Top 5 Make-Up Tips.

Tip Number 5

For dark circles under eyes, avoid using a general concealer, they are usually much too thick and will likely settle in lines under the eye. Instead use a highlighter or radiance stick to help diffuse the darkness and reflect light giving the sense of brightness instead of darkness.
Recommended item – YSL Touche Eclait

Tip Number 4

Always prime before applying your foundation, be it powder or liquid (or any other form or combination). You want your foundation to stay put with as little sweating and caking as possible; priming is the key to all day coverage.
Recommended item – NARS Make-Up Primer with SPF

Tip Number 3

To get the best from your cheekbones, highlighting the areas of the face that are the strongest is a must. Apply your blush to the apple of the cheeks and just under the cheekbone. Then take either a powder highlighter or bronzer lightly above the blush to create a beautiful Hollywood jaw.
Recommended item – MAC Iridescent Powder

Tip Number 2

As far as brushes are conversed, it is always best to use whatever is best for you; rules are made to be broken. If it looks like it can do the job that is because it can. Personally I like to use the same brush to colour lips, apply concealer and line under and above the eye. Experiment and find out what works best for you
Recommended item – ILLAMASQUA Lip Brush (for lips, eyes and concealing)

Tip Number 1

Play around, even if colour and shape scare you, have fun with colours you like instead of what you think will suit you. There is no need to cake it on, but you may surprise yourself with what you can get away with or even better you could find your new killer look. The best place to start is a colour palette with a choice of corresponding colours.
Recommended item – NARS Duo Eyeshadows / THE BODY SHOP Shimmer Cubes.

ILLAMASQUA Intense gloss review.

My first blog is in celebration of my time with Illamasqua. If you didn't already know (shame on you) Illamasqua is a fledgling British Make-Up company currently based in Department stores in the UK, USA, Dubai and soon to be Sydney.

I will no doubt produce many blogs that are Illamasqua related, with it being my brand of choice and all, but for the first of them I am going to look at the Intense lip glosses, in 7 of the 22 shades. Not all of my experiences with these have been amazing, so I'll attempt separate the good from the bad below.

ABSORB

Absorb is a lovely nude shade, and one of the most popular of all the glosses at Illamasqua, it

works brilliantly with their lipstick in Agony or Sonnet. For those of you who like the effect of blotting out the lips, but still keeping a healthy glossy glow this is the product for you. The colour lasts and lasts, the consistency is amazing and the colour barely fades and refuses to clump. It can also be mixed with a variety

of pigments and frosty shadows for a playful

take on the natural lip.

REPULSE

Repulse is a goth's dream. For aeons I had searched for a black lipgloss that had the same effect and staying power of a black lipstick, but even after MAC's black collection I was still left feeling a little let down with the intensity of the glosses. Repulse suffers no such problem, this is thick, deep and very very black. Not a gloss for beginners as black is probably the hardest and boldest of colours to use and even harder to use in gloss form as the colour is more likely to smudge and bleed. I love black lipstick but I also like a glossy lip and very few companies offer a truly wonderful black lipstick with a non matt finish. Repulse will have people staring and will stick with you the entire night (or day). Absolutely DELICIOUS!

GENDER

Words cannot describe my initial feeling towards this gloss. Remember a while back when MAC unveiled it's lovely C-shock collection, I was the first in line for the frosty blue lipstick, I was also one of the first to wince in disappointment only to realise the blue tint held within was about as strong as a newborn child. Tired of searching I stuck to using eyeshadows on my lip and managing with them wearing off. Then along comes Gender, now it may not be the deep navy blue I was dreaming of, but my god is it sexy. Of all Illamasqua's glosses this has to be the most in your face. When I wore this I had so many people asking me what I had used, and a lot of looks from people too. It is something that grabs your eye and could easily be the key to a killer contemporary look.

LIASON

I am a fan of the dark lip, I often wear black lips for all sorts of occasions, I'm moody and macabre like that ;) But black has it's moments, and sometimes it's a little boring. It will be no surprise to the people that know me that I love the colour grey, it takes up a good 50% of my wardrobe, so it was only logical that a grey lip would also appeal. I had never really considered this before, and had never made any effort with making my lips grey with any other sort of product, which is odd as I love silver lips. When I noticed this product in Selfridges, London I knew I immediately had to have it. I grabbed the tester and smeared it on my lips like a beauty student applies foundation. HOT HOT HOT, first impression. It makes less impact than Repulse, and has a slight green tint, it is perfect for people afraid or just not into black but who want dark statement lips that are considerably more pretty and less eye grabbing. It is a lovely compromise of the two and as with all the shades, brilliant lasting power. I also find that this colour suits the good old smoky eyes better than a pitch black lip, as the focus is left up top.

Now for 3 shades I have used that I dislike, for various reason.

GALACTIC

This is the gloss for me. It is a thick, space rocket silver, with high gloss and high sheen. In the tube it looks stunning, the texture is amazing and it glides on ridiculously smooth. Really this should be in the list above, my only qualm with this was lasting power. With a gloss less intense, and in a more neutral colour this would not be such an issue, but as this is cosmic silver, even the slightest of wear is shockingly noticeable. With this gloss on, drinking, eating and even talking are a no no, unless you want to be ball and chained to your compact and re applying every 5 minutes. It's a shame really, as this shade has so much potential. Despite this, I do sometimes brave it up and think shit to it!!!! It also works great as a highlighter!!

TORRID

I have never purchased this item, I have only used it in store. I tried this on one of our customers and I simply hated it. I wont lie, I am not the biggest fan of green anyway, but this horrible spring green colour is vile. It should be called Horrid not Torrid. To make matters worse, it comes out with a horrible luminous glow, so you can see the lip colour underneath through the gloss, a horrible mix of mushy pea and pink. A bright grass green gloss or a dark monster green would be welcome, but this disgrace needs to be discontinued and quick!

RAGE

I think I must struggle using white products as I've had issues with their white powder and liquid foundations too. Now I am all for looking avant garde, and was very interested in using this product. A little like Galactic, the staying power isn't amazing but it doesn't prove too much of an issue this time around. What does however is the appearance of the gloss. I've tried it on many skin colours and it simply refuses to suit them. I am sure there are people out there who can pull this off and I'd love to see, but I have yet to find anyone. The way it blends on the lip line (even with liner) just doesn't look right, and it is hard to work it in to any desirable looks, I tried with a smoky eye thinking it would be a great contrast, how wrong I was.

All glosses are £12.50 and available from Illamasqua stores, or online at http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/catalogue/category/lips/products/intense-lipgloss/28/