Beauty with Bare Minerals

Being a lover of all things beauty can sometimes have consequences. I flit in between products I use because I get so excited about others on the market. Therefore, my make-up 'bag', more suitcase, steadily increases and I forget to use those little gems that I found a few months ago because I'm already salivating over Dior's summer colour pallet for 2015! Slight exaggeration but you get the point. Saying this, one brand that I never fail to forget and will always use is Bare Minerals.

I was recommended Bare Minerals by a friend who works for Champneys, she said that she had very bad skin and ever since using Bare Minerals her spots cleared because the powder was so pure. A make-up that was helping bad skin, surely not? As you may know, it does not take much to persuade me to try a new make-up brand so almost instantly I found myself at the local Debenhams purchasing the mineral powder from Bare Minerals.

I spoke with the skincare advisor on the counter and she helped me pick a shade that matched my skin tone, I wear Medium Beige N20, but you can also go online and do it if you're too busy. I have to say it's one of the best products I've ever bought. It's so easy to apply, you tap a small amount of powder into the lid and then buff your brush into the powder. Tap off any excess powder and then with small circular motions buff it into your skin. It gives an even, luminous finish. It conceals any little nasties without looking like you're wearing any make-up. You just feel really fresh and natural. My boyfriend always comments when I'm wearing it, he says he likes me looking natural but little does he know I've got foundation on it's just so amazing that you can't tell!

It gives a slight sheen to the skin so it looks as though you have a natural glow about you - as if you have drunk about 10 litres of water that day! I would recommend this for all skin types. I have dry skin but the powder doesn't dry it out as I expected, it actually moisturises my skin and glides into the skin perfectly. I would also highly recommend it to help blemished skin because my friend swears by it to help clear her skin. It's even so pure that you can sleep in it - ssshh I actually do sometimes *beauty sin*

I can't recommend this product enough, it's £23 which I think is a small price to pay for gorgeous skin. I always feel so confident when I'm wearing it because my skin looks luminous and natural but I know the powder gives amazing coverage so all my blemishes are covered.

I always pair this my all-time favourite Bare Minerals product - All-over face radiance in Tropical Radiance. I've raved about this before in another blog post but I'll just give a little summary now - it's amazing!

I use this almost everyday because I like to look tanned but I don't always want to pile on the fake tan. You apply this powder the same as the foundation and buff it all over your skin and the coral pigments in the powder lift your natural complexion so you've got the 'just got back from the south of France' look about you.This is £19 and there are many different shades in the collection to lift your natural complexion so I advise you to get down to your local department store for a consultation.

Everyone should have Bare Minerals in their life.

Ballerina Bun - 2012 Trend

With the new year fast approaching I thought it would be a good idea to start scouting the magazines for trends we will see coming our way. While I'm always looking for the next beauty trend, I always seem to get lazy with my hair and just leave it to however it decides to hang that day.

I have naturally very thick hair and generally quite a lot of it so I tend to leave it down quite a lot and just mess it up at the roots - and that is my attempt of styling my hair. Due to this horrid laziness one of my NY resolutions will be to take pride in the appearance of my hair and get up just 10 minutes earlier to ensure it looks decent.

Donna Karan - Ballerina Bun

One trend that is going to continue to be big in 2012 is the ballerina bun as seen at Donna Karan shows for AW12. This style looks so sophisticated and stylish, perfect for work and an evening with friends - even works well as a bridal style. Definitely one to learn how to do.

For this style you need:
1 hair bobble
Hairspray
Hair brush
Lots of hair pins

To get started brush all your hair into a ponytail at the crown of your head, secure this ponytail with your bobble. Hairspray your hair while stroking your hair back towards the bobble so all your little frizzy bits around your face are stuck down!

Next, split the ponytail into four even sections. Take the first section and brush it upwards and spray it loads with hairspray. Then roll it outwards towards your hair into a little roll (if you have long hair roll under itself) and secure with as many bobby pins as you need. Do this with other three sections, but make sure you can't tell the sections have been split into four. It needs to look seamless. Spray the finished piece with loads of hairspray to keep it stuck. It takes a lot of practice but gets a lot easier honestly! Your hair should look like a big doughnut. See my attempt below!

It's a great style and makes you feel very glam. All in all the style takes around 5-8 minutes to do so go glam for 2012 ladies xxx

Love Luxe

Hello everyone, hope you all had a lovely Christmas. Hasn't it flown by? Sadly my boyfriend is back to work today so I'm all alone so I thought I'd blog and then maybe pop to the sales... I already seem to have bought two pairs of boots even before the sales arrived, which is slightly naughty.

Anyway, with Christmas been and gone I thought I could focus all my efforts on NYE. My motto with a new years look is the more glam and glitz, the better. Luxe is the perfect NYE look. Think gold, think glitter, think dark vampy lips, et voila!

Barry M paint pots are brilliant for creating this sort of look because they have such a selection of glitzy colours that are highly pigmented. My tip for using these is to use a flat eyeshadow brush, dip into the pot and lightly tap the end of the brush so all excess comes off. Otherwise, you will look like a pantomime dame. Gently blend the shadow into your eyelid. To define your eyes, take a dark brown colour to softly create a line along the lash line using an eye liner brush. This gives the illusion of longer, fuller lashes.

