A Face a day - ish.. Origins!

It's not really an Origins 'face', because I didn't use any of their make-up, BUT the skin on my face that day was totally due to Origins, so that counts, right? 

I honestly don't have much to say about this facial - it was just awesome. 

It wasn't the best facial in the world (it was a half hour, it was free, i was sat in a chair wearing a bib) but even then it was still a hell of a lot better than some of the others I've had (I once had a woman fill my nose with cotton wool so the 'face mask won't go up and into my throat or brain' - I then left fairly rapidly feigning stomach troubles). 

The woman was absolutely brilliant, kind, gentle, attentive, and was writing notes whilst asking me questions which I really liked. She make some excellent recommendations and tailored the whole thing around my specific needs. In short, she wins. 

My skin was SO SOFT. I literally cannot explain the levels of softness my skin possessed, blemishes reduced - some gone, no dry patches or uneven skin, no sensitivity or redness - all round fabbity skin :) 

Cleanser - A perfect world 

Toner - A perfect world 

Scrub - Modern Friction 

Mask - Out of trouble + No puffery on eyes and then Drink Up 

Serum - Mega Mushroom 

Cream - Make a difference treatment 

Eye cream - Eye doctor 

Finisher - Peace of mind - This stuff actually works incredibly well, here's how Origins describes it: "When the world closes in on you and your head feels a size too small, apply just 2 dabs of Origins  mind-clearing Peace of Mind®on the back of your neck, temples and earlobes. You'll feel a tingling sensation as pressure, tension and tightness begin to feel as if they melt away"

I couldn't leave without grabbing myself a bit of the face mask that had somehow managed to bring my skin back into line and sort it the hell out! (Because I'm a bit of a face mask obsessive, I slathered a bit of it on my hand so you can see the texture and thickness of it - for those of you who aren't as weird as I am, feel free to ignore those pictures) 

I decided it was about time I actually committed and bought myself the big girl version of the Mega Mushroom - every time I go into Origins I always get samples of it and they last forever, but, there comes a day in every girls life where she just needs to devote herself to a worthy investment - and I choose serum. 

So that was my Origins face! I had intended to take progress shots and show you all my beautifully naked and face-masked face looking truly glamorous, but I was honestly just too relaxed to even remember I had a camera (so you're spared the image of me resembling a creature of the sea - oowft) 

If anyone is ever able to grab themselves an Origins facial (it's free!) then I highly recommend it, amazing experience - and you can even do it in your lunch hour! All kinds of worth it :) Let me know what you think of this post and if you have any favourite products from Origins or anything you'd like to try - I'd love to know!

Until next time, 

Amber xx

Full Exposure - at last!

Earlier this week I was FINALLY able to get my hands on the Smashbox Full exposure palette! SO, at long last, here it is! (and my god is it good!)

          

I literally cannot wait to use this bad boy! Does anyone have any favourite looks they've created with this palette? What do you guys think of it? :) 

Until next time, 

Amber :) xx

A face a day: Chanel

Chanel has always been 'that' brand for me. The iconic symbol of pure grace, style, class and elegance. It's the brand that, when I was little, looking up at my mums perfume collection and not knowing the magnitude of any of them, it was the one bottle that stood out as something special. The one always shown in black and white pictures, with pearls and silk and ladies in hats and suit-dresses, strong women with impeccable style. So, needless to stay, I was pretty excited for the day of my 'Chanel face'. (embarrassing confession: I'd actually planned my outfit the night before to get a balance of laid-back cool and Parisienne chic - not convinced it worked, but someone did approach me at the counter thinking I worked for Chanel - which I totally just took as a compliment.. maybe? hmm)

Now, this was an experience that couldn't be done alone, I needed to bring someone with me, someone to get excited with and talk about it for hours afterwards with. That person, was my amazing house mate Farah - who, coincidently, is also the face of this post. (My camera packed up on me before my face was finished - but never fear! Farah's Chanel face was first, and there's plenty of pictures :) ) So we arrived together, Farah went first so I could fan girl a million pictures of absolutely everything (no wonder my poor camera gave up on me).

