Beauty On Location: Winter Evenings

I've mentioned this winter weather causing me to up my moisture levels here, but for makeup when I'm not wearing a dark lip I've been going for really autumnal colours.  Nars Lola Lola has been my eyeshadow of choice that I spotted on Lily's eyes and ran to purchase it the next day. It's such an easy all over the lid shade, a neutral brown with a warm red undertone and a slight shimmer, that reminds me of warm autumnal leaves. 

Leather coated jeans have been my staples so far this winter, these ones are from Citizens Of Humanity here but H&M have similar here. They are so easy so wear, perk up and outfit and keep me warm too!

Skin

- I've been sticking to a hydrating glowy foundation, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat for a light coverage that looks natural. For concealer as always I'll use By Terry Touche Veloutee and I'll then sweep a warm bronzer, Dior Bronze Matte Sunshine in 003 Amber Matte over my cheeks to add some colour. 

Eyes

- The autumnal combination of Nars Lola Lola Eyeshadow, Mac Cork & Mac Mulch followed by Mascara. As I found the red undertone in Nars Lola Lola to make me a look a bit washed out I added some bright gold, Mac Goldmine along my lower lash line to perk everything up.

Lips

- A light layer of moisturising Clarins Natural Lip Perfector in 01

My nails have been graced in Chanel's latest release, Malice, (post here) which I have now named my favourite Winter nail polish - if only it lasted longer on the nails!

Top 5: Autumn Winter Nail Shades

Essie Fiji is currently collecting dust in a box as it’s time for the more seasonal appropriate polishes to come out. Enter a love affair with warm berries, nudes and even a blue!

Essie Recessionista Swatch

Essie Wicked Swatch

My favourite pick out of the bunch has got to be, Essie Recessionista, part of their fall collection and the perfect berry shade, lighter than Essie Wicked which sometimes almost looks black. 

Avon Nailwear Pro+ in Vintage Boutique Swatch

I absolutely love Avon's affordable polishes, my summer favourite was Pink Pastel and fall has got to be this Nailwear Pro+ in Vintage Boutique, a dark taupe shade.

YSL La Laque Couture in 14 Violine Surrealiste Swatch

My first YSL polish is an absolute gorgeous shade, 14 Violine Surrealiste pleased to report it lasts well on the nails and has a similar  fan brush to the Essie diffusion line so a couple of coats does the trick and easy to apply on oneself.

Topshop Awol Swatch

Topshop Awol is a shade I wouldn't normally see myself wearing but fell in love with the bright electric blue.

Dior 413 Grege Swatch

Part of Dior’s new Nude collection comes this gorgeous shade, 413 Grege which is the perfect nude. I can see this gracing my nails in Summer too but I just couldn't wait!  

What shades have been gracing your nails this fall?

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: Brown, Smokey & Sculpted

Over this weekend the usual intense smokey eye here, failed to make an appearance due to lack of time. I drew on the Autumn Winter 2012 trends, where more of a wash of colour all over the lid was seem. A lived in, messy and undefined smokey eye. 

Being someone who favours a defined crease and smoking out my lash line this was completely out of my comfort zone. As opposed to choosing from a palette of 12 eyeshadows I only used two shades, shocker I know! I contested my undefined smokey eye with some heavy contouring and highlighted cheekbones and opted for a berry stain on my lips.

Skin

- Started off with YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat, covering my under eye area with Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer

- I skipped out on blush and sculpted my cheekbones with the Hourglass Illume Creme-To-Powder Bronzer Duo in Bronze, the jury is still out on whether it's worth it so stay tuned...

Eyes

- Using two eyeshadow shades from Natural Collection, sweeping Milk Chocolate all over the lid and following with Asteroid making sure to blend out any harsh edges so everything looked very lived in and smokey. For £1.79 these eyeshadows are an absolute bargain, they are a tad chalky but amazing none the less

Lips

- I dabbed a bit of Topshop Lipstick in Inhibition on my lips with my finger to act as a stain

Are you a fan of the seamless smokey eye or prefer more of a defined look?

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?

