LIP-FANTASTIC: GET GLOSSY GALS

Well hey there loves! Wow it seems like an absolute eternity since I logged into Blogspot since little Alfie was born. Aside from the fact that my daily life now consists of being a milk machine for the wee one with endless changes of frighteningly scary looking dirty nappies (-not so scary though now mind) and major lack of sleep.
My brain is slowly absorbing news & catching up with all things fabulous from the outside world (I swear it isn't completely contaminated by the goss & ridiculous features from the mailonline!) For your information, my week hasn't been totally dull. I did try on some pre-pregnancy jeans for a laugh to see if I'd actually fit into a pair so I wouldn't have to splash out in the upcoming sales!

As it happens our summer appears to have disappeared and all that we're left with this week is a resolutely grim & rather grey looking Blighty. Being a new mum means that looking great hasn't been priority number one over the past two weeks, but with visitors on the increase one has gotta make the effort & look a little less like tired, weary mum right? For make up in a hurry I usually just prep with BB cream, some fuchsia blush & a dollop of Elizabeth Arden's 8 Hour Cream or Cherry Flavoured Carmex on my lips, but I fancy something else to brighten up my look & day with something colourful & vibrant and what's quicker than a splash of poptastic colour on your lips?

I loved Lancomes Juicy tubes when they first came out so no doubt I'll absolutely love the brand new range - Gloss in Love   following the success of their Rouge in Love collection. Did you see that first pic of plump glossy lips? Hmmm, yes SOLD!
I think the Scarlett -165, Violet - 383 & Flash n' Fuschia - 391 are my faves.
These luscious Lip glosses all have a super smooth ultra comfort texture, moisturising lips for up to 6 hours & have a signature vanilla scent with a fruity cocktail kick. Yum!

Lancomes Rouge in Love lipstick range also consists of 9 new lip shades & 4 more colour popping Vernis in Love nail shades. Have any of you tried anything from this range?

What's your beauty quick fix for unexpected visitors or for freshening up your current look/make up routine in a jiffy? 
Also, I'm pretty sure some of you have tried those chunky, chubby lip pencil/crayons, which brand did you love? Revlon, Clinique, Stila, Nars, Maybeline, Max Factor, Urban Decay, Soap & Glory, Boots No.7, Hard Candy & Laqa & Co?

BECAUSE IT'S MONDAY: BLACK & GOLD V.2

Thomas Wylde Fall 12 lookbook via here

A huge welcome to the new week! I hope it's full of sunshine and blue skies... I'll just ignore the cold for a wee bit longer. How was your weekend?

Hypnotic, exotic, magnificent, decandent, luxe, ornate, bold, dramatic, glamourous, sexy... 

I just love everything about black & gold, it's just ultra seductive, no?

 via openwardrobe.co.za

 via here

 above two images via Pinterest

  The amazing Nocturne painting in black & gold by James Whistler, a favourite of mine.It depicts a fireworks show in the night sky over Battersea Bridge in an industrial London city park.

 

The American Radiator building, now the Bryant Park hotel via google images

Zoe Saldana in Gucci via  here

 Black and gold make up as seen at Myers show during Australia Fashion Week by Illamasqua's Creative Director Alex Box (2010). Here's the how-to.

 via 10BlankCanvases

 via here

Because it's Monday, I'm Lusting after...

1. Mawi Teardrop & tube necklace via here.  2. Black and Gold peep toe ankle strap heels by NEXT £38

3. Baroque embellished waist belt via River Island £40  4. Black & Rose gold chronograph watch by Marc Jacobs £279 via Asos.com

Hope you all have a spectacular week!

Καλή εβδομάδα!

BEAUTY BUZZ: ESTEE LAUDER & LOOSE POWDER TRICK

Recreate this look with Estee Lauders 5 colour gelee powder eye shadow palette here. 

image via amazing beauty/fashion photographer Jeff Tse

My, My, My, what a week it's turning out to be lovelies. After my stay in London had been extended I was close to running out of my mini bottles of beauty essentials, but low & behold, a beauty fairy came to my rescue.

Courtesy of Harrods.com, these little Estee Lauder beauties have now become a firm staple on my bathroom shelf in addition to some of my other Estee Lauder faves (Idealist even skintone Illuminator & Pure Colour Nail Laquer).

