New Rimmel Products

After trying a free sample in my glamour magazine of Rimmels new Wake me Up Foundation I have to say it was brilliant. Along side that I also bought Hide the Blemish Concealer and Stay Matte Powder. 

Rimmel is one of my favourite 'drug store' brands, its a good price and good quality. 

 So starting with the foundation. Its a liquid, and quite runny at first. Its gives medium coverage but is definitely buildable. I had a light layer on for the day which gave me a healthy glow and then went for a fuller coverage in the evening. 


I used the shade soft beige which, I think, really matched my skin tone well. 
 Here's a swatch...

 And this is it blended in, lovely huh??

Next we have the blemish concealer in shade natural beige, it's shaped like a lipstick, and using Bobbi Browns tip, I bought it in the same (near enough) shade as the foundation and then applied it after the foundation. It's a bit cakey, thick and doesn't blend that well, it did hide the redness of my spots, but I feel it might have highlighted them a bit more and that made me feel quite self conscious. So this one I wouldn't really recommend, not even for under your eyes as it really doesn't blend well. 

And my powder, in transparent, does what it says on the tin really. Keeps my face looking matte but still lets the glow of the foundation come through which I liked and keeps my make up in place!!!



Overall I would say I would definitely buy the powder and the foundation again not so much the cover stick!!

 The finished look on my face. You can still see my freckles which is good, but everything else looks even and bright. I hope anyway!! 


Excuse the hair its scraped back...still need to visit the hairdresser...cannot wait until the 6th march!!!!








Toodle Pips




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Happy Lips!!!! :)

So, some of you may remember me complaining about how chapped and dry my lips have been this winter due to the cold harsh winds and then the central heating. 


I was recommended carmex by my lovely friend Becky, so I went to purchase some....however right next door to the carmex....and for a whole pound cheaper...was:

BLISTEX!!!!


I decided to pop this little treat into my basket and hoped for the best!!


Luckily I wasn't disappointed!! My extremely dry and chapped lips has been transformed in to soft smooth ones! YAY! 


The only down side is its a bit minty, which I'm not keen on as it feels like your smearing on toothpaste....but once its all soaked in my lips feel heavenly!!!!




So I definitely recommend this product to everyone fighting dry, sore and chapped lips this winter!!!! 








Toodle Pips!!!!!


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Random thought on Make up Magazines...

Just quickly, I know there is Make Up Artist Magazine....but are there any others??


They have an abundance of different magazines devoted to different types of paper craft, knitting, etc but they don't seem to have any devoted purely to cosmetics. 


I for one would love that!! I know fashion magazines do cover a few cosmetics, and have the odd tutorial, but it would be great to have some more magazines completely and utterly about make up, and make up to suit any budget, filled with reviews, tips from make up artists, tutorials, skin and health guides. 

Because as much as I love to read blogs and websites....(it's my book fetish all over again here) there is nothing quite like having that material in print in your hands, with glossy photos and ads to look at as well. And again you can take it with you in the bath!!! haha!

Anyone else think this would be a good idea??



 Toodle Pips!!


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How Lipstick is Made.....

So as you many know...I am eventually going to become a cosmetic scientist and spend my days toiling in a lab making all the fab products we love.....

And because of that I've decided I'd like to find out more, in advance, about how certain products are made. Every month I'm going to feature a product and look into how its made, it's ingredients etc. 



This month its LIPSTICK!

Lots of women wear lipstick, even those that aren't as obsessed with make up as we are tend to, slick a bit across their lips for night out. 

So what is lipstick generally made from??

The main ingredients are: wax, pigment, oil and alcohol

These then break down into more groups, so each lipstick can contain a number of different oils and waxes, as well preservatives and antioxidants. 

Other ingredients are often added to achieve a more glossy look, or to help moisturise and protect from sun (SPF) 
These extra ingredients can vary greatly as the consumer often want different outcomes and a wide variety of lipsticks. 


How is a lipstick made?


The lipstick making process can be split into three steps, melting, mixing and shaping.

Firstly the ingredients are melted, although separately in either ceramic or stainless steel containers...

They are then mixed together, along with pigment. The mixture then has to be pressed and ground in order for the lipstick to become smooth. (pigment can leave the lipstick grainy if this is not done). As this process can introduce air into the mixture it must be stirred for several hours to get rid of the air. 




The mixture can then be poured into moulds and cooled. 






Now this is a very very rough idea of how a lipstick is made, and there is a lot more to the mixing and moulding stages. Hopefully, once I'm mixing my own lipsticks I'll be able to show you in more detail with pictures!!!




But there you have it, a rough guide on how lipstick is made.....






