BeautyBoost

Dr.Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm

Hi BeautyBoosters! Hope you’ve had a great week and ready to start your weekend!

Today’s makeup is Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm. Dr.Jart+ formulas combine moisturiser, sunscreen, primer and skincare treatment in one step. I received this free sample through a Facebook offer they were running online recently and received 3 samples of this iconic Korean brand in 01 Perfect Cover. You can build the coverage from sheer to medium and it gives a nice dewy finish. 

Here’s a swatch of the Dr.Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm sample on my skin below.

Dr.Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm (addresses skin showing the first signs of ageing) 40ml RRP £24.00, available at Boots nationwide and Boots.com

Dr Jart+ Regenerating Beauty Balm (cares for sensitive skin prone to irritation) 50ml £21.00, available at Boots nationwide and Boots.com

www.facebook.com/DrJartUK

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www.boots.com/en/Dr-Jart-/

Bridal make up portfolio and testimonials

Helen (wedding make-up client):
“Lucy was wonderful on my wedding day: her make-up skills are superb and she kept both myself and my Mum totally relaxed and happy with her calm and friendly approach. We felt totally safe in Lucy’s hands and the results were great. I felt like a complete princess but at the same time very natural - like the best version of myself that I could be. I would not hesitate to recommend Lucy.”

Alice (wedding make-up client): 

“Hi Lucy, I just wanted to say thank you so much for making my day so special. You did a fantastic job and I felt amazing all day. It was lovely to let you do your job knowing that the end result would be stunning. So many people told me how fantastic my make up looked I had a smile on my red lipstick all day!”

Charley (wedding make-up client): “Huge huge big ups to Lucy for doing such an amazing job of making myself, my mum and the bridesmaids look so gorgeous yesterday! Who knew I could scrub up so well haha. Thank you again for doing such a wonderful job! Xxxxx”

If you’re looking for a bridal make up artist for 2013 and beyond get in touch! lucyjfreeman@gmail.com

Giorgio Armani Masterclass at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge London

Hi BeautyBoosters!

Hope you had a great weekend? As usual mine flew by all too quickly but I was lucky enough to start it in style with a wonderful Giorgio Armani Masterclass at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, London.

Firstly, my existing makeup was removed using Velvety Cleansing Milk and Delicate Cleansing Balm followed by applying Mineral Soothing Lotion, Regenessence Serum, Cream and Eye Serum. With these alone I was left with super soft, plumped up skin. 

I was particularly keen to see the results from the newly launched Maestro foundation from the range. There has been enormous praise for this product on many other beauty sites and blogs I follow so I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype! 

With it’s dropper dispenser I only needed 4-5 drops of shade no.5 for my entire face. On application it feels incredibly light and blends so effortlessly. After applying to just one side for contrast it made my skin look lifted and airbrushed and like I’d had a good 10 hours sleep! It really was as impressive as everyone has said! Not to mention this was all applied using just fingertips and looked flawless. 

Using innovative Maestro-Fil (TM) fusion technology it adapts to the tones and textures inherent within your skin for a completely tailor made coverage. The liquid transforms on the skin into a feather light matte finish without feeling heavy. It genuinely looks like your own skin, albeit infinitely improved! Maestro’s formula is a harmony of 5 oils which evaporate on the skin leaving just a fine trace of pigment remaining. One of these is White Lotus Oil which helps to improve the skin and with added SPF 15 this really does tick all the boxes.  

Maestro Eraser in no.3 was used under the eyes and on blemishes to conceal. Eyes were defined using Eye Pencil in no.5, a gorgeously rich aubergine shade that was much softer than black but still provided a beautiful smokey look. Eyes To Kill Palette in No.4 was used to contour and also on brows and eyes. The smouldering effect was enhanced using Eyes To Kill Classic Mascara. To complete the look, Sheerblush 6 was used on the apples of my cheeks and Maestro Lip No.201 gave a glossy finish to my lips. Maestro Lip is currently exclusive to Harrods but launches nationwide in December. It’s a fantastic long wearing gel lipstick/gloss that feels light and moisturising - definitely on my to buy list!

A huge thank you to Ellie and Owen at Armani for inviting me along for the masterclass. If you want to check out more products from the range head to Giorgio Armani Beauty UK

My Armani make up cheat sheet!

Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics IN THE MOOD FOR NUDE collection

Hello BeautyBoosters! Hope you’re having a great week so far! Last week I was kindly invited to Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics training headquarters as they launched  their beautiful new collection of stunning nude shades appropriately called In the Mood for Nude. All Youngblood products, are paraben, talc, oil, fragrance and cruelty free so perfect for those with sensitive skin.

One of my favourite makeup artists, Kenneth Soh was on hand to provide beautiful makeovers using the range.  He is an incredibly talented artist and I was really excited to have him work his magic on me. Check out his great blog Musings of a Make Up Artist.

The range features the gorgeously diversePressed Mineral Eyeshadow Quad in Moulin Rouge. The sleek compact includes Can-Can, a shimmery caramel-peach which adds warmth; Revue,  a brightening pearlized vanilla; Cabarets, an alluring dark chocolate shade with the slightest trace of red shimmer; and finally Red Light, a show-stopping matte orange-red. Kenneth also used Natural Mineral Foundation in Cool Beige to perfect and refine my features.

Also featured in the range is Incredible Wear Gel Liner in new Sienna, a metallic bronze, which looks modern on a bare eye or can be used to compliment the shadows. Kenneth created a lovely soft smokey eye on me and finished off the look using Lip Liner Pencil in new Au Naturel, to define, and Lipstick in Barely Nude; a muted pinkish beige with a slight sheen and a gorgeous creamy texture.

To view the full Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics range click here

Hair growth shampoos – do they really work?

