No more Raccoon eyes

The other day I was browsing the duty free aisles for a clear mascara which proof very hard to find, don't people use clear mascara anymore?
Then I found this little gem by Clarins, the Double Fix' Mascara. The gel will make any mascara and eyebrow pencil waterproof. Result! No more under eye mascara smudges on a hot and humid day, don't get me wrong I like raccoons just don't like looking like one.
I had a little test under the shower (still not brave enough to try in dip in the English sea) and my mascara and eyebrow colour stayed put. The gel will also keep your unruly brows in check through any climate.
If all of this isn't enough you can also use the clear gel without mascara to condition your lashes and eyebrows, good for days when you don't want to wear any makeup, yes they do excists ;)
The buy of the summer if you ask me, £17 at your local makeup store.

Whats in your makeup bag...Lindsey Kelk

portret by Rachael Wright www.rachaelwright.co.uk

Whats in your makeup bag is back, and this time we take a sneaky peak in the clutch of  I heart author and beauty blogger Lindsey Kelk!

Like lots of you out there I simply adore the I heart book series, they are funny, gripping and you just want to be a character in the book. Luckily Lindsey has written 6 books, 5 in the I heart series and 'The single girls to do list' a hilarious book about a British makeup artist walking the rocky, being dumped path. If this isn't enough to keep a person busy Lindsey is also a beauty blogger, Marie Claire columnist and children's book editor.
A few years back Lindsey moved from Britain to New York and has fallen deeply in love with the city, and with the WWE but that's a whole different story ;)
I am curious if her love for the big apple has influenced her makeup purchases, so lets have a peak in the bag of this self acclaimed beauty junkie

Primer

Benefit Porefessional Love this. I was a huge sceptic of primers for the longest time but then I started using the Smashbox Photofinish and everything changed. I switched to Porefessional about a year ago, it’s not more substance than the Smashbox primer and I think gives my base more to grip on to. Sometimes, if my skin is behaving, I just wear this with concealer, it’s great to even out skin tone and create a smooth, silky finish.

Foundation

Armani Luminous Silk in 3.75 I’ve tried every foundation on earth but this is on of the few I’ve actually re bought. I think I’m on my third bottle which pretty much makes it my longest make-up relationship. Woah. I love the way you can build up coverage without it looking cakey and it lasts wonderfully. I have a nightmare getting shades light enough for me, even the people on the MAC counter gave up on me, but Armani makes two shades lighter than this one so once we’re in deepest darkest winter, I’ve got somewhere else to go. Amazing. Special mention to Benefit’s Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation. I love it but I know once the weather turns, it’ll be too warm for my skin tone. Still, my favourite summer pick.

Tinted Moisturiser

La Mer SPF 158 Fluid Tint This is a great way to buy into the La Mer range without breaking the bank. I love the way it evens out my complexion on days when I don’t need or can’t cope with foundation. Again, it’s a little warmer than my actually skin tone but since it is summer and I look like the walking dead, I understand that I need a little help sometimes…

Concealer

Benefit It Stick This has been discontinued. One day very soon, I will cry.

Rimmel Hide the Blemish I’ve had a very long term love affair with this bad boy. So glad I can get it in the States now.

Maybelline Magic Eraser Concealer I actually (whisper this) like this better than Touche Eclat. I don’t think you can get it in the UK just yet, I bring them back for my mum. Wonderful stuff.

 Powder

Stila Set & Correct Baked Powder I’ve been off loose powders for a while but I was won over by this because a) it’s Stila, b) it has a little grinding thing in the top that means it travels nicely and c) it really does correct my skin tone nicely. Hurrah.

L’Oreal Perfect Match Pressed Powder Cheap as chips and a brilliant product. I re buy this A LOT. I just wish the packaging were nicer.

Cheeks

MAC blush in Tippi and Mineralize Skin Finish in Moon River
The day I run out of the Hello Kitty Tippi blush will be a dark day indeed. I love this on the apples of my cheeks for a pop of colour (and I stocked up accordingly when it was released). The Moon River is gorgeous for an all over glow. I can’t wear bronzer so this is as close as I come. Not that close.

Benefit Cha Cha Tint I’ve been wearing corals basically since I’ve been wearing make-up so I was ecstatic when Benefit added this to their stain line up. I love love love it. It’s brilliant for summer time – I want them to release a mini!

