Make-up International Supermatte Anti-Shine

This is one of those pro favourites that once you've used it, it's never not in your kit. As a make-up artist you need to be able to problem solve as quickly as possible and the Make-up International Supermatte Anti-Shine is a small miracle worker that gives real piece of mind. A little goes a long way so it's worth having and hardly takes up any space in your kit. It's a bit of an unsung hero, but I'm about to sing.

Whether you are on a film set, photoshoot, working with a bride or just in the hot lights of a studio, shine in the wrong place is not what you want. Packing on blotting powder can cause cakey build up or really affect the finishes of your base. Anti-shine matte's out the skin under the base so you don't lose the desired finish. You can also tap it over the top of foundation if shine appears. This is also great if you do a lot of male grooming shoots - perfect for use around the hairline.

Daniel Sandler Intense Volume Pro Mascara - Quick Review

Long overdue (as is the full blog review which is to come) one of my favourite mascaras and for those who only wear mascara, this is perfect. 


If you are reading this in July 2016 then this is part on my 10th birthday giveaway this month which you can enter here.

Recover Correct and & Conceal Red

Concealers are abundant, meaning slightly rubbish ones are all too easy to get your hands on. And I've had my mitts on a lot of bad concealers. There are two approaches to concealing. You have pretty good skin, minimal dark circles and just want something for a bit of brightening and to cover the odd spot. Or you want or need to use it to conceal redness, pigmentation, dark circles, add highlight and more.

If you are in the latter category then you need to make sure you are using the right concealer for the right job. Using a pink-toned, illuminating or heavy concealer on spots isn't going to cover them up, it's going to draw attention to them. It's a mistake I see often and one that's easy to avoid. Recover have just made this easier by developing the Correct & Conceal Red which, as the name suggests, is specifically for covering redness.

June 2016 Favourites - Friday Video

A few favourites and a quick look at this months giveaway. Sorry if I look and sound gross, the baby got me with his lurgy.

How to Get Great Summer Legs

So I've been trying to shift the baby weight and one year on I've still at least 1 stone to go. I don't fit into many of my clothes which is upsetting but the first thing to trim down is always my calves and though we may not have much chance to get our legs out in the UK in the summertime when the sun does appear I for one don't want to be caught with legs that could blind people at 100 paces. But I don't have time for full leg waxes, spray tans and massages (sadly, I wish I did) but I do have a fail-safe routine for keeping my pins presentable. I do it on two consecutive nights but you can do it all on one if you have to.

I'm an unashamed leg shaver. I've tried everything and the only thing that works for me is shaving or waxing and as I've mentioned above, I don't have time for a full leg wax (there are other areas that take up my child-allotted wax time). So I shave and exfoliate my legs on the first night. Shaving is pretty self-explanatory, I use soap and a men's razor. Not my husbands. That doesn't go well for anyone. Then I exfoliate. Now, I'm not a huge exfoliator but I do do it every now and then and when I'm prepping my legs properly I do it as I find it does make a difference to fake tan application.

I really like the St Grape Aqua Bliss Face and Body scrub which I would never use on my face but love using on the tops of my arms and my legs pre-tan. It's incredibly moisturising and effective without being too abrasive. It uses mineral sea salt as the main exfoliator so it's pretty gentle. No silicone, parabans. I don't love the smell but it's not that strong and it's floral, not offensive. I then moisturise when I get out of the bath, as I do every time I get out of the bath. For my legs I like to use a reasonably priced quite thick moisturiser I really like the ones from Nutrogena and Dove. I keep the expensive Clarins Renew Plus Body Serum for my upper body but I will use it to get rid of the keratosis pilaris on the tops of my thighs when it's time to tan (see my original review here).