The cycle that is *fashion*/trends in make up...Lush Emotional Brilliance!

Colour therapy uses light in the form of colour to balance "energy" wherever a person's body be lacking, whether on physical, emotional, spiritual, or mental levels.

Lush has used the power of colour, the meaning of colour and words attached to specific colours like an affirmation in the creation of their new line Emotional Brilliance, an empowering concept no? Well it is one that has been seen within the cosmetics world before and it was a range called Tony & Tina.

Tony & Tina were 2 New York based artists who believed in the *power* of colour book published in 2002  http://www.amazon.com/Tony-Tina-Color-Energy-Transform/dp/0743217926

The line was *full colour* and colour therapy was at the heart of the range.

Along with esoteric names the colours would resonate with you and there was a *test* that would guide you in your choice of colour.

The nail colours in particular were very popular and were sold in Liberty late 90's onwards. The Glitter is called *The Gift* and this picture is courtesy of: Pretty Random Blog.

Tony & Tina were a couple and never meant to create a range of make up, it started with nail polishes as part of an art experiment in 1997. The range grew and grew and with the lipsticks they incorporated aromatherapy as well as colour therapy, the couple split and Tony & Tina was sold to/acquired by Wella's cosmetic division in 2002 and stopped trading in 2005.


Lush Emotional Brilliance:

Colour therapy for eyes and lips where you choose 3 colours and each colour you choose has a meaning and that meaning and colour resonates with you.

Aah the cycle that is fashion. I love the lip colours and the colour that resonated with me was *Power* mwah ha ha ha. ;) The woman that is the colour mastermind at Lush is Ro/Rowena and she was the creative behind B never too busy to be beautiful. I have only ever heard wonderful things about her, so I think Emotional Brilliance was created with the best intentions and as the perfect colour range for Lush.
Just shows the cyclical nature of fashion and make up. xx

Round up and Review of my all time favourite under eye concealers.

The skin under the eye is very fine and a perfect concealer for this area is literally like a search for the holy grail. Dark circles, puffiness and lines are the most common complaints and it takes a special formulation to really create a fresh *rested* look. I have naturally very dark circles (inherited) and made all the more obvious because of  not sleeping enough, being anaemic and so I could go on, so I am obsessed with under eye concealer because it can make such a huge difference. I approach concealing under the eyes as an exercise in *layering* by starting with concealer on the inner corner of the eye and the outer corner of the eye, tapping into the skin and then applying a skintone *sparingly* on top and there you go, you will create a fresh faced look.

Best for creating the *freshest* look:

Bobbi Brown-Creamy Corrector Kit- £24.00- 14 shades *BEST SPECTRUM OF SHADES AVAILABLE*

This kit contains 2 products, a *neutraliser* which is peachy/apricot toned to erase dark circles and then an skin-tone to apply over the top which creates the perfect *refreshed* look. It is a soft creamy texture that works easily into the skin. It is a fantastic kit for *problem* dark circles and comes in shades ranging from fairest to the deepest tones.

Best light reflecting pen concealer:

Dior SKINFLASH Pen-£26 - 3 shades *BEST PEN UNDER EYE ILLUMINATOR*

There are a multitude of pen concealers that have lightening effects, some of them have terrible flashback, some are drying,look obvious or just don't do anything. The Dior pen is a light fluid that has light diffusing pigments, it really is very effective at brightening dark circles, it has great concealing properties and can be used as a highlighter EG: under the eye brow, along the bridge of the nose and cheekbones.

Best treatment under eye concealer:

Sisley Eye Concealer- £42.00 4 shades *BEST INGREDIENTS/DOUBLE DUTY TREATMENT*

This is a liquid concealer that has a cocktail of botanical ingredients that really treats the eye area and is fantastic for puffiness under the eyes. It is hydrating  and fantastic for sensitive eyes. It makes a great base on the lids to prep the lids for shadow as well as it dries and has fantastic staying power.

Best to use to neutralise dark circles:

Pixi Correction Concentrate £12- 1 shade *BEST UNDER £15.00*

If you are looking for something to work alongside your existing concealer or base, but just feel that the dark circles need a little extra coverage, use this peach toned corrector 1st, it is richly pigmentedand will blend into the skin and will help to erase darkness. Then use your regular base or concealer over the top to create a fresh effect.

Best for dry skin:

Laura Mercier- Secret concealer- £18.50- 6 shades *CREAMIEST TEXTURE*

If the skin is dry under your eyes this concealer is excellent as it is *moisture rich*, it does not settle into lines.  It is very creamy, so I always *set* it with a tiny bit of translucent powder to make it stay in place the whole day. It smooths the skin under the eyes and is fantastic at covering dark circles.

