Bow Tie Nails 27/2/13

Hi Tory,

It really irks me that the press-on stickers I bought a while ago for false nails turned out to be such a bust - and I really don't want to go down the nail glue route as I'm trying to condition and grow out my nails again. So I'm left with little packets of really cute nail designs but no way to use them.

"time to get creative!" I said to myself.

"Time to get creative!" I said to myself. (At this point I can hear our grandmother somewhere in the ether telling us not to spend money on things but rather make them ourselves. Consider this a tribute of sorts, Nan.) The fiddliest part is the bow tie which is essentially two triangles facing each other.

costs
£4.78

I used a combination brush and blob stroke for the triangles, building up the colour as I went. If you have a steady hand, you could use a little, fine art brush for this step as well. After I'd done the nail art I figured out that it would be so much easier to do the tips, then the dots, then the triangles and work down the nail. Hindsight!

So now I have some nail art which is not too far away from the original false nails, and only uses two colours (three if you count the clear top/base coat). You could do a negative version for a bit of Lux Tux Action, or maybe do the details in glitter for a bit of 42nd Street Pizzazz? The original nails had one single black rhinestone for the third finger nail of each hand - that's a snazzy detail to add too!

Steps

• Base coat the nails with a clear coat and then apply the white background - I used three coats of the MUA All Nude for this. Make sure it's thoroughly dry before moving on to the next step.
• Using the nib of an old pen and a black polish apply three tiny dots in a line from just below the nail tip to about halfway down the nail - this will give you the buttons.
• Either freehand or using the rubber band method paint a black tip on the nails.
• Again, using an old pen nib dipped in black polish, paint two triangles pointing at each other in the bottom half of the nail for the bow tie. Let everything dry thoroughly at this point.
• Apply a clear top coat and you have a set of cute bow tie nails!

Products Used

• MUA Polish in All Nude
• 2True Glossywear in Shade 19
• NYC In A New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Old pen
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Putting on False Lashes: Part One

Hi Tory,

When I did beauty therapy at college, one of the most daunting things we trained on was applying false eye lashes (along with waxing - I still hate waxing other people, too much pain involved). Everyone is all fingers and thumbs, and the glue is weird, and you're afraid of poking yourself (or a client) in the eye...

false eye lashes can be a lovely finishing touch to your look

I'd been meaning to do a tutorial for the little fluttery things for ages, and just recently a request from Michelle popped up on the Facebook Page... so here we are.

False eye lashes can be a lovely finishing touch to your look, and they come in a bewildering range of shapes, sizes and styles, as well as human hair vs. synthetic, and even paper lashes too. There are three main types to look for: individual (which are tiny bundles of about three hairs), demis (these fit on the corner of your eyelid and give a flirty look), and full strips. Change the colours, add feathers and rhinestones, throw on some glitter... there are a lot of false lashes out there!

When you're starting out and practicing, grab the cheapest drugstore ones you can find - now is not the time to invest in some hand cut Shu Umura paper lashes! There are some things that will make your life a whole lot easier, and I do go through them in the handy-dandy video:

• Invest in some overlocker tweezers - you will have loads more control that way
• Invest in some tube glue - the little vials you get with lashes are far too fiddly and messy
• Start off practising on lashes that have either very thin or invisible lash bands - these are far more flexible and easier to work with
• Measure everthing to fit
• Practice with small sections of lashes first, work up to demi lashes and then you will feel a lot more confident with a full strip of lashes
• Keep practicing!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Chickpea Review: Revlon Super Lustrous

Hi Tory,

I'm genuinely surprised that it took me so long to get around to not only buying a Revlon lipstick, but to actually even trying one. Established in 1932, Charles Revson's line of makeup (the "L" came from a partner) pretty much revolutionised the way women thought about cosmetics, and was the standard in drugstore makeup for a great many years.

revlon's line of makeup pretty much revolutionised the way women thought about cosmetics

I bought the shade Va Va Violet - a gorgeous rich deep purple burgundy colour - and at first glance it looks matte in the bullet, but goes on with a lovely glossy sheen. The first major plus point about it is how comfortable it is to wear - smooth and moisturising but not sticky or slippery.

costs
£7.49

The pigment is excellent as well - the colour that you see in the bullet is the colour that you get on the lips, but the longevity was so-so. I found that the outside half stayed put throughout the pitta-eating experience but the middle half wore down to a slight stain. In terms of after-dinner touch ups that seemed pretty good to me.

