Eyelash extensions

A while ago when I was living in London I came across the idea of eyelash extensions. Now, as I worked in central London in a store selling makeup and beauty items I always felt the need to look my best. When I first found out of a place to have them done I immediately had to have them done, even with the £100 ish price tag. Yes, expensive I know but they look so pretty! I'm a sucker for long eyelashes and would love to be naturally blessed with them but that is not the case I'm afraid, so alternative measures needed to be found.

I use false eyelashes for a night out and have tried Talkia eyelash growth treatment which you apply to your lashes for a few months and they are supposed to grow slightly and fall out less. Yes, that is what it did and my eyelashes were a bit longer and definitely fell out less. But that was about it, I still use it every now and again when I feel I need it but I still didn't have the effective I was longing for.

So I found a mobile beauty therapist who specialised in Jinnylashes (supposedly the best ones for this kind of thing) and I had them applied to my lashes, lash by lash for around 1 and a half to 2 hours - yes a long long time to lie on a flat beauty couch and let me tell you my bum was very numb by the end of it! So I walked away with lots and lots of lashes applied to my lash line to create a lovely long lash effect. I was so pleased with the results. They lasted in perfect condition for about 4 weeks and slowly one by one fell out with my own eyelashes. Towards the end I did have some randomly long extensions left which did look a bit odd but I managed to soak them off with an oily eye make up remover.

I didn't have to wear mascara, however on nights out I applied a special oil free mascara that would not ruin the lashes, just to give a bit more of a dramatic look. I could not use an oil based remover so used 'simple' eye makeup remover as it contains no oils which would remove the lashes.

I loved them. I really did. I could have had infills when they started to fall out which would be cheaper than the initial payment but I didn't want to keep up with the maintenance and only really wanted them for a special occasion.

At the time I had them I didn't really take any pictures of the lashes themselves but I have many pictures of them where I randomly blinked at the wrong time whilst someone took a picture so they are not great but the best I can do.

Has anyone thought about or had eyelash extensions?

xxx

SOS

I like this product a lot. It helps with those pesky spots and with any hormonal or stressed out skin, and sometimes my skin does feel stress yes. This is the Elemis SOS Emergency Cream. It comes in a 50ml pump and I believe is about £48.Yes, it is expensive but a little goes a long way.

It is supposed to be a treatment moisturiser that can be used daily to all or any part of your face. I only really use this at times of need, for example when I get a spot or my skin looks like it needs some extra help, an I use it at night as it seems a little sticky. I like the scent as it is calming and relaxing, which is probably due to the lavender it contains.

I have had this pump for well over 6 months and I still have a fair amount left. I really think it helps my skin restore and balance itself and helps reduce the size and appearance of any blemishes. I got this product after I had an Elemis facial as it was recommended to me for my hormonal skin. I tend to only get spots due to hormones and they are mainly in the chin area. I have also tried many of the other Elemis products in the past but this one is a firm favourite as I have not really found anything else on the market for this purpose and this effecitve.

xxx

Here comes the sun....

Continuing on the theme of sun (can you tell I love the summer!) I thought I'd post about the sun care I shall be using whilst on holiday. I'm going to Turkey for just a week to stay in my parents apartment with one of my friends for just a girly chill out for a week, I can't wait.


Usually I am fairly picky with my facial sun care as I'm fussy about not wanting products to break me out and I like a product that is catered for the face as well and not just the body. For my body I just use Ambre Soliare that my parents use so I just use their products but for my face I use something different. Last year I used Clarins, which I like but this year I thought I'd try something different. This time I have gone for Liz Earle as I like their products for my face and don't have a problem with my face care breaking me out. This product is the mineral sun cream and it can be used for face and body. I found this little 30ml size on Ebay (a new product to the line so was confident it wasn't last years spf which would have expired.) It is SPF 20, which is what I normally use for my face and it seems to be made of many natural ingredients. The consistency however does seem fairly thick - something I'm no too sure about for my face, but I'm going to give it a whirl anyway. Hopefully it wont break me out or cause any excess shine or greasy feeling, something that I do not need when lying on a beach or for anytime really.


