Saturday Night Sparkle

There's something about Saturday night partying I enjoy more than sipping cocktails, dancing my heels off and meeting old - and new - friends - getting ready! And I'm sure a lot of You ladies will agree, it's the picking an outfit and a MU look to match, planning ahead from Monday, that adds all the excitement.

So this is what I wore last night when going for drinks with a friend and one key product I'm absolutely in love with. I know it's been around for a while and I picked it up at IMATS but never really got the chance to test it till now - it's Illamasqua Liquid Metal in Phenomena!

It's like no other product, a cream shadow that actually feels like liquid when blending, very light and sheer yet provides amazing coverage. Incredibly rich with pigment and shimmery particles, a must have when You want some sparkle without going too glitter-crazy!

It does not crease a lot but here's a little trick to make it last all night:

• Over an eyeshadow primer, dab a thin layer of the Liquid Metal and blend slightly outwards
• Apply a sheer layer of a matching eyeshadow - I used the silvery shade from the Elizabeth Arden Color Intrigue Eyeshadow Quad in Blue Breeze - just dab it accross the lid with Your finger as You don't want too much coverage, it's more about the powder-like layer to set the product in place
• As the cream eyeshadow is very sparkly and sheer, the eyeshadow might take a bit of the mirror-like sparkle away so dab a thin layer over the eyeshadow again. This way, the powder and the layering will keep the product in place yet You will still have the amazing effect. 

So You have a layer of Liquid Metal, eyeshadow and Liquid Metal again!

 

P.s. As You can notice, the pictures are much clearer and the detail is more visible, as I'm the proud owner of a brand new camera! Yay! 

What is Your must-have Saturday night product?

Lots of love,

S

xoxo

Randomness + Modern 50s FOTD

This is so exciting! First of all, bloghop is such a great idea! I've found so many great blogs to follow and I'm drooling over all the products with the great reviews I never knew about, dying to try out all the make-up looks and absolutely amazed by some ladies' great fashion sense! Find out more here

 

Second of all, I've hit more than 100 followers! It is absolutely amazing and I'm so grateful for each and every one of You that keeps checking this blog out, each an inspiration to keep going! I'll possibly be doing a 100 follower giveaway, stay tuned!

And last but not the least, just a random FOTD from yesterday as I was just meeting a friend for drinks. The quality is not that good as they were taken with my blackberry but here it goes:

 Attempting to channel a modern 50s with pale skin, a full brow and a strong lip

NYX HD Studio Photogenic Foundation 

Estee Lauder in Mink on the brows

Soap&Glory Supercat™ Eyeliner pen Carbon Black Extreme

Revlon GrowLuscious Mascara

NYX Loose Pearl Powder in Pearl (over the lid)

Primark falsies (And they're actually my favorite falsies now!)

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob

Benefit High Beam

and

Mac Matte Lipstick in Ruby Woo

-

Keep coming back as there's more exciting stuff coming up in the next few days, lots of love to all my followers,

S

xoxo

BlogHop#1

Such a lovely idea to find new blogs to follow and let people know about yours.
Find out more here
xoxo
Have fun hopping!

S

Glowing, dewy and young - ready for spring!

I know most of us are slowly getting fed up with the cold and dark weather and are looking forward to wearing pastels without having to panic about every passing car that might cover that new, gorgeous powder pink blazer or bright green pencil skirt with splashes of not-so-pretty mud (although tobacco is coming back in fashion as the new neutral) as we're trying to inject our everyday looks with as much "springtime" and as little layers as we can. 

The exact same goes for make-up - easy and soft is the way to go. Deep reds and ruby lipsticks are being replaced with just-there bitten berries, a bit of cream blusher instead of the strong contour and choosing the lighter, shimmery family of colors in your favorite eyeshadow pallete. The whole spring make-up look to go for can be summarized as "young, fresh and glowing".

