Guest Post: 5 Steps to Apply Concealer

FIVE STEPS TO APPLY CONCEALER

Concealer is a beauty essential in any woman’s make up kit that can light up a tired face and efficiently hide blemishes, but on one condition, ‘Proper Application’. Call them makeup tips or beauty tricks but here are five quick steps of how you should ideally apply the concealer to get the best results.

1.    Choose your concealer well- Concealers can come in variety of shapes, sizes and brands. When taking care of your face, always remember that brands do matter. You can’t choose something shabby to apply on your face. Also understand the purpose of buying the concealer. Is it for covering dark circles, acne or sub burn? There is wide selection available in the market as per your face needs. One should ideally pick a concealer two- three shades lighter than their skin shade.

2.    Cleanse your hands and face- Never use dirty hands to apply anything on your face. Make it a point to wash your hands before you start beautifying yourself. Also wash and cleanse your face with a face wash that suits your skin (Quick tip: Everyone has a different skin type. It is essential to understand whether you have dry or oily skin and choose your face wash accordingly). Apply moisturizer on it and wait for 10 minutes before you start using the concealer. The cleaning and moisturizer protects your skin from getting clogged and makes the makeup look more natural.

3.    Focus on the dark circles- Use your fingertips to apply several dots of the concealer under your eyes. Tap the concealer using your middle finger (Or any other finger, no hard and fast rule here) under your eyes to make sure it blends well with the skin tone. If the under eye circles are very dark, use the yellow tone concealer for best results.

4.    Don’t forget the face- Once you are done with the eyes, move onto the nose, chin and cheeks. Apply concealer on the uneven spots, acne, blemishes, burns et al and rub until it blends with the rest of the face colour. Use a fine tip brush for pimples and angled brush for scars. If any part of the face is too red, use green tone concealer to hide that as green cancels red, being opposite on the colour wheel. Make sure you never rub the concealer but just dab it smoothly across the face. Only apply a second layer if you need further coverage otherwise the skin might look unevenly coloured.

5.    The final touch- Once you are sure of the layer of concealer on your face, apply foundation to give it the final touch. Although we strongly recommend, the lesser the better. The only purpose of the foundation is to make the skin glow after all the scars on the face have been concealed. You may also dust your face lightly with compact powder to give it a nice matte finish and keep the concealer in place. The powder also tends to keep the skin dry keeping the skin from sweating too much.

You might not believe it but the way you apply your concealer can make all the difference in the way you look. All you have to do is follow these simple steps and see it for yourself.  

Author’s Bio: Sonam is a beauty blogger and she writes for various makeup and skin care websites. Some of the best available tips on skin care, hair care and makeup can be read on www.beautytipsandideas.com.

Wild About Beauty - My New Favorite MakeUp Brand!

It has been a little while since I blogged about make up, having focused on skincare for some time. Having spent a little thought on what I wanted to blog about, I decided it be a fabulous opportunity to write and review on a totally new makeup brand - Wild About Beauty.

One reason in particular why I wanted to write about Wild About Beauty, is that as you know, I don't like using products with certain ingredients in - one being Parabens. I wanted to write about a makeup brand that was natural and not full of nasties which a lot of self selection makeup and some premium brands are made of.
I had heard about this brand before it got launched around late autumn, as being in the industry myself, but with counters in selected Debenhams and House of Fraser stores exclusively at present, there maybe still alot of people who haven't stumbled across this brand.

Who and What is Wild About Beauty?

Wild About Beauty is the skin-loving cosmetics brand co-founded by Louise Redknapp and International Makeup Artist, Kim Jacob. Combing their mutual look on fashion, beauty and lifestyle, with Kim's in-depth knowledge on product development, Wild About Beauty was born, taking a fresh approach to cosmetics, providing high quality preforming make up whilst never compromising on ingredients.

Appealing to today's modern women, their Paraben Free collection of core makeup essentials are packed full with nourishing, beneficial ingredients including Winter Cherry Extract, German Chamomile and Organic Rose Water that work in harmony to enrich and care for your skin.
A beautiful range consisting of wearable shades and textures that go from day to evening look, that enhances effortlessly natural beauty.

So after speaking with a few people within the company, they sent me a lovely collection of products to test and review for them.

