Contouring Tips & Products

Hi guys

I know most of you probably have heard of the term contouring by now. Anyone who knows Kim K will concur with that fact!

Anyway I wanted to share with you an item I have been extensively using to contour. I’ve recently realised that my actual foundation doesn’t match my skintone *covered monkey face*. What a rookie mistake. I am so in love with the foundation formula itself I forgot to check it actually matched my neck colour etc etc.

Anyway that’s a blog for another time. I have used many items to contour in my time. I mainly concentrate the contour underneath my cheekbones, but on YouTube you’ll see girls (and guys) contouring to the extreme. Unless it’s a special occasion or you just love sculpted, chiselled cheekbones; a natural contour can still be achieved without looking streaky or caked.

I’ve gone through cream formulations and powder and to be honest I use both. When in I’m a rush I reach for my Bourjois Bronzing powder to set my Becca Radiant Skin Satin Foundation in the Colour Mink. This is more of a liquid formula but I cheat and use a foundation instead of a normal creamy contour.

But whatever you use it’s important you use the correct technique regardless of the colour. As long as the colour is a few shades darker than your own skintone you’re good to go.

I use the Becca foundation because it just blends seamlessly into the skin, doesn’t leave streaks and it’s so easy to work with. A little goes a long way. I bought it in the Space NK sale; it must have been a colour people weren’t buying often so it was mega reduced to like £3.00 or something ridiculous. I understand normally it’s around the £20.00 – £25.00 mark.

I am not a great at advising how to contour, so I suggest you watch beauty bloggers on YouTube as it’s become almost a part of nearly everyone’s routine as part of a regular tutorial.

There are so many contouring products out there, when I first started out, I had to get my head round the idea that most makeup companies don’t actually product special contour products, its mostly bronzers and mattified powders. However here is a list of some common ones:

Laura Mercier Contour Kit - £34.00
Mac Mineralise Skinfinish Natural - £24.00
Anastasia Beverley Hills Cream and Powder Contour Kit - £39.00
Tom Ford Shade & Illuminate, Cream – I have a blog about this.

The Bourjois setting bronzing powder I use is under £10 from Boots and I think it’s just one universal colour as oppose to different shades. It is also available in different variations; it can come with a highlighting powder or with two blocks of bronzer and its packaging is pretty neat too.

And remember, if you ‘over contour’ you can always just go over it all with a little bit of your regular foundation and start again. Also if you have amazing contoured cheeks already why are you bothering??!!

Hehe we all love a bit of contour!

Ciao for now

SKINCARE REVIEW - Farsali Elixir Hydrating Moisturiser

Hi guys

I am lame blogger, I get so wrapped up with the busy workings of my life that i forget that I have a following and people eagerly anticipating my next blog post/review.

Let me sort this.....today I will be blogging about the about the Farsali Volcanic Elixir!!

Now I don't think I have read a single bad review about this product anywhere on the tinterweb...however there's always a first which subsequently allows for floodgates to be opened...

Let me start by introducing this product as I appreciate many of you won't have heard of it as yet...Farsali is a brand owned and developed by married couple Farah and Sali ( I have no idea what his full name is tbh) they are you tubers and Farah has amassed a great following on her extremely popular beauty channel @farahdhukai.

I have to admit she is brilliant, she's not just someone who picked up makeup and learnt to do it on herself amazingly, but she's done her research and she knows product inside out. From the health benefits all the way down to the ingredients that go into the makeup products we know and love.

So when I heard she was launching her own skincare range I was genuinely excited. The Elixir was released late last year as far as I understand. It is a moisturising oil that is to be used on a daily basis in place of a regular moisturising cream.

It is dispensed using a pipette style dispenser and the oil itself is yellow in colour and has a cream like consistency, what you'd expect from your typical oil.

I bought it online as UK shipping was limited but I considered myself one of those lucky few to get my hands on some bottles. I think one bottle costs around £30 and can be purchased from the Farsali website which can be found on the @Farsali Instagram page.

Having bought this and tried it for a few days, I felt like it made my face itch a lot, it also emanated the most hideous smell. Now I'm Asian and we eat curry on a daily basis, but no way in hell do I like that smell on my face everyday.