Estee Lauder Soft Clean Hydrating Lotion (toner) - yup this is my skin rescue item, since I hadn't quite climatized, my skin has constantly dry and especially with the major turn in the weather here, my skin just got out of control.

I am relieved that I found a product that not only hydrated my skin after cleansing, but left my skin feeling smooth and also removed an old residue on my skin after cleansing. (Don't be shocked to see a bit of grime that you didn't quite manage to get rid of before!) In my 20's I never really bothered with a separate cleanser and toner, I always used a good face wash followed by Clarins Orange One Step Cleanser. It sounds like a really old school beauty routine, but I like using a toner after cleansing, as it brings your skin back to where it should be - balanced & refreshed.
I'm not crazy about heavy scented products for the face, so this was absolutely perfect, something soft and light.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mineral Rich Loose Powder SPF12

Ok, this is the product I'm going a little gaga over right now, more so than I ever have been with a compact pressed powder, why?
Not only does loose set everything in place, it's a very versatile multi-product. You can mix a little powder with your moisturiser to create tinted moisturiser if you're going for light coverage and low-key base.

I just love the formula of this product, my skin feels super silky and I am stunned to find a shade that actually blends in well with my skin tone. It also provides the perfect flawless cover - not too heavy and gets rid of any shine when applied with a brush - which I prefer over the little sponge it comes with.
Put it this way, this is my magic dust! The properties are a bonus, with the loose powder being mineral based and comes with an spf too.

Note that when you do apply any kind of powder make sure it's not damp or that there's too much moisture otherwise you'll find you will end up with odd, darker, blotchy streaks! 

For those of you who wear foundation, I'd love to know if you finish off with powder (pressed or loose?) to 'set' everything or if you just prefer a classic foundation base. Please share beauty junkies!

Even if you can't get to the infamous department store, products from their luxurious beauty hall are also available online here.

Whilst I'm on a Harrods roll, you have to check out Kim of A Very Sweet Blog's post on 'Harrod's Style to Savour' post for a dose of delectable goodness & super stunning images!

Thank you Harrods!

THIS WEEKEND... NYFW, MAKEUP BRUSH CLEANING, CHILLING & THEN SOME

Daeja Fallas surf shoot via Blog Free People

This weekend... 
Fantasizing about chilling out, the idea of sneaking a last weekend by the sea would be simply divine. It would mean immersing myself in The Great Gatsby again which I started reading a few weeks ago.

via someecards.com

I'm constantly amazed at what technology has to offer, but seriously, it's 2012 and what, still no automatic fold button? I hate doing the laundry plus I need to getting packing for a wedding weekend in England next week! So very excited!

I haven't been wearing much make-up over the summer, just a touch of smudged eyeliner (from my eyeshadow pot), concealer where needed and lipgloss, but it's high time I did my ritual of cleaning my make up brushes! Keep 'em free from bacteria loves, plus they'll last longer if you look after them! Found some brilliant tips from The Beauty Department here. I tend to use an anti bacterial soap but find that shampoo keeps the bristles and condition in much better shape.

If I get a chance you'll find me oogling over live streaming of NYFW via here . Alternatively, Grazia magazine has live streaming catwalk shows via this video link here.

I just love this photo, it's sheer joy! I could look at this again and again. Made me chuckle too. via 9gag.com

Have a wonderful weekend lovelies!
Καλό Σαββατοκύριακο!

MAKE UP ILLUSIONS: FACE CONTOURING, SCULPTING & PRIMING

Kim Kardashian makeup free on left, still gorgeous looking and perfectly made up with trademark falsies (lashes) and a narrower looking nose. 

images via Zimbio & Style Bistro

Morning all and welcome to the new week! Did you have a good weekend loves? I had a lovely, rare day at the beach with mr. Perseus and I could have turned into a prune after spending all the hours in the sea...

I love this neat little beauty trick, you may have heard about contouring, sculpting and highlighting already, but when putting the combinations to use, can totally transform your face shape enhancing your features and make you look drop-dead gorgeous.

Face contouring technique. But when the highlighter is a little too excessive, it can look like the shot above right when the light/flash from cameras are too harsh & strong.

