of a British garden. Period is Oxfordshire 1986.
 Top notes of green accord, freesia and coriander oil. Middle notes of Turkish rose oil, peony and sambac jasmine absolute. Base notes of patchouli oil, vetiver oil and sandalwood oil.

Very floral and quite an old fashioned scent. Fresh and green.


Jazz Club

Atmosphere of a gentleman's jazz club. Chic and heady liquor infused notes blended with woody, sensual tones of tobacco.
 Period is Brooklyn 2013.
 Top notes of pink pepper, lemon and neroli oil. Middle notes of rum absolute, clary sage oil and vetiver oil. Base notes of tobacco leaf, vanilla absolute and benzoin.

Smokey, sexy, dark scent. Almost leathery scented.

 
  Tea Escape

Bustling, noisy and frantic city. the light silk of a blouse. A veil of steam and the Japanese tradition of tea with a modern approach.
 Period is Tokyo 2008.
 Top notes are bergamot essence, mint and pink pepper.
 Middle notes of sambac, jasmine absolute, osmanthus flower and green tea.
 Base notes of crisped rice and milk accord.

Minty fresh and green. Very summery.

At the Barber's 


The dry friction of a straight razor against a leather strap. The soft rustling of a towel. Fresh and clean atmosphere of a barbershop.
 Period is Madrid 1992.
 Top notes of basil accord and black pepper. Middle notes of geranium, lavender and rosemary essence.
 Base notes of tonka bean and white musk.

Leathery, sexy and musky. 

 
These fragrances are £80.00 each and are available from Selfridges here..http://www.selfridges.com

 

 

Your Faves - Oily Skin

Oily skin is the skin type which we get the most questions about. Oily skin still needs to be moisturised but it's finding one which contains the correct ingredients to balance out the oil.
 Foundations can sometimes appear curdled over the duration of the day or even disappear completely.
 We asked you all to tell us about the moisturisers and foundations which work for your oily skin....

 

OILY SKIN	MOISTURISERS	FOUNDATIONS
BUDGET	Ceatpil La Roche Posay Effaclar Neutrogena pink grapefruit   Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Lush Enzymion Vichy Normaderm Murad Skin perfecting Body Shop Aloe Vera Embryolisse hydra mat Body Shop Seaweed Avene matte  Aveeno	Revlon colour stay L'Oreal Infallible No7 Beautifully Matte  L'Oreal True Match Bourjois Air Mat Rimmel Match Perfection
MEDIUM PRICE	Clinique 3 Step Shiseido Pureness E.L Day wear Liz Earle Light Moisturiser Dermalogica Oil Control  Clarins Hydra Fresh  Origins Ginseng REN Clarimatte Kiehl's ultra facial cream	Estee Lauder Double wear MAC Pro Longwear Urban Decay Naked Skin MUFE Mat Velvet  Bobbi Brown Longwear Illamasqua Skin Base Dior Forever flawless  MAC Matchmaster Benefit Big Easy BB Becca matte   Dior Forever MAC Studio fix MUFE HD Ultra
LUXURY	Espa 24hr balancing Kate Somerville Oil free La Prairie-Cellular emulsion matte	Hourglass Oxygenetix Chanel Perfection Lumiere Chantecaille Skin By Terry Armani Luminous Silk Tom Ford Traceless  Armani Face Fabric Armani Maestro YSL Ink Fusion

Your faves - Dry Skin

We have a dry skin and although we are happy to talk about moisturisers and foundations which work for us we are well aware these recommendations will not be any good for those of you with other skin types.
 We decided to throw out the question to you guys and asked you to tell us about the moisturiser and foundation for your skin type.
 We had a huge response and have compiled a chart with your answers.

 Kicking off with your top products for a dry skin we have categorised them into budget, medium price and luxury.... 