For my after sun for the face I'm sticking with my Clarins After sun Replenishing Moisture care for face and decollete - a bit of a mouthful but I love the smell, its really hydrating and I like the thick consistency for over night. I shall also use the Lancaster After sun for my face as well as body as it is designed to use on both. Overall I should be well protected and well hydrated for my holiday, so bring on the sun!

xxx

I'm just about ready for the sun

Every year I try and prepare my skin the best that I can to ensure I get the best tan possible. I looooooove to tan and love sunbathing and often use products to help me achieve the most from the sun as well as an spf of course. Last year for example, I used Declerors Tan accelerator Pre sun Care, a product for face and body that is applied about 5 days before your holiday/prolonged exposure to the sun, and it is supposed to prepare your skin so that it will tan better and burn less. In general I don't really burn, unless I really over do it. The Decleor product was ok and my tan was pretty good, but this year I was on the hunt for something better.


This year I went for the Elemis Tan accelerator (featured in another blog post) as I have heard many good things about it and I'm a bit of a fan of the brand. This one is used for 1-2 weeks before exposure to the sun and is mainly for the body, or so the sales assistant told me. I'm going to try and use it on my face as I don't really want an uneven tan, not a good look, and am going to try and use it for 2 weeks before I go and maybe a couple of days while I'm on holiday too if I have enough product left. I have high hopes for this product as it comes highly recommended in articles I have seen and the sales assistant told me that its always so popular in summer (not that I always believe them, but to be fair there was only one left so it must be quite popular.)

The lotion is fairly light in consistency and is a light brown colour. It contains jojoba oil, shea butter and macadamia nut oil for example, so if nothing else it sounds pretty moisturising and should hydrate my skin. It contains tyrosine which is supposedly the "amino acid naturally present in the body and is used by skin cells to form melanin". This seems to be what will boost the skin to help it tan quicker and better by preparing the skin, all very scientific but I like the sound of it.


I'm also going to use Lancaster's Tan maximiser whilst on holiday as my after sun at night. This comes recommended by my friends and my mum, and I'm not too sure why I'm yet to try it, as it seems like something I would have used before now. Anyway, this product contains "heliosome", an exclusive Lancaster complex that helps stimulate the melanin in the skin. It claims to create "a more intense, longer lasting tan, soft, supple, radiant skin that is better prepared for subsequent sun exposure" (taken from the packaging) Sounds pretty good to me.

Boy is my melanin going to be stimulated with all of these products, I expect a lovely deep golden glow! I will comment again on the results after my holiday in a few weeks time, during which time I'm also going to try out the Rodial Tummy Tuck sticks in an attempt to appear more streamlined in the stomach area, well I can live in hope on that one....

xxx

Ins and Outs

In

♥ The sunshine, wooooo we finally have some.

♥ Going on holiday in a month, not too long now!

♥ Clarins Moisute replenishing lip balm, really hydrating.

♥ My new Sigma brushes, love them!

♥ Topshop 'Flush' cream blusher, great on its own or layered underneath a powder product to help blusher last longer.

♥ Nars 'Chihuahua' lip gloss, a great "my lips but better" lipgloss shade.


Out

♥ Not being able to enjoy the sun as I have to work

♥ Feeling like I don't have enough holiday clothes

♥ Hair Mousse, it seems to leave my hair greasy and does'nt help with the volume


xxx

Controversial but i'm not sure that I like it.....

I only have one Mac Mineralize Skinfinish and that is is By Candlelight. Now I know many people love MSFs and By Candlelight seems to be a fairly popular one but I'm not so sure I like it. Maybe I'm applying in wrong or I'm applying too much but I find it fairly bold and it seems to make my foundation wear off quicker. I apply it to the top of my cheekbones and I feel that my skin is far from a candlelight glow. I'm not too sure on the colour, maybe its too peachy toned for me but I'm not a lover.


