Wishlist

My current wants and wishes, all squished into a polyvore moodboard. Items include;

Silk shorts from TopShop boutique,

Chain leather bracelet and ankle strap pumps from Whistles, 

Off the shoulder stripe top from the COS sale,

black Superga's, 

MAC 'Teddy' eye kohl, Daniel Sandler watercolour blush and Bobbi Brown BB Cream.

E.

Shopping for foundation and knowing your skin tone!

I thought it might be helpful to provide a few tips to do with determining your skin tone and how to shop for foundations. Hopefully this will be useful to a couple of people :-)

What is skin tone?

There are three types of skin tone. By skin tone, I mean the underlying tone in your skin, not whether somebody is white, asian or black. Despite their shade, people are cool, warm, or neutral toned.

Neutral skin tone is a balance of pigment, but neutral foundations can be harder to come by. Many brands don't put enough research into tone and their foundations sometimes sway too yellow or pink throughout the whole line as a result. A neutral foundation is a great choice if you're really not sure what tone you are, or if pink based foundations and yellow based foundations alike just don't work on you.
Neutral foundation is also an option if you want to balance an abundance of either pink or yellow in your skin, because the foundation has yellow and pink pigments running through it and will act as a happy medium.

Are there ways to spot what skin tone I have?

If you use fake tan regularly, then you will probably want to a buy a foundation that matches your tanned skin colour. From my experience, 9/10 fake tanned people will automatically be changing their skin tone to warm, which means yellow toned. (Some could also wear a neutral toned foundation if they are very pink naturally and fake tanning on top)

To make a sweeping generalisation, knowing your skin tone can be deduced to whether you tan naturally in the sun, or if you burn. 
If you burn, like myself, you are more than likely pink (cool) this often means you may be pale, freckly or naturally fair in hair colour (arm hairs, lashes and eyebrows can be included in this!) 
Those that will automatically tan in the sun, are warm toned, with more yellow pigment in their skin, you may have been called 'olive' in the past if this is you, you might be naturally dark haired, with dark features such as brown or hazel eyes in comparison to cool toned people who often have blue/grey/green eyes. 
However this is a generalisation and not everyone will fit in to one category unfortunately. If only it was that easy!

Take a look at the veins on your wrists and arms. In natural light, do they look more blue or do they look more green? If they look blue then you probably have a pink undertone and are therefore classed as 'cool', if they are green, you're probably more yellow therefore 'warm'. That is how your skin will be considered in makeup terms- warm or cool.

Tips and advice on shopping for a foundation.

Don't forget the bigger picture when shopping for a foundation. While it is important to match the colour of your face, you have to take a step back and look at the colour of your neck, chest and even hands. The most visible parts of your body.
Example: Some people have very pale necks but high colour on their face. In this case, it may be best to foundation match to their neck so that the foundation evens out the high colour on their face, so that they look more uniform. i.e. one colour all over.

Think of how many times throughout the day we lift our hands to our face, if we have a super tanned face and pale little hands we will look crazy. Think of the bigger picture and try and match the correct foundation accordingly.

There are advisors at beauty counters to help you with stuff like foundation matches. The only advice I can offer is take a bit of time to research before you hit the shops. It makes both yours and the advisors life easier if you can be clear on what it is you want. Look on the brands website, what factors are most important to you? Shade range? Long wearing? Matte or dewy finish? Full coverage or a BB cream? And do they sell a foundation that seems like it includes the qualities you're after? I can't tell you how many times I had customers approach me, who thought they wanted a particular product but when asked about their skin type, their wants and needs from a foundation, needed the total opposite. 
Don't buy DoubleWear Maximum Cover if you love your freckles and want a fresh faced finish. Don't buy a tinted moisturiser if you want a matte, long lasting finish, etc.

I am going to be very general again, but look at the girl on the counter. Do you like how they have done their own makeup? As they are likely to follow the same rules when putting makeup on you. Do they have foundation lines, an orange face and pale neck? Then don't ask them for a foundation match. Ask the girl who's face skin matches the rest of her body. If you are super pale, try and shop with the super pale beauty advisor, because they will understand what it is like and are more likely to match you to the right colour as well as offer the best advice for complementary colours for blusher and lipstick etc if you want it.

I know this is a long post, but stuff like skin deserves a lot of attention! Shopping for something as important as a good foundation can be a baffling, confusing or stressful experience, so it helps to have as much knowledge as you can before putting yourself out there as it is an expensive mistake to keep making.

Thanks for reading,

E.

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick

Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick, £28 for 9g.

If I am honest, I had always steered clear of Bobbi Brown foundations because all of the cosmetic range has yellow undertones rather than yellow and pink like other brands offer. I understand that Bobbi feels that yellow undertones flatter everybody, however I do believe that you cannot deny that some people are pink through and through and would benefit from a pink toned foundation. 
Over my time on make up counters I experienced lots of people who didn't want to look 'too pink' and those who fake tan will also immediately have a yellow undertone, but for somebody who is pink, I personally was scared to try a Bobbi foundation.

Bobbi Brown foundation sticks were provided in my basic kit when I completed my makeup course. A bit dubious of these at first as I was so used to using liquid (I couldn't help but have thoughts of the dreaded 'Pan Stik'), my opinion completely changed within a matter of minutes of picking these up, discovering that they are gorgeous and creamy and so much more versatile than you might originally think. 

Depending on how much you apply, this foundation can achieve anything between a light coverage (or you could mix some with a moisturiser to make the coverage very sheer), to a full coverage. Using a concealer brush and dabbing it in the necessary areas, it can also double up as a concealer too. 
The best method is to sweep a flat foundation brush over the top of the product, allowing control of how much you apply and how much you blend it on the face (rather than using the 'stripe' method and ending up with excess product/making it harder to blend.) 

Since using it in my professional kit I have been so impressed by it's performance, it seems to work on every skin type, whether it be dry or oily, and the shade range is one of the most comprehensive available. It photographs flawlessly because it has no SPF in it.

I've been testing it out on myself and I am completely converted. I use the shade '00 Alablaster' which is the palest in the shade range and it matches me well. As it is in stick form it is quite a stiff product so it does take some time to work into the skin, and I'd definitely recommend a firm brush to do this with.
I have been using Illamasqua's Hydra Veil as a primer with this on top and my face stays in place for the entire day, with no touch ups needed. As a 'pinky' person, this yellow toned foundation doesn't look off balance at all, you cannot tell a difference and it helps balance any redness in my skin.

All in all, I think this is a very good product and I would recommend it for makeup artists and consumers alike. It performs well and there is bound to be a match for you.

Thankyou for reading,

E.

Model makeup #01

Evelyn so kindly included my blog in her '5 Blogs To Follow' feature earlier this week and in it she mentioned that she hopes I do more makeup artist related posts. I'm not sure whether many people are interested in this but I thought it couldn't hurt to do a 'trial post'. I thought a small behind the scenes type post about photoshoots I work on could be of interest to some of you if I tell you about the look I was going for and the products I used to achieve this. It's something a bit different and a lot more personal in one way, than I have included on my blog before. I try and keep work/blog/life as separate things but inevitably they will overlap at times :-) 
Anyway what I am getting at is feedback is appreciated! Let me know if you do or don't enjoy this post.

Instagram: @emilylaurenbeth

On Thursday I organised a beauty shoot with my photographer pal Lewis. One of the models, Naomi, is who I'm showing you today.
The vision of the shoot was just to experiment with vivid, vibrant colour. It was going to be beauty focused, (so mainly head shots with no attention to clothing or body poses) with a mainly editorial approach.

For one of the looks I decided to go all out. A test shoot is a perfect time to experiment with new ideas or techniques as it is a safe environment to learn. I decided to keep Naomi's skin fresh because she had these amazing freckles all over her face, so I made a tinted moisturiser just to even out any redness she had. I used Illamasqua Sealing Gel on powder eyeshadow 'Fame' to turn it into a liquid paste. Using an angled brush I filled her brows in with solid green colour!
Eyebrows have been 'on trend' in various forms (bushy, filled, feral) for a few years now, then there was the time Chanel hit the runways with amazing embellished brows. Many catwalk trends are unlikely to filter down to 'real people' but the element of the brow being a feature in day to day makeup definitely has. I love eyebrows and knew it was something I wanted to include in this shoot, so why not colour them in?

