Budget Buy: Sleek Glo

Sleek aren't a budget brand to me, everything I've tried from them is really amazing for the price. Their eyeshadows are the most pigmented drugstore eyeshadows around, likewise with their lipsticks and I've now fallen in love with Glo. 

The shade peach shimmer is a combination of 5 shades made for illuminating the complexion. It's the perfect combination between a bronzer and highlighter, one of those no-fuss slap on and go products, that I swirl a big brush and apply on my cheeks. 

Wearing Sleek Glo in Peach Shimmer

On first glance it reminds me of the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks but after giving this a fair road test I actually prefer it for being much less shimmery and much more glowy. The Bobbi Brown shimmer particles are actually larger and more noticeable on the skin whereas this provides a lovely subtle glow. 

 Sleek Glo is £6.49 and available here

Beauty On Location: Breast Cancer Awareness Party

For a pink lover like myself it's extremely exciting seeing an array of pink products appear onto the beauty counters, especially when they are in aid of a cause like Breast Cancer Awareness. At a Breast Cancer Awareness party last week I decided instead of dressing in an entirely pink outfit I would wear products that helped support Breast Cancer Awareness.

The Clinique Chubby Stick, which I'm a huge fan of already (post here) is currently in limited edition shade, Plumped Up Pink, of which £2 of every sale will be going to Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  On my pinkie was the shade by Nails Inc called, Pinkie Pink which £1 of every bottle sold will be donated to Breast Cancer Campaign. By painting your Pinkie Pink you are supporting the cause and helping raise awareness!

Skin

- I kept my skin looking fresh and glowing with YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat with a sweeping of my latest powder love, Jurlique Rose Silk Finishing Powder and as always, By Terry Touche Veloutee covering my under eye circles.

- On my cheeks I swept some of Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in Lush Nectarine and used the darker shade from the Sleek Contour Kit to contour.

Eyes

- I swept some of Natural Collection Eyeshadow in Milk Chocolate all over the lid with Mac Carbon Eyeshadow along the lash line followed by Pixi Lash Line Ink. I then applied lashings of Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara.

Lips & Nails

- As mentioned above, lips were coated in Clinique Chubby Stick in Plumped Up Pink and my pinkie was painted in Nails Inc Pinky Pink to show my support!

Have any Breast Cancer Awareness products caught your eye this month? You can visit the Breast Cancer Awareness page & learn a little more here

My Makeup: Issa SS13 Inspired

After being backstage at Issa last week (post here) and drooling over Val Garland working her makeup magic, my front row seat enabled me to analyse her feather light hand movements, swift brush strokes and precise cat flick up close. To say I was totally mesmerised would be an understatement! After noting down all her tips and techniques I got a little inspired to try and recreate the look myself, however, something a little more suitable for my everyday life.
Now I'm an eyes girl, it's the feature I always play up - there's rarely a red lip or just some skin action going on with me, but the makeup at Issa had it all, which on myself I wouldn't be too fond of, so I adapted it by toning down the lip from a bright opaque colour to a sheer wash, a less defined eye and a smaller cat flick.

Skin

- Val Garland used the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Pure Light Primer as a base to ensure glowy skin, which I personally haven't tried, so instead I applied Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone all over my skin, followed by YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat.
- Under my eyes I used what Val used as a highlighter, L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer, which wasn't high enough in coverage to conceal my dark circles so I mixed in some By Terry Touche Veloutee.
- To contour I used the dark shade in Sleek Contour Kit and to add a highlight to the high points of my cheek bones I used L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer.

Eyes

- Sweeping the lightest shade from the L'Oreal Trio Pro in 403 Golden Fidelity and defining my crease using a mix of the two darker shades in the palette. The look at Issa was much more defined but I opted for a more subtle, wearable look.
- To line my eyes I used L'Oreal Super Liner. Like Val suggested, I started at the middle of my eyelid and drew outwards, filling in the gaps after I had defined the shape of the flick. Val then followed with a L'Oreal mascara that has yet to be released, so I opted for L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic instead.