I know I prefer liquid or cream highlighters such as highbeam/moonbeam by benefit and my Jemma Kidd dewy glow but I do have other powder highlighters that I prefer more than this. I love the idea of MSFs (and love the natural one) but this one put me off them and have yet to purchase any more. Maybe it will look better in summer when my skin is a few shades darker, but for now, I'm not a fan.

xxx

If its good enough for Cheryl Cole its good enough for me....

Sudocrem, yep its most common usage is as a nappy rash cream for babies, but not for me. This multi purpose antiseptic healing cream can be used for soooooo many different things such as rashes, eczema (which I do have a bit on my arms), sunburn, minor burns and skin irritations. I however, use this on my face as an on the spot treatment and on any red areas of my skin, for example around my nostrils. I read ages ago that Cheryl Cole uses it on her skin for spots so I thought I'd give it a try.



It has antibacterial properties and contains zinc oxide which is meant to help with those pesky spots. It is also meant to reduce redness in your skin, which it does. This is why I like it so much as I seem to get red patches around my nostrils and on my chin. This is also where I might get spots so I just rub in a bit of the thick cream, go to sleep and therefore we go, in the morning less red patches and smoother slightly less spotty skin, great!

xxx

Pink Flamingo

As I want the weather to be more like summer and less like winter I thought I'd get into the summer spirit with my nail varnish.

My colour of choice at the moment is Barry M's Pink Flamingo. Its a lovely summer shade that on me looks pretty pink but on other people can have a more coral tinge. I'm loving this colour right now, I only wish the weather was just as bright :o)

xxx

To prime or not to prime.....

So, I don't normally use a primer underneath my foundation as I felt it was just too many layers, and some primers also state not to use with moisturiser as well, and as I like to use my moisturiser everyday I was put off the idea for a while. Some time ago on a random whim I bought the Laura Mercier primer in oil free. I love the oil free tinted moisturiser and the concealer so I thought maybe I should give this a try. I bought it and went off the idea quickly so it sat in my drawer unused and lonely.

So as I'm now back to toying with the idea of a primer I thought I'd bring it back out to play and have a go. I've been using it for the past couple of days with my Nars Sheer Glow and I think I like. I think I can see some difference in the lasting power of my foundation and I'm sure it hydrates my skin a bit more than just my moisturiser (I use both as it says you can). It's fairly lightweight and seems to smooth over any open pores. We shall have to see how I get along over the next few weeks and I'm also slightly worried I will break out, but for now, I say prime.

xxx

Products I'm loving right now

So heres what I've been reaching for recently..........

♥ Obviously my md skincare Alpha Beta daily peel pads, (see post below) as they are slowly retexturising my skin and getting rid of those pesky milia underneath my skin that I can't get to and they just make my skin so much softer and brighter.

♥ Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I've been a lover of this for a while, as I have a soft spot for dewy skin. I like how versatile this product is as it can be worn many ways. My personal preference is to apply it to highlight my face and add a dewy glow after I've finished doing my make up. I apply a small amount to my fingertips and pat it on places I want to look more dewy, for example, my cheekbones and pat the rest evenly around my face to get rid of the matt look that my powder or foundation may have left.

♥ Benefit bluff dust. I love adding a bit after I have put on my concealer, (which I put on before my foundation) and this hides any redness I have from marks or blemishes or my slightly red cheeks. I find it also sets my concealer and evens out my skin tone and means I have to use less foundation.

♥ Mac Fix +. I was a bit late on this bandwagon as like a lot of people just felt that it was overpriced water and didn't have much of a purpose other than to use with pigments, which I don't use. However, after finally deciding to give it a whirl, I love it. I love to set my makeup with it and to add a dewy look. I also like to randomly spray it throughout the day as it keeps my skin hydrated and looking fresher. I think its going to be a summer favourite.

