Beauty Alert: Wild About Beauty Smooth Cover Concealer Kit!

It has been a long time, even years, since I've staggered across a concealer I instantly knew would suit my skin tone plus tend to my under eye needs of veiling my dark circles.  This was until I was introduced to Wild About Beauty Smooth Cover Concealer Kit in Dark and instead of droning on here are before and after pics which prove it works wonders!

My tired eyes in all their make up free glory!

Now shadowless and a perfect match!

As you can see, the duo concealer worked so simply by dabbing a light layer of the darker shade to my inner and outer eye, then a smidge of the lighter shade to the very deepest shadow under my eyes.  I then fixed with the powder attached to the bottom of the pot and voila!  No creasing, no tired looking eyes and no more excuses for me or you as its available in 3 shades!

Asian Beauty: Ginvera Whitening Marvel Gel.

If you're curious about the influx of Asian skincare recently and feel a bit BB Cream crackered out, then why not focus on Ginvera Green Tea Whitening Marvel Gel which sloughs off dead skin cells, rubs away blackheads and evens out the skintone with brightening ingredients that diminish freckles and pigmentation allowing your complexion to go 'back to skin you were born with'.

The gel acts fast onto dry pre-cleansed skin when rubbed in circular motions, flakes appear of skin debris especially when concentrating around a congested T-Zone. Once massaged in (around eyes if you wish) water can be applied to achieve a brightening effect to skin, then rinsed off thoroughly with more water.
They claim that when used daily skin feels 'baby' soft, clear of blocked pores and after long term use will lighten blemishes, though I would recommend using twice a week to begin with, then up to three or four times instead of an exfoliant or alternate with your regular gentle exfoliant for sensitive skins.

!!! Now available at www.gurumakeupemporium.com !!!

Bridal Make Up aka Red Carpet Make Up!

Here are two very quick pics of recent brides I've worked on, firstly the stunning Asian bride, who never, yes, never wears make up therefore keen to ooze pretty eyes with natural 'under' made up skin and then the bride who wanted a bronzed glow on her big day.

My philosophy is to enhance natural beauty, define in comfort.  What do you think?

Eclat Matissime Foundation.

I know, I mention Givenchy a lot, I hail it as one of my favourite brands so please bear with me when I must mention their latest foundation, Eclat Matissime, a matt base with a hint of radiance.  

Givenchy continue to get texture and finish right with the help of Nicolas Degennes, Artistic Director who has an eye and intuition for colour and mood which is simply very French and blinking gorgeous.

Most leading brands do not release all foundation shades in one country, this seems a bit unfair and a bit of a waste but at least Givenchy have launched some of their richer shades in this range.  For some reason I forgot to swatch 6 Mat Gold but I think you will get the gist!

The shades from (bottom to top) 3 Mat Sand, 4 Mat Beige, 5 Mat Honey, 

7 Mat Ginger and 8 Mat Amber

And blended! 

Note how effective the coverage is with a light, airy texture and matt-ish finish.

I have mentioned another recent love Chanel Perfection Lumiere on my blog and as much as both are light weight and of a matt nature, they are different!

  Chanel contains more alcohol so appears extremely matt which I like to use on combination skin, Givenchy's has matt, oil free undertones with a veil of luminosity; very intelligent and almost sculpting.

Have you tried any of the new wave of foundations?

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheers.

I mentioned Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer's last week after using them for a stunning Asian bride who had a natural even skin tone.  I use these a lot for photoshoots but weirdly don't hear about others using them much, although they must do, its an Instyle Best Beauty Buys Winner 2012!
Last weeks bride was not a make up wearer and when I say 'not a make up wearer', I mean to the point of owning about two cosmetics, so it was a challenge as she was out of her comfort zone to even book a Make Up Artist, therefore I chose the lightest yet most effective formulas, 3 drops of  Givenchy Eclat Matissime Foundation in Mat Ginger 07 being one of them mixed with 2 drops of 08 Fluid Sheer a rich golden beige to create radiance, natural coverage and smooth evenness with a highlight.
I find the other shades in rose, beige and golden tones very helpful when skin tones need only delicate and minimal coverage as well as for subtle sculpting.  Have you tried these?

Body and Shine Shoot!

Sometimes less is most definitely more!  I am a great believer in that.  I am not known for outrageous statements, more a painterly style and more often for great skin.

I recently worked on a beauty shoot with one of my favourite Photographers, Karan Kapoor.  We have collaborated before, most recently the Painted series and again we were keen to work to a brief.

We chose 3 models, one being Shumi, a lovely Asian girl with adorable skin and she was set to cover our body brief!