Beauty On Location: Backstage At LFW

After being invited to come along backstage at LFW with L'Oreal (post here), the thought of numerous professional makeup artists seeing my mishap smokey eye, when I'm no professional myself, is a little intimidating to say the least. In the interest of team spirit I used mostly L'Oreal here, lucky the infallible eyeshadows are ones I can't get enough of and their Super Liner is another firm favourite!

As I was going to be around all day, I had to find a balance between comfortable and presentable. Heels were ditched after around five minutes of standing on my feet, luckily a pair of backup pumps were squeezed in the corner of my handbag.  I don't consider myself a fashion forward person so black and plain it was, blending into the background bag that didn't have to hold, but big enough to fit my notepad and a couple of snacks in it, pass around my neck, and off I trotted!

Skin

- Of course being a 12 hour day a primer was a necessity, Estee Lauder Matt Perfecting Primer covered my face, followed by YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation. To conceal and highlight under eye bags By Terry Touche Veloutee was blended under my eyes. 

- As I had quite a bit of eye makeup I opted out of blush but used Une Healthy Glow Mineral Powder instead as a bronzer

Eyes

- Using the Infallible Eyeshadows the shade Sahara Treasure all over the lid, followed by a mix of Endless Chocolate and Burning Black in the crease and lined my eyes with L'Oreal Super Liner. A coating of L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara to finish off.  

Lips

- L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Nude Ingenue and L'Oreal Glam Shine Fresh in Aqua Grapefruit

Did you get up to anything in Fashion Week?

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?

Don't you know people write songs, about girls like you?

Hey darlings, I'm feeling a little fragile today. Amarretto sour cocktails on an empty tummy last night, I'll never learn. Are any of you going to the Vogue Fashion Night Out in London tonight? I'm skipping it, I don't think I can deal with the crowds of people who are going to be in town. Although its a school night, I'm heading to the opening of a bubble bar in South London. I know it sounds pretty weird, but there are free cocktails, it would be rude not too.

Today it's another one of my YSL beauties here for you, Rouge Volupte in 'Peach Passion 13'.

Unfortunately this one is a little too loved to show you the actual lipstick, it's in an embarrassing state to say the least. I'm literally getting every last scrap of lipstick out if it, that's how much I love it.

So instead, I've swatched it for you, and you can see what it looks like on my lips too.
For all of you who are a little afraid of brighter lipsticks, don't be, this is actually more of a gentle coral peachy shade than an orange. The pigmentation, as with all YSL lipsticks, is fabulous. It's so soft and easy to apply, and really compliments a tan. I find that it really brightens up my face, especially if I'm wearing minimal make up.
It's a great shade for the office to help brighten up the uniform too.
I've been wearing this lipstick all week, with Carmex mint lipbalm underneath, which I absolutely adore too, it's one of those that makes your lips feel a bit tingly and numb. These two are perfect in combination, they come together like lovers :)

The only downsides for this lipstick I'll mention are, it that it doesn't have the best staying power, you'll definitely need to re-apply throughout the day. It doesn't have the name of the shade on the bottom like most lipsticks, this is kind of annoying if you're looking to repurchase. Some people find the lipstick settles into the creases in your lips, it does tend to do this, but I find when teamed with Carmex it looks a billion times better, as it's being applied to a smoother surface.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that I really love YSL lipsticks, I blogged about another one here. I do think they are totally over-priced, but I just can't resist. For a start, theres just something about the packaging that makes you feel a little bit special when you pull it out of your make-up bag. And every woman needs a little luxery in their life, right? 

Oh, if you follow me, don't forget to enter yourself in my Topshop giveaway. Good luck!

Beauty On Location: Work & Post Work

One of those busy bee days, up really early, home really late. Clothing needs to be comfortable yet presentable and makeup needs to last - all day. Which I'm sure you know isn't the easiest task without any touch ups throughout the day. I've been keeping work makeup simple this week, some liner, sweeping of eyeshadow, base products and mascara. Nothing too interesting or experimental goes on at 7am!

The trousers from Topshop (here) are perfect for daily duties, comfortable enough for work, roomy enough to eat and formal enough for events, especially when paired with a blazer. Post work activities are all about having a change of clothes, a higher pair of heels and some extra makeup but here I decided to combine the two, work & post work!

