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When I was younger the birthday gift that I most wanted was always a makeup set. When I was finally old enough to have one I remember spending hours creating different looks with all the different eyeshadow shades and lipstick colours. I can now say that not much has changed after trying the Avon Master Collection Makeup Palette.

It's the weekend and for once I had a lot of time on my hands to have a play with a few new makeup goodies I picked up over the last month. This also meant I had enough time if I had to fix up any disasters if it came to it (win!). I had several surprises while doing this look, good surprises, products I feel will become new favourites for the next few weeks and I'm so excited to share them with you. So this post will be part FOTD and part 'haul review' and overall 'rave post'... Be warned..!
Don't you just love discovering amazing products? Yves Rocher is France's favourite beauty brand and they happen to have an amazing line of Moisturizing Cream Lipsticks. I have the beautiful Yves Rocher Rose Alba Moisturising Cream Lipstick to share with you today, a good contender for my favourite winter pink. Now that's something!

Yves Rocher Flowerparty By Night Eau de Parfum. The newest bottle added to my perfume shelf. An elegant mysteriously dark blue hued bottle yet with a girly twist flower top. I could not wait to give it a whiff.

I decided to compare the W7 In The Buff Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Colour Palette and the Sleek MakeUp i-Divine Eyeshadow Palette in Au Naturel.
Only recently have I dared to experiment more with eyeshadows. Usually my makeup looks are very minimal and clean however I have been tempted over the try some looks after watching many youtube videos and discovering that nude colours can enhance an evening/clubbing makeup look without appearing over the top.
I decided to try out a Teni Panosian inspired look using a gold and bronze base with black tips to test out these two palettes that are under a tenner.
03/12/2014
Head to Head with Nude Palettes!
I've got a confession. I've never tried Sally Hansen nail polishes before. *gasp* I've seen the line in various drugstores and ignored it over and over... But this time I couldn't. First of all, the Christmas display in Boots was very good, very appealing. But it was this nail polish in So Much Fawn which reeled me in, caught me by hook line and sinker. Keep reading for a couple of swatches.
It's been a couple of years since I've picked up a lipgloss. Often the sticky nature of glosses feel uncomfortable on the lips, causing them to stick to each other pulling skin and leaving me with unsightly chaps... It's thanks to Anna though that I've decided to venture out into lipglosses again (she has GOT to be the best enabler in the beauty blogging business!). After watching some of her recent videos, umming and ahh-ing, I've picked up this Maybelline Color Elixer in Caramel Infused.

When someone tells you 'nude nails are the colour of this season', never believe them - nude nails are always in! I will never tire of nude nail polishes. Every single time I browse the nail polish aisle, while I inadvertedly check out the bright hot pinks and reds, its nude colours that I take with me to the counter. I just love how these shades elongate the appearance of my small stubby fingers, like how nude heels flatter and lengthen our pins. I've got a couple of beautiful nude polishes to share with you today. While they look similar in their bottles, they actually look different on the nails.

Now here's a launch I'm excited about!
Miley Cyrus, singer, actress, known for twerking and riding a wrecking ball in her birthday suit, also happens to be creating cosmetics. She's working together with MAC Cosmetics in their Viva Glam collection releasing an electric-pink lipstick as well as a matching shimmering lip gloss. The makeup line will come out in shops January 2015 and all product sales will assist those people who are living with and suffering from HIV/AIDS.

The dreary British climate can cause chaos with your skin, particularly for individuals with pre-existing skin problems such as eczema or psoriasis. Each winter season our body is subjected to harsh changes, leading the capillaries within the epidermis to change dramatically to take into account the changing temperatures. This tends to leave your skin appearing flushed, red and weather beaten, and overall a lil less glam.

If there's a type of makeup product I would purchase over and over in the same shade, that would be foundation. This year I noticed my foundation collection exponentially increase. I just love testing different brands and different formulas. Because these are face products, I have them in rotation and so I don't get guilty as much as when I purchase vampy lipsticks that generally need a bit more loving.
Here's a recent haul for face bases by myself and my sister from Sephora, a post that we've both put up together. Two things that I have been looking forward to since the minute I booked my trip to the US... Let the excitement begin!
05/11/2014
A Sephora Haul: New Face Bases
Make Up For Ever is set to launch a makeup range influenced by E.L. James' sensual novel along with the hotly anticipated Valentine's Eve premiere of the Fifty Shades of Grey film. The "kinky collection" will make you blush like an innocent, sweet and early-Christian Grey-era Anastasia Steele. This collection boasts suggestive names and the kinky packaging includes smooth and silky rope ties, and an ornate lock and key pattern, take a look...

