IMATS Haul 2014

As it was my first year at IMATS, I made the most of the discounts available on so many of my favourite makeup brands. I spent the day with Gemma from Flutter and Sparkle (full details on IMATs in this post), who is definitely a great shopping buddy!

The first stop of the day was the NARS stand, where most products were 30% off, plus some amazing gift sets that were reduced to £15. Most of the gift sets contained limited edition products from the recent Pierre Hardy and Andy Warhol collections, so while not the newest launches, they were still amazing value. 

I went a bit crazy and bought 4 large gift sets, 2 sets of Pierre Hardy polish duos, plus a full size Orgasm Illuminator liquid. In total, this massive bundle came to about £85. 

I stocked up on a few brushes from Crownbrush, including their syntho buffing brush, which I'm hoping can act as a backup for my Real Techniques one when it's in the wash. I also braved the Hakuhodo brush counter, which are some of the most expensive brushes I've tried (and also the softest!). I bought a fluffy eye brush from them, so I'm looking forward to see if this really lives up to the hype that the brand have. 

Lip products were definitely high up on my list. I was desperate to find the Lime Crime fuchsia velvetine, but unfortunately they had sold out of this by the time I found their teeny little display about 11am. Instead, I managed to pick up the Countessa Fluorescent lipstick, which was also on my wishlist. This was on offer for £10, so not a massive discount, but better than nothing! 

I bought two of the new OCC Lip Tar Stained Glosses in Hedonist and Off World for £10 each, and also bought MAC's iconic Snob lipstick as it was 15% off the usual retail price. I don't often wear nude shades, so I'm hoping this will be a nice shade for day wear. 

Make Up For Ever was one of my favourite stands - they had so many beautiful products to choose from! I'd heard nothing but good things about their HD foundation, so decided to get that in shade 115, and also chose a bronze Aqua Cream which I'd swatched a long time ago at the Precious About Makeup shop in Shepherd's Bush and wished I'd bought. All Make Up For Ever products were 30% off, which I think is a really good discount.   

Last, but not least was a few items from NYX. They actually had a second, much smaller stand (without an hour's wait to get near it), hidden away near the back of the room which had some discontinued lines on sale. I bought 3 jumbo eye crayons for £1.50 each and also a super sparkly glitter nail polish which was also £1.50. 

I'm really pleased with all my IMATS purchases - I did spend slightly more than I anticipated, but I blame that on the NARS gift sets! I'm starting a spending ban now for a few months, but something tells me this little lot will keep me going for some time to come! 

Did you go to IMATS this year? What's your favourite thing from my haul? 

IMATS London 2014

This weekend played host to the annual IMATS (international makeup artists trade show) in Central London. A three day show packed full of makeup brands, demonstrations and talks by top artists, it's a beauty lover's dream! This year was my first year attending the show, and despite many hours spent reading up reviews of past years, I wasn't quite sure what to expect.

I arrived bright and early Saturday morning with my shopping partner Gemma, from Flutter and Sparkle, and pretty much as soon as we were through the doors we made a bee line for the NARS stand, as last year they had some amazing discounts on products. This year was no different, with some lines at 30% off and an amazing variety of gifts sets, each of which was £15. I went a bit crazy (see tomorrow's haul for the evidence!), but it seemed a bit rude not to...

Sheenie, Laura and Gemma

Gemma and Jade

Peering through my purchases...

As we made our way around the other stands, it was great to see some amazing body painting and special effects transformations happening. There was everything from zombies to faerie type creatures being created, and because we arrived so early in the day, we were able to see the transformations as they progressed throughout the day.

At 11.30, Gemma, Laura (from Laura Lou Makeup) and I sat down to listen to a talk by senior MAC artist Pablo Rodriguez, who lead us through four key makeup looks for AW14. This was one of my favourite parts of the day - it's not often you get to see how high fashion/editorial makeup looks are created, and it will be interesting to see how these pass down to the high street over the next few months.

