My favourite beauty products....for feet!!

The last couple of years have been a time where I've become more and more aware of how important it really is to take care of your feet!! Having always had jobs where I'm on my feet all day, and always seemed to have had a penchant for silly shoes that ruin my feet I noticed them detiorating and thought it was time to take care of them properly. I was never one to wear those £2 Primark flats but I do wear better quality shoes nowadays, which probably helps, too.

Ped Egg Professional (You can buy this from JML stockists such as Boots or Debenhams for £10)

My mum introduced me to these and she swears by them. It's quite gruesome to describe but it's essentially a piece of egg shaped plastic that you hold, in it clips a miniature silver grate, that you use to rub along any rough areas of the feet. It gently removes any dead skin, rough skin, hard skin etc that is on the foot which makes them smoother, and a bit more aesthetically pleasing!! You can remove the grate to bin any dead skin that has collected underneath, and then you can wash it with warm soapy water to prevent any future infections, cross contamination, or general old manky skin collecting in the grate. It's a pretty cool contraption I think, it's quite relaxing to use and it really does work (I find it's best used after showering as the skin it softer then). I try to use it once a week.

Scholl Party Feet Beauty Cream 

I've got to say, this thick cream softens and nourishes the skin on my feet so well. It's heavily scented with papaya which is fine (but it also means I sometimes associate the smell of YSL lip glosses to my foot cream, as the smells aren't that dissimilar!) but I kind of wish it was a bit sweeter/vanillary, but it is nice and fresh. It soaks in fairly quickly as it is non greasy, and is really hydrating. I bought this from Boots but can't find it on the website, it was a reasonable price (I'd say under a fiver) and I chose it because Scholl seemed to be the leaders in footcare and foot knowledge!!

Nail clippers

These are from that 'Miss Pedicure' range that you can buy in Boots stores. For the cheap price I found these are really good quality clippers that do the job really well! They're quite large which means that they often cover the entire nail in one clip, they've remained sharp since I've had them and the pink parts are made of rubber which makes it easier to grip them aswell.

Nail Polish

This one is pretty obvious, but I really can't bare the sight of unpainted toe nails! For me, some colours are a complete no no- I don't like dark, gothic colours on the feet, but nor do I like true nudes either. I always opt for bright, feminine colours; pinks, reds, or shimmer polishes. A bit of colour on the feet instantly brightens them up and makes them look more cared for. Here are a few of my favourite colours for toenails;

Left to Right; Illamasqua 'Whack', Nails Inc 'Instyle Coral', Barry M '308 Berry' and Rimmel London '415 Instyle Coral'

 --Apparently I really love 'Instyle Coral' shades for my toes!!

Happy feet :-)

 

Do you use any of these, or have any products you'd recommend? What colours do you like to paint your toenails?

 

Vogue Makeup Spring 2012 FOTD

I love reading Vogue Beauty online and their recent article depicting the makeup trends for the coming season using looks from the runways really interested me. I love reading about makeup trends, what's hot and what not, whether I choose to apply it to my face in day to day life is another story but it definitely inspires me

Look 01; Doll- like Prettiness

Vogue.co.uk

This look if from Louis Vuitton and the theme was also found in Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Dolce and Gabbana amongst others!

The look is youthful, freshfaced and simple.
There's emphasis on dewy skin, luscious lashes and a pink nude lip- very easy to translate into daily makeup, and probably one a lot of us adopt! The eyebrows are brushed upwards to appear bushy and natural which contribute to the overall youthful finish.
I really enjoyed recreating the look, I used a minimal amount of products, no brushes (does a mascara wand count?!) and kept techniques simple. I took a simple approach to application, and used versatile products that could be used in more than one way to keep it basic.


FOTD;

 

Estee Lauder B.B. Cream in 'Light' mixed with Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in '02'. (Review)

M.A.C. Cream Colour Base in 'Pearl' (Frost) (Review) as a soft highlight on cheekbones, and down the centre of the nose.

M.A.C. Cremeblend Blush in 'Something Special' on cheeks and lips

Benefit 'Instant Brow' Pencil and 'Speed Brow' Gel

Rimmel London Soft Kohl Pencil in '071 Pure White' on the inner corners of my eyes, blended onto the top lid, along the waterline, and above my lip to gently highlight my cupids bow.

Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

Eyelure False Lashes no. 151

Laura Mercier Lip Glace in 'Nude Lilac'.

Thanks for reading!

Rimmel Review #2 Kate Lipstick

Rimmel London Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 04, £5.49

 I used look up to/take inspiration from Kate Moss back in my teens when I was borderline obsessive with The Libertines, Babyshambles and anything Peter Doherty related. Having never really taken a shine to her TopShop collection, I was quite intrigued when I heard she was releasing a few shades of lipstick for Rimmel. It made sense as she used to be the face of the brand a couple of years ago, -pre Cocaine snapshot. I know they were released ages ago now, but I've been so busy it's hard to keep on top of things!!!

