First Look at FashionistA

Ok, so I am fibbing slightly about it being my "first" look because I already have one of their Magnetized Nail Polishes, but this is my first look at any of their face range.  

I have known of FashionistA for some time (even before I bought the nail varnish), but I had never tried any of their products.  

FashionistA isn't an expensive brand but, for me, the £4.00 that I would spend on one of their solo shadows, I could buy an entire 8 colour MUA Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette! However, now that I have all of the MUA Palettes I didn't really have an excuse.  

I was having a mooch around Maidstone today and, as is expected (by myself if no one else) I had to go in Superdrug! 

Straight up the make up aisle having a child in a sweet shop moment, I saw the FashionistA stand and decided to have a closer look.  

From what I know of FashionistA they offer a range of solo eyeshadows and blushers which you can "pop" out of their casing to customize your ideal palette, which has room for 4 shadows.  

At £5.00 per empty palette and £4.00 for each eyeshadow/blush I had, as mentioned above, previously passed the FashionistA stand by, despite all of the beautiful colours trying to entice me.  Today however, I decided that I would finally buy at least 1 FashionistA eyeshadow. I then noticed that if you bought the palette and 4 solos to fill it you would save £9!, basically buying 3 solos for £12 and then getting the 4th and the palette free...well how could I possibly pass up such a bargain.  

Now was the difficult bit, deciding which shadows I was going to get...

I decided to opt for 3 eyeshadows to create my preferred dramatic, smokey eye and 1 blush, all to be housed in a shiny black palette with FashionistA written all over the lid in a matted black.

© Gemma Peters 2012

When looking for my shadows I was instantly drawn to the baked ones, which have swirls of glittery colours going through them, so I decided it had to be 3 of them.  

The first one I got, which will act as my highlighter is BELLA. A beautiful, shimmery white with swirls of iridescent white and bronze/gold through it.  This shadow is super shimmery and I can't wait to use it!

© Gemma Peters 2012

The next colour I went for was BEWITCHED, which is a gorgeous mid purple tone with dark purple, pink and silver swirled through it. 

© Gemma Peters 2012

The last eyeshadow I decided to get (today at least) is GLOBE, which is an almost Royal Blue, with light blue, silvers and the same gold/bronze from Bella swirled through it.  

© Gemma Peters 2012

All of the eyeshadows that I picked are super shimmery and, therefore, may not be to everyone's tastes but, that is the beauty of FashionistA; YOU decide what colours you have in there so there is no more buying a palette and only using a few of the colours.  

I decided to make my 4th shade one of their blushers.  I went with Shade 11, GLOWING as it's the one that I think will match my skin tone.  As a rule I use baked/mosaic blush because I find them more adaptive to my skin tone, so I am quite looking forward to seeing how this performs in comparison.  

© Gemma Peters 2012

I am pleased that I have finally bought some FashionistA make up as all I have ever heard about them has been good.  FashionistA is part of the fbBeauty Family and, being an avid lover of MUA, I am expecting great things! 

I swatched the testers of the shades I bought when I was in the store and even from the lightest of touch I ended up with a load of the product on my fingers so I feel that these are going to be real value for money! 

I will of course let you know how I get on when I use the products on my face. 

© Gemma Peters 2012

Until next time, stay beautiful.

Gem xx

Have you used any FashionistA products? 

Do you have a favourite FashionistA eyeshadow? 

Do you have any FashionistA "must buys"? 

DISCLAIMER

All of the views expressed within this blog are mine and mine alone.  

I am in no way affiliated with FashionistA, fbBeauty or any of it's employees. 

All of the products mentioned within this post are mine and were bought and paid for by me. 
All images in this Blog are taken by me, unless stated otherwise. PLEASE DO NOT take my photos without my prior knowledge/consent.  

Monday Morning Make-Up

So, we've all been there, and probably will be again.  You've either had a really good weekend, or perhaps a bad night's sleep and then, before you know it, the alarm is going off and it's time to get up for work, the school run, maybe even a meeting.  If you want to carry on having the good weekends but at least make it look like you're fresh faced and ready to face the day, then follow this little make up routine and you'll have everyone, perhaps even yourself, fooled into believing that you got a good night's sleep and are feeling as fresh as a daisy! 

The first thing I started my look with this morning was Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector (BB Cream).  I received a sample of this over the weekend and, after trialling it yesterday, I decided it would be perfect for a Monday morning lift. 

©Garnier 2012

Now, I have known of BB Creams for some time but this is the first one I have actually tried and I was so pleased with the result.  I will be doing a "BB Blog" in due course so that I can go into the results, etc. 