Over the course of the day I did a lot of shopping - some brands had discounts of anything between 10-40% off their usual retail prices, which was great (this was often more if you held a Pro card). It was also nice to see brands such as Makeup Forever, Sugarpill, Inglot, OCC and Lime Crime that aren't always the easiest to find in the UK. There were a few brands missing that I'd love to have seen there - Illamasqua for one - and for the life of me, I couldn't work out why people were queuing up for over an hour to get to the NYX stand (Their products are great, but an hour?!)!

I would definitely love to go along again next year and see more of the talks - these were definitely one of the things for me that made it into a complete experience, rather than just a discounted shopping opportunity.

I'll be posting my haul post tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled for that. In the mean time, here are some of my favourite photos of the day...

The finished look

The finished look

Were you at IMATS this year?

High end or high street: SPFs for the body

Summer is here, which equals sunshine (hopefully) and therefore SPF. I know I often sound like the SPF police, but it really is my one must-have summer item. Not only does it stop you burning, but it helps to prevent sun damage and early wrinkles, so really there’s no excuse to not wear it (even if you’re not pale as a ghost like me).

I tend to last about 10 minutes in the sun before I start resembling a lobster, so usually stick to a high factor in summer, which used to mean white, sticky lotions that took forever to sink in. I’ve been testing out a range of SPFs for your body (post on facial SPFs coming soon) that cover all budgets, and was quite surprised at the results.

Lacura Oil Spray SPF15 £2.99* – considering this retails around the £3 mark, I have to be honest, I wasn’t expecting a lot. Boy, was I wrong. The texture is extremely light and almost disappears into skin, leaving behind no sticky residue, just a very slight ‘sun lotion’ scent. If they made this in a higher factor, I would be buying up all the bottles at my local Aldi store, but sadly they don’t, so this will be staying with me for mildly sunny days and also by my sun loving boyfriend (who only has to look at the sun to go brown) for his cycling trips.

Lacura Moisturising Sun Spray SPF30 £2.79* – another Aldi special, this offers a higher factor, but with a different formula. While this is a more traditional white liquid with a spritz nozzle, this also sinks in very well to skin and doesn’t feel at all sticky. If you’re planning a beach holiday, then this would be a great budget option, as when it’s this cheap, you don’t need to worry about needing to reapplying every hour or two. All of Aldi’s SPFs offer 5* UVA and UVB protection, which means you’re well protected from both types of rays. I tested this on one arm and a pricier brand on the other and honestly couldn’t tell the difference once they had both sunk in.

Soltan Dry Touch SPF15 £12* – Dry feeling SPFs seem to be the big thing at the moment – no-one wants to walk around feeling sticky all day, do they! Boot’s Soltan works very well and definitely lives up to its name. I applied liberally and rubbed in and was ready to get dressed in no time at all. This would be great for sandy beach lovers as it should mean you don’t end up with loads of sand stuck to your lotion at the end of the day! They also do a factor 30 and a 50 which would be my choice, as 15 is too low for my skin.  

Ambre Solaire Dry Mist SPF30 £16* – Aerosol mist SPFs are also having a bit of a heyday at the moment and I have to say, are probably my favourite way to apply sun lotion. You need to shake the can very well before applying, and make sure you’re actually hitting your skin, not just spraying into the air around you – that won’t do you many favours! This is quite a pricey way to use sun lotion as you get through it quite quickly, but it makes getting tricky areas like your back so much easier, especially if you don’t have someone on hand to rub it in for you. Because it does work out more expensive, this would be my top choice for use at home on sunny days, or for city breaks where you won’t be washing it off in a pool all the time.

Dermalogica Sport SPF50 £29.99* – designed to be really long-lasting and water-resistant, this SPF50 gets a thumbs up from me. Despite the high factor, it’s not heavy and won’t leave your skin feeling really sticky. It’s also been created so you can use it on both your face and your body, so if you’re trying to travel light, this is a great choice for you. The price is quite high – but it’s another good choice for sunny UK days, sports or if you want something water resistant.

Top tips for applying SPF:

- Be generous – most of us greatly under estimate the amount of SPF we really need to give adequate protection. In order to achieve the factor stated on the bottle, aim to use about two tablespoons worth for your face and body

- Throw it out – old sun lotion degrades meaning the protection level drops. Throw out last year’s sunscreen and get new stuff – it doesn’t have to be pricey.

