Saturday 27 February 2010

Inspired by... Jonsi


Jonsi Birgisson is an incredible musician from Iceland. If you think the vocals and general sound are familiar when you hear his music then you won't be surprised to hear that he was lead vocalist and song writer from Sigur Ros. Jonsi has now gone solo and his debut album 'Go' will be released on April 5th.

His first single release taken from Go is his track 'Go Do' - this is such a beautiful track with all the amazement and sensational goosebumpy feeling that I got from Sigur Ros' previous work. I think he's incredibly talented and what's more the music video to his debut single is equally as beautiful.

Why do I mention it here? Check out the makeup, (costume and set design to boot!) in the video *here* and you'll see why...

So gorgeous it HAD to be shared!

Friday 26 February 2010

Ladies who Lilac!

This spring's colour of choice is lilac. It's been making an appearance in the clothing department but now it's going straight onto eyelids this season for a pretty-as-a-picture stare! Here's the low-down on how to achieve the ultimate lavender love...

1. Skin needs to be left dewy
This keeps the look fresh and youthful, soft and as girly as the colour lilac itself. This is a colour of innocence after all, so you're after girl-nextdoor beauty! You want a highlight down the centre of the face to catch the light flatteringly.

2. Lips are ever so slightly glossy
There's no need to worry about what shade of lipstick to wear with this look because it doesn't really need any strong shade as such. Just make sure your lips are well moisturised with a touch of lip balm and add a dash of lip gloss. You can opt for either a clear gloss or reach for a peachy or nude tone that keeps the lips soft and pastel coloured.

3. Cheeks are bronzed
You can get away without blusher on this look but so as to avoid the lilac on the eyes draining the colour from the rest of the face you need to add a hint of colour. Add a bronzing powder to the cheek bones to contour the face. If you want to, add some to the temples and underneath the chin area for a well-sculpted and lifted face.

4. Lilac isn't restricted to the eyes!
Try it on your nails or lips as well for more pastel perfection. The key to this look however is all about making the lilac the centre of attention. Lilac can be quite a powerful colour and too much of it can make the look dated or make you look older than you really are. So if you can work in the lilac in your eyes/lips/nails but avoid it all over then all the better.

So now you have the tips on how to achieve this spring/summer makeup trend, here's a few tools to help you on your way!

For the foundation:
  • Pick a moisturising/hydrating formula, rather than a full-on matte version.

  • If you have oily or combination skin and are worried about looking more greasy than goddess with this then use your regular foundation

  • To achieve the dewy, fresh effect you'll need some highlighting fluid/liquid. Benefit's High Beam and MAC's Strobe Cream are both perfect.

  • Then powder with some translucent powder, but avoid going heavy with it - a light application is all that's needed. You don't want to lose the effort you went to when adding the highlighter
For the bronzer:
  • I recommend using a matte bronzer as opposed to a shimmery bronzer as otherwise there will be too much shimmer going on making the face look too polished.

  • MAC make a great matte bronzer called Blunt or for a more purse friendly alternative GOSH sell fantastic matte bronzers as well.
For the lovely lilacs:
  • As for shades of lilac I really recommend MAC - Crystal, Idol Eyes, Digit and Beautiful Iris are all fab colours perfect for this look.

  • As for lilac lipsticks, MAC's Saint Germain is gorgeous, as is their Pervette.

Wednesday 24 February 2010

Long Time, No Post...


Hello Everyone!

First of all I'm so sorry for the lack of blog posts of late. In my defence I've been working very hard on photo shoots, testing and all of the prep in between so it's been a very busy fortnight indeed : )

Coming up shortly in All That Glitters: I'll be showing you all of the fruits of my labour and some more exciting news to come, a brand new feature and product reviews to boot, as well as inspiration and a brand new How-To on this season's makeup trend: Lilac!

Stay tuned and get your glad rags on - normal posting resumes tomorrow *whoop*

Amanda x

Monday 8 February 2010

Product Review - Purity Facial Wash

Last month we took a look at moisturisers - two facial and one for the body. This month I thought I'd shift the focus to cleansers. As you know I began using a nice natural, organic moisturiser and in that same vein I decided to turn to organic facial cleansing as well.

Since January I've been using an organic facial wash that I actually found by chance at Superdrug. It's made by a company called Purity, a British brand who specialise in organic skincare ranging from moisturisers to cleansers and facial scrubs. The Purity philosophy is "less is more in beauty" and they certainly live up to that motto with absolutely no unnecessary ingredients ploughed into their skincare products!

I'm already a big fan, so let's take Purity's product description for their facial wash and go into why I recommend this for you too...

A blend of softening, moisture retaining and conditioning Sweet Almond Oil, Aloe Vera and Glycerine is combined within a gentle Coconut and sugar-based foam to cleanse, soothe and protect skin. Added Citric acid controls skins PH Levels.

The Aloe Vera is sourced in the Dominican Republic and the Sweet Almond Oil from Spain.

Softening, moisture retaining & conditioning Sweet Almond Oil?
After a week of use I began to notice a considerable difference in the softness of my skin compared to my old facial wash. I do think it helps with moisture retention and it does contain Sweet Almond Oil (I can't say if it definitely comes from Spain though) which is known for its gentle moisturising effects on the skin! Now after a month of using this day and night I can honestly say that I've noticed an overall improvement in the softness of my skin and perhaps as a result, ironically my T Zone is less oily...

Aloe Vera & Glycerine?
Yes and yes. Aloe Vera is very widely known for helping soothe angry, dry and damaged skin (I can't tell you if it has actually been sourced from the Dominican Republic though!) Whereas glycerine is simply an organic compound which for hundreds of years has been used in the making of soap.

Coconut & sugar-based foam to cleanse?
Yes, or as it's listed on the back of the bottle - Decyl Glucoside which is produced by the reaction of glucose (the sugar) with a fatty alcohol called decanol taken from the coconut! So it's a mild and totally natural foaming agent. Unlike sodium laureth sulphate - an artificial foaming agent commonly added to most cleansing products such as shampoos, shower gels and facial washes that doesn't really need to be there other than it makes it feel as if the product is physically cleaning your hair/skin.

This is a product perfect for people with sensitive skin, as Purity recommends, because a lot of people with this skin type do not react well to sodium laureth sulphate and it can often break their skin out or at least aggravate it.

Soothes and protects skin?
It definitely soothes my skin, but I'm not sure about protecting it as such. In other words I don't think I could get away without using a moisturiser every day but I still have seen an overall slight improvement in the texture and softness of my skin.

It's also fragrance-free so all the more perfect if you have sensitive skin. Some products claim to be fragrance-free but they still smell a little bit (or is that just me?) However I really don't get a scent from this one. The only thing you'll possibly smell is the glycerine, which if you're used to fragrant and sweet smells takes a bit of getting used to! If it gets into your mouth, it doesn't taste great either but then what facial wash does? I think you do have to get past the 'raw' scent of pure ingredients but once you do, you'll be happy you gave it a chance!

Added Citric acid controls skin PH Levels?
Yes there is also Citric acid in this facial cleanser. pH levels describe the 'acidity' levels in your skin. The lower the pH the more acidic something is. Human skin pH is supposed to be anywhere between 4.5 and 6, so in other words it's fairly acidic. Skin is slightly acidic for a reason and that is to kill bacteria on the surface of the skin.

Ordinary soaps and cleansers are reknowned for being particularly harmful to the pH balance in human skin as they're especially alkaline (i.e. anything from pH 9-11). As a result the acidity in the skin changes to become more alkaline which makes it more susceptible to the growth of bacteria. This is nightmare of course if you're prone to blemishes, have adolescent skin or have especially oily skin. Citric acid is a weak, organic acid deriving from citrus fruits and therefore is added to allow your skin to remain at a nice and healthy pH level!

Overall...
I'm very happy with this facial cleanser. I definitely feel like it does a better job of removing my makeup than my last facial wash ever did and on top of that it has made it a lot softer and smoother all over. You can buy it online (via the link above) or you can buy it from Superdrug stores where you'll also find the rest of their skincare range. In addition, at £4.99 a bottle, which is a bargain considering this is a organic skincare product, I urge you to at least give it a go just the once!

Would I buy again? Yes, absolutely! This is a fantastically priced product that goes a long way and does a great job without any adverse side effects and some very noticeable improvement to my skin. If a organic skincare product is this good, why buy something full of the unnecessary gunk instead?

Photo taken from Purity's website.

Pixi Perfumes

A couple of months ago after wandering around Carnaby Street for a while I took a peek into the Pixi store. I'd seen it before but never thought about going in and recently discovered they're a makeup and cosmetic chain launched 5 years ago by three sisters who are Swedish makeup artists.

When I popped in I got round to sampling their perfumes and they were absolutely delicious! They currently sell three scents: Fig, Mimosa and Rose and the first thing you'll notice about all of them - which is really what prompted to me write about them - is that they're really different to what's out there on the market right now!

They're fresh and mellow, sweet but not sickly. I even quite liked the Rose perfume and to be honest, I'm really not normally a fan of any rose scented products. My favourite though was the Fig perfume - this one was really fruity but it seemed to have a hint of melon to it. At least that's the note I was picking up!

To be honest I wanted to buy all three but my bank allowance was a little bruised so I couldn't even take one away. Needless to say though, I've been thinking back to them ever since I did find one of the sampler papers the other day and it still smelt divine - so they certainly have lasting power. These perfumes are great for those who fancy something more natural and light to wear than the kinds of perfumes on offer by the likes of Estee Lauder or Ralph Lauren for instance. At £24.00 each I think they're excellent value so will be returning one day to get hold of my favourite!

Pixi's approach and philosophy on beauty and makeup is looking fabulous without a fuss and you certainly get that impression from their stores and their products. Their stores are very inviting and girly but simple and well laid out. The staff are really friendly and helpful and I managed to get chatting about the perfumes sampled with one of the assistants when I was there.

The packaging is also very simple but pretty and the overall feeling you get from in-store, their products and packaging is that of a slight girl's-first-love so to speak. It made me feel like being a little girl again discovering makeup for the first time. Everything's very sophisticated but innocent and sweet!

The only drawback is the price of their makeup though. That's what makes this brand anything other than a girls' first love - younger girls won't be able to afford their line because their prices are a little over budget. However they do sell makeup and cosmetics that would make excellent gifts and if you can't choose I highly recommend a gift voucher for this store as she won't be disappointed.

As for the quality of their makeup, I can't vouch for this yet as I haven't got round to sampling the collection. I will very soon though, because I love exploring the new and untried and giving you guys my honest opinion on them... So stay tuned as before long I will be giving their products a go!
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