A Soap and Glory Face!

Right guys, IM BACK!

This year has been insanely busy and finally things have started to calm down and I am into a steady routine. So its time to crack those knuckles and start blogging again. Since I was last seen i have become an IMA certified makeup artist which is SO exciting and I am loving being a freelance makeup artist along side my beautician course. So lets not wait another second here is my first fresh post, A Soap and Glory Face!


I have become a complete Soap and Glory lover, i have always adored their body care collection but have only very recently jumped on the makeup bandwagon, and thank baby cheeses i have!
I turned 19 this year and for that birthday i was lucky enough to receive a soap and glory palette, which showcases three full-sized powders from their makeup range.

These powders are : Solar Powder - A beautiful half matte, half shimmer subtle bronzer.
                                 Glow all Out - A peach/pink highlighter
                                 Love at First Blush - A mosaic type shimmery blush with a range of different                                                                          pink tones.

These powders are all full-size and absolutely brilliant. I obviously have my favourite which is the Solar Powder Bronzer, having both a lighter and darker shade it is the perfect bronzer for those fairer skinned girls like myself. I take a big fluffy brush and swirl both sides together to create the perfect sun-kissed look.
I also use the darker matte side to contour my face and often add a bit more definition in my crease.


The Glow all Out highlighter is also my go-to every day highlighter, for a powder product it goes onto the skin super creamy and blends into my blush/bronzer like butter! It is the perfect shade for me as it really gives my pale skin the lift it needs.

Love at First Blush is the powder i use least, definitely not because i don't like it just because the weather is now turning colder and i prefer a matte blush in the cooler months. During summer and spring this blush was worn no matter what.


Next is the Soap&Glory Kick Ass Concealer. This is a very new purchase but i am already loving it. It has three 'steps'. Step one is to use the under eye brightening concealer which has a pinky hue to it, making it perfect to correct those dark under eye bags i have. Step two is to use the more yellow toned concealer on any blemishes on the face and step three is to set it all with the concealer sealing powder.

The under eye concealer is a very creamy consistency and is easily blended under the eye, i like to start off using my finger to warm up the product but then go over the area with a brush just to pat in any excess. I have the Shade Light in this product and this colour is perfect for my skin tone (around an nc10/nc15)
The blemish and face concealer is much more of a waxy texture which is perfect for covering up any pesky little spots, it is slightly too dark for me but that is easily dealt with by blending it in with a dense brush.
The powder in this product is white so really brightens up those under eyes and creates a lovely blur over the face to make all the foundation and concealer look like a second skin.

Last but not least is the SUPERCAT liquid black eyeliner pen. this is your typical felt tip style eyeliner. It is super easy to use and creates the most beautiful cat eye flicks. It isn't too 'liquidy' and is very precise. The only thing i have a problem with is that the colour is carbon black and i expected it to be that black, but it really isnt. I have had to go over the liner with black eye shadow to get it to the colour i want it to be, but apart from that it is a fab eyeliner.

Prices, all in GBP
PowderTrip (palette) - 19.99
Kick Ass Concealer - 10.00
Supercat Eyeliner - 6.00






                               

Where have i been?!

Hello beautiful chums!

I am so so so so so sorry that I haven't blogged in nearly a month, I have been run off my feet since the move to England, finding a house and a job while trying to make friends is not the easiest of tasks. BUT I am back, and I have decided to show you all the little bits and pieces I have picked up since being in England.

I have decided to do it in little instalments every few days or so, to be honest, i have purchased so many things I don't actually think it is physically possible to put them all in one blog post! (bad rachel)

so my dear chums, happy reading!

p.s
All my stuff from Australia has not arrived yet so once again its a crappy iphone camera taking these photos!

Make-up Haul High-end.

SO, lets start with make-up. Since moving from Australia to England I have been able to get my obsessive hands on so many different products that i would not normally have been able to get hold of that i have kind of gone a little insane, well very insane actually but whats the fun in only going a little insane when it comes to cosmetics! 

The very very first product i purchased even shocked me, it was the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen WOW Brightening Foundation. I had just walked into Debenhams (A cheaper Myer/David Jones) and was instantly drawn to a counter i had previously never encountered. The lovely lady there sat me down and just talked me through Benefit cosmetics, and i must admit i fell in love a tiny bit. She matched me too this foundation and i couldn't help but add it to my collection.

 shade - 'believe in me' ivory

As i mentioned before i went nuts at the Benefit stand and also picked up a few other goodies. First was their HERVANA blush box. It is amazing, when i first saw it i wasn't actually overly impressed but when the assistant gave me brush i was able to see exactly how it looked on my skin, and WOW is it fabulous! It can be a highlighter, blush or contour power, and just has the most amazing glowing effect.

Not only did i get a blush and foundation which was WAY more than enough, i splurged and  treated my brows which is something us girls and boys really need to do more often. I purchased the Benefit BROW ZINGS kit in medium. It is half wax and half powder, which i was not familiar with, you use the wax first to shape the brows and then run the powder through them to give them a bit more volume. I must admit i really disliked filling in my brows, i never thought it was necessary and it was always such a hassle but with this kit i find it simple, easy and i actually love what it does for the rest of my face, brows are now a must-do in my books!

Oh i also popped into MAC! I was determined to have my own opinion on MAC foundations so i went had a look around. I am currently using the MAC MINERALIZE moisture spf15 foundation in NC15. I must just say i am not hating it, but it hasn't quite beaten my Benefit or Rimmel foundations yet. It has great coverage for me and i am really enjoying mixing a small amount of this with one of my other foundations. It does seem to me that it can be quite hard to blend into my skin for a natural finish and this is the biggest con for me. I wont be giving up on it any time soon but i will definitely be trying out other MAC foundations to find one that suits me.
 

Alrighty then, they are my high-end makeup purchases since i have moved to England. It may seem like i have spent and unbelievable amount of money but the last six months i have done nothing but save just so i can get these products.

I have also brought an amazing amount of high street make-up that i will be showing you all in a few days time. If anyone would like to hear anything more about the products drop me a comment and i can do a full review.

Again, so sorry i havent been posting but a lot of fun and exciting things happening soon!

love, Rach x

COUNTER SHOPPING!

Good Morning my dear chums!

As i said in my very first post, i love blogs such as Louises' sprinkleofglitter. So (story time) the other night i was scrolling through her blog and vlogs on youtube and found one video in particular extremely interesting. It was all about how to shop at make-up counters in department stores or stand alone stores. Now being a consultant at one of these very counters i never realised how nerve-racking it must be for some people to come up and explain what they want without really know the products.

So I am going to go through how to approach beauty counters and come away happy and satisfied :)

Step 1 - Before even thinking of going to a beauty counter, get on google and research different brands, (Clinique, MAC, Estee Lauder, Chanel, and all that jazz) this will give you a good idea of each brand and what their make-up focuses on. Read about different coverages of foundations and textures such as a cream, liquid or powder and decide which you think would suit your skin and lifestyle. If you get to the counter and don't know anything about foundations or coverages then it is harder for the consultant to help you as much as they would like to, so a little bit of background knowledge goes a long way.

Step 2 - Get to know your skin. Your skin type is extremely important as a consultant will want to match you to a foundation or skin care routine that is going to help your skin, so either adding moisture for dry skin and reducing oil for people with oilier skin. Saying i don't know or 'its just skin' (which i have had a few times) makes your consultant have to assume your skin is a certain way depending on what they can see on the day which could be wrong. 

Step 3- now it is time to head into your favourite department store and cosmetic houses feeling confident! The consultants at these cosmetic houses do not expect you to be make-up experts so don't try and tell yourself that's what you need to be. Simply walk in with a big smile and say
"Howdy, (or hello if you're not as weird as me) I am very interested in this product (insert product) can you please colour match me or find the right type of product for my skin, which is (insert skin describing words)" done! you have given them all the information they need, they may ask a few questions about coverage and if you want SPF but after all that fun research you will know exactly what the consultant is talking about and be able to give perfect answers.

Step 4 - Now this bit can get a tad tricky. A lot of consultants that shall match you will normally try and put the make-up all over and then add in extras, (powder, blush, bronze). This is where some people can become uncomfortable and feel they need all these extras. You don't.
You came to that counter looking for a foundation so you can either say to them no that's fine I don't need it over my entire face or go along with the consultant but letting them know you will only be purchasing the foundation/powder (or any product) today. Sometimes I even tell a little white lie, if they do go all out and use powders and blush, i will normally add that I have saved for the product i wanted in the first place, but if they could please write the others down so i can easily purchase them next time. HAHAH there wont be a next time. (wow i sound evil)

Step 5 - If you are unsure, don't buy, The best thing is to explain to them that you are unsure and if it would be possible to get a sample of the product, not a weeks worth just 2-3 days. If they are not forthcoming with samples, just say oh no problems i will just have to go away and think about it. To me that is a lost sale, so I shall always give a sample and 9/10 that customer returns to purchase. So remember, they are not the boss of you, its your face, your money and your life!

Well, that was a bit of a long one!
I guess the most important thing is to relax, its make-up. The consultants are well trained and the majority of the time are just really lovely people with a passion for beauty products just like you! So just start chatting and you may just learn a few tips and tricks.



love, Rach xx