Wednesday, February 05, 2014

AK Wig Designs Review


Hey Beauties!

I was recently sent this gorgeous wig by Anthony from AK Wig Designs, its a custom made blue bouffant type wig that i absolutely love!
This wig is a full lace front wig with a few inches of spare lace that can be cut to measure with combs in the sides and backs to secure it to your head it also comes with ties in the back of the wig. I find that gluing the lace down works best as it wont even move once you put it on, i use spirit gum to apply it 



As you can see above you cant even see the lace or connection it just looks like my hair which i think is amazing because with some lace fronts i can either see the lace or its not been cut properly but i absolutely love this wig because it was so easy to custom fit and the fact that its not at all heavy even though there is a lot of hair there







If you like these wigs  you can find more at www.akwigdesigns.com, Anthony creates all his wigs by hand and styles them as well but what i really love is he offer a service where he will restore old wigs they wont look new but they will be restyled and make to look presentable. Prices for these wigs are around £97-£200 they price is high because they are such great quality wigs you wont be disapointed, i can safely say from my time talking to Anthony it was a very simple easy and friendly process to get the wig.

What do you think of the wig?
What is your favourite?
Leave a Comment!



I'm happy to answer any and all questions.
For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog

If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!



*PR SAMPLE.
All opinions on this product are my own

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Superdrug Celebrity Weight Scales Backlash


Hey Beauties 

I dont usually blog about these things but i had to give my opinion on this as i think the media is to blame for a lot of problems these days.
Superdrug tweeted today about these "Celebrity Weight Scales" where you could weigh yourself and see what weight you are in relation to celebrity.Superdrug said that this was to take away the stigma of weight and get more people talking but i think its such a bad idea because you should never compare yourself to another celebrity, Not to mention that there are young teens out there wanting to look like these stars and the fact they basically have a guide to looking like Cheryl Cole or Beyonce is horrible

I honestly dont know why the people at Superdrug thought this would be a good idea because the psychological repercussions could be really bad imagine someone having body issues already and finding out that youre 3 celebrites away from who you love it could lead to an even bigger rise in eating disorders in the UK which are already at an all time high.
Cheryl Cole tweeted that she didnt even want to be involved in this whole thing so that just shows you how controversial this whole thing is


Although superdrug did issue a statement about the outcry and backlash about the scales but there was no apology or even non apology, i think its really irresponsible not to even own up to mistakes that they have made now and also in the past for previous fat/weight shaming



What do you think of this situation?
Was just a PR stunt to get people talking?
Leave a Comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'
Thanks for Reading! 

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Spring 2014


OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) is one of those companies everyone knows and loves! 2014 brings you a brand new collection from OCC called Plastic Passion* launching in Spring 2014 (February 1st to be precise) I was lucky enough to get to try a few bits before launch to let my readers know what i think, you are going to love the new Liptars there are 6 new colours in 2 different formulas, Matte and Metallic! 


I love the Matte formula it reminds me of the Lime Crime Velvetines in which they apply like a lipgloss and look shiney until they dry down to a Matte texture mixed with the fact they stain as well they will stay on your lips for countless hours! 
I have the colours Rollergirl which is a cool purple i love purples i think they suit me where as with Mannequin which is a very cool blue based pink quite like Illamasqua Liv Lipstick doesn't suit me its a bit to pale for me. The texture isnt super sticky but it does feel like a normal gloss when you first apply it then it dries down and its fine i dont have any problems with the texture but one thing you might have a problem with is if you dont like mint then you might not like these because they do have a slight minty smell to them which i love but others might not

Left to Right- Rollergirl, Mannequin, Pleasure Model
Left to Right- Rollergirl.  Pleasure Model, Mannequin
As you can see above the metallic one wasn't (Pleasure Mode) really showing up on camera but in real life its gorgeous! Its a metallic pearlescent pink to me when it goes metalic its looks rather peachy as well.
All the colours that i got to try were all really opaque you only need a tiny but to cover your entire lips.


