Illamasqua Sacred Hour Pre-Launch at Selfridges Manchester

A couple of weeks ago whilst casually scrolling through my Facebook updates I came across this:

I knew that a new Illamasqua collection was just around the corner but this was the first hard evidence I'd seen of it's actual launch.

I decided pretty much there and then that I would be moving heaven and earth to get to this most exciting of events. However living 200 miles from London and having little ones to care for it wasn't going to be easy.

I already had a trip to Illamasqua's Trafford Centre counter planned for the following morning because a lovely limited edition nail polish called Nightfall would be available for 4 days only and only at this one location!

I'm so glad I went because as I was  was chatting to Leena (Illamasqua's northern trainer) she told me that there would be a Manchester launch too! I couldn't believe my luck, I live a 20 minute train journey to the city centre, no need to travel down to London and no childcare problems! When I got home I had a message from Paddy Baston (one of the fabulous Illamasqua team at Selfridges Manchester) asking if I'd like to attend the launch party on the 9th, I called to confirm before I'd put the kettle on.

We arrived in plenty of time to check out the new collection before Grace and Philip set to work creating their 'Dawn Spirit' and 'Dusk Warrior'  looks using the new colours and textures. The collection is inspired by the these special times of the day, the dawn and the dusk, the times when we are most likely to apply our makeup, to create the face we choose to show to the world.

               Just arrived, waiting to get our hands on the new collection!

The star of the whole collection for me was most certainly the 'Reflection' palette, metallic contrasting super blendable shades in the same textures as it's beautiful predecessor the 'Paranormal' palette.

The 'Reflection' Palette, Clockwise Precipice (Soft Lemon), Acute (Ash Taupe), Graphica (Graphite Grey) Dart (Toasted Bronze)

Next came 2 new 'Velvet' blush shades in Sleek (dusky coral) and Peaked (dusky rose) , it was impossible for me to choose between the two so I had to buy both! They have a lovely new cream to powder formula that glides on beautifully, the texture is indeed like velvet.

Sleek (left) and Peaked (right)

Then something completely new for Illamasqua- Skin Base Lift,  an illuminating, brightening concealer designed to work in partnership with Skin Base foundation. It will come in 7 shades that will flatter all skin tones, it blends very easily and helps to correct uneven pigmentation. I bought  Skin Base Lift in White Light.  Perfect with my Skin Base 2 foundation.

Skin Base Lift in White Light

And just when you thought it couldn't get any better, a brand new lipstick shade - Shard, a beautiful soft violet red with a matte finish, perfect for red lovers but soft enough if you prefer something a little less bold .

 Lipstick  in Shard

Other pieces in the collection (ones I didn't buy, this time) were 2 nail colours, Hemlock-iridescent pale opal green, (already available) and a brand new shade, Facet-grey crystal taupe shot through with gold. There's also a set of huge fluffy false lashes called 'Lush'  to finish things off!

Of course I couldn't wait to get home to try everything out.

Even the feral eyebrows!

This beautiful new collection will be available at illamasqua.com, Illamasqua stores and counters (UK) from Monday 19th August, if you can't wait a couple of days you can purchase at Selfridges now!

I'd like to thank the fabulous Illamasqua team at Selfridges Exchange Manchester - Maria, Paddy, Grace and Philip, I had a wonderful evening :)xx

Charlotte's Magic Cream

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to attend  a very special event in London. World renowned makeup artist, Charlotte Tilbury was hosting her 'House of Rock and Khol' at Selfridges on Oxford Street where a few lucky people were given a pot of Charlotte's Magic Cream, the hero product of her upcoming cosmetic range.

Charlotte has been mixing this secret recipe herself for years and it is much loved by the models and celebrities she works with. It promises to turn around tired, dehydrated skin in a flash and she likes to call it 'a push up bra in a jar'.

I must admit that I was a little bit sceptical but after using this little gem for a few weeks now I can honestly say that it is fantastic. Even though it's a really rich cream it absorbs really well and it smells divine. Unlike other moisturising creams it doesn't make me break out and my complexion is certainly more even. I've no idea how much it's going to cost but Charlotte did mention that items will start at about £17 (I'm guessing for a kohl pencil) and go up to around £70.