Lips

- I used a sheer wash of bright colour with Giorgio Armani Rouge D'Armani Sheer in 502

Do you think I made the look Val created at Issa more wearable?

My Makeup: Party Face

Just the word party ensures some sort of smokey eye is involved, which no doubt it was, and little more intense than I usually go. I opted for black as opposed to brown, to add some drama to my eyes. Using L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, which are truly incredible. Unbeliveably pigmented, so rich, creamy and blendable - I just wish they were available in a wider range of shades. Back in May at the Cannes Film Festival Cheryl Cole wore a beautiful nude lip that complimented her smokey eye perfectly - L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Nude Ingenue and  L'Oreal Glam Shine Fresh in Aqua Grapefruit was the combination she used so I jumped on that bandwagon too, joining in on the amazing nude lip pair!

Skin

- For party ready skin I always opt for a primer, ensuring that my makeup lasts all evening. Here I reached for Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer (post here) which was followed by my foundation of choice, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk as it's perfect for photos and lasts amazingly throughout an evening

- Sleek Contour Kit was brushes through my cheekbones for added definition while a touch of Mac Blush in Well Dressed was added for some colour

Eyes

- I primed my eyelids with Mac Painterly Paint Pot to help eyeshadows adhere to my skin and help their pigments appear more vibrant

- I used L'Oreal Colour Infallible Eyeshadow (post here) in 12 Endless Chocolate all over the lid and intensified the look with the shade 14 Eternal Black, followed by lashings of Max Factor False Lash Effect. 

Lips

- The Cheryl Cannes nude lip combination of L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Nude Ingenue and  L'Oreal Glam Shine Fresh in Aqua Grapefruit 

Are you a smokey eye girl or do you prefer keeping it simple?

Beauty On Location: Dinner With Friends

Making the week go by a little quicker is easier when there are evening plans involved no?! Here was just a casual dinner with friends at La Bodega Negra in London, which I really recommend if you're into Mexican!

I went for jeans, some boots and a new Peplum top of mine from Topshop - link! Even though when I first started seeing them around I thought they were very "un-me" I've now done a complete 180 and become a convert - so much so that I ordered two other colours! I absolutely love the silhouette they create, adding some curves yet being tight in other places. My favourite part about them is pairing with some statement jewellery - like this necklace! It's also great if you're going for a big meal.      

For my makeup I went for something new - no smokey eye! Shock horror, just a little definition on my lower lash line with some brown eyeshadow. I kept my skin pretty glowy by skipping the powder and opted for something I dusted out of my stash, Dior Amber Diamond Highlighter, which is one of the most beautiful pieces in my collection. I stuck on some of my favourite false lashes too - Katy Perry Eylure in Oh Honey, they add a lot of length and some extra volume yet aren't too in your face. 

Skin

- My newest favourite combination of Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer (link to post here)  followed by YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation. I then used the darker shade of my Sleek Contour Kit through my cheekbones with a little bit of Mac Peaches blush 

- The star of the glow show is Dior Amber Diamond which I've gotten back into after a good 6 months of it sitting collecting dust, isn't it lovely!

Eyes

- Sweeping a light shimmer shade all over my lid, Mac Ploof with Naked and Buck from the Urban Decay Naked Palette in the crease, for some added definition. 

- On my lower lash line I swept some of Darkhorse shade followed by Dior DiorShow New Look Mascara on my lower lashes

- After curling my lashes with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers I applied some Eylure Katy Perry False Lashes in Oh Honey which you can see closer pictures of here

What do you think? Yes or no to peplum tops?

