Charlotte Tilbury – JK Magic Review

By now, everyone and their nana has seen that Charlotte Tilbury has launched Hot Lips 2 – a gorgeous new line of lipsticks all inspired by her famous friends. If you’re interested in a review of the Hot Lips 2 collection, and particularly a JK Magic review, then you’re in the right place!

Photo belongs to Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks are famous. Her previous collection of Hot Lips lipsticks were all inspired by famous clients that she has worked with before… so the second one should be no different, right!? The Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips 2 collection contains 11 brand new shades, including CT’s first lip balm. The shades are as follows (image top left to right):

Glowing Jen – A tawny, beach rose nude
Viva La Vergara – A soft wine
Dancefloor Princess – A pop pink
In Love With Olivia – A sumptuous pink
Amazing Amal – A soft, berry-pink
Red Hot Susan – A tawny-orange red
JK Magic – A peachy nude-rose
Patsy Red – A statement red
Carina’s Star – A modern peach soft coral
Enigmatic Edward – A ‘comforting’ lipstick conditioner
Angel Alessandra – A ‘sunset’ peachy nude

(As far as I can tell, Angel Alessandra is missing from the pic above).

To me, these shades are far more beautiful and much more wearable than the previous collection of Hot Lips, mainly because it includes a wide collection of nudes.

Charlotte Tilbury JK Magic lipstick from the Hot Lips 2 collection, inspired by JK Rowling

Despite all these stunning shades, the main reason you might have heard about these lipsticks is because of their beautiful, custom packaging… and the fact that they are refillable. As far as I’m aware, Charlotte Tilbury is the first mainstream makeup brand to offer refillable lipsticks. Now, I might be living under a rock here and be totally wrong, but I can’t think of any others off the top of my head. Going forward, I think that refillable lipsticks will become the new ’40 shades’ – that is the new industry standard when coming out with a new product. I mean, you’ve got to hand it to her, Charlotte Tilbury is has come out with the most gorgeous packaging so obviously you’d never want to chuck it away! Plus the refills are obviously cheaper than the entire lipstick and case, AND it cuts down on waste! It’s all very clever and has me well and truly on-board. The only sliiiight downside is that you can’t choose which packaging you want – they’re already assigned to certain colours. This isn’t a massive issue to be honest and once you buy a refill, you can put any colour you want in any packaging. There are only 5 different packaging options, which, again, isn’t the end of the world AT ALL.

After lusting after these a bit online, I swatched pretty much all the nudes in store and they were all absolutely gorgeous. I could have easily walked away with four lipsticks (JK Magic, In Love With Olivia, Glowing Jen and Dancefloor Princess). I was particularly torn between JK Magic and Dancefloor Princess. JK Magic was more of a classic nude with a touch more orange/pink, whereas Dancefloor Princess was a nude pink. The way that I like to wear my nude lipsticks is using a dark rose shade lip liner (the absolute best one is MAC Whirl lip liner – nothing ever measures up to this!) Even though JK Magic does have a touch of orange to it, pairing it with Whirl literally makes it the perfect shade. It also makes it more versatile – you can wear your lipstick as it’s original colour and choose a lip liner that is close to it, or you can go for different lip liners to play around with the colour! These are very pigmented and just one swipe gives you great colour pay off.

These lipsticks don’t have the same matte finish as the original Hot Lips collection. I have another Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, admittedly from the Matte Revolution line, and they really weren’t joking when they said it was matte. These are a lot more comfortable on the lips and have a gorgeous sheen that make your lips look lovely and juicy.

In case you aren’t familiar with Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks, the lipstick bullet itself if very angular. Initially it confused me because you can’t imagine how a square shaped lipstick could possible give you sharp lines or stick to the outline of your lips, but it does! And really well! Maybe the best part of this lipstick (if you’re a total sucker like I am) is the lips that are engraved/printed into the lipstick bullet. If I’m truly honest, this little kiss imprint in the bullet was a major deciding factor in me buying this. It actually breaks my heart to think that at some point it will wear away, but for the meantime, it’s true love. I keep looking at it and taking pictures of it. I’m such a loser I know.

I am absolutely in love with this lipstick! This nude is perfect for anyone as fair as I am (NC15ish). Though you probably could wear it alone, I love to pair this up with Whirl lipliner from MAC and is the most perfect shade. I am so impressed with the shade, the formula and the packaging that I’m SO tempted to buy another one. I’m lusting after Glowing Jen or In Love With Olivia, and if I’m being honest with myself, it’s just a matter of time before I get another one. Even the non-nude shades have me ready to throw my money at the Charlotte Tilbury counter! This is probably one of the most expensive lipsticks I’ve ever bought, if not *the* most expensive, at £28 for the full package (the reusable packaging and the bullet – it comes all in one like a normal lipstick). The refills are £19, which to me is still pretty pricey considering it doesn’t include the cost of the packaging, but I think these are definitely worth it. I love wearing this lipstick, it feels really gorgeous on the lips and makes me feel so confident!

