Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner

You might think gel liners are all much of a muchness and you'd be right, though there are some on the market that dry up in the pot, fade on application along the lashline and smudge away within a few hours so performance is key!
The new Illamasqua Gel Liner in Infinity has been well overdue in my eyes but they done good with a generous pot in an intense black (trust me that can be tricky to find) and they have a new angled brush too for the ultimate precision.

I had a bit of a play so you could see more.  It dries in good enough time but if you wanted to, you could use as a black base on eyes for a matt, smoky finish as well as sharp eyelines.   The other colours on my hand are from the Paranormal Palette, worth a look at too!

Beauty Alert: Illamasqua Hydra Veil!

No!  It's not a yummy jelly-fied dessert, it is a skin product new to the Illamasqua range and included in their Paranormal Collection and it is just that, something extraordinary!
Hydra Veil is a true innovation for skincare in terms of its formulation as it jelly-like texture, due to the marine algae (an anti-oxidant) is a cool, soothing gel which hydrates to reveal an effortless radiance to skin.  Plus its an absolutely good place to start if you are not keen on having to use an additional primer before your foundation, so it cuts of the middle man so to speak as it leaves you with the ideal base!  I love the cooling sensation and would imagine it would be kind to sensitive, flushed skins too, so, I am hooked.  Are you?

Pond's Institute repackages it's classics!

 I do love a classic beauty product and I hope you appreciate them too.  I'm always keen to be invited to events celebrating brands I grew up with and last week I attended the Pond's Institute launch of it's re-branded range at The Dorchester.
It was a swish affair in a beautifully lit room, just off the hotel's popular spa with canapes and fine drink in flow as I sauntered around the room bumping into many familiar faces.  Back to the re-brand, here is an example:

It was a delight to see some colour coding on the packaging, including the classic one of them all the Cold Cream.  This cream was hailed as the product to have for Make Up Artists' at my college when studying Theatre make up; it simply removes every last trace of make up leaving skin as soft and plump.  You can read more about my thoughts on my blog here.

The very talented Make Up Artist, Arabella Preston was stationed in a brightly lit area demonstrating the benefits of Pond's Cold Cream and as seen here how to carefully remove make up with a warm, damp cloth; just one of the handy tips she had to offer.  I noticed the model was having to have a 5 minute make up look  applied and removed throughout the evening and I noticed her skin didn't appear aggravated at all.

It was a joy to be in such great company, including PR's Iron Lady, Caroline Neville of Neville McCarthy who agreed that Ponds Institute has integrity, something that is an integral factor but can be found lacking in other brands on the market!

Finally, I absolutely loved the quotes from some of the leading ladies famed for their involvement in beauty such as Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe, which were laid out on the table too (and yes, the canapes were a delicious treat as well.)