Current Favourites | July 2015

From the dry shampoo that delivers oomph, to the perfect brown lip duo. These favourites have very quickly worked their way into my everyday routine, and will happily remain there. July along with its' temperamental weather has overall been a delightful month. Working IMATS left me fragile on my feet, and just that bit poorer than usual. On an even higher note, the Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser (what a mouthful aye?) has been working wonders for my combination/ dry skin. The formula itself is creamy, nourishing and soothing, but then when used with the hot cloth, slightly exfoliates and removes all nasties from the skin's surface. Who would have thought it, cloth and cleanser- the dynamic duo of the skincare world. Superdrug's Naturally Radiant line is almost always on offer, but even at its' standard price it's still only £5.99 and claims to 'Awaken skins natural glow'- who wouldn't want that? Another product that has been fabulously contributing to my complexion, is the brand spanking new Makeup Forever Ultra HD Foundation. With supposed 'Invisible Cover', this foundation is as light as a feather on the skin and blends beautifully. A battle commenced when trying to get this product at IMATS, but after a lot of dedication and shuffling, I got my hands on it. The packaging is sleek, and classic of course, and the 'ultra' formulation has a medium to build-able coverage. When applied to the skin it 100% has a more natural, sheer finish in comparison to the HD Original. Great product for those of us who don't like a lot of foundation on the skin.

 Having not really been a fan of cat-eye glasses, these Topshop Sadie Cateye Sunglasses have not left my side. They're my personal Summer essential, and really frame my face well. Despite being a controversial pair for some, there's no denying that they instantly add class to any outfit. Speaking of Summer... oily hair is always a no, but with all this heat and sweat sometimes it's inevitable. The Batiste Dry Shampoo has been in every magazine, blog and favourites- and for good reason. It's not only a quick solution for those of us on a busy schedule, but is also great for adding instant volume to flat and dull hair. For hair that gets really oily really quickly, this is a can sent from heaven. For those who don't know, I am the real brown lips queen- not Kylie. A fellow friend and MUA recently recommended 'Cappucino' Lip Pencil by Rimmel, and in her words..."It's like Wonderbra for lips". The colour is brown with an ever so slight warm tone to it, making it fab for plumping your lips without all that shot glass business. It works well when used to define the natural lip line, and is perfect when married with MAC 'Taupe' Lipstick- yes, another brown. This typically creamy and pigmented lipstick by MAC, has just the right amount of warm undertone to make your lips look and feel fuller. 

Kiko Smart Lip Pencil Review + Swatches

It's safe to say that 2014 was the year of the lips. Everything from lipstick colours and plumpers to more controversial trends, such as Kylie Jenner's pout. I'm always on the hunt for reasonably priced, good quality lip liners- but aren't we all? Kiko to me, is almost like a slightly better European version of ELF Cosmetics and has unbeatable prices for the quality provided. I roamed the Kiko Store in Guildford like a sex addict in Ann Summers, where I found beautifully pigmented shadows, vibrant lipsticks and most importantly, cheap lip liners. The colour range is very broad from dark plum purples to bright cherry reds, and amongst all the choices I might have even found a dupe for my holy grail MAC 'Soar' lip liner. I spent a total of £10 for four lip liners- bargain or what? Lets see what I think of them...

First off, I have to mention that these bargain liners are 1) ridiculously pigmented and 2) glide on the lips like cocoa butter to the skin. They don't quite have the stain power of MAC lip liners which I often like to wear alone, but are fantastic for applying underneath lipsticks. The formula is almost too smooth to believe and one that thing that makes these liners stand out, is that they are £2.50 each- yea you read right. You can't really go wrong with a price tag like that and considering the variation of shades in this range; well, why not?

My Chosen Four

Smart Lip Pencil '710 Rouge Noir', £2.50

A deliciously rich plum/ purple shade; something we could definitely see Rihanna sporting all year round. I chose this dark vampy shade because it swatches beautifully against the skin and seems to be a tone that will suit every skin colour. It's creamy and highly pigmented BUT be sure to moisturize your smackers before hand, because I did find that this colour in particular clings to the dryer parts of your lips- creating an uneven application.

Smart Lip Pencil '706 Classic Red', £2.50

So, I'm usually more of a deep red kind of gal, but with it basically being a New Year and my skin starting to appear even paler- I opted for a bright red colour that would be a match made in heaven for MAC's infamous 'Ruby Woo' lipstick. It has a very bright blueish tone that will make your pearly whites sparkle and your skin glow. This would look divine on a paler skin, but who's to say it won't look fab on a deeper complexion?

Smart Lip Pencil, '712 Rose Mauve', £2.50

Whilst in the Kiko store I came across two potential Kylie Jenner lip products, this being the lighter one. It has a more pinky tone to in comparison to the other one and again, glides on perfectly giving that 'your lips but better' vibe. This cheap and cheerful liner has the potiential to be my new favourite and it could possibly be a dupe for MAC 'Soar' lip liner. Scroll down to see them up both swatched!

