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

Grey Smokey Eye and Pale Pink Lip FOTD

One of my favourite MAC matte eyeshadows is Print as it is a lovely smooth dark grey with no shimmer. MAC do some excellent matte eyeshadows that are really versatile. Print makes an excellent eyeliner if used with a very thin and slightly wet brush. Here, I wanted to do a clubbing look with a grey smokey eye, luminous cheeks and a very pale, pink lip. NARS velvet matte lip pencils are chubby lip pencils for all over the lip and they are of course matt and extremely smooth and creamy. Belle De Jour is a very nude colour that can look a little ashy on its own but it is great over Please Me (bubblegum pink matt lipstick) to create a soft pale nude lip.

FACE

Studio Fix Concealer NW35 and Benefit Erase Paste No 3
NARS Sheer Glow in Syracuse
Mineralize Skin Finish Natural in medium dark

CHEEKS

NARS Laguna Blush contour
MAC Dollypink blush
MAC Strobe Cream highlight

EYES

Urban Decay Primer Potion
NYX Jumbo pencil in black bean as black base
88 Shimmer palette grey/brown matte shade
MAC Print Eyeshadow
MAC Rice Paper Eyeshadow highlight
MAC Technakohl pencil in waterline and smudged into upper lashline

LIPS

MAC Please Me matte lipstick
NARS Velvet Matte lip pencil in Belle De Jour
Very pale pink lip gloss unknown brand

Hope you like it!

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Black Swan Natalie Portman FOTD!! (mini review of Ben Nye colour wheel)

And now for something a little bit different..!!!

Totally out of my comfort zone but I wanted to see if I could create a theatrical look. Obviously I wouldn't go out looking like this unless it was for a fancy dress party or Halloween! I think the movie Black Swan is one of the best films I have seen in a long time. Natalie Portman is just phenomenal playing a top ballet dancer who is slowly losing her grip on reality yet at the same time on a deep journey of self-discovery. If you haven't seen it, go!

This was the inspirational picture from the movie:

This was my take:

Products Used:

Ben Nye Monster Wheel - the white shade and the grey shade

NYX Jumbo Pencil in Black Bean

ELF HD Powder

Clinique Lipstick in A Different Grape

Matt red eyeshadow from the Coastal Scents 88 Palette

Shimmery silver eyeshadow from the Coastal Scents 88 Palette

L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara

MAC Shadowy Lady Eyeshadow (matte dark mauve colour)

Stila Makalu Eyeshadow (matt black eyeshadow)

Method

So I basically covered my whole face and ears with the white Ben Nye face paint. I set the product with the ELF HD powder which is basically a translucent white powder.

I then drew the main shape of the eyes with the NYX pencil, filled it in and set with the black eyeshadow.

I took an angled liner brush and mixing the white and pale grey shade drew flicks of colour over the eye area to mimic feathers. I set the cream product with a silver eyeshadow. I did the same with my hands.

I took the white face paint and lined the waterline and set with the red powder.

I then smudged the black eyeshadow on the lower lash line and went over it with the red eyeshadow.

I applied mascara and black kohl to the tightline (upper inner rim of the eye).

Using an angled blusher brush I applied the dark matte mauve colour into the hollows of the cheeks to create that dark blush effect.

I then lined my lips with black kohl pencil and blended it into the centre of the lips. I went over the whole lip area with the Clinique A Different Grape lipstick which is basically a deep purple colour.

I used Photoshop to create the red and black eyes!

What do you think??

For a HIlarious tutorial to create the same look check out this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3HLQlW_jwM OMG!!

Ben Nye Colour Wheel Review and Treasure House of Makeup http://www.treasurehouseofmakeup.co.uk/

As you know I went along to IMATS London 2011 and met the lovely Ann from Treasure House of Makeup. She helped me to find the perfect colour wheel so I could create this look. Treasure House have an amazing range of specialist makeup items for the stage and general beauty requirements. Most importantly, they are the exclusive UK distributor for Ben Nye. If you haven't heard of Ben Nye before, they are an iconic Hollywood makeup line who are the creme de la creme of the movie makeup industry. Ben Nye products are such good quality and so highly pigmented that non-stage makeup artists also now use their products. Check out the concealer wheels and eyeshadow palettes at http://www.treasurehouseofmakeup.co.uk/. So reasonably priced too!

The colour wheel I used is called the Monster Wheel. It has creamy smooth pigmented shades of white, grey, duck egg blue, moss green, chocolate brown and mauve/black. The colours blended really easily but were not too slippery. Once set with powder they hardly budged at all.The colours on the skin were true to the shade they appeared in the wheel. I couldn't have been more pleased with the wheel and can't wait to pick up some other products from the Ben Nye range from Treasure House.

NB Treasure House did not pay me for this review and I purchased the item with my own money. The review is my honest, personal opinion.

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo

Valentines Day Step by Step Tutorial - Glowy, Pretty, Sexy!

Hello my Cherubs!

