Emma Hardie Plump & Glow Facial Mist

Facial mists are often overlooked and massively under rated. They are dressing table staple product for us and always something we carry in our kit for shoots.

 They are a really versatile product, which not only hydrates and freshens the skin, but also gets you out of some make up faux pas.

Often facial mists can be a little cumbersome to carry around however, the latest plump and glow hydrating facial mist from Emma Hardie has tackled this issue with its innovative packaging.

Let’s talk about the packaging first. Rather than the bottle style spritz, it’s a squeezy flat tube that still spritzes but with a wide reach mist, allowing a fine even coating that covers the whole face and décolletage. It fits neatly into your handbag, will stand on a dressing table or will lay flat in your kit without taking up too much space.

The product…

The mist is very fine meaning you won’t feel drenched after application, nor will your skin feel parched 10 minutes later once the moisture has evaporated.

  The scent is very aromatherapy-like with the main fragrance coming from the Wild WaterMint. It’s minty, without smelling like a pedicure treatment!

It contains lots of active ingredients, including Hyaluronic acid as a moisture magnet, assisting in skin plumping. Lichen moss and fern, which assist in the retention of moisture and Glycofilm to act as a protective barrier.

 It also contains radiance mica in a soft golden pigment, which gives a luminous-without-glitter finish. It makes the skin look dewy without obvious product and the added Aloe Vera calms and soothes any irritation.It would benefit all skin types and has an undetectable texture on the skin.

This product is perfect to use as the final stage of moisturisation before you apply your base or as a buffing aid to spritz on and help blend out your base.

 Really nice to spray over an already made up face to loosen the products and allow you to rebuff or build a look ready for a more evening look.

An essential product this time of the year when you may be popping out after work for festive drinks or if your skin is looking particularly beaten down by the cold winter weather.

Emma Hardie Plump and Glow is available now here for £36.00.

Beauty Pie Wondercolour Cream Eyeshadow Stick

Beauty Pie is a relatively new brand and they are changing up how people purchase their cosmetics. If you are a makeup fanatic then you may be interested in signing up to their membership, which only charges factory prices.

 How does it work?

Beauty Pie basically cuts out the middle man and sells you high end products direct from the factory. By doing this they can sell you these products at a much lower price point.

 To be eligible for this discount you do have to sign up to a minimum 3 months membership. The membership costs are £10 per month for the three month option or if you want a long term subscription you can sign up for a year at a cost of £120. Once signed up you will then receive all of the products on the site with a huge discount.

You can spend up to £100 worth of products a month and if you don’t use your allowance it then rolls over to the next month.

The membership only really works well for you if you are someone who frequently buys makeup. If you just occasionally treat yourself to the odd pieces of makeup a month then you may prefer just to shop the items with no membership. The only downside is that you will pay the full price.

If you’re confused about the membership you can find out more info on their site here.

We have been testing out the Wondercolour Cream Eye shadow Stick.

Twist up, richly pigmented cream eye shadow sticks that glide on with little effort and blend well. Once dry they last well on the lid with zero creasing or smudge.

 The shades are available in a variety of matte or shimmer finishes.

 Available in 10 shades.

If you have a beauty Pie membership then these eye shadows are £2.55 or non-members can purchase for £20.00

Check out all Beauty pie has to offer here.

Charlotte Tilbury faves

If you’re not into overly festive makeup and are looking for some great basics from Charlotte Tilbury that will help you to achieve a quick smoky eye and a nude lip then check out these essentials.

The Colour Chameleon sticks are perfect to swipe over the lid and blend with your finger. They add a buildable wash of pigmented colour that is moveable but sets for extreme longevity.

We love Golden Quartz and Bronzed Garnet for a warming smoky eye with a hint of shimmer. Totally wearable on their own but act as an amazing base to a powder if you need an eye look that won’t budge.

Colour Chameleon is available in 9 shades to flatter all skin and eye tones.

Charlotte Tilbury also does a great range of nude lipsticks to compliment a darker eye. Here are some we have been loving recently..

 If you missed the time when Charlotte worked her magic on Nic then you can catch that below. What are your Charlotte Tilbury must have's?