Eyes

Laura Mercier Baked Colour Palette I love the neutral shades in here and the delicate finished make them perfect for daywear.

Urban Decay Naked and Naked 2 I take these bad boys with me when I’m travelling and virtually never need anything else. Love them so much.

MAC Metal-X Cream shadow in Palladium I have worshipped this since I first found it and was forced to stock up for fear of it going the way of the Tippi blush. For a really long-lasting eye, I start with an eye primer, then use this then layer on shadows from Naked/Naked 2. Verve from Naked 2 is a perfect match on top of it. Love.

Chanel Waterproof Eye Crayon in Espresso, Noir Intense and Silver Light I first picked these up before a trip to Texas. Texas = hot, humid and lots of swimming so they were put through their paces. I’ll never use another eyeliner.

Benefit They’re Real mascara I’m on my third tube of this. Every time I play away with something else, I come crawling back… for shame. At night, I like to layer it over Bad Gal Lash. Rowr.

Lips
Revlon Lip Butters I wasn’t won over by these when they first came out but now I find myself wearing Candy Apple and Tutti Frutti all the time. They’re a great pop of colour.

Dior Lip Glow My number one, all time favourite lip product. It’s a sheer, pinkish balm that adapts to the colour of your lips and I am OBSESSED with it. I got through one tube every couple of months. That’s probably not healthy. My insides are probably tinted pink by now. AND I DON’T CARE.

Nars lip glosses in Sweet Revenge, Wonder and Easy Lover I love Nars glosses. I feel like they’re not desperately sticky and they have enough colour to pack a punch without being overpowering

YSL Glossy Stain in Number 8 This is my favourite launch of the year. The coral colour is perfect for a polished day look and then switches to night easily by setting off a smokey eye (which I cheat by smudging a line of the Chanel Espresso liner all the way around the eye). I need a bit of colour in my lips, even if I’m staying neutral and this is perfect.

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Now we know why Lindsey Kelk is so fabulous, great makeup choices! And a coral girl after my own heart might have to go out and try the YSL lip stain.
Want to know a bit more about Miss Kelk? Have a look on her website www.lindseykelk.com  and check her out on twitter @LindseyKelk

Ellis clips

You want your makeup to blend perfect, feel light and make you look amazing but it doesn't harm for your makeup to look very cool either, have a look at these clips you can use to keep all your gorgeous Ellis Faas makeup pens together
If you haven't tried Ellis's makeup yet, shame on you! The concealers are a dream and the liquid eyeshadows come in such amazing colours you don't know what you ever did before them.
Have a look on the online shop, they currently give you free shipping by using the voucher code: SHIPNL
www.ellisfaas.com

Collezioni

Have a look at this story from the latest Collezioni magazine.

Shot by Laura Hart and styled by Kate van der Hage, hair and makeup by me!

Laura has done an amazing job, the shots look amazing!!!

The boat project

If you follow me on twitter you would have seen the pictures of this amazing boat last week. The collective spirit is a 30ft yacht build from donated wood. And not just any wood, the artists who came up with the idea, Gary Winters and Gregg Whelan, visited 20 locations in the south east of England seeking wooden object with a story behind them. Nearly 1500 people donated treasured objects including a section of Brighton's West Pier, a plank from the London 2012 velodrome, several hockey sticks, a Victorian police truncheon, large crates used to transport gold as British securities to Canada during World War II and a hairbrush used by a make-up artist at Pinewood Studios in the 1960s. There is also slice of a  Jimi Hendrixs guitar, children toys, a rosary, a small piece of the H.M.S. Victory from the battle of Trafalgar and many, many more wooden objects.
Have a look at my pictures and see what you can discover.

Described as a 'floating collage of memories' the Collective Spirit will be on show in the Olympic sailing venue in Dorset this August.
For more information have a look on the theboatproject.com website.

Vanity Fair

Doing hair and makeup on kids can sometimes be very interesting. Like when you are shooting a swimwear story but the weather is so bad the shoot needs to be pushed back hour up on hour. That was the case on this shoot for Vanity Fair, the location was a beautiful yacht club outside Cape Town but on the day the sun was nowhere to be seen. What can you do then hang around and wait for the clouds to lift. After a couple of hours of football and boat exploring the sun finally came out and we could start our shoot. Have a look hope you like it.

