So...? Couture Rio Toilette*

The So...? body fragrances have been a staple in my handbag since I was a teenager. In the late nineties they were very popular and my friends and I would pass them round each other during classes. Best of all they were so cheap!

I recently had the chance to test one of the new So...? Couture Eau De Toilette, So...? Rio. I tested both the Eau De Toilette and body spray. The perfume bottle was very elegant and chic and small enough to take to work. The top notes of pineapple, melon and mango were subtle and sweet but didn't last long on my skin. I couldn't even smell the heart or base notes. It's a shame really but everyone's skin is different and this toilette just didn't want to work on my skin.  I wore it day in and day out for one week and not one person remarked on it, not even my boyfriend. I will be trying out the other scents when I next visit Boots to see if they are a better match for me.

If you are sampling perfumes in your local store try no more than three on your skin at any one time and smell them again after 30 minutes. This way you'll be able to smell the base notes and see if it works with you skin. Remember Eau De Toilette's don't last as long as perfumes and this is reflected in the price.

Body Fragrance 75ml £1.99 Available in Asda, Superdrug & Tesco

Eau De Toilette 50ml £9.99 Exclusive to Boots

The Library of Fragrance Reviewed*

Perfume scents from everyday life.

Before I tell you about this amazing cult brand I just want to say how much I appreciate my postman! Odd right? Actually I was out when he tried to deliver these perfumes and after asking for a redirection from the post office they still weren't delivered. Eight days later he turns up at 9pm on my doorstep. I was surprised to see him at such an hour but he explained that after his shift he went to our local post office in search of my package and had to deliver it personally to apologise. How great is he?! I need to find out how I can thank him better.

So yeah, I finally got my delivery of The Library of Fragrance perfumes I was hotly anticipating. This brand is now a cult figure among bloggers and had I not read about it on other blog posts it probably would have passed by me. What a huge disappointment that would have been! Why? Because they are divine, and that's putting it mildly. This brand has managed to bottle our everyday scents; scents which we often take for granted. If you love sipping on a Gin & Tonic during a heavy Thunderstorm while eating a succulent Pizza then you could smell them all day too. I swear some of the scents are crazy - Holy Water - where as others are more typical - Amber.

The two scents I requested where Paperback and Vanilla Cake Batter. I'm an avid reader and love walking into a bookstore and smelling that new book smell. Some may think me odd but it's like wearing a new pair of shoes and smelling the Leather. I was half expecting The Library of Fragrance to have made this scent more musky but then I'd be smelling old books not new books. It's light and evokes personal memories. It's something I will be wearing when I need a reminder of what great read is awaiting me back home. 

I use to bake cupcakes for family and friends a lot. These days I can never find the time and seriously miss it. The scent vanilla cake batter is spot on and it really is like sticking my head in a bowl off freshly made batter. This is also my boyfriends favourite on me as he's a big vanilla fan. 

The Library of Fragrance scents are clever, wearable and inexpensive. There is no top, heart and base notes just one scent which won't change over time on your skin. They are described as cologne sprays which makes them unisex and the elegant style of the perfumes will make them a classic. You can purchase them Online at The Library of Fragrance or at Boots and I hope you get a chance to smell all of them. My goal now is to collect as many as possible so I have something for every occasion.

Homemade Face Scrub how to

Beauty is only skin deep right? Well let's go a bit further by scrubbing off the dead layers.

In this blog post I'd like to share with you how I created my very own face scrub with just a few ingredients laying around my home. I went shopping the other day and came home without my beloved face scrub. I couldn't go without so had to make a homemade version. 

Ingredients Needed

+ An old moisturiser or body lotion (if making a body scrub)

+ A bag of sugar, unrefined is better

+ A mixing bowl and spoon

Use one part sugar to 3 parts lotion/moisturiser and mix well. Use straight away. I thought I'd be blue to keep the mixture but naturally the sugar eventually dissolved. 

It really is as simple as that. There are other methods and ingredients you can use but this is what I had laying around. If you scoure the internet you'll find many methods.

Wendy x

Candy Nails

I love creating beautiful nail designs for photo shoots. These nails were for my competition in London. Unfortunately I ran out of time and didn't get to use them. They have been kept safe though for when I  can do my candy photo shoot coming up soon.

