Quick 5 Minute Makeup, Tips And Tricks

For the times when you need to be super quick with make up, to get the job done quickly but make it look like you have made an effort. Here are some of my tips for getting your makeup done fast.

Charlotte Tilbury

1. using your fingers.  I always use fingers, I only ever use brushes for powder products as I find they are much quicker and work just as well, especially for cream or liquid makeup. 

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lip and Cheeks  

2.Speaking of cream products, they can be a great time saver. Go for a cream eye shadow like here and blend over the lid for a quick wash of colour. Cream blushes are also great for multi-tasking, use them on lips, therefore saving you even more time.  I love these blushes here. Alternatively you could try a bright lip, which is a great trick to brighten up the face, remember go completely natural with the rest of your makeup. Try this or this one if you are brave?

Stila Convertible Color 

what are your tips for quick makeup?

A Beauty/Fashion Photo Library

Hello again lovely people of the internet.

Today I am trying something a bit different to the normal blog post. Here is a short Photo Gallery based around products I have in my collection, some are new to me and others are my most wanted makeup and beauty products.

I have thrown in a bit of fashion photos I am loving too...enjoy taking a look...

on to some beauty......

 

More Fashion ...

so in love with minimal looks .......

What are you Fashion/Beauty favs at the moment? 

Disclaimer: Please note some images (Fashion only) are via pinterest.com.  If you are the owner I would love to credit you, please contact me.  I could not find any links to the owners via pinterest :( 

Make Up Expiry Dates - Throwing out is hard!

Sorry I have not posted for a while - I have no excuse, I just didn't.....

Today we are going on to a discussion which is very dear to me - Make-up expiry dates!

Yes we know make-up has an expiry date, but being crazy about my make up collection makes me reluctant to throw away my much loved and hard earned cash spend on make up......how many times can I say make up in one sentence..phew.

What I am saying is..... Ladies it is time to have a clear out!

Recent stories and reports (link) have stated that we keep our make up for way too long and past it's best before date.  This is a breading ground for bacteria as many of us are keeping make up for as long as 6 years, I am also guilty of this.  I told myself to make sure I have a clear out every 3-6 months and throw out anything I do not use or is expired.

Well how do we know it has expired ? If you check the bottom of your make up there should be a little jar icon be that stating 6, 12, 24 or so months which means the product should be good to go from when first opened until the stated time.

Make up expiry Label

Be sure to check the label and with a maker pen or on a spreadsheet write when first opened, yes I have a spreadsheet because I'm a geek like that ha ha...   This method helps you remember dates of purchase and when first opened and it will help you not to keep that expired make up.

I know we are guilty of spending way too much on make up and yes we do not need all that make up but this post is not about anything negative, it is just to make sure you are being safe with make up and using it at its best! 

From this image taken a while ago - I started off with writing on the back of my make up the month/year I opened/purchased it but I find my new spreadsheet method works better.

You can check your cosmetics expiry dates (Here) - http://checkcosmetic.net/

I have linked details of some great blog posts which list dates on "when to bin".  Be safe and enjoy your make-up!

byrdie.com

fashionpheeva.com

cindywongofficial.com

makeup.saloni.pk

viviannadoesmakeup.com

Are you guilty of keeping your make-up way too long?  I would love to hear all your thoughts on the subject.

  

Mac Make Me Gorgeous

We all love a good Mac lipstick - I do anyway.

This beauty is a new addition to my Mac Lipstick Collection.

Really, do I need to say anything about how stunning this shade is for the summer!  I just cannot wait to wear it.

This shade is Mac "Make Me Gorgeous" which is available online in Selfridges, it is a Amplified finish so has amazing colour payoff and lasting power.

I can easily say "once again I am in love"

What shade/s of Mac lipsticks are your fav?  Which other shades would you suggest I try?

New Sleek Creme to Powder Blush, I am in Love....

Now for me blush is an important part of my makeup routine the New Sleek Creme to Powder blush is now my new summer love!  They have pretty cute shade names Carnation, Pink Peony, Gerbera, Amaryllis, Crimson and I have French Rose, Oh how I love it....

See it in action via YouTube from the sleek website here 

For a small price of £5.99 this is a steal, comparable to Nars but better - click here for the review and swatches on London Beauty Queen, she has some amazing posts.

This gorgeous Sleek Creme to Powder Blush is long lasting, looks super sleek, ha ha, (its in the name get it) it's housed in lovely Nars like sleek packaging, there I go again the mention of sleek!!!

Being a lover of a cream blush, I am taking about you BB, I didn't think I could love again - here I am falling for you sleek creme to powder blusher (enough now calm down)!  It's silky to the touch, blends easily, feels like nothing on the skin but a stunning pop to colour to the cheeks, the shades look scary in the pots but they smooth on like a dream, can be sheered out or you can layer which I love to do.  Really I can't rave about it enough, just cannot get over how beautiful it is. I need all the shades in my life.

Places to buy them Sleek Website
Superdrug

Have you tired these yet, what do you think?