- Re-apply regularly – and do it more often if you’re in the water, towelling off or sweating a lot.

- Don’t forget sensitive areas – ears, your parting/scalp and feet often get forgotten and a burnt head is not fun; trust me. If you can’t reach everywhere, get someone else to help.

- Apply before you go outside! The best bet is about 15-30 minutes before you step foot in the sun. Many lotions need time to be absorbed into skin in order to give full protection. Don’t wait until you’re outside ready to sunbathe before you apply – do it in the morning before you get dressed.

What's your favourite way to stay safe in the sun? 

*PR samples

Tried and tested: recent high street mascara launches

Mascaras seem to be one of the most controversial items makeup items around - what works for one person doesn't for another, and I've spent a lot of time and money buying disappointing ones before. I've put three of the high street's recent mascara launches to the test, to see how well they live up to their names and my expectations.

Maybelline The Colossal Go Extreme!* – I get so confused by all the Maybelline mascara launches – there seems to be about a dozen variants at the moment! I *believe* this is their latest offering, which promises to give you ‘supercharged lashes’ with a ‘no clump formula’. Now, despite the massive brush (which I’m not usually a fan of as they tend to be a bit messy), this does a good job a coating lashes and does build a good amount of volume in two coats, without lots of clumping. I would quite happily reach for this as an everyday mascara, but I don’t think it would be my go-to if I wanted really big lashes (that would be Too Faced Better Than Sex). £6.99

No 7 Lash Impact* – Yet another somewhat mis-leading name, I found No.7’s latest offering to give lashes a fantastic, natural look, but without much volume at all (even after several coats). This is a lovely black colour and lasts a whole day without flaking or smudging, but if you’re after a false lash effect, this won’t be the one for you. I do like the brush on this – it’s not huge, so you don’t end up with product smudged all over your eye lid during application, and the red spangly tube definitely stands out from anything else in my makeup bag. £13.50

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde* – now, the name of this mascara is a bit misleading as it definitely needs longer than 1 second for application! That said, it does work quickly to add volume to lashes, but does leave them lacking a little in length. If, like me, you like to use more than one coat, you’ll need to add the second one pretty fast as it dries quickly. This has lead to a few clumps for me initially, but after changing application techniques (one coat, wait 10 seconds, second coat) I get *almost* clump free lashes. It lasts incredibly well throughout the day and will need a good, oil-based remover to get it off when you’re ready. £9.99

Have you tried any of these mascaras? What are your thoughts?

*PR samples

An interview with Ole Henriksen

A few weeks ago, I attending a talk at Selfridges as part of their Beauty Project lead by skincare superstar Ole Henriksen. I'd been testing out a few of his products over the weeks beforehand and was excited to learn more about the brand and the man behind it.

Ole is a facialist to much of Hollywood and while his client list would make your jaw drop, he seems really down to earth and has an amazingly energetic outlook on life, despite being in his early 60s. Infact, he made his debut on stage with a gymnastic leap and throughout his talk dropped in a few dance moves and even the odd pelvic thrust (but enough said about that).

His interest in skincare was developed after developing cystic acne in his teens. The acne was treated by a aethetician in Jakarta using a variety of botanical treatments, which successfully reduced the inflammation and returned his skin to normal. After training in both London and the US, he opened his own clinic in LA, which has now been open for over 30 years.

I asked Ole what his favourite product from his range was, and although he loves them all, he says his current favourite is the Pure Truth Youth Activating Oil. This contains a mixture of retinoids, Vitamin C and a whole host of other ingredients you need for glowing, supple skin.

He's also a big believer in keeping skincare routines short - about 5 minutes, twice a day. While some of us might be tempted to do our routines while trying to do other things, he insists we should make it a special experience - 'Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths' he said, 'try to turn it into a special moment that you take for yourself'.

When I asked what his top skincare tip was, his resposne was SPF! He recommends using a daily moisturiser with SPF in for a light level of protection, even if it's winter or you're spending the day inside. He also recommends adjusting your skincare regime to the weather conditions. For example, in the summer, switch to a lighter moisturiser as our skin can get more oily in the warmer weather and possibly change cleansers to something lighter to help reduce superficial pore clogging. He also recommends learning how to do a simple facial massage on yourself as this can really help to improve circulation in the muscles of your face.