I started by using double sided tape and sticking each nail to a cotton bud. I find it the easiest way to apply nail varnish without mess. I used 3 colours and created an ombré effect. First I painted the nails white and then painted the orange colour directly onto a sponge. The sponge was rolled back and forth across the nail for a light faded edge. Then I repeated the action with the pink, each time allowing for drying in between. Last but not least I glued some hundreds and thousands to each corner. I would have liked to have done the reverse corner for the other hand but forgot.

To keep the nails safe during transport I used my Benefit box, filled with cotton wool. Who'd have thought that tiny box which use to house my eye shadows would come in handy?! 

oX Wendy Xo

Kleenex Absorbing sheets

For all you glowing girls and guys this post is for you. I know that suffering with oily skin can be a nightmare because with an oily skin often comes spots. The "I've just rubbed my face on a chip shop newspaper" look isn't a trend and has never looked good. Despite what most people think, spots aren't brought on by lack of washing it's a build up of oils during the day which clog the pores. I can't go 2 hours without looking shiny. I use to try not wearing makeup up but it didn't stop my face shining and breaking out. I then tried popping to the toilets every few hours at work to apply a paper towel to my face. I found that they were actually absorbing some of the oil.

Then someone recommended Kleenex oil absorbing sheets to me. These wafer thin sheets didn't look very impressive and were very small. I thought I was going to get through a packet of these in 1 day! There are 50 sheets in a packet, surely not enough. I stuffed them into my back pocket and headed to work. 2 hours in I headed to the toilet, this time though instead of reaching for the paper towels I pulled out my Kleenex packet. I held a sheet upto my face and started blotting. To my surprise I managed to do my entire face with just 1 sheet and the results spoke for themselves. My face was shine free and the purple sheet had turned almost see-through.

Now I only use these. I've tried other brands but others have powdered sheets which is really bad for clogging my pores. Often the powder versions leave my skin looking like I put my makeup on in the dark, I end up with powdered patches. I couldn't recommend these sheets highly enough. If you haven't tried them yet you can buy them at Boots and Superdrug.

oX Wendy Xo

Pro Beauty Warpaint 2014 Inspiration

On the 24th Feb at 13:30 I'll be hard at work creating a beautiful hair and makeup on a wonderful model. This is because I have entered Professional Beauty Warpaint Competition 2014. This will not just be the first time I've been to this event but also my first competition as a makeup artist.

I have entered into the Edit category which is all about creating a flawless makeup perfect for a photoshoot. It will be looked at very closely by the judge who has now been announced as Dani Guinsberg - one of the UK’s leading make-up artists whose work features regularly in magazines such asBritish Vogue, Teen Vogue, GQ, Esquire, Stella Magazine, ES Magazine,British Cosmopolitan and British Marie Claire.

The theme I have to work with is Summer Holiday. For me this conjures up images of family holidays I. Great Yarmouth and Cromer, sitting on the pier eating ice cream, sweets and candy floss - I had such a sweet tooth! Without giving too much away my inspirations are above (photos taken from Pinterest, find the links on my boards). My colour palette will be soft pastels and hair will be big and bouncy. I'll also be doing nails. The only thing I haven't really thought about is clothing. Ideally I love for a student to create something for me as I love helping others get exposure too, time however isn't on my side.

Please wish me luck, I feel I may need it at such a big event. What does the theme Summer Holiday conjur up for you?

oX Wendy Xo

Girl Tattoo Sketches

 

Last night I was doing some research into getting another tattoo. My first and only tattoo I got a few years ago now is on my wrist. It's a small sausage dog which was drawn by Picasso. It means the world to mean! It took me years to decide what to get. A part of me was worried about it hurting but mostly I was worried I would get bored with a tattoo after awhile. I wanted something that meant a lot to me and although I don't own a sausage dog, one day I will. I even have the name picked out and everything. I kinda go gaga over little miniature dachshunds.

