Best Drugstore Brow Product | Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara

I do love a good eye brow product! They do so much to frame the face and thanks to Cara we are all taking more care of them . Eye brow gel was something I dabbled in during the 90's as an awkward teenager with not a lot going on in the face department. I brought my first make up in Tammy Girl, cheap, nasty and with a plastic smell that I can still imagine. One such product was a clear eye brow gel that looked a lot like a lip gloss and left my eye brows looking wet and gloopy. 

It is only in the last few months that I have dipped my toe back into the murkey waters of brow gels. For my first adventure I didn't want to spend a huge amount and while feeling spendy in my local boots I picked up a rather weird looking product from Maybelline. The Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara comes in 4 colours from Deep Blonde to Dark Brown and a transparent for those of you blessed with dark brows. I picked up a Medium Brown and gave it a try. 

What they say

Our ultimate fashion finish for brows. Detailing ball brush and no clump, no streak formula.

What I say

Well the Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara brush is weird but I have to say it works. There is a little ball of bristles on the tip wand but I am not sure why they have the bristles going half way down the stem, I think the ball is enough. It is easy to use and brush just the right amount of product through the hairs; it even picks up the small ones. I would suggest wiping the excess off the brush before you apply it because that can cause clumps and blobs to end up on your face and not your brows. 

The formula is fairly thick, exactly like a mascara texture but it doesn't make your brows overly layered. I think it looks like hair, only better. The colour was exactly the right shade for me, although it would be good if they had a few more for the people in between. This slightly thicker formula means that it holds the hairs in place and actually lasts all day, great for windy weather or light rain. 

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara

Do you have any brow gel recommendations? 

Stay beautiful

xoxo

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Review

I seem to be on this never ending hunt for the perfect mascara. I just cant find one that doesn't smudge onto my brow bone or leave dark rings beneath my eyes. I had a sample of the Eyeko Black Magic Mascara and after my much loved Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara dried up I thought I would give it a whirl. 

What they say: Designed for after hours seduction, the ultimate mascara combines three key elements to create drama, volume and curl. Conditioning formula blends key ingredients Keratin and Shea Butter for instantly transformed lashes and superior staying power that's easy to remove. 

What I say: Now I love love the packaging, it is different and I like different.  The Eyeko Black Magic Mascara wand has a curved brush to help shape and curl the lashes. I was happy to find out that the brush evenly distribute the mascara onto each lash and there was no clumping at all. My lashes looked very natural, but not very long. Another plus was that the colour is a deep black, so there is more of an impact for blue or green eyes. 

On the first day I tried it I really didn't like it. It was wet and really hard to build up, even with a few coats I couldn't get them to curl very well. Through out the day I had been wearing it and it was all fine, I couldn't see too much smudging which I was quite pleased about. Then I went and met friends. The first thing one of them said "Charley you have black marks under your eye brows", I was not a happy bunny! I rubbed them off and carried on my evening but I was really paranoid.

On the second day the formula seemed to have dried out a little bit and I found that I was getting a lot more coverage than the previous day. I started to come round to it and thought it was worth seeing through and I am so pleased that I did because I am hooked on the stuff. It is like black gold that adds flutter and definition to my otherwise invisible lashes! All hail Eyeko!  

Eyeko Black Magic Mascara, £18.00

Have you tried this mascara? What did you think? 

Let me know in the comments

Stay beautiful 

xoxo

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving

Flawless Foundation | Moisture Surge CC Cream Colour Correcting Hydrator Review

Shhhhhhh!!!! I am revealing my biggest beauty secret here, you can probably tell what it is from the title. I worked at Clinique for a year and became totally hooked on a few of their products, they pop up through out my blog. People often ask my how my foundation looks 'flawless' and if I am wearing the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (also a love), but I'm not and I can't take all the credit. The Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Colour Correcting Hydrator is one of those products I will never again be able to live without. 

Light Medium

After (using Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream)

With foundation

What they say: One day, your skin looks 'different.' Too red, sallow, dull or ashy. Our guiding dermatologists know why. Skin's undertones change. Now, Smart Colour Correcting Technology helps change them back. In seconds, you look like the picture of health. Lasting, oil-free hydration and a sunscreen mean a more flawless look tomorrow, too.

What I say: On its own it acts as a colour corrector, evening out the skin tone and providing light coverage; similar to a tinted moisturiser. I have quite bad acne scaring so this alone would not be enough to conceal the redness and any blemishes.

So here is my secret, I use the Moisture Surge CC Cream as a primer. I like to use a flat foundation brush to apply a thin, pea size amount over my face. This evens out the colour and redness but doesn’t give me the coverage I need, so I follow with my foundation. Today I have decided to use Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Makeup as I do not want it to look too thick and I want my skin so have a slight dewy sheen. Using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush I then gently buff the foundation over the skin and blend it in with the Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream. The finished look is all one colour, redness and shadows gone.