                      Charlotte's Magic Cream launches at Selfridges in September

Mini Cherry Culture Haul

At IMATS a couple of weeks ago I was on the hunt for a pearly pink highlighting cream. Most I found were either too glittery or too dark, however over at the LA Splash stand I found the perfect shade in the form of Enlightened Creamy Shadow Base in Highlight. I swatched the product and fell in love, only to be told it was sold out! When I returned home I checked out LA Splash's website only to discover that they don't ship overseas :( 
This is where Cherry Culture came in. Cherry Culture is an American makeup site selling great brands such as NYX, Milani and China Glaze for very reasonable prices. I was delighted to find they stocked LA Splash and that they had the item I'd had my heart set on.

First item in the basket was  LA Splash's Enlightened Creamy Shadow Base in Highlight. This cost $5.50/£3.64 for 5g of product.

Another product I was eager to try was one of Milani's Color Statement lipsticks as I have read so many good reviews. After scouring through hundreds of swatches I settled on the shade Flamingo Pose, a 1950s coral pink which looks very similar to MAC's Impassioned in the tube. Cost $5.49/£3.63.

Last of all I added three of NYX's Long Lip Pencils red to my order in the colours (top to bottom and left to right)  Deep Purple-wine, Cabaret-burnished red and Pinky-bright pink. I already love NYX's Slim Lip Pencils so it will be interesting to see how the products compare. Each pencil cost $1.50/99p.

In total, my order cost $26.69/£18.66 including shipping. My parcel arrived 2 weeks after I placed my order which is slightly longer than average for delivery to England from America. Overall, I am very happy with my purchases and I'm sure that I'll  place another Cherry Culture order soon. I would recommend to check the site regularly, as they often have good offers and discounts. 

Why I Love Illamasqua

I've always loved makeup, when I was six years old I longed for a 'Girl's World' to play with, I never got one, my mum thought that they were creepy. Luckily she was happy to let me play makeup on myself and my little brother. I had my own little makeup bag with a small selection of Miner's finest, I remember the green and gold plastic packaging, strong smell of the granny pink lipstick and the shiny blue of the eye shadow stick, I even had my own mascara. My little makeup bag was my most treasured possession. 

As I grew so did my love of makeup, Saturday mornings would be spent in the local Boots or Woolies swatching and choosing, I spent every penny of pocket money on Rimmel or Boots 17.
By the time I was 15 I had amassed a huge collection, eyeshadow making up the bulk in every colour imaginable, I had 2 huge fishing tackle boxes packed full but no matter how much I bought, I still wanted more. People look back on 80s makeup and think 'Oh no, did I really go out like that?' but for me it was an incredibly exciting time, especially for all the bold colours that were becoming available for the first time, I favoured heavy black eyeliner with the brightest possible eye shadow. My 80s favourite was Barry M, a smaller range then but the colours were the best and they were one of very few brands that didn't test on animals.
I did well at school but I didn't go to university, at 18 I moved to the Netherlands with my boyfriend and got a job in a bar. I made friends with my neigbour Jos, he was a  drag queen and I'd sometimes go to work with him and help out with the costumes and the occasional wonky eyebrow disaster. I was earning a decent wage at the time but it was pretty expensive living in Amsterdam and my makeup purchases became more considered and much less frequent.
Over the years I got married, had 4 children, went back to my studies, became a teacher and although I never lost my interest in makeup, I think that things had got a little bit boring, for years it seemed like there was nothing new nothing to get excited about, everything looked the same. Then there was MAC but an unpleasant experience with a snarling orange MUA at House of Fraser put me off a bit. I'd asked for a new shade of eye shadow that had just been released, only to be sneered at and told that it didn't exist and that I was mistaken. It did exist, I wasn't mistaken and I could see it right in front of me. I didn't bother to argue, I just walked away and didn't go back, I'd just had a baby, I wanted to buy some makeup, not be made to feel stupid.
A couple of years ago on a very rare day out shopping without the younger kids, my eldest daughter dragged me over to the Illamasqua counter in Selfridges. 'Look Mum, you'll love this brand, it's right up your street', she wasn't wrong, beautiful bold colours, my colours, bright greens, yellows, oranges, purples, blues, blacks and reds all beautifully displayed in their black, glossy little boxes, my 80s makeup obsession had instantly been reignited. We spent the next half hour chatting with a beautiful MUA called Grace, and selected our favourites from the dazzling array, we spent a fortune but it was money well spent. An absolute world of difference from my unpleasant  MAC experience a few years before. My reawakened love for makeup really got me thinking about what I'd like to do in the future and just a few days ago I enrolled at college to study 'Specialised Makeup for Commercial Industry', I don't know where my studies will take me but I'm excited to find out. Illamasqua came along at the perfect time, it's really helped me realise that it's absolutely fine to be just who I want to be, to be myself.
 More often than not I buy online now, but when I do make it in to town I do make the effort to visit an Illamasqua counter, the free monthly Beauty School Drop In is a really lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I love Illamasqua, a wonderful company, run by wonderful people and I know that when I visit one of their stores or counters that the MUAs are not looking at a 40 year old mum pushing a pram, they are looking at me.