Nutrilash Nourishing Mascara in Jack Black - naturally promotes stronger, thicker lashes. Packed full of naturally derived active ingredients, this mascara not only adds volume and definition, it also conditions lashes and enhances growth.

This mascara uses a product which I totally love using on my skin - a Marine Algae Extract that works as a treatment to increase lash length and density (Marine Algaes have amazing properties in their natural habitat which work on your skin too, and gives you amazing long lasting results).  Cotton Bloom and Grape Seed Extract are used to protect and strengthen your lashes, whilst Quackgrass keeps them packed with moisture and looking luscious.
The price is fantastic too at just £18!, and I will certainly be buying this when this runs out.

Eyeshadows consist of : Jody, Rowan and Eve - are highly pigmented, satin textured Powder Eyeshadows in a selection of 12
easy-to-wear neutral shades that will suit all skin tones.
The creamy shadows are enriched with skin conditioning Aloe Vera and Vitamins E and C, which makes these highly pigmented shadows glide on and blend easily, ideal for achieving a multitude of looks.
The shadows are gorgeous on the eye, very smooth and creamy when on the eye. Again I feel in love with these. Great for blending and creating a look for day to night.
The price is reasonable too, at just £14.

Below are some pictures I tried to take of my self of the look I created, a smokey eye look.
 I applied the lighter shade as a base all over first which was Eva, than applied Rowan from the middle of my eye to the outer and the lid crease. I applied Jody as a liner on the lash line top and bottom. Finishing off with the mascara

 I loved how the colours blended well and the shimmer they gave. I will certainly be buying the some more as I love to use pink and purples on my eyes too to bring out the green in them. However these colours will be great to wear for my work as they are natural looking.

There website has a section on how to create different looks with there products.
http://wildaboutbeauty.com/get-the-look

I just love the everything about the packaging and presentation of the products. The eyeshadows have the honey bees imprinted in them, and the mascara and boxes have different wildlife on them, which gives you an insight of what the products are all about.

My nearest counter is Debenhams Milton Keynes so I will be definitely going in to the girls on counter and have a good look at the other products.

For more information visit:
www.wildaboutbeauty.com
www.debenahams.com
www.houseoffraser.co.uk

Carmine: Beauty's Best, In a Box........ Review

OMG! What a pleasant surprise when I got home on Friday evening from work. A beautifully wrapped box holding inside 3 Full Size products and 3 samples of beauty products. And all that I will definitely use.

As a previous subscriber to GlossyBox and leaving them after such a bad run of experience from them ( customer services and box issues ), I left ( with some other ex-subscribers of GB ) to test out Carmine.

 As I unwrapped the ribbon, a card showing you all the products inside gave you all the details of the products,indicating which ones are the full size ones.

I was shocked to have received such a generous box containing 3 Full Size products plus a trial size sample and 2 sampler size samples.

With GB you were lucky to receive 1 full size product, yet alone a box worth this much.

So what was in the box??????




A full size product of;

The Balm - FretBoy All in One Shadow/Blusher

Andrea Fulerton Nail Polish

Daniel Sandler Eye Delight

 A Trial size White Glo, professional choice whitening toothpaste

and sampler sizes of

Yardley London Peony Fragrance

Diego Dalla Palma Lipstick no 42.





I wore the Daniel Sandler Eye Delight on my inner of my eyelids with The Balm across the rest of my eye and on my cheeks and the lipstick to work the next day. To my surprise I got loads of comments which gave me a chance to tell them about Carmine as well.

This morning I tried the toothpaste, I just LOVE the taste of this! It isn't your normal minty taste, I cannot quite put my finger on what the taste is but it is lush.  My teeth felt really clean but i will see in a few days if it makes my teeth whiter.

The Yardely fragrance is okay, just a little too powerful for me and very classic.

The lipstick is gorgeous, it comes out a coral pink/golden/apricot colour on me and works really well with the balm - fretboy shadow/blusher.

I have tried a little of the nail polish as my nails are very short was going to try this once i have put some fake nail on - on my nail it looks gorgeous - i have the bluey/green colour which has sparkly bits in when it dries. I have to say this product dries really quick and will require a good 2/3 coats on if you like it vivid as 1 coat looks watery.