Whilst I am Kim Kardashianed-out & have had enough of the siblings (sorry KK fans), one thing I have found is that she knows how to look striking at every photo-op and every red-carpet, using make up to the best of her advantage.
Kim's make up artist Mario Dedivanovic has got this skill down to a t, by highlighting & accentuating the high points on her face whilst depressing some of the low/hollow points resulting in faking a perfectly sculpted face.
Think of it like David Beckhams sensational abs in a major campaign - instead of Photoshop, I think a little makeup trickery might have helped too, using a darker shade of matte foundation to create faux indentations where none might have previously existed!

Makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic via Kim Kardashian Celebuzz

Always start with a moisturized face, apply primer & foundation of your choice so you're starting with a completely even surface.Depending on your skin tone/shades contouring can be applied differently to make the most of your features, make your face appear thinner or even give you cheekbones to die for. This step-by-step Contouring kit from Smashbox will make this technique easy, unless you already have the basics - highlighter & concealer both one to two shades lighter than skintone, bronzer & blusher.

If you have lighter/paler skintone contouring is your preferred technique, working with bronzers/slightly darker shade of foundation.
If you have darker skintone, it would make sense to highlight the high points on your face as you've already got the colour base for the low points - I picked this trick up in the video below!

As per the illustration above, the sides of the nose are contoured to make the nose appear more narrow/smaller. A highlighter can also be used along the bridge of the nose too - I know that was one of Naomi Campbells personal faves.

******

UPDATE: 5.09.2012

Um, has Kim Kardashian been reading my blog? The Daily Mail just posted this Twitter image of Kim Kardashian and a load of concealer & contouring on her cheek area! I know, it does look weird but the results are just striking!

 via Daily Mail/Kim Kardashian Twitter

I wouldn't leave you high and dry without a great info tutorial video! :) Check it out below!

via Goss MakeUpArtist on Youtube
Now that's what I call make up trickery and creating an illusion!
 

Kate Beckinsale at MOCA 2009 & Blake Lively & Salma Hayek at perfume launch, Venice 2012

via Style Bistro 

Kate Beckinsale's makeup is perfect - you can see where the highlighter has been swept on the cheekbone and directly underneath a sweep of blusher in the hollow area of the cheek - all blended softly so there are no obvious streaks! On the right Blake Lively was recently seen in Venice looking every inch the super star, with highlighter just underneath her eyes, sweeping upwards to the side of the temples and blusher on the apples of her cheeks. Take a closer peek at the side profile of their make up!

Because it's Monday... Now, onto the totally wacky-doodle... Primers! Only Kim could tweet a photo of her mid-make up with crazy yellow lines drawn all over her face. It looks like a child went wild with Crayola Crayons, but this infact was celebrity MakeUp Artist Mary Phillips little trick for disguising dark circles underneath the eye and even out Kim's skintone.

via Dailymail and SmashBox Primers available here or Sephora.

Colour corrective primers are brilliant for concealing a multitude of sins, evening out skin imperfections and also helps give your foundation extra staying power.

Nearly most highlighting creams have yellow tint which help reflect light, making the skin appear more vibrant, allowing the face to glow.

GREEN primers: Best for covering up rosacea/redness/spots, evening out skintone.

LILAC/PURPLE primer: Best for adding life to dull skintones

LIGHT PINK/PEACH primer: Best for concealing under eye circles, age spots, freckles. Also great for medium to dark skin as it provides a natural glow.

NB: The blue looking bottle by SmashBox is actually a Photo-finish Hydrating foundation primer, although I have heard the MakeUp Forever Microperfecting primer in blue #5 does help with redness & also evens out the skintone via amazon.

Have any of you tried sculpting or contouring techniques? Or do you just stick with good old bronzer and highlighter?

Wishing you a super awesome week loves!

x.o.x.o

VIBRANT, GRAPHIC & BOLD BEAUTY FOR FALL

This week I've been oogling over beauty editorials and this one caught my eye most recently. I adore the bold, badass, colourful & graphic looks, giving a quick nod to the 60's and 80's from Flare Magazines September Issue. Whilst these are totally fierce looks that I would no way in hell get away with, I still think they're fun! Which one these are your favourites?

all images via here,  shot by Chris Nicholls featuring models Jenna Earle & Amanda N.