Each Liptar is £11.95 and contains 10ML of product. You can purchase these from www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk on February 1ss when the collection launches the entire collection looks gorgeous





I'm happy to answer any and all questions.
For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog

If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!



*PR SAMPLE.
All opinions on this product are my own

Monday, January 27, 2014

Illamasqua Beguile Pure Pigment Review


Hey Beauties! 

As all you regular readers will know that i am obsessed with Illamasqua, they are such an amazing brand not only for their products but also the way they value their customers and loyal fans of the brand something i don't see a lot of other brands doing.

Colour and Pigmentation

Beguile is my favourite pigment from Illamasqua simply because its so versatile it can be used on the eyes, mixed with lipgloss, used on nails etc, 2014 is all about versatility so its a winner for me. Beguile is described as a light pearl shimmer with flecks of green, blue and pink shimmer. I find that when you apply it dry just as a glitter its just a shimmer thats really it but when you layer it with other products thats when it looks amazing, I often use the Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in particularly "Fantasme" which helps the pigment to stick to the lids and also gives it a litte more pigment. You could also use it with the Sealing Gel that Illamasqua sells and apply that over your eyeshadow.


  
Wear Time

The wear time will vary with this depending on how you use the product, if you mix this with Sealing Gel then you're guaranteed it will last a long time i've used it this way before and it lasted all night at least 6 hours, if you use with on its own dry i wouldn't recommend it because it wont last and you get a lot of fall down and it ends up everywhere.I find it personally works best for me with cream bases like the Illusion D'Ombre because the pigment has something to grab on too.

Top- Pigment with Illusion D'Ombre base
Bottom- Pigment on its own (Dry)
Packaging

I love the versatility of these pigments and the colours but i hate the packaging, its just not good theres no other way to say it. Its bascially a little box that you pull open but you have to be so careful that you don't pull to hard because if you do it goes everywhere and even if you are careful it still goes everywhere and don't get me started on trying to travel with these little containers, they open and go everywhere! I think personally it would be better in a twist top bottle type container as you arnt likely to spill it everywhere while opening it. Aesthetically speaking the packaging is gorgeous and it keeps that Illamasqua shape with the logo on the lip but for practicality the packaging is horrible



Beguile was used on my eyes as a highlight


Price and Where to Buy

The Pure Pigments contain 1.3g of product and they are £16.50 from Illamasqua Counters or online at Illamasqua.com

What do you think of this Pigment?
What is your favourite?
Leave a Comment!




I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!

Saturday, January 25, 2014

My Top 5 Products for 2014


Hey Beauties!

I thought this would be quite a good post because it shows 5 products i think everyone needs in 2014 3 of them are high end and the other drugstore so there is some variance there.

My first pick is the Benefit Dandelion Ultra Plush Lipgloss (£14.50) which is a pearly pink colour, its so cute if you just want a hint of colour on your lips or if you just like using lipgloss it also makes a great addition to lipstick put this on top for a gorgeous shine. I really like these lipglosses simply because they arnt sticky at all they are more of a gel texture so thats a big plus for me



My next pick is the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush (£15.50) (full review) in any shade, i recently review the colour "Glamour" which is a Terracotta Pink its perfect for any skin tone which makes it really versatile i like the fact you can build up the pigment with these either have a sheer wash of colour or something bright and eye catching



Then we have something which i use on a day to day basis the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray which comes in 2 sizes the 75ml is £18 or the 300ml is £38. What i like best about this product is that it can be used in a number of different ways either on shorter hair to give a messy texture or it can be used in longer hair to create texture or volume its great to use for teasing.



