Feel Unique Pick and Mix Sample Service #1

Hello Everyone! If you haven't already heard Feel Unique offers a Pick and Mix Sample Service. It works like this - you can choose 5 beauty samples for free and you just pay the postage and packaging which is £3.95. Then Feel Unique will send you a voucher for £3.95 which you can use on any future purchase (but not the Pick n Mix.) It's almost like you get to choose what you want in a free beauty box!

So you can only use this once a month and it's limited to UK customers for now. If you order on the 8th the next time you can use it will be the 9th of following month. It's not a subscription service so you can dip in and out whenever you want and choose whatever you want! Items are mostly high end and mainly skincare, body care and perfumes. There is a search function that can search by sample type (vial, sachet, tube, card and pot) which is really helpful as then you know what size sample you've chosen which helps you to get the most product for your money. You can also search by brand or by department (e.g. make up/ fragrance) which may save you time as there are around 300+ samples to choose from. Just so you know the Pick and Mix system doesn't let you buy two of the same product. There is also a selection of products for men- mainly aftershave, cologne, shower gel and moisturisers although some products are unisex. The products do change throughout the month but I've also seen products that I've  missed out on come back. Brands that are currently in stock include Caudalie, Elemis, Isadora, Charlotte Tilbury (foundation), Kiehls, Dr Hauschka, Emma Hardie and many more.

Here are the items I picked up....

Elemis Nourishing Omega Rich Cleansing Oil 2ml
This cleansing oil is 90%  jam packed with oils that include sunflower seed oil, castor seed oil, rosemary leaf oil and patchouli leaf oil. The Omega 3, which nourishes and calms the skin comes from the rose of winter oil and chia seed oil. The pomegranate extract is rich in Vitamin C which helps detoxify the skin and boost collagen.

This is the first cleansing oil I've tried. You apply it to dry skin, add water to emulsify the oil so it becomes a milk and then rise away with warm water. I've used it three times at night and once as a wake me up morning cleanser. It smells like essential oils and in particular of grapefruit which is very refreshing. Elemis describes their cleansing oil as a 'non stripping, gentle formula.' It did not irritate my sensitive skin and made my skin feel soft. However it wasn't great at removing makeup but this might be because I didn't use enough. I'm a bit on the fence with this one- however I will say that although Elemis is a luxury brand, the amount of product in the full sized bottle for the price is very generous with 195ml for £31.

Caudalie Moisture Recovery Cream 2ml
I added this to my basket as my skin felt a little tight and dehydrated. Caudalie Moisture Recovery cream aims to restore the hydrolipidic film and strengthen the skin barrier function, leaving skin soft and moisturised. The grape and borage oils, grape-seed polyphenols and sodium hyaluronate all hydrate the skin.This also has matte finish to the skin. I wasn't keen on the smell, it smelt a bit like cinnamon mixed with other essential oils but the smell isn't overwhelming so it's OK. I have sensitive skin and this didn't irritate my skin and I felt it did a good job of moisturising my skin.

Caudalie Vine Body Butter 7ml

This body butter contains Caudalie's trademarked Vinolevure which is extracted from wine yeast and helps to keep the skin moisturised while reinforcing the skin's immune defenses. Other key moisturising ingredients are shea butter and grape seed oil. The orange blossom and orange wood smells fresh and invigorating (although it smells a little like grapefruit to me.) The texture is like a lightweight cream rather than an heavy balm or butter and absorbs very quickly into the skin. Caudalie claims that this body butter offers 32% hydration after 8 hours. While it mositurised pretty well, I didn't find that that the hydration lasted 8 hours later. To be honest I found that The Body Shop's Mango Body Butter much better and it keeps the dry skin on my elbows moisturised for much longer.

Isadora Nude Sensation Fluid Foundation in 16 Nude Almond 3.5ml 
This is a yellow based foundation but actually looked peach/orange on me which was a shame. It is fragrance free and smells neutral or a little bit like water paint. It gives medium coverage.

Nars Laguna bronzing Powder 1g

I saw the words Nars and Laguna so I popped this into my basket without realising the sample was on a card. The powder is long wearing and very pigmented and needs some blending.  It suits my tan/olive skin tone but  I think it may be too dark for those with pale skin tones. It also contains glitter but this is not noticeable when applied onto the face. I can see why it's so coveted and it's something I will probably buy in the future.

This post is Not Sponsored by Feel Unique and I bought the products with my own money.  

