REVIEW: Nars Lipgloss

The one brand I have always been missing out on, for my big make-up kit was Nars!

Everytime I went I didn't know where to start, what I needed or what was a good product. I did my research and there was a few I narrowed it down to, so I still have a list for what I want next.

My first 2 purchases were the original Lipglosses in 'Turkish Delight' and a Multiple Stick in 'South Beach' (I will soon do a review on my multiple stick)

This gloss is highly known for it to be Kim Kardashians go to Lipgloss. 'Turkish Delight' is a Sherbert Pink shade. I mainly use this over a nude/pink lip crayon which is perfect for giving an extra dimention. I didn't think this shade was highly pigmented enough for me as I love a bold colour on my lip. I would use this without a base colour though as its has a sheer candy pink look when applied on its own. Perfect for those who love a more natural lip and it is also enriched with Vitamin C.

Obviously there are tons of shades to go and buy but I do not regret buying this one. 

I just LOVE the feel and finish that these glosses give on the lips. 

Ive never been a big lipgloss fan for a good few years now as I love my lipsticks. Just because I hate the sticky, tacky feeling that they give on my lips especially on an everyday basis and getting my hair sticking all over my face but with this gloss I do NOT have this problem. I need every colour in this product. It feels like satin on the lips, luxurious creamy formula which glides on evenly and stays put for hours so when I top up I still don't have that sticky feeling on my lips which in my opinion makes these the best glosses I have ever brought.

The gloss goes on with a medium thickness so it is build able especially for the pigment when you want more.

I would highly recommend these glosses as my go to product so I say go out and treat yourself to one.

£18.50 may be a little pricey for a gloss but if it's the glossy look you love or you want to find a non-sticky gloss then it needs to be done.

Sophie x

The launch of Gucci Makeup

Its been a long time coming but we are finally getting nearer to getting our hands on the new Gucci makeup.

We first heard about the news around spring time this year but had no information or images of what it was going to be like. So now the times getting closer we are starting to see more sneak previews.

Gucci's creative director Frida Giannini worked on this collection with the one and only Pat McGrath. You just know this is going to be top of the scales!

The range will have over 200 products and more than 50 of those are shades of lipsticks which I am most excited to see as I have an extreme addiction to buying lipsticks. You can never go wrong with having every shade of lipsticks.

It doesn't stop there! They have a range of brushes which look perfect and i would die for the whole collection.

The packaging has of course got to be the interlocking Gucci G's head to toe gold and black! Could they have made anything more luxurious. 

So let me sum this up. We have collections for Lips, Eyes, Face, Nails, and Tools. 

Check out the collection on their beauty website and you can now buy online!

http://www.gucci.com/uk/category/f/gucci_beauty

REVIEW: Chanel Illusion D'Ombre (Cream Eyeshadows)

One of my all time favourite products from Chanel are these 'Illusion D'Ombre' Cream eyeshadow pots.

I only really noticed them at work last winter when the Christmas Holiday 2013 collection got released. I am lucky to get first peaks and lay my hands on these testers before they get put out.
The first one i brought was 'Initation' which is a bronze gold shade which tend to be the main colours every christmas collection anyway.

Straight after I looked into the rest of the original collection of the eyeshadows and discovered more shades which I fell in love with and ended up buying 'Illusoire' (Deep Purple) and 'Mirifique' (Black).
All of the eyeshadows contain glitter which makes each one more appealing to me as the look dreamy and give out such high pigments of the colours and glitter.

Chanel's Illusion D'ombres are a cream based product that still has a powdered finish with the high shine from the glitter included. They glide on easily without needing to keep applying number amounts of layers to see the colour as well as spreading easily. I would recommend applying with a synthetic brush, such as a small concealer brush as this holds the product better than a normal fluffy eyeshadow brush and also is a perfect size for the eyelid as this is where the product should mainly be applied. Don't drag... TAP
Also using your fingers to pack on the colour works well as this seals what you put on with the brush.

All colours can be easily worn for either every day or special occasions. As for the Black 'Mirifique' this looks gorgeous with a warm pink crease like 'Nooner' from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette then the chanel pot all over the eyelid or keeping the black on the eyelid and tapping a bold solid eyeshadow colour over the top such as MAC's Greensmoke as the reflects in both products make the eyes pop and also recreating a new colour to wear.

