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.

Pascale x My Showcase

I have some rather exciting news. I am now working as a Stylist with My Showcase which is a new beauty business that aims to bring the best independent beauty brands to the comfort of your living room, for you to try with your friends while enjoying a glass of wine. The brands are divine and have been curated by Kate Shapland, beauty editor of The Telegraph. On the makeup front there is Wild About Beauty, T. Leclerc, Face Stockholm and New CID. The selection of gorgeous skincare is vast but a few of my favourites include Aurelia Probiotics, S5 Skincare, Antonia Burrell and Mio. There are also some beautiful fragrances and candles which i'm looking forward to discovering along my journey.

I'm really excited about holding my first Showcases. I get such a buzz from talking about makeup and skincare, and if I can do that with a group of friends with a glass of wine or a cup of tea in my hand, then it makes it all the more enjoyable! It will also be really nice to be able to offer my private makeup clients the opportunity to purchase the products that I use on them so they can recreate makeup looks on themselves. Everything can be ordered online and will arrive to your door in a couple of days all nicely packaged and tied in a bow. Perfect.

So how will this affect my blog? Things will remain pretty much the same except that if I write about a product I have discovered that is sold by My Showcase I will let you know. I still pay for products that I obtain through My Showcase however I do receive a discount.

If you live in central London and would love to host an event in your home, please get in touch. Alternatively if you would like a private makeup lesson or makeup and hair done for a special event, you can email me at pascalemaestri@gmail.com xx

Paris - Le Haul part one

I spent a lovely few days in Paris last week with my friend Kelly and we had a ball. Lots of eating and walking the streets ... and lots of shopping too of course! I didn't go crazy but I did pick up a good few bits and pieces in Sephora and Parashop, my French pharmacy of choice. Here is what I got.

Guerlain Météorites - described as 'Light Revealing Pearls of Powder' they are light diffusing powder balls which are shaped by hand and used to minimise flaws and add brightness. I have been intrigued by these for a long time and when I came across them in Sephora I thought 'when in Paris ....'. I went for colour number 2, Light. It comes with a puff but is much better applied with a fluffy powder brush. And they smell absolutely divine. You can buy these on Sephora with UK shipping available here. 

YSL Rebel Nudes in colour Fuchsia Tomboy - ever since Sephora sent me that lovely sample these have been on my list (see post here). It was so hard to choose a colour but I had bought a fuchsia top in Galleries Lafayette earlier that day so I decided to get something to match. The texture of these is strange - cool on the lips at first. The staying power is amazing and that is something that is hard to find in a gloss format. 

Dior Addict Fluid Stick in 869 Vie D'Enfer - these were everywhere in Paris. Dior have obviously spent big on advertising for this campaign and it worked on me! I bought this to compare to the YSL I bought above. I went for a classic red. It is part gloss, part lipstick. I can't decide which I prefer but I may just have to give it to YSL on the angled brush applicator. 

Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Ro(cocoa) - is it possible for an eyeliner to be too soft? This may be the case with this one. At times the soft texture is a dream as it glides on with absolutely no tugging, however when you try to tight-line with it on the upper lash line it is a little too soft. Evidence of this can be seen in the picture below where the point of the pencil has worn down. It is supposed to have a built-in sharpener which I can't seem to locate. Any ideas? I love the colour though and as with all Marc Jacobs Beauty products, the packaging is luxe.

I picked up a few little handy Sephora brand things that I thought you might be interested in seeing. The first are these cool eye-remover swabs that look like a simple cotton bud but have eye makeup remover in the middle which runs into the bud as you snap the top. So handy for traveling! The second handy this is this reusable wipe for removing makeup. No more cursing when your hotel does not provide flannels to wash your face, just whip this out and you are covered. It dries hard like a chamois but becomes soft when wet. I take my makeup off with Bioderma first, then used this cloth with a cleansing balm to get everything else off. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this product online to link it in this post. I also got another small bottle of their makeup brush cleaner because it is easy to transport and works a treat.

In my next post, Le Haul part two I will show you what I bought at Parashop. And don't worry, it is not the usual Bioderma and Nuxe lip balm that you have read about a thousand times before. I'm not that predictable!

New work - Beauty Shoot

I just wanted to share some of my latest work with you. This is a test shoot I worked on last month with photographer Steve Nyman. 

I was going for a clean look on the skin with slightly edgy eye-shadow blended through the crease of the eye-socket. 

I'm really pleased with how these images turned out.

Makeup and hair by me. Photography by Steve Nyman. 

Photoshopped Pascale

I worked on a shoot a little while back where the photographer very kindly insisted on taking some photographs of me. Now I don't enjoy this process and really only obliged as he seemed quite intent on it. Re-touching images is quite commonplace in the world of beauty and makeup, however retouching for my portfolio is always kept to a minimum so my work is kept as natural as possible.

A few weeks after the shoot the photographer sent me across the re-touched images, and when I saw the photograph of myself I was a little shocked. I look about 25! My skin is perfect. My moles have been removed! My eye colour is slightly different! It is quite strange to see yourself this way and I thought I would share the photograph with you for a giggle.

Pascale, new and improved!

Perhaps this could have been the real me if I had stuck to a strict organic, maro-biotic, fregan, fruitarian diet for the past 10 years? Who dares me to make this my profile photograph and just be all casual like 'Oh yeah, this was taken last week on a shoot' ???

New work - Cuppa Magazine

I worked on a lovely photo-shoot last week for Cuppa Magazine. The magazine is best described by the Creative Director Si Pui Tuong;  "Cuppa Magazine is from one tea drinker to another. Cuppa celebrates the beauty and serenity of tea; sharing the curiosity of fashion, photography and London with other tea drinkers.” 

Here are some of my favourites shots from the day.

For the look we went with a pastel pop of lilac on the eyes and kept everything else fairly neutral. The hair was boho bed-hair with a side braid at first, then later let out in its wavy glory.

Photography: Thomas Wightwick

Creative Director: Si Pui Tuong

Stylist: Chloe Cooling

Model: Ciera Robertson

Hair and Makeup by me!