Skin

- Started off with a primer as I wanted to ensure the longest lasting base possible. Currently using Gosh Foundation Primer, which I haven't quite reached a verdict on yet so I'll keep you updated

- For foundation I've been using YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat (post here) followed by Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (post here) both of which are really long lasting 

- I'll slap some blush on my cheeks, here it was Mac Style which was paired with Une Mineral Powder

Eyes

- Burberry Pale Barley eyeshadow (post here) swept all over my lid with L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in 41 Taupe Royal in the crease to add some definition. 

- I lined my eyes with Pixi Lash Line Ink and applied Avon SuperShock Max mascara

Lips

- Revlon Kissable Balm Stain in 015 Cherish Devotion (post here)

Here I was running around to work, Vogue Fashion Night Out and an extremely exciting launch...stay tuned!

Like no other, you can't be replaced

YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick, worth all the hype? Absolutely 110%. I know it seems like the whole world and their Grandma have blogged about this lipstick, but I couldn't not share my thoughts. Without a doubt it's my absolute fav.

I'm literally addicted to this YSL lipstick in shade 'nude beige'. I have no idea why they named it that though, it sounds terrible, but it’s actually a lovely light pink shade. I don't think you can see the shade that well in my photos, the lighting wasn't great, I apologize for that.

The first, strangest and best thing about this lipstick, is that it smells INCREDIBLE! Like some lovely fruity watermelon concoction or something. I literally want to eat it.

It's extremely pigmented and very buildable. It has this wonderful creamy texture like no other lipstick I've ever used. It can be a little drying, and the staying power isn't as good as you might expect, but over all, a great high end lipstick. Not to mention the beautiful packaging. I actually look forward to putting this on, how sad is that?!

I love this lipstick so much, I actually had 2 (at a whopping £23.50 each that's quite a lot to spend on lipstick), but clumsy old me dropped one out of the window when I was applying my make up. It rolled into next doors gutter and was unsalvagable :( sad times. Good job I had 2, hey?

Have any of you tried YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick before? What did you think?

New In: YSL le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation

Probably one of the most anticipated launches of 2012 is the new foundation from YSL, Le Teint Touche Eclat. Launched 20 years after their infamous Touche Eclat highlighting concealer, which I'm personally not too keen on, but after much excitement surrounding this foundation I decided to give it a go. 

Firstly, the shade range - of which there are 22 shades available, that are split into rose, beige and gold colour groups, so there should be a shade for most. The aim of the foundation is to create the same effects as the Touche Eclat Highlighting Concealer, to brighten, enhance and appear more radiant which I can safely say it does! The texture is unlike any foundation I've tried, being a soft focus gel as opposed to the usual opaque powder, which can cause that 'cakey' look. It blends like an absolute dream, feels totally weightless on the skin.

Being one who's finish of choice is matte this wouldn't be what I normally reach for, as it's definitely a glowy finish. Not nearly as glowy as some tin tined moisturisers I own, Chantecaille Just Skin being one, but just adds a lovely radiance to the skin. I tended to opt for a mattifying primer underneath, such as Estee Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer - post here, to control that extra bit of shine without powdering over the top. The coverage is definitely medium at most and wouldn't be something I described as buildable. 

In terms of application I've been reaching for my Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which is how I apply most of my foundations on a day to day basis as it provides a flawless, even coverage. It does last around five or six hours before needing a touch up around my t-zone, which is a little too short for me, but due to the gel formula doesn't separate on the skin after time which is a big plus. 

One bottle of YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation will cost £28, which I personally think is totally reasonable for a high end foundation, but also making it cheaper than it's competitors at Dior (£31) and Chanel (£38). I've been reaching for the shade B30 which is a perfect colour match for my current skin tone, however hopefully in summer this will change! Overall a definite thumbs up from me! 

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation is available nationwide at all YSL counters and is £28. 

Were you into YSL Touche Eclat Concealer? Will you be picking up a bottle of their latest foundation? 

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?