Look of the Day

A high shine and glossy purple and pink look using the Sleek Make Up I-Divine Curious Palette.

Two DIY treatments for Dark Circles, did they work?

I get flooded with emails from women who are desperately unhappy about their dark under eye circles. So I did a bit of research in to what they are and what can help. I found out that dark circles can be caused either by poor health or they are unfortunately hereditary, it's always worth going to your doctor if you are concerned about them.

The skin under the eyes is a lot more delicate that the rest of the face, which is why it is the first place we see wrinkles and blood shows through as blue or brown in dark circles.

I was doing some internet window shopping to see what there was on the market to combat rather than cover up dark circles and came across the same sort of ingredients in many expensive brands, these were Vitamin K and Arnica. I know of Arnica as a homeopathic remedy for bruises so it seemed to make sense that it might work under the eye on dark circles. So I went to good old Holland and Barrett and bought some lightweight Arnica cream.

Arnica results: I have been using it on one under eye every day for the past month. There has been some improvement but sadly not enough to say that it was worth it. I think that if you have really noticeable and dark under eye circles you may fare better and for £3.50 it's worth a try.

As for Vitamin K, you can buy tablets or creams. Again Holland and Barrett has a Leg Health Cream with Vitamin K, for under £10. Vitamin K is found naturally in green leafy vegetables and it vital for blood clotting. Vitamin K in creams can be applied to reduce redness from spider veins and rosacea - both of which I have - as well as fading out hyperpigmentation (uneven skin tone) and dark circles.

Vitamin K results: I used the Vitamin K cream on one half of my face and did notice a major improvement on my rosy cheek but not so much under the eyes, again this could be because I don't have majorly dark under eye circles. It's a very nice lightweight non greasy cream. The other bonus is that I haven't been allergic to it so for the price I may continue to use it as it's a nice moisturiser. I can't seem to find this on their website though!

Both of these products may or may not help you with dark circles but more importantly you won't have broken the bank and your hopes if they don't work. Let me know if they work for you!

Let's get Naked!

So it's no secret that I, along with a lot of bloggers, get approached by cosmetics companies to try new products. Half of which never make it past the cruelty free issue. However, this range by Naked Bodycare caught my attention simply because of its 97% natural ingredients slogan, in case you're wondering the 3% unnatural ingredients are things which keep the products going off, I guess I could try putting them in the fridge but how annoying would that be half way through your shower if you forgot to get them!

So I thought I would give four products a go:

Intensive Hair Repair Treatment. Who doesn't like a treat for their hard working hair? A thick cream that is combed through wet shampooed hair and left for a few minutes before rinsing out. I would say that it is just as good as any of the others I have tried. It is hard for me to judge as my hair is not coloured, dry or treated etc... but my hair and scalp felt moisturised. A convenient sachet means that if I am treating myself at the gym, I don't need to carry loads of bottles. One sachet will last me perhaps two or three uses is I use frugally, or one big generous use!

I have five extra sachets which I will be giving away on my YouTube channel shortly, so stay tuned if you'd like the chance to win one!

Gorgeous Curls Curl Taming Cream, I have very fine hair which makes curling a pain because it doesn't take much for the curls to go all fluffy and frizzy! My hair dresser told me to use a cream rather than a serum or spray as it adds weight and holds the curls for much longer. I have to say that this was the gem of the products I tried and I will certainly be repurchasing this when it runs out. It was a bit of a trial for me as I haven't used a cream to curl my hair. It's a thick and silky feeling cream that coats the hair from root to ends. I tried it first with velcro rollers, no joy there as the curls didn't hold. With heated appliances however (like blowdrying with a roller brush or curling tongs) it is a completely different and better experience. I used my good old dependable Braun Independent gas powered curling tong. I would recommend these to anyone, I have had mine for about 5 years and it's brilliant! No fiddly wires, it's lightweight and the gas cartridges last ages and are cheap to replace. So anyway, I was left with effortless and bouncy curls that have lasted all day and by the evening they were loose and wavy but still very much in place. A day later the curls are still evident and a quick comb through and they still look nice. Curl them tight and they will fall out gradually and naturally. I don't know how this compares to other curling creams but I am happy enough to have found a cruelty free and widely available brand that I can buy from Boots the Chemist.