If you are in the market for a new lipstick – GET ONE OF THESE. The shades are excellent, super pigmented and have a beautiful finish. They’re pricey, but if you’ll get the use out of it then do it!

Xo

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The Best Affordable Brands for Each Makeup Step

The high end often takes the spotlight when it comes to makeup, but it’s important to remember that the drugstore also releases some amazing products. Just like the high end, not everything is a hit, so I’ve broken down my favourite affordable products for each step of your makeup routine!

Foundation

Finding your shade can be a little bit difficult in ‘drugstore*’ brands, especially if you fall at either end of the spectrum. If you find yourself in this category, your best bet brand-wise will probably be NYX. Their recent Can’t Stop Won’t Stop range was a collaboration with Youtuber Alyssa Ashley and was formulated with POC in mind. Makeup Revolution also offer a pretty good shade range. If you’re looking for something a little less matte and a little more dry skin friendly, consider Bourjois – their Healthy Mix foundation, or even the serum version (even more dry skin friendly) are both great options.

Concealer

The Maybelline concealers are great – the age rewind one is great if you don’t mind concealers with a sponge – and likewise their Fit Me range is great (even though the shade order is a bit messed up). My personal favourite and go-to for many years now is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer. It’s full coverage and blends out beautifully.

Brows

For me, there is only one contender here – NYX! Their Microbrow pencil is a dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer and there is a pretty wide shade range. Their clear brow gel is another absolute winner – who needs high end!?

Blush

You really are spoilt for choice when it comes to blush from the drugstore. Brands like Milani, Kiko, NYX, Bourjois… the list is endless! The pigment is really close to more expensive products but just at a fraction of the price!

Highlighter

This one is a little harder, but Sleek and MUA tend to do pretty good highlighters. These are brands that are pretty widely available in Superdrug here in the UK and are really cost effective.

Eyeshadow

Affordable eyeshadow can be a little hard to find. I don’t find that the traditional ‘drugstore’ brands (L’Oreal, Maybelline etc.) offer much in terms of good, pigmented eyeshadow. Brands that I have decent luck with are Makeup Geek (their singles are fab, but they’re about to relaunch the brand and half their stock is sold out everywhere), Colourpop and NYX. NYX is easily the most accessible of the 3 brands and offer a great assortment of colours at a really reasonable price point. The Colourpop shadows do have a lot of fall out in the pan, but I personally don’t find that to be the end of the world.

Mascara

When it comes to affordable mascara, I am team Maybelline all the way. I was a Maybelline girl since I started wearing makeup until I started wearing Benefit Roller Lash a few years back, but Maybellina hands down makes the best drugstore mascaras on the market. I never found L’Oreal to be as lengthening and voluminising in one, plus they were always that bit more pricey.

Eyeliner

Hands down Sleek. Their white eyeliner was a staple in my makeup kit for yeeeeears for my lower water line and it would. not. budge. They are lovely creamy formula and last for a really long time! I’m not sure they have a massive array of colours, but for the basics there is none better!

Lips

For lip liners, NYX are very good and offer a great shade range. When it comes to lipstick, there is only one winner for me – Maybelline! Their colour sensational range is SENSATIONAL – there is an amazing range of shades and finishes and they come at such an affordable price point that honestly there is no beating it. Two of my favourites are nude shades 725 Tantalising Taupe and 630 Velvet Beige (pictured above). If you’re a nude fan like me, you need these in your life!

You may notice that there are some steps that are missing – that is because I haven’t found products that I like enough to recommend. I find primers to be a bit hit and miss, bronzers in the drugstore are a mess and setting sprays aren’t that widely available and the ones that are miss the mark.

Let me know what your favourite drugstore products are!

Xo

* I hate the term ‘drugstore’ because we don’t call those brands that here in the UK, but we don’t have a word for it, so I’ll use the American term.

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Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Bronzer Review – Is it pale girl approved?

Fenty Beauty recently released a new and inclusive range of bronzers which has once again sent ripples through the beauty industry. Unable to resist, I picked up ‘Inda Sun’, the lightest shade. Here are my thoughts:

The shade range

The Sun Stalk’r bronzer comes in 8 shades, which is almost unheard of in the beauty industry. By releasing 8 shades off the bat, Fenty have thrown their hat into the ring with other industry giants like MAC (who offer 15 bronzing shades) to offer darker skin tones something to add dimension to their base. There has been some criticism that there are not enough shades and that they don’t go deep enough – these are fair comments. Ultimately, it’s important to remember that most brands release 1 or 2 shades that suit light-medium skin tones and offer nothing for darker skin tones or varying undertones. Fenty is a leader in diversity within the beauty industry and 8 is a massive number of shades to start with. Few other brands have ever released such an inclusive bronzing range, let alone a brand that is still in its infancy. Once again, Fenty is leading the way with diversity – now expanding from foundation and concealers into other complexion products which are often lacking for darker skin tones.