The stories Behind 8 Iconic Perfume Bottles

I'm not a perfume bottle collector although I'd love to be. Unfortunately I don't have room for a collection despite the fact that they're so priddy! Even so, I really enjoy learning about the inspiration and anecdotes behind a perfume bottle's design and the branding. A behind the scenes look around. It also gives a glimpse into history as the bottles reflect the fashion of the time or the origins of the brand. Many of the bottles below were designed by celebrated perfume bottle designer Pierre Dinard. Over at Guerlain, Robert Granai was mentored by Guerlain himself to create many of the brand's perfume bottles. I wrote a similar post a few years back about The stories behind 6 other perfume bottle designs which you can read The stories behind 6 other perfume bottle designs which you can read here.

Eau de Cologne Impériale, Guerlain (1853)

Guerlain's Bee Bottle was launched in 1853 after Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain won the title of the official royal perfumer to Napoleon's Wife. Since then the Napoleonic bee symbol has been incorporated into Guerlain's brand image. Guerlain engraved the bee bottle with the Empress' coat of arms and each bee and scalloped edge were hand-painted with gold. Nowadays there are two versions, one with the hand-painted decoration called 'the golden bee' and without called 'the white bee.'  Many people assume the domed shaped bottle was inspired by a beehive, but in fact it was actually the top part of the Vendôme column which was in the same vicinity of Guerlain's original boutique. The Vendôme column celebrated Napoleon's battle of Austerlitz and stands at the centre of the Paris Place Vendôme. Before 1955 it was common practice at Guerlain to use the same bottles for different perfumes even today the bee bottle atomizer is used for the majority of Guerlain's feminine EDT and EDP.

Calandre Paco Rabanne (1969) 

Paco Rabanne's concept for this perfume bottle was sex in a a car. Dinard responded that it's uncomfortable to have sex in a small car. Eventually they settled on a car that would be big enough- the Rolls-Royce. Then they needed something to symbolise the Rolls-Royce, not the logo, not the door but the radiator grill enclosure at the front of the cars. Calandre means the radiator grill in French and yes I'm fully aware of all the possible  innuendos in what I've just written- cars that are penis extensions etc! Dinard's minimalist design was pioneering because it was the first example of electroplating, a thin layer of metal covered a plastic grid. Personally I would have liked the bottle to show the distinctive grill like in this hip flask.


Opium Yves Saint-Laurent (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent summoned Pierre Dinard to Marrakesh. Once he arrived, Laurent declared that he wanted to make a perfume inspired by the East. When Dinard asked him what the East was for him, he replied ' "It’s fireworks....If you do not see it press your closed eyes with your fingers and stop when you feel bad.'" Dinard tried this and saw yellow-red-violet spots floating in front of his eyes. He used these colours for the box. The bottle was inspired by Japanese inro boxes used by Samurai for keeping spices, salt, herbs and opium. In Dinard's original design he named the perfume 'Ichi.' However Laurent preferred the name Opium. Dinard's work influenced the final concept and advertising of Opium. Since the 70's the bottle has evolved into a simpler design but the colours remain the same.


POISON Dior (1985)

Dior wanted to recreate the success of controversial perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent's Opium and Revlon's Scandal. They had even obtained the licence for the name Poison almost 3 years before working on the actual scent. Bill Slater (senior vice president / general manager of  Dior NY ) explains that they were '"looking for something to shock the consumer... the name is provocative and it stops the customer, each year it becomes more difficult to attract the public's attention."' Dior Perfumes marketed Poison as  'a new temptation, a new seduction, a new emotion' essentially like forbidden fruit worn by the 'adventurous.' The bottle has a crystal stopper and is shaped like an apple, evoking the poisoned apple given to Snow White and the apple Eve ate from the tree of knowledge that poisoned Eve and Adam's paradise. Instead of  red for the apple they chose an amethyst purple because it was 'bold, rich and different' along with a emerald green box. The precise colours of the bottle and packaging were chosen after a miscalculation while developing a roll of the promotional film.  Dior Poison won a Fifi Award for the Best Luxury Perfume of the Year in 1987. Since it's release Dior Poison has spawned new generations of perfumes such as Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison, Poison Girl, Tendre Poison and Poison Extrait de Parfum. 

Boucheron (1988)

In 1988 the highly prestigious French jewellery company Boucheron (whose clients have ranged from Tsar Nicolas II to Nicole Kidman) wanted to launch their own perfume. The bottle is made from rock crystal and is shaped like a ring, with a dip in the centre to create a ring band and a sapphire blue 'jewel' for the perfume cap. This was a unintentional but genius marketing strategy because many of their customers flocked to the store in Place Vendrome to purchase the actual jewel that matched the bottle. So Boucheron hastily created a matching ring.The bottle fits snugly in the hand. As the 'perfume jewel' became popular they later designed another perfume in the shape of a jewel- the Boucheron Jaipur bracelet.

