Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Tapered Blending Brush

I have several OCC brushes, they are synthetic (vegan and cruelty free) brushes. I use the large powder brush on brides to calm their nerves, it's very therapeutic, as well as for applying setting powders!

The tapered blending brush is primarily of the eye area but I often use it to blend away concealer lines from under the eyes and around the nose. Synthetic brushes are wholly more versatile than hair brushes, they also don't leach their dye, they dry more quickly and are a dream to use with wet and dry products. If you're thinking of buying a new set of brushes or a few new ones then you really can't go wrong with synthetic ones. They will last a lot longer too (as they can be treated more roughly for thorough cleansing and the hairs won't bend or splay out when drying).

I've enjoyed using this brush a lot, it comes with me on every outing as do the powder and small shader brushes! I think the prices are fairly reasonable for brushes which are going to last, you can use with wet and dry products, and deliver good results. I think these are better than a lot of synthetic brushes and I would expect that from this price range. I can't compare to cheaper brushes such as the Ecotools and e.l.f Bamboo - which are also brilliant brushes too for the price and ranges available.

You can find OCC brushes on Love-makeup in UK from their website, the tapered blending brush is £14.99.

GOSH Velvet Touch Foundation Primer Cream and Bronzing Shimmer Powder

I'll admit that I was sceptical about the cream version of the GOSH velvet touch foundation primer. I had not liked the gel version, mainly because it is more suited to oilier skins and I found myself giving it away. I think it was the first time I had seen a primer available for a reasonable price and since then you can't move for primers on the High Street.

I was delighted to see the cream version when I was in Ireland over Christmas and I kicked myself for not buying it there and then (there was a huge queue and Euros were strong against Sterling blah blah blah).

I've been using it a bit lately as a base but it can be used as a moisturiser too, I have preferred moisturisers with SPF that I use during the day. But on a night out this would be great to keep my skin hydrated.

Did this work for me? Yes and very well indeed. Let's be honest, there isn't much of a wrinkle filling effect but what it did do was to lessen the settling in to fine lines that you can sometimes see after a few hours. A nice bonus, my make up did remain fresher for longer and resisted the need for powder later on in the day. So I like it and I would buy it again, I prefer it over silica based gels for my combination to dry skin type. Well done GOSH, this is a great little product for the price.

The Primer Cream is around £12.99 for a 30ml pump dispenser from Superdrug and other online stockists.

Now on to the Bronzing Shimmer Powder in 001 Bronze. In the picture you can see that the stripes are good for asian skin tones, not too much pink and plenty of brown. When you open up yours you will notice a lot of gold glitter on top, do not be put off by this, a couple of brushes and it's gone, leaving behind the gorgeous not overly glittery and subtle bronzer shades. I love all of the shades. Since I began using this, it has made it in to my everyday make up kit, it doubles as a blush/bronzer and eye palette. The colours are natural and harmonising with my Indian skin tone. I am delighted to have found a bronzer which works with my skin tones.

The Bronzing Shimmer Powder is £7.99 for a 9g compact from Superdrug in the UK.

L'Occitane Immortelle Brightening Moisture Mask

I have nothing but good things to say about this product.

Immortelle is a tiny yellow flower which grows in and around Mediterranean coastlines. They are so called as they last a long time, drying them even maintains their distinctive daisy-like scent. This product uses an essential oil derived from the flowers which is said to boost collagen synthesis and cell renewal. I know nothing of these aspects so I can only talk about how I have used it and the effects I have noticed immediately after use.

I now travel with a little pot of the mask as it has such powerful skin hydration properties. I take my make up off when the plane has taken off and apply a generous layer of the mask to help keep my skin content in the the dry air of the flight. Reapply if the flight is longer than 2 hours. I then arrive with plump and fresh skin, ready for the day or evening!

I have only ever experienced the plumping effects, like those I experience with this mask, after an expensive facial infusion treatment. So it indeed is worth the price tag! I was very pleasantly surprised also that this effect has not lessened with each use. Every time I use this mask (generally after exfoliating to calm and hydrate the skin once a week) my skin feels wonderfully plump, fine lines are less noticeable and my skin is brighter. The rest of the range is looking fairly attractive to me...

A note about how the skin brightening compounds work in this product, they lessen the effectiveness of melanin production in the skin. This is not advisable if you do not intend to use a high SPF when in sunlight as you are lessening the natural defence of your skin to sunlight. This mask is intensive and requires after care of your skin. I would advise using the Brightening Shield which has SPF40, which brightens and evens as well as protects at the same time. This advice must not be ignored.