 

The only other way I'll get a permanent piece of artwork is if it's original. I use to spend hours drawing ideas. I came up with the two sketches above. Although the lady isn't original, I believe she was from a swimsuit book, the collaboration between my own drawings with the girl are. It's a cheeky way of making something new. I never actually got either of these done and stumbled across them last night. I'm going to stick them in a frame because even though they didn't make it to my skin they are still beautiful drawings and I should be proud I created them.

 

Expect to see more of my drawings cropping up as I've found loads I want to share with you

(っ◔‿◔)っ♡

 

oX Wendy Xo

Karla Cosmetics Instagram Giveaway

 

I’m super excited to announce my first ever Instagram Giveaway! I hit a personal milestone yesterday, 300 followers, so I wanted to give something back. Most of the people who tend to follow my social sites are beauty bloggers and makeup artists so it seemed right I do a makeup giveaway. For an added touch I thought it would be nice to throw in one of Karla Cosmetics A4 face charts which I just adore. They are my first choice to create my work on before a photoshoot or event. Check out my review of them here

To be in with a chance of winning head over to www.instagram.com/wendyenglandmua or just use your app.

Winner will receive the following

1 KarlaCosmetics A4 Face Chart pad for all your new creations

2 ELFCosmeticsUK Fan brush and Compact mirror

3 MUAcosmetics Undressed eyeshadow palette & Scarlet lip trio

4 CrownbrushUK Deluxe Crease brush

5 MeMeMe Cherub's Blush cheek & lip tint

6 Natio Pure Mineral Foundation in Soft Tan

7 L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Blush

Here's how you could win

You must be following @Wendyenglandmua

Repost the image using the Hashtag  #winwithwendy

One entry per person (no duplicate accounts) & you're profile must be public for me to see your entry

Giveaway ends on February 14th, 2014

Thank you for your continued support & Good Luck ≧^◡^≦

 

oX Wendy Xo

Duo eyelash glue reviewed

 

It's a staple of many a girls makeup bag. Without it we wouldn't be able to apply our fabulous false eyelashes to flutter at all the boys. There are many eyelash adhesives on the market but the one that I've found to last the longest in Duo. I had no idea this was supplied by MAC until I tried to hunt some down. It's surprising that MAC still sells it on their counters actually. Makeup counter assistants aren't allowed to apply eyelashes due to health and safety. Counter assistants aren't insured like a freelance makeup artist. If a customer were to have a reaction to the glue they could sue. Many counters don't even stock eyelashes now never mind the glue, we have to buy them online.

 

Well MAC seem to be the exception and stock this glue and their own branded lashes. My first thought was how much it cost, £15! When you think about it though you're getting a lot for your money. I found it quite runny initially and unable to apply it directly from the tube straight to the lashes. To overcome that I now use a dish. The consistency does thicken up when left to air for a minute. It sticks fairly well once it's aired but I still find it doesn't hold the lashes in the corner of the eyes. Tell me I'm not the only one that's found this a problem? It holds the lashes on without lifting after a few tweaking but I want to find another brand to use for photoshoots. I need something much quicker and effective when working to time constraints.

 

Love 'n' Hugs

oX Wendy Xo

 

 

Cruelty Free brands

 

Since becoming a makeup artist one thing has stood out to me more than before - animal testing. When applying just a beauty balm and lipbalm was enough I didn't take much notice of the brands I was using. To be honest I closed my eyes and ears to cruelty in any form, not wanting to know the bad stuff going on in the world. If a nasty picture of an animal testing flashed before me I would glance away thinking 'I don't want to see that'. That doesn't mean it's not happening though. As I started adding more and more makeup to my kit I started to see that I could be aiding these horrendous tests! That thought was numbing. During my research I found everyday brands that I've used for ages that are tested on animals - Chapstick, Aquafresh, Clean & Clear and Febreze are both Procter & Gamble products, Dove, Comfort, Vasaline and even MAC!

 

I adore animals - in my households there have been hamsters, fish, stick insects, lizards, guinea pigs, cats and dogs. I volunteered at The Dogs Trust in Snetterton for 1 morning a week for 2 years. It was a 45min journey one way and I savoured the time I got to spend with all the different breeds - giving them a chance to leave their kennels and get some much needed exercise. The state at which some dogs came into the centre is very distressing for the staff to see. You would hear the stories of animals being tied to the gate for the staff to find because the owners are to gutless to admit how they have neglected the poor animals. Have you watched Paul O Grady's love of Dogs?