I wouldn't recommend these pots for blending and you will loose the colour pigment and end up with smudges of glitter over the eye.
And a major tip to remember is make sure the lids are on TIGHT as if air gets to them they will dry out and loose there creaminess.

Dior also do a range very similar called 'Diorshow Fusion Mono' I have one of these shades in 'Millennium' which is a gorgeous Kharki Green.
I seem to think that the chanel range are more creamer but both work the same way. Dior also do a range of beautiful shades which I will buy more of as they are an easy one over colour that can pick up any makeup look.

Get to your nearest Chanel Counter to check out the new Illusion D'Ombre for the Christmas 2014 edition and view the other shades.

Sophie x

REVIEW: MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion

The amount of highlighters I have would last me a life time. I was always indecisive about buying the Strobe Liquid Lotion as I usually stick to powder highlighters.

Until I worked on MAC Cosmetics counter on one of my shifts I saw one of the artists touching up her makeup. She used this product with Studio Sculpt Concealer and mixed it together then applied it under her eyes just like the YSL Touche Eclat and from then I knew I needed to invest!

I brought this the following day and wouldn't turn back now. I still use powder highlighters on the top of my cheekbones and I also still have my Touche Eclat but when i feel like a change or want to brighten up by under eye area even more then I use this.

Not only can it be used as a highlighter or mixed with concealer you can also use it on its own if you don't use foundation or mixed with your foundation all over the face to give your skin an extra dimension.

This is the lighter addition to the Strobe Cream that is a lot thicker in consistency, where as this Strobe Liquid Lotion is light-weight, easy blending/absorption and gives a natural looking glow.
It leaves skin looking radiant while the iridescent pigments in this lotion evens out and reduces the appearance of imperfections finishing with a healthy look.

Top Left: First application from pump.
Top Right: Working into the skin.
Bottom Left: Finished Look.
Bottom Right: Finished Look in Natural Sunlight.

Its a brilliant little product which would last a very long time, you would definitely get your use out of it. It comes in full size of 50ml and you can also buy the travel size which is great if you want to try it out instead of paying the full price of £24.50.

Sophie x

BEAUTY TRENDS: Autumn/Winter 14-15

After reading 'September Issues' and seeing the latest shows I have narrowed down to the top 5 Beauty Trends for Autumn/Winter 2014-15.

Metallic Eyes: From extreme metallic eyeshadow to a touch of metallic in the inner corners anyone can pull of the trend as you can wear as little or as much as possible. I love my Illamasqua Metallics palette and it is perfect to use for this seasons trend.

Donna Karan (Left) showed us the smoked out slier metallic look where Issey Miyake (Right) showed us the minimum look using a bronze gold in the inner corner then dragged out along the bottom lash line.

Pop of Colour: Similar to the metallic trend but using bold primary and secondary colours, mainly blues took over the catwalk but colours such as greens, purples and oranges showed up too.

Its a similar trend to the metallics as you can use as little of as much as possible from covering the eyelid in colour or just a cat eye flick like our Kenzo (Left) show. Dior (Right) went for covering the eyelid but keeping that cat eye flick and introducing glitter to the look (expect no more from Pat Mcgrath)

360 Liner: Eyeliner never goes out of trend, my day to day work look is winged liner and nothings changing this season. Focussing on eyeliner on top and bottom lash line creating a 360 liner look was seen on Marc Jacobs show. Others were sticking to the same look but bringing out more of a smokey eye or winged liner.

No Make-up, Makeup/Glowing skin: Like last season this trend is following through with the bare faced look but using ALOT of makeup to look like your wearing none, make sense? Well lets just say they use layers of concealer, correcting colours and highlighters.
Stella McCartney (left) showed us bare faced beauty and Ralph Lauren (Right) brought the glow into the bare skin making it look flawless and fresh.

False Lashes: The 60's inspired look isn't going anywhere, while were hanging onto the winged liner and beehive hair we also keep seeing big lashes over the catwalk too.

