Ooops I did it again!

So it turns out I won another contest! My 3rd this year - oops indeed! But to be fair all products I have never tried before and lets be honest don't exactly have the budget for either!

Interestingly this was yet another contest that required a creative sentence as an entry, this time it had to be beauty related. Mine was....

"No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart" - Kevyn Aucoin.

This is something I really believe in. Of course I love my beauty products, but I feel it's so important to look beyond the aesthetics. Having worked in the beauty industry it was really disheartening to work for certain brands I had always loved, only to find the other team members to be the "you can't sit with us!" type of people.... you know what I mean?

Well I bet none of them are sat here now with a box of Nars! It pays to be nice folks! ;)

Anyhoo as explained yes this is indeed a box of Nars. The limited edition edit for Glossybox infact which trended on twitter and sold out very quickly.

It contains Orgasm blush (no you have not stumbled on the wrong blog here!) This actually reminds me a little of the Sleek Rose Gold Blush, which I'm guessing must be a dupe of the Nars. Either way it's a super soft colour and I'm so grateful as these type of shades work beautifully on pale skin!

Lets ramp things up with Orgasm the multiple which before I have to slap a parent advisory sticker on this blog - is actually referring to the different ways in which this product can be used! I was immediately impressed with how softly it glided across my skin when swatching, it honestly felt like pure silk. Again the colour is subtle and really catches the light. I can imagine it would look great on all skintones.

Also featured is the Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien, the Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto and the new Audacious Mascara. I think it's great how they have included products that are actually popular and better still really wearable! With the variety of products one box really does cover all bases.

I can't thank you enough Glossybox for choosing me, as mushy as that may sound to the rest of you. This was actually the first time I have ever tried any Nars products so I feel so lucky right now.
 

On closer inspection I discovered the original Glossybox seems to have contained all travel sizes, where as my prize contains full sizes! Okay I definitely need to get this post published before I actually faint.

The Body Shop Foundation Shade Adjusting Drops!

Today's post features a product that will no doubt interest alot of you out there like me who have super pale skin! Finding foundations that match us non tanned species perfectly is the bain of our lives right?!

The Body Shop have brought out two identical products with the opposite effect: One for deepening the colour of foundations, and the one above for lightening up foundations and cancelling out those orange and yellow tones that seem to be in every "porcelain" shade! - Thank God these people don't work for Dulux! ;)

Whilst it is a bit of trial and error to see how much is actually needed (also varies with each foundation you try it with and of course the shade!) overall I am super impressed, especially as each drop is pretty pigmented.

I've been wearing it with my Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation the shade BR10. This actually used to be the perfect shade for me, but I re-purchased it and found the shade was much deeper than it was previously and if left unmixed would turn very orange on me!

I've been trying it with the drops as these actually help erridicate those orange tones with the soft pink undertones of this product - perfectly for the colouring that typically makes up pale skin tones. It's been working brilliantly and I can imagine it will breathe new life into all my other "too dark" foundations too!

I really think The Body Shop are onto something great here, and I hope it's a product that will do well and help alot of you out there! If you try this, please tag me on social media to show how it worked for you!You can purchase Lightening Drops here for the incredible price of £10 for 15mls. 

July Favourites & New Purchases!

July has been quite the month for favourites and new purchases (it was my Birthday on the 8th afterall!)

Allow me to walk you through some of my favourites...

This set was part of a cheeky little gift given to me by a friend who was working their last shift at Lancome (probably just as well after this post gets published) ;) Some of what was in the gift pack I've saved for my Mum, however I have really been enjoying the skincare in this.

Most notably, the two products that have given my skin a noticable lift are the Hydra Zen NeuroCalm Moistursier, and the Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate. Both sit really well under makeup and don't peel when makeup is applied on top (my personal bugbearer!) Equally nourishing and hydrating and don't aggravate my skin either.

Also picked up a sample of their Teint Idole foundation in shade 005, which I have been mixing in with a white foundation and one pump of the Touche Eclat foundation in the shade BR10. This combination has given me a full coverage yet luminious base which I have been loving - especially as I have worked for Urban Decay and L'Occitane this month and had an interview for Dior! 