 

So I decided that if I'm going to be in this industry that I was not going to aid in any animal testing. The best way to do this? Use brands that are against cruelty. There are already lists available on Peta and Leaping Bunny but it would take you hours to go through them all. The simplest way to see if the brands you're using are cruelty free is to look for the bunny logo on the bottles. 

 

 

Unfortunately, three of the largest cruelty-free companies, Avon, Mary Kay and Estee Lauder, recently resumed animal testing in order to satisfy legal requirements in China, so that they could sell their products there. Revlon, which was one of the first large mainstream companies to go cruelty-free, is now selling in China but will not answer questions about their animal testing policy. Because of their refusal to answer questions, Revlon is now on the cruel list. Products sold in the EU remain free of testing since march 2013, see my post all about it here.

 

Below is my own list of brands which I have researched and found to be cruelty free. There are some known and unknowns which are worth checking out.

 

Bare Faced Minerals 

B. Makeup

Beauty so clean
Evamar Beauty Solutions

Eyes Lips Face (e.l.f)

Dermalogica
Face Atelier
Furless (Australian)

Kryolan

Limecrime
LUSH
Mehron

NYX

Stila

Sugarpill
The Body Shop
Too Faced

Urban Decay

 

You will notice that I have listed 2 brands which are owned by L'Oreal (who everyone knows tests on animals). Why are Urban Decay and The Body Shop on my list then? This is a grey area and causes the most questions and opinions. When a cruelty-free company is owned or acquired by a parent company that tests on animals. For example, The Body Shop is cruelty-free, but was acquired by L’Oreal in 2006. Although The Body Shop still does not test its products on animals, L’Oreal continues to conduct animal testing. They were acquired on one condition - that they stay separate from L'Oreal and no animal testing at any stage of the process is carried out. It is your own choice whether you choose to use these companies or not.

 

In my opinion if we all stopped using the cruelty free brands owned by the parent brands what kind of message are we sending back to them? If we were to JUST use Urban Decay and The Body Shop and boycott any other brand underneath L'Oreal then at some point they will have to adjust their business strategy as they will see their primary income coming from the brands who do not test on animals.

 

Remember that an animal may only be a small part of your life but to them you are their whole world! Treat them with the love that they deserve.

 

To see the full list of brands that are cruelty free visit Petas' website as linked earlier. Please accept that these are my own views and respect my opinion before commenting. Would you like me to post about the brands that DO test on animals and who to avoid?

 

Wendy xo

Homemade Christmas Beauty

 

I've always been a big fan of homemade products (especially if their edible). One Christmas I made rum truffles and cookies and packaged them up in cute bags for gifts. It was a nice change from the usual store bought presents. There was always the odd person who thought I was being "cheap". They can't appreciate the time and love that goes into making something special, it's such a shame. So I was quite excited when my boyfriend came home from his works party with a little something for me.

 

His workmate Leah had made a little lip balm for me. My first thought was GERMS! I'm terrible I know but I don't like to use my hands to apply things. I prefer to use tube sticks. Understandably these would have cost more. I plan on keeping it in my bathroom for use after exfoliating my lips. Surely it's not just me who gets dry lips after a good brushing. I asked Leah kindly if I could write a blog post about her little homemade products and she was happy to share her secret.

 

Leah says, "I decided this Christmas that the ladies of my life should have something a bit more unique and something homemade with love. Plus it's worked out a lot cheaper than buying presents for everyone." See her fabulous products pictured above and now give these a try yourself with Leahs how to -

 

How to:

Soap: melting some goats milk soap base down and adding shredded coconut and lime essential oil, pour into moulds and leave to set.

 

Lip balm: melted down beeswax and cocoa butter added oil and peppermint essential oil. Pour into sterilised lip balm tins or tubes - leave to set

 

Solid hand lotion: melt down beeswax and cocoa butter, add oil, vitamin e and any essential oil of your choosing, e.g. lime

 

Sugar scrub: add oil to sugar mix together and add essential oil and food colouring if desired

 

Buy your lip tins from Amazon. Thank you Leah for sharing your tips with my readers.