When I saw the first promotional images, I was sure there wouldn’t be a shade for me – and I was totally fine with that. I was really pleasantly surprised when there was a  shade light enough for me, and as I had been looking for a new bronzer anyway, I decided to bite the bullet.

My shade

I picked up the lightest shade ‘Inda Sun’, which is described as a fair shade with neutral undertones. For fair skin, I would go so far as to say it is perfect. It is the ultimate neutral shade that gives the skin warmth and looks naturally sunkissed.

Application

The shade is buildable and not too pigmented on first application. For me, this is a massive positive because there is nothing worse than applying a product straight on to the skin only to find that it is too pigmented and impossible to blend out. It builds up beautifully and even when a lot of product is applied, it doesn’t look muddy or obvious. Another major plus is that when you swirl your brush in the pan, there is no fall out and no residue gets on the white packaging that surrounds the pan. I have NO idea how they have managed to do this, but I spent ages swirling my brush and there was absolutely no staining on the white. The FB logo also doesn’t seem to erode away either, so it’s always looking as beautiful as when you first bought it.

Cost

The Sun Stalk’r bronzer comes in at £23, which does place it in the high end bracket. I personally wouldn’t have a problem paying for a bronzer that is matches my skin tone, especially as I struggle to find bronzers in my shade. As bronzers do tend to last quite a while totally find with the price.

Overall, this bronzer is a total winner in my eyes! It’s so great for Fenty to extend their line of complexion products, especially for a product that is so rarely inclusive. It would be amazing for the range to expand even further so that darker skin tones can become even more included. If you want to try out the range and you’re in the UK, you can find Fenty at Harvey Nichols.

Xo

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Dose of Colours Friendcation Review

I got the Dose of Colours Friendcation palette a little while back after lusting after it for aaaages, and it’s safe to say I have some thoughts on it…

The palette is a collaboration between Dose of Colours and best friend beauty influencers Desi Perkins and Katy. When I first heard this collaboration was coming out, I wasn’t instantly drawn to the collection and didn’t really have any aspirations to get the palette. I watched their videos on how to use it and the looks were nice, but I didn’t feel like it was something my collection was missing. Then I started to see it everywhere and saw it with new eyes. I NEEDED IT. I managed to get it in the Black Friday sale on Beauty Bay.

Just looking at it, this palette is absolutely beautiful. I would say, that the image above must have been doctored because the shades don’t look quiet this perfect in person.

When I began playing with it, even though I think these were made for someone much more tanned than me, these do look really nice on my skin tone. The palest shade in the palette was way too dark for me to use as an all over base shade, but worked well as a first crease colour.

How do they perform?

The mattes in this palette are pretty nice and blend well into one another. The warm brown shades are so flattering and have become my go-to shades for daily use. The lightest shade is still too dark for me to use as an all over lid colour so it gets largely ignored. On a few instances they have looked a little patchy when applied, especially when applied in the crease as they tend to skip in certain places.  I’m not going to lie, the swatches look absolutely awful – they look so patchy but that’s what the look like! I was tempted to go over them again and build them up, but that isn’t indicative of how they really perform.

The shimmers are a bit hit and miss too. They are quite chunky and a few times the shadow has balled up in the pan, which I expect more of cheaper shadows. When I first used the red and gold shimmers, I thought I was going going to have to remove all my eye makeup because they were really scratchy and my eyes were getting really irritated and watery. The glitter fell into my eyes and onto my cheeks, so if you’ve already done your base makeup and haven’t baked then this could be quite a problem. The gold shimmer is not very opaque and is more of a wash of colour with glitter. It’s actually the most beautiful see through gold that just gives your eye enough of a shimmer to look done, but not so much as to over cook it. Weirdly, I’ve used the gold glitter again since the burning/itching and it’s been absolutely fine? Really weird.

The khaki green is probably my favourite shimmer shade. It’s not the most wearable shade for everyday, but I was bowled over by how stunning it was when I wore it. The main reason I ended up buying this palette was for the bright blue and this is easily the most disappointing shade in the palette. Whether you apply it with a brush or your finger, it doesn’t translate onto the lid. I have seen tutorials where people have used glitter glue and that seems to work well, but ultimately I don’t see why I should have to take that step to make it work. I did test it out just to see and I do think they went on much more smoothly but I didn’t think they were that much more pigmented.

