Chanel Le Vernis 'Elixir'

If you're searching for the perfect pretty pink nail shade, then look no further.

At the Chanel show during Paris Fashion Week, the models were seen wearing the newest shade to the Chanel collection - Elixir.

Elixir is a beautiful pinkish red polish, the epitomy of the ladylike, pretty beauty trends we've been seeing on the catwalk over the last few weeks.

The Chanel Le Vernis nail polishes are priced at £18 in most stores and online.

 Elixir will be launched late-Summer as part of the Fall 2013 collection.


Liz
xo

Estee Lauder French Nudes Collection

These polishes are heaven for any nude enthusiast. There's 5 different shades in this collection, so there should be something for everyone.

From left: Diabolique, Nudite, Bittersweet, So Vain, Ballerina Pink.

Estee Lauder claim these all have great pigment and leave a glossy finish even without a top coat - you can see them swatched over on one of my favourite blogs 'British Beauty Blogger' by clicking here.

 Inspired by Parisian fashion, these are all very elegant and easy to wear shades. I am particularly liking the look of So Vain, as well as Bittersweet for a darker spin on a nude nail.

Each shade is designed to compliment different skin tones so everyone will have their own favourite, but I don't doubt these will be very popular when they launch.

The collection is set for UK release in March and each bottle will cost £14.50 each.

Liz
xo

Marc Jacobs Autumn/Winter 2013 New York Fashion Weel

Marc Jacobs shows are always one of my favourites and this season was no different. The collections always showcase a kind of grown up but fresh look and this season the look was very simple and sexy.

On the catwalk, the Marc Jacobs girl adorned simple, masculine styles in the form of belted coats, pyjama-style slinky shirts, and neat blazers worn at times with very little else! But there was a touch of Hollywood glamour at play here too, with vintage-style fur coats and throws, t-bar shoes and mid-length metallic dresses. 

Backstage, dark wigs were cut into a style approaching a mullet but just a bit shorter, all featuring choppy semi-side fringes and adding a touch of vamp to the whole look. Think modern day Joan Jett for this hairstyle.

The wigs were styled with small differences on each model, all individually cut with a razor. If you look at the models pictured above they are all slightly different. Some had more volume and messiness whereas others were sleek and almost pixie-ish from the front. 

A wet-look product was applied to each wig for a high-shine effect and some of the models wore bands around their head to add to the grungy, edgy look.

The make-up was created using Nars Radiant Cream Compact Foundation for a nude and glowing base. The smoky eye was created by blending a couple of matte shadows together- a dark, warm brown washed over the lid and smoked out using black and white shadows to achieve that mid-grey wash around the edge.

The shadows have been applied around the entire eye and used to line the lower lash line too - grab a liner brush for this part, then grab a good eyeshadow blending brush to blend everything together, moving it upwards towards the brow and out beyond the inner corner of the eye towards the bridge of the nose.

The lips were kept nude with just a hint of gloss  - perfectly simple and clean next to the grungy eyes.

Marc Jacob's shows are always a peak into what the 'cool' girls will be wearing next season . The collection itself is the perfect balance between glamorous and cool, elegant and edgy and is the ideal look for Autumn/Winter.

Liz
xo

Valentine's Day Make Up

Whether you like Valentine's Day or not, it's hard not to feel in love with these Valentine's themed beauty products...

This super cute lipstick by Marks & Spencer Limited Collection is only £5.00 and comes in a light pink or rose shade. Easy to wear, pretty colours. They remind me of the Paul & Joe 'cat head' lipsticks - both are adorable and a fun twist on a product many of us use every day.

Another product in this line from Marks & Spencer is this multi blush, which comes in at just £6.00. It features little hearts in various shades of pink for a rosy glow.

MAC's Archie Girls collection will be launching in the first week of March and I'll be snapping up this eyeliner along with a couple of other pieces. The packaging for this whole range is really cute and a lot of the products look really wearable.

This is the Pearlglide Intense Eyeliner in 'Black Swan'.

For the brave ones amongst us, these heart sequin eyelashes from ASOS (£15) are a really bold and creative way to get in on the love theme. These do not look particularly comfortable...However they undoubtedly add something different to a look!

Last but not least, heart decoration for the lips in the form of a temporary lip tattoo! This is another piece from ASOS and costs £10. Probably not an item to wear on a date or if you plan on eating anything (!) but for a girly night out with friends these are pretty fun.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!

