To Dip-dye or not?

 To Dip Dye?!

I may be a little late on this bandwagon (approx 2 years) however, I am THAT bored of my plain jane hair that something has to be done! And this thing is DIP DYE. I have always loved the look, I've just never had the guts to take the step.

Rather than doing it myself, I've booked an appointment at Dye!Dye!Dye! in the heart of Liverpool who know everything about the trend. I've stuck with my natural colour for years and it's time to get something a little low key yet defining. I have naturally brown hair with hints of copper, and I'm thinking of going for a subtle blonde/honey at the bottom tips. I was looking through all  the bloggers that have this going on right now, including Lily Pebbles and Zoe from London Lipgloss. However, It was Liv Purvis from from 'what Olivia did' that has made me take the big step! Her natural looking brown waves with a hint of blonde at the tips looks beautiful effortlessly!

Stay tuned for the results....

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

 NARS SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION 30ml RRP £29.50

 Liverpool has now welcomed the new NARS counter into the heart of the city, Liverpool One. Situated in the new Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar, it's in the perfect place to show itself off.

Having never come across a NARS counter, I knew I had to dive into the deep end and get stuck in with testing the products that you all rave about through the blogging community!

I picked up the Sheer Glow liquid foundation that is meant to give you a healthy glowy/dewy look as well as hydrate the skin. Its a high-end product and may burn a little hole in your pocket, however this product goes a long way and will last you a long time! The packing is simple and plain and it comes in a glass bottle. It doesn't come with a pump so beware that if you need one, you can purchase one from a NARS counter for £1.50. If not, you can tip a little out into the lid and use it as a palette. 

Since using, I have received many compliments about my glow-y look and I am super pleased that it's had such an effect! There are 20 shades to choose from and being pale myself, I grabbed 'Mont Blanc' which is the second lightest shade! There is  much variety and you can get matched up at the counter by the lovely staff! 

It also contains turmeric extract to improve skin's radiance and tone which has a luminous effect and it leaves the skin feeling hydrated with a sheer finish! Coverage is up to you, you can build it up to suit you without it looking cake-like and thick!

For those of you looking for a matte-face-look, they have the same shades in a matte foundation!

TIP #1 : It doubles up as a concealer for little blemishes or dark circles under eyes.

TIP #2: Apply with hands and leave the brush aside. Using your hands means it warms the foundation and is more likely to match with your skin tone and texture! You can build up certain areas more easily with your hands I find!

BEST MATCH OF FOUNDATION I HAVE COME ACROSS! 

 

Harvey Nichol's Beauty Bazaar

 So yesterday saw the grand opening of Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool One. 

Well, what can I say, it's truly beautiful. It's a one-stop beauty store designed to fulfill every beauty need including makeup, skincare, nail bar, hair styling, perfumes, treatment rooms and surgical treatments. Oh not to forget the bar where you can relax with a little alcohol to perhaps loosen your nerves about spending!

 The beautiful Olivia Palermo opened the store yesterday alongside other celebrities such as Danielle Llyod and Liz McClarnon. I was eagerly awaiting in the queue and grabbed a free tote bag from Harvey Nichols and also grabbed two free goodies from the ESPA spa including radiance mask and a radiance moisturiser! I was incredibly happy! I also spotted a few famous magazine women- Paula Reed ( style director at Grazia ) and Jo Elvin ( Glamour Editor )....no biggies then?! I felt in awe that they were were stood next to me! I also spotted Lily Pebbles, one of the beauty blogger queens!

The store consists of the famous makeup and skincare counters such as; Chanel, YSL and Estée Lauder,Tom Ford Beauty, NARS, Crème de la Mer, Shu Uemura, M.A.C, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone, Sisley, Laura Mercier, Shiseido, Dermalogica, Bliss and Escentric Molecules.You can have spray tans, your hair done at the Electric lounge, your teeth whitening and surgical treatments to contour shape!

I love it, it's beautiful, and I could spend many hours and many of my pennies in there! I'm so pleased they have a NARS counter, the first one on Liverpool! They also have a 'Beauty mart' which is the best selling beauty products over 100 product names! AMAZING....

Here are some more pictures, I hope it entices you to come to Liverpool, it's a must-see for beauty bloggers!

What do you think??? Want to go? Tempted? I've already spent a small fortune!

Rimmel 'Kate' Lasting Finish Lipstick

 

Rimmel KATE Lasting Finish Lipstick

Shade #19 RRP £5.49

So, as someone who doesn't really EVER wear lipstick, I took the brave step to buy this one from the Kate Moss lipstick collection within Rimmel. There are 11 shades available, from nude colours to peachy colours to violet colours. I love the design of the lipstick, very classy with kate's signature on the top.

 I picked up shade #19 which is a dark pink. I tested it on my ten hour shift in John Lewis and It lasted around two hours, which isn't too bad. Thankfully, it didn't fade in the middle of my lips leaving a dodgy lip liner look! 

They also smell divine, the smell of melon lasts forever!

I think next stop is to try the new matte collection, but for now, I'll keep to my new Moss lippy, for £5.49, you're not breaking the bank!

What shades do you like?

Make sure to check out my GIVEAWAY!

Lauren x

 

MUA 'Heaven and Earth' palette

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette RRP £3

I've heard amazing things about MUA products and the amazing prices that go with them! My local superdrug had one little stand for MUA and the products were all messy and there was no stock which put me off. However, I went back in yesterday and VOILA! They have an amazing new MUA counter with lots of cheap goodies! The 'heaven and earth' palette caught my eye instantly! It's beautiful array of colours boast creamy shades, burnt orange shades, light browns and dark browns with a hint of purple. They are beautiful!

Really useful for a soft and simple daily look without breaking the bank! There are 12 shades and it includes an eyeshadow brush with dual ends.  Simply amazing for £3, you can't argue with that can you?!

You might be around £30 for four shades in a high end shop, however, although the pigment isn't as strong in this palette, £3 for 12 shadows is pretty impressive! 

I love using the lighter shades with a hint of brown on the lower lash line for an Autumn daily look!

Have you tried any other MUA products?

REMEMBER: I have a GIVEAWAY going on to win TWO ESSIE varnishes! Ends 05/11/12 , UK only, GOOD LUCK!

Clinique Even Better Foundation

CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER FOUNDATION (30ml) RRP £23

Although I have quite fair skin, I do like a good coverage, something to hide the big old bags under my eyes and to even out different skin tones across my face. I have combination skin and with nearly an hour with the Clinique lady at Liverpool Debenhams, I picked my foundation to match my skin map. Benefits to this liquid foundation is that it's a fairly good coverage, anti-ageing, mineral enriched, long wearing and equals out uneven skin tones. It has SPF 15 protection to help prevent future hyper-pigmentation and uneven skin tones.

 I do love the coverage, but as every day wear, I'm scared I might run out very quickly, the bottle is smaller than expected! It does give a bright healthy glow! I think I might have to invest in the Clinique 'brighter eyes' to correct my dark circles as the foundation doesn't cover them alone. *sighs*

What I like most is that you can use it for light or heavy coverage depending on what you want. Using more doesn't make it more noticeable at all. I love the light weight feel and it lasts me all day!

There are 26 shades to choose from but make sure you go and try with the help of a Clinique professional! They are always happy to help!

Have you tried any Clinique foundations?! Let me know what others ones you have tried!

Lauren x

Laura Geller Spackle Primer

LAURA GELLER SPACKLE PRIMER FOR UNDER MAKEUP RRP £20

Hello fellow beauties, I'm back to beauty reviewing, but for those who had a look at my Japan posts, thank you and I hope you enjoyed the series!

 I was kindly given this from my boyfriend's mum, so thank you if you read this! If you aren't familiar with Laura Geller, it's a makeup brand formed in the US and has big connections with QVC shopping channels across the world. I'm always looking for a primer that will make my skin a blank canvas, which is something I find that most high street primers are poor at. 

This cute little squeezy tube comes in at around £20 and it's 59ml of primer will last you a good while so it may be worth buying a more expensive primer as those are the ones that tend to last. You only need a little bit of the primer and it goes a long way, a couple of finger tips worth! 

I wasn't expecting the primer to be as liquid-based as it was.  I always find it harder to create a new base with liquid or gel primers, do you? I found I was rubbing it in for a while and I'm not sure whether it really sunk into my skin that well. I do find though that applying a moisturiser before the primer will help to create a more even base. It gives off a smooth finish but I found it didn't even out everywhere with the same degree, for example, under my eyes.

Alongside the gel being Aloe-Vera based, Spackle is made with plant extracts, anti-oxidants, white Tea and Centella Asiatica Extracts. You do feel like your skin has been refreshed and revitalised and it's lightweight, meaning it's not heavy on your face and it doesn't clog into deep pores. 

As what primers should do, It did make my makeup last a little longer than without a primer. Now that I'm back at university, my makeup needs to last longer and I will definitly be considering this for daily use, however, I do prefer a more thicker substance to create a smoother new base. afterall I want a blank canvas, I think this product is more about cooling and refreshing the skin with it's rich ingredients.

Let me know if you have tried this brand, really intrigued!

Lauren x

JAPAN. #1

This is the first of my Japan series of blog posts! I do hope you enjoy!

When you think of Japan, you think of bright lights, udon noodles, fish markets, huge department stores and packed out streets. Before I visited Japan, the images that popped into my head that are associated with Japan were just these things. But after living for three months in an a small urban industrial town, I began to see how the real Japan worked. 

I went to Japan for three months to stay in a little town called Takarazuka (famous for it's women-dressed-as-men dancing show at the town theatre). I was working here with a fellow volunteer called Zena who is now one of my most trusted friends. We worked at a Leonard Cheshire Home for mental and physical disabilities where we looked after 50 residents whom only two could walk. Tasks were sometimes challenging and often only rewarding when you see that it made a positive difference to one of the residents.

I was situated in the Hyogo prefecture which was between Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. These were my favourite places to be at the weekend.

 Firstly, Osaka.... for all you shoppers, it is the place to be. There is a shopping district called NAMBA which is lined with shops from all other the world including a huge H&M and a Uniqlo! If you think a big Boots is good in the UK, wait until you see the HUGE beauty department stores, often three or four floors high, filled with hair care, makeup, moisturisers, everything a girl could dream of.  Osaka is in the top five cities for being most expensive and as I was volunteering, money wasn't exactly falling off trees. If I saved up some money I was able to buy an occasional Japanese lipstick or mascara but all I could really do was drool at all the products on display. The place is amazing. Although a little hectic and busy. I was stopped in Osaka H&M for being 'Kawaii' (cute).  

Dōtombori is the liveliest place to be where good nightlife is of priority and flashy food restaurants are a must for those with a little cash to splurge. There is a bridge here where you can take pictures of the streets either side of the river below. It looks like a scene from Blade Runner. 

Just outside of the city centre in Universal Studios theme park, which I couldn't miss. Although I ended up going alone, I had a great time and met fellow tourists there! Lots of western food to be eaten and lots of rides to scream on. I thought John Lewis was big, and I hadn't learnt that everything in Japan was bigger and better, the department stores like ' Hanshin' were huge, and although Zena and I couldn't afford anything in store, we had a little look and then scurried to use the posh toilets. Oh yes, I forgot, Japanese toilets are an experience. They sing songs, they wash bottoms and you don't have to touch a thing. 

Here are some of the pictures relating to Osaka and general Japan, tomorrow, I will be posting about Kyoto, naked hot spring baths and a load of Japanese  food! 