MAJOR love for these! The Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Treatment Pads (which are currently on offer in Boots!) I was dubious to try these after being dissapointed with the F.A.B facial radiance pads. These however really worked and I definitely did notice a difference. I love how they are gentle but very effective and don't strip the skin. I also picked up the Glycolic Scrub from the same range which I've also been enjoying. 

You know when you see something and just instantly have to have it? Yep that. I couldn't even wait to use it before photographing it (sorry not sorry!) This is the All Day Soiree Palette from Sleek. It's for eyes, cheeks, contour and well... anywhere where you would want to place any of these colours! I am utterly in love, especially with the blush colour which goes on really softly but beautifully. 

Last but most DEFINATELY not least! The Kerastase Bain Fluidealiste Shampoo. You know one of those things you have wanted to try for a very long time? Yes that!

For the last couple of years I have only used SLS-Free shampoos as I find they are far better for the scalp and leave it feeling much more soothed. I have been through quite a few and it was a bit like a game of Goldilocks Porridge. Some didn't clean the hair that well, others didn't wash out very well and some were far too harsh and others smelt like boot polish! 

I picked this up from Look Fantastic which were offering it for the cheapest price but also free delivery. I used it and instantly fell in love! It made my hair something I normally find to be quite the chore to something I really enjoyed. My hair felt really soft, manageable and less frizzy which for a shampoo is quite amazing! I highly recommend for anyone after a non sulphate shampoo.
 
Those were my July favourites and purchases! Let me know if you have used anything I have featured below and what you thought!

Sunday Riley Luna Review

This post should really be entitled “Ooops I did it again!”.... as if you remember earlier in the year I won 3 Sunday Riley products at a Caroline Hirons event. I casually entered another Sunday Riley competition on Sunday's instagram page and well... you know the drill. Luna winged it's way to me and 11 other people all the way from sunny Houston about 6 weeks ago now and I've been testing it every night since.

What is Luna? It's a sleeping oil just for night time as it contains trans-retinol ester. It's a bluey-green colour as it contains blue tansy. It also contains German Chamomile, Avacado and Chia seed oils as well as Cape Chamomile. It's not suitable for daytime use or pregnant women.

So how did I find it? I think Luna is one of those products you love the more and more you use it, instead of straight away as with Good Genes. It has a light liquidy texture which makes it ideal for sandwhiching between serums/moisturisers. I've heard it's also amazing when mixed with said Good Genes however mine had ran out. Although from previous SR mixing, I've found you can indeed make your own concoctions from the different products and they all work amazingly together.

I've found that with continued use my skin has gained a nice clarity to it, and I can always see a difference the next day which for me is important. It also has not irritated or broken my skin out which is equally important! It's worth noting there is no sting or “tingling” with this product it just goes on like a regular serum/oil. It also does leave a slight blue tinge to the skin well it did on my skin anyway! But this is gone the next day.

Luna costs £85 and is available from Space NK or can be shipped from Sephora if you are not in the UK. If that amount is a comfortable amount for you to spend on skincare or if you are looking to treat yourself/a loved one then go for it. However if this is outside your budget go for an alternative instead. 

I personally find that high potency products are great for night time skin repair, where as in the daytime I go for more hydrating products. Luna certainly fits the bill and I am really enjoying using it. 

Have you used Luna and what did you think?

Job Interview Makeup For Pale Skin

When putting together a look for pale skin in an interview situation, I think it's a question of balance. On the one hand you want to look "alive and well" but equally you don't want to look overdone or that you are trying too hard.

Obviously the type of makeup you go for will depend on the kind of job you are going for, and other factors such as your hair colouring, outfit etc. But I would say the overall rule is to ensure that your skin looks glowing and perfected (think good skincare underneath!) but also your features defined. 

For interviews or jobs where I am required to wear all or mostly black, I will sometimes be bold and wear a red lip. However I normally play it safe with a soft pink close to my own natural lip colour. Remember you can always play with the eye colours a little to balance out a more understated lip.

Ultimately you want to look professional and well put together, but equally confident that you've chosen the right products and tones for your colouring. Leave extra time to do your makeup and always check how you look before you leave the house in a mirror using good natural light.

Oh and follow my top tips!..... 