Sugar Maple Quick Fix Face Mask. I even tasted a bit of this to see if it really was maple, I don't recommend it however as it's not like the syrup you might put on pancakes! It does smell of maple syrup which after a short while I got used to. Maple syrup is supposed to be good for the skin as it contains fruit acids which gently peel away dead skin, I think I would have to use this a few times to see any real change to my skin. The biggest bonus for me is that I suffered no allergic reaction to it and it felt lovely and cooling for the five minutes I wore it. It was easy to remove as it doesn't dry to a chalky mess. The single use sachet was more than enough for three applications, there was no way all of it could go on my face as it has a very runny consistency just like maple syrup.

Heaven Scent Rose Body Wash (smells like Turkish Delight, yum!). I am using this every day as I love the smell, it's natural and gentle frangrance is soothing and girly. It reminds me of some talcum powder I was given when I was 5 which was Boots English Tea Rose, I adored it. The shower gel lathers well and doesn't dry out my skin. My husband doesn't like turkish delight but this might just tempt him enough to try it :)

Bella Italia a review of Italian swap goodies.

I was so excited when the post arrived today, I was having a bit of a low day. It was horrible outside with rain and thunder all afternoon which didn't add to my mood at all!

Look at all these wonderful goodies from Kiko and Truccominerale!

Kiko Colour Sphere - (purple and lilac domed eye shadow) is lovely and very much like a baked electroflash by M.A.C - the packaging of the Kiko line is almost identical too. I think M.A.C is difficult if not impossible to get in Italy, so I sent some eye shadows in my swap!

Truccominerale Peach Blusher - I am really getting in to peach blushers, just because they are quite versatile for an ultra natural look. They can be used as eye shadows if you're in a hurry. Peach really brightens and peps up my complexion as well.

Truccominerale Manga Violet eye shadow loose pigment, this is as vibrant as it gets. I have never seen anything like it. A matte violet - a bit like M.A.C creme de violet but more intense, way more intense.

Kiko Vibrant Eye Pencil in shade 601 - Kiko don't seem to give names to their colours but this is a bold and incredibly creamy and blendable pencil. I used it as a liner, eye shadow base and also on the lips underneath the Kiko lipstick in 06 which really made it last for hours!

Kiko Eye shadows in 24 and 54. 24 is a light lemony irridescent cream, amazing as a highlight. 54 is a metallic almost molten bronze, I've been using it on my cheeks as a bronzer as well as over the eye pencil as an eye shadow.

Here are a few swatches below:

Left:Manga Violet

Top to bottom: Colour sphere purple then lilac, No 24 and then No 54 eye shadows

Right: Bronze Eye Pencil

My Italian swap buddy also sent me a few baggies of sample pigments which I love the look of:

Italy has been holding out on us I think, these brands are amazing, I am really loving my goodies!

A full review can be found on my channel!

Eye of the Day!

Ok Whoa, this is a new look for me doncha think?

I was just playing around with my e.l.f minerals and this happened!

I haven't made a tutorial of this look as I fear it as much as I love it!

Sometimes it gets frustrating!

Please see an email correspondence from today copied below with names removed to protect those who I do not wish to persecute.

Most of the time the comments I get are appreciative and lovely for which I am very grateful. I do not make videos for adoration but it certainly is a bit of a boost when a nice comment comes along! When I get negative comments, I try to take them constructively unless they are racist, sexual or insulting.

I can't remember the comment that this person wrote but it wasn't kind - it was a bit like one of those Bridget Jones Jellyfish sting comments - that is mingled in with a kind of compliment but is still actually kind of rude when you think about it and that makes you feel silly for being offended - but you're still offended!