Unfortunately I had to relegate the oil to night time use but even then I wasn't seeing much skincare benefits, my regular moisturiser wasn't itchy and provided excellent hydration with no fragrance. Now when I queried the fragrance situation with Farsali customer services I was told this was the natural fragrance of the oil as it is completely organic. However no other review has mentioned this...which surprised me.

To test that it wasn't just me I asked a few other people to try it and they agreed with me, there was definitely a distinct smell which made the product lose a lot of value.

So all in all, if you don't mind the distinct smell of curry and you have money to burn then go ahead buy this product, otherwise there are better and cheaper alternatives in the market.

Ciao for now

*Chanel* Make Up Brush Love

I know I say this a lot, but my affinity with all things makeup did not start too long ago – the obsession has overcome me quite recently. Anyhoo I was the type who never used makeup brushes for any purpose. I was a ‘apply-foundation-with-the-hand’ kinda gal and loved it this way. Until I became a bit conscious of hygiene and my lack of any brushes at all! So I invested and I invested good.

I still remember the look of longing on the sales assistants face as I bought the Real Techniques Face and Eye Brush collections last year – bless her!

Anyway this post is all about one brush, one single beautiful brush! The Chanel No 1 Powder Brush. This brush is the dream *sighs*.

It applies any powder formula evenly and without leaving any streaks *rolls eyes* or any residue or even (as some Mac brushes have a penchant of doing) shedding.

Priced at a whopping £44.00 you can buy the entire Real Techniques range for that much and more! But once in a while you feel like a splurge…I have often used this to apply my Chanel Universal Bronzer which as you all know is a cream formula and therefore this is a great all-rounder.

It has a domed shape so great for bronzing, contouring and blushing hehe… and I know a few people will die of disgust, but you don’t even need to clean it often…I simply don’t have the time to go around cleaning my brushes 24/7 but thankfully this doesn't require that much care…*thank god*

It also comes in a velvet sleeve embossed with the Chanel logo to keep it from getting dirty which is great! Much better than the Tom Ford range of brushes which come in a box and nothing else and you basically have to re-mortgage your house to buy…tut tut Tom Ford.

I just felt like raving about these brushes as no one online ever does!

Animas xx

*Review* YSL Baby Doll Kiss and Blush Lipsticks

These are amazing and I have three! The formula is liquid but dries to a matte finish. Which for any of you who love long lasting lipsticks, it’s a great thing!

The packaging is funky too, it looks like you’re carrying nail polish in your handbag! And you can use it as a blush too! I find that element bizarre and don’t use them for that purpose tbh…Think the colours show up much better on my lips than my NC42 cheeks!

The ones I have are No 11, No 9 & No 5 and these retail at £27.00 each. I think I got a little carried away that day….oh well it happens…I have yet to visit a Guerlian counter for fear of the havoc I may cause to my bank account…

All in all very pretty colours, they have a wide range of colours. Very moisturising and good colour pay off – you do have to reapply after eating etc but its matter of preference really. 

Matte lippies are not my friend and I usually find I have to apply a balm before putting them on.  However these are great because they’re a liquid consistency so I don’t need to do the lip balm step first. Yay!

Have you tried these – what do you think?

*Review* Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir

Hi guys

This is more of a personal taste thing really so this review will be more about the brand, service and utter quality personified that is Jo Malone! J

I was first told about JM a few years ago and since I have had some form of product from JM sitting on my dresser since…JM traditionally produce fragrances and home perfumeries (if that’s even a word, well Word hasn’t auto-corrected so I assume it is :/ ) for all occasions. The have recently branched out into skincare too.

To give a brief history…

Jo Malone joined The Estée Lauder Companies' family of brands in 1999 and is available in 22 countries and territories. Jo Malone is a British lifestyle brand known for its unique fragrance portfolio and luxury products for the bath, body and home. Rewriting the rules of perfumery by mixing unexpected combinations of ingredients and providing elegant yet playful concepts where scent is used with abandon, the world of Jo Malone continues to inspire a loyal following.

