Gold Rush - Gold Eye Make Up Look

Ever wanted to play around with eyeshadow... But were always too scared to try new colours?
It's easy for us all to stick with our trusty nude shadows... But why not try a little twist without going too over the top?
This look is great all year round.... Especially with a tan and suits all eye colours.
To achieve this look I used my Urban Decay Naked 2 pallet. A pallet I could now not live without. In addition to the pallet I used a Mac pigment in Tan which is one of my favourites, a liquid eyeliner and lashings of mascara (false lashes optional)
Colours that I used from the pallet were;
Bootycall
Tease
Half Baked
Chopper
Blackout

Apply your eyeshadow primer all over your lid.
Use the Bootycall shade (the lightest one) to the brow bone and inner corner of your eye.
Use Tease (the matt brown shade) to contour your eye and create depth.
Apply Half Baked (golden shade) to the lid blending outward a from the inner corner. Also apply this shade to the lower lash line if you want a more dramatic look.
Use Chopper (copper shade) on the outer corner of the eye lid and blend up in to the crease.
I used the Tan, Mac pigment to strengthen the copper shade along the crease and on the outer corner of the lower lash line but its not essential.
Ensuring that all shades are blended together (apply more of the Tease shade if you wish and reapply the Bootycall shade if you feel you have lost some of the highlight)
Then using Blackout (matt black shade) blend on the outer corner and in to the crease.
Finish with a slick of black liquid eyeliner (I used Lancôme Artliner) and lashings of your favourite mascara.

(If you wish to create a more dramatic look like I have in my picture line your waterline with black kohl liner and apply false eyelashes)

For the rest of my face, I applied Benefit's Cha Cha Tint to my cheeks and a Revlon lipgloss in Coral Reef.

Enjoy recreating!

Rhian Xx

Eyebrows Eyebrows Eyebrows!!

Definition: The eyebrow is an area of thick, delicate hairs above the eye that follows the shape of the lower margin of the brow ridges of some mammals. Their main function is to prevent sweat, water, and other debris from falling down into the eye socket, but they are also important to human communication and facial expression.

Many makeup artists view eyebrows as a major feature in defining the face.

*****

A MAJOR FEATURE IN DEFINING THE FACE.

Never mind the Science bit, the above is what we all need to remember...

Now it's difficult to decide on what eyebrow shape is best for you, it could be down to face shape or personal preference and no two people's eye brows will ever be the same.

So do you go for a thin brow... Being cautious of not over plucking and ending up with two little caterpillars on your forehead.
Or possibly a fuller thicker brow... Maybe even an arch brow. Always remembering that the start of your brow should be inline with the outermost part of your nose.

Whatever your preference there is one item in my make up bag that I cannot live without....

My Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake...

It's taken me a while and a number of products to get through but I think I've finally found THE ONE.

I'll take you through my eyebrow history.... I have the fairest brows in the land... And my chequered eye brow product history started at the Rimmel Counter in my local Tesco where I purchased a Rimmel Professional EyebrowPencil (£2.99)
Now... At £2.99 this little thing is a bargain for anyone who is first starting out with enhancing their brows. I was happy with this product but felt I should maybe go up on the price scale to achieve a better result (not always the best move I might add) So next was the Clarins Eyebrow pencil (£16.00) I wasn't dissatisfied with the product but was the extra £13.01 justified? No.. Not at all. My main criticism with eyebrow pencils in general is that they don't last very long. Every time you sharpen it gets more and more depressing as the pencil gets shorter and shorter. It was from this that I decided I needed a different approach.
The Benefit counter was my next stop and here was a product which included two brushes (a blending brush and an angled brush) plus a small tweezers in a lovely compact case with a mirror... Yep! You've guessed it my next purchase was Brow Zings. I loved this product... I raved about it. However as with most Benefit products it carries a hefty price tag of £22.50. Now this as an initial purchase its fine because it comes with all the tools you need to get started, but once you have all of this the £22.50 price isn't really justified as you are really only paying the additional money for the tools you get.
I needed something new!
Now the beautiful assistant that helped me on the Benefit counter previously had moved to a different make up counter I'm my nearby Debenhams... Illamasqua. From this point on, the product I purchased that day was to become the single most important part of my make up bag.
I purchased Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Thunder (Dark Brown) The beautiful assistant advised me that this product could be applied wet or dry and I was pleased with the result. It retails for £14.50 so was much cheaper than the Benefit alternative and also cheaper than the Clarins pencil. Not only is the finish of this product amazing, but it lasts as long as you want it to. I've even been swimming with it on and it's hardly budged. (you have the option of purchasing a sealing gel to guarantee they don't budge too.
I've had this product for well over 18 months and it looks as though I've barely used it despite me using it every day.
The Eye Brow cake comes in 6 different colours so covers every shade possible.
Originally for application I continued using the brushes I had with my Benefit kit, but about 4 months ago I invested in a new brush that Illamasqua released which is a angled brush, perfect for both brows and gel liner. The brush retails for £18.50 but is well worth the investment as you will have it forever.

To this day there is only one other person that I trust enough to do my eyebrows and that person it the beautiful assistant that helped me out. @illamasquacharl (twitter)

Now I know what your thinking.... Wouldn't it be easier if I just tinted my brows and save the fuss of applying this everyday? But the results are not the same. I've tried it. They are not as defined without it, and it completely transforms my face especially when wearing heavy eye make up.

