Work It!

Happy Sunday Girls, 

As the weekend come to an end, what better way than to prepare you for a week ahead at work?

I know work might not be something we all love thinking about, but what can be worse than going into work looking rough to find out you have an unexpected meeting, or even bumping into a certain somebody (friend or foe) on your lunch break or after work? 

Getting ready for work shouldn't be a chore, I have in the past shared some tips on quick hair first thing in the morning. Now I will share my everyday work make-up products. I usually aim to get ready for work in the space of 15 minutes and these are the products I use: 

Everyday Basics

Products l-r: Thick and Fast Mascara, Sigma kabuki brush,
Bobbi Brown BB Cream, Face Form palette, Studio Fix.

Base: My everyday base is Bobbi Brown's BB Cream (£29) in medium. I personally like to keep my base light, to try and maintain my skin so it doesn't feel full and heavy throughout the day. I love this BB Cream as it gives me the coverage I need for a day to day look and feels light on my skin.  Although it isn't the cheapest product, I love it and it is also SPF 35 so a great skin protector. To 'top up' my coverage and finish I use Mac's Studio Fix Powder Plus (£21.50) in NC42. I buff this into my skin using Sigma's Round Kabuki F82 (£18.95) brush.  

Contour & Blush: A quick and easy contour can be done, and I do mine using the Sleek Face Form (£10) palette, this is also perfect to add to your handbag and using the highlighter for that after work drinks or unplanned dinner. 

Mascara: I was given Soap & Glory Thick and Fast (£10) mascara by a work colleague as it didn't suit her, I now live by this on a day to day basis. I'm not saying this particular one will work for everyone, but a good mascara should be essential for every girls work look. 

Brows: Groomed brows are essential everyday, but its also important not to look 'overdone' for an everyday look. I usually use Anastasia Dipbrow for evenings and weekend but for a simpler look the Brow Wiz (£15.50) is the most perfect pencil to achieve this look. 

Lips: This is the most essential part of any overall make up and can change a look completely. Recently i have been experimenting with lip glosses and crayons with good staying power for my work day. The top three I have tried are: 

Products top- bottom:
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 203 complex
Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 205 Elusive
Rimmel Provacalips in 200 I'll Call You
Rimmel Provcalips in 730 Make Your Move 

- NYX Matte Lip Cream (£7.50)

These will always remain my favourite, so many shades and so much staying power, it lasts the day with very little top up needed. 

-Revlon Colorburst Matte Lip Balm (£7.99) 

These are my new addition, and I love the finish and feel of these, they do need some top up but the finish is amazing and I love my two work appropriate shades which are 

- Rimmel Provocalips Lip Colour (£6.99)

I bought two colours in this lip cream, and although they stay put all day the shades aren't ones for me. I think lighter and more porcelain skin tones would be more suited to this range. 

Handbag Essentials 

As well as the daily essentials, you need a few things in your bag for that impromptu dinner or after work drinks. As you can see above I keep eye make up minimal, so one of my handbag essentials is Bobbi Brown's Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (£18) in black ink and a flat brush (I use Eco Tools, which came as a set from Boots). A winged liner is always perfect for any occasion. 

The second essential is bright lippy , Mac do my favourite brights and my three go-to handbag shades (all £15.50) are : 

Vegas Volt (creamy light coral)
Chatterbox  (creamy pink)
Lady Danger (matte red) 

As I use light coverage daily I also like to keep a Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick (£29) in my bag, it's easy to carry and can be used to build up coverage for the evening. I also carry my studio fix and face form palette for touch ups. 

There you have it girls a few simple products in the morning, and the handbag essentials will take you from the office to date night or drinks with the girls so don't forget to pack them!

What are your work wardrobe make-up essentials? 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

No More Raised Eyebrows

Hey Girls, 

Following on from the success of my latest post on hair growth, I have decided to go for something similar and this time cover brows. 

Its taken me a while to get the fullness & shape
but it has been worthwhile

Over recent years especially, eyebrows have become an important focus in make up and grooming. They can frame your face, and complete and change an entire look if done the correct way. I recently took a course and I am qualified now to do the ‘7 step celeb brow’ which is very similar to a number of the better known, and branded eyebrow regimes out there (possibly a little more cost efficient). It follows all the steps it takes for perfectly groomed brows. 

