Make-up and beauty addicts, reviewing old gems and new
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Best Beauty Wishes & Beyond….
Mala and Vikki xx
A couple of months ago we introduced you to Filorga Lift Designer Treatment, Ā£65, an anti-ageing serum which is dispensed via a handy roll-on applicator. And it’s safe to say, we’re hooked. Especially M. She’s been rolling away morning, noon and night! (admittedly keen baker, V, has more patience for rolling out pastry, but that’s another story). M not only loves the fact that the serum contains collagen and hyaluronic acid to plump up and firm the skin, but in using the applicator, she really feels like her skin is being tightened and she’s giving her face and neck a good workout.
Since then, we’ve been road-testing some more stars in this brilliant, French, anti-ageing range, which basically mimic the effects of cosmetic surgery and procedures. Without a needle in sight! The brand was developed by a doctor of aesthetic medicine who was pioneering in the field of injectables (before anyone had even heard of botox!) and originally was only available to dermatologists.
We see a lot of anti-ageing ranges at Verymakeupmad Towers, and we can honestly say, Filorga has really impressed us. We’re particularly loving the Oxygen Peel, Ā£20. This magic ‘cocktail’ of acids is designed for daily use and exfoliates, smoothes and rejuvenates the skin, whilst also promoting cell oxygenation (M loves it because the scent reminds her of the Intercontinental Hotel, New York. If you’ve been…you’ll know!!). We’ve mentioned before that V couldn’t be without her Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peel pads, (Ā£81 for 30), but Oxygen Peel could definitely give them a run for their money. (And speaking of money, it’s considerably cheaper than the pads too!). Use Oxygen Peel nightly, expect a little ‘tingle’ and then wake to a brighter, more refined and younger-looking complexion.
Another nighttime must-have is the Sleep and Lift Treatment, Ā£50 (much cheaper than a face-lift and far less pain and recovery time involved!), a rich night cream which works hard to lift, sculpt, and tighten the skin as you sleep. Goodbye saggy skin and jowls, hello and good morning to a younger-looking you.
And finally, the brilliant and very clever NCTF-Essence, Ā£50. NCTF (New Cellular Treatment Factor) was developed as an injectable solution to prevent, slow down and correct the signs of ageing. This lotion contains this unique ingredient and works to transform dull skin, give a visible boost of hydration and radiance and perfectly preps the face for whichever moisturiser you apply on top. It also ensures that said moisturiser (or serum) works that bit harder and key ingredients are properly absorbed and locked into the skin.
You can buy the Filorga range at LookFantastic – with free shipping and discounts galore. And for personal, bespoke product recommendations, don’t forget to email us at hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk We’re here to help! And to those of you who have benefited from our advice, please share your thoughts with us and the VeryMakeupMad community!!
Love & face (or pastry!) rolling,
Vikki & Mala xx
Hello 2019! Yes, we know we’re a little late with our New Year wishes, but we’ve been busy with lots of exciting VeryMakeupMad projects (watch this space!) and besides, time flies when you’re at the cold face of beauty, roadtesting face masks and highlighters galore!! Oh, and M’s been having her kitchen painted…
Anyway, no great surprises for the new year…M is still bonkers about blush and V is still loopy about lipgloss! M’s had her eye on the Urban Decay Backtalk palette, Ā£39.50, for some time now, but has finally taken the plunge. And wishes she’d done it sooner! The four blush/highlighter shades in soft, muted tones are flattering and very wearable. She’s hung up on the peachy pink, Low Key. As for the coordinating eyeshadows, they’re velvety soft, beautifully pigmented and work well day or night (try using wet for a more intense finish). And don’t get M started on the removable mirror. She can’t get enough of it!
Admittedly, V has surprised herself and invested in a great nude lipstick. Lipstick will never take lipgloss’s place in V’s heart, but she had the niggling feeling that she was somehow missing out. The whole world’s gone mad over nude lips! And along came Lipstick Queen Truth Or Bare lipstick,Ā Ā£22, part of the ‘Nothing But The Nudes’ collection. It’s a ‘suits-all’ nude with just a hint of pink and a lovely, creamy formulation that doesn’t dry the lips or make them feel ‘tight’. She’s very impressed with this lippie…it’s even won Ā a coveted spot in her makeup bag, which says it all! And if you’re thinking about buying this, please use our discount code “VERYMAKEUPMAD20” to get 20% off (Ā£17.60)
Here’s a little vlog, showcasing both products. Just press play and enjoy:
Love and January nudes (not blues!)
Vikki & Mala xx
Ooh, we love the Oscars. Who doesn’t?! The glitz! The glamour! The red carpet looks. The anticipation of hearing who’s won. So this year we’re bringing you our very own Beauty Oscars…we’ve put our ‘gladrags’ on, turned up the glamour and are poised to reveal Verymakeupmad’s coveted awards for the best of the best in the beauty industry. We’ve lined up contenders in each category and now the results are in! So here they are, on the red carpet – our 2018 makeup and skincare favourites. And you can also watch us discussing some of these beauty heroes. Just click on this link
Best Longwear Foundation: no contest here, really. It has to be Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay-in-place Makeup, Ā£33.50. The ultimate foundation for perfectly flawless skin, that stays put on the dance floor far longer than either of us do. Plus it’s available in an impressive 54 shades and a variety of finishes.
Best Everyday Foundation: MAC Face & Body Foundation, Ā£26. If you want your skin to look like your skin – just better! – then this is for you. You’ll find it in almost every pro makeup artist’s kit, because it applies beautifully, can be built up for more coverage and gives a glowy, natural finish. Plus it lasts for ages.
Best CC Cream: Erborian Cc Creme SPF25, Ā£17 This cream comes out of the tube white, but magically transforms on application to match your skin tone. Packed full of great skincare ingredients (plus that all-important SPF), it evens skin, hides imperfections and leaves you looking luminous and healthy.
Best glow-giving Primer: Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm, Ā£45. We love everything about this… the smell, the texture, the 3 shades it now comes in, and the fact that at this time of year, when our skin is crying out for some moisture, it packs a – subtly shimmering – punch! Wear alone, or under foundation, or dab over your makeup as a highlighter.
Best Powder Blush: Nars Cosmetics Blush, Ā£23. Nars is the authority on powder blusher with some amazingly flattering shades. The iconic ‘Orgasm’ launched way back in 1999, but remains a bestseller today, as it honestly suits all skin tones. If you’ve never tried it, you really should.
Best Cream Blush: Glossier Cloud Paint, Ā£15. We love these cute, squeezy tubes of ‘light as air’ gel-cream. Cloud Paint melts into the skin, creating the most natural flush of colour. Dab it on and build up the colour as much as you like.
Best Bronzer: BeneFit Hoola, Ā£21.68. This silky, shimmer-free, matt bronzing powder gives a very natural, sun kissed glow and the packaging makes it your ideal travel companion. No wonder it was the top selling bronzer in the UK in 2018.
Best Cream Highlighter: Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Hefty Highlight, Ā£20 You can’t go wrong with this in your makeup bag. A shimmering, silky cream that can be applied straight from the stick or with your fingers, it gives just the right amount of glow. And it’s so versatile – wear on cheekbones, browbones, cupid’s bow… wherever you want to shine!!
Best Perfecting Powder: Hourglass Ambient Light Powder, Ā£42. Once you’ve tried one of these beauties, you’ll never look back. It’s the powder version of a phone filter… it works to blur imperfections, to give your skin a ‘soft focus’ finish and an enviable radiance, and to make you look flawless. What’s not to love?!
Best Concealer: YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Highlighting Pen, Ā£25. An iconic product ever since it first hit the beauty halls 26 years ago, six of these pens are now sold every minute somewhere in the world. Yes, you read that right! This wonder product conceals dark circles, lines and wrinkles and lightens the eye area to help make you look brighter and younger.
Best Eyeshadow: Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick, Ā£23.50. We’re all about the ease and simplicity of eyeshadow sticks and this version ticks every box for us. Longlasting… tick! Smudge proof… tick! Foolproof to apply… tick! Creamy in texture, so doesn’t drag… tick! Great range of colours and finishes…tick!
Best Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay Beached Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£28. This palette screams summer, but quite frankly we happily wear it all year round. The powders are soft and creamy, perfectly pigmented and once applied, last for hours. We love the vibrant turquoises and the soft champagney shades… so many fab colour combinations!
Best Mascara: Eyeko Yoga Waterproof Mascara, Ā£19. When it comes to mascara, we love Eyeko. In fact, it was hard to choose just one winner, as all the mascaras in the range are 5-star!! We went for ‘Yoga’ as we love the unique shape of the brush. Plus if waterproof is your thing, we defy you to find a mascara more waterproof than this!
Best Eyeliner: Eyeko Eye-do Eyeliner, Ā£16. With the ultra fine, stiff nib on this eyeliner, you’re very much in control. Once applied, it promises not to budge. We love to wear it on the upper lid underneath the lashes, rather than over them – it gives a very natural finish and lashes get instant va-va-voom.
Best Brow Pencil: BBB London Ultimate Arch Definer, Ā£22. This is the only brow pencil we reach for. The pencil is soft, perfectly angled and produces a totally natural stroke of colour. And as for the other end? It’s the most beautiful, velvety brush that moves the product through your brows and blends effortlessly.
Best everyday Lipstick: Urban Decay Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick in Backtalk, Ā£16.50. Comfort by name, comfort by nature. This lipstick glides onto lips with its creamy formula and nourishing ingredients. And it lasts for hours. Our shade of choice is the bestselling Backtalk… the ultimate mauvey, pinky ‘nude’.
Best Lipgloss: Jouer Long-Wear Lip Topper, Ā£13.50. Not strictly a lipgloss, but we couldn’t resist crowning this stunning, sparkling lip topper! Non-sticky, beautifully shimmering and with the scent of vanilla ice cream, we absolutely love it. Wear alone or over your favourite lipstick… either way, it will transform your lips in just one swipe.
Best Cleanser: Cerave Hydrating Cleanser, Ā£9. This is a very gentle cleanser but also really hard working… which is why we love it so much! It removes every last trace of makeup without drying out the skin or leaving it feeling tight and uncomfortable. And you can’t argue with the price!
Best Cleansing Balm: Emma Hardie Moringa Cleaning Balm, Ā£47. When our skin is crying out for some tlc and a bit of luxury, we reach for a cleansing balm. The Emma Hardie balm melts into the skin and works hard to lift away any makeup and impurities. Plus it smells incredible and leaves skin looking clear and glowy. It can also double up as a hydrating mask.
Best Day Cream: MGC Derma CBD Moisturizing Day Cream, SPF30, Ā£65. This CBD-based brand is our new skincare obsession. And this cream is the perfect introduction to it. With CBD to repair, rejuvenate and protect, and packed full of antioxidants, plus SPF, our complexions have never looked or felt better and are definitely grateful to us for using this cream!
Best Toner: Pixi Rose Tonic,Ā£10. The lesser-known cousin of Glow Tonic, we love Rose Tonic for its nourishing, hydrating ingredients, its delicate scent and its soothing, calming properties. A great addition to your skincare routine.
Best anti-ageing Serum: Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronizer Recovery Complex II, Ā£53 This wonder serum has been around since the 80s (almost as long as we have!) and continues to be a bestseller today. It repairs and hydrates skin as you sleep and gets to work on lines and wrinkles. Expect to wake to a smooth, radiant complexion.
Best Lip Balm: Clinique Pep Start Pout Restoring Night Mask, Ā£16. We couldn’t be without this brilliant lip balm. Yes, we apply it at night as the name suggests, but we also use throughout the day to keep our lips soft, smooth, plump and pillowy. It’s a game-changer!
So that’s it for our 2018 Beauty Oscars. As ever please comment below and let us know what your top beauty picks have been this year. And remember to email us – hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk – for any personalised recommendations. We’re here to help!!
Love & Oscar-worthy beauty products,
Vikki & Mala xx
November has been very… well, November-y!! Cold, wet, dark and slightly miserable. You get the picture. Yes, there have been high points: V’s daughter’s birthday and a household full of kids on a sugar rush; V’s wedding anniversary… 16 years in case you’re interested; plus the highest point of all… a special anniversary trip – 17 years! – for M and her husband, J, to NYC. But on the whole, it’s passed us by without too much of a fanfare.
Luckily though, we’ve been inundated at Verymakeupmad Towers with fab beauty products to review, (all available at Lookfantastic). So this month we decided to shake things up (we’re 2 crazy gals!!) and do a video round-up, rather than a written one. And yes, we had a lot of fun filming this! Just press the link below and sit back and enjoy!!!
The products featured are:
Ameliorate Softening Bath Milk Oil, Ā£19
Filorga Lift Designer Treatment, Ā£65
Prai Ageless Throat & Decolletage Cream, Ā£19.99
MAC Hyper Real Foundation, Ā£26
Lime Crime Eyeshadow Palette – Venus III, Ā£23.10
Bobbi Brown Highlighting & Glow Powder Duo, Ā£42.07
So that’s it for November from us. Bring on December and all its festivities is what we say! Dont forget to email us hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk with any beauty queries or for personal product recommendations.
Love & crazy house parties!!
Vikki, Mala & Bertie xx
You know the old saying “too much of a good thing…”? Well, sometimes at Verymakeupmad we’re guilty of feeling like that. We trial so many different products, that very (and we stress, ‘very’) occasionally they lose their lustre and appeal. Not so with the exciting new products that recently landed on the doorstep of Verymakeupmad Towers. These products had us cartwheeling round in glee (slight exaggeration… we can both just about manage a forward roll)! We received a delivery of anti-ageing skincare from cult brand, MGC Derma. We’d been wanting to road-test these luxury products for a while. And why we hear you ask? Because they harness the amazingly beneficial properties of CBD (cannabidoil), which has become something of a buzzword in the beauty industry. It’s definitely having a ‘beauty moment’. And rightly so. M’s mother, A, has been going on about its healing properties for years since her hippy days, so we say to A, all good things come to those that wait (patiently!) .
In case you’re wondering, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound derived from the Cannabis plant. With medical Cannabis having been recently legalised here in the UK, sales of products containing this wonder ingredient have never been higher (pardon the pun). And for good reason. CBD has long been proven to heal, rejuvenate, and calm, as well as boost moisture levels in the skin, and even control sebum (bye bye acne!). It’s skincare’s most powerful ally.
MGC Derma uses the highest quality Cannabidoil and comprises 3 ranges – Anti-ageing (yes please!), Essentials (to maintain great skin, always) and Derma Plus (products to work on acne, on sensitive skin and/or flaking skin). Before we even dipped in, we were impressed – the streamline packaging, the concise, no-nonsense directions, and the ‘use before’ dates on their bottoms! It’s a very clever brand, with pure but potent products.
We wasted no time in putting them to use. And the results have really wowed us. V’s typically dry skin (especially in the winter months) has never felt softer and people seem to have noticed, with friends commenting that her skin looks ‘great’, ‘clear’ and ‘flawless’. She’s been using the CBD Stem Cells & Hyaluronic Serum, Ā£80, religiously at night, in place of her trusty Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum. It’s a slightly thicker consistency than a regular serum, but sinks in quickly, ready for V to apply her night cream. Which is currently the CBD Stem Cells & Algae All Night Cream, Ā£80. This beautifully rich cream also sinks in quickly, and doesn’t leave her skin feeling sticky when she hits the pillow (her pet peeve). In the morning, her skin is nourished, hydrated and ‘younger looking’.
M is rather taken with the CBD & Hyaluronic Facial PH Balance Toner Ā£38. It’s foaming, you see, and rather fun to squirt out of its pump dispenser. It doesn’t have the consistency of a regular toner – it’s silky and hydrating and leaves skin ever so slightly tacky for a few seconds. But she’s been using it twice daily (applying with her fingers, not a cotton wool pad) and can definitely see the benefits as her skin appears clearer, firmer and nourished.
M is also a self-confessed Eye Cream queen – she can’t go to bed without tapping some onto her orbital bone from inner corner outwards (with her ring finger). The CBD Stem Cells & Peptides Eye Cream, Ā£65, is quickly absorbed and gives a fresh and tightening sensation. We prefer a pump dispenser for an eye cream so maybe we’ll have a word with the ‘powers that be’ at MGC derma… although the potency is perfect!
We’ve both also tried out the CBD BB Concealer Repair Cream, Ā£60. Yes, this seems a lot of money for a BB cream, but it’s something special. Admittedly, M hasn’t continued to use it, as she doesn’t love the way it evens out her skin (her freckles strike again!! She’s decided she’s looks best when they’re left to show off, in all their freckly glory, not when they’re concealed and blurred). But V is very taken with this bb cream. She applies it alone (when she’s feeling brave) and it instantly evens out her skin and makes it glow. Or she applies it under her regular foundation, as it makes a wonderful make up base… all the while imparting its rejuvenating skincare properties.
A final mention must be made of the CBD Herbal Repair Cream, Ā£90, which V gave to her husband, B, to help with a patch of eczema on his leg. It’s definitely helped with any itching, irritation and flakiness, and even ever-sceptical B, is impressed! So whilst we think the price tag is rather hefty, we can’t argue with the results and a little goes a long way!
For more information on MGC Derma or for personal product recommendations, don’t forget to email us at hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk We’re always here to help and there are many more products in the range to discover. It’s just a shame that we each only have 1 face to test them on!
Love & beauty buzzwords,
Vikki & Mala xx
October was Verymakeupmad’s month of the palette! And why not? There’s always a plethora of stunning palette launches in the run-up to Christmas, and try as we might, we couldn’t resist getting our hands on one or two (or three!) and adding them to our bulging makeup drawers (admittedly we didn’t try that hard!). You’ve gotta love a good palette!
Let’s kick things off with the stunning Hourglass Cosmetics Ambient Light Edit Volume 4, Ā£69. Before you ask, yes this comes after the enormous successes of Volumes 1, 2 (M’s favourite) and 3 over the past few years, and like those predecessors, Volume 4 is limited edition… and completely irresistible. So be quick – these palettes always sell out fast and word on the street is that there won’t be a Volume 5. It contains 4 best-selling and 2 new, exclusive powders (including blush, highlighter, bronzer and perfector), all of which guarantee to give a flawless complexion, a flattering radiance and that tell-tale Hourglass glow. The 2 blushes (a soft, shimmery-swirled coral and a swirly, lilacy mauve) look great on eyes as well as cheeks and promise to last the course. And unlike certain other patterned powders, the marbling effect continues throughout, as the powder depletes. V recently wore the lilacy blush to a family wedding and it lasted from 3pm when she applied it, to 1am when she collapsed into bed (makeup removed first, of course!). It’s a great travel palette, plus it’s in stunning metallic pink packaging. What’s not to love?! And although it’s by no means a bargain, we assure you it’ll last for years. M’s Volume 2 is still going strong.
Onto eyeshadow palettes, and nothing screams Autumn more than the new Urban Decay Naked Cherry Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£42. This is right up M’s street as she loves sweeping pink-toned eyeshadows onto her lids (try it, pink is far more wearable than you might think – it’s just about finding the right tone for your skin). The Naked Cherry is full of pinks, plums, mauves and coppers, some matte and some shimmering metallic and is totally versatile, making it a great day or nighttime palette. Urban Decay aficionados have recently been mourning the discontinuation of the original Naked palette (yes really, did you not get the memo?) but this gorgeous new palette seems to have perked them up! We found that some of the shades don’t appear as bold or pigmented on the skin as they do in the palette, but as far as we’re concerned, that’s not a bad thing!
Our final October palette is Kevyn Aucoin Nudepop Pro Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£46. This one definitely got our hearts racing. Not least because of the pop art packaging, but the shades inside are all so fabulous. Neither of us like to wear matte eyeshadows, but the mattes in this palette are silky smooth, and they don’t look ‘flat’ or chalky on the skin. And then there are the metallics, which are simply stunning. Layer on top of the other shades, or wear alone for maximum impact. There’s no glitter ‘fallout’ and these powders honestly last all day.
Still on eyes, we must introduce you to our latest mascara find. The double-ended Studio10 6 in 1 Perfect Lash Mascara, Ā£24, is one of the best we’ve tried in a long time. The brush can take a bit of getting used to as it’s completely flat, but it promises to give top lashes instant volume and length. Trust us, it does! And there’s also a mini comb brush for bottom lashes, which we don’t tend to apply mascara to, but if you do – you’ll love this! M also uses it to pull out the corner top lashes and redirect any strays, to create the perfect fan effect.
Here we are, giving this wonder mascara a whirl…
So that’s our October round-up. And there wasn’t a pumpkin in sight! Don’t forget you can email us – hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk – for any personal recommendations and advice. We love answering your questions and helping to find the right products for you! And don’t forget to head over to our YouTube channel (http://bit.ly/2BdiJju), where there’s beauty banter galore – our most recent video is all about skincare. You don’t want to miss it!