All time favourite concealer reviews.................Face...under eyes will be a separate post.

Concealers have to cover a myriad of things: redness, scars, spots, pigmentation, capillaries etc etc. I have favourite concealers/brighteners that are just for the under eye area which I will do a separate post about. But these concealers are my all time favourite general concealers for the face. A fantastic concealer makes the skin look flawless but in a way that it still looks like skin rather than make up, complexion perfection indeed.

Best Emergency Concealer

Bobbi Brown- Face touch up stick- £19- 20 shades

This is creamy textured, blends beautifully into the skin and is fantastic to have in your make up bag to blur away any blemish/redness etc that occurs during the course of the day, it instantly perfects but just blends away for flawless skin. Coverage: Medium

Best Concealer Palette (multiple shades)

Make up Forever-5 Camouflage Cream concealer Palette- 5 different palettes- £24.50

 I am a long time devotee of this palette, it comes in 4 skintone variants: 1-4 from fair to black skin options each palette has a corrector that works perfectly with the spectrum of 4 skin shades to correct and create a flawless base. It gives amazing coverage, is highly pigmented and easy to build up. Palette 5 is the Pro-palette with just the corrector shades eg: Green to neutralize red, lilac to *lift* sallow skin. It has a beautiful velvety finish and shoots incredibly, like perfect skin. Coverage: Medium to full.

Best Concealer for Oily/Combination skin:

Laura Mercier- Secret Camouflage- 8 shades- £26

This is 100% oil free and a wonderful matte finish, you blend both concealer shades together to create the perfect skintone, this has great longevity and is excellent  for covering blemishes. It feels a little dry initially but becomes more emollient with the warmth of the skin and just blends away. It does not slide easily which makes it ideal for skin prone to shine. Coverage: Medium to full.

Best Innovative Concealer:

Becca- Concealer- 30 shades-£30

I love that this concealer comes in such a spectrum of shades but the thing that impresses me most about this concealer is the fact that it is a split pan with 2 different *weights* of concealer the left side is full coverage and the right side is medium coverage, so you can blend a bespoke finish creating the perfect texture for what you need to conceal- amazing! A lovely,smooth, texture in both halves that you can use separately or blend together for the perfect finish. Coverage: Full & Medium.

Best Concealer Under £15:

myface MYCOVER concealer- 9 shades- £12

This is a great value product as the price point is fantastic for the quality. It is a liquid concealer that blends easily into the skin, has a richly pigmented quality, is quite hydrating and does not leave a powdery residue but does have a matte finish. You can use sparingly or layer it for complexion perfection. Fantastic for all skin types Coverage: Medium to full.

Favourite Concealer brush:

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage brush- £22.50

This is a synthetic brush that is amazing for precision concealing, with that perfect point you can get into the nooks and crannies. Can be used for larger areas or literally the very head of a spot.

The one that got away..............discontinued BUT if you see, snap it up.

Lancome- Palette Pro- 3 shade options I think.

This was amazing, rich and creamy BUT left a flawless matte finish on the skin, beautiful quality and blendability . The compact consisted of 4 shades that corrected and concealed to perfection. So if you see one and it is not a ridiculous price snap it up, it covers a multitude of skin sins.

Perfect skin with Sisley...........!

Yesterday I taught a masterclass at The Session School to a group of some amazing *students* make up artists & beauty professionals it was a masterclass about creating looks on mature skin. As make up artist it is of course fantastic when we work on young, gorgeous faces time and time again. But so many people get *mature* skin wrong. By mature I mean 40 and over. I have over the years developed some techniques that I employ just for this scenario. My model was in her 40's and I created 2 looks a very soft day look and a stronger evening look, these 2 looks centred around creating perfect skin that was healthy glowing and youthful. When I was developing this masterclass, I wanted to link up with and teach with a brand that is truly outstanding on mature skin, so the brand I chose was..........Sisley.

I prepped skin with Sisley skincare, so that the skin had a beautiful hydrated finish so that colour was literally like gilding the lily.

Here is a *snapshot* of the day.

The most amazing cupcakes decorated in Sisley's colours.

My arsenal of Sisley *miracles* that prepped and primed the skin.

The ultimate products to create complexion perfection.

The make up kit I used.

Soft, barely there complexion perfection.

Close up of the natural look.

Red lips and glowing skin

Slightly different shot of the *red carpet look*

An amazing range with some true *hero* products, but here are my standout *LOVES*, whether you are a make up artist looking to add to your kit or you just want to seek out high performance, botanical based skin treats and make up.