Boots Christmas shopping #Ad

Christmas is only round the corner and it can be challenging knowing what to purchase for each other.

 Quite often we will just do a secret Santa but this year we decided we should actually gift something to each other that we know each other will love and headed to Boots to check out this years festive gifts.
 Boots believes that giving a gift that shows someone you truly know them further strengthens the bond between two people. 
 If you have seen this years Boots Christmas advert, you will two sisters feature so we wanted to share with you our own festive shop and the memories that are evoked by each gift.

Sam’s picks for Nic

Obviously the Real techniques Brush set is always a great gift to give and as we travel so much it’ll be handy for Nic to have a selection all ready and clean for our travels next year.

Although Nic will totally hate me buying biscuits for her and will think I’m trying to fatten her up, I know she will devour them. She also loves a tin so she can reuse the old tin for storage afterwards.

Candles are always a great choice and they remind me of Nic when we were young. She would always get into trouble with our Mum for burning holes in the bedroom carpet!

As we have recently signed up to complete a charity marathon, I know Nic will appreciate some running headphones to help her through the miles.

Electric toothbrushes remind me of when we were young and would put soap on each other’s toothbrush as a trick. Nic will instantly associate this gift with that time also.

I chose the Jamie Oliver cookie cutters, as Nic is a much better baker than I am and my children always love to bake when they are with their aunty Nic.

The ultimate gift for Nic is the Dyson hair dryer. She has so much hair so will appreciate the speed and heat settings to get her mane dry as quickly as possible.

Nic’s picks for Sam

I remember Sam always wore a fragrance called Tuscany but as this is long discontinued I found my old favourite Cerruti 1881. It reminds me of naughty times in my teenage year

Sam likes to curl her hair and when we were young I got a large heated curling brush caught in her hair. Hopefully, she won’t be too traumatised to use a new one!

Electric toothbrushes just remind me of playing tricks on Sam by putting horrid tasting products on her toothbrush when we were young so I think a new electric toothbrush would make up for those times.

Sam suffers from S.A.D so I think a Lumie Body clock will get her up on the right side of the bed in the morning and also help me cope with her through the day!

A photograph album, filled with precious pictures is always a great sentimental gift and as Sam rarely prints off her photographs, I think she will really enjoy flicking through the al

Christmas is all about giving a gift that you absolutely know the person will not only love but immediately know why you have chosen it. It's the thought that makes the smile, not just the gift.

Boots is jam-packed full of gifts this Christmas and there is so much to chose from that could be the one gift that makes this years Christmas extra special.

Watch us on our shopping spree video for each other below..

Kiko Water Eye Shadow

Kiko’s water eye shadow’s already have a line up of 32 shades and this November they have added 4 new molten metal shades.

  Perfect for the festive season, these offer a metallic bold pay off that applies instantly with little effort and blend out without losing any density.

  

If you needed anymore colour pay off then you can use these shades wet but to be honest the intensity is perfectly bold when used dry. They almost feel like a cream, the lay down of product is so smooth and even.

I love the foil like shades and although they look stunning worn alone with a black flick, they look amazing pressed into the centre of the eyelid of a smoky eye.

 These shade extensions are available now for £8.90 each here.

Givenchy Day to Night Tutorial #Ad

Bourjois Metallic Lip Cream

There seems to be a trend emerging for Unicorn makeup this festive season. Vibrant pastels and contrasting colours all worn together with a dusting of silver hearts and turquoise glitter!

 It’s not really our bag to be honest, but if you feel that you want to incorporate a little of this trend into your day or evening look then a metallic lip gloss is a good place to start.

 From November 22^nd, Bourjois are launching their metallic lip cream in 8 bold shades.

 These glosses apply in a richly pigmented sweep via a large doe foot applicator. The texture is very workable and the shape of the wand makes it easy to move the product into all the hard to reach areas of the lips.

 It’s a very creamy, slightly sticky finish, so not one to wear if you plan on having a kiss under the mistletoe, but the thick cream texture means it doesn’t travel or cling to your teeth.