After my attempts to mimic Christina Hendricks and her stylish Mad Men look I realized that this bob haircut and I just weren’t getting along. I missed my long locks and there was nothing for it but to just wait it out or resort to pricey hair extensions. Or so I thought. In my quest to bring back my long locks I went on a search for the holy grail of hair growth products. Step forward Lee Stafford’s Hair Growth range.

 

 

The Bob! (November 2010)

Featuring a shampoo, conditioner and treatment this range claims to get your hair in tip top condition and growing faster so it can reach its maximum potential length. I’m a sucker for a pretty package and this bright pink range delivers on all fronts. Initially, the treatment was launched and due to its success they have added a shampoo and conditioner to the collection.

The shampoo works by stimulating the scalp to encourage blood flow to the root to leave your scalp and hair feeling softer, smoother and healthier. It contains Apple and Lemon Extracts to add shine to your hair, and anti-oxidant Green Tea Extract to help protect your hair from environmental and heat damage. It smells amazing, feels nourishing and lathers up well but doesn’t leave your hair feeling ‘stripped’ like some shampoos from over-cleansing.

November 2011 hair growth.

The treatment is meant to be applied between shampoo and conditioner every time you wash your hair to improve its condition and then once a week to maintain your growing hair. This has to be my favourite part. It’s luxuriously creamy and rich and has the signature Lee Stafford scent that’s sweet with hints of rose. After 5 minutes you rinse and apply the conditioner, which is lovely and thick and leaves my hair super soft and manageable. But does it work? Well, I’ve been using this range since December ’11 and I really notice a difference. Sure, that’s a fair amount of time passing by but friends have commented on my ‘growth spurt’ and I’m really pleased with the results. My hair has gone from barely touching my shoulders to a good 3 to 4 inches extra length and despite a lack of trims it’s in good shape. Below is a photo of my hair from Oct 2012.

UPDATE: After a rather vigorous cut in November 2012 (I put myself out there again after battering my locks with DIY ombre dye) I’m back using this range. I’ll keep you posted on my new results growing out my layers below.

The range is currently part of a 3 for £12 deal at Boots too so grab the whole range while the offer is still on! 

Herbal Harmony - The Dorset Herbalist

I received a lovely package from Herbal Harmony this weekend - can’t wait to test them all out and share my thoughts here on BeautyBoost! So far I’ve used the Lavender shower gel and the Cinnamon and Orange Lipbalm, both of which smell divine and are getting a big thumbs up! Wonderful beauty treats if you’re looking for ethically sourced natural products. 

Tonight! Alex Box & Azzi Glasser celebrate launch of Illamasqua’s FREAK at BeautyMART

Illamasqua London UK fans take note! Tonight (Wednesday 31st October 2012) at BeautyMART with Alex Box and Azzi Glasser, who will be hosting a Q&A to celebrate the launch of the Illamasqua FREAK fragrance.

 The event runs from 6pm-8pm, 3^rd Floor, Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge, London, UK.

Anatomicals Beauty Nutter? Here’s Your Butter Orange Flower and Amber Body Butter review

With the darkness drawing in and temperatures dropping you have to claw as many ‘feel-good’ moments into your day as possible! Providing me with my latest dose of loveliness in a tub comes the quite frankly WONDERFUL Anatomicals Beauty Nutter? Here’s Your Butter Orange Flower and Amber Body Butter! 

As soon as you open this you’re hit with a gorgeously intense hit of the orange flower (imagine you’ve peeled a bag of zesty oranges - cue happy smiley face). It really does smell good enough to eat. For a ‘butter’ it’s surprisingly light in texture and melts into the skin really well. I thought that it might not provide enough of a boost to my dry skin (cheers winter/central heating/crazy humid then cold days) but by the end of the day my skin still felt lovely and soft and that delicious fragrance still lingered on my skin. If you want to hang on to that summer feeling then this is the moisturiser for you!

Anonymous asked: my hair always gets really flat part way through the day. i can usually get some volume into it in the morning but it just falls down after a few periods. is there any way i can get volume to stay in my hair?

Firstly, I’d suggest you check you’re not using a conditioner that isn’t too ‘heavy’ for your hair type as this will weigh it down and counter-act any styling you do after washing. Also, go easy on serums etc and only use the recommended amount for your hair type. Always use heat protection before drying/styling your hair too. My essential product for this is  Label.m Protein Spray . For your desired volume use Label.m Volume Mousse 

Then, using a large, round brush blow dry the hair in sections really concentrating on getting the brush in at the roots and directing your hair dryer’s heat under it and then on top to smooth. I’m a big fan of Label.m Jumbo Hot Brush but if you have shorter/finer hair just get one with a smaller barrel for the same benefits! I also swear by Schwarzkopf Got2Be Volumising Style Powder - I sprinkle a little of the powder into my palms and then ruffle and tease it into my roots for an extra boost if I’m on the go.  

Hope this helps!

Jurlique Soothing Day Care Lotion Review

I’m always on the hunt for a good moisturiser that meets my sensitive skin’s needs. Earlier on this summer I took Jurlique’s Soothing Day Care Lotion on holiday with me. After using sun lotion all day I often find my skin really needs something lighter and more nourishing to minimise the chance of breakouts.

This moisturiser is incredibly light with an almost milky-watery texture, which really absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn’t have an overwhelming fragrance which always bodes well for my skin type. At first I found it quite tingling on my skin but I think that was more to do with having a day in the sun rather than the product itself. I continued to use it on my return home and can report that it left my skin feeling much more moisturised than I had anticipated due to its light texture. However, I do find that now the season is changing I’m looking for something a bit richer to compensate for the colder temperatures. This is a great one for your spring/summer skincare regime though so will definitely go back to it in the future.

The Benefits: