Today I’ve created a burgundy and gold smoky eye look using an old IT Cosmetics beauty book.
This technique is quick, easy and quite smudgy. If you want a smoky eye look that doesn’t need to be really neat and tidy, this one is for you.
Tag: rose gallagher
Hannah Martin x My Beauty Brand
My lovely friend Hannah Martin has created an edit of her favourite make-up pieces from My Beauty Brand and I’m using them in today’s video.
Hannah is truly one of the best people to follow on social media if you want to learn about make-up. Her looks are wearable, pretty, and versatile. Whether you want barely there make-up or something super glam, she’s already got it covered. I trust her recommendations implicitly!
Here’s a little walk through of her signature rose golden style.
Nic Chapman’s MAC Cosmetics Lipstick
This week I treated myself to the two new MAC lipsticks from Sam and Nic Chapman. They officially launch later this year but they had a two week flash sale to get them early and I managed to get one of each.
Here’s a look at Nic’s peachy pink in action – a really creamy, pigmented lippie.
MAC Antiqued: my favourite ever eye shadow
For years now, my favourite ever eyeshadow has been Antiqued by MAC Cosmetics.
The reason why I love it so much is that I think it flatters every eye colour and skin tone. This chocolatey bronze will make every eye colour pop, as I think you’ll see in this video.
How To Use Highlighter Drops
Today I thought I’d share a quick video with some ideas on how to use highlighter drops.
Highlighter drops are available from lots of beauty brands, and you can mix them into your make-up or skincare to add luminosity to your make-up.
Here’s a look at the Lancome Custom Highlight Drops.
Skincare General Recommendations
Here are a few general skincare recommendations. I’ve put three key words next to them to make them as easy as possible to navigate. If you specifically want to know about rosacea, this isn’t the post for you. Read my rosacea recommendations here instead.
By no means are these the only products I recommend, there are so many brilliant options on the market. I simply wanted to create one quick guide so that when people ask me “which skincare would you recommend for me?” we have a starting point. There are so many fantastic products I have used on myself and other people for many years. What you see below is simply a cross section of a few ideas that came to mind for each purpose. For full transparency, please bear in mind that I work with IT Cosmetics on an ongoing basis. I have included some products of theirs in the below line-up entirely of my own accord.
Example skincare routines
Basic and effective: cleanse twice a day, use a moisturiser twice a day, and apply a separate SPF every morning.
Intermediate: cleanse twice a day, use a moisturiser twice a day, apply a separate SPF every morning, and use a serum to add your desired effect (e.g. maybe a vitamin c to brighten your complexion, or a retinol if you are concerned with the first signs of ageing).
Investing more time: cleanse twice a day, use a moisturiser twice a day, and apply a separate SPF every morning. Then, identify your main skin needs, and address them using ingredients focused on those things. Add the likes of serums, oils, toners and exfoliants to your routine.
Skincare Recommendations
Cleanser
The Body Shop Cleansing Oil: removes make-up, cost effective, quick
La Roche Posay Effaclar H Cream: gentle, nourishing, creamy
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser: big-bottle, gel-texture, cost effective
Toner
IT Cosmetics Miracle Water: rich, hydrating, quick
Clinique Moisture Surge: hydrating, cooling, comfortable
Pestle and Mortar Balance Mist: simple, cooling, soothing
Serum
Pestle and Mortar Hyaluronic: thirst-quenching, lightweight, easily absorbed
Kate Somerville DeliKate: simple, nourishing, gentle
Murad Retinol: targets fine lines, powerful, potent
Lancome Genefique: all-rounder
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: all-rounder
Oils
Decleor Aromessence Serum in Oil: comfortable, intensely hydrating, rich
Herbivore Botanicals: rich, calming, comforting
Zelens Z-22 oil: timeless, easily absorbed, fail safe
Masks
Origins Drink Up Mask: quick, hydrating, softening
Zelens Transformer Mask: instant, brightening, splurge
Moisturisers
La Roche Posay: lots of options suited to different skin needs
Pixi Beauty: lots of options, affordable and effective
CeraVe: rich and simple, unlikely to irritate
Kate Somerville Dry Skin Saviour: richly hydrating, absorbs quickly
IT Cosmetics original Confidence in a Cream: all-rounder
Murad Water Charged Gel: lightweight, hydrating, no residue
Exfoliators
Pixi Glow Tonic: brightening, smoothing, gentle
Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads: instant result, reduced-texture, radiance
SPF
La Roche Posay Anthelios: runny, easily absorbed, light
Kiehl’s Aqua Gel: lightweight, thin, hydrating
How to Do a Smoky Eye Using Just An Eyeliner and a Brush
She taught us a really simple smoky eye technique that you can do using just a creamy eyeliner and a clean blending brush. Though she said she uses this as a base for her smoky eye looks, I’ve just done this with no further make-up.
Here’s the look, I hope you enjoy! Super simple and easy.
Products used: @ctilburymakeup liner in Bedroom Black, @maccosmeticsuk 217 brush and Pony Park collection, @makebeautyofficialMarine Salve in Deep Flesh, @pixibeautyuk On the Glow moisture stick, @itcosmeticsukiSuperhero Mascara, @hourglasscosmeticsBrow Gel in Soft Brunette and Micro Pencil in Platinum Blonde. Learned this tip from @nikki_makeup, she is fab. Products are press samples and I work with IT Cosmetics on an ongoing basis.
Bobbi Brown Gift Giving Collection 2015
This year, her packaging is luxury and her offering is something brighter and pinker, still as luxurious but a fresh take on the festive season.
Deluxe Eye and Cheek Palette – Limited Edition, £59
Bobbi’s luxury palettes are amazing value for money when you compare them to the price of buying each item individually.
Comprising eight eyeshadow shades, you have everything that you need to create a soft smoky eye right up to a very dark look. The shades strike the perfect balance of neutral mattes, some shimmer and glitter shades for evening, and even a jet black which doubles up as a great liner.
And unlike last year, this palette contains two blusher shades rather than lipsticks. Now I absolutely loved last year’s palette, but I feel like the blusher shades are going to be really well received because it is so much easier to keep a palette of powders clean rather than trying to avoid any flyaway pigment spilling into the lip shades. Repackaged in a classic black glossy case with a raised Bobbi logo, this is total luxury and neutral enough for women of all ages and skin tones to enjoy.
Pink Shimmer Brick – Limited Edition, £35
I know that there is already a permanent pink Shimmer Brick in the line up, but this limited edition is so much pearlier. It’s beautiful. A light, oyster sheen, this is going to be lovely used alone as an illuminator or even better buffed into your blusher to give it some iridescence. Without a doubt this is the shining star for me.
Art Stick Trio – Limited Edition, £42
Have you tried the Bobbi Brown Art Sticks before? They’re not like any other chunky sticks in the beauty hall. These are essentially lipstick in a chunky pencil form, giving a really full coverage and that creamy, rich finish. Harlow Red is one of their best sellers, a universally flattering red, and Electric Pink isn’t as scary as it sounds, making eyes pop and lips look full. But the real stand out shade from the bunch is Brown Berry, the perfect rosy nude.
A few months ago Amy Conway from the Bobbi Brown Pro Team was in Birmingham and she showed me this stick. I posted it to Instagram and I got so many comments and people asking me when it was going to launch – it is just one of those shades that looks prim and lovely on everyone. Be sure to keep an eye for Amy at your local Bobbi. She tours the country and she is completely brilliant. I learn something new every time I see her.
Luxe Lip Colours, £22.50
Now these aren’t actually part of the Christmas collection but they’re new from Bobbi and they’re going to make the most beautiful stocking fillers. The Luxe Lip collection is a brand new range of lipstick shades, creamy, rich and housed in a heavy gold packaging. They feel really luxury and expensive, very vintage like lipstick from past times.
The lid is embossed with the new Bobbi logo. Available in 30 shades with 6 exclusive to Selfridges, your go-to colours are Bright Peony, Downton Plum and Your Majesty (because Bobbi loves the Queen).
Don’t forget that what Bobbi Brown does best is make-up lessons. They don’t want you to take anything away without feeling confident and empowered to use it. When you treat your special someone this Christmas, book them in for a make-up lesson too.