Love and perfectly pretty palettes,
Vikki & Mala xx
It’s recently dawned on us that as we’ve got older, we’ve started to complain more. We spent the summer moaning about the uncomfortable heatwave (admittedly, that was mostly V, M seemed perfectly happy!!), and no sooner did the weather cool down and our central heating systems crank up, than our skin started to tell the tale. And now we can mostly be found moaning about that. Tight, dry and sometimes flaky, skin at this time of year is not a pretty picture. And one we go to great lengths to avoid at Verymakeupmad.
Cue the introduction of a balm (actually, multiple balms) to our daily skincare routine. These days, balms are ‘all the rage’ and with plenty on the market to choose from, we’re bringing you the lowdown on a few of our favourites.
First up, Cleansing Balms – an indulgent, cocooning way to remove makeup (even waterproof mascara!), grime and all manner of ‘yukkiness’ at the end of the day. And they promise to keep skin hydrated and supple, unlike certain other cleansers, which strip skin of oils, leaving it feeling uncomfortable. These balms melt onto the face and are designed to be removed with a cloth or flannel, soaked in hot water. Eve Lom Cleanser, Ā£55, was the ‘wonder balm’ of the 90’s – one of the first on the market, and the cleanser that everyone wanted to get their hands on. Its still just as popular today. M has used it religiously in recent years, always sticking to Eve’s ritual of placing the hot cloth over the face 3 times (rinsing in between), to remove every last scrap of dirt. She loves this balm, but has stopped using it for the time being, as she finds the slightly medicinal scent a little overpowering and her skin needed a break.
V, on the other hand, used the balm ‘back in the day’. She was happy enough, until the time that she was invited for a facial with Eve herself (V was Beauty Editor of Vogue at the time). All was going smoothly during the treatment, until Eve barked sternly at her: “Are you constipated?” (something to do with V’s congested forehead apparently). This put V off Eve Lom products for a while…and for the record, her digestive system was working very nicely, thanks very much! V’s now considering going back to the cleanser though, especially since her skin has definitely been on the dehydrated side since she hit her 40s.
Other cleansing balms that get the Verymakeupmad stamp of approval are Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm, Ā£47, which contains wonder anti-ageing ingredient, moringa seed extract, and which smells heavenly, and Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm, Ā£23, which makes most financial sense and which transforms at lightning speed from solid balm to liquid oil. It’s magic!
Moving on from cleansing balms, let’s talk lip balms. We love them. We hoard them. M has quite the collection (she’s officially obsessed with Clinique Pep Start Pout Restoring Night Mask Ā£16!) Whether you go for a squeezy tube (we love the Glossier Balm Dotcom, Ā£10), or stick form (it’s hard to beat Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick, Ā£20), your lips will thank you for it over the coming winter months. Our other favourite balms have to be: Eve Lom Kiss Mix Lip Treatment, Ā£16, (which also comes in gorgeous, tinted versions); Nars Orgasm Afterglow Lip Balm, Ā£22 with its signature ‘Orgasm’ golden peach shimmer; and the delicately rose-scented ByTerry Baume De Rose Lip Care, Ā£39, which is certainly not a steal, but which delivers the perfect amount of non-sticky, long-lasting hydration. *VERYMAKEUPMAD TOP TIP- try adding some balm to an old toothbrush and brushing your lips with it for the ultimate exfoliating treat*
Finally, there are the balm “all-rounders”. The wonder products that tackle dry skin, redness, rough elbows and heels, cuticles, dry hair. You name it… there’s a balm to fix it! A little goes a long way, and these thick pastes, when warmed between the palms, soften and work their magic. (We’ve even been known to use Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant,Ā£28, as a glossy highlighter on cheekbones and eyelids.) Check out Egyptian Magic, Ā£24.50, which will last you a lifetime and as well as delivering hydration, can also be used to reduce scars, stretch marks, minor burns and rashes. Another new Verymakeupmad balm discovery is Pommade Divine Nature’s Remedy Balm, Ā£14, which has something of a cult following, with loyal fans declaring it ‘magic’, ‘a miracle’ and that they ‘couldn’t live without it’.
Last but not least, these cute, tinted, multi-purpose balm sticks that add a dewy hint of colour to lips and cheeks. We love a ‘multiple’ product, so think they’re a great addition to your makeup bag – Olio E Osso Balm, although at Ā£27, they’re a little pricey!
And we can’t sign off without mentioning Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm, Ā£45. We fell hard for it last year (so hard, in fact, that M invested in a super-duper, Christmas edition vat of it, that she’s still wading through!) and this year we’re loving the new shades it comes in. It doesn’t really belong in any of the Balm categories above. It’s an indulgent, pearlised creamy Balm that V uses as a foundation primer, M uses alone for a glowing complexion, and we both dot on our cheek and brow ones as a highlighter. If you haven’t tried it… you should!
So our Verymakeupmad advice to you this season is to ‘go big on balms’. You’ll be guaranteed head-to-toe hydration, and it seems there’s no end to what you can do with a balm!
As ever, you can comment below or email us at hello@verymakeupmad.co.uk for any personal recommendations or advice.
Love and ‘balmy’ nights (get it?!),
Vikki & Mala xx
When our invite to The Global Lookfantastic Premiere pinged into our inbox back in August, we couldn’t contain our excitement!! 3 days of talking, eating, breathing beauty… we would be in heaven. Yes, we have 6 children and a puppy between us that would need looking after, but where there’s a will, there’s a way! So we were on that Manchester-bound train in September, quicker than you can say “beauty bloggers”.
Of course, we knew we were in for a treat, but it wasn’t all giant beauty advent calendars (yes, really), makeovers and lavish dinners. We were at the forefront of beauty, discovering innovative product launches, cutting-edge skincare brands and devouring statistics about the future of beauty and the hottest ingredients and trends. We’ve got so much to share with you in the coming months!
We were also treated to some fascinating panel discussions. Renowned Beauty Editor, Nadine Baggott, (if you haven’t already, check out her YouTube channelĀ full of no-nonsense beauty brilliance!) hosted a talk with 4, inspirational “kick-ass” (can we say that here?!) beauty bosses. They were the women who had single-handedly set up their extremely successful beauty brands – Vita Liberata, Pestle & Mortar, Balance Me and Omorovicza – all of which we love and use specific ‘hero’ products from. Oh, and when V reconnected with Nadine (she had been Beauty Ed of ‘Hello’, when V was Beauty Ed of Vogue) she immediately recounted the tale of V being violently sick on a private jet during a press trip to Cornwall. Not her finest hour and one she’d chosen to forget… until now!
We discovered brands that have got us very excited. Shea Moisture haircare looks set to be a must for our curly tresses, to help tame, nourish and hydrate them. M is already loving the Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine shampoo and conditioner. Then there’s Apivita – a Greek brand with natural products for face, body and hair, that harness the power of bee products plus essential oils and Greek herbs. We have a feeling that the Queen Bee anti-ageing face cream might soon become a favourite. Lancer (a dermatological skincare brand that M already loves thanks to its cult product “Dani Glowing Skin Perfector”) was showcasing its new, super-duper Younger Revealing Mask Intense which left our skin feeling baby-soft. And Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream, has already made its way into our daily ‘avoid-dry-skin-at-all-costs’ routines.
So as we’ve said, there’s tons of information, product know-how and top beauty tricks to bring you over the coming months. Our beauty brains are positively buzzing with everything we discovered. We can’t wait to share it all with you.
Love and beauty extravaganzas,
Vikki & Mala xx
In the words of our 11 year old sons, September was “legit”! Which is a good thing, apparently!! Because September saw us attending the Lookfantastic Global Premiere, which we can’t wait to fill you in on (more about that later). September also saw us blissfully child-free after a long, hot summer, and gave us the chance to concentrate on new beauty finds. So here they are – some of the products that really impressed us this month…
It wouldn’t be a Verymakeupmad month, without M discovering a new blusher. In September that blusher was the innovative Shiseido Minimalist Whipped Powder Blush, Ā£32. This moussey, whipped-up little pot of pigmented blush honestly gives cheeks the most natural touch of colour for the ultimate ‘outdoorsy’ flush. You probably know by now that we favour cream blush over powder as the latter tends to sit in our lines and wrinkles and age us (sigh!). This Shiseido cream dries down to a soft powder, but without the ageing issue. It simply leaves you looking healthy and ‘glowing from within’ … and it couldn’t be easier to apply. Have a watch of the clip below to see how well it blends into the skin:
With M’s blusher sorted for the month, surely that meant that the pressure was on for V to discover a new shimmering pink lipgloss (remind her again… how many is too many??!!). She could definitely be heard “whooping” upon discovering that Burberry beauty had become available to buy on Lookfantastic in September and she wasted no time treating herself to the Kisses Gloss, Ā£21. She went for shade ‘Pearl Rose’ – a bubblegum pink with the tiniest hint of shimmer, that feels gorgeous on the lips (and not at all sticky), and can be applied sparingly for a natural, dewy finish, or built up for a dazzling sheen. She may have countless dupes in her lipgloss drawer, but she has absolutely no regrets in adding this gloss to her collection.
One of our favourite new products that landed at Verymakeupmad Towers this month was Vita Liberata Beauty Blur, Ā£29.95 which has fast become a ‘must-have’ in our makeup bags. It’s a hydrating primer and ‘skin tone optimizer’, which basically means that it makes skin look incredibly flawless and provides the perfect base for your foundation (if you wear it, like V. M doesn’t, so she uses Beauty Blur on its own), while keeping skin soft and supple. We’ve found that our complexions are more even and our skin looks radiant when using Beauty Blur, plus the glow seems to last for hours and make up looks just as good at the end of the day, as it did when it was applied. Oh, and it’s organic too and free from any ‘nasties’. So we love it just a bit more…
Last but not least, we’ve been lusting after MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid, Ā£16.50. These sparkling liquid eyeshadows have been selling out up and down the country – and we can understand why! Unlike other sparkling liquid eyeshadows, the shimmery glitter doesn’t budge once applied and for a high-impact, evening look, a simple swipe across your lid, close to the lash line is all you need. Or you can apply over a powder eyeshadow for a more intense finish. Either way, dazzling eyes are guaranteed. But be quick… they’re not going to be around for much longer!
So that’s it for our September picks. Especially given that it’s now October and we’re going to be coming over all Halloween-y very soon (Mwah ha ha!!) But look out for our next post (coming this week) with the full lowdown on the “legit” Lookfantastic Premiere! We learnt, saw, sampled and discovered so much in the wonderful world of beauty. Our Verymakeupmad brains are buzzing!!
Love and “legit” makeup,
Vikki & Mala xx
And just like that… the summer’s over! For the 2 of us, that’s a double edged sword. Of course we’re sad that the holidays have finished, but at VeryMakeupMad we always look on the bright side and in our case, that’s the kids going back to school!! Woop woop. With 6 of the darlings between us, we’re in desperate need of some M and V – its all about the makeup – time! We’re craving the bright lights of the beauty halls, the inevitable makeup madness, and exciting, new Autumn launches. (V already has her eyes on the stunning new MAC Dazzleshadow Liquid Eye Shadow, Ā£16.50.)
But before we talk new seasons and falling leaves, this is our August big beauty round up – the products that got us excited over the summer…
First up, our bodies. Admittedly we focus mostly on our faces at Verymakeupmad and getting “beach body fit” when you hit 40 can prove difficult, especially when we tend to spend more time exercising our ring fingers, tapping on eye creams, then we do exercising our bodies! However, we think we’ve found something pretty special in the Mio brand of body firming products. We can’t promise you a six-pack but we can assure you that after using them for a month, (as we have been), your skin will be smoother and firmer. M has been religiously applying the “Skin Tight” Body Serum, Ā£23.60, with its cooling, tingling and tightening effects and gentle menthol scent all over. In fact she’s finding the whole experience rather addictive. Once the gel has dried you can apply your favourite body products on top (even sun creams if you’re hitting the beach).
V chose to slather on the “Boob Tube+”, Multi-Action Bust Cream, Ā£23.60, that, tones, moisturises and protects the dĆ©colletage area. M secretly thinks that V is just trying relive the heady days of her youth spent at the Hacienda, when she wore an actual “boob tube” and danced the night away! We can both agree that these award winning products refresh, revive and improve the appearance of uneven skin tone. So we say whack some on your birthday suit and feel great in your skin!
V’s love affair with lipgloss was further indulged this summer, thanks to the arrival of Illamasqua Aura Multi Use Top Coat, Ā£22. In fairness, this isn’t strictly a gloss (and it certainly doesn’t have the wetness or stickiness of a gloss). It’s a heavenly, shimmering, holographic cream that’s not just designed for the lips. Thanks to its non sticky formulation, it’s also meant to be worn on eyes and cheekbones, as we demonstrate below. As you can see, once applied, it’s quite lilac, so if you’re a lover of this shade, then this is definitely for you!
We must admit, we love the irridescent intensity of this product. It’s great for a special occasion, as it’s almost dreamlike in colour and brings a magical, dramatic shimmer to your face. On Instagram it’s known as #highlightingonfleek and at VeryMakeupMad we do like to keep up with the insta lingo!
Now that we’re back home and our Mediterranean holidays are behind us, we’re keen to maintain that sun-kissed, healthy glow! So we’ll both be reaching for the ByTerry Sun Designer Palette in Happy Sun, Ā£47. This great, versatile palette contains powders to highlight, bronze and blush, and the beauty of it is (pun intended!!) that they can be used separately, or swirled together with a large, pouffy brush and applied all over the face. ByTerry powders are notoriously super-fine and not cakey and these fab palettes, that the brand brings out each year, are not to be missed!
A final mention must be made of our new lip obsession – Hurraw Lip Balms, Ā£4.99. (V is not admitting to a total obsession, as they’re not glosses, but she does really like them!!) They’re totally natural, and suitable for vegans and with 22 balms in the range, with yummy flavours such as Green Tea, Papaya Pineapple and Pitta (wait, what??), there’s a balm for everyone! We love price and the ingenious shape of them too… just one, quick swipe and your lips are kissably soft for hoursš!
So that was August! Over in a flash. We can’t wait to discover what September has in store for us. We’ll be happy as long as there’s shimmer and glow aplenty! Although not so happy that we’ve finally had to put the heating and our sweaters back on (see below)!
Love and summers that last for months,
Vikki & Mala xx
And we thought June was hot! Well, we can safely that that July was even hotter. It was makeup-meltingly unbearable. It was too hot even to talk beauty – and that’s saying something for VeryMakeupMad. But not surprising really, given that V was spending her days researching ‘coldest places on earth to live’, and M could mostly be found hanging out in the freezer aisle of our local Waitrose. This was officially our first VeryMakeupMad beauty crisis. And everyone knows that desperate times call for… new blusher! Well, that’s always been M’s mantra, anyway! The only thing that could put a smile on her (permanently perspiring!) face was Illamasqua Colour Veil, Ā£20. M couldn’t resist the ‘boingy-ness’ of it (you have to touch it, to understand it). This pretty, jelly-like, cream blush can be applied with fingers or a buffing brush and gives the most natural flush of colour.
Never one to miss out, V decided that she needed a new blusher too. It might just drag her out of her overheated slump. She went for a powder blush, though – the super girly, bow and star-embellished Ciate London Glow To Illuminating Blush, Ā£22. It’s the perfect, matte, rosy pink shade (it’s called ‘Pinch Me’), swirled with a shimmering highlighter. It blends beautifully and is easy to build up, giving an instant, radiant glow.
Back to the heatwave, and we’ve been struggling to keep our makeup in place. That is we were, until the new Bobbi Brown ‘Primer Plus’ primers fell into our laps. The Primer Plus Mattifier, Ā£24, helps to control oil, blurs pores and keeps makeup looking perfect and lasting all day…even in this weather. And if it’s sun protection you’re concerned about, check out the Primer Plus Radiance SPF35, Ā£24, which works as the perfect summer makeup base. Not only is skin protected, but it glows (without looking greasy) and makeup glides on over the top.
We’re both off on our family hols soon -woop woop! – so our thoughts have turned to our beach bodies (yikes!). We’re trying out Gatineau Tan Accelerating Lotion, Ā£49, applying it religiously at night in the run up to our travels, to prepare our skin for the sun and boost and prolong tanning. Admittedly, V never tans, but she’s hoping this wonder product will help her to stop burning and make tanning possible, as the melanin in her skin is boosted. The idea is to use this lotion for 2 weeks before, during and after sun exposure. And if all else fails, it smells yummy and it’s making our skin feel super soft.
We’ll be packing Darphin Illuminating Micellar Cleanser, Ā£29, which literally melts away makeup and any dirt or grime. We’re both really impressed with this gel cleanser, that turns light and oily when applied to the skin and leaves it clean, soft and bright. Ordinarily, neither of us are fans of face washes that require water, as we find them to be drying. But this is the exception…and we’re both hooked! And if like us, you don’t love splashing water on your face (hair, bathroom floor etc!!) then get your hands on a pack of Pestle & Mortar Face Cloths, Ā£13.50, which when wet (and thoroughly squeezed out), promise to wipe and swipe the day away!
Also in our suitcases, will be our trusty Eyeko Beach Waterproof Mascara, Ā£ 15.20. We love the wave shaped brush of this ‘game-changer’ mascara, which brilliantly lifts, lengthens and curls lashes. It conditions them too thanks to coconut oil and it also contains sunscreen. And we’ve done the waterproof test (we basically chucked a glass of water at each other! Oh the fun we have at VeryMakeupMad Towers!!) and can confirm that it’s totally swimming pool proof!
That’s all for July. Except to say…did you know that July 29th was National Lipstick Day? To be honest, we were hoping for National Gloss Day instead, but apparently that’s not a ‘thing’. But if we had to choose just one lipstick to keep in our kit, it would be Urban Decay Comfort Matte Vice Lipstick in Backtalk, Ā£13.20. It’s creamy and feels nourishing on the lips and Backtalk is a great, mauvey nude that seems to suit all.
All of the products we’ve raved about here here can be bought on theĀ LookFantasticĀ website (don’t forget, we’re part of their Beauty Set – yay!). Order online today and use the code LF15 to get 15% off. What are you waiting for?
Please comment below and let us know which products you’re loving this summer…and if the heatwave continues, you might just find that next time we check in, Verymakeupmad will come to you live from Oymyakon, Siberia – the world’s coldest place to live!
Love & happy holiday vibes,
Vikki & Mala xx
We’re in the middle of a London heatwave. Days so hot, you can barely step foot outside for fear of melting – makeup and all! Nights so uncomfortable, it’s hard to sleep, not to mention the fact that our trusted Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair, Ā£53, seems to be sliding off our faces. So here at Verymakeupmad Towers we did what any sane, young women (well, that’s what M calls us. V’s not so sure that 41 still constitutes ‘young ‘!) would do when faced with such unbearable heat… we hotfooted it to the tube and alighted at Selfridges, to check out the latest launches from Bobbi Brown. Well, what else did you expect?
First up, V was introduced to the amazing Primer Plus Radiance, Ā£24. She’s decided that this is a ‘must-have’ product. Not only does it have an SPF 35 (super important and the only real way to prevent skin ageing) but it evens out the skin and gives a gorgeous glow, without being in the least bit shiny or overly reflective (we have a thing about greasy looking faces!). Make up applies beautifully over it and lasts all day. V has been using it ever since…and as far as daytime primers are concerned, doesn’t think she’ll ever look back.
As for M, she’s all about the eyes. And with the launch of the limited edition ‘Nude on Nude’ – 2 soft, subtle, nudey palettes, Rosy Nudes and Bronzed Nudes, Ā£39.50 each, with mattes, shimmers and highlighters – she requested a ‘summer sorbet’ look… no, V didn’t know what that meant either! (apparently M was thinking soft, shimmery, pastel tones that screamed summer). Luckily, the fabulous Bobbi Brown makeup artist, Vivienne, seemed to understand and was on hand to create the look. She chose the Rosy Tones palette with its neutral, pink, brown and champagne shades. It’s a great, versatile, little palette. You can create easy, everyday looks to brighten and enhance the eyes, or build up the colour and go ‘smokey’ and nighttime-ey.
Click the link below to see our usual – slightly bonkers -beauty chat and the demo of Rosy Nudes on M, courtesy of Vivienne.
As ever, don’t forget to comment and let us know what you’re loving at the moment or if there’s a specific look you want us to help you achieve. Don’t forget about our VeryMakeupMad consultancy service! We’re here to help. Unless the heatwave continues, in which case V is considering emigrating!