My brows are something a number of my instagram followers, and friends compliment me on often, but they used to be two shapeless thin lines! So how did I do it? 

Well here are a few things I did to grow them: 

• I stopped having my eyebrows regularly threaded, and decided to take a break to grow them out
• Using tweezers in between if absolutely necessary, but try not to touch them more than once a week, and DON'T over pluck- strays only!
• My secret ingredient to growing my brows has been Castor Oil... seriously go buy a tub NOW! it has made my eyebrows thicker, and enabled me to grow them into a more appealing shape

The Growth

Before: Shapeless, over threaded &thin
After: Arched and thick with definition

I use castor oil £1.45 (with mink oil) every evening after removing my make-up, the smallest amount is needed as its of quite a thick consistency, just use fingers to evenly spread over the eyebrow area. I saw a difference within the space of two weeks of doing this. I have never tried pure castor oil as of yet, that may be my next step, but so far castor oil with mink oil has worked well for me.

The Shaping Products

Like with any hair growth, whether its in between a wax or haircut you have the period where your eyebrows look unruley but the trick is brow powder! I swear by the nyx eyebrow powder, its cheap and cheerful and really helps make your eyebrows “look” tamed even when they aren’t perfect. I usually just tweeze any obvious hairs outside of the shape once I have filled them in. The trick to applying the powder to look natural is of course an angled brush, and a light hand (don't get too excited with the amount of product on the brush). 

Maintenance  & Presentation

Now my eyebrows have grown out, I shape them once every two weeks (using the threading technique). On a day to day basis I use my NYX brow powder (£13.50), and for those special occasions I have been using Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Promade in Ebony (£13.00). This product has had some AMAZING reviews from top bloggers, so of course I had to get my hands on it.  I luckily had a friend willing to pick it up on a trip from America, but it is now also available at cult beauty online for those in the UK. I have to say, it takes some time to get used to, and the first few times I didn’t like it as it was thick and heavy and a bit ‘scouse brow’ but now I have been able to perfect the technique of limiting the product on my brush and blending out as much as possible I love LOve LOVE it! 

So guys its that simple... castor oil, brow filler and lay off the shaping for a few months and it really does make a difference, believe me when I say its worth it! Remember theres a thin line between groomed, and marker pen brows- those are not so hot, so try and maintain your look to keep it as natural as possible. 

Do you have any brow shaping tips and favourite products? Share them below... 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Pucker Up!

Hey Guys, 

Those of you following my Facebook page, twitter or Instagram will know I recently went to the IMATS in London. It was obviously heaven on earth for me- the make up, and discounted prices, I will definitely be making another trip in store next year! The talking point at the IMATS was the huge queue going through the whole venue. But what were hundreds of make up enthusiasts queueing for? Was it worth the hour and a half wait...?

The queue was for NYX and in my opinion it was definitely worth the wait, the brand always does great products with a professional finish and this post will show you exactly what I mean.

I first discovered NYX least year at the pro beauty exhibition and I have been addicted ever since. My favourite brow palette was my first ever purchase, and I now double it up as a smokey eye shadow kit for an everyday look. At £9 (IMATS price- £13.50 online)it was a bargain. 

My new addition this time around are the lip creams. The finish and feel of these is better than anything similar that I have tried so far, both drugstore and high end make up brands. I bought four shades in two completely different finishes to test and I will definitely be adding to this.. 

The shades I bought are: 

Spice Xtreme Lip Cream (bright red- shine finish)

Candy Land Xtreme Lip Cream (baby pink- shine finish)

Buttery Nude Xtreme Lip Cream (peachy/nude- shine finish)

Milan Milan Soft Matte Lip Cream (baby pink- matte finish)

These ranged from about £3.50-£5.5-0 at IMATS and are available online for £5.50 (matte lip cream) and £7.50 (extreme lip cream). 

