Nars Guy Bourdin Crime of Passion Palette

For New Years Eve i’m going to be using this amazing palette which was a gift from my lovely boyfriend; the Nars Guy Bourdin Crime of Passion;

The perfectly proportioned palette houses three beautiful eye shadows in the colours; Jezebel, Naiade and Pandora. I’ve never tried the Nars eye shadows before and these colours look like the perfect place to start, I’m thinking  Naiade will look amazing as a one wash wonder but for New Year’s Eve I will smoking it out with Pandora and using Jezebel as an inner corner and brow highlighter.

The palette also contains the Deep Throat blusher, a slightly more subdued, softer offering than its famous counterpart ‘Orgasm’ which is the full sized one that’s currently in my collection. It also comes with a beautifully shimmering Deep Throat lip gloss flecked with gold which I can already see being paired with a festive red to see in the New Year.

Finally, what Nars collection is complete without the Nars Laguna Bronzer? The addition of the cult product hails this as the perfect travel companion, and as I’m going to be away for two nights (woohoo) over New Year this will take pride of place on my dresser!

Would you like to see a beauty tutorial with this palette?

What’s On My Face #1

I always see this posts on my blog perusals and I find it interesting to see what products people pair together, so I thought i’d try doing one myself.

Today will be mostly spent doing festive things and catching up with friends and family who am I excited to see before Christmas. I went for quite a polished, natural look which I think would work well from day – evening. If you saw my last beauty post you’ll have seen I picked up the Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl Kajal in Nude and the Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Powder in Transparent which I have been loving recently. The kohl neutralizes any redness and works great as an inner corner highlight and the powder is so smooth and literally weightless on the skin!

Here is my face…

 

And the products that i’ve used;

Face : Nars Sheer Glow in Santa Fe / Rimmel Match Perfection Silky Loose Powder in Transparent / Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Soft Beige / Benefit Hervana

Eyes : Benefit World Famous Neutral Palette in ‘Most Glamorous Nudes’ / Rimmel Scandal Eyes Kohl Kajal In Nude / Benefit Bad Gal Liner Waterproof in Extra Black / Benefit Magic Ink Liquid Liner / Benefit They’re Real Mascara 

Lips ;  Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Plum Russian

I’m loving Benefit Cosmetics for eye essentials! What will you be wearing over Christmas?

The Heat Cheat

As the clocks go back and the sun begins to sink into hibernation, which cheek products can we rely on to fake a sun kissed glow without being too obvious? Here’s the low down on my heat cheat favourites;

Bourjois Bronzing Powder No. 52

A cult bronzing powder most recognisable for its chocolate bar design and scent. The drugstore offering is quite ‘red’ based so I find number 52, the lighter offering, to be perfect for porcelain ladies. A dusting of this on your brush and a very light sweep under cheeks and onto temples gives you a hint of warmth that’s day-time friendly. And a smatter of glimmer adds an element of luminosity to skin, so you can fake the glow without the heat! Recently bumped up in packaging to include a mirror, this product is perfect for bronze newbies.

Benefit Hoola

Benefit Hoola is a staple bronzer for this time of year. The matt, pigmented powder has quite a cool undertone and the lack of shimmer and glitter hails it as a natural offering. You can use small quantities of this swept up the cheek (or underneath to contour) to add some warmth onto skin whilst still looking natural. Because it’s so pigmented you really don’t need a lot of this, so make sure you’ve got nimble fingers before you attack your face with your brush! I’ve also been known to use this through the crease of the eye to add some definition to peepers on rushed mornings. You can tell from the picture that it’s a very well loved addition to the make-up routine.

Nars Laguna Bronzer

The original bronzer tease! I’m not normally one to buy into the hype of a product, I have to really swatch and test things out before I part with my pennies but this cult bronze was a definite ‘love at first sight’ swoon. The tan is not too orange, red or cool… it’s just warm. It’s a very finely milled powder with tiny hints of glimmer encased throughout and it sweeps onto skin beautifully, adding a dose of warmth onto skin whilst remaining undetectable. You can sweep this lightly all over the skin to add a hint of colour, concentrate it under the cheek bones to contour or dab onto the apples of the cheek for a blusher compromise. Perfect for both day and night, bronzer queens and fake glow newbies… I’d hail this as my favourite bronze ever!