Bioderma, Holy Grail Cleanser

I picked up my first bottles of Bioderma about 3 years ago on a trip to Paris. I'd forgotten my regular cleanser  and the hotel's complimentary face wash had left my skin tight and parched. I hadn't set out to buy Bioderma, I didn't have any particular brand in mind, just something gentle and effective that didn't cost the earth, I was sure that the little 'Pharmacie' across the road from the hotel would provide.
I noticed the big bottles of clear liquid as soon as I walked in, I wasn't sure but I had an idea that this was the product that so many makeup artists had been raving about, I decided to go and have a look. Five minutes later I was walking out of the door having spent a mere €15 with 2 x 500ml Bioderma Crealine H2o Solution Micellaire, this was to be the first of many purchases.
I was amazed at how effective it was, just a few drops on a cotton wool pad easily removed my makeup, even my mascara, (I don't use waterproof ) there was no dryness, no irritation, just soft clean skin. I was hooked.
Over the last 3 years I have tried several different brands of micellaire solution and some are better than others but none can hold a candle to Bioderma, the original and for me the best. It is the one product I would never want to be without, it cleans, soothes and refreshes my tired skin better than anything else. I change my moisturiser every month, I rarely re-purchase and I'm always keen to try anything new but Bioderma is as much a part of my life as taking a bath, I can't imagine using anything else, it's most definitely here to stay.

Bioderma Crealine H2o is known as Sensibio outside France, it's exactly the same thing just a different name for the non French Market, there are a few on line retailers in the UK but if your'e going to France, stock up!

More Lovely Stuff from the Illamasqua Sale

I just couldn't resist these lovely bargains from the Illamasqua Sale.

Cream Foundation in CF133, sale price £10

I've been thinking about trying a cream formulation for ages but as the owner of about 30 foundations and a serious flaky nose problem I wasn't prepared to part with £20-£30 for another product that wouldn't stay on my troublesome hooter for more than an hour. At £10 I didn't have to think too hard about putting this in my basket. I love Illamasqua foundations and I always go back to them, I use Skin Base most days but for going out I pop a bit of Rich Liquid on top to give the most flawless finish I've ever achieved. I'm really looking forward to trying the Cream now though, review coming soon.

 Kabuki Body Brush, sale price £15

This brush is a serious piece of kit, it's huge! It was an incredible bargain too, the regular retail price is £39. It's has the softest bristles I've ever felt , as soft as a Bengal kitten, just beautiful.

Cream Pigment in Delirium, sale price £10

These little pots of multi-purpose colour are one of the most useful products on the market, Delirium is a soft rose/taupe shade, perfect for eyes, cheeks and lips.

                    Check out what's still available at theIllamasqua Sale

IMATS London 2013

Last Sunday I made my very first visit to the International Make-up Artist Trade Show better known as IMATS in London.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I was certain that I’d spend far too much even after a whole year of saving. The first thing that struck me was the sheer size of the place,  I was completely giddy at the prospect of  visiting all the exhibitors and getting my hands on all kinds of products that would normally be pretty difficult to find in the UK,especially if you live outside of London.  I’d printed out the floor plan and marked every single vendor  against their booth number,  I was glad that I’d taken the time to do this, I think that I would have been a bit overwhelmed with the dazzling array of goodies on offer without it. I was determined to make the most of my time and grab a few bargains along the way. 

All prices include show discount.

