Vintage bridal beauty

A recent bridal client of mine shared some of the professional pictures from her wedding day. The photography was beautiful so I had to share.

Being a part of the wedding day when the bride is getting ready is pretty special. My approach is to be present but non-intrusive and I stay super chilled to help the bride stay relaxed.

Katie wanted her make up to be glowing and rosy toned to compliment her vintage dress and hairstyle. You can see some of my favourite products for bridal make up in the pictures. My essentials include a Bobbi Brown BBU palette and the Naked eye shadow palette by Urban Decay.

For more pictures of my make up artistry check out my Instagram page @rinadebmua

Just love

Rina xoxo

Photo credit - James Lester 

Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm

Lip balms, so many to choose from including all varieties of flavours, tints, fragrances, with SPF, without SPF the list goes on. What I want from a lip balm however, is one that sinks in and repairs my lips. A balm that I don't need to keep re-applying to stop them feeling dry. The kind of balm where I apply it at night and wake up in the morning with soft, smooth lips.

I know I expect a lot from my beauty products, but fortunately Nuxe's Reve De Miel Lip Balm fulfils all my requirements. It's a balms that sinks into your lips and keeps them moisturised for the majority of the day. It's a great base for lip colour as it helps any gloss or lipstick glide on smoothly and stops it from catching on any dry bits. The best part is, I picked it up from Marks & Spencer for about eight quid in a sale! It's a steel really for what I think could easily sit in with high end beauty product lines.

Texture-wise it's quite dense, you may feel like you have to work it into your lips but I quite like that. Despite that it's super nourishing and soothing so great if you suffer with dry, chapped lips. Definitely a 'must have' skincare item. No other balm that I have comes close to this one so it's definitely a keeper, and I have loads of lip balms!

Just love

Rina xoxo

My perfect cool toned brown - Illamasqua's Glamour lipstick in Buff

I feel like I've been looking for the perfect cool brown lip colour for, like, ever. All I wanted was a brown lipstick. Not a pinky brown or a reddish brown, just a cool brown. It's got this 90's, Cindy Crawford feel to it and although it's not impossible to come across one for paler skins, finding one that doesn't make me look like tanned corpse has proven to be extremely difficult.

I've seen a few lip colours that have the right tone but they just don't have enough depth to cut it with my skin tone. Until (hurrah!) I nipped into Illamasqua in Leeds the other day. It's obviously been far too long since my last visit because I came across Buff from their Glamore collection and it was everything I had been looking for; a cool toned, medium depth brown with a satin finish.

I also picked up a couple of other bits to go with my new lipstick; A colouring pencil in Fidelity and a lip gloss in Intimacy which look amazing together or teamed up with with Buff.

Let me know what your perfect brown lip colours are...

Just love

Rina xoxo

The brows have it - Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow

I've been seeing the words 'dipbrow' and 'brow wiz' popping up on many a make up artist's Instagram product breakdowns for a while now. Whenever I come across a perfectly sculpted brow picture on Instagram it's more than likely to be achieved by using the brow range from Anastasia Beverly Hills. This woman is the queen of brows. With a huge celebrity following including the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Penelope Cruz, I ended up breaking my rule of only purchasing make up that I can touch and see by getting myself one the famous Dipbrow's.

I opted for the darkest shade, ebony, which is suitable for mid-brown to black hair. I also bought the dual-ended brow brush that's recommended for application. Although it's called ebony, it's not black. It's more like a dark, charcoal brown and grey tones are always better for achieving natural looking brows.

The product looks very much like a gel liner but it's not as rich in pigment and easier to blend. It's perfect for people like me who have very fine, sparse eyebrows and need something that helps create shape and lasts - and it does last, longer than any other brow product I've tried. I find that on my eyebrows, brow powders just melt away by the end of the day but Dipbrow dries to a powder finish, clings to my skin and stays put.

The product can look quite intimidating, I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out when I first used it because it looked thick and really dark but the trick is to use a little bit at a time. I just tapped the angled brow brush into the product and softly shaped and filled in the gaps. The angled brow brush is perfectly cut to create defined lines and I used the spooly end to brush the product through at intervals to blend any lines or strong deposits of colour.

I'd recommend this product to anyone who has eyebrows with fine hairs or someone with oily skin that finds it difficult to find brow products that last. This is by far one of the best brow products I've ever used and it's perfect if, like me, you really love wearing defined, bold brows. I'm looking forward to trying other products by Anastasia Beverly Hills, especially Brow Wiz and her contour products. I bought the Dipbrow and brush for £29 with free delivery over at Beauty Bay.

Have you tried any Anastasia Beverly Hills products? What do you use on your brows?

Just love

Rina xoxo

My all time favourite body moisturisers

 
I've always had a bit of an obsession with body moisturisers. When I was in school I was gifted the the delightful nickname 'moisturiser' by the other English Lit students because on a residential to London they laughed at how long my shower routine took. I needed longer than everyone else to moisturise my entire body, something that was strange to them but completely natural to me.

I'm sure many other readers that grew up in an Asian family can relate. From as early as I can remember, my mum used to dry me off after a wash and massage baby oil on me, head to toe. This routine has become somewhat of a ritual and now I'm always on the look out for a really great body moisturiser.

I know some people only moisturise their skin when it feels dry but I swear by moisturising everyday. The main reason is of course to keep my skin soft but I'm certain that in giving my my body a massage everyday it's helped prevent cellulite. My tummy and thighs are what I'd describe as soft to put it kindly, but I've never really had a problem with cellulite. It also promotes an even skin tone and mostly it just makes you feel good to take five minutes to pamper yourself once a day.

So those are what I think are the benefits of ritual body moisturising and he are my four all time favourite body moisturisers.

The Righteous Butter by Soap & Glory

When Soap & Glory first launched, this quickly became one of my most loved body butters. At £10.50 for a 300ml jar, which is huge, this butter absorbs into the skin quickly, it's rich but doesn't leave a greasy finish but most importantly, it smells AMAZING. It's by far one of the most beautifully fragranced body butters I've ever tried. I'll take breaks away from this product every now and then but I often find myself in the aisles of Boots slipping one in my basket because I remember how sensational it smells! It really does feel like a luxury moisturiser and the smell truly makes you feel pampered and sexy.

The Body Shop's Mango Body Butter

Body butters are most definitely associated with The Body Shop. As one of their cult products The Body Shop Body Butters have surely inspired many similar products that have been produced since then but theirs will always be the creme de la creme. Some of my favourite 'flavours' include papaya and passion fruit but when it comes to moisturising benefits my top pick has to be mango. I discovered it when I was working in the backstage team for London Fashion Week A/W '13. The Vaxhaull Fashion Scout shows were sponsored by The Body Shop and we used the mango body butter on the models' legs and arms. I love this particular body butter because unlike the others which actually have a buttery texture which can take some work to buff into the skin, the mango one has more of a gel-like texture which absorbs quickly. It's also extra rich and deeply moisturising. It's so rich that when I shower 24 hours later, I can still feel it slick on the skin. These are the kind of moisturisers I like. The ones where you can definitely tell that it's keeping your skin moisturised for hours.

Astral

This one is a fail safe. I always have one of these in the house as a back-up but it really is a great moisturiser. If you don't like extremely rich creams then stay well away! Personally I like the kind of creams that sink in and stay on your skin. It's a hard-working moisturiser that does the job it's supposed to do. A little greasy maybe, but I guarantee that your skin will drink it right up. Astral's also good for people who prefer fuss-free, un-fragranced products. This cream must be good because I have a cousin in Australia that gets me to ship them to her - madness! But for a budget, drug-store moisturiser, it certainly ticks a lot of boxes.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter

I used this for years when I was a teenager. It was a very popular product then and I remember a time when I loved it that much I never strayed onto other moisturisers. As I've gotten older I've found myself steering towards richer, thicker creams but Palmer's Cocoa Butter will always have a place on my shelf. It helps even out skin-tone and it's great as an after-sun. A great moisturiser to take on holidays, unlike the other products I've mentioned this one isn't in a bulky tub which makes it convenient for travelling. 

So there you have it, my all time favourite body moisturisers. I've tried and tested each one several times along with many others but I'll always go back to these four. 

I'm always on the lookout for body moisturisers to try, are there any you'd add to the list? 

Just love

Rina xoxo 

4 Shades of Autumn - My go to lipstick shades for autumn

I love autumn for fashion and beauty because I prefer the colours and textures that I can play around with during this season. My favourite way to add a bit of autumn/winter to my look without buying a whole new wardrobe is with lipstick. Here are four of my favourite shades that I have been wearing a lot recently:

Shard by Illamasqua
Vesuvio by Nars
Rebel by Mac
Crimson by Bobbi Brown

The following pictures feature me wearing the lipsticks named respectively.

