RAVE Review: Illamasqua Pure Pigment in Furore

Illamsqua Pure Pigment in Furore

Illamasqua is a brand that three years ago you may not have even heard of, but due to its fantastic and luxurious products it has become an important member of the beauty world! It is a gorgeous high end makeup brand designed to push boundaries. Although a bit on the pricey side you are definitely paying for the quality.

Having saved a number of points on my debenhams beauty card, I decided to treat myself to one of their pure pigments.The Illamasqua website describes their pure pigments as follows:

"Made to be played with. A metallic, high-shine, pure-colour powder that highlights eyes, cheeks, lips and brows, or anywhere else you choose to accentuate. Mix with eye shadow, blusher, lipgloss or use it on its own to intense effect.'

Priced at £16.50 for 0.04oz they come in a fabulous range of colours with colours to suit everybody! I decided on the colour Furore which is a beautiful natural copper bronze shade.

I am always a bit sceptical about using colour pigments, simply because of the risk of making such a mess! Illamasqua however have got it SO right with the lid preventing any major spillages! The packaging itself is quite simple but still looks luxurious, less is definitely more here!

The texture of the product looks and feels like luxury. It is so finely milled and delicate but creates such an impact when used. You hardly need any product which makes the price good value!

What is great about colour pigments is that you can use them almost anywhere! As a brow/eye/cheek highlighter, shadow and even mixed into gloss! Used dry, Furore creates a glowing smooth finish, whilst when used wet the intensity of the colour transforms!

I have yet to use this on my lips but think added to a nude gloss would look gorgeous with the flecks of coppery gold. My favourite way of using the pigment is as a cheek highlighter. It actually reminds me of Dior's Amber Diamond which is a huge hit amongst the beauty community! The staying power is also AMAZING and used on my cheek lasted all day- which for most powder highlighters is almost unheard of!

What do you think???

xoxox

How to: Eyebrow Maintenance!

The new HD Brows has undoubtedly taken over the beauty world by storm and the results are AMAZING! However if your on a budget and just want a easy maintenance routine there are alternative ways of achieving the perfect eyebrows without a visit to the salon!

What you will need:

• Your eyebrows hah!
• Colorsport 30 day Mascara- Eyelash and Eyebrow dye. (I use the shade dark brown)
• Vaseline
• Cotton Buds
• Cotton Pads
• Tweezers
• Rimmel Eyebrow pencil (I use shade dark brown)

1. Firstly make sure your eyebrows are clear of any makeup- I find it is best to do this in the night after your make-up removal. 
2. Take the Vaseline and a cotton bud and apply to the area around the brow. This is to stop any dye from staining your skin.
3. The great thing is about using the colorsport dye is that the product includes a little mixing dish which is SO handy and reusable which is a bonus! Take the tube of dye cream and squeeze about 2cm into the mixing dish.
4. Next add around 8 drops of the developer liquid and stir with the wand included. (At this point the dye looks quite gross!)
5. Once mixed in, take a clean cotton bud and apply the dye across the eyebrow. I am quite generous with the dye and cover the whole eyebrow even those sneaky hairs that you are going to get rid of!
6. Leave on for ten minutes.............
7. Take off with warm water and a cotton pad. (Makeup wipes are fine to use too!)
8. Now your eyebrow should look much fuller. At this point if you are happy with your new brows, or don't feel confident in shaping your eyebrows yourself- stop.
9. As you have just used warm water to removed the dye, it should be less painful to pluck out the unwanted hairs. Take your tweezers and gentley one by one tweeze out any stray hairs. I tend to tidy up the hairs underneath the arch that may have grown. Remember this is a maintenance tutorial, for a whole reshape after tinting your brows take a trip to the salon or have a friend to help you out especially if you get a bit too tweezer happy!
10. Finally as my eyebrows are not that full, when applying my makeup I take my Rimmel Eybrow pencil in dark brown and just lightly fill in any gaps I may have.

 I tend to do this maintence routine once a month, with every other month taking a trip to a salon to get them threaded just so the shape is still there.

As you can see it is SO easy to do and the difference is amazing! (Step 8 and 10)!!


xoxox

Review and How to: Lush Love Lettuce Facemask!

Like many women I love to pamper myself and Lush's fresh facemasks are the ultimate luxury! After discussing with the sales assistant I opted to go for Love Lettuce a mask ideal for brightening the face and also balancing out the skins oils.

Review:

The facemask itself is made up of natural ingredients including:

 

Agar Agar Gel- Made from dried seaweed, this gel is softening and moisturising for both skin and hair. The gel not only softens the skin but also balances the cleansing action of the other ingredients.

Kaolin- Kaolin is a soft clay which cleanses and exfoiliates dead skin cells.

Honey- Contains nutrients and antibacterial substances to thoroughly clean the skin. Also said to lighten skin and hair.

Fullers Earth- Absorbs excess oil and dirt.

Glycerine- Has moisturising properties which softens the skin.

Almond Oil- High with Vitamin E which is nutritious for the skin.

Ground Almond Oil- Creates a gentle exfoiliator.

Ground Almonds- Ground almonds are highly effective as they are gently exfoliating. They 'polish' the skin, improving skin tone and colour.

Lavender Oil- Lavender oil is antiseptic, antibacterial, deodorising and relaxing. Its ideal for skin due to its soothing qualitites.

Chlorophyllin- Helps to balance the skin.

I am a  bit undecided about this facemask, having used other facemasks from the Freshmask range I am a bit disapointed with the result. It has undoubtedly softened my skin however there is no visible brightening effect. As for the balancing agent within the mask I think after prolonged use along with a balancing toner a result could be seen. If you are looking for a fix for balancing skin oils this mask is not the solution on its own.

The smell and texture of the product however is gorgeous and the ground almond shells really feel like they are cleansing and exfoiliating the skin. When you go to wash off the mask with water the almond shells can be worked into the skin to exfoiliate the dead skin cells. I love this part of the mask as after it has been washed off your skin does feel softer and clean.

Another great aspect of the Fresh Facemasks from Lush is that as you have to keep them refridgerated they feel cool and fresh on application!

The Fresh Facemasks are around £5.95 and should last for 3-6 applications so are such a good buy especially as they are made with such natural ingredients! If you don't think Love Lettuce is for you, Lush do a HUGE range of facemasks so call in and speak to a sales assistant they are SO helpful and you will defo find something to suit your skin type!

How to....

1. First remove any makeup or moisturisers from your face and cleanse.
2. Next splash your face with warm water
3. Take your facemask and apply evenly over the skin avoiding the eye area. Really work in the mask when you apply as the almond shells will immediately start working as an exfoiliant.



4. Leave the facemask to set for around 10 minutes and do the "Smile" test...(does it crack when you smile) If so its ready to take off.
5. Using warm water slowly work away at the mask. Love Lettuce contains almond shells so this is a great time to use it as an exfoiliater.
6. Once the face is clear splash with warm water again and leave to absorb.



Review: No 7 BB Cream

As I have recently come back from a week in the Canary Islands, I was looking for a tinted moisturiser that would not only hydrate my skin but also even any blemishes or skin imperfections out. With the hype surrounding BB creams at the moment I thought that maybe this was my best bet. There is actually no reason whatsoever why I decided on No 7's Beautiful Skin BB Cream for Normal / Oily Skin other than I passed it whilst looking around in Boots! Must have been fate because I have actually fallen in love this product!

The great thing about it is that it comes in two difference types, one for normal to dry skin and the other for normal to oily. After speaking to the consultant I decided to get the normal to oily. I applied the product using my fingers and its application was so so easy and smooth. The coverage is slightly better than an average tinted moisturiser but remained natural looking, and I have actually swapped my day time foundation for this product just because it is so light on the skin but also evens out any blemishes or imperfections. After using this I used MAC translucent pressed powder just for added coverage but to be honest, I probably didn't need to.

Another bonus with this product is that it contains the added protective power of SPF 15 and 5 * UVA technology so using this whilst abroad was great and helped ensure that my skin would stay youthful and avoid sun damage!

