Diary of a Beauty Junkie – New Smith & Cult makeup collection

12/16/201612/16/2016Leave a comment

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You know those nail polishes you love? The Smith & Cult ones? Well, they have just launched a makeup collection and it is AH-MAzing! I’m not exaggerating here, it’s way up there with YSL, Bobbi and NARS.

To be honest, I wouldn’t expect anything less from the founder Dineh Mojaher who in the 90s started Hard Candy nail polishes. If you’re old enough to remember, they were the brightly coloured nail polishes sold in Harvey Nichols with the rings on them. The baby blue was the one Alicia Silverstone wore in Clueless and I was obsessed.

Hard Candy Nail Polishes

So this Diary of a Beauty Junkie collection and everything about its marketing is super glam, super lux, super sexy and cool! It’s for that crazy cool party girl who still has all her sh*t together but is still slightly unstable. She knows exactly who she is and isn’t afraid to take risks and have fun which makes her a liability. The packaging looks like someone has stepped on it with a spiked heel – so again, like the packaging, the Smith & Cult girl is shiny and polished but slightly damaged.

It’s like the Lana Del Rey of Makeup. I love it! It’s so Rock n Roll and so me!

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Diary of Beauty Junkie Collection

If you get a chance to go on the website, you can see that the product descriptions have nothing to do with the shades, but are little monologues from the Smith & Cult babe who wears it (see above). Stories about getting drunk on a flight and telling your life story to a complete stranger, having OCD, and spiking your detox tea with whiskey seriously make you want to buy them.

The Book Of Eye’s Eye Quad Collection

Book of Eyes in Neautrality

Book of Eyes in Plume

These come in four different tones – Neutrality which is 4 brown/gold colours, Plume which is four plum colours, Bronzy, yeah you guessed it, bronze and smoked out which is a mixture of silvery glitter, pinks and khaki. Neutrality is my favourite but surprisingly I have been wearing No.3 Soft Shock every day. The colours are highly refined powder formulas with rich velvety pigments, metallic micro-particles and translucent shimmers to create the perfect smokey eye. They can be used wet and dry for creamy dreamy textures and they have extremely long staying power.

I have been wearing these eyeshadows for a month now and have completely ditched everything I have worn over the last few months. First of all, unlike other brands, it doesn’t irritate my skin, not even the glittery ones. The eyeshadows stay on all day, blend perfectly together and the brush that comes with it works perfectly. I have stopped using eyeliner along my outer lash line and replace it with the darker eyeshadow in this quad and it doesn’t move all day. Even after a full on Spin Class.

£34

B-Line Eye Pen in Still Riot

I you like a cat eye, this is a product for you. This eyeliner point is so thin and black it can create the finest line or darkest and sharpest flick. It dries immediately and lasts all day, and night resisting water so you can wear when you’re out partying and it wont move. The silky matte finish and stays in place all day without smudging, flaking, or misbehaving. If you read the description on the website, it will tell you about shoving garlic in your ears and drinking Oregano. Lol!

Just believe me when I say it gets your flicks on fleek.

£21

The Tainted Lip Stain Flatte in Mad Heat

The liquid lipstick in a dark red smells amazingly like cocoa butter. It slides onto lips because it’s a liquid and stains the lips instantly without looking over done or drying lips out. The finish is Matte but it looks and feels really soft and keeps lips hydrated as its formulated with esthers and emollients combined with a blend of skin perfecting polymers. I dabbed a little of this on my lips to stain them and finished with a lip balm for nights I don’t want to look too made up.

£24

Nail Polish in Darjeeling Darling

Just like all of their nail polishes, this is a gorgeous Emerald Green in a glossy and rich finish. It doesn’t chip easily and looks amazing on skin, especially during the festive season.

£19

This new makeup collection is everything. It’s Rock n Roll, its cool and edgy, it’s glam, it’s hard, its sexy, it’s fun, and it lasts all day and all night.

Buy it now, you will not be disappointed.

Available from Space NK and Cult Beauty

Great British Bake Off – Rodial Instaglam Compact Deluxe Banana Powder

08/01/201601/29/2017Leave a comment

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Baking with Banana Powder. Now, I’m not talking cake here, I’m talking about one of the latest make up trends on social media that everyone still seems to be going bananas for.

If you don’t know what baking is, it’s a method that has been stolen from the drag community who have been doing it for years. The way to bake is to apply a thick layer of powder on your face to bake on your face for 10 minutes. When dusted off, the powder has set onto your face leaving a flawless finish that will last all day and all night.

