The BEST Peachy Nude Lipstick EVER!!

picture courtesy of Temptalia

Hey!

Due to convincing at least 10 people (that I know of!) to buy Angel Lipstick by MAC, I decided to test my makeup pulling power again to see how many people I can get to purchase MAC Freckletone Lipstick!! How egotistical am I??! LOL!

But in all seriousness, I have been loving up Freckeltone for quite a while. If you look back over many of my FOTDs, I wear Freckletone in almost every heavy eye look!

It is a lustre finish, so basically it is one of the most moisturising MAC lipstick formulae. It is creamy and smooth and dries to a slightly glossy, sheeny finish.

The colour itself is all you could ever wish for in a peach nude lipstick! It isnt too peach or coral and it isn't too pink, it isnt too brown and I have NEVER seen another lipstick like it! It is a truly unique shade. For similar skintones to me, it is the perfect alternative to Angel for your nude lippie collection.

The best thing about is that the subtlety of the shade and the lustre finish formula make it so appropriate for work! As its not too opaque you can slap this on without a mirror and you don't need a gloss or even a lipliner with this. Unlike Angel which is frosty and can look washed out without a balancing lipliner against darker skintones, MAC Freckletone can be worn au naturel.

I cannot RAVE enough about this lipstick, go to MAC, swatch it and see why!

Here is an older pic of me wearing Freckletone with a black smokey eye.

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Smokey Eye Series No 2 - Smokey Blue Denim Eyes

EDIT: I took on board what a few of you said about the pictures and changed one of the pictures for another close up of the eye - see below.

Hi my Cherubs!

I have been busy busy lately with a few upcoming attractions, firstly my WEBSITE!! Woohoo! I have a designer lined up and have been liaising with them daily to finalise the main design of a website which will not only continue this blog, but will also have many other features that I think you will all like! Secondly, video tutorials! So many of you have asked me when I am going to start video tutorials and I am pleased to say that at least one video is currently in production, with another having just been shot today! Thirdly, proper photographs! I am trying to get a level of consistency with the photography, so have been spending a lot of time working out best angles, lighting and camera angles. I also actually want to re-shoot several of the photos of looks that I have created in the past and so I will be updating historic posts. This will happen over the next few weeks hopefully. Fourthly, a Youtube channel! To showcase my video tutorials to a wider audiences I am in the process of establishing a Youtube channel!

Phew!

I really hope you all enjoy the next chapter in this makeup journey of mine!

In the meantime, here is the next episode in the Smokey Eye Series which I started some time ago. This is my interpretation of a denim blue matt smokey eye. Denim eyes are really in season right now, thanks to MAC Jeanius collection. I didnt use an eyeshadow from that collection but instead utilised MAC Naval eyeshadow which is the most gorgeous powder denim blue shade. I decided to pair the look with a coral cheek and peachy nude lips. I wanted to really show how blue eyeshadow can be completely wearable if you choose a matt formula and stick to the colour on the eyelids and under the eye, with a soft, gentle fade into a skintone shade. Another reason for all you dark brown eyed beauties to wear blue eyeshadow is that it really makes brown eyes POP! Look at the closeup picture at the top of this post, my eyes look almost golden brown against the blue, whereas my eyes normally are a standard very dark brown. In terms of how to create the blue smokey eye, I hope to do a video tutorial of the look very soon so stay tuned for that!

PRODUCTS USED

FACE

NARS Firming Foundation in Syracuse

Inglot Freedom Palette of concealers

Benefit Erase Paste in No 3

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

CHEEKS

MAC Peaches Blush

MAC Strobe Cream as highlight

LIPS

MAC Freckletone Lipstick (the BEST peachy nude lipstick EVER!!!!)

EYES

MAC Paint Pot in Painterley

NYX Black Bean jumbo pencil

MAC Naval Eyeshadow (this is such a gorgeous colour! However, it might be limited edition I am not sure but if it is then NARS China Blue would be a great substitute)

Stila Mineral Matt Eyeshadow (I can't remember the name of the shade but it was a medium brown with reddish undertones. MAC Saddle would be a perfect substitute)

MAC Ricepaper eyeshadow as highlight on the inner tearduct area

Bobbi Brown matt eyeshadow in Bone as highlight (cream colour)

MAC Smoulder kohl

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

What do you think of the photos? Which photo do you prefer to really showcase the look? I would love some feedback guys as this is going to be the general format of all photos going forward.