Smart Lip Pencil '704 Brick Red', £2.50

Now we're still on that Kylie Jenner lip hunt, and that's when I found another shde a bit darker than the '712'. When swatched on camera this colour has a very orangey tone to it, that I hoped would in fact be more neutral and brows. It is still gorgeous on, but gives your 'my lips but better' look a more peachy tone- a bit like a darker, matte version of 'Peachstock' by MAC. This is actually going to be a gorgeous everyday colour for the summer and will look very complimentary with a peachy or nude on top. What do you guys think?

(left to right) 710, 706, 712, 704.

(left to right) 710, 706, 712, 704.

(left to right) MAC 'Soar' Lip Liner, Kiko '712' Lip Liner.

Overall I am very pleased with these bargain lip liners. They have great pay off and will without a doubt, become staples in my make-up bag! Have you guys tried anything from Kiko? If so what do you think? 

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Makeup Recipe: Sad to Sassy

So, undertaking transformation sassy can apply to anyone whom is looking to jazz up their make-up every so slightly- without looking like Lady Gaga on a bad day. We've gone with a very natural look that embraces winter with a warm mauve lip and still maintains that glamour with a soft shimmer on the lid, and pop of white on the waterline.

INGREDIENTS:

Larger than pea-size amount of moisturiser

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1 to 2 pumps of chosen foundation

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Real Techniques Nic's Picks 'Cheek Brush'

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Even application of concealer 

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Translucent/ Coloured powder

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pea-size amount of Too Faced 'Shadow Insurance'

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MAC 'Phloof' eyeshadow

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MAC 'Soft Brown' eyeshadow

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MAC 'Expresso' eyeshadow 

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MAC 'Fascinating' Kohl Liner 

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MAC 'Cork' eyeshadow 

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MAC 'Twig' Lipstick 

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MAC Zoom Lash 'Black'

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NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder 'Sunny'

• Begin by taking a slightly larger than pea-sized amount of your chosen moisturiser, here I used the very affordable Superdrug's own brand Natural Radiance Balm. It smells like christmas and leaves the skin looking perky in preparation for these cold winter mornings!

• Once your emollient moisturiser of choice has sunk into the skin- it's operation flawless! Your foundation of choice should leave space for a build able coverage and create natural looking skin with immaculate coverage. The secret to a good base is not only the artist herself but her tools. My brush of a life time is the Real Techniques Nic's Picks 'Cheek Brush'.

• Concealer and powder are now the only things getting in between you and creating those sassy eyes. A large part of this look is based on the brightness under the eyes, this creates a very awake effect. I'm usually all about that dewy skin, but for this look I powered this soon-to-be sassy bitch to create a matte effect that would photograph beautifully. I usually try to use a lighter powder colour under the eyes to emphasise the effort we made with the concealer.

• Now, whilst your face is sassy, your eyes aren't... yet. Start by priming the eye using a very small amount of Shadow Insurance by Too Faced then begin to apply the shadow. The design calls for shadow to be applied from light to dark so begin with some beautiful shimmer, subtle and never glittery. I used MAC 'Phloof' all over the lid, then grab your favourite transition colour (mine is 'Soft Brown' by MAC) and apply it gently to the crease using a window wiping motion . Take it as high as you wish but leave some room for brow bone highlight. To deepen and add dimension to this look, I took MAC 'Expresso' and added this to the outer-v of the eye and smoked it out ever so slightly on the lower lash line. 

• White Eyeliner- a simple and effective single product that will help to brighten the eyes and make them appear larger. Apply this naughty number to your waterline, blink a few times and apply lightly again. Avoid getting the pencil in your eye or all over your lashes- if you do, no worries that's what Mascara's for!

• Moving on to the brows. I simply used MAC 'Cork' eyeshadow again to replicate the hairs of my models natural brows and voila!

• For the lips, just make sure they're moisturised and lipstick friendly. The fabulous colour used in this design is MAC 'Twig'. It compliments every skin tone and adds a lovely warmth to the face.

• The final touches are applying mascara. My mascara of the moment would have to be MAC Zoom Lash- a product that is great in the lengthening department. To really finish this look add a complimentary matter mauve blush, maybe even something with a little brown in it. I used a very old school product, Sally Hansen's little pocket palette from god knows what decade in the colour 'pink'. Before I forget, it's key to use a bronzer in this look to really compliment those neutral tones in the eyes, warm up the face and even add some definition with contouring. 

There you have it guys and gals. You could share this recipe with all your friends and family and they could become sassy too! Massive thanks to Meg Wills from Club Sass for approving and modelling this look! Let me know what you think guys!