Empties 2

The Empties bag is full so it's time to see what I've been using.

LimeLife Dew Date
Garden of Wisdom Hyaluronic Acid 
The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter
Superdrug B. Multi Acid Pads 
Reusable Cotton Pads 
Geoorganics Peppermint Toothpaste 
Indeed Labs Hydraluron
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
LimeLife Mascara
LimeLife Perfect Sunscreen
Garden of Wisdom Azelaic Acid
Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
Clarins Eau Dynamisante 
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 
Garden of Wisdom Vitamin C + Ferulic Acid
Origins GinZing Tinted Moisturiser
LimeLife One Drop Wonder
Skincetuicals Retinol 0.3

Come and join in the conversation on Facebook at the Corinna Harrod Beauty Group - just send me a request and I'll add you. And don't forget to go and subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself. If it is an affiliate link it usually means I've taken the time to find the best price available at the time of posting. 

January - April 2018 Favourites

Some of my favourite things that I've been using over the past couple of months. I haven't been trying that many new things recently so would love to hear what you've been loving, or hating.

As I mention in the video I first bought the Clarins Instant Concealer in 2015 and was sent the Travalo in 2011 though it felt like it was longer ago!

All products are listed below and if you haven't already then do go and subscribe to my YouTube channel and come and join my Facebook group.

Heliocare Gel 360 Fluid Cream SPF 50+
Ilia Illuminator in Sway
Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen Deep Cream
Clarins Instant Concealer
Burts Bees Vanilla Bean Moisturising Lip Balm
Yunic Floru Nail Varnish
Travalo

Reviews:
Ilia Illuminator
Dr Dennis Gross C+ Collagen Deep Cream
Clarins Instant Concealer
Travalo

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Empties 2018 - 1

A new numbering system for my empties videos but the same format! All products, previous reviews and mentioned features are listed below. If you haven't already then do subscribe to my YouTube channel and come and say hi on Instagram.

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Mane n Tail Conditioner
L'Oreal Studio Pro Boost It Volume Mousse
Therapie Equilibrium Bath and Shower Essence 
Alpecin Double Effect Shampoo 
Eau Dynamisante 
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara
Mama Mio Goodbye Stretch Marks
Origins Make A Difference Plus 
NYX Doll Eye Waterproof Mascara 
Clinique Fresh Pressed Pure Vitamin C 

My current favourite mascaras

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Mane n Tail Conditioner 
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara 
Origins Make A Difference Plus

Instagram Q&A 1 - Part 1

Wow this is much harder than I thought it would be. Editing it down was difficult and it made me realise that the problem with videos is - you miss things. Every time I watched it through to edit it I could see things I'd meant to mention and then didn't and that is, I guess, a good thing, because otherwise the video would be hours long but means I feel that my answers are, in some cases, lacking a bit. But it's my first Q&A and in the spirit of being easy on myself this year I'm going to say you can't get it perfect first time out! Any additional info I've listed below with the products mentioned.

Part 1 is questions 1-6 and part 2 will be 7-14

Thank you so much for everyone who sent in questions. I really enjoyed doing this. Please go to the video in YouTube or to the comments below to carry on the conversation.

1. Gemma (@the_organised_mum)
Mascara (Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara)

2. Becca Leggate
Pixi Correction Concentrate in Brightening Peach
Clarins Instant Concealer 
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

3. PickleTricky
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
MAC Eye Kohl
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

4. Gina
House of Glam Dolls Glambase Wheel
Illamasqua Hollow
NYX Wonderstick
Blend, Blend, Blend!

5. Gina
Louise Young Powder Blushers (I particularly love Mae, Dolly, Maudie and Coop)
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush (Rose Glow and Cherub)
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush Samples

6. Helen
Spend on skin products - tinted moisturiser, foundation or skincare - a good tinted moisturiser with an SPF is great if you don't need/want too much coverage.
Save on mascaras unless you only wear mascara in which case you can spend a bit more but remember they are mostly the same formula in different packaging.
Don't spend too much on eye shadows - I like Bourjois Smoky Stories and Louise Young Eye Trios
Aim for mid-price and you should get good quality.
Always happy to advise!