Thanks!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Rihanna Who's That Chick Make Up FOTD

Hey Cherubs!

I took inspiration from the music video for Rhianna's single "Who's That Chick", the above is the actual picture of Rhianna from the video.

This is my interpretation (apologies for the quality of the pictures!):

Products Used:

FACE

NARS Firming Foundation in Syracuse

MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC42

MAC Studio Finish Powder in NC42

Benefit Erase Paste in No 3

CHEEKS

MAC Ladyblush cream blush stippled from the temples in a c shape to the tops of the cheekbones

MAC Coygirl and MAC Dollymix blushes mixed to create a deep pink look

EYES

MAC Painterly Paint Pot as base

The following matte colours from the 88 palette : yellow, green (lower lash line), brown, orange (above crease) and cream

Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Whiskey to create cut crease effect
Uran Decay 24/7 liner in Zero
Loreal Lineur Intense in Carbon Black
Loreal Carbon Black Voluminous mascara

LIPS

Mix of GOSH intense lip colour in fuchsia and MAC Please Me lipstick

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

PS I am so so sorry for the quality of the pics my battery died on my camera so I had to take pics with the mobile! I may re-create the look again and take better pics

IMATS 2011 Haul and Update!

Hey my Cherubs! How I have missed you!

I know the IMATS London 2011 seems like such a long time ago, thats because it was! So sorry that it has taken me this long to get around to posting about this awesome day. Anyway, here goes!

IMATS 2011.. what a day! It started out so well, was hoping to get there for around 12pm, then 20 minutes away from the venue the car suddenly started making a weird rattling noise and thick black smoke started shooting out of the exhaust! We had to emergency pull up onto the hard shoulder and called the breakdown service. After a long wait, the tow truck finally arrived! I then had to convince the tow service man to drop me off at the nearest tube station, which he grudgingly did - the next tube station being a completely random north west zone 6 station It took me an hour and a half to get to the venue! I missed ALL of the shows and was sooo upset however tried to make the most of my time there.

I saw all of the stalls and had a good chat with reps for companies that I hadn't heard of such as:

Kett Cosmetics - US HD airbrush makeup company specialising in base colours.

Fero Cosmetics - UK company aimed at the student makeup artist market dealing in all the accessories, brushes, traincases, sponges and other little bits and pieces. They have also recently branched out into actual cosmetics and I will talk more about this company in a future post as the lovely people at Fero kindly gave me some products to sample.

Naked Cosmetics - US company specialising in mica mineral pigments which do all kinds of amazing things! Again I will go into more detail about this company in a future review post.

TreasureHouse - A UK online company specialising in theatre, stage, specialist and makeup artist professional products. I don't know if you have heard of Ben Nye, he was a very famous Hollywood makeup artist. In his day he was the best in the business. When he retired in the '60s he set up a specialist cosmetics company which focused on the world of movies and the stage. TreasureHouse are the sole UK distributor for Ben Nye. I used my Ben Nye colour wheel in my Natalie Portman Black Swan look here www.allthingsfrivolous.blogspot.com/2011/02/black-swan-natalie-portman-fotd-mini.html

The Pro Make Up Shop - A UK online company which specialises in make up disposables, tools, accessories etc etc. I got the opportunity to speak to the owner of the company who gave me a real eye opener into the core issues of all make up artists having a good and diligent hygiene routine. Again I will talk more about this company in a future post.

Royal and Langnickel Brushes - A high quality art and make up brush company.

There were lots others too but the above really hit the mark for me.

It was a fantastic networking event too and I met alot of people in the business.

Of course I picked up a few items here and there but I really didn't get too much, only because I am on a strict budget otherwise I would have gone crazzzzzyyyyyy!!! There was so much high quality discounted stuff it was torturous (is that even a word?) to not be able to buy lots.

Here are a couple of pics of some items that I purchased and some items which were kindly gifted to me which I will openly and honestly review in some future posts!