Credits- Editor: Carlene Higgins, Assistant Art Director: Jessica Hotson, Manicurist: Leeanne Colley

It's so very almost the weekend loves, what are your plans? Summer is here to stay in Greece... Will any of you planning a getaway at all? 

x.o.x.o

Face Mapping - What does it all mean beauties?

 Original illustration by one of my fave illustrators: Jason Brooks edited by me.

Happy Friday fellow bloggers! I hope your week has been good to you and not too crazy-hectic!

Years ago, I came across face mapping, a technique used in traditional Chinese Medicine & Auyerveda when I had a skin analysis prior to a Dermalogica facial, which was great for understanding how certain areas of your face are related indirectly or directly with your health, indicating imbalances in key organs in your body.

I haven't really thought much about it since, but every now and again I notice dark circles under my eye or major breakouts around the chin area - a true the tell tale sign that there is a major hormonal imbalance or perhaps it's just that time of the month.

So what's your skin trying to tell you & what organs should you be paying attention to?

Forehead: 

Break outs can usually mean a build up of toxins in the digestive system & bladder. Up your intake of water to flush out the toxins and improve your diet or take a closer look to see if there are foods that you have a tolerance to. Eliminate processed foods and refined sugars where possible.

Eyes, orbital area & the space above your nose:

Redness, flakiness, oiliness (inbetween the brows), itchy eyes here is related to your liver and possible allergies. Cut back on the booze, heavy, fatty or rich foods (are you eating out a lot?) and also dairy. Saturated fats are difficult for the liver to proces, so go easy on the grease... Whilst refined sugars will convert into fats and cholesterol if the liver processes too much!

Fresh orange or even lemon juice are great for invigorating the liver & also great for cleansing both your body & liver.

Under the eyes & ears:

Notice any dark circles under your eyes? It's not just a lack of sleep that's an issue, you're most likely dehydrated. The area under your eyes & your ears, if they appear redder/hotter than normal are related to your kidneys so keep hydrated and reduce your intake of alcohol, moderate your intake of caffeine, avoid too much salt in your diet and if you must, do a detox. 

I always notice how some of my friends who have a low tolerance of alcohol (or are allergic to alcohol) react to drinking when I see their ears & cheeks go red! It's always the first place to colour.

Nose:

Apparently redness, broken capillaries & puffiness are related to any underlying heart or blood problems. (Or you may simply have a cold & have been blowing your nose too much!)

Cheeks:

This area is related to the lungs and respiratory system. Irritation from pollution, smoking or passive smoking will cause broken capillaries, puffiness, inflammation or minor breakouts here.

Mouth area:

Any congestion here shows underlying problems with your stomach and digestive system - up your intake of fibre and try to eat clean - include lots of fruit, veggies!

Chin area:

I don't know if this applies to everyone, but breakouts here are usually very common for many women. Hormonal imbalances & even stress are the main causes. I normally just take Omega 3 vitamins & switch it up with Vitamin E with Evening Primrose Oil. Research shows that Vitamin E is actually better for PMS. (via Livestrong)

Apparently, depending on which side you have breakouts as this area is also related to your ovaries, you can probably determine which side you're ovulating... now that's just weird!

You might just think this is all a load of rubbish and most likely don't apply to you, but next time you experience any congestion, breakouts or notice anything out of the ordinary on your face take another peek at this face map again! Are there any noticeable correlations?

Have a brilliant sunny, smiley weekend loves!

References: Healthy voyager & Dermalogica via Beautifully Gorgeous

YSL's 'Devoted to Fans' Facebook inspired Eyeshadow

 via YSL beauty facebook

When I first heard that YSL were launching a new eyeshadow palette inspired by Facebook, I had to re-read the headliner again! Incroyable! Yes, it's for real peeps! Die hard fans will have to be quick as only a small number has been produced & will be sold via their Facebook page here. The "Devoted to Fans" palette launches today in four shades; black, violet, white, and the signature blue Facebook shade.
"Speaking about YSL’s Facebook palette, Damien Vincent, Commercial Director of Facebook France said: "We are honoured that a prestigious brand such as Yves Saint Laurent [is using] Facebook colour codes to launch a unique product destined for his fans.”  - via here.

 What do you think lovelies? Like? Or no Likey? ;)

I thought this was an interesting take on beauty inspiration and collaborations, til I read about a scent being created for Apple Macbook Pro - as in, there's a company out there trying to capture the whiff of a freshly boxed Macbook Pro... Close your eyes now and picture the smell of cardboard, plastic, glue & ink all rolled into one... mystifying, not. 

