Face Stockholm - Blush Fire

To be honest, I don't know much about the brand FACE Stockholm but my husband picked this gorgeous blush up for me a while back on one of  his business trips.

The most I had heard of the brand in terms of it's quality was just how wonderfully pigmented the products are and this in itself intrigued me so I was pretty chuffed to try out one of their blushes.

The shade in question is called Fire.  A deep, bright orange with a golden sparkle through it that is barely visible on the skin.   I have had a look for this on the website but I think it may be part of their Pro range.  Well done Boy for tracking it down!

When I applied this the first thing I noticed, true to it's reputation, was how pigmented it was.  In fact, I had to tap it a few times to remove excess so to avoid an Aunt Sally situation.  In the end it gave me a subtle flush of orange on my cheeks that works well with a sunkissed glow and would look fabulous on darker skin tones.

I have worn it all day in the sunshine and heat and it lasted throughout.  FACE Stockholm is a brand I definitely want to explore more.  Especially their skin foundations and definitely more of the blush collection.  From a price perspective, they seem to be roughly on a par with the likes of MAC, maybe a little more expensive, I can't quite work out the rate conversions but a blush is around 20Euros.

Who else has used Face Stockholm? What would you recommend?

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Cheek of the Week: NEW CID i-blush

It's not often I am gifted a product to review and I end up wearing it every single day without fail.  New CID's i-blush has got me doing just that.

I-blush is a blush/highlighter duo that comes neatly packaged in a square compact with mirror and most exciting of all LED lights so you can freshen up your make up on the go day or night.

The blush is a lovely warm pink shade with hints of gold which reminds me ever so slightly of Nars Orgasm, certainly in the same shade family at least.  The highlighter is a warm golden shade that creates a gorgeous glow that doesn't overwhelm the rest of your make up.

Warm pink blush (left) Golden highlighter (right)

What I like in particular about this product isn't just the fact that the shades suit me perfectly or apply softly with a satin like finish or that it lasts all day ... the bonus for me is that the highlighter is suitable for daytime use and is a space saving solution to something that is otherwise bulky to carry around in your bag.

I usually forego highlighter during the day as it usually lends itself on the shimmery side which I don't think is appropriate for daylight hours however a soft touch gives just the sheen you need to give a healthy daytime glow.  Highlighters generally also come housed in quite a large palette and the i-blush avoids this by teaming it up with the complementary universal pink blush therefore taking up less space in an already crowded make up bag.

If you fancy trying out the i-blush, it's available on the NEW CID website for £24.00 which I think it's quite a bargain for these 2 gorgeous products.

Has anyone else tried the i-blush?  What other New CID products do you recommend?

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Cheek of the Week - Accessorize Diva

New to Superdrug in the last month is Accessorize own brand of cosmetics. Instead of just concentrating purely on costume jewels and bags, the accessory brand has branched out into the world of make up.

Prices are beyond reasonable with blush priced at £5 and bronzer at £6. It seems the vast range of nail polish is very popular as they were completely sold out in store, so that left me with a choice of blush, eyeshadows and bronzer.

I decided to go for this blush in shade Diva. Diva is a shimmery dusky peach/pink shade that gives a warm glow to the cheeks and pretty for winter. Although the colour is lovely, the pigmentation is a little on the weak side. I had to layer on the blush to achieve the level of colour I wanted but I found the more I layered the more shimmery it go .... shimmer over colour rather than colour over shimmer. It just looked a little messy as opposed to a polished glow.The packaging is pretty cute, it's quite sturdy and has little gold embossed butterflies over it. I quite like that they haven't really tried to copy anyone elses packaging, they have come up with their own design that reflects the nature of the brand.

I would compare this blush to Nars Orgasm in terms of colour and shimmer although Orgasm has far better pigmentation therefore offering a little less glitter than Accessorize's offering. It is slightly warmer and more pinky than orgasm but side by side they are not too far off one another and is certainly a cheaper alternative.

You can see from my fotd that it offers quite a glow but notice the lack of pigmentation ... hardly any colour pay off but still a fresh enough daytime look.

Has anyone else tried out the new Accessorize make up range? What products do you rate and recommend?

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Eyeko Fat Balm

Yesterday I was completely inspired by the lovely Oxford Jasmine who had tweeted a photo of herself wearing Eyeko's recently relaunched Fat balm on her lips and cheeks.

Lucky for me, that morning some samples had arrived in the post from Eyeko so I wanted to copy Jasmine's gorgeous look.

I received a fat balm in Toffee (rrp £6) which is a lovely warm caramel nude. I also received a London Lips gloss in Mayfair (rrp £6.50) which I believe to be limited edition and is the perfect companion for Toffee fatbalm.

Fat balms have been relaunched with SPF15 and contain jojoba oil for moisture and a fuller, softer lip and just pigmented enough to add a hint of colour and shine.

I patted the fatbalm straight from the tube onto my lips and cheeks. The fat balm gives your cheeks a lovely glow that eliminates the need for a highlighter. It isn't too sticky but I did get a couple of hairy face moments when my hair needed sweeping out of the area with the fat balm applied ... nothing that wasn't easily rectified though. The shade toffee is particularly lovely, it is a very natural looking colour that gives a warm flush to your cheeks. Lovely for winter and a fantastic product for a minimal hassle free make up kit.
This was my first ever experience with a Fat balm and I have to say it felt really lovely on. On your lips it felt hydrating and can certainly be worn on it's own but as I love my gloss I teamed it with london lips in Mayfair.
Mayfair is just like toffee fb but in lipgloss form. It isn't too sticky and smells delicious giving a lovely plump shine.

The fat balm lasted all day on my cheeks while the lipgloss lasted a good while on the lips before needing a re-application for full on gloss again. Even when the shine had disappeared there was still a lovely hint of caramel colour on the lips so that it wasn't necessarily vital to re-apply.

I really think Eyeko products are worth a look, they are fantastic value for money and the products are of great quality. When I tweeted Jasmine about my copy cat look yesterday, she even claimed that she thought the fat balm was better than Bobbi Brown's pot rouge which is quite something. I haven't tried the BB pot rouge so can't comment personally but it certainly food for thought when you think of the price difference and the reputation of such a high end brand as Bobbi Brown.

What do you guys think of Eyeko's fat balm?

x

Cheek of the Week! MAC Ambering Rose

This weeks cheek has been MAC's Ambering Rose.

It's a lovely warm rosey bronze that is great when I am tanned but equally provides a rosey glow to my cheeks when pale.

I find it the perfect flush of colour to compliment a neutral eye and lip.

It is very pigmented so possibly a lighter hand will be needed for the lighter skinned girls but the colour lasts the full day with no touch up ever needed (on me anyway).

Its a sheertone shimmer which I really like, it helps give that extra glow without looking to glittery or shiny on the cheeks.

Anyone else rate this blush?

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Cheek of the Week! - Illamasqua Tweak

I will be honest, sometimes I quite like the Aunt Sally look.

This week I went for that look full throttle. A messy application of blush with little blending to create a ruddy, just been fooling around in a haystack kind of look ... not everyones idea of pretty I do agree but what the hay?! Geddit?!

I turn to Illamasqua Tweak for this look ... it's a really hot pink with elements of both red and coral in it. I imagine this is gorgeous on tanned and darker skins especially but it is pretty versatile and colour can be applied as lightly as you require. Although, it is very pigmented so you have to be careful if you are heavy handed.

The rest of my make up was kept very simple, mainly for the fact I was at work but if you have dramatic cheeks you need to tone everything else down for it to work.

This is a gorgeous colour, great for summer but equally as good for winter months as it gives a lovely rosey finish. It's probably not everyones cup of tea applied as heavily as this but I quite like it every once in a while. I have convinced myself it looks 'youthful'.

Also, a few people have asked what colour I am wearing on my lips from previous posts and it's the same colour I have on here ... It's a lipgloss by clinique but stay tuned for more info in a future blogpost.

x

Cheek of the Week! - Mac Grand Duo

This week's cheek was thanks to MAC, in particular their grand duos mineralize blush collection.

I feel like I am the only person who purchased 'Grand Duo' from this collection, I haven't heard or seen anyone else rave about it at all. 'Love Rocks' seems to have been the favourite but it just didn't appeal. If I am going to buy something in a collection, I try and pick out items that I don't think can be duped all that easily and certainly with Grand Duo, I don't own anything else like it.

One half is a lovely warm plum shade while the marbled side is a coppery pink that perfectly compliments the plum. I was feeling a bit pale this week and this blush gave me just enough colour to warm up my otherwise pale cheeks. It is not overly pigmented but this is a bonus as it is very frosty so it is better to build it up so you don't over do it.

What you finish with is a shimmery frost over the cheeks which some don't like but when I am pale, I am happy for a bit of shimmer to help me achieve that 'glow'.

My favourite thing about this blush is how long lasting it is. I never ever have to touch it up throughout the day which is good for a lazy girl like me.

This is probably more of an autumn/winter shade for the cheeks but seeing as we are having some Winter weather this week in Glasgow while the rest of the UK enjoys a heatwave, then it is probably quite apt.

Did anyone else like Grand Duo Mineralize blush or was it just me after all?

x

Cheek of the Week!

This week I have been tanning - faux, of course. This calls for a slight change in the make up routine ...Usually going for a more bronzed summery finish.

This is why this week's blush is perfect. It's Mac mineralized blush in Sun & Moon from the fairly recent Too Fabulous collection. It's a duo blush in a gorgeous bronzey peachy shade. It gives a lovely sunkissed flush to the cheeks. There is a lot of shimmer in this product which I really like, it gives a lovely sheen to the cheeks without looking overly glamorous for daytime and not too glittery for an evening look.
I apply by swirling both colours together and apply quite generously (even though it is very pigmented already) to my cheeks. I am slightly paler than I was at the weekend in these photos but it is certainly a colour I can get away with even without fake tan.