The pigment it strong and has multiple tones running through it, giving it the metallic foil finish.

 These glosses are available from 22^nd November and are exclusive to Superdrug.

Diego Dalla Palma Giesha Lift Foundation

The latest foundation from Diego dalla palma is the geisha Lift foundation.

 It’s a creamy, liquid foundation that gives a medium to full coverage with a natural skin finish. Once it dries it feels matte to the touch, but does have a slight radiance to add a bit of life.

A little goes a long way so apply a small amount and blend before building to your desired coverage. It knocked out the redness in my face instantly and gave my skin a much smoother, flawless appearance. It’s a winner if you suffer with uneven skin tone, redness flare ups from the odd glass of wine or have a sensitive skin.

There is a slight chalky feel to this foundation and it would be certainly too drying for an already dry skin type or for those with a textured skin (dry patches, fine or deeper lines.)

 If you are more of a combination or oily skin type then it will feel much more comfortable on the skin. It didn’t sit in my pores and it lasted well throughout the day.

What’s in it?

White Peony Extract-

 This ingredient is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and helps to reduce the redness of the skin through its calming effect.

In-Tense Complex-

 Sounds technical hey! This is an extraction from the Spilanthes Acmella flower. This flower is known as ‘The toothache flower’ because of its pain relieving properties.

 This extract works on the collagen within skin to move and contract the fibres, helping to give a more even and smoothed appearance.

 Does it work? As with all of these claims, it’s only going to be a minimal improvement with short-term benefits, so don’t expect the face of a 21 year-old (unless you are of course 21!).

It’s a really nice day to evening foundation that covers well and would be a great choice for an oily skin, which also suffers with redness, or skin flare-ups.

Only available in 8 shades (we have 7 to show you),in a mix of pink based and yellow based tones. Good range of lighter to medium tones but not much unfortunately in the way of deeper tones if you have anything more than an olive skin tone.

Geisha Lift Foundation is available now from www.diegodallapalma.com for £34.50.

Pixiwoo Chats with Rochelle Humes

Too Faced Pretty Little Planner

If you’re wondering what to buy an organised makeup fanatic for Christmas then look no further than the Too Faced Pretty Little Planner.

It combines an eye shadow palette book containing 15 powder shadows, a Better than sex mini mascara along with a paperback month-at-a-glance planner for 2018. All this is nestled into a mint leather zip up organiser wallet with pockets and a mirror.

The slim line book eye palette is always a winner. The size means you can sling it into your bag, keep it in the organiser wallet or even pack it easily into your kit or suitcase when travelling. Takes up no space at all.

The shades are a mix of a silky matte and shimmer. Some good nude bases but the majority are warm, sumptuous shades with a metallic finish.

 Pigment is ok, needs a little building to reach the pay off visible in the palette but drop down is minimal and they blend nicely.

 Shades are suitable for all skin tone depths and if you have a deeper skin tone then there are some beautiful copper and gold highlighting shades.

The planner is pretty basic, if you’re someone who has a lot going on and relies on the organiser to keep on track then it may not be the planner for you. 

 If you’re like me and writes in a planner for January and then forgets they have it, then it will suit. It’s very sweet for a younger person though and features stickers to add in on certain special days and a note taking area at the back. Always handy to have in your bag.

The better than sex mascara is a really great mascara. Bold, jet black and very liquidy, allowing you to build up the layers and create a bold lash look. The teeth of the brush are well separated and bushy which means you can define and also have volume.

The pretty little planner is available now here for £34.00 .

Fenty Beauty Match Stix

Frustratingly in 2017 there still aren’t enough brands that are catering for all of the varying skin types and tones, or even products that have alternative shades to the norm.

 Unless you’ve been living under a rock you may have seen that Rhianna has launched her new range, Fenty Beauty. Check it out here.

Nic has created a tutorial to showcase some of the products within the range but we also wanted to focus in on the Match Stix product in the range.

For me, when I initially saw the Matchstix, I was a little confused as to where and how I could use this product within my routine. Was it a foundation? Was it a highlighter? Was it a contour? Well it’s all of that. It’s kind of a multi use product, which can be used in whichever way you need it.