To create more glamour, I always recommend using false lashes on an occasion like NYE. I have used many different lashes in my time but my favourite ones I've used, which I am currently working my way through is the individual lashes from Eyelure. You can apply each lash to where it is needed so your lashes look long and lovely but still look and feel really natural.

Stick to your usual evening foundation base so you feel comfortable and confident in your own skin. I usually go for a dewy base and set it with mineral powder, so when the camera makes an appearance you can be sure the light will bounce off your face giving you a gorgeous glow. If you use a matte foundation but still want that 'glow' use Benefit's High Beam. Dot it along your cheekbone to have the glow of a supermodel.

Next up for lips, the darker you dare to go the better! Start off by prepping your lips with a soft toothbrush, gently rub on your lips to remove any dead skin. Next plump and soften your lips using my old favourite Creme de Rose from Dior. Choose a lip colour that will complement your complexion as not everyone can wear a deep berry shade.

Pale skinnned beauties should opt for pinks and light coral shades. However for an evening when you are trying to vamp it up a bit opt for a red shade. When choosing a red shade it's all about the undertones of your skin to be able to get it right. Pink skinned girlies should always go for a cherry red.

Olive/medium skinned lovelies can be more daring with their lip colour, berry colours are extremely flattering. Reds don't always work very well for olive skinned girls but if you really want to wear red then stick to bold, fire-engine red. But make sure you apply with a lip brush to slowly build up the colour. I'm olive skinned so I have extremely pale skin in the winter with a yellowy tinge and then if I'm in the sun I go a lovely colour. Red really doesn't suit me so I tend to stay well away from it. But I do love purple shades and a burgundy berry colour from Rimmel.

Dark skin darlings have it the best because bright and bold look absolutely stunning in contrast to the dark skin. Deep plum colour is extremely flattering for an evening look, or if you want to go for red then a deep re is the best way to go.

Bobbi brown always says the best lip shade for your skin tone is just two shades darker than your natural lip colour. When you go shopping for a new lipstick, apply to half of your lip and see how much darker it is to your natural colour. It's as easy as that.

Bare Sienna

How does she do it? Even sans make-up Sienna Miller manages to look pretty hot. OK so her hair could do with a little attention but you couldn't accuse her of hitting the ugly tree could you now?

It's not really very fair as unfortunate others like me scare young children with our bare faces. However, I do believe that being motivated to complete a rigorous skincare regime I think you can be confident enough in your skin to leave the house without your warpaint. And confidence = beauty.

In the new year I am updating my skincare regime to something more hardcore and all signs are pointing me in the direction of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. So many people I have spoken to about it absolutely swear by it so I'm very intrigued. I love the idea of cleansing your face with a cloth everyday, and have used this technique with Eve Lom before. I loved the feeling of being luxuriously cleansed every day.

I can't wait for 2012 to start my first NY resolution - to treat myself to Liz Earle.

A girl's got to look after herself xx

Candy Make-up

I'm just lazing around watching Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, which I love, and it inspired me to do a post for a candy make-up look. I was thinking what could I do that has something to do with the film and my immediate thought was a 'Beauty Copycat' of the Oompa Loompas! My imagination really does run away with me sometimes! On second thoughts I toned it down slightly and decided to go with a flirty candy coloured look.

Eat Me

To create this look we'll first need a foundation to create matte base to let the colours pop. I've chosen to use Studio Fix foundation from Mac using a Real Techniques foundation brush. This foundation is buildable and long-wearing so a great all-round foundation.



Next I'd set this with a powder and go under the eyes with Mac Select Moisturecover. This is a fantastic concealer for me because it blends well. I get very dry skin under my eyes so usually concealer sticks to the dry areas but this one glides over it and conceals beautifully.

Once you have your base it's time to choose the colours you want to use. I'm going to use Mac's limited edition Hold that pose! from the Glitter & Ice collection. It's a gorgeous highly pigmented mauve colour with a shimmer effect. Next take the 'silver skates' eye pencil in the collection under the eye right up to the tear duct to make your eyes look bigger and more beautiful.



Finish your eyes off with a mascara to lengthen those lashes use Mac Zoomlash in Plum to really emphasise your purple peepers. Next we're going to highlight the apples of the cheeks with a pretty pink colour using Benefit Thrrrob to create pink flush. To top of the look use a pretty pink lipstick, or gloss if you're not confident with lipstick. I would use Collection 2000 lipstick in Marshmallow. It's a luscious moisturising lipstick that stays on for longer than you would think it would.



And there you have it, a pretty candy look - great for Christmas parties <3

Penny xx



Update on Boo Boo Zap!

OK so I found out from my extensive, yes extensive research, that Benefit's amazing Boo Boo Zap was discontinued. *Massive sad face*

HOWEVER, word on the street is that it is making a come back on March 3rd. I am keeping my fingers firmly crossed that this happens because it really does zap those nasty boo boos away.

Au revoir spots, boo boo zap will be back with a vengeance.

A Few of my Favourite Things...

Just as I'm doing my make-up ready to go out I wanted to share some of my favourite products that I use daily. They really are amazing products that I feel need to be raved about, so here goes...

If you lack radiant skin but don't want to use bronzer all the time then all you need is Bare Minerals All Over Face Colour. Mine is in shade Tropical Radiance and it's a bright orange powder! On first glance it looks scary to put on your face but when you know how to use it properly it is an amazing product that I couldn't live without. You buff it onto the skin in small circular motions and the orange pigments in the powder spread across your face to give a luminous radiant glow that you can build it up to create a post-holiday glow, or do a light layer to perk up your complexion. Head to your local Debenhams to try the colour with one of the girls on counter.

