Gerard cosmetics Lipstick review

I have always loved the MUA Luxe liquid lipsticks although they lack the variety of colours and I feel they go quite chalky after a while, therefore I thought I'd venture further into liquid lipsticks and purchase the Gerard Cosmetics liquid lipstick in the shade Ecstasy.
 I fell in love straight away, the beautiful colour is unique and unlike any other I've seen, the texture once the lipstick is dried is hydrating and seamless, not dry and chalky at all. They smell so good too which is a bonus to any makeup product. The Gerard Cosmetics liquid lipsticks make it so easy to overline your lips as the texture is matte and I feel using a wand gives you precision to outlining your lips, so most of the time I don't feel it is necessary to apply lip liner prior to application.
The Gerard Cosmetics range provides so many colours to choose from, i bought the three darkest ones as I love a dark lipstick and matte looks flawless dark. The size of the product is reasonable, I have had Ecstasy for 5 months and i use it 2-3 times a week, it's not even close to running out. As you don't waste product re applying throughout the day as it's not necessary to because they are so long lasting and don't bleed or fade. They stay on when consuming food and drinking, also it doesn't transfer once the product is dry onto the lips. I find if you keep licking your lips constantly throughout the day you might notice some fading as the saliva will break down the product slowly - but that happens with most if not all lip products if you lick your lips constantly. As I loved Ecstasy so much I decided to buy Iced Mocha and Invasion as I love browns and lilacs. When they arrived in there beautiful black packaging with gold writing on, I got so excited and had to give them a try.
Iced Mocha is so different to Ecstasy as I feel it has a creamier consistency and a more pigmented colour. I dries to a lovely dark mocha brown and really looks beautiful paired with strong brows and smoky eyes. It keeps my lips moisturised and looking flawless. I feel that this is the best colour to overline with as its such a deep colour and hides your natural lip line. When I saw Invasion online i thought it would be a lighter version of Ecstasy, a beautiful lilac colour, although it was not what I was expecting at all it is still a beautiful colour that has an undertone of brown but, still quite purple. I I see this more like a day time lipstick as it isn't as dark as the other two, but you can still over line with this and not see your natural lip line. I think in my opinion that Invasion looks best with really highlighted cheekbones as it brings the attention to both the cheekbones and lips which is a flawless look and gorgeous for spring.
Moving onto the NONE liquid lipsticks although still Gerard Cosmetics. The packaging of the lipsticks is my favourite, they look like golden bullets. Nude changes colour depending on your lips natural skin tone. As you can see in the picture above it appears to have an orange undertone. That will change if your lips are pale, pink, dark etc. The consistency is quite creamy, although I don't see it different to any other nude lippy out there. I think personally it would suit a sunkissed glowy look, perfect for the summer nights. Buttercup is a gorgeous pink that is subtle and not too transparent either which is hard to find when looking for a pink lipstick. It is super creamy and would suit more fair skin types, as it brings out the natural light glow in your skin. It would look beautiful with dramatic winged liner and long lashes, perfect for date night.
Underground is my absolute favourite, it suits all skin types and can be worn day and night and it is versatile for each look and super sultry. The consistency is creamy also. Although I find it doesn't last as long as the liquid lipsticks and does need re application after consuming food or drinking. I normally wear this with full coverage foundation and defined contouring as I feel this lipstick completes the look.
London fog is a lot more creamier than the other lipsticks, I'm not sure if that is down to the darker colour or if they changed the products. It has quite a blue under tone which I love as its unique to any other colour I've seen before. This is perfect for a night time look and doesn't need to be re applied as its such a pigmented colour. It doesn't bleed outside of the lip line although I'm always extra precautious and apply one just in case.
All the lipsticks smell of cocoa butter as that is one of the ingredients, therefore not only does it provide colour but also hydrates your lips and prevents them from chapping throughout the day which is an added bonus to these particular lipsticks.
Thank you for reading, coming up soon will be my review of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in That Glow.
Charlotte x

Beauty hacks

I thought I'd share some of my tips and tricks with you about nails, hair, makeup and skincare. Enjoy reading.