Minimal prep work for Shumi's hair, make up and body but that's not to say it took a few minutes. I prepped skin with Vichy 3 in 1 Cleanser, then mixed a dusky shade with Iman Luxury Radiance Liquid Make up Foundation, which has a subtle golden hue allowing skin to appear luminous.  I really wanted skin to look like skin, so the foundation was literally a veil of coverage.  To create the wet shine I patted on  Shiffa Beauty Balm, a unique smelling versatile balm; ideal as cleanser, nightime balm and handy body and lip balm too.

I was keen to create a ribbony texture with Shumi's hair. It's long and dark which could appear dense and lifeless on camera therefore I used products which actually made it feel quite sticky, as well as shiny such as Tigi Bed Head Candy Fixations Sugar Shock sprayed into wet hair, then Brocato Shimmer Gold Spray for a glisten.

The results were perfect...I was close to finishing at this point, some more water/glycerin needed to be sprayed onto her body in order for hair to adhere to the body around the neck and shoulders, to appear like tree roots and a last minute decision to change the parting, as it appeared as a harsh line on camera.

I know it might not be a look you'd want to achieve for a night out though the burst of shine is something I'd like to achieve this Summer.

My, my, my face!

I've admitted it before and will do again, I tend not to wear much make up, though I am passionate about cosmetics, I do consider myself an artist, therefore, I tend not to experiment much on myself.

However, when I was offered to try my face cosmetics and saw how they categorise their range into colours and shades to suit 'your face'.  It is a very simple way for consumer to decide on the correct shades specifically for them and on my quest to prove there are products out there for everyone, the challenge was set, could I find some basic products for me!?

I'm always riddled with dark circles under my eyes, especially at the moment with stress and lack of sleep!

The my face product I selected was Medium>Dark concealer, 311.  A decent yellow toned concealer in a super light formula, which concerned me, would it cover and stay put?

I dotted the concealer in the darkest areas. The colour match at this point was good, I was relieved the liquid didn't alter in colour as soon as it touched my skin, which for those of you with darker complexions would understand.  I then blended the colour with my ring finger, smoothed into all the knooks and crannies around my eyes.

Impressed?  I am. The concealer has brilliantly blurred my uneven shadows and brightened around my eyes.  Challenge one was complete so what next!

This warm 'neutral' palette of eye colours called Morocco appealed to me as I am somewhat keen on 'nudes', which can be the trickiest of looks to get right.  Why? Because some of us have pink, yellow or blue undertones and to perfect 'nude' one needs to compliment that.  The top shade is a cool beige, the second a coppery bling tone, then finally a deep dark bronze colour.

I applied the darkest shade over my eye lids with the minute applicator.  I would recommend using a larger brush, but a few sweeps and it was on very smoothly indeed!

This is quite a lot of make up for me at this point but what the hell, I wanted to try all the shades in the Morocco palette.  I dabbed the bling tone onto to the centre of my eye lid, then the cool beige was carefully applied to the inner eye as an additional highlight. 

I like to apply lip colour before cheeks sometimes, this helps one judge how much blush they really need, plus we tend to decide on a lip colour before blush anyway.  I had decided to use Medium>Dark, Rose Lip Pencil, a soft pink along with Medium>Dark Ooh Baby Baby, a fantastic nude with just enough beige and just enough pink.

I decided to keep this entire look in brown tones, so this blusher in Sul'tan' of Swing was perfect to contour and add a warmth to my cheeks.  As much as my skin tone is medium/dark asian skin with a yellow base, I abhor that 'no blush' look on asian ladies or any lady for that matter.  Why oh why leave blusher out of your routine?  The tones in our skin can make us appear flat and as much as we are darker than some, that additional pop of colour or depth is essential to reveal a complete look.

And here is the finished look, well within my comfort zone and most importantly, the my face range for Medium>Dark skin were the perfect match.

Have you tried my face and would you try any of these products I tried?

Now you can!  If you use code: "blogbling", you will receive a free Silver Screen Blingtone (£9.99 value) with the purchase of any other myface product (at least 1 myface item must be purchased to receive the free blingtone).
This code is valid till 31/12/11.

My latest obsession, Front Cover!

After doing my last post on Front Cover Cosmetics, here http://nadiramakeup.blogspot.com/2011/11/blue-is-colour.html

I have become a little obsessed and curious about how some of the other collections might look on me.  Although I have tried these on shoots, I haven't applied them to darker skin yet so I was keen to see the effects and styles I could come up with as a low maintenance make up wearer.

These are what I tested, Front Cover Top Drawer  collection a colourful array of chunky pencils you might initially think 'what a mixed bag!'  

I think, these are speedy essentials and a great way to add depth and dimension without the fuss of pots of loose glitter or pigments.

It was a relief to see all the shades show up, here's a run down on names and a brief description.  From Top to Bottom: Purple Durple - solid deep purple, Lemon - sour lemon glitter, Pine Needle - bold jade green, Chalk - ice blue shimmer , Moccasin - taupe gold and Drifter - bright metallic blue.

