Deal Alert!! Discounted MAC Cosmetics Available in the UK!!

Hey my Cherubs!!

I really needed to share with you this awesome deal that I stumbled across the other day! As some of you may know, MAC cosmetics are NEVER discounted, MAC never have sales and so the only way to find permanent MAC items at a discount is if you are very lucky on Ebay or at a CCO or other discount outlet, and in the UK these are very, very few and far between!

Well, I was stunned to see that Debenhams online are selling a few MAC items, including BRUSHES!!! at a slightly discounted price!! OMG! I REALLY want to pick up a few things but cannot afford to at the moment, but please let me live through your purchases vicariously and go and check out the range. Just go to www.debenhams.com/beauty and click on MAC.

To top it all off, guess what?? Free shipping (within the UK) for a limited time only!! WOOHOO!! Go crazy guys and share your haul with me!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Primers versus Bases - Get the Most out of your Eyeshadows!

Hi Cherubs!

I was recently asked a question about what the difference is between eye primers and eyeshadow bases, particularly as I personally tend to use both under my eyeshadows.

If you have read my article "Beginners Guide to Primers" (here is the link if you havn't) www.frivolousbyangel5ace.blogspot.com/2010/11/beginners-guide-to-primers.html you may know a little about the role of primers for the eye. For me, personally, the main reason for uing a primer is staying power. I HATE creases in my eye make up and I hate it when eyeshadows fade and/or smudge. Primers can also really bring out the colours of the eyeshadows, HOWEVER, I do find that the best primers for staying power such as Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay Primer Potion, tend to dry fairly clear. This can be a good thing in terms of ensuring the colour of the primer doesnt interfere with the colour of the eyeshadows I am putting on top, but if I want a shade of eyeshadow to really POP and show true to colour with no skintone showing through, I use an eyeshadow base.

The key properties of an eyeshadow base are that, firstly, it is opaque (i.e. once on you can't see the skin underneath it), secondly it is a cream or gel base (i.e. not a powder or a liquid). Bases are either neutral coloured, or, if you are using a particularly vibrant shade of eyeshadow, you can use a base in a colour matching the colour of your eyeshadow.

One of the easiest ways to obtain a base for your eyeshadows is just to get a coloured khol pencil, or even just a plain old black kohl pencil and rub that over the eyelids, blend and then pat your eyeshadow over it. You may have seen me use my black kohl pencil as a base for dark eyeshadow colours, particularly for smokey eye looks. If, for example, you were to use a purple eyeshadow you can just pick up any old cheap purple shade of kohl pencil and use that in the same way. NYX do some AWESOME jumbo eye pencils which are very very good as bases as they are creamy and well pigmented and come in every shade you can imagine. Barry M also do some similar jumbo eye pencils.

Of course, various cosmetic companies do make specific products to be used as eye shadow bases. MAC make Paint Pots which come in various colours. One of my favourite paint pots is Painterley. This is just a neutral cream base, however it contains silicone so it smooths out the eyelid and also sets dry. It is the perfect neutral base for all eyeshadow colours. On its own, it doesn't have the best staying power, but when used over Urban Decay Primer Potion, the combination is amazing. Benefit also do smudgeproof cream shadow bases in lots of lovely colours.

If you really can't afford to get a separate base, just apply your primer and then put a thin wash of any thick concealer you own. This will have a similar effect.

For me personally, I find that as I am Asian and have NC42 skin, eyeshadows, especially the lighter shades, don't show up that well or you can see my skin showing through. Painterley Paint Pot is a light skin tone shade which really helps to show the colours I like to use and as it sets to dry quite quickly it helps my makeup last that much longer. It is a dream product to me and well worth paying that bit extra for a top quality product.

Hope that was useful, if you have any questions, please let me know!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Video Tutorial! Smokey Cat Eye Using the Sleek Storm Palette

Hi Cherubs!

As promised, here is the next video tutorial detailing how you can create a smokey cat eye using the very affordable and very high quality Sleek Storm palette! As you all know, I LOVE the Sleek makeup line as a fantastic, purse-friendly cosmetic option. Their eyeshadow palettes are legendary and I can totally see why - great pigmentation, durable, blendable, soft, beautiful wearable colours and all for a bargainous £6-£7 at your local Superdrug or online.

The smokey cat eye is a look that combines a sexy, feline inspired eye shape with the smokey blending techniques. It is fairly easy to do and hopefully my video will help you to acheive the look. You do not, of course, have to use the gunmetal shade from the Sleek palette as the main colour, try it with a matt grey shade, black, blue or even purple - whatever you prefer!

I accidentally deleted the part of the video showing how I finished the look, but feel free to complete the look however you like as this is a very neutral eye look, albeit slightly dramatic. My preference, would be a muted pink cheek with any nude lipstick or gloss.

Blogger is awful for uploading videos so instead please click the link to my Youtube channel to access the video:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=smM3xVi_KY8

Products Used:

FACE

NARS Firming Foundation in Syracuse

Benefit Erase Paste No 3

MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer in NC42

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Dark

EYES

Painterly Paintpot as eyeshadow base

NYX Jumbo Black Bean pencil

Sleek Storm Palette - gunmetal shade, skintone matt shade, brown matt shade, black matt shade, champagne shade

L'Oreal Lineur Intense Eye Liner in Carbon Black

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

MAC Spiked Eyebrow pencil

Stila No 15 double ended brush

MAC 217 blending brush

Stila No 2 brush

Manicare Foundation brush

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

VIDEO TUTORIAL!!! Jennifer Lopez "On the Floor" Music Video Make Up Tutorial Step by Step!!!

Hello Cherubs!!

I would like to present my first ever video tutorial! I will show you how to create a look similar to the one Jennifer Lopez wears in her music video to her number one single "On the Floor" featuring Pitbull. This is the look she wears in the majority of the video when she is dancing in the silver jumpsuit. I know I look nothing like J-Lo (wish I did! Haha!) and you may feel the look is different to hers also, but please bear in mind this is just my interpretation of her look!

PRODUCTS USED

FACE

NARS Firming Foundation in Syracuse

Benefit Erase Paste in number 3

MAC Studio Sculpt concealer in NC42

MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in medium dark

CHEEKS

NARS Laguna Bronzer

Body Shop Bronzing Pearls

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle

EYES

Benefit It Stick

Urban Decay Polyester Bride eyeshadow (off-white shade with silver micro glitter)

Copper eyeshadow, and brown eyeshadow from the 88 Palette

Bobbi Brown eyeshadow in Bone for the highlight (matt cream colour)

Ben Nye Monster Wheel white shade as the eyeshadow base

L'Oreal Lineur Intense eyeliner in Carbon Black

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara

Half lashes (I think these were Primark lashes that I cut in half but I can't remember exactly) and Duo adhesive

MAC Spiked eyebrow pencil

Collection 2000 clear mascara to set eyebrows

BRUSHES

Manicare flat foundation brush to apply foundation and concealer

Crown Perfectly Pink bullet crease brush to apply white glittery eyeshadow

Crown Studio Oval Shadow brush to apply copper colour

MAC 217 brush to apply brown colour to the crease

Stila No 2 brush to blend colours and apply highlight colour

Bare Escentuals Handy Buki to apply bronzer, blush and highlight

What do you think of the video?? I really hope you like it! More videos are in the pipeline, starting with a smokey cat eye tutorial coming soon!!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

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