Easy day to day look with a feminine twist we see Gucci (left) and Versace (right) fluttering their full feathered lashes.

Sophie x

Kylie Jenner Lips

The Kardashians start crazes like no tomorrow!
Now its Kylie Jenners turn.
The youngest one of the kardashian sisters has set a new trend thats sky high across bloggers, makeup artists and the media.

Her Lips look amazing right now and her makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic got it spot on!
I have researched into what he actually uses on her but I think it must be a secret, unless she has had the surgery that the media keep talking about i don't know? But everyone is doing their own remake of the famous 'Kylie Jenner lips'. 

The best match i found was MAC Cosmetics Lipliner in 'Whirl' and Lipstick in 'Velvet Teddy'.

The Lipliner 'Whirl' is a dirty rose colour, like a reddish brown with a hint of rosebud pink.It is a dark neutral shade but can be pulled of with most skin tones from fair to medium.
The Lipstick 'Velvet Teddy' is a warm neutral beige with again a hint of rose bud pink because of course the lipstick and liner have to be a perfect match to achieve this look.It also has a matte finish which gives a good illusion of a fuller lip. 
Some Mac Matte lipsticks are really dry but this one still feels moisturising which is a bonus.

The whole point of the Kylie Jenner look is that she has made her lips look bigger and fuller.Start with neutralising the lips with a lip primer then patted with concealer over the top. Highlight your cupids bow and spread it a little higher than usual.Using your Whirl Lipliner apply it around the lining of your lips and gradually extend it over your lip line until you are happy with how full it looks. Fill in the rest of your lips with the liner also so you keep to the same shade all over.With your Velvet Teddy Lipstick go over the whole lip and the extended lip line and you will have achieved the perfect Kylie Jenner Lips.

This look works best with fair skin as the lip shade have rose/beige undertones, but if you want to use the same look on darker skin tones just change your lip shade and make sure it has more bronze/warm undertones in and that the colour is darker than your skin tone not lighter!
Sophie x

REVIEW: Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel

I first brought this before summer, back around May time as I knew I would be in need of a good bronzer for when I came back from my holidays. I read a lot about this before I purchased it and I read good reviews over and over.

When I got my hands on Soleil tan de chanel I tried it for the first time and I really couldn't get on with it. I tried applying it all over my face and it was just too heavy, then I moved on to certain areas and it still didn't look right, so another option was to apply it mixed with moisturiser so it didn't look so dark, it did look better but I still wasn't happy. I then went on to trying it with different tools. I started off with a beauty blender so I wouldn't layer on too much, then the real techniques stippling brush and I struck gold!

Before putting this straight onto my skin I moisturised with Loreal, sometimes applied Smashbox Primer (mainly when I went out), then used my usual Revlon ColourStay Foundation and applied this Chanel Bronzer over the top (with my stippling brush) - in circular motions I worked the product in to give it a flawless finish and I was addicted! I pretty much wore this every day through the summer, minus the Foundation when I got back from my holidays. I just applied it onto moisturised/primed skin. 

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel gives a beautiful Sun-Kissed glow, It's a smooth, velvet, mousse-like consistency, it blends easily on the skin, just make sure you moisturise as it will help this product glide. Cream Bronzers don't agree with everyone but I honestly recommend to keep trying different ways like I did as you will not regret it.
Not only can this product be used at a bronzer but also for contouring.

It is a bronze shade with a yellow based undertone that also contains flicks on shimmer but nothing extremely visible. This product lasts on my skin throughout the day and I never notice that it has faded or that I need to top up and also with me buying this bronzer so long ago it has also lasted me a good 4 months and I've only just hit the pan so a little does go a long way!

I know summer is now over but who doesn't love a glow all year round. I highly recommend this bronzer and you can buy over any Chanel counter and is priced around the £32 mark.

My next purchase from the Chanel Complexion Range will be their new Loose Powder so I look forward to trying that out and giving you a full review.

Sophie x

Make-up Trends Spring/Summer 2014

We're all ready for some sun now (fingers crossed we get some) but I thought, why not get you in the mood like seeing the new spring/summer make-up trends of 2014.

They all look summery to me and thats just how I like it. Pastels, brights and whites, what more could summer ask for?

