Make Up Trials

Hello everyone! 

This is not a blog post as such.... More of an offer...

Looking for opportunities to get my creative juices flowing - and am interested in offering make up trials to people in the Llantrisant, Talbot Green, Pontyclun ( and surrounding within reason) areas. 

With eye make up being the main focus...

(Full make up trials and nail looks will also be available if requested)  

If you are interested please email me for details and to arrange an appointment. 

There is a contact me page on my blog so you should be able to find all my details there; 

Have a great day - hope to hear from you soon! 

Rhian. Xx

*please note that depending on the trial and location - a fee may be charged* 

Nars Night Clubbing Eyeshadow

This is my first ever Nars eyeshadow purchase.... and I love it! 

A deep black with golden hints of sparkle make for a perfect dramatic eyeshadow. 

This shade is great for all over the eye, or for contouring depending how brave you are with colour.

As the shade is highly pigmented it doesn't look harsh on the eye like some dark shadows can, but it can be applied wet to intensify the colour. 

I have used it all over my eye in the picture below, and highlighted the inner corner using Urban Decays "Half Baked" my favourite gold shade. 

£18.00 may seem a lot for a single eyeshadow, but it has great staying power, and the packaging includes a mirror which is rare for a single shadow. 

How would you wear this eyeshadow? 

Would you recreate this look? 

Rhian Xx

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lipgloss in Frizzy Mango

I am not wishing to plague you with posts on lipsticks and lip glosses, however this posts ties in nicely with my previous post on Dior's Addict lip gloss in Diablotine.
http://prettygreeneye.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/dior-addict-lipstick-in-diablotine.html

I actually purchased this lip gloss before purchasing the Dior lipstick inadvertently as I actually went in to House Of Fraser to purchase the Dior Diablotine lip gloss but as there was nobody on the Dior counter to serve me I wandered to the Guerlain counter where I promptly jumped ships.
In all honesty there is very little between the two shades.

As you would expect from a premium brand the packaging is very strong, but I love this gloss simply for the colour. It looks great alone but also adds depth to lipstick - being highly pigmented with gold sparkles also adds to the effect. It is also a lot less sticky then a number of other glosses I have tried.

The gloss is available online and from your local Guerlain counter and retails for around £22.00

Rhian Xx



Without Flash

With Flash
 

Dior Addict Lipstick in Diablotine

This summer is all about coral shades for me - I love it, especially with a tan.

In preparation for my holiday, I stocked up on nail varnish and Benefit's Cha Cha Tint - one thing missing, something luscious and glossy for my lips.

Step up Dior's Addict lipstick in Diablotine.

This is the shade that Dior are using on all of their PR activity along with the Addict gloss so it makes it the perfect shade to talk about.

Now in order to get the desired effect like in all the marketing etc it is best combined with Dior Addict gloss... I already have a similar shade Guerlain Kiss Kiss gloss in Frizzy Mango (849) and that also does the trick! 

Before we get down to the product I simply cannot stress enough how beautiful the packaging is... I know, I know... It should be about the product but the packaging is part of the reason you pay the big bucks! 

It's stylish iridescent shimmer packaging makes it very eye catching when proceeding to reapply throughout the day and should someone catch you it's a definite talking point. 

The product.... The colour is great... It's the perfect shade of coral/pink for me and because it has a shimmer in it, it feels like a light gloss on the lips. Upon application it also feels very moisturising. The only negative is that the staying power isn't great and for £24.00 I think you'd expect more. That being said - I love this lipstick and I don't mind having to reapply it throughout the day.

The shade may be a little subtle for some people, as you really need a gloss on top for greater impact, but can ideally be worn as a substitute for a gloss during the day if you want a hint of colour and shine without the stickiness.


Top - Swatch Of Lipstick
Bottom - Swatch of Lipstick with Guerlain gloss applied.

Blog Post on Guerlain Kiss Kiss gloss to follow.