Another note about brightening, it is not about lightening your skin shade, I do not endorse skin lightening. It's a form of internal racism in my mind and I don't approve of it at all. Instead I would like to see brown people celebrate and be proud of our gorgeous and individual skin tones! There are enough fools out there trying desperately to be brown and ending up orange, and we have it naturally! But if you suffer from uneven skin tones, pigmentation from acne or medication then that's different. I use this for the moisturising effects and to even out persistent and dark scars from occasional acne.

A 125ml tub is generous and should last you several months of weekly use, it is priced around £39 and available from L'Occitane stores and online.

Yes to... Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel

Cucumbers are packed with vitamins A and C and have been captured in this light and smooth gel for the eye area. I found it to be refreshing and cooling especially as this is the start of hayfever season for so many people. As it's a gel it is also great for gentle tightening of the eye area without pulling or discomfort, so if you're eyes are puffy and could do with a lift then this might be for you.

Initially I was put off trying this cream as I have a pathological hatred of all things cucumber! I went to a natural products show and the lovely Yes to people were there so let me sniff them! Just as with the Yes to Tomatoes, I was pleasantly surprised that it doesn't really smell of cucumbers after all, bonus!

I often get asked about eye creams and are they really effective. My answer is that you need to major skin care items from any age, there is no cure only a way to slow down the march of wrinkles. A good sunscreen and an eye cream. Everything else is a bonus. In your 20s and 30s I suggest opting for a gel as it isn't as heavy as a full on eye cream. They are easily absorbed but offer more moisture without greasiness. It's a matter of trial and error in deciding on your perfect formula. Be careful just to use it sparingly, less is definitely more with eye creams, too much and you'll be puffy in the morning, or your concealer will crack and slip.

I tend to use an eye cream at night and during the day if my eyes are feeling sore or puffy.

What do you use around your eyes and how many have you tried before finding your perfect one?

It's all coming up Roses!

It suddenly dawned on me that I have a lot of Rose products!

Here's a small selection from left to right

Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Body Elixir

Sleek Blusher in Rose Gold

e.l.f Mineral Blush in Rose

The Body Shop Moroccan Rose Eau de Toilette

Tisserand Rose and Lemon Deodrant

Obsessed Minerals Eye Shadow in Kentucky Rose

Melvita Rose Shower Cream

The beautiful roses were part of a beautiful arrangement from my friend who recently married and I was honoured to be her make up artist for the day.

Argh forgotten my false lash case! A quick fix.

Have you ever done this? Gone out for the evening and misplaced your lash kit? Rather than having them hang around gathering dust and gunk, I found a quick solution using a Post-It note.

Turn the note over so that the sticky side is facing you, attach the lashes to the bottom of the sticky tab.

Fold in the outer edges and stick down at the top.

Fold up to the sticky tab and press to seal.

Just like an envelope, fold over the sticky tab to seal.

And now you have a safe and portable eye lash holder!

You can also use this method for storing smashed powders, albeit temporarily, to keep the rest of your makeup clean.

Do you have any emergency solutions you've used?

The 4 minute shower challenge - can you do it?

Recently I listened to Donnachadh McCarthy a leading eco-consultant, he gave a very interesting presentation about how to eco-audit your home and workplace. He also gave me a little 4 minute egg timer saying that if you can keep to this timer in your shower, you'll have used less than a bath of water! It now makes a lot more sense how much water and heat we waste by taking long showers. Thinking that these are actually more environmentally sustainable, but they aren't. We don't have a power shower, thankfully as a 10 minute power shower can use up to 3 baths of water.

Now don't get me wrong, I love to have a long hot shower but I realise that this isn't sustainable. What if everyone in the world decided to take a long hot shower, well we'd be in crisis, well more of a environmental crisis than we already are.

So over the last couple of weeks the egg timer has been in use in our shower at chez OxfordJasmine. Mr OJ takes forever in the shower so I wanted him to a) be quicker b) leave me some hot water and c) reduce our water and gas bills! We see it as a bit of a challenge and have been sharing tips on how to speed up the shower!

At first I went massively over 4 minutes so I have taken these steps

1. Cleanse face and neck separately before or after the shower

2. Stop the shower if I am using a body scrub or loofah to later up and clean myself

3. Not to use deep conditioners that require more than a minute on the scalp. I save those for the bath!

4. If I am not in a hurry or don't have to have a shower in the morning, I have a bath, and then Mr OJ steps in after me (I like my water really hot and he's more temperate so it works out for both of us). I get to relax and read a book, pop on that hair treatment or mask too.