Eternity Calvin Klein: (1988)

This bottle was designed by Dinard for Kelly Rector, Calvin Klein's bride and design assistant. Klein was inspired by a ring he had bought for Kelly at auction, it was the same ring that Prince Edward had given to Wallis Simpson. The ring was engraved with the word 'Eternity.' The scent was specifically created for the wedding and the theme of eternal love embodied by the familiar wedding vow " till death do us part" symbolising eternal values of loyalty, love, family and peace. Dinard went with a religious motif, with the stopper based on a cross design. The fragrance  won the Most Successful Women’s Fragrance Award at the 1989 FiFi Awards.


Samara Guerlain (1989)

Samsara comes from Sanskrit and in both Hinduism and Buddhism it means the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. According to Guerlain 'Samsara is a symbol of harmony, of absolute osmosis between a woman and her perfume. It is a spiritual voyage leading to serenity and inner contemplation.'  Samsura is a floral oriental scent and the bottle design reflects this. Granai was inspired by a statue in the Guimet Museum in Paris. It was a statue of a Khmer dancer sitting with her hands folded in offering, symbolising plenitude and femininity. From her posture and hat he created a rough silhouette that became the shape of the bottle.  He chose the colour red for it's spiritual importance in the Far East. Allegedly this perfume was made especially for a woman who fascinated Jean Paul Guerlain and it took eleven years to perfect before he was properly satisfied and then he presented it to her. Awww...How romantic!

Galop d’Hermes (2015)

In 2015 Christina Nagel the in house pefumer at Hermes wanted to update the Galop d'Hermes fragrance. She took her inspiration from Hermes leather cellars, a high-security library that houses every single Hermès leather the brand uses. It took a year and 111 versions to perfect the balance between the leather and rose scent. The bottle and packaging were influenced by the Hermes Le Carré scarf which features illustrations from Gianpaolo Pagni. It was the stirrup pattern that inspired the stirrup sketches on the boxes. The actual bottle consists of thirteen different pieces to create a stirrup-like shape that was beautiful as well as functional. Each bottle is supposedly polished by hand.

4 Beauty Products That I Don't Get The Hype

I realise that for some people, some of the products on the list below might be someone's Holy Grail/ Ride or Die / Couldn't Live Without On A Desert Island Especially if Bradley Cooper Was There Product which is fine. Don't stop. While I love the brands below and have bought other products from them that I love to death these were the ones I didn't like enough. 

Stila Lip Glaze
These are one of Stila's bestsellers and were included in Harper's Bazaar's Beauty Hot 100. I have this in Raspberry and the colour is really vibrant and the taste isn't too bad, I'd describe it as a mixture between raspberry ice cream and cherry drop sweets.

The reason why I dislike these Stila lipglazes is because the formula is too thick and too sticky. I know the stickiness helps to make them more long wearing but my lips almost stick together when I talk and it is just a sticky mess if it comes in contact with your hair (e.g. on a windy day.) I am also not a fan of the packaging. You have to twist the end so that it clicks and dispenses the product. This is supposed to give you the right amount of product, Stila tells you to " Twist the pen until it clicks 10 or more times until the glaze appears on the brush. For top-ups just click a few times." Ten clicks is actually a bit of a faff and I find it annoying. I remember Ruby and Millie had similar packaging for their lip glosses as well. Another complaint is that you get so little product just 2.4ml for such a high price of £15. These are so overpriced in my opinion.

Benefit Cosmetics Benetint
Bentint is a rose tinted liquid cheek and lip stain. It is one of Benefit Cosmetic's bestsellers and was originally made for an exotic dancer in the 1970's. This gives a natural looking flush on the cheeks and a pink colour to the lips but actually it isn't very pigmented. Benefit claim this is long wearing but it doesn't last all day and on the lips it doesn't last long after a drink or snack. In fact you could say that it doesn't really stain anything.The fact that it's not very pigmented or long lasting made me feel really underwhelmed by such a cult product. I think that this is incredibly overpriced at £25.50  for a product that doesn't even live up to it's claims. 

Nars Blush in Orgasm 
This is a nice blush but it's a bit over-rated. I'd describe the colour as mid pink with gold shimmer. The colour would suit many skin tones. It's also long wearing. My main gripe is that this has a lot of gold glitter in it so it can get really sparkly. I think I would rather spend my money on a dupe where the gold is more of a gleam rather than sparkly glitter.

Nuxe Huille Prodigieuse
This is the number one dry oil in French pharmacies and a global hit. Nuxe Huille Prodigieuse
does have a lot of good ingredients- it contains vitamin E as well as tsubaki oil, almond oil, camellia oil, borage oil, hazelnut oil, macadamia oil and argan oil. It is free from mineral oil and silicones. I like the fact that because it's a dry oil it is not as messy and it drys fairly quickly.

My main problem with this product is that it's so strongly scented it's basically an oily perfume. Because of this it reduces the amount of ways I can use this "multi-purpose" dry oil on my sensitive skin. It is too strongly perfumed to go anywhere near my face. I have used it on my elbows which has moisturised the dry skin and made it soft, but it doesn't beat the powers of The Body Shop Mango Body Butter which leaves my elbows soft and moisturised 24 hours later without having to top it up with more product. I have used this to try and massage my finger joints when I was suffering from Repetitive Strain Injury but found that I needed something thicker like a cream. For a shoulder massage this could work. On my hair I used this as a 10 minute hair mask before I washed my hair. It made the lengths and ends of my hair softer but they still felt dry. If it was fragrance-free or less fragranced it would be more useful. I do like the smell of magnolia and vanilla but it's overpowering and the scent verges on traditional granny perfume. Putting oil in a glass bottle is also not that practical in a bathroom environment either. 

Let me know what products had that didn't live up to the hype?

Rodial XXL Lip Liner & Smokey Eye Liners Review

I think 'how to create a smoky eye' is one of the most popular questions typed into Google and Rodial Smokey Eye Pens make it a really simple and easy thing to do. Although Rodial calls these pens, they are in fact pencils (not a felt tip pen liner.) You just draw along the lash-line and smudge the line upwards and out to create the smoke effect. Voila! Then reapply along the lash line for definition. These pens are creamy, they don't tug but glide on and are easy to smudge/work with. They're not as creamy as Urban Decays Perversion but on par with Rimmel's soft kohl pencil liner. I used the brush that comes with the Maybelline gel liners to help smoke out the liner. They are safe to use on the waterline so after you've smoked out the upper lid you can finish the look by applying the pen to the waterline and lower lash line.

Rodial says that their Smokey Eye Pens offers 'super-rich pigment and gel-effect definition...This long-lasting soft formula easily blends for a build-able smokey eye effect with all day hold.' I think their description is pretty much spot on apart from the 'gel effect.' The smokey eye pens are a little reflective like a gel liner but often it looks like pencil on the eyes rather than gel liner. I also found that the black smoky eye looked better than the brown one. I don't know if it's because black smoky eyes are more of a classic look. When it came to sharpening them I used a pencil sharpener as Rodial's website suggests but I soon discovered that you can twist the end of the pencil to get more product, which is much better as then you're not wasting any product. The only thing I'd want to change is having a colour indicator at the top of the pens so I can tell them apart quickly and easily when I store them in a pot without having to take them out in order to read what shade it is.

I really like Rodial's Smokey Eye Pens and I feel that they're not just a gimmick, they're actually really useful to create a smoky eye fast, even with minimal makeup skills. Another bonus is that they're safe to use on the waterline as well.

Rodial XXL Lip Liner in Nude

Rodial describes their XXL lip liner as a 'creamy, soft formula. This tinted lip liner glides effortlessly on, creating the illusion of fuller, more defined lips. Offering high coverage and excellent colour payoff with long-lasting, waterproof and anti-feathering wear, this formula will stay put.'

Nude is a light pink matte shade that looks fairly natural when lining the lips. It's actually a rosy pink colour that is a bit lighter than my natural lip colour. It was excellent at outlining my lips making them look bigger but it dragged and tugged when I tried to colour my lips in. Rodial and some other reviews I read describe the lip liner as creamy, but I don't find it to be so. Compared to the eye pens which are smooth, creamy and soft this is the opposite, being dry and hard which is such a shame. It does not glide on either. The light rose pink shows up well on my lips but the hard, dry pencil affects how much coverage and how much pigment you can get out of it. It's almost, but not quite waterproof in that it hardly transfers much on cups and glasses. It depends on what you're snacking on but it generally lasts through a snack. It does need to be reapplied after a meal though. It's pretty long lasting for a lip liner. I don't really have a problem with lipstick fethering but it wasn't that great at keeping my lip gloss in place. It does twist up from the bottom but mine doesn't seem to work so I have been sharpening it instead. Unlike the Smokey Eye Pens it has a colour indicator at the top so you can see what colour it is at a glance.

The XXL part alludes to a plumping complex consisting of  a Vegetal Filling Spheres and Hyaluronic Acid to make lips appear smoothed and plumped with long-lasting hydration. However this definitely does not hydrate lips and I didn't notice a plumping or smoothing effect. Rodial's XXL Lip liner is £19 and I feel that the poor performance does not justify the expensive, luxury price. There are better lip liners out there for a much cheaper price.