Vikki & Mala (and here’s Vivienne too!) xx
M isn’t much of a foundation wearer – it’s her freckles, you see. Foundation doesn’t quite ‘work’ with them. So a dab here and there, and a little bit applied instead of concealer, is about as much as M goes for. V on the other hand, is a foundation lover, although it has to be light, liquid and guaranteed to give a glow.
So how would us VeryMakeupMad girls get on with the iconic EstĆ©e Lauder Doublewear Stay-in-Place Makeup, Ā£32.50 – the UK’s best-selling foundation? Its strap line is ‘Stay-in-place’ makeup, claiming to stay put for an impressive 24 hours (yikes – not for us, we could never go to bed without taking off our face!), and promising a totally flawless finish, with a ‘medium’ coverage (we would normally opt for ‘light’). It launched back in 1997 when we had both just turned 20 and when foundation was the furthest thing from our minds. It was all festivals and the Hacienda back then (check out our previous Natasha Denona blog/vlog for more on this)!!
But roll on 2018 and the original Doublewear is now available in 50 shades – yes, you read that right…50! – in four different formulations (more about those in a moment) and given that we’re now both in our 40s, and our skin needs a little more makeup ‘assistance’ than it used to, we’re giving it a whirl.
But before we do, here’s the lowdown on all the Double Wears in the range. Double Wear Nude is available in 33 shades and is a much lighter version of the original, giving a fresh, glowing finish; Double Wear Light is the most sheer and natural looking (think tinted moisturiser) and Double Wear Maximum Cover Makeup promises a heavy coverage and will hide everything from scars and birthmarks to sun spots and varicose veins.
So here we are trying out the original Double Wear. V, as ever, is applying with her fingers (isn’t that what they’re there for?!), while M is using her trusty brushes for a more precise and professional finish. Our verdict…well you’ll have to watch and see! Click the link below:
SPOILER ALERT…go on then, we’ll tell you what we think. We both agree that our skin looked absolutely flawless afterwards (great for photos!) and it stayed put until we removed it that night. Very impressive. V would have liked more of a ‘glow’ (cue the addition of highlighting drops!) and M wouldn’t use all over her face again (V now sees what M means about foundation not quite working on a freckled face – it masks the freckles, but doesn’t hide them completely, and somehow it’s very obvious that you’re wearing makeup) However, in terms of flawless makeup that doesn’t feel at all heavy or ‘cakey’, we’re both sold. This is definitely the start of a ‘Double Wear Affair’ and a beautiful relationship. Although, we may be tempted to stray and go for Double Wear Light behind Double Wear’s back!!
Love & flawless finishes,
Vikki & Mala xx
Neither of us would consider ourselves ‘beach babes’. Once upon a time, M was, thanks to a large part of her childhood spent in Goa and on Anjuna Beach. But now she feels “all beached out.” As for V, she’s never been a fan of the beach – it’s too much like hard work. Feeling the grit of the sand between her teeth – yuk! – and the surf making her hair matted and frizzy. And not to mention that irritating combination of sand and sunscreen…
But recently we were introduced to Urban Decay’s brand new, limited edition Beached Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£28, and it’s making us both swoon – suddenly we’re transported to an idyllic beach paradise with powdery sand, palm trees and crystal clear water. This palette is what summer dreams are made of. Its 8 dazzling, metallic shades (golds, bronzes, coppers and vivid turquoises) are totally wearable, highly pigmented (just watch below…one swipe is all you need!) and there are countless great combinations that you can create. And in a Verymakeupmad first, V is using an eyeshadow brush and M is using her fingers! Yes, such is the appeal of this palette – it’s making us go totally crazy!!
So here we are trying out the palette. As you can tell from our squeals of delight, we’re really pleased with the results – let us know what you think! And if you get your hands on one, remeber to send us the looks that you create.
We must also give a mention to the 3 fab, palm tree adorned Beached Vice Lipsticks, Ā£16.50, that are also part of the collection. ‘100 Degrees’ is a metallic, cherry red, ‘Tower 1’ is a sheer, shimmering champagne colour and Heatwave is an intense, metallic bronze – we’re loving this one! We’re even tempted to sweep it over our eyes. We’ll report back…
And here are some swatches. Gorgeous, aren’t they?
That’s all for now. All this talk of beaches is making us feel summery and tropical. We’re off to buy some coconuts and hoola skirts!
Love and Beachy vibes,
Vikki & Mala xx
Wedding fever’s in the air! We both love a good wedding (although V does tend to get a little over emotional and M is a little heavy handed with the confetti!) and this one is certainly not to be missed. As far as we’re concerned, all brides (including Miss Markle) should go for glowing, luminous makeup on their special day. A highlighter should be her best friend. After her husband! Oh, and her maid of honour! And not to mention a few diamonds…
So we’ve picked 4 of our favourite highlighters (in 4 different formulations and with 4 different price points!) to show you exactly how to apply them for your ‘big day glow’. V is using her trusty YSL Glow Shot Ā£19.55, and foolproof Clinique Sculpting Highlighter, Ā£20. And M is going drugstore with L’Oreal Paris Glow Mon Amour Highlighting Drops Ā£9.99 and high-end with Bobbi Brown Highlighting Powder Palette, Ā£60 (exclusive to LookFantastic). All are guaranteed to give a bride a ‘lit from within’ glow and are super quick and easy to use. Here we go…
As you can tell, we’re struggling to contain our excitement at Verymakeupmad Towers about the impending nuptials and we can’t wait to sit and watch it – in our tiaras, of course, and wearing plenty of highlighter! We’re pretty sure our Royal Bride will have taken our advice and be perfectly glowing too. So all that’s left is for us to wish her and Prince Harry much love, luck, light and luminosity! Let’s hope M isn’t allowed into the Cathedral with a suitcase full of confetti…
Love and Royal Wedding fever,
Vikki & Mala xx
V’s husband isn’t VeryMakeupMad. In fact he isn’t makeup mad at all (unlike M’s husband who knows his beauty stuff and watches every one of our vlogs!) But he’s been married to V long enough to appreciate (and very occasionally indulge) her makeup passion. So when a recent trip to New York was scheduled in his work diary, V took the opportunity to request a certain gift – the fabulous, undeniably instagramable Natasha Denona Diamond & Blush palette that – until now…eeek! – she hadn’t been able to buy in the UK and had been lusting over for months.
There are two versions of this blush & highlighting palette – Citrus and Darya. Both contain 3 powder and 3 cream formulations and both were crying out to be owned by V. And M, to be honest, who as you know by now has a huge penchant for blush palettes. But her husband wasn’t going to America, so tough! (Poor M – and V doesn’t even like sharing! Watch video below for the full scoop…)
V thought she was being very clear when she asked her hubbie for the ‘Darya’, with its shimmering pinks, golds and rosy-coloured hues. Very V! When he returned home with the Sephora bag, she couldn’t contain her excitement and opened the palette with wild abandon. Turns out he’d not paid enough attention and had in fact bought her the ‘Citrus’ with it’s deep pink, bronze and sunny yellow shades – ‘festival makeup’, according to M! Not so V.
Never one to not try new makeup, (and with M assuring her that it would look better on than off) here is V having a go with Citrus…and she’s very happy with the results! This was probably one of our most fun vlogs to shoot…M still has a stitch from all the laughing! Click below…
And thanks to the great news that Natasha Denona is launching in Selfridges on May 10th (whoop whoop!) V may just find herself the proud owner of the Darya too! Sshhh, don’t tell her husband!
Love, Blush and VeryMakeupMad husbands,
Vikki & Mala xx
Since our last blog, V’s turned 41. M did a little, triumphant jump for joy that she was no longer older than V, while V celebrated by treating herself to a new bag and some Lixir Vitamin C Paste, Ā£32 (more about that another time). Oh and a generous slice of raspberry and chocolate nougat cake. And yes, it was as delicious as it sounds, thanks for asking!
All in all it was a great birthday…until V’s 7 year-old daughter, S, told her that her face was looking “creased”. Yikes, time to call in the beauty big guns. The lotions and potions guaranteed to roll back the years and iron out those creases. And where better to look than to K-beauty? (For anyone unfamiliar with K-beauty, you’ll be glad to hear that for once it’s got absolutely nothing to do the Kardashian empire – phew! – but rather the term to describe beauty products hot out of Korea). Korean beauty is HUGE business. They’re at least 12 years ahead of us in their beauty technology, and products are brilliant, often quirky and priced very reasonably. And it was the Koreans who introduced BB, CC, and now DD creams into our world and onto our shelves. For the record, in case you’ve ever wondered, BB stands for Beauty or Blemish Balm (it’s a glorified tinted moisturiser) CC for Colour Correcting (our personal favourite in evening out skin and giving radiance) and DD for Dynamic Do-all (a BB and CC hybrid with some anti-ageing ingredients thrown in too). We’ll have one of each please!
Korean beauty focuses on great skincare. Cleanser is incredibly important, as is sunscreen. And moisturiser. And essences. Oh and sheet masks too. Well, the Koreans do follow a 10-step skincare routine! Yes, that’s right, 10 steps. So to help you navigate the K-beauty minefield, here’s the VeryMakeupMad lowdown on a few of the best K-beauty products to try right now…
Cleanser: Koreans do a double cleanse – an oil cleanser first to melt away makeup and pollution and then a foam cleanse to work on sweat (not that we do!) and dirt. Frankly, who truthfully has time for that? But if you fancy it, try Klairs Gentle Black Deep Cleansing Oil, Ā£16.50, which is a beautiful, lightweight oil that does a brilliant job of removing makeup and is perfect for anyone with dry or sensitive skin. As for the foam cleanser, we suggest you try Dr G Hydra Intense Bubble Foam Cleanser, Ā£21, which bubbles satisfyingly on the skin and feels gorgeously creamy.
Toner: if you’re a fan of toning after cleansing (and those perfect-skinned Korean women can’t be wrong!) you must try Whamisa Deep Rich Essence Toner, Ā£33.90, which nourishes dry, stressed and irritated skin. It’s something of a cult, bestselling product, so chances are you might have to join a waiting list for it. Although, we found a few left in Ā Planet Organic.
Essences: If you’ve only just got your head round using a serum before moisturiser, then hold that thought, because you should actually be using an essence before your serum, before your moisturiser. How exhausting – M is sure she’s going to get RSI! An essence is basically a lightweight serum that’s packed with concentrated, hydrating ingredients to help repair, smoothe and brighten the complexion. Blithe Vital Treatment Pulp Essence, Ā£41, plumps up skin and leaves it soft and glowy.
Sheet Masks: These masks are everywhere, and while you might think a cute pug or panda mask is a bit gimmicky, they certainly pack a punch, infused with all sorts of anti-ageing, wonder ingredients. We love the Seoulista brand, which has been created by dermatologists and literally has a mask for every part of the body! The Correct & Calm Instant Facial and Super Hydration Instant Facial, Ā£7.99 each, are our favourites, although we can’t wait to try Rosy Hands or Rosy Toes, for perfectly nourished and younger-looking hands and feet.
CC Creams: As we’ve already mentioned, when it comes to ‘double letter’ creams, we usually opt for the CC variety, for an evened-out skin tone and that all-important SPF. M loves Erborian CC Creme, Ā£17, while V prefers CLE Cosmetics CCC Cream, Ā£24. Both adapt to your skin’s own tone on application and are perfect to use in summer instead of foundation. We’re just waiting for the arrival of EE creams…what could they possibly be? We’re hoping for Energising Everything!
Primers: J.One Jelly Pack Multi-Functional Gel Primer, Ā£20, is not a primer as you know it. As well as regular priming benefits – makeup glides on more evenly and lasts for longer – it also treats the skin with anti-ageing technology and works on firming, lifting and refining. It acts like a film over the skin, giving a glasslike effect. V’s wasting no time in trying this, thanks to her little S’s comments. But before she does, she’s giving Etude House Face Blur, Ā£12.49, a whirl. Not least because it was a birthday present from M. But this pale pink, talc-scented primer has been gaining rave reviews since its launch for its instant blurring effects. It magically hides and smoothes pores and makes skin look as good as new. No more ‘creases’ for V with this baby!
We can’t mention K-beauty, without a nod to J-beauty (Japanese to you and us!) Hot on the heels of the Korean beauty trend, J-Beauty looks set to be every bit as exciting and innovative. If not more. For example, one of Japan’s hottest exports isĀ DHC Cleansing Oil Ā£3.60, a bottle of which is sold every 10 seconds. Yes, you read that right. And Japanese brands such as Tatcha and Decorte are fast becoming cult must-haves. We’ve been hooked on Japanese beauty staples such as the brilliant Fairy Drops Scandal Queen Quattro Mascara, Ā£18.50, for a while (V thinks it’s possibly the best mascara she’s ever tried…and there have been lots over the years), and when it comes to eyeshadow, you honestly can’t beat the beautiful textures and pigmented shades in Suqqu’s Designing Color Eyes Palette, Ā£46. We can often be found swooning over them in Selfridges!
So when it comes to beauty, we suggest you look East for the ultimate weapons. Oh and we forgot to mention all those Korean products that use snail slime. Apparently it’s brilliantly anti-ageing, but it’s a step too far for Verymakeupmad. So we didn’t actually forget at all. We just don’t fancy it! Although M’s more game than V and could be tempted. But she’s scared that it may slow her down!
Love, K-beauty & J-beauty (and no snails please!)
Vikki & Mala xx
So it’s currently the School/Easter holibobs (yes, that is a word!) and we’re having a little time away with our families. But not before we give you an all-important insight into what we currently have in our makeup bags and what’s been causing a buzz at Verymakeupmad Towers recently! As you can imagine, there are plenty of beauty products that come our way that make us giddy with excitement and that we swoon over. And for that very reason, we’ve decided to share with you our top beauty finds so far in 2018. But we’re restricting our choices to just 3 each (not an easy task!). The 3 products that we’re both loving right now. Some are new, some just new to us. Either way, we’re smitten!
V’s kicking things off with that all-important base. For years she’s encouraged people to try one of Giorgio Armani’s iconic foundations, but she has a confession to make – she hasn’t used one herself. But how can so many industry insiders and celebrities be wrong?! Recently she finished a bottle of Estee Lauder Perfectionist Youth-Infusing Makeup, Ā£41 (she loves this. A lot!), and decided to purchase Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Ā£42, instead. It’s won more than a decade’s worth of In Style magazine’s Best Beauty Buys and has the Kim Kardashian stamp of approval (although admittedly, this didn’t sway V!). Needless to say, she’s been very impressed with the lightweight, blendable formulation that makes her skin look totally natural, but better than normal. It’s dewy without being shiny, and it keeps skin looking fresh and glowy for hours. This time, V can honestly say, if you haven’t tried it, you should.
Moving onto eyes. And V’s not sure whether this is cheating, but she’s chosen 2 eyeshadow products. She just couldn’t pick one over the other. First is Suqqu Deep Nuance Eyes, Ā£22, in Polarising Silver – a mini pot of glimmering, metallic silver cream, with a hint of lilac, that can brighten eyes in one quick swipe. Designed to be worn alone on the lid for a gentle wash of colour, or dabbed over a powder shadow to sparkle things up, V is very impressed. Plus a little goes a long way, so she has a feeling she’ll be using this for some time.
As for the other eyeshadow product, it’s ByTerry Game Lighter Palette in PixieNude. Ā£38. V spotted this on a trip to Space NK to buy a gift for a friend, and ended up treating herself instead and forgot about the friend! Oops! But it’s one of those irresistible palettes that literally calls out to be used. The 10 shades consist of 5 ‘mix & match duos’ with one matte and one metallic powder. Soft pinks, peaches, taupes and bronzes combine to create a gorgeous everyday palette.
Ā 
V’s only criticism is that the pan size is quite small, so it’s not so easy to get the product out – as you know by now, V applies eyeshadow with her fingers, and has inherited her dad’s large hands, so this has been a little problematic! But she’s determined to persevere…
Next up, M’s top picks. It’s no secret that she’s crazy about blush and picked up the fabĀ Clinique Cheek Pop, Ā£17 in Berry Pop a few months ago. It’s a firm favourite, but she’s been dreaming of the peachy shade, Melon Pop too, and decided she just had to have it. She loves the look of a ‘Peaches & Cream’ complexion and this blush delivers just that. It’s a delightfully creamy powder, and once applied lasts for hours. Plus the cute flower pattern remains throughout.
M’s ‘eye choice’ is mascara. She already has amazingly long lashes (ggrrrr…that’s V snarling with envy) and as far as V is concerned, any mascara works brilliantly for her. However, M would disagree and has many gripes about mascaras flaking, clumping, giving her ‘panda eyes’ or failing to live up to lengthening/volumising/curling hype. Not so with Illamasqua Mascara Raven, Ā£15. It lengthens lashes effortlessly, and gives a very intense black colour. No need for more than one coat, (although by all means try it for a dramatic, evening look).Ā M loves the thick wand and thinks it makes all the difference. This is a seriously impressive – and reasonably priced – mascara.
Finally, M’s cuckoo over Clinique’s new Pep Start Pout Restoring Night Mask, Ā£16. This silky soft, soothing balm glides onto lips, stays put for hours (no sliding off for this winner) and is the ultimate ‘pout perfector’. Not content with only wearing it at night (she’s always been a rebel!), M applies throughout the day too, a few minutes before topping with lipstick or gloss. It works a treat, feels great and has definitely made a difference to M’s chapped, winter lips.
So there you have it. Please comment below with your favourite finds so far this year – we’d love to hear from you! And keep those email questions coming too – verymakeupmad@gmail.com. No beauty issue is too big or small for Verymakeupmad!
Love, new beauty finds & Happy Holibobs,
Vikki & Mala xx
You’ve probably realised by now that when it comes to make up, we likes things sheer, shimmery and super-natural. So when we received a little bundle from Urban Decay, containing the newĀ Naked Petite Heat palette, Ā£26, with its highly pigmented, matte powders in a range of fiery terracotta shades, we were a bit out of our comfort zone! We’re lovers of the ‘cut crease’ on others, especially youngsters who have adopted this look as their own, (google it if you’re not sure – we had to!) but it’s not something we’d sport on a daily basis. The school playground is not the place for high pigmented eyeshadows and we’d look and feel like we were going clubbing (those were the days!). Our go-to eyeshadows are creamy, pearlised sticks (think Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks), that we swipe on and forget about. So we had to think outside the box and make these hot neutrals work for us. After a few moments spent pondering (and panicking!), we plunged in and had some fun…
So ta-da, here we are! Press play & enjoy. And don’t forget to comment & subscribe.
Shades from left to right: Inhale, Vibrate, Hot Spell, Wild Thing, Heist, Strike
As for our lips, we’re really impressed with the Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick, Ā£16.50, in Backtalk. As you know, we both reach for lipglosses over lipsticks, but this is pretty special. It’s ultra-creamy and glides on like a dream. The shade is a deep, dusky pink and we’re sold on it.
And finally, a word about the All Nighter Setting Spray, Ā£10. Neither of us use setting spray, but should we want to, this would fit the bill. Admittedly, you need to spritz a few times before applying to your face, otherwise you risk having initial bubbles of liquid landing on your face, rather than a fine mist. But after a few pumps, you’re good to go.
Love & matte eyeshadows,
Vikki & Mala xx
Who knew that a simple beauty discovery – M realising in a moment of Verymakeupmadness that a Lime Crime Diamond Crushers Lip Topper , Ā£16, works brilliantly on the eyelids as a shimmering, nighttime shadow – would be such a defining moment for VeryMakeupMad? When we spotted that the mega beauty online retailer, LookFantastic (Nars, MAC, Bobbi Brown…name a brand, we guarantee they’ll sell it), were looking to recruit some new members to their exclusive Beauty Set, we knew we had to apply. All that was required was for us to send them a 30-second ‘Beauty hack’ video (V had to ‘google’ this…showing her age now!) So while M applied the liptopper to her eyelids multiple times for the sake of the video (admittedly they were pretty sore by the end of it and she nearly poked her eye out!), V simply swiped some onto her lips as intended and pouted for the camera, creating the ultimate backdrop! And in case you’re interested, here’s the said hack…
We were obviously onto something and were shortlisted for the Beauty Bootcamp, a fabulous day spent in the Look Fantastic headquarters in Warrington (V had to explain to M exactly where that is…amazingly she’s never been north of London, although has extensively travelled Asia!). There were challenges, photo shoots and beauty talk aplenty. Benefit and Clinique were on hand to showcase some of their new products (and old gems) and thankfully there were endless supplies of tea and coffee (well, we were on a 6am train!). We left with new contacts and friends, smiles on our faces, goodie bags in our hands, and fingers firmly crossed that we’d receive some good news from Look Fantastic.
Well, we can now reveal…drum roll please…that we did it! We’ve joined the Beauty Set. Woo Hoo!! We’re brand Ambassadors for Look Fantastic and we couldn’t be more thrilled. So what does this entail, we hear you cry? Well, we’ll be featuring on its social channels and working on campaigns and shoots as well as collaborating with leading beauty brands and attending exclusive events. We’ll be bringing you Beauty news hot off the press and be able to keep you in the loop with any major beauty launches and hopefully some discounts too. We’re still Verymakeupmad, but we’ll be bigger, bolderĀ and better with lots more info, product reviews and insider tips.
And to kick things off, here we are reviewing some amazing products that we discovered at Bootcamp. Press the link below to watch:
And with that, we’re off to celebrate our win, in the way we know best…treating ourselves to some new beauty products!
Love, beauty hacks & looking and feeling fantastic!!
Vikki & Mala xx
Ps. If you’d rather not use a lip topper on eyes, then we suggest you go for one of Stila’s Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Shadows, Ā£23. We’re currently fighting over the shade Kitten Karma…
Confession time…again! V has purchased 3 further lipglosses since our last blog (and still only owns 1 lipstick!), while M has splashed out on 1 new lipgloss (and still owns a handful of lipsticks!) But blush is M’s first love and no other make-up item comes close! Feeling naked without it, she couldnāt possibly hit the school run without a sweep of colour on her cheeks. And as for Mās daughter, NM, and V, who both insist that the blusher brush barely hits her face, M disagrees with them wholeheartedly. She insists she sweeps generously. But whether sheās VeryMakeupMad (with out the makeup!) … is a whole other post. One thing we can agree on though, is that M has an enviable collection of blushers.
But before we delve into the joys of Mās blush addiction, letās spare a moment for those 4 new lipglosses. Neither of us could resist the new, creamy Kevyn Aucoin lipgloss – Molten Lip Color in Pink Crystal, Ā£22. Ā It’s the Cinderella of lip glosses – totally girly, metallic, sparkly and pink. V will wear it alone and M will use as a liptopper. As for V’s other 2 glosses – they’re Becca Liquid Crystal Glow Gloss in Rose Quartz x Seashell, Ā£18, which is very similar to the Kevyn Auction, but hey, who’s counting?! – and Kiko 3D Hydra Lipgloss in 05, Ā£5.50, because at that price, it would be rude not to!
Ok, so onto blush – the love of Mās (makeup) life. A pop of cheek colour. That essential, rosy glow. M insists every girl needs a blush for every season and clearly that’s her reason for owning so many (27 to be exact!). And with only the one face to apply them to, that’s her justification if her husband ever asks “why??”. In the summer, when she wears less layers of make-up, she’ll go for a sheer, pigmented, buildable powder to really bring her face to life. In the winter months, she opts for a liquid blush, giving a soft, natural look (piling on powders can be ageing and drying, as the product can sit in fine lines). Liquid blush is totally foolproof – simply tap it onto the apples of your cheeks, blending outwards onto the cheek bone. M loves the lightweight, creamy consistency of Glossier’s Cloud Paint, Ā£15. It’s so easy to blend and you can build colour, so no need to worry about looking like Aunt Sally (and if you don’t know who she is, then boy, do we feel old!).
M owns an array of pink and peachy blushers, some more shimmery or pigmented than others. They’re the result of many years of research. A labour of blush love! But she now knows what Ā works for her. She’s a firm fan of a soft, matte, peachy blush that gives an enviable ‘peaches and cream’ look, or the ‘no make up make look’, as itās called today. But for a more everyday, ‘flushed’ look that suggests she’s been walking her pooch, she’ll go for a rosy pink. We both believe this is a must for any makeup wearer. If you’re a blush novice, we suggest you try Dior Rosy Glow, Ā£32 – the ultimate pink blush!
So here is Mās definitive blush collection. It took a while for her to choose just 6, so high five to V who managed to name her 6 all-time favourite lipglosses at lightning speed!
Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Lush and Libido, Ā£28. This duo blends beautifully and looks so pretty on the skin. A soft, pigmented matte powder, it gives a great finish and don’t be put off by the the mauve tone- it stops the pink from looking ‘mumsy’. It’s a great, daytime blush that makes an impact with just one swipe.
Clinique Cheek Pop in Berry Pop, Ā£17.Ā Popped on the apples of your cheeks, this sheer pink blush is perfect for creating a natural, youthful look. A more recent discovery of M’s, she loves the colour choices in the collection, although Berry Pop is her ‘go-to’ at the moment. Having said that, she also has her eyes on ‘Melon Pop’ – a gorgeous peachy coral.
Glossier Cloud Paint, Ā£15.Ā We can’t extol the virtues enough of these little tubes of loveliness. The texture is so creamy without any stickiness and it’s so easy to apply. Our favourite shades are Beam and Puff. Beam brings a warm apricot glow to your skin, whilst the bubble-gum pink of Puff creates the perfect, natural flush.
Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo in Paradise Lust, Ā£59.Ā This luxurious, elegant compact contains the two most beautiful shades of blush. M had her sights set on it as soon as it hit the beauty halls and she wasn’t disappointed. Use the shades alone or blend together – you can’t fail to fall in love. The sheer, shimmery, soft boudoir pink is the perfect highlighting blush against the finely-milled, intense coral shade. M loves the way it glides onto her skin like silk. *Newsflash!! Nars Blushes in Free Soul, Ā£24, and Fetishized, Ā£23, are perfect dupes for this duo and can be bought together for less than the Tom Ford!
Nars Blush in Sex Appeal, Ā£24. Ā This is the ultimate blush to create that peaches & cream look that M has already raved about. It illuminates the skin with a light and fresh glow, that’s only barely there.
Milani Baked Blush in Rosa Romantica, Ā£10. This multi-purpose compact is a peachy-pink shade with swirls of shimmery bronze. M twirls her brush over it to mix the tones and applies to the cheek bone. This little gem has a hidden brush applicator and mirror too. It’s a great price and size, so M likes to use it on the go for makeup touch ups.
And no makeup collection is complete without a few blush palettes. These guys give you instant versatility and a plethora of looks. M likes to use her palettes as multiples, sweeping the powders onto her eyes too. The beauty of a palette is that the matching tones work brilliantly together, helping to create a balanced, more professional look.
So that’s it for M’s cheeky choices. And don’t forget that at Verymakeupmad, we pride ourselves on finding the right products and shades for any skin tone. Put us to the test and email us – verymakeupmad@gmail.com – with your beauty queries. Add a headshot and we’ll send you some personalised recommendations. And don’t forget to comment below with your favourite blushes. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to all of you for all your lovely personal messages and emails on our previous posts – we’re always glad to help!
Love, flushed cheeks & a pop of colour,
Vikki & Mala xx
OK, it’s time we came clean. Yes, we’re Verymakeupmad – mad about all things makeup, unable to keep our hands off blush, mascara, foundation, highlighter, eyeshadow… you name it, we’re addicted to it. But we both have a confession to make. V first. Although she’s Verymakeupmad, she only owns 1 lipstick! Yes, shock horror, just 1. And then there’s M. No matter how much make-up she seems to pile on her freckled skin (and she swears blind she’s caked in it!), neither V, nor M’s daughter NM, can ever tell she’s wearing any! She’s Verymakeupmad…without the makeup!
Now, before you decide that we’re a couple of frauds, please keep reading. Because we can assure you that V never leaves the house with naked lips. Ever. She’s a certifiedĀ lipgloss addict. She currently has more than 40 on the go (although if her husband, B, is reading this, then she doesn’t!). And as for M – you should see her make-up drawers. They’re spilling over with products. Mostly blushes. That’s her addiction. She can’t get enough of them. So lipgloss and blush – that’s what V and M are mostly about! Stick us on a desert island, and V would be perfectly glossy thanks to her trusty Chanel Coco Rouge Gloss, while M would be regularly sweeping on Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Lush & Libido. If we were rescued, we’d look fab!
Let’s start with V (you’ll have wait till next time to hear about M). Wearing gloss makes V Ā happy. It gives her a certain confidence. It shimmers and shines on her lips in the way that a lipstick could only ever hope to. Gloss gives her lips a fullness, a sheen and in her opinion, the most flattering finish. When her lips feel dry, it’s a pleasure to apply gloss. It’s creamy and comforting. She could apply it blindfolded, in a darkened room and not make a mistake with it, like she could with lipstick. It doesn’t leave embarrassing marks on teeth, it doesn’t bleed into fine lines or require the use of a lipliner (although M would disagree as she advocates wearing lipliner with any lip product – including vaseline). Plus lots of lipglosses smell yummy! What’s not to love?
V’s tried lipsticks in the past. She honestly has. But she always feels a bit grown up wearing them. And no matter which shade she goes for, she always feels wrong. Too made up. Too ‘done’. Too ‘mumsy’. And she’s convinced that the colour doesn’t match her eyeshadow or cheek colour. Gloss is lighter, softer on the lips, less of a statement and can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. If she chooses a bold, coloured gloss (as opposed to her signature dusky pink), it still works. She always and only opts for glosses with shimmery particles – that’s a must – whether it’s the most delicate, pearlised finish or full-on glitter. Because once the gloss part has worn off the lips, there’s always a sparkling, reflective residue left behind. The illusion of still gleaming, luscious lips.
Before you jump up and down ranting about hair getting stuck to glossy lips on windy days, hear V out. She’s done her research over the last couple of decades and can definitely sort the sticky glosses from the non-sticky. And with the recent-ish arrival of twinkly lip toppers on the market, which are totally different in texture to glosses and much ‘drier’, hair-stuck-to-lips syndrome is a thing of the past. And V says tie your hair back if you’re that bothered. Stop moaning and pout!
So here it is – V’s ultimate lipgloss list. She’s tried pretty much every gloss on the market over the years and these are her favourites. Her ‘holy grail’ of non-sticky, long-lasting shimmering glosses:
. Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss, Ā£26. The gloss that V has worn since the beginning of her obsession, and which she chose to wear on her wedding day (although there wasn’t much kissing, as that’s the downside of gloss – poor V’s husband. But he still said yes!) Admittedly, back then it was known as Chanel Levres Scintillantes. Creamy, long-lasting and utterly desirable, this gloss had it all. Last year Chanel reformulated their glosses (how could they?) and changed the name, but we’re happy to report that they’re every bit as good – if not, better – than the original.
.Dior Addict Ultra-Gloss, Ā£24. Boasting a fab range of shades (we love Shock, a dazzling, irridescent pink) and with a moisturising and light texture, this gloss also plumps lips to give extra va-va-voom!
. Bobbi Brown High Shimmer Lip Gloss, Ā£22. This gloss smells deliciously minty and has a very slight tingle when you apply. Gorgeous and shimmery, it conditions lips and lasts for hours. V’s shade is ‘Pastel 12’, while M is a fan of ‘Bare Sparkle’.
.Clinique Long Last Glosswear, Ā£17.50, A gloss that really does do what it says on the tin – it lasts for a long time. It feels lovely and light on lips and isn’t sticky. ‘First Date’ is a natural, pearlised pink.
. Guerlain Gloss D’enfer, Ā£24. This is V’s nighttime gloss…when she’s off out on the tiles, this gloss feels more pigmented and luxurious than her others. Her shade is La Petite Robe Noire and once applied, it stays on for hours.
. Jouer Long Wear Lip Topper, Ā£13.50. Less gloss, more liquid sparkle, this beauty smells of vanilla ice cream (M reckons it’s caramel) and whether worn alone or over a lipstick (not V, obviously!) it gives the most incredible, mirror-like shine. V loves ‘Rose Gold’. And speaking of Lip Toppers, V recently bought Becca Liquid Crystal Lip Topper Glow Gloss , Ā£18, and is totally in love!
V can’t see her lipgloss love-affair ending any time soon. But admittedly she does feel the pressure to fall for a lipstick. Lipsticks are definitely more Instagram-able and seem to be a more popular choice among beauty bloggers and the like. She stands firm with her belief that gloss wins over lipstick, but she does yearn to be converted to the joys of lipstick. So she bought this sweater. It’s a start…
Now M is hoping to find a similar ‘blush’ sweater, but it’s not looking hopeful, and to be honest, she’s not really looking that hard! Our next post will detail all of her favourite blush products, so don’t miss it!
And now over to you. Please comment below and let us know your lip preference. We’re always on the lookout for a new lip lovely…
Love, gloss and make-up addictions,
Vikki & Mala xx
Ps. In case you’re wondering, V’s one and only lipstick is Tom Ford Boys & Girls Metallic Lip Colour in ‘Douglas’, Ā£29. Here she is being persuaded by M to try a more vibrant colour…
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That’s all folks! Well, very nearly. With just a few hours left of 2017, we’re wrapping things up with a final blog before we welcome in 2018. We can’t wait to find out what next year has in store for us (and yes, by that, we also mean ‘beauty store’! We have a feeling there’ll be many more makeup purchases for M & V in 2018!).
For us, 2017 was a very exciting year, as Verymakeupmad was born. So what better way to end the year than by bringing you our top beauty picks from the last 12 months – the products we tried, tested and fell for in 2017? It wasn’t easy to whittle it down, but after much deliberation, here are our Verymakeupmad favourites – 5 products each that we’ve splashed out on this year and now couldn’t live without!
Let’s start things off with perfect, glowing skin. We both fell hard for Bobbi Brown Illuminating Moisture Balm , Ā£44.50, with its slight pearly sheen, delicious scent and rich but not-too-heavy texture. M likes to wear alone, over moisturiser for a gorgeous, luminous glow, while V wears under foundation as the ultimate illuminating primer. M is so taken with it, that she recently indulged in the whopping, super-sized, limited edition tub of it (now sold out…everywhere!) and every time V sees it, she wants to dive right in. Or just pinch it, whilst M’s back is turned. If you’re looking to buy this nourishing balm, take note – it’s been repackaged and now boasts 2 new shades – Pink Glow (which V has her eye on) and Golden Glow (which M might try once she’s finished her tub…in 2020!!). The original is now known as Bare Glow.
Still on skin, and M has been loving Erborian CC CrĆØme, Ā£17, ever since she stumbled across it at the beginning of the year. It’s all she needs to even out and perfect her skin, blur imperfections and give instant radiance. Plus it ingeniously adapts to the colour of your skin on application, starting out white and transforming to a warm, peachy tone. That’s her favourite bit, if she’s honest!
This was the year of the liquid highlighter, and with so many great ones to choose from, we almost came to blows! But here is our winner – Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter, Ā£32. Yes, it smells of coconut and it gives skin the most amazing golden sheen. What’s not to love? A little goes a long way, but try dabbing on cheekbones, browbones, down the nose and on the cupid’s bow for an enviable glow. Or mix with your foundation for an allover radiance.
Onto cheeks and this is where V struggled. She’s a confirmed blusher addict and has added at least 6 new ones to her collection this year. So instead of choosing just one, she’s chosen her top powder blush and top cream blush. And that wasn’t easy either!
For cream blush, it’s no contest though – it has to be Glossier Cloud Paint, Ā£15 which gives a gorgeous, dewy flush to the cheeks. Her shade is Puff, but she’s tempted to try Dusk at the first available opportunity. Glossier has only been available to purchase in the UK(online) since October, so we’re hoping to stock up on many more products in the coming months. And in case you missed it the first time round, here’s us using Cloud Paint, to show you just how foolproof it is!
As for powder, V’s always been a fan of Nars blushes, so when the brand launched this Unfiltered II Cheek Palette, Ā£45, earlier in the year, she just had to have it. And she’s not looked back. Each shade is totally wearable (even the top right!) and can be mixed together or used alone. Plus there’s a fab highlighting shade (bottom left!) that V is loving.
Pink to make the boys wink!
Now let’s talk eyes! And on this we both agree that Marc Jacobs has come up trumps this year. The Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara, Ā£22, gives lashes instant length and volume and once applied doesn’t budge or smudge. But the real winner is the Twinkle Pop Eye Shadow Stick, Ā£23, which we both wear on a daily basis and which couldn’t be easier to use. The shimmering shadow glides on and feels cool and tingly (we like that bit!) and once it’s dried it stays in place all day. Blue-eyed V is a fan of ‘On The Verge’ a flattering lilac, and also the gorgeous, turquoisey ‘Shoshanna’, while M can’t get enough of ‘Leila’, a burnt orange shade with a hint of pink that looks amazing on her hazel/brown eyes.
Lastly, lips! And there were plenty of choices for 2017. But we finally settled on these three. Butter London Sheer Wisdom Lip Oil, Ā£18 in Ballet Blush was our most recent find, and one that we’re both loving. A nourishing, tinted cream in a clever, ‘clicky’ pen applicator, it makes lips feel and look amazing, and the effects last for hours. It’s a perfect winter treat, if you’re struggling with chapped lips.
Tom Ford Lip Lacquer, Ā£29, also topped our lip product charts, thanks to its pearly, reflective finish. It has a lovely cream texture and can be worn alone or over your favourite lippie for a subtly shimmering pout.
And we couldn’t possibly put out a New Year’s Eve blog without adding a bit of sparkle! Lip Toppers – not as thick or sticky as gloss – were all the rage in 2017, adding amazing, glittery sparkle to bare or lipsticked lips. Our favourite has to be Jouer Long-Wear Lip Topper, Ā£13.50, in the shade Rose Gold, which makes lips look amazing and honestly lasts for hours. And V is currently on the waitlist at cultbeauty.com for the Brand’s latest shade – Funfetti. Go check it out!
So that’s it for 2017. Please leave a comment and let us know what your star products were this year. Thank you for all of your support over the last few months and here’s to making 2018 as beauty-full as we possibly can. Happy New Year Beauty Lovers!
Love & New Year Cheer,
V & M xx
It’s that time of year again. Our woolly jumpers, bobble hats and gloves have all come out of hiding. Along with oodles of hydrating, nourishing skincare. The winter months really do play havoc with our skin, and we’re on a Verymakeupmad quest for the ultimate in moisturising, cocooning products. Between us we have our favourites and we’ve put together an arsenal (sorry again, M’s husband, J! We don’t mean the football team) of beauty weapons to protect and care for our skin over the next few months. Winter…it’s game on!!
First up, Hyaluronic acid. Yes, we’re almost boring ourselves now with talk of this beauty buzzword, and know we’ve harped on about it before, but trust us, if you want ultimate hydration and for your skin to look plump, bouncy and glowing, then go for a product that contains this ingredient. A single molecule of Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1000 times its own weight in water and the greatest benefit of plumped up, hydrated skin is that the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is reduced. Yes, it can be injected directly into the skin (ouch!), but mostly it’s applied topically and lots of products contain this wonder ingredient now (look out for these key words in the ingredient list: sodium hyaluronate, hydrolysed hyaluronic acid and sodium acetyl hyaluronate. They are all variations on the hyaluronic acid theme). One of our favourite ways to use it, is in serum form, prepping our skin with it before applying moisturiser. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5, Ā£5.90, is a current favourite, but other great products to try are Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum, Ā£18.75, which honestly works a treat and continually receives 5 star reviews, and also Super Facialist Hyaluronic Acid Intense Facial Serum, Ā£9.99.
We’re also rather partial to havingĀ H AĀ (you know what we mean by now!) in our moisturiser. If you like a light, cream gel texture that really packs a moisturising punch, then go for Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench, Ā£42. You won’t be disappointed. And finally, for a great, reasonably priced cream that works beautifully as a makeup base, we’d steer you in the direction of La Roche Posay Hydraphase UV Intense UV Light, Ā£17, which also contains that all-important SPF 20.
Moving on from hyaluronic acid (hooray, we hear you cry!) to a couple of creams that are totally decadent but worth every penny and are a real treat for winter skin. V swears by Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Ā£73.80, to keep her skin looking young (hopefully) and supple. It has a beautiful scent and glides on like a dream. Plus a little goes a long way. As for M, in the recent Black Friday sales, she treated herself to none other than Creme de la Mer Moisturizing Cream, Ā£120, with its potent “Miracle Broth” ingredient which is full of nutrients from the sea. It’s very rich and thick in texture, so she only needs to use a tiny amount at a time and has decided to save it for bedtime. She goes to sleep peacefully knowing that she’ll wake up to plump, glowing skin.
And once you’ve applied your moisturiser, we defy anyone not to love smoothing Bobbi Brown’s Illuminating Moisture Balm, Ā£42.50, over theĀ top. Admittedly, you can use it alone, but if, like us, your skin is on the dry side, then this glowing, pearlescent balm works a treat over your regular moisturiser andĀ under your makeup. It works beautifully as a primer.Ā As far as we’re concerned, it’s a winter-must have. We often spend time discussing it. True story!
Enough about our faces –Ā the rest of our bodies suffer in winter too. M has taken to slathering Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, Ā£18, all over herĀ body (but not her bum bum. Yet!). The name, of course, refers to Brazil’s most prized national asset, and this cream which smells heavenly, (you could buy it for that alone) absorbs super quickly and tightens skin as well as softening it. V, meanwhile, is a little lax in the body skin department , saving all of her energy, time and moneyĀ on her face. Shame on her! However, she recently splashed out on a Neom Intensive Skin Treatment Candle, Ā£32.40, and can’t wait to start using it. She can picture herself lighting the candle, letting the wax melt toĀ create a pool ofĀ nourishing, warm oil, and then pouring decadently over her limbs. The reality will not be quite as she imagines and presumably it’ll spill all over the bathroom, making a terrible mess, not to mention causing dangerously slippy tiles. The kidsĀ will be happy though as they’ll effectivelyĀ have a ready-made, indoor ice-rink…
Hands can quickly become sore and chapped in the cold weather, so we’ve tried out pretty much every hand cream on the market. Here are our favourites: Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve, Ā£13.50, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Hand Treatment, Ā£27,Ā Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, Ā£20.80 and Laura Mercier Little Indulgences Hand & Body CrĆØme Collection, Ā£21.25 for 4.Ā Ā And a special mention must go toĀ O’Keeffe’s Working Hands,Ā a snip at Ā£6.35 and which transformed V’s dad’s hands from dry and calloused to baby-soft in days.
Final stop, lips. Truth be known, we both love Carmex, with its satisfying cool tingle and currently a mere Ā£1.79 (and with a funky animal print design instead of the usual canary yellow). SoĀ we’ve both stocked up on it for the whole family. But CarmexĀ hardly feels like a treat. As it happens, we’re both recent converts to Butter London’s Sheer Wisdom Lush Lip Oil, Ā£15.30, which comes in 4 super soft shades and is a nourishing cream formulation that keeps lips soft for hours. And we mean hours! We both love Ballet Blush, which as the name suggest, is a perfectly pale pink. Our other top lip picks include Eve Lom Kiss Mix, Ā£16, which is frankly brilliant; Glossier Balm Dotcom, Ā£10, which has a huge cult following; and Sisley Nutritive Lip Balm, Ā£47, which let’s face it, is not a cheap option, but a little goes a long way and M has taken to using it on her cuticles and any dry patches of skin too. Now she feels like she’s getting her money’s worth.
So that’s our winter beauty edit. We realise it’s a rather long list, but with winter lastingĀ for what seems like foreverĀ here in the U.K, we need as much help as we can get! So now we can ‘bed in’ for the winter, snuggled smugly on our respective sofas, with smooth, nourished skinĀ and with a glass of mulled wine in hand. But not V. She’s tee total. Hers is a mocha!
Love, winter wonders & cosy nights in,
Vikki & Mala xx
Neither of us wears eyeshadow every day. Well, maybe a quick sweep of a muted, sheer powder, but nothing that screams ‘hello, I’m wearing eyeshadow’! But this is an everyday eyeshadow tutorial! Of course, by ‘everyday’Ā we meanĀ that when you want a quick, easy daytime look to just open up and brighten your eyes, we’ve got it covered. Using just your fingers to apply (like V) or a brush (like M – who always reaches for her favourite Morphe tools) this should only add a couple of minutes to your regular make-up routine. So here goes…
We’ve chosen two palettes that we’re loving right now. M is using MAC Fashion Fanatic, Ā£32, (temporarily out of stock – yikes! – but should be back soon) with its hot pink, berry and lilac tones,Ā and V has opted for YSL Couture Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£38.70, in Parisienne, which contains soft pinks, grey and mauve. Both palettesĀ boast powders that are beautifully creamy, pigmented and easy to work with. Palettes like theseĀ are designed to work and blend well together, so there’s no need to worry about the shades not matching. You can’t really go wrong.
Ta-da! Here we are. Just a pop of sheer colour has ‘lifted’ our look. And it’s so quick, easy and foolproof. This is about a natural, fresh face that works perfectly on the school run, in the office or just ‘on the go’.
Muted, pretty tones tend to soften the eye area and enhance what you’ve got. The more powder and colour you pile on your eyes, the more it tends to sit in any lines and creases and can be very ageing. Remember girls, less is more!
Love and easy-peasy eyeshadow,
Vikki & Mala xx
PS. Please let us know what you think of this look and comment in the ‘Leave a Reply’ box below! And press this link to subscribe to our YouTube channel and win a free gift (UK only, whilst stocks last!) http://bit.ly/2BdiJju
They say the best things come to those who wait…and we’ve been waiting patiently to get our hands on some Glossier products ever since this ultra-cool, New York brand launched in 2014. And now they’re finally shipping to the UK (glossier.com). Cue much excitement here at Verymakeupmad HQ! Woop woop!!
If you’ve not already heard of the brand, you soon will. All you need to know is that it boasts just a handful of great skincare and makeup products for girls who like a natural, dewy, ‘lit from within’ look. Ā ‘Skin first, makeup second’ – that’s Glossier’s philosophy. And one that we’re on board with!
So, what to buy? Our favourite item has to be ‘Cloud Paint‘, Ā£15,Ā Ā – a light as air, liquidy cream blush in 4 shades, that gives the most natural “I’ve just been to the gym/walking the dog/doing yoga/doing nothing except watching Netflix, but still want to look fabulous” flush. A little goes a long way, so just dab lightly onto the apples of the cheeks and build up as necessary. We love a cream blush for the winter –Ā our skin is drier than normalĀ and powders tend to accentuateĀ any linesĀ or dry patches. Cloud paint (V chose the bubblegumĀ pink shade, Puff)Ā makes us look healthy and young – just the way we like it!
And here’s how to use it:
We’re also very impressed with the BalmĀ Dotcom, Ā£10, a multi-purpose balm great for lips, dry skin, cuticles, split ends…you name it, Balm Dotcom can fix it! It’s not sticky or greasy, so if you want to use as more of a cosmetic product – on eyelids and cheekbones – for an enviable glow, we reckon you can. We love ‘Birthday’ which has the faintest whiff of shimmer (NOT glitter or sparkle) and smells of birthday cake. Yes, really!
Next on our shopping list from Glossier, are Wowder, Ā£18, which is getting rave reviews as a miracle powder that gets rid of excess oil and shineĀ whilst blurring the appearance of pores and giving skin a lovely, natural finish, and Perfecting Skin Tint, Ā£20, an ultra-light tinted moisturiser that leaves skin looking healthy and dewy.
That’s all for now folks!
Love & Birthday Cake flavoured lip balm,
Vikki & Mala xx
It’s that time of year again – changeable weather, central heating being cranked back on, blustery, windy days. Oh, and the impending Bake Off final. All of these play havoc with our skin (yes, even the latter – the stress of watching a ‘showstopper’ collapse is sometimes too much to bear!), resulting in dryness, blotchiness, uneven skin tone and a dull complexion. Being Verymakeupmad, we try to treat our faces to a weekly – OK, wishful thinking, make that monthly – nourishing face mask. Admittedly, it’s not always easy to find the time to apply a mask, but it’s so worth it. And it’s a great way to ‘scare’ our kids back into bed in the evening, should they wander out of their rooms! Mwah ha ha…
V’s already sung the praises of Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel, from Ā£15.Ā We hope you were paying attention! These pads provide the perfect antidote to sluggish, dry, blotchy skin. The acids remove all dead cells leaving bright, glowing, ‘baby’s bottom’ skin underneath. She doesn’t use daily as suggested (admittedly, she can’t afford to), but weekly or even fortnightly. And after using the pads, her skin is ready for the Hyaluronic Marine Hydrating Modeling Mask, Ā£43,Ā by the same brand. Hyaluronic acid is something of a buzzword in the beauty industry at the moment, and if you suffer from dry, dehydrated skin – as V does – then this is definitely an ingredient for you to look out for in any creams or serums (a great example is The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, 2%, Ā£5.90).Ā Occurring naturally in the body, it draws water into the skin and keeps it there, which means plumped up, smooth, bouncy skin, with less fine linesĀ or signs of dehydration. Yes please! Part of the beauty of the Dr Dennis Gross mask is that you get to play apothecary. You mix the two components of the mask together – a powder and a gel – to create a gloopy, ocean blue mask that should be applied quickly, thickly and evenly. V’s modelling it above and sheĀ will get her own back on M for ‘conveniently’ forgetting to take a photo of herself with a mask!Ā Leave on for as long as you wish – V usually leaves for 15 minutes –Ā and then peel off in one satisfying motion (although prepare toĀ find stray bits of blue gunk in your nostrils and eyebrows for a while after!) Et voila, hydrated, dewy, glowing skin is revealed! V often uses in the morning and her skin honestly feels like silk when she applies her skincare and makeup.
We’re both big fans of Peter Thomas Roth’s cult face masks. V loves the bubblegum pink Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask, Ā£50,Ā and has been known to sleep wearing a thin layer of it, to wake to a more radiant and soothed complexion. M, meanwhile was recently treated to the totally indulgent 24K Gold Mask, Ā£77,Ā and thinks it’s pretty special. It promises to make you look years younger with its key ingredients (yes, including pure gold) that lift and firm, plump and hydrate and give an amazing radiance. On the occasions she’s used it, M has been very impressed and reckons it’s a good one to try before a special event. Her skin definitely looks tighter and brighter after use and the effects are cumulative. Plus she thinks (hopes!) it gives her the Midas Touch! M also believes that part of the ‘glow’ you get from using a mask, is down to the sheer pleasure derived fromĀ pampering and spending a few moments on you –Ā you can’t help but feel and look good afterwards. V’s inclined to agree.
Still on glowing, youthful looking skin (and let’s face it, we all want that), Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, from Ā£16,Ā has beenĀ causing a stir among beauty mavens since its launch several years ago, being touted as a ‘facial in a jar’. It gently exfoliates (and tingles as it does so, hence the funnyĀ name) to reveal smoother, brighter, even-toned skin. Try it, it really does make a difference!
So those are our top picks for nourishing, restorative masks, perfectĀ for this time of year. But, as ever, we bring you the Verymakeupmad lowdown of the best of the rest – the masks that help all manner of skin issues…
If it’s spots and breakouts that you’re worried about, then there are plenty of masks on the market to choose from. La Roche-Posay Effacler Clay Mask, Ā£9.75, is our winner. We love this French drugstore brand anyway, and trust that we’re in good hands when we buy its products. Plus they’re very reasonable. This creamy mask is easy to apply and hardens as it dries, and it doesn’t irritate sensitive skin. Skin feels soft, clean and less oily after use. Another good bet for skin that gets congested and for anyone with enlarged pores, is The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, Ā£17. It draws out all manner of ‘nasties’ and leaves skin looking clear and bright. M has recommended this to lots of friends with teenage kids – it’s perfect for calming ‘angry’ teen skin. And what kid doesn’t love covering themselves in mud?
To combat telltale signs of ageing around the delicate eye area, Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydra-Gel Eye Masks, Ā£48.50 for 6, are just the ticket. Packed with ingredients to hydrate (yep, you guessed it, hyaluronic acid) and to tighten, simply wear under the eyes for twenty minutes or so, and then throw away. You’ll notice that your lines and wrinkles are less obvious. Or for a cheaper option, go for Eyeslices, Ā£16.99 for 20 uses, which are brilliant for tired, puffy eyes and feel cooling and soothing. We’re loving them…as you can see below!
Ā Ā 
Sheet masks are a hot newĀ import from South Korea. Everyone’s doing them. They’re a little ‘Hannibal Lecter’ to look at, but they’re packed full of great ingredients and there’s a sheet mask out there to suit everyone. The Tony Moly ‘I’m Real’ masks are our favourites – cheap (Ā£5), cheerful and they do exactly what they say on the tin.
Meanwhile, Sarah Chapman Skinesis 3D Moisture Infusion Mask, Ā£43 for 4, instantly hydrates and plumps (hello hyaluronic acid!), while Suqqu’s Face Stretch Masks, Ā£72, forĀ 6, contain a serum that claims to tighten the skin and sharpen the jawline. Estee Lauder Doublewear Priming Moisture Mask, Ā£8, is a primer in mask form. Wear for around 3 minutes before applying makeup and your skin will be perfectly prepped, primed and moisurised.Ā And if it’s a tan you’re after, then try St Tropez Self Tan Express Face Sheet Mask, Ā£6. Leave on for 5, 10 or 15 minutes depending onĀ theĀ depth ofĀ shade you wish to create. Kiko’s Bubble Maker Mask, Ā£3.90, purifies andĀ mattifies the skin, and is good fun as it starts bubbling on contact with the air. Even moreĀ fun – or bonkers? – perhaps, are the Kiko Zoomania Hydrating Panda and Tiger masks, Ā£3.90.Ā Yes, you too could look like your favourite zoo animal, knowing that your skin is also being nourished and hydrated!
And finally, if you want to put all this mask talk “behind you” (get it?), then you should invest in Nannette de Gaspe’s Plumping & Lifting Techstile Infuser Derriere, Ā£130 for 3 pairs, which promise to give you the buttocks of your dreams!
Love, Masks & ‘Me Time’,
Vikki & Mala xx
Ps. Head to bobbibrown.co.uk for a limited edition offer of 3 mini masks – Instant Detox, Skin Nourish & Radiance Boost – for Ā£12.50!
Another week, another spot of beauty research! And after our recent, successful Selfridges haul, we were invited to a Dior ‘Backstage’ masterclass at Fenwick, showcasing the best of the Dior brand, plus some exciting new products. We’re already big fans of Dior, so didn’t need much convincing. And the glass of bubbly on offer also helped…
After being introduced to the totally decadent Capture Total DreamSkin Advanced – an eye watering Ā£105, but this lightweight, priming cream does promise amazing, instant (and long term) results and flawless skin – Ā we were shownĀ the Hydra Life Micellar Water, Ā£27, which claims to quickly and efficiently remove all traces of makeup. It certainly smells delicious and feels fresh, but although it’s aĀ no rinse formulation, we both felt that it left some residue on the skinĀ that would bother us.
Next up,Ā the Diorshow Maximiser 3D Plumping Lash Primer, Ā£25.50. This clear mascara treats and conditions lashes and can be worn alone (for a very subtle, everyday result) or under your favourite mascara for amazing volume and length. You can apply it at bedtime to really give you the lashes of your dreams, but M reckons she’s going to give it to her 13- year old daughter as her ‘first mascara’.
On the subject of Dior mascaras, V was once again left broken-hearted when a favourite product of hers was discontinued recently. Diorshow Extase was her failsafe mascara – the one she came back to time and time again. So in desperate need of a new one, she opted for Diorshow Black Out, Ā£25.50, which promises to deliver maximum volume and intense, back colour. And it does. In spades. Only one, quick slick is needed for mega Ā lashes. The only downside is that despite her best efforts to remove it at night, there are always traces of it under her eyes in the morning. Panda eyes – not such a good look!
Anyway, back to the masterclass, and other notable products that have since made their way into our ever bulging makeup bags are the new, slightly sparkly and totally flattering Diorblush in Rose Cherie 756, Ā£32.50 and the Metalizer Eyes & Lips Creme Shadow, Ā£17. This creamy, metallic eyeshadow (we’re not convinced we’d wear it on our lips) melts into the skin and can also be used as a highlighter. Especially the shade Platine Fusion 528 – a gorgeous, honey beige colour. Finally, we both went mad over the Dior Addict Lip Maximizer, Ā£25. Not a brand new product, but new to us. A light, pinky gloss formulation that’s infused with collagen to give you full, plumped up lips and shine. It tingles as it works its magic (although as M has discovered, after continuous use, you stop feeling it) and smells minty and fresh. It’s a winner.
Before we left, we were given a sneak peek of the gorgeous, new Rouge Dior Liquid Lipsticks, Ā£27.50, which come in matte, metal and satin finishes and which are super long-lasting. In fact, we’re still trying to get them off our lips now, several hours later! We should have treated ourselves to the Micellar Water after all…that would have done the trick! Oh well!
Love, kisses and Diormania,
Vikki & Mala xx
Ah September! As months go, we rather like you. Our kids are back at school after a blissful (ahem!) couple of months of being with us 24/7. The weather here in the UK is delightfully warm and the promise of crisp, sunny days and cosy evenings in, is on the horizon. And then there’s makeup. New season’s offerings of rich plum, brown, gold and neutral shades, get us overexcited here at VeryMakeupMad Towers. So much so, that no sooner were the kids out of our sight that we planned a shopping spree to the vast (often overwhelming) beauty hall at Selfridges. But we weren’t going to be intimidated by the mountains of eyeshadow, lipgloss, blusher and highlighter on offer there. No, we were going to fight our way through it all, on a mission to bring you the very best of Autumn/Winter beauty 2017. And here it is…
First stop, the Tom Ford counter, where we were promptly introduced to his ‘Boys and Girls’. And very good-looking they are too. These just-launched Ultra-Rich lipsticks have managed to turn even V from a die-hard lipgloss aficionado, into a lipstick lover. The pacakaging alone is enough to make you swoon. And although at Ā£29, they’re an expensive option (it’s a very small lipstick for that price), owning something by Tom Ford, just makes you smile. Plus the rich, creamy formulation glides onto lips and the colour stays put for hours. The ‘Girls’ are presented in white and gold packaging and M treated herself to ‘Dakota’ – a cool, pastel pink with a very subtle pearlised finish. V, meanwhile chose one of the Boys in their elegant black and gold packaging. ‘Douglas’ is a metallic, muted pink, that gives lips the sheenĀ that V craves. Our other top picks for Autumn lips are ‘Naomi’, a gorgeous mulberry;Ā ‘Bianca’, a shimmering berry shade and ‘Katherine’, the perfect nude. M also fell for the Cream and Powder Eye Colour in Golden Peach, Ā£46, a two-tiered treat encompassing a metallic, rose gold whipped cream and a super-sparkly, powder shadow designed to be worn over the top. Or alone. It’s up to you.
Still on eyes, we hot-footed it to the Suqqu counter – a lesser known, luxuryĀ Japanese brand with some fab products. V spied the Designing Color Eyes palettes, Ā£46, in no. 06 (browns andĀ greys with a hit of raspberry pink) and theĀ limited edition no. 107 (think red wine and plum shades) and after deliberating over them for a while, M had to drag her away, reminding her that she has plenty of other eyeshadow quads. But little does M know, V has ordered one of the Suqqu ones anyway. The one on the left!
Over at MAC, we checked out the new nude lipstick and lipgloss offerings from a collaboration with Nicki Minaj (we’re not 100% sure who she is either). They seem to be selling out fast, with the world having gone mad for nude lips recently. Personally we’d rather stick with our Tom Ford beauties, but we wouldn’t say no to one of Nicki’s lipglosses. The Lipglass in Beaux, Ā£15.50 is a stunning, shimmering rose gold, perfect for Autumn.
Talking of collaborations, we stopped to have a look at Victoria Beckham’s range for Estee Lauder, but nothing really floated our boat. If pushed, we’d say that the Morning Aura Illuminating Creme is a gorgeous primer that gives skin a radiance and is versatile in that it can be used alone or under make up to really ‘wake up the skin’. But at Ā£72, it’s a real indulgence. We’d rather go for Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm, which does exactly the same job and is a steal by comparison, at Ā£42.50. Admittedly, V felt more of an affinity with the range than M, but this was probably due to the fact that everything is embossed with VB… V’s initials before marriage! She was rather taken with the shimmering Eye Foil in Blonde Gold, Ā£28, a little pot of ultra sparkly, gel eyeshadow that gives an amazing effect when dabbed onto the centre of the eyelid. Perfect for ‘disco nights’ (admittedly for us, these are few and far between, but a girl can dream!) As for the rest of the range, we found it hard to get past some of the very unusual colour choices. A prime example being the Eye Matte Duo in Saphir/Orange, Ā£48. Google it…you’ll see what we mean!
Leaving Selfridges, our route to the tube station found us passing Fenwick of Bond Street. A quick dash inside, to check out their wares, found us gravitating to the The Ordinary counter. We’re already fans of this no-frills, pharmaceutical-esque brand, with great products at seriously low prices (“Buffet“, Ā£12.70 is a winning anti-ageing serum and the High-Spreadability Fluid Primer , Ā£5.50, is fab too). The two new liquid foundations they offer – Serum Foundation, Ā£5.70 and Coverage Foundation, Ā£5.90 – are available in an impressive number of shades and blend really easily into the skin. And you can’t argue with the price.
