Urban Decay Razor sharp liquid liners

Urban Decay have just launched their new Razor Sharp liquid liners ready for the party season. The ultra fine flexible application brush, which isn't too long, makes it easy to get a fine or thick liquid flick. 

 The texture of the product is quite watery but not so much that it drips. It's quite playable meaning that you can move it around and build without making a huge mess. 

 The colours are beautiful and are in a mix of metallic and matte finishes which dry off to ensure a long wearing, water resistant finish. These last so well on the skin that even the wateriest of eyes can wear with confidence. 

Each liner is £16.00 and they are available here.

Natasha Denona

We were recently sent a range of products by Croatian makeup artist Natasha Denona. Natasha has created looks for huge editorial campaigns globally as well as working with renowned models and photographers.
 She has created a huge makeup range which is sold via her website or over at Beauty Bay.
 We have her eye shadow palettes to share with you. There are also other palettes to choose from and smaller palettes of 5 shadows which are more transportable.

 The large palette in Purple Blue holds 28 eye shadows in a mix of matte, Duo Chrome and metallic finishes.

Sadly one of the eye shadows were broken in transit

The colour payoff is sensational and they adhere to the skin with no drop down. They blend out like silk on the skin and the finish, especially the metallic shades, reflects like a mirror. 

  

Aren't they so beautiful? Gorgeous shades which would suite every season.
 A palette of this calibre does not come cheap...prepare yourself...It's £199... but when you break that down it's actually £7.10 per shadow which sits in line with the price of a lot of other high street brands.

If you are interested in seeing what else Natasha Denona has to offer then check her out here.

Hailey Baldwin Tutorial

Did you catch our Hailey Baldwin Tutorial last week? 

Mature skin makeup tutorial

Hope you enjoy our tutorial on our beautiful mum Judy.

Eyelash Logic

 

So for the last 3 months I have been trialing a lash growth serum which we were sent from Eyelash Logic.

 Before they posted out my pack for trial I had to complete an online medical questionnaire so that they could be sure it was a safe product for me to use. They wanted to know about my historical eye health and any treatments to my eyes which I may have received. There were also the generic allergy and general health question. I felt that it seemed very professional to ask me these questions and also gave me confidence to use it knowing that it was safe for me to do so. For this very reason you must never share your prescription, it’s solely for your own use.

What’s in the kit?

The pack contains the treatment liquid along with a load of application wands.

What is the treatment liquid?

The liquid is made from Bimatoprost, which is effectively an eye drop treatment for the eye condition Glaucoma.

 When Eyelash logic contacted me about this treatment and explained exactly what it was I was keen to try it. A few years back I was doing a lady’s makeup and as I put her mascara on I noticed she had insanely long lashes but only on one eye. I mentioned it to her and she said that she had Glaucoma in her left eye and the drops she was prescribed to use every day had increased her lash length. I said at the time, it will only be a matter of time before someone makes a lash treatment from it or even adds it to mascara…and hey presto!

It may sound a bit scary but this liquid is tested and is totally safe to use around the eyes. It won’t affect your vision and it won’t give you Glaucoma (as someone asked me the other day). I have recently had my routine eye check up at my opticians and my eyes are 100% the same as they were before use of this product.

It acts on prostaglandin receptors in the hair follicle by increasing the percentage of eyelash follicles in the growth phase of the lashes. It also stimulates melanin that increases the lash darkness and also increases the size of the root, which results in thicker hair.

There are, of course, possible side effects which they give you full information on. This can include irritation; dryness of the eye, darkening of the skin on the eyelid and also in rare occasions it can darken the pigment within the eye and cause the natural colour to deepen. I personally had zero side effects. The only thing I did notice was that my liquid eye liner didn't last as well through the day. Maybe a fine layer of the treatment liquid coats the skin and doesn't allow makeup to adhere as well but just give your eyes a good clean over with eye makeup remover in the morning before makeup application to counteract this. I can live with this though!

The results:

I used a new wand for each eye to avoid any cross infection. Applied one drop on the wand tip and gently stroked it along the lash line(not in the eye) where the lashes projected from the lid. I did this each night before bedtime after removing my makeup. I also wear contact lenses so it is important to remove these before application.

 There were only 2 occasions during the 3 months, which I forgot to apply (because slightly too much gin was consumed).

I began to notice an increase in the general condition of my lashes after about 6 weeks. They felt stronger and seemed to look more separated and even. After 10 weeks I could definitely see an improvement in the length. I knew I wasn’t just imagining it because I could feel my lashes fluttering against my upper lid and touching the lens on my sunglasses.

At around 10 weeks the wand applicators ran out. They don’t put enough in the box for you to be able to use two a day (one on each eye) for three months, which I thought was a little strange. For the remainder of the trial I have been applying with a fine eyeliner brush.

 I never really noticed a lot of added thickness to my lashes. They 100% are longer but only marginally thicker. I also didn’t notice any darkening of the hairs. This obviously is my own personal result; maybe it would vary for someone else.

Even though the 3 month trial has ended I actually still have a couple of weeks worth of solution left so I will continue to use it until it runs out.