I guess the next step would be some permanent brows but I'm not yet 100% committed to a shape so for the time being I will stick with my trusty Eye Brow Cake and will continue to recommend it to every person which compliments me on my brows.

Rhian Xx

For more details of colours available check out: http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/eyes/eye-brows/

Lauren's Way Glam Tan and Body Polish!

Tan Tan and more Tan! We can't get enough these days... You'd need all your fingers and your toes plus those of your friends to name every brand which offers a self tan. But I want to talk to you about one of the latest tanning products to hit the market.. and this one has a touch of ESSEX about it as it was created by Lauren Goodger.
I received a number of different tanning products to talk about from Eskimo
PR, but I am first going to talk to you about "Glam Tan" and the Body Polish.

Glam Tan... Well the name says it all really.
This tan promises the "Ultimate Glamorous Essex Look" and it doesn't fail to deliver.
In fact in all honesty this product is bloody fantastic. I love it!
The product is in a spray bottle and is instructed to be best applied with a tanning mitt (Lauren's Way offers one of these also for £3.99) after exfoliating with the Body Polish.
The colour is intense (as you would expect from an Essex tan) but it glides on the skin and a little goes a long way. It blends easily and the finish is great. The colour when first applied is a little dark for me, but not orange by any means. After a shower and a buff with the Body Polish the colour is perfect and odourless.
The product also dries super quick so is a perfect product if you are in a rush and you want a little extra colour (we all feel better with a tan)
For those people who hate applying tan, due to streaks or patches this product is almost fool proof. You can see exactly where it has been applied and if you make a mistake it can easily be blended.

Since receiving this product I have used it on several occasions and it lasts really well. If you use the Body Polish when showering the tan wears evenly so you can have a healthy glow for days without any patches.

Lauren's Way Glam Tan retails for £18.95 for 250ml but you will not be disappointed by the finish.

*****

I've already talked a little about the Body Polish which is the perfect accompaniment to the Glam Tan.... But here is a little more detail.
Firstly it smells delicious without being over powering, and I've even taken to using it when I'm not applying tan because its a great exfoliator and helps remove dead skin cells.
I would say this is essential of you are thinking of purchasing the Glam Tan as they work well together.

The Body Polish retails for £11.95 for 250ml.

The packaging also has a very professional salon look to it, which allows the product to sit in the market place that its aimed at without being deemed quirky or naff and separates itself from the other TOWIE products in the market.

Both great products and come with the coveted Rhian seal of approval ;-)

Rhian Xx

Products available from http://www.laurensway.com/

*PR samples*

Mac Blue Brown Pigment

For this blog post I'm gonna take you back... Old School... Well... Not really, but I am going to talk to you about the first pigment I ever bought.
For those who have read previous posts, I've mentioned a number of times how I like the look and finish that you get from a pigment as opposed to just an eyeshadow. (mainly because I like to have strong eye make up and pigments really POP on the lid)
So the first pigment I ever purchased, many years ago now was Mac's Blue Brown pigment. A pigment which I've recently fallen back in love with! Granted its not an every day kind of shade but it is a beauty none the less! The pigment also has a reddish tint to it which is perfect particularly if you have green eyes like me :-)
I have swatches the shade below so you can see it alone and also when applied on top of a black base (I used Illamasqua Entangle cream eyeshadow, but you could use a Mac paint pot or just a basic kohl liner) the other swatch is when I have added Mac's Reflex Transparent Teal pigment on top for extra sparkles! (L-R)
I think you will agree its a great shade and the two tone makes it different to other pigments out there (although Illamasqua do a similar one)
I have used the pigment all over the base of my eye in the picture below but if you aren't bold enough a little of this shade in the outer corners and crease will look fab!
I have blended the shade with Mac's Embark eyeshadow which is a matt reddish brown shade and highlighted using Mac's All That Glitters on the brow bone and inner corner.
Finished with a little black eyeshadow in the outer corners and a gel liner along the lash line (top and bottom)

The pigment like all Mac pigments will last you all day or night provided you use a primer first.

Hope you like!!
Rhian Xx

Spice It Up - Jessica Nail Polish Collection

I only have a little experience with Jessica polishes, I have two in my current collection. One being Witchy Wisteria (a purple shade with a hint of sparkle)and Juicy Melon (a peachy coral)
I purchase all of my Jessica polishes from The Vale Hotel Spa, and when I first heard about this collection I was keen to see if the items were in stock. In all honesty it was difficult to pick which colour to havens they were all so beautiful.
In the end after much deliberation I opted for Cinnamon Kiss.
The coverage of all Jessica nail polishes is great and if in a hurry one coat will see you through an evening but as with most polishes two coats is always the best option.
The range consists of 6 shades.
Cinnamon Kiss
Pumpkin Delight
Crimson Tattoo
Ginger Snap
Champagne Bubbles
Brown Sugar
All polishes retail for £9.75

Cinnamon Kiss was the shade I opted for on Christmas Day with a glitter accent nail. Perfect for the festive period and glamorous enough to carry through all year round too.

Why not check out the website an pick your perfect Spice it Up shade.

http://www.jessica-nails.co.uk/

Rhian Xx