♥ YSL faux cils mascara. My favourite mascara of all time, enough said.

xxx

Md skincare Alpha Beta Daily peel pads

On my hunt for flawless skin I found this product. It's by Md skincare and its the Alpha Beta Daily Peel pads. They are an at home facial peel with a two step system, designed to improve the texture, firmness and appearance of your skin tone. They are recommended for reducing breakouts, fading skin discolouration and minor marks on your skin. They help to retexturise the skin and I also read that they reduce the under the skin spots (milia), and this is the main reason for my purchase. They are recommended for all skin types and seem pretty gentle,(for a daily facial peel that is).They contain antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E, green tea extract and are oil free, so sound pretty good. I got the body ones as I heard they are the same as the face ones only bigger, therefore more for your money. And yes, these are expensive and retail for around £55, but I found mine on eBay and therefore were quite a bit cheaper.

The tub came with two containers inside, step one, the alpha beta refining peel, and step two, the neutralising system. You apply the step one pad to your skin and leave for 2-3 minutes. Then apply the step two and your done. pretty simple and they feel refreshing as the consistency is like a very moist face wipe. There are 30 pads in each container and it can be used daily for 30 days. I'm going to use them daily (at night after removing my makeup) for at least 20 days or until I'm happy with the results and try and save a few for special occasions when I feel my skin needs a little extra help.

I have been using them for 5 days now and can already see results. My skin is very even in texture and most of the milia underneath my eye area has gone, wooo! There is also an improvement of the milia on my chin too, which is my main area of concern. My skin looks brighter and my pores look a little more refined. I am very happy with the initial results and can't wait to see what will happen in the next few days. The peel doesn't really sting (it says it might do a little bit), there is a slight tingle, which I actually like as I feel its doing something, but once you add the neutralising pad it goes away.

Overall, yes they are pretty expensive, but in my mind, worth it. I've always wanted to tackle those under the skin spots that I cant seem to get to, and with these pads, I feel I am getting there. My skin looks brighter and more even and for the coming summer months I'm looking forward to not having to wear as much makeup (some still needed/wanted of course :o)

xxx

Sigma brushes

I finally got my mitts on some Sigma brushes from www.love-makeup.co.uk and I love them. I got the SS150 for powder, SS187 for foundation, SS168 for contouring and blusher and the SS194 for concealer.

I've had a few Mac brushes in the past and some other random ones but they are very old and are not so effective any more. I love my new face brushes and they make the application of my makeup so smooth and easy to apply. I'm very happy with my purchase and thats one thing down on my wish list, however I'm sure I can find a few more things to add :o)

xxx

I went shopping and I bought.....

As I'm going on holiday next month I thought I'd stock up on a few holiday bits and bobs. I picked up my favourite after sun from Marks and Spencer, and I love it purely because of the smell. I've used it on most of my holidays and the smell reminds me of good times on holiday, so its become a favourite body moisturiser of mine. It also helps to prolong my tan and is really hydrating. It was also buy one get one free on all sun care and after sun so it was a bit of a bargain really.

As a bit of an impulse purchase I bought some mini haircare products for when in the sun. As my hair is highlighted with bleach, I'm paranoid that the sun will strip the colour and the chlorine in the pool will tint it green, not a good look on holiday really. So raiding the shelves in Boots, I came across the Mark Hill Holiday Hair range. I got the shampoo and conditioner that claim to remove any salt and chlorine from the hair, moisturise and protect from UV rays. I also grabbed a Charles Worthington UV protection styling spray for more protection. As they were a bit of an impulse purchase I may still research on the Internet for a different alternative that has been highly rated but I'm sure they will probably do the trick.

I also picked up the Elemis Tan Accelerator to use a couple of weeks before I go away, as it claims to prepare your skin for the sun and promote a richer longer lasting tan. I used a Decleor one last year so we will have to see how this compares.


