Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Shampoo and Conditioner

Living Proof is one of my favourite beauty brands. I discovered them in America last year and will admit that I was completely suckered in by the fact that Jennifer Aniston is their spokesperson.

When I came home I did a little more research into the brand and found out that Jennifer is in fact a 

co-owner of Living Proof. Its one thing being a spokesperson but investing your own money into a brand, well that's not something you hear of everyday.

Living Proof have a very scientific philosophy when it comes to hair. Most hair products contain silicone, silicone coats the hair, making it soft and shiny. However as its purely coating the hair, its not actually providing any benefit to the condition of your hair. Think of it as painting over the cracks in a wall, the wall looks better, but the cracks are still there. All of Living Proof's products are silicone free and instead contain molecules developed by Living Proof to actually improve the quality of your hair and tackle those common hair problems we all suffer from.

I have tried quite a few products from the range now and have been really impressed by all of them.

 I wanted to try their new Perfect Hair Day range, however it isn't available in the UK yet (I even tweeted Living Proof about this). But luckily the Beauty Gods answered my prayers and when Sephora finally started shipping to the UK I ordered myself the shampoo and conditioner.

The Perfect Hair Day range is designed to deliver 5 benefits for beautiful, healthy hair. Smoothness, Volume, Conditioning, Strength and Polish. They promise to improve hair over time and leave your hair feeling cleaner for longer.

I have to say this is the first time I have been disappointed by any of Living Proof products. I have been using both the shampoo and conditioner for over a month and have in fact used up both bottles now. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the shampoo or conditioner, I just didn't notice any benefit or difference in my hair. I was really hoping the 'hair feels cleaner for longer' claim would work for me but I still had to wash my hair every other day. One thing I will say is, that like all Living Proof products these smell amazing but I just couldn't justify splashing out on these again.

I still really want to try the Perfect Hair Day Styling Treatment but as Sephora wont ship that to me I will have to make an epic trek across the pond. Whilst I was disappointed with these, it hasn't put me off Living Proof and I am eyeing up the Satin Hair Serum next.

If you live in America you can purchase Living Proof from Sephora. If you live in the UK you can now purchase Living Proof from John Lewis as well as Space NK (woohoo).

My quest for Jennifer hair continues! 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar Review - Frozen Quartz, Misty Rock and Velvet Orchid

Sometimes you come across a product that is so good it makes you want to get rid of all the makeup you already own and replace it. If I didn't already own a disgusting amount of eyeshadows I could quite happily just use By Terry's Ombre Blackstars and nothing else.

Ombre Blackstars are cream eyeshadows in a stick format. As these are waterproof they have the best lasting power of any eyeshadow I have ever used and you definitely don't need to use any kind of primer. The metallic shades are so glossy they almost have a wet look to them, which I love. 

My favourite thing about these though, is how easy and foolproof they are. I just apply these in a very slapdash manner all over my eyes and then blend the edges with a brush, et voila. 

One thing to note though, you do need to work quickly with these as once they dry they are impossible to budge, I always do one eye at a time.

The one downside to these is the price, at £28.00 they really don't come cheap, but I really have not come across anything else that compares.

Available from Space NK £28.00

Left to Right: Frozen Quartz, Misty Rock and Velvet Orchid

Frozen Quartz - My most recent addition, great for easy, everyday makeup. This pink toned champagne shade really brightens your eyes. It reminds me of MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow.

Misty Rock - If I had to pick a favourite this would probably be it. In the pictures it looks very similar to Frozen Quartz but in real life, I would describe it as a bronzed purple. I like to wear this in the day but it would work equally well at night, if you just add some eyeliner. I have posted a Face of the Day wearing this here.

Velvet Orchid - The one that started it all! When it comes to eye makeup, I tend to use the colour wheel theory of using the opposite colour to your natural eye colour. For me that's a red/orange based brown, so purple was never even a colour I considered. I saw Velvet Orchid used in a  Pixiwoo tutorial and fell in love with it. Now if I ever want to do a smoky eye, this is the first thing I reach for. It requires minimal effort and lasts all night. I love to blend this all over my lid, underneath my lower lash line and then use MAC's Prunella eyeliner for a really dramatic look. You can see that look in one of my Christmas Party Looks from last year. 

In the picture above though I have only used Velvet Orchid, to show that you don't even need a separate eyeliner, as these can also be used in the waterline.