Rhian Xx

 

Rimmel APOCALIPS

FINALLY, finally I am getting around to blogging about Rimmel Apolalips - these little beauties have been sat in my "lip drawer" for a good few months, and I could count on one hand how many times I have worn them and in all honesty, I forgot I had them!

There was a lot of hype around this product when it was first launched, so as they were on offer I bagged two. I went for Luna (a soft peachy nude shade) and Celestial (a subtle rosy pink)




Luna

Celestial

Now how to define the product? It is neither a lipstick nor a lipgloss, but more a combination of the two - combining the practicality of a gloss with the finish of a lipstick.

The application is smooth and not sticky in any way, so in that sense it is similar to a lipstick - it also offers great overall coverage.
The applicator wand makes you feel as though you are applying a lipgloss, and it is also easy and quick to apply giving great impact.

The product also has great staying power, and when it does fade throughout the day it fades evenly making sure you are never left with patchy lips - something I have experienced with some matte lipsticks, particularly with richer colours.
The fact that it is not sticky like a gloss but offers a subtle sheen is a big plus cause there is nothing worse that your hair sticking to your lips!

Despite all the above plus points and there are a few, I still don't love this product! I am not overly fond of the slight cucumbery scent and taste (I know that's not a real word but that's how I can best describe it) and I think that's what puts me off, that along with the fact it feels quite drying on the lips and in order to keep the sheen you would need to reapply.

However you aren't use to applying lipsticks and want something to slowly introduce you to the world of more impactful colour then this could be the product for you.
It's available in 8 shades, from nude muted shades to bright reds and pinks and retails for around £6.

Rhian Xx

Sephora Full Action - Extreme Effect Mascara

 

As I write this post, I am aware that some of the people reading it will have no idea of who or what Sephora is (which was the same as me this time last year) So here is a little background to this wonderful brand.

Sephora is a French brand and chain of cosmetics stores founded in Paris in 1970. Sephora was acquired by French conglomerate LVMH (Louis Vuitton and Moet Hennessy) in 1997. The Sephora chain includes more than 1,750 points of sale in 30 countries across the world. Carrying more than 100 brands, along with their own private label, Sephora offers beauty products including makeup, skincare, fragrance, hair care, bath and body products, and hair and make-up tools. (Thank You Wikipedia)

It was this time last year that I was heading to Barcelona, the place where I first witnessed this magical store full of wonderful make up and beauty goodies - It's like the Holy Grail of beauty stores and far surpasses any beauty halls featured in Department Stores in the UK.
Sephora, the store houses the usual brand suspects of Dior, Benefit, Urban Decay etc. but it is their own brand that most excited me while in the store.... A vast array of make products far better and far more advanced in terms of colour and product range than any own brand ranges we have in the UK. This discovery prompted the question in my mind -

" SEPHORA - WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE!?"


I could have played for hours in that store, and could have spent nearly all my Euro's for the entire trip - I had to restrain myself. I picked up three products; a face primer, an eye shadow and a mascara.

It is the mascara I want to talk to you about today - now being totally honest it wasn't until this morning ( a year later ) that I remembered I purchased this product, hence the delay in writing this post about it.



I chose a rather unusual shade when purchasing this product - Purple and I chose this as an alternative to black as I have green eyes in the hope it would make the colour of my eyes pop.

The application of the product is great, it is smooth and offers great coverage and no clumps. Sephora claims several benefits to this mascara;

-Volumises
- Lengthens
- Curves
- Separates
- Strengthens
- Protects
- Nourishes

And in terms of the visual affects listed above I am inclined to agree with them.

You may have read my previous post on Max Factor's Eye Brightening Mascara which contains a hint of complimentary colour to your lashes  http://prettygreeneye.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/max-factor-eye-brightening-mascara.html and in terms of performance the Sephora mascara knocks spots off it.

The colour is vibrant and particularly in the light the purple shade is highly visible, which brings out the green in my eyes perfectly.