One thing about the fragrances to remember is that they are all Eau de Toilette, I know some people really fuss about these things, myself included and I usually don’t bother with them unless they’re EDP. So I was a little miffed when I found this, however they have an intense range of fragrances which are the EDP equivalent, packaged in black bottles to discern from the normal range (which is packaged in clear glass bottles).

Sadly, the fragrances in the intense range are completely different and unique from the normal range….so I cannot buy my favourite Pomegranate Noir in the intense range *sad times* However, all is not bad because Pom Noir can be bought in a lotion, crème or candle form to help alleviate the sadness a bit…and naturally because I’m so obsessed, I have all of them!

You will also be happy to read that all their fragrances are unisex so sharing is caring peoples! The bottles come in 30ml (£40.00) and 100ml (£80.00) and for Christmas they have put together some amazing gift sets  and even a special edition Pom Noir bottle in festive colours!

Also because the bottles are so beautifully packaged and presented it saves a lot of money on gift wrapping etc. Another few firm favourites of mine are Blackberry & Bay, Peony Blush & Suede and Wild Sage & Sea Salt…

I have linked the website below for you all to check out - http://www.jomalone.com

Let me know what your favourite scent is…

See you soon

Animas x

*Review* Tom Ford Brow Sculptor in Espresso

Hi guys

Believe it or not, up until a year ago I never touched my brows, they were just a pair of furry stamps on my forehead awaiting rescue. Then I suddenly decided to throw caution to the wind and have them threaded.

OMG that was the worst pain ever. Maybe because it was the first time and the hairs were long. Who knows.

Anyway I was a little paranoid as to what product to use to fill them in as my eyebrows are quite fine and I couldn't

afford buying some random branded makeup which would result in shedding! I have read some horror stories *shudders*.

A visit to a Tom Ford counter a few months ago lead me to buy the Brow Sculptor in Espresso (£34.00) and much like the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil (£26.00) it is amazing. The Hourglass one is slightly cheaper but for me they do the same job however the Tom Ford is more readily accessible to me.

The Tom Ford Brow Sculptor comes in a range of colours and the pen is really quirky, it comes with some extra features including a brow brush (always handy!) and a sharpener. The pencil inside is not a pencil so to speak more like the lead found in a pencil and easily sharpenable (if that’s even a word).

The product stays in place after use and all day, so I find no need to buy a brow gel to further lock it in place, another product I’m a little skeptical to use…however you never know, may be open to it in the future…I know a few people use eye shadows, however my skills with an arched makeup brush are abysmal – therefore I steer clear, because this sculptor is shaped in a sort of arch, I feel it gives me more control than a brush.

Since purchasing this I have repurchased and probably will do again, however I have my eye on the Anastasia Brow Whiz, but since that’s only available online I’m a little vary about ordering and then finding I've bought the wrong colour….always annoys me! Who has time to faff around with returns? K

Let me know your thoughts guys and what products you use to get the perfect brow…

See you soon

Animas x

*Review* Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in 114 Understudy

Hi guys

Anyone who knows me at all knows that I have an obsession with all things lipstick. I have perhaps a lipstick from most brands and a new launch always excites me!

I will eventually review my favourites and the ones I would not repurchase, so if you have one you’d like reviewed, give us a shout, I've probably tried it!

Let me start with a firm favourite of mine, priced at £19.00 the Marc Jacobs Lip Gel in Understudy is a firm favourite. When MJ Beauty was announced last year, I like many other women screamed in utter joy and happiness. So on a visit to London in June I walked a mile from the tube station to locate the elusive store in Chelsea that housed the range and went crazy, not literally LOL.

I picked and swatched Understudy and immediately fell in love as at the time I was having a coral love, as you do in the height of Summer…MJ market these Lipsticks as Lip Gels, complete fad in my opinion LOL but we must be different…

The formula is one of my favourites, as you all know I have chapped hideously dry lips so the moisturising nature of this lipstick is right up my street. It’s neither matte nor too glossy and sits in between the two. The colour pay-off is excellent, I usually find I don’t need to reapply after I’ve eaten which is great, hate having to reapply…The colour of the actual lipstick is a dull coral which I LOVE.

The packaging the lipstick is housed in is very luxurious, on a par with Tom Ford, right up there with the greats! Quality shines through! Looks good in the bag etc etc.