Another of my faves is Chanel Hydramax + Active Teinte in shade 10. This tinted moisturiser gives great hydration and fantastic colour. For a moisturiser it provides fantastic coverage, it is expensive but it is Chanel quality that you won't be disappointed with.

Giving your skin radiance in a minute is Clarins Flash Beauty Balm. This balm is my go-to product when I need to be perked up, and on an evening out I don't leave the house without it. It brightens your complexion and tightens skin and you can also use it as a face mask to soothe skin.

Lastly, when I'm caught short with a nasty blemish I always reach for Benefit's Boo Boo Zap, but I'm coming to the end of mine and I'm devastated because I think it may have been discontinued. I'm going to do my research and find out. It immediately dries up the little spot and mine seem to disappear the day after I've used the zapper. It's amazing! I'll keep you posted with what's happened to it.

Penny xx

The Christmas Mascara Special!

Merry Christmas every one! I'm getting right in to the Christmas spirit at the moment, at work on Friday every one wore santa suits for the day to raise money for a local hospice and it was hilarious! We all went to the pub at lunch and it was Christmas chaos. So to say the least I am excited for Christmas.

I thought I would spread a bit of this joy by rating some of my all time favourite mascaras so every one can have fun and flirty lashes over the festive season. No one should be without a good flutter.

LENGTH: To kick things off my first mascara I have chosen in my little showcase of luscious lashes is awarded for its ability to lengthen lashes to the extreme - It's MaxFactor False Lash Effect. This wonder buy has patented liquid lash technology with a huge brush that coats your lashes from root to tip. It sells itself as a volume mascara but personally I think it's amazing for length. Available in Boots stores nationwide and online at maxfactor.co.uk 

VOLUME: The winner for giving xxl volume for me is Lancome Hypnose Drama, giving instant body to lack lustre lashes. My lashes are quite long but sadly I don't seem to have many. However this mascara really plumps them out and creates a fan of gorgeous lashes. What I mostly love about this product is that you can add as many coats as you want and there's no clumpiness. A great natural mascara to create beautiful eyes - a real must-have in my opinion. Again available from most boots stores and online at boots.co.uk. I think there might an offer on at boots at the moment of two freebies when you buy two lancome products too so get buying!

Natural peepers

NATURAL LOOK: If you want to create the illusion that you're not wearing much make-up but you want your eyes to still stand out I have got a great one for that! My favourite mascara for creating a pretty natural eye is Rimmel Sexy Curves mascara. It doesn't create the longest lashes in the world but it does give you a nice natural look with a great curl and separation to your lashes. Available from Boots.

ALL-ROUND AMAZING: My favourite mascara ever is Chanel Inimitable Intense. It does everything it says it will - gives incredible length while volumising my weedy lashes and gives great curl while it's at it. I've worn it quite a lot recently and I've had comments from people asking if I'm wearing falsh ones because it creates such a great lash. It's £22.50 so at the more expensive end of the scale but I would definitely say it's worth it. Available from some department stores and boots and boots.com.

And that's me and my mascaras done for today, but I have so much more to say. If you want any tips on what mascara to get please do get in touch because I have used SO many mascaras and am more than happy to share my memoirs!

Sorry to be random but while I was writing this post my little brother made me a bacon sandwich without me even asking! Ahhhh how cute is that!

Bye y'all xxxx

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Perfect for your Office Party Look: Lips

It is always difficult to manage the boundaries at your office Christmas party...how much drink to have, how short you can allow your dress to be, how familiar should you be with your hot boss. Well, I'm giving you one less thing to worry about by showing you the best party make up without looking like the office ho!

My top tip is to pick one feature that you will focus on: eyes or lips. Christmas is all about the glitz and glam, and is the one time of the year that wearing glitter on your face is acceptable so take advantage and glam it up to the max.

If you are choosing to focus on the lips, think Lauren Conrad. Her skin is glowing from a dewy base, I would use Chanel Vitalumiere (£33) to create this golden look. Keep your eyes subtle with a light colour to cover the lids and open up the eyes. Clinique do some gorgeous soft pinks that would look beautiful with a bright pink lip. My favourite shade is Frosted Blossom (£14).

Next, line your eyes with a carbon black liquid liner and create full fluttery lashes with Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara (currently my favourite mascara). Last by certainly not least create the lust look for the party. The Lips! Pop on a bit of Dior Creme De Rose (£19.50) first to plump and soften that pout. I always apply my lipstick with a brush, especially a vibrant colour, because you can apply it in coats to build up a colour you feel comfortable wearing. Apply your first coat and then blot with a tissue. Next apply a second coat of the colour and this should now stay put for longer. To get the perfect pink pout I recommend Mac Amplified Creme Lipstick in Chatterbox (£13.50) - a vibrant pink colour that will get you noticed for all the right reasons!

Next installment I'll tell you how to create the sauciest smoky eye in the easiest way.

Comment below if you have any questions about where to buy the products mentioned or for any tips xx

The Beauty List

Hello lovelies, hope everyone is having a good weekend so far? I've just got in from having my second Shellac manicure - I'm an addict now. I've opted for a deep berry colour this time and I already know what I'm having next time. It's Christmas themed but you'll have to wait for the photos in two weeks time. It will be amazing, trust me!

