New In: By Terry Or De Rose Collection

These two lustworthy items are part of By Terry's Christmas collection,  Fascination Or Rose. Two seriously beautiful items here - Elegant packaging? Check. Rose scented? Check. 24-Carat Pink Gold? Oh yes.  

First up is this gorgeous Or De Rose Blush Prestige, which is described as an Allover Highlighter Blush that gives a radiant glow. Included are 24-Carat Pink Gold and multi-reflective pink, amber and copper sheens - yum!

Wearing By Terry Or De Rose Blush Prestige on my cheeks and By Terry Or De Rose Baume Precieux on my lips

One pump of the liquid is enough for both cheeks, especially when blended in with a Real Techniques Stippling Brush. The formula is one that I tend to favour as it turns from liquid to powder on application. I've been applying this everywhere, cheekbones - temples and even cupids bow! Despite looking rather shimmery in the bottle it's one of the most natural blushes I've found that gives an elegant sun-kissed skin look that genuinely appears as though the colour is coming from within. 

Being a Baume De Rose lover this little Or De Rose Baume Precieux, which is a little more on-the-go friendly than a pot. Again, it contains 24-Carat Pink Gold giving a shimmering finish. It manages to hydrate the lips, keep them looking glowing and protect them too! 

By Terry Or De Rose Blush Prestige £60 & Or De Rose Baume Precieux £40 Space NK

Will you be adding anything from the By Terry Fascination Or Rose collection on your Christmas list?

My Makeup: Travelling Around

Apart from whilst air bourne travelling and makeup just don't mix, whilst travelling the past couple of weeks I've become rather sluggish with my makeup as it usually gets applied in an airplane cabin or train bathroom. Needless to say there's only minimal makeup going on, very natural and what I like to call 'can't feel this on my face' products.

Skin

- I've been gracing my skin with the most weightless base I own, Giorgio Armani's latest release, Maestro Fusion. I'll keep my thoughts under wraps until the end of the week! Followed by my concealer of choice, By Terry Touche Veloutee

- This handy compact by Nars (post here) ocontains a blush, highlighter and bronzer - perfect for on the go, which I've been sweeping my cheeks with.

Eyes

- Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadows are my summer saviour (post here & here) as they provide a lovely sheer, matte wash of colour without creasing or fading. I'll run the shade 4 Sandy Gold all over the lid with some 10 Suede in the crease

- On my upper lash line I'll apply a brown eyeliner and some mascara followed by By Terry Ombre Blackstar in 11 Beyond Gold along my lower lash line for an extra touch of colour. 

That's my quick travelling face which has lasted me through recent planes, trains and long journeys! What do you use when you're travelling?

Product Rave: By Terry Ombre Blackstar

When it comes to my minimal makeup it's mascara and a base, base being foundation and concealer, but there's one quick step that pulls everything together and takes a look from being minimal to slightly more polished, a pop of colour. The item in question that I've been gliding along my lower lash line for achieving this is By Terry Ombre Blackstar in 11 Beyond Gold.

The Ombre Blackstar are a cream eyeshadow pencil that have been in the range for a while but this shade is part of their fall collection. As far as eyeliner crayons go it's got it all, extremely pigmented, creamy, blendable and best of all doesnt tug at your eyes. In fact, it literally feels like silk gliding over your eyelids.

What impressed me the most was the most incredible lasting power...when applied at 8am, attended meetings and events all day, that evening at around 10pm got on a long haul flight and when I arrived in my hotel room at 5am, I was in absolute awe to see the golden eyeliner still in tact with only the slightest of fading on my waterline. Incredible.

Can't rave about it enough! Will be definitely be checking out some other shades...

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

The Back Ups

There are a few products that I adore so much I wouldn't even have to think about if I would repurchase them. In fact I love them that much I end up hoarding doubles, just incase that lipgloss or concealer comes to an end and I'm left running to find a replacement. 

Currently only two haircare products are worthy of the back up plan, Oribe Dry Texturising Spray, of which I have a large bottle for my dressing table and a smaller handbag sized. Whenever I opt out of using this in my hair the difference in volume is phenomenal. It provides lift in my hair like no other as well as adding texture. Not only is Ojon Rare Blend Oil the most beautiful hair oil around it's also nourishing, tames frizz and leaves hair smelling amazing. 