I think if you are looking for the perfect summer skin, this is a must and at only £12.95 it doesn't break the bank either! If I am being especially picky the packaging isn't anything special but for a skin product to take away with you or leave in your hand bag it is perfect!

RAVE Review: Macadamia Healing Oil

I have always been sceptical about hair oils but I have finally found the GOD of all hair products! Having naturally greasy hair I was worried that it was going to make my hair worse but thank goodness I didn't let that stop me!!

Being a non-natural blondie..I sometimes found my hair feeling quite dry and brittle on the ends, especially after using straightening/curling irons so was looking for something that would help with that but without making my hair more greasy at the roots. Ive been using the hair oil everytime I washed my hair, just before blowdrying. After the normal shampoo and conditioner, I towel dried my hair and using literally a pea size amount rubbed it through my hair with my hands. When my hair was feeling particularly dry I used an extra amount on the ends and the results were amazinnnnnng!

I've taken two pictures one before using the oil and another a week after using it, I'm a bit worried about putting them on as the results are SO different! The pictures are taken just after blowdrying and I have not used any irons or styling lotions in either picture.

The picture on the left is the before and the right after!

I still cannot believe the difference the oil has made! Its not only helped with my dry ends but also has made my hair feel sooo silky! It's even changed the colour of my hair- I haven't had it dyed between these photos being taken. The brassyness of the bleach used in my highlights has been toned down which I LOVE as theres nothing worse than yellowy looking highlights!

The product itself comes in many different sizes, I went for the 125ml bottle as it comes with a pump which makes it even easier to use! (The packaging is also so pretty and delicate!) When using it I tend to use just one to two pumps of the oil, and work it throughout all of my hair. The product smells SO good and lasts throughout your hair until the next wash! You can also use the oil as a leave in hair masque but as of yet I haven't had chance to try it this way but defo will some time in the very near future!

The Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment  claims to:

• intense nourishment for tangle & frizz free hair
• hair that is ultra-smooth, manageable & shiny
• natural UV protection extends the life of color treatments
• reduced drying time by an amazing 40-50%

...and I can definitely agree that it does all four! Not only does my hair feel smoother but also looks much healthier. I bought mine from Amazon for around £15-£18 which is kind of average for most hair oils but considering the amount you actually use it will last for so long so is a good investment! (Some salons in the UK also stock it too!)

If I had to find a negative, its that I didn't use it sooner!

What are your must have hair products?!

xoxo

How to... Lip enhancing

We all crave for that perfect pout and try out serums and lotions and even surgery for that amazing Angelina Jolie lip shape, however there are other ways of enhancing your lips without going to the extremes of having chemicals injected into them!

There are ways in promoting what you already have rather than completly changing it! So here is my four simple steps to improving your lips!

• Firstly I take a lipbalm to hydrate the lips. I use Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm, which not only helps nourish chapped or cracked lips due to it being packed with Vitamin E but provides deep hydration to the lips because of its 100% pure cocoa butter formula. It also contains SPF 15 which is an extra bonus and will protect your lips from everyday sun exposure! Moisturizing your lips with a product like this everyday, especially before lipstick/gloss is sooo essential as it gives your lips that added moisture to look and feel fantastic and for £1.83 who can say no!
• I next take a lip liner.. for this I have used a Bobbi Brown lip liner in the colour Red. Lip liners really don't get enough credit! I sometimes use them underneath lipsticks/glosses or even smudge them and wear them alone. Bobbi brown have some GREAT colours and are so pigmented that not a lot is required soo they really are an investment buy they last for so long!!! At this stage I trace around the edge of my lips- dont worry if it is not perfect! On the bottom lip take the liner slightly below the edge of the lip this slight adjustment will make a HUGE difference!
• Next I carefully blend in the lip liner into my moisturized lips. Using your little finger carefully work the liner into the lip so it remains darker on the edge of your lips but still covers your lip. If you want a more extreme colour just add more lip liner
• At this stage you will see a difference in your lips and they will look much fuller. You can leave your lips at this stage and either take some more balm and gently dab it on with your finger for an effortless look or put a lipstick on top. I have used MAC's amplified lipstick in Chatterbox. It is a bright pink that is wearable throughout the day with its slight coral tones running through it.