*Swatches on the left are without glitter primer, swatch on the right is with glitter primer*

User friendly?

Welllllll… It’s not the most user friendly palette in the world. The way Katy and Desi showed off the shimmer shades, you’re supposed to be able to layer them to create brand new shades. Realistically, I’m not too sure who is doing this. There is quite a lot of fall out from the shimmers and the colours don’t always come off the most pigmented so this would be really hit and miss. The warmer colours (basically all but the green and blues) make it far easier to create a cohesive look or something that you can wear on a regular basis. As pretty as the others are, they’re not going to be an everyday shade for most people.

While the colours in the palette are really pretty, I’ve actually found it quite difficult to use the shimmers on the right of the palette. It’s quite easy to use reds and golds because a lot of brown or reddish shadows go well with these colours. However, blues and greens are a little bit harder to wear on the average day. I tried to create a halo eye using the blue shimmer and it looked like a bruise. Since then I’ve not really wanted to even experiment with the colours. Maybe it’s because my makeup style is very neutral and I don’t have the creativity to come up with a cohesive look, but I don’t find those shades the most user friendly. It’s a real shame because I actually picked up this palette for those shades, because goodness only knows how many warm browns I already have.

I don’t think I would repurchase this again, simply because I’m not that impressed by the quality of the shadows. Ultimately this palette is quite a lot of work. It’s definitely not one of those palettes where you can just bang the shades on quickly and go if you’re doing anything more than natural makeup. You have to work with and finesse most shades, so it does put you off using them.

Have you tried this palette? Did you like it?

Xo

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4 small makeup touches that will make a big difference

I have picked up a few tips and tricks that I think make the world of difference to your makeup. None of them are groundbreaking, but just little touches that will really enhance any makeup look you’re going for – no matter how natural or glam.

Brow Gel

Brow gel is the ultimate tool to make your brows look realistic. Often when you have drawn your brows on with pencil or powder, they can look very flat and one dimensional as they’re all the same colour. To bring the dimension back into your brows, finish them with a brow gel. It’s up to you whether you’d like to choose a coloured one or just a clear one, but the difference will be massive! Not only will your brows now look much more natural and as though you’re seeing them in 3D rather than 2D, you can more precisely shape them as you’d like and they’ll be glued exactly where you want them all day.

Nude waterline

If you have fair-light skin, you may find that your water line can look a little red once you have all your base products on. In order to brighten that part of your eye and look more awake and generally more put together is to line your waterline with a nude eyeliner. You don’t want to use a white eyeliner because it will look far too stark and make your eyes look a little over exaggerated and anime-esque. It would be fine for more costume makeup or if you’d like to look like an anime character. A nude eyeliner should match your skin tone, or nearly at least and will brighten the eyes in a natural way. It is one of the smallest steps that makes the biggest difference in my makeup routine. Even when I’m wearing more natural makeup, I will do this trick.

Lower lash mascara

This one is down to personal preference because some people might not like the look of lower lash mascara on them. However, I find that it opens the eye and brings the whole eye look all together. Play around with different mascaras to find the best one for you. You may find that some will transfer onto your under eye area (which is SUPER frustrating) so be sure to play around with setting techniques too.

Colour correcting

This one may not be for everyone if you don’t need it, but colour correcting your redness or dark circles before you start can make a world of difference when applying your foundation. Especially if you have redness from acne, colour correcting with a green corrector will make it much easier to cover your spots. Often the redness can still poke through foundation. However, if you apply green, it will neutralise the redness and create a much easier base to cover. Likewise for dark circles, if you use a salmon/orange corrector, it will make the area much more one tone and will improve the coverage of your foundation when you apply it.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful! Do you have any small touches that make a massive difference to your makeup routine? Leave them below!

Xo

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How to cover up acne

Everyone suffers from the odd break out here and there, but how do you cover your skin when you’re suffering from serious acne? Not everyone feels the need to cover their acne, but if you would like to learn a few helpful tips on how to create the illusion of a flawless base, then keep reading!

Colour corrector

I honestly believe that this is the most important step in successfully covering your acne. Spots will likely be pink or red, and in order to cover these successfully and avoid red blemishes poking through your foundation, you NEED to colour correct. All you need is a green colour corrector. Let me tell you these do not need to be expensive in the slightest. My favourite one was actually from MUA makeup which is available in Superdrug for £2. Apply this using a brush to any areas of redness and blend in. Don’t apply too much – you literally just need a small amount on each spot/area of redness. You don’t want this to be particularly bright once it’s blended – it will likely go a very pale minty colour which is exactly what you want. AVOID bright green colour correctors because the green does not get covered by your foundation (LA GIRL I AM LOOKING AT YOU) and you will look like Princess Fiona. Go for a paler, mint shade rather than a true green.