The Revlon lipstick is at the slightly more expensive end of affordable drugstore makeup, and even though I've rated it 50/50 in the photos (too much hummus!), I would give it a massive thumbs up recommendation for buying it. (And yes - it comes in the iconic Revlon Red too.)

• Comfort: 5/5
• Longevity: 3/5
• Pigment: 4/5
• Four Chickpeas out of Five!

One More Thing...

• Comes in 27 different colours
• Available on the Boots website here
• The iconic Revlon line also includes the now legendary Revlon Red nail varnish - a patented colour that inspired Louboutin's equally iconic heels

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Tip: Blush Blend

Hi Tory,

Sometimes a makeup look just needs a little bit extra to pull it all together and make it look properly polished and complete. This is so quick and easy to do, doesn't need any extra makeup, and will make your face instantly warmer.

this is quick and easy to do and doesn't need any extra makeup

All you need is a bit of your blusher - but put it in the crease of your eye. It sounds weird, but taking an existing shade from your face and adding it into your eye makeup really ties everything together and doesn't disturb the colour scheme that you already have in place.

• start off with your completed eye shadow in place and needing a little oomph
• Take a fluffy blending brush and a little bit of the blusher you've already put on your cheeks
• Blend the blusher in the crease with the brush half in to your makeup and half above it
• Make sure that you blend it out so that you don't have any harsh lines
• Polished, together and pretty!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Nail Tutorial: Glitter Half Moons

Hi Tory,

I first found out about Collection 2000's Glam Crystal eyeliners through a Pixiwoo video for the look that Leona Lewis wore to the X Factor. So much glittery joy that I just had to rush out and buy some the next day - and I snapped up Rock Star (a deep black), Le Freak (an amazing teal) and Hustle (a multicolored silver).

glam crystals are full of really fine glitter that you can build up

Glam Crystals are full of really fine glitter that you can build up, so you can either use them as straight eyeliners for a pop of sparkle on your eye, or fill in areas for a huge amount of shine. But... they're a lot more versatile than that.

costs
£5.78

I've been wanting to try the Glitter Half Moon look for a while, but even with templates and masking off have found it incredibly difficult to get the colour on in such a small and defined space without messing up in some way. I needed something with a small brush that also had maximum impact colour and glamour wise... eureka!

Like I say in the directions, make sure that you use the brush flat and with a patting motion - if you try and draw on your shiny painted nails the brush will slip and drag and wipe the glitter back off. You can also build coats up for the density that you want. Make sure to include a top coat to guard against knocks and chips and you're good to go!

Steps

• Paint a base coat of black nail polish and let dry thoroughly
• Using the Glam Crystals brush flat on its side and with a patting motion cover the cuticle edge of the nail and let dry
• Using the same principle mirror an arc above this and let that dry
• Fill the moon in with the Glam Crystals and let dry (you can also do additional touch ups if you have any bald spots)
• Finish with a clear top coat

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 2
• Collection 2000 Glam Crystals in Hustle
• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Chickpea Review: Barry M Lip Lacquer

Hi Tory,

I properly got into pink lipstick the summer before last, having never been that much of a pink person before. (I'm usually more of a nude shade at one extreme vs. full on goth berries at the other.) It's an immensely flattering colour and when I saw the Barry M Lip Lacquer in this fabulously glitter hot pink, I knew I had to buy it.

you simply cannot be a shrinking violet when you wear this

It comes in a crayon stick and is insanely, fabulously glittery - you simply cannot be a shrinking violet when you wear this. What I was hoping for was that intense smudge of pigment and sparkle making its statement and then continuing to do so pretty much for the duration.

costs
£4.99

It was okay. There was a lot of transfer on to the pitta bread, leaving a fair amount of sheen and shimmer behind with glitter around the edges of my lips but an absence of anything in the absolute center. In terms of comfort it's quite tacky and obvious - I wouldn't say that it was the most comfortable thing in the world but if you're wearing something that full of intense glitter it's pretty much a given that it won't be especially soft or moisturizing on the lips.

Certainly if you're not eating then it'll be there all bold and beautiful (if a little plastic-feeling on the lips), and the colour really is a knockout. You'd probably have to retouch it at least once through the day and it might be worth wearing some sort of balm first to aid the comfort factor. Neither amazing nor terrible - but the colour makes me like it a lot.

• Comfort: 3/5
• Longevity: 3/5
• Pigment: 5/5
• Three (and a bit) Chickpeas out of Five!

One More Thing...

• Comes in 5 different colours
• Available on the Barry M website here
• Barry M are renowned for their Glitter and Dazzle Dusts
• Barry M were a breath of fresh air when they hit the high street in 1982 - I cherished my matte orange nail polish and used to scour the shops for new pigments. They've gone from strength to strength since then - I like to think I helped!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Vaseline the Nail Spills!

Hi Tory,

The two painting areas of my life tend to overlap and spark off my creative juices and this is no exception. I was masking off some artwork using Vaseline recently and realised - why don't I do the same thing when I'm painting my nails?

the two painting areas of my life tend to overlap

You can get industrial sized tubs of the stuff from pound shops and you only need a little bit each time - much easier than using sticky tape when you're doing nail art!

• Use a cuticle stick or similar tool to gently spread Vaseline over any exposed skin around your nail.
• Don't be tempted to use cotton buds - you'll end up with fibres just waiting to catch the nail polish and mess it up!
• Once your nails are dry, simply wipe the excess away with a cotton pad - no mess! No fuss! Clean, happy nails and soft skin.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Throwback Thursday: Raquel Welch

Hi Tory,

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't know who Raquel Welch is. Her legend certainly loomed large throughout my 60s childhood and 70s adolescence and even at the age of 70something she shows no signs of either slowing down or letting go of the Sex Goddess mantle.

you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't know who raquel welch is

I like the fact that she has linebacker shoulders like me and yet still manages to look uber-feminine and glamorous (and appearing in a totally kick ass roller derby movie before roller derby movies were totally kick ass doesn't hurt either). Her makeup style - something she's stuck with but updated as she's gone along - is sculpted and neutral, so perfect for just about anyone.

costs
£27.47

She was never ultra matte 60s or super shiny 70s, but managed to straddle a line halfway between the two, and has a really interesting modification on the kitten flick where the line is pretty much straight and yet still manages to make her eyes look curved and feline.

That's a heck of a makeup artist there! I put a bit of sheen in with a base shadow and a lipgloss but kept everything else matte and blended. It's a timeless look!

Products Used

• MUA Professional Palette in Dusk Til Dawn
• Sleek i-Divine Palette in Oh So Special
• Collection 2000 Eye Definer in Brown
• Collection 2000 Big Fake Lash Mascara in Black
• MUA Pro-Brow Kit
• MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Blossom
• MUA Lipstick in Shade 14 Bare
• MUA Out There Plumping Lip Gloss in Nude
• Elite Lip Pencil in 06 Brown (no longer available)
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch (and includes full price of any palettes used), and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Valentine Nails

Hi Tory,

I really resisted the idea of doing something for Valentine's Day, mainly because I'm not a hearts and flowers kind of person. Why do you need one day a year to say "I Love You"? I do intrinsically like hearts as a shape tho (I know... I know...) and I've wanted to do nail framing for a while now, so... I combined them.

I'm convinced that bruce wayne would let alfred do this on his toenails of an evening

I like how the hearts feel more graphic - I deliberately didn't make them too neat or perfect, or the frames too thin. I wanted something that looked a little bit like a Batman graphic novel or a Saul Bass poster. I'm convinced that Bruce Wayne would let Alfred do this on his toenails of an evening, but that's just me. ;)

costs
£2.99

When it came time to find a brush to do the artwork with, I wanted something that was thin and pointy enough and with a manageable handle. It just so happened that I had an eyeliner that I really didn't like and was about to throw out, so I just washed it off and that's now in my nail art arsenal.