1. When painting your nails weather it be base coat or a colour coat always 'Cap' your nail varnish, this is done a lot when applying gel polish but doing this with regular varnish prevents chipping and peeling, also giving your polish a professional finish.
2. If you want a crisp defined eyeshadow look or would love to get a flawless contour, taping underneath your eye will give you an amazing line, lining the tape up with the arch of your brow angling it up the side. So the tape will go up along the end of the brow and onto the temple. Also this can be used to get a perfect symmetrical eyeliner wing. Contouring tape will aid not going outside of where you want to highlight/contour. Hudabeauty has an amazing video about contouring using tape. 
3. Cleaning up the brow after finishing filling them in will give a gorgeous shape and a beautiful finish, get s concealer brush preferably small and dab a bit of foundation into it, start at the front of underneath the brow and glide toward the tail of the brow lining the eyebrow as you go. Doing this will make a world of difference and if you go wrong filling in your eyebrows this will correct it making it the shape you desire.
4. If your unsure on how to apply Matte Lipstick, start by wiping off the excess product leaving you with enough product for the bottom lip. Deposit most of the product onto the largest area e.g. Lower centre lip. After press your lips together then if you need to get more product to apply onto the upper lip, over lining if you need to. Which I find really easy with Matte lipsticks. 
5. Not really a tip or trick but, exfoliating 2 a week brightens the skin, gives a deep cleanse of the pores and stimulates grow of new skin cells, also removing the dead cells from the top layer of the skin. Giving you that radiant glow. 
6. Double cleansing is super important as it makes sure that all your makeup is removed and not clogging up the pores. Toning the face doesn't remove your makeup as most people think it does, it removes the excess cleanser and impurities still on the skin also closing the pores, so when it comes to applying your moisturiser the skin is hydrated rather than the pores becoming clogged from the cream. 
7. Many combination/oily skin types feel that using any skincare products that contain oils is a big no, but cleansers containing oils draws out the excess oils from your skin. Therefore toning the skin removes the dirt and sebum that is sitting on the skin. Clarins do an amazing cleansing oil, you can double cleanse with this as I said previously or you can use it as a pre cleanser then afterward use a different cleanser. If your not sure on how to apply a cleanser put a pea size amount onto the palm of your hand then apply onto the face massaging it in, after get a warm cloth or flannel to remove the product along with the makeup. 
8. Always damped your beauty blender before using therefore it won't soak up the makeup it will apply the makeup, also wash it after every use and be careful to let it dry in a cool dry place, not in your makeup bag as it will get mouldy as it won't be able to dry out fully. 
9. When having a manicure you may notice that they apply nail varnish remover onto the nail plate prior to putting the base coat on, which is called 'Squeaking' it removes any dirt, oils and nail varnish. It also prevents bubbling/peeling/chipping. 
10. If you feel your creamy product has dried out then apply one to two drops of beauty oil to soften the product, restoring it to its creamy self. - I've heard dipbrow pomade does this after a while, I haven't experienced it though. 

That's all my tips for today, thank you for reading. Look out for another 10 beauty hacks that I'll be posting later this month.
 Charlotte x 

Anastasia Beverly Hills cream contour kit review

Contouring is really popular at the moment, Kim kardashian showing her makeup secrets like 'baking' threw all the rules we knew about makeup out the window and into question. I first found out about this particular contouring kit by watching YouTube tutorials on how to contour, many people had this kit and they're makeup was flawless and beautifully contoured. So I thought I would give this product a try as its different from all my other makeup products.
I bought mine from Beauty Bay  and the delivery was super quick. The packaging of the kit is beautiful with golden writing of Anastasia Beverly Hills with a sleeve to protect the case from opening which is handy if your travelling and are cautious about the palette opening as the sleeve will prevent it from doing so. The top of the lid is clear allowing you to see the colours, once opening the lid they're is a plastic sheet to protect the palette from being smudged which I like as it another protection the colours.
At first I was confused as to know whether to put it on before foundation or after, so I gave both of them a try.

