Posts Tagged ‘make up’

13 December 2011: 10:02

The must-have beauty items for party time

Tis the season to be merry, therefore we need some special beauty treats to keeep us looking and feeling perky before and after and we think (Santa, FYI) that we’d be adequately prepared with the likes of these four treats in our make up bag.

Bobbi Brown’s Ultimate  Party Collection would be the perfect compact for New Year’s Eve combined with a little Prada Candy gift set.  This Yves Saint Laurent Radiant Make up Set collection is the only way to look like you’ve had more beauty sleep than you may have actually had.  And we’ve recentlyfallen in love with Green and Spring andthis compact gift set is just what we’ll need for a little TLC.

 

Bobbi Brown, £59 at House of Fraser, Prada Candy Gift Set £53, Boots, Yves Sait Laurent £46.50, Boots, Green and Spring £14.50, House of Fraser

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11 July 2011: 14:02

Introducing Disguys, an all new cover-up stick. For men.

Women, you’re going to have to make some space in your beauty cabinets as an all new brand of make up is launching exclusively for men next month. 

Disguys is a men’s cover-up stick, disguys designed to conceal and give an even skin tone.  For spots, blemishes and under eye circles the range is available in three tones, light, medium or dark, and will be sold in Boots stores from August.

It starts with concealer but we could be witnessing the rise of guyliner and a whole range of products for the male population.  Watch this space…

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17 May 2011: 11:20

The beauty panel loves EcoTools brushes!

Product: EcoTools 6 Piece Brush Set

Available from: Boots

Price: £15.31

What it claims to do:

The EcoTools set which started it all.  Whether you want to hide imperfections, define eyes and brows, or create a rosy glow, our set of five beautiful and incredibly soft brushes is the perfect start to your makeup routine. Brushes feature bamboo handles, recycled aluminum ferrules and incredibly soft, cruelty-free bristles

Review:

The beauty panel has tried its fair share of brushes and we have our firm favourites. So, when a pack of brushes in unassuming eco-friendly packaging turned up at Westfield HQ, we shared the brushes between ourselves and didn’t think much more of it.   But one by one each of us started using our brush and one by one, we started raving about it.  Here are a few of the verdicts:

“I’ve never had a crease brush before and I’m not sure how I’ve managed to get through my make-up life without one!  The thickness and angle of the brush means that eye-shadow is smoothly over the eye socket in just one swoop but with very good definition. A professional application delivered in seconds, ” Sarah.

“As soon as I tried the eyeshading brush I loved it.  Delicate enough to precisely shade and blend and soft enough not to cause any friction in the delicate eye area, the brush is a must for any eyeshadow wearers.  I loved it so much and after hearing how much my colleagues loved their brushes I went straight to Boots to buy the whole set.  I’m now obsessed with my bamboo concealer brush which I use with Bobbi Brown concealer, my blusher brush and the incredibly precise eyeline brush,” Anna.

“I bought the Eco Tools five piece set after hearing about the quality of their brushes and am very happy with my purchase. The brushes are super- soft on your face and I can’t tell the difference between my expensive make-up brushes and Eco Tools. My favourite brushes are the big blush brush and eye-crease brush, which is excellent for applying eyeshadow,” Dearne

Final verdict
Eco-friendly and of a quality that matches those we’ve only ever found with more expensive, designer brushes but at a fraction of the price;  a really great buy.

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20 December 2010: 09:43

Clinique Super Moisture Foundation

Product review: Clinique Super Moisture Foundation

Available from: House of Fraser

Price:  £20

What it claims to do:
Ultra-creamy yet refreshingly lightweight formula goes beyond flaw-fixing, acting as skin’s undercover moisture agent for a dewy look. Disguises unevenness with sheer-to-moderate coverage. Instantly puts drier skins at ease. Skin looks soft and radiant all day.

Review:
I spent years searching for a foundation that offered coverage but didn’t look caked on; that stayed put throughout the day but didn’t dry out your skin.  This one, for me, does everything I need it to.  It makes the skin look flawless while looking natural. There’s no residue and it does indeed leave a dewy but not greasy look.   While the tube looks small for what you pay, you only need to use a tiny pea size amount for all over coverage which lasts all day. 

Final verdict
This has become one of my essential items and I haven’t yet found a foundation that compares.   Worth every penny.

Reviewed by Anna

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14 December 2010: 09:00

Fearne Cotton’s Party Tips

Party season is well and truly upon us and it’s safe to say Fearne Cotton seems like a girl who knows how to party in style.  So, as we upate our looks for the festivities, we’ve had a peek at Fearne’s new make-up range at Boots

The packaging suggests this collection is for brightly coloured rock chicks meet girl next door types just like her, the colours are bang on trend with just the right amount of variety and the quality is actually pretty good.

The ’It’s All About The Eyes’ shimmers (pictured above) are particular fun and longlasting enough to only need application as you make the transition from day to night.  We’ve got a video showing the lovely Fearne giving us a few tips on how to get her party look. Enjoy.

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8 December 2010: 10:09

Get the Look: Frozen Diamond

The wintry weather means we’ve certainly got the whole “frozen” look down to a T but red noses and chapped lips are not exactly the way forward.  So when we saw The Make Up Store’s Frozen Diamond collection we thought, ooh, that’s a bit more like it.

The collection - which consists of glosses, shimmers, turquoise and green eyeshadows and eye dusts, glittering shimmers for face and lips – makes for a look which is all pale ice queen with frosted eyes and pink wind-bitten lips and cheeks.