The main thing to stick with is doing everything slowly and in sequence - I found it helpful to do all the left sides in one go and so on, for example. You can fix any mistakes a lot quicker that way too! And, if you really weren't into hearts, you could just have big thick frames or switch the colour combination. Happy Chocolate Day! ;)

Steps

• Paint nails with two coats of a dark or hot pink polish and let dry thoroughly
• Using a small, thin brush (I used the brush from an old eyeliner that I'd washed) paint a "frame" around the nail using a black polish
• A good tip for the frame is to paint all the left sides, then the right ones, then the tops, then the bottoms, letting each dry between coats to keep everything as uniform as possible
• Mark a small black dot where the points will begin
• Using the brush and small strokes, form the bottom edge of the heart first in a sharp angle, then curve the top edge in to meet the black dot marker to make the curved top
• Finish with a clear top coat to protect it!

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 3
• 2True Glossywear in Shade 39
• Spare brush
• Optional clear top coat
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

A Fresher Makeup for Katharine

Hi Tory,

I had a message from the wonderful Katherine on the MT4MS Facebook page, where she mentioned that she was not a makeup person as such but still got a lot out of the videos and posts. I ran it by her that it might be fun to do more of a no-makeup makeup video and so here we are.

cream products are an absolute boon for non or new makeup wearers

The great thing about makeup is that you really can use as little as or as much as you want and adjust your look accordingly. You don't have to go from a fresh face routine to wearing a full face of makeup - in fact, wearing full foundation for the first time can be really uncomfortable if you're not used to it. Sometimes an approach like this is nice because you can start to dip your toes in the makeup waters and experiment quietly.

costs
£17.53

Like I say in the video - cream products are an absolute boon for non or new makeup wearers. They tend to be really comfortable to wear and extremely easy to use - no practising blending or making cut creases here!

Once you get used to products you can start branching out or building up - maybe adding a primer to the face, or working with stronger colours on the eyes. It's all about fun - so thank you Katherine!

Products Used

• ELF Complete Coverage Concealer in Medium
• NYC Smooth Loose Face Powder in Translucent
• MUA Mascara in Clear
• Maybelline 25HR Color Tattoo in On & On Bronze
• MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade #15
• MUA Mascara in Black
• MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Bittersweet
• MUA Intense Kisses in Stolen Kisses
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Chickpea Review: Sleek True Colour Sheen

Hi Tory,

I'm a huge lover of Sleek Cosmetics, particularly their i-Divine palettes, which you really can't beat for pigmentation, range of colours and affordability (a palette of ten intense colours for just £7.99). Sold online and at Superdrug in the UK, Sleek are at the high end of drugstore brands, so I was really excited to try one of their range of True Colour lipsticks.

would I use it on its own in one application? no.

I chose Liqueur, a flat 60s nude in a sheen formulation - love the appropriately sleek black packaging, and the colour looks lovely in the bullet. This is when things started to go downhill... the colour is sheer. Really quite sheer. I was half afraid that it wouldn't make it to the end of the pitta bread, in fact.

The colour is gorgeous, but one application really doesn't cut it - I'm thinking that you'd need to build it up for a good payoff and to enhance its staying power. Its number one plus point is that it's incredibly comfortable to wear - maybe a tiny bit tacky on first application - but it feels relatively creamy on the lips.

costs
£4.99

Would I use it on its own in one application? No. Would I perhaps layer it over a base coat like a lip liner or toned lip shade? Yes. Would I build it up to give greater coverage? Possibly. All in all it was a disappointment, particularly as the colour is so nice, and especially as this is a brand that I really do love and hold in my Top Three of best drugstore products. I'm keen to try one of the matte shades tho, thinking that slightly drier formula might enhance the staying power - does anyone have experience of this?

• Comfort: 4/5
• Longevity: 1/5
• Pigment: 3/5
• Two Chickpeas out of Five!

One More Thing...

• Comes in two different finishes - sheen and matte - in a total of 30 colours
• Available on the Sleek website here
• Sleek do three different kinds of lip liner, four separate types of lip gloss, their True Colour lipstick range, and a range of Pout Paints
• Their Pout Paints are an affordable alternative to OCC's Lip Tars at only £4.99 a tube.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Nail Tutorial: Two Tone Nail Trend

Hi Tory,

There was a big Spring/Summer 2013 trend on all the catwalks for Two Tone nails - replacing the ombre nails that were such a big hit in the seasons before. Whilst I'm not such a slave to trends, sometimes the smaller ones can be fun to introduce into your life for a quick, fresh hit of something au courant and funky and nails are a cheap and easy way to do that. (You can probably insert Miranda Priestley's speech from the Devil Wears Prada here - about how designers on the catwalf pick out the colours and shapes you'll end up wearing from the High Street a year later. I want her entire wardrobe!)

