An e.l.f addiction is forming

e.l.f Haul 

 

First impressions – The unveiling of the products I ordered on the 10/2/12

Apart from the sheer excitement to my package coming the next day, I was dying to open it and check out the products.    

I’m still very new to e.l.f this being my 3^rd time purchasing small hauls at the end of the month from their site, but have loved the items received so far.

As always the items were packed nicely by the Distribeauty team, I can never fault the fantastic service they provide. 

If you’re not familiar with who the Distribeauty Team is... well you should ;-) 
They distribute e.l.f products to the UK e.l.f customers ...check out their facebook here:

www.facebook.com/DistribeautyWarehouseTeam

If you yourself wish to check out the fantastic range of cosmetics from e.l.f take a look at their website here:

www.eyeslipsface.co.uk
www.facebook.com/elfcosmeticsUK

 Don't forget to 'LIKE'

The Haul

The Mineral Line Lipsticks

Cool Coral

Cheerful Cherry

Natural Nymph

Regular line Lipsticks

Fantasy

Brows

Eyebrow Treat and Tame (Medium)

Tools

Bamboo Bending Brush

Studio Blending Brush

Mini Eyelash Curler

Hollywood Eyelashes Kit

e.l.f Professional Tweezers

I’ll be reviewing the products that I have tried so far, and I will add more e.l.f product reviews next week. I’m currently working on my second test paper for my MUA course (the written part) so I am writing up reviews when I have free time.

Lipsticks

The e.l.f Mineral Lipsticks in my opinion are absolutely wonderful, beautiful pigmented colours that just glide onto the lips, it’s hard to believe they are only £3.50 each! Also they have good staying power and are moisturising on the lips. My personal favourites are Cheerful Cherry and Cool Coral, I found Natural Nymph did not suit my skin tone but I still love the colour.

Fantasy from the regular line was a bargain at £1.00 I liked the colour and my only negative thought on this lipstick would be that it never applied as smoothly as the mineral lipsticks.

Below are pictures of how they look on the lips:

Cheerful Cherry

Cool Coral

Fantasy

Natural Nymph

Eyebrow Treat and Tame

If you like a more natural looking brow then this is a must have

I normally fill in my brows with a medium brown power and an angled brush, but sometimes when you are in a rush to get out the door with two young children at the early hours of the morning, you just want something that makes you look presentable but less time consuming.  

I brushed my brows into shape and then applied the Treat gel to my brows and waited a few seconds before applying the Tame to the brows. I would advise doing this before setting your foundation as   this will allow you to clean up any product that is not on your eyebrows.

e.l.f Studio Stipple Brush

On myself I normally use my hands to apply foundation as I find it more quick and easy when I’m in a rush, But after trying this brush I actually got my foundation on in half the time and used less product than I would have done if I used my hands. The brush is super soft and of good quality, I was very pleased with airbrush finish it produces. 

I’ve seen a number of ways of how to use this particular brush on YouTube i.e. - Stippling then buffing it in, but I found it worked best using only a stippling motion. I don’t think I will ever put foundation on with out my e.l.f Stipple Brush from now on  :-)

I would love to know what are your favourite e.l.f Products are?

Thanks for reading

Take care 

x

Better late than never.....

Hello everyone,

I know that I did say a few weeks ago I would produce some product reviews, but I have been super busy with study and my oldest daughter has been unwell so it has been hard to find some free time to write them up.

I have over 20 e.l.f products to review and I’ll do my best to get them posted over the next few weeks, instead of me doing one great list I will review 5 at a time.

In other news

I have received a mark for my first test paper on my MUA course and was awarded a pass :-) I need to wait around 4 weeks to have my work returned as they can be chosen for a second marking by an Internal Verifier. 

I am now near the end of my second unit which is – Preparing for Make-Up

 I have found this Unit very interesting and have learnt a lot about the skin and different products used in the preparation process before make up is applied, Health & Hygiene Practice and different skin conditions.

I am on currently on Activity 6, I have to practice the cleansing massage routine - This is important to get right as you are assessed on this procedure in the Unit 2 Test Paper. I have been having great fun practicing so far on my Fiancée and my lovely friend Kim (who has asked me to do her Wedding make-up, which is such an honour)

I am practicing on all who’s willing as I am determined to get this right :-)

Now if you are doing the same course as myself (ICS BTEC Level 2 Make-up Artist) you may have noticed that the Deep Cleanse Massage routine is slightly different in the Textbook (Suzanne Le Quesne- The Complete Guide to Make-up) than it is in the course work folder, It does state in the textbook: There are many sequences, all of which are acceptable and achieve the desired outcome. 

I hope the same applies when carrying out this procedure in the test? I shall enquire about this soon and update my blog with the information given.

I have found a few videos on YouTube that would be helpful to all who wish to learn how to do a Superficial Cleanse and Deep Cleanse routine; it is much easier watching the process than looking at a picture demonstration.

 Deep Cleanse Massage Routine

Superficial Cleanse

If you have any tips or suggestions relating to the Deep Cleanse Massage Routine I would love to hear more about it.

Thanks For Reading and Take Care

x

Happy 2012

Hello everyone,

Hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year :-)

I have been super busy lately working on the first test for my MUA course, which I plan on sending out next week.  The test has been reflection of what I have learned with in the first unit i.e. – Health and Safety Practice, Different Legislations and Guidelines, and the Range of Career Paths with in the industry.

My tutor has been a fantastic help guiding me through my queries and providing me with support and encouragement (by phone or email) I have always had a quick reply.

So I would advice if you are doing this course, don’t be afraid to talk to your tutor about any issues or questions you may have.

I feel so much more confident and back on track after corresponding with my tutor.

Where have you been all my life e.l.f?

Last week I had discovered e.l.f cosmetics after hearing so many reviews over on Youtube about their products, so I decided to give them a try.   

I will post up a review of the products within my haul at some point next week, so keep a look out for my next Blog.

I would love to know what your favourite e.l.f products are , do you have any that you would recommend?

Take care

Ayngel

x

Woop Woop!

Hello Everyone,

Well I have some great news..... As of last Thursday I am now officially a MUA student at ICS.

I was so happy when my study materials arrived at my house, the feeling of sheer excitement dawned on me as I opened the large boxes revealing what was inside.

 The contents of the package are as follows

• A Skintruth ™ kit containing cleanser, toner, moisturiser, face mask and face refiner  
• A Skintruth ™ travel bag
• An 8-piece brush kit
• A foundation brush and 2 spatulas
• A mask removing sponge, natural sponge and headband
• 100 disposable lip brushes, mascara brushes, eyeliner brushes and applicators
• A make-up palette and a textbook: The Complete Guide to Make Up by Suzanne Le Quesne 
• The kit will be delivered to you in a professional Beauty Express bag with your course materials. 

The first unit that you cover is rather large, but is defiantly full of beneficial information and tasks involved; it won’t be until the next unit that you will begin the practical side of the course. 

The best advice I can give at this point is make sure you fully understand what you have learned in each section before moving on to the next.

I have just completed my first activity (in unit 1) which I found was a lot of fun; I had to create a storyboard displaying how--- Makeup and Fashion has changed through time.

Here is a snap shot of what I had done:

I’m truly enjoying the course so far and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.
 

If you’re interested to know more on ICS BTEC intermediate 2 - Makeup Artist course 

The information can be found on their website:
ICS BTEC - level 2 Intermediate certificate Make-up Artist
 

I will continue to keep you posted on my progress ;-)

 

Thanks for reading

x

Baby it's cold outside

Monday is back and in super cold fashion here in Edinburgh, Unfortunately I had to take my two wee ones out in the freezing cold at 8:12 this morning and drop off my 3 year old daughter at Nursery.  

It was a struggle to walk without slipping on the ice and my poor daughter fell on her bottom a good few times (Oppsy) 

So to pass some time until I had to collect my daughter from Nursery, I took my youngest child to the store for a look around and ended up buying a few bits walking out with a mini haul.

Maybelline Lasting Drama –Gel Eyeliner 24H

I have never used gel eyeliner before, but considered I would give it a try and see how it differs from pencil or liquid eyeliners.  I tested it after returning home and I have to say when making a line on my hand it did not seem to create a fluid straight line like I had thought.  

The 24 Hour part I can agree with,  it most defiantly is hard wearing, when rinsing my hands in water it did not come off unless I gave it a good scrub.

I will try using this again when I next do my makeup and see how it applies to the eyelid,  I’m guessing that practice makes perfect with this product. 

I would love to know what your thoughts are on this particular product, and is there any Gel Eyeliners you would recommend?