Thanks to my new skincare routine using The Latest in Anti-ageing Skincare, I've had a good skin week this week, good enough to bust out sheer to light coverage Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. To cover dark circles and the occasional redness I used long-lasting NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. Set with MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus to even out the skin. I couldn't get enough of My New Winter Fragrance YSL Black Opium - if you haven't tried this yet I suggest you do!
19/10/2014
The Weekly Makeup Edit #06

If you've been following me on twitter, you'll know that I recently attended (and was lucky enough to be invited to present) at the prestigious EADV Congress held in Amsterdam. This massive conference with 12,000 attendees was a huge melting pot of vast amounts of information and Dermatology secrets and innovations worldwide.
14/10/2014
The Latest in Anti-Ageing Skincare
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Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Review |
I'm a huge fan of vanilla fragrances and I'm pleased to share with you a new fragrance I've added to my rotation of scrumptious scents: Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium.

Hello! My name is Shivanee and this is my first post after joining my sister-in-law to be's blog. I accompanied her to the Mark Hill Hair company's recent event - which was fantastic - and I am reviewing some of the products they were showcasing. Mark Hill himself was on hand at the event to help out and show off his skills. This particular line is not available yet but should be out in time for your wishlist this Christmas.

A throwback to our ballerina days we have been busting out our romantic purple and lilac eyeshadows this season and teaming them up with our ballerina hair buns. The trick is to avoid the 'bruised lid look' that these colours can sometimes do... Here are our tips to wear the right shade of purple for you:
15/09/2014
The Secret to Lilac Lids
Confused about which flirty falsies to wear for that special night out?
Amidst the sea of lashes in the world, there are a few brands we always turn to. A higher price tag does not necessarily mean higher quality and some of the best are available from your local drugstore. Here are a few tips on what we look for in a good pair of falsies:

That's one good thing about having a beauty addict girlfriend, you know what presents to get her. Just as long as you make sure its already in her collection of beauty bits, anything goes -- and she'll be thrilled!
This post is a little late but something definitely worth writing. It's my review of Charlotte Tilbury's Golden Goddess Makeup Set that my sweet other half picked out for me to give me on my birthday. He likes to think he knows which makeup looks great on me, and I gotta say he's right!
Let's get onto the deets!!
This post is a little late but something definitely worth writing. It's my review of Charlotte Tilbury's Golden Goddess Makeup Set that my sweet other half picked out for me to give me on my birthday. He likes to think he knows which makeup looks great on me, and I gotta say he's right!
Let's get onto the deets!!
It’s my Big Sister’s birthday today!
I thought I’d put
together a make up look inspired by Livia; the lovely, creative mind behind this
blog. My sister is my favourite beauty guru. I look up to
her for beauty and fashion tips. But she's also like a second mommy to me, and I always take her advice in to consideration. I am very proud of what she has achieved and I am proud to call her my
sister.
Ate*, this is for you.
Face
Concealer: MAC Select Moisturecover NC30
Highlight: Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer no. 01 Light Beige
Contour: Sleek Suede Effect Pressed Powder no. 04
Liquid Foundation: MAC Studio Sculpt NC35
Eyes
Eyebrows: Etude House Easy Brow Pencil
Lid: Revlon Colorstay Quad in Attitude - Lightest Matte
Crease: Revlon Colorstay Quad in Attitude - Darkest Matte
Eyeliner: NYX Super Fat Eye Marker
Mascara: Maybelline The Rocket Mascara
Outer Eye False Eyelashes
Finishing Foundation: MAC Lightful NC35
Blush: Sleek Pixie
Lipstick: Bobby Brown Soft Coral
Key ingredients to the Livia Look:
Coral and rosy shades: They suit her skin color really well and they give her that sweet and innocent look
Highlight waterline and inner eye corners: They illuminate your eyes
All of these tricks contribute to the coveted “Livia Glow” that reflects her sweet and bright personality.
Coral and rosy shades: They suit her skin color really well and they give her that sweet and innocent look
Highlight waterline and inner eye corners: They illuminate your eyes
All of these tricks contribute to the coveted “Livia Glow” that reflects her sweet and bright personality.
To my best girlfriend, Happy Birthday! I wish you all the
best ate*. And I Hope you (and our readers) enjoyed this post!
*Filipino word for big sister; pronounced: Ah-teh
Shannon | The Skin and Beauty Blog
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E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette in NYC Review, Swatches |
Would you believe it that after all of these years in the beauty blogging industry I have just had my first encounter with E.L.F.? I am so excited to share with you my first ever product from this line, its the E.L.F. Studio Baked Eyeshadow Palette in NYC.
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Sleek Makeup Blush By 3 in Lace |
For such a beautiful blush trio from the drugstore I believe Sleek Makeup Blush by 3 in Lace needs much more recognition in the beauty world. Among all the Blush By 3 trios, I believe Lace is perhaps the prettiest of them although I may be a little biased for my love of corals and peaches.