make sure they jar just a little bit for that designer clash effect

Instead of doing a gradient nail which gently bleeds from one toning colour along, two tone nails bleed two relatively clashing colours together, so I decided to go with a hot tomato red and the MUA blue I call "Wonder Woman Blue" (which also happens to be one of my favourite nail colours!) Stronger colours only take a coat, but you can layer sheer ones over a white base coat or build them up with several coats.

costs
£3.79

You can use any colours that you like, but make sure that they jar just a little bit for that designer clash effect, or you can offset a hot colour with a stark white or black. You're not going for subtle here! Think of hot pink and orange, or red and green, or you could even go with a neutral and a metallic for a chicer look. The possibilities are endless.

You can do the blend in either one of two ways: either blend both colours on the sponge, or just concentrate on one strong colour to feather out - either way, make sure that the sponge is damp, as that really is the trick to this technique. Have fun with it!

Steps

• Base coat your nails with a clear polish to avoid staining
• Paint half your nail in the first colour and let it dry - you don't have to be accurate with the halfway line, in fact the messier the better
• Paint the second colour on the exposed half of your nail and let that dry - you can top it all with a clear base coat at this point to eliminate any halfway bumps or ridges
• Using a damp makeup sponge dab the two colours on the halfway line to uzz them out. You'll need to do several coats of this to get the effect and make sure that they dry between coats. Don't press too hard and make sure that you're doing a dabbing motion.
• Top it with a clear coat of polish to seal it and further blend the colours, and clean up the skin around your nails. Done!

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 6
• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 9
• NYC In a New York Color Minute Polish in Grand Central Station
• Damp makeup sponge
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Makeup Tutorials: The £20 Challenge

Hi Tory,

I will confess - I've resisted the £20 Makeup Challenge (originally the $20 Makeup Challenge, so with the exchange rate we come off a little better), mainly because I couldn't quite get my head around the concept. It's rather like those riddle stories, like the one where you're in the jungle and you have to get three cannonballs over a rope bridge that will only support you and two cannonballs, and you're being chased by warriors, etc. You juggle the cannonballs and thus you are only holding two at any given time. Fair enough - but why do I need to do any of this in the first place and who the hell can juggle cannonballs?

you have gone on holiday and the airport staff have lost ALL of your makeup

Here's the premise for the challenge - you have gone on holiday and the airport staff have lost ALL of your makeup, and you only have £20 to replace the whole face routine including brushes.

costs
£18.99

So what I had a problem with was a) I carry my day makeup in my handbag so presumably the airport staff wrestled the bag away from me, b) if I'm on holiday why have I only got £20 to spend on makeup, and c) what mythical country am I in where I can purchase any brand and/or have Internet items delivered in ten minutes? I may be obsessing a little here, but my Asperger's resisted the tutorial for the longest time. I have suspended my disbelief long enough to put something together for my poverty-stricken, bruise-covered holiday to AmeriEuropasia.

A sidenote: when are Superdrug going to start selling ELF? I demand to know.

Products Used

• MUA Professional BB Cream in Medium Shade 2
• MUA Professional Palette in Glamour Nights
• MUA Professional Palette in Dusk Til Dawn
• MUA Professional Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Yummy
• MUA Professional Every Lash Mascara in Black
• NYC Lipstick in 410 Plum Rum
• ELF Professional Blending Eye Brush
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Chickpea Review: 17 Lasting Fix Lipstick

Hi Tory,

Seventeen (formerly Boots 17) was launched in 1968 at the end of the Swinging Sixties to capture the independent and breezy teenage girl market. I certainly remember buying Seventeen products in the 80s when they consistently produced a confidently young line at affordable prices, something that they still do today. The Lasting Fix Lipstick line covers everything from workaday nudes to the broodingly gorgeous New Black, keeping them on trend but still a bargain.

I bought pink power for the summer months for a hot pop of colour

The sticker on the bottom of the bullet gives you a pretty good indication of the colour inside - useful for when you can't swatch the product before you buy. I initially bought Pink Power for the summer months for a hot pop of colour and it certainly delivers that! The pigment on this is fantastic - it's a blue-toned hot pink colour and you really do get what you see in the bullet when you put it on your lips with no sheering out or loss of intensity.