 

Wendy Xo

How to HAC

 

 

Last night I posted a before and after shot of my HAC (that's highlight and contour for those of you not in the know) via my Instagram. Many of you asked how I done it and also how I managed to get my brows so thick. I'll do a separate post on my brows. For now I want to focus on HAC-ing.

 

So what is HAC-ing? It's used among many celebrities and applied by their makeup artists. It helps define and accentuate the facial features. Always wanted a slimmer nose? Done! Want higher cheekbones? Easy! Makeup is used to create the illusion of flawless skin. Once you try this you'll be addicted. You will have seen HAC-ing on people like Kim Kardashian and Mila Kunis.

 

 



photos taken from the Daily Mail online

 

This makeup application can take 10 years off you if done right. I've always hated my nose and this technique is like a magic trick for my face. No plastic surgery needed. So the easiest way to show you is with a step by step guide. It takes a lot of practise and I wouldn't expect anyone to wear it on a daily basis. Be warned you will use ALOT of makeup for this look.

 

 

Prep your face with a good primer, I use Smashbox Photo Finish primer (£25)

 

Use any corrective creams you may need and apply your normal foundation. I use MAC Face and Body foundation in N1 (£21.50). I also have to conceal any spots, which I have many of at the moment. Apply highlighter in a 'v' from the corner of your nose to just beyond your eyes. Stay off the side of your nose or you'll make it appear wider. I took mine right up under my eyes as I have terrible baggies. Apply in another 'v' on your forehead and under your mouth. I apply above my lip also to give the appearance of a fuller lip. I mix my own highlighter using L'Oreal Lumi Magique pen (£8) and a very light foundation.

 

Add contour with a dark foundation, 3-4 shades darker than your normal shade. Any darker and you'll be verging on the 'orange' look which isn't flattering and won't blend well. Apply it where ever you want you face to appear slimmer. In my case I want higher cheekbones, smaller chin and nose. Applying it to the outside of the face creates depth.

 

I'm showing you how I've started to blend. The trick is to blend upwards to avoid losing the lines which define your look. 

 

Everything is now blended. It looks slightly darker than my neck due to using colours darker than I normally would to create more definition. I was starting to lose light at this point so finished up my makeup and took the last picture in my conservatory.

 

As you can see my nose looks slimmer and my cheekbones higher. Below is a full product list of the colours used to complete the look.

 

Urban Decay NAKED palette

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Sleek Dip it Eyeliner in black

Sleek Blusher in Pixie Pink

Topshop Lip liner in Fearless

L'Oreal Glam Shine gloss in Fresh Fuchsia

 

 

Beauty Advent Calandars 2013

 

It's not long now, just 27 days until we will be opening the first door of our advent calendars. The question is though, which advent calendar will be gracing your dressing table? Will you be going traditional with a chocolate treat or splurge on an exclusive beauty calendar? This will be the first year that I've bothered to even take any notice of the calendars; I've not even had a chocolate one in over 10 years!

There has been one I've had my eye on since I heard of it's inception. It goes on sale TODAY at 12 noon. Do you know which one I'm talking about? If you are yet to buy yours read on to see the beauty calendars available to buy.
 

Ciate Mini Mani Advent Calendar - £42

"Every girl's diary can now be filled with a daily dose of delectable mini nail treats, as behind each door lies a very colourful surprise. Gorgeously packaged with seventeen of Ciaté's bestselling mini Paint Pots, four mini Caviar blends, and three extremely special exclusive Paint Pot glitter shades you'll not find anywhere else, ever."

The calendar contains 17 of the best-selling shades in mini Paint Pots, 4 mini Caviar blends, and 3 exclusive Paint Pot Glitter shades.

This was the first calendar I heard about last year. Every blogger seemed to have their mitts on them. I myself am not a fan of nail polishes as they just don't last on me. This would be perfect for the nail art lover.. At £42 it's one of the cheapest I've heard of and at that price won't be hanging about long.

