Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Perfect Christmas Gift Ideas - Mac Tartan Tale Collection.


Fabulous Xmas gift ideas from Mac this year with the Tartan Tale collection, definitely one of my favourites & not just because of my Scottish heritage of course but all the fabulous colour selections available! My personal favourite is the plaid eye shadows, available in 6 different colours from peach, to golds & pinks as well as purples, green, silvers & blues! The range is pretty vast & includes reusable tartan cases filled with some of your favourite colours as well as some gorgeous lip & face palates, all decorated in fabulous tartan of course! Here's a selection of some of the gift sets, all available from www.maccosmetics.co.uk, sets from £23.50, but hurry as they're selling fast!







Christmas Party Smokey Eyes!


With the party season getting into full swing this weekend here a few tips on getting those sultry smokey eyes for the xmas night out on Saturday!

Firstly as with anything start with a good base, take a light neutral colour and with a large brush sweep across the lid. Then with a smaller defined brush take a dark colour of your choice which works best as a shimmer or frost finish & apply to your lower lid then with your larger brush blend outwards to soften (don't worry if it looks s little messy at this stage!).

Then take the dark colour again & shade in the outer corners of your eye in a shape such as a 'V' on it's side with the point facing outwards, this will add depth & make your eyes look darker & wider, make sure you blend well & take a cotton bud to soften this out which will also define as well.

Line the top lash with a matte dark shadow, use a small slanted brush for this, it will create a softer smokier finish & take it from the outer corner to the inner, for the bottom lash again use the shadow with the same brush & take it three quarters of the way across from the outer edge & with a cotton bud soften this out & even add a little more shadow to create a more dramatic look (use the dark colour used on the lids for an extra shimmer). To add even more impact, take an eye pencil & line the inner rim of the bottom & into the inner corner to meet the top lash line.

One thing to bare in mind is to try & apply more depth to the outer corners so the finshed result is not too heavy, cotton buds are your best friend while creating this look as they are perfect for blending in this area!

Take a highlighter & blend up to the brow bone, this is great for bringing everything together, also take a little of the highlighter into the inner corners to open the eye & tidy any edges by softening them out with the cotton bud.

Another tip is do your eye make-up first before the foundation, using dark colours can be messy!!

Finish off with lashings on mascara, or some false eyelashes... Also remember to tone down the lip colour when going for smokey eyes, it's either 'eyes' or 'lips' when choosing your make-up style!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Clarisonic - A New Year Skincare Revelation


Set yourself a New Year’s Resolution to spend one minute every morning and evening cleansing with Clarisonic® and experience a skincare revelation this New Year.

Clarisonic, the world’s first professional-calibre home skin cleansing system, is used and recommended by leading dermatologists and cosmetic surgeons and has transformed the beauty industry; cleansing skin has never been quicker, easier or more effective. So let 2011 be the year that you reveal your skin’s true potential.

Clarisonic has been clinically shown to remove six times more make-up than manual cleansing and reduces the appearance of pores, fine lines and wrinkles. Its effective yet gentle cleansing action means Clarisonic is recommended for daily cleansing – even the sensitive skin of rosacea, acne or seborrhea sufferers. It diminishes oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes, for skin that is clean, clear and visibly radiant.

Clarisonic’s gentle sonic micro-massage action cleanses and prepares the skin so well it can absorb skin care products more effectively. Clarisonic is shown to remove more dirt (sebum and makeup) than manual cleansing, allowing your skin care products to absorb better and work to their full potential.2 Make-up Artist Daniel Sandler comments, “If there was one New Year’s Resolution sure to give you fresh, radiant skin, it’s spending two minutes a day with your Clarisonic.” The perfect skin care accompaniment for the woman who seeks full control of her health and well-being.

Clarisonic Plus - £175
Available from Harrods, Selfridges, Space NK and Clarisonic.com/uk

Sunday, December 12, 2010

CHANEL PRE FALL 2011: BYZANTIUM EMPRESS

The renaissance man named Karl Lagerfeld, has spent the last decade eternalizing not only his own legend but the legend of enduring fashion icon, Coco Chanel. Lagerfeld still wins plaudits for keeping the brand fresh and preserving its classic appeal.

Inspired by Byzantine arts, Chanel's luxurious neck pieces were quite unconventional. The amazing pieces which appeared pendants in multiple were breath taking and made a striking impression of the whole collection. Patterned after broken glass mosaic, strung on silver and gold, the prized lapis lazuli, a rare semi precious stone was turned into fabulous jewelry. Swirls of  chunky chains with elaborate patterns in raw forms gave a new dimension to ornament designing of Chanel.





The Pre Fall silhouettes were obviously Chanel, the gorgeous tweeds, embroidered fringes, bejeweled byzantine square bottons, quilted hand bags and feathers added opulence to a grand collection in all respects.







Interestingly, the House of Chanel maintained the luxe factor in Lagerfeld's innovative manner.
















PHOTO CREDITS: ELLE.COM

CHANEL PRE FALL 2011: BYZANTIUM EMPRESS

The renaissance man named Karl Lagerfeld, has spent the last decade eternalizing not only his own legend but the legend of enduring fashion icon, Coco Chanel. Lagerfeld still wins plaudits for keeping the brand fresh and preserving its classic appeal.

Inspired by Byzantine arts, Chanel's luxurious neck pieces were quite unconventional. The amazing pieces which appeared pendants in multiple were breath taking and made a striking impression of the whole collection. Patterned after broken glass mosaic, strung on silver and gold, the prized lapis lazuli, a rare semi precious stone was turned into fabulous jewelry. Swirls of  chunky chains with elaborate patterns in raw forms gave a new dimension to ornament designing of Chanel.





The Pre Fall silhouettes were obviously Chanel, the gorgeous tweeds, embroidered fringes, bejeweled byzantine square bottons, quilted hand bags and feathers added opulence to a grand collection in all respects.







Interestingly, the House of Chanel maintained the luxe factor in Lagerfeld's innovative manner.
















PHOTO CREDITS: ELLE.COM