Three mascaras I couldn't see myself living without...

1. Dior DiorShow Lash Serum & Primer - I apply before mascara to lengthen, thicken and give the appearance of longer lashes

2. MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara - is an absolute drugstore gem, that manages to take my lashes from short stumpy lashes to long and fluttery. 

3. L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black - I normally add as a boost after any mascara as it adds the most incredible volume and seems to work well with any formula

For my chapped lips Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm For Lips does the trick for bringing cracked lips back to plumpy, it's a bit of a sticky ointment so reserves a place on the bedside table for overnight use. Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss in Lucky is one I had to search Space NK stores desperate to get my hands on some back ups. It's the most beautiful peachy pink with a golden shimmer running through it that illuminates the lips making them appear fuller. 

Avon SuperShock Gel Liner is the most incredible gel eyeliner around, it lasts the better part of 8 hours on my waterline and has an unbelievably creamy formula that's easy to blend out but once set it won't budge. 

For concealer my two couldn't-live-without favourites are, By Terry Touche Veloutee and Collection Lasting Perfection, nothing beats these. Touche Veloutee gets swept under my eyes for concealing bags as it has the most lightweight formula and invisible texture. Lasting Perfection anywhere else like covering redness as it's pretty full coverage and blendable. 

So there you have it, my backups. Favourite products, these truly ones I could not even dream of being without. 

Do you own any backups? What would yours be?

Most Used Products: Backstage at LFW

As I trotted off backstage at London Fashion Week I made sure I went prepared, notepad and pen at the ready, to squeeze makeup artists for all the knowledge they would share, favourite products and best techniques. There seemed to be the same few products that kept cropping up, ones I saw repeatedly again and again on every counter that without a doubt were the makeup artist favourites.  

First up was something that won’t come as a surprise to you, something that was on every single makeup artist station, right bang in the center surrounded by cotton pads, Bioderma Crealine H2O Micellar Solution, (post here), a gentle water cleanser that removes a full face of makeup within a matter of seconds, without irritating the skin or leaving an oily film. When presented with a task like a complicated cat flick at Issa (post here) the makeup artists would use a Q-Tip dipped in Bioderma as the perfect tool for shaping liquid liner and erasing errors. 

Speaking of French pharmacy products, something I've had in my stash for a while that I like to slap on anything dry – lips, knees, hands, cuticles, you name it, Homeoplasmine. A lovely makeup artist backstage said she used this for ‘crusty patches.’ A dollup on the skin for as long as possible it becomes smooth and ready for foundation. 

Another skin savior is the cult Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, which has a plethora of uses. Lips, a cheek highlight, adding some intense glossyness to the skin, on cheekbones, eyes and even lips. Not to mention its hydrating qualities too. It really is one of those cult items everyone seems to have in their stash! 

There seemed to be the same base products going round, firstly Embryolisse Lait Creme Concentre which I personally have never tried, but managed to gain a little insight when the lovely artist shed a little light on my lack of knowledge by saying it’s a non greasy moisturizer that suits all skin types and helps make skin look radiant. On top of this it's also an 'exceptionally hydrating cream' which is perfect for dryer skin types. Being more on the oily side myself, I think I'll be saving this one for winter.

Mac Face & Body has been in my stash for years, although it’s not a daily favourite of mine it’s great for using on legs and scars. It provides light coverage, dewy finish and has a runny texture. I did spot a couple of makeup artists mixing this with heavier texture foundations to make them more blendable. It's the perfect texture for bringing down the neck to add some colour and the lack of SPF makes it perfect for flash photography too. 

Something I absolutely had to pick up the day after seeing it on practically every single counter was Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder, which is used to set concealer under the eyes. Its extremely light in texture and provides a hardly noticeable difference in person but works amazingly well with flash, helping to conceal dark circles and illuminate the under eye area. It's also helped my concealer last longer too!

Another highlighting goodie is Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Cream which provides glowy cheek perfection. It's brilliant at catching the light and aiding to sculpt the face. Down the centre of the nose, across the cheekbones and on the cupids bow is where it suits best. Its cream formula ensures it appears extremely natural too. 