I really enjoy wearing these colours because they easily make a statement without a lot of effort. The pop of colour also brightens your complexion up and makes your skin look better. You'll notice that Shard by Illamasqua is very matte compared to the others but I like it because I find the blue undertone flatters a rich skin tone. Vesuvio by Nars is a great clean red which is a must for autumn. Rebel by Mac is a great has a very blue undertone and tends to stain the lips so don't go for this if you don't want your lips to be tinted even after you've removed your make up! Lastly, Crimson by Bobbi Brown is a gorgeous bordeaux red that is great for evening glamour.

In the pictures I created the rest of the look using the following products:

Nars Sheer Glow foundation
Mac Select Moisturecover concealer
Illamasqua brow powder in Gaze
Illamasqua Precision Gel Liner in Infinity
Kiko Ultra Tech Mascara
Bobbi Brown bronzer in Bali Brown

Which colour is your favourite? What lipsticks feature in your favourites list?

Just love

Rina xoxo

The Body Shop - Wild Argan Oil Launch Event

Last Thursday my friend and fellow blogger, Belinda and I attended the launch event for the new Wild Argan Oil collection at The Body Shop in Leeds. The event was a great way to introduce the collection to a crowd of beauty enthusiasts as it gave us an opportunity to look at the new line outside of trading hours.

The theme for the event was of course all things Moroccan. All the sales assistants were wearing middle eastern inspired hair accessories and they had sweet mint tea and my favourite, Baklava for refreshments. As well as the opportunity to try out the new products, they also had professionals doing sample back and hand massages. They did a really great job of letting everyone indulge in a bit of luxury and they were all very clued up on the line and how the new range came about.

A presentation was delivered telling us all about the collection, where the oil comes from and how it is made. It was clear that The Body Shop really invest their efforts into where they source their ingredients from and more importantly how they source them.

Their Wild Argan Oil comes from the foothills of the Atlas mountains and the kernels that the oil comes from can only be extracted by hand cracking the nut with a stone! This is all done by the Berber women of the Taraganine cooperative who are experts in doing this. Beauty with Heart is what The Body Shop call their collections that are made with Community Fair Trade ingredients and their Wild Argan Oil suppliers in Morocco are the latest to partner up with them.

The collection itself includes eight products all containing the luxurious 'Queen of Oils' as the Moroccan women call it. Rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids the range is great for all skin types as it deeply hydrates, protects and nourishes the skin. My favourites in the collection are the Radiant Oil and of course, the Body Butter. It's a great luxury addition to their current product line and is perfect for anyone who wants to indulge and achieve beautiful skin. As the Moroccan women say: 'When your skin is glowing it's a reflection of a peaceful soul' and anyone who knows me knows I'm all for a peaceful soul!

You can see the Wild Argan Oil collection by clicking here.

Have you tried the Wild Argan Oil products yet? What do you think of the collection?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Pastille Beauty Bar Celebrates It's 1 Year Anniversary!

I can't believe I’ve only just discovered this gem of a place recently. I have walked past Pastille on numerous occasions on my way to work admiring the pastel décor and airy, cute interior and thought it was time to lose my Gel Mani virginity!

The salon is located in the Granary Wharf area of Leeds neighbouring coffee shop, Out In The Woods and restaurant, Fazenda. What I love most about this place is the distinct neighbourhood atmosphere which a lot of chain nail bars struggle to achieve. You go in and everyone is so friendly and down-to-earth. It’s easy to understand why appointments are always booked up and most of the local residents and city slickers come here for their Mani Pedi’s on their lunch breaks.

The girls of Pastille definitely have a lot to be happy about. They were celebrating their 1^st Birthday and to as a thank you, customers got a goodie bag including treats and vouchers from many supporting local businesses. Showing their support for other local businesses is what has helped Pastille become the ‘neighbourhood beauty bar’ it is today and as a big supporter of Leeds I definitely recommend a visit to this place.

The Gel Mani is most definitely the most popular treatment here and they can also do some pretty awesome nail art too. Check out their Instagram page for ideas and inspiration. I played it safe on my first go but i'm definitely considering something a little bit more exciting for my next foray.

On this visit I had a Gel Manicure and was inspired by a post all about the white mani by Bustle. I opted for a pearly, white colour in ‘Snow Bunny’ by Gelish and I absolutely loved it! It’s as bad-ass as red but in a completely different way and makes my nails look fresh and really healthy. My favourite reaction to them so far was by my friend Maddie at work – ‘I f***ing love your nails!’ Says it all really…

Pastille do all kinds of nail treatments as well as lashes and brows. Full list of treatments and prices can be found on their website.

What do you think to my white mani?