Daniel Sandler eye delight I think is going to be my fave eyeshadow now. It sticks to your eyelids really well and the colour is amazing. I have the silvery white one which again worked really well the the pinky/apricot colour of the Balm/fretboy and the DDP lipstick.

Overall I am really impressed so far with Carmine, normally with GB boxes i only like a couple of products or I already use them. I can't wait till next month for my next surprise.

If you fancy trying out fantastic beauty products every month from Carmine than visit
Carmine.co.uk

• Receive a great box of make-up, haircare & skincare every month
• For only £10 per month, get £25 to £50 worth of products!

Time to re-update my beauty bag?

I had a heart attack this morning when I went to open my makeup bag. All the contents were covered in a brown dusting - OMG my 3 y/o had been in it yet again and left one of my loose eyeshadow powder lid off and had emptied out onto everything inside my beauty bag.

As an ever curious, learning machine, my 3 y/o daughter just loves to go though my makeup in the morning when I am getting ready, trying to coping what I am doing. If it not blusher all over her face, lipbalm all over her top, it is makeup all over my bag. I wasn't mad, or angry, it just makes me laugh that even from this young age, little girls seem to have it built in them what is girly and what is boyish. Or is it just the fact she watches, learns and copies from me?

Anyway, as I pour the contents of my makeup bag in the sink to clean, I thought it was about time I actually got rid of items, 1) I no longer use, 2) have recently had a reaction too - ( how being pregnant can change your skin and sensitivity ), 3) is more than 2 years old and needs to be chucked out.
A part from my mascara's and some recent products, most of the contents ended up in the bin for reasons above - the fact that I have only just started wearing a full face of makeup again since returning back to full time work probably explains the reason why my makeup bag really did need sorting out despite the mishap.

So my hunt is on now to find some new colours for my eyes, as these were mostly what I had in my bag, and since I recently brought my BareMinerals kit containing my foundations, bronzer and concealer, there isn't really much else I need.

Oh probably need a new makeup bag as despite giving it wash, some of my bright colours have stained it.

Lip Ink, Organic Semi Permanent Lip Colours

For those who love lipstick, liner liners, lipgloss this product is something you got to give a try!
I don't wear lipstick unless I am going on a night out, even than I mainly where a lipgloss of light colour, however with over 50 colours from Nudes, deep red, to wacky bright colours and a wide range of lip products ( lip ink colours, lip gels and lipsticks, Lip Ink® lip liners, lip shines and moisturisers and 3D LipMax Lip Volumiser ), I knew there be something I would feel comfortably wearing all day.

Lip Ink was created in 1995 and  backed by multiple patents and industry awards. It is a waxless, waterproof, smearproof, and ultra-durable, natural liquid lip color and is organic too!
All the products are made with no added preservatives, using pigments, 40 natural herbs and botanicals including goldenseal, chamomile, rosemary extract, seaweed, calendula extract, beta carotene, Vitamins E, C, B-.

The colour also speeds up natural lip exfoliation of dead skin cells - revealing softer, smoother, younger-looking lips in their natural state.

With Lip Ink you get a colour guide to match the perfect colours suited for your skin tone, eye colour and hair colour, ( if you go to the website you can use a selection of models with some colours, or you can speak to Simone personally for a consultation ).

You are also advised if your new to Lip Ink to order a sample pack which includes the Off solution, Shine and the colour you have chosen.

 I was given the colour Nude to try which I found was nice and would look good once my face was done up with makeup. I only used one layer here ( you can layer up the colour to 3 layers to achieve your perfect shade ).

Three days later I decided to try it again, this time with the three layers.

As you can see from the second photo, you can increase the deepth of the colour to your liking by choosing how many layers you wish to put on.

Instructions on how to use the kit was very clear to understand.
 You use the Off solution to clean your lips, than splash with water and pat dry.
 The shine moisture is than used as a base conditioner and massage thoroughly on your lips.
You than apply the lip colour to relaxed lips sweeping it slowly in one direction. If your going to layer the colour to achieve a more vibrant colour - you allow the colour to dry for 10 secs before each application.
The Shine is than used to finish  which you can either blot to leave a Matt look or add a little more for a shine/glossy look.