Lastly By Terry Baume De Rose, which isn't one of those chuck in the bottom of your handbag lip balms, more of a get it out in public for a display as it's absolutely gorgeous. It provides a glow to the lips like no other, moisturises them and isn't too sticky that it will interfere with lipstick. 

So there you have it, the items my makeup magnet eyes gravitated towards backstage. These were those certain items I saw on every counter, that were clearly renown makeup artists favourites!

Beauty On Location: Sunday Brunch

As I'm sure you can imagine, after previously having one too many glasses of wine the night before, tearing myself away from my duvet for an early brunch was quite the task. Let alone appearing semi -presentable when last nights mascara was still remnant on my eyelashes. Enter the reason why I love Micellar Waters - just a couple of sweeps with a cotton pad and all is gone (post here).

Lifeless sunday morning skin calls for the big guns - glowy foundation, glowy concealer, glowy you-name-it. All the early morning saviours (post here) were used in full glory for some extra luminosity and faking that extra couple of hours sleep. In terms of clothing jumpsuits are a life saviour, something great to just throw on without having to think through an outfit.

Skin

- My current foundation of choice, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat (post here) mixed in with some Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector (post here) is one amazingly glowy skin combination!

- To conceal the tremendous bag the previous late night had given me I relied on By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer (post here) followed by a touch of Mac Style blush which does a great job at awakening skin

Eyes

- I swept some of Stila Eyeshadow in Kitten all over my lid, applied some Pixi Lash Line Ink and Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara.

Lips

- A coating of my latest lip love, Clinique Chubby Stick in Mighty Mimosa (post here)

It was an extremely sunny day - hence the closed eyes!

My Makeup: Colour Therapy

During some colour therapy I went a bit mad for the Topshop lipsticks as their formula is one that I favour - really strongly pigmented, long lasting and not too drying on the lips. Think Mac Matte but much more creamy and less clingy on dry patches. 

I picked up the shade Ohh La La which I've been pairing with a clean base, a tiny touch of blush, some eyeliner and mascara. The Orangey peach shade isn't one I would normally go for so being a little out of my comfort zone I kept the rest of my makeup pretty simple. Like all the Topshop Lipsticks, it can be applied quite sheerly all the way up to a pretty opaque colour and I like to land somewhere in the middle. 

Skin

- For a covering yet luminous base I went for YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation (post here) followed by By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer (post here)
- To add some dimention and colour to my face I dusted a touch of Mac Well Dressed blush on to my cheeks

Eyes

- After dusting the lightest shade from the Make Up Academy Undressed Palette (post here) all over my lid I lined my eyelids with L'Oreal Super Liner (post here) and coated my lashes in Avon SuperShock Max Mascara. 

Topshop Lips in Ohh La La £8 here

Lips

- Topshop Lipstick in Ooh La La 

What are some of your favourite bright lip colours?

High & Low: Concealer

By Terry Touché Veloutee £35 SpaceNK Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer £3.99 Boots

I'm undecided if the term 'You pay for what you get' is correct. On one hand I constantly find myself raiding places like Boots only to find a couple of items I truly love whereas more often than not the Space NK equivalent is a different story. On the other hand, on occasion it's clear I'm mostly paying for a label and some packaging.

 There's a great range high to low end range in my collection, focusing on concealer these are two that I favour, neither of which will come as a surprise as you've seen both on here before. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer & By Terry Touche Veloutee. 

If there's one thing that impacts my looks more than anything it's concealer. Hiding circles, redness or blemishes it's just a godsend for acne sufferers, late night ravers and those of us who are a little redder in skin tone. 

Let's just get one thing straight - there are by no means dupes, the formulas are totally different. By Terry doesnt crease, doesnt look or feel heavy and in fact, hardly looks like makeup at all. I could rave about this stuff till the universe ends, the major downfall is it only comes in 3 shades. which is something that the Collection Concealer doesnt excel at either having a poor selection of only four. The By Terry is one of those 'I'm not wearing concealer' concealers that make you appear as though you actually get 10 hours worth of sleep. The clicky pen makes it easy to use and easy to apply, especially in the mornings when time can be limited. 

