Simple face routine

I've just uploaded a simple face and body scrub recipe video tutorial to my YouTube Channel.

The recipe is

1 part runny honey

2 parts lemon juice

1 drop vanilla extract

1 drop essential oil (optional) Tea tree is good for blemishes, rose for calming and sensitivity.

1 dash olive oil

3 parts granulated sugar

This face scrub is lovely because it is natural and cheap too! It's also quite tasty, although I don't recommend eating it as it's so sweet!

I like to use this face scrub in a simple routine, when I have a bit of time to myself or am preparing for a special occasion.

So start your simple routine by cleansing your face with your normal cleanser. Apply this face scrub (after you have done a patch test for sensitivity and reaction) to dry skin. This recipe tends to make enough for your face and half your body, so double up if you want to do the entire face and body. Brush lightly, not too hard as it is quite grainy, and then rinse away with warm water.

Secondly you might like to try a face steam using rose petals or essential oils. Take a bowl of steaming hot water and drop in a drop of your favourite essential oil (avoid menthol) or some crushed rose petals. Place your face about 30 cm over the bowl for about 1 minute, closing your eyes and breathing normally.

Then you can wait for the water to cool down entirely and splash your face with the water, or just use fresh cool water or a flower water spritz.

Apply your favourite moisturiser or even a face mask. I have a recipe that I am planning to make a video tutorial for in the near future using avocados for dry skin!

Enjoy!

Help me decide!

This weekend I have a WHOLE day off! Yes for the first time in months I have time and space to make videos, write blogs and play with my make up! These things relax me! I can shut myself away in my study and let the creative stuff flow!

So you have some choices to help me with: I am going to try and make a couple of videos at least and I have a few ideas!

- e.l.f Everyday Eyes Beauty Encyclopedia look

- Pink Sparkle Eyes

- Smoky amber eyes

- Colourful Neutral eyes

- Making your own face spa products and a simple routine

- Colour collection - my eye shadow/liner collection split in to colours and swatched - this will be one video per colour group.

- Beauty Room Tour - I'll have to tidy like mad but it will give me a good incentive if you're all coming round for a nosey.

- Demo of a one to one Skype session with me - for this I will need a volunteer for Blog TV! Any takers for a free but public one to one make up session with me?

Do those sound like fun? It has to be fun! You don't have to vote or anything but I really value your opinion, just let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see! Providing I can do it, I will try!

Last Chance to enter for your Model Mirror!

This weekend I will be randomly drawing the winner of a design of their choice in the Model Mirror range! For more details on how to enter please leave a comment on this video on my YouTube channel!

Monoi Miracle Oil for dry ends!

I was recently sorting out my cosmetics (I know I am very bad, I moved nearly three months ago) and I came across a half used bottle of The Body Shop Monoi Miracle Oil. This is my second bottle after being introduced to it at the first Body Shop bloggers event last year.

Clearly delighted with myself that I had found a lost treasure, I immediately used it on my hands and elbows! I love the smell of it, it's really hard to find a good frangipani like smell that isn't too synthetic. This scent reminds me of an exotic fruit mixed with heavy perfume. I also use it as a treat for my dry ends, smooth some on before you go to bed (I plait my hair so I don't end up with it all over my face!) and in the morning they will feel soft and shiny.

It's also a lovely body massage oil and I like to treat myself to splash of it in a hot bath too!

Since buying this bottle, The Body shop has changed the packaging but it is still £10 for a 150ml bottle.

Which multipurpose products do you love?

Concrete Mineral Eye Shadows

A few months ago I was sent a few samples of Concrete Mineral Eye Shadows. At $5.99 (+postage from the US) each they represent good value in terms of the 1.5g of product in each jar. Prices start to go down the more you order (e.g. $40 for 10 jars).

I don't know about you but I lament the fact that the UK doesn't have any indie make up companies. I absolutely love to browse Etsy for interesting make up. I presume that it is all original and hand made but can't be 100% sure these days with many people buying pigments to mix themselves, as opposed to crushing and making themselves. It doesn't matter, I just like to know that they are safe and fun to use.

I am inspired by people like Concrete Minerals because it sounds so exciting and creative to make your own make up. If you've thought about or are a new make up company, please get in touch, I'd love to hear from you.

The eye shadows I was sent* were Swamped (an emerald green with silver), Temptress (sky blue/teal with gold) and Séance (deep violet with cherry). I chose them as I am a bit of a lemming for jewel tones and deep colours. The eye shadows are soft and finely milled, blend nicely with water and creams. They stain a little so you'll need an oil based cleanser to remove, better still a cream base on the eyelid. I also mixed all three in clear nail varnish for an astonishing, if a little weird, colour!

