Please don't think I'm throwing shade at By Terry from the title of this post. On the contrary. Everyone knows that the By Terry Ombre Blackstars are the creme de la creme when it comes to eyeshadow sticks and I concur, but I'm rather bored of hearing about them. There's only so many times you can read the words 'holy-grail' before your interest wanes, purely because one particular product is overdone. There's a plethora of eye crayons I rate that hit the high-end, mid-range and affordable markets, so I thought I'd plunge them into the limelight for a change.
New Year's Eve is the night I like to go all-out with my makeup. I'm talking all the sparkle. This year, I'm heading to party so have the perfect excuse to get all dressed up, but to be honest, I'd do the same even if I was planning on just cosying up in front of a film with a bag of pic n' mix. This year, I've put together a look featuring glittery, golden eyes, glowing skin and a classic, red lip.
Who wants to waste any precious minutes of a chilled Sunday, by spending hours in front of the mirror, piling on a tonne of makeup? Not me. Unless I'm having a make-up free day, wearing my comfiest pjs and embarking on a Netflix marathon, then I want fuss-free, five minute routine, full of products that do all the hard work for me. But, I have a few rules. No liquid foundation. No contouring. No bold lipsticks. All I want is a fresh complexion, bright, defined eyes and a flush of colour on the cheeks and lips.
During the S/S months, the last thing I want to do is stifle my skin by wearing a heavy, thick foundation. Stripping back to a sheerer base not only feels better, but also looks better in the unforgiving sunshine. Tinted moisturisers and their fancier, souped-up counterparts (BB, CC, EE creams) are the way to go and I have five favourites which I switch between, depending on what my skin is craving each day.
Not everyone agrees, but I love Valentine's day. Whether you spend time with your other half, get together with your friends or spend time with a relative, it's a nice way to appreciate and celebrate the love you share with others. This year, I think my guy and I will go out for the day and then stay in with a few films, some wine and lots of tasty treats. Usually, we'd don our glad rags and go out for dinner and drinks, but seeing as we're heading to Dubai in two weeks, we thought we'd save some pennies instead.
In the beauty world, some products come and go without much of a buzz, whilst others rocket up to cult-favourite, must-have status, in days. I don't always like to give in to the hype, at least straight away, and let it settle before I take the plunge and make a purchase, to see if the commotion dies down or remains strong. With the constant influx of new products, if a certain product remains in the limelight, then that's an indicator that it's something pretty special. So I thought that I'd give you the low-down on which products I think are deserving of the hype surrounding them.
Booming in popularity thanks to the likes of Kylie Jenner, nude lipliner is no longer thought of as a trashy, 90's trend nightmare. Gone are the days of an obviously overdrawn, thick line that's about ten shades too dark, as we all strive for a more natural-looking, perfected pout. Used to subtly enhance the shape, or to miraculously plump up a lacking lip by few, extra inches in the case of KJ *wink wink*, liner is a product that is now considered a must-have staple in any beauty-lover's makeup bag.
If you can't wear a bit of sparkle around Christmas time, then when can you? I, for one, like to add some shimmer and glitter to my eyes all year round, and I have a selection of trusty favourites that I thought I'd share with you.
In winter, we tend to up the level of makeup coverage we wear, but when our skin is feeling the effects of harsh winds, bitter frosts and regular rain, foundations can sometimes look too heavy and emphasise any flakiness we may be struggling with. What do we need to prevent looking like a shriveled, old prune? A hydrating primer can help. But, with so many to choose from, which do I rate and which do I slate? Do we need to spend top dollar to get the best finish?
I'm all for spending hours in front of the mirror experimenting with makeup and precisely applying that perfect eyeliner flick, contour and bold lip. Realistically, though, that only happens once in a blue moon and, on a daily basis, I need products that will give me drama and a professional-looking finish in a fraction of that time. For a speedy, yet stunning, eye look, cream eyeshadow sticks are perfect and none can top the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colours.
May was all about brightening and lightening, for me. I've been really concentrating on getting my skin looking as good as possible, ready for Summer, by tweaking both my skincare and makeup routines. Of late, my makeup looks have mostly consisted of a flawless, but natural-looking base, bright eyes and a defined lip, which these products have helped me to achieve.
Forgive me for being a month late with this one, but now my batteries are recharged after a hectic, few months, the time has come for me to unleash a whole load of 2013 favourites, starting with part one - the makeup and nail products that have truly bowled me over and will give my past loves a run for their money. Another year has passed and although my blogging had tailed off towards the end of 2013, due to work and busy, general life, my thirst for anything beauty-related remained unquenchable. As the months go by, we find products that we like, love and hate, but to narrow everything down to only one item per category is bloomin' challenging.