If any of you are thinking of getting a Shellac manicure and are in Hampshire area I would recommend nailz inc in Fareham. A shellac manicure is a bargain at just £20, and ask for Jade or Sam.

Anyway, on to the Beauty List for this week. My first thing on the list is not actually a beauty product but I think is a must-have for all girls. Velcro Rollers! OK, so it's a bit Desperate Scousewives but honestly they are amazing. They give volume to the root of your hair so it has more oomph for a night out, or if you put the rollers in with wet hair and blow dry it will give you amazing curls. I bought mine really cheap from Superdrug, they were about £4.

Something slightly more expensive now - Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara. Providing volume, length and curl this mascara is truly gorgeous. It gives great separation too so your lashes don't appear clumpy. Chanel at its best. £22.50 available from most boots stores.

As a plea from me now I'm looking for an eye cream that will moisturise my dry and senstive undereye area, and will also banish the bags and dark circles. Any suggestions for me to try will be greatly received!

xxxx

Beauty Copycat - Miranda Kerr

Now this lovely lady is my biggest girl crush of all time, with Holly Willoughby as a close second! Miranda Kerr oozes beauty and always looks effortlessly gorgeous, even after a long-haul flight.

HOW?! I'll never know, but I can certainly try. For my drinks outing tonight I'm going to try and create her natural beauty - with the help of a little make-up!

Firstly I'm going to use Touche Eclat by YSL to lighten my undereye area, Miranda always looks fresh and awake. Then to create a dewy base, but subtle and light coverage I'm going to use my Estee Lauder Daywear Plus Tinted Moisturiser. This gives a gorgeous glow but doesn't look like you're wearing anything - Perfect for those lucky ones with good skin.

Miranda always looking healthy and bronzed but doesn't look like she wears a lot of bronzer so I'm simply going to use Hoola bronzing powder from Benefit and lightly dust it all over my face and neck to lift the colour of my skin. I would say the trade mark of Miranda is her rosy apple cheeks. To recreate this and still look natural a cream blusher is best. I'm going to use my Topshop cream blusher in Pop (£6 = Bargain!)

She has very feminine feline eyes, something I wasn't blessed with unfortunately but to create this I'm going to take a brown liquid liner through my top lash line with a flick at the end. Then a brown kohl liner lightly through the bottom lash line to give my eyes more definition. Onto mascara where I will use Lancome Virtuose, as you can build up the coverage you want on your eyes without it looking clumpy.

Miranda's brows are quite thick so I would take a brow pencil to thicken mine up slightly, and then finish off with a light lip, using Clinique's Moisturising Chubby Stick in Woppin' Watermelon.

And I'm transformed!

Winter Skin Saviours

When the decision to stay in alone with a mug of hot chocolate overrides going to the pub with the girls for a cider you know winter has set in. The best you can do is embrace the coldness like an old friend and take the opportunity to chill out and drink sh*t loads of hot chocolate - with added whipped cream. Now I know the media are trying to tell us November is the warmest it has been for years but I'm sorry it's still freaking freezing.

Although I do like the cold - when I'm fully prepared and wrapped up to every inch of my life - I don't like the effect it annually has on my already dry and sensitive skin. As a sufferer from Eczema, I have always been unfortunate in my skin in that it dries out really easily. A simple cold can leave Rudolph jealous of my gleaming beacon of a nose, and possibly not so jealous of the crusty bits that seem to take a lifetime to disappear.

As I became more aware in the correct way to look after your skin and treat it with the importance it deserves, I realised just how important it is to adapt your skincare regime to the climate around you. Going from a central heated office to the freezing outdoors is going to cause stress to the skin and leave it looking dull and dry - which is why it is so important to have a very moisturising skincare regime for the winter months.

Moisturising is the key part to your routine in the winter and you should do it up to three times daily. My favourite moisturiser for winter is Avene Hydrance Optimale Riche (£13.50). Now I just want to make it clear that I do work with Avene, but this in no way sways my opinion, nor am I writing this post on behalf of the company. This post is 100% my own view.

Phew now that's out of the bag...Avene is the perfect winter product. It contains the famous Avene Thermal Spring Water which is extremely gentle and soothing on the skin, and hydrates dehydrated, dull-looking skin. This product is available from Boots and is a winter must-have! I really do love it and find that it keeps my skin feeling comfortable and supple even on the coldest of days.

http://www.boots.com/en/Eau-Thermale-Avene-Hydrance-Optimale-Rich-40ml_1110295/

As part of your must-have kit for winter I also believe you should have a good eye cream to keep those peepers bright-eyed in those dark mornings. Use Clinique All About Eyes under the eyes each morning and night. This lightweight formula helps to diminish puffiness and dark circles. £23 available from most department stores and online http://www.clinique.co.uk/products/1683/Skin-Care/Eye-Lip-Care/index.tmpl

Another necessity for the winter is a good serum to keep your skin glowing - my favourite is Clarins HydraQuench Intensive Serum. This intensive rehydrating serum is perfect for even the toughest winters and will ensure your skin maintains its moisture levels to keep you looking gorgeous. It's pricey at £39 but worth it. http://www.clarins.co.uk/