Complete with a Black Kohl Eye Pencil with Smudger on one end and ...

...a Double Penicl Sharpener, yes, they've thought of everything at FC HQ!

Firstly, I thought I'd select the brightest pencil, Pine Needle, which leaves a solid line and shows up on my skin.  It does remind me of what I've seen on X Factor's, Little Mix recently.

I then extended the line to a flick making for more impact and to elongate my eye shape.

I finished off by adding the shimmery pencil, Chalk onto the centre of the eye line and swept towards the inner eye.  I love it.  A confident flash of colour with a dewy highlight, quick and easy to achieve. There are so many options of where to go with this, I could have added the glittery Lemon pencil over the green line or even used Purple Durple as the starting point. 

If I had fancied going all out I could have drawn a glittery line with the Chalk or Lemon pencils for a sparkly eyeline, the possibilities are endless.

That was one look in the bag, now a sultry effect...

I started with Moccasin as a base. It glided on well and added a flattering sheen to my eye lids, something I would like to wear for everyday.

I incorporated Lemon to the centre of the eyelids, a glimmering effect that adds nicely for this sultry look.

To finish I smudged the Black Kohl Pencil along the lower lash line and for added smokiness, placed it along the waterline.  Smouldering eyes!

And a top view where you can see the sparkle!

There are more directions, hints and tips on the inside of the box with images too so you can perfect plenty more playful looks with precision.  This is an economical beauty must-have, now  I cannot wait to try more of the Front Cover sets, I am officially obsessed!

Available online or in store at Boots.

Blue is the colour!

Time and time again I am asked, 'What colour eye shadow would suit me?', 'Who does the best eye-shadows?' and 'Eye-shadows never show up on my skin or last, what would you suggest?'
The time has come to put one brand, yes, a brand I love to the test and also face my personal fear of bold eye colours on my dark complexion! *gulp*

In addition to those questions comes the issue of budget.  'But I can't afford those premium brands all you Make Up Artists' recommend in the beauty pages!'
I hear you and I am no beauty nazi!  I would rarely say there is no inexpensive solution because quite frankly, I know Front Cover Cosmetics. They wouldn't let me down, would they?

For a start, Front Cover kits are selling out fast which tells you something.  They are complete colour trends cleverly put together with clear instructions and suggestions, plus what is not to love about a kit that hones in one key make up trend directly from the catwalk.  

As you can see, Blue Eyed Girl is awash with blue hues, 3 (extremely velvety) eye-shadows with double ended applicator, a double ended mascara, Shadowline (one of my favourites) and finally a nail polish, in a beautiful midnight blue I might add.

One end a black mascara, a good staple product and a bright blue mascara.  I know what you're thinking, very 80's and can she pull it off? Will that show up on me?  Not sure but I'm willing to give it a go!

I love Front Cover Baked Eye-Shadows, they last and translate well in true colour so I was surprised to find these even more refined, smooth and velvety in texture. (top to bottom) Tie Dye, Bluesaceous and Silver Frost.  I know I am an expert but I have always had issues with blue eye colours on dark skin but from these tests, I was pleasantly surprised though I was most curious about whether Bluesaceous would look good on me as these blues on an Asian skin tone tend not to go hand in hand and hand on heart I have never worn a colour like this, I half expect it to look grey and wishy-washy!

It's a highlight for me to show you Shadowline, an innovative take on eye liner because you pick up the colour with the Shadowline tip, then glide along the lashline to create a 'mean' flick of intense colour. What's not to love!

One coat!  Just one coat of this stunning, dazzling deep nail colour in Singed.

I am sporting Tie Dye, the darkest shade applied with the eye-shadow brush (white end) and one coat of the black end of the Black/Blue Mascara.  Thoughts?

I love it but how far could I go?  Could I retain depth and recreate that 'on trend' A/W look?

I really could, by sweeping Tie Dye as close the the lower lash line, with the blending end of the applicator, dabbing Bluesaceous to the centre of the eyelids and a tad on inner eye, followed by Shadowline in the same colour to upper and lower lash lines.

Here's a side shot.  I have achieved the 'Blue Eyed Girl' look.

As I mentioned before, I was hesitant about Bluesaceous but I needn't have been.  Washed over the entire eye lids looked elegant against my skin tone and gave me an idea of how to wear my make up for a friends December wedding.

And a cheeky coat of the blue mascara added another dimension.  I have to stress, I love this blue mascara  applied over the black, it catches your eye with an unexpected pop of colour.

This set exceeded my expectations, especially as someone who is rarely drawn to 'blues' or intense colour on my skin, I tend to be a bright lip person but I have been converted.  It is at times easy for me to enthuse clients about the use of colour without fear, so my lesson is learnt and at only £12, I feel I have answered those common questions and plenty of my own.

Have you tried Blue Eyed Girl or other Front Cover Sets?

Available in all good Boots Stores.