The look calls for porcelain skin with delicate rosy cheeks (so step away from the bronzer).  Mineral microshadows and eye dusts can be used dry or wet for either a subtle or more striking look, combined with the sheen for temples, cheeks and lips.

But the icing on the cake is the Sparkling Diamond, a multifunctional shimmer for lips, eyes and cheeks.  For lips,  finish this look with the lipgloss in ‘frozen’ adding an understated sheen.    Finally, if you want to acheive a real ‘Narnia’ look add their false eyelashes with crystals.

Left to right:  Eyedust in Brilliance and Paragon, £11; High tech lighter, £15; Microshadow in Vertigo, £11

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7 December 2010: 09:00

How to create a statement red lip look

The red lip is having a bit of a comeback with Cheryl Cole matching her lips to her AIDS ribbon on Saturday’s X Factor and Kylie Minogue letting her lips do all the talking at the Jingle Bell Ball this weekend.

Done right, it’s uber chic, but done wrong, it can look cheap.  So we’ve enlisted the help of MAC’s senior make-up artist Caroline Donnelly to show us how to create the perfect red lipstick look.

Caroline shows that it’s not all about the lip but the whole face.  She’s used Rockers and Rollers Eye Shadows which are part of MAC‘s new Tartan Tale collection.  Aside from gorgeous colours, we’re absolutely loving the packaging which make these perfect stocking fillers.

Reelers and Rockers Eye Shadows, A Tartan Tale Collection, £29.50 from MAC Westfield

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18 November 2010: 09:00

5 best nail polishes for under £10

We’re big fans of painted nails here at Westfield HQ. We’re always up for trying out the latest shades and brands. We have even been known to try out a new polish at our desks (sshhh, don’t tell!).

If you’re looking for a new nail polish and you don’t want to spend a fortune, we’ve discovered some great brands which won’t break the bank. We recommend them for colour, easy application and they’ll last you for at least a weekend. Best of all, they all cost under £10. We reckon that some of these are equal to, if not better than, some of the much more expensive nail polishes around.

So if you like to update your nail polish to match your latest outfit, we suggest you give these nail polishes a go. They have great new season colours too. Look out for autumnal hues and this season’s nudes and steely greys in particular.

Left to right: Topshop Nails in Cloud, £6; Essie nail polish in Chubby Cheeks, Debenhams £8.95; Rimmel 60 Seconds nail polish in Pompous, Superdrug £3.49; Rituals nail polish in Late Night Ruby, £7.90; Max Factor Max Colour Effects in Red Carpet Glam, Boots £3.95.

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12 November 2010: 09:00

New Clinique colour collection

Landing on Clinique counters today is the new Holiday 2010 collection. It’s limited edition, so we suggest you grab yours quickly.

We’ve got our hands on the Strawberry Fudge Holiday Compact and we’re  not letting it go! It’s a great palette for eyes and cheeks with really pretty shades. There’s a trio of eye shadows and a soft pink blush too.

Sweep the blush across your cheeks for a healthy spot of colour – as if you’ve just been outside in the snow or maybe you’re glowing after a Christmas kiss!

The eyepalette contains a pretty pink, but also offers rich chocolatey browns for more definition. Finish off your eye make-up with the High Lengths mascara, also nestled in the handy little compact.

Finally, there’s the NEW Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour. The Strawberry Bliss shade will give your lips a delicate pink gloss, ready for you to pucker up under that mistletoe!

Look out for the new collection on Clinique counters in House of Fraser, Boots and Debenhams

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4 November 2010: 11:30

How to wear Rihanna’s vibrant make-up look

Rihanna does strong make-up so well. She’s not one to go for the natural look with a nude palette. She likes to make a statement. We asked the experts at the Make Up Store for some tips on how to make Rihanna’s look work for you.

Emmelie, Make Up Store Westfield London Make Up Artist says:

To get a vibrant look with strong red lips and a dash of colour on the eye, start off by preparing the lips with  a lip exfoliater, moisturiser and primer. I recommend Make Up Store’s Lip Care Mix. Next, even out any redness on and around the lip area with a dash of foundation or concealer applied with a sponge. Follow with a little bit of powder.

Pick a matching lip liner to your lipstick. I’d pair Make Up Store’s Russian red lip pencil together with our China Red lipstick. It’s a perfect combination for vibrant red lips. To achieve that important definition, start lining from the Cupid’s bow and down to the corner of the mouth. Follow your natural lipline, unless you want to add some extra pout. Fill the whole lip with the lippencil for lasting colour. Finally, apply your lipstick with a fine lipbrush.

To recreate her stunning eye look, apply eye primer thinly all over the lid. Follow by dabbing Make Up Store’s eye dust in Bamboo on the middle of the lid and around the globe line. Define with eyepencil between the lashes in the outer corner of the eye. I use Wooden Metal. Use a soft brush to smudge the pencil up and out.

Under the eyebrow and in the corner of the eye, use High Tech Lighter in Magma. This way you get the full depth of your eye shape. Finish by curling your lashes and apply two coats of mascara for a full on evening look.

Sweep Make Up Store’s blusher in Mission onto the apple of the cheeks for added warmth and colour to complete this Rihanna-inspired look.

Your essential make up kit for this look

Left to right: Lipstick in China Red, lipcare mix pot, lippencil in Russian red, mascara in Drama. All available from Make Up Store

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