Monday 28 March 2011

Why?

I thought that I would start doing a bit something different with my blog. Every one knows that I love skincare and make up but sometimes it feels a bit boring just doing review after review, sure sometimes I have a backlog of stuff I need to write about but sometimes I just sit looking at my screen and go Duh!
For anyone who knows me they will be thinking "whats new?" lol but seriously on occasion I do struggle.
Sooooo I thought...maybe...I would use this blog as a sounding board that gets things off my mind, out in to the web that is world wide and I can get my arse in to gear and write about what material stuff I love.

Any hoo the reason for this inane, rambling and random post is there is so much going on at the moment.
Me and my OH are planning our wedding, I of course am doing the fun, but still stressful stuff like Wedding attire and menu and colours and blah blah blah and my OH is worrying...I mean doing the budget. Now we are not having a massive do just a small occasion that is typically Us but man it can be stressful!
On top of that there is the DIET grrrrr, I do NOT want to be a fatty bum bum bride, and I tell myself this everyday, but why is it that when you go on a diet you find more 'bad' foods that you like????? Is it written in the laws of life? All I know is that I have fell off the wedding diet wagon and I am trying desperately to hitch a ride on the next one!

That's all from me and I promise that next blog will have some thing beauty related in it!!!!


Sam (still a fatty bum bum bride...for now)  x

Tuesday 22 March 2011

I dare to bare!

No not in that way ladies!!  How rude lol
I have read a lot of blogs on here, like mine on which they review make up and skin care, but I have not seen a lot of photo's showing the writers natural- make up free face, so we know exactly the canvas that they are working with. For all we know they could have model perfect skin with out a shadow or spot in sight... I am not saying this is true for all bloggers but you never know do you?
Well today I am being brave and I have taken a photo of my face totally bare and totally unflattering so you can all see my flaws so when I write about how a product has worked for me you can see the evidence.
So here it goes...gulp....
 As you can see I have shiny skin, not too many spots at the moment , the only wrinkles that I have are on my forehead, I must frown too much lol As you can see my biggest thing to contend with complexion wise are the big black circles that I have, not just under my eyes but my entire eye lid! Panda eyes take on a new meaning for me.
Now I have gotten that out of the way I can move forward. Do I feel better for it hmmm maybe I hope I can get a reputation on being honest.

Now hoping that you are thinking...hey her skin ain't all bad I experimented with my camera(I'm still learning) and took a photo of my skin care of choice at the moment. I have bought all of them apart from a small eye cream sample.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
Elemis Tri-enzyme facial wash
Liz Earle gentle Exfoliator
Elemis Gentle toner
Bliss Deep clean mask
and Elemis Pro collagen Marine cream and Creme de la mer eye cream


What products are you loving at the moment? Would you publish a photo of yourself make up free?

What ever your thoughts let me know!

Get Liz Earle at http://uk.lizearle.com/
Elemis @www.timetospa.co.uk
Bliss www.blissworld.co.uk


Sam x

Monday 21 March 2011

A new week a new colour!!!

Happy Monday Ladies!! Ok so I know that Monday's are not great so what can we do to make them a little better?
Today I have not been feeling that great to be honest after a week of my back and legs being in pain and shaking like a leaf,  I am still getting over it but the good news is I am not shaking any more so I have jumped at the stillness of my hands and painted my nails. As you have seen from my couple of posts on nail polish I keep the strong colours confined to my big hobbit feet... not this time! I have taken the plunge and painted my nails a bright what I would call cherry red.


Leighton Denny polishes seem to be my brand of choice at the moment. They go on smooth and this Red called Indulgence is ready to take the spot light within two coats. These polishes last me 5 days without chips and to avoid wear at the tips remember to take your clear top coat over the edges of your nails.
I must admit that I am becoming addicted to these polishes and I am a proud member of Leighton's angels on face book.
As you can from my nails this red looks great on pale skin like mine.

I am meant to be saving for my wedding but a bottle a month can't hurt can it???

Wonder what shade I choose for next week?

xx

Friday 18 March 2011

Who will walk the line?

Morning Beauty lovers! It's Friday!!! More time to indulge in Make up blogs and researching new wonder products out there.

Yesterday I posted about the Iconic Bobbi Brown Gel liner, Today I turn my attention to a pencil liner and a liquid.