If you're a bill payer and squirm anxiously when the bills arrive then you might be interested to read Donnachadh's book "Easy Eco Auditing", £7.99.

Do you think you can shower in under 4 minutes? What tips could you give?

Inika Certified Organic Eye Liner in 02 Coco Review

If you've ever wanted an eye liner which is not black but not brown either, then this is the colour for you. Forever mixing my brown and black cream liners to get that perfect colour is nearly a thing of the past.

Many brands are starting to see the light (or dark) of producing products that are in between black and brown, I find most browns don't show up and black is a little too harsh for day wear unless it is used very thinly.

When choosing a shade that is in between, look for names like Espresso, Coco or BlackCocoa (such as Pixi by Petra). It really will be the colour of very strong dark coffee.

Inika is an Australian brand and has been a favourite ever since becoming cruelty free, the brand is reassuringly inexpensive considering that the products are organic, vegan and of excellent quality. This pencil retails for between £7-11 depending on stockist. The liner itself is creamy with a dryish texture which allows it to last a long while even on the waterline. It doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes like others can; and when fixed with dark shadow it has all the staying powder of a gel or cream liner.

I have tried only a limited part of the range, but I would recommend you try their pigment shadows, there are some simply stunning colours and textures. I am testing out the Liquid Mineral Foundation at the moment so I shall report back to you in good time.

You can find Inika products at many websites, mainly those with an organic or natural focus. You can find out more about Inika as a company from their Australian website, which will also give you lots of information about their product range.

Compact and bijoux - travel make up

A quick picture from my recent travels showing that I can get all my make up and brushes in to a small wristlet (which doubles as an evening purse). As you know I like to decant large containers in to smaller ones that can either be disposed of or fit neatly in to a pouch.

Every time I travel I try take as little as possible, what I take is obviously dependent on where and what I'll be doing on my travels too. This time it was a trip to London for the day to give makeovers at a trade show.

NYX HD eyelid primer - this is a white, thin consistency which is a nice alternative to creamy, dry feeling primers. It doesn't have to be set with matte powder, but I use my face powder to as it makes the shadows last even longer. Available from Cocktail Cosmetics.

Bourjois Kohl and Contour 16 hour eye liner in brown

Coastal Scents compact eyelash curler - an excellent curler, not a frightening contraption and gives a nice natural curl, it is not possible to over curl the lashes using this curler.

e.l.f Studio Concealer pencil and brush

e.l.f Studio Undereye concealer and highlighter

Lily Lolo blush in Clementine (tester)

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in #7 Tan from Cocobeau.

Face Atelier Loose Powder (which I then proceeded to drop all over the bathroom, pah!)

Alva Eye Shadow Duo (Gold) - an utterly amazing eye shadow duo which suits everyone. Creamy and multi-tonal means that it will look different according to skin tone but it works with rather than against. A definite must have!

Bourjois Lipstick in Sienne - a peachy lipstick, which I didn't think would work for me but it does. It has enough pigment to block out the undertone of my lips to lighten them and then I place a lipgloss over the top to tone the peachyness down a bit.

A selection of e.l.f brushes.

You're wondering where my mascara is? I was travelling down as well to look at a lot of mascara samples for a new project that we are working on, so naked lashes were required for me to test them out!

Pure Paw Paw Papaya Ointment by Phytocare

I love the smell of fermented Papaya, I didn't know this until I tried a tube of PURE Papaya Ointment. This light yellow soft buttery ointment really is my kind of product as it has 101 uses. PURE Papaya Ointment has soothed chapped lips and minor burns, moisturised dry elbows and knees and cared for eczema and dermatitis inflammations. It's pretty safe to use on anyone, so when friends forget their nappy rash cream they can use a bit of this too. I think it is a better and safer alternative to EA 8 hour cream, having never got on with this product as it is too strong for my sensitive skin (and nose).

Ingredients:
Shea butter, Macadamia oil, Jojoba oil, Papaya ferment, Vitamin E, coconut derivatives, Beeswax, Olive derived emulsifier, Silica, Fragrance (naturally derived), Bark resin (Styrax), Marigold flower extract - As you can see all truly natural derived ingredients and no petrochemicals.

PURE Papaya Ointment is 100% petroleum jelly free and is available in 25g (around £10) and 100g (around £20) tubes from various stockists. I have found that used sparingly, as a little goes a long way, I am only half way through the 25g tube in 3 months.