Autumn wish list

So, now that my blog is two months old, I've decided that the blog might take upon other interests of mine! One of my bigger interests involves some serious heavy internet browsing/wilfing. Anyways, like most girls, we dream that money can grow on trees and that this money will buy us pretty and useful things. Some of you might know that I work on the ladies fashion in John Lewis, this is sometimes a little painful when you see so many things you want but can't have. For example the warehouse coat above...£85!! Here is a little summary of my Autumn wish list...oooh all so cosy and warm!

 Dior Nude Skin foundation : £27.90 (I have heard great things.)

Warehouse trench coat : £85

Asos bear fingerless gloves : £10 (too cute)

Accessorize Hoxton Tote bag : £60 (ouchhh)

Topshop Triangle earrings: £10 (These are really 1920s,cute)

Glamorous UK Bird Print blouse : £22.99 (Bargain)

Zara Red moustache slipper : £25.99 (My boyfriend laughed at these, pft!I'm in love )

Well, I best get saving. If you have any autumn wish lists, send me your links!

How much is my face worth? $$$

So, I'm now in Switzerland, ( yes, I'm never at home ) and I have some time to spare and dedicate to my beauty journal. I know these posts are popular and sometimes a little too 'generic' but I really enjoyed doing this post, so that's what matters right?! Sorry for the bad picture quality, no camera with me in Switzerland!

Oh, also, cannot believe my everyday face adds up to this amount, SCARY.

 

 FACE

 L'Oreal Triple Active Day Moisturiser : £6.12

-  MAC Prep + Prime Eye Vibrancy : £22

-MaX Factor second skin foundation Ivory : £12.99

-MAC Concealer NW15: £14.50

-Rimmel Match perfection bronzer : £5.99

EYES

Benefit Smokey Eeye kit : £28.50

MAC 2008 Passion of Reds Smokey kit : £30

Illamasqua Neutral palette : £30

L'Oreal Super Slim liner : £7.99

L'Oreal Million Lashes Volume Mascara : £10.99

LIPS

 MaX Factor Lip infinity Pen in 05 : £6.99

TOTAL : £176.07

Not too bad eh?! Well,this is only what I wear daily....at night it's probably double. pah. Cannot believe how much money it is, good job the stuff lasts well!

My amazing friend and fellow beauty/lifestlye blogger also did this tag, check it out :

http://laurasbeautyheaven.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Review : ST. Tropez Bronzing Rocks

ST TROPEZ BRONZING ROCKS RRP £30

Being fairly pale, I'm always putting on tights, hiding pale bits and fighting over which tanning products are good. I'm not a great fan of self-applying false tan, it's messy and often smells. I was on the look for a bronzer that could really make a difference to my face/decolletage without the obvious look of orange streak marks. Although this is a pricey bronzer, these nuggets will last you forever. There is 40g worth of bronzing rocks in the square pot and even if you use them daily, you won't have to top up for at least a year. 

It gives you a healthy glow, with a slight shimmer which is great for the cheek bones and decolletage bones, highlighting these areas will make a big difference. Use a fairly big brush to swirl around the pot and then apply to the face using a circular motion. It's up to you how much you want to use, I apply all over my face and decolletage and then highlight the important areas, forehead, bridge of nose, cheek bones and lower neck. You can also pick up the nuggets and use as an eyeshadow to create a golden smokey eye.

Smokeyblush TIP: Use the bronzing nuggets on legs and arms using a brush to create a shimmer effect! Your pins will look long and beautiful!

Holiday Essential : Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo

AUSSIE MIRACLE MOIST SHAMPOO RRP £4.49

So, I went jetsetting again, but only to a very familiar place, Crete. I consider Crete to be my second home as my beloved family liver here and hey, who can resist relaxing with family in the sun for a week or two? Not I. So anyways, I'll be doing a few holiday essential posts this week and this is my first one! This my friends, is 300ml of GREATNESS. If like me, your hair disagrees with all the sun and salt water, you need a trustworthy shampoo to retain the balance of natural oils in your hair to keep it happy and healthy. I am a huge fan of this stuff, and at £4.49, it isn't too steep. On the bottle, it states that the shampoo is for hair that is dry/damaged/a bit unhappy. 