Lasting Perfection Concealer is more of a richer formula, it's very high coverage and takes blending into the skin for it to look natural. It's one of the best drugstore concealers I've found. The doe foot applicator gets dabbed on little areas of redness that my foundation doesnt seem to cover - around the nose, chin and such. The packaging isn't the best around but a little goes a long way with this stuff and it lasts the entire day. It does have the tendency to go a little cakey but that's nothing a little pat with fingers doesn't sort out. 

In this case you do pay for what you get - two truly excellent concealers I would recommend to anyone. These are my two favourites - staples, that I haven't been able to find better. At least for now...

My Makeup: Back To Basics

The point of beauty products is something I often forget - how they are made purely to enhance natural assets.  Lets face it, there's nothing natural about my often intense smokey eye makeup or an orange lip.  In all honesty, I feel weird without looking like I've got some sort of makeup on, heavy mascara, lipgloss or some peachy pink blush. During my lazy days I tend to take it all back to basics, no blush, no fancy pants eyelashes just me and a couple other products.

Skin

Using the Dior Airflash Foundation (post here) followed by By Terry Touche Veloutee with Une Healthy Glow Mineral Powder (post here) as a bronzer to add a little dimention to my face

Eyes

For my eyes I simply used a matte black eyeshadow to line the outer corners. I wanted to make my eyes appear less round so brought the line quite far out - helping to elongate my eyes. I then went on to apply mascara - Max Factor False Lash Effect

Lips

Sticking with the natural theme I used a matte nude coloured lip liner all over my lips which was a recent purchase, L'Oreal Infallible Lip Liner in 708 Always Toasted

It's not often my lips aren't coated with lipgloss or my eyes with eyeshadow, but here's the rare occasion that it did - don't expect to see this happening anytime again soon      

Beauty On Location: Beachy Drinks In Cannes

Please tell me I'm not the only one that becomes unbelievably lazy on holiday?! Suddenly my usual excitement of applying a smokey eye becomes somewhat of a drag to the point where I wish I could come off the beach and look semi-decent in a matter of minutes, which is, of course, not the case. Out come the lazy girl products that consist of:

1) a spray foundation which allows me to apply my base in a matter of seconds

2) cream eyeshadows that hardly require a mirror let alone a brush

3) that blush/bronzer/highligher product I've been raving about for a while. Yes, you guessed it, Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel is Sable Rose

Baggy dresses also become my clothing of choice as they require no thought of putting something together while looking summery! This one, from Parker at Shop Bop is very light and weightless - great for hot summer evenings      

Skin

- My lazy girl holiday face has even caused me to ditch the primer, madness I know, but the Dior DiorShow Airflash Foundation will last around 6 hours on my skin before it needs a bit of powdering, perfect for one evening!

- For concealer the usual By Terry Touche Veloutee (post here) followed by Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel in Sable Rose (post here)

Eyes

- Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Eyeshadow in Sandy Gold (post here) with Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow in 15 (post here) along my crease and Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Blackberry (post here) along my lash line

- Coated my lashes in Lancome Hypnose Star (post here)

Lips

- Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss in Lucky (post here)

Prepping The Skin For Summer Sun

I've never really gotten into a tanning routine before as it's something I found very tedious and extremely dull - eventhough I love the effect of being bronzed I just can't bring myself to sit and bake for an entire day. As I haven't been in the sun since christmas time this year I thought I would try something new to prepare my skin for seeing the sun... the tan promoters as I like to call them.

First up, my body. For this I've been reaching for Institut Esthederm Uv inCellium Spray. It's a water spray which contains ingredients that helps skin adapt to it's environment by preparing your skin for sun exposure by boosting its natural defences. It also encourages melanin production so my skin hopefully won't have a panic attack and burn when I lay in the Ibiza sun. I've been using it all over my body morning and evening as it's actually surprisingly moisturising! The scent reminds me of summer too which just adds to the anticipation! 

For my face I've been using By Terry Serum Terrybly Sun Booster, which doesn't include DHA (the fake tan ingredient) but instead claims to use the skins mechanisms to develop natural pigmentation and create a glowing, natural tan. It acts as a great base for makeup as it's a gel texture and dries matt, as well as smelling amazing!