Applying after foundation

I contoured using the palette firstly applying the banana shade in a triangle shape below my eyes and above my cheekbones, along the bridge of my nose, on my Cupid's bow and my chin using my finger for application as it deposits more pigment onto the skin, rather than using a foundation/concealer brush. After I applied cinnamon using my damp beauty blender by dapping it into the colour first then under my cheekbones, either side of my nose and my temples. I feel that dabbing the beauty blender into the darker colours first then onto the skin makes it so much easier to blend especially on dry skin. After I have applied my highlighter and contour colour I blend the dark colour into the lighter colour by feathering upwards. I blend my nose using my fingers as its a smaller area and may need more defining depending on how small you want to contour your nose.
I also felt it was so much easier to blend after foundation as the creaminess of your foundation really helps blend the colours together and blend away any harsh lines too. I feel it's a more defined contour look if you do it after foundation but you can apply as much or as less product as you want, I tend to build it up so if I don't apply enough I can just re apply rather than blending the colour into the lighter shade. If you go too far down with your dark I always clean up using the banana shade underneath the dark colour as this really gives you a clean crisp cut of contouring.

Applying before foundation

You I did this a lot when I first got the product as I wasn't sure if I'd be able to blend the colours together on top of the foundation - I was very wrong. I felt like doing this made it safer in a way because if I applied too much of a dark shade then I knew I could apply my foundation on top and it would mostly blend away. Although that was also a down side as I found myself having to apply the darker shade again on top of my foundation so that it was more noticeable. The good side of applying before foundation is that if you want a natural look but still contoured, this is a perfect technique as it is subtle and not too defining. ( If you read above I tell you how I apply each shade onto my face after foundation, I also use the same application before foundation)  if your wondering if you apply colour corrector before or after contouring, the way I found best was before contouring. So apply the green concealer to any red areas and orange to dark areas on the skin, then apply your contour then foundation.
I've been using this product for about three months now and used it roughly 2-3 times a week and I haven't gotten to the bottom of the pan yet as you do not need much product at all. A little really does go a long way, as its a thick, highly pigmented contouring product.
Many people have struggled with this palette as they don't find it very creamy, that's why having a creamy foundation is important. I find contouring works best with Esteé Lauder Double Wear or if your on a budget as the Esteé Lauder can be out of people's price range when it comes to makeup, I found a dupe of this it is revlon ColorStay It has a similar consistency and gives great coverage. If you can't get your hand on either of these particular foundations try finding one that is thick and build able. I've tried Fit Me by maybeline foundation with this palette and the consistency is too thin and doesn't allow that beautiful blend like the thick foundations.
Another tip for contouring is to always use a damp beauty blender to blend! As it gives a flawless finish to the makeup leaving no traces of unwanted lines between the lighter shade and darker shaxde. I have a W7 beauty blender and it has last me 4 months until I need to buy a new one, it is cheap and great if your starting off contouring and not sure what to buy.
The down side to this palette is it is pricey for many people especially for beginners just getting into contouring, there is another contouring palette that is creamier and cheaper, the brand is called Contour Cosmetics.
If your still unsure or just need to watch a video I have demonstrated how I contour on my Facebook page on a video. Facebook - beauty blogger Charlotte 
Thank you for reading, look out for my blog about Dupes of high end makeup.
Charlotte x

Introduction to Brows

Brow basics: Face Shape

Great brows are what is in right now, from Cara Delevinge to Jessica Alba brows is what everyone is talking about, and everyone wants the perfect brows. There are so many different types of brows to have and its deciding which one best suits your face shape. To determine the best shape for your face is to firstly find out what face shap you are, for example I have a square jawline and then my face goes quite oval towards the top of my forehead so, I have a squoval face shape therefore, long brows with a defined arch compliments my squoval face shape.

I feel that straight thick brows best suit fully square faces, softening the jawline and taking the attention to the brows really suits this particular face shape. Cara Delevinge rocks this look effortlessly, she contributes to the start of the trend of embracing your thick brows and letting them grow to their natural shape.
Triangle face shape is similar to the heart face shape although the hair lines are different and a triangle face shape has a softer jawline. A lot of people may have a mixture of these two face shapes. The best eyebrow shape for triangle/heart face shape is a quite thin brow with a subtle arch towards the tail of the brow, creating a beautiful shape that will enhance you're face shape.
Rounded face shape may lack the defined jawline therefore long arched brows will beautifully sculpt your face shape into a slimmer frame. Highlighting the brow bone underneath the arch will boost the crisp flawless finish of the natural brow shape.
Oval shape is the most common shape for women, this is the face shape women contour to have or contour further to have high cheekbones etc. A high arch thick brow will flatter the oval face shape beautifully, creating this shape is simple as you would only need to apply brow powder to fill in the sparse gaps in your brow, or brow gel will keep your natural brow shape.
I have just listed a few of the most common face shapes although they're are many more so don't worry if none of the shapes I explained match your shape. If you feel like the shape of brows I recommended was fitting your shape, try out other shapes and practise on applying powder/pencil onto the brows as you can wipe a mistake away if you go wrong.