This bottle of moisture infuser is fantastic for damaged hair after a day in the sun, helping to condition the hair and smooth it out. (My hair goes crazy frizzy in the heat). Aussie have a unique formula consisting of Australian Macadamia nut oil and aloe vera helping to lock in the moisture. Oh did I mention the smell? It's just too good. Levaes it smelling AMAZING and bubblegum-ey all day too. Put a little into your hands and circulate the scalp and make sure you rinse through properly. Leaves my hair feeling glossy and healthy for the night time. Definately one of my holiday essentials. 

Smokeyblush TIP : Pick up smaller travel-size bottles at the airport so you don't have to worry about the waste of a big bottle.  

 

Review and Ideas : Benefit Cream Eye Shadow

  

Benefit cream eyeshadow RRP £14

I am a big lover of Benefit, always really appreciative of the fun colours and their crazy ideas (blusher as a liquid lip and cheek stain- err amaze). So, I'm always after eyeshadows and I saw that Benefit did some cream based ones that stay put and don't crease. There are fifteen colours to choose from: Get figgy, skinny jeans, Fahrenheit, Stiletto, Strut, Tattle tale, gossip, birthday suit, my dates my brother, busy signal, flatter me,pre nup, bunny hop,flying down, RSVP.

As my bank balance in low from lots of summer holidays, I  was forced to picked one -My dates my brother. I needed a pink highlighter for my brow bone and lid and thought this was a nice soft colour to put on for a base too. I was advised to use an eyeshadow brush and I see why now, it was really hard to apply with fingers, it looked very very messy! So apply with a fine brush starting at the edge of the inner lash line with the tip of the brush. Sweep across and move towards the outer eye and then same again for brow bone area. If you want to build up the colour to make it more intense, leave for a minute to let the first base settle and continue process. Although I don't have any other colours to my collection yet, I wad advised by the lovely Benefit lady to build up shadows and contours by mix-matching cream shadows! 

Now here is the surprise, it's a liner too! These cream based shadows can be used as an eyeliner by getting the tip of the brush and sweeping it across the eyelash line! However, I attempted, and with this light colour, it didn't stand out and looked a little strange but I can imagine with some of the darker colours the effect is great! The shadow doesn't crease but make sure to use a primer beforehand to make sure it stays for the duration of your day! I love that you can be as simple or as dramatic as you like with these shades using effective buildup! Love it Benefit, may have to break the bank balance again!

Smokeyblush TIP : Use lighter colours(my brothers my date, birthday suit, tattle tale, flatter me) to highlight brow bone area or use as a base colour to create smokey eyes or a natural day time look!

Review and Ideas: Illamasqua Neutral Palette

Illamasqua Neutral Palette RRP £30

So I was a little naughty the other day....I couldn't resist the 'Neutral Palette' from the amazing Illamasqua shop in Liverpool. Dazzled by bold colours and glitter everywhere, I can understand this is definitely the makeup for your alter ego. I'm a big fan of smokey eyes on a night out and to get a great effect you need great pigment. Well folks, I just found it. This palette is £30 so may seem a little steep but It comes in a cute box and the case for the eyeshadow is sturdy and will last being pushed around in makeup bags!

The neutral palette has four colours in which you can create contoured lines and highlighted areas to make the eyes seem bigger. The palette contains three matte eye shadows : 'Stealth' (Cream), 'Wolf' (Chocolate), and 'Obsidian' (Black). Exclusive to the palette is a glittery gold colour called 'Vintage'. This palette has rich pigment so only a little is needed to go a long way! Create smokey eyes by using lighter colours on the inner eye and gradually darker colours towards the corners. Negative : I would have loved to have seen a little eye shadow brush within the palette which would make it easier to carry around on nights out! Watch out for a video soon, smokey eye tutorial, MAC or Illamasqua?