Next month...... powder eyeshadow!!!






Toodle Pip!!!!
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p.s My wonderful friend Becky has just started her own Beauty Blog and its wonderful check her out http://booscribblesbeautiful.blogspot.com/

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Pink Nails!!

I'm having a very slow evening....the hubby to be is playing the playstation 3 (sometimes I think he'd rather marry that than me...hehe) the munchkin is all tucked up asleep in bed....so I thought I'd have a little me time and give myself a manicure. 

My favourite nail polish colour is definitely pink, I have lots and lots of different pinks...baby pinks, corals, glittery pinks, bright pinks, dark pinks.

Today I decided to go with a shiny metallic pink :) 

 It's called Shocker by Rimmel, the supposedly dry in 60 seconds range. Personally I think no polish can properly dry in that time...not for me anyway, I normally always end up smudging mine :( 


But it dry quite quickly so I was able to start the top coat on one hand after I'd finished the other. For my base and top coat I used the Rimmel 5in1 nail treat, meant to provide; longer, stronger, healthier, moisturised and shiny nails! 


I do really like Rimmel polishes and have several as I love the colour variety and that in most cases you only really need to apply one coat, and can last for a nearly a week with a proper base and top coat!!!


So here's the finished the result.....(oh and I did finish off each nail with a quick splosh of cuticle oil by Sally Hansen) 

So there we go :) that's how I spent some of my evening!! 








Toodle Pip!!
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Dream Dress.....

So, we all know it's been fashion weeks galore this month with the designers launching their Spring/Summer collections. 


I absolutely love the must have Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton dress:

Kate Moss showcasing in Paris

 It's so feminine and beautiful.......




Now unfortunately my budget doesn't quite stretch to Louis Vuitton (maybe one day, I really do need to start doing the lottery!) so I've found an alternative from Topshop!!

 I find it also fits in quite nicely with the pastel, lace and even 50's trends that are set to take the spring and summer by storm. It's definitely on my 'summer wardrobe' list!!



What will you all be wearing this summer? And what do you think to the new trends?



Toodle Pip!!!




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Happy Valentines Day!!!

Helllooooo Wonderfuls!!!!



Hope all the men in your life have treated you to a lovely day!! Although I am firm believer that they should do it 365 days of the year and not just one...tehe!!!


I do love the history behind valentines day though....I'll give you a brief run of the main points if you don't know....


It's apparently (although it might not be solid fact...) that St Valentine was a priest in ancient roman times that preformed the secret marriages of soldiers (who Claudius II had decreed should remain single as married men did not make good soldiers) 

However he was found out and imprisoned, on the evening of his execution wrote the first 'valentines' card, signed from your valentine. 

And so (again apparently) the tradition began.....



Reading all your lovely blogs out there I see a lot of people are doing a Valentines Look! So I've decided to jump on the band waggon and create one of my own :) 


I've not gone down the traditional romantic route....I've decided to go for a look for someone that doesn't care its valentines day and just wants to go out and have fun!!

 To create this look.... I've used Wake Me Up foundation in soft beige by Rimmel London, my eyeko eyeliner from my Glossybox in midnight blue and Maybelline Mono Eyestudio in Black Metal and Silver :) I've also added foundation to my lips to make them nice and neutral to make the eyes pop out even more. 


I've tried to punk up my hair a little... and make it messy :)


Hope you like!




Here are some close ups of my eyes.... one with flash...one without..

with flash

without flash

 Toodle Pip!!!




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I've won the Beauty-Ful Blog Award!

 Yay!! I've won another award :) Thank you so much to both loveallthingspretty and the creator of the award SdGlitter for this!!!





These are the rules:

***This award is meant ONLY for people who have a blog dedicated to makeup...that's why the "Beauty"***


The person who receives the award should link back to the person who gave the award (if you have received the award directly from sdglitter then you may skip this step but mention it that you have been awarded by sdglitter) 

The person who receives this award must pass this on to 5 other beauty blogs that he/she follows and out of the 5 one should be a newly discovered blog 


The person who receives the award should list 5 trends of makeup that he/she likes or dislikes or both 


The best rule - The person who receives the award should post a link to Beauty-Ful Blog Awards So people who have not received the award can nominate themselves 

So....The 5 people I nominate for the award are:

Amy - Glimmer & Gloss Beauty 

Nicole - The Gloss Over

Marina - Beautiful Me Plus You

Marla - Makeup By Marla

Hannah - The Secret Life of Make Up  discovered!