So yeah, I will be repurchasing more colours in the range in the near future and can’t say enough good things about the range to be honest…

Let me know what you guys think…have you tried MJ Beauty?

Talk soon

Animas x

Hunt for my Holy Grail Foundation - Part Two…

Hi again everyone

To continue my journey, I was once again lured by heavy brand marketing and ended up getting the YSL Youth Liberator Foundation (£32.40) as a birthday gift. Firstly, this doesn't come in many shades unless this has changed since I bought earlier this year and secondly, it’s fragranced!!! For someone with sensitive skin buying this was probably not the wisest of moves…Naturally I broke out in spots *ergh* and the coverage was light to medium and not quite the dewy finish I look for in foundations. Sometimes fashion houses should probably stick to what they know best really…

So this foundation has been filed away in the foundation archives to be pulled out in desperate times. This means I was once again on the hunt. A visit to the Chanel counter at House of Fraser lead me to buy Chanel’s Vitalumiere Foundation (£29.70).

Although I like this, I find the colour to be a little too dark for me and the lighter colour was too light!!! I also find it doesn't blend well, as even after buffing in for a few minutes it just sits on the skin and can literally be wiped off….grhhh I also find it transfers quite a bit but only when you've touched your face and you’ll see it all over pieces of paper/clothes etc…

Another horror on the transfer front was Nars Sheer Glow Foundation (£35.00 with pump) in Tahoe/Syracuse/Barcelona -  yes I tried nearly every shade in my colour range and still didn't get anywhere near! Also I am totally against having to buy a powder to set my foundation, why should you? Perhaps it shouldn't transfer to the extent where you have to?! This is what I found with this foundation a lot…

Another major downer with this is you have buy the pump separately or risk spilling liquid foundation all over your furniture, hate that! Money making exercise or what!

So to conclude I probably will go back to my Mac foundation when the Chanel one finishes, but happy to hear any recommendations….

See you soon

Animas x

My thoughts on the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Duo

Hi guys

Today I will be reviewing the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate cream  duo. 

The fact that I have dry skin and this is a cream based product is absolutely fantastic for me as it sits well on my face doesn't move, doesn't dry out. The product applies really easily and blends well. 

I also bought the TF Shade and Illuminate makeup brush that is used with this duo however I found that for my little face it was perhaps a little too wide and it just made me look like I had a huge splodge of product under my cheekbones when contouring (awkward times) so I use my Real Techniques foundation brush to apply and buff it in with an RT Buffing Brush. 

So yes people, unlike me please don't get wooed by the brand and buy the brushes to go with the makeup!!!

I use a whole host of brushes but at the moment RT are quite simply amazing. Easy to clean, no fall out hairs and make application so easy! Oh and did I mention they are a drugstore brand so very very affordable.

Anyway back to the Duo - as I said the philosophy in using the duo is that you use the same TF brush to contour, you then wipe on tissue and use same brush in the highlight shade and highlight your upper cheekbones. I was shown this in store and didn't realise that when done at home you simply don't have the time to faff (working woman!) around cleaning brushes and so I have a not so clean highlighter now which I don't use too often.

As contradictory as this will sound, I'm not a big fan of the highlighter, I prefer powder highlighters they just feel like you haven't got an extra layer on around that part of your skin and this highlight makes me feel that way, matter of opinion I guess folks.

The contour part of the duo is however amazing. I bought the lighter shade as I wanted to use it as a daily contour as oppose to 'night out' full on contour. However it is buildable so you can do that also. I would repurchase this product simply for this part of the duo as it gives me a lovely shadow under my cheekbones and it stays in place all day! Even on top of my liquid foundation.

So all in all, the product is hit and miss and for the price point (£56.00) you really do want to be very sure you want to buy it. Unless you get someone to buy it for Christmas haha. 

It is a luxury product and that is clear from the beautiful packaging which makes the TF brand stand out especially. I am always drawn to this counter as it just screams quality and class! Oh and did I mention it comes with a fairly decent sized mirror too so you can touch up on the go!

Let me know your thoughts in the comments box below and whether you feel the same or otherwise...

See you soon

Animas x