Unfortunately Sephora is not currently available in the UK but is widely available across Europe and the USA so I would definitely check it out while on holidays.

The mascara is available in 4 shades; Black, Brown, Blue and Purple at retails for 15.00 euros.

Rhian Xx

The Body Shop - Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub

So it's nearly the end of June, we have seen "Summer Solstice" come and go, and judging by the weather at the moment the two weeks of sunshine we saw at the beginning of this month may have been our entire Summer!


Despite the lack of sunshine in the UK, there are plenty of us off on our Summer holidays - and if not somewhere abroad then while at home the first glimpse of fine weather prompts us to bring out our sandals and flip flops. With this in mind it is important that we keep our feet in tip top condition. There is nothing worse than being stood behind someone on an escalator and looking at their dry cracked heels! Don't be that person!! To ensure that you aren't I believe I have found a great product in The Body Shop's Peppermint Smoothing Pumice Foot Scrub.

Now this product is very self explanatory just from it's name. It contains volcanic rock which deeply exfoliates and in turn smooth's the skin, much like a pumice stone would do.
It is highly fragranced with Peppermint - the classic scent for any kind of pedicure product and this leaves your feet smelling luscious and fresh.

The Body Shop advise to use the product after soaking feet in their Reviving Foot Soak, but I just used some bubble bath and was still impressed with the results. The product is almost gel like in consistency and is heavily packed with the exfoliating rock which means that a little goes a long way.

 However as someone who does not generally suffer with hard skin on my feet I wasn't really an ideal test subject to fairly test the results of the product, so I chose to offer my Step Mum a little pedicure and it is safe to say that she was also impressed, and three days after application her feet are still soft and smooth.

You can pick up this little tub of wonders from any Body Shop store or online for £7.00.

Now all we need is a little more sunshine.

Rhian Xx

Collection - Naturally Matt Foundation

I have been home from Portugal for almost a week now and it is safe to say I am suffering some post holiday blues.
For the time being however I am managing to maintain my tan - I LOVE having a tan as much as the next person. There is something about that golden glow that instantly makes you feel better, it also reduces my dependency on foundation which is always a plus!
There are some negatives however, when wanting to wear foundation my usual one doesn't match, and no amount of bronzer makes up for the difference in shades, with this in mind the day after I arrived back from holidays I headed to Boots to pick up a foundation which would better suit my newly tanned skin.
It was the week before pay day and not wanting to spend a large amount of money on a foundation which I wouldn't use for very long, I opted for Collection's Naturally Matt foundation in Almond.
In all honesty I have never purchased a Collection/Collection 2000 foundation, I am extremely fussy about foundations and never manage to find cheaper products that I love as much as my regular foundations, and for this one retailing for £2.99 (35ml) I didn't hold out much hope.

I was wrong.....

This product is great - the coverage and consistency of the product is excellent. It applies to the skin evenly and blends well. I was also shocked at how good the coverage was. I was definitely impressed. I still however had doubts about how long it was going to last on my skin, but as I write this I am 6 hours in to wearing the product and it has not budged..... Granted this product claims "All day fresh matt finish" but then so do a number of products which don't deliver on their claims.

For £2.99 it is an absolute bargain, and as it is quite thick in consistency a little goes a long way. Even after my sun kissed glow has disappeared I will continue to use this product to contour my face with. It will also come in handy for use with the occasional spray tan.

The product is fragrance free and although does not come with an SPF rating, it does contain UVA & UVB sunscreens. It is also mineral enriched, which aids with the flawless look it provides and it leaves skin feeling smooth to the touch.

It is designed to combat the effects of Combination/Oily skin - which is perfect for me.

It is available in six shades: Ivory, Beige, Blonde, Almond, Bronze and Amber.
(My local Boots only had 4 shades available and Almond was the darkest)

Would I recommend this product? YES!! - You would be hard pushed to find a better foundation product for £2.99.

Have you tried this product? What are your thoughts?

Rhian Xx