So in short, it p*ssed me off enough to remove it and block this petty person from making more annoying comments about how crap my tutorials are and how boring my looks are - wouldn't you? As fellow bloggers and YouTubers, if you are, doesn't the meanness begin to get you down so I reserve the right to remove and block whoever I like on my channel and make no excuses about it. I feel that it's then out of my system and I am moving on! So I was amazed to receive an email (below) from Ms Indignant below and she felt the need to ask me why I have blocked her as if I should be lucky to have someone who clearly hates what I do as a viewer? Um help me out here, am I missing something?

I like think I am a kind person who is supportive and understanding of views even if they don't agree with my own. I have never written a negative comment on YouTube and I don't intend to as it is frankly, a little pointless and spiteful to those who have tried to make something interesting and not for personal gain. I want the make up community on YouTube to continue - it has been a place where I have learned so much and met and made some amazing friends so imagine if it was taken away because a few people can't control their urge to say something mean!

End of vent! I have now moved on again.

Jasmine

xx

Hello XXX,

I found your comment rude and so it was removed and you have been blocked - it is my standard practice as I receive a lot of racist comments which should not be tolerated. Your comment was not racist I appreciate but I will explain to you below:

It's easy to criticise but what you fail to appreciate is that people who make videos are under pressure to make stunning looks in a few minutes. When I do professional level jobs, it takes nearly two hours to do one model, which is mainly blending!

Your comment is damaging to my professional reputation which I can not have on my channel. Since you don't see what you did as wrong I had to take steps to prevent you from continuing to damage my reputation with tactless comments on my videos, I don't have time to police them all.

I apologise to you if you are upset in any way by this and I will happily unblock if you are more selective in your criticism in the future.

Best wishes

Jasmine

.

On Sat, Aug 22, 2009 at 9:24 AM, XXX wrote:

Hey Jasmine,

I logged onto youtube and have found out that you blocked me! Can you please explain why you did that? All I can remember doing is writing a comment where I said I'm not a huge fan of the looks you create (which is true. I think they are quite boring and not all that great. You don't blend very well. But i've pretty much kept this to myself) but that I watch your videos because i like your voice and you have now blocked me.

I think it's a really really ridiculous. You make think that your at a point where you can block people for making the most minor comments so be it. I'll just have to be sure to let everyone I know what your attitude is now like. I posted quite positive things on one Australia's biggest forum but I think i'm now going to have to tell them all know how petty you can be

Have a nice life and you can be sure that my friends, family and I will no longer be watching your videos anymore.

It's hard to decide! Help!

I'm sitting at home waiting for my hubby after a hard day of starting to swatch the entire e.l.f Mineral Eye Shadow line. Rather than just swatch on the back of my hand, I intend to show you photographs that are naturally lit and zoomed in as close as possible. I hope this helps you decide for yourself whether it's the colour and texture for you as it's so hard to tell from the colours on the website.

This is also a test as to whether my husband notices my make up is a little different today!

Which do you like best and where would you wear it?

Dusky Rose Indian Bridal Look

My latest tutorial is a modern Indian Bridal Look.

Here's the list of products that I used:

e.l.f Studio Eye Primer (and liner sealer)

e.l.f Studio Under eye concealer and highlighter (http://www.eyeslipsface.co.uk)

Barefaced Beauty Mineral Foundation in Sincere (http://www.barefacedbeauty.co.uk)

The Body Shop Eye Shadow in Pearl

Earth Goddess Minerals - Palomba Pink (http://www.earthgoddessminerals.com)

e.l.f Mineral Eye Shadow in Wild

Barry M black kohl pencil

e.l.f Studio mini eyelash curler

e.l.f Earth and Water Mascara Duo

e.l.f Blusher in Flushed

Australis Creme Colour in Dusky Rose

10K Subscription Contest

I hinted at a contest a few videos back and when I was on Blog TV the other week and have thought of a good idea for a contest, finally. So here it is:

It's called "10 out of 10". Yeah, it's a weird title but I guess it needed one! It's a contest based on the idea that less is more and I'd like you to design and show me a look using only

10 products!

