Blatant Copying!

Sorry, that probably sounds more juicy than it is, it's actually me that's been doing the copying! I was reading one of Visionary Beauty's posts the other day and spotted Nina's description of her makeup that day in the comments. As I owned quite a few of the items she mentioned and I have been wanting to use my neglected Guerlain Oriental Metal for a while, I thought I would give Nina's look a try.

I don't own the Edward Bess Bronzer in Daydream or RBR Murmurings sheer lipstick so my substitutions were the Le Metier de Beaute Blonzer and Laura Mercier Lip Stain in Hibiscus topped with BECCA Lip Plumping gloss.

As my base I'm wearing Ellis Faas Skin Veil in S102 and the matching concealer in S202. Around my nose and on blemishes I used BECCA concealer in Praline. I only had a small sample of the Ellis Faas and when I initially put it on I wasn't sure about the colour match but looking at the pictures I really like how it looks.

I applied as Nina described. RBR Atlas Swallowtail cream eyeshadow over the mobile lid and the taupe from Le Metier de Beaute Le Cirque Kaleidescope applied over the cream. I lined with Guerlain loose kohl in Oriental Metal and blended RBR Delicata over the top using a MAC 224. I think as my lashes lack oomph I would have benefited from tightlining with a darker brown or black to give more definition.

I used the Le Metier Blonzer all over the cheeks lightly and applied RBR Delicata to the apples of my cheeks. Of course, I wonder whether the EB Bronzer might look better colourwise with the rest of the shades. I didn't check the colour of Murmuring until afterwards (it's a beautiful sheer damson) but I was in the mood to wear the Laura Mercier Hibiscus lip stain for a splash of colour. The BECCA plumping gloss gives a nice sheen and has moisturising ingredients to counter any drying from the lip stain. Fortunately the Laura Mercier formula isn't too bad in that respect though it does seem to need reapplying during the day.

Overall I'm pleased with how it turned out but I'm a little unhappy with how far I took colour in towards the bridge of my nose. Next time I will add more definition under the lashes with black or brown liner and use a more volumising mascara. I may have a go adding switching to Bonheur on the lips as I imagine that would be more similar Murmurings too.

Where do you get inspiration for your looks? Do you ever try things you've seen on magazines, blogs or YouTube? Or are you the sort of person that other's copy?




Disclosure: The BECCA items and RBR Atlas Swallowtail were PR Samples. As ever, none of the links in my posts are affiliated to any brand or company.

My Favourite Jewellery

I spent a good bit of yesterday looking at jewellery. Specifically glass beads for a Troll Bead type bracelet. I started off by searching for handmade brush rolls on Etsy (there are lots of lovely ones here if you're interested) and it spiraled from there. I have quite a lot of jewellery, my taste seems oddly mixed and although it's not beauty as such, I thought you might like a peak at my favourite bits.

I tend to favour Silver or Platinum jewellery. Generally I only wear gold if it's antique. My silver and turquoise heart necklace is real favourite. I have no recollection of where it came from which probably means it was one of my Grandma's finds. She was a huge influence for me when it comes to jewellery. She used to wear a mix of costume and genuine mega bling, she had the most amazing collection of statement rings. A fan of flea markets and auctions, she would pick up all sorts on her travels so I suspect this was one of her finds. This is bit of a delicate choice for me but I love the combination of silver and turquoise.

The earring are a much more recent acquisition. I bought these from ASOS last year, I'm still pondering purchase of a ring to go with them. I really like this sort of style where it spans two fingers.

This bangle/cuff was definitely one of my Grandma's gifts. It is quite sizeable and I like the fact that it's a bit battered and not too pristine looking. It has a nice shape and I like the detailing. When I'm in the mood for dressing up a black outfit I always reach for this.

This Pilgrim bracelet was a birthday gift from a good friend and I've had it for about 6 or 7 years. I used to really like Pilgrim jewellery but I haven't bought any for a long time and looking at their website, their style seems to have changed quite a lot. I used to like the fact that they were a bit quirky.

