29 Oct 2010

Nails, nails and more nails...

At the beginning of this month we released these new nail paints:
311 Instant Nail Effects, 312 Indigo and 313 Dusky Mauve.

The blogger world has gone mad for Instant Nail Effects, it is the cheapest, simplest way of doing nail art!
But don't just listen to me tell you how amazing it is, here are some reviews on it:

Now just for a bit of fun, because we love to play around with our nail varnishes here, I painted my nails in black with hologram hexograms overt the top. The picture is a bit flat but they look so sparkly and reflective in reality, we love this look:

8 Oct 2010

Steal Katie Waissel’s X Factor style

Love her or hate her, 24-year-old hair salon receptionist Katie Waissel has already made a big impression on the X Factor judges. And despite fluffing her lines not once, but twice, the Madonna-inspired singer made it into the final 12.  But while Katie’s quirky retro style might not be for everyone, here's how to create a much more toned down, wearable version of her make-up.

For a start, ditch the humongous circus-like false lashes - who knows how Katie got through the day at the judges’ houses with those unsightly things weighing her down. Instead, opt for a thickening mascara like our 3 in 1 to lengthen, add volume and separate the lashes. Elsewhere, Katie keeps her eye make-up pretty simple, with neutral eye shadows and well groomed eyebrows.

Katie opts for a matte foundation finish with a subtle rosy blush. Try a light to medium coverage foundation or a tinted moisturiser and sweep a smidgen of our Pink Orchard onto the apples of your cheeks.

The lips tend to be the focal point of Katie’s look (apart from the aforementioned lashes, of course) and at the judges' houses, she went for a girly baby pink shade. A far cry from the bright orange/red she went for on her first audition, the pale pink complemented Katie’s complexion and was well in line with the 60s little white dress look she sported. Achieve a similar look with our lip paint in Sheer Pink.

Finally, add a dramatic bow or hair piece to a quiffed barnet, and a coat or two of black nail polish and you’re ready to go!

By Lauren Holden

5 Oct 2010

Get the X Factor with Cher Lloyd's look

The X Factor finalists have only recently been selected, but there are already countless articles and YouTube videos on how to recreate the girls’ make-up looks. First up, hip hop princess, Cher Lloyd - there’s no mistaking the 16-year-old singer’s distinctive look. And while we may not all want to rush out and purchase a pair of baggy ghetto pants or sky-high boots, there are tons of make up junkies who’d happily sport Cher’s heavy smokey eyes and dramatic black brows.

Here’s how to do it: get hold of a black or dark brown kohl eyeliner and fill in the brows, accentuating the arches by building up colour gradually. Or soft kohl pencil in black is a mere snip at just £2.95. If you’re blessed with thicker, more defined brows, use a thin shadow brush and a dark eyeshadow shade to gently fill them in.

Create Cher’s stunning smokey eyes by blending a dark eyeliner under the waterline and in the inner corners of the eyes our Super Soft Eyes Crayons are great for creating a smudgy, smoky effect. If you prefer to use a liquid eyeliner, our black will do the trick.

For the eyeshadow, blend a dark shade like Dazzle Dust in Petrol Black on the lid. For a much more wearable daytime look, you can tone it down with Charcoal or even a navy blue shade.

On the cheeks, Cher’s rosy glow is down to a well chosen blush like our Pink Orchid, at £4.50. Finally - the lips! Never mind those who say dramatic eyes should be worn with neutral lips - and vice versa. Cher is usually seen wearing a coral/pink, perfectly suited to her pale skin tone which you can get with our Peachy Pink Lip Paint. And you’re done!

Stay tuned for some more X-Factor-inspired make-up looks!

This was written by Lauren Holden