Remove LIP-INK® COLOUR by using the OFF solution on a cotton ball, make-up pad or a warm, lightly moistened, dark-coloured wash cloth. Press to the lips and leave for a few seconds for the OFF solution to break down the pigment. Gently dab the lips (never scrub) to wipe away the finish, flipping the pad, or cloth as you do so. After colour is removed, splash lips with water and pat dry.

The colour when applying creates a slight tingly sensation for a few secs, this reaction is normal. The sensation is due to the natural, organic, botanical and herbal ingredients.

What was great about this product is that it didn't feel like you had anything on your lips, and you could drink, eat, kiss without any colour coming off. I would totally recommend this to any one who uses lip colour every day.

For more information on LIP INK, or to order visit www.lip-ink.co.uk

Benefit Cosmetics Boutique Beauty Bars

I moved to Aylesbury nearly 3 years ago and before that I had never seen a Benefit shop, just pictures and write ups in magazines, and so I thought I'd pop in and see what they had on offer in our local boutique last Thursday.

I introduced myself to one of the girls that I was a beauty blogger and was wondering if they were able to supply me with samples to review about. The friendly staff member went and got the manager, Laura who kindly offered to demonstrate what services they offer and supply me with a little bag of samples. So I booked myself in for Saturday afternoon treat when I was able to leave my daughter with my partner so I had no distraction and enjoy being pampered.

On Saturday I was pleasantly greeted by the staff, and was told my Laura that Hannah a brow expert will be doing a wax on my brows and than herself will do a makeover on me. I had never had my brow waxed so I was quite excited to try this out.

Hannah explained how the process work, by mapping out my brow first showing me in the mirror how they achieve a perfect brow shape. She committed how perfect my shape was already which was a lovely compliment. Hannah than proceed with the waxing, which was rather pain free! and was surprised how little the redness was afterwards. Hannah than applied some soothing Aloe Vera to help moisturise and sooth the area.

Laura than took over to do the makeover. She explained that she would do half my face first going though step by step what she was doing so I could see the contrast of the look with my natural bare face on the other. Laura decided we would go for a smokey eye look, which I was thrilled about as I love that look but never really seem to get it right myself.

To start of with Laura applied to different colour powder foundations samples on my cheek and asked which one I'd preferred - a more skin matching tone or a slightly darker warmer tone. We both decided the natural one would look best.  The "That Gal Primer" was than put all over my face which you can wear under makeup or by itself to invigorate and brighten. " Hello Flawless Foundation" was applied and than a natural brow pencil ( which I was daunted about first as never got the hang of doing this either ). Laura demonstrated how to apply the brow pencil really well and made me feel confident in trying this myself at home.

Next were the eyes using the "Smokin' Eyes" kit which comes sultry shadows, highlighters, brow enhancers and a step by step instructions on how to create this wonderful look. Laura again demonstrated how to do this step by step showing me each step with the mirror, so that when I want to create this again at home, I would feel confident in doing so.

The "Erase Paste Concealer" was than applied under the eyes which helps with any dark circles, discolouration, and eyeshadows ( this is a product I definitely need as a mum! ). 
"Bad Gal Lash " mascara was used for my lashes which is a dark, inky mascara to give thickness and length to your lashes ( I have naturally long lashes and this made them look even longer! )

To compliment my sultry eyes, "Hoola Bronzer" was applied in a number 3 shape around my face, starting from the forehead, to my nose and than round to my chin. This created a lovely warm, natural 3d effect to my face without making it looked  really tanned. To give my cheeks some definition, the new "Bella Bamba 3D Blusher" was applied.

To finish the look off  "Foxy Lady" lipgloss was applied to my lips. I love lip gloss ( but hate lipsticks ) and was pleasantly surprised how NOT sticky this one felt. It gave a lovely shine to my lips.
I was than given a choice of the fragrance to chose from which I chose "Gina" - smells a bit like Amor Amor.

I really enjoyed my experience and the look that Laura gave me. I would definitely recommend going in to the store and using their beauty bar services and as well as buying the makeup.