When I looked through my jewellery, I realised I have more pendants than necklaces. I don't know why exactly other than the fact that anything too dainty and I fear I may break it. In fact, the heart on the left hand side of the picture above was originally on a fine chain which I snapped. Enough said! The teardrop pendant in the middle was a gift from my Mum. I particularly like the colour of the stone and the little fossilised bits in it.

The large red heart pendant was bought at a Body Shop party. I've no idea whether TBS still do parties or indeed whether they still sell jewellery but I bought this on a whim (I didn't fancy anything from my 'makeover'). I tend to only wear it in winter but the lovely colour always makes me feel cheery.

This last item is a piece of jewellery that I love but have yet to wear. This ring was custom made for me but only in the design. Unfortunately the band is too small and one of these days I will get it adjusted. The stones in this ring were taken from a ring left to my Mum by my Grandma. She decided to 'split' the ring and make two new ones from it for for myself and my sister. At the time she was living in Muscat and knew a good jeweller. My sister has her six stones in a different setting to mine. I thought this was an inspired idea and one that my Grandma would most definitely have approved of.

I'm looking forward to adding to my collection after browsing Etsy and DaWanda yesterday. I love the fact that you can pick up something really unique. What's your favourite piece of jewellery? Do you have a particular style or do you just tend to go with what catches your eye?


PS. A little bird just reminded me that if you're a fan of shiny fings you might like to look here too - http://worshipbluesemporium.blogspot.com/.

Brousse, Sin and Bonheur Applied

In the pictures below I am wearing NARS Brousse eyeshadow duo, NARS Sin blusher and Chanel Bonheur. Although I haven't done swatches of Brousse or Sin yet you can pictures of them in the pans themselves here.

NARS Brousse Duo

On my eyes I am wearing the brown eyeshadow from lash line to crease and the purple along my lash line and blended upwards into the brown. Looking back at the photos, I wish I had blended more at the crease and maybe taken the colour up slightly further at the outer corner to correct the shaping caused by my hooded lids. For some reason I completely forgot to fill in brows too and I apologise for how odd they look in these pictures!

The colours in the Brousse duo are definitely darker than I normally wear but I really like the smoky brown look. I popped into a SpaceNK on Thursday and had opportunity to swatch a few of the other duos and it cemented how pleased I am with this choice.

Which is your favourite NARS eyeshadow duo?

Skin Hyperpigmentation: Skin Care Ranges

Last week I talked about the various cosmetic treatments available for skin pigmentation. This week I want to discuss some of the skin care ranges that are available. Many of the creams and serum targeted at brightening the skin include Vitamin C as the principal active ingredient. Vitamin C (or Ascorbic acid) is a potent anti-oxidant that protects the skin from the effects of free radicals, promotes collagen synthesis and lightens areas of abnormal pigmentation.

Vitamin C treats skin pigmentation by inhibiting an enzyme called tyrosinase which regulates melanin production. It is important to choose the 'right' sort of Vitamin C when it comes to skin care. Ascorbic acid is not particularly stable in solution unlike derivatives such as Magnesium Ascorbyl Phophate so it's worth checking the ingredients list. Having said that, many of the ranges I investigated specified that they include a stable form of Vitamin C. Other active ingredients believed to regulate melanin production and 'de-pigment' the skin include Kojic acid, Azelaic acid, Retinoic acid (Tretinoin), Niacinamide and some Licorice (Glycyrrhiza) derivatives.

The best skin care regime for removing areas of darker pigmentation will include a cream or serum to lighten the affected areas and regulate melanin production, a chemical exfoliant to breakup and remove the areas of pigmentation (AHA's such as Glycolic and Lactic acids) and a good sunscreen.

I have already mentioned a few products designed to treat skin pigmentation issues in previous posts, such as the Alpha H White Gold, the Shiseido White Lucency range and Vitamin C & E serum from Renee Rouleau. There are quite a few other brands that offer targeted skin care regimes, this isn't a comprehensive list but these are some of the ones I thought sounded interesting.

Murad's Environmental Shield regime targets fine lines and wrinkles as well as pigmentation using a stable form of Vitamin C. I like Murad and particularly like the fact that it was created by a dermatologist. Environmental Shield encompasses a complete range of products from cleanser to eye cream. The specific treatment product from the regime includes the Essential-C Daily Renewal Complex and Active Radiance Serum, both of which have clinically proven efficacy. As well as the Vitamin C complex, the Active Radiance Serum includes AHAs to promote cell turnover so it's a bit of a double whammy. I'm told by my source in the know that the best way to use these is to apply the Daily Renewal Complex in the morning and the Active Radiance Serum in the evening.

 
Decleor offers an extensive range of products to tackle pigmentation spots and uneven skin tone, as well as a specific brightening facial available at Decleor salons. The Aroma White C+ Brightening range includes Peony and Saxifrage extracts combined with stable Vitamin C to work on evening skin pigmentation. I was particularly interested in the Brightening Serum and Spot Corrector as I imagine they would allow you to treat specific areas if you preferred not to treat the whole face. I have a few products to try from this range; Recovery Brightening Night Cream, Brightening Serum and Extreme Brightening Essence. I will report back on how I get on with these in due course although I have to say I am enjoying the serum very much.

I have previously mentioned Caudalie's Vinoperfect range. I bought the Vinoperfect day cream a little while ago and this is in the queue of products to try. The active ingredient in the Vinoperfect range is Viniferine which controls tyrosinase activity (to regulate melanin production), has anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and improves complexion radiance by stimulating blood flow. Caudalie report that in volunteer trials they observed a good reduction in size and intensity of dark spots. 91% of their volunteers also felt they had an improvement in radiance. There are three products in the range; a day cream, a night cream and a serum. The more recent addition to the Caudalie range, Premier Cru, is apparently good for dealing with hyperpigmentation too.

The New Zealand based skin care brand Snowberry have brought out a range called Bright Defence which is designed to brighten the skin whilst tackle the signs of ageing and hydrating the skin. The brightening agents in these products promise to lighten and reduce uneven skin tone without bleaching or peeling. If you've not come across Snowberry before, it is a premium anti-ageing skin care brand which aims to be highly functional whilst being as natural as possible. Their refusal to compromise on ingredients that may irritate the skin obviously yields good results as I know it has been a big hit with fellow bloggers who have reactive skin. I think this range would be a particularly good choice for anyone that has problems using AHAs.

The Bright Defence range comprises three day creams (oily, combination and dry skin formulations), a night cream and a serum. I am currently using one of the day creams and I will review it in more detail in a few weeks.

I have had recommendations for the Pigment Regulator from SkinCeuticals and Clinique's Dark Spot Corrector. Although I would like to investigate these I am conscious of not trying too many things at once and tend to stick to a strict 28 days per product rule. I will be reporting back on the items I already have to test once I have used them for at least a month. I know some of you have already been on this journey, which products have you tried and which did you feel gave you good results? Are there any that didn't live up to the hype?


Disclosure: The Decleor and Snowberry products have been sent to me without charge for the purpose of review.

Bonheur Lip Swatch Update

I wasn't very happy with the lip swatches of Chanel Bonheur that I posted yesterday. I have tried again to take some pictures that show a better representation of how the colour looks on my lips. I think part of the problem is that if I don't take the picture immediately as it is applied, the colour starts to fade with wear.

I feel these pictures are better at demonstrating the depth of colour as I apply.

Hopefully you can see that it's quite a lot darker and more wine coloured than it appeared in my original post. I feel happier now that I have a better colour representation for you.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bonheur

I've had this lipstick for a week now and try as I might, I don't seem to be able to get a good lip swatch photograph of it. I have tried different lighting and on different days but I think it's just not going to show up well with my camera. That's probably my roundabout way of explaining why there are so many photos!

Bonheur is a glossy rich berry colour with fine sparkle. On the lips the sparkle isn't really visible until the colour fades. The Rouge Coco Shine's are quite a sheer formula but I find this shade does add a reasonable amount of colour to my lips, something that put me off trying shades like Boy. The formula has a nice slippy feel on the lips though I don't find it quite as balm like or moisturising as my Chantecaille Lip Chic. It doesn't last very long so you need to re-apply frequently.