Some people have questioned if this is quite thick but actually it isn't if you partner it with the right foundation. I also found that the finished look is better if you layer the products rather than mixing the CC cream and foundation together. Another great thing is that there are sooooo many colours! You are bound to find one that suits your skin tone. At the moment I am using the shade Light Medium because it is summer, but I also have the lightest shade Very Light which is perfect for me during the winter when I have less colour.

If you have quite dry skin I would recommend a gentle weekly exfoliator, I have heard some people say it can stick to patches of dry skin. I have oily skin so I haven't found this. If like me you skin gets oily, I like to set the foundation with Estee Lauder Double Wear Pressed Powder, but some other setting powder would work just as well. 

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream Colour Correcting Hydrator, £28.00

Stay beautiful

xoxo

My Hand Luggage Holiday Essentials

I am exhausted and I have just got back from a four day holiday. How is this possible? I did nothing.....apart from lazing by the pool and slapping on the SPF, I spent the 4 days eating my weight in paella and drinking like a fish late into the night. My family have been holidaying in the same Spanish resort for nearly 25 years and not being one to break tradition I hopped on a flight and spent a long weekend in the sun. 

In preparation I tipped the entire contents of my beauty stash onto my bed and starfished in them for a while. My house mates think I am crazy to have so much! As any beauty addict will know it is often painful to decide what to take on holiday, you never know what may be thrown at you and the warm weather requires extra strength products to stop you face looking like you have slapped on a melting mask. 

So these are my top picks for hand luggage holiday essentials -

1. Goldwell DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum

I try really hard to look after my hair. Highlighting it every few months had left is really dry and damaged. The effects of chlorine and intense sunlight on holiday do nothing to help banish the candy floss fuzz. I discovered a new hair hero in the Goldwell DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum and I am obsessed. After washing my hair I rub a pea size amount in to the ends of my hair, where most of the breakage is. It seals the cuticles and nourishes the split ends to prevent breakage, leaving it silky smooth and soft. I can't live with out this product and it saves my holiday hair.

3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free - Shade: Blush

If there is one product that you need this summer it is this one! I have never been much of a fan of tinted moisturiser, having struggled with acne I find they do not give enough coverage. Having been on Roacutane for a couple of months now my skin has cleared up considerably and so I can now get away with slightly less coverage. The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free gives the exact amount of coverage that you would want pool side. It blurs imperfections and evens out skin tone, but it gives a lovely natural dewiness to the skin that you don't get from thick foundations. It also has the added benefit of SPF and the tube lasts for ages. 

2. Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45 

My natural skin colour matches that of a cold chicken you find in a supermarket. Pale, slightly yellow and you can see every thread vein or skin follicle; so sexy. Because of this I need to protect the skin on my face with a relatively high SPF. The Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45  is so light it can be used under your moisturiser or foundation. It comes out slightly tinted but once it is rubbed onto the skin the colour disappears. I love this product because it doesn't leave the thick greasy feeling on your face that some other facial SPF's leave. I am pleased to say my face was the only part of me that did not burn, the rest of the supermarket chicken got cooked! Ouch!

4. Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara - Shade: Black Onyx

I am having a bit of a Clinique fan girl moment. When I first tried this mascara I really wasn't keen. It dries up very quickly and you do need to add a few layers to get the lashes looking nice. But after taking it on holiday with me I am now obsessed! It coats each lash making them appear longer and fuller. The best part is that with even an excessive amount of sweat and pool time there was not a panda eye in sight.

Goldwel DualSenses Rich Repair 6 Effect Serum, RRP £9.60

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser SPF20 Oil Free, RRP £34.00

Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Defense SPF45, RRP £26.00
Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara, RRP £18.00

Do you have any holiday essentials?

Stay beautiful

xoxo

Shine Bright Like a Diamond | Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Review

Beautifully highlighted cheek bones are having a moment. You only have to look at the Instagram's of Kendal Jenner and Kim Kardashian to see that luminosity just radiates from them. What I often have to remind myself when I look at theses photos and feel a little down is that it is all fake. Clever makeup skills and filters help these celebs to achieve flawless skin or perfect cheek bones. So I wanted to try it for myself.

The first product I wanted to try was the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector, I brought it from Sephora in the shade Moonstone. I really liked the sound of the product, it contains skin benefits (not sure what these are :s) and a splash of helpful SPF25, great because I have very pasty skin. SpaceNK has this product in back order, it is that popular that us UK kids are having to resort to Ebay and Sephora to get our beauty mitts on it. 