This BB cream gave me the coverage I need for a Monday morning and really illuminated my skin, but without the need for a separate primer, concealer & foundation.  


If you like the "dewy" look then you could just leave the BB cream without any powder, I however prefer a slightly more matted base, so I then dusted with Make Up Academy (MUA)'s pressed powder in Shade 1. 


To then add some extra luminosity and radiance I swept Vivo's Baked Bronzer in Shade 3 (Healthy Glow) over the apples of my cheeks, my cheekbones, forehead, nose and chin.  

© Gemma Peters 2012

The benefit of using this particular shade of Bronzer is that it isn't orangey/dirty looking, instead the gold undertones catch the light and leave skin looking fresh, luminous and healthy.  


I then brushed Vivo's Baked Blush in Shade 1 (Peaches and Cream) on to the apples of my cheeks to give a healthy coloured glow. 

© Gemma Peters 2012

This shade of blush has pink undertones which suits my skin tone perfectly and gives me an instant "boost".  Vivo offer a range of Baked Blush so, if this particular shade doesn't suit your skin tone, I am sure you will find one in their range that does.  


Usually, for tired looking eyes, I would recommend a neutral matted shade but, today, I felt like being different so I decided to use the Baked Bronzer and Baked Blush as my eye colours! 

© Gemma Peters 2012

I swept the Baked Bronzer all over my eyelid, up to and including the brow bone.  It gave a nice shimmer without being too shimmery, and instantly brightened my eye area.  I then swept the Baked Blush over the lid up to the crease.  I only applied a light coat and it gave my eyelids a beautiful peachy tint, without turning them coral tinted! 


After lightly curling my eyelashes to help "open the eyes" I applied 1 coat of Vivo's lengthening mascara in black. I then lined my waterline with Make Up Academy (MUA)'s Intense Colour Eyeliner Pencil in Snow White which helps to make the eyes look brighter and really "pop". 

© Gemma Peters 2012

To finish and frame my eyes I enhanced my brows using Vivo's Ultimate Brow & Eye Kit.  Make up on the eyes always helps to make them look better, but nothing frames the eyes better than a good set of brows! 

© Gemma Peters 2012

For the lips I applied Make Up Academy (MUA)'s lipstick in Shade 11 which, on me, is a pretty, dusky pink.  

© Gemma Peters 2012

That on it's own looked good but to add that extra bit of moisture I topped it off with Make Up Academy (MUA)'s Love Heart Tinted Lipbalm in "Great Lips".  


And that's it, my Monday Morning Make Up Look.  This of course can be used any day of the week when you need a bit of a pick me up for your face.  

© Gemma Peters 2012

Hope this helps with the Monday morning blues.  

Until next time, stay beautiful.

Gem xx

What is your Monday Morning Make Up Routine? 
Do you have any tips for making it at least look like you're ready to face the day?

DISCLAIMER

All of the views expressed within this blog are mine and mine alone.  

I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies/products mentioned or their employees. 

All of the products mentioned within this post are mine and were bought and paid for by me.  
All images in this Blog are taken by me, unless stated otherwise. PLEASE DO NOT take my photos without my prior knowledge/consent.

My First Vivo Experience

Ok, following on from yesterday's Vivo haul here is, as promised, my review from my first experience of using Vivo products.  

I decided that I was going to try out the baked blusher & baked bronzer.

©Gemma Peters, 2012

©Gemma Peters, 2012

The eyebrow kit. 

©Gemma Peters, 2012

©Gemma Peters, 2012

The Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss in Candyfloss (the one in the middle of the picture).

©Gemma Peters, 2012

 The lengthening mascara (pictured on the left)

©Gemma Peters, 2012

And the Baked Shimmer Palette in "Chocolate Box".

©Gemma Peters, 2012

 

Once I'd applied my usual foundation and powder the first product I was ready for was the Baked Bronzer.  I had no idea how I expected this to turn out, but have only ever heard good things about them so my expectations were high.  

The shade I have is Shade 3, Healthy Glow - "A stunning bronzer with gold undertones that leave your complexion sun-kissed and gorgeous". 
 

I started by applying the product to the apples of my cheeks and sweeping it up and over my cheekbones, continuing down my nose, across my forehead and lastly a dusting on my chin.  I wouldn't say that this particular shade left me "sun-kissed", but then I wouldn't call this a typical bronzer either.  

Unlike most bronzers which either leave you looking "dirty" or "tango'd" this particular one didn't.  I don't know if it's just because I picked a really light shade, but I wouldn't class it as a bronzer. It certainly does leave your skin with a beautiful, healthy glow and almost gives the very in vogue "dewy" look. I found this product more like "radiance in a pot". It really brightened my skin and left it looking luminous and beautiful, but not in the same way a highlighter would.  It wasn't as shimmery as a highlighter, as I said, it was more "dewy".  

