By Terry Ombre Blackstar

The heat wave is continuing here in the UK and although most of us have ditched the makeup in favour of SPF and maybe a splodge of mascara there is still a requirement on some days to look a little bit more polished!

We have always had a lot of love for the By Terry Ombre Blackstar, especially the darker shades such as Black Pearl for a quick and easy smokey eye.

For the summer we have the shades in Frozen Quartz, Blond Opal and Bronze Moon. These ice cream tones are perfect to slick over the eyelid and blend out with your finger. They provide a sheer wash to a bolder smokey look with minimal effort and the low level pearl sparkles softly in the light. They are a foolproof eye product for a hot summer day or for your holiday makeup bag.

Longevity and pigment is excellent and they can also be used as a solid base if you prefer to wear a powder eye shadow.

They are £29.00 each and available in 8 shades. You can shop them here.

Huda Beauty Demi Matte

The new Huda Beauty Demi matte cream lipstick is a game changer in the staying power of a liquid lipstick.

It applies via an angled doe foot applicator, which has a small chunk cut out to ensure close and precise application. The texture of these cream lipsticks is like lip paint. It coats the lips in an easily controlled thick lacquer with insanely good pigment.

 The pigment doesn’t cling but coats in a moisturised layer that wears off evenly through the day.

After swatching the shades I had to wash and scrub my arm three times. It had excellent staying powers.

We have all 15 shades to share with you..

The demi matte lipstick is moisturising and hydrating without being sticky or glossy. It adheres to the lips but without appearing flat.

These are available here now and are £18 each.

Special Occasion Makeup Tutorial

Kate Somerville Cold Cream Cleanser

There’s something very comforting about a cold cream cleanser. Maybe because it’s a product you might find on you grandmother’s dressing table, usually made by Ponds. It’s like a luxurious blanket for the skin. Enveloping it in its calming, whipped yogurt texture that feels both cooling and nurturing.

The cold cream of old always tended to feel rather heavy and somewhat oily however this feels refreshing and lightweight with no greasy residue.

 It lifts off makeup and SPF easily as well as waterproof mascara with little tugging.

The texture is truly beautiful and the kind of cream you just want to dip your fingers into and scoop a thick layer all over your face and neck.

 After massaging into the face simply remove the residue with a damp washcloth.

My skin feels thoroughly cleansed, no redness or sensations from ingredients and the cooling texture is wonderful during our recent hot spell here in the UK.

The scent is slightly floral (it does contain Jasmine and Daisy extract) but not overpowering. Kind of like a fresh linen scent.

This would be nice on all skin types and ages but particularly good for those with a dry or dehydrated skin

The large 95g pot is £41 so on the pricy side but it’s a fantastic luxury cleanse that gives your skin a big hug. Shop the Cold Cream cleanser here.

                                          

Terry Barber Palette X MAC

MAC and Terry Barber are pretty much one of the same here in the UK. As MAC’S director of artistry Terry has been a constant within the brand throughout the last 17 years and finally, he has his own collection of his greatest hits.

We have his 15 eye shadow palette, which, features his all time favourite timeless shades. All of the shades are re-promotes in a mix of satin, lustre, matte and veluxe pearl finish.

This palette is limited to Selfridges in store and online.

 In true Terry style, the shades are a mix of muted warm tones with plums and grungy greys. It’s the ultimate smoky eye palette with excellent contour tones and pops of copper.

Works for all skin tones and all eyeshades. The taupes and peach will make a blue or brown eye look insane whilst the plums are hypnotising on a green eye.

The shades are Smut, Sketch, Embark, Cork, Coquette, Twinks, Blackberry, Coppering, Texture, Naked Lunch, Satin Taupe, Cranberry, Soft Brown, Shroom and Brule.

This palette is £49.50 and available here and is a Selfridge’s exclusive.

MAC Plenty of Pout

Image:www.maccosmetics.c

Plenty of Pout Lipstick launched last week (at all MAC locations) and it includes a really nice array of Summery shades in a balmy sheen that moisturises with a hint of a tingle.

I love the visuals for this collection, with a cute little bee to represent the stung lip look. I think a real bee sting would work better for a plumped lip, the plumping action is mildly tingling, but the finished look doesn’t really alter the size or shape of your natural lips.

If you’re after a seriously plumped lip then these are not the best but they do feel wonderful on the lips and the pigment is strong with a long lasting finish. Nice little addition to your summer makeup bag.

If you prefer a gloss there is also an almost clear plumping gloss with a high mirror shine.

We have five of the ten shades to share with you.

Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipsticks and the gloss are £18 each and available now here.

Too Faced Sculpting Concealer

The ultimate in skin perfecting, the latest concealer from Too Faced is serious about a flawless look.

  The Born this way Super concealer has recently launched, and for £20 for a huge 15ml fluid, it’s well worth the money.

This concealer is applied via a large doe foot applicator and lays down very thick, almost like a whipped cream. If you’re after a sheer delicate cover then this isn’t for you. Wipe the excess from the wand onto the edge of the bottle and dab in the areas that require further cover, after your foundation application.

I prefer to blend this out using the warmth of my fingers. It helps to melt it into the skin and you can quickly move it around before it dries and sets.