Beauty On Location: Engagement Brunch Party

Aloha Wedding Season! Summer is (hopefully!) here and there have been quite a few wedding invitations popping through my door recently which is all very exciting. Before the weddings come the engagement parties, most likely Sunday brunches. I think getting the balance for brunch makeup right is quite important, especially in the summer. Being a brunch in the sun makes wearing makeup quite a task as the sunlight instantly picks up on whatever makeup on your face. For example, you don't want any shimmery highlighter as the sun will immediately make it very visible on the skin, as well as making foundation very obvious. This also means making sure everything is well blended as you don't want any harsh bronzer lines. Another thing that I thought of and actually noticed at the party was the hangover puffy eyes. A couple of people actually wore  their sunglasses indoors to hide them. On top of thinking about all of this is the photo proof makeup aspect, as there will definitely be some photos so makeup has to be photo appropriate (aka no SPF in foundation or light reflective particles in concealer) This long ramble here is all that occurred to me at around 3am the night before. So heres what I decided to apply the next day...

As soon as I woke up I doused two cotton Pads in Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Eye Bright Lotion and placed them on my closed eye lids to help decrease any puffiness for about 10 minutes 

Skin

- I prepped my skin with Givenchy Mister Matt for a smooth poreless base whilst making sure I stayed matt throughout the day

- My Photoproof foundation of choice is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk which I absolutely adore. I raved about it fully here if you fancy a meaty foundation post** wink with my Hourglass Hidden  Concealer

- For my cheeks I applied a matt bronzer from the Sleek Contour Kit, post here, followed by my Burberry Light Glow Blossom Blush in Number 5, post here

- I pressed some of Chanel Natural Finish Loose Powder on to my t-zone with my Real Techniques Multitask brush to set my foundation

Eyes

- As always I started off with my Mac Painterly Paint Pot to help increase the staying power of eyeshadows and even out my lid colour, review here

One word for the eyeshadows- Burberry!

- I used three different Burberry Eyeshadows, first I applied Porcelain No.03 all over the lid, continued to apply Pale Barley No. 22 to the outer half of my lid, swatches and review here

- I then lined my upper lash line using Chanel Automatic Liquid Liner in brown and blended out the line with a Louise Young Ly13 brush and Burberry Midnight Brown Eyeshadow No. 21 and took whatever was left on the brush along my bottom lash line, swatches and review here

- As it was a very special occasion I curled my lashes with the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers (I don't like doing this on a daily basis as I don't want to ruin my lashes!)

- For Mascara I used a combination of the Dior DiorShow Lash Serum and Primer which I raved about here followed by the Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill

- To brighten and generally help my eyes look more awake I used the Pixi Eye Bright Liner along the lower water line. This is a total life saviour as the flesh toned colour will counteract the redness in eyes and looks much more natural than a white liner

Lips 

- Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss in Lucky... My favourite lipgloss ever!

So there you have it, my rambly thoughts about makeup the evening before and what I actually applied the next day! What would you use? 

Beauty On Location: Vogue Festival Vertu After Party

Last Friday night I went over to the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington for the Vogue Festival Vertu After Party. Makeup wise I wanted to use my foolproof products that I knew were going to last without touch ups! The actual event was tons of fun, there was a talk during the evening with a panel that included Net a Porter's Natalie Massenet, David Downton, Erdem Moralioglu, Alexandra Shulman and Vertu president, Perry Oosting. The party was full of celebrities like Rachel Zoe and Cara Delevigne & you can see the pictures on the vogue website here

Products Used:

Skin 

Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk *link* to post applied with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush, *link* to post

By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer *link* to post applied with the brush and blended in with fingers

Sleek Coutour Kit in Light, used the dark shade to add some colour to my cheekbones, applied with a Mac 103 brush

Laura Mercier Blush in Lush Nectarine applied with a Real Techniques Mulitask Brush, *link* to post

Eyes

Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in 454 Royal Kaki, followed by Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara and L'Oreal Voluminous in Carbon Black, which by the way is the best mix of mascara ever!

Lips

Burberry Lip Cover in Nude Rose No.25