Makeup Crush: Brittny Gastineau

Another week means another makeup crush and this time it's Brittny Gastineau's look that caught my eye! She is a model and socialite who is friends with the Kardashian's and I picked this particular look because it uses bold jewel colours that work surprisingly well together.  I wanted to choose something completely different from my last makeup crush for a bit of variety.  I'm not normally a fan of wearing bold eyes and lips together and I generally opt for one or the other but these shades used together have created a really sexy, sultry look.  This makeup just feels so autumnal and wintery to me...almost festive with the pinky cranberry lips and intense green on the eyes.  It would be amazing to wear with an evening gown to a christmas ball!  It really is an inspiring makeup look that will push me to be more adventurous with colour.  I think it's all about finding the right tones for your colouring.

As I said in my last Makeup Crush post, I will always try to find out what products were used in each look, where possible.  Apparently this look was created using mostly Guerlain products and here's a rundown in case you are interested in taking a look at any of the products:

Model's Canvas Skin Ehancing Primer & Illuminator

Guerlain L'Or Radiance Concentrate

Guerlain Parure Extreme Luminous Foundation

Guerlain Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder (Brunette)

Guerlain Soothing Moisturising Mist

Guerlain Ombre Eclat Mono Eyeshadow in 481

Guerlain Retractable Eyeliner Pen in Bohemian

Guerlain Le 2 de Guerlain Mascara in Black

Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain Lipstick in Gala

Guerlain Kiss Kiss Pearl Gloss in Amethyst Pearl

What do you think? Are you brave enough to try bolder shades at this time of year?

Want a Discount on RiseFashion.co.uk?

Hi everyone! So this is my second post of the day but there's a very good reason for it! I just got a comment on my post I did recently on the lovely clothes available on the Rise website and it was from the owner of Rise Fashion, Janette.  She stumbled across my blog somehow and has offered a 10% discount to all my subscribers on all Rise orders when you use the discount code 'liparazzi'.

I will add a button to my blog as well just so everyone is aware of it...Thanks Janette!

How To Cover Redness

I have been asked a few times to do a post on how to cover redness since I have high coloration in my cheeks and also used to suffer from quite bad Psoriasis.  It can be something that really knocks your confidence so I wanted to do a rundown of my tips on how I cover redness.  You may already know some, or all of this stuff, but the great thing about the blogosphere is that you can share info with eachother and sometimes you learn something you didn't know.

1) Don’t have really hot baths or showers before applying makeup – this will cause the red blood vessels under the skin to become inflamed and emphasise any redness you may have.  Try to stick to warm showers because you may end up overcompensating with too much makeup to cover the redness.

2) Use a skin tone correcting serum or moisturiser every morning and night, like Origins Brighter By Nature Skin Tone Correcting Serum, the Origins Dr Andrew Weil range or Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturiser or serum. Over time, this should make a noticeable difference in the overall uniformity of your skin tone.  These are products that work for me however if you have chronic problems with redness though, then it would be best to consult a dermatologist to find out which products would be best suited to your skin type.

3) I do an aspirin mask once every week. This is a really cheap way to exfoliate your skin, tighten pores, prevent breakouts and even out your skin tone. Click here to read about the aspirin mask.

4) It’s important to exfoliate your skin gently to smooth the surface using something like Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish with the muslin cloth. Don’t over-exfoliate your skin as this can just aggravate redness even more so just be gentle. What you are trying to achieve is smooth, unclogged, radiant skin without any extreme redness.

5) Fake tan is a life saver for anyone with high coloration on their face.  It does an amazing job of evening out the skin tone and camouflaging any colour difference.  You can use a gradual tanning moisturiser like the Dove one or something with more colour like St Tropez or Xen Tan.  If you have a bit of a glow, then you also don't have to use as much foundation which is a bonus.  Bronzer will work in the same way and I think it's best to stick to matte formulas to get the most natural finish.  I love Dior's Matte Sunshine Brozing Powder in Honey Matte.

6) It can really help to use a good primer after your moisturiser such as Loreal Studio Secrets Resurfacing Primer which will help to smooth skin, fill in any fine lines, even out skin tone and make your foundation last longer.

7) Use an appropriate medium to full coverage foundation like Estee Lauder Double Wear, Revlon Colorstay, Estee Lauder Maximum Cover Foundation or even something like Cover FX Total Coverage Cream Foundation. It’s best to opt for a yellow based shade as this is fantastic at covering up redness and brightening the complexion. Try and pick the shade that is nearest to your skin tone but airing on the yellow side. I personally use Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation everyday, which covers the high colouration in my cheeks perfectly and lasts all day long. I would say this is medium to full coverage so if you suffer from something like Rosacea then the full coverage foundation like EL Maximum Cover or Cover FX one would be better for you. It’s important to use very thin layers of the foundation because the secret of getting flawless foundation is layering. Don’t try and slap on a lot at once or it will look cakey and unnatural.


