Tom Ford's Unabashed Eye and Cheek Palette on darker skin.

My first ever Tom Ford beauty purchase comes in the form of this limited edition eye and cheek palette, it contains 3 eyeshadows, a blusher and highlighter/bronzer. I figured it was a great way to sample a few different things from the brand in one go, and with House of Fraser offering 10% off with an additional £5 off code that I had, reducing the high end price of £68, I justified this purchase to myself. Plus I had been searching high and low for swatches on a darker skin tone, with very little success, so here they are.

As this palette is limited edition I wanted to get this post up as soon as possible, as of writing this it was still available on the Harvey Nicholls, Selfridges and House of Fraser websites.

Sunlight through a windowThe palette is huge, with a mirror in one end, it comes in a gold box with a dust bag. The white and gold compact is gorgeous and screams luxury.

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Sunlight through a window

It only arrived this afternoon, so I haven't had a chance to play around with this palette on the eye. While swatching the eyeshadow's felt extremely smooth, the glitter shade felt almost wet in the pan, and the pigmentation of the blue shade is intense. I can't wait to start experimenting with looks and I'm super excited to delve into the Tom Ford beauty arena.

 

I'll be updating this post once I've had a good play and posting looks on instagram (aallexxy), come and have a look.

 

Have you splurged on this palette yet? Are you tempted?

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today

 

Alex

 

 

Lancome Miracle Air De Teint foundation

The latest base release from Lancome comes in the form of this lightweight almost waterlike foundation, similar to others from the same company like Giorgio Armani and L'oreal, but with a better shade range available to UK consumers. I have shade 11 (I'm usually a shade 10, which isn't available in this formula), which is not as yellow based as I would like, however due to the light coverage it's forgivable.

Lancome claim the foundation is light as air with blurring technology that is weightless, for a translucent complexion (not sure what that means), that's matte while being radiant for the ultimate no make-up make-up look.

The formula is matte, while being glowy and controls oil well, although extremely oily girls may still need to touch up during the day. The foundation is lightweight, with light to medium coverage, so extra concealer maybe required. I have enjoyed using this foundation, it gives the kinda coverage I like for day-to-day use, I think I'll really enjoy using this during the warmer months.

• Have you tried this foundation yet? What are your thoughts?

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex.

Eyeko Tinted Brow Gel!!!

So I've had this post sitting in my drafts for ages, I recently purchased a new tube of the Eyeko brow gel and thought about this post, as a beauty blogger constantly trying new products its a big deal when one is repurchased. This is a tinted brow gel that comes in one 'universal' shade, it works perfectly on my deeper skintone and dark hair, the squeezy tube means it will last for ages, I'm still scraping some product from my old tube.

Loads of brands are now releasing brow products with a much smaller wand, but I feel Eyeko was definitely one of the first, which is genius, your brows are such a small area of your face, and if you have sparse brows like mine even smaller than average lol!!! So a huge mascara sized wand isn't ideal, such a simple thing, but makes a huge difference.

In addition to the the tiny wand, the formula also contains keratin (the protein that makes up hair and skin) and gingko bilabo, which are said to work to condition and thicken the brow and it is paraben free.

It's great worn alone or over other brow products like pencils or creams and I absolutely love it, the pictures below show the product applied alone.

 no brow gel

Only brow gel, no brow pencil


(Please excuse my brows, they haven't been threaded in months)

I love this brow gel, it's lasts all day and holds brows in place, it's a nice addition to know that something that will be used daily can be a benefit in the long run.

Have you tried any eyeko products? Any other eyeko recommendations?

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

Foreo Luna Review!!!

So I'm sure you've heard about the new cleansing device thats causing a storm in the beauty world, the Luna, developed by a swedish brand called Foreo. Immediately I saw this I wanted it, let me start off by saying I don't own/have never used the clarisonic or anything similar, for whatever reason it has never appealled to me. I've been using this for almost 6 weeks now and finally ready to share my thoughts.

So what is this odd looking device and how does it work? I have the full sized Luna, which is a cleansing and anti-ageing device (I'm in my 30's afterall), powered by T-sonic pulsations. The full sized luna comes in 3 different colours depicting the different skin types it caters to, I have the pale blue one for combination skin, and it cost £145. However I used a 35% discount code I found on youtube, valid directly on foreo.com, but it has now expired (I did post it to my instagram acc - aallexxy). It's recommended you use a non-clay based, silicone free cleanser and no facial scrubs, to a make-up free face, it has 8 speed settings. It doesn't require new brush heads, the silicone material prevents bacterial build up and is gentle but thorough on the skin, and one charge is said to last 450 uses.