I also went to see what the Topshop makeup range was all about and picked up the cream blusher in the colour flush. I like it, its not amazing but I think it will be nice in summer with a tan. I got some more face wipes from the Garnier range, the dry sensitive ones for my holiday as they will be more moisturising than the ones for combination skin, they were but two for £4. I got two lots of eyelashes for those eyelash emergencies, some cotton wool pads, that I go through like crazy and a small bottle of the body shop honey conditioner to try before buying the larger size if I like it. I love the smell, its so sweet, so its already a bit of a winner with me!

xxx

Skincare and Makeup tag

SKINCARE
How many times do you wash your face daily? Twice, once in morning and once when I get in from work and have removed my makeup.

What skin type do you have? Normalish with a sensitive/hormonal chin.

What is your current facial wash? Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

Do you exfoliate? Yes, more often recently as I have quite a few blocked pores.
What brand do you use? Liz Earle and sometimes Lush’s Ocean salt as I like the big granules.
What moisturiser do you use? Elemis Pro Collagen Marine cream in day, Liz Earle at night as its thicker.
Do you have freckles? no
Do you use eye cream? Yes, Clarins gel or balm.
Do you or did you have acne prone skin? yes
Did you ever have to use Pro-activ? no

MAKE UP

What foundation do you use? Nars Sheer Glow or Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser.
How about concealer? Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage shade 3.
Do you know your undertone colour? Pink.
What do you think of fake eyelashes? love them for a night out.
Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months? Yes.
What brand of mascara do you use? YSL Faux cils
Sephora or MAC? Love Sephora.
Do you have a MAC Pro-card? no
What makeup tools do you use in makeup application? Brushes and eyelash curlers
Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? No.
For the face? no
What is your favourite eye shadow (colour or shade)? Like neutral eyes but prob carbon by Mac.
Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? pencil
How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? I don’t really.
What do you think of pigment eye shadows? I don't use them
Do you use mineral makeup? no
What is your favourite lipstick? Mac Lady gaga at the mo.
How about lip gloss? Nars Chihuahua
What is your favourite blush to use? At the moment it’s a Stila one called dance.
Do you buy your makeup on ebay? Not really though I do look
Do you like drugstore makeup? Yes some great stuff out there
Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets) there are not really any near me.
Did you ever consider taking make-up classes? no
Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? no
Name a makeup crime that you hate? Bold drawn on eyebrows
Do you like colourful shades of makeup (lipstick, eye shadow) or neutral ones? neutrals for eyes and face, and both on the lips.
Which celebrity always has great make up? Cheryl Cole
If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use? concealer
Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on? yes
Do you think you look good even without any makeup on? Not my best nope :o)
In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? Different lines do different things well, prob Nars just beats Mac.
What do you think of Makeup? love it :o)

Brighter skin

For a while now I've been looking for a body product that will brighten and remove any dead skin cells from my body. Products with AHAs even out skin tone and leave a brighter appearance, something that I was looking for. I have therefore been trying out products that claim to reveal newer skin.

I have had the Clarins one (Renew Plus Body Serum) for a while and like this as its a very lightweight consistency and is easily absorbed into my skin. I feel its very effective and leaves my skin looking more luminous. One downside though is the price. Another product at a similar price is the Clinique Turnaround Smoothing Body Cream. This is slightly thicker in texture and I feel is slightly more moisturising, which is good as summer is coming and no one wants to reveal dry skin, not a good look. It definately evens out my skin tone and my skin felt very smooth. On the hunt for a cheaper alternative I found the Palmers Cocoa Butter Skin Smoothing Lotion. As a lover of the original cocoa butter by Palmers I was keen to give this a shot. I love it, it feels light, yet moisturising and evens out my skintone. It brightens the skin and removes any dead skin cells. I think its the perfect mixture between moisture and brightening my skin tone. A new love for me and brighter, smoother skin for my body.

xxx

Nina by Nina Ricci

OK, so I have a bit of a collection going on here. I love this perfume. Not only do I have the full size, I have a mini one and a sample size for my handbag. Perfect for on the go touch ups. I also have the shower gel, deoderent (which I was given as a gift and found the concept weird, but I like it) and a couple of body lotions. I love to layer my scents as you can tell. It doesnt mean I smell overpowering, well I hope it doesnt, but just means it lasts longer. Its a very sweet and feminine scent and has hints of lemon, vanilla and toffee apple (hence the bottle.) Great perfume for the summer, yummy.