BASE:

I don't always use a primer, but if I do the one I have been using lately is the Benefit Porefessional Primer. This is great if you intend to be wearing your makeup for a long time such as if you have to travel to get to your interview. This just gives it that extra staying power and helps to avoid slippage later in the day.

My go to foundation for the last few months has been the YSL Touche Eclat Foundation in the shade BR10. I love that it can be worn as an everyday foundation and doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin, but equally can be built up for areas where extra coverage is needed. This is a perfect foundation that is mid coverage and ideal for when you want your skin to look enhanced but not overdone. BR10 also looks alot paler on than it does in the bottle and is the only foundation I can use without having to custom mix it with white.

For years I have repurchased the Collection 2000 concealer in Fair. Sometimes I will wear it on it's own to cover my scarring/darkness around the eyes. It's thick and full coverage yet blends seamlessly with any foundation I pair it with. For £4.19 you just can't go wrong!

I also use another gem from Collection 2000 to set my makeup. Their pressed powder in the shade 18 Ivory is finely milled and not at all "powdery". I use this over any areas where I have concealed heavily and through the t-zone.

COMPLEXION:

When you add a base to pale skin more often that not you will knock out any natural flush to the skin. It's really important to use either a light dusting of bronzer as a contour, or a touch of blush on the apples of the cheeks. I very lightly apply the Body Shop Bronzer in shade 2 followed by Bourjois cream blusher in nude velvet to the apples of my cheeks. If you do both softly and build up it will give the face some colour and life without over doing things. Avoid orange/deep brown colours at all costs!

EYES:

A new purchase of mine has been the Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara. Firstly it has gold packaging (and what's not to love about that!) I love that it gives a dramatic result but isn't too much and doesn't flake like previous drugstore mascara's I have tried. The brush also allows for a soft application on one side but then a much more fuller coverage on the other, giving you control on how much you want your lashes to be defined. 

For those eyes - think soft browns for eye liner and cut crease. I also like cool golden tones and dusty pinks. I love my Pixi palette however it is now discontinued as they change up their makeup lines quite frequently according to the season. It may be worth investing in one of the naked palettes if your budget can stretch. 

The Sleek eye palette in Storm is great as it contains shades which can be used as a base, crease and even for brows. A great all rounder and even has a handy mirror too (unless you drop yours like I did mine!)

A cheaper alternative would be the H&M Nudes palette which I picked up for around £3. I apply these as a base for my eyeshadow using a damp eyeshadow brush for extra intensity and staying power.


LIPS:

I find Barry M Lip Paints to have excellent staying power and they are massively underrated amongst bloggers. They pack a punch but are equally long lasting and comfortable to wear on the lips. I love the Seventeen Lip Liner in Valentine to give even better staying power. 

A handbag friendly alternative would be one of the Revlon Lip crayons. The shade Elusive is perfect on pale skin and is incredibly easy to wear even on no makeup days. Equally Collection 2000 Lipstick in Satin Bow has always been a firm favourite of mine and I sometimes mix them all up to create a custom shade.

NAILS: 

For an interview I tend to play it safe with one of my Barry M polishes as they give a great finish and dry fast too... perfect for the last minute night before preparations! My favourite shades include Lychee, Cappucino and Berry Cosmo.

Lotsa Goodies!

It's been a crazy few weeks for me winning products! A couple of weeks ago I won 3 Sunday Riley products at a Caroline Hirons event, which I'm still getting over the shock for! Then came a box of products the other day sent over from my Brother in London after he presented an award and was given these goodies which he then (very kindly!) gave to me. I also made a video about it on my channel however I will also go into a little detail here. I was totally overwhelmed at the amount of stuff I got!

In particular one my favourite items was the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Penelope Pink. I have been really intrigued by Charlotte's range but the combination of having little money and not living near a counter meant that up to now I have never got to try any of her products so this was a lovely surprise. I also love a nude coloured lipstick for everyday wear or when I am wearing a slightly heavier eye so want something lighter on the lips to balance it out. 

I also got the Tom Ford perfume in Black Orchid. Having worked on fragrance counters it was nice to be able to take this out of the box and for it to be mine instead of presenting it to a customer! It has quite an unusual scent but one which screams expensive so you can't go wrong with that! It's not my usual scent but it's definitely grown on me. It's also not as heavy as it looks from the bottle so is great for everyday wear.

