Skincare is a whole topic on it's own but I recently had a facial skin scan which shows you the damage on your face due to the elements one of which is the most dangerous...the sun. On the lead up to summer I recommend you invest in a UVA/UVB sunscreen especially for the face. You can buy loads of products that now come with sunscreen combined so stock up on these if you are often rushed getting ready in the morning a tinted moisturiser containing sunscreen can be a lifesaver even on cloudy days our sensitive skins are at risk of damage. If you are off on holiday somewhere hot or live in a sunny country invest in a specialist sunscreen for the face put on straight away as soon as you come out of the shower as often the textures of these creams take some time to seep into the skin. Be aware if you are a bride or having photographs taken as sometimes these products make you skin appear white (especially compared to your body colour).
Using a facial scrub once or twice a week is an ideal way of shedding dead skin and showing the glow underneath. Be careful not to overuse as you can scrub too much and at the same time rob your skin of it's natural oils. Some of my favourite scrubs come from Lush with their fresh ingredients they smell good enough to eat but don't tend to last well although you can keep them in the fridge to keep them fresh. Try Angels on Bare skin or my all time favourite Buffy which is an all over body scrub but by breaking a bit off and softening in water you can create a beautiful moisturising scrub.
Moisturiser- when is the right time to moisturise? Clients often complain to me that their make up slides off in the warmer weather. Often there is not enough time to let your skin settle after applying your moisturiser I tend to moisturise at night before bed (or at least after the make up comes off and I am home for the night) then in the morning use a primer prior to applying make up (MAC Prep and Prime is my favourite). A layer of moisturiser, eye cream, primer does not make for a happy base as your foundation will slip off as soon as you put it on. If you can't bare to go without moisturiser make sure you apply straight after washing your face and allow time for your skin to absorb it.
Finally ladies please don't forget to take your make up off at night! You can buy some amazing make up removers but to me you can not go wrong with a pack of cleansing or baby wipes. Some beauty experts may warn you off using them as they state they drag on the skin etc but to me I think a quick removal is better than none! If you do decide to use an eye make up remover (sometime essential with heavier make up) press and hold a cotton pad dipped in make up remover before you wipe. This will allow the remover to start dissolving the make up and minimize pulling on the delicate skin of the eyes.
Friday 28 May 2010
Thursday 27 May 2010
Getting the perfect brow
We have all been guilty of over tweezing but now more than ever a heavy brow is the perfect make up feature to compliment this summer's bronzed looks. Even the sparsest of brows can be filled in and pencilled to create that effortless (but actually heavily styled) brow. The best advice I ever got when it comes to brows is to think of them as sisters and not as twins...they will never be identical so don't over tweeze trying to 'even them out'. Various products can be used to create the brows you want try a matt powder eye shadow applied with a stiff angled eye liner brush, this will give a much more natural look or if you want something dramatic use a pencil and 'feather' the strokes up and blend to rid harsh lines. Always brush brows up and set with either a brow gel or clear mascara. If you make a mistake use a dab of concealer on a brush to erase and even out the shape you are going for. Using a highlighter under your eyebrows will help 'lift' the eyebrow and create more of a frame for your eyes. There are numerous tutorials on getting the perfect eyebrow but my favourite is the new Mac Power Brow tutorial this is a dramatic take on it but creates a very fashion forward looks.
If you've got very heavy brows you may still need a bit of product to fill in any gaps you may have plus getting your eyebrows shaped professionally to begin with will help. If you keep up your visits to the brow bar then great but you can do it DIY with your tweezers just don't leave it too long between maintenance otherwise it will be hard to keep the shape.
Tips for DIY shaping. There are many different shapes of eyebrows but like any good story a good eyebrow has a beginning middle and end. Look at yourself in the mirror and using a long thin brush place the brush next to the bridge of your nose (it is better to guage this on the bridge of your nose than the nostrils as everyones noses are different shapes) where this imaginery line begins is where your brow should start. The middle point is the peak hold the brush so you can see a line from the same point skimming past the outer rim of your pupil this is where the outer arch should peak. Pay special attention to the peak when filling in your brows it's often an area where people don't emphasis but is actually fundamental in framing your face. Finally a third line from the same point to the outer corner of your eye will give you a reasonable point where your brow should end. Check out the MAC video for some more tips but remember to pair down this look for everyday!
