Sunday, December 30, 2012

Posting more things aimed at my male readers.



Hey Beauties!

Im just making a small post to tell you that i will be posting more male makeup/skincare/grooming posts on my blog to help out the male readers of my blog. So far i have a few ideas such as:

  • How to take care after shaving
  • My Routine
  • How to combat oily skin
  • Male Makeup
If you have any suggestions please comment them below or tweet me @AndrewJamesMUA


What would you like to see?
Do you think its a good idea?
Leave a comment! 




I'm happy to answer any and all questions, ask me on Twitter @AndrewJamesBlog
If you like my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

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Andrew James
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Favourite Beauty Blogs of 2012


Hey Beauties!

I read a lot of blogs, I have to say its kind of a guilty pleasure that takes up a lot of my time but in reading all these blogs i have my favourites ones that i check all the time and through out 2012 I have found some amazing new blogs and some blogs ive liked since about 2010.



British Beauty Blogger- This has to be my favourite blog ever, Jane is such a great person with such an amazing insight into the beauty/blogging "thing" Her blog is just heaven to me and to be honest the reason why i buy a lot of stuff haha!



Jaynes Kitschen- I love Jayne's blog so much its just a great blog for all different kinds of things really from Makeup, Skin Care, Nails everything really. Her blog is one i could actually sit and read for hours


MakeupBeautyShopping- Nuala's Blog is just so bright pink and girly its so awesome haha its the epitome of girl, i love it. What I love most about her blog is that she just writes as if she were talking to you rather than just writing and describing something i think this is an awesome quality to be honest



Pixiwoo- what can i say that hasnt already been said about Pixiwoo, they are amazing and  i have actually learnt so much from them as well as the things they show and review are just amazing, quality products that actually work, they tell it like it is and i really admire that quality



ManFaceBlog- One of my go to blogs on Skin Care, the amount of Knowledge that Thom has on skin care is amazing he knows something for everything and something for everyone. His posts are always laid out and written really well so they are easy and a pleasure to read



Pampered Prince- Andy is my other go to skin care/grooming blog is knowledge is unrivalled ((...apart from with Thom hah)) He blogs mostly on grooming/skin care for men which i find is really lacking in the blogging world as men are becoming more aware of things like this its great to give them a helping hand!



ChristineIversen- This blog has to be one of my favourite more popular blogs just because as ive said before she is really nice but says it how it is, her posts are always really interested to read and not to mention shes really nice to talk to as well!



What are your favourite blogs for 2012?
Check out my favourites!
Leave a comment!


I'm happy to answer any and all questions, ask me on Twitter @AndrewJamesBlog
If you like my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!
Andrew James
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Monday, December 24, 2012

Andrew James' Favourites of 2012

This years favourites have been hard to narrow down because I have had so many favourites through out the course of the year, so i managed to create a different category for everything to make it easier.

Skin Care and Primers-




I cant say enough about these 4 amazing products, the Estee Lauder "Take It Away" Makeup Remover is one of the best removers i have ever used, its has enough power to remove stains from the lips if say you wanted to change it, it removes all waterproof makeup and it even removes ever trace of Double Wear Foundation from Estee Lauder which you all know is really thick!

Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser is quite a new thing to me but made a massive impact on my Makeup Artist Kit, I first found out about it from Holly Arabella she had a blog post on it and then send me some to try and i was hooked, its a moisturiser which mattifies the skin but also it moisturises so well, so if you have dry oily skin this is perfect for you because it doesn't add to the oil.

The cult product Elizabeth Arden "8 Hour Cream" has become one of the best products in my kit for those who have really dry skin that needs moisturising. This is the unscented one as i find a lot of people prefer this as to the scented one which I personally hate but without the smell im hooked its a staple to my kit now

Daniel Sandler Retexturizing Primer has become my No.1 Primer in my kit and tends to be the only one i reach for as i find it works with everyone to give that flawless base for foundation. It smooths everything out and mattifies but doesn't dry it minimises pours and just looks amazing without this in my kit I don't think id be as happy as i am now to apply makeup nothing beats this


Base and Concealer-

Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer which is a small pot of foundation/concealer which is the fullest coverage i have ever seen but can be sheered down to that of a tinted moisturiser if needed

Illamasqua Skin Base the perfect foundation for anyone in my opinion i use it on all of my clients and a number of them have actually went out to buy it because it looked so good on their skin, its fully HD containing no SPF so its perfect for photography.

Kick Ass Concealer by Soap and Glory, another amazing product it contains a concealer, a Brightening corrector and a powder to set everything. It works to cover the under eye circles with its brightening concealer that amazingly does a fantastic job i find myself reaching for this all the time. 

MAC Studio Finish Corrector in Pure Orange is perfect for correcting blue tones or darkness under the eyes its amazing on all skin tones from the darkest to the lightest and then last we have the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, a cult classic perfect for brightening and lightening under the eyes and giving some "glow" to the face if used on the high points of the face and around the lips for a gorgeous pout!