Cleansing side

Initially I used my Emma hardie cleansing balm, after using a baby wipe to remove make-up, big mistake. I broke out after a few uses, I put this down to not thoroughly removing my make prior to using the Luna and possibly because I used it in conjunction with a cleansing balm. Now I've been doing this for a while, minus luna, and my skin was in pretty good shape prior to purchasing the luna. Foreo insist it is designed to be used in conjunction with your current skincare, minus ones mentioned above, I asked on instagram. So now I use my emma hardie balm to remove my make-up and then use the L'occitane gel cleanser in conjunction with the luna, much better results and my breakout started clearing up in a matter of days. I then use the anti-ageing side at night, once I've applied my toner, serum, moisturiser etc. I apply the luna to the recommended points prone to wrinkles between the brows, crows feet and laugh lines.

 Anti-ageing side

In the mornings I use the luna in conjunction with the ELF mineral cleanser, love this stuff and so does the luna, which is water-proof so can be used in the shower. I wet the luna and turn it to my desired speed setting, It pulses every 15 seconds to indicate you can move onto a different part of your face, it pulses in 3 quick successions after a minute and will completely switch off after 3 minutes to prevent over use.

 Charger and pouch

So after a rocky start I am actually starting to really enjoy using my Luna, I'm glad I persevered. I feel it actually helped clear up my break out quicker and I feel my under eye area looks more taut, which I didn't expect to see as wrinkles are not a major issue for me, people usually think I'm younger than I am.

Have you tried the Luna, what are your thoughts? Are you excited for the next release from foreo? An electric toothbrush?!

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

My top 5 blogposts of 2013!!!

So 2013 has been a massive year for my blog, I actually posted my first post in October 2012 and then another the following month, but due to postgraduate studies I put blogging on hold. My next post was in March 2013, and I have tried to post consistently since. Being a working mum, my day job has nothing to do with beauty, it's not easy to find the time. Inspired by viviannadoesmakeup, I decided to put together the top 5 blogposts of 2013:

1. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light; this is unequivocally my most viewed blogpost, I think this was the start of a powder revolution, non cakey powders, that add a glow to the face.

2. Nip+Fab glycolic fix cleanser and exfoliating pads; I think this year glycolic acid was a big hit, people stopped being scared and embraced it, I have since used a few other glycolic products and love it. I am currenlty looking for a new addition (possibly pixibeauty glow tonic or REN's offering).

3. EX1 Cosmetics; This is a cosmetics range specifically designed to cater to asian, yellow/olive, mediterranean skin tones. I have currently hit pan on the powder, and am definately going to purchase another. Love it!!!

4. Maqpro Mandy Gold palette; The main thing I use out of this palette is the orange corrector, it's great under foundation to prevent foundation going grey or ashy where hyper-pigmentation is prominent, or to help make light work of covering blemishes.

5. Chanel Les Beiges; chanels addition to the light as air powders that can be used to set foundation, as a bronzer or to offer light coverage on no make-up days.

Thank you all for your support this year, I'm going to organise a giveaway in the new year, so stayed tuned. I'm looking forward to what 2014 has to offer, I wish you all a Happy New Year and a blessed 2014.

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex

YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation!!!

So by now you have probably already heard of YSL's latest addition to their base family, it's their first serum foundation, it's infused with a unique complex called Glycanactif complex. It's touted to revive skin's youthful brightness and enhance the complexion's natural colour tone, said to work even better in conjunction with the Forever Youth Liberator Serum, to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and leave the skin looking firmer. Now as is the way with these things, I have not used the foundation long enough to comment on these claims and I do not own the serum, but it's a nice thought to think the foundation has extra added benefits during wear, as appears to be the trend recently.

Anyway back to the Foundation, I have shade B70, the darkest I've seen. It's a good match to my skintone, albeit a little beige, it blends out really well. It's contained in the most glorious glass bottle I've seen for a while and comes with a handy pump.

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(I'll add a picture of me wearing it once I get a good shot)
It's gives a good medium coverage, with a lovely satin finish, it's on the pricey side of £34, but I bought it with 15% off from Feelunique. I like this foundation, one critic is I would like it to have more yellow in it, but it gives my skin a lovely glow and lasts well with minimal touch up's during the day, I apply it with fingers and/or my real techniques buffing brush.

Have you tried this foundation yet?

Thanks for visiting the blog today.

Alex

Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette on darker skin!!!

By now everyone and their dog has heard about Urban Decay's latest addition to the Naked range, I don't own any of the other products in the naked range, but something about this was calling to me and I answered lol!!! It contains 12 all new rose hued shades, a double ended brush and 7 day samples of 4 eye primers for £37. I ordered mine from Debenhams.com, you have all probably read about this palette, so I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

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Top row: Strange, Dust, Burnout, Limit. Middle row: Buzz, Trick, Nooner, Liar. Bottom row: Factory, Mugshot, Darkside, Blackheart.