Hmmm, perhaps we can all engage in a bit of computer sniffing at our local PC world/Kotsovolos/Target/Mac World, just ask them to bring you out a new box. Anyhoos, it appears the world of beauty has gone loca loca...

Source: Bellasugar & Telegraph

Gimme Candy: L'Oreal Miss Candy & Smokin' Eyes!

Hello my pretties, how's your week going?

 I don't know about you, but every now and again I have this furious burst of beauty & make up addiction, I'm not entirely sure if it had anything to do with my little L'Oreal Paris surprise this week (-great start to the week, yay!!!) or the fact that I just wanna ply my face with a bit of colour when the weather seems a little unpredictable and grey sometimes.

Anyways... I loved seeing all the candy, gum dropped colours coming through for spring/summer; from Dior to YSL & even Laduree's super yummy sorbet shaded make up collection.

MAC/NARS/Bobbi Brown, please forgive me but I officially have a new love - L'Oreals Miss Candy collection.  My pouts craving the super shimmery Glam shine lipgloss in Cola Fizz & Strawberry Licorice (available in 6 delicious shades) and my eyes will be coveting the Color Infallible eye shadows bright n' sparkly 'Innocent turquoise' (above) and 'Sassy marshmallow' hues (Eye shadows available in 4 colours), which will pop against my subtle tan. Looks like I'm all set to to dress my nails, eyes and lips now! 

For the best part of winter you could say that I'm pretty guilty of falling into the same make up routine, but once summer hits, I do love experimenting with eye make-up looks,  especially with colourful shades, similar to the L'Oreal look (first image above). Right now, I'm totally smitten with these gorgeous eye make up looks.

 Coco Rocha with emerald green & grey hues for Vogue Nippon, Aug 2008 by Arthur Elgort

Check out the brilliant How-To post on how to achieve this colour blocking make-up look via The Beauty Department here.

I adore this! I haven't actually tried purple, but I think I will do... one night. Love this step-by-step image by make up artist Zina Grekova whose eye make up looks are all over Pinterest.

 Have you mastered your smokey eye look yet, take peek at Zina's classic brown/black smokey eye look close up!

Having read some of the comments, I thought I'd add a little more to this post. I know that doing a smokey look on yourself can sometimes look like you've been punched in the face in both eyes if you're not used to seeing how this look looks on you - just remember to BLEND!!! I always keep cotton buds at hand to help remove any parts that I might have gone way OTT on (usually to lessen the amount of dark shadow near the brown bone area, in the corners or underneath the eye)

Everyone has a different eye shape - it's about experimenting and knowing what or how much smokiness works with your face shape. Always take a step back from the mirror and see how it looks.

It's good to try different things - sometimes I'll go for a more elongated cat eye shape and balance the make up on the cheek area with a bit of definition.

 Need a little help? What about this four-piece brush set by Sonia Kashuk? (Alternatively, you can find similar brushes at Sephora too) image via: Glamour Mag

So lovelies, will you be trying something new or different this summer? Know what colours work for you and take a risk I say! Colour is a real game-changer in the name of make-up!


p.s Thank you L'Oreal Paris GR! Mwah!

Purrr-fect Paul & Jo SS12 Makeup

Kitty lovers, this one's for you! Whilst there have been a number of kitsch make up launches of late (French Patisserie, Laduree) and a number candy coloured & themed ad campaigns (think LV and Mulberrys amazing SS12 campaign shot by Tim Walker as seen here) for SS12. Gotta say, I couldn't get enough of the cuteness overload when I first spotted this make up range by Paul & Jo Beaute. This year they'll be celebrating their 10th anniversary, I absolutely adore this years Cat motifs collection designed by cat lover Sophie Albou.

The range consists of, three Face & Eye Colour palettes (£19.50) in Siamese Please, Kittycat and Purrfect; three cat-shaped creamy Blusher Sticks £21) in Glamous Puss, Minou and Catfight; and Waterproof gel eyeliner, nail enamels, pressed powder and lipsticks. Via asos.com, Harrods and Fenwicks and in the US - Urban Outfitters.

What do you think? Creepy (lipstick heads) or cute? Or just plain pretty?