Here are the Rules, Contest Description and Frequently Asked Questions which I will update if I receive any sensible questions that I haven't thought of:

Rules:

1. You must only use 10 products in your finished look, not as easy as you might think - generally one of my looks uses about 15 products! I counted and was amazed by that statistic.
2. A palette is not one product - each thing that you use from the palette (e.g eye shadows etc) are single items and count as one of your 10 products. A pair of false lashes is one product. Use your best judgement!
3. Submit a video entry via my YouTube Channel to the following video which is just a more animated version of this Blog entry!
4. You must have subscribed to my YouTube Channel for your chance to win
5. You may submit more than one entry but it has to be a new entry and not an old video from your channel, don't make me check!
6. Closing Date: September 20th 2009 - 19:00 UK time (check the world clock to see what your time is when it's 19:00 UK time)

FAQs

• You don't have to submit a live or tutorial style video, photos videos will be fine.
• Make sure that you show the final look and products that you have used to create your look.
• There is an element of trust that you will only use 10 products, after all we can't check but other contestants and I may detect something and call you on it!
• Your 10 products do not have to include your brushes/cleanser/toner/moisturiser, just your make up.
• Yes this is a GLOBAL contest, it does not matter where you hail from, if you receive post I will send you your prize should you win!

Prizes are all new and never used:

Top Prize:

• M.A.C Pro Colour Palette (empty to depot your eye shadows - load of companies, not just M.A.C fit in these palettes!)
• M.A.C Enchanting Vermillion Fashion Eye Kit, a gorgeous red clutch bag from an earlier collection containing

• My favourite lashes from M.A.C - #7 False Lashes (no glue)
  
• Zoomlash Mascara
  
• Gold Glitter Eye Liner in Blitzed
  
• Fluidline Gel Liner in Black Track
  
• 209SE Liner Brush

1st Runner up

• Coastal Scents 7 piece pink brush set
• Barry M Compact Mirror
• Coastal Scents Key Lime and Fiji Twist Loose Pigments (2g jar)
• e.l.f Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin
• Eyeko Beauty Wow Feel the Glow 3in1 Eye Cream (36ml tub)
• Eyeko Beauty Magic Liquid Eyeliner
• N.Y.C Nail Polish in Charming Rose Creme

2nd Runner up

• The Body Shop Brow and Liner Kit
• e.l.f Mineral Lipstick in Rosy Raisin
• The Body Shop Divide and Multiply Mascara in black
• The Body Shop Eyelash Curlers
• The Body Shop Liquid Lip Colour in Pale Pink Sparkle
• Obsessed Minerals Pressed Eye Shadows in Summer Heat and Grape
• Anatomicals "no old bags allowed" eye gel
• 4 Chi Chi Eye Magic instant eye shadow press ons

I am looking forward to seeing your entries, and good luck!

xoxox

Wedding Photo!

Sorry it's taken nearly a month to show you a wedding photo! Credit and copyright for this photo belongs to James Mildenhall one of our guests who is also an excellent photographer. I am sure the official photographs won't be long!

Products used:

• MAC Strobe Cream as base
• Prescriptives Foundation in Real Honey (also used as concealer)
• Lumiere 3D eye in Rested around the eye area and lightly dusted over and pressed in to set my foundation
• MAC Brule, Shroom, Satin Taupe and Amber Lights
• Barry M 145 Lip Paint and matching lip pencil
• MAC Sculpt and Shape as highlight, shader and blush
• e.l.f Liner Pen in black
• MAC Eye Liner Kohl in Duck
• MAC Splashproof Mascara

Thanks for all your good wishes, and don't forget I am available to do your wedding make up too!

24 Carat Gold Obsession

This is my latest look, something glittery, shimmery, golden and glowy! I overdosed on gold!

I used a range new to me of mineral based eye shadows called Obsessed Minerals. The pressed mineral eye shadows are creamy and soft, not powdery or talc laden. They do take a bit of getting used to as they don't apply very well with brushes, unless they are synthetic or the dreaded foam pads! I find that using my fingers works very well and they are blendable and there is hardly any fall out. The look lasted all day and didn't crease which was very impressive considering they are mainly pigment, there must be something added in the pressing process which keeps them from being too dry or too oily, impressive indeed!