What they say: A shimmering tinted moisturiser designed to even-out skin tone and give your face a healthy, natural glow. Antioxidant vitamins A, B, D and E aid skin cell repair and increase collagen renewal, whilst simultaneously protecting against free radical damage. SPF 20+ filters 96% of harmful UVA and UVB rays, fortifying your face against the elements.

What I say: The packaging is very simple and elegant. I guess the price you pay is for the contents. Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector is very sheer, with a crème-liquid feel. I was worried it would be a bit sparkly, but actually the particles are ultra-fine and really reflect the light in a beautiful way. When I applied it to my face it felt a little thick but once I buffed it in using my Real Techniques Stippling Brush it really sank in and didn't affect the foundation underneath. I really like that it contains vitamins, however unless I use it all over my face I don't think I will get the full benefit, at least I will have healthy cheek bones! I am not sure I would use it as a moisturiser, I think I moved on from the glittery face post the year 2000 and school discos. But I do think using it as a subtle highlighter is perfect, the skin almost glows. Plus using so little product means it will last longer, making the hefty price tag easier to bear. 

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone, Space NK & Sephora, £33.00

Let me know if you want to see what it looks like on my face. Have any of you used it?

Stay Beautiful

xoxo

Brow Wow | Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Review

Everyone knows I love a good brow! I have followed the ever changing trends with such dedication that when the no eyebrow look started being adopted a weird part of me fancied trying it.

It seems I am not alone in this thought with sales in eyebrow makeup sky rocketing! Some of this hype is down to a little lady called Cara. According to the american research group NPD the top products come from MAC, Clinique and Benefit. But a new brand born in America and made famous by Cara is Anastasia Beverly Hills and it is taking the market by storm. 

I first heard of Anastasia Beverly Hills when I worked on the beauty desk at Vogue. At the time I was doing some research for a feature on Cara Delevingne and her famous brows; I wonder if she has them insured? The woman behind the brand is legendary eye brow guru Anastasia Soare. 

Cara swore by the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade, a product that catapulted the brand to cult status. Sadly, back then there was no way to get the products in the UK and my little feature was scrapped. But now with the amazing techno behind Cult Beauty and Sephora now shipping to the UK, it is possible to get your hands on the suff!

I opted for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz *puts tongue back in mouth* in Medium Brown, a pencil with a retractible nib, very similar to the Clinique Brow Pencil which was my go to brow product. 

What they say: Sometimes brows need a little magic. Long wearing pencil feature an ultra fine nib to easily fill in gaps and mimic brow hair.

Before (*I tint my eyebrows)

After using Brow Wiz

What I say: The AB Brow Wiz's fine nib means you can individually draw hairs onto the skin, great if you have the time and patients to watch paint dry- I do not. I found that I had to really layer the product to get some depth of colour, but it meant I made less mistakes and the brows looked a lot more natural. I can't imagine the nib would last very long with the amount you have to use, which is a shame seeing as it costs £15.50. But I do love that it comes with a little synthetic brow brush to tame unruly hairs.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, RRP £15.50, Cult Beauty

Stay Beautiful

xoxo

What's in my Sephora Haul

It is often said that America is the land of dreams, certainly for me it is the land of my beauty dreams. I recently took a trip to America but stupidly missed every Sephora store over the two weeks I was there. I was clawing to go! I was sneakily directing my friends so we walked past stores and casually hinted that I wanted to ‘pop’ in. What I should have done was scream and jump up and down until I was in the Mecca of beauty heaven. But I didn’t and the two weeks past without a visit. 

For those of you who don’t know what a Sephora store is I will explain…. Imagine a Boots, but not just any kind of Boots, one that holds only makeup and from brands that hold a cult status. I recently heard that you can order from Sephora online and get it shipped over; jumping on my laptop I placed an order straight away! 

They are a little bit funny about what you can and can’t order. Nail polish, aerosols and perfume are a no no. But weirdly so are a lot of eye shadow pallets, like the Urban Decay Naked Pallet. So after an hour of going through I chose some of my favourites and paid the postage (not cheap, but better than paying double the price in the UK) Note: the prices on the website do not include tax, this is added on at the end, so make sure you think of that when you are purchasing anything. 

I was so excited for my parcel to arrive! Here is my excited face! 

Wanna see what I brought? 

1. Anastasia Beverly Hills Contor Palette - Kim Kardasian's answer to perfect cheek bones 

2. Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector - The cult blogger favourite for highlighting – fakers way to luminous skin (Review)

3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - Another cult hero product for getting the Cara brow! (Review)

4. Too Faced Natural Eyes Shadow Pallet  - The perfect combination of colours for day and night looks I am going to review these products separately, so look out for the posts. 

5. Free Samples!!!

Have you ever brought anything from Sephora? I would love to know your favourites!