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Face of the Day - 2nd November 2017

My current go-to make-up. Despite the length of the video this is actually very quick to do and lasts all day.  All products are listed below and any reviews/quick reviews to products are also linked.

If you haven't already subscribed to my channel then please do and you should also sign up for my monthly emails where you get everything from the blog straight to your inbox and some extra tips and offers too.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Eye Shadow Stick in Bluffing
Bourjois Smokey Stories in Over Rose
Lancome Art Liner
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Younique Moodstruck Epic Mascara
Clarins Instant Concealer
House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel 1
Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Daniel Sandler WaterBrush
Eco Tools brushes
Real Techniques Brushes
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
MUA Pixel Perfect Mult-Blush in Coral Spice
Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Louise Young Enigma Lip Trio

Reviews:
Eye Shadow Pencils 
Bourjois Smokey Stories
Lancome Art Liner
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Clarins Instant Concealer 
House of Glam Dolls Glam Base Wheel 1
Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Eco Tools 
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray
Louise Young Lip Trio

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Clarins Extra-Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream

Another skincare product that made it's way into my bathroom during the dark days of post-Jim tomato face. And another that, at the time, got relegated for not immediately fixing my face. This is partly down to cleanser snobbery as I am a balm gal, will I ever love a cleanser that's not a balm? Well it would have to be bloody good and this one is pretty great.

I feel that the first thing I should mention, because it's the first thing you notice, and I notice it every time, is the smell. This smells amazing. Well, I love it. I've read some reviews that don't like the smell - if you are buying this in store you can have a whiff of a tester before you buy. It's fragranced but doesn't irritate.

Another thing worth mentioning is that a lot of the reviews for this are from those who have used it for years when it used to come in a tub and be a slightly different consistency. I never used it then so I can't comment on that - maybe if you were one of those people you could let us know in the comments which you prefer and what the differences are (from what I can tell it seems to be smell and consistency). 

April 2017 News

There are a lot of new releases at this time of year as brands gear up for the summer. I have been incredibly virtuous and not bought any, and very busy pre-holiday with small (slightly ill boys) and the continuation of the loft extension so I haven't been out swatching the new launches. Maybe I'll sneak out next week but for now here are my pics and also what's been going on elsewhere.

New Releases

Bobbi Brown's Beauty from the Inside Out: Makeup * Wellness * Confidence - after a rather sudden (for us) and surprising (for us) departure from Bobbi Brown (the brand), Bobbi Brown (the woman) has released a new book covering holistic, health and wellness practises to give your skin and body everything it needs to help you look (and feel) your best.  I may not love all Bobbi Brown (the brand) products but I trust the woman's ethics and knowledge so I can't wait to add this to my (terrifying) beauty book collection.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Cushion Compact - Bobbi Brown bases are not for everyone but this looks to give a really beautiful sheer to medium, buildable coverage and with a great SPF 35. I'm always a bit dubious about cushion compacts and the hygeine implications but this looks very nice.

Charlotte Tilbury - ever up-to-date, Charlotte Tilbury has released a new #GloMo collection. I've always loved the look of the Instant Palettes (though I've heard mixed reviews from other make-up artists) the latest limited edition Instant Look in a Palette in Beauty Glow looks absolutely stunning though with rose gold and bronze colours that are really up my street. There is also an overnight Bronze and Glow mask to give you plumped flawless skin with a sunkissed glow. I would love to try these even though the # in the name makes me feel a bit sick.

Clarins Dare to Go Tropical Summer Collection - is now available. I haven't tried these yet but love the look of the Limited Edition Summer Bronzing and Blush Compact and the Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfector. Clarins always do great summery lip products so these may well be something that accidentally falls into my shopping basket when my husbands not looking. Also worth mentioning that if you are looking for a summer fragrance (or indeed are someone who needs a pick-me-up) the Eau Dynamisante from Clarins is my go to scent for summer.