As you all know, V Day is coming around again!

For those of you lovely ladies who are lucky enough to have a date, (or even those of you who have decided to boycott the day and go out with your friends instead!), I thought I would share a step by step guide to creating a really pretty, fresh, glowy look that would be perfect, however you wish to spend the day!

Here is a list of what you will need to create the look:

1. Flat eyeshadow shader brush, fluffy blending brush and blush brush.

2. Sheer foundation/tinted moisturuser of your choice and sheer loose powder or MAC MSF natural.

3. Concealer in your own shade and a stick concealer which is 3 shades lighter than your skintone (if you don't have one, borrow or just buy a cheap drugstore shade for a couple of pounds - quality is not important for this little trick)

4. Bronzer with a bit of shimmer

5. Peachy/pink matte blush

6. Highlight - cream or powder (I suggest MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle/Ricepaper Eyeshadow/ Strobe cream or Benefit Moonbeam or Highbeam but feel free to use whatever you have handy)

7. Shimmery/glittery creamy coloured eyeshadow (I used the lighter colour from the NARS Sugarland duo)

8. Matt medium brown eyeshadow

9. Black kohl pencil

10. Eyelash curlers

11. Your favourite mascara

12. Girlie rosey pink, glossy lipstick (Lovelorn from MAC would be perfect)

Steps:

1. Apply your foundation or tinted moisturiser all over your face and blend well with your fingertips. Apply your own shade of concealer over any blemishes and under the eyes.

2. Now the magic trick to keeping your face glowy, fresh and bright! Take the lighter shade of stick concealer and apply to the inner corner of the eye next to the tear duct first. Tap gently to blend.

Next, smear some of the same concealer onto your ring finger and smooth thinly and evenly all over your eyelids up to your browbone. This will be your primer for your eyeshadow to stick to.

Next take the same light coloured concealer and starting at the point that the undereye area joins to the tops of your cheeks, draw an upside triangle straight down against the sides of your noses, to a point at the bottom of the apples of your cheeks. Smooth, blend and tap using your fingers to really blend the concealer into your skin. The key is to ensure the light colour isnt visible as a separate block of colour against your skin. This is naturally an area of your skin which catches the light, so you will enhance the effect to make your skin brighter and clearer and glowier!

Finally, take the same light concealer, and carefully line your waterline (lower rim of your eye) as if you were applying kohl to your eyes! Try not to get it onto your lower lashes. Again, this is another makeup artist trick to make your eyes look wider and rounder and fresher! See pic below - my eyes look rounder and brighter than usual.
See the above facechart as a guide to where to place the light coloured stick concealer.

3. Very lightly set the concealer with your powder.

4. Next take your bronzer (I used a cream to powder bronzer by NARS called the Palm Beach Multiple but feel free to just use powder bronzer), make a fishy face (i.e. suck in your cheeks), and starting at the hairline, blend the bronzer just above the sucked in part of your cheeks. Don't go too far in to the centre of your face and dont go too far up onto the actual cheeks either. Blend softly upwards (not downwards!). Use a light hand as this is a technique called contouring, which is basically emphasising natural shadows under your cheekbones to make your cheekbones appear higher.

Next take your peachy pink matt blusher and apply the blush (again starting at the hairline) slightly onto and slightly above the bronzer blending the two colours together. See face chart for a guide as to where to place the bronzer or blusher. Although if your face actually resembles the face chart, please wash everything off and start again hahaha!!!

5. Take your highlight and blend onto the tops of your cheekbones, down the bridge of your nose, onto your browbone just under the eyebrow and finally into the cupids bow (edge of lip which is directly above centre of top lip).

6. Take your shimmery, creamy coloured eyeshadow and pat and press onto the eyelid only (don't go above the crease/socket). Place the shadow also over the inner tearduct area where you put the light coloured concealer.

7. Take your fluffy brush and tap gently into the brown eyeshadow. Blend this colour into the crease/socket, blending until it is softly blended with the top edge of the shimmery eyeshadow and just up to the bottom edge of where you placed your highlighter. Take a bit more of the brown and smudge it onto your lower lashline.

8. Take your black kohl and create a top liner and wing out slightly.

9. Curl your eyelashes and apply mascara.

10. Apply your pink lipstick

Ta daaaaa!!! You should look fresh faced, wide eyed, clear skinned, girlie and pretty with just a hint of sexy black eyeliner along the tops of your eyes!

In my opinion this is a perfect Valentines Day look, as generally speaking, men love the natural look in terms of makeup (I am pretty sure they like us to look angelic neck up, and erm, slightly less so neck down hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!! Ooh how very un-PC of me!! Hee hee!)

This sounds like a lot of makeup but it's really more subtle and relies heavily on contouring and highlighting rather than covering your face with lots of colours. Remember to blend, blend, blend!!

I did take some pics of me but although I loved the makeup, I wasn't thrilled with the quality of the pictures, so apologies for that!

What are your V Day plans?

xoxo Angel5ace xoxo