Stay beautiful! xoxo

Faking a Bone Structure | Sleek Makeup Face Form Contouring Palette

I blame my lack of bone structure for the fact I am asked for ID when I am buying paracetamol or alcohol. I have quite a round baby face, which many say I will appreciate when I am older, but for now it is annoying. I am a 25 year old woman with the face of a teenager. So in my hunt to chisel my features I asked fellow bloggers on Twitter (@pixipicks) to recommend a contouring pallete to help. There was one product that stood out and was the top of all of their lists, Sleek Makeup Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette. I popped off to Superdrug to see what all the fuss was about.

Blusher

Highlighter 

Contour Powder

Contour Powder / Highlighter / Blusher

No Contouring

What they say: With multi-tasking elements such a contour powder, highlighter and blusher in one neat compact designed to suit all skin tones.

What I say: The idea of having all three products in one neat compact is genius. The matte brown powder is perfect for creating shadow in the hollows of the cheeks. The best way to find the hollows of the cheeks is to make a fish face and suck them in.

Run the contour powder from the ear down to the hollow of the cheek and blend. I like to use the Real Techniques Contour Brush. The blush is a nice shade, but it isn’t very heavily pigmented so you need to build colour. I’m not keen on the shimmer in the blush; I think it would have been better to have a matte colour as there is the highlighter that can be added afterwards. It is a little too much shimmer to add them both. I use the highlighter down the ridge of my nose, chin and forehead. 

Before Blending

After Contouring (This photo looks edited but it's really not)

I really like that it is s easy to use and is small enough to carry around. Also the price is pretty damn good!

Sleek Makeup Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette, RRP £9.99

Rant or Rave?

RAVE

Stay Beautiful

xoxo

(Purchased product)

Blogger Crush: Company Magazine #StyleBloggerAwards 2014

Having a girl crush moment……

Having lived in the world of beauty for such a long time I have sort of been living under a rock when it comes to fashion, until Wednesday. Myself and fellow blogger Alisha Magic were lucky enough to be invited to the Company Magazine Style Blogger Awards 2014 at The Oval in East London to recognise and award the best in the industry. 

It started off as a bit of a nightmare as the Central line was suspended and Alisha was stranded in commuter hell, I was relaxing in a park soaking up the sun mwhaha! I decided to head along to the awards on my own and check it out. While I waited I propped up the bar with some delicious Pinky Vodka cocktails and dished out awkward smiles to the other party people. I even got my hair sorted buy a fabulous Lee Stafford stylist who wanted to give me a rocky edge, fairly difficult with my very fine hair. When Alisha finally arrived we threw some interesting looking shapes on the dance floor, ate some gluten free Heck sausages and drank some head spinningly strong Koperberg vodka cocktails – flirting with the bar staff gets you triple measures ;)! 

What I wore:
Top - Zara
Trousers - Zara
Shoes - Dorothy Perkins
Bag - Mulberry
Lip Stick - Joan Collins Timeless Beauty in Fontaine

Music was provided by the fabulous Zoe London, one of the nicest girls, and we chatted to Kayla Hadlingtion , Leanne Woodfull and Scott Emery for most of the night. I have to say that these two made my night and I now have a big old girl crush, check out their blogs! Sadly by the time we left there were no goody bags left, which is a shame seeing as we provided a lot of entertainment with our on stage dancing and toilet selfies - keep scrolling to see what I got up to.

(disclaimer - very drunk faces and blurry selfies, got to be done..)

What I didn’t expect from the night was that I would meet such a lovely bunch of down to earth and genuinely friendly people that I had THE best night with. I am so proud to be a part of an industry that celebrates talent and recognises creativity in such an incredible way.

So, who won what! 

Congratulations girls and boy on your well deserved titles! 

BEST DESIGNED BLOG - What Olivia Did
www.whatoliviadid.com

BEST PERSONAL STYLE BLOG - In the Frow
www.inthefrow.com

BEST FASHION BLOG - Melon Lady
www.melonlady.com

BEST PERSONAL STYLE BLOG - Lydia Rose

www.lydiarosexo.blogspot.co.uk

BEST BLOGGING DUO - London's Closet
www.londons-closet.com

BEST INTERNATIONAL BLOG - Thunder and Threads
www.thunderandthreads.blogspot.co.uk

BEST TEEN STYLE BLOGGER - Rose and Vintage
www.roseandvintage.blogspot.co.uk

BEST MALE STYLE BLOG - Steve Booker
www.stevebooker.co.uk

BEST FASHION BLOG (NEWCOMER) - The Pixie Cut
www.thepixiecut.blogspot.co.uk

BEST INTERNATIONAL BLOG (NEWCOMER) - Creepers and Cupcakes
www.creepersandcupcakes.blogspot.co.uk

Are there any fashion bloggers you think I should be following?

p.s don't forget to follow me on Blogloving