• The no1 trend to go for if you want an instant boost of "careless and romantic" (and that has actually been around for a while, turning more "careless" each season) is a soft yet strong, bushy brow. Frames Your eyes without overpowering the look and adding more structure to any face shape. Add a rounded arch and ditch the geometric brow. Keep them well groomed to avoid looking too heavy and tired (opposite of what we're going for!) and keep in place using a brow gel like MUA Academy Mascara in Shade 1. Brush the hairs in different directions before coming through to create a softer line.
• Skin - go for a soft, illuminating foundation that will bounce the light off all the imperfections but will not look to heavy or thick in any light (and the first sunshine of spring is not the most flattering one if You're not prepared). I am absolutely in love and obessed with NYX HD Photogenic Foundation The light-diffusing ingredients will make You look flawless and the formula gives the perfect amount of coverage without over-powering Your natural beauty and glow. My trick is to buff it in with a bronzer brush for a light, airbrushed effect or apply with fingers using a dabbing motion over the cheeks, nose and forehead for a more natural look. Must-have! Don't powder, if Your complexion is too oily, use a mattifying primer underneath instead!
• 
• To inject some color, use a cream blusher with a bit of light reflecting particles for that dewy look rather than the usual blusher+highlighter combo. My new favorite is Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Sob (Cool candy pink, dewy finish). Go for Dixie if You have warm undertones instead. Dab it on the apples of Your cheeks and go for an 80's curve if You're daring - taking it up to the browbone for an instant lift and brightness. Don't be scared as the blusher is the perfect combination of "pigmented" and "sheer"!
• Last but not least - lashes. Same as the brows, it's about creating a smoky halo that frames the eyes. If using falsies, go for bushy and natural ones (Good old Eylure Naturalities collection will give You the perfect range of options), if You are keeping it more natural, go for a dark brown mascara with a lifting effect to hold an eye-widening curve! Lancome Hypnôse Drama in 02 - Excessive brown will be the perfect finishing touch!

 

 

 

Hope this will inject a bit of sunshine in the overwhelming gray all around us and scares away the last of the winter blues,

dreaming of springtime and sending lots of love,

S xxxxxx

All I want for Christmas.. is a fuller pout?

One week till Christmas! I've been so busy I didn't even notice my favorite time of the year approaching so fast!
It is the time when all world falls in love, as Sinatra once said, and You can't help but get that warm fuzzy feeling inside, full of joy and gratefulness. Atleast that's what Christmas is like for me.

It is not only the most wonderful time of the year, it is also the most glamorous time of the year for us, ladies, as well. All these parties coming up, a reason to wear dress and heels around the house, wear eyeshadow as sparkly and red lipstick as deep as we like just because it's Christmas.
So, talking about red lipstick - it makes us feel extra special, has that undeniable feeling of glamour and makes it look like we've all got lips like Beyonce's. How to make the most and create a fuller pout?

• My latest favorite is the MAC 'Ruby Woo' lipstick. A long-lasting, matte finish that doesn't dry the lips and applies very evenly for a powdery matte lipstick. Do use a lipbalm or chapstick first so it locks in the moisture, then apply 2 or 3 layers for the desired effect. The stunning ruby red with blue and pink undertones will bring the ultimate brightening effect to cool skintones like mine and will be an instant teeth whitener (and after a few glasses of mulled wine, we'll all need it).
• Before the lippie, outline Your lips with a nude lipliner. I used Jemma Kidd Lip Line Duo - I know the red is tempting, but for a more natural effect, use Neutral. Go slightly outside Your lipline as after the lipstick application, if there is a little bit peeking through, it'll look like it's still Your real lipline rather than a drawn-on one.
• Go over the lipliner with a flat lipbrush and small amounts of lippie on it - make it sheer and gradual. See how natural it looks? Now noone's gonna be able to tell where Your real lip ends and the liner starts!
• Fill in with the lippie of Your choice straight from the tube and finish off with a sparkly lipgloss for a maximum 3D effect. The matte texture, if You used Ruby Woo just like me, will make the lip last through the night and all You will have to reapply every once in a while is the gloss! Now party away, my darlings!

So, during the Christmas week, i'm going to spoil myself, wear sparkly make-up during the day, slick on a red lippie whenever I feel like doing it (which is pretty much every day) and spend as much time on my hair in the morning as I want to. It is the most festive week of the year anyway, isn't it? So invite all the other wonderful ladies who are reading this to do the same. Be as festive and glamorous as You want, treat yourself for Christmas! x

Lots of love,

S

xoxo

Products I can't live without

This might not be the most exciting post, yet still worth blogging about. These are the products I use every day, incorporating in most of my make-ups on myself and on clients in the past, creating looks as simple as an everyday glow to a full-on evening look and they've never failed to deliver. Most of these products have been around for a while, but if You haven't tried them yet - I suggest You do! xx

 

Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation

One of the brand's best-sellers, this foundation deffinately deserves all the rave. Infused with vitamins and all kinds of goodness, it's all five of five-a-day for Your complexion. It glides on the skin like a dream and is very buildable - dab small amounts with Your fingers on the forehead, nose, cheeks and chin for natural daytime glow or use a foundation brush all over the face for an amazing coverage, yet a lightweight feel. Powder for a full-on, dramatic look or leave as it is for a young and dewy effect. 