I thought I would just also quickly share the brushes I like to use with these. As these are a cream product, synthetic bristles work best and I find that the Real Techniques eye brushes blend beautifully.

Face of the Day with By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock

Trust me when I say this is not what I look like right now. I had about 4 hours sleep last night and I am looking pretty horrific! No one needs to see a Face of the Day of my look right now, trust me.

Face 

Foundation

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet in B30

I have done a full review on this foundation here but in summary I really love it, especially as I don't need to powder with it!

Concealer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush on Glow BB Highlighter in 2W

Another new product that I am really impressed with. This really brightens the under eye area, whilst still providing coverage and as its a Double Wear product, it really lasts on your skin.

Laura Mercer Secret Camouflage in SC3

You can see I've massively 'hit pan' on this concealer. Honestly its the best for spots and redness, proper industrial strength stuff!

Bronzer

Chanel Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 62 Terre Epice

I finally finished my Guerlain bronzer and I decided that seeing as I've had this bronzer for almost 3 years, I really should use it up! This isn't as easy to use as my Guerlain, as this does have quite an orange tone to it. It works really well in the Summer but at the moment I cant wear a blusher and use this because its a bit much!

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight

Nothing else comes close, I truly am addicted to this highlighter. I sweep it along my 'cheek bones', down the centre of my nose, under my eyebrows and in the inner corners of my eyes.

Eyes

Eyeshadow 

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock

I am going to do a whole post dedicated to these By Terry Ombre Blackstars tomorrow, so I wont go into too much detail, but this colour Misty Rock is aaaa-mazing. 

Mascara

MAC Opulash Mascara

Although this is in limited edition packaging, Opulash is one of MAC's permanent mascaras. The brush is massive, as big as my eye but that's not why I love this mascara. I love it because this stuff lasts all day, it doesn't smudge, flake, or disappear from your lashes and its not even a waterproof formula!

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette and Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

The dream team is back!

Lips

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Words cannot describe how much I love this colour, definitely my favourite of all the NARS pencils I've tried so far. It reminds me of the lip colour Rachel McAdams wears in the Notebook. 

Side note, you know you have a makeup problem when you can't watch a film without wondering what lipstick someone is wearing!

Matte lips are my favourite, matte over gloss any day of the week but I just love this subtle, muted red. Its very effortless.

Face of the Day with Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I am still running behind on my Face of the Day posts! This was a quick, natural look, with a few coral tones thrown in for good measure now its Spring. 

Face

Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control

Full review here

Foundation

MAC Face & Body in N3 mixed with NARS Copacabana Illuminator

I really recommend mixing some form of highlighter/illuminator in with your foundation. It gives you beautiful, natural glowing skin.

Concealer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush On Glow BB Highlighter in 2W

I have been really enjoying using this under eye concealer. Its got a good amount of coverage and the lasting power is really good. I do wish I had got this in maybe one shade lighter though.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC3

I'm on a bit of a mission at the moment to use this up, as Ive probably had it for 4 years at least! This is the best spot concealer known to man!

Bronzer 

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00 Makeup Artist

A really, really lovely natural, matte bronzer. If you are looking for a new bronzer and don't mind splashing a bit more cash then check our Guerlain.

Powder

MAC Prep & Prime CC Colour Correcting Compact in Neutralize

Full review here

Blush 

Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar

There are no words for how much I friggin' love these Illuminating Face Powders by Milani!

Eyes

Eyeshadow 

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

I always forget that I own this palette but every now and then I remember and dig it out. As the name suggests, this is a very basic eyeshadow palette with 6 everyday matte neutrals. For this look I kept the eyes very simple and just used W.O.S all over the lid, with Naked 2 and Faint in the crease.

Mascara

Benefit They're Real Mascara

This is the perfect mascara for when you want a natural but defined eye look. This doesn't give crazy volume like it suggests but defines each and every one of your lashes. 

Eyebrows

Benefit Gimme Brow in Light/Medium

It genuinely pains me to say I like this, due to the ridiculously extravagant price Benefit are charging for  3g of product. But I do love that I can use this on its own, without a pencil to fill in my brows.

Lips

Lipstick 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya

Remember my Revlon Lip Butter obsession?! I know its Spring when they come out again! Juicy Papaya is one of my favourites, a very pretty, subtle coral. 

NYX Butter Glosses and Tanya Burr Lip Glosses

I am not a lip gloss girl, lipstick all the way my friends! However, recently I've been lured over to the gloss side by some popular new launches.