Overall the eye liners are worth it, especially you struggle to do smoky eyes or are often tight on time because using Rodial's smokey eye pens are quick and easy. (However If  you were on a budget you could experiment with other creamy eye liners to see if you can get the same effect.)  While I love me some brown eye liner I think that going with the black Smokey Eye Pen is better for a creating a smoky eye. Personally I don't feel that Rodial's XXL Lip Liner is worth buying. How can you market a lip liner that's so dry as hydrating? The hyaluronic acid which is known for it's moisturising properties is lost in this product, they need much more of it to make it hydrating. Don't fall for the plumping effect either.

Rodial Smokey Eye Pens £17 Online here
Rodial XXL Lip Liners £19  Online here

Pantene & TRESemme Hair Conditioners For Fine Hair

I've decided to review these products together as I think they would suit those with fine hair or curly hair that often get weighed down by hair conditioners.

I picked up Pantene's In-shower Foam Conditioner in Superdrug when I saw it on sale for 50p and decided to give it a go. The benefit of foam conditioners is that it won't weigh down fine hair like some traditional conditioners can do. There are four in-shower foam conditioners in the range: Smooth and Sleek, Sheer Volume, Colour Protect and Repair and Protect. I bought the Repair and Protect without realising it was specifically for fine and damaged hair. It promises "air-light conditioning without the weight." It is SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) free but it does contain parabens (Methyparaben and Propylparaben.) To use it you apply a palm sized amount and run it through the hair from the roots to the tips. You wait until it's absorbed into the hair and then wash it out. The light foam texture is like egg white whipped meringue or hair mousse and felt as light as air in the palm. It has a floral/marine fresh scent which smells really nice.

I have thick hair so I'm probably not the ideal candidate for this particular Pantene in-Shower Foam Conditioner for fine and damaged hair, but I did come across some very positive reviews by people who had thick hair and loved it. I found this easy to use, you could see the foam disappearing as it absorbed into the hair and there were no problems washing it out. It was great at de-tangling my hair in the shower or when I combed my hair afterwards. My hair was softer but it didn't feel that it was very hydrating or nourished. In fact my hair ended up quite frizzy both when I used a hairdryer or air dried my hair.

When comparing it to Pantene's 'regular' hair conditioner from the Repair and Protect range, I found that there wasn't that much difference between them. Both conditioners de-tangled my hair well and made my hair softer. However the in- shower foam conditioner did make my hair frizzy on top. When I used the foam conditioner I ended up using a lot more than my 'regular' conditioner.  Neither of the hair conditioners felt they were nourishing enough to 'repair and protect' my hair. Pantene's Smooth and Sleek shampoo range seems to work better for me- my hair feels moisturised and doesn't frizz my hair as much when I use it.

I may try the Smooth and Sleek in-Shower Foam Hair Conditioner from the range as it might be better suited to me. If you have dry or over processed hair you will need something else that's much more nourishing. If you have dyed hair go for the Colour Protect. Those with fine hair would benefit most from this Pantene's In-Shower Foam Conditioner, so it's worth checking out if you fall into this group.

TRESemme Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner & Shampoo

The principle behind TRESemme's Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner and Shampoo is co-washing or reverse hair washing. This is where you apply conditioner first followed by shampoo. Tresemme's Beauty-full Volume Expert Pre-Wash Conditioner and Shampoo are supposed to prevent flat, lifeless fine hair that is weighed down by traditional hair conditioners. It's also good for those with curly hair. The Pre-wash conditioner contains 'fleximax volumisers' to give hair 'bounce' and 'fibre polishing actives' that 'binds to the hair cuticle..leaving it smoothed and polished.' This conditioner does contain silicones (Dimethicone and Amodimethicone) as most conditioners do, however according to this pre wash conditioner it shouldn't have all the problems that regular conditioner can have (hair that is weighed down and flat.) It does contain two preservatives MCI and MI that can cause skin problems which isn't the greatest thing to have in the ingredients. Tresemme's Beauty-full volume Expert Pre-wash shampoo also has 'fleximax volumisers' to help 'control static, infusing your hair with volume.' You should apply the conditioner first along the length of the hair. Then leave on for 1 minute and wash thoroughly. Then you apply the shampoo. 

I absolutely love the smell of this shampoo and conditioner, it's perfumed and fresh but not overwhelming. You can smell the scent the day you wash your hair but after that it fades. Initially I used a lot of conditioner because I wondered why it wasn't lathering up- before I realised that it was conditioner so it won't lather-silly me! I found that this shampoo and conditioner doesn't control oil very well. My hair looked greasy the next day (day 2) and on day 3 my hair looked flat which is the opposite of what it claims to do. I'm not sure if co-washing works for me or if it's these products, but I suspect it's co-washing as my hair type is completely different from the one it benefits most. Instead of fine or curly hair I have thick, straight hair where volume or static isn't really a problem but I do get oily roots. Because it didn't work well for me I won't be buying it. However if you have curly or fine hair that doesn't get greasy quickly I still think TRESemme Beauty-full volume shampoo and conditioner are worth trying out.

Let me know about your experiences of Co-Washing. Has it worked for you? 

13 Spring / Summer 2017 Makeup Trends

1. 80's VIBES

Left Marc Jacobs Others. Centre Louis Vuitton Rex Right Kenzo Rex

Spring Summer 2017 took on the 80's in a big way. The makeup from Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton and Kenzo stood out the most. Makeup at Louis Vuitton seemed to be channeling 80's singer Boy George with lots of liner and bright colours. Marc Jacobs used pastel dreadlocks for his 80's Club Kids, which caused controversy for appropriating dreadlocks from the Rastafarian culture. Nars did the makeup for Marc Jacobs and he used gloss in various pastel shades to complement rather compete with the dreads each model wore. He added brown false lashes and clear lip gloss. At Kenzo, makeup artist Lynsey Alexander used MAC's Lip Pencil in Ruby Woo and MAC's Retro Matte Lipstick and Liquid Colour for her 'Glamazon' look. 

2. THE NATURAL LOOK

Left Burberry Imaxtree,Centre Michael Kors Indigital Right Lanvin Indigital 

Lanvin won praise for doing the  'No Makeup Make up look' so well. Foundation and contour were expertly blended so they remained completely undetected on the models. Burberry makeup artist Wendy Rowe applied Burberry's liquid lip velvet in Fawn Rose on models and made sure the skin was matte. At Michael Kors makeup artist Dick Page kept the look soft but natural- matte skin, groomed brows and no mascara. In some cases he even skipped lipstick and blush.  

3. DEWY SKIN

Left Givenchy Indigtal.Centre Prada Getty Images Right Anna Hindmarch Getty Images   

Givenchy has certainly mastered the art of fresh looking skin that has a no foundation feel to it. Over at Anna Hindmarch makeup artist Val Garland wanted models to have 'reflective faces...very beautiful and pure like they had  gone on a spaceship.' She used Elizabeth Arden's Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturiser for Face. The rest of the makeup was kept to a minimum to highlight the skin. She added cream liner on the waterline, gloss on the lips and skipped false lashes. Pat Mcgrath did the makeup at Prada, where she groomed brows, subtlety defined the eyes and made sure skin looked flawless. 

4. DRAPING BLUSH

Left Kenzo Rex Centre Chanel Right Adam Selman Spencer C. Amonwatvorakul

The draping technique involves blush being applied from the cheekbone all the way up to the brow and temples. This was most obvious at Kenzo but at Chanel the blusher was softer and more wearable.  The trend was also seen at Adam Selman where pink blush was draped on both darker and lighter models. 

5. BRONZED SKIN

Left Philosophy Getty Images Centre Blumarine Getty Images Right Wang Imaxtree

Bronzed models are a given at the spring/summer fashion shows. At Philosophy, Tom Pecheux was inspired by the '80's film Blue Lagoon. The bronzed skin and a slightly 'damaged smoky eye' were to make the girls look like they've 'been on an island for several days.' He stippled MAC's Face and Body Lotion in Million Dollar Bling over the nose, cheeks and eyes to achieve a sun kissed look. Then he added some freckles with MAC's Penultimate Brow Marker. He applied MAC's Teddy Pencil on the lower lash line, MAC's Clear Brow Set and finally some of MAC's Lip Conditioner. At Blumarine cheeks were bronzed and highlighted. At Alexander Wang, makeup artist Diane Kendal wanted to create 'a surfer girl nude look,' with matte bronze skin, sunkissed light brows and pale lips.

6. GLITTER LIPS

Left Maison Margiela Getty Images Centre DKNY Getty Images  Right Fendi Getty Images

At DKNY Pat McGrath used her Lust 004 Lipstick Kit in Bloodwine on the lips and left skin and eyes natural so that they didn't take the focus away from the lips. McGrath also did the make up for Maison Margiel with blue and silver lipstick topped in glitter. Glitter lips continued at Fendi, they were covered in chunky pink glitter to capture the look of a cartoon anime character.

7. Red Lips

Left Roksanda Rex Features Centre Valli Right- Right Mary Katrantzou Indigital

Lips were red at Roksanda to match the 90's inspired SS17 sporty/boyish clothing collection. Over at Giambattista Valli, makeup artist Val Garland used MAC's Retro Matte Liquid lipstick in Feels So Grand as well as MAC's Velvetease Lip Pencil in Just Add Romance. Afterwards she used a soft, fluffy brush for a softer, undone lip. Skin was kept matte and a nude eyeliner was used on the water line. MAC Retro Matte Lipsticks  were also used at Mary Katrantzou in fuchsia, orange and red shades.

8. SMUDGY BLACK GLOSSY EYES

Left Baja East Getty Images. Centre Balmain Getty Images Right Altruzarra Kerastase

At Baja East makeup artist Dianne Kendal wanted to create an 'urban beach girl look.' She buffed MAC kajal crayon around the eyes and used MAC's Mixing Medium in Shine.

Oliver Roustering, the creative director of Balmain wanted the girls 'to look like they had just come of the beach- sweaty and sexy with a bit of a tan.' Pecheux seems to have interpreted this as a sexy, smoky look instead. He blended MAC's Eye Pencil in Teddy into the lower lash line and used black eyeliner on the upper lash line before using it to shade the entire eyelid and applying gloss. He used eye liner in place of eye shadow because it works better with eye gloss. Cheeks were contoured and highlighted as well.

For Altruzzara, Pecheux used MAC Studio Waterweight SPF30 Foundation. Instead of traditional bronzer he used MAC's Glitter in Reflect Bronze. For the eyes he used black kohl liner in the waterline and lash line. Then he used MAC's Studio Orange Eye Gloss all over the lid and used a cotton bud to smudge the liner on the lower lash line for a  greasy, worn in look. He applied MAC's Mineralised Skin Finish for a glowing complexion.  Finally he added mascara to the roots of the lashes and some lip balm on the lips.

9. WINGED EYE LINER

Left  Moschino Getty Images Centre Elie Saab Getty Images Right Fendi Sony Vandevelde /Indigital

In contrast to the natural look was the glamorous, definitely wearing makeup look.  At Moschino, makeup artist Tom Pecheux went for the '90's supermodel look that he created originally on Cindy Crawford and Linda Evanglista. It was a very made up look using neutral colours. He teamed flawless foundation, four different shades of brown eye shadow, false lashes, drawn on brows and MAC's lip pencil in Spice on the lips. At Elie Saab a small angled brush was dipped in MAC's Pro Longwear Fluidline in Black Track to draw on a small half flick for a elongated kitten eye look. Then gold glitter was applied. Girls at Fendi also wore a bold, disjointed cat eye where the inner and outer corners had been lined while the middle of each lid were left bare. 

10. GRAPHIC EYE SHADOW AND LINER

Left Salvatore Getty Images centre Victoria Beckham Getty Images

At Salvatore, the graphic eye was created by applying MAC's Paintstick in Genuine Orange  in a thick line above the crease and MAC Studio Eye Gloss in Next Up Neon added on top  ''to amplify the colour and add shine. Brows were filled in using MAC's Eyebrow Eye pencil in Stud and set with MAC's Brun eye shadow. Over at Victoria Beckham, Pat McGrath used her finger to swipe a blue flash across the eyelids (from Beckham's Estee Lauder collection.) For Cividini neon coral was striped across the eye accompanied by copper glitter.

11. BURGUNDY AND PINK EYES

Left Anna Sui Getty Images Centre  Tadash Shoji Getty Images Right Topshop Unique Imaxtree

Makeup artist Pat Mcgrath working for Anna Sui, used a port wine shade around the eyes and taupe lipstick on the lips. It was a sort of mash up of 1960's, folk, rock chic and a cowgirl look.  The 80's vibes led Topshop Unique to create an 'Eighties powerlook with a soft and sexy finish.' Permed hair was teamed with russet brown lids using Topshop Beauty Colour Wand in Angels mixed with Temptation lipisick  up to the brow bone. Then vaseline was layered on top. Topshop's Beauty Glow Stick in Play up was used as a glossy highlighter on the nose, cheeks and cupids bow. While at Tadash Shoji pink shadow was daubed across the eye lids.

12. BOLD COLOUR EYES 

 Left Byblos Imaxtree/Matteo Scarpellini  Centre Vivetta Getty Images Right Jill Sandler Getty Images

Bright colours such as blue, purple and pink were a common trend. At Byblos models wore blue, teal or yellow from lid to brow bone and at Vivetta models wore candy floss pink eyeshadow. Ombre eyes were seen at Jill Stuar  using icy blue and salmon pink shades.  