It's exclusively available at Selfridges stores and online - LINK

Spending Ban Collaboration #3

 

 



The Ban - 111 Days

Starting on 13/10/13 - Ending on 31/01/14

The Rules -

• Add your name and blog to the Linky below so myself and other readers can find your collaboration posts.
• Add the 'Spending Ban Blogger Collaboration' button to your sidebar which links back to this page so others can join in.
• Follow myself and other bloggers in the collaboration by following their linkies. Follow by whichever source you use most - Google+, Bloglovin', GFC, Twitter etc
• Subscribe via email if you would like weekly updates and motivational emails (this will only be once a week at the weekend)
• You may continue to blog about products you already own or PR/Sponsor posts where products are gifted to you
• Blog atleast once a week about your experience (daily would be fabulous but not expected)
• Be kind and friendly to other bloggers in the Collaboration. Encourage their ban and support them when they are finding it hard.
• Keep in touch via Twitter (we all use it so might as well). Share your posts with the hashtag #spendingbancollab

(I won't be stopping my Glossybox subscription but I will be giving up buying any other products)

Spending Ban Collaboration #2

 

It's been a few days since I started my spending ban and it's all calm at sea so far. I was absolutely GUTTED when I was contacted by my favourite blogger Tattooed Tea Lady via twitter yesterday. Turns out a space had become available at the Nottingham bloggers meet. I knew I couldn't afford to go (it's a 3hr 30min drive) and if I could afford petrol the shopping alone would be too much temptation. I've never been to one of her meet ups before but read all about them. Guess where I am today?

Review: Lush Santa's Lip Scrub

 

Is it too early to be buying products with the name 'Santa'? Not when they're from Lush! Just to confirm I bought this little beauty a couple of days before I started my spending ban. It's one of the reason why I decided I needed to stop spending.

 

Featured Blogger: Rara Rouge shares how to contour

Hey Y’all!

This is a foundation/how I contour my face combo blog. Awesome possum. I’m excited, so let’s get this train wreck rolling.

First off, I have to give props to the AMAZING Wayne Goss for introducing me to this miracle, time saving method. Why not check out his channel here? But not until you’ve finished reading this, you Judas!

  ← Jabba, you too can have cheekbones!

As a mother to 3 young children and a full time student, I look to squeeze precious seconds out of every task I seek to accomplish. A few of my fave tip saving tips also include; brushing my teeth in the shower, cramming my dinner into my face over the sink as I wash dishes/contemplate how the hell my life came to this and quaffing my share of the Friday night wine when my dear husband goes to the loo to make me exempt from getting up with the kids during the night (sly as a fox!).  I do not have time to spend hours doing my face in the morning. I am actually convinced in the 3 seconds the kids are awake before me, they have a little pow-wow, get their watches out  and plan to synchronise their bowels/draw on the walls/smear themselves in jam during the10 minutes I have assigned to do my slap.

Face mask gone wrong: Reaction/burning

This morning I woke up to find my skin as spotty as ever so out came the ingredients to my Acne Treatment mask (find post here). I was busy recording what I was doing for instagram and not paying too much attention to the amount of lemon I was squeezing into the mixture. I slapped it on my face and started to run my bath. Within minutes my face started to tingle and before my bath was half full it was burning. I knew something was wrong because it hadn't felt this way before. I hastily removed the mask and looked at my reflection in the mirror. To my horror this is what I saw ...

Spending Ban Blogger Collaboration #1

 

 



Last night I found myself on the Makeup Academy website adding item after item to my cart and before I knew it I'd stuffed in over £20 worth! Did I need any of the products? No! Did I really even want the cheap eyelashes, bargain lippies or sticky glosses? Not really. So why did I continue through to checkout and click pay now? 50% off ofcourse! This my friends is where an intervention is needed.

Acne Treatment home mask

If you have ever suffered from Acne you know how confidence knocking it can be. I started getting spots when I was 9 when I got my first pimple. As the years went on the spots got worse. The doctor put me on a 6 months pill subscription but my skin didn't clear up. I was put on several different contraceptions - the pill made me throw up, the patch gave me a rash, then came the injection. The depo-injection was once every 3 months and not only did it clear up my skin but my periods stopped (so did my libido) but then I ended up with depression and weight gain.