Layer

As you’ll be applying lots of products to correct and conceal, you want to make sure that you are applying it in thin layers, rather than bombarding your face with thick applications of everything. You can still get really great coverage by applying bit by bit – don’t worry! It will look far more ‘natural’ (as natural as this can look) but more importantly it should avoid the classic ‘cake face’.

Spot concealer

As you’ll be applying a fair amount of foundation, don’t overload your face with concealer. Instead, spot conceal the areas you need (apply the conceal only in little dots to the desired areas) and try and use a concealer a little lighter than your usual foundation shade. This should stop your foundation looking very dark and unnatural.

Shade matching

This one is really important if you’re going to be wearing a full coverage foundation. If you have the wrong shade, it will be so obvious. Ideally, you want to match your face to your neck as your neck is paler than your face. If you are someone who likes to go a little darker with your foundation usually, I’m not sure that I’d recommend it because it may accentuate texture and make your skin look cakey.

Full coverage

This sort of goes without saying, but you’ll want to go for a full coverage foundation. You could definitely use a medium coverage one and build it up, but sheer is obviously way off here. I personally am not in favour of really HEAVY coverage foundations (Estée Lauder Double Wear) as this may be too heavy and clog your pores. This is known as the heaviest foundation in the industry and for that reason I avoided it like the plague when my acne was awful. I would stick to my Make Up Forever HD liquid or the stick version. You might want to consider what finish you want too. A dewy finish may highlight any texture you have and make every other step you’ve done previously pointless. A more matte foundation will work best here. If you have drier skin, you might want to consider going for a foundation with a demi-matte or satin finish and if you have oilier skin then a true matte finish should be fine.

No highlighter

Highlighter is a major trend at the moment and having a blinding highlight is a must… unless you have acne. The shimmer in highlight will accentuate your texture 1000000%, especially if it’s on your cheeks. You either don’t apply any, or you have to position it very carefully. I used to apply it to the top of my cheekbones (starting at the back of the cheekbone near your ear and finishing in line with your outer eye). If you have acne on your cheeks, DO NOT apply it on the apple of your cheeks or the lower part of your cheekbones. If your acne is not on your cheeks, then please by all means apply your highlight anywhere you’d like on your cheeks.

I hope that these tips have been helpful! If you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments!

 Xo

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Marc Jacobs Enamored Lip Gloss Sticks Review

What on earth is a lip gloss stick? Is it a lip gloss? Is it a lipstick? How do you get a gloss in a solid form? Well, these might be some of the most beautiful lip products I’ve ever tried…

I recently went into Marc Jacobs Beauty and saw the Enamored Lip Gloss Sticks. After initially confusing them for the lip gloss and nearly breaking the tube, I swatched them and literally had them on my mind for the rest of the night (my anniversary lol) before going back the following morning to pick two up. Here are my thoughts…

When I first swatched these I was super confused: a) because I thought these were the lip glosses because the packaging is the same b) I didn’t understand how a lip gloss could be in a stick form. Regardless (because I am a makeup magpie), I ended up buying Mocha Choca-Lata and Uh-Huh Honey. Mocha Choca-Lata is more of a sheer pinkish nude and is probably my perfect nude shade in lip gloss stick form. Uh-Huh Honey is more of a brownish nude and looks quite 90’s.

 

After using them, I can understand why they’re called a lip gloss stick because you get the sheen of a gloss but with more pigmentation and less stickiness. These are pretty comparable to sheer lipsticks or tinted lip balms. They’re very similar in formula to sheer lipsticks that I own but offer more hydration to the lips while keeping a good pigment.

Top – Mocha Choca-Lata, Bottom – Uh-Huh Honey

Formula

The formula is really lovely – it’s easy to forget you have anything at all on your lips! It just feels like I have my favourite lip balm on. As someone who has to have my lips slathered in lip balm all the time, I really like this product. The coverage is fairly sheer, but you can definitely see the colour and build up the coverage with a few more swipes. I don’t think this would last too well while eating, but then what lipstick really does? That’s not a deal breaker for me. There is an ever so subtle peppermint smell, but if you aren’t sniffing the stick you won’t notice it, and there is certainly no tingling sensation like you might get from other products containing peppermint.

Packaging

As mentioned, I confused these for the lip glosses because the packaging is nearly identical, if not the exact same. I think that maybe the packaging could have been a little less, as the coloured part of the tube only serves as the lid and it’s massive. It is a bit of a waste of packaging to have such a large, pointless part of the component that could be made smaller and sleeker. It would also help to differentiate the two gloss products from one another. On the other hand, the packaging is extremely beautiful and screams luxury. They are probably some of the most beautifully packaged products I own.