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I'm still playing around with this palette, but so far I'm loving it, I've done a natural daytime look so far, which I posted on instagram (aallexxy). I want to do a night time look using blackheart as the main colour, for a really dramatic smokey eye, if I do I'll post the results on instagram.

 

Have you succumbed and bought this palette? What's your thoughts? If you didn't get it why not?

 

 

Thanks for visiting the blog today

 

Alex

 

Sunday Riley's Effortless Breathable Tinted Primer!!!

I was really intrigued by this primer, so decided to take the plunge, it comes in 3 shades Light, medium and deep. It provides very light coverage that can either be worn alone for a no make-up make-up look or underneath foundation, it's silicone based, but less than others and has added ingredients to allow the skin to breath despite this. It also contains peptides and sodium hyaluronate to plump skin and create a great canvas for make-up application.

It's on the pricey side at £38, I bought mine from cult beauty. It can be helpful if you like full coverage as you'll need less foundation and prevent cake face, but also great if you like a very light coverage and/or have great skin, or under powder foundation. It lasts well on the skin and can help reduce the steps to applying make-up in the mornings (base and primer in one).











I have worn this both alone and under foundation, and I love it as an everyday base, a little concealer here and there and I'm out the door (well maybe's there's a few more steps than that lol)!!! Deep is a great match for my skintone, but as the coverage is so light, it will suit a wide range of skintones. The instructions suggest 2-3 pumps, but personally a pump and a half is sufficient, you can apply extra where you need it, but you still won't get more than light coverage, so you're better off saving product and using concealer.







I absolutely love this primer, I use it more like a tinted moisturiser, and it's perfect for an everyday natural make-up look.

Have you tried any Sunday Riley Products? Share your experience.

Thanks for visiting the blog today

Alex

 

You Beauty Advent Calendar!!!

So this year I decided to treat myself to a beauty advent calendar, I've never had one before, deciding which one to get was my next task. The benefit one was extremely limited, the selfridges one was quite expensive, I didn't want 24 nail polishes, which struck the ciate one off the list. Then I heard about the You Beauty Advent Calendar, £49.95 for items from different brands, check out the youbeautydiscovery.co.uk website to see what's in it and it's still currently available. You will have to pay £4.95 delivery if you are not a member, read about the You Beauty Discovery Beauty Box here.

 

 

When it arrived I had to resist the urge to open every single door immediately, but my birthday is in December and I thought it would actually be nice to open every door day by day, follow on instagram/twitter for pictures of what's in each door (Aallexxy).

 

 

It also contains a booklet explaining each product with discount codes, some valid through to the end of January next year, so still plenty of time to use them.

 

 

Have you treated yourself to any beauty advent calendars this year?

You Beauty Discovery Box!!!

So I stumbled upon this when ordering the Youbeauty advent calendar, I've been subscribed to glossybox for about 18months now, part of the beauty of glossybox is also part of it's downside. You don't know what you're going to get each month!!! You beauty is different in the sense that you pick 2 samples each month out of 6-12 options, if you don't choose by a particular date 2 samples are randomly selected for you, for £6.95 a month and 2 extras that are included in everyone's box. It's on a first come first served basis, so if there's something you want you have to get on the website quick.

It's quite cute and compact in size compared to the glossybox, by the time I signed up some of the samples were out of stock, so I picked the oriflame mascara and Murad osmolyte tonic. I then got a sample of Lizi's granola cereal in Belgian chocolate and a sample of Montagne Jeunesse body smoothies.

Murad osmolyte tonic

This is a spritz facial toner that claims to hydrate, plump and firm the skin, this is a 15ml sample!!! I've used this a couple of times and am loving it, I've used Murad products in the past and they never disappoint.

Oriflame Wonder lash mascara

I had never heard of this Swedish brand, it claims to give lift, length and amazing fullness. I've used this today and love it, it's got a plastic brush, with longer bristles on one side, which the company brand as a 3D brush.

Montagne Jeunesse body smoothies 

Again another brand I had not heard of, this is one of the 2 samples everyone gets, it claims to leave skin soft, hydrated and smelling fabulous. I am yet to use this, but being a small sachet I'll probably jut use it on my hands. I ate the Lizi's granola cereal before taking an individual picture as I wasn't planning on writing this post, it claims to have a low glycemic load so energy is released slowly. It was a very small serving, I felt I needed at least 3 packs to get close to the amount I would normally have for breakfast. However I got the Belgian chocolate flavour and it was very nice.

You beauty discovery leaflet

It also includes this mini leaflet that explains each product, and has lots of discount codes if you choose to buy the full size product.

All in all I'm liking this box and will definitely stay subscribed for a while, I like that you have an element of control, it's very affordable and you can unsubscribe at anytime. They also produce limited edition boxes from time to time, currently they have one for balance me products, and the advent calendar looks amazing for £49.95. Check out the website here youbeautydiscovery.co.uk