A reasonably priced lipstick, and I am really impressed with the results. I would describe the finish as matte with a natural sheen. A thin 'patted' coat of this lipstick is a deep purple plum, heavier application I would say it's almost black with a purple sheen. The packaging is sleek, matte black with the Rimmel crown on the lid, and 'Kate <3' in a signature style scribble. I really like this packaging!

If I'm honest, this shade is quite daring for me! I like it when I see it on most other girls, but with my pale skin and dark hair I didn't want to look too goffic and wasn't sure there was a place for it in Swansea!! It's beginning to grow on me though, and I think I'll whip it out a few more times. Not going to be a 'go to' shade for me though, but the actual formulation of the lipstick is wonderful, and the other shades that have been released are the shades that every girl should own; excellent neutrals, a true red, bright pink, etc. The shades are supposed to capture Kate's 'timeless look' (Rimmel website) and I agree that they do.

Opinions please peeps?

 I think it is complimented by the lilac Vivo eyeshadow that I reviewed here.

Do you wear plum on your lips? Have you bought any of the Kate lipsticks?

Eyeliner Review #1 Maybelline, M.A.C, Rimmel

Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner £7.99

M.A.C. Superslick Liquid Eye Liner £15 for 1.8ml

Rimmel London £5.29 for 2.5ml

 

As promised in previous posts, I'm going to compare three different eyeliners, all of which you can create the winged flicks with, the makeup trend that I posted about here. Two are liquid liners and one is a gel liner.

1) Maybelline's gel liner caught my eye earlier this year because firstly I hadn't tried it before and secondly, it made a change to liquid liners. I had heard a couple of good things about it so bought it and gave it a try.

• This pot of gel liner has so much product for the money you pay and will last you yonks.
• The container it cute and small, and frosted glass- like! And it comes with a precision brush.
• The gel liner is a good shade of black, but I find that it needs two coats to be jet black. I find this quite difficult, as the line always seems to thicken the second time and I don't always want this to happen!
• I personally find the brush to be too thick and hard to control. It is especially difficult when using it on the inner corners of the eye, where you would want a thinner line (ready to graduate to thicker once gliding it accross the lid). It really depends on how steady my hand is that day and if I have the patience to try this product, as it does take a lot longer to apply than a liquid liner. 
• It has pretty good lasting power.

The gel liner does give a nice effect, it is more soft focus than a hard line. It does seem to fade throughout the day, not too drastically though and I'm sure this might be prevented through wearing an eye lid primer.

I think this product's success is down to personal preference for how you like to apply your eyeliner and how thick you like your lines and flicks to be. I think I'll be trying this out more; I used it for a couple of weeks and put it aside, some mornings I find the brush and the pot too fiddly and time consuming. Practice makes perfick though, I suppose!

2) One of my most disappointing purchases from M.A.C. I even repurchased when the first one ran out thinking maybe the one I'd had previously had been a dodgy one. No such luck, the finish and colour pigmentation is terrible for the price, the lasting power even worse, shame!

• Superslick eye liner is supposed to leave a wet look finish. It does leave a slight glossy finish. 
• The colour is more of a charcoal- grey than a black, which is fine if you want a more subtle or natural look.
• The brush is my favourite part, it is thin and precise which means excellent control over how thick you want the line to be, also means a perfect flick, there's less room for mistakes to be made with this brush.
• Only hours after application the eye liner fades dramatically, it smudges and rubs off a bit too easily, a definate disadvantage.

These photos were taken about an hour after application, as you can see there is clear fading already happening [ :-( ]. I'd recommend this product if you're looking for a precise brush and therefore a precise/thin/subtle line, but be prepared to reapply throughout your day.

3) I bought this Rimmel eyeliner partly because I was broke, needed a liquid eyeliner and it was cheap, and partly because I had read pretty impressive reviews. I must say, I think this is my favourite of the three, I pick this one up before the other two when I'm applying my makeup in the mornings.

• The brush is slightly fatter than the M.A.C. one so it is a bit harder to apply such a precise or thinner line, but the pigmentation is fab. 
• The formula is slightly watery and can take a couple of minutes to dry, but this is common amongst wet cosmetics such as liquid eyeliner. It can rub off quite easily, but in comparison the previous M.A.C. one this one has excellent staying power. I can complete a 9hr shift at work and still have a clear line and flick by the end of it.
• It can take two coats, but this is easily achievable with liquid eyeliner. I only struggle to go over lines with the gel liner.

Eyeliner really is one of those personal choices every girl makes because every girl wants something different from an eyeliner, from price, to finish, to overall look. I hope these mini reviews help at least one of you out there to make a decision though! :-)

Top; Maybelline. Middle; M.A.C. Bottom; Rimmel

What eyeliner do you use? Do you have any products where you pick the 'drugstore' brands over the more high end brands?