I created a simple contoured eye using NARS eyeshadow 'Abysinnia' and the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette, with eyeliner flicks using MAC gel liner in 'Blacktrack.' In hindsight I would have made them a bit bolder and thicker. 
At first I kept the lips bare and then for a few more shots I put MAC 'Vegas Volt' lipstick on her. You can see both looks in the instagram images above, let me know which one you think looks best.

I put her hair up in a bun and placed some fake flowers that I found in the studio in, I think it really helps make the photo and ties the overall look in together well. 

So there we are, a little behind the scenes summary of a recent test shoot. I think that Naomi did a great job considering she doesn't model very often, and Lewis did a good job of capturing my vision! Here is a final picture:

Lewis Hughes-Evans photography, Naomi Shalom model.

Thanks for reading,

E.

12 Products of 2012.

Happy new year everyone! It was so hard choosing only 12 products as there were so many favourites this year, but limiting myself was a good idea or you lot would have been subject to a blog post of mammoth proportions. Hope you are all enjoying January so far. It's a funny month isn't it? I'm still living and eating as if it were a week ago, for lunch I polished off yet another cheese plate. Talk about denial...

Super Facialist by Una Brennan- Tea Flower range (£7.99 and £12.99)- I posted about two products form this range just a few days ago, I only bought these in November but they transformed my skin in such a noticeable way- less spots, clearer pores. Whats makes this duo even better in my opinion is that you can buy both for £20. Superb skincare on a budget!

Avene Very High Protection Emulsion SPF 50+ (£15)- This saved my skin in the summer sun. It absorbs quickly leaving behind minimal white residue, protects all day without reapplication and is reasonably priced, gentle enough to use on the face- it didn't cause me any disturbances and I know it'll be a summer 2013 handbag staple too. 

LUSH 'Twilight' Shower Gel (£4.25++)- I didn't think I would fall in love with this as much as I have but it is definitely my favourite shower gel of 2012. An aromatherapic blend of lavendar and malt, it has been lovely to use at night after a long day or night shift. If nothing else, it makes me feel calm, relaxed and clean. Shame that it is limited edition.

Yves Saint Laurent Le Teint Touche Eclat (£28)- I think this has to be my favourite foundation of 2012- and I have road tested quite a few. Glowing finish, buildable coverage. It is trustworthy and lasts a surprisingly long timewithout primer considering it is a radiant foundation- they normally slide right off my t-zone! Get a sample first though, YSL products are high in chemicals and this foundation didn't agree with everyones skin (it doesn't affect mine though.)

Collection 'Lasting Perfection' Concealer (£4.19)- Another product that I would struggle to be without now. Good quality, medium-high coverage concealer for around the £4-5 mark. Easy to use, blendable and fairly long lasting.

Bobbi Brown Brighening Face Powder (£40)- I pondered over whether to include this as I do find it a bit too pink, but the formula of this is perfect. So Bobbi Brown if you're reading this- please release more shades in this!! See a full review by clicking here.

MAC Lipglass (£13.50-£17)- This was the year of the MAC Lipglass. After trying one I have now accumulated a few. I love that they are so pigmented and long lasting. This is probably a controversial favourite- I'm sure many people would hate their stickiness.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (£22.50)- Super glossy, super long lasting and soft on the lips. This product has paved the way for innovative lip products and have defintiely filled a void. The lasting power of something that feels like a lipgloss is astonishing. I love the vivid shade range and I think every girl needs one of these in their lives.

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner (£17)- I've got this in 01 Black an 02 Sepia Ink and both are in regular rotation in my makeup bag. Gel eyeliner is a great multi use product- it can be used on the eyelids for a winged look, underneath and smudged for a sultry look, on the waterline for a long lasting definition. The list goes on! Both these shades are fabuously pigmented and last the majority of the day without showing many signs of fade or wear and tear. I have found that Black is better at fighting wear and tear than Sepia Ink. Worth the price tag.

Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99)- This is literally a life saver. I don't know how I would have got through this year without Batiste in my life! It's not too expensive and good at what it does, and there's lots of variables to choose from should you want a different scent or one formulated for brunette hair etc. The best dry shampoo that I have tried so far and would always recommend it.

Essie Nail Varnish (£7.99)- If I had to choose a shade I would be town between my beloved 'Sand Tropez' or 'Stylenomics' both were reapplied so many times and I never got bored of them. I love my whole Essie collection, they're definitely one of my favourite brands of 2012, so glad that they launched in Boots and Superdrug.

Sally Hansen MegaShine Topcoat (£6.39)- Quick drying, super super shiny top coat. Need I say more? (Not pictured.)

What am I searching for in 2013?

 The perfect serum/face oil (preferably natural)

The perfect night cream

The perfect brow filler

The perfect mascara

The perfect lip liner

What are your top products of 2012? Do you have a favourite brand this year?

Bobbi Brown Brightening Face Powder

Bobbi Brown Brightening Face Powder in 'Brightening Nudes', £40 for 6.6g.

When I see the words 'brightening' on a product, I am immediately attracted to it. I had been searching for a new face powder for a few weeks and had decided that going high end was the only way, I was done with 17 and Collection 2000's offerings. I was about to buy the MAC mineralize powder but saw this on the Bobbi website and had to try it.

The powder palette is called 'Brightening Nudes' and holds 6 different shades, all subtle and almost pastel in tone including lilac, brown, pink and cream. The top 'layer' has quite a bit of glitter but this didn't transfer on to the skin in an obvious way and once the powder has been used a few times the glitter becomes undetectable. 

I have been using a really small amount powdered over my t-zone, and while I think it does lean too pink on my skin, I love the way it lets a luminous foundation shine through and how it doesn't make me look flat and lifeless which so many powders do. It helps maintain a healthy complexion firstly by not covering the foundation in thick powder and secondly by having illuminating properties itself. It contains sodium hyaluronate which is a great ingredient for keeping skin looking happy and fresh. You can see how it looks layered on top of Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation by clicking here.

It's packaged in a mirrored compact which feels so luxurious, it also came in a velvet pouch but that soon got discarded- I can't be doing with all that faff but it would help protect the compact if you are on the go.

Overall I do think this is a fantastic product- it brightens the skin and works with radiant foundations to keep skin looking like skin and not a flat, matte mess. I have an oily t-zone and this powder makes my skin look dewy rather than shiny in this area and it doesn't cling or go cakey on any dry patches. Overall, a win win! It is expensive, £40 on a face powder is rather extravagant, but if you use as little as I do I can see it lasting a fair while.

What is your favourite face powder?

Rebel, Rebel.

MAC 'Rebel' lipstick, £14 for 3.5g. 

Thanks to the gorgeous Catrine over at Unnaked Nails I finally convinced myself that yes, another MAC lipstick was in order. 'Rebel' dropped on my doorstep earlier this week (well the Yodel man handed my box of goodies over, we're firm friends) and I whipped it on straight away. It is a deep blackberry purple shade and is of 'satin' finish. While I always find the MAC satin lipsticks drying (more so than the other finishes) I can overlook that point because I luuurrrve this shade. It's deep, but sophisticated without being too gothic. Though if you are a goth, this could totally work for you too.
As ever, unless you're going on a big night out or have a fancy do to attend, keep the eye makeup minimal. I used NARS 'Abysinia' as a base with MAC's 'Haux' in the crease and added lashings of mascara. See below for the rest of the products I used.

Please excuse the 'MySpace pose' above.