Aylesbury Benefit beauty bar offers:

• Facial Waxing
• Tinting
• Body Wax
• Men's Waxing
• Lashes
• FAKE BAKE
• Bridal Packages
• Pamper Parties 

Aylesbury Benefit Store is situated on the High Street opposite WH Smiths.

For more information on Benefit Cosmetics and to find your nearest boutique visit 
www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk

Max Factor put's the X factor in their mascara!

I am such a mascara fan, it is something I can't live without and is one thing I am always wearing. So you can imagine I have tried and used quite a few in my time. However, I have never really found one that I really liked and sticked too and when a new one gets launched, I am nearly always out straight away to try it out.

When Max Factor did a competition on their Facebook page a few months before Christmas last year to try out there new Max Factor Xperience Volumising Mascara, I quickly jumped at the chance to do so.

I was very pleased when I received an email to say I was getting my sample and than review it on the Boots website ( which I have ).  Since I have launched my first beauty blog, I thought I was share my review on here.

Max Factor Xperience Volumising Mascara in Black 


I have never come across a mascara that even when it states it doesn't clump do what it says, they still clump. This one however, I have used everyday for about 2 months now and the brush still looks like brand new. I haven't once had to swipe the brush to remove any clumps before use.

I love how the mascara sits on your lashes too, as the product is marketed for it's weightless feel, this one certainly delivers! It also gives a fantastic even coverage and as yet haven't felt the need to use a eyelash brush to separate the lashes.

I have naturally long lashes, and even so compared to some other mascara's I used, this one hasn't weighed them down, and so have given me a fantastic lifted looked, almost as if I was wearing false lashes.

As the brush is nice size ( small ), it also enables you to touch the smaller lashes on the sides at the top and bottom.

The mascara is very versatile as well. As a stay at home, work from home mum, I don't really wear makeup during the day except the mascara which than gives me a lovely natural look. but that doesn't mean it isn't good for going out! The mascara delivers a fantastic touch to a made up face as good as any other thinker mascara's.

The mascara comes in three colours as well -  Black, Brown and Deep Blue.

The price won't break the bank either like some other high street brands can, in Boots £10.99


http://www.maxfactor.co.uk/uk/products/Eyes/Mascara/XperienceMascara/detail.aspx

My Boots review - 
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Xperience-Volume-Mascara_1129231/

Be a GLOW GETTER with Eyeko Cheeky Colour Duo Blush Compact!

WOW! I just love this product!
To those who know me well, I am not one to wear blusher. The thought of having it on my face made me feel like I would either look like a cheap tart that applied too much, or not correctly or that I was badly sunburned.

For years I would was just wearing foundation and powder on my face, eyeshadow and mascara ( yes lipstick is another one I can't face! ). And it is not because I dont' know how to apply it, it is just simply an image that comes into my head - a fear that I just looked wrong and too over made up.

Since having my first child nearly 3 years ago and swopping the 9 till 5 office job for a 24/7 stay at home mum, I very rarely had time, or even thought about putting make up on - except the mascara which I just can't live without!

Than about 2 months ago I came across a make up company called Eyeko. They had an offer on their suprise good bag, so as a make up lover I ordered it to find amongst the items the Glow Getter Blusher. As a non blusher fan - I actually like the look of the soft pink/shimmer colours. As I was ill over the christmas period and looking a little pale in the face, I thought I'd give it a go for the New Year party I was going to. I was very pleasently surprised how it sat on my cheeks, giving a lovely soft/shimmery pink glow, and high lighting them.

Product Details
 Baked pressed powders highly pigmented with finely milled pearlescent shimmer for a long-lasting flush of colour.  Each double-sided compact features duo colour blush on one side and mirror and mini-blush brush on the other, perfect for touch ups on the go.

Glow Getter

Pale iridescent pink, perfect for a pinch of colour for pale skinned beauties or as flattering highlighter for dark skinned honeys.

The Cheeky Colour Duo range also comes in 2 other colours;

Make Out Blush
Make your cheeks pop with 3D pink colour loaded with pearl to give a 2 in 1 colour and highlight effect.

My Coral Crush
Peachy keen!  Get your glow on with shimmery coral colour for a flattering blush look.

A fantastic buy at just £8

 Use the below code for a free gift when you spend £15 at www.eyeko.com