Royal Wedding Make Up Special - Bobbi Brown

Now, I mostly avoided the royal wedding as just looking at wedding dresses make me come out in hives but I must admit to ogling everyone's beautiful make up after the event. I wasn't surprised to hear that most of the main looks were courtesy of Bobbi Brown, Bobbi is the master of natural looking prettification and I will happily say everyone looked stunning.

If you want to replicate the looks yourself, try these royal wedding inspired looks...

Bride

1. Start with clean, fresh skin. Even out skin tone with Corrector (£17.00), Concealer (£17.00) and Foundation.

2. Sweep Ivory Eye Shadow (£15.00) all over the lid.

3. Apply Rockstar Metallic Eye Shadow (£15.00) on the lower lid.

4. Blend Slate Eye Shadow (£15.00) into the crease.

5. Line upper and lower lash lines with Black Ink Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner (£15.50), making sure that the top line is thicker than the bottom.

6. Brush on two coats of Black No Smudge Mascara (£18.00).

7. Smile and sweep Pale Pink Blush (£17.00) on the apples of the cheeks.

8. Dust Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick (£30.50) high on the cheekbones.

9. Apply Sandwash Pink Lip Color (£16.00) on lips, followed by Crystal Gloss.

Maid of Honour

1. Begin by applying Corrector (£17.00), Concealer (£17.00) and a little bit of Foundation for beautifully even skin.

2. Warm up the face with a skin-tone-correct Bronzer (£24.00).

3. Sweep Bone Eye Shadow (£15.00) across the entire lid.

4. Apply Long Wear Cream Shadow in Ash (£16.50) on the lower lid only.

5. Perfectly define the eyes with Long Wear Gel Eye Liner in Black Ink (£15.50) on the top and bottom lash lines.

6. Open and curl the lashes with two coats of Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara (£18.00).

7. Play up the cheeks with Blush in Sand Pink (£17.00).

8. Softly brush a Highlighter Pen (£25.00) high onto the cheek bones for added definition and shimmer.

9. Apply Blondie Pink Lip Color (£16.00) on the lips, followed by Confetti Lip Gloss (£14.50).

I Want... Urban Decay Urban Bride

I'm a huge fan of Urban Decay and am rarely without one of their 24/7 eyeliners or shadow pencils, it's a weakness. Seriously, I've tried to write it off as a 'collection' like how one might collect stickers or Polly Pocket figures (which I did when I was like, nine) but it's just wanton greed and vanity really. Two sins in one, yay!

Anyway, I'm super excited about their new Urban Bride box. Chock full of awesome products that will guarantee every bride looks her best on her big day, I'll be picking this bad boy up for the two brides I'll be hanging with this summer (as well as one for myself because, sod it, why shouldn't we single girls have some fun too?). UD have the market cornered on cool, long-lasting products and this kit is a great starting point for any blushing bride. And once the products have all come out to play, the new missus can use the beautiful box to save her wedding mementos.

The box has been released to tie-in with the new movie, Bridesmaids, something else I can't wait for. John Hamm and Chris O'Dowd in one movie? Did they make this movie for me? I think yes. And I feel similarly about the UD kit. Despite the fact I'm single.
Please see above comment re: sod it.

These are a few of my favourite things... Davines

Since I went red in December (best. decisions. ever) I've spent rather a lot of time worrying* about fade out, something that never really bothered me when I was brunette. Luckily for me, the salon where I get my colour did - Woodley & Bunny - carries an amazing range for coloured hair by Davines. I've never been a massive fan of colour depositing shampoos and conditioners as I've always found them a bit drying but the Davines Alchemic system is amaze. I use the Red shampoo and conditioner a couple of times a week and seriously, I get next to no fade out plus my hair is super soft and manageable.


The shampoo takes a bit of getting used to as it needs a minute's massage to 'give' - make sure your hair is completely saturated before you begin - and the conditioner looks terrifying, just like red putty, but it really is fantastic stuff. I won't lie, it's an investment but if you're going to the trouble of colouring your hair red, you're kind of committing yourself to a hell of a lot of up keep from the outset. If you offset the cost of the shampoo and conditioner against how regularly you'll need touch ups, I'm pretty sure they'll pay for themselves within a year. I've been a redhead for nearly six months now and I've just opened my second bottle/jar of product. It lasts aaaaages.



For non-redheads hair, I loved the Davines Nourishing hair pack in days of old, it's ridiculously moisturising if you've got very dry or very long hair that needs a bit of TLC. Plus it's green and looks like something out of Ghostbusters. Score.