Having sensitive skin, especially when in the sun I've also been reaching for some A84 Peptide-6 Pro-Melanin by a great brand,  Etat Pur. It's made for preparing sensitive skin for exposure to the sun as well as helping the skin protect itself against harmful UV rays. It's really moisturising, unscented and very lightweight. Being unscented and non-sticky it's perfect before leaving the house as I can just slap it on without waiting to get dressed or the scent interfering with my perfume.

If I feel like this all needs a bit of a top up I've grabbed some Guerlain Terracotta Serum Tan Prolonging Serum which is more if you've already got a tan so I'll be saving that one for the actual holiday.

Does this stuff work miracles? The jury is still out on that one...only time will tell!

Have you ever used tan promoters?

The Contents: 'At Work' Makeup Bag

My student days of only having to ensure makeup lasts a couple of hours seem long gone as I've now ventured out into the 10 hour working days! I've come to the conclusion this week that there is just no way my makeup will last from 8am to sometimes 10pm. It's impossible! While moaning about that this week my friend just said to me 'it's called reapplying' which is exactly what I rush off to the bathroom to do on my lunch break. That's where my 'At work' makeup bag comes in, a little pouch packed with necessities. From powder to hand santitizer here's what's inside...

Carmex Moisture Plus - link to post

The air conditioning in the office can dry out my lips a little so here's a lovely moisturising lip balm with a hint of colour. My shade is pink!

Soap & Glory Hand Maid

A handsanitizer is a must, especially if I'm going on public transport! This one from Soap & Glory smells amazing and doesn't leave hands feeling sticky

By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer - link to post

This is such a great concealer for touch ups as it has an attached brush so keeps everything pretty hygienic. As well as not looking cakey when you're piling on layer after layer throughout the day! 

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel 917 Sable Rose - link to post

I've raved about this product a million times since I've bought it but rightly so! It's amazing. Perfect for just slapping on my cheeks for some extra colour and touchups - I think I may need to stock up as it's limited edition!

Becca Mineral Powder  Foundation & Brush

Seeing as I do need to repowder my face throughout the day, especially if I'm going somewhere after work I don't want a powder that will end up looking too cakey. This Becca powder compact does the trick and feels really light on the skin!

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - link to post 

This has become a staple for me now ever since Trish McEvoy recommended it to me (link to post here) it's fantastic at giving instant volume and an instant boost. Especially on lifeless hair days!

Mini Perfume Bottle

This one is one I received in a beauty box recently, it's by Caudalie. I love sprtizing myself throughout the day with perfume for an instant refresher

My Makeup: Peach Cheeks & Lips

I definitely go through phases with makeup, one that remains pretty constant is my love for neutrals but right now it's peach shades, especially as it helps me look a tad more bronzed without actually piling on the bronzer. With the sun out and Summer around the corner I feel it's time to take makeup back to basics and get more minimal during the day time which means focusing more on my skin that eye makeup. Although I'm tempted to try this look with a bronze smokey eye! To top it all off I've been wearing a lip colour that's more peachy toned to as a way of bringing everything together.

Skin
- To smooth out my skin I've been using Dr Brant Pores No More Primer, which is a lovely semi matt primer that just fills in any lumps
- For foundation I've gone back to Nars Sheer Glow as it's been very heavy rain in London this week so no need to apply anything lighter (review of foundation here)
- As always I have been covering up my under eye circles using By Terry Touche Veloutee Concealer. I seriously don't see myself being without this stuff! Very high coverage and so light on the skin (link to post here)
- For some peach cheeks I dabbled in a bit of Mac Peaches Blush and Liz Earle Blush in 05 Coral followed with some matt bronzer, Guerlain four Seasons in 01 Blondes being my one of choice

Eyes
- Starting off with the Mac Painterly Paint Pot primer (link to post here)
- Followed by getting out my Urban Decay Naked Palette and using the lightest shade Virgin all over the lid with Buck and Naked in the crease for some definition and Darkhorse along the lash line
- To enhance my lashes I used Dior DiorShow Lash Serum & Primer (link to post here) followed by L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black (link to post here)

Lips
- A lovely coating of No7 Nourishing Lip Shine in Peach

What have you been loving? Do you like using peach shades?