Q The Fine Fragrance Body Spray

Some of you might be a little young to remember the Impulse ads in the 80's, when a beautiful girl would capture the heart of a equally handsome chap just by catching a fragrant whiff of her body spray.  Well, not all of us would fall for that one but I have to say, since I've been wearing The Q Collection in Q: Balance many a friend and stranger have stopped me in my tracks to ask what I'm wearing.  Some of us don't like to share our signature scents with just anyone.  We've all heard the, 'I can't remember what I put on today!' Hmm, I doubt this very much!
I'd like to share that the floral delights of Q: Balance are a concoction of Iris, Mimosa with a generous sniff of Bergamot which balances nicely for me as I am not a 'floral' kinda girl and although I do like to wear a heady perfume daily I've begun to enjoy the lasting, light touch of a body spray which does feel ever so fresh.   It's currently humid central out there and trust me, a spritz of Q works wonders without overpowering those sweating buckets alongside me on the airless tubes and better still they haven't just attended to us ladies but there is a Men's range worthy of an award or two as they smell darn good, possibly having more of a 'Lynx' effect!
Currently available from Boots and Sainsburys at only £2.29,that's a steal (not for the heart but the purse strings.)

Sensory lift from Aromatherapy Associates!

The weather may not be warm and humid quite yet but I still find I get flustered on public transport and by the time I stumble into a studio or on location armed with a heavy load of some of beauty's best, I am looking rather hot and bothered.   Since I was introduced to Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Mist, my new secret weapon, I spritz away and instantly cool down adding a sensory lift from the Damask Rose fragrance, plus I've found it very useful addition to my kit for those ladies with a hot flush or dry, sensitive skins, as well as a cooling and hydrating spray which sets make up like a treat!

Beauty Alert: Illamasqua ESP Lipstick!

Is this the colour of Summer?  Who knows and who cares!  Illamasqua have done it again, played with our minds and dragged us away from the norm with their Paranormal Collection full of never seen before textures and shades for SS 13.  Their ESP Lipstick has hit me between the eyes, well, maybe I should say smacked me on the lips with a deep and dense purple: somewhat reminiscent of the 80's too (which I love even more).
They are obviously telling us to step away from the corals, though, not everyone could rock this colour or even the softer tones of Posture but I love the unexpectedness of this shade and I think you will be surprised at its performance, so why not give this vibrant shade a try?

Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner

You might think gel liners are all much of a muchness and you'd be right, though there are some on the market that dry up in the pot, fade on application along the lashline and smudge away within a few hours so performance is key!
The new Illamasqua Gel Liner in Infinity has been well overdue in my eyes but they done good with a generous pot in an intense black (trust me that can be tricky to find) and they have a new angled brush too for the ultimate precision.

I had a bit of a play so you could see more.  It dries in good enough time but if you wanted to, you could use as a black base on eyes for a matt, smoky finish as well as sharp eyelines.   The other colours on my hand are from the Paranormal Palette, worth a look at too!

Beauty Alert: Illamasqua Hydra Veil!

No!  It's not a yummy jelly-fied dessert, it is a skin product new to the Illamasqua range and included in their Paranormal Collection and it is just that, something extraordinary!
Hydra Veil is a true innovation for skincare in terms of its formulation as it jelly-like texture, due to the marine algae (an anti-oxidant) is a cool, soothing gel which hydrates to reveal an effortless radiance to skin.  Plus its an absolutely good place to start if you are not keen on having to use an additional primer before your foundation, so it cuts of the middle man so to speak as it leaves you with the ideal base!  I love the cooling sensation and would imagine it would be kind to sensitive, flushed skins too, so, I am hooked.  Are you?

Pond's Institute repackages it's classics!

