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! ;)

Lotsa New Goodies!

Forgive my absence on this blog over the last few weeks. I've just relocated from Lincolnshire in England to Belfast in Northern Ireland. It's been a bit of a heave-ho and the result of which is a lack of activity on here and on my YouTube Channel. But never fear as today I have not one but several new items to talk about to make up for it!

Since moving I have purchased quite a few new products as I could only bring a certain amount of stuff over with me. I do go into detail on my channel about each one, but here is a mini review of a couple of my favourite new purchases!

The Kent PF03 Brush (£8.99, Boots):

My hair is notoriously difficult. Not only is super long and thick, but it has also started growing random wavy patches mainly at the back of my hair, which I find really difficult to manage. 

I decided it was time for a different type of brush to use when blowdrying my hair, and settled for the Kent PF03 after much debating amongst myself in the haircare section of Boots. 

After using this now for over a week, I absolutely love it and can't believe how much hold it gives my hair, not to mention a much neater result at the end. I'm just sad I didn't find Kent brushes sooner!

H&M Nudes Eyeshadow Palette (£3.99):

What can I say! A great little gem of a palette with super wearable colours. Maybe not the most pigmented of shades, however I really love the second lightest shade as an eyeshadow base.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - I think H&M makeup is underrated. I also picked up a great little double ended eyeshadow brush that's great for both liner and blending. Perfect!

Going Caffeine Free - My story!

For today's post I thought I would do something a little off topic from the beauty world and talk about my New Years resolution from January 2014, which amazingly I managed to stick to! That resolution was me giving up tea/coffee and all caffeine wherever possible.

I realise this isn't going to be something for everyone, but for me personally it felt like something I really wanted to try.

Why?

There were two main reasons – vanity and my general wellbeing. I hated what years of tea and coffee drinking had done to my teeth. The effort of using Crest White Strips and other whitening products seemed in vain when I had been happy at the results only to take my teeth back to almost the same shade within weeks from continuing to drink tea/coffee.

I also relied heavily on my 4-6 cups of tea at set times in the day just to get me through the day and keep me conscious to the outside world. My energy levels would fluctuate massively and I would get very irritated and sleepy quite quicky after the last cup's effects wore off.

How I did it

After previous attempts whereby I lasted 40 ish days, I realised that the cold turkey approach just doesn't work for me. For the first couple of days I tried cutting the last cup of tea I would normally have in the evening, and slowly cut it down. I got to the stage where I was just having a half a cup in the morning just to take the “edge” off, and finally felt confident after this to also cut this out too.

Easy it was not. That first morning after having no caffeine for 24 hours left me with a really terrible migraine, which made even the glare of the TV seem overwhelming and I had to have a couple of painkillers and take it easy/avoid screens etc.

This experience is what I believe is part of the “withdrawal stage” from caffeine. It's incredibly difficult and you feel irritated and headachey and definitely lack energy, but within a couple of days this should vanish completely as it did for me.

Positives

My energy levels are much more regulated throughout the day and I find it much easier to fall asleep at night, and at a regular time too. I only now feel super tired in the day if I have been out for a run in the mornings as I still haven't got my food intake right. Otherwise I generally feel motivated and alert throughout the day and only start to wind down in the evenings.

I also eat far less sugary treats after and in between meals. For me biscuits or sometimes a slice of cake after my evening meal with a cup of tea was a given. I now fill that gap with fruit smoothies which I make myself (in less than the time it would take for the kettle to boil I might add!)

And finally since doing Crest Whitestrips 6 months ago, I have noticed the results have lasted much better this time around *not drinking any tea of coffee whatsoever* since I last used the strips in March.

Negatives

It can be weird explaining it to people when they offer you a cup of tea that you no longer drink it. Sometimes the long pauses and stares are so intense that I am expecting immigration to burst through the door and remove my British passport at any minute – since I no longer drink the tipple most associated with my nationality!

A cup of tea was also a nice thing to have on a cold day or when suffering from any kind of stomach cramps. Whilst green tea is generally ok and much healthier, it still doesn't give the same inner warm as a regular cup of tea.

On the rare occasion that I do go out for any kind of cake... it really isn't the same with a glass of water or juice. Tea and cake are a match made in heaven which unfortunately I can no longer enjoy.

Overall

Giving up caffeine is not going to be for everyone, and I never thought in a million years I would have been able to last 3 quarters of a year up to now, especially as I have had failed attempts before. However I genuinely feel much better for it and it has encouraged other healthy changes to my diet such as more fruit which I use as a substitute whenever I crave any kind of sweet pick me up.

I get a much better quality of sleep which of course is vital for skin regeneration at night, as well as digestion and other key processes that happen whilst we are asleep.

When I wake up in the mornings I don't reach for the kettle, instead a healthy bowl of porridge and a glass of water. It might sound like something out of a Charles Dickens novel for some of you, but for me it has really worked out and I am so glad I persevered through the side effects and cravings.

It really gives you a sense of satisfaction when you battle through something difficult and come out the other side healthier.

If you are concerned about the amount of caffeine you consume, you can try this handy little test which will give you a score out of 10 for your level of "caffeine addiction". Interestingly before quitting caffeine I scored a 6/10... and I just re-took the test and now score 0/10!