 If you want to nominate yourself for this award then check out The Blog Awards

My Top 5 Trends:

1. The 1940s, pin curls and bright red lips. Defo my favourite era for make up!

2. Neon. Loved it. Bright, Funky and FUN

3. The pastels trend about to hit for this spring and summer, really feminine 

4. Cat eyes...always a favourite, timeless and brilliant. 

5. The Natural Look

Think that's everything covered. Thank you again to those who nominated me and congrats to those I've passed it on to!!! :) 

Toodle Pip!!!

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Bobbi Brown Make Up Manual

I really like everything Bobbi Brown does. I love her cosmetic line, I love her brushes and I LOVE <3 this book!!!

Firstly it's really eye catching don't you think? Bold and Beautiful!!

I bought it as an extra resource for doing my course and I must say its much better than the actual textbook I was given. 


I also love that it's not solely aimed at those wishing to study make up, it contains the basics so any woman can do their own make up perfectly, know whats suits them, how to apply it properly etc. 


One of my favourite sections is the nutrition section, as we all know beauty and make up all start with good skin and this tells you what foods are good, what things to avoid and how to care properly for your skin, which I am in desperate need of!! 


The first section is really dedicated to the beginner and the basics of make up, the second section is aimed more towards the aspiring make up artist, it shows you how to organise and take care of your kit, what basics you need for your kit, how to break into the industry, what working with certain photographers is like. All really interesting and fundamental things to help you on your way in the make up world!!


I definitely think you should purchase this, whether you're an aspiring make up artist, a full trained and qualified one, someone who hardly wears make up, or just a make up fan. It truly has something for everyone.




Let me tempt you even more by sharing a few pages of the beautiful photos included.....

BEAUTIFUL!!! 








Toodle Pips!!






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My MUA course...

So, if you have read the about me section, you will know that I'm currently studying a Make up Artistry course with ICS is order to go on (although quite a bit later, once the little one is at school) and do a degree in Cosmetic Science!

The reason behind wanting to start my road to becoming a cosmetic scientist with a MUA course is this: If I have a prior knowledge or what MUA's and models/cleints etc want from make up, I will be able to create the best products. So this is the first step, an A level in chemistry is next one (I did mine in Art, English, Physics and Psychology...plus I didn't technically finish a couple of them so I'm lacking in final grades!) then hopefully some work experience within the make up industry to really get a feel for whats needed, then my degree and masters...and finally working for a top cosmetics company making make up and toiletries everyone needs, wants and loves!!!


So...as I received my course materials a few days ago and finally got cracking, I'd thought I'd share a few pics on what you get with the course and my first impressions. :)

 This is the beauty kit bag thingy :) Once its all opened out there really is quite a lot of space so you can fit all your lovely make up for your kit in :) 

This is whats inside, its not the best picture I'll admit...but you get:
Brush Roll complete with 9 brushes
Mask Removing Sponges
3 Natural Sponges
Elasticated Headband
Make up Artists Palette 
Skintruth Skincare set, Moisturiser, Toner, Cleansers, Refiner and Mask
Disposable Lip, Eye, Eyeliner and Mascara Brushes
One Large Spatula and One Small Spatula 


I must say the quality of the brushes in the brush roll is quite poor so I will be purchasing some new ones before I start the actual make up assignments, but everything else seems fine and dandy!! I had a little play about with the skincare kit, just to know how they feel and how they smell and so far so good :) 


I am disappointed with the brushes, but I did plan on buying quite a few more from other brands and things to test out and have for my kit so it's not too bad. 

And of course....the actual  coursework!! 


There are four assignments, the first two are theory...so all writing really. But they are still really interesting, learning about the different areas or the industry, the health and safety regulations (as a nerd I do find that interesting) etc. You also get little activities to do and progress checks throughout the assignment. My favourite so far was to research three make up trends since the 1900's. I chose the 20's the 40's and the 80's, you could print off pictures and write notes and add them to scrapbook. These parts aren't actually marked but they do make it more fun, easier to absorb the information and give you a better understanding of the industry. To explain it better, if you were in a classroom environment, these are the tasks you would do on a day to day basis during lessons until the coursework or test at the end of the term :) 

You also get this textbook to help you with various aspects of the course, it also covers other areas of make up. It's ok, the pictures and guides aren't fantastic to be honest and it seems a bit dated. But it does provide some useful info on colour, light etc.


So far I'm finding this course to be great fun, as it is a home study course it does require a lot of discipline, you only get 12 months to complete it, although you can apply for an extension. There are also tutors available to email or call if there is something you don't quite understand or you're really stuck. 


So far I'm finding I really don't have to push myself to get motivated to do the work because I really love it.




I would definitely recommend this course if you can't afford the LARGE prices that some of the London make up schools are charging (up to 20k...how??) as you can pay month by month (instalments are about 50 quids) and it is a fully fledged qualification...a BTEC to be precise. 