Just love

Rina xoxo

From Milan to Leeds - Kiko's New Store!

Kiko Make Up Milano opened its doors in Leeds city centre last week and I spent the best part of an hour in there feeling like a kid in a candy shop! It's the only Kiko store outside of London, it's located within the Trinity Centre hub and yes, that's right, I said store. Standalone store to be precise and quite a large one too.

I like stores because I always feel that you get a better shopping experience in them. Aside from Illamasqua and now Kiko, there are no other make up stores in Leeds. Only concessions in department stores. I have always felt that it's difficult to source particular beauty product shops outside of London. Especially when it comes to pro products so I think it's great that the north of the country is finally offering more options for professional make up artists as well as make up lovers.

Another reason why I like a store over a concession is for choice and stock. There’s nothing more frustrating than going to a make up counter, falling in love with a lipstick and then finding out that it’s not in stock. Standalone stores have more control over their stock levels and because stores are usually bigger than most counters they tend to stock more products and have more choice of products.

This was definitely the case in Kiko. The store has plenty of space to mill around and play with products. I guess at first glance it can be quite overwhelming. They have a lot of products. The nail varnishes alone could have you stood there pondering over which one to choose for ages. But as a lover of choice I was definitely spoilt. They do everything from skincare, make up and manicure items to brushes, empty containers and hygiene equipment.

The staff were really enthusiastic and helpful and I found out loads of facts about the brand; all their products are cruelty free, it’s all shipped out from Milan, most of their products are produced in Italy and France and the best part of all – products are realistically priced.


I spent £51 on nine products and they included skincare, make up and a make up brush. I have spent the same amount of money on one product before. I’m yet to test these products out to see just how good they are but so far I am loving their nail varnishes and their Ultra Tech Mascara.

So a big thumbs up from me. I’m sure I’ll be making many visits to Kiko in the future. I definitely recommend a visit if you’re make up junkie or if you’re looking to get some good make up at affordable prices.

Kiko products can be bought in their store on Albion Street, Leeds or you can buy their products online by clikcing here.

Have you visited a Kiko store? Which products do you like?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Berry Beautiful Test Shoot

In February this year I collaborated on a test shoot with photographer Nicole Jopek and model Lanie Wilson from Boss Model Management. The look was quite editorial and I wanted to make the most of Lanie's amazing bone structure so I opted for a bold, berry lip, kept the cheeks strong and left the eyes subtle. When doing beauty looks I love clean looking make up, sharp lines and flawless skin. The kind of make up that people look at and think 'I could wear that'.

This look is timeless and really easy to wear in the day by not going as strong on the cheeks and adding a bit of clear or brown mascara to the lashes. Or add a flick of black gel liner and and build up your lashes with black, volumising mascara and you have a great look for a night out.

I created this look using the following key products:

Mac Face and Body foundation
Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder
Nars Blusher in Ninotchka
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in 01 Highlight
Mac lipstick in Media


Just love

Rina xoxo

http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/
http://www.illamasqua.com/
http://www.narscosmetics.co.uk/
http://www.lauramercier.com/store/

Illamasqua Matte Veil Review

So I've taken a bit of time before gathering my thoughts on this one by actually trialling it for a couple of weeks. I'm a big fan of Illamasqua products and when I first tried Hydra Veil I thought it was an amazing, innovative product. It hydrates skin, smooths out texture and gives foundation a great base and last. What I really loved the most about Hydra Veil is that it worked on pretty much all skin types and has since become a staple in my freelance kit.

So when I heard about Matte Veil, I was instantly sold. With my normal to oily skin gradually getting more and more shiny as the weather gets somewhat warmer, I didn't want, I needed this product!

As the title suggests, this primer is designed to mattify skin and reduce shine. The first thing I noticed is that it smells a lot like Palmer's Cocoa Butter! It's texture is less jelly-like than Hydra Veil and more like custard. Unlike Hydra Veil, it doesn't set in the jar either. Instead it keeps like a lotion in the pot.

There are a lot of things I like about Matte Veil; It feels instantly hydrating, it doesn't leave the skin dry or tight like some mattifying primers do, it's easily absorbed, helps foundation glide and blend onto the skin and with it, make up sits better and lasts longer. I also like the fact that it doesn't make skin look lacklustre after applying this product.

Unfortunately I just didn't find that it kept my skin matte for very long. I do have quite an oily T-zone and even when I wear powder based foundations I still seem to have a shine on by midday, and this product didn't do much to improve that. I trialed it for 2 weeks using more of it, then less. I tried applying it with a brush and then another time with my fingers. I even tried it with different foundations including Mac Studio Fix Fluid which is normally very matte but I still didn't feel that it kept my base shine-free for long enough.