Clockwise from top left: NYX Make Up Box palette, Sleek Molten Metal Cream Shadows, bullet crease brush, flat liner brush, fan brush, long smudger brush, wide fluff brush, angled liner brush and bent liner brush from Crown and Royal and Langnickel, 7 well mixing palette from Royal and Langnickel, Colour Wheel, OCC Lip Tar in Melange, Naked pigments x2, mayyifying medium and lip medium, Fero highlighting cream
Clockwise from left: Various disposable make up tools from The Pro Make Up Shop, NYX Make Up Box palette, Fero highlighter cream, Fero Peru Eyeshadow, Fero Palette, Fero Cinnamon blush, Fero Bronze Eyeshadow

Did any of you guys make it to IMATS?

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

The BEST Facial EVER!! Mille Et Une Nuits Manchester

Hi Cherubs!

How are you all? So March is in full swing, and as they say it comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. So far the weather has been completely crazy, from windy to heavy rain to sudden sunny spells. Hopefully, by the end of the month, we will truly feel like Spring has arrived! So, what better way to get into the "Spring" of things than to enjoy the Spring Clean Facial at my favourite local salon Mille Et Une Nuits in Manchester! This salon is fairly unique as it is completely Moroccan themed, so we are basically talking draped silks, hand carved wooden furniture and Moroccan style lanterns. The most unique thing about this salon is the addition of a traditional Moroccan Hammam bath area at the rear of the salon. When I lived in the Middle East I enjoyed a fair few Hammam treatments which are very similar to a Turkish bath. You basically start off in a marbled or mosaic tiled room where scented steam is released into the room. Once you are relaxed and your pores are all opened up, an attendant comes in to slough away all the dead skin from your body. The treatment is finished off with more relaxing steam time and an oil massage. It leaves you feeling so fresh and invigorated! Mille Et Une Nuits (translation: A Thousand and One Nights) specialises in these Hammam treatments and particular Hammam parties for ladies only.

This time I decided to go for the Spring Clean facial using Swiss Dermyl products. The wonderful Anisa with her magical fingers lead me to the silk draped treatment room, dimming the lights and making sure I was completely comfortable before the treatment started.

She first cleansed my skin to ensure all traces of make up and oils were removed. She then applied a scrub to my whole face and switched on the steam machine. My face was gently steamed for 10 minutes and then the scrub was used to really polish my skin and lift and remove impurities from my opened pores. Once my skin was cleansed of the scrub, Anisa applied a deep cleansing clay mask to my face. When I say that Anisa applied or removed a product onto or from my skin, what I mean is that she always gently massaged and applied pressure to the sinus spots and pressure points of my face and head. Nothing was rushed or unplanned, each step of application she took her time and really worked hard to achieve the best results, manipulating my skin to make the product work harder, and ensuring that I was always relaxed.

While the mask was drying, the steam machine was switched on again for a couple of minutes. Once this was off, Anisa then set to work giving me a fantastic head, shoulder and neck massage. This lasted around 10-15 minutes. Once the clay was dry, she gently removed the clay, again using the massaging movements to ensure every last bit of impurities from the now fully open pores were removed.

Then, for the slightly uncomfortable part! The removal of blackheads. Now, I dont have any major issues with blackheads (thank God!) but I do have some on my nose as the pores are larger on my nose than the rest of my face. I usually try to take care of them with those Biore strips, although admittedly they never quite do the job. Anisa carefully, gently yet professionally took her time and removed as many as she could.

Once the blackheads were removed, she re-cleansed my skin, then used a toner to close up all my pores. Lastly, she finished with a rich moisturiser.

The results were instantly amazing! For a start, I looked like my nose had been replaced with a baby's nose! Ha ha ha! It was just so so smooth, so so soft and no visible pores! I had always thought I just had to live with the fact that I had larger, visible pores on my nose, but Anisa had somehow made them disappear entirely! The rest of my skin was just as fantasticly smooth, clean and more importantly bright and luminous! As I have NC42 skin with yellow undertones, I can look sallow during the winter months when I dont have a tan. This facial however, restored the brightness and freshness to my complexion. Most importantly, I felt relaxed yet invigorated from the treatment.

The next morning, my skin looked and felt exactly the same. When I applied some tinted moisturiser, it went on like a dream! Even my bliusher applied more easily and smoother.

Now, how much for this possibly life-changing facial that took around an hour to complete?

£32. Thats it.

Anisa really is amazing and is just so professional and conscientious.

I, of course, would highly recommend the facial and the salon in general. So if you are ever in Manchester and have a spare hour, go to Mille Et Une Nuits. Check out all their treatments here www.milleetunenuits.co.uk

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

FYI I didn't receive any sponsorship to write this post and paid for the treatment at full price using my own cash-mulla! Although I am holding out for a discount next time I visit! Lol!