What are your favourite products for the heat cheat this season?

The September Edit

I’ve blogged about a lot of products this month, but which ones have been the stand out stars? Time for the September Edit…let’s see who made the cut!

Skin: It’s got to be Origins GinZing moisturiser, no surprises there! A citrus scented, smooth gel texture that boosts brightness and soothes skin with its oil-free moisturising formula. Sad skin days are a thing of the past!

Complexion: The stand out in this category is the Nars Sheer Glow. I recently re-discovered my love for this product and I have to say it’s probably one of the best foundation formulas I’ve tried. Ever! It’s a light texture but highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. Blended in with fingers in the day time and my skin looks natural with a gorgeous, glowing undertone and buffed on with a brush in the evening creates a medium coverage that’s just the right side of airbrushed. The undertones in this foundation are perfect for my skin; Santa Fe is slightly yellow but has a hint of pink mixed in.

Cheeks: A  bit of a toss up with this category and I’ve got to announce that there are two winners. The stand out products have both been firm staples in my make-up bag but for very different reasons…

Firstly Benefit Rockateur. The product launch of the month and what a good one at that. The finely milled, pigmented rose gold blush that heats up cheeks in a second has been adorning my cheeks in the evening. The hue of this blush will complement each and every make-up look by adding subtle colour but lots of definition. Clashing combos are a thing of the past.

Secondly, The Body Shop Shimmer Palette which featured in my Surprise September Finds. I’m still impressed with this product and it has been my go to cheek choice for the day time. Sweeping the brush diagonally over the palette collects all three colours which highlight, contour and colour cheeks in just one sweep. Hello five minute lie in!

Lips: I think I’ve lost count how many times I’ve mentioned this lip product in posts. The Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons are amazing. Glossy, smooth but pigmented and with staining/staying power they have to be one of the very best lip offerings out there. Gorgeous colours, moisturising formula, only £7.99… what’s not to love? I have the shades Red Sunrise and Fuscia Libre, I’ve never been one to wear a pink lip but this colour just works. Fuscia is the stand out star!

Eyes: Oh eyes, so tricky are you. One product can not suffice this category. Without choosing everything I own I’ve managed to edit it down to two things. Both Benefit, this brand brings it in the eye department.

Firstly, the Magic Ink Liquid Liner. I hailed this product as ‘The Perfect Liquid Liner.’ Yes, I was that confident in it to make such a bold statement. A formula that slicks on smooth, dries jet black with a hint of gloss and doesn’t dry, flake or crumble throughout the day. It’s perfect. The handle of this product has also been designed by the liquid liner fairies… it’s perfectly moulded to suit your thumb and finger and makes gliding on controlled and easy.

Secondly, the Tweezerman for Benefit Eyelash Curlers. Wow! What a difference a curled lash can make. I explain my teenage experience of lash curlers here which resolved in a near bare lash line so picking up a contraption like this again was a big step for me. But ever so comfortable with extra lash pads included in the box, the Tweezermans gently pressurise your lashes into standing into primped and curled attention. Anything that’s amazing at making the most of lashes and using less of mascara will always be a winner for me.

So there you have The September Edit. What’s made it into your favourite list this month?

What are your Happy Products?

Today’s post is an ode to those products that just make you feel happy. You know the ones, no matter how you feel, what you’re about to face that day (or what time of the month it is!) there are certain products that we reach for to make us feel extra sparkly and confident. The trio that contribute to my happy face are there for me no matter what, so without further ado; let me introduce you to my Happy Products:

Third in the trio is the Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon. Before I discovered these formulas I stuck to very nude, creamy lip colours that just add a hint of a hue to my pout. But after the purchase of Bourjois ‘Fuchsia Libre’ this all changed! The lip crayon is sheer but has a very pretty glossy finish and it packs an amazing pink pigment onto lips. I can only describe the effect as ‘juicy’ because it looks fresh and brightens up the pout with a moisturising sheen. I always reach for this product when my face is looking grey because it instantly brightens my complexion and adds colour without being too overpowering. At the same time this pigmented, glossy formula is an evening essential, wonderful at being layered up to add a pop of fresh pink to brighten up an evening outfit.

Second in the Happy list is the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Santa Fe. We had a bit of a rocky relationship at the start but our troubles have now been well and truly amended and my love for this formula is going strong. The Sheer Glow is literally radiance in a bottle. The smooth, satiny feel texture melts into the skin to create a velvet smooth finish that can either be blended in to look nude or built up to create an airbrushed, medium coverage. The best feature of the formula is the soft, glowing undertone as it instantly perks up, evens out and highlights your skins natural luminosity. I reach for this bottle of glowing goodness in the evenings to create satin skin, but also use it on grumpy skin days where I need to add a touch of radiance and coverage to perk up my complexion.

The last in the Happy Trio is Benefit Watts Up highlighter. This champagne highlighter can be smooshed on, blended into or striped on top of any complexion to instantly transform you from drab to fab. Excuse the timely cliché but it is literally that good. Formulated in a wind up stick with a buffer housed in the opposite end, Watts Up is precision perfection and easy to apply at any time of the day. Glide it on top of cheek bones, under the brow and down the centre of the nose to add a soft, champagne radiance to the skin. I reach for this product every day to add a glowing, natural and undetectable radiance to my skin that instantly uplifts both my complexion and my mood. And that accolade hails it my number one Happy Product!

So there you have my Happy Products. The trio of complexion sparklers that perk me up, smooth me out and eek out radiance on both my good and grumpy skin days. So only question that remains to be asked is…what are your Happy Products?

Nars Sheer Glow – A Second Skin?

Nars Sheer glow is something of a cult beauty product. This March I finally succumbed to temptation and treated myself to the coveted item. At first I have to say I was surprisingly underwhelmed and whilst I liked the idea of the formula I couldn’t see what the hype was about. It was relegated to the dreaded *bottom draw* and didn’t make a re-appearance until this summer.

After I returned from my holiday I was relaxed, happy and had achieved that lovely, post-holiday glow. As my golden tan began to fade, the need for a bit more coverage returned and I wanted a product that would accentuate my newly found radiance.

A perusal of my products reminded me of the Sheer Glow, and the name tempted me back into usage.

Queue the regulation ‘slap on the hand’. How daft was I not to realise how good this foundation was? The light formula is the right side of creamy, blends onto the skin like a dream and the colour (Santa Fe) is perfect for my slightly yellowed undertone. The coverage is great, you can work a small amount onto your face with fingers to create a really natural look or use a buffing brush to layer on for a fuller coverage. It looks satiny on the skin and feels smooth and luxurious. The best part? This foundation brings the perfect natural glow. No shimmer, no glitter just a gorgeous glowing undertone to make skin look healthy, fresh and creamy. Either blended in or buffed on the formula creates an amazing look for either day or night.

I don’t know why I didn’t get on with this at first! I’ve got to put it down to the time of year, with the pressure of final university projects my skin felt rough and red and stressed. I think my holiday gave it its natural glow back and this little bottle of glowing greatness is helping me retain it as we enter into Autumn. Lesson learned? Don’t put too much pressure on highly coveted items; just let them do what they do best!

Benefit Watts Up!

Now that summer has come to an end (sobs) there’s one item in particular that will make the transition from summer essential to autumn skin saver. Benefit’s Watts Up is a gorgeous champagne highlighter that is perfect for all year round. The colour is beautiful, it is delicate but with strong pigmentation that accentuates cheek bones perfectly.

The cream stick formula makes application super easy; all you need to do is glide the product onto cheekbones, under brow bones and down the centre of the nose. The flip side of the product houses a little sponge which is great for buffing the product into the skin but it works equally well with brushes or fingers. The formula is great, it’s really precise so you can achieve a very natural look or build up the coverage for Hollywood glamour! A little tip for the latter look is to smoosh the product on your cheeks before foundation to give your glimmer an extra boost.

In the summer I was pairing this with Nars Laguna but for autumn it will work wonderfully with a darker hued cheek colour and with a glam red lip for the Christmas season.

Perfect for highlighter newbies and glowing glamour pusses alike, Watts Up is a product that will be staple in my makeup bag for all four seasons!

Have you tried it before?