Since the sun is shining I will need to think of another summery colour for next time! :)

x

Cheek of the week - Kiko Cosmetics

I was in Barcelona in December and came across a brand called Kiko. It had it's own stand alone store with a fantastic variety of both cosmetics and skincare at very affordable prices.

I bought quite a few products on my visit, some with varying levels of quality. As a brand it is probably comparable price wise to the likes of Barry M and Sleek but with regards to quality of packaging, there is a Nars-esque feel to it with the rubberised black compact ... which we all know gets filthy after a few uses. My favourite and by far the best product is this lovely powder blush in shade 105 - Dark Coral. I would have described this as more of a dusky pink so was surprised to see online it was actually coral. It is highly pigmented and extremely longwearing lasting the full day without touch up. It gives a lovely healthy flush to the cheeks.

Kiko prides itself in its Italian roots and is so far available online only to Italian customers but they do have stores in Italy, Germany and Spain. I am hoping one day they will arrive on UK shores as it is so affordable. From memory the blush was around 5 euros. The store itself reminded me of Mac, although the MUA's on the floor were a lot more attentive and helpful. Nothing was too much bother and they happily allow you to swatch the products to your hearts content without too much pestering for a sale.

Kiko not only had a good selection of cosmetics but the skincare line for both men and women is great, my husband loves one of their moisturisers and is hoping he can find a store on his travels to stock up!

So, that was my cheek of the week ... I will also share my other Kiko products that I rate in the future.

Anyone else tried Kiko, what are your thoughts?

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Cheek of the Week!

This weeks cheek is a new blush I purchased last week. I don't own many cream blushes so thought since Spring is on it's way (even though snow is lashing down outside my window right now!), it was about time to dabble in some cream blush investment.

I decided on Nars Penny Lane. It is such a lovely subtle pink with hints of peach and a slight mauve undertone. I imagine this is the kind of colour that will look very different on varied skin tones.
I apply this either with my finger tips or a Mac 109 brush. It leaves a lovely flush to my cheeks and works well whether I'm tan or pale. It reminds me of a nicer, richer, more pigmented and obviously cream version of Benefit Dandelion.

Anyone else tried Penny Lane?

What is your cheek of the week?

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Cheek of the Week!

Getting the time to blog this week has been hard! I have been moving flat this weekend, which has been a complete nightmare ... I really don't recommend it guys! Too much stress and disorganisation!


Anyway, my cheek of the week didn't happen last week so lets pick it up again from here. This weeks cheek belongs to Bobbi Brown and it just happens to be my all time favourite blush. I even wore it on my wedding day.

(apologies for the terrible photos - i am restricted to my iphone at the moment)

It's Bobbi Brown Apricot. This is it in the old style BB packaging, I believe it now comes in a square package - man, i'm so out of date. Anyway, the shade is not quite the peachy apricot tone you may expect, it is a lot more pinky but a lovely warm pink with definite hints to it's apricot name.



This is the type of blush you can really over-do on the cheeks and come out looking like a trendy Aunt Sally ... if you can imagine such a thing?! Or you can just go for a subtle flush across the cheeks.

When all else fails this is the blush I am most likely to go to.

Things might be quiet on the blog front for the next week or so but my broadband will be installed by the end of the week so normal service will resume :)

x

CHEEK OF THE WEEK!

Most Monday mornings, I pick out some make up for the day ahead and more often or not this is what I stick to for the whole week. I rise so early for work (usually 5.30am) so I need to have a routine that will take 10 minutes and products that are ready and waiting for me.

My blush is the main product that will never change through the working week - I pick a colour and stick to it. However, I never wear the same shade the following week - I like to switch it up ... it just makes work make up more interesting for me (and puts my stash to good use). So that's how I came up for the idea of 'Cheek of the Week'. Every week I will showcase what colour I have been wearing why I am using it and what I think of the product.

Cheek of the Week: MAC Hello Kitty Fun & GamesYesterday marked the beginning of March ... this means we are about to hit Spring, Yay! I have been sans fake tan throughout Winter but I am preparing for it's Springtime return, so to phase it in, I have bronzed my face a little.

MAC Fun&Games from the Hello Kitty collection was a lovely and subtle choice to go with this not quite tanned but subtly sunkissed look. Its a pale peach shade that provides a sheer coverage but is easy to build up colour if you so wish. (above teamed with Nars Laguna bronzer).

It has the slightest golden shimmer through it that helps give the skin a springtime glow. This blush is really nice for pale skins and redheads but equally as gorgeous as a subtle hint of a tint of peach on darker skintones.

Wonder what I will wear for next weeks Cheek of the Week - any suggestions?

x