I believe a good night cream is important to keep your skin in tip top shape to restore your skin to a fab state to take you through the next day. After having recently been through my old favourite night cream, I decided to try Eucerin Even Brighter Pigment Reducing Night Cream. I've been using this for a couple of weeks so far and here are my thoughts.
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Glamour Beauty Box Latest In Beauty Review |
The thing about beauty boxes as often the contents can be a hit and miss. I used to be subscribed to one a while back but decided to discontinue as I didn't feel as though I had much use of the products I received. That's not the case with The Latest in Beauty: Summer Beauty Edit however, I am thoroughly impressed with most if not all the products in this set. These products were picked in a collaboration with Glamour Magazine so its no wonder these are all pretty good. Let's get started on the initial impressions shall we?
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MAC Artificially Wild Collection Look |
Hi Dolls, I'm excited to share with you this look I pulled together using products from the upcoming MAC Artificially Wild Collection for Autumn 2014. 90's nudes have made a comeback this year and so have some legendary shades from MAC. To find out what products I used for this look, keep reading!

Are you having trouble getting a tan? Well, you're in luck! Here are a couple of tan-tastic nail polishes from Models Own that really accentuate any smidgen of colour to create a faux-glow.

Here is this week's beauty edit that is a little bit different from the usual as I have included some inspirational yet light-hearted reading material that I have enjoyed on the commute to and from work this week. I've also enjoyed new face bases and a light rose gold coloured highlighter to adorn my cheekbones for that Victoria's Secret glow.

Argentum Apothecary La Potion Infinie is a luxury facial moisturiser with anti-ageing properties ie. firming, tightening, hydrating.

A look featuring all my favourite makeup at the moment from Charlotte Tilbury's Beachsticks to my top picks from the new MAC Moody Blooms Collection.
10/07/2014
LOTD: Rose Gold Eyes and a Peachy Glow

Simply irresistible.
I visited the Charlotte Tilbury stall at Selfridges again to have a snoop and eventually picked up a few goodies for myself. I was in a good mood and decided to give myself another treat. Thanks to the very talented enabling MUA @PhilippaLouise1, we picked out a few products to suit my NC30 Oriental skintone. I got a few sticks: lipstick, beach stick and eyeshadow stick.

There are three main criteria for makeup on the go: portability, ease of use, and multitasking. Well there's also a fourth - it has to make you look good. Here are a few beauty tips and tricks I would recommend if you're the type of gal who would rather take the time to sleep and slap on your face on the commute to work be it train tram or tube... Not speaking from experience, of course...
1.) Foundation - Pick a formula that is easy to apply with the fingers. Or better yet if you're the lucky gal to have more good skin days than bad, take with you a concealer to dab on only on problem areas. For on the go I recommend wand products that allow controlled spot applications but can double up as foundations such as MAC Mineralize concealer or NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I would apply this on the eye bags spots, around my nose and mouth, and blend with the fingers.
2.) Powder - I'm one of those believers in setting my face base with powder. I don't touch up during the day so powder is a must for me. There is no trick around this - I take powder on one hand and a brush (preferably a stippling brush) on the other. The powder has to be pressed powder though - you don't want loose powder puffing up in smoke on the other passengers!
3.) Lips and cheeks - opt for multitasking cream products with pops of colour. For easy finger applications I would pick creamy but solid formulas. Mac Cream Colour Bases and NARS Multiples are fabulous for this. The new YSL Kiss and Blush are also good alternatives.
4.) Eyes - I say skip the brushes, powders and pots in place for eye pencils or felt tip pens. That includes eyeshadow, eyeliner and eyebrows. Take note of creamy yet long-wearing Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow pencils. Even liquid liners can cause more trouble, avoid those too.
5.) Mascara - unless the commute is particularly bumpy I would suggest perfecting your mobile mascara technique. There's no way getting around this one.
So these are my basic tips and recommendations for on the go beauty. Fellow commuters would be amazed at your before and after transformation, and I'm sure closet beauty addicts would have difficulty keeping their eyes off you and your arsenal... with makeup bag envy!

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