As with all lash treatments you have to maintain use to ensure your lashes continue to look this way. As soon as you stop using it, over time the lashes will revert back to their condition pre treatment. As I’m still using the treatment I can’t report on how my lashes look after stopping use but I will update this post in a few weeks with the results.

My lashes before the trial:

Without mascara

 With Mascara (sorry about the 'one eye' picture, not really sure why I did that!)

 My lashes after 3 months of use

Without Mascara

With Mascara

 As you can see there doesn't appear to be too much difference without mascara but with mascara you can see the added length quite clearly.

This isn't a cheap product unfortunately but if you are bothered about how short your lashes are or maybe just want them looking extra long for a special event then it's worth a try. 
A 3 month prescription is £99.00. A 6 month prescription is £179.00 and a year is £369.00.

Check their site out here.

YSL Full Metal Shadow

 New Autumn eye collection from YSL in the form of liquid eye shadow. We have two of the three shades available to show you.

They apply with a firm doe foot applicator in a creamy wash of colour. Use minimal amounts, blend it to desired shape and then re-apply to build cover. They dry off pretty quick and are tough to blend once they have set so work it in and blend straight away.
They have a matte texture although the fur green shade has a fine metallic shimmer to it.

Both nice on their own for a super quick eye or use as a base for an intense smoky eye.
Available now here for £21.00 each.

The makeup I wore to school

I was tagged by to share the makeup I wore to school back in the 90's. What were your favourite products from your school days?...

What's in Lily Pebbles Makeup bag?

Lily came over to the Pixiwoo studio so we had to grab her makeup bag and check out what she is loving at the moment....

The Estee Edit Radiance activator and Beam Team

If you are clinging onto the remnants of summer and are dreading the Autumn/Winter sucking the life out of your skin like some sort of season hoover then you need to check these two out.

The radiance activator is a treat, prep and glow illuminator in a golden/pearl finish. It's basically a 3-1 cream serum, which can be applied under your moisturiser, mixed in with your foundation or buffed over the high points of the face to highlight.
 It smells divine and gives the skin such a beautifully natural gleam. It's not sparkly but it is infused with a micro fine golden and pink sheen to lift a dull skin and radiate health. It will give you an enviable boost to your skin and whenever I have worn this someone has commented on my skin rather than my makeup.

 It contains prism illuminators to give a multi dimensional finish, vitamin E, pink peony to soothe and act as an anti-inflammatory, sea lavender, which is a powerful antioxidant and helps to repair UV damage, and a good old dose of hyaluronic acid to attract moisture to the skin.


The Beam Team Bronze is a hydrate and glow product. A liquid bronzer which blends out to a totally naturally sun kissed finish. The balmy texture doesn’t make your skin feel greasy or look unnaturally golden. It works in a similar way to the radiance activator but would also work on a deeper skin tone to highlight. It also has a secret block of slightly deeper golden cream bronzer in the lid. You can build the intensity of the shine by dabbing this over the high points of the face.
This liquid works well on bare skin to give a subtle golden hue or looks phenomenal mixed with your regular foundation to jazz up the last of your summer skin.

The Radiance activator is £38.00 and the Beam Team Bronze is £34.00. Both are sadly exclusive to Selfridges but you can’t go wrong with these two so it’s a safe one to order blind online. Check them out here.

Elizabeth Arden Prevage anti-aging foundation

 

Wowsers this foundation is beautiful. To be honest I’d never really got too excited for Elizabeth Arden foundations but I’d also never tried them. I always felt like they were more suited to a mature skin but then I had the devastating realisation that I am mid 30’s so probably fit into this bracket now.

 The new Prevage foundation, which launched this month, is a water based anti-aging base that contains a blend of complex ingredients which target an aging skin.

What’s in it?

·   Hydra pigments-Enriched with moisture-rich pigments which increase the wear and blur minor imperfections.

·   Idebenone-This sounded interesting and after reading up on this ingredient I found it to have been used in many clinical trials including Alzheimer’s and other neuromuscular diseases which occur during the ageing process. In the skincare it is used as an anti oxidant which protects the skin cells.

·   Antioxidants including Ferulic acid which is found naturally in the seeds of fruit and fights free radicals which can lead to skin aging. Vitamin C to boost skins natural collagen and improves skin clarity, Carnosine and Green tea to soothe an irritated skin.

With this impressive list of potent anti agers you know it’s not going to be cheap but at £45.00 for a gorgeous foundation, which targets ageing concerns then it’s not a ridiculous price (if that is indeed a concern of yours).

This foundation creates a sheer veil of cover but can be built up to a light to medium cover. If fine lines are a concern then this foundation will sit beautifully on the skin. It won’t settle or enhance the look of skin texture.

 It looks luminous and radiant and just gives the skin a perfectly healthy radiance. If you need a little more cover then use a separate concealer and point conceal the areas.

Suitable for a dry through to combination skin. An oily skin will need a light dusting of loose powder on top to take off a little of the shine.

Sadly the colour range is not too extensive and would only be suitable for a naturally fair (not porcelain) through to a light olive skin tone.