I honestly could have sat and spoke to him for hours - he's such an interesting man! I've been using his Truth Serum*, which is infused with  Vitamin C, and I've really noticed an improvement in the radiance of my skin. It's also oil free so I don't have to worry about it making my skin feel greasy in the summer which it's more prone to do. Ole says that this is possibly his second favourite product of his and one that's great for all skin types. It's quite pricey at £42 for 30ml, but if you're looking for that 'glow' I would definitely recommend trying it out.

You can find Ole's products in Selfridges and online from QVC, Feel Unique and Beauty Expert.

Have you ever tried anything from Ole Henriksen before?

*PR sample

US beauty haul

June seems to have been a bit of a haul month for me and with IMATs this weekend I’m sure there will be another (roll on July spending ban)! After a friend of mine moved back to the states a few months ago, we’ve been promising to act as each other’s beauty suppliers on opposite sides of the Atlantic. After sending her over a parcel of face oils, wham bars and kit kats, she kindly returned the favour by sending me over some items I’d been lusting over for some time.

Now, you’d think by looking at these photos I have some sort of obsession with EOS lip balms. You’d be right. Not only are these one of my favourite products EVER, but they cost just over $3 each in America. Compared to the £7 each I have to pay for them here, that’s a massive difference! So you can see why I went a bit crazy with this order. Hopefully 6 is enough to keep me going for a few months *ahem*.

I’ve never tried anything by Lorac before as they aren’t available in the UK, but I’d heard really good things about their palettes. I ended up choosing the Pro To Go palette as this seemed like a great way to test out both eye and face products in one go. On one side of the palette are 6 neutral eye shadows and a brush – what I love here is that they’ve made two eyeshadows (and ones that will probably get most use) much larger than the others, so you don’t hit pan on your base shadows before anything else in the palette. If you flip the palette over, you’ll find another side that has two blushers and bronzer, along with another brush. The palette costs $36, which I think is ok given the fact it’s the perfect travel companion and I’ll use pretty much every shade in the kit.

My final order was one of the new NYX Macaron lipsticks which I don’t think have been released in the UK yet. This is a vivid lilac shade which is quite different, but I wanted to see if it was something I’d ever be able to wear!

What’s your favourite thing from my haul? Is there anything from the US you’d really love to try?

B. Summer 14 limited edition makeup

It finally feels like summer has arrived, which is a great excuse to get a little more colourful. Superdrug's own brand B. have released some absolutely gorgeous limited edition products for summer, which I have a feeling will be a big hit for even neutral lovers like me. 

L-R Breeze lipstick, Tropic eye shimmer and eye shadow trio swatches

In this limited edition range, you'll find an eye shadow trio palette, complete with primer; a creamy B. Vibrant eye shadow shimmer and a hydrating, coral toned lipstick.

For me, the hero product out of these three has to be the B. Vibrant Eye Shimmer in Tropic. A highly pigmented, creamy eye shadow, this can be applied as a soft wash all over the lid, used as a liner or blended in as part of an aqua themed eye look.

I've used several of these shadows before and have found them to be really long-lasting and also good at resisting creasing. While the colour might seem quite bold (the photo shows a one swipe swatch), I think summer is the perfect time to get a bit more experimental with your makeup and at £6.99 it's a good price to test it out and see how you get on.

The B. Complete eyeshadow palette in Pop* is a pastel eyeshadow lover's dream. It contains matte pink, green and blue shades, as well as a primer to help build the intensity of the shadows and make them last a bit longer.

While these aren't the most pigmented of shadows, the formula is pretty good and used with the primer should last you about 8 hours on your lids. I quite like blending the blue and green shade together with another more shimmery shadow for a mermaid inspired look. The quad is £6.99, which I think is great value.

The last item in the collection is a new shade of their B. Rich Lipstick in Breeze*. I love the satin formula of this lipstick as it combines great pigmentation with hydration, so you can wear it for hours without getting that horrible dry lips feel. It also has an SPF 15, helping to protect your lips from burning while you wear it (and yes, you can get sunburnt lips).

