For better or worse

For better or worse

I am back! A married woman, and finally back on the blogosphere. And i couldn't think of a better place to start than to talk you through my wedding day make up!

Yes in an ideal world, I would have had a wonderful make up artist at my beck and call, creating a look of the rich and famous. Instead I had my trusty sidekick Mags, a suitcase full of brilliant make up, and a few lessons under our sleeves.

So what did I learn? Doing my own make up meant I had a real natural look, when applying make up on ourselves, we are defintely less liberal, and more inclined to layer to ensure no mistakes are made. I also believe that lighting played a huge part. Stood in an awkward mirror in the wrong lighting does no one any favours. And product is key.

A quick run down on the products i used:

* Nars Primer - light and silky, perfect for humid conditions

* Laura Mercier foundation - a shade darker than normal to compliment the overseas location

*Chanel eye shadow - these prove that layering works, and you most defintely get what you pay for!

*Chanel eye pencil - in green, this really complimented my eye colour, and big thanks to Dawn in Debenhams, Salisbury for even suggesting this off the wall idea!

*Liz Earle eye cream - amazing at concealing the dark circles, without a made up look of some concealers

*No7 translucent powder - perfect for setting the make up to last

*A lovely pale pink Chanel lipstick

*And finally a glass of champers, with a bit of confidence, we all let our inner beauty shine through!

This was a brilliant learning curve for myself and Mags, with a combination of make up counters, books and trials at home, we perfected my wedding day look.

So a quick insight for you on how we approached my wedding day make up. I will be talking about some of the products in more detail in future blogs, and look out for some christmassy themed blogs coming soon!

In the meantime, stay beautiful!

Stace x







24th November 2010

Reviewing hot cloth cleansers - starting with Liz Earle's C&P

Hot cloth cleansers - use it or lose it?

You probably know by now that the first step to a beautiful and radiant skin is cleansing. Some people may argue that it's weekly scrubbing or using nourishing/cleansing masks but before you nourish or remove the death skin cells from your face you need to prepare the surface. It's like painting a picture - before you start with a brush you need to prepare the canvas.

For a good few months now, I have been reviewing a number of hot cloth cleansers to find out which one is the best and which one just isn't! In the next few blogs I'll review different cleansers and share with you my verdict.

Liz Earle's, Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser
No wonder this product is a multi-award winning solution for beautiful skin! The plant-based product cleanses and polishes in one. Its creamy and thick texture melts down any, even the most stubborn make-up (including waterproof mascara) and the ingredients including eucalyptus and cocoa butter leave the skin fresh, smooth and squeaky clean.
Whereas the pure muslim cloth gently polishes off the dead skin cells and help reveal clean and soft skin. Your skin looks instantly radiant and feels really smooth.

First time I've used the cleanser I kept touching my skin since couldn't believe the softness on my face; it felt baby-like - soft and plumped. Even my husband noticed the difference and was shortly convinced to use the product himself since it's fuss free and would go without using toners afterwards (even though I'd still recommend to use one, anyway).

The cleanser smells divine - fresh with a hint of eucalyptus oils, it creates the perfect cleansing routine for both women and men. Also, the formula stays the same for women and men, the only difference is in colour of the packaging.

The cleanser comes in a round bottle pumps with various sizes: 50ml, 100ml and 150ml (usually as limited edition) and tubes: 30ml and 200ml. The prices vary depending on the size - the average price for the 100ml is £11.50 so on a bit expensive side but affordable if you use one pump per use, since little goes a long way. One bottle usually lasts me six to seven weeks. My only pet peeve is using the pump when you can't tell you're running low on the product, a window or indicator would really help. Hence I like to use the tubes since when the product is running low I can still get at least a week's worth of it when cutting the tube open.

The information on the product states that it works on every age and skin type. However, I have a very sensitive skin and noticed that I can only use the muslim cloths once a day since the polishing may be too harsh for my skin. Therefore I'd be a bit cautious and watch any symptoms during the use. One can use the cleanser morning and night with pure muslin cloths but in my case I limited the use to evenings only and it works better for me that way.

The verdict
As for the verdict... well it's really easy for me to judge. I have already convinced a few of my friends to use this product, therefore I believe it delivers to the promise of clean, smooth and radiant skin. However, I'd give it an 8 out of 10 for the packaging and price; but 10/10 for the product inside! Overall I'd recommend this product since am very proud of what it delivers!

Remember that you all have different skin types and that products work differently on others so please, test and watch your skin to make sure that what you use is best suited for your skin type and your wallet, too. Stay beautiful!

Mags x

Beautiful hair, every day!

Beautiful hair, every day!

It’s been too long but I’m back! First of all, I’d like to say ‘Thank you’ to Stace who has written great beauty tips while I was away. Also, congratulations as she’s now happily married!

Now I’m back and ready to share with you all the tips I’ve learned over the few weeks. Firstly, let’s start with the recently launched Liz Earle’s haircare; shampoo and conditioner.

My first impression, when I’ve seen the packaging was surprise with a hint of disappointment. I had never used a shampoo from a tube and thought it would be a nightmare to use. However, I have to admit, I was too quick to judge – it’s actually easier to use than regular bottles, so thumbs up for packaging!

The shampoo

It’s suitable for all hair types so perfect for the whole family. I have normal/dry, fine and coloured hair and I absolutely love the product. The smell is divine and the texture is creamy and lathers beautifully – a little goes a long way; for more lather just use a bit more water – works perfectly!

The naturally active ingredients including apple and orange extracts, and essential oils create a wonderful experience with an invigorating and fresh smell that wakes up the senses in the morning and lasts the whole day. The shampoo gently cleanses without stripping and leaves my hair clean (and I mean, squeaky clean), ultra soft, shiny and smelling delicious.

The conditioner

I used conditioner for dry and damaged hair. Its rich, creamy texture is really easy to apply and leaves my hair hydrated, tangle-free, soft and smooth. The smell is a bit more subtle as of the shampoo but still really fresh and sensual.

My husband who suffers from dandruff has also been using the shampoo and conditioner and says it helps to ease his itchy scalp. It didn’t clear the dandruff though; therefore, with any skin problems, I’d recommend to seek doctor’s advice.

The verdict

Both of the products work in synergy; they are beautiful and it was definitely worth the wait (took three years to develop!)! The products come in 200ml tubes and cost an affordable £7.50 each (remember, a little goes a long way!). I would definitely recommend this product to all my friends!

Remember to use products that best suit your needs. Stay beautiful!

Mags x

Ps. In the next few blogs I’m going to review hot cloth cleansers, starting with Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish.

19.10.2010