My last highend pick has to be the Makeup Atelier Paris Gel Eyeliner (£13) (full review) simply because its so versatile it can be used as a smudge proof/water resistant base that can be blended out to create a gorgeous smokey eye or as its intended purpose as an eyeliner. I think the big selling point of this eyeliner is the fact its smooth like butter so its a dream to apply but once you apply it its not coming off unless you physically remove it with a good waterproof makeup remover


My final pick would have the be the KIKO Velvet Mat Lipstick (£6.90) (full review) this one in particular shade 604 which is a bright orange which would be perfect for Spring/Summer. I love the texture of these lipsticks they go on really softly and as they are a Velvet Mat they do tend to last longer than some lipsticks another thing i like is the pigment 1 swipe and you have a really bright orange lip 
What are your top picks for 2014?
Leave a Comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions.


For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'


Thanks for Reading!

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Givenchy to launch Prismissime Lip and Cheek Palette for SS14

Givenchy is launching a new collection this month called "Over Rose"  which will be featuring this gorgeous lip and cheek palette, Prismissime Euphoric Pink whats special about this palette it that it will be the first lip and cheek Prismissime that Givenchy will have done. One thing that might bother you is how much it costs its priced at £44.50 which is a hefty price tag for something like this but seeing as it is so high quality its worth it. The  Prismissime Euphoric Pink Lip & Cheek Palette will feature a non-sticky formula which spreads easily on the lips, ensuring perfect hold and comfort. This palette also comes with 3 applicators 2 for the lips and one for cheeks but in my opinion they never work that well anyway so i dont know how good they will be. The palette contains 9 lip and cheek colours in various matte pink shades: Passionate, Loving, Youthful, Romantic, Tender, Childlike, Aphrodisiac, Sentimental and Dreamer. The collection launches on the 21st January on counters nationwide

I really like this palette just because its quite cute and there are some very bold shades there anyone who reads my blog will know im not one for beiges and nudes. The fact this palette contain so many unique shades and all matte is something that really makes me happy because i find everything is all about glossy and satin not nearly enough people wear matte lips.


What do you think of this palette?
Have you tried Givenchy before?
Leave a Comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!

Friday, January 03, 2014

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Glamour Review



Hey Beauties!
I recently found out from Daniel that he had launched a new Watercolour Blush called Glamour*, and you know me how much i love Daniels brand i had to try it!

Colour and Pigmentation

Glamour is a gorgeous Peachy Pink or as Daniel says a "Terracotta Pink" which dries down to a matte finish which looks really natural. Glamour is a shade i havent seen much about lately its quite a unique colour in that respect, what i also really like about this blush is that from what ive found it seems to suit a lot of different skin tones from really pale to deep skin which i think is great because 2014 is all about multifunctioning products, although its called "Watercolour Blush" it looks really nice if you apply a bit of lip balm and this on top for a sheer lip colour.
Glamour like all of the other watercolour blushes are extremely pigmented you will only need a tiny drop for both cheeks, Daniel suggests using his watercolour brush specifically for this product its also a great contour brush (Full Review Here) 


Wear Time

I like to think the watercolour blush is an all round great product because it has a great colour and pigment but also lasts a long time, since it dries down to a matte finish you would think it would last longer and it really does if i want a good colour on my cheeks say if im in drag i can either use this sheerly or cake it on basically and know that it will stay in place i think the longest it has ever lasted for me is about 9 hours? that was when i was on a night out.

Packaging

The packaging really reminds me of airbrush makeup right down to the ball bearing in the bottle, because of the formula it does require shaking so adding the little ball bearing is a great touch. The Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush comes in a small dropper bottle with a twist lid containing 15ml of product



Price and Where to Buy

You can purchase the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Glamour from DanielSandler.com for £15.50. You can also buy from Beauty Mart and online at UrbanOutfitters.com in the United States




I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!


*PR SAMPLE.
All opinions on this product are my own

Wednesday, January 01, 2014

Reflection on 2013


Hey Beauties!