Sisley Skincare Must-haves:
Express Eye Contour Mask- This is fantastic for just creating that ultimate pre-make up complexion pick-me-up, it just erases tiredness and *stress* in the skin
Express Flower Gel- WOW it instantly hydrates and de-puffs, the eye area is soothed and is so damn quick.
Radiant Immediate lift- It changes the texture of the skin by smoothing but imparts an amazing *glow* that just make skin look picture perfect in photos (use it as a primer) on top of your regular moisturiser
Floral Spay Mist- Uplifting, refreshing, tones skin and amazing as a final step to *fix* make up.


Natural look Must haves:
Instant Perfect- this product is AMAZING, it soothes and smooths the texture of the skin creating a *pore less* finish, lines are blurred and it is a fantastic primer, giving your base longevity.
Phyto cerne- under eye concealer-  a treatment in itself, it smooths and hydrates the delicate eye area, it is creamy and blends away darkness perfectly.
Tinted Moisturiser- again, treating the skin as well as providing, fresh, flawless skin.
Shadow in Jungle- this used as a colour wash across the lids, just creates a simple, hint of colour, line softly on the lower lid for perfect definition

Red carpet look Must haves:
Lipstick L29- the most flawless, long lasting red a true Parisienne classic that is universally flattering.
Peach Duo blusher- a sculpting duo that creates subtle warmth to the complexion.
Phyto Teint Eclat- perfect skin in a bottle, a sheer yet buildable liquid foundation, smooth and imperceptible
Phyto Mascara- Ultra Volume in So Blue- I know strange? Use black mascara 1st and then apply the blue to the *tip* of the upper lashes- it *pops* the eye and makes the whites of the eye sparkle.

Just in case you want to find out more............
www.thesessionschool.com
http://www.sisley-cosmetics.com

My favourite places to stay in Los Angeles............

Los Angeles, I have been several times and been fortunate enough to stay in some wonderful places from deluxe to quirky. These are my top picks of places to stay in LA.

The London West Hollywood

Just so beautiful and sumptuous

A typical room

I think the bathroom in this hotel is my favourite of all time

A Gordon Ramsay restaurant- you never know who you will be sat next door to at breakfast.

The London is nestled in the heart of hip West Hollywood, it is super cool with a beautiful rooftop pool. The hipster hangout with a touch of class, the food and ambiance are world-class .

Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica

Beautiful outdoor space

The most gorgeous pool

Fig- at the Fairmont- amazing fresh food.

The Fairmont Miramar is facing the beach at Santa Monica. The front facing rooms have beautiful views of the Santa Monica pier and it feels so *lost boys*. Bedrooms are not huge but the calm, lush gardens make you feel like you are in a *resort* opposed to steps away from the hustle and bustle of Santa Monica.

The Palomar (A Kimpton Hotel) in Brentwood

The foyer is a teeny bit David Lynch-ian I do like a red drape.

Bathrooms are modern with some interesting design twists.

The pool- lovely to sneak out and cosy up in front of the fire.

Brentwood is a gorgeous area where people *walk* I know shocking!!!! Safe great for families with some unpretentious local restaurants, an amazing farmers market and you are about 10 mins from Santa Monica & the beach and about 15 mins from Sunset- a fantastic location.

Villa Delle Stelle- a home from home

The bungalow at Villa Delle Stelle

The cute little kitchen.

Villa Delle Stelle, is the only place in LA I have stayed more than once, it is not glamorous like the London, with an amazing pool like the Miramar or in a ritzy neighbourhood like the Palomar but it is so comfortable and quiet yet seconds away from Sunset. No shelling out for valet parking, no tipping, just a cute little bolt hole in LA.

Ok- I have to let you into a huge secret, I did not pay full price for any of these places, I shopped around on sites like: hotels.com, bookings.com, Priceline etc and bargain hunted- well meant there was more money in the pot to spend on Make Up in Fred Segals :)

Peachy keen............beautiful peach make up... Summer trend..

A shade that suits all colourings and looks stunning on cheeks and lips.

Juicy, succulent, fresh.........that's peach.

My work- a soft, minimalist peach look on cheeks & Lips

Christine Hendricks- soft peach blusher

Eva Mendes - vibrant peach blusher and peach lips

I am normally not a huge advocate of matchy/matchy make up, I like taking nuances of colour and taking inspiration rather than just using 1 colour as a *story*, but peach is just so flattering, it adds warmth and *lifts* the complexion and here are some of my all-time favourites...........

YSL Rouge Volupte in shade #26 is just so beautiful

Lancome Juicy tube in Peach Nectar.

My favourite peach blusher- Sisley Duo shade Peach

Perfectly peach nails- Chanel Inattendu

Kate Bosworth rocking the perfectly pretty peach cheeks and lips.