Ermmm I think I've covered everything....If you do have any questions regarding the course, or are thinking about starting it and want to know more then drop me a line I'm happy to help :)



Toodle Pip!!!!!




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I've won a Versatile Blogger award YAY!!!

 Firstly I'd like to say an absolutely MAHOOOOOSSSSSSSSSIIIIIIVVVVEEEE thank you to the amazing and wonderful Amy - Glimmer & Gloss Beauty for nominating me :) I've not been doing this blogging malarkey for long and it's great to know that people like it. If I could give this award back to her I would, but she's already got it (and quite rightly too!) 


Secondly..the rules for this award:


1. Thank the person who nominated you with a link back. 
2. Tell seven things about you
3. Pass this award onto ten newly discovered bloggers and let them know they have received the award!


Here are the 7 things about me....... 

1. My middle name is Jamie...after one my parents friends... a man...called James..
2. I spent nearly a year living and working in New Zealand when I was 18
3. I have a beautiful two year old called Imogen
4. I'm getting married in Brighton in September
5. My great-grandad on my mothers side, is Jamaican (although you would not think it to look at me!)
6. My all time favourite film ever is Drop Dead Fred!
7. I'm in the middle of redecorating my house and it's like a bombs hit it!




The wonderful people and blogs that I'd like to pass this award on to:


Becky


Nicole


Dee


Jen


Natalie


Laura



Jenifer 



Marina


sdGlitter 


Meredith Jessica


So there you have it. Please check out these blogs and Amy's who nominated me they are all really wonderful. 






Thank you!!!






Toodle Pip!


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Violent Lips Review

So I mentioned a few days ago that I had purchased some violent lips from ASOS. I originally wanted to test them out on Valentines Day as they are the hearts lips...but I couldn't wait!!


So here's the packet they came in!

 Very cute, with the picture of the lips I've ordered on the front. Lovely. 

 And here they are just our of the packet!!! :) 






Getting them on though was a disaster...it might have just been me, but I found them really hard to put on.  They crumpled, they didn't want to stick to my lips properly...


Eventually I got them to work, although they were a bit crooked...

TA DA!!!! I think they are obviously too much for normal wear but a special occasion or photo shoot they are perfect....


Although....I had a quick drink of coke about 10 mins after putting them on and rub my lips together a bit...and then this happened......

 They started to peel off!! and became cracked and broken! I was quite disappointed to be honest. 


But this could be down to my incompetence at putting them on...so as you do get three in a pack....after some practise I might be able to get them to work out properly :) 






I do what to try other colours and haven't been put off by the peeling after drinking aspect. The glittery ones look fab!!!




Toodle Pip!


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How NOT to dye your hair Blonde.......

Hello peoples......



As some of you may know, I was desperate to get my hair back into that cute blonde bob I had nearly two years ago. 


Unfortunately it was a disaster!! It's my own fault of course...I keep forgetting, that unlike last time I'm not dyeing my natural colour....I'm dyeing the exceptionally bright red that I had out on at the salon late last year. 

Although the colour strip got enough out for me to have highlights....it was enough to bleach it back to white...so I've ended up with pinky orangey patchy bits haha!!

Well you live and you learn I guess. 

I will say anyone wanting to go from any form of red to blonde, a real light blonde, then pleeeeease go to the hairdressers. Attempting it myself has left my hair incredibly dry and brittle...so much in fact I am going to have to go for an eflin crop just to get rid of the all dry dull ends. 

I was meant to be growing it for my Wedding later this year, but I'd rather it look healthy and shiny and be short, than look like a huge hay bale!!

So let me share my hair shame with you all! 

Ok so this is the roots. Which don't look too bad....But you can just see the slight orangey bits running through towards the back....

 And this is the back where the most damage is.... you can see the orange much more clearly here and also how dry and straw like it looks :(

 And this is just me trying to pin it to see what an elfin crop would look like, looks more retro though I think! But once again, stop the large patches of orange at the side!! EEK! 


Here are two hairstyles that I cant chose between, they are pretty similar though... Plus I'm going back to brunette....think it's the safest option. And I'm tempted by the bleach again you must tell me stay the hell away!!!!!! 

I love Alyssa Milano.....I am a huge Charmed fan (one of my many guilty pleasures!) and I was going through my box sets....Season 6 where she chopped her hair off... she still looks absolutely amazing. Just I hope I will look that good when I chop off mine!!!






So there you have it...unless you are really sure and know what you're doing (or dyeing onto natural hair....which usually works but don't quote me!) don't use bleach!!! 








Toodle Pip!




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