Golden Globes and Grammys! Awards Seasons Favourites So Far

As you all know I ADORE the awards season! Its a veritable fashion, hair, makeup, beauty, celebrity all-you-can-eat buffet!

Here are a few of my favourites so far, YUM!

 

 because I love him..!

IMATS 2012 London - Haul!!!

Hello my long lost but not forgotten Cherubs!

Yes I have neglected you, me, my makeup obsession for so long now. Many excuses for this but I am firmly committed to continue with this blog. And I also still dream of having a proper website and have gone so far as to design the logo, layout, concept and find a great web designer BUT time, energy and finances are slowing me down a little.

Anyway, on to the good stuff!

As usual I was really looking forward to IMATS but I have to say the vibe felt different this year. Perhaps the severe weather warning impacted upon the turnout, but it really felt like there were a lot less people there. Also, the atmospehere felt somewhat subdued, but that was just my humble observation! Anyway freezing weather aside, I had a lovely shopping spree there and met some cool people!

On to the pics!

Make Up For Ever

MUFE HD Foundation in shade 170

I have been hankering after this foundation since Kim Kardashian told the world it was her favourite one. Her skin is always immaculate looking and it is HD so should create a perfect canvas. The shades are limited, I decided to go darker rather than lighter so I could tone it down by mixing it with a lighter, more pink hued foundation. I will provide a full review soon.

MUFE Mist and Fix Spray

I tend to make my own special recipe fixing spray but wanted to try a "designer" spray to compare the difference. I will let you know how it performs.

Inglot

Advanced Makeup Component Liquid Blush in 88

The quality of this non-shimmer gel/liquid blush is fantastic. Super long lasting and natural finish. Some of the colours seemed a bit light hence going for this warm toned ginger shade.

Gel Liner Matte in numbers 74 (deep mauve) and 73 (pastel violet)

Good quality matte gel liners in various shades are hard to find at good prices. These are fantastically creamy, true to colour and set to an absolute budge proof finish. I was desperate for great quality purples to use as bases as well as liners. Some cool FOTDs coming soon using these - exciting!

Laboratoire Embryolisse

Lait Creme Concentre 75ml and 30ml

Another absolutely sought after holy grail product that serious makeup artists cannot stop raving over. I simply couldnt resist jumping onto the bandwagon. This balm is perfect for dry/combination skin and creates a nourished, smooth base for makeup. I will be using this ALOT!

Sleek Cosmetics

Lipsticks:

Matte - Heartbreaker (raspberry)

Sheen - Candy Cane (cherry red)

Sheen - Coral Reef (coral)

Matte - Bare All (peach nude)

Matte - Papaya Punch (deep watermelon)

Lately I have been transfixed by bright lipsticks. From watermelon pinks to fiery oranges. The problem is there are just so many that I want and although I love MAC's range, at £13 odd per lipstick it just seems too frivolous, even for me! Sleek has answered my prayers however as their lipsticks are unbelievable quality. Perfect, smooth, pigmented, on-trend shades in sophisticated packaging and in various finishes. Good quality matte finishes are just so hard to find in the lower end of the market, but Sleek just continue to up their game. Their range is probably one of the best and the prices are shocking - in a goooooood way! Stay tuned for some interesting ways to wear bright lip colours.

LA Splash

Glitter Eyeliner:

Golden Abalone (fine true gold glitter)

Kahlua (fine bronze glitter)

Eyeshadow Sealer/Base

I have been hearing about this brand for some time now, particularly their glitter products. Now I am really not a glitter, disco shiny kind of a gal, but there is something to be said for some perfectly placed subtle shimmer/glimmer. I grabbed the true gold and the sumptuous burnt toffee liners, so versatile and universally flattering.

The eyshadow sealer/base is another one of those absolutely raved products that once the bug gets you, you just have to try it. Essentially it is not just a standard eyeshadow primer, it acts like glue for glitter and loose pigments. I haven't played with this yet, but when I do I will report my findings to you.

Miss Adoro Lashes

Human Hair Lashes:

Full lashes WSP

Half Lashes 307

Lash Flares - Medium Black

I actually hadn't heard of Miss Adoro before, but I was impressed massively by the styles, quality and most of all the price! I have shown 3 sets of lashes here, but I bought FOUR of each for just £20. These are human hair lashes and they have the most discreet and flexible bands too so basically the most genuine way to fake it! My all time favourites are of course the half lashes but I have recently gotten into the individual lash flares too for a very natural way to enhance your own lashes.

Royal and Langnickel Brushes Silk Pro

Black kabuki brush

Contour Shadow Brush C265

Flat Top Kabuki Foundation C141

Dome Powder C130

Angle Eye Blender C460

There were so many brush stalls to choose from I was literally spoilt for choice. As I agonised over Bdellium, Real Techniques, Crown, Hakudoku and various others, I just kept coming back to Royal and Langnickel. The sheer range and quality is phenomenal and they had some awesome offers on. Although I was very tempted to go for a full set, given I already have a fair few brushes (ok, alot) I went for a more targeted strategy. As you can see from my selection, I felt I was lacking in the face brush department rather than the eye brush department, so I went for some choice cuts from the Silk Pro range and came away with:

the fluffiest, densest kabuki

delicate, kitten-paw soft tapered face brush

velvety flat top foundation brush to get that airbrushed look

Angled, flat topped shader brush to really get into the crease

puppies tail (ok, ok im sure you get it by now these are SUPER soft) highlighter brush

PHEW! Thats it. Just a few little treats!

Did any of you make it down to IMATS?

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Silver and Black Defined Eye Look

Hi Cherubs!

I did a very impromptu silver and black defined eye look which I only managed to capture on my phone camera but I hope you get the idea. I will do a formal photo shoot on this look soon!

PRODUCTS USED

Ben Nye Monster Wheel - white shade as base
White shimmer shade from Coastal Scents 88 palette
Sleek Molten Metal platinum shade lightly patted over blend area to blend silvery white to black
Matte black shade from Coastal Scents 88 palette
Matte white shade from Coastal Scents 88 palette as highlight
MAC Smolder pencil
Eyelure lashes

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

NOTD - China Glaze Nail Polish in Oxygen

Hi Cherubs

I recently picked up a new China Glaze nail polish in Oxygen. This is a milky, non shimmery  opaque colour. One coat gives you that natural french manicure look, two coats gives you a gorgeous milk nude polish that looks simple and sophisticated and not at all like Tipex in case you were wondering!

China Glaze nail polishes (in case you havent heard of them) are VERY big in the States and are fantastic quality - certainly up there with OPI and Essie.

I used Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails with Vitamin E spray which didnt quite take 60 seconds to dry, more like 3 minutes, but dried to a perfect solid yet glossy finish. I would highly recommend using a spray like this if you don't have the time or patience to wait for nail polish to dry.

Enjoy the pics xoxo

Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Universal BB Cream - Review!!

Hey my Cherubs!

So I wanted to jump on the bandwagon of the most recent craze in the beauty world, or, more accurately, the Western beauty world – BB Creams.

BB (Blemish Balm) Cream is a “wonder” cream which originated from Germany as a medically produced cream which was intended to be used post facial plastic surgery. It’s uses were to generally improve skin condition with healing properties, give protection by containing high SPFs, reduce the appearance of redness and even out skin tone amongst other things.

It recently transpired in the Korean version of Hollywood (Kollywood?), that actresses were using medicinal BB Creams to get flawless looking skin. Once this revelation hit, beauty product manufacturers realised the earning potential and released a massive variety of BB Creams in Korea and other parts of the East. BB Creams are BIG out there and have been around for a while now.

And now, the Western world has cottoned on, with MAC, Bobbi Brown and other leading beauty corporations releasing their version of the BB Cream in the UK and other western markets.

Those clever people at Garnier (always quick to spot a trend) have very recently released their version of the famous BB Cream, called Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All In One BB Cream. So, what does a BB Cream actually do? Well, in the East, its main features are to even out skin tone, heal the skin, reduce the appearance of wrinkles, protect from the sun with very high SPF, balance out yellow tones in the skin by “whitening” the skin. Whether these creams actually do all of the above, I have no idea, although the Eastern market swears by them.

Here, as I understand it, BB Creams have the main job of 1. Evening out the skin tone, 2. creating 24 hour hydration, 3. acting as a primer by creating a smooth appearance to the skin and 4. protecting the skin from the sun. In plain English – a universal tinted moisturiser!

I am going to focus on the Garnier BB Cream as I just bought it from Superdrug to test out.

It comes in 2 colours – light and medium and claims to do the following:

Evens skintone and boosts glow

Blurs imperfections

Smoothes fine lines

24 hr hydration

SPF 15 UV Protection

The colour choice isn’t great, but as it is supposed to have light reflecting properties, unless you are either end of the spectrum i.e. really pale or darker than say, Mac NC44, you should be ok trying this out.

So, does it work?

SPF – Well it says SPF 15 which is quite low compared to Eastern BB Creams, but I think this is acceptable for normal day to day use where you are not expecting to stay out in direct sunlight. As I usually wear a SPF moisturiser or sometimes a moisturiser and then sun protection lotion, it was really handy to use just one product to protect and moisturise.

Hydration – The product is VERY moisturising, which for my dry/combination skin, is actually ideal. It gives a dewy finish, so if you like a matte finish or have oily skin you probably wont like this. I wore it to work and it maintained the dewy natural appearance all day, with no caking or dry, flaky spots.