Brow basics: Tinting 

Before you start tweezering hairs out to create a shape which may cause you to over pluck by trying not create an unnatural shape for your particular brows, if you've been over plucking for a long time many clients struggle growing their brows after they've stopped plucking. So be careful when you pluck your own eyebrows.
Go and get your eyebrows tinted as this will colour the finer and lighter hairs darker showing your beautiful natural shape. You'll find that you won't need to pluck out many hairs, only a few stray and deter your need to darken or fill in your brows using makeup as the tint will do most of this for you. Regular tint usually lasts upto 2-4 weeks, depending on colour, brand, how long the tint was on the brows and aftercare. Many therapists tinting your brows will advise on the best shape for you. I see so many times that people with light or 'invisible' eyebrows are confused or not sure where to start with the shape or the darkness of the brows therefore tinting is the first step to starting off your 'Brow journey.'

Maintenance of brows

After having your brows tinted and shaped by a therapist, it is really important to keep your brows in shape. This means that when your brows start going out of shape book an appointment with your therapist to have them waxed/threaded again. At home tweezering out a few strays especially the 'monobrow' area is completely fine, just be careful NOT to overpluck. Most tint fades after 2-3 weeks therefore topping up your tint is very important also, getting your eyebrows tinted by a professional is just as important if not more. As if you do it at home you could potentially burn your skin because you may not know how to mix the tint with the peroxide. If you have extremely sensitive skin, just ask your local salon if they use natural ingredients in their tint as this is more appropriate for sensitive skin types. Every salon SHOULD do a patch test 48 hours prior to tinting your brows even if you have previously had your brows tinted elsewhere as they may use different tint. 

If you're trying to get your brows to grow out as you've previously overplucked or just had trouble with growing them in general, there are many products out there to help. Such as, RevitaBrow which is quite pricey although it does have amazing results and is clinically proven to enhance the growth of your eyebrows, another product which is called LiBrow, this has lots of pictures of results on the website and you can purchase a smaller version of the product to try too. If you are on a budget or feel like your brows just need to grow a bit and do not want to purchase a product to enhance the growth, using Vaseline on your brows before you go to bed and when you aren't going out for the day can really help with the growth of the hairs as you are conditioning the hair shaft and depositing a thick moisturiser into the hair follicle. Although applying Vaseline may prevent you from putting makeup onto the eyebrows as it is a thick slippery consistency. Whereas the other two products I've linked allows you to apply this prior to makeup application. 

Thank you for reading my blog post, there will be a follow up of this post explaining different types of ways to fill in the brows such as gels,powders,pencil,pomade etc. Also the best hair removal for you will be explained also. 

Charlotte x 

How to: Get flawless tan

Tanning isn't easy especially when your a beginner, therefore I'm here to provide you with exclusive tips and tricks on how to hack the perfect flawless tan. PATCH TEST 48 HOURS PRIOR TO USING TANNING PRODUCTS.
The first step is to exfoliate your skin before applying any tanning product whether that be tanning moisturiser, mousse or instant tanning lotion. I use Soap & Glory Scrub of your life  it isn't too abrasive as I have quite dry skin. It really smells good and makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. Other exfoliatiors I've used is Sanctuary Spa salt scrub  which really feels great on the skin, removing all the dead skin cells and leaving your skin velvety soft. I found an exfoliatior that is great for sensitive skin it is Indulgent Body scrub by Champneys it is a body butter and an exfoliatior, the reviews are amazing. Excellent for dry, sensitive skin as it moisturises the body as well as dequamating the skin.
When you get out of the shower/bath remember to moisturise focusing on knees and elbows, and anywhere else that is dry on your body as tan goes patchy when skin isn't smooth soft, therefore hydrating your skin is going to give you that flawless bronzed look. This is something a lot of people forget, if you do not tan a lot and have had the tanning product a long time it may have gone past its best before date. So make sure to check the date as I've used an out of date tanning product without knowing and it doesn't stay on the skin and smells very strong too. Although most tanning products do have a high potent smell.