Liz
xo

Autumn/Winter 2013 Trends from the Catwalk: The Glitter Nail

Hi everyone! Happy Valentines Day! I hope you all have romantic days planned, perhaps a romantic night in pampering yourself (you deserve it!) 

I'll be doing a Valentines beauty post later today but in the meantime I wanted to show you the nail look from Jenny Packham's show at New York Fashion Week A/W 2013.

Jenny Packham A/W 2013

This is such a simple yet effective look and is really easy to achieve. The polish used for this was Essie 'Set in Stone', from their 'luxeffects' range, which is a silver glitter particles polish, best used as a topcoat to add sparkle to any nail colour or in this case applied to a nude nail to bring just a touch of glamour.

Essie 'Set in Stone'

To get this look, start at the centre of the nail and paint towards the tip, letting the brush fan out to get that cascading effect.

The simplicity of this look paired perfectly with the Jenny Packham collection which is described as 'understated luxury'. 

If you want to achieve something a little more dramatic with this polish, try it over a dark shade - either all over the nail or just on the tips like a sparkly French manicure!

Liz

xo

Autumn/Winter 2013 Trends from the Catwalk: The Dark Lip

Fashion week is upon us and first on the schedule is New York which has been taking place over the last week.

Beauty at New York Fashion Week is typically very groomed, polished and immaculate. Beauty-wise it's a great place for fashion week to start because it always features the key trends.

One trend in particular that has popped up on various catwalks this week is the dark lip - namely at Vera Wang, 3.1 Phillip Lim, Derek Lam and Zac Posen. This is a beauty trend which comes round time and again but is a really beautiful autumn/winter look.

Vera Wang Autumn/Winter 2013

  

Derek Lam Autumn/Winter 2013

 The best thing about this look is how easy it is to achieve. A strong, dark lip looks best with pared-down make up on the rest of the face so you only need minimal make up elsewhere.

3.1 Phillip Lim Autumn/Winter 2013

To achieve this look start with a seamless, neutral base. Buff in any foundation until you have that 'no make-up' look. Apply concealer only where needed for added brightness, add one coat of mascara on the eyes and then move on to your lipstick.


There are a few different shades to try in this trend, depending on your skin tone and hair colour. Darker skins can carry off bright wines, plums and reds, whereas pale skins should stick to more muted tones of brown and pink. Olive or medium skin tones can pull off the dark lip easily - brownish reds, burgundies and aubergine colours are your best friend for this look!

If this trend scares you, try a gloss first to ease yourself into the trend.


A few recommendations...

MAC Lipstick in 'Cyber' - an intense, dark purple with a satin finish

MAC Lipstick in 'Dark Side' - a full-bodied dark grape shade

Nars Lipstick in 'Fast Ride' - a vibrant shade with a velvet finish

Dior Rouge Lipstick in 'Hypnotic' - a long-wearing, buildable burgundy shade


Let me know if you have any favourite dark lipsticks that I should try!


Liz
xo

Diane von Furstenberg Autumn/Winter 2013 New York Fashion Week

I am a big fan of Diane von Furstenberg, not only because she creates beautiful, womanly clothing but because she has always been about empowering women. Her clothes have all the glamour of the seventies but with a clean, modern twist.

Some of my favourite outfits from the show...

Diane von Furstenberg Autumn/Winter 2013 at New York Fashion Week

The make-up for this show is my favourite from NYFW so far. James Kaliardos, who created the look for Diane described it as "Life is the party...how you get up in the morning, and feel great" which I think is the perfect description for this look. The pink lipstick is so vibrant and fun, and seems to suit every model regardless of hair or skin tone.

The whole look was created using MAC products. The lips were created by using MAC Chromographic Pencil in 'Magenta' all over the lip to give them that bold, matte colour - this isn't available in the UK but MAC's standard Lip Pencil also comes in Magenta. Face and Body foundation was applied lightly to the face, using a slightly different shade on the temple and cheekbones for that warm and 'real' skin appearance.

MAC products

For the eyes, MAC's eyeshadow in Omega was applied very lightly to the brow, and a highlighter was applied along the cheekbones to give skin radiance.

I really love this look. The clean and perfectly highlighted skin complimented the power lip perfectly, and the simplicity of the look allowed the lip to stand out without making the whole thing look too 'done'.

I hope you like this look too! I'll be featuring a few other Fashion Week looks on my blog so if there are any that you love and want to know how to recreate, leave me a comment!

Liz
xo