Kiko and Autograph Haul

I’m a serious nail polish addict. My favourite brand at the moment is Kiko. I did a full review of Kiko nail polishes here. Their nail polishes are super long lasting and come in a great range of colours. Just make sure you use them with a base coat or they will turn your nail yellow.

This time I got four shares- red (shade 239), violet (243), Tiffany blue (389) and a chocolate brown with bits of gold glitter (373). They were about £3.50 each.

I also got one polish from L.A Girls in a rusty, shimmery gold/orange/light brown which I thought would be perfect for Halloween and autumn. Below a simple stamping nail art using L.A Girls nail polish.

I also got Kiko’s powder eye shadows in a stick in a shimmery taupe shade. It’s called Eyecatch Look, shade 116. It’s super easy to apply but unfortunately it creases on me.

The final product I bought is Autograph’s cream eye shadow in Russet. I saw this in A Model Recommends favourites video and decided to try it. I am a big fan of cream eye shadows. It’s a fantastic product and I will do a full review soon.

NARS Killing Me Softly Palette Review

I’m probably the last person to jump on the NARS blush bandwagon. I’ve heard so many people rave about NARS blushes over the years but never bought one. It’s probably because the two most popular shades – Deep Throat and Orgasm, in addition to having the most ridiculous names ever, have a lot of glitter in them. Every time I tried to swatch them on my hand they looked too sparkly. I didn’t think I would be able to wear them.

Killing Me Softly palette came out back in September and I thought it would be a good way to try a couple of NARS blushes. It was only £30 and you get 4 colours and 10g of product. I say ‘only’ cause NARS product are usually quite pricy. From the top right corner in a clock-wise direction: Albatross, Orgasm, Outlaw, and Gilda. Albatross is a pearl highlighter. Orgasm and Outlaw have some glitter in it and Gilda is a matte coral- peach colour.

In artificial light

I have to say I’m completely converted and in love with NARS blushes. They are so pigmented and so long-lasting. I usually wear Gilda with Orgasm on top – it gives the most amazing wash of colour and a healthy glow. It’s the first time I’m wearing a blush with so much glitter in it but for some reason it doesn’t look to sparkly once you have it on. It just gives this amazing healthy look to your skin. I finally understand why they called it Orgasm: it does look like afterglow :D. Nonetheless, Deep Throat is still a ridiculous name for a blush. Unless it makes you look like…

I think it’s a very good palette with a blush for every occasion. Adding a highlighter makes it even more practical: you can easily transform your daytime look into a glamorous evening look.

Orgasm, Outlaw, Gilda and Albatross

If you prefer something with warmer colours there is a second version of this palette called Adult Content: it contains Zen, Miss Liberty, Desire, and Deep Throat. Desire is a very pale pink with blue undertones that I don’t think would go well with my skin tone (yellow undertones). Zen is a natural looking blush that can double as a bronzer and Miss Liberty is another highlighter. It’s a very versatile palette but I prefer the coral and peachy tones of Gilda and Orgasm.

UPDATE:

I tried wearing Outlaw today and I was surprised how lovely it looked. I’ve never used such a dark blush. I guess I was just worried that it will make me look really weird and would wash me out. But it turns out it doesn’t look scary at all. It’s actually a nice, wearable colour.

Regener8 Skin Regenerator: first impressions

I received this product from Chemist Direct – a UK-based website that sells a variety of beauty and skincare products, health supplements, perfumes, toiletries and electrical items (link here). They kindly sent me this product to review.

It’s a natural food supplement formulated by pharmacists and nutritionists to help repair and heal skin from within. It works for scars, stretch marks, ageing and dehydrated skin. It has a unique blend of hydrolysed collagen, seaweed, vitamins, minerals and botanicals. I was interested in this product mainly because of the collagen. While I don’t have wrinkles, at 32 I have noticed that my skin isn’t as firm as it used to be.

One package contains 60 one-a-day capsules. They are quite large and I really like that the capsules are clear and you can see the ingredients inside. It costs £29.99 and you can purchase it here.

I’ve only started using this product recently so I will do a full review once I finish the entire package. In the meantime, here is some additional information about the ingredients and how they work from  Chemist Direct website:

• Peptan promotes younger looking skin, improves skin moisture level, improves skin smoothness, prevents formation of deep-winkles & improves skin suppleness
• Seaweed is packed with vitamins & minerals that help repair damaged skin cells
• Zinc aids in collagen production, decreases free radical activity, helps prevent the growth of bacteria and reduces inflammation
• MSM assists with the formation of keratin, collagen and elastin–compounds essential to skin health and flexibility
• Aloe Vera has anti-inflammatory properties that enable faster healing of wounds & burns
• Vitamin A enhances cellular growth and promotes healthy skin cell development
• Vitamin C is an essential component of collagen and helps maintain skin’s elasticity and flexibility
• Vitamin E enhances collagen production, increases skin elasticity and reduces scar or stretch mark visibility
• Calendula has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties that promote skin healing
• Lavender has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties which attack bacteria causing acne infections
• Rosemary tones and firm skin
• Chamomile may help calm the inflammation and irritation associated with acne

How to make your dark circles disappear completely! Best full coverage concealer and application tips

I haven’t posted in a while. Things have just been a bit hectic lately with work and I’ve also been travelling a lot. On the plus side, I have a lot of favourites and discoveries to share with you guys.

A couple of weeks ago, I promised Amy that I will post a review of a new concealer I’ve using now for a couple of months. A concealer that is BETTER than Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection. It is probably the best thing since sliced bread.

It is Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Makeup Foundation. Now bear with me: this stuff really works even though it’s not actually a concealer.

It works for two reasons:

1) It’s maximum coverage foundation – which means that a small amount of this product can cover tattoos as well as even the darkest under-eye circles. As much as I love Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer, it never fully covered my dark circles. If yours are less dark, it’s still a great concealer. But if you feel you need to put a lot of product to fully cover your dark circles – try this product foundation instead!

2) Because it’s a foundation when you use it as a concealer your under-eye area is the same colour as the rest of your face. That means that you won’t look as if you sun tanned in goggles.

You need only a small amount of this product to cover your circles. It doesn’t look cakey, it doesn’t crease – it’s simply perfect.

How to apply it so it stays on all day

Now, if you are going to wear it for more than 8h per day, which is what I do most days, here is a little tip on how to make it last all day. I believe this was one of the youtube gurus who I’ve learned this from and have been using this trick everyday.
1) Spray some of Urban Decay’s All Nighter on a make-up sponge applicator and apply it under the eye before makeup.

2) Then apply the Double Wear foundation or other concealer. I powder it lightly with MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural powder.

3) Finally, spray a bit more of the All Nighter and gently apply it over makeup under the eye.

No retouching – how it looks when you first apply it

A bit later in the day – still perfect

This will prevent creasing and your concealer will look fresh all day long. It’s about £28.50 for 30ml. One tube will last you a very long time.