How to wear it

These are definitely best paired with a more natural look as the glosses look like a wash of colour over the lips if applier lightly. However, that being said I have worn these with a heavier makeup look and it still looked amazing. I even tried lining my lips first and applying these over and had compliments about the colour. It is a very versatile product – much more than I had originally thought!

I know that I will get a lot more wear out of Mocha Choca-Lata because it is my go-to colour in any lip product, so I’d have to push myself a little to wear Uh-Huh Honey. I will definitely be continuing to use these lip products. These cost £22 each, which is certainly on the higher end of lip products, but you don’t need to use a lot for glossy pigment! They really are an all round success!

Have you tried these? What are your thoughts on a ‘lip gloss stick’?

Xo

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How to rock beauty’s latest trend – Yoga Skin

Finally the matte phase is over and the glowy revolution is here! This is the ultimate dewy, glossy skin look that is taking over your Instagram feed. Here is how it started and how you can get the look.

What is Yoga Skin?

Yoga Skin is the ultimate glow-from-within base. It is supposed to give you the appearance of rejuvenated, glowy skin as if you have just come straight out of a yoga class. It’s basically a glowy, dewy look that is supposed to be a more realistic and natural version of glass skin.

How do you get the look?

Sara Hill (@sarahillmakeup), who created the look, says that Yoga Skin is a technique to make ‘the skin look lit’. To create the perfect base, Sara recommends priming with a silicone free primer before mixing 3-4 pumps of a sheer-medium coverage foundation with one drop of your favourite facial oil and one drop of a golden toned liquid highlighter. She then recommends massaging the product into the skin with your hands in order to get the circulation going while relaxing and depuffing your skin. You can then add more layers to build up to your desired coverage. Unlike most other Instagram makeup, Sara recommends spot concealing only in the areas that need it to keep everything looking dewy and natural. Cream blushes and bronzers are the next step before a super light dusting of powder (if any).

Who is Yoga Skin for?

Like everything else in makeup, Yoga Skin is for everyone. There is no trend in makeup that is only for those with a certain skin type. If you suffer from acne, you may prefer to add a little more coverage with your concealer or colour correct with a green corrector before you apply your foundation. It’s also worth noting that highlighter can often accentuate texture, so you may want to play around with the amount of liquid highlighter you add. Otherwise you just have to be a bit strategic with where you place the glow! If you are oily, you may prefer to powder your T-zone to keep the oils at bay. To cater this more to your skin, choose a primer that compliments your skin type. As Sara herself said, if you have really oily skin or don’t like these kind of looks then this might not be the one for you.

How did it go?

The first time I tried this I was a little weary of using SO MUCH foundation. I usually use one pump for my entire face, so I only used 2 pumps rather than the recommended 3-4. I used a full pump of the Marc Jacobs Dew Drops and a few drops of the Elemis Superfood Facial Oil. When I mixed this mixture in my hands, it looked so pigmented that I was a bit nervous of how it would look. Overall, I wouldn’t say this looked too different to my usual foundation routine and the coverage wasn’t quite enough. It didn’t stay on my face very well and the coverage was a bit iffy in places.

On my second attempt I think I was far more successful. This time I did 3 pumps of foundation, 4 of facial oil and 2 pumps of the dew drops (because I wanted to GLOOOOW). Again, when I mixed it in my hands it looked as though I was going to have the most full coverage base and I panicked. I’m not a massive fan of using my hands for my foundation, so after pressing my hands onto my face and blending out slightly I used my Beauty Pie sponge to blend out the rest. I’m really pleased with the end result! I look as though I’ve had 10 hours sleep, went to the best yoga class and had a green shake with my acai bowl – aka healthy and glowy af. In terms of durability, it lasted fairly well, considering it was much more sheer than my usual look but I did notice some considerable breakdown. I usually wear my makeup for a minimum of 12 hours and I noticed that on my cheeks and around my nose especially you could see where it had worn away. So if you’re wanting a long lasting look then this probably isn’t the right one for you. This would be a gorgeous look for pictures or filming or any day where you don’t really have much on but for general day to day life, I don’t think it’s quite durable enough.

Will this become my everyday look?

No, to be quite honest. It’s a lot of effort (and product) to get this amount of glow. By applying an illuminator, followed by foundation and maybe topping up the illuminator on your cheek bones, you can easily duplicate the Yoga Skin look. While this was fun to play around with, I personally am not a massive fan of not powdering my face. I don’t like matte skin, but I also hate the feeling of wet foundation. I love to look glowy and do generally apply the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter every day to my cheek bones. I felt pretty wasteful using 2-3 pumps of foundation when I usually only use 1 and get pretty good coverage off that. That being said, I was really pleased with the overall finish, so maybe I’ll do it again when I next want to take pictures.