The eye shadows cost $US10 each so comparable with MAC shadows, I haven't tried depotting them as I don't think they will fit in a custom 15 palette. Perhaps Obsessed Minerals should think about a pressed palette which is a lot easier than stackable loose pigments to store and work with when you're on the go!

The lip glaze is infused with fine gold particles which aren't scratchy like some glittery lip glosses (e.g. Barry M's new red glitter lip gloss) and it contains Jojoba oil which makes it nourishing and comfortable to wear.

The tinted foundation primer I tried was a lovely consistency but the colour left my skin slightly ashy and grey, that was toned down a bit by a layer of mineral foundation and then some yellow colour corrective powder over the top. I have fed this back to Obsesssed Minerals in the hope that they will take this in to account for Indian skin tones.

The cream luminzer and blushers are just gorgeous, slightly creamier than I have tried before but that is great if you have slightly drier cheeks and combination skin. It dries to a powder finish which means it will last longer and nourish your skin rather than dry it out.

The liquid liner was a mixed bag as I liked the consistency of "Glittered" which I used in my look, but it lacked the intensity I needed, I should have used it over the top of a normal liquid liner to add glitter. You can see swatches of the liquid liners on the website.

Anyhoo, I really like this range, I think the packaging could be more robust as the plastic feels like it won't last a week in my pro box but it's the content which counts! The eye shadows are really for special occasions as they are so packed with shimmer, but I can see myself using this for Indian Bridal looks, they are just perfect! If you like Barry M but want the convenience of a mineral pressed shadow, getting some of these might just be your next obsession.

Obsessed Minerals website.

The tutorial for this look can be found on my YouTube Channel

How to get girls excited about software!?

Eureka!

After over a year of agonising because I couldn't give you good close up photographs of the eye looks I create, I have done it! Better still it hasn't cost me a fortune in software or a new HD camera. I am feeling rather smug at the moment because I was seriously fretting about having to buy a better camera which would have cost me about £2500 for the one I want! Granted this route isn't as simple as taking a photo but I am not one to throw money at a problem until it goes away!

Here's an example of some of the pictures you can expect. Today's look is another fresh day look using plum and apricot, very fruity! I even remembered to fill in my eyebrows! I am sure that a tutorial will follow soon but for now at least you can see close up where I have put the shadows!

I haven't learned how to "photoshop" an image properly yet, so these are unretouched photos, but it would be nice to be able to smudge out a few lines and spots wouldn't it?!

Conclusion: I am a huge nerd and easy to please!

Interview/Office Make Up Look

So today I had an interview and I decided stand out from the crowd with my fresh faced make up and outfit. I wore a red skirt suit rather than my customary black/brown/grey combination and put my hair up in a long pony tail with a slight quiff - the photo has been cropped by blogger (thanks a lot blogger ;P)

I had to get up at 5am as the interview was at 8am so by the time I had taken the photos it was about 6 o'clock in the evening. All I did was top up my lip gloss and translucent pressed powder around the nose! So I think it's looking kind of good as it really covered up my sleepless night and long stressful day!

This look took about 10 minutes so I could spend longer looking at my notes and not rushing to get there on time.

List of products used

e.l.f Tone correcting concealer in Medium

Lumiere Cosmetics 3D Eye in Rested (a great matte yellow powder I used around the eyes to pep up the skin and over the eye lid to lighten and add contrast to the brown used in the crease.

Barefaced Beauty mineral foundation in Sincere

Urban Decay Primer Potion

Sleek Storm Palette (matte light brown)

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks in Velvet Plum

e.l.f Waterproof Mascara

e.l.f Plumping Lipglaze in Ruby Kiss (my new favourite gloss)

I decided not to use any eyeliner so as to make my eyes look bigger and more wide awake. I needed all the help I could get in this department!

My interviewer was wearing a dazzling mauve sort of eye shadow. I know I should have been concentrating on her questions but she had amazing eye lashes and her mascara was just perfect, unfortunately she was wearing the wrong shade of blusher and far too much of it!

A tutorial will follow, I was just a bit shattered after my long day!