I am going to start with the one that I really did not like...at all.
Now I do not have a photo with me wearing this liner purely because I could not get a straight line to save my life! I was fine at the outer corner then it just went wrong. The tip off this liner is too soft and wiggles like a stubborn child. The actual look of the liner is nice, a greyish black pigment with a bit of sparkle but there is no way on earth ,even if you could get a good line on the upper lid that you could do lash thickening work with this liner. With liquid liner if you mess up you can't smudge it to a sexy smoke you have to take it all off and start again.Although this was not one of my most expensive mistakes @ £6.19 it is still unlikely to see day light again unless one of my friends likes it and I will pass it on.
If you like liquid liner give it a go even if it is just for the added sparkle but I am not a fan....sorry


Second liner to go up against the Gel is
Intense Kajal in dark black by Blink

I love pencils that have a smudger built in. I have never used a pencil that is such a pure black as this one. It went on smooth with no dragging on my lids which always makes them really sore.
It leaves a good line on your lids with little effort and I love smudging it towards the centre and under my bottom lashes. Unlike the Liquid liner it is really easy to get this under and in between the lashes so this is another bonus for me. 
If you do enough smudging with this liner you can create a full smouldering eye which would be perfect for transforming a day look in to a sexy evening eye.
As this is a non retractable pencil you can also get a good sharp point for a fine line look.
Please excuse my head phones lol 
As you can see you can really make a impression on the eye with this.

For those sensitive souls out there this liner contains no mineral oil so won't cause irritation.


This is my number one Black pencil and will sit beside my BB Gel liner

So am I wrong about the liquid liner? Do you have a better pencil?
Let me know!

Sam xx

Get L'oreal at most chemists and
Blink atwww.blinkbrowbar.com @ £13

Thursday 17 March 2011

A Bobbi Brown wedding face

I have wanted to use eye liner for as long as I have been using make up, because I did not know how to use it if I wanted a black eye liner I would buy a cheap one and the result was a disaster so I gave up!
How ever following on from my last post the MUA at the Bobbi Brown counter restored my faith and showed me how to use Gel liner and I finally got that lovely sleek line and flick.
Being the nosey person that I am and the fact that I always want to try other types I thought that I would do a comparison.

First I tried the Bobbi Brown liner
This liner is a true black and it was surprising just how little you need on the brush to get a nice solid line.
The MUA made it look really easy when she just flicked it across my eye lid but I must admit it has taken me about a month to come out looking similar.
You can get a few looks with this, a nude lid with a thickish line and a flick with a few good coats of mascara or the look that I was advised to go for with my wedding.
A light sparkle of grey up to just above the socket line and then a slightly darker colour used to blend
out the black liner. A flick at the end then a few coats of black mascara.

This liner will not budge until you take it off with a good eye make up remover.
A good time I found out for most liners is to make your lashes look thicker lift your lid and line the upper inside of the line and right under/in between lashes.

I am defiantly going to keep using this liner and will insisted on it for my wedding.

Please let me know your thoughts on it guys whether you love it or hate it!

Get yours for £15.50 at any department stores or @ www.bobbibrown.co.uk


Just a little FYI guys, before I bought the true Bobbi brown liner I am guilty to admit that I bought one off Ebay. The seller assured me that they were genuine and as they were close to the price in the shop I sent my payment.
You can clearly see that the one on the left is dry and missing the deep pigment of the true one on the right! It comes out of the pan as a patchy grey.As I had never seen a gel liner I assumed this was what it was meant to be like, I now know better!
Be careful guys a lot of make up on Ebay is fake!! Bobbi Brown, Benefit and Mac are great money makers for these scammers. Best advise is save until you know you are getting the real deal!

xxx


Next post following on from this testing a liquid liner and a pencil


Tuesday 15 March 2011

Wedding stress

Morning peeps. I hope that your Monday was not too stressful?
Today's weather is a bit 'blah' in not so sunny Sheffield, although I am not too crazy keen on hot weather a little bit of sun would be great!
Any way h2b and I have decided on a wedding date! Originally I was meant to have three years to get my self slim and serene for the day but now I have a year and a half as we have chosen 28th July 2012!
I need to get my fatty bum bum bride ass in to gear to get this weight loss mission started.

Like most brides to be I am of course excited to find my ideal dress ect but I wouldn't be me if  I wasn't also on the look out for wedding make up and nails! Along with the diet I am going to give my skin a good overhaul. I am not too much of a disaster but I do want glowing skin on the day.
Along with that is of course make up! A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of having a bit of a run through at the Bobbi Brown counter. They were very patient with me wriggling and standing up now and again because of my back but as well as that I have never felt so pampered sitting in the middle of a shop lol.
I was lucky to be in the hands of one of Bobbi's visiting professional make up artists who looked at my face and gave me great tips. It was refreshing for a make up artist not to put make up on inches deep and actually comment on my good features rather than going on about my flaws( yes a MUA has done this!)
I was introduced to gel eyeliner which I of course bought! I will be doing a review on this and putting it up against others in a post this week so keep your eyes open!

My nails are easy because of the nail God Leighton Denny! Thanks to his easy to follow instructions, helping hands products and his ability to put together great kits I am sorted with his French Facination kit. Not only does it have the French manicure down to a T, but it also has a bit of sparkle with a bottle of Cascade and a pot of corrector fluid and brush. With this kit I am having a manicure party the night before the wedding and will be a working bride doing about 10 manicures lol


It would be great to hear your experiences at the hands of a MUA good or bad! Please leave a comment below.

ps only 501 days till I tie the knot...eeek

Sam xx


Leighton Denny polishes can be found at www.leightondenny.com

Picture credited to banburylimohire.co.uk