Royal & Langnickel (no discount)

I bought 2 brushes from the Silk Pro range, a C421 Line and Smudge (£4) and a C525 Lash Fan (£3)

I also bought another Lash Fan type brush from the Revolution range a BX-145 (£3)

Love Make-Up (discount 20%)

        Sugar Pill eye shadows in Kitten Parade, Midori, Bulletproof and Dollypop (£6.80 each)

        Lime Crime Velvetines lip colour in Red Velvet (£9.20) and lipstick in Geradium (£9.20)

Love Make Up is my favourite online make up store  specialising in pro and niche brands, you can buy  Sugar Pill and Lime Crime at LOVE MAKE UP

 Inglot (discount 20%)

Four square palette:


352 Matte-peachy nude
312 Matte-peach
345 Matte-mint green
346 Matte-lilac

Five square palette:
123R-apricot-terracotta rainbow
450 Pearl-burgundy
50 AMC-matte red with fine gold glitter
366 Matte-bright apricot
319 Matte-soft rose taupe

I bought 9 eye shadows from the Freedom System and 2 palettes, 1 x 4 and 1 x 5, I think that the shadows were £3.60 each, the whole lot came to about £42, can’t remember exactly, but the lady that served me  was rude and accusatory when she’d given me the wrong palettes. I did manage to bag a 20% discount code for online purchases though. INGLOT

MAC (discount 15%, 35% for Pro Card holders)

                        Face and body in White (pro product, £22.53)

                     Full Cover Foundation in W10 (pro product, £19.98)

You cannot buy MAC Pro on the website any more but if you call the Pro Store in Soho, they'll be happy to let you make an order and pay over the phone. Call: 0870 192 5555 10am - 6:30pm Monday-Saturday, 12pm - 5:30pm Sunday

Paris-Berlin (random discount)

Le Black Liner (£6)                                                                                   La Poudre de Comete in Comete (£5) 

La Paillette Crystal in Crystal 1 (£3)

A bit disappointing, I had about 8 items on my list but they carried very little stock and when I opened the eyeliner it was completely dried out.

Back Stage Shop (random discount)

                                                                                    




Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Banana, small size (£6)

Ben Nye Fresh Scab, small size (£5.50)

Paris Berlin Glitter in Green (£4)

Lovely helpful shop, you can buy all your stage and SFX make-up at 
BACK STAGE

Charles Fox for Kryolan (random discount)

Tuplast Skinplastic (£10)

Kryolan Eyebrow Plastic (£5)

Eldora Lashes (any 3 for £10)

The discount here was huge! I bought 3 sets S143, C182 and B155. The S143 cost £11.50 on the Eldora website.  Beautiful lashes, well made with many beautiful and unusual styles. Get them at Eldora

OCC (no discount)

Lip Tar in Vintage (£12)

Skin Conceal in Y1 and R0

Cream Pigment in Grandma 

You can buy OCC in the UK at LOVE MAKE UP

L. A. Splash (random discount)

                                                                                    



Diamond Dust eye shadow in Golden Smoke (£5)

Splashproof Sealer eye shadow base (£7)

L. A. Splash cosmetics are much cheaper in the US, you can buy this brand along with Milani and NYX at CHERRY CULTURE

Bdellium Tools (random discount)

Bdellium Studio 10 piece Mineral Brush Set (£33)

964S Blusher, 957S Precision Cheek, 955S Finishing, 945S Contour, 942S Slanted Contour, 781S Crease, 776S Blending, 769S Angled Contour, 765S Small Angle Shader, 755S Smudger,  brush roll.                               

This was my best bargain! Even full price at £52 this set is incredible value for money you can get it from LOVE MAKE UP

Bloody Mary (very generous discount)

Special Effects eye shadows in Blood Red, Olive, Bruise Purple, Zombie Grey, Silver (crème) and Gold (crème), (2 for £7)

Mini spray blood (£2)

Special effects pencils in Navy (for veins) and Blood Red (for vampire eyes), (£2 each)

Meeting Bobbie Weiner (Bloody Mary) was the absolute highlight of my weekend, I was really sad that I’d missed her Zombie Girl and Burn Victim demo the previous day. 
You can buy a huge range of Bobbie’s SFX make up at BLOODY MARY  it’s all really good value for money and shipping is reasonable too.

I have to say that I really enjoyed my IMATS experience, it was really well organised and despite the crowds you could always find a quiet spot, no massive queues for the ladies was a bonus too. I will most definitely be returning (a lot poorer) next year :)