If you are looking specifically for a bronzer that gives you that "sun-kissed" brown/dirty look then I wouldn't recommend this product.  If however you are looking for a product that can make even dull "winter skin" look luminous and beautiful, then this is the one.  

I can't remember the price (and have lost the receipt), but I think it was around £5.00. Normally I wouldn't consider paying that much for a "powder/bronzer" but, after just 1 use and seeing how good it made my skin look, I definitely think that this is going to become a firm addition to my make up kit. In the summer I may even try it without foundation as I imagine it will compliment naturally sun-kissed skin beautifully.
 

Next it was on to the Baked Blush in Shade 1, Peaches & Cream - "A stunning blush with pink undertones to give all over warmth and colour to your complexion". 

This blush went on really smoothly and the colour is extremely buildable.  I was really impressed with the amount of product that I picked up on my brush after just one swirl. It was the perfect amount to give a beautiful, natural wash of colour.  

The blush is "shimmery" without being shiny and, combined with the bronzer, really gave my skin a healthy glow.  Perfect for combating winter skin dullness.  

I'm not sure if I would go out of my way to buy this blush again, purely because I do have a multi-tonal blush that I use on a daily basis and it suits my skin perfectly and is well within my budget.  However, if I were in Tesco and had a few spare pennies after buying the bronzer then I think the blush may well find it's way into my shopping basket.  

The next product to be put through it's paces was the Baked Shimmer Palette in Chocolate Box - "A specially baked formula enriched with high pigment colours for stunning eyes. Transform your eyes with this delicious array of eyeshadows baked into swirls of rich indulgent colours; sparkled with metallic silvers and golds that will add a touch of glamour to any occasion" (Complete with baked blusher to compliment any complexion).  

I didn't bother to swatch these colours before using them, instead I just jumped straight in and put them on my eyes. Thankfully I wasn't disappointed.  

I put "shade 1" (next to the blush) on my eyelid, "shade 2" was used to line my upper and lower lash lines, "shade 3" was put in my socket and "shade 4" was used just past shade 3 to blend the look together.  

These eyeshadows are so unbelievably lightweight. They practically glide onto the skin and blend/build incredibly easily.  The pigmentation is also wonderful and, due to the "marbled" effect, the colours are multi-tonal and catch the light beautifully.  I actually noticed a change in the socket colour when in my bedroom in natural, quite dark lighting and in the bathroom in bright artificial light.  In my bedroom the colour looked a darker brown, but in the artificial light (and perhaps with the aid of "shade 4") it took on a brown/mauve colour and looked really pretty with the rest of the eye make up.  

I do love the look of these eyeshadows and think the quality of them is great.  However, again, I am not sure that I would go out of my way to make sure I could buy them again as I do have plenty of eyeshadows from my "go to" brand that I love equally as much and that perform just as well for a fraction of the cost. 

After finishing with the eyeshadow it was on to the Lengthening Mascara - "Transforms lashes with dramatic effect". 

I was really looking forward to using the Lengthening Mascara as, after having a sneak peek yesterday, it looked really fibrous so I was expecting good things!

I am currently on a quest to find my "Ultimate Mascara" (see my video here) so thought I would kick the quest off with this mascara.  

I have to say that, for a mascara that boasts "dramatic effect" I was disappointed.  I don't think that my lashes looked all that much longer and were certainly not dramatically transformed.  

However, that said, this mascara coated my lashes beautifully with one stroke of the wand and didn't clump after 2 coats (without combing).  It did give lovely separation and definition of the lashes but not the length that I was hoping for after reading it's description.  

I wouldn't buy this particular mascara again but, if anyone out there is after a good all rounder of a mascara that will stay put all day, won't flake, won't clump but will provide good coverage and definition to the lashes then this may be the one for you.  I am still to try the volume mascara offering so who knows, maybe that will make it to my "Ultimate Mascara" Shortlist.   

To finish my eyes it was on to the Ultimate Brow & Eye Kit - "Work wonders with this exclusive Brow and Eye Kit that will add contour and definition to frame eyes perfectly for a professional look. Complete with a lightweight gel that will fix brows in place all day long".  

I decided to use my own angle brush, rather than the one provided with the kit (as this is too soft for my liking).  

I swept the "highlighter" shade under my brow to start with and then filled in with the mid shade.  To add definition I defined the edges with the darker shade.  I didn't use the brow gel this time around.  