News and Events

If you haven't already then do sign up to my monthly newsletters. I promise not to spam you. At the moment this is just an email at the end of the month with all the features, videos and reviews from the blog that you might have missed. Great for those who don't have a lot of time to get sucked into the Internet for hours!

I went to a fantastic launch for Eco Tools - you can see my thoughts on it in this vlog. Such a well organised event, really aimed at helping people get to know the brand and the brushes. Which I'm now well into doing and already have some new favourites.

Sleek Make Up - Boots are offering a free Dip It Eyeliner when you spend £12 or more on Sleek Makeup products. I'm a huge fan of their eye palettes and contour kits and this liner looks great - I love a felt tip liner brush. This offer is open until 9th May.

Products I've Been Testing

Eco Tools - I've been loving trying out the Eco Tools brushes from the event goodie bag. I'm going to do a review of my favourites soon. I would say that if you are looking for high street/affordable brushes these are well worth checking out.

Ilia Illuminator - now I'm not big on highlighter at the moment, mostly because it's so popular and when something is popular it makes me want to do the opposite (imagine how much fun I was for my parents as a teenager). But these highlighter sticks are really subtle and beautiful and easy to apply - they look best blended out with fingers so it doesn't really get much easier than that. Lovely to add a bit of a glow at this time of year, these are another great recommendation from Beauty By Tahira who is a great person to go and check out if you are into ethical and green beauty. I've been trying Sway and Polka Dots and Moonbeams - desperate to get my hands on Cosmic Dancer.

Coming Up

Next weekend is the UMA Expo which I am really looking forward to. It's the highlight of my make-up events each year and a great way to learn and top up your kit.

IMATS is in May and as it's the day I get back from holiday I'm not sure I will attend this year. I have to say that for me this has become a bit too much of a consumer show compared to the make-up artist event it used to be. Though this is great for the company and stands that feature there it's just a bit much for me - especially 8 months pregnant.

Face of the Day - 7th April 2017

It's rare for me to do the same make-up every day. However, for the past couple of weeks with illness, pregnancy, building works and various other things I kept reaching for the Louise Young eye trios as they are so quick to use and work so beautifully. So that's the main feature of this face of the day.

I had moisturised with my Clarins SPF50 Anti-Wrinkle cream beforehand - which I suspect may not be helping with my skin at the moment. However it works well under make-up if you give it time to settle in and sometimes I like a high SPF on my face. I also don't do anything to my brows in this because I filmed a brow video straight after which will be up in the next couple of weeks as part of a new series.

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel and leave me a comment either here or there! All products are listed below as are any previous reviews, videos, posts mentioned.

Basic Brush kit blog post

Clarins SPF50 Anti-wrinkle cream
Louise Young Eye Trios (Festival and Studio 54)
NYX HD Eye Base
Louise Young LY19 brush 
Real Techniques Shading Brush
Crown Brush Crease Brush
L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
MAC Smoulder Eye Kohl
Louise Young LY16 Brush
Elizabeth Arden Double Density Mascara
Daniel Sandler Invisible Radiance Foundation and Concealer
Charlotte Tilbury Retoucher
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Laura Mercier Camoflague Powder Brush
Eco Tools Micro Blending Brush 
Cover FX Translucent Powder 
Louise Young LY13 Brush
Ilia Multistick in Tenderly
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure
Ilia Illuminator in Sway
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light 
NYX Gloss in 22 Natural

Concealers

When I first started wearing make-up concealers came in a lipstick-style bullet. Chalky in texture and very limited in colour they were ok for covering a spot if you had a whopper. They were pretty pigmented and unblendable.

Now a lot of clients I work with, especially those over 35, have not kept up to date with how concealers have evolved. Often using a heavier coverage foundation and skipping the concealer altogether which makes it hard to get a natural finish. I often get asked how to get dewy skin without losing coverage and I always recommend a lighter, dewier foundation and a good concealer. They've come on a long way since the 80s/90s bullet. Now you can get the coverage you need, where you need it whilst still keeping a light coverage everywhere else.

