Benefits of an eyebrow tint & wax

As a newly qualified beauty therapist I love my job working in a salon and doing a few treatments on the side. I have been noticing that a lot of women booked in for a eyebrow wax, for many of them it is the first time having their eyebrows done and i always love seeing the amazing difference it makes!

 I had my eyebrows tinted and waxed for the first time when i was around 14/15 years old. I still remember my first experience.. I flinched at every wax strip being ripped off even though the pain wasn't bad. I always had really fair blonde eyebrows that no one could ever see, so when i first looked at myself after the tint and wax it was a bit of a shock to see my eyebrows! However, since that first time i have always kept up having my eyebrows tinted and waxed. After qualifying as a beautician i now quite often tint them myself but i still like to treat myself to getting my eyebrows done by someone else (still the same beautician i had my first time!) as i look on it as a treat. I usually need my eyebrows done every 6 weeks thats when i really notice them losing a bit of shape and the hairs are too much to handle, though sometimes i get them done sooner. Where as if you have quite dark eyebrows every 4 weeks is usually best.

Eyebrows are such a strong feature of the face now more than ever! Thick, groomed,arched, full looking eyebrows are what women hope to achieve and tint & wax are now a girl's best friend!

Thinking about tinting?
A lot of clients seem to be a little scared of the thought of tinting their eyebrows when there naturally very fair, but i honestly love a bit of tint it makes such a big difference to defining the face. There is so many different shades you can have so no need to worry! from grey/ light brown/ dark brown and black.

Here is all the products and tools i use when tinting and tidying up my eyebrows in between having them waxed. I find tint on my specific eyebrows only lasts fully around 3/4 weeks so sometimes needs topping up before waxing. I don't use all these three tint colours together but sometimes depending on what colour i'm after i will mix two to get the ideal colour.. usually i use dark brown mixed with a tiny bit of black and then mix with 5/6 drops of developer. Tint should only be left on the eyebrows for around 2 minutes, the longer it is left on the darker it will develop. 

TIP: I personally think tweezerman tweezers are well worth the price and are great for getting even the teeniest of hairs!

I won't go into detail about shaping eyebrows because it really does depend on everyone's natural shape but the guideline to stick to really is simple..

• if you take a ruler and line it up from the side of your nose up to your eyebrows that is where your eyebrows should start.. any hairs past this, usually need to be waxed/plucked.
• if you then look where the end of your pupil is,and line it up to your eyebrow, that is where your arch should be created.
• Lastly, with the ruler lining up your nostril with the end of your eyebrow is where your eyebrow should naturally come too, i very rarely pluck many off the actual length of an eyebrow instead i will just thin it out slightly.

A few tips for keeping an eyebrow shape maintained at home without the risk of over-plucking!

Heres a before and after pic of eyebrows before and after tint and wax. Wax is so much better than tweezers because you can get a precise shape and gets rid of all unwanted hairs even the light fluffy hair that is impossible to get rid of with tweezers. Here the tint hasn't made a dramatic change is has just filled in the eyebrow shape better.

I really do believe everyone should have there eyebrows professionally done even just a one off just to get the initial shape to them then it is easier to maintain with tweezers. 

Here is quite a transformation eyebrow t&w. This client had very sparse looking eyebrows and the ends were very fair as you can see. After a medium/dark brown tint applied it suddenly makes the eyebrows appear fuller and more shaped even before the wax! Tint is especially great for the likes of blondes who have died there hair brown, tinting eyebrows really helps make the hair colour look more natural.

Eyebrow t&w's are one of my favourite treatments to do, it changes from week to week what i enjoy doing but i really do love seeing the big change it can make to someone having their eyebrows done. 

TIP: Have a good look around before booking in a salon, always make sure you read reviews online, have a friend's opinion and make sure you have viewed the inside of the salon before your treatment to feel relaxed and comfortable. 

Sarah Artistry makeup and brushes review

Last November me and my sister Kerri, drove to London for a "mac masterclass"after we had found an offer on groupon. It was a small room of people around 10 of us and we were all given our own set of brushes to use for the class which i liked. It was run by a lady called Sarah, who talked in detail about all the different mac products that were trending and what foundations from mac would suit our individual skin types and colours etc. Whilst Sarah talked a lot about mac she also was showing us a few of her own products and brushes as we went along, as it came to the end of the class we all had the chance to buy any of her products that we were interested in.. kerri and me went a little over board! 
I thought i would do a blog post on the items i bought to show some up close pictures and to review them in a little detail for anyone that might be looking to try out a new brand!

Kerri and i after our makeovers! (very serious poses going on) 

I was really excited to try out my new buys from Sarah Artistry, because the products i chose were all things I hadn't yet added to my makeup collection. For example i had been searching for a detailed contour palette without being too expensive and a good camouflage kit for a while which i found at Sarah Artistry! 

                             (excuse the mess of of the palette, i have been using it ALOT)

Professional camouflage palette £30 (on offer)

I think i paid around £30 for this which at the time i thought was slightly pricey for me, but it was exactly what i was looking for, i hate the colour correctors that are very chalky and have hardly any pigment so when i saw this beauty from Sarah Artistry i couldn't resist. It is a very creamy consistency and is best applied with a flat concealer brush and to apply i like to dab dots around my face with the different colours in certain areas and then blend it all together with my foundation and foundation brush. 

GREEN: Is the colour i use the most without doubt. I am naturally fair and full of freckles, which for me usually results in quite red blotchy cheeks. I apply the green to my cheeks and the sides of my nose.

(All red areas)

LILAC: I only really use the lilac colour for under my eyes to brighten them and i find this really works. I usually have quite a dull tone under my eyes even after foundation, where as when i use this i notice the difference when applying foundation. I find i don't need to use as much concealer under my eyes when i've used this because it does the job nicely!

PINK:  I find is best on sallow areas to even out the skin tone, i use this around my mouth area and around my eyebrows i don't know if this is completely correct but it works best for me!

YELLOW: i think the yellow shade is best for concealing dark patches/ bruising etc. I sometimes put a touch of this under my eyes to even out the skin tone and again just apply this to the areas each day i think need a bit of covering up.

I do use this palette most mornings, I find it just really gives a base for my foundation. I always like a full coverage with my face so to me this just really adds to it. I notice the difference if i don't apply it usually half way through the day when my foundation is rubbing off, my red cheeks show through a lot more than if i had my green dabs on! I now think this was well worth the price.

"Black Caviar" Eyeliner £10

I remember us all trying this eyeliner out at the masterclass and i think everyone in the room ended up buying one! I'm not usually a fan of pencil style eyeliner except on my tight line but couldn't resist this as it was only £10 at the time because it was a new product of Sarah's. it is a very smooth feel and smudge free. It took a solid 10 minutes scrubbing at my hand to get the swatch off! but with eye makeup remover comes off fine on the eyes. It is a very soft consistency which means you have to end up sharpening it quite often but is worth it for the glide it gives. 

Contour powders- Around £30

I really love this contour palette, it is the perfect shades for my skin tone and are all very pigmented. It is quite a natural look when i use these, the colours are all very sunkissed bronze, which i think will be perfect in the summer. I like that you receive a little card with details about the different shades and where best to use them. I have used these powders a lot in the last 3 months yet there is no sign of the bottom of the palette which is great!

(oops excuse the unwashed brushes)

Professional brush set & belt £150.00 (on offer)

this was my most WOW buy of the day. The fact the brushes even came with a professional belt was what won it for me haha! The set comes with around 16 brushes i think it was, but Sarah was lovely and gave me a couple of free extra brushes for buying so much which i really appreciated. I use most of these brushes daily (as you can tell from the pic). They don't have names or numbers on each brush so i can't really talk in detail about them individually but i do love the contour fluffy big brush ( fourth in from the right) it is perfect for getting in at the cheek bones and is bigger than the usual contour brushes so is good for quickness! I do find a couple of the bigger brushes do have quite a bit of fallout BUT the brushes are thick and full that it doesn't seem to be making a difference to the quality of the brushes. The set comes with many different eyeshadow brushes, which was what excited me the most because before Sarah Artistry i only ever used a couple of go to eyeshadow brushes where as now having all these i swap about daily.The set truly comes with a wide variety of brushes perfect for everyone!

Overall, I am very pleased with the products i purchased back in November because since then a lot of these have been part of my every day go to products and have all been completely worth the money spent! i think it's now time for me to go and wash my brushes.. 

Lush Haul - Fresh handmade cosmetics

Lush Haul- Bath bombs/bars

I recently picked up a few bath goodies ready for the winter weather coming. Nothing beats a hot relaxing bath after a long cold rainy day outside.  Another bonus of buying a few bath bombs is the amazing smell it leaves lingering in my bathroom. I now display them in a glass dish because of how colourful and pretty they look and also to create a nice aroma in my bathroom. 

Granny takes a dip bath bomb- £3.75

This bath bomb contains a variety of scents, from lemon to ginger and pepper. It contains a small amount of bubble bar to create a few bubbles in the tub. The 'groovy' colours and style of the bath bomb are inspired from a 1960's clothing company i was told by the enthusiastic worker when i was contimplating buying it. Creates a fun and colourful bath!

Sex bomb bath bomb-£3.35

Everyone i know is a fan of the lush sex bomb bath bomb so I thought it needed to slip into my basket. The scents and ingredients are perfect for a night time bath when your needing to release stress and relax your body. Jasmine is a key ingredient for helping stress and anxiety. It has a loooovely sweet scent, smells a lot like parma- violets, yum!

Sakura bath bomb-£3.35

I have mixed feelings about this bath bomb, the scent i found smelt completely different as a bath bomb to when it was dissolved in the water, once it was dissolved it had quite a therapeutic,medicinal smell to it and i think this bomb would be perfect for someone with aches and pains and works as a good soothing remedy. I didn't like that my bath water didn't change colour or have bubbles though! 

The comforter- bubble bar £4.75

My all time fave lush bath product! This has always been my 'go to' product in lush. It has such a fruity, berry scent that just makes me want to nibble into it. It is a bubble bar not a bomb, because you can use this for 2 or 3 baths, just crumble some of the bar under the hot tap to dissolve it and watch the bubbles appear. The water changes a lovely rich pink bubbly colour. It is such a rich scent and i always smell the scent on me for the rest of my day. It always refreshes and relaxes me in one. The price of this is £4.75 which is a little pricey but it works out worth the money because you get a couple of baths out of it! 

Luxury lush pud bath bomb- £3.50

Lastly, I just couldn't resist buying a christmas bath bomb! Lush deserve a pat on the back for the amount of effort they go to in packaging and new products for christmas time. I picked up the luxury lush pud because of how colourful it looked and i love the smell. It has many different small looking bath bombs inside it that creates pastel flowing colours as it fizzes in the bath.

Such pretty bath bombs. 

Lush cosmetics are by far my favourite bath time products 

I currently have my bath tap running now ready for me to endulge in once i post this blog! I'm choosing to crumble my fave  ( the comforter ) 

What is your favourite lush bath bomb?!

Leighton Denny 

High Performance Nail Colour Review

"Leighton is a leading expert and an internationally recognised figure in the beauty world; with a multi-award winning range of nail and tanning products - first came Leighton Denny Expert Nails "

from left to right:

'Over the rainbow'  'Meet me in Monaco'  'Im so Soirée'  'Get your côte'

This is the first time i have used Leighton Denny's nail colours and already i absolutely love them. I have only worn 'Get your côte' and 'Meet me in Monaco' so far but both colours are perfect! My favourite has to be the bright blue as it is highly pigmented and after two coats has a glossy finish perfect for the summer months coming along hopefully sometime soon. The beige at first i wasn't sure would match my skin tone as i am fairly pale but the colour comes out with different tones from what it originally looks in the bottle, It is more orange toned which adds more colour to the nails than a basic nude polish. I will definitely consider buying more Leighton denny nail colours in the future 

Leighton denny Nail colour's are usually around £11 which i would normally say is expensive for a nail polish, but once using them I can tell by the consistency and pigment that it is a deluxe polish.  

Meet me in Monaco

       

Get your côte

Also! whilst on the topic of nails, I have finally started to notice my nails becoming longer after using the Sally Hansen nail growth miracle polish, My nails are feeling incredibly strong for the first time ever after using it as a base coat for the last few weeks, and is a good enough reason for me to be splashing out money on some high end polish to reward myself woop!

Face Of The Day (FOTD) College

Studying Beauty Therapy Level 2 at college means I am able to play around and wear make-up whichever way i like, and i personally feel that it is important to make an effort with appearance as a beauty therapist to ensure clients feel comfortable and professional around me performing treatments and recommending products.

 This is my usual every day base of make-up, summed up by contoured cheeks, brown smokey eyes and darkish brows, but the lip colour changes depending on how I'm feeling, this morning i was feeling summery and decided on the pink glossy lip!

In order of use:

1) Simple- Replenishing rich moisturiser

2)Seventeen flawless pore less primer

3) E.L.F eyelid primer- sheer

4) Naked 1 pallet- 'darkhorse' on my crease and to create the smokey eye, 'Smog' on my eyelid, 'Virgin' under eyebrows and on the inner tear duct of my eyes.

5)L'oréal Paris super liner perfect slim- thin line ready for the falsies

6)Rimmel London-scandaleyes retro glam

7)Soap & Glory smoulder kohl- Superblack

8) Seventeen Brow kit

9)Collection- Illuminating touch up concealer- Natural 2

10) Mac Studio sculpt- NW20

11) Rimmel powder-005 silky beige

12) Mac- Harmony blush (I used to contour and add colour to cheeks)

13) Rock on Beauty lashes

14)MUA matte-pouty pink

15)Rimmel London stay glossy-Eternal Flirt

brushes used:

The Body Shop foundation brush

Real Techniques Face collection

Real Techniques Eye collection

Everyday Make-up perfect for many occasions and can be worn with less make-up for a more subtle look or with a bold lip to make it more dramatic.

Superdrug Haul

I went into town today and couldn't resist spending some money in superdrug

I bought a couple of face products, make-up and hair goodies.

I've decided i want to really start looking after my hair after realising i haven't visited my hairdresser in months and my hair hasn't grown any! Because of the bleach i use to highlight my hair and all the heat i put on it ( straightening my hair EVERY day) my hair has started just splitting and snapping off. So I needed a hair product shopping spree. I'm no expert when it comes to hair brands and products, and i know there are more expensive brands than herbal essences but it sounded just what i needed, it is strengthening shampoo and conditioner specifically for damaged hair, and the other matching bottles standing next to them had me intrigued.

 "strengthening intensive mask"

It is to be used once a week and used like a normal conditioner but i think I'll keep it on and cover my hair in cling film for a hour or two to let it soak in before washing it out! It has a lovely fresh scent. This was £1.86 bargain!

To be applied to wet hair and combed through and not to wash it out.This also was £1.86

I'm looking forward to trying all of these out and seeing if they do help my hair. 

I purchased two of the superdrugs face masks. "deep cleansing mud mask" and "moisture mask" It was two for £3.50. 

moisture mask- Because of the time of year, i have had really dry skin and has been making my make-up a nightmare to apply so decided on trying a deep face mask.It is for normal to dry skin.

mud mask- has the natural mineral benefits of dead sea mud to detoxify the skin. I am excited to try this one out!

Simple has always been one of my favourite skin care brands, i have quite sensitive skin so have always trusted simple, i normally use the light moisturiser by simple but noticed the rich moisturiser so thought i would give it a go. It cost £2.59

Lastly, I purchased 3 max factor products as the deal was 3 for the price of 2. I gave the freebie to my mum and it was the anti ageing foundation that she wanted. For myself i thought i would try the "face finity all day flawless" i decided on the colour 'natural 50' At the moment i have been using the L'oreal foundation which i love, but always like to try out new foundations. The second one is the "whipped creme foundation" in the colour 'light ivory' the texture is soo smooth!

Face finity-£11.99

whipped creme-£9.99

e.l.f collection

'Eyes Lips Face'

 click here to visit the e.l.f website

This is a brand i have always went back to for more products, because it isn't a UK based company i have always ordered online, and usually when they have a offer on. I have ordered once when they had a 50% off deal. I ordered so many products and it ended up costing hardly anything! I always keep my eye out for anymore offers.

I have collected elf over the last couple of years, and i still visit the website now and then when i am running out of my favourite products or to see what new stock they have in.

The prices on elf used to be much cheaper than they are now.. When there was a range for £1.50 that is when i ordered the most. Where as now obviously as the company is growing so is the cost..

I have products i love and hate from e.l.f, but far more that i love!

from left to right on the bottom picture of the nail wheel:
'Metal madness''Dark navy''purple dream''teal blue''yellow''Mod mauve''Nude' 'Mango madness'

Nail polish's have always been one of my favourite buys from elf. The price used to be £1.50 which was so cheap, where as now they are £2.50 which is still a very reasonable price as the normal sized nail varnish are big bottles.
The little bottles of polish in the pictures are sets that they bring out through the seasons.  I have the winter and summer sets. I love the colours for the winter ( left hand side on the wheel) they are sparkly and metallic. As i was doing the swatches I had to throw the little orange nail polish away as it was far to gloopy, i don't think the consistency and brushes are as good on the little bottles compared to the normal range. My favourite colour is 'nude' it is a elegant and feminine colour on the nails and matches any outfit.

          

 These two products i have purchased a few bottles of each over time, as they are my favourite eyelid primer 'sheer' and the concealer 'ivory' has a great coverage and colour.  The eyelid primer is a lightweight liquid formula that soaks in to make the lids smooth ready for application of eyeshadow. My eyeshadow never creases when i use this and my eyeshadow lasts all day. The tone correcting concealer is a essential for my makeup bag, it covers any redness or dark circles, i use the colour "ivory" and for me it gives a flawless base for                  the next step of foundation.                  

Eyeliner&Shadow stick  :Top to bottom:
Pearl&Glow -Plum&Purple-Black&Smoke-Brown&Basic
cream eyeliner-'punk purple'

These eyeliner&shadow sticks i have in a few different colours, and are good for creating quick and easy looks. Using the eyeliner end to create a smudged gel liner that gives the eyes definition, then follow by using the shadow side in the matching colour to highlight the lids and to complement the liner. I haven't used the cream eyeliner that i purchased  but when i did swatch it, it doesn't come out very pigmented and is quite sheer, when i expected it to be a vibrant purple.

The left blush 'Candid Coral' The right blush 'Tickled pink'
Healthy Glow bronzing powder-'Sun kissed'
The 4 set bronzer 'cool bronzer'

The cool bronzer is what i use everyday on my face, The darkest shade is perfect for contouring and then adding the lighter brown for bronzer. I finish by using the white part under my  eyes above my cheeks to add highlight.My favourite blush is "tickled pink' and I use the Healthy glow bronzer in the summer months because it has a lot of shimmer.

Top left picture (from left to right)

'Classy' 'Nostalgic' 'Captivating' 'Posh'

Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick -'In the nudes' 'Pink Umbrellas'

Bottom left picture (from left to right)

'Rich Raspberry' 'Cheerful cherry' 'Runway pink' 'cool coral' lip exfoliator 

Bottom right picture(from left to right)

'vixen' 'Joy' 'raspberry' 'Mauve' 'Fuchsia Fanatic'

The top picture with the silver packaging is a cheaper lipstick range and the bottom picture of the black packaging is the luxury range.

I prefer the cheaper lipsticks as they are much more hydrating on my lips and give a finishing shine. They are scented with a slight fruity strawberry scent.  The downside to them is because they have a moisturising formula they melt easily. A few of them in the past have became unusable from breaking and becoming sticky.But as long as they are kept in a cool storage they are fine. I would say these "essential lipsticks" are one of my favourite lipsticks to use.

The "Mineral Lipsticks" are more sleek and give a better coverage for longer. The nude colours i have can be a little drying. 'Runway Pink' is my favourite for a every day look.

The Hypershine lipgloss has a brush like applicator that you twist to unlock the gloss. I use 'Joy' over other lipsticks to create a pearly shiny look. The 'Luscious liquid lipstick' in shade Raspberry has a mint scent and a sponge applicator. 

Dramatic eyelashes& Natural eyelashes. Brightening eye pots. 

Brightening eyeshadow colour-'Silver lining' 'Glam' 'Butternut''Luxe'

Its clear from the big palette that my favourite shades of eyeshadows are browns. A couple of the pots are almost empty. The brightening eyeshadows are my favourite product from e.l.f I have them in the variety of colours so i can use them for any occasion. I use 'butternut' most days for a everyday brown smokey eye look. And the black colour in the quad "glam' is a perfect black it is super pigmented and has shimmer glitter. 

I am a true fan of e.l.f because of the reasonable prices and the range of products to test out. There are still plenty of products i am wanting to try out and will be placing another order soon.