I've came across 5 trends that I think will hit the top trends and see the most of.

Firstly I want to start with the;

No Make up - Make up -

We don't want our make up dripping of our faces in the hot sun so what better trend could hit the runway? Saves us all a lot of bother and our skin will not be able to thank us enough.

The best product you could use on this look is 'MAC Strobe Liquid Lotion' it has no foundation or colouring to this lotion just a simple cream with amazing highlighting effect particles. But if you feel like you can't go without foundation why not try the new CC creams? 'Clinique CC cream has been voted most popular, as it has basically everything in one tube!

This trend has been strutting itself down Victoria Beckham, Balmain, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant and Valentino.

Orange Lips-

I haven't heard a more talked about upcoming trend than the Orange Lips this season. Last season was the deep berry colour now its been flipped around to a bright neon orange which looks to die for!

This trend would pair perfectly with the No Make up trend as I myself can never look too simple and this will pop out amazingly, nothing beats a statement lip in my eyes.

The product you need to all be reaching out for is 'MAC Morange' Lipstick, it is the perfect orange that doesn't look too glossy or matte, and also has a silky, long-lasting effect.

If you don't want to be that daring go for 'Revlon Matte Colour Burst in Mischievous' which is similar to a Chubby Stick but because it is Matte it should look more pigmented on the lips so the orange stands out.

We have seen this trend on DKNY, John Galliano, Rag and Bone, DSquared and Prabal Gurung.

White Liner-

Some people use this trend more often than we think, especially using it on the waterline to give your eyes a more wider effect, but instead of black for winter, how more summery than to bring white to everyones make up looks. Everyone will look a lot more fresh faced when using white eyeliner as it looks very clean. This can be applied on the eyelid, upper lash line and lower lash line.

The only problem is finding a good white liner that stays on is very hard unless your up for trial and error with all different products. I would say look no further than 'NYX White Jumbo pencil' it is a big chubby pencil but still doesn't mean you can't apply it on your water line, it is so easy and soft (just make sure you buy a jumbo pencil sharpener)

This trend has been killing it on Kenzo, Tibi Catwalk.

Blue Eyes - 

People always stick to neutral browns on their eyes too often. Why not try out the new blue trend! You don't have to go OTT with blues but bring a flash of blue into your simple eye make up. Everyone does suit blue eyeshadow even if they think they don't, its just a trial of getting the right shade of blue then you will hit this trend bang on! 

Try to go more down the royal/navy blue such as a 'Urban Decay Eyeshadow' Urban Decay in my eyes has the best pigmented eyeshadows by far. If you wanted a palette that has different shades i would definitely recommend 'Estee Lauder 5 colour eyeshadow palette in Blue Dehlia' where blending will be your best friend.

Blue eyes made an appearance on Armani, Marc Jacobs, Prada and Celine.

Purple Make up - 

Like I said, Pastels for spring. Looks like they are bringing it all to eyeshadows this season, but don't forget about those pastel purple lips. I will warn that it is a hard trend to pull off and i wouldn't recommend it to everyone, but nothing harms giving it a try.

But for purple eyes this will definitely be one of my favourite trends this season, Purple/Plums look so flattering and you can create so many looks with any purple shade. I'm in love!

Firstly I will recommend maybe splashing out on the 'Urban Decay naked 3 palette' as this palette has the best warmth colours to use on the crease before starting your purple trend, then for purple eyeshadows try 'MAC Fig.1 and Vibrant Grape' These colours were at the top of my MAC list this month and I've been looking for good purples for a while. If you prefer more of the easy one colour option on a rushing work morning try the 'Maybeline Colour Tattoo in Endless Purple' it will stay on all day and it's an amazing colour.

Not forgetting the Purple/Lilac Pastel lip my go to product would be 'MAC Nicki Minaj 2' 

Purple Make up was seen on Holly Fulton.

These 5 are the trends I think will hit off mostly this spring and summer but other extra trends that have been seen are:

- Graphic Liner 

- Stained Lips

Can't forget to show you how gorgeous this is... (Cara at Moschino) 

What do you think of this season trends?

Are you stocked up and practicing?

Sophie xxx