*I am spending way too much time worrying about things at the moment, aren't I? And this is just my beauty routine, don't even get me started on work or boys, you'll never hear the end of it...

These are a few of my favourite things... Elemis Cleansers

I realised the other day it's been an age since I shared some of my new favourite products with you so that's what you're going to get this week. Hope that's OK.

For the last few months, my skin has been awful dry and for someone who has only ever had combination skin at best, this has been extra distressing. Mainly because it means I'm old. Well, I am (whisper) thirty but still, it hurts. My lovely Philosophy Purity cleanser just wasn't cutting it and so I turned back to my Liz Earle Cream Cleanser but still, it just wasn't working out. And so I dug into the BeautyMecca box to see what I could see and lo and behold, hidden away was the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel and Rosepetal Cleanser.



I immediately stuck the cleansing gel in the shower and started using it in place of the Purity in a morning. The Rosepetal cleanser took over from the Liz Earle as a cream cleanser at bedtime, massaged into dry skin and removed with a hot cloth. I LOVED it. And more importantly, so did my skin. The consistency is a lot looser than the Liz Earle and it melted all my make up and daily grime right away. It also sorted my eye make up right out.


The next morning, I busted out the gel cleanser. This is a really nice product, transforming from a pearlised gel to a creamy cleansing milk once on wet skin. It felt like I was getting a really great deep cleanse but my skin didn't feel like it was stripped at all.

It's been about two weeks since I switched up my routine and I have to say, my skin does look a lot better however, the real test will be at my facial appointment tomorrow. The last time I was looked at (during the wonder of spa week) I was told my skin was very dehydrated, the death knell of ageing skin. Fingers crossed I'll get better news in the morning...

Beauty.com goodness

I have been meaning to get hold of a Clarisonic cleanser for the longest time. And at last, I think I've found my motivation.


This week, Beauty.com is offering the limited edition lavender Clarisonic-Mia with a Jurlique Skin Brightening set. Now, I'm new to Jurlique but I'm a huge fan of everything I've tried so far. For $149, you get the Clarisonic Mia and full-size Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Cleanser and deluxe sample of the Jurlique Purely White Skin Brightening Essence. Sounds good, right? As well as being able to purchase here, you can also enter to win the package on Beauty.com Facebook page.

Obviously the Clarisonic Mia isn't a cheap but of kit so to make it a bargain in anyway delights me. Colour me delighted.

Actually, colour me sunburned because I went to the beach today and the wind ripped my sunscreen right off. Sonofa...

Lush's Japan Aid Soap

Just a quickie because I'm super rushed today but please, please, please check out Lush's Japan Aid soap. For just £5.00, you get a really rather wonderful soap from Lush and all proceeds go to help relief efforts in Japan, via a charity called Peace Boat. The soap is available in all Lush shops nationwide and online.

TIGI Bedhead Colour Combat

As I may have mentioned several million times, I recently went red (in the head department) and keeping hold of that cover once I've paid a bazillion dollars* for it, is now one of my constant torments.

Happily, I've been giving a few products a go and they're all working out. Whee. Next time I get the roots done, I'll do some before and after shots for you. Honest. If I remember. Anyway, first up on the block is Tigi Bedhead's Colour Combat shampoo and conditioner.
I wasn't sure about this at first as I've been very much leaning towards colour depositing options but I stuck this in the shower, looked at it for a few days and then, one shiny morning, I stepped into the shower to find it smelling of the most delicious toffee-chocolate-candy goodness. Seriously, I wanted to lick the walls. And I clean our shower so I know that wouldn't be a good idea. Turned out, my brunette-coloured roommate had popped open the Colour Combat and that was where the amazing scent was coming from. I immediately caved and washed, rinsed and repeated. It was delicious. Any no colour loss!

I have to admit that I've still been including my colour depositing deep conditioner once a week or so but in between treatments, this is a great, great, great option. Love. My roommate also vouches for it's wonder. The main evidence of this is that we've already gone through one set of the shampoo and conditioner and are currently fighting over the leave-in conditioner.

We used the Colour Goddess version (kindly provided by ABPR) for redheads and brunettes but I'd love to hear from anyone who's tried the Dumb Blonde version. Check out the entire range at www.bedhead.com I'm also a long-term lover of After Party if you're putting an order in. And when I had shorter hair, I lived and died by Hard to Get. Love.


*This is an approximate cost, submitted to my bank manager on a six weekly-basis.