 What I really love about this concealer is that even though it’s a full cover, it’s still hydrating and doesn’t give you a flat dull skin. It mimics the skin texture well without clinging and the longevity is excellent. Even after swatching the shades I had to wash my arm three times to remove the colour pigment. It looks natural on the skin but covers extremely well, providing you have the correct shade.

You could use this concealer as your foundation if you’re short on time or just prefer a multi purpose product. It’s also suitable for highlighting and contouring with (although you would need multiple tones to do this effectively).

 Key ingredients are Hyaluronic acid for hydration from within, alpine rose to brighten and Coconut Water to assist in skin’s moisture levels.

 There are 20 shades available in a good mix of cool and warm tones.

 This concealer is available nor here.

Affordable Foundation Review

Anti pollution skincare

There is always a lot of confusing terminology within the beauty industry and certainly when it comes to skincare, it’s a complete minefield when trying to separate the jargon from what you actually need to incorporate into your routine.

 Recently we have seen more and more products coming in that are targeted towards pollution protection, antioxidants and free radicals. We all know that our skin is under continuous threat from environmental aggressors but how do these products really benefit us and how do they work?

I write the majority of the blogs for Sam and Nic (this is Stacey incase you didn’t know) and for the last year I have been studying Skin Science, am currently nervously awaiting my exam results! I learnt a lot about environmental stress on the skin and wanted to talk you through what I have learnt in the hope that it may explain some of the more technical aspects of this type of skincare.

What are Free radicals and why do we need protecting from them?

Essentially a Free Radical is an un charged molecule within the skin. You’ll probably remember from your Science lessons that a molecule requires two electrons (or maybe not, I also had forgotten until studying again).

  An un-charged molecule means that it’s floating about with only one electron, a bit like a little one armed baddie! This little guy is desperate to find his other arm (second electron) so he tries to steal arms from other molecules. This creates a domino effect, as each molecule has to steal electrons to replace the one it has just lost. Eventually this causes cell damage and can result in cell death, skin ageing or mutation into something nasty.

So how do we stop these pesky molecules from stealing electrons? We give them antioxidants. Antioxidants are like little electron donors that willingly hand over an extra electron to the uncharged molecules. Once the un charged molecule (free radical) receives its second electron it becomes neutralised and is now content to continue on his merry way!

How do we get antioxidants?

 Diet is essential as it provides us with nutrients and Vitamins, such as Vitamin C & E that protect us from the inside but it’s also beneficial to have a little assistance from our skincare to tackle the problem externally also.

 We can do this by firstly always using a broad-spectrum sunscreen but also through the use of specialized spritzes or serums.

Here are some facial spritzes we have tested over the last few months, which tackle this problem and take up seconds as a final step in your skincare routine.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis Liquid Facial D-Stress is a micro mist containing hydrators and peptides as well as antioxidant glycofilm protectors. It's a mini shield against pollution whilst replenishing   the natural barriers of the skin

Image: www.sarahchapman.net

Ren flash Defence Anti-pollution Mist protects against free radicals and also contains Zinc to strengthen the skin's barrier and Quercetin which stimulates the defence cells of the skin.

Image: www.renskincare.com

There are also various cleansers and moisturisers now emerging with this anti-pollution technology so it's worth checking out if you are concerned or live in areas with high pollution.

Bobbi Brown Primer Plus Collection

If you’re struggling to keep your makeup on in the heat then check out the Bobbi Brown Primer Plus collection which is available now.

The line-up includes a Primer Plus Mattifier, Primer Plus Radiance SPF35, Primer Plus Protection SPF50 and a Primer Plus Hydrating 3-1 Setting spray.

Firstly let’s look at the Primer Plus Mattifier. Great for all skin types but targeted to an oilier skin. The texture is a silicone touch gel that feels cooling and lightweight on the skin. With regards to ingredients, it’s hard to find them listed anywhere. Sodium Hyaluronate is the only available ingredient listed which is the salt within Hyaluronic acid. This helps attract water (like Hyaluronic acid) but it also reduces water loss. Sometimes we forget that an oiler skin still needs hydration so this is great that although sebum levels are being balanced, moisture levels are still maintained.

There is no SPF in this primer, not sure why that is, maybe Bobbi Brown think oily skins don’t require SPF (obviously they do) or maybe it’s just creates a tricky formulation for a product that needs to be matte?

This primer works well at taking down shine and reducing it appearing throughout the day. Makeup sits really nicely on top and it doesn’t cause any patchy texture to your foundation.

We only have the Primer Plus Radiance SPF35 but there is an SPF50 if you prefer.

 A little goes a seriously long way so use sparingly. It has a soft pink tint but blends out with a slightly pearly blue finish. The scent is just like that of regular sunscreen.

 The radiance isn’t overwhelming, just a slight sheen and I found it absorbed quickly. Makeup sat well over the top with no obvious foundation movement.

 Ingredients in this are very soothing with anti-inflammatory properties.

The Primer Plus Setting Spray is glycerine based with added fruit extracts, chamomile. Cucumber and green tea. Calming and refreshing on a hot day but I wouldn’t say it particularly increases the setting powers of your base, I never think facial spritzes do, but maybe that’s just me.

If you have dry skin then this is good at spritzing over and rebuffing in a base that has gone slightly cakey.

The matte and radiance primer are £24 and the setting spray is £22. You can shop here.

Sam's Skincare routine 35+