Top Five: Products of 2013

One of the best things for me about writing about beauty products is the way that I have to really look at a product. Rather than just appreciating a product for its colour or finish, I mull over every aspect of it; from the packaging and production to the texture and scent. When you are analysing a product in such detail, it does make you think and putting all those thoughts down in a non-rambling kind of way can be tough.

I have been lucky enough to come across some amazing products over the past twelve months and to round off the year, I thought I would take a little time to reflect upon some of these marvels and pick out my favourites.

Christmas Wishes

With Christmas Day just around the corner and the New Year fast approaching, I am taking a little break from writing for the rest of the year (well, what remains of it) and spending the time with my family, enjoying the celebrations and working.

Love: Zoya Zenith Winter Collection

Zenith

noun

1. an imaginary point on a celestial sphere directly above an  observer.

2. the time at which something is most powerful or successful.

I love this Holiday / Winter collection from 5-free nail gurus Zoya. 

Top Five: Gifts for You

As the years go by I find it harder and harder to think of things that I actually want for Christmas. Throughout the year I can think of lots of things that I would love to receive but when the pressure is on, all of those ideas leak out of my head quicker than you can say Mince Pie!

Tarnished

Sometimes products seem like they have been created for a particular time of year or event. Generally they haven't but sometimes they just seem to fit. This loose mineral eyeshadow is one such product, perfect for those Christmas and New Years evenings out...

Top Five: Gifts For Them

The teen beauty market is an ever growing one but sadly many of the products on the market aimed at this age group are packed full of toxic and potentially harmful ingredients. Thankfully there are now some great toxin-free teen offerings from some of the natural companies, so when you are looking for some beauty bits to add to their stocking, why not take a peek to see if your favoured brand has anything suitable..?

Top Five: Gifts For Guys

I adore Christmas. I am also a big believer that it shouldn't start until the 1st December - I don't want want to hear endless renditions of Wizard's I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday in November! So, being as we have now passed my Christmas threshold I thought I would dedicate this months Top Five posts to gift ideas.

Luminous Vapours

It's been a while since I shared a foundation with you. I am always on the lookout for new foundations for my kit and I had my eye on this particular one for a while before I got around to ordering some. In retrospect I'm not sure I should've waited so long!

Behind The Brand: Lily Lolo

One of my preferred mineral make-up lines has to be Lily Lolo. The first pure powder mineral line that I worked with with any regularity, I first came across it in early 2011 at my then local organic store So Organic.

Natural Beauty Yearbook 2014

Tuesday night was one of the biggest nights in the natural beauty calendar; the launch of the Natural Beauty Yearbook 2014. Sadly I was unable to attend this year, however I have caught up with as much of the gossip as possible...

Love: Fragmented Alice

From a beauty perspective one of the disadvantages of living in the UK is that some products or brands are just not available over here. It's very frustrating to see amazing products that are on the market; in the US for instance, that are simply unobtainable without shelling out a small fortune for a plane ticket (I don't suppose it's a one way street either).

One of the collections that caught my eye towards the end of the summer and one I have utterly fallen in Love with is this; Fragmented Alice from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics (OCC).

Kitted out

Kitted Out (Kit.ted out)

vb

1. (tr, adverb) Chiefly Brit to provide with (a kit of personal effects and necessities)

2. (Clothing & Fashion) to provide with (an outfit of clothes)

A few months ago I wrote about the EMJ Company Pencil Roll (a very handy piece of kit I can assure you) and wanted to share another more recent purchase from this beautiful collection...

Jade Green

In my recent Halloween post I used a couple of eyeshadow samples that I purchased recently and as I had thoroughly enjoyed working with them, I wanted to share them with you.

Top Five: Blusher Brushes

I dont know about you but I always find Blusher brushes a very handy sized brush to work with. A little more precise than the larger powder, you can pinpoint specific application and apply a whole range of products from blush to powder and Bronzer.

Boo!

Happy Halloween

Be Decisive

de·ci·sive (d-ssv)

adj.