8) I would steer clear of green concealers.  I know alot of people would advise this in the first instance but to be honest, it can often give a very opaque and unnatural looking finish, especially if you only have redness on certain areas of your face.  It would be ok if the whole of your face was red but if there are just certain areas, then it can make the rest of your face look strange. It’s always just looked weird on me and I was told by my wedding makeup artist that yellow toned concealers/primers like Benefit Lemon Aid are a much better option as they give a really nice finish and brighten your skin without looking weird! 

9) It can often help to use a light dusting of a yellow toned finishing powder like Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder. This will have a similar effect to the yellow toned foundation.  It will set your makeup and help brighten your complexion and conceal your redness further.

10) The last and most important point of all is to remember not to get down about the fact that you don’t have the perfect, flawless complexion naturally. Most people don’t, but once you learn how to conceal your redness with makeup, it won’t be an issue anymore and you can feel confident that your skin looks even, natural and radiant!

If you have any questions at all about this subject, just drop me an email and I will happily answer them.  I hope this has helped some of you out there who struggle with the same problem.  All of these things have helped me and I don't think you can tell from my photos or in real life that I have discoloration in my skin so I hope they work for you!

What's Your Take On Tights?

Patterned tights are nothing new or groundbreaking but lately it seems like there are more and more designs on the market.  I have never been that daring with my choice of tights and I tend to stick to black or dark grey.  There are some very risque bondage-style designs kicking around like the Wolford tights that Cheryl Cole wears in her latest music video for 'Promise This'.  There are also faux suspender ones sported by Pixie Geldof, Pixie Lott and Frankie Sandford from The Saturdays.   I think it would take quite alot of guts to wear these particular tights because they are quite overtly sexy so I reckon they are more suited to wearing at night time!  They would certainly get you alot of attention! I can't imagine nipping down to the supermarket in those babies!

I particularly like the two toned tights that Kylie is sporting above because they seem like they would be very slimming and flattering on the legs.  The paler panel down the front acts as an optical illusion to make your legs appear thinner...not that Kylie needs any help in that department!  This is probably one of the 'safest' variations to go for if you don't want to go too crazy.  I have to say that I'm still not sure about the lace tights though...if worn with the wrong outfit, they can almost look a bit cheap.  I think the key thing to remember is to dress them down slightly...i.e. don't wear them with a bandage dress!  These designs aren't for shrinking violets or the faint hearted but I think they are a really fun take on a piece of clothing that we will all be sporting throughout autumn and winter!  I often find that if you wear something with confidence, then it tends to look good but if you look awkward or embarassed, then people will probably question what you're wearing.  So this is definitely a trend that must be worn with pride!

So what do you think? Would you wear any of these designs or will you be sticking to your plain black tights?

What I've Been Loving Lately and A Disappointment

I was recently sent the brand new Gucci perfume, Guilty, from The Pefume Store to review and as you can see, Gucci have really pulled it out of the bag with the design of the bottle.  It just oozes luxury and style! It feels heavy and expensive...pretty much what you would expect from Gucci.  I'm not an expert on perfume but I know what I like and this perfume is a perfect light daytime scent for me.  It is described as being 'sensual and sexy' but I'm not sure I would describe it like that.  For me, I like my daytime perfumes to be slightly sweet and subtle, nothing too overpowering.  Here's a breakdown of the scent:

Heart Notes: Peach, Lilac and Geranium

Top Notes: Mandarin & Pink Pepper

Base Notes: Ambery Notes & Pachouli

It's a subtely warm perfume, that lasts all day without being over the top.  Love it!

This week I have really been trying to shop my collection and rediscover my old favourites that I have been neglecting.  I have always loved the French & Fabulous palette from Too Faced....

This palette contains the perfect shades for an every day look and also shades that will take you into a more dramatic, night time look.  My favourite combination is Totally Toasted Beige as a base and Totally Toasted Brown as a crease colour then to amp it up for night time, I just smudge Ooh & Ahh Black into my lashline for more definition.  Poodle Puff Raisin is also an amazing crease colour that is a gorgeous plummy taupe.

My skin is definitely in the best condition ever and I feel like this is down too the new Origins and Good Stuff products I have been using.  I never get spots anymore...not EVEN at that time of the month which is unheard of.  The Origins Brighter By Nature High Potency Brightening Peel which is just an incredible product has been a god send for my skin.  It's so clear, so smooth and really radiant and I have to credit that to using the Origins pads twice every week.  Another of the Origins products which has complimented the pads is the Origins Brighter By Nature Skin Tone Correcting Serum.  This compliments it so well because it  contains Vitamin C, Cucumber Extract, Japanese Basil Leaf and Salicycic Acid.  It's quite an expensive skincare product at £31.00 for a 30 ml bottle but you only need two small pumps for your whole face.  In my opinion, having the skin I always wanted is worth paying a bit extra for.  I will definitely repurchase this again and again because it really works. 

The disappointment for me came with the Origins No Puffery Cooling Mask.  It contains Yeast Extract and Hoelen Mushroom extract and is designed to reduce eye bags, redness and dark circles.  It can be used as a mask applied for 5-10 mins or as an all day treatment under your usual eye cream.  I have used it for around 3 weeks now as an eye gel and also as a mask and I just didn't feel like it did anything for me.  I didn't notice a difference in my dark circles or slight puffiness in the mornings.  I applied my usual eye cream over it and I just wasn't impressed by this product.  When you are spending £19.00 for a 30ml tube, you want it to be amazing and to blow you away.  But unfortunately, it just didn't do that. 

A great discovery for me in the past week was this Daniel Sandler Contour Brush which is probably the smallest contour brush I have ever used.  It's half the size of the Bare Minerals one I used to use every day.  The advantage of this brush is that you can be alot more precise with where you place your contour powder (I use Sleek's Contour Palette or Benefit Hoola).  I noticed a huge difference straight away and I can really create the appearance of more defined cheekbones, which I love! This brush has a short handle which means it is really convenient to use when you're on the go.  The bristles are soft to the touch but they have exactly the right amount of firmness to use in the hollows of the cheeks.  I never used to think that brushes made that much of a difference to my makeup but this is a fantastic example of why it's important to use the right tools.  

Jem!

As promised, here's a post to show you some pics from the 80's themed party on Saturday.  I went as Jem... 

Chris went as Bananaman!...my hero!?

Patricia, my good friend and maid of honour at my wedding, went as smurfette...

There was 80's style sweets/candy like Wham bars and flying saucers and we played Twister, did a bit of breakdancing, and tried to limbo...

Unfortunately I was crap at the limbo and I ended up falling over in a heap!...that could have been due to copious amounts of wine though! Glad no one got a pic of that! There was also a wall of shame where everyone had to guess eachothers child photos from the 80's! So funny! Some people haven't changed a bit!

It was a great night with lots of imaginative costumes like a Space Hopper, Smurfs, Top Gun, Miami Vice... The most important thing was that everyone really got into the spirit of things and didn't care about looking silly...after all that's what fancy dress is all about! 

Good Times/Bad Times

1) The No.1 spot in this week's update has to go to my wonderful dad, Dave.  He was discharged from hospital yesterday after having two stents inserted into one of the arteries in his heart.  He has been told to rest but my mum will definitely have to keep an eye on him because he finds it difficult to sit still! I'm so relieved that he's over the worst of it, I have been sick with worry over the past week.  We all feel very lucky to have him in our lives.

2) I tried to hide my secret and guilty love of trashy reality shows from Chris for a long time when we first got together.  When he spotted a Sky + series link on The Hills, he would comment "what's that doing on there???"...I would be all like "pfffft, I don't know, it must have been recorded by mistake!".  But finally I had to admit to him that although I know these shows are ridiculously staged and super cheesy...I just can't help but watch them.  It's like car crash tv and I just can't look away.  The new show on my radar is one I've heard about that starts on Sunday night called 'The Only Way is Essex' which is supposed to be like a UK version of The Hills:


By the looks of the show's trailer, I would assume that all the 'characters' in the new show will be stereotypical Essex cliches and not representative of what Essex folk are REALLY like!  BUT they need to create entertainment I guess so the fake tan, bling, drama queens and pretty boys are the order of the day.  I'm looking forward to seeing if this is going to be as annoyingly addictive as the likes of Jersey Shore and The Hills. 

Also, the new series of America's Next Top Model starts on Monday...let the makeovers, bitch fights and catwalk falls commence!

3) I am in LOVE with these sheepskin trim boots from New Look.  They will be perfect to go with skinny jeans and black leggings during the winter! I actually prefer winter fashion because there's more opportunity to layer stuff up and wear more things at once.  They're only £34.99 so I'm gonna pick me up a pair next week.  You gotta love the highstreet!

4) My fourth happy moment this week was seeing this video of Miscka the talking husky...she has a YouTube channel all of her own.  Watching this type of thing just makes me want a dog even more! I guarantee this will make you smile/laugh if you are a dog lover...

1) While everyone is out enjoying themselves tonight, I will be grouting our newly tiled kitchen floor...exciting! It took me 40 mins to do a 2ft squared area, so it could take me all night to finish it! Chris laid all the tiles a couple of days ago but he has developed a bad back (old man jokes weren't taken well) so I stupidly offered to finish the job!  I may regret that act of kindness...

2) You really know you have entered into the Autumn months when you get a horrible cold.  I woke up yesterday and it felt like I had swallowed a dozen razorblades! My throat is all swollen and is generally killing me! I am lemsipping it up at the moment in the hope that the cold will disappear before tomorrow night...the 80's themed fancy dress party! Don't worry, I will post pics of me looking silly in my Jem costume! I can't wait to let my hair down after the stressful week I've had.  We'll be playing musical jems such as the following...