Have you tried Yoga Skin? What are your thoughts?

Xo

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Why it’s totally fine for you to be a feminist and enjoy beauty products

I recently read an article on The Independent called ‘Come on feminists: do the radical thing and ditch your makeup bag‘ and every part of this article has left me feeling annoyed. If you’d prefer not to open the article and give it more views, I’ll give you a quick run down. The author goes majorly off topic from her headline to moan about women that wear makeup, while oddly commenting on the number of ‘poisonous’ ingredients that are ‘well documented’ in makeup. She drops in that the average makeup wearer wastes 9 days a year applying makeup and lauds herself for spending that time ‘campaigning against sexist stereotypes’. Let’s all do an epic eye roll together.

Let’s start by saying that any reference to the toxicity of makeup is completely irrelevant to any ‘feminist argument’ here – It was included without any real explanation and it’s just fearmongering and spreading misinformation. It’s baffling that people genuinely believe that brands would be allowed to sell products with harmful ingredients and ‘poisonous effects’. Join us back in the 21st century. EU regulations are so strict for cosmetics these days that this is just an off topic remark used to further discredit makeup wearers.

You’ll very often hear feminists who, through their own ignorance and archaic thinking, cannot understand how a modern feminist can be concerned with her looks. I shouldn’t have to tell you that being a powerful, confident woman and wearing makeup are not mutually exclusive… but indulge me a little.

The modern feminist does not have one singular image. To be singling out feminists as having a certain appearance surely is the opposite of what feminism is all about? Feminism is about equality and having the choice to do as you please. Whether that be to pursue a career in a male dominated industry or to wear a full face of makeup and blue lipstick. Someone that is ‘campaigning against sexist stereotypes’ should be seeking to dispel assumptions that all feminists are bra burning rebels and welcome all feminists into the fold – men or women – rather than encouraging the reinforcement of a singular image.

To suggest that a woman cannot be concerned with her appearance while supporting equality goes on to imply that women in fact cannot have it all, WHEN WE CAN. Stop trying to pigeon-hole women. Women are powerful beings, regardless of our appearance. We wear makeup because we want to and choose to, not because we feel pressured. When I don’t wear makeup, it’s because I don’t feel like it that day and not because I have no one to impress. I feel good about myself with and without makeup. Makeup is a major creative outlet for many people, so one day we’ll do a natural look, and the following morning do a dark red smokey eye. We have nothing to hide by applying makeup, but even if we did, it’s OUR choice. It is no one else’s business what we choose to do with our face or how we choose to spend our time. If you believe makeup is ‘hideous gunk’, have your opinion and have it quietly. If you’ve never worn a drop of makeup in your life – good for you and that’s your choice – but there is no need to shame other women who enjoy wearing it. You can bitch about makeup wearers all you like, but it’s never going to stop us wearing it – if anything, it will make us wear it more.

For so many of us, makeup and skincare is about self-care and taking time for yourself. Often the only time that a lot of women have to spend on themselves is in the morning when they apply their makeup or at night when they do their skincare routine. We live busy lives and are always expected to put everyone before ourselves, but this is the one thing that we hold sacred. Many people rely on their daily skincare routine to keep any skin problems they have at bay, and without it their skin runs wild. Many women rely on makeup to inflate their confidence when they’re suffering from issues such as acne and it can be the only thing that can get them out of the house. It is imperative for people’s emotional wellbeing! If you were ill, you would take medicine. That’s exactly what skincare and makeup are. And for those who have good skin and wish to maintain it, it’s like taking multi vitamins. Do NOT let anyone – man or woman – make you feel guilty for taking care of yourself and your self-confidence.

People often question why women continue to keep up their appearance once they have a partner, because apparently we’re expected to stop showering, wear rags and completely abandon our appearance? Who knew? The expectation that we’re supposed to forgo our appearance once we find a partner is probably even worse than the idea that we only dress ourselves up for men. It might shock you to learn that men are not at the epicenter of a woman’s world and actually our own self confidence comes first. Women’s love of beauty goes so much deeper than how it makes us look, but also how it makes us feel. When men put on a suit to feel powerful, we put on red lipstick. And yet we are expected to justify ourselves? Absolutely not acceptable!

It’s painfully apparent that this article has absolutely nothing to do with feminism, but rather is just a massive dig at the makeup wearing population under the cloak of ‘feminism’. You are not a feminist if you are bringing down other women. You are not a feminist for attacking other people’s appearance while stating that you don’t enjoy having yours attacked. Patriarchy does not dictate my beauty routine and feminists shouldn’t either. I would think that a woman who has been a feminist since the 70’s should know better than anyone that to criticize other women for their appearance is entirely unfeminist and ignorant. Your appearance and your political stance are not interconnected. As a makeup wearer you have already chosen to take your appearance and your identity in your own hands and do something for yourself. Keep doing it.