Breeze isn't the best shade for my skin tone, but I think it would look great if you have a tan and I love the limited edition floral packaging and pop out lipstick design. I'll definitely be investigating other shades in this formula. £7.99

Have you tried anything from B. before? Do you like the look of this limited edition range?

*PR samples

Simple steps to get summer ready

Summer feels like it’s finally made an appearance in London, which means it’s time to break out the summer dresses and shorts and bare a little more skin. I was a *teeny* bit unprepared for the weather after having lived in jeans for the past 6 months, so had to do an emergency pamper session this weekend before heading out into the sun.

Here are my 3 essential steps in order to feel summer ready:

Exfoliate/moisturise – give your body a gentle scrub all over to remove dead skin cells – not only will this help your body lotion to sink in better, it will also help skin to look more radiant, and prepare it for a touch of fake tan if you want to add colour without the help of the sun.

Feet – after being hidden away in boots for months my feet are in need of some help and I like to give myself a mini pedicure at home before finally braving sandals. I use my Micro-Pedi to help remove any dead skin, then rub in a foot moisturiser to leave them feeling soft and supple. Bright toe nails are a must for the summer, and my current favourite shade is Models Own Hyper Gel Cerise Shine.

Lashes – warmer weather can make normal mascara more susceptible to smudging, so I usually switch to waterproof throughout the warmer months. My favourites are Max Factor Masterpiece Waterproof and Smashbox Full Exposure Waterproof. I’ve often thought about having my lashes tinted because they’re so blonde – it would be nice to be able to out without worrying about mascara for a change!

If you’re heading away on holiday or just fancy upping the pamper level a little, why not head to your local spa and get some similar treatments done? If you’re based in London or the South-East trueskin Medispa offer a fantastic Holiday Essentials Package which includes an Elemis Exotic Lime and Ginger Body Scrub, Jessica Manicure and Pedicure, Eyelash Tint and Eye Brow shape and tint all for £100. I’m tempted to pop along myself and finally get my lashes tinted.

What are your essential steps to get ready for summer?

*collaboration post

Yes To skincare giveaway

Yes to are a California based brand that have recently launched back into the UK. With several ranges of skin care, body care and hair care products that are all based around the powers of fruit and veg, they deliver fantastic results at great value prices.

I was lucky enough to test out the brand shortly after the UK relaunch, and was really impressed with everything I've tried (full reviews here). There are five ranges to choose from: Yes to Carrots (normal-dry skin), Yes to Cucumbers (sensitive skin), Yes to Grapefruit (uneven or sun damaged skin), Yes to Blueberries (mature skin) and Yes to Tomatoes (oily/combination skin).

I'm really pleased to be working with Yes to to give three readers the chance to win a set of Yes to hero products, so you can test out the brand and hopefully fall in love with it as much as I have!

There will be three prize bundles available, each containing five full size products:

- Yes to Grapefruit Uneven Skin tone Daily Scrub
- Yes to Cucumber Face Wipes
- Yes to Carrots Night Cream
- Yes to Tomato Daily Balancing Moisturiser
- Yes to Blueberries Eye Refining Treatment

This is a UK only giveaway and winners will be contacted shortly after it closes on 7th July. Please be aware that Yes to will send your prize directly, so I will need to pass your contact details over to them.

There are a couple of mandatory entries which must be completed using the Rafflecopter, plus lots of others for extra entries.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On trend: blue nails

Blue makeup was a big hit on SS14 catwalks, but for many of us it doesn't seem to be an easily achievable look. No-one wants to feel like an extra from an 80s film, so in this two part series, I'll be showing you easy ways to translate the blue looks of the catwalk into easy to wear real-life options.

Nail polish is probably the easiest place to start with the blue makeup trend - while we might not feel comfortable wearing it on our faces, blue nails will give you a gentle way of introducing the trend into your summer looks and there's a whole host of different shades and finishes to choose from.

I've picked out a few of my favourite shades which go all the way from gentle baby blue, right through to the deepest navy.