Don't forget about what colour you choose for eye brow grooming plus you can try different shades depending on whether you are creating a daytime or evening look. Often a more dramatic eye colour will call for a darker eyebrow just be careful not to vary too much from your hair colour the shade you choose should match and mirror your brow colour not the colour you wish it was similarly if you change your hair colour dramatically don't forget about your eyebrow colour.
Have fun and you may be surprised what a difference a bit of eyebrow grooming makes!
If you've got very heavy brows you may still need a bit of product to fill in any gaps you may have plus getting your eyebrows shaped professionally to begin with will help. If you keep up your visits to the brow bar then great but you can do it DIY with your tweezers just don't leave it too long between maintenance otherwise it will be hard to keep the shape.
Tips for DIY shaping. There are many different shapes of eyebrows but like any good story a good eyebrow has a beginning middle and end. Look at yourself in the mirror and using a long thin brush place the brush next to the bridge of your nose (it is better to guage this on the bridge of your nose than the nostrils as everyones noses are different shapes) where this imaginery line begins is where your brow should start. The middle point is the peak hold the brush so you can see a line from the same point skimming past the outer rim of your pupil this is where the outer arch should peak. Pay special attention to the peak when filling in your brows it's often an area where people don't emphasis but is actually fundamental in framing your face. Finally a third line from the same point to the outer corner of your eye will give you a reasonable point where your brow should end. Check out the MAC video for some more tips but remember to pair down this look for everyday!
Don't forget about what colour you choose for eye brow grooming plus you can try different shades depending on whether you are creating a daytime or evening look. Often a more dramatic eye colour will call for a darker eyebrow just be careful not to vary too much from your hair colour the shade you choose should match and mirror your brow colour not the colour you wish it was similarly if you change your hair colour dramatically don't forget about your eyebrow colour.
Have fun and you may be surprised what a difference a bit of eyebrow grooming makes!
Hi everyone, ok I am new to this blogging thing but thought I would give it a try! I hope I can help a few of you save some time and money with make up tips and product tip offs! Our time is so so precious I hope you can take some of these ideas and build them into your busy lifes. Every little helps and if a little bit of glamour in your day makes you feel better than I say we can afford to make the time!
Ok this is a new product I am using for nails. I am loving short nails at the moment and the new neutrals/greyish (greige) colours that are out just now are fab and so wearable. I love the rimmel 60 second Grey Matter it's afforable and actually does what it says on the jar. The brush is flat and rectangular which makes application very easy and it does dry nice a quickly. After 2 coats you get a gorgeous matt finish and the colour which is more on the grey side of greige looks very urban sportswear and quite luxurious. Plus a welcome change if you have are fed up of scarlet nails. If you are looking for a more high end polish try Nails Inc. the London shade is fab and hints at a bit of colour giving a very subtle mauve colour. Nails Inc are doing various freebies just now too so look out for them. Anyway try it out and let me know how you get on!
Ok this is a new product I am using for nails. I am loving short nails at the moment and the new neutrals/greyish (greige) colours that are out just now are fab and so wearable. I love the rimmel 60 second Grey Matter it's afforable and actually does what it says on the jar. The brush is flat and rectangular which makes application very easy and it does dry nice a quickly. After 2 coats you get a gorgeous matt finish and the colour which is more on the grey side of greige looks very urban sportswear and quite luxurious. Plus a welcome change if you have are fed up of scarlet nails. If you are looking for a more high end polish try Nails Inc. the London shade is fab and hints at a bit of colour giving a very subtle mauve colour. Nails Inc are doing various freebies just now too so look out for them. Anyway try it out and let me know how you get on!