False Lashes for the False Lash Virgin!!

Hi all!!

I adore false lashes as they can really add some drama to a makeup look where eyes are the focus of the look, e.g. a smokey eye, heavy liner, bright or vibrant colours, bridal or formal occasion looks.

I know so many people who love the look a good set of well applied lashes can create but are scared off by either the difficulty of applying them, the fear of looking like a drag queen (!), the fear of lashes falling off half way through the day or evening or the fear of pulling off your own lashes by accident when trying to remove the false lashes!

There are a few things to note when looking for and applying false lashes:

1. Quality of the lashes is important. Unless you are trying to go for a very dramatic look with feathers, sequins or diamante, where the look is for an obviously fake lash, you really need to look at the quality of the lash. Human hair lashes are particularly realistic looking and cost a little bit more than synthetic lashes.

2. Also, look at the band, i.e. the part of the lash that is going to stick to your eyelid. Ideally, a clear or black very thin and flexible band is what will ensure the lash moulds easily to your eye shape and also ensures that it is unnoticeable against your eyelid so that the lashes do not look fake.

3. The quality of the glue is very important. So many lashes come with a little tube of glue which is frankly, useless! The best lash glue is a brand called Duo glue which is a surgical adhesive. It dries fairly quickly to a nice gummy texture which can be removed easily yet grips your lashes instantly. You can purchase this glue online or at MAC. Other glues do not dry as quickly which means there is more time for the lash to slip around and also does not have the same hold as Duo glue. I highly, highly recommend purchasing this glue it will make ALL the difference. I bought my tube for 8 pounds but I have seen it on Ebay for cheaper. It lasts a very long time so it is worth the money.

4. When applying the glue to the lashes, you must let the glue dry for around 40 seconds before applying the lashes. This ensures that the glue is slightly tacky so that there is a fair amount of grip onto your eyelids immediately upon contact so that the lashes do not slip around.

5. For newbies or people with sensitive eyes or if you just want a very natural look, my advice is to try the half or demi lashes. My favourites are the number 20 lashes from MAC

As you can see from the above picture these are wispie, natural looking half lashes which only go on the outer corner of your eyes. The shortest lash does need to match your natural lashes somewhat so if you have very short or sparse lashes, these are probably not for you. MAC lashes have shot up in price to 10 pounds I believe! So, for a fantastic affordable dupe, try Ardell Accents number 301 which are available at Boots or online, see pic below:

6. As discussed above, if you do have particularly short or sparse lashes and you do not want a full set of lashes, you can either try the individual lash flares, or get a false full set lash which are shorter at the start and get longer towards the outer corner. Then simply measure the point from which the false lashes are the same or similr length to your lashes in the centre of your lid, measure the length out to the outer edge of your eye, and cut the lashes to fit.

7. As for how to apply lashes, there are a fair few ways of applying lashes, and I will very shortly prepare a video tutorial on how to do so. For me the easiest way is to look straight at the mirror, hold the lashes with a tweezer or a lash applicator (I will tell you all more about this nifty little tool shortly also!) and slide the lashes up my natural lashes so that they stick at a natural angle. There are a couple of other methods which you may find easier so as I said, watch out for my video tutorials which are coming very soon!!

Hope that helps!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

General Update!!

Hi my gorgeous followers!

I am really just writing to let you know why I haven't been posting that much lately. I LOVE doing this blog it means so much to me, so sometimes I feel that the quality of the pictures that I post are not quite good enough. I really want to invest so much more into the blog so I have really been working on getting some good equipment, especially so I can start the video tutorials which I have wanted to do for a while. I also find that using Blogger as a platform can be a little cumbersome and restrictive so I am working on finding an alternative way of continuing the blog.

To add to that, I also have some wider plans for this little personal journey of mine with makeup and beauty and fashion and well, all things frivolous!

On top of all that, I have some minor skin related issues that I am combatting so that I can feel more confident when I am creating looks and tutorials for you!

Phew a lot of things but what it all boils down to is this: my interest in this blog has not waned, in fact quite the opposite - there are some MAJOR changes coming up and some GREAT things in the pipeline, so please keep checking in, keep telling others about this blog and please know that all the support and interest you have shown to date means the WORLD to me and is really spurring me on!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo