Fabled - Top Picks

I was suspicious of Fabled when it first appeared which was during a rather dubious time for beauty shopping on the Internet. However it is a lovely website, a really good idea to affiliate with a magazine and for those of us who shop with Ocado it's pretty life-changing to be able to get some incredible brands delivered for free with your weekly shop.

But with so many online beauty shops to choose from why go to Fabled? Well I've found that there's not one site that sells all my regular brands so I tend to go to each for different things but this site has a lot of what I like and is generally a really nice, easy shopping experience. I can't be the only one who can get overwhelmed with the online beauty superstores can I? The delivery is free when you spend over £15 and because it's done through Ocado you get allocated a 1hr delivery slot - no more hanging around for the whole day wondering when the driver is going to turn up.

Fabled has lots of interesting brands - Institut Esthederm, Ilia, delilah - the Marie Claire edit and very interestingly, a tab on the menu for just looking through the vegan products. It's really easy to navigate and they often do sales and discounts. I feel like it's the small brand of the online beauty giants and I'd like to support it. So what would be my picks from their brands?

1. Urban Decay Naked Palette
Soon to be discontinued and still my favourite palette I've bought a couple of these for my spares drawer. It's currently the cheapest I've seen it anywhere, here at £29.50.

February 2017 Empties

This empties video seems to have winged around pretty quickly but this could be to do with the fact that we are having the bathroom redone and I have no idea where I am going to store everything so I'm frantically trying to use stuff up. It's not going to work. Send help

Cowshed Grumpy Cow Shampoo
Le Petite Marseilles Hand Soap
L'Oreal TechniArt Volume Architect
Liz Earl SuperSkin Concentrate - this has now been split into day and night versions with more active ingredients. I'm not sure which one is most similar to this. You can see them both here
Batiste Dry Shampoo
Coconoil
Daniel Sandler Intense Volume Pro Mascara
Eyeko Fat Brush mascara

Subtle Blue Liner Video

At the end of 2015 Urban Decay released the Gwen Stefani palette which I loved from the get go but has been one of the most requested how-to videos I've had. A lot of you have bought this but find you are using the same colours over and over so I've come up with a few looks using some of the more unusual colours in the palette.

If you don't have this palette but have a tricky blue that you want to use then go for it! All products used are listed below

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




Make A Difference +
By Terry Touche Veloutee concealer
Gwen Stefani Urban Decay Palette
Louise Young LY19 brush
Real Techniques Starter Set
MAC Eye Kohl Smoulder
Urban Decay Peversion Mascara
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream
Estee Lauder EE Cream
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush
Cover FX Loose Powder
Laura Mercier Camouflage Powder Brush
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Daniel Sandler Waterbrush
Maybelline Brow Drama in Medium Brown
Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Diffused Light
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara

Face of the Day - 20th October 2016

This is not only a look I've been wearing a lot recently but I've adapted it so it uses a lot of high street products and those more expensive ones that I know some people struggle to get the most out of. Hope it's useful.
Products Used:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yoghurt
NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow in Girl Talk
Rimmel Millionaire Eyeshadow
Houglass Ambient Lighting Edit
L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
NYX Wonderstick 
Blistex Lip Brilliance

Product Reviews:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit
Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils

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 12th April 2016 - Friday Video

This has been pretty much my go-to look since moving. It's quick and easy and really you can recreate it with any palette you have with similar colours.

 
Lola Eye Primer
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette
MAC Smoulder Eye Pencil
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Louise Young Concealer Trio in Medium
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
NYX Contour Stick in Light
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Hourglass Ambient Light Edit
Louise Young Lip Trio in Enigma

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

5 Minute Make-up - Friday Video

Technically 4 minutes when I'm on form... though you'd never know it through all this yakking

Face of the Day 4th August 2015 - Friday Video

There's quite a lot of baby and drilling in this video but it'll show you a quick look I've been doing for the past couple of weeks when I have had meetings but haven't had that much time to do my face...



Nudestix Magnetic Eye Colour in Angel
Liz Earle Signature Eye Colour in Bronze
NYX The Curve Eyeliner
Benefit Roller Lash
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Dr Hauschka Tinted Day Cream 
Chantecaille Just Skin
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
NYX Wonder Stick
NYX Sunkissed Radiant Finish Powder
Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder

Face of the Day 12th March 2015 - Friday Video

Long and rambly due to husbands absence. Really simple though using mostly high street/drug store products...

Friday Video - Face of the Day 14th January 2015

This is a quick (despite my chatting) easy way to do polished make-up without feeling, well, too made up so great everyday make-up or for the office. Full a full list of product see below...

Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 13 Warm Beige
Liz Earle Signature Eye Colour in 05 Bronze
L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim
Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Mascara
Estee Lauder EE Cream in Light
Maybelline Better Skin Concealer
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow
Kiko Blusher in Sound Coral
Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder in 01
MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Maybelline Colour Drama in Minimalist
Paul & Joe Beaute Lipgloss in 05

Monday's Make-up Muse - Gwen Stefani

Ok so a new feature I've been thinking of for a while. How many times do you see a picture of someone or watch TV and think 'next time I do my make-up I'm going to try and do that'? Well I do it all the time and for so many different kinds of women purely depending on my mood. So I thought I'd have a look at each of my 'make-up muses' and pick out the bits of their look, style and make-up that I love. Now this may seem done to death but this is my blog and these are my make-up muses so some of them may be unexpected and Audrey Hepburn will not feature. It will be the first Monday of the month and you can search for them by clicking 'Muse' in the tag cloud in the right sidebar.

Thought I'd start this off with Gwen Stefani because, apart from the classic icons she has been one of my make-up muses since school and is still doing it! Whenever I see a picture of her even if I don't particularly love the outfit it is guaranteed that there will be a fab item of jewelry or a new lip colour that I covet. She is a modern version of the classic 50s icon - the blonde hair, the red lips and nails, even her eyebrows but she is so up-to-date it hurts.

I suppose with Gwen we should start at the top with the hair. When I fist went blonde a billion years ago it was party because I wanted to look like all the fantastically cool 80s metal bands that I loved (yes they were men, what?) and then along came No Doubt and Tragic Kingdom and she looked so cool and I wanted her hair. How the hell does she maintain it? How? I need her hairdressers number. I'm having to have a break from dying mine because it was so damaged and she never even has a root visible. There's a secret I know there is... I need to find it out.
 
Her make-up (what I think of as being classic Gwen Stefani though she actually changes it up quite a lot) usually involves a flick of varying degrees of drama, a red lip, and flawless skin with not a whole lot of blusher and bronzer going on... just enough. She always hits the right note of made-up but not overdone, again a real classic look that's hard to do. What makes the eyes work is the use of pale shadows and slight contour to make the shape perfect and the ideal backing for the black liner and lashes. Even when she goes for more dramatic eye make-up and a nuder look she still seems to ooze classic style.

What I always feel when looking at Gwen Stefani is that if there were no stylists and make-up artists in the world she would probably look pretty similar to what we see. If you remove the bindi in the Don't Speak video you'll see she's already got her signature make-up look going on. Love, love, love her.

Gwen Stefani Make-up Must Haves:

Eye Shadows - neutral tones and slightly darker matte shades for contouring are the best backing for a classic looking flick liner. For neutrals try Brulee or Blanc by MAC and for the darker shades Wedge and Omega are great. Or you can get a palette with similar colours in - Sleek Make-up I-Divine Palettes in Au Naturel or Oh So Special are my picks. My top pick is the Essential Eye Palette by Louise Young.

Eye Liner - choose a gel liner like my favourite 77 from Inglot or Blacktrack from MAC with either an angled brush (266 from MAC is my preference) or a Real Techniques Fine Liner brush or a pen liner if you find that easier. I prefer the ones from Eyeko or Collection. 

Lips - the most important thing is to get a red that suits your skin tone. My favourite red pencil is Redd from MAC but in terms of an actual lipstick there are so many out there to choose from. MAC Ruby Woo is a bestselling favourite but my go-to MAC colour is All Fired Up which is more flattering, as is Lady Danger. YSL, Chanel (Pirate for my preference) and Charlotte Tilbury (I love Lost Cherry) are also worth checking out. For more affordable brands Barry M's Lip Paint in 121 would work and my most recommended red lipstick is the mighty Revlon Fire & Ice.