Tanning mousse

These are best applied with a tanning mitt, most tanning brands sell tanning mitts too, they aren't to pricey either. It creates a smooth silky finish on the skin rather than streaky application from using your hands. Use a glove underneath the mitt as the tan may seep through onto the palm of your hand deeming the mitt useless as a barrier to the palm of the hand. One full pump onto the skin will cover one arm as a light coverage, if you would want a fuller application do two coats of the tanning product, doing this will make the tan dry slower as there is more product on the skin. I advise you apply the first coat, wait for the tan to dry then, apply a second coat of tanning product. After you have covered your body in the tan, make sure that it is completely dry before putting your clothes back on as it may transfer if the tan isn't dry. Seeing if it is dry is really simple, just touch an area of the body were you have applied the tan and if it does not transfer onto your finger then your ok to put your clothes on. Another way is to wait 30 seconds to a minute to wait for the tan to dry. Most tans are to stay on the skin to develop for 8-10 hours before washing the residue off, other tans don't require you to rinse at all, and some brands have brought out an Express Tan which if left on for 1hour is a light colour, 2 hours is medium and 3 is dark. I know St Moriz have this product. I think it's a great idea especially when your in a rush and just want I quick bronze look.
If you're not sure on how long to leave your tan on for, look on the back of your tanning product to get more information. Remember if you do have to rinse the product off, it will carry on developing after you've been in the shower, so don't be alarmed if you think you've washed it off, because it will go darker depending on how long you leave the product on your skin prior to rinsing it off. I do not recommend going in a bath to rinse the tan as it will most likely soak the developer off your skin.

Tanning Spray 

This is very risqué in my opinion to do at home without going to a professional for a spray tan as it's very easy for you to spray too close or miss a large area, as you cannot clearly see where the tanning product has gone. The best way to master self spray tanning is to practise, practise, practise. As it really does take skill to learn to get an amazing finish on this tanning product and looks flawless when done correctly. I've heard ST Tropez self spray tan is very potent therefore, I do not recommend this to anyone with respiratory problems. I've had a professional ST Tropez spray tan 3 hour express and it was a beautiful and brown, didn't look muddy or too dark. (ST Tropez also sell a 1 hour tan you can purchase at Boots.)Also the smell wasn't too strong although it was very transferable. A tip for when you spray tan is if you have the product dripping or not drying in a particular area, get your tanning mitt and dab the area that is wet and it will take off the excess tan, leaving an even finish to your tan. 

Tanning Lotion

This can be applied using your hands, or wearing gloves or a tanning mitt. It's super versatile and great for travelling. Lotions are super moisturising and great for dry skin as it not only gives you a gorgeous glow but makes your skin super smooth. I've heard fake bake is amazing and it will be my next purchase on tanning products as it has great reviews and lasts super long. Primark do a tanning lotion too and I've tried it, it's super silky and lasts up to 2 weeks depending on application. The brand is called PS love... - this is great for beginners as its really cheap and doesn't require a mitt. Lotions tend to be more pigmented and last longer than mousse as it has a higher concentrated tan. 

Tanning moisturiser 

I love love love gradual tan moisturisers!! They are my absolute fav for a natural tan look and you can control how you would dark you would like the colour to be. I feel that ST Tropez gradual tan is lush, it has almost no odour to it which is always a bonus as its rare that tanning products do not have that typical over powering smell. I felt like it wasn't sticky and didn't transfer onto my clothes as a lot of tanning products can. What made this stand out to the other tanning moisturisers was that it wasn't streaky at all and didn't go into my pores as I feel a lot of tanning products can do that especially on my legs. Dove is also an amazing gradual tanning moisturiser as its cheap, great for sensitive skin and  also none streaky as the consistency is super thick and almost prevents streakiness from forming. 