Disclaimer: I purchased this product myself sleek have not paid me or sent me the product/s, even though after buying this I would love to try more from them, heh heh!

DIY Lipstick Palette

Before you decide to throw out all the unloved lipsticks that are left in drawers and handbags hiding away - Create a mix & match DIY Lipstick Palette.

Being a lipstick hoarder I often buy before I try and find I either never use them or not sure the shade is quite me - this way I can mix the colours to costom a shade that suits.

Here's how and what you need!

1. Lipstick Palettes 
2. Baby Wipes
3. A Candle 
4. Tablespoon
5. Toilet Tissue 
6. A Knife (handle with care)
7. Tea towels
8. Lipsticks 

Line the suface you are working on with tea towels.

Chop a small amount of the lipstick and place into the Tablespoon - melt over the lit Candle until liquid like.

Pour the liquid into one or two palette slots - then wipe the spoon clean with tissue and wipes (careful it will be hot) this bit can be very messy - minus the holder (bin it or keep).

Repeat the process with all the lipsticks.




There you have it, brand new lipsticks to play with.

Eliminate Lipstick Waste - Hope you get to try it out!

Bobbi Brown Beauty

Who doesn't love some Bobbi Brown goodies.....

I really do love a good cream blush in the spring/summer, well having dry skin its difficult to find something that will not highlight the dry patches...not a good look.  Well this baby, what can I say!

My New Spring/Summer go to blush..... I am in love.


Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks - Calypso Coral

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks - Calypso Coral

I heard so much about this little beauty, the reviews on the Bobbi Brown website talked me into it, I owned this before but could not find it with my beauty hoarding ways, my stash needs a makeover.

How great for the handbag as the cute little mirror is an added bonus-in my opinion.  Just lovely and creamy for both lips & cheeks, I love multi-tasking products.  As a lip shade it can be a bit dry but nothing I bit of balm would not fix up.

Say tuned for more Bobbi Brown beauty posts.


What are your Bobbi Brown favs?

Drugstore or Highend makeup?

It is a debate I have with myself all the time, I buy so many Drugstore products but I just love my High end products a lot more.  I tend to end up either giving away, or just binning a lot of my Drugstore products due to lack of use, at the time I really want to try them as every other blogger has them. 

After trying the products I feel a little disappointed that I spent the money and the product really didn't work for me.  There are a few Drugstore items that I love, so the question here is...do you continue buying Drugstore in hope something might just work for you or change your purchasing habits and just buy High end?

disclaimer: picture via google.
 
What are your thoughts on this subject, are you victim to following the hype and buying beauty products?

Where I love to shop:
Cult Beauty
Space NK

New Drugstore/High Street Additions

I have been on the lookout for some new Drugstore alternatives to some of the High-end products around.  I have come up with a few......

First up the dupe to the new Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Protector  these are at a high price of £18.00 where as the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balm's versions are just a tiny £2.00 - I picked up Coral Reef and Peach Dream.   I loved them so much, I picked up another shade (not shown).  I purchased mine from Superdrug- swatches below

Next up is my not so great dupe for Benefit Gimme Brow - This is the MUA Brow Define at £2.00 its a bit of a bargain but it went all over my brows and not in a good way - not transfer proof, so a no like for me!

I also picked up the Sleek version for brows - Can you tell yet my obsession with brows? 

The Sleek Brow Perfector gave just enough colour to the brows to define them nicely, love it!  

You can see the difference in the size of both in the picture below. 

Next up I got a blush, the MUA Luxe Whipped Velvet Blush  - this reminds me of the Benefit Majorette Blush but more testing needed, I would say great for oily skins.  This one is in shade Chichi.

Then from the Barry M Spring Collection - Barry M Hi Shine Lips in coral, sorry I can't seem to find the shade online - probably sold out like all these Spring/Summer Collections.  No high-end comparison, just a great gloss. 

This is the Maybelline Color Tattoo Eye Shadow in Choc Suede   - not sure how new these are, probably been out a while - this is the Leather Effect version and I can say that I love it as much as the original versions.....No high-end comparison just something I wanted to try out.

That is my lot, phew!   What have you picked up lately? 

Concealer tests complete

Sorry I have not been around for a while but sometimes life gets in the way of everything.

This is an update from a post I did a while back - yes that massive Concealer haul if you read that post then you will know that along with lipstick hoarding I tend to always look for the next best thing when it comes to a concealer or two.....

What I picked up
Too Faced - Absolutely Flawless Concealer - link here
Laura Mercier - Secret Concealer - link here 
Dermablend Corrective Stick - link here
Revlon Colorstay Concealer - link here
Wild about Beauty Smooth Cover Concealer Kit - link here 
Jemma Kidd -Colour match Concealer Duo- discontinued but grabbed on Ebay 
CK Endless Light Brightening Concealer  - also on Ebay

After testing these my thoughts have changed about a few of them.

The Jemma Kidd concealer dried out quickly and changed texture so this one was a miss in the end, I liked it when I first tried it.