I thought I would just bulk both these products together and do one massive, glossy review!

NYX Butter Gloss

NYX is an amazing, cheap makeup brand from America. I wish you could buy NYX products in Boots and Superdrug because the quality and range of colours they have is amazing, but for now you can buy all NYX products from their UK website.

NYX's new Butter Glosses smell delicious and are not at all sticky. They are quite thick and as the name suggests, are very buttery! They feel more like a thicker lip balm than a traditional lip gloss, in fact they are very similar to the Korres Lip Butters if you have tried those. 

The big downside of only being able to buy NYX online is that you cant see the colours in person. I ordered 4 colours and I think if I had seen them in person I probably would have picked different shades, as some are a little light for me. 

I do like these but I don't love them and I think that's mostly to do with the colours I picked. For a fiver though, you cant really complain and I would definitely try some different colours.

NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brule

NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel

NYX Butter Gloss in Peaches and Cream

NYX Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler

Tanya Burr is a very successful YouTuber and Beauty Blogger. She has released her debut line of lip glosses and nail polishes which you can buy from Superdrug or Feel Unique. 

The lip glosses cost £6.99 each and I bought two colours, Afternoon Tea and Chic. Again I bought these online and didn't realise how similar these two colours were, until I saw them in person!

Now I will be honest, I didn't have great hopes for these. I do think they are aimed at a younger demographic than my 27 year old self but apart from the smell I was actually pleasantly surprised.

These were much more opaque then I expected, not at all sticky and in some ways I actually preferred them to the NYX Butter Glosses because they weren't as thick. My only complaint would be the smell. These have a very sickly fruit smell which reminds me of Fruit Salad sweets. I'm really not a fan and much prefer NYX's vanilla scent.

Not bad at all and like the Butter Glosses I would definitely try out more colours in the future! 

I cant say that either of these have converted me to lip gloss over lipstick but its nice to change things up every now and then.

Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Afternoon Tea

Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Chic

A Little Chat About Eyebrows

Filling in my brows is my least favourite part of my makeup. Do they look even, are they too dark, do they look natural? I normally just end up thinking, sod it that will do. 

Yes filling in your eyebrows is a pain.

At school I was obsessed with plucking my brows, they genuinely looked horrific. They were so thin, consisting of about 3 hairs and ended halfway across my eye. I have now spent untold years trying to grow them back and if anything I should tweeze them more often, but I just feel like each hair is so precious now I cant bear to pluck it away. 

We are in the middle of an unprecedented eyebrow epidemic. On the street, at work, in the supermarket, on instagram I am encountered by beautiful women who are complete ruining their faces with the most awful coloured in eyebrows. Consider this an intervention!

I for one have far from perfect brows, trust me its been a ongoing battle. I should also point out that I genuinely want Julia Roberts circa Pretty Woman eyebrows, I want those babies au naturel and in their untamed glory. 

I think we have forgotten that eyebrows are made up of hairs. If I shaved my head but then drew a felt tip outline around my scalp and coloured it in, would you think my hair had grown back?

No

No, you wouldn't. The same applies to your eyebrows.

When it comes to eyebrows there are two products I swear by. I recently had to repurchase both and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share their general amazingness and also throw in a few brow tips for good measure.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

This is my weapon of choice when it comes to filling in my brows. This is double ended, with your pencil at one end and an ingenious brush at the other. There are a few reasons why I love this so much. Number one, the slanted pencil makes it so much easier and quicker to fill in your brows and number two the brush is perfect for brushing them through, to ensure the colour is evenly distributed and ensuring they don't look too dark. 

Now this does not come cheap at £26.00 but one of these lasts me months and I really feel they are worth the investment.

Whatever you use to fill in your eyebrows, whether its a pencil or a shadow, there are a few tips you can use to make it easier

* Pick a colour that is roughly 2 shades lighter than your natural eyebrow colour. Whatever you do, don't pick a colour that is darker than your natural brows. This is when things start going wrong.

* Pick an ashy colour, you don't want your eyebrow colour to be red/warm toned, as again this doesn't look natural. This is the problem with a lot of cheaper eyebrow pencils, they are just too warm. 

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

This is the best brow gel ever made because it actually keeps your brows in place and defines the individual hairs. Sometimes when Ive filled my brows in I think they can look a bit dark, but brushing this through helps separate the hairs again, keeping everything looking much more natural looking. I don't like perfect looking brows, no, no I like my brows to look a little ungroomed, remember Julia Roberts!