Overall I am so grateful for everything I have received lately and know I'm one lucky girl! I will also be posting a full review of the Sunday Riley products once I have had chance to use them over a few weeks so I can give a good opinion about them, so stay tuned!

Foundations For Pale Skin!

Click above to watch my latest video on foundations for pale skin! I will also list the products I featured below. If you have any recommendations of other pale foundations not mentioned please do leave a comment either on my blog or channel! :)

White Foundations:

*Stargazer White Liquid Foundation
*Makeup Revolution The One Foundation Shade 1/2
*Manic Panic Dreamtone Foundation
*Makeup Atelier Waterproof Foundation in FLWB/White
*Illamasqua Skin Base Shade 1
*Mac Face & Body in White
*Mac Full Coverage Foundation
*Mac Paint Stick
*Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Zero Minus

PALE FOUNDATIONS:

*Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in Shade 2
*Kryolan TV Paint Stick
*Dainty Doll Foundation in 001: *Discontinued but if anything changes I will make an update video!*
*Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia
*Yves Saint Laurent Touch Eclat Foundation in BR10
*Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Alabaster/Porcelain 
*Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation in Porcelain
 

Meeting Caroline Hirons!

I am writing tommorow's post completely overwhelmed at the day I've just had! I was lucky enough to meet Caroline Hirons today (Monday) at a Sunday Riley event in Space NK, Belfast. Like most of you out there I have been a fan of Caroline's since she did that video with Pixiwoo way back when. Her blog is something I rely constantly upon for advice and I'm always going on about it to friends and well, whoever will listen!

When Caroline announced last week she'd be doing an appearance here in Belfast I was completely beside myself! No, not because it would give me the chance to “meet someone famous” in the blogging world at least. I have met famous people in the past, seen them in the flesh and that's great and all but there's something really special about having a conversation with someone whose advice has genuinely helped you and your skin when almost everything else has failed.

For years I have struggled with my skin and the worst part apart from the effect on my confidence is actually what bad advice I have had over the years from “experts” and professionals alike. Caroline is different, she knows her stuff but best of all she cares and is bloody lovely. 

I got to the Space NK store just before 1pm when the event started and there was already a queue forming right around the shop. During this time the representative from Sunday Riley got us to fill out a prize draw to win a goodie bag of products. The staff offered us champagne and the atmosphere was really lovely and calm. Then halfway through the lady decided to do the first draw, and my name was read out! The whole shop applauded me and I was genuinely dumbfounded! I could barely speak when she came to give me the products and demonstrated how they work. I love skincare but there's so way I could ever have afforded all those products so I was genuinely blown away! I said to her “This cannot be real”. She said “It's reality, believe it!”

I got the Ceramic Slip Cleanser, Good Genes Serum and Juno facial oil. I had only this morning been watching a video with Zoella demonstrating one of these products thinking maybe one day I will be able to afford it. It's true that you never know what's in a day!

It took a couple of hours before I was in the hot seat as Caroline was being really thorough with everyone which was nice because it showed how much she cared. I had written a list of the products I currently use for her approval along with my non made up face so she could see my concerns up close (lucky her!) ;)

It was a little gut wrenching to have Cleanse & Polish crossed off my list as I've been using it for years now. However I found her explanation quite informative and she recommended two other cleansers she felt would better suit my skin. She also suggested a few products I had heard of and also told me that some of what I was using was unnecessary for my age and skintype. She also gave me a telling off for using Sudocreme on my scarring and I then accidentally gave her a telling off for offering me a sweet (sugar is the devil as it says on her blog!)

Also had a funny moment when she confused my use of fresh cucumber within my routine for some kind of toning lotion from ASDA. "Noooo, I mean cucumber. Like actual cucumber"... "Ohhhhhhh!!" 

Overall the day was just incredible and quite overwhelming. I got to meet someone I genuinely have a lot of respect for and whose advice has really helped me, and hopefully will continue to help me get better skin. Not only that but I won some incredible products which was totally unexpected! Thankyou very much Sunday Riley and most of all thankyou Caroline!

P.S: No judgement if you did finish off that bag of sweets! ;)