1. Having the power to decide; conclusive.

2. Characterized by decision and firmness; resolute.

3. Beyond doubt; unmistakable: a decisive defeat.

Vintage, classic, rock and roll, period, of an era; however you put it there is something truly beautiful about a red lip and I know that I am not alone in my love of them. I thought I'd share with you a fabulous red that I have been wearing over the past few weeks...

 

The Cat's Whiskers

 

So many of the face paint options available on the high street and in supermarkets take the form of crayons or pencils. Generally at the cheaper end of the market, these are a great choice for those of you who aren't to handy with a paint brush, however they are not without their toxic ingredients. There is another pocket money priced product out there however that is free from the heavy metals and synthetics...

Behind The Brand: Dr Hauschka

With a history that spans over forty-five years, Dr Hauschka Skincare is truly a stalwart of natural beauty. The first organic brand I found with any regularity in the pro make-up and department stores, Dr Hauschka offer a range of Skincare and cosmetics based on a holistic philosophy.

Angel or Demon?

This post brings you another of my non-toxic face paint finds. I actually discovered these by mistake when browsing the Internet for something else (don't you love it when that happens?!) and so promptly placed an order...

Love: Fresh & Flawless by ECOTOOLS

A collection that has caught my eye in recent weeks is the new Fresh & Flawless Complexion Set from the high street friendly, masters of the bamboo brush - ECOTOOLS.

Lions & Tigers & Bears...

Last week I highlighted the worrying issue of heavy metals in some face paints and theatrical make-up products. As promised, here is the first of my follow-up posts (in plenty of time for halloween) on natural alternatives to conventional face paints.

Top Five: Orange shadows

One of the eye colours that reigned the catwalks at this the Autumn/Winter 2013 fashion weeks is orange. Whether from the runways of Givenchy and Altuzarra, it was worn simply; a wash over the lids into the crease or lining the undereye.

Possibly not the first choice for most of us but whether it's down to the tone, the way you apply it or simply how daring you are, believe it or not orange eyeshadow can be a very wearable colour. Why not give it a go?

Plummy

Last months post on my Top Five Metallic Eyeliners was definitely inspired by this next product. A liquid liner that has seen much use of late and is always one of the first liners I go to if I want something a little more special than the traditional blacks and browns...

Painting Faces

As the evenings draw in thoughts are turning to Autumn and all that it brings. I love this time of year and one of the highlights for me is the Halloween celebrations just a little under a month away.

Face Painting comes part and parcel with halloween fancy dress for both children and adults alike and, without a daub of fake blood or a few well appointed lines, the fright factor of the costume can be somewhat lessened (especially if you are 6 years old!). Hidden amongst all the ghosts and goblins however there are some truly frightening face painting facts that are all to frequently overlooked...

With Abundance

A product that has become more prominent in my kit over the past year is cream blusher. Until reasonably recently good cream blushers were a little thin on the ground but now there is a myriad of creamy products to choose from and this is one of them...

Pantone: Colour of 2013 - Emerald

I'm possibly a little late to the party here - we are over three quarters of the way through the year after all, but in case it had escaped your notice, Emerald is the Pantone Colour of The Year 2013.

Behind The Brand: Zao

A recent and very welcome addition to the range of organic make-up available here in the UK is French line Zao.

 

SENSITIVE Skinned

A few months ago I wrote about the differences between BB and CC creams and more recently shared my favourite organic version of the latter. In this post it's all about the former, an item that graced my holiday bag and has seen me (burn and shine-free) through the summer days...

Love: Jane Iredale PureMoist

Ever since the press release for theselipsticks dropped into my inbox I have been hankering to get my hands on them.

The Hunt For Red Magnolia

As the desire to wear the vibrant colours of the summer begins to subside, I have found myself looking to the deeper and richer tones of autumn when rummaging through my bag of nail polishes.

Essentially Day 2 Night

I was honoured to be asked by British organic Skincare company Essential Care to collaborate with them for this years Organic September celebrations.

Organic September is an annual event organised by the Soil Association and this year they launched Organic Beauty Weekend to broaden awareness of organic health and beauty products.