Polishes left to right:
B. - Brit*
Liz Earle - Moonlight*
Models Own HyperGel - Blue Glint
Nubar - Blueberry*
Models Own HyperGel - Cornflower Gleam
Maybelline Superstay - Uptown Blue*
Nubar - My New Obsession*
Essie - Go Overboard
Maybelline Acid Wash - Ripped Tide
Kiko Sunshow - 45*

Don't be afraid to play around with textures too - Barry M has some great concrete effect blue polishes and Nails Inc have just launched a turquoise Latex finish one that looks fantastic. Blue does have a habit of staining your nails, so make sure you wear a good base coat underneath to help prevent this.

If you're feeling really adventurous, why not try a blue ombre effect on your nails (easy to do using a makeup sponge), or using multiple shades from light to dark across your nails? I think nails are the easiest place to have fun with - are you a fan of blue nails? What's your favourite blue shade?

Beauty basics: how to clean your makeup brushes

Makeup brushes are one of the best tools you can use for a flawless finish to your makeup. Most of us use at least one brush during our daily routines, but it's easy to forget that they need a bit of love and attention to keep them in tip top condition.

I recently had a chat with a friend about a foundation brush of hers that had stopped performing properly, and when I asked her when was the last time she had washed it, I was met with a bit of a blank look. Cleaning your brushes not only helps to stop build up of product within them, which can stop them working properly; but it also stops bacteria growing, which can leave you with spots and a dull looking complexion. 

Washing your brushes needn't be a painful business! Here are my simple steps for a weekly clean that will leave them soft, clean and ready for action. 

You'll need:

- a gentle soap or brush cleaner (I like to use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap as it's very gentle but effective)

- dirty brushes

- a towel

- lukewarm water

1. Grab a dirty brush and run under lukewarm water to get the bristles wet

2. Squirt a small amount of the brush soap into the palm of your hand and massage into the bristles using gentle circular motions (hold the brush handle and rub the bristles in your palm)

3. Rinse well until the water runs clear, then dry flat on a towel

4. Repeat for all your dirty brushes! 

It might take up to 24 hours for your brushes to dry thoroughly, but it's important to let them dry flat and without squishing them in the towel to prevent the shape of the brush being changed, or water flowing back into the brush handle, which can weaken the glue that holds the fibres in.

How do you normally wash you makeup brushes? 

High street heroes: skincare

Finding the right skincare can sometimes be a bit tricky, and while I will freely admit to having been a bit of a high-end obsessive for a while, there are some truly great products on the high street. These are a few of my current favourites that not only perform amazingly well, they also won’t break the bank.

Kiko Cleansing Eyes and Lips – a bi-phase makeup remover, this needs to be shaken together before use to activate the formula. A great dupe for Lancome’s iconic Bi-Facil, it removes all traces of eye makeup and even works well on waterproof mascara. I’m on my third bottle and I can’t see myself shifting to another brand any time soon! £5.90 for 125ml

Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser* – Infused with manuka honey, Royal Jelly and bee venom, Good Things provides a budget friendly option for anyone who has wanted to test out the bee venom skincare rage, without the crazy price tags. This is a lightweight moisturiser that sinks into skin really quickly, but leaves it feeling hydrated throughout the day. It’s also free from parabens, mineral oil, and SLS. If you’re allergic to bee stings, you will need to avoid this one as it contains real bee venom, but otherwise, it should be suitable for most skin types. £7.99 for 100ml

B. Pure Micellar Water – Micellar waters are super popular at the moment and provide a quick and easy way to remove makeup and surface level dirt from the skin. Superdrug own brand B.’s micellar water is extremely gentle but really effective. I like to use mine as a first cleanse – removing my foundation before following up with a hot cloth cleanser afterwards. It’s scent free, and at £4.99 for 150ml is a bit of a bargain.

Amie New Leaf Skin Exfoliating Polish – this is one of my favourite ever exfoliators. Not only does it have the most amazing mango smell, but it’s also quite gentle and yet very effective at removing dead skin cells. I tend to use this once or twice a week, massaging gently into damp skin, before rinsing off. It costs less than a fiver, so why not add one to your shopping basket next time you’re in Waitrose?

What are your favourite high street skin care items?

*PR sample