DRY SKIN	MOISTURISERS	FOUNDATION
BUDGET	Eucerin Body Shop Vit E Lush Skin Drink Nivea Body Shop Aloe Vera Garnier Very Dry  Simple replenishing Embryolisse Philosophy Almond oil Botanics skin oil Boots Glycerin & rose water Astral Dove Cetaphil La Roche Posay- Nutric Oilatum  Weleda Skin food Coconut oil Aldi Lacura caviar  First Aid-ultra repair	Boujois Healthy Mix Revlon colour stay L'Oreal True match W7 Art Deco Rich treatment Max Factor-Miracle touch Maybelline-Dream smooth mousse Rimmel-Lasting foundation
MEDIUM PRICE	Clinique Moisture Surge Olay Vichy Actiderm Benefit Face emulsion Pai Kiko 24hr Avene Nuxe Creme fraiche Kiehls ultra facial No7 Lift & Illuminate Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Demalogica- Intensive moisture balance  Kate Somerville-Eczema therapy Paula's Choice-Skin recovery  Kiehl's Rose Atica Givenchy Hydra sparkling Trilogy Rose Hip oil Clinique- Dramatically different	MAC Face&Body Clinique Super balanced MUFE HD Ultra E.L Double wear Nars Sheer glow Bobbi Brown Moisture rich Bobbi Brown skin Laura Mercier- Illuminating tinted moisturiser Bare Minerals-Bare skin serum foundation Benefit Oxygen  Too Faced-Born this way Delilah Time Frame
LUXURY	YSL Touche Eclat Lancome teint miracle Elizabeth Arden 8hr Shiseido Liz Earle super skin Espa-24hr replenishing Biologique recherche-creme verte espoire Perricone MD-Face finishing  Rodial Stem cell Elemis pro radiance Decleor-Hydra floral Clarins Blue Orchid oil YSL Moisture balm Creme de la mer moisturiser Caudalie-Vinoperfect  Zelens Daily defence	Armani Luminous silk Dior Nude skin Chanel-Vitalumiere aqua Suqqu-Cream foundation Marc Jacobs-Genius Gel Tom Ford Traceless Chantecaille Skin Charlotte Tibury- Magic Foundation

These were all the brands which kept popping up repeatedly in your comments. Do you have any others to add to the list?

Winter Makeup tutorial

Winter has well and truly hit the UK. You need to watch Nic's Winter makeup tutorial immediately!!..

Gel Touch Starter Kit

This kit is genius if you are someone who spends around £30 every 6 weeks getting gel nails done in a salon. If you're anything like us then you'll get bored of the colour after 2 weeks and end up picking it off anyway!

 This starter kit from United Beauty includes a top coat which can be worn over any of your regular nail polish to transform it into a gel..amazing!! There is also a mini LED lamp to cure the top coat and set it along with 4 nail wipes to remove residue.

 Wipe over your nails with polish remover to ensure the nails are free of old polish or dirt.
 Apply 2 coats of any nail polish and leave to dry off totally for around 20 minutes. Once the polish is completely dry you are ready to transform them into a gel finish.
 Plug in your mini LED lamp and switch it on. Place your four fingers under the lamp and then press the on button twice so that the 60 second light is lit. Leave your fingers under the blue light for the duration until the blue light clicks off. Next place your thumb under and repeat.

 You will notice the top coat looks lighter under the lamp and you can see exactly where you have applied it which makes noticing mistakes easy. The top coat is invisible in natural light however so don't worry, you won't see any areas you have missed.
 After you remove your fingers you will feel a sticky residue on the nail, simply wipe over the nails with the included cleansing wipe and all of the tacky feeling will be removed without disturbing the top coat underneath.
 The nails are left beautifully shiny and hard, exactly as your nails feel after spending an hour getting a professional gel manicure.

  
 The polish I have used is Chanel Rouge Noir which is notorious for chipping quickly. After using I found my polish lasted around 10 days which isn't as long as a professional job but it will get you through your weekend away or whilst on holiday. 
 To remove the polish, soak your nails in acetone and wipe over with a cotton pad.
 This time of year it's almost impossible to get an appointment slot so this kit makes it much easier to have perfect nails ready for the party season without having to fit in a trip to a salon.

This starter kit is £49.99 and once you finish the top coat you can re purchase on it's own for £14.99. You only receive 4 cleansing wipes in the kit so these will run out quickly. The wipes are purely isopropyl alcohol which you can purchase easily from salon stores or online.

 What a fab gift for Christmas, we would certainly be happy to find this under our tree on Christmas Day.

Available here...http://www.justbeauty.co.uk/search/gel-touch