Xo

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My 2018 beauty favourites

2018 was the year that my skincare and makeup addiction was reignited, so I’ve tried a lot of new products this year. Here are my highlights across beauty for 2018! ** I will only be including new products that I’ve tried this year (sorry Midnight Recovery Concentrate).

Skincare

Cleansers

My amazing discovery this year has been Beauty Pie, and the best product that I’ve tried is without a doubt their Plantastic Cleansing Balm. It is a really smooth, gentle balm that removes all your makeup in one. I can even open my eyes with this on and it doesn’t get in them and sting them at all. The texture is thick and rich and feels much more high end than the price. I’ve already repurchased this because it’s my go-to balm!

Moisturiser

I finally had the chance to buy the Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream when I went to Sephora in Italy this summer and certainly haven’t regretted it! I have actually repurchased this twice already! This is a really thick moisturiser that is perfect for dry skin. It leaves the skin feeling really nourished and replenished of moisture. It is the moisturiser I rely on if my skin is needing a little extra TLC.

Mask

I’ve tried so many new masks this year, and I’ve got to say I don’t find that many masks do much for my skin. However, the Sjo Skin Happy Honey Mask is absolutely brill! Sjo Skin has been really big on Instagram and just seem like a lovely brand that are encouraging kindness and interaction in the beauty community. I have seen this mask on almost everyone’s feed, and finally bit the bullet on Black Friday. It is really soothing, smoothing and nourishing for the skin and leaves it feeling like it’s just gone to the spa, been drinking a glass of wine and come back relaxed af.

SPF

I have tried a number of new SPFs this year and I have one firm favourite – the Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin Ultralight UVA/UVB SP25. This is a beautiful formula that does not have the typical SPF feeling but instead just feels like a normal face cream. It sinks into the skin very quickly and doesn’t leave a silicone-y feeling on the skin. The only downside to this SPF is that it is only SPF 25 and ideally I would my SPF to be 50. An honourable mention should go to the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+. I wore this during my holiday in Italy over the summer when I was walking around in the scorching heat and my face was totally protected. I did not get sunburnt in the slightest and I have very fair skin that burns easily.

Oils

I’ve recently discovered Squalane and I’m absolutely loving it! I’m using the One Skin Squalene oil and it’s a really beautiful oil. Before I started using it, I had stopped having the beautiful silky smooth feeling to my skin when I woke up in the morning, but using this brought it back. It’s not too thin (so that it sinks in immediately) or too thick (where it just never sinks in) and sits pretty comfortably on the face. I’ll give an honourable mention to the Herbivore Phoenix oil and the Mauli Supreme Skin Face Serum which are great for those who have drier skin.

Makeup

Foundation

Two foundations this year have really caught my eye and captured my heart – the Beauty Pie Everyday Great Skin foundation and the Hourglass Vanish stick foundation. I stumbled across them both completely by accident and they have both become go-tos for me! I had been interested in Beauty Pie’s makeup line since I fell in love so hard with the skincare range, so thought I would try out their foundation. It is a medium buildable coverage which has the prettiest dewy finish. It is really well pigmented and a little goes quite a long way with this (in that it allows you a nice natural looking base, that still looks like your skin but better). The Hourglass one took me 6 months to work out how to make this formula work on my skin as it’s quite dry. BUT I stuck with it, and am now nearly out of my mists, but it’s just gorgeous. It is THE ultimate ‘your skin but better’ and it is hands down the best shade match that I have ever found in my life. This one I prefer to wear more on the lighter/more natural side, but it is definitely buildable.

Highlighter

Two new highlighters have literally stolen my heart this year – the Hourglass Vanish stick highlighter in Gold Flash and the By Terry Gem Glow Trio Compact. I like to use the Hourglass one underneath my foundation to give me that really natural glow from within. Once I’ve applied foundation, I like to take this on my fingers and tap it onto the high points of my cheeks to really add the glow. The By Terry highlighter is a really new one to me (I only got my hands on it last week), but I’m totally in love with it. I’ve had my eye on it for months and months and it’s been so worth the wait. It is the most INCREDIBLE highlighter that is just so blinding and flattering. This really suits my pale skin, but I can also imagine it suiting people much darker than me too.

I am not lucky enough to have reviewing makeup and skincare as my full time job and even though I try a lot of new products out of interest, there are a lot of products in my routine that have stayed the same or just didn’t wow me enough.

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what your top products for 2018 were!

Xo

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