Smokeyblush TIP: Use a soft angled brush to get into the eye socket line and create smouldering contours. I like to use 'Stealth' on the brow bone to create a highlighted area. Only use a little black on the tip of your brush, it's the deepest black ever so use wisely!

Vlog #2 What are my three favourite bag cosmetics?

Heya! Have a look at my new vlog! I've figured out that other vloggers create videos about what's in their makeup bag but 1) I carry a lot of makeup with me, 2) Want to create a starter video of what I carry! So here are my three favourites : My benefit smokey eye palette, my MAC concealer and of course, my Max Factor lip tint that has already been reviewed so check it out on my blog!

I love these products and they go everywhere with me to keep me looking fresh throughout days out or hours of work! Hope you enjoy the video and find it useful!

Remember to check my twitter out too : @Smokeyblush

Smokeyblush ^ ^

Review and Ideas : Naked Palette Urban Decay

URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE 1 RRP £36

This palette doesn't appear cheap, however it holds 12 eyeshadows, a primer and a eye brush applicator.  The colours go from 'virgin' which is the lightest with a hint of pink to 'creep' which is a black coal colour with hints of glitter. There are also shades of beige, burnt oranges and lighter browns. I love using this palette to create a smokey eye contrasting one end of the palette with the other. I also use the lighter colours to create a simple day look.  The palette comes with a fine haired brush which is rounded! ( perfect for reaching into the creases of your eye) It also comes with a travel sized 'eye potion' primer! The primer is very cool and soothing and is applied with a mini mascara brush. The primer is cool and refreshing and creates a sheer surface for the eyeshadow to sit on.

Smokeyblush TIP: Use one of the lighter colours such as 'virgin' or 'sin' on the inner eye and try some darker colours towards the outer eye lid, such as 'darkhorse' or 'hustle'. I also use a darker colour to line the lower lid on nights out for an extra smokey effect to contrast with a black mascara!

Review and Ideas: MaxFactor Lip Infinity Tint

MAX FACTOR LIP INFINITY LIP TINT RRP: £6.99

I absolutely love this range of Lip stains by Max Factor! I'm a little clumsy with lipstick and I've travelled all the way to Japan's best beauty stores to find colours I suit and something that doesn't feel too heavy and sticky in summer heat! At £6.99 these lip stains are a STEAL!  The ten shades range from 'pink petal' to 'latte'.  The pigment is rich in these stains yet when applying it, it feels light as the product is water-based. The applicator is a brush which reminded me of primary school felt-tip pens, however, this applicator made it so easy to use on the lips and can be used to outline the outer lip line with perfection. You can control colour intensity by applying it more than once. I use this to my advantage by applying it only once for a lighter shade in the day and then apply it a few  times before heading out for the night to intensify my lip colour to match smokey eyes!

Smokey blush TIP : Use the brush applicator to define and contour the outer lip line and then colour inside the outer line to create fuller looking lips! A lip liner and a lip stain all in one pen! Add a little gloss on top to great a glossy stain! Bargain!

Review and Ideas: Benefit Benetint

 

Benefit Benetint Rouge RRP £24.50

This rose tinted stain is PERFECT for adding a little colour to the cheeks and the lips. I fell in love with the product straight away. Benefit's first ever product smells and feels fantastic. Initially, seeing blusher in a bottle is confusing yet intriguing. I was advised by one of the lovely Benefit ladies to create whisker features on the cheeks and then simply rub in with the tips of your fingers across your cheekbone. To apply to the lips, use a fine haired brush to create a natural sheer finish. It is a really simple quick application process and the fine brush imitates a nail varnish brush making it easy to blush the cheeks using three dots across the apple. I've had this bottle for a couple of months and It's lasted me well so far, so for just over £20, it's a good buy and the stain lasts all day. Not to forget, It smells refreshing and summery making it a pleasure to apply!

Smokeyblush TIP : Three whisker strokes will illuminate the cheek bones perfectly once rubbed in with the tip of a finger.