Photography by Igor Borisov and styled by Ellie Lines

And this was going on backstage

Blue Illusions

How gorgeous is this image of Chanel's new Blue illusions collection? I'm loving all the blue tones!
For spring summer 2012 the Chanel Haute Couture Collection reveals its every nuance between inky nights and clear lagoons. The collection recreated a long haul flight in midair, with the models sporting strong lines around the eyes and blue eye shadows on the eyelids.

Peter Philips, creative director of Chanel makeup, got inspired by the intangible hues of summer blues. Like a cloud strewn sky, eyes take up shimmering reflections that change with the light.

I especially love the eye colours illusion d'ombre, that take on a satiny affect that make your eyes glow. They come in two shades of blue grey, one more intense the other more pale. You can build the colour up to get the exact shade you like.

I also adore the nail polish, would look fab on your toenails!

The Blue illusion collection will be available in selected stores from July 13.

photos and text courtesey of Chanel Press office

Rouge Unlimited!

A futuristic wall of lipsticks, whats not to like!
Shu Uemura just launched their new Rouge Unlimited lipstick range, 44 new shades of high tech, high pigment lipstick. These new shades gives you their truest colour payoff ever with a non sticky texture and very smooth application. The Lipsticks are long lasting and moisturise your lips, a true comfortable wear.
I first saw these magic sticks on the Shu Uemura press day and they are awesome!
There is a colour for everybody as the colour range goes from soft pink to deep wine and back via beige and orange.
Shu Uemura is the only brand that makes a beautiful burned orange tone,  great on almost every skin colour and a must have for autumn. In this range its called or540 and I cant wait to get my hands on one. The lipsticks are £19 and as a little treat Shu gives you the shipping for free just enter the code: unlimited.
Slightly tempted to get them all and decorate my house as the picture above.....

Mosaic

If you love mosaics you should definitely go to park Guell in Barcelona, Spain. The mosaics (and structures) are designed by Gaudi and I absolutely love the colours on this part of the serpent shaped bench on the main terrace. Almost looks like my makeup palette :)

Eight Hour Cream

On a recent airport duty free browse I came across Elizabeth Ardens Eight hour sun screen cream, which I had never even heard off before. Of course I'm familiar with Arden's cult product that is Eight Hour cream but I never knew there was a whole range in the Eight Hour cream line.

This SPF50 oil-free facial cream is a dream to apply, it absorbs very easily but keeps your skin hydrated for the whole day and of course protects you for those pesky UV rays.
They not only have this face protector there is also an Eight Hour sunscreen stick, an Eight Hour lip protector, and one with a hint of colour, an Eight Hour daily moisturiser, an Eight Hour hand treatment and an Eight Hour body treatment. (have a look here for all the products in the line)
I only ever used Eight Hour cream on models eyebrows and cheek bones to give them a lovely dewy glow. I never came round to use it on my on face as I find the fragrance very over powering, hooray for the newly released fragrance free version! And I must say the sun screen cream doesn't smell bad at all.

Eight Hour cream was develop by Miss Arden herself more then 70 years ago, and was the first cream to bear the Elizabeth Arden name. It protects your skin from drying sun, wind, central heating and air-conditioning with its special Eight Hour skin Protectant. It soothes, protects and seals in moisture with its Petrolatum. Salicylic acid (Arden was the first to use this light exfoliating product) soothes dry skin and its Vitamin E protects from environmental assaults. The cream was an instant success, one lady even said it healed her sons scraped knee in 8 hours, and the cult cream name was born.

One tub of Eight Hour cream can be used for many different skin solutions, its a great lip moisturiser, its an in flight skin hydrater, its good to reduce post shaving irritation on your legs, it soothes sunburn, its a hand creme, a skin smoother, it gives a lovely shine to your makeup and  said that Miss Arden even used it on her horses.

So if you after just one cream that takes care of everything go to on of the oldest cosmetic companies, go and visit Elizabeth Arden.

The Fall

Sometimes when your travel schedule doesn't go as planed and you are delayed for hours there is nothing else to do then get a movie out. One of the films I have on my Ipad that I love watching over and over again is 'The Fall'
This 2006 movie is visually the most beautiful film I have ever seen. Shot in 18 countries the director Tarsem Singh claims no special effect where used on its 26 locations despite its surreal looks.

Synopsis from imdb 'In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastical story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.'

Have a look at these screen grabs from my pad, the locations are just amazing!

Go and get the dvd and watch it this week, you will be amazed!

For more info have a look at this imdb link.