The Ugly Face of Beauty

Ok its been over a week since I last made a post but I do have good reason and it is due to what Im working on for this blog.

As Ive said before I am not a professional and what Im working on  requires a fair bit of research and everytime I think Im nearly done I decide to take it in another direction! So while I work on that I have to come up with a few ideas to keep this up to date. 

Today my mind is filled with Cosmetic Surgery. I have always wanted cosmetic surgery,have been wanting breast augmentation since I was 16,lipo since I was 21,abdominoplasty since I was 19 and always thought I would get a facelift when I hit 50 but after seeing a programme called The Ugly Face of Beauty that all changed

Here is a link to watch some episodes online http://www.casttv.com/shows/the-ugly-face-of-beauty   although I will warn you that some of the content is graphic BUT if you are interested in Cosmetic Surgery or even considering having a procedure done I think you may enjoy it

Stay simply stunningly gorgeous!xx

I see Red I see Red I see Red

Instant Glamour:RED LIPSTICK

Avon My lip miracle in incREDible

I tend to shy away from red lipstick and focus more on my eyes,one night I could not be bothered doing much make up wise(I think I was coming down with something life threatening for me not to want to do my make up!) anyway I did a very light smokey eye with winged liquid liner and popped on some red lippy and WOW! Instant glam. I know your not sposed to do smokey eye with red lips but it really did look fantastic.

 On another occasion I was in a time  crunch so swept a beige eyeshadow over my lid,put some liner on my waterline chucked on falsies on the outer corners and swiped on some red lippy,the look took all of 5 mins(most of that time was to allow the eyelash glue to become tacky) and I was ready to go

I do suggest trying it out sometime,its bold but its timeless elegance!

Loreal Glamshine in Timeless Ruby

Tips for wearing red lipstick

-Make sure your nails and lip colour dont clash. Hot pink nails and bright red lippy is a no no.French Tips and Red Lips=Class!

-Dont wear red on your lips and nails unless they are the EXACT same shade

-Dont go overboard with blush if your wearing red lipstick keep it light or skip 

-Use lip liner as red lipstick tends to bleed

-To avoid getting lipstick on your teeth after you apply your lipstick place your finger in your mouth, gently close your lips around your finger, and then pull your finger out of your mouth. This will remove the excess lipstick from your lips. Blot your lips using a tissue. For extra protection use a tiny dab of vaseline and lightly coat your teeth with it,not the best flavour but the vaseline can help act as a barrier

-If you have a cool complexion choose true reds or pinkish reds

-If you have a warm complexion choose reds with a brown base like rusty red or brick red

-If you have slightly yellow teeth a blue based red will help your teeth look a bit whiter

- Choosing between a matte and gloss finish is a personal choice. Matte has more staying power whereas gloss is a bit more modern but can smudge alot easier and will require more frequent application

- Take time to get used to it. If you arent used to such a bold look,wear red around the house at first and look in the mirror often to get used to it. It will grow on you and if for some reason it doesnt(might just not be the right shade) at least you gave it a go!

-Confidence. If you arent comfortable and confident in your make up choices it will show on your face.

Product Review:Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme Pout to go

Sally Hansen Lip Inflation Extreme pout to go

I am a huge fan of lip plumpers,I find that they plump out the little lines in my lips and make my lips slightly poutier and alot make a great base for my lipstick. Recently I lost my last lip plumper that I loved(which was a sally hansen one too) so when I spotted this at Postie Plus for only $12 I had to have it.

It comes with the full size Lip Inflation Extreme,two mini tinted ones and a little lip shaped purse that is sized to carry the tints in.

It contains the breakthrough plumping Hydro-Collagen Complex with micro spheres of Marine Collagen and Hyaluronic Acid which capture and retain moisture. It contains Cinnamon extract which you can really smell

First off I’ll talk about the lip tints,there is a pale pink and a darker hot pink shade,both contain a slight shimmer. They both contain the same formulation as the regular Lip Inflation Extreme but are tinted(well duh!).

Now onto the Lip Inflation Extreme. Firstly the packaging is gorgeous,there is something about gold packaging that feels very high end to me(although many probably view it as tacky!).

You apply the formula with a brush that is attached to the lid,it is like a clear gloss and gives a glossy finish and that can be good but also bad. If you are using this under your lippy and want a matte/non glossy finish you cant achieve it,you also have to apply more of the lipstick to get the same depth of colour you would get if you werent wearing the Inflation Formula.

 If you apply it over your lippy(so you dont use so much) the colour will transfer onto the brush which can taint the formula and you transfer your lip shade onto the brush.

When you apply it it does tingle,almost sting but I find that with alot of plumpers,if you have sensitive lips,this will probably burn. Definatley do not use it on any broken skin.