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch Under-eye Concealer

Ok, everybody knows how amazing is the Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection concealer and how much we love it. But there reason I'm mentioning this one is that I don't think it gets enough credit. It's super-light, the staying power is unbelievable, it hides away dark cirkles and blemishes so well You'll forget they were there and it is my best friend when I have a 7 am shift at work! 

For nighttime, pop it on the cheekbones and nose for a subtle yet amazing highlight on top of the Bourjois foundation. 

Benefit High Beam

Who doesn't love a bit of a glow? And who doesn't love Benefit, right? This is one of their all time bestsellers too and doesn't really need any comments. Amazing for every look, great to mix in a foundation (or a tinted moisturizer when we go super-natural) for that extra boost, sometimes I even use it over the lid when my eyes look tired. Because I have a very pale skintone with blue undertones, this is the pearly, pale-pink tint is perfect for me. If You are olive-skinned or a warm tone, go for Moon Beam instead. 

 

 

Ardell Falsies in 105

I couldn't find a decent pic for these but I attached a link that will lead You to the Boots page. These are my all time favorite falsies, very light and natural-looking - but with that extra 'oomph' that makes them easy to pull off whether You are going out or just adding some glam to Your day. The clear strip makes them super-easy to apply, they'll last You for ages (not really, but longer than all the other ones I've tried) when treated nicely because of the amazing quality and would suit anyone.

 
Soap and Glory Supercat Eyeliner

This is relatively new but it is one of the most amazing eyeliners I've ever tried. Makes me wonder where were they earlier? It's different from all the other felt-tip eyeliners as the tip is super-flexible and gives all the control You need to create the perfect wing. The carbon-black color and the high-shine finish enchances eyes and it delivers as well as a designer product. At £6 it is a bargain and I would pay two, three or four times the price if I needed to!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss

I can't wait to get to the tax-free zone at the airport to stock up on these at a bargain price! Amazing shine and beautiful, multi-colored sparkles for a 3D effect on the lips go with every single one of the 25 shades available. The consistency is quite thick which is good if You are after a plumping effect and the tube will last You for ages, as well as the product itself once on the lips. Sparkly, plumping, long-lasting - what's not to love?

Ofcorse, I have a lot more other products I love but these are my all-time favorites that I use almost every day and can't imagine my beauty routine without.

Love/hate these products?

What are You must-haves?

Lots of love,

S

xoxo

Silver lining & Cranberry & Liner Power

So, this autumn/winter I'm obsessed with cranberry color. Cranberry lipsticks, blushes and, while organizing my make-up yesterday, I came across this gorgeous cranberry shade eyeshadow! I planned to make a simple smoky eye for Christmas but I just felt as if there is something missing. It was a bit too plain so I decided to add a pop of metallics - who would have known cranberry and metalics would work so well?

We've seen the trend of a contrasting, strong line through the socket all over both A/W and upcoming S/S12 catwalks and why not incorporate it in a going out/festive make-up?

 It's that simple - blend a cranberry (or actually, any you wish) eyeshadow through the socket. Lean Your head a bit downwards and look slightly upwards in the mirror and just glide a pencil brush through the socket for perfect eyeshadow placement. 

Dip an eyeliner brush in some water and mix with a loose silver pigment (a good alternative is Barry M Dazzle Dust) and draw the line in. Take Your time and let it dry for maximum staying power and a perfect finish!

Finish off with a slick of black eyeliner and a pair of falsies - here I used the new Collection 2000 Luscious Lashes in Glam Volume 

Warm Your complexion up with a cranberry blush to match the eyeshadow, add a nice gloss (here I used my all time favorite - Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Frivolous Pink) and You're ready!

I absolutely love this make-up, the silver liner adds such a high fashion twist to the traditional festive make-up and I can't wait to try another graphic gold/green or bronze/neutrals combo!

Love or hate metallics?

Love or hate cranberry eyeshadow?

Lots of love, 

Hope You all have an amazing week,

S

xoxo