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

Friday Video - Face of the Day August 6th 2014

One of the reasons I set up my YouTube channel was to create 'Face of the Day' videos so if you were needing inspiration you could click on the relevant date and see what I wore on that day (I love doing that with Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries).

The 6th August 2014 was hot but mostly overcast, I was wrangling the baby all day then a friend came over in the afternoon. The friend I've known since I was 7 but I don't see all that often so I wanted to look nice but not too done; light coverage, nice definition on eyes and lips.

Products used:

Urban Decay Naked palette
Lavera Soft Eye Liner in Black
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp mascara in Black
NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Santa Fey
MUA Pro Conceal and Brighten in Natural Medium Rose
MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge
Eyeko Fat Brush mascara in Black
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Accesorize Baked Mineral Bronzer in Laguna
Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder in 01
MAC Lip Pencil in Dynamo (Limited Edition)
Blistex Lip Brilliance

Subtle Contour for Jo - Friday Video

My friend Jo is getting married and although she is doing her own make-up on the day I've been helping her chose what products to use. One of the products I recommended is Hollow by Illamasqua as a contour. I wasn't able to see her to show her how to use it beforehand so I did a video. Because it's so specific and I needed to film it and get it posted as soon as possible it's a bit longer than normal but hopefully helpful!

Laura Mercier Moisturising Foundation
MAC Paint Pot in Painterly
MAC Pigment in Aurura
L'Oreal Perfect Slim liner
Laura Mercier Caviar Liner
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
Cover FX Setting Powder
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow
Sugarbomb by Benefit
Real Techniques Brushes

Blue Liner - Friday Video

I always wear black eyeliner so the other day I was brave and went for blue instead... You don't have to use as many blues as I did and it's also a great look for those of you who hate using brushes most of this can be done without.

Products used:

NARS Sheer Glow in Santa Fey
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 03
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 13
Sleek Oh So Special Palette
Zao Pearly Eye Shadow in 104
Eyeko Skinny Liner in Navy Blue
Barry M Supersoft Pencil in No 4
Inika pencil in 08 Peacock Blue
Rimmel Scadal'eyes
Cover FX Setting Powder in Light
Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow
Maybelline Dreamtouch Blush
Lancome L'absolu rouge in 66
Real Techniques brushes

Make-up in Under 10 Minutes - Friday Video

Look my face has deflated! This is a quick tutorial for everyday make-up in under 10 minutes which is great if you are in a rush or have a baby screaming.

Products used:

Origins Make a Difference +
MyFace MyMix Foundation in 02 Fair
Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream in 15 Taupe
Lavera Soft Eye Pencil in black
Rimmel Mono Eye Shadow in black
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 3 Medium
L'Oreal Telescopic False Lash Mascara in black
Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Warm
Benefit Sugarbomb
M&S Limited Collection Bronzer in Light
Blistex Lip Brilliance Blushing

Eyeko

OK this is a brief post while the boys are out and I've actually got a moment to switch on my laptop, and it's definitely not going to do these mascara's and eyeliners justice but they would be fantastic Christmas presents so I wanted to get them on here as soon as I can.

Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara

Just before I gave birth I ordered some Eyeko Fat Brush mascara to cheer myself up, it actually arrived when I got home from the hospital so was perfect for making me look less pasty and dreadful. It is a completely amazing mascara, I loved it so much I bought the Skinny Brush mascara for my mum. They really do what they say - the Fat Brush makes my lashes look longer the Skinny brush makes sure every lash is coated and they are properly black. My only problem with them is they are quite tricky to remove but that's the price you pay for smudge proof mascara and a little extra time spent removing your makeup properly is probably a good thing where your skin is concerned (as long as you are using the right products - I use Bioderma).

Eyeko Black Skinny Liquid Eyeliner

With each mascara you get a mini shield - basically a plectrum for those of you who are guitar savvy - you hold it behind the lashes on your lid and it means you can apply your mascara without fear of splodging it on your eyelid and ruining your makeup. A really great idea.

Eyeko are now doing fantastic Skinny Liquid Eyeliner pens, not only in black but in other really colours that are really intense, completely smudge proof and incredibly easy to use. Again I really can't fault them.

I'm desperately trying to resist buying the new Black Magic Mascara and the green eye pen.