I found it did slightly plump my lips but not as well as the lipstick plumpers I have used in the past although it is a noticeable plump.

So quick overview

-Gloss formula so impossible to use if you want a non gloss look

-Has a noticeable plumping effect

- Great if you want plumper lips and a glossy effect

-Has a tingle when applied but is quite a strong tingle

-Comes with two lip tints in pale and hot pink

-Comes with a cute red lip shaped purse to carry your tints in

For $12 it is good value for money,although personally I would not pay any more than $15-$18 for the entire set.

All in all good,not great but good

Give yourself an at home manicure!

The key to healthy and younger looking hands is treating your hands with kindness. The hands on our skin is exposed to so much in our day to day lives and they are generally the one part of our body that recieves the least amount of TLC so is one of the first parts of our body to show signs of ageing.

If your like me,regular professional manicures are not really an option,so why not treat yourself to an at home manicure?!

I will take you through my weekly manicure regime(I will also list the products I personally use,alot are Nutrimetics Products but I am not trying to endorse or sell them,it just happens to be what I use)

Weekly at home Manicure

Step One: Before you do anything,cut,file and shape your nails,I use Manicare Nail Files. Only cut if needed. Never file wet nails because like your hair when it is wet,nails are weaker and more suseptable to breaking.

Step Two: I soak my hands in a bowl of water with a little bit of my regular cleanser(I use Nutrimetics Hydrafinity Gel cleanser but any cleanser will do) for 5-10 mins. This helps soften rough cuticles and dry skin.

Step Three: I then smother my hands in Nutrimetics Nutri Rich Oil(Vaseline or a thick cream will work just as well) and then cover them with plastic wrap and leave it for 10 mins

Step Four: After I remove the plastic wrap I then exfoliate my hands,for this I use Nutrimetics Nutri Spa Rejuvinating Hand Scrub,you could use your regular exfoliator or you could use salt or sugar as a more budget friendly option.After I rinse off the exfoliant I then exfoliate my nails and cuticles with Avon Nail Experts Soft Cuticles Warming scrub,you could always do this with normal exfoliator or the sugar/salt scrub, I just use the cuticle scrub as my cuticles are shocking.

Step Five: I dry my hands with a clean towel and use the edge of the towel and gently dry the nails and cuticles.

Step Six: I then use a popsicle stick(lol) to gently push back my cuticles. You can use a cuticle pusher or orangewood stick which are available in pharmacies. If I have any loose/sticking out bits of skin around the nail I use either fingernail clippers or nail scissors to cut them off. I  NEVER cut my cuticles,personally I wouldnt even let a professional cut my cuticles as it lays a welcome mat for infection(please note that this is my own personal view on cuticle cutting)

Step Seven: I then take my Nutrimetics Nutri Spa Intensive Hand balm and massage a good amount into my hands,around my nails and cuticles and right up past my wrist to my elbows. For this step any good hand cream or moisturiser would do the trick

Step Eight:(Almost Done!) I use a clean,dry towel and wipe the balm/moisturiser off my cuticles and nails and the immediate surronding area of my nails. I then apply a base coat,let it dry,apply 2 coats of my nail polish,let it dry then apply and top coat 

Voila,at home manicure! May not be as relaxing as a professional one but it gets the job done

Let me know if you try it!

Till next time,stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous! xx

HEAD TO NZSALE FOR DISCOUNTED L'OREAL!!

head to nzsale.co.nz for some great L'oreal deals,not sure how much longer it has to go,it started Saturday so head over,check it out and pick up some bargains

Im stoked to find that my perfect lipstick shade that I thought was discontinued when I could no longer find it,it still exists!! So Im going to have to get it at some stage!

My first vid on YouTube!

My first vid on YouTube,more of an introduction but check it out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpO8IlVjag0

Products I want to try

With the weather being hotter my make up look completely changes. I go for lighter shadow,less eyeliner,lighter weight foundation or a tinted moisturiser,bronzer and lip glosses rather than lipsticks. There are two products I want to try this summer so am hoping I get a chance to

First on my list is Nivea Visage Q10 Plus Anti Wrinkle Tinted Day Cream with an SPF 15

For only $20 your getting an anti wrinkle cream,tinted moisturiser,SPF15 to protect against sun induced premature ageing and it contains UVA/UVB filters!  I love products that have more than one benefit and I have to say that this is one of those types of products

Next on my wish list is Maybelline Shine Sensational lip gloss. I dont know much about the actual lip gloss itself but I saw a review on You Tube that left me keen to try it

  So those are two products on my summer wish list,of course there is alot more I want but Im being simple and sticking with these two products so if I do get a chance to try them I'll let you know how I get on

Till next time ladies,Stay Simply Stunningly Gorgeous xx