The Trick of Shaving

Received this wonderful message recently from one of our male fans. And since the advice on shaving is so useful, thought I'd share it with you:

"Hi Sally

I am really impressed with your Face Matters products when used as a shaving regime.

I use the cleansing balm before applying shaving foam, then shave.

After shaving, I spay the collagen spritz, then rub in one pump of the elixir.

Since using this regime, I have had no problems with shaving rash - a first for me!

Great products. I will be defiantly continue using."

- James 

Any other boys want to share their advice, I'd love to hear? Are you ladies willing to share your Face Matters products with your man?

Your face does matter

Check out this wonderful review on the Face Matters range by renowned beauty journalist, Alice Hart-Davis.

Bobbi Brown’s ‘HOW-TO: CLASSIC EYE MAKEUP’

There's really nothing more aspirational in beauty than the “me, but better” approach to makeup. But, as we all know, it can take a lot to look this good. Well, isn’t it our lucky day, then, because the master of makeup simplicity Bobbi Brown has segued from those at-home cosmetic tomes we devoured in grade school (Bobbi Brown Makeup Manual, Bobbi Brown Teenage Beauty) to online tutorials.    

In my favourite video, Bobbi tackles a classic eye “that always works.” This chic, simple, and clean lesson showcases the brand's hyper-natural aesthetics with demonstrations and offers up some trade tips that you really can’t screw up at home. What a classy babe. Check out the video here and be prepared to dive down her less-is-more rabbit hole.

Summer Beauty Guide for Lazy Girls

gregsorensenphoto.com

I can admit, summer brings out a case of the beauty laziness in me. Who wants to spend countless hours blow drying their hair and applying a full face of makeup?

Summer is supposed to be carefree, fun and somewhat wild. You shouldn’t feel imprisoned each morning or night with hours of getting ready to do.  Here are some absolutely great summer beauty products for those of you who are like me and want to spend less hours getting ready and more hours poolside!

Hair

Okay, first things first, dry shampoo - you just got to have it! Whether you’re looking to make your style last another day or you’re simply trying to avoid the whole washing process, dry shampoo is your answer! Spray this little gem at the roots of your hair to absorb access oils and to give your hair a fresh scent. (There is nothing worse than dirty smelling hair!)

A salt spray is another lazy girl beauty must for the summer! Simply spray B&B’s Surf Spray into your hair while wet and let it dry naturally.  Can it get any easier than that? I’ve found the seaweed extract in this spray makes it less drying for your hair than most other salt sprays. This one also gives really beautiful waves and has great hold. With this spray it’s safe to say you can put away the blow dryer until fall!

Eyes

Just a coat or two of mascara can make your eyes pop enough to make you look presentable even when you’re not really trying. The brilliant thing about this Lash Accelerator Mascara by Rimmel is that it doubles as a mascara and a lash treatment in one.

These 'chubby' eye pencils are perfect to add a touch of color to your eyelids without the fuss of using eye shadows and brushes. Just a swipe or two of the pencil over your lid and you’re set. Try the Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint - it glides on so effortlessly and makes getting ready so much quicker!

Face

A beauty elixir cream is perfect for the laziest of girls. You can literally put our Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir on your face in the morning and be done for the day. Simple as that! You would be moisturised enough to hit the beach until sunset, it would even out skin tone and make your complexion glow. (and you can win one on Twitter too!)

What are your Lazy Girl beauty secrets? Share in the comments.

Wonderful World of Braids

It’s summer (or will be in t-minus one day)! Your neck is getting a bit sweaty when walking down the street/waiting for the tube. Bars are getting a bit too stuffy for beautiful, long, free-flowing hair cascading down your back. The summer may offer the opportunity to show off the perfect beach hair, but if it’s really humid and you just can’t deal with strands sticking to your skin, why not venture off into the wonderful world of braiding?

When it comes to crafted hairstyles, there are few things more beautiful than an artful braid. You may be thinking, “Well, there’s the normal braid, and then there’s the French braid, and that’s about it, right?” Wrong! Technically, sure, every type of braid is really a variation on a theme (take a few strands of hair, cross them over some others, and then keep going until your fingers bleed, you lose feeling in your arms, or you run out of hair), but there are seemingly endless versions: the standard braid, the single French braid (not just for girls heading off to play tennis), the French-braided pigtail, cornrows pulled back into an updo, cornrows braided all the way down (add some beads at the end to really get the party started), the twisted braid, the knotted braid, the inside-out braid, the milkmaid braid, what we’ve deemed the "Reverse Heidi" Braid, and oh-so-many more. Keep it simple, á la a very young Kate Moss and her face-framing twists or go crazy. (Check out the complete gallery for inspiration on Into The Gloss)

Team your braids with a natural, glowing skin and which also happens to be the top trend for Summer 2013. Apply a light layer of Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat Foundation on moisturised skin (use our Anti-Ageing Excellent Elixir for the ultimate moistire boost), team with rose pink cheeks, best achieved with Bobbi Brown's Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks (use as lip colour too!) and neutral eye-shadow (try Estée Lauder Pure Color Duo palette) - perfection!

So why not take a few moments, find some inspiration above, watch a YouTube tutorial or two, and braid like there’s no tomorrow (and when tomorrow comes, test out something new)! Show me the results, I'd love to see.

Lisa Eldridge's ‘BABY BARDOT MAKEUP LOOK’

Lisa Eldridge has won us over yet again with another flawlessly executed makeup tutorial. This time, though, she's using a fresh-faced model rather than her own pretty mug to demonstrate her new spring look, inspired by a young Brigitte Bardot (and a recent Kate Winslet Bazaar cover she worked on). And while it is easy to get lost in Eldridge’s video collection—trust me, I have—this one stands out as a great idea for the wedding season upon us!

Just a simple, healthy face, perfect cat eye, lush lashes, and a rosy-nude lip. Remember to prep your skin beforehand - I would recommend using our Cleanser Balm, £35, it will provide you with a cleansed and moisturised canvas to work with. Plus, in the end, even if there is nothing super special coming up on your calendar, it never hurts to look like one of the original blonde bombshells (though I would advise leaving the French accent at the door).

JESSICA HARLOW’S ‘Get sexy summer skin! Self-tanning tips and tricks!'

These early days of warm weather mean a frightening display of pasty, pale legs and arms not yet primed by the summer sun..  

Yes, we all look better with a tan (to a certain extent), but no, not all of us are capable of (/interested in) achieving such a beautiful glow at the beach. The good news is that’s not the only way to garner a sun-kissed look: the somewhat terrifying self-tanner is always an option. Leave it to YouTube beauty-application guru Miss Jessica Harlow to make a DIY neon-orange disaster seem an altogether unlikely possibility.

Step 1: Exfoliate! It will create a smooth surface for your self-tanner. We recommend lightly applying our Collagen Spritz on area before tanning - it will create a moisturised base for the self-tanner and help it set better. (see Twitter if you'd like to win one)

Step 2: Dry Off! “Wet skin and self-tanner do not mix!”

Step 3: Apply Self-Tanner—Apply a little at a time, moving hands in the same general direction for a more even finish

Step 4: Wash Your Hands—Wash after finishing each you part of your body (after each leg, arm, etc.), to prevent stained palms

Step 5: Apply Lotion—Using a lotion will help the product blend in with your skin as well as boost the longevity of your tan

Jessica’s quick tutorial only lasts two-and-a-half minutes, but she spends another four-and-a-half to address potential questions and concerns from her audience, plus to review the products she's recommending. And she certainly doesn’t seem like she would blend in with Snooki and co., so we’ll be taking her advice for this little (tan) lie to help us glow in our cut-offs.

Nails of the day

Absolutely love there whimsical and very pretty 'Pop' design created by Jenny Longworth, Revlon UK Nail Ambassador. It's the perfect look for your nails on a weekend teamed with an elegant tea dress and stylish mid-heeled sandals, do you agree?

Jenny said: “I channeled my inner pop princess to bring a fun and playful vibe to this look. Using cult favorite Revlon nail enamel in ‘One Perfect Coral’ and creating a dotted design over the top kept the look young and fresh with bursts of bright colour.”

What I would add is once you've finished your design which looks fairly simple (don't expect to get it perfect on the first go and DIY tip - use a toothpick for the spots), wait a couple of minutes to dry and spray hands with our Pure Collagen Spritz, £39. It's not just for your face and neck - the lightweight formula will help set the nail varnish and make your skin super soft and rejuvenated. Oh, and we're currently giving 2 away on Twitter, how great is that!

Apply perfect make up with your hands?

A make-up artist gets hands-on backstage at Alexander Wang  

For years, beauty experts have extolled brushes as the only way to achieve a flawless finish. But with s/s 2013 comes a new dawn in make-up application - make-up artists use their hands to buff, pat, tap and smear. But surely this defiant act can only result in misplaced, daubs in all the wrong places?

Instead, by warming it between their fingers, make-up literally melted into the skin, creating a lit-fromwithin radiance. At Alexander Wang, DKNY and Valentino, lips were stained, eyes shining and cheeks flushed with the kind of glow usually provided by 90 minutes of Bikram yoga. Luckily, Stylist Magazine is here to give us all the tips on how to get handsy.

DOWN TOOLS

Get hands on to create a fresh, natural daytime look. Feel your face as you read this...    

INDEX FINGER: This finger is directly linked to the brain and the most responsive to temperature changes (according to Melita Ryan, hand specialist in the neuro-physiologist department at the London Brain Centre). It heats up fast — good for blending — and exerts the most strength. Smudge Double-Wear Pencil, £16, Estée Lauder, into the lash line or press on eyeshadow (minimising the ‘pigment drop’ on cheeks that brushes can cause).  

THUMB: The fleshy part of the thumb is perfect for applying blusher, as it’s exactly the same size as the cheek area you want to cover with blush. After foundation, press the pad of the thumb into a cream blush (try Crème Cheek Colour in Rosebud, £20.50, Laura Mercier) and gently pat onto the cheekbone.  

HEEL OF THE HAND: Use the chubby part that hinges with the thumb (a bit like a chicken fillet shape) to contour. Apply Shade & Illuminate, £55, Tom Ford, into the hollow of your cheeks, then push and roll, ‘smooshing’ it to smooth out any visible lines.  

PALM: For the perfect face primer rub Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir, £85, between your palms to warm the product and sweep from the middle of the face outwards, working into the skin. Follow the same technique with a foundation.

MIDDLE FINGER: This long digit is perfect for dabbing on a lipstick stain without the others smudging it. Use also to pat liquid or cream highlighters like Face Sculpting Palette in Kick Start, £12.50, Topshop Make-Up, onto cheekbones, brow bones and the bridge of the nose. This motion helps reflective particles lie flat.  

LITTLE FINGER: The pinky works with creams or powders. “Use it to dab pale shadow into the inner corner,” says Andrew Gallimore. “I call it a fingerprint of eyeshadow.” Try Color Tattoo 24Hr in Eternal Gold, £4.99, Maybelline New York.  

RING FINGER: This finger has the softest touch — ideal for this delicate eye area. Charlotte Tilbury advises tapping around the eyes and temples “in a pitterpatter motion” to stimulate blood flow, plumping up the skin for an airbrushed effect. Try Hydra Life BB Eye Crème, £29, Dior.  

Let me know if you tried it and what you think. Are you sticking to your brush collection?

Can you holiday-proof your face?

Image by Michael David Adams

Hot summer holiday sun and heat is not always kind to your favourite make-up. Your holiday beauty bag needs to be like a capsule wardrobe for your face and hair - multi-tasking products that make the most of your sun-kissed skin and ocean-swept hair.   

So here is my checklist of base products you need to stay beach-beautiful throughout your summer holiday. Let me know if you have a favourite that you simply don't jet off without.

Base Tech

So for beautful beach-ready morning skin I start from the night before by applying the Face Matters Anti-Ageing Elixir, £85, - just the right amount of natural oils to retain the much-needed moisture in your skin and smooth imperfections. 

If going barefaced is more of a concern than braving a bikini, pack your daily skin perfectors alongside your beach cover-ups. Keeping your face in place is tricky enough in an office environment, let alone a sweaty, sunny one.

Bobbie Brown's Long Wear Even Finish compact foundation, £32, has combined technology that will last for 12 hours, so you'll no longer have to watch your perfect base slip away throughout the day. And it's not just foundation - LA brand Hourglass has created Superficial, £30 - a waterproof bronzer for those who can't bear to go without a bit of colour. The formula is also tough enough to withstand tropical and humid climates! Blusher, too, has had a makeover. Smashbox Halo Long Wear Blush, £23, has been formulated to work hard all day.

  

Finally, avoid dodgy streaks and flaking by using a setting spray to fix your make up in place. Our Collagen Spritz, £39, is perfect for this job - light and refreshing, it's a favourite among our holiday shoppers and always good to keep in your bag at all times! (psst.. we're giving 2 away on our Twitter page too!)

And now it's time to enjoy the sun sipping on a cocktail or two by the pool... perfection!