So that’s Autumn beauty in a nutshell. Although in fairness, it’s just a snippet. There are many more finds on the beauty counters waiting to be discovered, so we’re off again to another make-up Mecca soon. Watch this space…
And because we’re women of our word, here are our summer holiday purchases from ourĀ trips toĀ America. We told you we’d let you know if we found any must-haves…and here they are:
And because we’re so ‘in tune’ with each other, we coincidentally both bagged a MAC Personality Palette ,Ā£32- cute, illustratedĀ palettes brimming with eyeshadows and highlighters. And here they are. Can you guess who’s a ‘Prissy Princess’ (top) and who’s a ‘Fashion Fanatic'(bottom)?
Love & girly shopping sprees,
Vikki & Mala xx
PS. M’s got her finger on the music pulse and is pretty sure she knows who Nicki Minaj is. Didn’t she recentlyĀ do a track with DJ David Guetta?! Top marks for M if she’s right…
We’re back from our summer hols and desperate to talk beauty! Today we’re bringing you our everyday make-up routines from start to finish – the unedited, unfilteredĀ version. Or as we like to call it – the Naked Truth!
As we’ve mentioned before, we’re both mums. Busy mums with 3 children each (well, 4 for M, if you count her puppy, Bertie). So time is of the essence and in the mornings, we want to wake up, make-up and leave the house as quickly as possible – hopefully with no stray cornflakes in our hair! Over the years, in our respective jobs (V as aĀ Vogue Beauty Editor, and M as a model and YSL make-up artist), we’ve had access to some of the best tips and tricks in the beauty business. So we’ve both managed to honeĀ the application of ourĀ ‘everyday’ face to justĀ 5 minutes. And here we’re going to show you how to go from ‘naked’ to’ naturally basic’, in 4 easy steps…
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 
But first, please bare with us (get it?!) Revealing ourselves naked-faced is a rather scary prospect. Yes, the make-up we wear day to day is very natural, and the last thing we want to look is ‘caked’ (so ageing!), but equally, leaving the house without a scrap of it on our faces is rather alien to us. So for us to get together to shoot this video, we both had to bypass our usual 7am make-up routines and drop the kids at schoolĀ bare faced (with dark glasses and baseball caps for disguise, of course!). Once we were safely in the comfort of M’s bathroom,Ā we couldn’t wait to start applying our products. For us, wearing make up is not about changing how we look (or who we are) but about covering imperfections, enhancing our features and of course, making us feel good about ourselves. We walk a bit taller, and smile a bitĀ wider when we feel confident and self-assured. Fact!
So please click on the link below and watch our vlog for inspiration for your own daily routines.
And here’s aĀ detailedĀ menu of the make-up we both used. If you want to buy any of it, justĀ click on the blue product name to be taken straight to an online store (hoping this is helpful).
And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel (press the red ‘subscribe’ logo and enter your email address) to receive our short ‘n sweet tutorials and beauty chats.Ā You can also follow us on Instagram for daily beauty favourites, new product launches and gorgeous pics.
At VeryMakeupMad we offer a fun, bespoke consulting package for all your beauty needs, so if you’re interested in finding out more, please be in touch and we can send you the details….
Love, kissesĀ & make-up,
Vikki &Ā Mala xx
Bertie was so pleased to finally get a mention in the blog . Although he’s been with us all along and was under our feet at the time of filming!Ā
Well, it’s pouring with rain and the skies are thick withĀ grey cloud here in London. Yes, it must be theĀ ‘summer’ holidays! Thankfully, we’re both jetting off to sunnier climes in a few days –Ā V with her family and M with hers. We don’t do everything together…although unbeknown to our husbands, we’re plotting a Verymakeupmad get together in the beautyĀ mecca that is Sephora, given that we’re both going to be inĀ Florida. Ssshhhh!
So we’ve been busy packing all day and wanted to share with you our individualĀ summer holiday, beauty must haves. The products that we’d never riskĀ leaving the country without. So here goes…
V’sĀ must-haves (clockwise from above): Philip Kingsley Swimcap, Ā£15, V will be slathering this cult creamĀ onto her hair daily, to protect against damage from chlorine, saltwater and UV rays; Vichy Ideal Soleil BB Tinted Velvety Cream SPF50, Ā£14,Ā this hydrating, tinted sunscreen melts into the skin and creates a flawless complexion; Elemis Rehydrating Ginseng Toner, Ā£23.50,Ā & Elemis Nourishing Omega-Rich Cleansing Oil, Ā£31, V’s popping these handy mini versions of her favourite cleanser & toner into her washbag; Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, Ā£17, another mini, this sublime dry oil is one of V’s holiday nighttime favourites – itĀ givesĀ limbs a gorgeous sheen & is also great for nourishing hair; The Ordinary “Buffet“, Ā£12.70, V can’t be without this anti-ageing serum which she’s been usingĀ daily, under her moisturiser, for several weeks. She’sĀ noticed a big difference inĀ her skin; Elemis Liquid Layer, Ā£32 thisĀ ultra light sunscreen, with SPF30, is great worn under make-up as it’s not sticky or tacky; Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Coconut Gel Highlighter, Ā£32, a beautiful golden highlighter that looks amazing on summer skin. V dabsĀ onto herĀ cheekbones, browbones, downĀ her nose & along her collarbone. Plus the coconut scent is totally tropical; Eyeko Black Magic Mascara, Ā£19, with its water-resistant, non-smudgeĀ formula, V will be sure to wear this on the days her kids – and hubbie! – drag her to a water park; Estee Lauder Essential Face Palette, Ā£45, this has all you need for a summer look – beautiful eye and cheek shades and a great bronzer. No need to pack anything else!; Nars Laguna Bronzing Powder, Ā£29, OK, V wasn’t lying when she said the Estee Lauder Palette has all she needs, but she can’t resist packing this best-selling shimmering bronzer either!; Jouer Cosmetics Long-Wear Lip Topper in St Tropez, Ā£13.50, this pale, beigey pink lip topper can be worn alone or over lipstick for a dazzling, high-shine finish.
M’s must-haves (above): Clinique Chubby In The Nude, Ā£24, perfect for touch-ups, this handy foundation stick is oil-free, so great to use in the heat; Clinique Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm, Ā£18, M loves this raspberry shade of lip balmĀ which deliversĀ maximum moisture and a fabulous, summeryĀ colour; Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc, Ā£33, this powder gives the most gorgeous glow and M uses itĀ as blusher, eyeshadow & highlighter; PS Bronze Liquid Bronzer, Ā£3, M spied this product recently in Primark, and at less than the cost of her daily latte, she just had to snap it up. She’ll report back after her hols!; Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette, in the Vintage Vamp, Ā£39, this eyeshadow quad looks great on sunkissed skin; Shiseido UV Protective Compact Foundation, Ā£32, this is a staple in M’s holiday make-up bag – a compact foundation with SPF30, that she swears by; YSL Couture Eyeshadow Palette in Lumieres Majorelle, Ā£43, when better to wear these vibrant turquoise, green and yellow eyeshadows than in the summer heat?Ā They look incredible on and suit all eye colours; NYX Doll Eye Mascara Waterproof, Ā£8, another waterproof formula, M loves this mascara which really curls and lengthens lashes; Tom Ford Lip Lacquer, Ā£29, gives the mostĀ luxurious, pearly sheen and smells yummy too; Laura Mercier CrĆØme Smooth Lip Colour in Lychee Parfait,Ā Ā£22, this gorgeous nude shade conditions the lips with vitamin E & olive oil and M reckons it looks great with a tan; Nars The Multiple in Malibu, Ā£29, M always packs this iconic, multi-purpose stick to use on her cheeks, eyelids & lips for a flattering hint of colour; Clinique After Sun Rescue Balm, Ā£18, this is the first time that M hasĀ bought thisĀ balm, but she has high hopes as it’s had 5 starĀ reviews; Clarins Self Tanning Milky Lotion, Ā£20, we all know a fake tan is safer than a real one, and this lotion is foolproof; Nars Orgasm Illuminator, Ā£23, M lovesĀ dabbing this onĀ as a highlighter or sometimes goes crazy and applies all over the face!; Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, Ā£15, this is the perfect balm to soothe irritated, dry, cracked skin. M never travels without it; Tom Ford Sheer Highlighting Duo, Ā£58, because you can never pack too many highlighters, and Tom Ford’s is the Rolls Royce of them!
So that’s it. Our holiday make-up bag edits! And if we bag some beauty bargainsĀ in the States, you’ll be the first to know! We’ll be back with a vengeance in early September…
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook & Twitter @ Verymakeupmad.
Love & safe travels,
Vikki & Mala xx
We know summer’s already in full swing, but it’s never too late to talk suncream. Although, let’s face it, there’s nothing sexy or exciting about it. In fact, applying it is somewhat of a chore. Especially when, like us, you have kids in tow, which means you have to slather it on them, before you can even consider protecting yourself. We know you’ll have all read a million times before about the importance of using SPF to prevent the signs of ageing…and worse. So we’re not here to preach to you (although frankly, if you’re not sun aware and protecting yourself adequately, we think you’re bonkers!). We’re just rounding up our favourite sunscreens and make-up products with SPF, to ensure you have a safe, non-sticky and flawless-looking summer – whether at home or abroad! Happy reading…
VERYMAKEUPMAD’S STAR BRAND: We love Lancaster. The brand that we grew up with – it boasts over 40 years experience in UV protection – and which we continue to use today. Recent innovation sees Lancaster now protecting us not only from UVA & UVB rays (responsible for burning and ageing), but also from infra-red light, which damages skin’s elasticity and firmness. We love the SPF30 Velvet Touch Cream, Ā£21, although the new Sun Sport range seems to be making waves in the beauty world and is perfect if you’re having a more active holiday. Or try the SPF 30 Invisible Face Mist, Ā£14.95, which is fast-drying, alcohol-free, and can be spritzed over make-up.Ā Top Tip:Ā Download the brilliant Lancaster Sun Timer app which calculates when to apply more sunscreen or to get out of the sun.
PHARMACY FAVOURITES: If you suffer from sensitive skin that misbehaves in the sun, be sure to get your hands on Ā La Roche Posay suncare. The Anthelios range is unbeatable and we love the new Anti-Shine Dry Touch Gel Cream SPF50, Ā£16.50, which is perfect if your skin is oily and/or spot-prone. Vichy is another firm favourite of ours, and V recently used the BB Tinted Velvety Cream SPF50, Ā£16.50, on her face on a girly weekend in Marbella (woop woop!). It evened out her skin and gave a gorgeous glow, meaning she didn’t feel pale and self-conscious on the beach. Not that she went to the beach. She’s not a fan of sand. More a swimming pool kind of girl…
BEST FOR UNDER MAKE-UP When it comes to looking good in the heat, we’ve got it covered. Gone are the days when sun products were thick, greasy and left you streaked white. If you want to apply a great, quick-drying sun cream under your makeup, we suggest you go for Clarins Sunscreen Multi-Protection Broad Spectrum, SPF50, Ā£32. It’s super-light and dries beautifully to leave your skin perfectly primed for cosmetics. And whilst we’re on the subject of Clarins, be sure to pack the Sun Care Milk For Children SPF50, Ā£21,(although grown-ups can use too!! We do) if you’re jetting off en famille.
BEST SUN MAKEUP: Several months ago, V discovered CLE Cosmetics CCC Cream, Ā£25, and has already written about it here. In case you missed it (shame on you!), all you need to know is that it’s a magical, light cream that transforms on application to match your skin tone, and contains SPF45. It leaves skin looking flawless and with a flattering, dewy finish. Meanwhile, M loves Shiseido Sun Protection Compact Foundation, SPF30, Ā£23.95 (pictured below) which she’s been using for years and which works like a dream. It’s perfect to dab on during the day for touch ups.
BEST FOR FEELING SHIMMERY & FABULOUS:Ā UltrasunĀ is another brilliant brand that Ā has something for everyone – if you’re not familiar with it, go check it out. We love the gorgeous bodyĀ lotions withĀ subtle shimmer, that melt into the skin and make limbs look gorgeous.Ā Glimmer Shimmering Sun Protection, from Ā£18.
Ā Ā Ā Ā 
BEST HIGHSTREET BRAND: It’s got to be Boots’ Soltan. Perfect for all the family and boasting the best in suncare expertise. Try the Protect & Moisturise Face range, from Ā£4.50. The creams absorb really easily into the skin.
Despite all our best efforts and fastidious suncream application, there are always times when we overdo it in the sun and find random red streaks on our skin where we’re sure we were protected. So we alwaysĀ pack some Dr Organic Aloe Vera Gel, Ā£5.59 which immediately soothes skin and gives relief from pain. And unlikeĀ certain other aloe products it’s not at allĀ sticky and sinks into the skin. It’s our summer secret weapon!
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook @Verymakeupmad for daily beauty tips and inspiration!
Love & Happy Holidays,
Vikki & Mala xx
We’re back and we’re still talking palettes (we told you we love them!).Ā This time,Ā eyeshadow palettes. There are so many on the market right now – it’s hard for a girl to know where to start. And when to stop! (between us, we own 24 palettes). Hopefully you read our last blog, Palette Perfection,Ā andĀ know that the face palette choices mentioned,Ā all contain multi-purposeĀ powders thatĀ can be used asĀ eyeshadow tooĀ –Ā they’re golden, shimmering neutrals that look beautiful under the browbone and applied to the very centre of the lid close to the lashline. Perfect for a summery, sun-kissed look.Ā But if you’re looking for more colour options, darker shades and eyeshadows in the true sense of the word, then we defy you not to fall for one of the beauties below. Welcome to the eyeshadow palette edit.
BEST PALETTES FOR NEUTRALS: Urban Decay Naked Collection, from Ā£24, now boasts 6 different palettes. M loves the original Naked palette, Ā£39.50, with its 12 neutral, but varied shades, including matte, satin, shimmer and sparkle finishes. It’s based around gold and coffee-coloured tones, and also includes 2 gunmetal shades.Ā V, on the other hand,Ā likes Naked 3, with its rose gold theme, with hints of pink and some chocolate brown. Admittedly, there are a couple of shades which she doubts she’d ever use. But such is life! If the price tag is worrying you, fear not – at a fraction of the cost, you could opt instead for the LA Girl Nudes Beauty Brick Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£8, which M recently discovered, and which is a ‘dead ringer’ for the Urban Decay. She’s been very impressed with the quality of powder, intensity of pigment and staying power. And at that price, you reallyĀ can’t go wrong. M’s 13 year-old daughter has also jumped on the palette bandwagon (with limited funds!) and treated herself to IDC Color Make up Nudes 12 Color Eyeshadow, Ā£5.78. Truth be known, we can’t really tell a huge difference between this and the Urban Decay. Plus they feel super-soft and silky. We can hardly believe it. Give it a whirl!
Stila offers a greatĀ neutrals palette. Its Matte ‘N Metal Eye Shadow Palette, Ā£39, is a delicious assortment of pinks, mauves, bronze and coppers, which suit all skin tones.Ā Use themĀ dry for a flawless finish,Ā or if you’re looking for a more intense look, try using wet. Finally,Ā Zoeva has some great, affordable options. Try the En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£18, with its delicate shades of beige, mauve, peach & ivory. We think a couple of the shadows are a bit too pale and ‘blah’, but we can forgive it that because the rest are beautiful and it’s such a great price.
BEST PALETTES FOR GOING COLOUR CRAZY: If it’s fun, eye-popping colours that you’re after, then look no further than Jeffree Star Cosmetics Beauty Killer Palette, Ā£40. We’re not suggesting that either of us rock this look on a daily basis, and we must admit, we think the price tag is a bit hefty. But M reckons a palette like this will last a lifetime and that every girl should own one for nights out on the town and for when you’re feeling playful with makeup.Ā The Jeffree StarĀ brandĀ seems to beĀ very much ‘on trend’,Ā offering killer, cool colours and with a huge cult following. Frankly, we’d rather get our hands on Morphe Brushes stunning 35 Colour Bright Matte & Shimmer Palette, Ā£23.50, and have joined the waitlist at cultbeauty.co.uk to do so. We’re assured the wait won’t be too long!
BEST QUADS: A palette isn’t only a palette if it offers a gazillion (yes, we’re sureĀ that’s a word) shades. We love a ‘quad’ – a handy, mini palette, usually containing 4 shadesĀ that you can pop in your handbag on a night out, and that doesn’t overwhelm you with colour options. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette, Ā£39, is a Ā fabulous option. The powders feel soft and creamy and the pigment is spot-on. They last all day…and night! M loves the copper and bronze tones of The Dolce Vita (beautiful for summer nights), while V is a fan of the smokey grey and soft pink shades in The Uptown Girl.
Chanel also knows how to do a quad – they’ve been doing it for years.Ā Les 4 Ombres, Ā£40 is a stunning option (who doesn’t love Chanel?!). There are around 14 variations of this best-selling palette, so you’re spoilt for choice. V has owned hers for around 10 years (shock, horror – it’s not gone ‘off’!) and it’s still going strong! It’s her ‘nighttime’ shadow and it never fails to impress.
Top tip: If you’ve owned a powder shadow for a long time, you may find that the oil from your fingertips has created an invisible film over the top, meaning you can no longer pick up the powder. If this is the case, simply scrape the top layer off with a razor.
Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow, Ā£45, as the name suggests, offers 5 shades! There are 11 stunning options and we’re hard pressed to pick a favourite. If we had to, we’d probably go for Adore (no.567) or Magnify (no.167). YSl also boast 5 shades in their Couture Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£43. M is the proud owner of no.10 (Lumieres Majorelle) – with its vivid blue, turquoise and yellow tones, it screams summer. V, meanwhile is coveting the more subdued no.7 (Parisienne) with its soft pinks and mauves.
BEST ‘MEGA’ PALETTES: So from the 4 and 5 shadow palette, we nowĀ bring you the 42 shadow palette! Enter Violet Voss Ride Or Die Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£70, which really doesĀ have something for everyone (unless you’re a fan of blues and greens – there’s none of them!) Then there’s Too Faced Natural Love Eyeshadow Collection,Ā Ā£52, which offers a mere 30 shadows, all delicate neutrals, with plenty of shimmer options. The powders blend really well and don’t feel chalky. (We also love the Too Faced options pictured at the bottom…how could we resist? And we never need to be convinced to go on a jaunt to the Selfridges beauty hall, where we spied these).
BEST MAKE-YOUR-OWN PALETTE: If you want to go DIY and customise your own handy palette, ensuring you love and use every single colour, then head to MAC to make your own. Choose one of their refillableĀ Custom Palettes, from Ā£25, with either 2, 4, 15 or 30 holes to fill with the shadows of your dreams! For this, we advise you head straight to the counter, rather than buy online, as it’s a bit of an eyeshadow minefield.
BEST BUDGET PALETTES:Ā Head to KIKO for the best palettes at the best prices. Even better, they have up to 70% off at the moment. We love the Color Fever Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£6.95 in 100 and the Smart Eyeshadow Palette, Ā£9 in Smart 01.
COULDN’T RESIST PALETTE: Clinique has collaborated with American interior designer, Jonathan Adler, to launch a gorgeous summer capsule collection. The Clinique + Jonathan Adler Chic Colour Eyeshadow Kit 01, Ā£39, contains 13 best-selling Clinique eyeshadows in stunning, geometric turquoise packaging. We’ll have one each please!
So there you have our palette edit. We’re sure there’s something here for everyone. When it comes to application and techniques, that’s a whole other blog. But rest assured, it’s coming soon…
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, twitter & Facebook @verymakeupmad.
Love & perfect palettes,
Vikki & Mala xx
We love a palette. Eyeshadow palette. Bronzing palette. Blusher palette. Lip palette…you name it, we’ve tried it. And probably own it too! You see, the thing about palettes, is that they’re utterly versatile, portable and quite frankly, covetable. We both own a few that we swoon over, photograph lots and haven’t wanted to dip into yet, for fear of ruining them! We still get excited every time we open them and see row upon row of shimmering eye shadow, or the softest, most wearable blush/highlighter combo. We clearly need to get a grip…
That’s not to say that all palettes are perfect. They’re not. Far from it. And it’s hard work finding the right one. We’ve all been seduced into buying a palette, just because we fall for 1 or 2 of the shades it contains.Ā We talk ourselves into the fact that yes, we will use that dodgy, mustard yellow eyeshadow at the end! And palettes are an expensive option, so think hard before you buy. Will you use every shade it contains? If you’re being swayed by just a couple of shades, could you get a good alternative to these elsewhere? (By the way, the answer to this is yes!)
So, selfless as ever, we’ve been testing a few of the newest palettes on the market, and revisiting some unbeatable old gems, to bring you the VeryMakeupMad palette edit that you need this summer! Our aim is to help you pack light and pop one of these beauties into your suitcase, for the ultimateĀ holiday glow. And who knows? We might even get round to using one of our own palettes…once we’ve taken a few more arty photos of them!
The two hottest face palettes on the market right nowĀ are the Becca Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette, Ā£45, and the NARS Bord De Plage Highlighting Palette, Ā£45 (pictured below). Both are limited edition…eeek, be quick! V has the Becca and M has the NARS (you see, we don’t always agree on everything!). There are pros and cons to both palettes. The Becca palette has 4 delectable discs of shimmering colour – one bronzer, one blusher and 2 highlighters. Admittedly it’s probably best on medium to dark-skinned girls (although V definitely doesn’t fall into either camp) but the bronzer, applied with a light touch, gives the most beautiful summer glow. The fact that the bronzer and blusher are so much smaller than the highlighters, seems odd to V. She’s not sure why Becca did this and finds it rather frustrating, especially when trying to swirl her brush in them. Plus, all 4 shades are shimmery – which is fine by V as she’s a shimmer fan, but clearly not everyone is. On the plus side, the textures are beautifully creamy and blendable, there’s a whopping great mirror, and she loves – and will use – all 4 shades, on eyes, cheeks and cheekbones. She reckons it’s the perfect summer holiday palette.
As for the NARS palette, M can’t take her eyes off it! And she wins in the ‘value for money’ stakes, because at the same price as the Becca palette, you get no less than 4 highlighters and 2 bronzers. The bronzers are the brand’s new Sun Wash Diffusing type, which deliver a very natural, light colour to the skin. Even the darker one works on fairer skins. And the highlighters are all beautifully shimmery and sheer and work amazingly as eyeshadows too. There’s no blusher in this palette, making it less of an allover face palette…but M can forgive it this. It really is a gorgeous palette for all skin-tones. And it’s selling out fast!
A final contender for the title ‘best holiday face palette’, is the Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette in Natural Beauty, Ā£49. Neither V nor M own this, but that could change at any time! It’s a very handy little palette, with 3 eye shades, 2 blushers, 1 bronzer and 1 highlighter. So you really do achieve an entire made-up face with this. We love it for the fact that each powder is labelled with what it does and where to put it (check out http://www.charlottetilbury.com for a tutorial on exactly how to use it).Ā The colours are easy-to-wear and buildable – albeit quite teeny – and give a very natural glow. Again it’s limited edition, so don’t hang around…
So which other face palettes are worth checking out this summer? Here are some of our Ā favourites:
BEST VALUE FOR MONEY, ALL-OVER PALETTE: Stila Perfect Me, Perfect Hue Eye & Cheek Palette, Ā£28. We think this is a great price, considering it contains 7 products. Plus, the neutral-tonedĀ powders are well pigmented, the eyeshadows can be used wet or dry, and theyĀ promise to last all day. Big thumbs up from us!
BEST HIGHLIGTING PALETTE: Huda Beauty 3D Highlight Palette, Ā£40Ā . This is the brand of the moment, developed by mega beauty blogger, Huda Kattan (she has 20+ million Instagram followers…we’re hot on her heels!). With four buttery soft,Ā shimmering highlighters that literally melt onto the skin, this palette promises to make you a Golden Goddess this summer. Or, for half the price, go for the Zoeva Summer Strobe Spectrum PaletteĀ Ā£20. These 4 pearlescent powders give skinĀ a beautiful sheen, and while the formulas are not creamy soft, like in the Huda palette, they absolutely do the trick. Plus, you’ve got golden and bronzey tones for the perfect sunkissed finish. Finally, Anastastia Beverly Hills Glow Kit, Ā£39,Ā gives an amazing glow to all skin tones, and the powders can be layered together. Try applying with a damp brush or sponge for more intense colour. Use any of these products on cheekbones, browbones, down the nose and on the cupid’s bow.
BESTĀ CHEEKĀ PALETTE: BeneFit Cheek Parade Blusher and Bronzer Palette, Ā£49.50. Whilst this may seem expensive at first glance,Ā it’s well worth it. It contains 5 full-sized powders – each one sells individually for Ā£24.50 – including the gorgeous Galifornia pinky gold blush and the new ‘lite’ version of theĀ UK’s best-selling bronzer,Ā Hoola. We’re also taken with Too Faced Sweet Peach Glow Face Palette, Ā£34. Too FacedĀ definitely know how to do a good palette and this is no exception. Yes, it’s cute & kitsch and probably more suited to M’s 13 year old daughter, with its quirky packaging and peachy scent (yes, really), but the 3 powders work brilliantly. They give the skin an amazing radiance and are very light, making it easy to build-up the colour.
BEST SPLURGE/TREAT BUY: Tom Ford Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette, Ā£98,Ā with its quad of 4 beautifully soft, shimmering, neutral eyeshadows,Ā a highlighter andĀ a blusher, is a stunning palette. We’re not suggesting that it’s an everyday buy, but rather a treat or a gift for a special birthday. Or go for the glow withĀ Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo, Ā£58, with its ballet slipper pink highlighter, and rosy blush. M received both for her birthday. And V is not in the least bit jealous. Honest…!
BEST BUDGET BUY: Kiko Face Palette, Ā£6.45. Everything you need for yourĀ face – bronzer, blush and highlighter –Ā all in oneĀ sleek case. We’re really impressed with the soft texture of the powders and how easily they blend.
That’s it for face palettes, but don’t miss our next blog all about eyeshadow palettes – from subtle neutrals, all the way to shocking, neon colours.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram/twitter/Facebook/YouTube, @verymakeupmad.
Love & Holiday Make-up,
Vikki & Mala xx
V is forever being told she’s an English rose. Which is all very well and good, but in reality she has dreams of being golden-limbed and sun kissed. Her complexion is very Ā pale, yet pinky toned (she’s spent years avoiding the intensity of the sun) and she likes nothing more than giving her skin a warmth and a radiant glow with her trusty bronzer. V wears it daily, year round, over her foundation, to add a radiant flush.Ā Ā For her, it’s less about looking ‘suntanned’, and more about looking healthy. It’s fair to say we all feel better and less pasty with a hint of bronzeĀ on ourĀ skin. We all want to be told “you look well”, and bronzer – applied correctly and often sparingly! – is the way forward.
From a young age, V was seduced by the high-end beauty counters, thanks to her mum who knew a thing or two (and still does) about great cosmetics. She introduced her to Guerlain – the first cosmetics company to launch bronzers back in the 80’s – whose Ā fabulous Terracotta range just goes from strength to strength. After all, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. V vividly remembers the liquid bronzer she bought that first time – a pump dispenser filled with clear gel, and suspended in it: golden brown spheres. With just a press of the pump, the spheres were crushed and mixed with the gel, and the most perfect, light bronzing liquid was released. She wore this for years until Guerlain discontinued it. Why Guerlain, why? Does anyone else remember this? And bonus marks if you can remember what it was called as we’re struggling! V’s moved on and isĀ now a big fan of their powder bronzers, which all have that unmistakable, indulgent Guerlain scent – similar to parma violets. She wearsĀ Terracotta Light Sheer Bronzing Powder, in Blondes 02, Ā£37. It’s the perfect shade for her fair skin, and with its pinky tones,Ā she always feels natural with it on.Ā And no, she’s not a blonde.
Palette Power. We love a multi-functional palette andĀ these are twoĀ of our favourites. Splash out on ByTerry Sun Designer Palette, Ā£65, (left) which promises to last for ages. Or try Becca’s brand new Chrissy Teigen Glow Face Palette, Ā£45 which is causing a storm in the beauty world.
As for M, she has more of a weathered look thanks to her childhood years spent in the Indian sun in Goa. That’s what you get for having hippie parents. That, and the middle name, Moonbeam! She is also fair-skinned, but her face is now spattered in freckles(euphemism for ‘skin damage’. Sorry M’s mum – don’t feel guilty, she likes them! Joking aside, if only we’d have known then what we know now and had access to SPF30+).Ā Thanks to the freckles,Ā her skin looks different whether it’s summer or winter, as they fade somewhat when there’s less sun. So when it comes to bronzing, she also wears it year-round like V, but has to build up colour accordingly, or switch products. So for the summer, she opts forĀ Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, Ā£59, which promises a sheer, shimmering finish and complements the freckles. And in the winter, she uses Clarins Bronzing and Blush Compact, Ā£30, which builds up colour beautifully and gives skin a warmth, as opposed to a tanned effect.
Back in the day, her 15-year old self began bronzing withĀ The Body Shop Brush On Bronze bronzing beads, Ā£14. This pot of shimmering brown balls delivered a perfectly natural finish and was iconic in the 90s. Fickle as ever, it wasn’t long before M was lured away by other brands such as Clinique and YSL.
So now for the technical part. The rule of thumb for bronzer has always been to sweep it ‘where the sun naturally hits the face’. So down the nose, along the forehead, up the cheekbones and along the jawline. And remember to build up the colour gradually – when it comes to bronzer, less is definitely more! Your brush is also crucial. Go for a large, fluffy one, to ensure a soft, natural and even finish and avoid a ‘stripy’ look.Ā We love Clinique Bronzer Brush, Ā£25. Or go for The Body Shop Slanted Kabuki Brush, Ā£16. And don’t forget to blend past the jawline, bringing it down a little onto the neck.
Top Tip: For the most natural effect, choose a bronzer that’s not too red or orange and go for a product that’s 1 or 2 shades darker than your own complexion. No more.Ā Always remember to apply in natural lighting.
Grrrrr: We’re wild about this Too Faced Pink Leopard Bronzer, Ā£25. Although it’s more of a highlighter than a conventional bronzer and gives a subtle glow.
You can also use bronzer to contour (definitely a buzzword for the noughties. V & M are not fans of this trend, preferring a fresh,Ā natural look, with aĀ flush of colour on the face. But it’s a trend that looks set to stay with us for a bit longer!). For contouring only use a matte product, not one with shimmer. The point of contouring is toĀ build upĀ shadows that enhance certain features and/or slim the face. The idea is to create a number “3” on both sides of your face. So begin at the top of the forehead, bring it under the cheekbones Ā and then apply along the jawline, taking it all the way to your chin.
Get Your Glow onĀ with our pick of the best bronzers on the market…
Best for pale skins: Choose a bronzer with pink, peach or golden undertones. We loveĀ Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder, Ā£30. An ultra-lightweight, matte formula that gives a totally natural finish. Try shades Golden Light or Natural.
Best for medium skins: Urban Decay Beached Bronzer, Ā£22. This finely milled powder has an almostĀ creamy feel to it, making it a joy to use. It gives a very natural glow.
Best for deep/dark skins: Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, Ā£49, in Medium to Dark. A bronzer and highlighter in one gorgeous palette.
Best Suits-All Bronzer: Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna, Ā£29. The bronzer that beauty editors and makeup artists alike, come back to time and time again. The perfect shade, infused with subtle, golden shimmer. It’s now available in a liquid version – Laguna Liquid Bronzer, Ā£27. Or try the brand’s latest bronzer offering, Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer, Ā£29, a translucent matte powder in a variety of shades (including Laguna) that subtly enhances your natural complexion.
Best For Contouring: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer, Ā£25. The perfect matte bronzer to use for contouring – it evens out skin tone and neutralises any redness. Plus it smells of chocolate. Does it get any better than that?
Cult Product: BeneFit Hoola Bronzing Powder, Ā£24.50, is the UK’s best-selling bronzer. For a reason. It’s the perfect matte powder and it’s great for travel, as it’s packaged in a cute, compact box. So popular is Hoola, that BeneFit has now introduced it in liquid form –Ā Dew The Hoola, Ā£24.50, (try adding to your Ā foundation) – and also launched a lighter version, Hoola Lite, Ā£24.50Ā for paler skins.
Best for a dewy finish: Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, Ā£36 If you’re not a fan of powder bronzer, try this decadent, whipped up cream-gel bronzer. It leaves skin glowing and flawless. Or try Clinique Sun-Kissed Face Gelee, Ā£23.50, a sheer gel that blends in easily and can be mixed in with your foundation.
Best Highstreet Buy:Ā Rimmel Kate Sculpting Palette, Ā£6.99. M bought this cute palette for her 13-year old daughter and they’ve been fighting over it ever since! A highlighter, bronzer and blusher in one slimline palette, not only are the powders wearable and blendable, but the price is attractive too.
Best Luxury Splurge: For M’s recent ‘big’ birthday, V treated her toĀ Tom Ford Bronzing Powder, Ā£52. She wears Terra, which is a matte shade (one of the things she loves most about it), perfect for fair to medium skin tones. It’s a very indulgent bronzing option, but M is totally hooked.
Best Shimmering Bronzer: If you’re a fan of shimmering bronzer, you can’t go wrong with YSL’s new Sahariennes Bronzing Stones Collector, Ā£35. It’s sheer, light and gives a natural radiance.
Best for On-The-Go Application: Bobbi Brown Glow Stick, Ā£26. A highlighter-come-bronzer that gives a gorgeous, sunkissed glow.
Don’t forget to click on the link below for our Youtube Video tutorial on how to bronze your face. Hope you enjoy!!
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter @verymakeupmad. And email us with your beauty queries at verymakeupmad@gmail.com. Our Bronzing tutorial vlog will be on our You Tube channel very soon. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you posted!
Love & bronzed beauty,
Vikki & Mala xx
Bronzed up: V, left, wearing Guerlain Sheer Bronzing Powder in Blondes 02, and M, right, wearing Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette.
Once upon a time (OK, it was the early 90’s), there was a girl – let’s call her V – who would sneak into her mum’s bedroom, delve into her make-up bag and fish out a mascara. And not just any mascara. It was the iconic and frankly brilliant LancĆ“me Definicils, (still available today, Ā£24.50). With just a swish of the brush, V swore her face was transformed – her lashes thicker and fuller, her eyes instantly wider and her whole face more alive, sparkly and less tired. From the first swish, she was hooked. And she’s never looked back. Apart from a handful of hideous, sleep-deprived days (courtesy of her newborn babies) when she forgot to apply it, and the odd bout of conjunctivitis, when she couldn’t (definitely grounds for locking yourself indoors until it’s cleared up), she’s never been without her trusty mascara wand.
Fast forward a few years, and that mascara devotee, V, met M – another make-up lover, with enviably long lashes. V isn’t a jealous person, but when she clocked M’s spidery lashes, she wasn’t sure a friendship could last. “Oh, they’re quite long in the first place”, M casually commented when V probed as to which mascara she was wearing. V slinked off, seething…
Lash envy aside, it turns out M & V got on very well. And since launching VeryMakeupMad, they’ve been happily researching mascaras together (V’s discovered that the odd dig in M’s ribs makes her feel a whole lot better!), to bring you the best choices on the market. V has moved on from her LancĆ“me days (as has her mum, P, who now swears by Guerlain’s much-lauded Cils d’Enfer, Ā£25.50, and won’t wear anything else) and is now a Dior girl. Diorshow Extase, Ā£25, ticks every box for her. It instantly gives lashes a boost, and only one, quick coat is needed to separate them and make them appear fuller and longer.
M, on the other hand, has long been a fan of BeneFit They’re Real, Ā£20.50, (one is sold every 15 seconds in the UK!) but the love affair may be coming to an end. And it’s not because she doesn’t like how it makes her lashes look – she does! – but because she struggles to take it off at the end of the day. And there’s nothing worse – for your delicate eye-area or frustration levels! – than rubbing away at your eye make up. Benefit sells a specific remover for it – BeneFit They’re Real Remover, Ā£15.50 – but M’s never got along with it. So she’s been trying a couple of other mascara options and her two favourites are: Clarins Be Long Mascara, Ā£21.50, which for anyone requiring extra length – no, not M, but she’s very impressed with the brush – really does the trick; and Eyeko Black Magic Mascara, Ā£19, which gives long, dramatic lashes and a curl that holds for hours. Eyeko mascaras use clever ‘tubing technology’ to coat the individual lashes in miniscule tubes and bind to them. This causes minimal irritation, as they don’t flake or rub away.
On a recent trip to one of their favourite haunts, Space NK, M & V discovered that the beauty store’s best-selling mascara (it’s topped their charts for many years running) is Chantecaille Faux Cils, Ā£36. V thought she’d try it out. To be honest, she’s a little underwhelmed. On the plus side, it smells lovely (it contains rosewater) and it treats and conditions the lashes, so her phobia of touching mascara’d lashes (yes, really!) is not an issue. However, it takes a good few coats to make a difference and the effects are a little too subtle for her.
A final mascara we’ve road-tested is Too Faced Better Than Sex, Ā£19. We can’t promise it lives up to its name (we’ll leave that to you to decide), but it’s gained something of a cult following, thanks to its hourglass shaped brush and the fact that it volumises and thickens the lashes. It gives a very intense black colour and dramatic finish. Definitely one to try for a night out.
Top Tip: When applying mascara, start with the brush at the very roots of the lashes, and gently wiggle it from side to side as you pull it along the lashes. Start in the middle, then move onto the corners. Once you’ve done the ‘wiggle’, use the brush to push lashes back and up.
Move Over False Lashes! Here are some more great mascara options:
Best For Watering Eyes: Lots of you have been in touch to say that you suffer from watering eyes, and no matter what you do, you end up with grey circles underneath them after wearing mascara for a while. Try one of these mascaras to avoid ‘Panda Eyes’: L’Oreal Paris Double Extension Mascara Waterproof, Ā£11.99, a double-ended wand with a conditioning base coat and a lengthening mascara that also separates lashes; Bobbi Brown No Smudge Mascara, Ā£22 which does exactly what it says on the tin and won’t move all day long; YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof Mascara, Ā£25.50, gives incredible volume and hold.
Best Newcomers: We’re very excited by these two finds: NYX Doll Eye Mascara Volumising, Ā£8. This gives an amazing, long-lashed finish and stays put for hours on end. And you can’t argue with the price!; Fairy Drops Scandal Queen Quattro Mascara, Ā£18.50, created by a Japanese celebrity, this mascara won’t smudge, budge, flake or smear and gives lashes a great curl. We love the hot pink packaging and the funky brush.
Best Curling Mascara: For anyone with poker-straight lashes who’s keen for some curl, try Sisley So Curl Mascara, Ā£32.50. And if you’re a fan of eyelash curlers, there are plenty on the market, but being girly girls, we’re loving this rose gold version, Life Changing Lashes, Ā£18, by Charlotte Tilbury.
Best Base Coat: A mascara base coat (or primer) dramatically improves the performance of your mascara – allowing it to go on more easily – and also helps to create thicker, longer looking lashes. Clinique Lash Building Primer, Ā£14.50, is hard to beat.
Best For Bottom Lashes: If you like to apply mascara to the bottom lashes, you need Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara, Ā£14.50, which boasts the cutest little brush we’ve ever seen!
Best Coloured Mascara: Go bold with a pop of flattering colour on your lashes. Here are some great ones to try: For green eyes choose violet. We love Chanel Inimitable Intense in purple, Ā£26; For hazel eyes go for green, such as NYX Professional Makeup Color Mascara in Mint Julep, Ā£6. Blue eyes look great with a deep burgundy, such as YSL Mascara The Shock in Rough Burgundy, Ā£19.55. If you’ve got brown eyes, try a bright blue, like ByTerry Mascara Terrybly in Terryfic Blue, Ā£33.50. Or play it safe with navy blue, which tends to suit all eye colours. We love YSL Luxurious Mascara for a False Lash Effect in Deep Night, Ā£21.68.
Best Eye Makeup Removers: Garnier Skin Naturals Fresh Eye Make-up Remover, Ā£3.39 is a really great budget option. Or if you prefer a bi-phase remover (the double-layer liquid type that needs to be shaken and works well on waterproof formulations) try Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover, Ā£20, or The Body Shop Camomile Waterproof Eye & Lip Make-up Remover, Ā£10. We also like facial cleansing wipes for mascara removal and think L’OrĆ©al Fine Flowers Cleansing Wipes – a snip at Ā£1.99 – are great. They’re a speedy way to remove the day’s make-up and let you get on with your beauty sleep. Another one-stop make-up remover that we’ve been testing is Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, just Ā£1 at the moment (yes, you read that right!), although we’ve found it to be a little hit & miss – it removed some mascaras better than others.
M’s lifelong miracle potion (inspired by her hippie mum, A, who travelled to India in 1969 and has been drowning herself in the stuff ever since!) is Cold Pressed Organic Coconut Oil, Ā£5. She rubs it into her lashes every night to condition them and prevent any hair loss. It’s an amazing multi-tasker…try it on dry skin, cuticles, split ends. You name it, it treats it! And if you’re concerned about sparse lashes (and brows) or the loss of them, consider applying Foxbrim 100% Pure Castor Oil, Ā£13.56, which is proven to promote hair growth.