This year for me has been a year of growth, Ive become more confident in myself and what i do where as in 2012 i was still so unsure of myself.
I like to think that 2013 was one of the best years ive had so far simply because of all the stuff i managed to do in 2013 for one i went to London myself for the first time and for someone with Aspergers thats a big thing but i wasnt alone in London i had the company of the amazing Jayne who kindly let me stay at hers for the weekend of the IMATS we both went together and had a great time throughout the weekend i felt amazing i finally got a taste of what it felt like to be "normal" and it was amazing and to think during that weekend i met my idols, Alex Box and David Horne something i thought would never happen. That was also the weekend i got to meet some of the bloggers i talked to for so long we sat down and had lunch and went shopping it was amazing. 

Although IMATS was a big part of the year for me giving that i was away from home in London it wasnt the only big thing that happened. To my surprise i was actually nominated for a Cosmopolitan Magazine Blog Award for Best Established Beauty Blog and i thought nothing would come of it until i was told i was shortlisted out of 430000 entries i was shortlisted with some insanely popular blogs its safe to say i was quite shocked at how it had happened, once again i went to London again by myself but this time stayed with another friend who kindly lent me a sofa to sleep on while i was there haha! the event itself was amazing i still couldnt believe i was there, i didnt win but the experience itself was absolutely amazing. The fact i had gotten that far just made me even more determined to keep blogging and win next year haha

While back home a lot had happened, this year be it events linked to beauty blogging anyone who knows me knows i love a Benefit event haha they do the best events in Scotland, if only from the big brands.

In my personal life things aside from beauty blogging where pretty cool too, i got to meet Manila Luzon (Karl and hang around with him for the day and go shopping hes someone i really admire just because hes beautiful in drag but hes a bit weird which is totally me haha also this brought new friends people i would have never had met if it wasnt for Manila Luzon and im really appreciateive  that happened

The last thing about this year i wanted to say was about Blogging i know everyone has been talking about this topic a lot lately and  i have to agree that to an extent blogging has changed a lot its more about "business" now rather than pleasure a lot of bloggers now are very professional and have magazine- esque blogs gone are the days of the homegrown bloggers who blog because its fun as youve seen with vloggers in 2013 that has exploded look at Tanya Burr for example i see the same happening to bloggers and i can see it already with people like Vivianna from VDM. I think in a sense its great because people and brands are starting to take us seriously and give us the credit that we deserve for the things we do.

2013 ended on a great note for me as i reached 1000 followers on Bloglovin which to me thats a massive achievement that im really proud of but also wondering a 1000 people like to know what i think about things? ...why/ i talk crap haha

Happy New Year Beauties!


What has your 2013 been like?
Whats been your favourite moment?
Leave a Comment!




I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!


Saturday, December 28, 2013

Best of Beauty 2013


Hey Beauties!
I cannot believe its been nearly a year since i posted my favourites for 2012! It seems like 2013 has just flew by and its over already which to be is insane because i feels like just yesterday i posted about 2012.

I have had quite a lot of favourites this year i can never really narrow down what have been my favourites but i do have a selection here. My favourite base this year has really been a surprise to me and its the Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow, now if you have been a long time reader of my blog you will know i hated Benefit foundations before the launch of Hello Flawless. For primers i love the Daniel Sandler Retexturising Primer and literally no primer comes anywhere close to this just because of the results its gives it holds your makeup on for ages, it has SPF and it smooths everything out so it shrinks pores fine lines are smoothed out but best of all it can be used everywhere! Eyes, Lips, Face etc but the one thing it doesnt do is hydrate thats where Illamasqua Hydra Veil comes in this is an amazing product as it hydrates the skin so well it has the weirdest texture though, it feels like Jelly! and on my dry skin Hydra Veil is the best thing ever! This year i have been crazy for eye bases and anything to do with the eyes so i have chosen a few of my favourites, Chanel Illusion D'ombre, OCC Cream Colour Concentrate and sometimes i like to use Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora on the eyes because it gives such a gorgeous sheen. For cheeks we have the gorgeous Chanel Cream Blushes! i couldnt pick one so i just picked in general these have the best texture and amazing wear time and finally for brows i picked the Maybelline Brow Studio Eyebrow Mascara simply because it works for me and it lasts you can check out my full review of it here. I do have one favourite for eyeliner this year and it has been one of the best on the market in my eyes and its the Illamasqua Gel Eyeliner which is the blackest black eyeliner ive ever used it applies so smoothly and lasts for a very long time so you can see why i love it so much!