Nails Inc – Piccadilly Circus

A beautiful rich Burgundy- Red colour that is perfect for the festive season... I absolutely love the colour and the quality of this nail polish, I only needed one coat and it was fast drying with a great glossy finish.

Rimmel Lasting Finish – 500 Disco Ball

This glitter-tastic polish looks fab on its own or on top of your favourite base coat; it is a clear polish with flecks of blue and silver glitter. A great way to pimp up your nails for Christmas, I teamed this polish up with the Nails Inc – Piccadilly Circus and it looks lovely.

 Sadly the pictures I have taken don’t do the products justice,  I do apologise :-(

Hope you have a fantastic week, and wrap up warm if it's cold where you are

 Thank's for reading

x

December Favourites

One thing I really enjoy is checking out popular Makeup Gurus monthly favourites and reviews, I find it’s a fantastic way to introduce you to new products and learn more about them. 

So I thought I would share with you some of my monthly favourites.

Bourjois Healthy Mix 

This has to be the best foundation I have ever used fantastic coverage and leaves your skin looking radiant. I being a rather fair skinned lady I often find it hard to find a foundation to suit my skin tone, but the shade 51 blends in well leaving no dreaded lines or colour variations. Another great thing about the Healthy Mix line is they also have a concealer to match each shade, I find that it’s not always needed due to the great coverage the foundation gives.

Bourjois have a new line of Healthy Mix foundation called Healthy Mix Serum Gel I’m very intrigued to try it out, if anyone has tried it please let me know what you think.

Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush

For many years I always used power blush and found the ones I had tried looked unnatural and dull. Dream Mousse Blush for me has been a brilliant product that I can’t live without, and provides my fair complexion with a nice hint of colour. 

The texture of this product is light and creamy and when applied gives you dewy glow. One word of warning- it does have a slight glittery pigments, I personally find it highlights the cheek bone when used sparingly... So if you’re more of a matt blush fan this may not be for you. 

I use 07 Peach Satin that goes well with fair skin and you can build up the colour for a more dramatic look.

KEDEM Exfoliating Facial Mask

I came across this product when I was enjoying some window shopping in Ocean Terminal in Edinburgh, this lovely woman at the Kedem stall pulled me up to demonstrate a range of products (all in which I loved ) 

I tested this exfoliating mask on my hand and I was very pleased with the results . My skin looked smoother, hydrated and super soft, I thought to myself if this is what it does to my hand it would work fantastically on my face... and it does! 

I use this product twice a week, and you can notice the results straight after use. It removes dead skin cells, evens out the complexion leaving your face rejuvenated.

The Kedem products are a tad pricey but defiantly worth every penny, you get a good amount of product, and smells gorgeous. Find out more on this company here:


www.facebook.com/kedemcosmetics

I will do more product reviews of this company in a future blog.

Thanks for Reading

x

 

Entering the world of Blogging

A Quick Introduction

My name is Ayngel I am 27 year old lass from Sunny Scotland (a hint of sarcasm there hehe) and I live with my two gorgeous daughters and my fiancée.

New Beginnings

After years of contemplation I finally took the plunge and signed myself up to ICS (home study) BTEC in Make Artistry. I have always had a keen interest in makeup and beauty and my vast collection of cosmetic products are a true display of that attraction. I love experimenting with makeup to create different looks and effects (*whispers* mostly using my fiancée as a model Shhhh) and sometimes helping friends get made up for nights out.

So I guess you may be wondering why I waited this long to follow my dream career? I am all ready a fully qualified Nursery Nurse with 10 years experience. I loved my job but sadly had to resign in October after my Maternity Leave due to not being granted flexible hours to suit my family (I have two children 8 months and 3 year old) So this left me in a rut as I do wish to work, but it has to fit round my family commitments and I really don’t want to miss out on quality time with my children. 

I spent weeks after becoming unemployed looking for work that would fit in well with my current situation and part time Nursery work was looking slim, and everything else out there required a qualification of some kind , none in which I possessed. 

I began thinking that maybe I should learn new skills that will help me find work that I would enjoy... I came across a home learning company called ICS; home study seemed like a great option and would fit around my lifestyle. I searched through the countless amounts of courses on offer and came across the BTEC level 2 in Makeup Artistry; it was just what I was looking for!

I enrolled on the course yesterday so all I need to do now is wait for my kit and course work to arrive, I’m super excited about the prospect of being a student again and learning new skills. I will keep you updated on my journey through my course.