    Step 1                                                                       Step 2

    Step 3                                                                       Step 4

The great thing is about applying moisture balm to your lips before lipstick is that the colour lasts longer and doesnt dry your lips out like a lot of lipsticks do. Liners are GREAT for enhancing what you already have and the range of colours mean that there is definately one for everybody!

What are your favourite colours and lip regimes?

Review: Spot-Busting

Hii

So recently I have not had the best of times with my skin and like everyone who has ever experienced it, I've had the dreaded break out! I've tried loads of things to help calm and soothe my skin but recently NOTHING has seemed to work. However I have recently become OBSESSED with Lush skincare products. Most people assume that Lush is simply bath bombs and smellies but that is not the case at all! For those of you who have never tried it I strongly suggest you do! So many things to choose from haircare to skincare to even toothpaste! All of which are made from natural sources! Great for sensitive skin!

I have combination skin which can be a complete pain in the bum for alot of people! It can be hard to identify and even more difficult to treat! Combination skin typically is when two or more different skin types occur on your face at the same time. For me I get quite a dry forehead but at the same time the centre of my face- nose and chin can be quite oily. However recently my skin has become an even bigger nightmare! As I've said i've recently had lots of break outs particularly on my T-Zone area.

Anywaaay I went to Lush last week solely to find a cure for my skin. The sales advisor at Lush was soo helpful (thats another thing about Lush the sales advisors really know what they're talking about and are SOOO friendly!) and told me something I hadnt really thought of doing before.. basically as I have combination skin I need to use products that wont make the oily bits more oily and the dry parts more dry.. which when using moisturisers and spot treatment can be quite difficult. She suggested using moisturisers only on the dry part of my face until my skin had calmed down and using a spot treatment on the oily part of my skin replacing the moisturiser. Not only does the moisturiser keep my skin less oily in the places it doesnt need it but it prevents me spreading the break out to other parts of my skin. So.. I left Lush with a spot treatment which so far has been soo good in calming down not only the spots but also the redness around them without drying up my skin in patches.

I cleanse my face with Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, next I spritz Elemis Lavender Toner over my face and leave that to sink in (This is a great product which helps balance pH levels of the skin without containing alcohol meaning it is a must have for combination skin!) Now this is where I have changed my skincare routine, instead of using moisturiser all over my face I only moisturize the parts that actually need it, the parts with the breakout is where I use my fandabbydoseeeey new find!

.........Lush's 'Grease Lightening'

The product is a combination of natural ingredients and applies as a clear gel. It contains Carrageen moss a seaweed that helps the skin around the spot not dry out (which alot of spot treatments do) and which also means no redness when the spot has gone! It also contains-

Aloe vera gel to soothe and moisturise.

Seawater for its antiseptic properties.  

Grape juice to cool and calm the skin. 

Thyme, rosemary and tea tree herb infusions to be gently antibacterial.

Witch hazel, an astringent that is great for bruising and helps broken blood vessels shrink and contract.

Tea Tree oil, a powerful antiseptic

All of these natural ingredients is what attacks the spot without drying up the skin or making it too oily! I have only used it for a week and already my skin has cleared up so much! The great thing is too that you don't need to use it everyday but only when you feel like your skin is going to break out and so can catch the spots before they attack! You can also apply it under make up as it creates almost a seal which keeps makeup out although I found it worked best before going to bed/ straight after a shower when your skin was at its cleanest.
It has quite a strong scent but isnt off putting, it also doesnt remain on your skin greasy for a long period of time which drives me crazy but actually sinks in pretty fast.
I was a bit wary about using it as most spot treatments claim to be miracle solutions but this actually works and if like me you are prone to the occasional break out it is an essential for your beauty bag!

What are your favourite spot busting treatments!?