FOTD - Christmas Work Party

I left my work place on 29t November for the start of my maternity leave, and on 20th December we were meeting up again to catch up one last time before Christmas. The place was Stoke Pages, a mass gathering of different workplaces and tables of wine. You could imagine how that ended up. I had one small glass of wine with my main meal, the most delicious salmon I had ever had but being a high standard restaurant and being pregnant,  I was soon day dreaming of chippie chips.

The thing I was happy with the most was how my dress that I ordered months ago still fitted even with my ever increasing bump as well as how glowing my make up looked for the night. I was determined to look as glamorous as possible as recently I had not being feeling it. I wanted to focus more on my eyes as I had some wonderful eye shadow palettes that I rarely get to go mad with, I also added on false lashes which I rarely get an opportunity to wear.

I did all the prep the night before after a shower to steam the skin I put on a clay mask, REN's Invisible Pores Detox Mask (Sample size). This was first time of using it and loved the results, I had a spot coming out on the side of my nose and this stopped it from fully forming as well as reduced the redness around the area. This was followed by my current Facial Oil (B.Skincare replishment Oil), moisturier on my cheeks and eye cream (a tiny amount of Lancome's Renergie Facial cream and eye cream).

I had saved up for a trip to the hairdressers and threaders (more on that coming up another day), to give myself a pamper before the event. After the quick cleanse with Philopshys 3-in-1 cleanser, I used Sothy's Day Cream and let that sink in before adding Witch's Anti-Blemish Primer.

Base: Max Factor Face Finity Light Ivory mixed with NARS Orgasm Illuminator
Conclearer: Estee Lauder Disappear Concleaer in Light
Powder: GOSH BB Powder in 04
EyeShadow base colour: Bobbi Brown in white (comes out in a matt skin tone colour)
Eye shadow contouring/colour: Sleek Make Up eye shadow palette in Sparkle 2 (Using Tinsel - silver, and Twinkle - Navy glitter)
Eye liner: Eye of Horus liquid eye definer in Black with Twinkle over the top (also used to line the bottoms lashes)
Mascara: Maybelline Mascara
False Lashes: Salon Systems strip lashes in Natural
Blusher: Dainty Doll in Money Talks
Lip: MUA lipgloss in Let's Talk

The dress was a eBay bargain at £8 brand new, it expanded well with the bump but covered up what I really didn't want to show off. The shrug is from eBay as well and I wore this when I got married nearly four years ago, it was about £10 second hand. I went with a simple long silver necklace and black pumps (I wasn't even going to attempt heels!). I'm glad I did go for a bit of colour in the end, out of the 12 ladies who went only 2 of us wore a different colour!

EOTD - It was Respectable In the 80's

My soon-to-be sister-in-law was the ripe age of 29 last week, we celebrated with a 80's themed fancy dress house party. This meant sportswear worn as outerwear, neon, whitewashed jeans and so much cheesy music (as well as cake, LOTS of cake)

I embraced the neon bright 80's makeup as well there is now very little in clothing wise that fitted me. I did however find a slouchy jumper and my light blue jeans that fitted to 80's as close as possible.

 

Products used:

• Maybeline - Light in Purple ( blue/purple light cream base colour, shimmery)
• Concrete Minerals Pro Matt Loose Shadow in Bulletproof (Bright matt blue)
• Concrete Minerals Loose Shadow in Hi-Fi (Bright matt pink)
• Lancôme Waterproof eye liner in Turquoise
• Also wore Revlon's Just Bitten Balms in Cherish
• Stick on face stars that I didn't wear in the end!

via my Instragram

 

I used a flat brush to put the Maybelline cream base all over, then a soft small brush to work the deeper matt blue into the crease. I put a dot of the pink using another soft brush and then applied the eyeliner to just the bottom lid. All finished off with Benefit's They're Real.

 

It is just a shimmery blue/pink wonder, I forgotten how much I enjoy just playing with colours and have recently been stuck in 'natural' rut. Colour is much more fun!

Vivo Dreamy 12 Shade Colour Block palette

My MUA Cosmetics Undressed palette is finally no more, and I won't be re-purchasing as I now have this neutral beauty in life make up bag.