Bobbi Brown’s Gift Giving Collection will be available from October 15th.
You may also like: Meeting Bobbi Brown
Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Scotty and I tend to gravitate towards the same scents so I always ask him to show me anything new that he loves. He wears a lot of niche fragrances and introduced me to Maison Francis Kurkdjian which has come to be one of my favourite brands.
What I love about MFK is that I never pick anything up and feel that it reminds me of anything else. Even their rosiest fragrance (which I will come onto in a moment) seems somehow different to the masses of others in the beauty hall. The whole brand embodies a fusion of many artistic influences; here’s how they describe themselves:
“Maison Francis Kurkdjian is a house of fragrance, but also a house of creation. It surrounds itself with the talent of designers, craftsmen, photographers, musicians and set designers. Exceptional know-how come together and echo off each other. They are fundamental to the House and are gradually writing a number of exceptional human adventures, in which perfume is, naturally, the hero.”
Here are two of my favourites for him and for her.
A very clean, subtle fragrance, this is sophisticated and elegant without being too overpowering.
The key notes are Jamaican Amyris and Florentine Iris, weaving in Sicilian Mandarin, Moroccan Rosemary and a hint of Brazilian Tonka Bean.
Anyone who tends to like citrus fragrance will enjoy this, I’m sure. Amyris comes in a variation for men and women but personally I tend to prefer the Amyris for him, even on myself.
A rich take on rose, this is feminine without being too sickly sweet. There is something quite sexy about it which isn’t what I would normally associate with such a clean, powdery flower.
Top notes: Bulgarian Damascena Rose, Calabrian Bergamot, Californian Orange
Heart notes: Violet accord, Magnolia Blossom
Base notes: woody Cedar, Musk, Centifolia Rose from Grasse
Maison Francis Kurkdjian is available at Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Liberty of London. With Christmas around the corner keep them in mind as a gift idea for the person who has everything and wants something a little different.
Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand
I wrote about Christmas and her Magic Foundation straight away, but I wanted to really take my time with the Mini Miracle Eye Wand and ensure that it was amazing before I wrote about it.
I’ve taken my time. It’s amazing.
Let’s start with the fact that Charlotte’s wand is a world first in that it has a brush on two ends. Step 1 contains a Hydrating and Lifting Eye Cream, and Step 2 the Illuminate Under-Eye Light Reflector (concealer). Both are released with a quick twist and click, then applied using their respective brushes. As with all of her products it’s just so quick and easy. You don’t even need to pat anything in with your finger, let alone carry an additional brush.
Here’s how it works…
Step 1: Hydrating and Lifting Eye Cream
- Can be used twice per day
- Contains hyaluronic acid, plumping the skin and great for keeping skin hydrated therefore no drying, clumpy concealer
- Bio Extract of Salicornia to reduce loss of water, again keeping everything fresh and dewy
- Acanthium promotes cellular repair
- Cyclodextrins to lift the eye dome
- Rice Proteins to reduce bags, fighting ageing and fatigue
What’s great about this cream is that it slightly tightens when you apply it, really firming the eye area and keeping everything in place. It’s a bit like a pair of spanx for the eyes. If you haven’t had a lot of sleep, this helps to sculpt you back to normality.
Step 2: Illuminate Under-Eye Light Reflector
I really, really get on well with this. Sometimes I find that concealers with lots of coverage are heavy and ageing, but lighter concealers don’t do enough to colour correct. This strikes a perfect balance of the two, offering instant colour correction and evening out the skin tone but with a light, dewy consistency.
- “A million lights” light-reflecting micro-particles to diffuse light
- Mother of Pearl to add radiance
- Polypeptides to minimise dark circles over time
- Silky elastomers to smooth over wrinkles
Charlotte describes this as part of her ‘treat and transform’ range of skincare and make-up hybrids, designed to ease the appearance of fatigued eyes over time and brighten them instantly.
If you’re yet to find a concealer to take away bags without sitting in your lines, look no further. This is it.
Charlotte’s Mini Miracle Eye Wand is available in 5 shades and will be £29 available from October.
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Rose Gallagher 