It might just be my skin type but I was a little bit disappointed as Hydra Veil worked so well for me. However, as I never write off any product I will still keep it in my kit for it's use as a great pre-foundation prep product.

Have you tried Matte Veil? Did it work for you?

Just love

Rina xoxo

Big love for Big Hair

My last shoot of 2013 was with photographer Emily Bailey. She arranging a shoot to advertise a range of extensions for beauty company, Stylelux. The brief was 14 models, great hair, fresh make up and a 'fun' vibe. So with me on board for make up and Tony Waterhouse doing hair, this was bound to be a brilliant collaboration.

I wanted the make up to look really natural but fun and fresh at the same time so I prepared the skin first with an illuminating moisturiser before applying the base. I added colour to the whole look with a pink flush on the cheeks and a translucent pink gloss on the lips. I finished the look off with a flick of black liner on the upper lid to open up the eyes and keep the models looking bright-eyed and flirty.

My backstage posts on Instagram saw me getting asked loads of questions about what make up I used to get the models looking so natural but flawless so here are all the products I used for all the models on the shoot:

The Body Shop Vitamin E Illumiating Moisturiser
Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation
Bobbi Brown Brightening Nudes Finishing Powder
The Body Shop Blush in Macaroon
Bobbi Brown Black Gel Liner
L'Oreal False Lash Flutter Mascara
Bobbi Brown Lipgloss in Pink Lily

Hope you like the look!

Just love

Rina xoxo

  

Photography - Emily Bailey

Hair - Tony Waterhouse @ Rebel Pin Up

Models - Alana Elliot at Face Model Management and Pippa Perkins

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Okay so I have to admit, I was really looking forward to using this foundation. So many good reviews about it, on the favourites lists of many other make up artists and beauty bloggers so I was expecting something good.

NARS describes this as a buildable sheer to medium coverage foundation with a glowing, natural, radiant finish. It's also supposed to leave the skin more hydrated, luminous, softer and smoother and if used everyday it claims to improve the skin's brightness and texture. It's recommended for those that have a normal to dry skin type.

Given all this, I expected the foundation to look really radiant and glowy especially on my normal to oily skin type. However I couldn't help but feel that the foundation felt and looked a little bit flat and cakey. I applied it with my fingers as recommended and really warmed it into the skin. The coverage was very good but if you like sheer coverage I'd steer clear. This version of 'sheer' is completely different to my understanding of sheer which is that of a tinted moisturiser or my favourite sheer foundation, Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation.

I bought it in the colour Tahoe which was the closest match to my skin. So the closest equivalent to Bobbi Brown's Golden or MAC's NC44. I liked the tone of the foundation but it was just a smidge too light. However, the next shade was far too dark so I compensated by using a bronzer to warm my complexion up and to avoid me looking like my face was a completely different colour to my neck and chest.

On another occasion though I applied it with an Illamasqua Highlighter brush and buffed it on over Illamsqua's Hydra Veil Primer and it went on so much better. Still I felt it was a little bit matte looking but as I was going to a party I didn't mind looking more made up. It's great as an under eye concealer though. Used with a full bristled synthetic concealer brush, this formula builds up really well under the eyes and there was minimal creasing as the night went on.

So I guess my conclusion is that for me this foundation should really be called something else. The words 'sheer' and 'glow' don't come to mind when I have it on. However I never write off a foundation as I believe there's always a use for any foundation. If not now then maybe later. I'd say it's good for people that want a bit of coverage and want to make more of an effort to get that flawless look. It doesn't have an SPF in it either which I like. It means that for photography it prevents you from looking 'white' in pics so a good option for wedding days. I must admit, it photographs incredibly well.

In the picture of me I'm wearing it with a Bobbi Brown Bronzer in Golden Light and Laura Mercier Highlighter 01. So out of 10, I give it a 7.

Let me know if you've used NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and what you thought of it.

Just Love

Rina xoxo

October '14 Beauty Buys

I was only intending to buy one product that I'd been meaning to review for a while but I ended up buying a few more... Oh well, more products to review, not entirely a bad thing.

So I ended up settling on the following:
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Tahoe
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight-01
Illamasqua Skin Base Lift in White Light and Deep 1
Illamasqua Colouring Pencil in Seize
Illamasqua Lipstick in Shard from the Sacred Hour collection

I'll be reviewing some of these separately with more pictures soon.

Just love

Rina xoxo