13. A POP OF NEON 

Left Proenza Schouler Getty Images Centre Max Mara Getty Images Right Ackerman Getty Images

Working for Proenza Schouler, Diane Kendal took the unusual step of painting sunflower yellow and white pigment onto models' ear lobes to highlight the statement earrings. While at Max Mara, Pecheux took bright colours all the way from edge of the eyes to the temple. He  used a minimal amount of pigment to make sure that the brush strokes were clearly visible. Lynsey Alexander described the make up at Haider Ackermann as 'slightly punk inspired but with a ballerina edge.' To create the birds of paradise eyeliner she mixed yellow pigment with a white cream liner. Afterwards she used a cotton bud dipped in cleansing water to clean up the look. The skin was kept matte apart form highlighter on the cheekbones for 'bounce.'

Which trend is your favourite and will you be trying any of these out? 

Bourjois Le Smoky Palette & Rouge Edition Lipstick Review

If you like shimmer and glitter this Bourjois palette will be right up your alley. I love, love the design of this Boujois Le Smoky palette, it has eight shades, a cool swivel mirror and is small enough to hold in the palm of your hand.

Eye Shadows (from left to right)
White Pearl shade- Lasts the longest on my lids.
Silver Pearl shade- Lasts the longest on my lids.
Dark Grey with silver glitter shade- silver glitter is quite subtle.
Dark Blue Grey Matte shade
Dark blue/Indigo with blue glitter shade
Dark Purple with lilac and gold glitter shade
Black with Gold glitter shade- Has the most glitter & the glitter will always show up
Black Matte shade.

In my swatches they tend to all look grey-black, some with glitter and some without. But when I used a wet flat brush they look like jewels on my eye lids. The white and silver shades weren't as easy to swatch but applying them to the eye was just as easy as using the other shades.

BOURJOIS LE SMOKY PALETTE PROS 

• The colours can easily create a smoky eye.
• You can definitely see the glitter on the eyelid when using a (wet) flat eye shadow brush but unfortunately they don't swatch as well in photos.
• One of the claims this product makes is being long wearing for up to 12 hours. The satin eye shadows are definitely long wearing and hold up 9 hours easily without primer. By 12 hours it's still on but because of my oily eye lids doesn't it look perfect and needs retouching. If you don't have oily eyelids this will probably last 12 hours even without primer. 
• The palette contains different finishes- four glitter shades, two pearl/shimmer shades and two matte shades.
• The eye shadows are soft.
• The palette is compact and comes with a mirror. I love the swivel design and picture of the girl on the top.
• Price is reasonable.

BOURJOIS LE SMOKY PALETTE CONS

• While the glitter shades are really glittery and catch the light, the pigment behind the glitter is sheer and all blend to a brown/black smokey colour.  Good for smokey eyes though.
• The glitter shades don't wear as well as the satin colours. They fade into a dark grey shadow but the glitter still remains on the lid. I would recommend using a primer to keep the original colour and tomake sure the glitter stays on your lids to limit any fall out /glitter migration while wearing them.
• There are no mid range colours between light silver and dark grey/blue such as a light grey, a pink or a light gold.
• Sometimes you get some fall out from the glitter eye shadows. 

I would use this as a glitter topper that you pat ontop of other matte/shimmer shades to add or enhnace the glitter look. The palette has a narrow shade range which can limit the types of look you can do (there are no bright greens, burgundies, brown, pinks or light gold shades.)
Bourjois palette has a much cheaper price point (£11.99). If you love glitter and are after more than a sheer smokey look then this palette is not for you. There are better glitter shadow palettes out there.

Available at  Feel Unique £11.99  and Superdrug £11.99

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick In Rouge Jet Set (13)

Bourjois Rogue Edition lipstick in Rouge Jet Set 13 is a warm red. Initially I thought it would be too warm for me but it actually looks pretty good on. The finish is satin/glossy. Bourjois has added orchid blossom extract to these lipsticks to ensure that your lips feel hydrated and smooth for up to 10 hours. This lipstick is very moisturising with lots of slip and it feels comfortable to wear.

The shade indicator at the top is pretty accurate match to the shade inside. The lipstick case is oblong shaped to match the rest of their lip products (apart from the lip crayons.) I love the fact that Bourjois have their name imprinted on the bullet as it makes it feel more luxurious. The lipstick smells slightly perfumed, perhaps orchid scented? The smell is really subtle. It also tastes slightly scented and sweet but again it's very subtle.

It will transfer onto cups and glasses. However for such an emollient lipstick it stays put during snacking which surprised me. You do need to reapply if you're eating a full meal though. I can't go 10 hours without eating a proper meal so I can't really test the 10 hours hydrating claim but my lips always feel hydrated and comfortable when I wear this and afterwards my lips feels smooth. If you want to give liquid matte lips a break then this is the perfect lipstick to reach for.

Superdrug £7.99