Healing Properties – Hmm no idea yet. I will let you know. However, it does contain anti oxidants although unless these are in very high quantities I doubt this will have much effect on your skin. I will monitor and let you know. The pigment is due to mineral powders so this should prevent pores getting clogged and allow your skin to breathe.

Coverage – As already stated, the colour choice isn’t fantastic, but I have to say the medium was perfect for me and gave a very natural finish – basically “my skin but better”. It certainly did not cover any blemishes, but it did make my pores much less noticeable and covered redness around the chin and nose, and as I applied an additional layer onto my undereye area, it helped to reduce the appearance of dark circles. As it leaned towards the more warm tones, I think this is what helped with making my dull, sometimes sallow looking skin appear more bright.

Texture – I probably used a pea sized amount in total on my whole face. It comes out looking and feeling like a thickish foundation, but spreads really quickly and thinly and blends like magic. Once it was blended, my skin felt so smooth and silky, soft – similar in feel to a light primer such as MAC Prep and Prime.

Price – I got this at £7.99 from Superdrug as they had a special offer on. The RRP is £9.99 but you get 50ml of product which is a fair amount.

Overall – I tried to take pictures, but it was hard to pick up the difference on camera. However, here is a swatch against my hand (to the left, unblended, to the right blended in - you can see how shiny and bright it looks).

In person, I saw that my skin looked brighter, cleaner, fresher, more even and really well hydrated. I have to say I really love this product! I have been looking for a tinted moisturiser for some time, but wanted something really natural looking which would not cause my pores to be clogged. I am so pleased that the product eliminates certain steps out of my daily routine and gives me a natural look without having to apply foundation, concealer etc. I have read a lot of reviews and people seem disappointed. As long as you aren’t expecting a skin transplant by using the product, I think you will be pleasantly surprised to use a universal moisturiser that protects and evens out your skin tone and lasts all day. I especially love that I can jump out of bed in the morning and slap one product on my face on those “lazy” days and know I will look fresher and brighter WITHOUT having to wear makeup, and still get SPF protection all day.

5/5 Angel Wings for this one!

Modern Indian Bridal Look 2 - Hot Pink Arabic Inspired Double Winged Liner

For the second modern Indian bridal look, I decided to take inspiration from the amazing Arabic makeup style by using a double winged liner with a splash of hot pink!

FACE

Lanacane Anti Chafing Gel as primer

NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Syracuse

INGLOT concealer palette

YSL Touche Eclat

ELF HD Powder

MAC Strobe Cream

CHEEKS

NARS Laguna as contour

Famous by Sue Moxley Ingrid Copper blusher

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Ice Pink as highlighter

EYES

MAC Painterley Paint Pot as primer

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Ice Pink as highlight

Barry M Dazzle Dust in Pink Gold

MAC Amber Lights eyeshadow

Hot pink shade from Coastal Scents 88 palette and pale pink matt shade from same palette for blending

Sleek Gel liner in Dominatrix and set with matte black eyeshadow

White kohl pencil to mark space between double wings

LIPS

Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in a bright pink colour although I cant remember the name sorry! You could substitute MAC's Girl About Town or Show Orchid for a similar look

Hope you like it!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Modern Indian Bridal Look 1 - Blue Smokey

Traditional Indian bridal outfits tend to include gold and red as the main colours. Nowadays, outfits have become modernised by adding accents in blues, greens, turquoises, even hot pinks!

A close friend who is getting married soon asked me to create some looks using modern bright colours so I put together this blue smokey eye, which was inspired by the front cover of Asian Bride magazine (Spring issue) and a bright pink Arabic inspired look too, which will follow soon.

Here is a breakdown of the products used:

FACE

Lanacane anti chafing gel as primer

NARS Sheer Glow in Syracuse

INGLOT concealer palette

ELF HD Powder

YSL Touche Eclat

MAC Strobe Cream as highlight base

EYES

MAC Painterley Paint Pot as base

Blue shade from Sleek Primer Palette

MAC Deep Truth eyeshadow

MAC Steamy to blend out the blue

Barry M Dazzle Dust Ice Pink as highlight

Collection 2000 Glitter Liner turquoise colour

MAC Contrast eyeshadow

Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero

Matt black eyeshadow to blend out the liner

CHEEKS

NARS Laguna to contour

MAC DollyPink blush

Barry M Dazzle Dust Ice Pink as highlight

LIPS

Sleek Lip Liner in Pink Rose all over lips

MAC Dazzle Cream in Gone Romancin (limited edition but you can substitute with any bubblegum pink iridescent lipgloss such as L'Oreal Juicy Rose Glow Glamshine lipgloss)

JEWELLRY

The headpiece is just a necklace which I fixed to my hair using bobby pins. This necklace is from Chohans on Stratford Road, Birmingham, UK