Talking about queens, Kim Kardashian’s makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic uses it on her, just check out her Instagram page, she loves it… and lets face it, if the queen of contouring is baking, its definitely a thing.

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So, without the help of a drag queen or makeup artist, is it possible to bake at home? I went down to the Rodial Skin Lab at Harvery Nichols to find out.

Rodial makeup is just as good as it’s skincare, their contouring powder is popular with all of the Kardashian sisters and the Skin Tints are amazing. Like their skincare products, the company are always on the forefront of beauty trends, creating innovative, and cool products that actually work.

I don’t do contouring, so this concept of baking was a little scary for me. In the end, it it worked out great and was so easy to use. The new Instaglam Banana Powder is yellow toned, so not yellow. The colour is so versatile, and the shade will actually suit a whole range of skin tones to compliment the full contouring look. The formula corrects redness and pink undertones, whilst neautralising blue under eye circles. It can be used on your whole face to set your makeup and contour using the baking effect where it acts like a highlighter. It stays on all day minimises fine lines and doesn’t look heavy.

All you do is brush it on under the eyes to form a thick layer. You can apply it under the cheekbones, brow bone, and on the chin if you also wish to go for the Kim K look. Leave it on while you are doing the rest of your makeup and then brush it off. Blend it i with the rest of your makeup and you’re done. It leaves an amazing flawless finish unlike something you would get from a cream concealer because it doesn’t melt or get stuck in fine lines. It’s a really natural and subtle way to cover dark circles and imperfections because it leaves a soft smooth and creaseless look that lasts all day.

Available from Selfridges, and Harvey Nichols

£52

Kiko Summer Trend Collection

07/16/201608/02/2016Leave a comment

The When I saw the new Summer Trend collection from Kiko, it made me think of adventures in faraway lands – Aqua oceans, fluorescent flowers, and sun-kissed holiday skin which glows like the sunset. Seriously, this collection has everything you need for your summer vacation… And even if you stay in the city, you can still look like you’ve jumped of the plane straight from Tulum.

First of all let’s talk about the packaging. The lightweight rose gold design was created by futurist designer Ross Lovegrove which are like miniature sculptures borrowed from buildings, to mimic the curves of a woman’s body. This instantly recognisable trademark design by the designer is dedicated to those who have a desire for adventure. Therefore, it’s not just pretty to look at, the features such as the magnetic lipstick lids, and the curves of the applicators for a tighter grip, have all been designed to be used on the go.

The makeup itself is everything you need for your summer look. Bronzes with golden and coral accents to highlight and accentuate tans, pink, red and plum lipsticks, and bronze, and Aqua eye makeup.

Here are a few of my favourites

Desert Dune Baked Bronzer £22.90

This bronzer has actually been baked so that its application is super fine and light. It comes in two shades – Warm Melange, and Sienna Melange. It smells like Vanilla and enriched with Jojoba oil so that it doesn’t dry out the skin. It can be used all over the face and more concentrated on the cheeks and nose.

Desert Dunes Trio Baked Blush £16.90

This is also baked and infused with Jojoba oil and available in three shades – Lust Coral, Gypsy Pink, and Impulsive Mauve. The shades can be used individually or blended together to highlight the cheekbones and skin.

Sunshine DD Cream SPF 30 £12.90

This DD cream is the latest evolution in the BB and CC game. It has an SPF and daily defence action for anti agening. Coverage is buildable. Available in 4 shades.

In the Shade Kajal £9.50

These highly pigmented eyeshades can line the eyes or blend to for an eyeshadow or smokey eye. They are soft and stay on all day. They come in 6 colours but my favourite has got to be 03 Turquoise and Pearly Brown.

Mirage Lip Stylo £10.90

The innovative formulas or special waxes and pigments glide on easily and last all day. They are available in 8 shades.

Free Spirit Lips and Cheeks £9.90 and Heatwave Lip Oil £10.90

The Free Spirit Lip and Cheek oil is versatile and brightens the complexion with a healthy glow. For lips it’s buildable, and for cheeks it can be blended easily. The lip oil is a nourishing treatment which leaves lips hydrate and bright. It makes lips glossy but not sticky.

Other products like the Kabuki Face Brush, the rose gold Clutch and the Perfume are also available in the collection.

Available from stores nationwide and Kiko