Top- Milan Milan
Middle- Spice
Bottom-Buttery Nude

My favourite is the nude, as I have found it difficult to find a nude which I feel suits me, this is perfect especially paired with NYX lipstick in Indian Pink (oh how well that fits!). My only regret is I didnt buy more shades in a matte finish, as at the time I was in a debate about whether I would like them. I actually love the Milan Milan I purchased in matte, and I think I will venture into more matte shades following on from my experience.

They feel really good and comfortable on my lips, and not sticky or drying which I find some super shiny or matte finishes can do. I can get away with wearing them for about 4-5 hours before needing to reapply which is amazing. 

All in all my favourite purchase of the day and I look forward to adding to my NYX collection, this really is a pro brand at a budget price! 

What are your favourite NYX products? 

K xx

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others. 

Beauty on a Budget

One common perception many of us make is the idea that make up has to be expensive to be worth buying. Wrong. For the past few weeks I have been exploring beauty kit items which have cost me less than £10 each. I have chosen my top 5; including products which already exist in my daily routine, and a few newbies which I have added to my collection.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain

This is one of the products I came across from my hand swatch tests I tend to do in Boots. I tried this on my hand at lunch time and throughout the whole day (including a gross sweaty workout) the colour was still on my hand. It tingles slightly on your lips, but the colour is rich and the softening balm keeps lips nice and soft. I would state this is as good, if not better than some lip tints I have tried of luxury brands as it doesn't dry out the lips and the colour comes out just as vibrant as it seems in the packaging. I chose the colour "Lovesick" after searching high and low for a deep fuscia pink which I felt suited me. 

 Price: £7.99 from Boots or Superdrug

L'Oreal Super Liner Gel Intenza

My favourite basic, everyday product by far. I purchased my first pot of gel eyeliner about 6 months ago, and it is STILL going strong. I wear eyeliner on a daily basis, and to know how long this has lasted me makes me realise it was worth every penny. I have tried other gel eye liners, such as Rimmel, Barry M and Maybelline, but this was my ultimate favourite. It does not smudge even after a long day at work, and the brush it comes with is perfect for both thin and bold application. This is definitely an essential buy.  

Price: £9.99 from Boots, Superdrug or online

NYX HD Eyeshadow Base Primer

I bought this shadow primer from the Professional Beauty Exhibition last week, and I have to say I was skeptical but for £5 I thought why not? I am so glad I got this. I am constantly frustrated by the eyeshadow crease problem. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of time creating and blending the perfect eye make-up look, only for it to be ruined an hour later. This will definitely be incorporated into my eyeshadow routine more often. The formula is lightweight, and effortless. A great base for any eyeshadow. 

Price: £6.50 from the nyx website , although I paid slightly less at the beauty expo, it's still worth the full amount. 

Rimmel London Scandaleyes Shadow Stick

This is another product which survived my hand swatch test and stayed on my skin with vibrant colour after a whole day. I decided to go for a purple tone, as I think it works well with everyday and creative looks. I have used the eye shadow stick both by itself on the crease of the eye, and as an eyeliner at the bottom of lids to make an everyday eye make up look pop with colour. The shadow is easy to blend with the use of a good brush, I was pleased with the result and largely impressed with the staying power. 

Price: £4.99 at Boots or Superdrug

E45 Moisturising Lotion

I am aware its not make up, or in fact a real face moisturiser, yet it is somehow one of my favourite products that I cant live without. As mentioned in previous blogs I find it hard to be happy with a moisturiser, especially after spending much money hunting for one that suits my skin. I have decided until I ever come across the “perfect” moisturiser this will remain my go-to cream. Its cheap and cheerful and never lets me down, the perfect base for all my make up. E45 keeps my skin hydrated and feeling smooth whatever the condition it is in. 

Price: £5.50 for 500ml at Boots







As mentioned above most of these products are easy to buy on the high street or online, looking out for the Boots 3 for 2 can also be very useful at times. Although I still love my MAC, Bobbi Brown and Dior these products can be expensive to maintain and at times a cheaper alternative works to an advantage. 

Do make up products have to be expensive to be effective? 

Please feel free to post any skin care tips, products or comments you may have which could benefit others.