Also invest in a good tinted moisturiser to keep a bit of a summer glow on your face, there's nothing worse than being caked in make-up with crusty dry skin hiding underneath - no amount of make-up can hide dry skin unfortunately. The best tinted moisturiser I've ever tried is Chanel Hydramax +Active Teinte in Sand (for fair skin). This moisturiser is great because it has SPF 15 in it and also great coverage. It has patented technology in it which means that the skin is able to hold moisture, so your skin is comfortable and moisturised from start to finish. The easy to apply moisturiser is the perfect product for me and even at £33.50 I will buy this product again and again.

http://www.boots.com/en/CHANEL-HYDRAMAX-ACTIVE-TEINTE-Active-Moisture-Tinted-Lotion-SPF-15-40ml-Sand_118764/

Hope this has helped ladies. Get glowing this winter! x

The Beauty List

Hello and welcome to another installment of The Beauty List. As I'm now saving for a mortgage - very grown up of me - I'm trying to not spend as much money on beauty products. So you may find that the Beauty Lists don't contain as many products as normal, saving money and all that.

First up this week...Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanner (£17). This self tanner contains Acacia micro-pearls which trap moisture released by the skin and expand in size like tiny microsponges, to fill in visible fine lines and pores. The caramel smelling mousse creates a perfect base to apply your make-up. I've wanted to try this product for ages and it did not disappoint.

Don't be tricked by its name though, the tan isn't instant - which I think is a good thing. It does however leave an instant perfect complexion feeling silky and smooth, but the tan develops on your face over a period of time. Overall great product, just don't overload it like I have! Currently sporting an orange face.

Get it today at a discounted price - http://www.feelunique.com/p/Clarins-Instant-Smooth-Self-Tanning-30ml

Secondly a treat for you all - 25% of amazing REN products!

Hurry the offer ends Tuesday! http://www.renskincare.com/

Enough said. xxx

Shellac You Are A Dream!

Day 12 of the Shellac manicure and my nails are still perfectly in tact and looking perfectly polished! The only bit I can possibly criticise is the nail growth by the cuticles looks a bit silly because my nails have grown a surprising amount on 12 days, which the manicurist said might happen.

So no chips, splits, smudges and it has helped my nails grow quicker! I repeat Shellac you are a dream.

Skin Treats from Betty Hula

As you may know I'm a bit of a sucker for anything that looks slightly Hawaiian and beachy, I'm completely won over if something has a slight hint of a flowery garland or grass skirt. So Betty Hula products already had a thumbs up from me from the creative and eye catching packaging, and I soon found out it gets better...

Betty Hula believes only in natural beauty and uses fair trade ingredients inspired by exotic Hawaiian scents. As well as looking pretty and colourful in my toiletries bag the body butters are some of the best I've ever tried. The key ingredients in Betty's range are Shea Butter, Aloe Vera, Cocoa Butter, Coconut Oil and Vitamin E with all different benefits to the skin the range is sure to keep your skin youthful and glowing. I have been trying the products for a while now and am impressed with the results so far.

The Champagne & Spice flavour Body Butter I've tried is a sensual smell, really rich texture - great for winter dehydrated skin. It's perfect for sufferers of stretch marks and scarring as the rich Shea Butter works its magic on your skin.

The Rum & Blackcurrant Body Butter (my personal fave) is an exotic and sweet smell, subtle enough for the day and apply again for a natural way to keep smelling gorgeous into the evening. I like to apply this after my shower while I'm still slightly wet as it locks in the moisture and keeps the smell fresher for longer.

As a sufferer from Eczema I have to be careful what I put on my skin and tend to stick to my favourites but these moisturisers enriched my skin leaving it nourished, feeling supple and healthy. I am extremely impressed with these products and at only £14.99 for 120ml pot it just keeps getting better!

Next I can't wait to try The Secret Oil from Betty Hula, rumoured to give you ultimate radiance from the inside out. This is one secret I will be sharing!

Available from Sainsburys nationwide and available online at http://www.bettyhula.co.uk/

Purple Haze

With the Christmas season fast approaching, a bit quicker than I would like, it makes me think towards glam party looks for the Christmas parties I'll be hitting up.

One look that I think is going to be quite key is using purple tones to define your eyes - especially if you have brown/green eyes. Use darker tones of purple the darker your eyes, and stick to subtle lilacs if you're a blue eyed babe.

*Top tips for using Purps eyeshadow:*

• To avoid looking red and bleary eyed make sure you use a good concealer first under your eyes (Benefit Eye Bright is great to rid the red)
• Keep the rest of your look pretty low key pairing with neutral colours, you can still go glam with neutral colours (gold and purple would be amazing for a discoteque!)
• Avoid pairing with pink blusher, fake the sunshine and sculpt your face with a deep bronzer (Givenchy are great for golden but subtle bronzers)

The must-have eye colour for winter is Nars Due Eyeshadow in Eurydice - an aubergine and graphite duo. This long-wearing, crease resistant eye colour is £23.50 available online or at most space nk stores.

The reason I think this eye shadow is so good is that it really does stay on for ages, and you can use it as a subtle shade or you can play with it and build up colour. Also can be used as an eyeliner if you use wet for more impact.

Make like Beyonce and Kim - Go purple this Christmas!

Graduation day

It can be quite difficult to find the right make-up for a big occasion, you don't want to to wear anything too different but you also want to make quite an impact with your make-up. As I opted to wear quite a shocking pink dress I decided to keep the face more low-key and natural. Here's the finished result and how I created it...

Firstly I took Clarins Flash Beauty Balm and put that onto cleansed skin to give me a more brighter and tighter look. Next I took Touche Eclat (No.1.5) and dotted it under my eyes, down my nose and just above my top lip to radiate my face. Touche Eclat is great for all occasions as it lightens up the face enhancing your eyes.

As I said in my previous blog post I used MAC Mineralize Satinfinish (NC25), I didn't use much foundation as I wanted a natural base - just enough to even out the skin tone. Next I took Benefit High Beam and dotted it where the light naturally hits your face - along your cheekbones and through the bottom of the eyebrows, gently rub this in to create a very soft sheen (AMAZING for photographs).

Next to compliment my brown/green eyes I used Benefit's velvet eyeshadow in Rich Beach, giving a beautiful shimmery effect on the eyes. I then glided a brown liquid eye liner from Collection 2000 through the top lash line to give my eye a bit more definition for the photos. To finish off the eyes I used Photo Flawless Mascara, from 17, on the top and bottom lashes. I also brushed through the eyebrows with Benefit's Brow Zings shaping wax from my sexy eyes pallet defining the eyes and giving some shape to my unruly brows!

To finish off this look I sculpted my face by using a bronzer on my forehead, under my cheekbone and on my chin, using my all time favourite Hoola by Benefit and then I applied Coralista onto the apples of my cheeks to give me a fresh glow.

xxx

The Beauty List

Sorry I had to rush off so suddenly yesterday, but as promised here is the second half to yesterdays Beauty List.

As you all know it was my graduation on Friday and I was on the hunt for a foundation that had the lasting power to keep me looking glam all day long. My first thought was Chanel - as it usually is - but I'm also a huge fan of MAC and know that their foundations are always a winner. I wanted quite a subtle finish but long lasting, so I opted for MAC Satinfinish SPF 15.

The foundation gives a low to medium coverage that can be built up for more full coverage in the evening. It has light reflecting particles in the micro-minerals that blend beautifully into the skin, leaving a luminous look. Where normal dewy foundations tend to slip off your skin throughout the day this keeps lasting and has a beautiful glow in photographs. In my opinion this is the best foundation for dry skin, I was extremely impressed with its ability to rejuvenate my skin, give me a radiant glow and how long it lasted. It's £22.50 and is available online. And my ultimate favourite thing about MAC foundations is there is a perfect match for every-one's skin colour, depending on the warmth/coolness of your skin.

Lastly on my list this week is Shellac. I had a geleration manicure not too long ago, and I wasn't best pleased with it. I decided to go for a Shellac manicure to see if that version was any better, and so far, so good for Shellac. The geleration failed pretty quickly and started chipping and peeling within a few days - 3 days in and no peeling for Shellac yet. With its mirror finish and no nail damage underneath, Shellac already has my seal of approval.

My tip is you're looking to get a Shellac manicure is to pick a colour that you will be happy with for 2 weeks because this bad boy lasts! Prices start at around £20.

The Beauty List

Hey y'all and welcome to the second helping of The Beauty List. This week I'm going to be quick because I'm just popping out to buy some goodies for my trip to Butlins next week with the girls! Cannot wait for the tackiest trip of my life, lots of pics to follow!

This week on The Beauty List at number one is my all time favourite YSL Touche Eclat, £24.50. This wonder product has been a must-have of mine for years until I found a cheaper alternative in Collection 2000 for almost a fifth of the price of YSL. However, as much as you can try and tell yourself that cheaper is better there's no way it can rival Touche Eclat. It really is in a league of its own. It highlights, brightens, conceals - and looks beautiful in your make-up bag on its timeless gold pen. The pen gives instant radiance and is amazing on my hard-to-conceal dark circles. A must-have for all women in 7 shades. Available from most department stores and online - no excuse ladies!

Now my friends have turned up outside so I must dash but I promise to finish off the list later! Got so much more to say ... xxx

Versace & H&M

Instore next week!!! Can't wait, H&M is already an amazing shop in my eyes - probably my fave - and it just keeps getting better.

Will you be buying Versace from H&M? Keep me posted with any purchases xxx

Important Chanel Update!!!

For any-one who loves Chanel there's some very exciting news for you! They are bringing out a new foundation on January 13th called Perfect Lumiere!

The liquid foundation is set to give the same full and professional coverage as Pro Lumiere but is longer lasting. So basically perfection in a bottle. This does come at a cost though, prepare yourself...Pro Lumiere is being discontinued *sad face*

Go and buy as much you can ladies because when it's gone, it's gone.

Can't wait to test the new foundation! Penny xx

NEW The Beauty List

Welcome to the latest 'feature' on my blog. As my blog continues to grow (thanks for reading!) I've been trying to think of different ways I can keep you guys knowledgable about the latest and greatest beauty products on the market. I know I can be quite slack with my blog sometimes so I've decided to have a weekend review of products that I'm loving for the weekend. Every Saturday I will aim to give you a list of the best beauty treatments, techniques, products and tips - what a great excuse to buy more products!

This Saturday its mostly about the lips, I'm loving Colour Surge Butter Shine Lipstick from Clinique, £16. The revolutionary gel formula gives the shine of a gloss, and the comfort of a lipstick. Butter Shine Lipstick is perfect for me because it gives great stand-out colour of a lipstick, but the gloss it gives makes the lips beautifully subtle. The colour I'm sporting at the moment is Pink-a-boo, a very girly baby pink that goes great with bronzed, glowing skin. It's a very 'Barbados' look I think, chilled and tanned! The coverage is sheer to moderate. For lips tips from Clinique themselves follow this link http://www.clinique.co.uk/cms/expert_tips_trends/library/articles_lip_tips.tmpl

What else I'm loving for the weekend is Catwalk by Tigi Salon Series Salt Spray, £9.99 from feelunique.com. With naturally wavy, thick, unruly hair it can take a while to control my locks in the morning! But then the miracle that is Salt Spray was delivered to me. I really really love it and would recommend it for all hair types. Even the finest of hair will see results from this product with the right amount of scrunching.

Spray the product into wet or dry hair and scrunch the hair. If you apply it to wet hair, then rough dry your hair while scrunching for the best effect. As a beach bunny I love this spray because it's such a natural and effortless look that does just make you look like you've spent a day at the beach. The spray gives volume and definition to your tresses - all round great product.

Next on The Beauty List are some brightening eye drops from Vital Eyes, £2.49 from Boots. Working in an office with computers and aircon every day, and being really prone to gross Conjuntivitus, my eyes always seem to be quite red at the end of the day. This is not a good look for me! Getting really fed up of looking tired and ill all the time I decided to try out some drops. What a difference they've made! My eyes almost instantly seemed brighter and whiter, taking away the bloodshot, tired look.

A definite winner for those who work with computers all day, and suffer from tired, dull eyes. The drops contain natural plant extracts and soothes away redness leaving brighter and more sparkly eyes!

That is all from The Beauty List this week, ciao for now I'm going to go and *research* for the next Beauty List.

Penny xx

P.S Just one more thing before I go, how amazing are these lips??!

ConGRADulations

Woop woop! I graduate next Friday - Check this 11/11/11! Cool eh? As cool as the date may be, I'm having a few wardrobe issues. Do I play it safe and opt for a smart black workwear dress...or do I try to jazz it up a bit and go for brights. I think the latter is my preferred option,  have you seen that ugly gown we have to wear?!

I've seen the most amazing shoes though from Dune - leopard print courts. However at £80 I might have to put that dream on hold. It's OK though I've seen a second pair in Topshop for a fraction of the price...£65. Clothing aside I'm also having a mare with my make-up look I want to go for on the day.

I need a foundation that will stay put for the whole day but I don't want it to look like I'm wearing a lot of make-up. Think I'll stick to my trusty Barry M coral lipstick to brighten the place up though. In the days up to graduation I'll be testing a number of different foundations for the big day and will give a round up in the next week or so. I'll be getting my hair dyed darker and a spray tan for the event and I'll be sure to post a pic so you can see the finished look!

Stay tuned for lots of pre-graduation rambles...
Penny xx

Lips to die for

So in my attempt to be a bit scary this Halloween I decided to opt for a cheap and easy option - Wear nice clothes but vamp up the makeup.

Although it's lazy you still get to look a bit nice on halloween! So I was on the look out for a dark purple, almost black lipstick and was expecting to have to turn over a few stones to find one. I was surprised when purple seemed to be the no.1 colour this month with offerings from Mac, Revlon and many more. Sticking with the earlier criteria of cheap I chose to go with Kate Moss' Lipstick from Rimmel, and got sucked in at the counter and also bought a dark berry - for blogging purposes of course.

The Kate Collection from Rimmel

If you're looking for an affordable but amazing lipstick then I recommend Kate's collection. The limited edition lipsticks are the iconic lasting finish lips, but with a slight glossy finish. It has long lasting power and gives really great colour and is a great price at £5.49.  With seven colours to choose from you're guaranteed to find one to match your complexion, and outfit! I opted for no.4 which is a grape colour, and amazingly smells like Grape too. The purple is gorgeous and I will definitely be wearing it long after Halloween! Available from the usual Boots or Superdrug, picks yours up at lunch tomorrow!

Mwah! xx

Catwalk by Tigi - I'm in Love

When I'm usually wandering around town on the weekend the two things I look at when I see a girl, is how has she done her make-up and what is her hair like - And then I usually take inspiration from them and try to recreate the look on myself. This might seem weird to some but I think it's a little thing that most girls do and it's how trends start.

I have been dying to recreate Blake Lively's hair for quite some time but have never quite got there! I'm very lucky to have thick hair, and lots of it. It has potential to be quite versatile but I only ever seem to have one style (I call it messy chic but I actually just don't brush my hair).

I love Blake's hair because it looks like there's no effort been spared to look that amazing, but you are fully aware she has some amazing stylists behind her. So I thought I'd put a bit of effort in to try and find the products to use to recreate her style. I've never been one to like a lot of products in my hair because I felt my hair looked weighed down and greasy, but now I think it's just a case of getting the right products for your hair.

The products that changed my mind were the gorgeous products from Catwalk by Tigi. The exact products that were used in Chris Benz's show at NYFW to create a glamourous look with a slightly trashy and imperfect twist - a style dream for me.

Chris Benz asked the Tigi Creative team to bring to life mugshots, and almost wig-like hair. Nick Irwin, Creative Stylist, did just this using Catwalk by Tigi Session Series Dry Shampoo and Work It Hairspray. After using the products myself to recreate the look I am extremely impressed with the quality of the product. To be honest though I didn't expect much less from Tigi.

