Wonders of Beauty: January 2012

What's New: L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim and Carbon Gloss..♥

Yesterday I accompanied my friend to town to get a few things. Ever had that feeling when you know that your eyeliner is going to run out soon? Well I've been having that feeling for the past week and thought I'd buy a back up just in case. Usually I'd go straight into Superdrug, pick up the L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Carbon Gloss and head straight back out but instead this time I went into Boots as they are having a 'Buy 1 Get 2nd Half Price' offer on selected L'Oreal products. Whilst picking up my usual, I noticed that L'Oreal had a wider range of Super Liners to choose from. I don't know whether or not they've just expanded their range or maybe I've just never noticed because I'm just so used to picking up my Carbon Gloss. Anyway, out of the range, the Super Liner Perfect Slim caught my eye.

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim - Intense Black

I purchased this yesterday so I haven't really gotten a chance to form an opinion on it. I was drawn to this product because it is presented like a felt tip pen which I think will be easier to apply, especially for those who find the application of other liquid eyeliners difficult. The felt tip applicator style makes it look like a quick and easy eyeliner to apply and also seems like the type of eyeliner that would be great for a winged eye.

I'm not sure if this comes in any other colour but I bought it in the colour "Intense Black".

Original Price: £6.99

L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Carbon Gloss - Carbon Black

If you read through my FOTD posts, you would have probably realised that this is the only liquid eyeliner I use. I love its applicator, consistency and the intensity of black. I always repurchase this product and I have never really looked at any other liquid eyeliner after using this. I'm very sure you are all already familiar with this eyeliner as a lot of bloggers and YouTubers rave about it.

I use this in the colour "Carbon Black"

Original Price: £6.49

As I have only just bought the "Perfect Slim" eyeliner, I cannot give you a full review yet. I'll see how it goes and let you know whether or not I like it.

Do you own either of these?

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

Eyeliner - 21:50

What's New: L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim and Carbon Gloss

What's New: L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim and Carbon Gloss.. ♥ Yesterday I accompanied my friend to town to get a few t...

Hey beauts

I haven't done a "Back To Basics" post in a while as I wasn't sure whether to carry on or not. I don't want to bore you with so much writing but I know some of you liked this series so I guess I'll continue with it.

As you can tell from the title, this "Back To Basics" post is on foundation types. Foundation to me is one of the most important steps for your makeup as it is the base of everything. You need to ensure that you're starting off with a good base before you continue layering with the rest of your makeup because using the wrong type of foundation can really ruin your whole look. This post is to inform you of the different types of foundations that are available to you. I am not a professional so I do not know about everything out there and I can only tell you about things that I am aware of.

Foundations can come in many forms;

• Liquid

A liquid foundation is probably the only type of foundation I'll ever use simply because there is a variety of finishes and formulas to choose from. You are bound to find one to suit your skin as they are available in formulas that are for sensitive skin, oil-free, moisturizing, illuminating, the list goes on.

Liquid foundations also come in a range of coverage. Whether you're one to go for a very natural look and prefer a sheer coverage or maybe you have scars that you may want to cover up therefore prefer a full coverage, you will definitely find a liquid foundation that you like. They are also available in matte, demi-matte, satin, dewy and many more finishes. There are not many limits with this type of foundation and that's probably why it is the most popular.

Examples: Nars Sheer Glow/Matte, MAC Studio Fix Fluid, Revlon Colour Stay, Estee Lauder Double Wear, Makeup Forever HD Foundation, Mary Kay Timewise Matte-Wear Foundation, etc.

• Cream

As far as I'm aware, cream foundations do not have as much range and variety compared to a liquid foundation. They are not suited for all skin types due to their formula. Because of the creamy and moisturizing formula of a cream foundation, they tend to be more suited for dry skin. They also usually provide a fuller coverage due to the rich consistency but can be sheered out if necessary.

Examples: Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation, Illamasqua Cream Foundation, etc.

• Cream-to-powder

Cream-to-powder foundations are very similar to cream foundations but instead they dry to a powder finish. Due to the fact that they dry to a powder finish, those with oily skin will be able to use this. This type of foundation also saves time as it is kind of like a foundation and powder in one therefore you do not need to apply powder on top.

Examples: MAC Studio Tech, Mary Kay Creme-To-Powder Foundation, Benefit Cream-To-Powder Foundation, Sleek Creme-To-Powder, etc.

• Mousse

Mousse foundations are whipped which results in a light consistency and coverage. Because of its light consistency, it feels very light on the skin and is natural looking. This type of foundation is more suited to normal/dry/aging skin types.

Examples: Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse

• Stick

A stick foundation is a cream foundation and concealer in one. They tend to be full coverage foundations and for those who want to cover scars and imperfections or to help even out very uneven skin tones. The foundation doesn't need to be applied on the whole face but can be applied where needed and then blended out to help perfect your complexion.

Examples: Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation, IMAN Stick Foundation, Shu Uemura Nobara Cream Cover Stick Foundation, etc

• Powder

Powder foundations are good for those who are on-the-go. They are usually packaged in compacts which makes them convenient to travel with. This type of foundation is more suited to oily skin and shouldn't really be used on dry skin as it may emphasize dryness/dry patches. Powder foundations provide more coverage than pressed powders therefore can be used alone. They are also buildable and the coverage can be controlled depending on your application technique and how much you layer/build.

Examples: MAC Studio Fix Plus Foundation, Illamasqua Powder Foundation, Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder, Mary Kay Mineral Powder Foundation.

For those of you who needed a guide on foundation types, I hope this was somewhat helpful.

*All images sourced from Google.

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Back To Basics - 17:51

Back to Basics | Foundation (Types)

Hey beauts I haven't done a "Back To Basics" post in a while as I wasn't sure whether to carry on or not. I don't...

Back 2 MAC - 19:55

Back 2 MAC Suggestions

Back 2 MAC Suggestions.. ♥ Hey beauts! Just a really quick post. I've collected 6 cases for the MAC "Back 2 M•A•C" program bu...

How To: Filling In My Brows..♥

Hey beauties!

This is a post for all those that ask how I fill in my eyebrows. This post is way overdue and I'm sorry. Obviously because it isn't a video tutorial it's a bit hard to explain but I'm going to try my possible best and hopefully what I'm trying to show and explain will be clear.

What you will need:

• Eyebrow pencil
This can be any eyebrow pencil of your choice but I particularly like the MAC one pictured below.

• Flat/angled brush

Any flat or angled brush will be OK as long you feel comfortable using it. It will need to be a brush that you feel you have the most control over because when this is used, you will need to be precise.

• Spoolie
Any spoolie of your choice will be fine to use.

• Concealer
Any concealer which you feel you can control will be OK to use.

Steps

1.
Start off with a clean brow free from any products whatsoever. Avoid getting moisturiser on your brows as this makes it harder for your eyebrow pencil to cohere.
Using a spoolie, brush your brow hairs into place.

2.
Using your eyebrow pencil, outline your brow following the natural shape. When outlining the top, do not begin drawing from the beginning of your brow like shown in the picture; this is to avoid it looking so harsh and too obviously drawn on.
The outline doesn't have to be particularly neat as you are going to tidy this up at a later stage.

3.
Once you have outlined your shape, begin filling in your brow with your eyebrow pencil using light short strokes so that it appears more "hair-like". At this stage it is up to you and your personal preference when deciding how much you want/need to fill in.

4.
Taking your spoolie again, blend the eyebrow pencil by brushing the hairs towards your ear. When brushing the beginning of your eyebrow, use the spoolie and brush the hairs towards the bridge of your nose to create a fading effect. This way it helps create more of a natural look.

5.
This step is where you clean up any mess you've made. You do this using concealer. It also helps make the brow stand out.
Using a concealer close to your skin tone and your flat definer/angled brush, clean up the edges of your brow being very precise. How precisely you work with your concealer determines the final result of your brow. You will need a concealer that you have full control over. I prefer to use MAC Studio Sculpt as I prefer the texture because it is more like a cream and I can control it much better than a liquid one.

6.
Blend! Blend! Blend!
So that you avoid looking like you've got a halo around your eyebrows, you will need to blend your concealer out into your skin as much as you possibly can especially if the concealer is not exactly your skin tone. You can use the flat definer/angled brush to do this.
Once you have blended out the concealer, you can then proceed with your usual foundation routine, blending the concealer further with your foundation.

Final Result

This is how I do my eyebrows in all my FOTDs.

For those that requested this, I really do hope this post was helpful. If you have any more questions, leave them below in the comment box.

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

Eyebrows - 22:36

How To: Filling In My Brows

How To: Filling In My Brows.. ♥ Hey beauties! This is a post for all those that ask how I fill in my eyebrows. This post is way overdue and...

Hey beauts. Sorry for my non-existence in the past week but I'm back at uni now so I've been a little busy with meeting deadlines and I just haven't had any time for blogging. I've got that out of the way now so I thought I'd write a post today as I haven't done so in a while.

As you all know from this post here, I got a ghd Gold Max Styler for Christmas! I also asked if you would like a full review on them and a couple of you said that you would so here it is!

"A true classic isn’t defined by time or fashion. It stands alone; confident and brave. It’s made of truth, beauty and style. The perfect red lip. The little black dress. The battered blue jeans. The ghd gold classic styler. But bigger. “Fashion fades, only style remains the same.” Coco Chanel"

Features

• Professional finish
• Smoother plates
• Cooler, lighter body
• Ceramic heaters and contoured plates
• Sleep mode

There are three different sized stylers in the ghd gold series range; mini, classic and max. As you can probably tell from the pictures above and the title of the post, I own the max styler. The max styler has the widest plates out of the range and are specifically good for long, thick or curly hair because of the plate size. I chose the max styler because my extensions are quite lengthy and I wanted straighteners which would take the smallest amount of time to achieve results.

Though the plates are wide, these straighteners are unbelievably lightweight. Due to its light weight, it makes it more convenient to travel with this straightener if necessary.

These straighteners heat up very quickly. Once switched on, it will make a noise and the 'ghd' logo on the switch will flash to indicate that it is on. When it is ready to be used, it will beep three times so that you are aware that it has heated up and the flashing will stop. They heat up to the maximum heat of 230°C within approx. 30 seconds and there is no way to adjust this heat setting which can be seen as a downfall for some. You have to be very careful as they do get extremely hot. I have found that the upper body also get very hot and can burn your fingers if held for too long.

As with most straighteners, you can do more than just straighten with this but the curved plates make it easier than most straighteners to create curls, waves and flicks. I love the fact that you can create versatility with just one product.

You will never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off if you were in a rush as they automatically shut down within 30mins of inactivity which is good for those of you who are offenders of leaving your straighteners on!

For tidy storage and protection, these straighteners come with a protective plate guard that is worn over the top and keep the plates locked together.

Below are before and after pics of my hair extensions just after I'd washed them. As you can see they had a lot of volume and weren't poker straight after air drying. I managed to straighten everything in 10mins and here are my results. Because of how good these straighteners are, you only need to pass them through an area once for it to be straightened which is definitely a pro!

Overall Thoughts

In my opinion, the ghd max styler is a good straightener to own. I cannot vouch for the others in the range because I have not tried them though I'm sure they'll work just as well. I know that these straighteners do not come cheap but I believe that they are good value for money as they can be used for much more than just straightening. You can save yourself from spending money on tongs and curlers because you can achieve the same results using these! If you need tips or are interested in techniques on how to use this for styles other than straightening, be sure to check out their tutorials on YouTube.

These straighteners retail for £119 but are currently on sale for £99 on the ghd website (http://www.ghdhair.com/gold-series/ghd-gold-max). If you are planning to buy these anywhere else but the ghd website itself, make sure you check http://www.ghdhair.com/help/website-checker to make sure that the website is authentic.

Anything else you want to know about these straighteners? Ask me in the comment box below.

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Hair - 22:55

Review | ghd Gold Series Max Styler

Hey beauts. Sorry for my non-existence in the past week but I'm back at uni now so I've been a little busy with meeting deadline...

FOTD - 02:15

FOTD: Using MAC Rebel Lipstick

FOTD: Using MAC Rebel Lipstick.. ♥ Hey beauts! I know I haven't done a FOTD post in a while so I thought I'd just show you pictur...

What's New: MAC Rebel Lipstick..♥

Hey beauties!

Those of you who follow me on Wonders_Beauty twitter would have seen me tweet a while back that I wanted MAC Rebel. In fact, I even asked you in my FOTD: MAC Hang Up post what you thought of the lipstick. After seeing this shade on quite a few women of colour, it just appealed to me more as it's one of those shades that also work well on darker skin tones. Before purchasing, my friend let me try hers out to see whether I truly liked it or not. At first the colour felt a bit weird on and I thought it made me look scary but as time passed, I got used to it and became comfortable with the shade. Even though I had tried this lipstick a couple of months ago, I only decided to buy my own towards the end of December and I guess MAC must have had so many orders because I only received it last week. Luckily I wasn't in a rush to receive it!

As you can probably tell from the pics above, yes I have worn the lipstick once. I just didn't take a good picture before use. Sorry!
I noticed that this lipstick lasted the whole day! It is a very long wearing shade. I ate Nandos, had drinks and it was still there which I was quite shocked about as I don't think many lipsticks I own hold up for that long.

I love the shade and I feel that it's a bold colour which for some reason I am very comfortable wearing. It's a change from wearing your usual statement red lip and works very well with the season we are currently in. There's something about this shade that just seems very fierce. I like that.

Finish: Satin
Collection: Permanent

Weirdly enough if you compare MAC Rebel and MAC Hang-Up just by what they look like in the casing, they look very similar until they're swatched. MAC describes 'Rebel' as a vivid pinkish-purple and 'Hang-Up' is described as a berry. Both descriptions are evident in the swatches below.

In case you're wondering, MAC Hang-Up has a cremesheen finish and is in the permanent collection.

I think Rebel may be one of my favourite MAC lipstick purchases. What do you think of the colour? Do you own it?
Can you suggest any lip liners for me to use with it please?

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

Lipstick - 20:24

What's New: MAC Rebel Lipstick

What's New: MAC Rebel Lipstick.. ♥ Hey beauties! Those of you who follow me on Wonders_Beauty twitter would have seen me tweet a wh...

Review: Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter..♥

"A buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. The combination of Shea butter and Rice wax offers deep hydration and softness. Ideal for chapped lips."

• Dermatologically Tested

• Mineral Oil Free

• Silicone Free

• Propylene Glycol Free

• Ethanolamine Free

I have a habit of using lip balms or conditioners on my lips at all times during the day. Honestly, I believe it's an addiction. No matter how many balms, butters, conditioners or moisturisers I've tried, I'm always still willing to try new ones. Dry or chapped lips are avoided when possible as I'm always carrying around some sort of lip product to prevent this. Next in line I guess was this lip butter by Korres which is described as being a buttery tinted lip balm. If you're familiar with the MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner then you'll have an idea of what type of product this is. It's great for those who want to keep their lips hydrated and moisturised but with an added pop of colour.

Finish

As described above, this tinted lip butter has a shiny finish to it, though not like a lip gloss but very similar to finishes of most balms/conditioners.

Shades/Scents

There are 7 available shades/scents to choose from so you're bound to find a colour that suits you!

1. Wild Rose

2. Guava

3. Pomegranate

4. Quince

5. Plum

6. Jasmine

7. Mango

I wasn't too fussed about my choice so I opted for the lip butter in 'Pomegranate'. I would describe 'Pomegranate' to be a coral shade and it does smell very nice and fruity in my opinion. The smell is not overbearing and once applied to your lips, you really do not even smell it anymore.

Packaging

As I have quite long nails, I find the packaging of this product very annoying because my fingers cannot fit in the tub so I need a lip brush/applicator in order to apply it!

Besides the small tub, the packaging is quite sleek and fresh. Each shade has the corresponding lid colour and a white tub.

Size

You get 6g/0.21 Oz worth of product in the pot.

Price and Availability

This product is actually quite difficult to find. It is sold on the Korres website but in euros. You may have to run a google search in order to find a supplier in your country. I purchased mine from ASOS for £5.40 with my 10% student discount but it is originally £6.00.

Click here to purchase it off ASOS or click here to purchase it off http://bathandunwind.com

Overall Thoughts

I think this lip butter is a good affordable lip balm to purchase. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to MAC Tinted Lip Conditioners then this will be good for you especially because the colour range is wider. This lip butter does its job of keeping your lips moisturised and hydrated without any stickiness.

For those who do not like scented products at all, then this may not be for you. Though it is not overpowering, if your sensitive to scents, it may be strong for some.

As I do not own any of the other shades, I cannot guarantee their pigment. I can say that 'Pomegranate' is quite pigmented for the lip balm that it is but I believe the colour can be built depending on how much you apply. You can either go for just a sheer tint or if you keep layering, eventually you will achieve the colour in the pot.

Like I said before, the only downfall of this product for me is the packaging as I do not have time to keep applying it with a lip brush or applicator so I may have to think about this before purchasing another pot!

Swatch

Do you own any of the Korres lip butters or their other lip products?

Twitter ♥ Bloglovin

Korres - 14:00

Review: Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter

Review: Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter.. ♥ "A buttery lip balm that melts on the lips and offers a shiny, tinted finish. The combinatio...

Hair - 00:57

What's New | ghd Gold Max Styler

Finally! A few months ago, I don't know why but I had the sudden urge for a pair of ghd straighteners. Now I know there was a big...

Once again I've come with another post on favourite products of 2011 but this time focusing on hair products which I use most frequently and have made a difference to my hair in the past year.

In case you're wondering, I won't be doing a post on my favourite skincare products because my favourites really are just what was in my "Current Daily Skincare Routine" post. Click here to see.

1. 100% Pure Rosemary Oil

This is a great oil to use on your scalp as it stimulates growth. I use it mixed with castor oil, coconut oil and peppermint oil.

2. Fantasia ic Heat Protector Straightening Spray

To protect my hair and extensions from heat damage, I usually lightly spray this before straightening. It is aloe enriched and also makes your hair shiny after use.

3. Motions Foaming Wrap Lotion

This is a lightweight foaming lotion which I actually use before I wrap my hair to go to sleep. It keeps my hair in the desired style without being stiff.

4. Pure Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is very good for the hair as it moisturises and strengthens as well as acts as a great conditioner. I apply this liberally (with castor oil, rosemary and peppermint oil) and detangle my hair the night before I shampoo as it really does soften the hair well.

5. Hollywood Beauty Argan Oil From Morocco Smoothing Hair Creme

I'm in love with this product! It is a hair creme that contains argan oil which I'm sure you've all heard of. It smells beautiful and makes my virgin hair extensions so smooth, silky and gives it shine.

6. Pure Castor Oil

Castor oil is known for thickening the hair. I massage this into my scalp along my edges where my hair has broken to promote growth and thickness.

7. Garnier Fructis Style Brilliantine Shine Water-Based Wax

I love that this wax is water based as it doesn't leave my hair greasy like some other products may do. Click here for a full review on this product!

8. Hollywood Beauty Argan Oil From Morocco

I'm sure you've all come across the hype of argan oil on other blogs and maybe YouTube. This oil along with the smoothing creme are fantastic products. I use this on my virgin hair extensions and it makes the hair very glossy/shiny and healthy without looking greasy at all if you apply the right amount of product. I also use this on my natural hair before I blow dry it for the same finish. Works wonders for dry ends and I would recommend anyone to buy it regardless of your hair type.

9. 100% Pure Peppermint Oil

This is oil is beneficial if you suffer from an itchy scalp or dandruff as peppermint oil is known to be good for that. It is usually mixed with the other oils I own and then applied to my scalp.

10. Melaleuca Herbal Shampoo

Last but definitely not least, this herbal shampoo by Melaleuca works wonders. It is a fantastic shampoo that doesn't leave your hair stripped of its natural moisture. When I used this on my extensions, it made them so soft, shiny and silky that I actually could not believe it. I used to use Tresemme but I have abandoned their shampoo and conditioner after using this one. I found that with this shampoo, a conditioner wasn't even needed after because it acts as a conditioning shampoo!

What are your top hair products? Any recommendations?

Twitter | Bella Minx Lashes | Instagram

Favourites - 20:52

My Favourite Hair Products Of 2011

Once again I've come with another post on favourite products of 2011 but this time focusing on hair products which I use most frequ...

Pages

What's New: L'Oreal Paris Super Liner Perfect Slim and Carbon Gloss

Back to Basics | Foundation (Types)

Back 2 MAC Suggestions

How To: Filling In My Brows

Review | ghd Gold Series Max Styler

FOTD: Using MAC Rebel Lipstick

What's New: MAC Rebel Lipstick

Review: Korres Pomegranate Lip Butter

What's New | ghd Gold Max Styler

My Favourite Hair Products Of 2011

About me

Subscribe and Follow

Labels

recent posts

Popular Posts

Blog Archive