Top Five: Metallic Eyeliners

This season metallics are back on the catwalks in a big way and although I love big shimmery eye make-up, sometimes less is most definitely more...

Organic Beauty Weekend

Part of the Small Changes, Big Difference campaign, Organic Beauty Weekend is a nationwide health and beauty event organised by the Soil Association as part of their annual Organic September celebrations.

Happy Anniversary!

This week my little blog and I are celebrating our 2nd anniversary!

Ponytails & Peonies Shoot

You may remember a couple of weeks ago I posted a link to a bridal blog which was featuring a recent shoot I worked on. As promised I have put together a post breaking down what I did and what I used to create this make-up.

Pressed Into Action

When working on set loose powder is generally a real no-no. The first sign of a pot of powder and Cameramen (more so than women I've noticed) have a tendency to fly into a panic at the prospect of flyaway powder particles landing on the lens. Add to this (in my case) the inevitable clumsy dropping of compacts and pots or the simple act of juggling different shades of powder, lids and the brushes for each artist.... You see my point. Pressed powder is the way to go.

Glossy

No matter how many different versions of a product I have in my kit I invariably end up plumping for the same one time after time and this is definitely the case when it comes to lip gloss. Anyone who knows me will confirm that I am not a fan of glosses on the whole, however there is one in my kit that I keep going back to on a regular

basis...

Love: Hurraw spf lip balm

During my recent holiday temperatures were nearing 40 degrees Centigrade (super hot as far as I am concerned!) so sun protection was a must! I have been loving using the Hurraw SPF Sun Balm to protect my lips.

Top Five: Primers

Artists prime their canvases before painting to give a better surface to work on and the same goes for Make-up Artists; the face is the canvas. Primers are a great way to help create a flawless base and and even texture before applying make-up to the skin.

Ponytails And Peonies

A couple of months ago I collaborated with photographer Heline Bekker and floral stylist Gwenda Jeffs from Fearless Florals on a beautiful bridal shoot.

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot!

Over the past couple of weeks summer has been fighting back here in the UK and although its been fantastic to see a bit of sun, these heady temperatures aren't too good for make-up. To help combat the melting, I thought I'd put together some tips for heat-proofing your make-up.

Faking It!

I am not someone who tans easily. I generally burn and then eventually turn slightly honey coloured before rapidly returning to my former pale self. I have a tendency to wear short sleeves a lot of the year and consequently my arms by default, generally have significantly more colour than the rest of me and although I'm not really that fussed about having a tan, I am not overly keen on my legs looking as though they belong to someone else entirely!

To Infinity And Beyond...

A few nights ago my partner commented on how youthful my skin looked; completely unprompted and whilst watching an episode from one of our current box set obsessions - I think that it may actually have been a replaying of the second Twin Peaks season (definitely not as good as the first season by the way) but I digress...

Top 5: Brow And Lash Brushes

A beautiful eye make-up can be really let down by a messy brow or a misplaced lash, however you don't need many tools to keep unruly eyebrows and stray lashes in check, so here are some of my favourites...

My Holiday Bag

I am off on holiday! I'm vey excited as its been a couple of years since I've been out of the country - the longest non-holidaying time in a while. This year is a little different as it is the first year of travelling with a young child and as I will be flying without a second pair of hands to help baby wrangle, push the pushchair and carry luggage, packing very light is a must!

I thought I'd share with you some images of the skin and make-up essentials I will be taking on my trip...

I C What You C

This post was originally scheduled for last month however I replaced it with 'Learning Your A, BB,CC's, a post that I felt was a better introduction to the world of Beauty Balms and Colour Correcting creams...

Love: Souk Souk Beauty Box

This month I am in love with my Souk Souk Beauty Box subscription.

Certified.

Natural Cosmetics are not legally defined anywhere in the world. Many products claim to be natural but are far from it, so it's all very well going on about organic products but how do you know if a product is truly organic? The answer often, although not always, lies in the labelling. But what do the labels actually mean? Here is my brief (but not completely conclusive) guide to organic cosmetic labelling...

Animal Testing Ban: India

On Friday India become the first South Asian country to introduce a complete ban on animal testing for cosmetic products.