I found that I only used certain colours in the MUA and when they went it got forgotten in my case for a while. I got this palette when I went to the July Blogger Meet Up and instantly was in awe of the colours. There wasn't any particular one I disliked.

This is now looking a lot more used since this photo, I like the pattern of the squares and for once actually waited until I photographed it until using. The wearing time is a little more than MUA, I can finish a day shift at work and still have wear left to adapt to night. With a primer it lasts much longer of course.

Thus uses the champagne coloured from the centre of the blocks, while using that matt black/brown as eyeliner and brow powder.

As previously seen in Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream

The palette is exclusive to Tesco stores or you can purchase it from Vivo Cosmetics Store for the grand total of £3.99 for 10 good sized shadows and for me one I can use as a brow powder. Not doubt that it is a bargain - just wait until their matt red lipstick review is up in the next few days, it's another bargain!

Superdrug Press Day AW13

I was invited to my first press day by the wonderful people who look after the PR at Superdrug. The theme of the day was to celebrate brands that can only be purchased at Superdrug's stores as well as championing their own brand products. The wall above is one of two that hosted everything they sell their own brand, I did spend some time ticking off what I already use myself and was surprised it was more than I expected.

If it wasn't for me tweeting how much I love the look of the B.Skincare Facial Oil, I wouldn't of been there so it was only right that I visited them first and get some information on what I think is going to be one of the hottest new skincare launches since their Miceller Water.

 

The range is simple - split into 3 phases on not your age but what phase your skin is at the time: Phase one: Hydration. Phase two: Prevention and radiance. Phase Three: Firming and repairing. I have fallen for the B.Skincare for its simplicity as well as products that do what they say.

 

I have been lucky to try out the B.Replenished Facial Oil for Anti Oxidant Boost for nearly two weeks and already it has replaced my Antipodes Divine Oil as something that my skin really reacts to well. This I will be reviewing more in depth at a later time as I feel it needs an entry of its own.

 

I also got a chance to try some of the make up which I hadn't before. My highlights were the new Colour Correct Cream where the lightest is light enough for pale skins and provides a high SPF of 45 (Launches November at £11.99). I also was drawn to the B.Stunning Vibrant Eye Shimmer in Lizzie - described as a soft neutral pinky/beige, when swatched it looked skin toned peachy/pink with a gold shimmer, a perfect base colour if I ever saw one (Launches October at £6.99).

 

After a stroll round I did get a little giddy over finding that Nicole by OPI are stocked in some branches of Superdrug now. They are the younger sister of OPI Professional and retail for £7.99 compared to £11.99 for the professional range. I am currently hunting these down as I write this.

 

I then got distracted by the shiney nail varnishes at GOSH including the new Frosted Sand polishes, these dry to glitter but matt finish. I instantly was drawn to the vintage lilac colour that the make artist was wearing (a thank you for modelling for the photo). I have the silver version to play with after I was given it to try.

 

 

I was also having a magpie moment with GOSH's Girls on Film which is now added to the increasing wishlist.

 

 

Of course we cannot talk about exclusives to Superdrug without mentioning their biggest make up brand: MUA Cosmetics. The AW13 line up is the strongest they have had in a long time, adding to the successful palettes they are now adding the Matt palette (after a social media campaign) and Smokey palette (with eye liner).

 

Top Left: Luxe Pretty Edgy Eye Palette. Top Right: Matt. Bottom Left: Luxe Glitter Palettes. Bottom Right: Smokey Palette

 

They are also introducing another line to the MUA and MUA Pro lines: MUA Luxe. This is the on trend but premium side of MUA, the prices are only slightly higher than the other lines (Undressed is £4 while the new Pretty Edgy Eye palette will be £8). The quality of ingredients will be a higher quality to match with the  price point. A key example is that eye shadow powder in the Luxe range are more finely milled and I found go on smoother.

 

There will also be a range of glitter palettes launching with the Luxe range, suspended in clear non sticky gel there will be a choice of 4. Can be worn on their own or over the top of another colour, and will have not fall out into eyes. Palettes will be £4 each.

 

 

 

For Lime Crime Valentine fans they are also Velvet Lip Lacquers launching in October, matt finish lip paint that will honest not budge. I had these on my hand the whole day and didn't even fade after washing hands, etc. Very impressive for £3 will come in Red, Purple, Coral, Deep and Light Pink.

