Pencil + Crayon love

Oh how I love a chubby pencil or crayon when it comes to makeup. There is something so effortless in the application! I was so excited a couple of years ago when Clinique re-released their Chubby Sticks, and in my eyes they remain my pick of the crayon lipsticks out there.

As I mentioned earlier this week, I am now working with My Showcase and one of the brands I have been introduced to through them is Wild About Beauty. Everything about this range appeals to me - the colours are so wearable and there really isn't one product they make that i'm not coveting. Two stand-out items for me are the double ended Lip Pencil Duo £14.50, and Eyeshadow Pencil Duo £14.50. I have been 'testing' my testers of these two so much that i'm going to have to invest in another set for personal use!

Wild About Beauty Lip Pencil Duo in Mia and Eyeshadow Pencil Duo in Charlie

If you love a product that you can throw in your handbag with absolutely no mess and fuss, then you should check these out. If you suffer from oily eyelids then I would suggest using an eye-primer underneath the eyeshadow pencil to avoid creasing.

There are more of these products coming with the launch of Nude Stix through Space NK happening later this month. These also look ridiculously wearable and i'm lucky enough to have won a sample through a competition that Space NK were running on Instagram so watch this space for a review to come soon.

The Last of the Beauty Sales ….

I banned myself from from buying any makeup while holidaying in Sydney and that ban extended to the Boxing Day sales online. Oh how it hurt when I saw all the email notifications from Space NK, Beauty Bay, Adore Beauty and beyond. I'm proud to say I stayed strong and haven't bought a thing, however I have done a little round-up of what I think are the best savings still online now - AND they all ship free INTERNATIONALLY!

Beauty Bay 

Beauty Bay have a great range of brands. I have blogged about them before here. They are UK based however they ship internationally for free with no minimum spend. At the moment they have 50% off all Bellapierre. The foundation colours are running low, however they still have loads of their shimmer stacks, eye shadows and blushes here. 

ASOS

ASOS have some good bargains on Pixi Beauty left, notably the Pixi Flawless Beauty Primer here and the Pixi Eye Alchemy Set here. I have been so impressed with all the products I have bought from Pixi Beauty this past year and i'm tempted … (currently sitting on my credit card chanting 'NO')

Adore Beauty

At 20% off, the Adore Beauty won't set any world records but any discount is better than no discount and if you prefer to shop local and support an Australian company, then this is your best beauty bet. My pick of the small selection of sale goods remaining, is the Alpha-H Liquid Gold Discovery Collection. This is a brand I have long been wanting to try. It has received rave reviews in the UK and a set like this containing 5 trial-sized products would be a great introduction. You can see this here. 

I must apologise for the lack of quality images in my posts lately. I have very limited resources working from my parent's house. I will be back in London by the weekend so you can expect my images to be back to their usual quality by next week.

Happy shopping. I am with you in spirit.

How to Pep-Up Tired Eyes

Isn’t December an exhausting month? Party after party, catching up with an endless sea of friends. Lots of late nights, lots of online Christmas shopping and lots of New Years Eve parties. I can always tell I am tired by the size of the bags and dark circles around my eyes. There are a few sneaky tricks you can do to minimize the damage.

• The flesh-toned eyeliner. Used correctly, this can be a little gem. Lining your lower water-line instantly gives your eyes a clear and awake look. I own a luxe version - the Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte and a budget version - the Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude. The Nars is slightly more yellow-toned but the difference is minimal. 

Top - Nars

Bottom - Rimmel

• The magical highlighter crayon. Pep yourself up by adding subtle touches of light to areas of your face you want to stand out, such as your cheek bones the inner corner of your eyes and the cupid’s bow. Pixi Beauty make a double ended version called the Wide Awake Crayon Combo which covers points 1 and 2 in the one product – genius. You can read more about this product here.

• Correct and conceal. I suffer from very dark areas in the inner corner of my eye socket. If I take the extra time to correct them with a peach corrector (Bobbi Brown Corector in Light to Medium Bisque) first, then my concealer goes on like magic.

•  Brightening powders. Laura Mercier makes a product called Secret Brightening Powder and I am yet to find a comparable cheaper powder on the market. Basically it is super fine powder which sets your concealer in place and helps to stop it settling into your fine lines. It is not cheap, but it is really good. You can read a more detailed review of this product here.

I am currently holidaying in my home-town of Sydney, Australia so communication may not be as reliable as normal. Should you have a comment or question, please submit it below and I will respond to you when I get back from my swim :-)

My Favourite Things - November

As the weather turns even colder here, this is very a much a northern hemisphere centric selection. I can't wait to be in Sydney in a few weeks where my next month's favourites will no doubt be a lot more summery!

Bobbi Brown Rich Colour Gloss in Ruby Red - this feels and looks like a gloss but has a longer staying power so it wears more like a lipstick. The colour is like cherry-chocolate and looks good enough to eat. £18.00 / $44.00

Bobbi Brown Rich Colour Gloss in Ruby Red

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Rose - a lovely all-in-one creamy blush and lip colour that comes in an easily transportable pot. It is more of an Autumn/Winter colour for me so I will be leaving this at home when I fly to Sydney in 12 days (not that i'm counting). £19.00 / $44.00

Jo Malone perfume - I needed a scent that was more wintery so I decided to go with Black Vetyver Cafe Cologne which is another favourite fragrance that Jo Malone is discontinuing**. My husband actually bought me this perfume just before we got engaged, so each time I smell it, it reminds me of being 28 and on holiday in Copenhagen. Lovely.

Pixi Beauty Wide Awake Crayon - top is 'Brighten', bottom is 'Lighten'

Pixi Wide Awake crayon - this is a double ended highlighting super-tool. One one end you have the 'Brighten' end which is a matt peach - this is great for using on the lower waterline and under the eye. The 'Lighten' end is a shimmer peach which is a lovely highlighter on the cheek bones, arch of brow and cupid's bow. Amanda Bell did a great mini-tutorial on using this which you can view here. £14.50 with free international delivery here.

Weleda Lavender Milk Bath - i'm trying to hold off investing in another one of my favourite Aromatherapy Associated bath oils as I felt I couldn't justify the expenditure right now. Instead I bought this from Ocado and had it delivered with my weekly groceries so it was practically free (right?). It is a lovely bath milk for the price and i'm enjoying using it on Friday evenings when my kids are in bed. I will probably go back to my beloved bath oils next time around, but this is a lovely alternative for now. £11.95 / $29.90

** I just tried to link this with the Jo Malone website and it appears this fragrance has already gone from the online store. Boo-hiss.

Raspberry Crush

As the weather cools down here in London, I find myself reaching increasingly for the one colour of makeup. Raspberry, claret, cranberry and oxblood. I can't seem to get enough.  

These are the products I am using on high-rotation until I get over this little obsession of mine. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush - this is my second purchase of this product as I used it all summer long in the colour Honey. I love the texture, the staying power and the subtle amount of colour it gives. I also love the price, hello £7.99 ... You can buy this from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $17.95.

Kiko Velvet Matt Lipstick in Cherry Red (609) - this was an accidental purchase as I wandered past the Kiko store last week after vowing not to buy any makeup. It was £6.90 and a luscious colour. I was powerless. You can buy this online here if you are based in the UK. For a list of countries that they ship to go here. Unfortunately Australia is not currently on their list.

Pixi Beauty Sheer Cheek Gel in Rosy. This colour can look a little scary in the tube but it goes on in such a sheer way that it gives the look of a lovely natural flush. £12.25 from Beauty Bay with free international shipping.

For a full review of this product go here. 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Metallic Pomegranate - rusty tones can be scary to apply around the eyes. You need to get the colour just right or the results can be pretty awful. This gel-cream eye shadow has a brownish undertone which is key in avoiding the 'i've been crying all night' look. It is a shade you need to try. £4.99 from Superdrug (UK) and Priceline (Aus) for $11.95.

For a full review of this product go here.  

Pixi Beauty

It is always fun to make a new discovery and for me, this has been the best thing about relocating to London. I had never come across Pixi Beauty before I came to London. It is a really lovely makeup and skincare range by makeup artist Petra Strand that was created 10 years ago. They have a delightful store located in Fouberts Place, just tucked behind the Liberty department store - a part of town that is fast becoming a very tempting place to visit.

Petra Strand, creator of Pixi

One of the things that really impress me about the brand are the prices - realistic and achievable which makes adding her products to your makeup kit actually affordable. My picks of the range are the Endless Silky Eye Pens and the Sheer Cheek Gels.

T-B: Deep Plum, Sage Gold, Black Cocoa, Black Noir & Oyster Glow

Endless Silky Eye Pens - For anyone who has tried and failed to do their eyeliner with a hard pencil that drags on the skin, then these pens are for you. They glide on like a dream and then they do not budge. Period. I picked up a kit of these in store, which included 5 mini-sized pencils and a sharpener for £16.50. The colours included in this kit are Deep Plum, Sage Gold, Black Cocoa, Black Noir and Oyster Glow. There 11 gorgeous colours in the range. Cafe Gold ... i'm coming for you!
 

Sheer Cheek Gels - These are so lovely to work with and great for those who prefer a gel consistency to a cream. As the name suggests, they give a really healthy sheer colour to the cheeks and like the eye pens, once applied the colour does not move. I picked up colours Rosy and Natural for £12.50 and you can view the full range of colours here.

L-R: Rosy and Natural

There is plenty more goodies to explore. You can see the full Pixi range and shop online here . If you are based in Australia, you can buy Pixi from Beauty Bay or Asos with free international shipping.