Winter Skin Saviour

Hey guys, how was your Christmas? Did anyone have a white winter wonderland?

Anyhoos, I don't know about you, but I for one am suffering from that nasty winter complexion, you know the one; flaky, dry skin, especially around the nose, dull complexion (until you go crazy on the blush/bronzer), chapped hands and lips... sexy it isn't!
The harsh wintery environment combined with central heating is a cocktail that's gonna unleash complete mayhem on your skin. So, what to do?

The confusing, crazy shift between bitter cold outdoors (your skin circulation is sluggish) and warm central heated indoors is enough to stress your skin right out, usually it's more a shock which is why the capillaries on your face are likely to widen or break resulting in dry, red skin.

Hot tip - if you have your central heating on, stick a glass/pan of water next to the radiator to humidify the air and turn it down at night as your skin is busy restoring itself whilst you're sleeping.

My beauty regime & products changes consistently according to the season - sounds wacky but it's actually better this way... imagine switching your wardrobe according to the season, and implementing one as you would for your skin. You wouldn't use a heavy moisturizing cream that you normally use in winter in summer would you?

On these cold wintery days & night's it's tempting & rather comforting to use hot water to wash your face or soak your bod, but stop, right now!!! The high temp is going to zap your skins natural protective oils.

I also thought using a body exfoliator regularly was going to get rid of any dry or flaky skin, nuh uh beauty queens... apparently excessive exfoliation damages the skins protective barrier. According to celeb facialist Sarah Chapman, "the trick is to restore and rebalance your skin, exfoliating once or twice a week is enough and always use a nourishing mask afterward to help replenish your skin's moisture levels".

Key things to remember:

• Bump up your beauty regime now and use a more emollient protective face moisturizer.(something that contains Vitamin E or glycerin helps lock in moisture)
  
• If you're going to load up the make-up on a daily basis, make sure you use a good alcohol free cleanser/toner, which isn't going to dry your skin out. I love Clarins 'One step cleanser' (with orange extract) & also Ponds' Cold Cream - très old school, no?
• On those really dry face days, I also use a Vitamin C serum to complement my moisturizer. Oh and let's not forget the odd supplements here. I always go for the Seven Seas 'Cod liver oil with Evening Primrose oil'... but don't forget to tuck into a bit of salmon, mackerel, tuna, nuts, and seeds too!
• At night, I use a much heavier cream, actually I've just bought the L'Oreal Youth Code Night Cream and it makes my skin feel ultra silky after I've put it on and in the morning my skin feels soft, perfect.
  
• The bod: I love Soap & Glory's 'Flake Away' scrub (also available at Target USA) - smells incredible, super affordable and has the perfect kind to skin ingredients - peach seed, shea butter and fine sugar granules. Yuuuum!
  
• I always moisturize immediately after a bath/shower to lock in moisture. I use anything from body butters (Palmers) to Vichy's Nutri extra replenishing body cream.
• Sanctuary's Body Moisture spray is my all year round product - it smells amazing, the price, even better and for these wintery days or if you're preserving a tan, this is the one!
  

There's one thing I never stop wearing all year round and that's a moisturizer with an SPF. It's always sunny here, despite the cold, my skin is always protected.
As for my hands... they don't deserve the rough treatment they've had lately, but I try to protect them immediately after washing them and apply Neutrogena's hand cream or Nivea (the one in the round blue tub) and do this all over again & wear gloves to bed... lovely soft hands the next day...

I feel ultra pale now that it's winter and I'm usually not one for wearing founation, but recently I've been reaching out for a little miracle in a bottle, known as Garnier's BB cream. I had no idea BB (Blemish Balm) creams were such a huge deal but they're an all-in-one superstar cream, doing the job of a sunscreen, moisturizer, primer & foundation. I swear my skin looks like it's been getting some photoshop treatment...

What are your fail safe go-to products for the winter? I love hearing about different products & regimes! Are you all prepped for NYE? Dress, shoes, bag, perfect skin?

More hot tips on Winter skin care here.

Images via Fashion Gone Rogue.
1: Bambi Northwood-Blyth by Stephen Ward for Russh
2: Source unknown - via Pinterest
3: Amanda Seyfried by Marcus Ohlsson for Marie Claire US Dec 2011
4. Hannah Holman by Dean Podmore for Remix