I wanted to give a special shout out to my favourite eyeshadow palette off the year which is the Daniel Sandler Scandal at Midnight Palette its this gorgeous neutral palette but can be used to create really dramatic night makeups

As you can see this palette is so versatile i think this is my favourite palette ever! The black is truest black it doesn't fade or go grey, the Brown tone is really quite taupe like depending on how much you blend it looks awesome in the brows and the White is just so pretty the perfect highlight.

I also have a hair products favourites as because of beauty blogging ive been getting more into hair as well so i thought id show you what i used the most this year


These 6 products are the products i always tend to use be it a combination of them or just one or two of them.
Earlier this year Oribe was kind enough to send me some of their product line to try and since then ive never looked back yes this range might be insanely expensive but i feel like i need them in  my life! The Dry Texturising Spray has to be my favorite styling product its great for long hair but i found out its really amazing for short hair as well i often use this to texturise my hair and give it bulk usually its used with my OSIS Mess Up Matt Gum which is my absolutely favorite for a more "floppy quiff" sometimes i swap the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray for the Label M Resurrection Dust it just depends how i feel but if i want something more structured and hard i will use the Bumble and Bumble Sumotech with the Oribe Hairspray which is a light hold but it does hold hair in place! but if not for the Label M Protein Spray none of that would happen simply because it is literally to put a finer point on it "the dogs bollocks" Ive literally gotten my whole family addicted to using protein spray after washing their hair. All you need to do is spray it into the hair and blow dry it and it will make the overall condition of your hair much better as its bascially hair food. it has a built in heat protectant as well so it literally does everything!


What are your favourites of 2013?
Do we share some favourites?
Leave a Comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!


Monday, December 23, 2013

Get the Look: Christmas Party


Merry Christmas Beauties!

So i was looking through my Tumblr and i saw this gorgeous image and thought it was the perfect Christmas look for if youre going out to a party and since Christmas Day is on Wednesday i thought i would do a get the look post sooner.

The products i thought would be great for this look are:

1. Illamasqua Skin Base
2. Daniel Sandler Heavy Cover Concealer
3. Illamasqua Gleam- Aurora
4. Sleek MakeUP Ultra Matte Palette 
5. YSL Baby Doll Mascara
6. Illamasqua Brow Cake- Thunder
7. MAC Harmony Blush
8. Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush- Cherub
9. Daniel Sandler Microbubble Lipstick - Micro Red

Start of with Illamasqua Skin Base apply it in small layers dont be tempted to cake it up this look is all about glowy skin, then apply the Daniel Sandler Heavy Cover Concealer where you need it this will make your skin look as fresh as possible as youre not using a heavy foundation. Next we are going to talk about eyes I really love the eyes on this look because they are really simple use the Sleek Ultra Matte Palette firstly apply the white over the entire lids and blend upwards then use the black on the outer portion of the lid and blend upwards into a point and to blend out the harsh black we are going to use the brown tone on top of the black and then bring it under the eyes as well but not to far into the eyes as to close them off. Finish with some YSL Baby Doll Mascara Now move onto the brows using the Illamasqua Brow Cake in thunder to define the brows then move onto the cheeks and first apply the Harmony blush as the contour to define the cheeks then apply the Watercolour Blush in Cherub. 
Lastly we have the lips which i love a red lip its just perfect for christmas! i picked Daniel Sandler Microbubble in Micro Red because its such a perfect traditional red, personally i would use a lip brush to apply because it makes for neater more precise lips.

If you have any suggestions on future "Get the Look" posts please leave a comment!

What is your go to Christmas look?
What are you doing for Christmas?
Leave a Comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions send me a tweet @AndrewJamesBlog
If you love my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!


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