The Dry Shampoo has a very light texture so your hair doesn't feel heavy at the roots, and it doesn't leave that tell-tale grey/white mark around your roots that most dry shampoos do. The hairspray has amazing holding power that stays put for the day, and doesn't leave your hair feeling dry and crunchy. Although I wouldn't walk round town with hair like off the catwalks, as above, the products allow you to create the same texture and style but more subtlety - Hello Blake Lively. The products are available from selected salons, and prices start at £11.50.

  

Saturday Round-Up!

As I've been a bit lapse with my blogging lately I thought I'd do a quick round-up of my latest and greatest beauty products that I'm loving.

First up, Benefit POWda WOWza (£19.50). This limited edition is the ultimate Benefit product for me, it has Hoola, Coralista and Bella Bamba all in one convenient box with a little brush for ease. I'm a die-hard fan of Hoola and have been wanting to try CORALista and Bella Bamba for ages. The CORALista gives a really subtle glow making you look like you've just returned from a Hawaiian retreat.

Bella Bamba gives you gorgeous girly pink flushed checks with a bit of sparkle for added glamour. The pack is small enough to take everywhere so there's really no excuse for non-stop glamour. I love it!

I've also recently suffered with the disgusting Conjunctivitus so I ran to Boots to buy the cheapest Mascara so I could use it on my Friday night and bin it after guilt free. I picked up Boots own brand 17 Photo Flawless Mascara (5.99) thinking 'it will do' and I was really surprised with the amazing eye lashes it gave me!

It has specks of gold in it so it makes your eyes sparkle, and the spooned brush gives your lashes incredible length. It has good lasting power, although the only negative is that you do get the dark patched under your eyes at the end of a long day, something which you wouldn't get with a high-end product. But for £5.99 this mascara is excellent. I bought another after my spout of Conjunctivitus and it takes pride of place in my make-up bag at the moment.

Barry M - Crackle Effect

Now I know I'm slightly behind the times with this one as the crackle effect nails has been around for ages, but I only felt it necessary to try it on an impulse buy on my lunch hour the other day.

It's all about the metallics this season so when I saw a gold sparkle crackle effect from Barry M I thought I would try the popular nail polishes. I have to say though I'm really not impressed with it. It's clever how it crackles as you watch it dry but I just think the effect looks tacky and really quite rubbish!

I'm sorry Barry M because I am a huge fan of your stuff normally,your  lipsticks are amazing. But the crackle nail effect doesn't get my seal of approval.

Gelac disaster

I've always thought that nails are quite an important part of a woman's appearance - the look of your nails can tell what type of person you are! During my early years at university I started getting acrylic nail extensions, which at the time I thought were amazing. They gave me the constant feeling of glamour and made me feel so much more feminine. Saying that, when they started chipping and peeling they looked hideous and took a lot of money to maintain - clearly not a great choice being a student. So I decided to go au naturel and try to look after my own nails by using vitamin e creams and getting all the potions necessary to have great nails.

I soon got bored of this and having heard recently about Gelac nails I decided to give them a go. Biggest mistake ever. The process of putting them on is ok, the gel dries pretty quickly so you can do things after that you can't normally do after normal nail varnish. Also, the nails did look very glam when they were first finished. I opted for a french manicure so it would go with every outfit, under the impression that it should last for up to 14 days.

I was very much misinformed. My nails started chipping after the first couple days and looked so horrible after about 4 days that I had to take them all off. When I decided to get Gelac I was also told that your nails underneath would be strengthened - however when I took mine off (properly) my nails were very weak and peeling underneath! I'm now back to square one with my natural nails, trying to strengthen them again, and more than likely going to weaken them with my next great beauty idea!

So if you want my advice ladies stay away from Gelac. Shellac is the same idea but may be more conditioning for your nails and have longer lasting power. I may have to try and let you know!

My rating for Gelac: 2/10 - Looked great to begin with but peeled too quickly and left my nails weakened underneath.

Under-eye bags be GONE!

Three days into the new job and I'm loving it! The role is perfect, the people are lovely and the beauty products are amazing. More updates to come once I've tried and tested the products! Recently, I've been on a mission to find an under-eye concealer that conceals and illuminates for a reasonable price.

Usually, I'm a devotee of YSL Touche Eclat. It captures the light and banishes those pesky tired and dark eyes. It really is an amazing product. But at £24 it's a bit out of my price range at the moment which upsets me...very much.

So I have been on the hunt for an under-eye concealer that doesn't make the sensitive skin around my eyes dry out. It has been an effort let me tell you! As I've said before I'm a beauty snob and prefer to buy high-end products but recently my bank hasn't been too pleased with my spending so I am trying cheaper options.

My mission was proving to be difficult as many of the cheaper brands were very heavy under my eyes (even with a light layer) and made them look even darker. As my last attempt I tried Collection 2000 as the name of the product caught my eye. Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch is a lovely product to use and I highly recommend it. At £4.99 it's a bargain and offers four shades to choose from (my colour is no.3 Glow).

The light product really does brighten up your eyes and stays put for most of the day. I'll admit that it doesn't equal the quality of YSL but for its price it is definitely amazing! I really do recommend it for people that don't want to pay for the higher end products. The soft brush makes the application of it very therapeutic and you look glowing for your commute to work! It can also be used to brighten up the complexion by applying it to the forehead, the bridge of your nose and the top of your lip to create a beautiful cupids bow. Go GLOW!

Easy to apply, good staying power, great coverage - 9/10.