Face of the Day - 9th March 2017

I love wearing a bright lip in the spring and recently found one of my all time favourites, Dangerous Retro Matte from MAC. This will be too dry for some but I love the fact that this is a very wearable colour that lasts all day - I only reapplied it once and that was with eating a millionaire's shortbread, having a coffee and eating lunch!

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel and check out the blog www.londonmakeupblog.com.

I've linked to all the products used below (some are affiliate links so if you don't feel comfortable using them then do google the products yourself). Below that are links to any full reviews, from me, of products featured.

Products Shown:
This Works In Transit Camera Close-up
Lola Eye Base
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Louise Young LY19 Brush
Soap & Glory Supercat Fat Eyeliner 
Lancome Artliner
Benefit Rollerlash mascara
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Clinique Bottom Lash mascara
Clarins Instant Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush (Rose Glow)
Daniel Sandler Waterbrush
Maybelline Brow Drama (in Dark Blonde)
Rimmel Exaggerate lip liner (in discontinued Passionate)
MAC Retro Matte lipstick in Dangerous
Real Techniques Brushes
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit (which was a limited edition - you can buy the powders separately. I used Dim Light and Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powders and Iridescent light highlighter).

Product Reviews:
My current morning skincare routine
Soap & Glory Supercat Fat Eyeliner
Lancome Artliner
MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks 
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation 

August 2016 Empties - Friday Video

Here's another empties video. With one of my most lovely thumbnails yet!

April 2016 - Friday Video

This months favourites, and there's more than four. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Links to everything, under the video
Goe Oil
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow 
Kerastase Nutrive Nectar Thermique
Redken Stay High 18  
Dior Rouge Baume Lili
Clarins Anti Wrinkle Sun Cream SPF 30
Environ AVST 1 Moisturiser
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil
Clarins Eau Dynamisante

Quick Day to Night Eyes using Urban Decay Naked - Friday Video

When I worked in an office I'd often have to go out straight from there and having to do quick, easy make-up in the badly lit office loos was always a pain so here's how I'd do it using the Naked Palette from Urban Decay.

I've linked to all products below. This may look brush heavy but actually the one I use most comes with the palette and the most recent palette has a double ended brush which means I'd only end up taking the angle brush with me. So all you'd need in your make-up bag is the palette, mascara, lipstick and eye kohl. Pretty simple.

If you haven't already then please subscribe to my channel

MyFace My MixFoundation - sadly no longer available
Clarins Instant Concealer
Louise Young Blusher in Coop
Hourglass Diffused Light Ambient Lighting Powder
Dior Rouge Baume in Lili
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Urban Decay Naked
Soap & Glory Supercat Fat Jumbo Liner
Crown Brush Deluxe Crease Brush
Real Techniques Angled Brow Brush
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Daniel Sandler Intense Volume Pro Mascara
MAC Smoulder
Louise Young Lip Trio in Pin-up

September Favourities - Friday Video

Only nearly a whole month late...
Hourglass Brow Arch Sculpting Pencil
Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum
Art & Makeup by Lan Nguyen-Grealis
Jo Malone Lime Basil and Mandarin Home Candle
Soap and Glory The Ultimelt
Label M Rejuvinating Oil Mist

Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum

People who have read this blog for a while (Hello and thank you) will know that I have Keratosis pilaris also known as 'chicken skin' (lovely) or as I call it, bumpy tops of my arms. I've always had, I was told I would grow out of it and never have. Nor have I found anything to get rid of it. I tried Environ Derma-Lac which helped a bit but as soon as I stopped using it, it was just as it always was.

I have been told by a couple of people that the Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum would help but I was dubious. It's not cheap and I have a lot of body moisturisers to work my way through. But in a fit of post-baby body loathing I thought I would give it a go and snuck it into an order with Euan the dream sheep and a bath thermometer.

What's in my Make-up Bag - Friday Video

A rambley look at what's in my make-up bag...