Face:

Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in 02

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer in 'Fair'

Bobbi Brown Brightening Face Powder in 'Brightening Nudes'

Illamasqua blusher 'Lover'

Eyes & Brows

Benefit 'Stay Don't Stray' eye primer

NARS 'Abyssinia' eyeshadow

MAC 'Haux' eyeshadow

YSL 'Shocking' mascara

Benefit Brow Pencil 'Medium'

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner 'Sepia Ink'

Lips:

MAC lipliners in 'Brick' and 'Magenta'

MAC 'Rebel'

Would you dare to wear Rebel?

Silver & Smokey.

Sometimes breaking out of your comfort zone is an absolute disaster, but sometimes it results in a new favourite. I've mentioned before that I flock like a magpie to brown and bronze eyeshadows and really neglect the other colours for fear that I can't pull them off.

I decided to try a silver eyeshadow, and created a smokey silver eye that I wanted to show you all- I think these colours are perfect for this time of year as they are cooler and seasonal, they're not colours I can see myself choosing in hotter weather.

Products used:

Maybelline 24 hr Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'

Estee Lauder Eyeshadow in 'Cyber Silver' (LE)

MAC 'Coppering' Eyeshadow

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in 'Rich Sienna'

Laura Mercier Eyeshadow in 'Black Coffee'

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in '2 Sepia Ink' 

YSL 'Shocking' Mascara.

I was really pleased with how much I liked silver eyeshadow on me, what colours do you love to use on your eyes? What shades should I experiment with next?

Midweek post: Candy lips

I've got back into my bold lips and simple eye looks recently. The other day I thought I'd wear bright candy pink lips so thought I may aswell document it as a FOTD! I put ombre lips into practice, a look I'm really loving at the moment as it let's me be (a bit) creative but is also wearable for day to day! I love the depth it adds to lips when you use a darker liner and blend it to a lighter shade, though it's always important to remember, and god knows, AVOID that not so charming look that was so popular in the 90's- sorry Naomi!
It was also the second time I used Illamasqua's Sealing Gel. I'll pop a review up of this in a couple of weeks when it has been tried and tested properly!

Let me know if you use any of the products used and what you think of them.

FOTD:

Estee Lauder DoubleWear foundation in 'Shell' mixed with L'Oreal Lumi Magique primer

Chanel Poudre de Universelle in '20 Clair'

MAC 'Harmony' blush (contour)

MAC MSF in 'Soft and Gentle' (cheekbone highlight)

Benefit 'Sugarbomb' blush

Eyes:

Estee Lauder peach/gold eyeshadow from the 'Topaz Mosaic' palette

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner (waterline)

Yves Saint Laurent 'Shocking' mascara

MAC 'Showstopper' on brows

Lips:
Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Liner in '004 Indian Pink'

MAC LE lipstick in 'Naughty Saute'

Thankyou for reading!

Midweek post: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, £16.50

I'd recently been reaching for my Maybelline Gel Liner more and more but after noticing that it was getting drier and harder to use each day I thought it time I bought a new one. I opted for a premium one as I was hoping the quality would be more satisfactory and as it's an item I use everyday it wasn't a problem paying more for it.

The gel is a soft and creamy formula that glides on so smoothly. The product screams quality and I'm not expecting this to dry out the same way the Maybelline one did (but I'll keep you posted.) It's jet black and it's not often you'll need two layers to achieve this effect, however it can also be applied thinly for a more subtle, off-black flick.

What has really impressed me about this product is it's staying power. I believe it is 'water resistant' (Bobbi Brown website) and so I have been applying it onto my waterline...sure enough it's still intact 6 hours later albeit slightly faded, but still there. For someone who is constantly frustrated by kohl liners slipping off the waterline to product those oh so sexy panda eyes, this product has been a real life saver. On the top lid this liner lasts all day, with no fade and no smudge- divine!

Overall I'd certainly recommend this product, I'm not an expert in gel liners yet, having only used three different ones (previously being a die hard liquid liner user) but the creamy consistency paired with excellent staying power means that I give it a big thumbs up, I'm unsurprised it has won so many beauty awards. 

It can be found on any Bobbi counter or under the 'Best Sellers' section of their website and is available in a whopping 13 shades- next on my hitlist is 'Black Mauve Shimmer' to put a bit of a spin on a classic.

What gel eyeliner do you use?