I think that the colour appears more pink and lighter in these photos than it does in the flesh. It's a lovely bitten berry kind of colour on my lips but the pictures do give a good impression of the glossy, sheer finish.

Edit: As I was unhappy with these lip swatches, I took some more which I feel are a better representation. You can find them here. 

I included this full face picture to show how it looks in the context of my face. Again, I think it's a bit darker in person.

Have you tried any of these lipsticks? I'm really interested to know how those with pigmented lips find Boy. I'm drawn to the colour but suspect it won't show up on my lips.

Is Helen Really Just Nice?

I have a lot of time for Helen from Just Nice Things. Although she's most well known as a nail blogger, she's my go to person for all things NARS. If you haven't already seen her amazing NARS eyeshadow duo post then I can highly recommend that you take a look. That's all the good stuff of course and I know that's not what you're here for. I know you're just after the dirt! So, let's find out what secrets Helen has been guarding....

Confession is good for the soul, go ahead and unburden yourself! I promise I won’t judge.

I’m a nail blogger, right? And I am proud of my natural nails. However, wind the clock back a few (ahem) years to when I was a student. I went through a stage of wearing the full press-on nail kits that you could purchase from Boots for under £10. I can’t remember the name of the brand but they had an oh-so-glam photo of a hand clutching a tennis ball of all things on the box. Sporty Square?!

Anyway. I wasn’t even deterred from wearing these monstrosities when I reached into a bag of frozen food one day (mini kievs I believe….hey, I was a student and it was back in the days before calorie counting or Bernard Matthews was proclaimed as the anti-christ) and found an old fake nail adhered to some breaded chicken. Ewwww.

.....you ate mini kievs?

No, what really put me off was that after a year or so of constant wear, my nails went green. Not a nice shade of green either but a dark, mouldy green. So off came the fake nails, and on with some very dark nail polish. For about six months, til it grew out. Grim.

A very different kind of green finger!

There, don’t you feel better now?

Aunty Brown has a few more questions though; it’s true that I’m the nosy type.

When was the last time you visited the hairdresser?

Nearly two years ago. Shameful, isn’t it? I used to spend an utter fortune on hair extensions (the Racoon ones), Japanese straightening treatments at £400 a pop and all kinds of frivolous behaviour. Then, one day I woke up and suddenly decided that I wanted to see what my natural hair was like, so I’ve spent the past two years growing out all the chemical straightening and returning to my natural state. I am now seriously contemplating having another straightening treatment. After all that agony!

Which bit of beauty trickery couldn’t you live without?

Fake tan during the wedding season. Aside from blogging and working in a very time consuming job, I also have a part-time job that involves attending several weddings and hen parties a year. If I’ve got to get my legs out in a chilly church during April, or to attend another flipping pole dancing lesson, then I don’t want them looking any more like a pre-cooked plucked chicken than strictly necessary.

You’ve overslept and have 5 minutes to get out of the house. Are you going out with dirty hair or no makeup?

Dirty hair. No brainer. I can tie it up and try really hard not to spend all day scratching my poor grubby scalp.

Which trend still makes you cringe?

Concealer lips. They make me shudder. All that GOSH Darling business. It looks hideous and I really wish people would stop it. Bleached eyebrows also perplex me a little bit. And it’s not a trend (well, if it is then I am resolutely unfashionable) but please, please if you are wearing a red or fuchsia lipstick, then do try not to apply to to your teeth.

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I loved mini kievs! I was a student in Norwich so we had the pleasure of swimming in the 'Bernard Matthews' pool. I rather expected to go in and find it filled with frozen turkeys! Thank you so much for sharing your confessions Helen. The green nails sounded like a particularly bad episode!

If you would like to take a turn and unburden yourself in the Friday Confessional you can email me at modestybrown@googlemail.com. It's open to everyone: if you have something to confess, I'm happy to hear it!


Image credit: Giorgio Bagnarelli on Flickr