Another way that gradual tan moisturisers are the BEST is that they a great for keeping your tan bronze wether the tan be natural or fake as it works if you apply the product over another tanning product without if looking cakey or patchy. 

Send me your pictures of your tans girlies! Would love to see results from different products. Follow me on Instagram- bbloggerchar Facebook- Beauty Blogger Charlotte 

Stay tuned for 5 best and 5 worst tanning products I've used. Thank you for reading. 

Charlotte x 

Estee Lauder Double wear foundation review

This foundation has a lot of hype about how amazing the consistency is, how long lasting the product stays on the face, and surprisingly how cost-effective it is. For me this product is expensive, I normally go more for drugstore makeup as its cheaper and looks amazing. But what got me to buy this particular foundation is that i wanted a FULL coverage makeup as i have super dry skin and needed all the redness to be covered, so i thought i'd venture further than drugstore makeup. I love how high end makeup provides you with the option of having a tester and taking it home to try the product before spending your money.
I went to the estee Lauder counter, got my colour swatched and she gave me a little bottle of the foundation to test. This tester is a great travel size too.
I got home and decided to give the foundation a go, I apply all my previous foundations with a stippling brush like my true match and fit me foundation as the consistency of them foundations is light and thin. So I pour the tester bottle onto my finger then onto my face stippling the product into my face, it was clumping onto my dry patches making them look flaky, rough and highlighting them. Bunching up under my eyes and looking super cakey and uneven. To say the least I was disappointed and definitely not impressed. As I was going out I didn't have time to start my foundation all over again so, I applied the rest of my makeup and it didnt make a difference to how the foundation looked. If anything the powder helped my face look even worse.
I didn't to give the foundation another go, I was so annoyed that it looked so bad on my face as I know people who wear this foundation and they look flawless. I told my friend about my mishape with the product and she recommended me to dampen my beauty blender and use that to apply to foundation to my face. I thought i'd give it a go as this foundation is a lot thicker than i'm used to.
Listening to my friends advice, using my professional primer by benefit first as this is an amazing primer for dry skin I love it, after I dampened my beauty blender and poured the liquid straight onto the beauty blender, dabbing it onto my face. It was going on amazingly! Covering all my blemishes, redness, fine lines and it wasn't highlighting my dry patches it was blissfully covering them. I continued to apply the rest of my makeup, contouring, concealing and highlighting etc. It made my makeup flawless and it stayed on all day not bunching up and covering my flakiness flaws. I've also used it without primer to see if it made a difference in the look, how long lasting etc. But it made almost no difference which I was impressed with as it proves that the foundation is truly long lasting.
I love the opaque sheer bottle, with the golden top and writing creating a very beautiful look to the presentation of this foundation.  This product doesn't contain a pump dispenser which I like because it gives me the choice to put back the unused product if I've poured too much out but, the downside to this is that if you incorrectly screw the lid back on then it may leak everywhere.
I found that this product is great for sharpening up your brows by applying a little bit of foundation to a small concealer brush  and cleaning up the underneath of my brows, this makes a world of a difference making a crisp flawless finish that is so popular right now.
This foundation is worth a try as it's different from all other foundations, I really believe that this product lives up to the saying 'A little goes a long way' as it really does! I also feel that all foundations I've previously used say that they can be built up for full coverage but they always end up looking super cakey and Orange, but this foundation builds up perfectly! The thickness of the foundation creates a beautiful silk finish on your skin.
Although this product does feel heavy on the face as the coverage is really FULL, they do a BB cream which is a lot more lighter feeling. As I know a lot of people don't like the full coverage feeling.
Removing this product is extremely hard though! You can buy the double wear remover Estée Lauder retail. But if you're on a budget, using micellar water by garnier is good but doesn't remove all traces of the foundation so, after using the micellar water I go ahead and wash my face, tone then moisturise . It does sound like a lot especially when you're tired or had a few drinks. I've heard that Kim kardashian uses these particular makeup wipes, Neutrogena visibly clear  not sure how good they are as I haven't used them yet but, I've read review that it removes all traces of makeup so worth a try.
To finish the review up I'd like to say that this particular foundation is an amazing buy and I will definitely be repurchasing and recommending to anyone who wants a full, long lasting foundation. Look out for my post about a dupe for this foundation.
Charlotte x