*****

We were both cleansed, toned, moisturised and eye-creamed and then prepped with some primer - looking fresh, glowing and about 2 shades paler (which initially looked rather strange on Farahs skin and very, very odd on my already alabaster face.) But of course, in Chanel we trust. Next up was concealer - which looked very natural and blended exceptionally well, it was also really buildable and didn't feel too heavy. It was decided that neither Farah, nor myself, were in need of foundation, but our skin concerns are very different. While I suffer from dryness and dehydration and love a good dollop of moisturiser, Farah has good, even skin and doesn't like the feeling of having make-up on. I was given the CC cream treatment, and Farah the powder treatment. Contouring was omitted as apparently we didn't need that either (although the truth of the matter may have been more a lack of time than a lack of need), blush was next (I love the difference a little blush gives, but a little really was all I was given, which was a shame because the colour was gorgeous). Eye brows were done by brushing the brows down (towards the eye), lining the top and then brushing back into place - something I've never tried before but looked absolutely amazing! For Farah's eye make-up, was a very, very bold bright blue and green semi-smokey eye look, some heavy eye-liner and lashings of mascara, topped off with some dark lipstick in Rouge Noir 109. And for me was a quick dash of mystic eyes eye shadow palette and some mascara (I'd realised by now that the woman was behind schedule and just needed to finish up pronto - wasn't too thrilled by that) she then finished my look with some (mis-matched) lipstick. Et voila!

Luckily, another woman came and saved the day, saw to the poor girl waiting (it was her 18th birthday and she was very excited, and very sweet). She then took over our 'after-care', helping us to try a lot of products out, deciding what to buy, giving great suggestions and so on. Overall, the look Farah was given was just too extreme and she felt quite uncomfortable wearing it (it was masterfully created and absolutely amazing, just not for lunch time on a person who doesn't like to wear a lot of make-up) and for my finished look (excluding the lipstick that just did not suit my skin tone), I actually did really like it, it was very natural, suited me very well, colours were good, even the powder didn't look too too much, but the rushed experience did ruin it for me slightly. She was very apologetic and didn't cut my time short or anything at all like that, it was more that as soon as the next customer arrived, I was more or less forgotten. But massive kudos to the other woman who jumped in at all the right moments to make everyone feel cared for.

We did get a little excitable and have a bit of an extensive haul altogether (will be doing a separate haul post later in the week.) Overall it was a great experience, watching Farah in the chair and learning little hints and tips along the way and getting some great information was really lovely. My experience - not so excellent, but the lady was very nice and I do understand that it's hard when you're running late on a schedule. The products were great and it was definitely a fun day out. However, I was told that the experience would be with one of Chanel's international make-up artists, and as it transpired, she was in fact still in training at the academy. So I perhaps wouldn't do it again, it had very high expectations to live up to and for me, unfortunately, it just didn't deliver. But none the less it was still an amazing experience, I learned a lot of good tips and loved my glowing complexion and eye make-up, so a huge thank you to both the ladies at Chanel, and also to Harvey Nichols in Liverpool for hosting!

Let me know if you've ever had your make-up done at Chanel (and if it was any better than mine!)

Until next time!

Amber xx

A Face a Day - Bobbi Brown

Last week I decided to book myself a week of faces. A date with YSL to get an Yves face, a soiree with Bobbi for my Bobbi brown face, a rendez vous avec Coco for a Chanel face... (you get the idea). Now I know I got a little excitable and posted my date with Yves Saint Laurent before I posted my Bobbi Brown face (even though I went to BB first). This was mainly because I'd left my little sheet telling me everything that was on my face in the store for Bobbi Brown, and partly also because it didn't have a patch on the YSL experience. This isn't to say anything negative at all about Bobbi Brown, but simply that I had booked in for two very different things. At BB I was there to have my make up done using the new Uber Pink collection, and for YSL it was a date with the international make-up artist (who only visits annually) to learn as much as is physically possible - so you see the unfair comparison. Anyway, I ventured out in search of my sheet (only to discover it was in fact, inside my hand bag - doh!) and can now reveal.. *in a game show host voice* the Bobbi Brown expeerienceee! *drum roll* *woo!*

******

Arriving very soggy (loving the English weather right now), red faced (I'd run from work through town) and sounding fairly asthmatic (I'm very unfit), I expected to be greeted with slight hostility - or more likely, caution - as I galumphed my way through, waving my hand furiously in the air "I'm here, I'm here, sorry, sorry, sorry!" (It was an entrance graceful enough to rival that of miss Hepburn herself...) But the woman - Alison, on the counter was absolutely lovely, helped me over, said everything was fine, no rush, she was just applying some lippy anyway etc. etc. *phew*, so once I'd sat down and begun to breathe at a normal rate, I explained to her that she could do anything at all she wanted to my face, as long as she used the new collection. (Bobbi Brown have a very strict no pictures on products policy so the pictures I have were taken at home) Alison worked her magic, and here's what happened!

*****

I arrived with my foundation already on, so she began by adding a little extra moisture around my eye area (I have very dry skin in the winter) by applying the extra repair eye cream and a little bit of lip balm before moving on to concealer. She used a corrector and then a concealer (which I then purchased pronto - this stuff is seriously good). Next up was powder/bronzer and for this she used a mixture of Antigua and Pretty bold (this is where I got a little uncomfortable - personally, I'm no where near brave enough to use a lot of blusher on my forehead, chin, nose, face in general - and it did give me a healthy glow no doubt, but for my personal taste it was far too much - I looked a little as though I'd just finished a rather strenuous gym sesh) For blush (yes, more blush) was Slopes (which I really liked). Face now very pink indeed, we moved on to lips. Alison applied lipstick before lip liner and explained that it gives a more natural and even finish - one of Bobbi's foundational principles. So naturally, she applied bright pink lipstick in neon pink and bright pink liner in Rose. (I joke, but this colour looked surprisingly nice - I tend to stick to neutrals & nudes or dark purples & reds, so pink was a big adjustment - but I really enjoyed it!) Eyeliner was Black Ink (something that clearly takes expertise and practice to master) and lastly I was finished with Brightening nudes finishing powder. (My favourite product - other than the eye corrector - this stuff is genuine magic) 

And here is the finished face! 

and, of course, the eye corrector - anything that is brave enough to battle my dark circles and win - is a product worth purchasing! 

So that was the Bobbi Brown experience! Next up will be Chanel! 

Let me know what you think and if you've ever had your make up done anywhere :) 

Until next time, 

Amber xx

A Date With Yves

It feels like FOREVER since I've done something make-up related so I decided to kick myself in the bottom and get busy, busy, busy! And of course, where to look when you're in need of inspiration and direction? Harvey Nichols! (AKA: The Mothership)

My first port of call is always YSL. Anyone that knows me or has read some of my previous blogs, probably has a fairly good idea by now that I have a little love affair going with Yves Saint Laurent, it started in primary school when I would always sneak into the bathroom or my mums bedroom (If you're reading this - sorry mum!) and play with all of her skin care and make-up things. My first ever Touche Eclat lasted me no more than two weeks (I was very young and just played with it ALL day, literally covering my whole face in the stuff) Since then I've been hooked. My first real pay-day begun with a YSL lipstick purchase, and I've never looked back.

In Harvey Nichols, drooling at the YSL counter, I was told that the national make-up artist Emma Armitage would be visiting the store in a few days to give make-up lessons and would I like to book in? (I think we all know the answer to that..) Well, the fateful day has been and gone and I have SO much to tell you guys! So I've decided to split up the experience into different posts, this one will be a general story telling of what happened and which products I got to play with. Then I'll do one for contouring & highlighting (like you've never seen before) and one for a smokey eye (reborn and in a whole new direction). (There may also be call for a haul post...oops..) Woo!

****

As I myself arrived into the Mothership (see previous) I was given a very warm welcome (from, as it turned out, the lady in question herself - Emma Armitage) .. (PPS, she also had the sleekest, coolest hair I may have ever seen. And considering it was raining outside and I was resembling a labradoodle, jealous does not even cut it).

We started with a good initial natter, explaining what was going to be done (and hilariously I was also told "today is all about you" ..which I found pretty amusing considering how grateful I was to have the opportunity to even be there)  She explained the importance of certain skin care steps, shared her wisdom about technique, application, as well as make-up secrets, tips, tricks and general artistry acumen (I will be passing said wisdom on by way of upcoming blog posts - stay tuned!)

*****

She began by cleansing my face with the Forever Youth Liberator Cleansing Foam, followed by the Forever Youth Liberator Lotion and finished with the Forever Light Creator Serum & Forever Youth Liberator eye serum and a moisturiser not yet out (so hang tight for that!)

My face was now clean, incredibly soft, smooth and ready to be made up! To begin with was the legendary YSL Top secrets BB cream to give my skin a darn good glowing base and that my-skin-is-naturally-perfect-underneath-my-make-up look. The BB cream is super soft and feels very hydrating on the skin, gives the perfect amount of coverage without feeling too heavy or sticky as some BB's can do. (I can guarantee come summer this will be an absolute staple)

Next up was foundation (actually now might be a good time to point out that this entire process, including showing me the products, discussing them, me trying them on my hand - as you do - and the whole shabang, only took about 5 minutes. Including the foundation application... Wizardry??) The foundation used was Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation (I've tried this foundation before and absolutely love it. It gives such a naturally flawless finish and makes skin look glowing, dewy but doesn't leave you looking like you've just dunked your head under water (always a bonus..) Just imagine the magic of the Touche Eclat, and now imagine it as a foundation - it's exactly as you always dreamt it would be (/better than me 10 years ago smothering my poor Touche Eclat all over my face...)

NOW something happened next that was one of those 'omg that's so obvious, how have I never thought of that before?!' moments. I won't give anything away - BUT *mini spoiler alert* it's a way of contouring, like you've never done before (and always should have). And of course a delicate sprinkling of Touche Eclat itself to perfect my complexion.

Looking a little like I was about to step onto a Burberry Runway (well, my make up did at least), we pressed on and went onto blush. I've recently become quite the blush addict, realising the power of the cheek pop and getting pretty into it! I've been wearing the YSL Blush radiance in number 4 on a day to day basis (which, coincidently, was the purchase that led me to the knowledge of Emma's visit and subsequent hurried booking). So of course I wanted to try something completely different, "do you use cream blushes at all?" hmm, not really! *slaps wrist* When Emma then produced what can only be described as a highlighter in a pot (and I'm talking highlighter pen, not touche eclat highlighter styl-e) I mean, this thing was bright. Really bright. and very, very orange. "trust me" (says the stranger wielding a pot of fluorescent orange cream and threatening to apply it to my face..) Luckily, my trust was well placed. And who'd have thunk it! It looked amaaazing (So amazing, in fact, that it may have actually warranted it's very own review...) 

Face done, and onto eyes. Again, no spoilers here so all i'll say is that a certain pencil and a certain palette (number 20) was used, followed by a certain liner and finished with the Babydoll mascara (which is super, super black and looks incredible).

A flourish of the most gorgeous powder (which is a first look - not yet fully released) to finish et voila!

        

Loving my look and now desperate to pick Emma's brains, I absolutely had to find out her top picks, a few beauty secrets and what we can all look forward to from YSL!

First of I needed to know Emma's make-up essentials, the favourites, the big cheese of her make-up collection if you will... And the answers you ask?

Well she's a lover of the the brand new formula for the loose powder for sure, telling me about her heartbreak over the much loved old formula that was sadly discontinued. It was apparently supposed to be bought back out a lot sooner, however there was a full YEAR delay because it needed to be just perfect! (and it is, totally and completely). And like all women, there is no picking just one desert island product, so of course Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation just had to be snuck in right at the end (and too right!)

Emma's personal go-to make-up look? Catflicks. Fastest question ever answered, a woman after my own flicky heart. (Speaking of, the catflicks she was sporting on the day were in a whole new league)

And what can we all look forward to in the coming months? A darn fair bit! So keep your eyes peeled for a range of "kiss and blush" creams (think classic, vintage ladies using rouge for their lips and cheeks) Oh but there's more! Our lips and cheeks may be sporting vintage chic, but the highlighting pen we all know and love is getting a whole new outfit! Keep your eyes peeled for leopard prints covering the Touche Eclat!

The afternoon was an amazing experience and a great opportunity , if anyone is able to book themselves in - do itttt! Many, many thanks to Emma and the Harvey Nichols beauty bazaar in Liverpool!

Stay tuned for my YSL contouring and smokey eye tutorial blogs coming very soon!

Until next time,

Amber x

Lazy Tuesday Lunching

Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool..

This week I'm chocka-blocked full of exciting meetings, lessons and, yes, maybe even an interview or two. SO today I sat down to munch my coconut & raspberry bar, slurp my banoffee frappe and get down to some serious planning. I have some very exciting posts on the way, hold onto your hats! :)

Beat the blues!

Firstly, *applause* you've survived the new year, the January blues AND you've survived Valentine's day. Some times of the year are harder than others and, although the new year brings with it all manner of promises and hopes and plans, when they don't always bring everything you hoped they would, it can feel kinda sucky (especially when we are only gifted with a pitiful 20 minutes of bright sunlight a day). SO beat those S.A.D blues, forget the gallons of wine you drowned yourself in for Valentine's and focus on the coming months! (There's a lot to look forward to!) 

I'm a firm believer that a well timed present is the cure-all solution to all of the worlds problems. So considering the events you've managed to survive over the past couple of months, a present must be well deserved by now! 

In order to give the perfect gift, you have to know your subject - now is a good time to sit down with yourself and think carefully about who you actually are right now. It's so easy to have an image of yourself that stagnates in the back of your mind while you're focusing on everything and everyone else. Who you are can change all the time, of course there are the fundamentals, you're basic moral principles for example, that'll more or less stay the same. But your tastes, priorities and opinions are constantly changing (If they never changed then you'd still have the same fairy/football wallpaper you had when you were 6) and change is awesome! It means being able to clear out, get new, see different and move on. If you're the type of person who still has a black bag of size.. smaller.. clothes from 10 years ago that you just can't let go of, then you need to update yourself. Take a look at the things you actually care about now, who are now, not who you thought you were for the past 20 years. 

Once you've realised that maybe technology isn't the devil anymore and that you would actually rather go to dinner with a friend than play Tekken until 9pm and that your Charlie body spray probably hasn't been 'your' scent since the 90's, then it's time to move on. What actually is your scent? How much of your wardrobe was an impulse sale purchase, and how much of it is worth while investment pieces that will last? Is your laptop due an upgrade? Do you own a suit? (If your answer is yes, but followed by 'from New Look/ASDA/Hand-me-down', then no, your answer is no.) It's time to start investing in yourself! Every week/month put aside as much money as you can spare and at the end of each year invest in something worth while! 

That being said, considering the year has only just begun, and that the end of it seems like a lifetime away, there's no harm in a few 'filler' gifts. Things that don't take a year to save up for, that probably won't last, but that will make you happy. As a poor lowly student, any presents have to be within budget (free). It's supposed to be something to make you happy, not something that will have you living off cardboard noodles for the next month! 

You can give yourself anything from that perfume you've been smelling every time you walk into a shop, to new PJ's, a nice bottle of wine, or even just an at home pedicure or a Galaxy bar. Just dedicate some time into doing something nice for yourself! Another thing to consider is involving your friends - after all, they survived too! - arrange each friend to bring something to nibble, set out some nail varnishes, DVDs, load up the kitten videos, glasses of wine and water, face masks - anything you want - turn your phones off and have a night of doing something for free that will make you happy. Take a look on discount websites, like Groupon, that offer trips, experiences and items at discount prices. Take a walk around and look and things you never noticed before, take a tour of your own city! Just make sure you do something! 

And just in case a present isn't quiiite enough for you, below are some things that are bound to put a smile on your face! 

The Happy Movie

Bit of Pharrell!

people are AWESOME

Kittty!!!!

All kinds of animals! 

ASDF

Cupcakes

Actually just the Soul pancake channel in general...

It's basically an adorable virtual tamagotchi! 

Feel good movies! 

• Bridget Jones
• The housebunny 
• He's just not that into you 
• The Devil Wears Prada
• Bridesmaids 
• Pitch Perfect 
• Bad Teacher
• 30 year old virgin
• Despicable me
• Mary Poppins
• Sabrina 
• Alfie
• Hitch
• Bruce Almighty
• ALL DISNEY PIXAR MOVIES
• The princess diaries
• The proposal
• Father of the Bride 
• Father of the bride 2
• Music and Lyrics
• Two weeks notice
• The parent trap
• Ferris Buellers day off
• Amelie
• Best in show
• Legally blonde 
• ETC!

Happy pictures! 

 

Until next time! 

Amber :) 

x