xxx

The removal of the makeup

I like to remove my makeup with a different product before using my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and at the moment, my product of choice is Mac's Cleanse Off Oil. I like the smell as its quite citrus like and very clean and fresh smelling. I like the texture, even though I was very skeptical of an oil at first, but I feel that as its an oil it melts off the makeup in a way that cream cleansers or washes dont. I also like how it turns into an oil and washes clean off the face and no residue is left behind - something I personally find very important. You can also use it on your eyes, but I tend not too as im not to keen on the feel of it on my eyes but thats just me. So all I do is remove my eye makeup first with any old eye makeup remover or baby wipe and apply the oil to my made up face. I massage it in quite welland then rinse off with water. Pretty simple really. Then I dry my face and apply my Cleanse and Polish cleanser and follow with Liz Earles 3 step routine and I'm done.

Sometimes I like to switch it up and use a different make up remover and my reserve is Garnier Fresh Essentials Normal /Combination cleansing milk and to remove any residue I use the matching toner. I like the scent to these and like the name, they do leave my skin feeling fresh and probably slightly more hydrated than the Mac Cleanse off oil.

xxx

Tangle teezer

Ok, so it looks like something you would brush a horse with or some kind of animal brush but its not. Its a great handheld brush that glides through your hair more easily and prevents breakage and detangles your maine (I mean hair :o) This brush was originally showcased on the TV programme Dragons Den and is now stocked online and in salons across the country.

I love mine, it makes brushing my hair so effortless and I can even use it when my hair is wet as it doesnt break my hair and detangles so easily. Im trying to grow my hair, even though its pretty long now. Using this brush means I eliminate any unnecessary pulling, therefore less breakage occurs and this will hopefully result in longer, healthier hair for me, woooo.

xxx

The perfect base

By this, I mean foundation or tinted moisturiser. Currently my two favourites are Nars Sheer Glow and Laura Mercier Tinted Moisteriser Oil free.

First with the Nars. A lot of people have raved about this product and I have to say, I agree with them. Its a fluid consistency that claims to "even skintone and leave the skin more brighter and radiant". It certainly does leave my skin with a smoother looking texture and I like the coverage it gives, not heavy at all with only a tiny amount of product. It blends well into the skin due to its light formula and looks natural on the skin. It lasts most of the day. However a few powder touch ups are needed here and there. I dont use a primer, but I am interested to see if the Nars primer would increase the staying power of the sheer glow (perhaps another product to add to my wish list.) Overall, a good product, and at the moment its my holy grail foundation. The name is slightly misleading though, as it is neither sheer (its a medium coverage) or particularly glowy, but I can use highlighters for that.

On to the Laura Mercier. This is a tinted moisturiser with an spf 20 and I use the oil free one. For days when I feel I need extra moisture or more of a glow (after a night out is a prime example) I just apply this with some concealer and im good to go. I like that this leaves my skin with a glowy sheen and feels lightweight (as its only a tinted moisturiser.) It controls oil breakthrough, being oil free, and adds a slight amount of moisture at the same time. However, when wearing this I still use my normal moisturiser as I feel its not hydrating me enough for a moisturiser. I think this product wll be great in the summer as with a tan I need even less coverage and the moisture and spf will be an added bonus.

xxx

Wish list

Here is a current wish list of things im longing for.......

♥ MD Dennis Gross Alpha Beta daily peel pads - as I have seen them on Belle du Jours blog and want to try them to get rid of any milia I have and refine my complexion.

♥ Sigma brushes - particularly the contour, stippling, concealer and powder brushes.

♥ By Terry Balme de Rose - yes its a ridiculously price lip balm but I long for soft slightly plumped lips.

♥ Mac Angel lipstick

♥ Estee Lauder Advanced night repair

♥ Some kind of intensive hair treatment for dry and coloured hair, not sure which brand yet, but im on the look out.

xxx