Firstly let’s talk about the packaging. I love the blush pink packaging and the magnetic hexagonal shape means they click together like a honeycomb.

 The Match Stix are available in shimmer, matte or as a trio, which caters for concealing, contouring and highlighting.

 We don’t have all the shades but have a selection to share with you in shimmer and matte.

The shimmer sticks are a longwearing, iridescent, cream highlighter but can also me used on the apples of the cheeks for a radiant blush too.

 They apply easily and blend well. The texture is pleasantly dry so it never feels wet or greasy, making it a good choice for all skin types, including oily.

The matte match stix are available in 20 shades with varying undertones to suit. The finish is obviously matte but it’s more of a velvet matte. Never feels chalky and has just the right amount of slip to blend without a build up of patchy pigment.

 You can use it as a concealer, a colour corrector or as a contour. There are some great contour shades in the line-up, which have an ashier undertone to create a natural looking shadow rather than an orange streak!

 Apply them on naked skin to areas that just need a touch of product or layer them on top of your foundation if you need a little more cover or colour. They provide a medium to full cover but are easy to blend with your fingertips if you prefer a sheer wash rather than a solid colour.

We don’t have any of the trio’s to show you but they cater for all of the above but in a set of three.

 I like the idea of being able to purchase each of the shades individually so you can click them together and create your own custom kit that won’t get lost in your makeup bag or kit.

The matte and the shimmer stix are £21.00 each and the trio are £46 for the three.

Dior Holiday Eye Shadow Tutorial

Chanel Numéros Rouges Collection

Today is the launch of Chanel’s Numéros Rouges collection and is a collection of iconic statement pieces teamed with a few unexpected shades.

 Chanel’s global creative makeup artist, Luca Pica, wanted to create a collection synonymous with Gabrielle Chanel and help find the perfect red for every woman.

We have some of the key pieces to share with you, including the 5 shadow eye palette, ombre cream eye shadow, eye liner, three of the lipsticks (all in varying reds), the gloss and some interesting nail varnishes.

For the eyes:

Some classic shades within the Trait De Charactére palette. A forest green teamed with smoky grey, chocolate and two highlighting shades.

 It’s not a palette that you will open and gasp “wow” at but it’s a good fail-safe palette that you can rely on and create multiple, very wearable looks with.

It has a mix of shimmer and matte finishes with a soft pigment pay off. Layering is required to build any kind of density although the shades do blend very easily albeit with slight drop down.

The liner with the collection is in a similar forest green and offers a nice alternative to the standard black. Blends well and is completely waterproof.

I love the ombré cream eye shadow applies in a rich sparkling gold but the fine shimmers of silver give it a cool wet look finish. Can be worn alone or buffed out under your powder eye shadow.

 

 The lips are only good to you if you wear red, but they are, in typical Chanel style, very chic, elegant and bold.

 We have three shades to show you and the Rouge Coco Gloss...

I really love the nail shades. We have the vinyl black in celebrity and the neon in scenario. Chanel nail varnishes never have great staying power (in our opinion), but the shades are always beautiful.

This collection is available from today in all your normal Chanel location or online here.

Sleek i-Art Liquid Eye colour

If you’re after a good dupe for the Armani beauty Eye Tints (read about them here) then look no further than the latest liquid eye product from Sleek.

  I-Art liquid eye colours are a creamy, almost mousse like textured product. It applies via a firm but flexible plastic brush and provides an opaque finish.

 You don’t really even need to build the product but if you do want a solid colour block then simply leave to dry and layer up.

Fast drying but with an adequate amount of play time and once on it’s un-moveable. Longevity is awesome and it’s completely capable of being worn totally on its own if you like strong edges. If you prefer a more diffused blend the buff over a similar tone in a powder shadow on top or soften the edges with a complimentary contouring colour.

 Pigment payoff is stunning and each shade has a shimmering finish.

 Can be worn alone, as a liquid liner or as a base to a strong eye look.

Remove gently using an oily eye makeup remover or cleanser.

Available now here for £6.99 each in 12 different shades.