 I do love a classic beauty product and I hope you appreciate them too.  I'm always keen to be invited to events celebrating brands I grew up with and last week I attended the Pond's Institute launch of it's re-branded range at The Dorchester.
It was a swish affair in a beautifully lit room, just off the hotel's popular spa with canapes and fine drink in flow as I sauntered around the room bumping into many familiar faces.  Back to the re-brand, here is an example:

It was a delight to see some colour coding on the packaging, including the classic one of them all the Cold Cream.  This cream was hailed as the product to have for Make Up Artists' at my college when studying Theatre make up; it simply removes every last trace of make up leaving skin as soft and plump.  You can read more about my thoughts on my blog here.

The very talented Make Up Artist, Arabella Preston was stationed in a brightly lit area demonstrating the benefits of Pond's Cold Cream and as seen here how to carefully remove make up with a warm, damp cloth; just one of the handy tips she had to offer.  I noticed the model was having to have a 5 minute make up look  applied and removed throughout the evening and I noticed her skin didn't appear aggravated at all.

It was a joy to be in such great company, including PR's Iron Lady, Caroline Neville of Neville McCarthy who agreed that Ponds Institute has integrity, something that is an integral factor but can be found lacking in other brands on the market!

Finally, I absolutely loved the quotes from some of the leading ladies famed for their involvement in beauty such as Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe, which were laid out on the table too (and yes, the canapes were a delicious treat as well.)

Step by step!

 

If you find eyes the trickiest of all then why not use Cargo Cosmetics Essential Eye Shadow Palette to guide you through some smokin' looks!
At only £20 you can achieve an array of looks with ease, just follow the steps embedded onto each signature shade.  Handy when you know how!!

Beauty Alert: Givenchy Le Rouge!

I have an undeniable love for Givenchy that has been blossoming since the Summer of 2005 and it hasn't died off for me although occasionally I've missed out on what's new and wanted to kick myself for not being in the know about this sensational and innovative brand.  Givenchy launches are something I want aware of, as a Make Up Artist I believe they truly speak to us with their intriguing prismes of colour to help us contour, colour and explore.
This season Givenchy launch Le Rouge, 12 vibrant and classic, lip popping shades with immense intensity of colour; reds, pink, beiges and my favourite corals.  What more can be said than head out to your nearest department store to sample the demi-matte, lasting texture capsuled in the one of the most luxurious faux leather and silver cases you have ever seen!

Time to glam up that glow!

A few weeks ago I discovered I was on the last of my ar457 Argan Scrub, simply one of the best on the market.  How was I going to get the most out of this?
I looked at my pore refining clay mask jar by Ole Henriksen called Firm Action Mask and thought, this could be an exfoliating mask that firms, hurrah!  I went ahead and mixed the two 'heros' then massaged the mix gently over my face (avoiding eye area) and relaxed in the bath for 15 minutes.
POW! POW! It was an excellent concoction which sloughed off my tired, dull skin to reveal baby soft radiance.  But how could I concoct this excellence again or was there something already out there to exfoliate and refine?

Glam Glow Mud has been on my radar for sometime, yes, this tiny pot has been hailed as a real 'beauty discovery' and a 10 minute HOLY GLOW facial!
Why mud?
What's not to love about mud/clay as it draws out impurities more effectively, keeps those pores tiny and can be one of the most efficient elements to home facials therefore, I was screaming with delight (inside) when a generous PR popped it in my bag of goodies recently and now I can say I have finally tried it.
Yes, behind the celebrity hype is a very simple product, though I will not go into the science part of tea leaves, the Patent Pending 'Teaoxi', antioxidant qualities etc. but I will say that it does tingle a little as promised leaving skin feeling toned and refined, as well as nicely buffed due to the exfoliating motion when rinsing off.  All in all a good combo I like all ready for me in one little black pot of glow!

Best Beauty under £10!!

You'd be mad to miss out on these!  

Kiko Make Up Milano Water Eye Shadows which can be used wet or dry to create a wash or intense colour in an instant, available in a staggering 31 shades from the brightest of brights to wearable pale and deep neutrals for under £10 (currently on special offer via www.kikocosmetics.co.uk).  They all reveal a slight two tone effect and look nothing but stunning on peepers.  What a steal, they are almost giving them away!