* If you don't have an eyebrow gel, use a clean mascara wand/eyebrow brush, spray it with hairspray and brush though. It will do exactly the same job.

* If you are filling in your brows with a separate pencil/shadow I would use a clear gel to stop your brows getting too dark. If you are just using a gel, then a tinted one is good. Just remember to always pick a colour lighter than your natural brows.

 I will dismount my soapbox now but women of the world, know that my words are meant with nothing but love! 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua is my all time favourite foundation, so when i heard Chanel were releasing Perfection Lumiere Velvet there was air punching all round.

I did have one concern about this though because the original Perfection Lumiere foundation isn't that great. The original is quite cakey and not at all natural looking on the skin.

Luckily Perfection Lumiere Velvet is nothing like the original and its all I dreamt it would be and more.  When I first used it I noticed that it was very runny in consistency, more thin than Vitalumiere Aqua. For me this is a good thing because in general the more runny and thin a foundation is, the lighter coverage it will have (less cake face). It is scented, so if your skin is particularly sensitive that might be something you need to watch out for. 

Perfection Lumiere Velvet is a light to medium coverage foundation. It evens out your skin tone but you would need to use a concealer for any blemishes. I love that you can still see your skin through it, it really is very natural looking. It has a satin finish so its not completely matte but it doesn't give a glow either. A plus side for me is that I don't need to use a powder with this. Its very light and doesn't feel heavy at all on your skin. It also has a powdery feel to it once its dried (I'm guessing that's where the velvet in the name comes from).

Its too soon to say if I prefer this to Vitalumiere Aqua but I really am impressed by this and the fact I don't have to use a powder makes me even happier. 

I am wearing it in the picture below to give you an idea of the coverage. As you can see I need a concealer but I love that you can actually see my skin through it. 

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet certainly gets my seal of approval

Available from House of Fraser £33.00

Face of the Day with MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Whoops!

I am a bit late posting this Face of the Day, as this is actually from a weeks ago but ssshhh. 

I have been catching up on Mad Men recently and have developed an obsession with 70's home decor and coral coloured makeup, I have a problem!

Face

Primer

Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer Blemish Control

A fabulous primer for prolonging the wear of your makeup but does not live up to its blemish control claims. 

Foundation

MAC Face & Body Foundation in N3 mixed with NARS Copacabana Illuminator 

You may be getting a bit bored of me banging on about this combination but I just cant get enough! In fact my Face & Body is now running pretty low, so you will see a change of foundation soon.

Concealer

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage in SC3

One of my all time favourite makeup products, this baby will cover anything.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla

I'm going to be honest here, I just don't understand the hype with this concealer. Don't get me wrong, its not a bad concealer but I've tried better. Collection's Lasting Perfection covers better, MAC's Light Boost highlights better. This is just somewhere in the middle, maybe I'm missing something but for me this is distinctly average.

Powder

MAC Prep & Prime CC Compact in Neutralize

I did a full review on this powder yesterday. In summary, not great!

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturing Bronzing Powder in 00 Makeup Artist

If you are a bronzer fanatic and you have never tried a Guerlain bronzer, than you truly are missing out. Beautiful, matte and natural looking, you really cant go wrong.

Blush

Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Amber Nectar

Just like my foundation combination, I cant stop using these blushers...beautiful!

Eyes

Eyeshadow

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

I forgot how beautiful this cream eyeshadow by Bobbi Brown is. If you like All That Glitters eyeshadow by MAC, then you need to try this. Plus the formula is amazing, no creasing and lasts all day without a primer.

MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in One to Watch

This is one of my old obsessions. Two years ago I worn this eyeshadow pretty much every day, paired with a sheer red lip. I dug it out again and was reminded of why I used to love it so much. Its the perfect warm, grungy brown. Blend this all over your lid and underneath your lower lash line, pair with mascara and your good to go.

Mascara

Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara

While this mascara did grow on me, I wouldnt recommend it. There are better Maybelline mascaras and when you get one of these little fibers in your eye its genuinely horrific.

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Standard

Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown

Good brow gel, stupid brush.

Lips

Lipgloss

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Whoops!

This is a bright coral lip gloss but if you hate sticky lip gloss then walk away now ladies. 

MAC's Pro Longwear glosses are notoriously sticky but hey that's what keeps them on your lips for so long!