I was pleased with the colour payout, blendability and longevity of this product.  I have been wearing it all day and it hasn't smudged or faded at all.  

I probably will be buying this product again as I like to switch between brow products (depending on the look I want to achieve) so it would be nice to have a product that I know I can depend on to give a natural finish that stays put all day.  

©Gemma Peters, 2012

©Gemma Peters, 2012

To complete the look I decided to use the Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss in Shade 1, Candy Floss - "A colour intense formula with brush applicator that gives lips instant vibrancy and sparkle for a full and even coverage". 

Now, anyone who knows me will know that I am like a magpie for all things sparkly, which is the only reason I was so attracted to these lip glosses.  

After giving the tube quite a squeeze to get the product flowing I was really pleased with the coverage from just a small amount.  The gloss itself didn't feel too sticky or gloopy when on and didn't leave your lips with that "just fallen in a vat of syrup" feeling.  

Candy Floss is a really pretty, light pink and the gloss itself has a really nice shine. The glitter in this gloss though is amazing and really makes the lips sparkle - it catches the light like a mirrorball! 

I should think I will be buying the lipgloss again, mostly for the glittery shine that it can offer and then for the colour. 

©Gemma Peters, 2012

Overall I am pleased with my 1st Vivo experience and I do like the products however, I will mostly be sticking with my trusted "go to" brand for my day to day make up and my quest to find my "Ultimate Mascara" continues... 

Until next time, stay beautiful.

Gem xx

Have you used any Vivo products? 

If so, what are your faves? 

Do you have any Vivo "must buys"? 

DISCLAIMER

All of the views expressed within this blog are mine and mine alone.  

I am in no way affiliated with Vivo or fbBeauty or any of it's employees. 

All of the products mentioned within this post are mine and were bought and paid for by me.  
All images in this Blog are taken by me, unless stated otherwise. PLEASE DO NOT take my photos without my prior knowledge/consent.  

My VIVO Cosmetics Haul

Hi all and welcome to the first installment on my brand spanking new Make Up Blog! *woohoo* 
 

Today I finally managed to find a Tesco store relatively close to me that stocks the Vivo range of cosmetics.  

I have known about Vivo for some time and have been very keen to try their stuff, especially their baked blushers, baked bronzers and eyeshadows, but I have never been able to find a Tesco within a 30 mile radius that stocks it.  

Last weekend when I was doing a bridal make up trial the bride asked me if I could apply false eyelashes for her and I agreed. When she presented me with a box of Vivo lashes I couldn't hide my excitement and it was her that told me that her local Tesco (about 20 minutes from me) stocks Vivo!! 

I decided to wait until today to go and check the stock out and when I got there I had a real "kid in a candy store" moment.  There were baked blushers and baked bronzers, eyeshadow galore, lipstick & glosses, false eyelashes, mascaras, eyeliners, BB Cream (gutted they didn't have any in my shade!), and more besides.  

15 minutes and just over £30.00 later I now have quite a nice Vivo collection to be getting on with.  

I have done a video today of my haul (click link to view).  I have also taken several photographs, but will save them until I do my actual review but, in the meantime, here is a photo of my little collection: 

© Gemma Peters 2012

I purchased the following: 

• Baked Blush - Shade 1, Peaches & Cream
• Baked Bronze - Shade 3, Healthy Glow
• Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss - Shade 1, Candy Floss 
• Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss - Shade 2, Summer Fruits 
• Diamond Sparkle Lip Gloss - Shade 3, Sheer Spice 
• Volume Mascara - Brown/Black
• Lengthening Mascara - Black 
• Trio Eyeshadow Palette - Be-Dazzled 
• Ultimate Brow & Eye Kit 
• Baked Shimmer Palette - Paparazzi 
• Baked Shimmer Palette - Chocolate Box 

Some of the products seemed a little pricey for what they are and if it were my "daily use" brand I'm not sure I would want to be paying some of the prices.  However, if these products live up to the reputation that goes along with the Vivo/fbBeauty name then perhaps I can widen my make up allowance each month to include a couple of Vivo products...

I can't wait to get to use the products and will probably have a play with some of them over the weekend.  I will of course let you all know how I get on.  

Until next time, stay beautiful.

Gem xx

Have you used any Vivo products? 

If so, what are your faves? 

Do you have any Vivo "must buys"? 

DISCLAIMER

All of the views expressed within this blog are mine and mine alone.  

I am in no way affiliated with Vivo or fbBeauty or any of it's employees. 

All of the products mentioned within this post are mine and were bought and paid for by me.  
All images in this Blog are taken by me, unless stated otherwise. PLEASE DO NOT take my photos without my prior knowledge/consent.