Would I buy these again? Definitely from a UK/European website, I am not so inclined to from the US as I am in the UK. I am just not that comfortable waiting for make up from the US. I am sure a lot of you agree that sometimes mail gets lost, arrives broken due from transit and returning it is more costly for the company and more hassle than it's worth! If you're in the US then definitely check out these minerals, you're very lucky and I am envious!

Concrete Minerals website is here. * I was sent these three eye shadows free for my review, I am not affiliated with Concrete Minerals.

Look of the Day - Purple Sparkle

Today's look of the day was created using a new palette from e.l.f, the Beauty Encyclopedia. The Sparkle Eye Edition is only £6 (I still can't quite believe it for the quality!) and contains 12 generous shimmery or glittery shadows with two cream eye shadows, a soft half sized brown pencil and small brush.

The lightest shadows remind me of the new Urban Decay Stardust Shadows for the huge amount of glitter they contain. The darker the shadow, the softer it is so be careful as they are highly pigmented too! The lighter the shadow, the more glitter it will contain.

The cream shadows are a bit oilier which makes them crease so not for use on their own but they make great bases. The Beauty Encyclopedia range has been reformulated and relaunched and having both sets I can say that I am impressed with the new formulations. I really would compare the softness and pigmentation to Urban Decay Box Sets that I own.

The one thing I would say about the palette, and this is any palette where creams and powders are next to each other, is that you have to be careful when using the shadows not to spill any in to the cream. I think it's just my OCD playing up again but this makes me anxious when it happens and I am quick to grab a cotton tip to remove it! The protective plastic sleeve keeps the palettes clean rather than having the book close directly on to the shadows but the sticky tape circles looked unsightly after a while so I would recommend removing those.

The one thing I do like most about this palette is that it is cardboard. I don't know if you've found this but cardboard is much better for your powders as if you drop them, they are less likely to shatter. Those who have shared that sad and maddening moment, akin to dropping an icecream, when a compact shatters might be interested to know that!

This look was voted for by the elf fans on their facebook page. So far for every 1000 fans who join the page, e.l.f has been offering free shipping which is not to be missed. At the rate it is increasing that's free shipping nearly once a week.

The Beauty Encyclopedia can be purchased from e.l.f's website. I think one line sold out in 24 hours so I was lucky to get them! But now I am torn, do I take the small make up collection or the eye and lip encyclopedias when I go away?

The video tutorial is below!

For your information, I am affiliated with e.l.f Cosmetics UK and I did receive this sample for my review.

Graceful make up photo tutorial.

This is the lovely Grace. Grace wanted to experiment with her make up and try some of the latest Spring trends. So she booked a session with me.

We looked for inspiration to base Grace's look upon. She liked the fresh pastel pink cheeked look (with less of a smoky eye as it is for work!) sported by the gorgeous Scarlett.

I started with a bare but moisturised face. Grace has a fair complexion that is easily burned so we used an SPF 30 to prepare the face. No primers were used as this moisturises and primes the face for make up.

Bare naked face!

Next I tested various brands and colours of liquid make up - denoted by the stripes of liquid foundation down the cheek and neck.

I blended well with a damp sponge and left for a few seconds. None were an exact match so I custom blended the first with a little of the third to get a perfect match. You can hardly see it blended in to the neck and face.

Here I've applied foundation to the entire face, eyelids and lips. A brightening concealer was applied around the nose, under the eyes and to any uneven areas needing fuller coverage. It looks ghostly pale but I re-introduce shimmer and warmth with a bronzer later.

I've also applied fluffy cheek stain to the cheekbones and blended up in to the hair line. The make up was set using translucent powder pressed over the face, then I brushed away any excess with a powder brush. This avoids the face looking caked which can be ageing.

On to the eyes, a golden peach cream eye shadow was applied as a base to the eye lids to add warmth and to balance out the cheek stain.

Next I applied a darker matte chocolate brown to the crease and outer corners of the eyes. Then blended upwards to really open up the Grace's deep set and partially hooded eyes. A brow gel was then applied and the eyebrows groomed in to a natural shape.

To balance out Grace's slightly wide set eyes, a dark metallic brown eye liner pencil was applied to upper and lower lashes. It is best to concentrate on the upper lash line inner corner and lower lash line outer corner.

Finally a deep coral lipstick was applied with a gold lip gloss in the centre of the lips over the top.

A bit of subtle highlighter was applied to the high points of the face (cheekbone, eyebrow arch, nose, cheeks and forehead)

Before and After!

Grace also received a gift of two of the main products in this look!

Did you like Grace's make over? If you'd like a make up lesson from me (charges apply), why not get in touch?