Emma Lomax (make-up bags and other lovely things) - www.sexlomax.com
Dior Skinflash Radiance Pen
Benefit Rush Hour
Avon Supershock Gel Liner
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara (this is the link to the extra volume version)
L'Oreal Superliner
Max Factor Lip Liner (the brown and nude here looks similar to the discontinued one I have)
Lipcote
Clarins Loose Powder
Clarins Eau Dynamisante
Travalo
Real Techniques Mini Brush set
Elizabeth Arden 8hr Lip Protectant Stick
Blistex Lip Brilliance
Victoria Jackson
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick in Bitch Perfect

Clarins Instant Concealer

I've been doing a bit of tidying up on the blog recently and I've noticed one of the ongoing themes seems to be the quest for the perfect concealer. Have I found it yet? Well no but this comes pretty close.

Clarins Instant Concealer is one of those products that does have it's downsides but is good enough that I love it despite them. As always I like to get the bad news out of the way first so what don't I like about this product? Well, there are only three colours available. It doesn't take a genius to work out that this is pretty limiting so you really do need to track it down and try before you buy and as usual I think it's the darker skin tones that are going to miss out on this. Sort it out Clarins.

My only other problem with this (which I mention in my Quick Review video) is the tube - if you squirt out too much which I have done every single time I've used this (a little goes a long way) then there is no way of getting it back into the tube. Very annoying as this is not a cheap purchase. 

What I do love about this is they have got the colour mix and consistency absolutely spot on for a concealer. One of the reasons it's so hard to find the perfect concealer for me is I have very dark circles which ideally need a pinkish/red corrector to cancel them out but I also want something yellow for breakouts and redness around my nose. The majority of concealers are more yellow-based but the Clarins Instant Concealer, which does say it's 'customised correction' for dark circles, manages to do both. It is pinkish, but not too pink, and sort of yellowish to. I'm not explaining this very well but I'm hoping you are keeping up. 

I usually say if you want skincare go to a brand that originally started out doing skincare, Clarins is one of these. If you want make-up go to a brand that started out doing make-up, I don't bother with any of MAC's skincare products for example. Clarins have gone against this and produced a really cult make-up product that I think will take some beating even from companies that have specialised in make-up for decades longer. The price tag may seem a little steep but actually for the amount of product you get, and the amount you need to use, this works out incredibly reasonably priced.

What You Need to Know - Clarins Instant Concealer

• £21.50 or US$31
• 15ml
• 3 shades - 01, 02, 03 
• Watch my Quick Review here
• Other products by Clarins: Extra-Comfort Anti-pollution Gentle Cleanser, Renew Plus Body Serum
• Available in the UK from Clarins, Escentual, Selfridges, Boots, Debenhams,
• Available in the US from Nordstrom, Clarins

What's in my hospital make-up and washbag - Friday Video

Here's a little peak inside my make-up and washbag that I've packed to go to the hospital to have the baby. I'm really sorry if I seem a little lack luster - I was feeling exhausted and not very well when I filmed this but bare with me - it may be useful! I've listed below all the products I mention that I have used and would recommend. There are some here that I wouldn't necessarily buy again or that I haven't tried so I'm not linking to them...

• Balmi 
• Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray 
• This Works In Transit Camera Close Up 
• Blistex Lip Brilliance
• Avon Quad in Mocha Latte
• Maybelline Better Skin concealer
• MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder
• Benefit Sugarbomb
• Real Techniques Shading Brush
• Daniel Sandler Smudger Brush
• MAC Blot powder
• Paperchase Watermelon Washbag
• Halo Antibacterial Wipes
• Soap and Glory Clean on Me 
• Soap and Glory Righteous Butter 

Clarins Concealer Quick Review - Friday Video

A new favourite product and great all-rounder...

April 2015 Favourites - Friday Video

Only four this month but a classy four...



Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser 
Colour Wow Root Cover
Clarins Instant Concealer 
Louise Young Blusher in Room 43