Revlon Colorstay was one that Lily Pebbles raved about on her blog, I fell for it, yes I'm bad like that, I ended up hating the thin consistency on this as after using others - I found it just blah...

Wild about Beauty was one I stated using more, loved the setting powder it came with - I now purchased a back up, comes on smooth, no creasing and best of all it came with a fab setting powder.

And the Laura Mercier concealer has become a HD, although this is a tricky one to apply - but once you get the hang of adding a setting powder it stays in place without moving around, I only use it under my eyes.

I am still loving the Dermablend and Too Faced concealer.

The CK concealer was okay nothing to write about though, so not a lot to report apart from that is now in the bin.

What is your "go to" concealer I would love to know?

Perfect Bold Lip - Kevyn Aucoin Matte Lip Colour in Forever

The Perfect Bold Lip 

If you are going for a bold lip this Christmas then it has to be Kevyn Aucoin Matte Lip Colour in Forever

 

I don't go for a Matte Lip as I find them so drying, but this beautiful shade in Forever is stunning, the Kevyn Aucoin Matte Lip Colour in Forever  is so smooth and moisturising I loved the feel on my lips - If you treat yourself to just one thing this Christmas make it this baby - Kevyn Aucoin Matte Lip Colour in Forever

I will be picking up the other shades!

More pictures 

  

This is defiantly a splurge purchase - why not eh is Christmas?

What have you treated yourself to?

 

A New Love - TOPSHOP Sheer Lips in NUCLEAR

Topshop Sheer Lips 

As I continue my series of New Loves in beauty, my next post will have to be something other than lipstick but honestly the only thing I can buy and buy "until the cows come home" is definitely lipsticks.

After finding this little beauty on my travels to Topshop I could not resist how cute, sleek and beautiful the packaging was, perfect for my handbag/purse.  I know. I know its such a summery shade why did you go for this one?  This is in the shade Nuclear.

Well No.1. It's Sheer so does not transfer as a bright shade No. 2. My lips get super dry in winter and as its really cold here in the UK I need moistness (is that even a word) on my lips.

These do come in many more amazing colors, next on my hit list is the Topshop Sheer Lips  in Play with Fire and Red Alert, I already own the Nude one in Alibi.

These defiantly are moisturising with a balm like glossy finish, a sheer to medium pigment, can be layered for a more vibrant payoff, perfect over a lipstick or lip pencil too.

Have you tried these yet?

A New Love - Estee Lauder, Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick

Today's Post: Estee Lauder, Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick  in Shade 310 Potent.

Sorry I have not posted for a while I had a crazy few weeks/month.  Hopefully posting will be back to normal, every two weeks, I might try a weekly one all being well.

I thought I would follow up with a series I created, A New Love - This being any/all of the latest products that I have fallen in love with (current loves, so to speak).

My last post I talked about the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow Blush Click here to check that baby out.

On to a new love - that being in form of lipstick - Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick phew, what a mouthful.  I got mine in the shade "310 Potent".

This is a stunning shade, looks red on the Debenhams website swatch but it's a beautiful nude peachy slight pink just awesomeness in a tube shade, I really can't put into words how much I love this lipstick I would say check swatches online to see how lovely this transfers onto the lips.

Winter coming my lips get super dry and I dislike the fact that I can't wear dark berry shades as these shades show up dry skin/patches even more.  If you are like me and love lipstick then Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting lipstick (why such a long name Lauder group!!) is your baby.

Comes on so smooth and is moisturising, super creamy and really does hydrate the lips.  The Claims on Estee Lauder website are Click to check : which I would say are spot on.

Estee Lauder Pure Color EnvySculpting Lipstick

Best Lipstick, Cosmopolitan Beauty Award 2014 Winner 

This retails at £24.00 

I would love to see all the posts on your new loves in beauty - please do link me up below

What have you been loving?

A New Love - KEVYN AUCOIN Creamy Glow in ISADORE

On a recent visit to Space NK I picked up a few bits, splurge items to say the least.  It's so nice to give yourself a treat now and again so I decided it was time for me to have a treat - I deserve a treat from time to time..... Did you not say that last time? I hear the sensible me screaming...I ignored that part of me for now, heh heh.

I always look to Cream Blush in the Autumn and Winter time when skin is parched dry, dehydrated and all those horrible things we don't want our skin to be.  I find a cream works better with my skin and looks smooth and soft, that natural lit from within look... you know that one, that one I had this summer, cream blush, highlighter and glowy skin....no that doesn't always happen in the Autumn and Winter for me, I have dry skin come the winter time.  I have already noticed the chill in the air.

But onto the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow - Isadore - £21.00 - oh my, what is not to adore...heh heh. This just glides on beautiful, smooth to the touch like texture, not wet like some cream blushes can be, just a dream to apply, the shade Isadore has a pinky light glow effect, like you have been for a run kind of glow, natural flushed cheek look.

If you only try one thing from the Kevyn Aucion range make it this baby.

Have you splurged and any make-up items lately?