If you’re wondering when’s the right time to throw out your mascara, we’d say after approximately 3-4 months, by which time it will likely be drying up anyway, if you’re using it daily. We’re not big advocates of sticking to make-up shelf lives (we each currently use products that we’ve owned for years…ssshhhh!), but when it comes to mascara (and eyeliner), don’t keep using them for too long as they can harbour bacteria and cause infection.
Remember you can email us – verymakeupmad@gmail.com – with details of your favourite mascaras and also if you have any beauty queries. And follow us on Instagram, twitter and Facebook https://youtu.be/M9Ux1GRb4yU
Love & fluttering lashes,
Vikki & Mala xx
Mala (left) wearing NYX Doll Eye and Vikki (right) wearing Fairy Drops Scandal Queen.
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V has finally caught up with M and turned the big 4-0h! M is thrilled because she didn’t like V still being in her 30s, and V is equally thrilled as she has an excuse – her party –Ā to wear the new Sandro top that she’s been “saving” (why do we women do that? Surely we should just wear the clothes we splash out on and enjoy them on multiple occasions. But that conversation is for another blog…).
Anyway, V loves a party, but if she’s honest, she prefers the beauty prepping to the big event. As former Beauty Editor of Brides magazine, she knows a thing or two about party prepping. And M’s industry know-how, as a YSL make-up artist, means she has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to perfecting a flawless face. So ta-da…we bring you our party beauty plan of action – how to glow and sparkle on your big day.
So, first things first – getting skin looking radiant. We’re both big fans of face masks and believe they make a huge difference to your complexion. Always exfoliate first (Bobbi Brown Buffing Grains for Face, Ā£32 andĀ Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner, Ā£26, both get our vote), as this will slough away dead skin cells, allowing the mask to penetrate deeper to work its magic. Our current favourite masks are: Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Gel Mask, Ā£34.50, a cooling ‘jelly’ which hydrates, regenerates and makes you look years younger (or splash out on the brand’sĀ 24K Gold Mask, Ā£55, for plumped up, hydrated, glowing skin); Dr Brandt Oxygen Facial, Ā£48.50, which feels satisfyingly “fizzy” and tingly as it delivers a burst of oxygen for immediate, unbeatableĀ radiance; and Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Mask, Ā£49.50, whichĀ firms and tones the skin, for a younger, fresher you. And check out Charlotte Tilbury’s high-tech, no-mess Instant Magic Sheet Mask, Ā£18, which can be used up to 3 times and promises to smooth, lift and brighten. Using a mask weekly in the run-up to your party and definitely the night before your event, will give you the the best results.
When it comes to makeup, primers pave the way. They’re a greatĀ addition to your make-up arsenal – sorry J (M’s hubby), the die-hard Spurs fan, we just liked the word! – to ensure foundation glides on smoothly and evenlyĀ andĀ helps it last the course. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Ā£26, is an industry bestseller and hard to beat. For the most luminous canvas, try YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer, Ā£29.50, a lightweight gel, using the magic of the best-selling concealing & highlighting wand,Ā Touche Eclat, Ā£25.50, (1 sold every 10 seconds in the world – what are you waiting for?). Then there’sĀ Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, Ā£31, an old favourite, but itĀ still works a treat. Truth be known, we’d both forgotten about this little beauty, but M just remembered it and has gone AWOL, in the quest to buy some. V hopes she’ll return in time for the next blog. Or more importantly, to pick up her kids from school!
When it comes to the rest of your make-up, it’s obviously down to personal choice. A long-lasting foundation is a good idea (it’s hard toĀ beat Estee Lauder Double Wear, Ā£31), as is a great concealerĀ (we love Clinique Airbrush Concealer, Ā£17.10). For the best highlighters,Ā don’t forget our Shimmer & Shine blog and also check out our Blusher choices on Oi Cheeky. And we’ve been travelling through the beauty halls (yes, we selflessly trudged around, to bring you the very best products!) and through cyber space, checking out the best of online beauty. We’ve discovered some gems that we urge you to try for party perfection. You won’t be disappointed…
QUICK FIX – WunderLift 60 Second Wrinkle Reducer, Ā£19.95.Ā This serum instantly lifts and firms theĀ eye area and visibly reduces wrinkles, with effects lasting for 8 hours. Unlike other products that promise to do the same, Wunderlift doesn’t leave a white residue or make your skin feel dry. Ā It’s your pre-party secret weapon. We defy you not to get hooked. Check out their website http://www.wunder2.co.uk for more fab products and info.
EYE EYE – EyeSlices, from Ā£14.99, have a dual effect – calming and soothing the eye area and dramatically reducing puffiness and dark circles (sleepless nights are no longer a worry!) Choose from full-eye slices, or ‘just for under the eye’ and each pair can be used up to 10 times. They’re also a great excuse for 5 minutes of relaxing ‘me time’.Ā For the full story, go to http://www.eyeslices.com
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE – If a spot threatens before your ‘do’, don’t panic, justĀ zap it with Malin & Goetz potent 10% Sulfur Paste, Ā£18.
LIP SERVICE – Art Deco Invisible Lip Contour, Ā£6, is a transparent, waxy lip liner that works as a barrier against lipstick smudging and bleeding and also reduces fine lines. M loves this product!
LINE UP – LA Girl Endless Semi Permanent Auto Lipliner Pencil, Ā£3. For less than the price of your daily latte, it would be rude not to try this! M has used this since her teens and raves about it. It gives a perfectly defined, long-lastingĀ pout. Try it with Jeffree Star Velour Liquid LiptickĀ in Celebrity Skin, Ā£16, for the ultimate nude finish.
SHINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND- For a night on the tiles, add a sparkly ‘lip topper’ to your favourite lipstick (or use alone). M has fallen for Stila’s amazing, limited edition, quick-dryingĀ Glitterati Lip Top Coat Ā£18, and alsoĀ Lime Crime Diamond Crushers, Ā£15, which come in 6 sensational shades. V is taken with Jouer Lip Topper in Rose Gold, Ā£13.50. It’s metallic and sparkly and lasts for hours. Plus it smells of vanilla ice cream. What’s not to love??
LASH OUT – For the most fabulous, false-looking lashes, try Fairydrops Scandal Queen Quattro Mascara, Ā£18.50, which won’t budge, smudge or flake; or NYX Professional Doll Eye Waterproof Mascara, Ā£8, which stays put for hours and gives extreme, unbeatable length.
SoĀ there you have it. Our favourite party beauty essentials – guaranteed to make you look & feel your best. And with V arriving at such a milestone birthday, we feel justified inĀ blogging about this. We’ve also collaborated with “The Source“,Ā and you’ll find a version of this blog on their website. “The Source” is an exciting directory of resources and collection of brands for your special event. We love their innovative ideas and how they can help you toĀ find and create the perfect bespoke party. Check out their website for further information and be inspired for your big day http://www.thesourceinspires.comĀ or find them on Facebook or instagram below: https://www.facebook.com/thesourcedirectory/ Ā www.instagram.com/thesourecinpsires
Don’t forget to tune into our YouTube channel for tutorials on make-up application. And look out for our new, excitingĀ birthday vlog, coming very soon…
Love,Ā Happy BirthdaysĀ & being ‘Naughty at Forty’,
Vikki & Mala xx
Ā 
Left: V in her Sandro top, and M rocking a Zadig & Voltaire blazer! Right: Yum yum…need we say more?
PS. Check out one of M’s birthday pressies to V – YSL’s latest launch, Glow Shot in Sunrise, Ā£22.50, a boudoir, ballet-slipper pink highlighter. V can’t wait to start using it. She’ll report straight back.
Oh the joys of the school holidays! They’re the reason why we haven’t posted anything in the last few days. And why we’ve both noticed a fewĀ new grey hairs (‘Speak for yourself’, says M)! We’ve beenĀ desperate to writeĀ our latestĀ blog and to try out products for you to read about, but the kids – 6 of them, between us –Ā have other ideas. So parks, playgrounds and trips to the cinema it’s been…and continues to be. Don’t get us wrong, we love spending time with our offspring. We’d just rather do it in our favourite places, not theirs. Admittedly, we did drag our youngest two to Space NK last week, all in the name of research. And in a bid to (beauty) indoctrinate them. Although they just wanted to pose for pictures…
Anyway, we managed to quickly sneak away from them today to bring you this blog. But we’ve not got long! So, back to business & the aforementionedĀ Space NK trip.Ā In between attempts to keep two 6 year-old’s fingers out of blusher compacts, we checked out Emma Hardie’sĀ brilliant skincare range (M is already a fan of the Brilliance Facial Oil, Ā£35).Ā M left with a sample of Protect & Prime, Ā£46, and has been using it ever since. She thinks it’s fab. It’s basically a primer with SPF30.Ā Super light and non-greasy, it glides onto skin and blurs imperfections and evens skin tone. And it sinks in very quickly, which is great for M, because she’s a speed-freak (V calls her ‘The Hurricane’). Yes, it’s expensive, but a little goes a long way & M is going to wear it for the entire summer – alone or with make-up over it. She insists her skin has never looked better. Her husband has also tried it and is threatening to purchase it for himself. V is leaving them to fight it out.
V, forever in pursuit of the perfect facial sunscreen, believes she’s also found a winner. Not one to forgo makeup on holiday (or a particularly sweltering London day), she always wears a tinted sunscreen while sunbathing as she hates looking pale and pasty. But more often than not, these tinted products which promise so much,Ā fail her. She hates the greasy look they oftenĀ createĀ and their thick texture. Plus the shade is never quite right and they don’t ‘perfect’Ā her skin in the way foundations do. She justĀ wants to look like she does at home –Ā for her skin to look its best, safe in the knowledge that it’s properly protected. Enter CLE Cosmetics CCC Cream, Ā£25. This lightweight, white cream, immediately transforms on application to match your own skin tone and gives the most flattering,Ā radiant finish. V is very impressed. It instantlyĀ covered some areas of redness on her face and made her skin glow, without looking slathered in suncream. But with its SPF45 this most definitely is a suncream. Just a cutting edge one.Ā This will definitely be her new holiday ‘secret weapon’. And she’s wearing it today too…
And for our last SPF find, we bring you Pixi Sun Mist, Ā£18. An ingenious, light spray for the face and body that can easily be reapplied throughout the day. What we love most about it is that it can be spritzed over a fully made up face and wont ruin it at all. It’s not shiny and it dries very quickly. Very handy if you’ve got a summer wedding or important outdoorsĀ date coming up. V bought one last week on cultbeauty.co.uk, but it now seems to be out of stock. So be quick and join the waiting list, or have a look on another site (we love lookfantastic.com). It should be back in stock soon. Top Tip – shake well before use and for the 1st application, spray a few times elsewhere on the body before putting on the face, as initially it comes out white, not transparent. After 5 orĀ 6 spritzes, you’re good to go.
Love, sunshine & crazy kids,
Vikki & Mala xx
Our trusted Space NK helpers! Available to accompany any makeup fanatics on a shopping spree. A relaxing, calm experience is guaranteed (mwah ha ha ha š¤”)
QUICK MIDWEEK UPDATE. WELL, WHY NOT??!!
We’re exhausted but quietly smug. We’ve been busy online shopping this week on one of our favourite beauty sites, Beauty Bay. Sshhhh, don’t tell our husbands! Admittedly, we managed to keep the costs down as each product we chose was less than Ā£20. Plus, it’s all in the name of research. After all, we’ve selflessly got your best interests at heart. And we’ve found some real gems…
M was the most extravagant, splashing out on Stila’s Glitterati Lip Top Coat in Transcend, Ā£18, a unique, clear liquid infused with pink glitter designed to be worn over a matte lipstick, or alone. Unlike a gloss, it dries onto the lips and gives an incredible, metallic finish. So it’s a good choice for anyone who doesn’t like the sticky feel or wet look of a gloss, but still wants sparkle. Needless to say, V was jealous, so she grabbed it and tried it too. She’s going to be ordering her own one later. But she’ll have to be quick because it seems to be selling out on lots of sites. If she has no luck on Beauty Bay, she’ll take a look at Cult Beauty.
Palladio is a brand that’s new to us, and we’ve fallen in love with the I’m Blushing 2-in-1 Cheek And Lip Tint, Ā£6.50. Yes, Ā£6.50! V is wearing the Precious, a ballet-slipper pink which imparts a lovely glow. She only has it on her cheeks, as she found it too frosty a finish for her lips. But M tried a little on her eyes – on the lower lid, near the lash line and under her brow as a highlighter – and it looked great and really opened up the eye. And because it’s a cream formulation, it doesn’t feel dewy or sticky.
As for M’s cheeks, she tried Milani Baked Blush in Rosa Romantica, Ā£10. We decided it acts more like a highlighter than a blush in this particular shade, but it does give great definition and a very flattering shimmer to the cheekbone. It comes in 11 shades and V now has her eye on Dolce Pink. It’s a very soft, easy-to-blend powder, and although we don’t rate the brush that comes with it, we can’t complain. For Ā£10 you get a great product in a cute compact, with a handy mirror. What more could a girl ask for?
Love & online shopping buys,
Vikki & Mala xx
NEWSFLASH…
Drama has struck at the very heart of V’s makeup bag and the tremors are being felt all over VeryMakeupMad Towers. V’s all-time favourite lipgloss, the one that she wore at her wedding and finally shared with the world after keeping it a closely guarded secret for 17 years, has been DISCONTINUED!! Yes, that’s right, after writing about Chanel Levres Scintillantes in last week’s blog about ‘our favourite things’, it came to light that Chanel stopped making the gloss 2 days earlier. However, thankfully they have introduced a new version – Rouge Coco Gloss, Ā£26, in 24 gorgeous shades, and V can’t wait to get her hands on one…or 5! She’ll report back when she does. In the meantime, M is being very supportive and offering a whole host of matte lipsticks for her to try! Now V is drowning her sorrows in Haagen Dazs Salted Caramel Ice Cream…another of her ‘favourite things’.
Love & lipgloss
Vikki & Mala xx
We’ve come over all “Maria von Trapp” this week. We’ve been discussing ‘a few of our favourite things’ and now can’t stop imagining ourselves twirling round on picturesque mountain tops and belting out VeryMakeupMad’s version of “raindrops on roses & whiskers on kittens…” that M has penned. If you’re lucky, we might sing it on our next vlog (Truth be known, V wouldn’t be surprised if M was using this as a platform to launch her dream pop career…!).
Anyway, back to business and of course, we’re talking about our favourite beauty things. The makeup we can’t and won’t live without. You already know that we’re ‘VeryMakeupMad’, but which products are we most mad about? Over the years we have both amassed some favourites…M as a trained makeup artist and model, and V as a Beauty Editor at Vogue and other titles. We’ve limited ourselves to our top 5 everyday picks, but as ever, have thrown in a few more at the end for good measure!
First up, mascara. Lots of womens’ ‘desert island product’. With so many to choose from, and new, improved versions being launched all the time, it’s difficult to find the best one. M is a big fan of Benefit They’re Real, Ā£19.50. She’s tried lots of other brands and types of mascara and she always comes back to this one. Admittedly she has long lashes in the first place, but with ‘They’re Real’, she manages to make them look even longer and she gets a fab, winged effect at the corners. V is faithful to Diorshow Extase, Ā£25.50, which she’s been wearing for the last few years. Although not continuously. Obviously. It separates and thickens her lashes and doesn’t rub or flake off. She likes the shape of the brush and it’s her ‘go to’ mascara for a great, natural finish. For nights out and a more dramatic look, she adds an extra lashing.
Still on eyes, V recently splashed out on ByTerry Ombre Blackstar, Ā£29, an amazingly creamy eyeshadow stick that honestly doesn’t move once applied. She has Frozen Quartz, a beautiful, shimmering deep rose shade and uses it over the entire lower lid, or just as a line above and close to the top lashes. People keep asking her what it is and already several friends have rushed to buy it. Nothing in the ByTerry range is a ‘cheap option’, but you never have any regrets when you buy their products. If you’re browsing the range, check out the limited edition palette pictured below, featuring delectable, muted spring shades which will suit all skin tones and see you through to the autumn. Eye Designer Palette in Techno Aura, Ā£44, – we think this is a great price for 6 shadows.
When it comes to a flawless complexion, V swears by Delilah Time Frame Future Resist Foundation, Ā£34, which blends beautifully and gives a luminous, natural finish. But more about that on our ‘Laying The Foundations’ blog – we don’t want to bore you! As you know, M isn’t a big foundation wearer, and instead has fallen for Erborian CC Creme, Ā£17, an ingenious, high-tech perfector that adapts to the colour of your skin, blurring any imperfections and giving immediate radiance. There’s something very satisfying (and slightly magical) about watching it come out of the tube as a white cream, and it transforming to a warm, peachy tone on application. Try it!
Moving on to bronzer. V is very ‘old school’ and has been using Guerlain’s iconic Terracotta bronzer for the best part of 20 years. Guerlain was the first beauty company to launch a bronzer and today they have plenty of options to choose from – shimmery, matte, sheer or mosaic. FYI, even thought V is most definitely a brunette, she wears Sheer Bronzing Powder in Blondes, Ā£37. It’s the perfect shade for her pale skin and doesnt make her look orange. Meanwhile, M can’t get enough of Kevyn Aucoin’s totally versatile, The Neo Bronzer in Capri, Ā£46 – the neopolitan of face powders! The pale, pearly shade works as a highlighter, the pinky shade is a flattering blush, and the golden brown is the bronzer. You can use them separately or swirl them all together and apply just where the sun would hit the face – the forehead, chin, cheeks and nose. M is complimented every time she wears this, and considering she bought it in July 2016, and has worn it through every season, it seems to be lasting forever and as the photo shows, it looks the same as it did the day she bought it.
As for lips, V is never without lipgloss. Many people have tried (and all have failed) to convince her of the beauty of the matte lip, but she is steadfast in her belief that a glossy lip is ultra-flattering (or, if you asked M, she’d say she’s stuck in her ways and very stubborn. V absolutely disagrees). If she had to pick just one brand of gloss to use, it would be Chanel Levres Scintillantes Glossimer, Ā£22, which is creamy, non-sticky and long-lasting. The biggest compliment that V can pay it, is to tell you that she chose to wear it on her wedding day (when she was Beauty Editor of Brides) and it stayed put from start to finish. Top Tip: choose a gloss with shimmer in it, so that if the gloss starts to wear off lips, the flattering sheen of the shimmering particles will remain on the lips.
M likes a defined lip and is an expert at applying lip liner to achieve a natural, fuller pout. The trick with lip liner is to not appear to be wearing any. She’s been searching for the ultimate nude liner and believes she has found it in Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude, Ā£16. She loves how soft it is, making it so easy to apply, plus it stays on the lips all day, defining the outer edge and cupid’s bow as intended. M is not afraid to use all over the lips for a fab, nude effect. She’ll show you the best way to do this on our vlog coming soon…
M’s final choice – and splurge – is Tom Ford Lip Laquer, Ā£29, a gorgeous, pearlised gloss that feels more like a creamy balm. It smells heavenly and gives a shimmering finish. Depending on the shade of your lips, it may be too pale to wear alone, but it looks incredible dabbed on the centre of your lips, over your favourite lip colour, creating a pillow like pout.
So those are our favourites, but being VeryMakeupMad, we have a few more make-up options that we couldn’t miss out.
OUR FAVOURITE EYELINER- Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, Ā£5.29. The long wand makes it easy to apply and the waterproof formulation doesn’t budge. Use this for a dramatic finish. We also love Clinique Easy Does It Liquid Liner, Ā£19 for a super precise line.
OUR FAVOURITE CONCEALER- Estee Lauder Doublewear Stay-In-Place Flawless Wear Concealer, Ā£19.95. A miracle when dabbed onto blemishes, but also works wonders on dark circles.
OUR FAVOURITE PRIMER – Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, Ā£26 An industry favourite too, this silky primer perfects skin and helps foundation last longer. If you’re after a glowing, radiant finish, try Cover FX Illuminating Primer, Ā£29, which instantly peps up a dull complexion
FAVOURITE LIPSTICK –No7 Match Made Stay Perfect Lipstick, Ā£9.95 A lovely satin finish and intense colour that lasts for hours.
FAVOURITE MAKEUP BRUSHES – We love Morphe brushes (they’re super soft, great quality and blend make up beautifully) and this 6 Piece Deluxe Contour Brush Set is a steal at Ā£20.50.
Don’t forget to email us – verymakeupmad@gmail.com – to let us know what your ‘favourite things’ are and keep us updated with how you’re finding any of the recommendations that we’ve already given.You can also follow us on Facebook – Verymakeupmad.
Love, makeup & the sound of music,
Vikki & Mala xx
VeryMakeupMad- 2 Girls dedicated to beauty šš 