Cheek Products-


One staple in my kit is the Illamasqua Blush in Intrigue which is a matte white blush which is so intently pigmented its crazy haha. Its perfect for highlighting on the eyes, on the cheeks anything! I really like using this as a brow highlight or a base for eyeshadow

Tom Ford Narcissist Blush is a bright bright pink that is so pigmented you need a really light hand to apply or you risk the clown look. I really love this because its not completely matte its almost a satin finish it looks amazing on the cheeks!

MAC Pro Sculpting Cream in Pure Sculpture is now my go to contour. Contouring with creams is so much better than with powders as you have more control and it doesnt look powdery so it looks real as the colour is perfect for contouring. Its long lasting and  just .....perfect!

MAC Harmony Blush is a powder version of Pure Sculpture for contouring this used to be my go to for contouring but that has been replaced 

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blushes have to be my favourite cream/fluid blushes they have such an amazing texture and are so buildabe the colour pay off is great. Icing has to be my favourite because its a highlighting colour which has pink undertones so it looks great as a highlight its like Benefits highbeam but better


Eyes-

If anyone knows me they know im obsessed with using bases on the eyes (creams) then building with a powder, a few i love are the Tom Ford Cream For Eyes, Illamasqua Cream Eyeshadow and the Makeup Atelier Gel Waterproof Eyeliner which can be used as a base. All have great lasting powder and give an even coverage so the eyeshadow looks its best.

The Body Shop Super Volume Mascara has to be one of my favourite mascara's ever because its got such a great formula that helps the lashes to look thick and luscious so that just makes the eyes look amazing, it lasts ages and doesnt flake at all

Makeup Atelier Eyeshadows are something else literally there is nothing like them on the market they are beyond pigmented and last so long you wouldnt believe, they are creamy even though they are a powder which is quite interesting in my opinion

Illamasqua Brow Cake has to be my favourite brow powder because half the time i find brow powders arnt as pigmented as i would like them to be, with this its great because i cant use it as i can use it pigmented or sheered down as well as using it wet for really arched and defined for brows

Lips-

I wasnt going to talk about these products much as they are all amazing,  I really like the lipglosses although the Chanel Glossimers are a bit sticky they are still amazing. the Illamasqua Lipstick in Eurydice is my favourite lipstick from Illamasqua! The lipliners I chose were MAC Nightmoth, No.7 Nude, No.7 Red which are all amazing liners that go on smoothly and cover the lips perfectly with great pigment


 
I have to disagree with a lot of people who say they love the Shu Uemura Eyelash curlers but i really love the Kevyn Aucoin ones because they give such an amazing curl and the curl holds, I have both pairs but i like these much more

What were your favourites this year?
What do you think of mine?
Leave a comment! 



I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions not about the post, ask me on Twitter @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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Thursday, December 20, 2012

TUTORIAL: Makeup look I did for Model, Jenna McGuinness

Hey Guys!

I thought I would put up a blog post to go with the Tutorial I did on YouTube. I did this makeup look on Jenna on Monday and it was for her shoot with a photographer, the brief was just to be quite dark and moody so I thought this would go best with what the brief was.



Sorry about the colour being off, i dont know what was going on the foundation looked fine in normal like in a mirror but seemed off on Camera, its my first video with white walls and a good camera! haha

Remember you can now watch in HD

Products Used

Face- 

Naked Skin Thirst Aid 12 Hour Moisturiser and Daniel Sandler Retexturizing Primer

Illamasqua Skin Base 05 and Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation- BD50 (Mixed)

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer- Medium

MAC Pro Sculpting Cream- Well Sculpted

Illamasqua Powder Blush- Intrigue 

MAC Nightmoth Lip Liner

Stila Lip Glaze Black Cherry

Eyes-

Me Me Me Cosmetics Dew Pot- Autumn Smolder

Yves Saint Laurent Pure Chromatics Palette No.1

Maybelline Eye Studio Gel Liner- Black

Kevyn Aucoin Eyelash Curlers

Maybelline Flases Mascara- Super Black


What do you think of this look?
Leave a comment!



I'm happy to answer any and all questions, ask me on Twitter @AndrewJamesBlog
If you like my blog, Don't forget to follow me by CLICKING HERE! or following me on Bloglovin'

Thanks for Reading!
Andrew James
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

NARS Rated R Duo Review




Hey Beauties!

I really love this palette!, its a really vibrant blue and a lime/yellow green from NARS called Rated R which i think is an awesome name for this palette because the colours a little out there. I really like putting the Lime/yellow green on the lid and blending then putting the blue into the socket and blending up and on the bottom lash line. This Palette would be more for a night time dramatic look finished of with a bit of black liner but for those of you who are daring enough you should totally wear it through the day

The pigmentation and pay off from these shadows is quite impressive although using a coloured base to start with helps so much as you will see below in the swatch pictures, they are soft and easily blendable but do feel a little powdery. The Blue does give a bit of fall down but just do foundation after eyes with this



I really like using a base with these shadows because it makes them look more Vibrant, i used the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Tenacious Teal which is a really nice deep aqua blue






Above I used the Urban Decay Cream Shadow in Green Grass which gave it a sort of darker tone but it still looks awesome!

These Duos can be bought from NARScosmetics.com and from NARS Counters and contains 4g of Product for £24 or $34 USD 


What do you think about these?
Do you use NARS Products?
Leave a comment!





I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions not about the post, ask me on Twitter @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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Friday, December 14, 2012

SleekMakeUP Blush by 3 Palette- 'Pink Spirit' Review


So im a bit late on the Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 as I only just managed to get a hold of them, they were sold out for the longest time in superdrug but i finally got one.

The Sleek MakeUP Blush by 3 is a palette of 3 blushes in different tones, i got the "Pink Spirit" palette which as you can tell is full of pink/warm toned blushes. For a drug store brand Sleek MakeUP always surpases other brands of the same value with its intense pigmentation whether its from the Blushes, Eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks etc. One of the things i love about Sleek MakeUP is that their packaging is actually really sleek, I love the black packaging and how the product is laid out inside its not at all something associated with the drug store
These blushes are so gorgeous when on the skin as they are matte sometimes matte blushes can look a little fake but these somehow dont they look perfect when applied with a soft hand because they are so pigmented you can go from gorgeous to clown very easily




I really like the colours in this palette, I feel like i could work on multiple skin tones with these from Light to Deep. They are really nice to apply but they do feel a bit chalky if you apply to much but you just have to make sure to use a light hand when applying.
If you want these to last a long time I always layer buy putting something like a stain then a blush that way you dont loose the colour on your cheeks

The SleekMakeUP Blush by 3 Palette's come with 20g of product fro £10 per palette which in my opinion is  great value as you are getting 3 different blushes with intense pigment and lots of product for only £10. These blushes are available from Superdrug or from the Sleek MakeUP website


What do you think of these?
What is your favourite Sleek MakeUP product?
Leave a comment!






I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions not about the post, ask me on Twitter @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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Saturday, December 08, 2012

Save or Splurge- Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner vs.Maybelline Eye Studio® Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner


Hey Beauties,
I thought I might do a comparison post today on the Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner vs. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner

I like both of these gel liners but personally I find myself reaching for the Maybelline rather than the Bobbi Brown one-

Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner-(£16.50) is a cult makeup product if you haven't tried it you have to try it. This liner is really like an almost jelly consistency. It has as the product says a long wearing formula  its smooth and ultra-pigmented. I have also found that using it on myself and models that its great on the waterline.




Maybelline Eye Studio® Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner (£6) which is pretty much the same as the Bobbi Brown Liner it has amazing pigmentation, applies softly and smoothly, lasts a long time and doesn't transfer and is quite creamy thats the only thing that is quite different is the texture, this one is more of a cream feel than gel.

 In my opinion they are both very similar and both fantastic products, I always use gel liner when i can because i prefer it to pencil liners as it looks better in my opinion not to mention I hate liquid liners so these would be my choice of liners!

Top: Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Eyeliner
Bottom: Maybelline Eye Studio® Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
If you can afford the Bobbi Brown by all means buy it but the Maybelline one is just a less expensive alternative for those who want a good Gel Liner they are both really comparable but in all you are making a saving of £10.50 which is quite a lot considering they are both bascially the same

What is your favourite Gel Liner?
Which one would you choose?
Leave a comment!



I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions not about the post, ask me on Twitter @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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Tuesday, December 04, 2012

Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner- Teal Review


I had gotten this about 2 weeks ago and  I have to say I was presently surprised. You all know how much I love gel eyeliner, i'm not that big on Pencil or Liquid but i still use Pencil sometimes.


The Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner comes in a little pot, in the range there are 3 different colours a black a gold and a teal colour I chose the teal because I didn't have a liner like it. I love the texture of this formula its soft and it glides on really well but there is an even bigger plus as i found out this makes a great base for eyeshadow all you need to do is to use your finger to apply it to the lid then use a synthetic brush to blend it out and apply a powder eyeshadow on top this way you will be guaranteed to see the full pigment of the shadow.



As you can see the liner is really pigmented and it has quite good lasting, i used it the other day to test how long it would last and it lasted 6+ which is a full day basically. I really like this liner the only thing that does bug me is that if you use too much it tend to clump up a little so just be careful to use a little and build on what you have to make sure it doesn't go all weird.



You can find the Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner in drug stores for £4.99 so a big cut on Gel Liners from places like MAC and Bobbi Brown. This liner is a great new addition to my MUA Kit

What's your favourite Eyeliner?
What do you think of Gel Eyeliner?
Leave a comment!






I'm happy to answer any and all questions.

For requests or questions not about the post, ask me on Twitter @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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