 Eight shades in total of which we have six of them to show you.

Available now here.

Victoria Beckham for Estee Lauder

We finally have our hands on the limited edition collection by Victoria Beckham for Estee Lauder. It's described as a collection for sweaty-sexy skin, fiercely lined eyes, nude lips, wet finishes, liquid metals and foil like shine. Meant to be worn smudgy with the confidence to be imperfect.
What a great description and we think it sums up VB's style and transition so perfectly.
 The collection is categorised into four distinct looks that is inspired by four of Victoria's favourite cities London, New York, L.A and Paris.
We have a few pieces from the collection to show you…

 Morning aura illuminating crème

Victoria always has that enviable highlight on her skin so we are totally slathering on this hybrid moisturiser and primer to try and steal her style.

It is surprisingly rich and may be slightly too creamy for an oily skin unless you are just using it on the high points of the face. Dryer skins will be lapping this up. It melts into the skin with a balmy texture and provides a moonlit glow on the skin.

Java sun bronzer

We aren’t fans of sparkly bronzers so we were pleased to see that the bronzer in this collection is totally matte. Not too orange toned but by no means ashy. It has a softly warming apricot tone that livens up a dull skin as we head into winter.

Eye palette

There are 6 single eye shadows in the collection and sadly we only have one to show you. We have Charred Emerald and boy is this stunning. It feels almost spongy and applies like a rich cream, although it is powder. 

This shade is stunning. A blackened teal with a micro fine shimmer of blue and silver. Blends beautifully whilst holding onto its pigment intensity.

Eye foil

Apply like a lip-gloss to deliver a vinyl-like shine to the eye. The liquid holds pearl pigments with flecks of shimmer. 

These are available in two shades. We have Burnt Anise, which is a charcoal, and silver shade. Apply a layer, blend it out and then build for intensity. Once dry these are super long lasting.


Eye Kajal Duo

Dual ended pencil. One end is a flesh-toned vanilla to brighten the water line of the eye whilst the other end is a satin creamy black. Wear it messy and smudgy just like Victoria would want!

Lipstick

Two shades, one in a soft nude and one, which we have in a bold bright orange red. 

Chilean sunset is a creamy textured, satin finish with an insane fiery pigment.

A gorgeous collection which no doubt will be a sell out fast. It launches today so head to www.selfridges.com www.victoriabeckham.com and www.esteelauder.co.uk

Chanel Kristen Stewart Tutorial

We have been getting a lot of requests for this look and as it's the perfect Autumnal party look we thought we would recreate it for you.

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer

We do love a bit of Tom Ford so were excited when we received some samples of their latest waterproof foundation/concealer.
 Firstly, if you like a natural foundation that feels lightweight and looks barely there then this isn't for you. Likewise if your skin is more on the oily side of the spectrum or you have obvious dry patches then it might not be your bag.

If you like a full on heavy coverage which gives you a blank canvas, neutralises your skin tone, covers imperfections (so long as they are flat and not raised) and is seriously waterproof whilst looking like velvet on the skin then it's a winner. It would also work well on a normal through to combination skin.
 This foundation is great if you are someone that likes to focus on your base and wear it perfectly flawless. If you live or are going to a humid country or want to wear this in the water then it is amazingly waterproof. The water beads up over it and runs off. It’s also great if you have scars that you want to cover and worry about your makeup base transferring off in water.

It’s by no means natural and because I don’t particularly like the feel of foundation on my skin, it wouldn’t be a foundation I would probably reach for. I have a few dry patches and it did cling to those (most foundations will do this anyway) and in the areas around my nostrils it collected. It also clings to fine downy hair so I would advise spritzing the skin with a water spray and blending well if you have fine hair on the cheeks or between the brows.
Overall it does what it says. It gives a full cover and can be used with a small brush to point conceal areas whilst being totally waterproof.

It’s in a nice squeezy tube of a small 30ml and is a whopping £64.00 so you need to really make sure it’s the foundation for you before purchasing. The thick creamy texture will mean you don’t need to use too much in each application so it should last you a good few months, well you’d hope so anyway.
We have 6 out of the 12 shades to swatch for you, all of which were golden or yellow based.

Available from October so perfect timing if you are in the market for a foundation to get you through the winter.

 

Dior Fix it colour

First impressions these appear to be some funky coloured Dior lipsticks. In fact they are a collection of colour correctors for multiple use.
 Probably more suited to working makeup artists who need a versatile product in their kit to quickly achieve great correction of the skin tones.
 These clever sticks in shades of blue, green, yellow and apricot apply in a twist up stick. The centre of the stick is a clear waxy texture which is enriched with a soft focus powder to even the skin and prime. The outer circle of the stick holds the colour pigment which neutralises the tone of the skin you are applying it to.

The waxy core blends with the colour pigment on application and makes it virtually impossible to apply too much. It's basically a fool proof colour corrector.

Another positive is that you can wear it on multiple areas of the face. Buff over the skin before foundation application, blend over the lid to tone down redness or sweep over the lips to block out the natural colour for a neutral base.

These are available here now for £23.50 each.