Happy Halloween 2014

As the title of today's post suggests I'd like to wish you all a Happy Halloween. 

I wouldn't normally commemorate this calendar event. However I found one of the picture editors I use now has options for the 'seasonal celebrations' - Halloween, Valentines, Christmas to name a few. So, I decided to give it a whirl and have a go at editing one of my old photos into a zombie style image.....here are the results.

If you're out celebrating this evening at a party or Trick-or-Treating with your children, have fun and stay safe xx

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Wearable Rock Chic - Get the look

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*Makeup Revolution 'Girls On Film' Palette

Sorry this is a touch photo heavy!

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Which Eye Cream?

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MAC Lipglass 'Luxuriate'

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Doing the School Run 'Makeup'

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Maybelline Dream Touch Blush 06

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush comes in these cute little glass pots that make them feel very expensive. I have the shade 06 which is called Berry (I had to search online for the name as the pots are only numbered).

Maybelline say: 'Soft, natural colour. This amazingly soft cream blush blends into skin to brighten your complexion adding a kiss of colour to cheeks, giving you a naturally flushed look. Cheeks have a soft hue of natural colour that lasts all day long!'

Believe me when I say this is super soft and very easy to use! Some mornings I don’t have too much time to apply my makeup, so I find this adds a nice bit of colour to my cheeks without the fuss of putting on powder blusher. I normally opt to applying this with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush; however you can use your fingers or a contour brush if you have prefer. I also found the colour lasted very well on my skin which can be slightly oily at times. This is something I have struggled with in the past with cream-style blush as they can often disappear and slide off the skin.

Maybelline Dream Touch Blush in 06 is perfect for any skin tone. If your medium or tanned then you simply build the colour up, if you’re fair then only apply a little to your cheeks.

I think this is a really great little product and definitely one to pop into your suitcase if you're off on your holidays!

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Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover

‘Maybelline Augen-Make-up Entferner Spezial Waterproof’

Let me just start by stating the obvious the bottle is in German; this is because I purchased it while in Switzerland and I’m sad to say I haven’t been able to find this product back in the UK :( So this will obviously be of interest to any of my Swiss or German readers!

Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover is specifically designed to remove waterproof eye makeup. It’s oil based two-phase system has been created to help break down tough waterproof mascara and eyeliner with ease; so there is no need to rub the delicate eye area.

To use, simply shake the bottle well to mix up the two liquids. Saturate a cotton pad and place over closed eyes. I tend to hold the cotton pads in place for a few seconds, then sweep them down to remove the makeup. Its as easy as that! I do find I need to do this a couple of times to ensure my lashes are free from makeup however I don’t find this to be a problem. The only downside to a product like this is it does leave a slight greasy feeling on my skin but that washes off during my cleansing routine.

Overall I’m very happy with the Maybelline Eye Makeup Remover, I’ll just be adding it to my Swiss shopping list when we are back next!

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Bold Berry Lips - Get the look

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Feel Good Formulas by Arran Aromatics

*PR Sample

How cute do these little pots look!

These beauties are part of the ‘Feel Good Formulas’ at Arran Aromatics, based on the Isle of Arran in Scotland. They have just celebrated their 25th birthday would you believe!

Anyway onto the products before I lose my train of thought. First I’d like to tell you about the Green Tea Refreshing Eye Gel*. This cooling gel contains extracts of Green Tea (the clue is in the name!) as well as Witch Hazel. The combination means it reduces the appearance of fine lines and puffiness, soothing and revitalizing tired eyes. I’ve been testing this over the past week and I can confirm it does indeed reduce puffiness. I’ve also found that it seems to brighten the eye area after application. The gel itself isn’t sticky when you apply it, nor does it leave a residue on the skin. I was very impressed with the Green Tea Refreshing Eye Gel and was surprised to find it costs just £3.50.

Next onto the Honey and Lemon Lip Balm*, and wow what a combination! Meanwhile I currently have my nose in the pot trying to find the best way to describe the fragrance. It’s not what you’d expect from the label; think wild honey from your local farm shop, sweet with a hint of lemon - but not sharp citrus, it’s soft and inviting.

The lip balm has a UV protection filter, so it does more than just nourish and protect your lips from becoming dry. I found the Honey and Lemon Lip Balm to be the perfect combination; it moisturises and protects but doesn’t leave a horrid greasy film on your lips for hours on end. Plus its the ideal size for popping in my handbag!  

I love that these products are from the United Kingdom, and I’ll certainly be looking to buy some of these as Christmas stocking fillers!

http://www.arranaromatics.com/collections/feel-good-formulas/

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What's in my Wash bag - Travel Edition

Oh the answer to this will always explain why I’m too close to my weight allowance when flying - No joke!!!!

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Nais of the Day - Stripes

Today's post is nails based as I'm sure you guessed by the title.  I wanted to show to two nail designs that are super quick and easy to achieve; but also super stylish while adding a nice pop of colour. Both designs are based around a natural matte nail. For this I used my Orly 'Matte Top' nail polish, one coat as all I needed. Ths dries very quickly and stays a true matte for several days. The top image shows a blue stripe on the left of each nail bed. I used the fabulous my OPI Nail Lacquer in  OPI....Eurso Euro, I love this colour as it's a perfect primary blue tone.  The next image I used Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Espresso and done a random stripe on each nail, making sure that each one is different to the next. This was slightly more fiddly but still effective! 

I'm loving my nail art tools again! It's great fun creating new and exciting looks using nail polish, gel color, glitters and gems xx

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What's in my Handbag - Travel Edition

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REVIEW - Essence Blush Stick

I just love love love these Blush Sticks by Essence! The colours I have are 020 Bronze Babe and 030 Miss Peachy; these were purchased during our Zurich trip.

What do I love about them? Well lets start with the formula. The Blush Sticks have a very smooth creamy consistency that turns into a powder finish. They are easily applied directly to the cheeks and blended with your fingers (as recommended by Essence). The pigmentation is very good so these are incredibly buildable; you have the option to apply more colour if you desire without looking overdone. Essence is a ‘purse friendly’ brand, and trust me when I say you can’t go wrong with their range. I’ve been buying it for over 3 years and so far haven’t found one item I don’t like! So lets look at my application technique...

My technique is somewhat different. Don’t get me wrong I did start off blending with my fingertips but prefer my way. I start off by applying my foundation of choice with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Once my foundation is done I contour my face with Bronze Babe, and add colour to my cheeks with Miss Peachy. Then apply my highlighter under my eyes and start to blend - with the same brush I used for my foundation application. I think this works really well and I find it looks seamless and polished. A kind of natural flush of colour and hint of contouring….perfect for a day to day makeup look. I'll be posting a video soon of how I use my Essence Blush Sticks so keep an eye out for it ;)

I’ll be back again soon with more makeup treats xx

http://www.essence.eu/uk/

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