 

There are some very exciting launches that are coming from Superdrug at the moment which isn't great news for my bank balance.

Concrete Mineral Eye Shadows

It's not often that I spot something on Twitter and stalk the website until something is launched, it's also even rarer after telling everyone how much I want the new launch that the company goes, "OK, we'll give you a few to play with as you like the look of them that much". This is honestly a dream come true and I cannot thank the company enough for the opportunity, they did not disappoint.

Concreat minerals were launched in 2009 with the purpose of providing pigment rich mineral make up that fun and funky, as well as preservative free they are 98% vegan friendly. For me the biggest pay off is the bright colour, which is rarely seen in a mineral make up. I wanted to wear them for a few weeks before actually writing about them. I would recommend putting a primer underneath just to extend the wearing life, but other than that they last well.

From top to bottom: Kinky, Smut, Hi-Fi and Bulletproof (In dull daylight, no primer)

In the Concrete range there are two sections: Concrete Minerals, which are you're shimmer everyday wearable colours, then the Pro-Matt which are you're screaming bights with a matt finish. The colour palette is the first one where I can look at all the colours and genuinely want every single one (even the Pro-Matt lime green called Toxic). When my skin finally behaves, I'm really wanting to for looks with these especially those bright matt colours!

They are available now at CutECOsmetics £6 for the Concrete Mineral and £7 for the Pro-Matt. Great value sets with brilliant names of Zombie Girl Collection, Sugar Skull Collection, Sugar and Spice Collection and Naughty and Nice Collection (Starting at £22 -£25).

Masterclass - How and Where to Wear Eye Shadow

What we're going to be touching on more this week is where to put eye shadow to give you the best of what you got. I did used to be one of those people who just put it on without too much thought, but as I make my way through the my course and experience it can also be used to balance out upper and lower portions of eyes.

For application purposes I prefer brushes, you can get of a blended look, and especially with powder I have more control. When I started I had a big fluffy brush to apply base shade with then a slightly smaller stiffer one to apply any contour with. I then just built from there, I do detest the applicators that come with them, I feel they are too small to do anything with really. That is just me personally.

Click to enlarge

'Average' eyes

With this eye shape you are just enhancing the natural shape. Apply a base colour all over, and contour the darker shade into the crease of the eye and blend outwards.

Wide Set eyes

Avoid using strong and pearlised colours on the inner eyelid, use paler matte products from the centre to outer eyelid. Put a thin eye line beyond the inner corner of the eye and keep the line to the outer end of the lashes. If suitable eyeliner and shadow can be applied to the lower lid to the outer edges.

Close Set eyes

Brighten the inner corners by applying matte light colours, avoiding strong or pearlised that draw attention. Focus attention from the centre of the eyelid towards and beyond the outer corner of the eye by using darker eye cosmetics. 'Lift' the eyebrow by putting highlighter here.

Deep Set eyes

The shading of the eye socket needs to be created above the natural socket line to give the appearance of more depth, this will then be enhanced the new lash line below the eyes. Highlight beneath the eyebrow arch, then using a pearly shadow apply all over. From the lashline work a darker shadow and work upwards, and add a thin line along the outer half of the outer half of the eyelid.

Prominent eyes

By reducing the depth of the eyelid and creating extra width, use a darker shadow on the centre of the eyelid with a thicker liner flicking upwards and outwards . If using a lower line, keep a gap between both lines and blended eyeshadow underneath.

Hooded eyes

To create the illusion of fullness of the skin that creates the over hang, apply a small bit of highlighter in the eyebrow arch. Then add a pale pearlised shadow all over the eyelid. Use a dark neutral coloured shadow to the fullest area of skin hanging over the eyelid. Blend this upwards into the highlighted area using a slightly lighter shade.

Next Week - Adapting techniques for glass wearers

Masterclass - Eye Shadow Colours and Effects

Using different eye shadows colours can achieve different effects, depending how their use and where they are used. Eye shadows not only come in a pressed powder form but also loose powder and cream (as well as different variants in between). The best way to get used to these different textures is to explore and play with them. I prefer powder as this has more of use dry or wet, and I have more control over how I use it.

What we going to do for this masterclass is to break down the colours and what effect they have on the final look:

Dark, muted colours

Colours: Charcoal,browns, olive, plums

These are more for defying eye contour and are more flattering for a sophisticated look. Can look better on dark haired and eyed models, while for fair skins can be used with a finer brush as a more subtle liner effect.

Pastel Colours

Colours: Pale blue, light aqua, pale green, peach

These colours produce a softer effects, if they have a slight shimmer I use these more as a base for matching colours to go on top. Good for people with blond or grey hair and if matched with eyes can bring out their colour.

Pale Colours

Colours: White, pearl, cream.

In contrast to darker shadows produces a highlighting effect that can be on the brow bone and inside of the eyes to make them look wider. I also use these if what I have applied is too dark by buffing these colours over.

Muted Colours

Colours: Grey, beige, sage, mauve.

Produce a more delicate effect than the darker colours so are more suited to producing a everyday look, and then adding the darker ones to covert to more of an evening look.

Bright Colours

Colours: Blue, green, yellow, violet, red

As the 'fun' side of colouring, are more suited for fashion or glamour make up. However they can look harsh on maturer skins when used all over, so adapting it to use wet as a liner can be more flattering way of wearing colour.

Next week - How and where to wear eye shadow

Bloggers Block and Solving it with a Q&A

This weekend I've drawn a blank, which has never happened. I am sure it happens to most bloggers that you just cannot get inspired to find something to talk about. I am currently in the middle of trailing some new products out like Avon's new skincare treatment, Purity skincare, and some fantastic Montenge Jessense products (including a lip balm!). At the end of the month I am also going to Olympia Beauty, a beauty trade show to browse what is coming up over the AW season as well as anything I want to add my collection.

I spotted the below on one of the blogs (Mymaneblog) I follow who is also one of the #bbloggers who works tireless to make sure that everything is run as fairly as possible for our twitter chats on a Wed/Sun night at 8pm. It also provides a few answers on a few basics about my own skincare and make up routines which you will hopefully find useful.

I do also want to take this time to say hello to readers and say thank you for the comments I have had over the weekend (I will replying over the next week to you all).

Skincare

Q: How many times do you wash your face daily?
A: If I'm not wearing make up I just use a foaming face wash, or I cleanse the make off and then give it a wash if feel I haven't got that 'clean' feel.

Q: What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
A: The traditional T-zone over the head, nose and chin. Now I'm getting older it's starting to change that need to give it a bit more TLC on the drier parts

Q: What is your current facial wash?
A: Love Your Skin Rosewood wash - Got this in my LatestinBeauty Editiors Box, love the delicate scent, soft exfoliating action and pump bottle.

Q: Do you exfoliate?
A: I do but not as much as I used to because it used to make my skin inflamed.

Q: What brand do you use?
A: Currently a mixture of Purity, Avon, Boots No.7, whatever I'm trailing out really.

Q: What moisturiser do you use?
A: Currently the Avon treatment with some Clarins' Beauty Flash Balm if my skin needs a boost.

Q: Do you have freckles?
A: Yes, they come out more when I catch the skin, but it's also why I have to be careful with the sunscreen.

Q: Do you use eye cream?
A: No, I don't really just because I don't have any. My favourite has been Estee Lauders Advance Night Repair, you need the smallest amount but it's light and does what it says.

Q: Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
A: Not as bad as when I was a teen but I still get them, epically on the days I really don't need them!

 

Make Up

 

 

Q: What foundation do you use?
A: Currently MUA BB Cream

Q: How about concealer?
A: I use YSL's Touche Eclat and Estee Lauder's Disappear as mentioned here

Q: Do you know your undertone colour?
A: Olive, but often get mistaken for more of English rose pink.

Q: What do you think of fake eyelashes?
A: Nothing wrong with them at all! Worn them when on special occasions and when the lashes are the focus of the look.

Q: Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
A: Yes of course, my maximum is 6 months of usage before it goes.

Q: What brand of mascara do you use?
A: Max Factor Masterpiece in black brown, still love 2000 Calories as well.

Q: Boots or Superdrug?
A: Being a former Boots girl it'll have to be Boots, but Superdrug because I love MUA Cosmetics and it's exclusive there

Q: What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
A: Can't live without my brushes and clean fingers to finish off.

Q: Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
A: A bit of concealer and powder before eyeshadow still works for me.

Q: For the face?
A: However my face still needs a helping hand, just finishing Benefits Porefessional.

Q: What is your favourite eyeshadow (colour or shade)?
A: Was Estee Lauder's Tea Biscuit, best base shadow ever! Need to find a replacement.

Q: Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
A: Pencil for day then liquid for night

Q: How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
A: Not as much as I used to!

Q: Do you use mineral makeup?
A: Great for day wear and sensitive skins. They're now coming on leaps and bounds, might be my next investment, so any recommendations will be great.

Q: What is your favourite lipstick?
A: Red - Always on the look for a new red lippie, a girl can never ever have enough red lip!

Q: How about lipgloss?
A: Juicy Tubes, I have tubes that seem to be going on for years. Melon is the perfect all rounder colour.

Q: What is your favourite blush to use?
A: I fall in and out of love with blusher, still trying to find the 'one'

Q: Do you buy your makeup on eBay?
A: Nail varnish yes (See Here), other stuff - not really not without knowing what I'm buying.

Q: Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
A: Currently doing my BTEC in Make Up Artistry so yes I may have.

Q: Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
A: No I did at first, the brush used to shake in my hands when I did my first customer.

Q: Name a makeup crime that you hate?
A: Any foundation too dark or too light, there are no excuses for it anymore.

Q: Do you like colourful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
A: Neutral eyes but a bright lip, I'm still trying to embrace colour on eyes without looking like a drag queen.

Q: If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item, what would you use?
A: Lip balm, I have loads because my lips dry out and get flaky without it.

Q: Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
A: Yes I do. See below: Scotland April 2012

Q: Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
A: I like to think I look OK, it's not the end of the world. I try look after my skin so even without make up it still looks the best it can.

Q: In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
A: I will always hold a soft spot for Estee Lauder as I worked for them a long time and they gave me my first job in cosmetics. Other than that Bourjois just make the cutest packaging and colours, while Urban Decay are just fun and funky.

Q: What do you think of Makeup?
A: I've found that I've made friends just by talking nail varnish or lipstick. We want the same thing: To be the best that we can be. There are some women who are just stunning, but who hide underneath a mask because they lack the confidence. I really wish they knew how stunning they really are.

Lush's Emotional Brilliance



High Wycombe Lush Shop Front

This is my own little local Lush shop in the Eden Shopping centre, High Wycombe, is 20 minutes from where I live. Many years ago I would had to sit on a train for 40 odd minutes and travel across London to Covent Garden where I first discovered them (and yes this was before the mail ordering started!). I love Lush, the ethics behind the brand, the products, the staff - everything, my little dream when I was a youngster was to work for Lush.

They also had another make up side - Never 2 Busy 2 Be Beautiful which I adored just as much, the Covent Garden store was a treasure trove of make up heaven. I was very sad when they decided to close that side of the business down. You imagine my joy when Lush annouched that they was launching a make up range.

Emotional Brilliance has been 3 years in development by the same people who made the N2B2BB range of products. Every product is Vegan and uses as much natural product as possible, even the mascara of the range has one preservative in it (while leaving lashes naturally coloured)

What you need for being stuck on a desert island

There are two sides to Emotional Brilliance - the colour and the desert island products. The desert island products are the ones that you need if you were stuck on a desert island and could only take a few things with you. In the range is:

• Colour Supplement - A medium coverage foundation that can be mixed with a moisturiser to provide more of a tint ( I was matched to Light Yellow and mixed mine with Imperialis to provide a even base)
• Feeling Younger Skin Tint - Can be mixed with the colour supplement to provide a glow, or used a highlighter. A lovely soft non glitter/shimmer sheen. I looked more awake after using as a highlighter, a little goes a long long way! £12.00
• Charisma - For all those lovies who like a golden sheen, perfect for pales as it is a hint of bronze colour (no orange here) and be built up to look deeper. £12.00
• Emotional Brilliance - Is a translucent face powder that does look pinkish in the pot but goes onto the skin and disappears while leaving a crease free natural finish. £12.00

Then comes the colour.....

Clear your mind, spin the wheel and pick the colours that talk to you.

Focus * Motivation * Sophisticated

The first is Your Strength/Weakness mine was that I have strong Focus (a shimmer light blue/gold cream eyeshadow), and when I want something I'll go for it, but it can mean I can be too focused one thing and forget others. The second is your subconscious which was Motivation (A strong shimmer turquoise) telling me to do what I love and keep going. Thirdly was Sophisticated (a mink coloured creme for eyes or lips) as my aspiration, my want to be or how others see me.  

All the colours and word have been created by using colour therapy as its base, but also had word matching by Lush staff and customers. The titles fit the colours perfectly, Lush's intention is not to follow trends but to let customers follow who are are or want to be. It's very much leaving the customer in control and I embrace this.

All the colours are £14.50 each with 30 colours in total, but they can be used on any area so there is the ability of using colours on more than one area.

Who's that in the mirror?

I spent an hour with the Lush staff on a quiet Saturday morning so I can have a good play with all the range before they got really busy. I did fall in love with my colour Motivated, it a stunning turquoise teal shimmer that I wore as a liner for the rest of the day. There was also Fantasy - a true gold shimmer liner which was just breathtaking. Out of the whole experience I one thing I really really want is Feeling Younger Skin Tint, added a gentle glow that seemed to perk up my skin as soon as it went on.

The whole experience was fun, and that what buying make up should be - fun. I think Lush has once again pulled a range together that not only keeps it's holistic and cruelty-free ethics, but brings something to cosmetics that has been missing for a long time - joy and fun.

Thank you to the High Wycombe store for making the whole experience a really great one and welcoming one; Not only were they informative, polite, and honest, but made the whole hour fly by without realising.

Emotional Brilliance launched today in Lush shops across the country and online at www.lush.co.uk where you can also play the colour wheel.

So how are you feeling?

My BTEC in Make Up Artistry Course

Currently being a Beauty Swot!

As you can tell this week that blog enteries are a little thin on the ground, for those who don't know I am currently studying for my BTEC Level 2 Intermediate Certificate Make Up Artist. After many years of doing it in a sales environment, I decided to put what I've learnt into a bit of paper to confirm that I can do it.

I enrolled with ICS Distance Learning, the great advantage of this is that I can fit in around the times I'm working as well as finish quicker than the year you are given to complete. It does however require a lot of will power to do sometimes, the literature says that you should allocate 3 hours a week to complete. I have been lazy and haven't done some for a few months, however my life is now settled down enough that I can do my first practical piece this weekend (now I have the funds to buy the last pieces of equipment but also having a functioning hand after hurting myself a few weeks back).

The course is split into four assessments:

1. Personal and Career Development as well as legal requirements
2. Preparing skin for Make Up treatment
3. Demonstrating a range of make up designs
4. Demonstrating a range of make up designs for catwalk, special effects and occasions.

You do get supplied with some items for use like a textbook, skin care pack, disposable items, etc. Make up you need to purchase yourself, I have been building a kit over the years and it's not even close to being finished yet! Each practical assessment needs to be provided with photographic evidence of every stage, so you will need to be prepared for a model as well as photographer will you work.

It is a great course, as I have said that it suits my work times and when I want to do more it has that flexibility. I think I have found it easier with my background in already working as a artist for Estee Lauder, as a beginner I would of found it much harder to do as a lot of it is from textbooks (your tutor is at the end of a email). The course fee itself is £557 at the moment, and I pay mine monthly at around £60 for 9 months, there is also a £58.50 fee to pay to the assessment board on starting. If you want to read more then try the ICS Distance website

If all goes well I can post some of the pictures of evidence so you can see what I am doing next week.

This post was not sponsored, I just wanted to write about my course in case someone was thinking about it.

In The News - Urban Decay Reconsider China

Urban Decay have annouched tonight that they are not going to be selling their products in china (as taken from Urbandecay.com):

"After careful consideration of many issues, we have decided not to start selling Urban Decay products in China. While several factors were important in reaching this decision, ultimately we did not feel we could comply with current regulations in China and remain true to our core principles. We know there are many progressive consumers in China who would embrace an opportunity to purchase non-animal tested products - our hope remains that we have the chance to offer Urban Decay products to these consumers someday in the future.

Following our initial announcement, we realised that we needed to step back, carefully review our original plan, and talk to a number of individuals and organisations that were interested in our decision. We regret that we were unable to respond immediately to many of the questions we received, and appreciate the patience our customers have shown as we worked through this difficult issue.

Since our founding in 1996, we have been committed to ending animal testing in the cosmetics industry. As demonstrated by the renewed support we have received from organisations like PETA and the CCIC, this principle remains at our core. Urban Decay does not test its finished products on animals, nor do we allow others to test on our behalf, and we require our suppliers to certify that the raw materials used in the manufacture of our products are not tested on animals. Urban Decay is proud to be 100% cruelty-free.

If you have additional questions, please email us at info@urbandecay.com."
 For any business out there they will make the right decision for their business, after they annouched that they were selling in China the collective backlash was huge and much bigger than I think they imagined. My husband made a good point when I told him tonight, "Could the money they made in china make up for the money they would of lost worldwide?" and clearly with tonight's decision is no.

I do feel tarnished against Urban Decay now, if they had stuck by the guns in the first place I would of admired them more. The customer of today is far more wiser and knowledge rich than ever before, there is also far more choice out there. I really hope that their change of heart is because of the reaction of their customers voices rather than their purses.

The next days there will be lots of feedback about this subject (I'm sure I will read quite a few)  - The best I've read so far is from Jaynes Kitschen.

You can also read my previous reaction here - In The News - Is this a case of business before ethics?

Masterclass Update - Threading

aka. The start of revamping myself.

Regular readers would know that one of Masterclass's last month was on hair removal (see it here), I did say that I would follow up on it one day. Due to money problems (having none and any that we had went on mortgage), I had to put a slight brakes on this until well I had enough of looking a little bit like a wookie for interviews.

Terrifying!

I went in search for a threading person who was reasonable and good at twhat they did, in where I live they have popped up all over the place so the market is very competitve around here, I counted in all about 6 places offering it and we are not that big of town. This does mean however that prces can be very reasonable the one I went to was £3.00 (The most expensive was £13.00 at House of Fraser and was dead, wonder why?).

In threading the practicer uses twisted cotton to pick up hairs and pull them from the roots to give a smooth defination shape. The difference with tweezering and this is that the later you are only pulling out single hairs while threading you can pull out a whole row of them.

Does it hurt? Yep, you're pulling hair out, but only the first few times and it really does depends on how taught you pull the skin while its being done and how good the person actually is. I was really luckly the woman I was quick, by the time I was starting to sting she was finished. The skin around the plucked area will swell and will looked pretty bad for a few hours (because mine was so bad it took nearly 24 hours before it calmed down), so not something to be done just before a night out.

Brow-ti-fil!

It had been so long since I had my brows done that the next day I got a little over excited with the brow powder and was sporting a big scouse brow. I did not get any photos but in case you don't know what a scouse brow is painted you eyebrows until they're solid, developed by Jodie from Desperate Scousewives (which sadly I did love the show).

Love the rest of the make up in this

The next step will now be to control the frizzy mane into a glossy wavy haricut, but thats for tomorrow ;).

Next week - Tanning (but not The Apprentice way!)



25th Annversary Collection Palette

I entered the Collection (formally Collection 2000) competition to go to the 25th Birthday party, didn't make it to the party. However I did get the 100 runners up prize which was this stunning palette with a selection of 25 colours from the range of their palettes.

Now I have had a play with it and the photos haven't come out fantastic (a mixture of bad camera work and me still full of cold). I really like the mixture of colours that are in there, that pink in the middle is just creaming look at me. When you use them they are not as scary as they look, they do need some building up (yes including that pink!), it's a great start if you want to get into some colour but. like me, are a little out of you comfort zone.

I do love Collection cosmetics, I've used a majority of the range and haven't really come across anything I really dislike. As a brand I think they hit their target market perfectly - their a great mixture of good quality product with something that is easily fashionable and fresh, that doesn't hit the purse so you can feel not too bad treating yourself.

Have a look at the newly funkified Collection website here

Next few days I have two special posts coming out - One for my wedding anniversary tomorrow and one on Wednesday for my 30th birthday, so keep an eye out for them :)