My testing criteria is that the lipstick goes on in one layer with no primer or lip pencil, and then I eat half a pitta bread with hummus to see how well the product lasts. I also take into account what the pigment is like, how comfortable it is to wear and so on. The Lasting Fix is a little cakey and heavy in texture, which I'd expect with a more matte lipstick, but this is a cream finish, and I could feel it starting to pool in the outer corners of my lips as I was eating.

costs
£4.29

I'd say that it was ever so slightly tacky, rather than moisturising, and I've had issues with that feeling as I've worn it throughout the day. Having said that, the staying power was fantastic with the pigment staying true - I'd probably be inclined to wear a primer or balm underneath just to up the comfort factor a bit, or maybe blot off the first coat to tone down the tackiness. It's not deeply unpleasant, just a bit sticky, so you could certainly work around that.

• Comfort: 2/5
• Longevity: 4/5
• Pigment: 4/5
• Three Chickpeas out of Five!

One More Thing...

• Comes in 20 different colours
• Available on the Boots 17 website here
• One of four different lipstick textures that Seventeen do
• New Black is a very popular shade - it's one of those where you have to buy it as soon as you see it because it WILL disappear!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Here's What's In Store...

Hi Tory,

It's been a bit of a roller coaster for the last couple of weeks, but I've also been working on the blog changes in the background, to bring everyone an even better experience - more tutorials, more tips, and more fun.

Today the new era kicks off, so I thought I'd give you all a run down of the changes I'm making and how I see the next year turning out!

today the new era kicks off

I always wanted the blog and the YouTube channel to be a way to instantly connect with people, and to give out as much help and advice as I could - I've managed to learn, grow and pick up tips and tricks along the way too, which has been so wonderful. The last two weeks in the theatre were an amazing experience, and there will be a lot more of that to come with the possibility of me sharing what I'm learning along the way. (I'll post a picture of the work I did for the production below - bear scars!)

The New and Improved Makeup Tips for My Sister will include:

• Regular daily interaction on my Twitter channel, sharing trends and tips, asking questions, answering questions, and generally chatting
• A regular weekly schedule of posts that breaks down as follows: Monday is Reviews, Tuesday is Makeup Tutorials, Wednesday is Nail Tutorials, Thursday is Throwback Thursday when I show you retro looks and tips, and Friday is General Tips and Techniques.
• Posts and videos with looks will have a clear indication of how much it will cost you to replicate the tutorial from scratch, so I'm thinking of your budget!
• Lots more photos of products and looks!
• I've set up folders on the Facebook Page so that you get photos of looks that I've done and looks that I'm thinking of doing, and there will also be a folder so that YOU can post pictures of looks you'd like me to recreate or products you'd like me to review.
• I'll also be interacting more on the Facebook Page!
• There are links in the menu bar with the different ways to follow Makeup Tips for My Sister to make it super easy!
• And finally.... the BIG news needs a paragraph all of its own....

Here's the BIG news. I always wanted Makeup Tips for My Sister to be a fully interactive experience and a way of sharing, so with that in mind I'm setting up something exclusive for my lovely followers. In order to gain access to this, you need to join the mailing list (the link is in the menu above). Every month I'll be doing exclusive, mailing list only videos and give aways by way of a thank you to the subscribers. Each newsletter will have additional content that you won't get on the blog, along with links to catch up on the month's posts and videos. So... subscribe now - it'll be worth it!

One More Thing...

• I'm doing some research and investigation into Kryolan makeup for theatre work - if anyone has experience of this, message me!
• My Bourjois nail polish remover has been going strong since October and shows no signs of giving up, so a top product there!
• The TOWIE eye shadopw palettes had all sold out. Insert sad face here.
• Here's what I've been doing for the last two weeks: bear claw scars and bruising on Actor Supreme, Tobias Clay!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Use Your Soap Dish as a Brush Washer

Hi Tory,

I'm always on the lookout for ways to make cleaning your makeup brushes easier and more efficient. There are a number of clever systems on the market that help you out, but we're all about DIY and doing things on a budget here, so I did a bit of thinking and came up with a nifty solution.

Soap dishes! Yes. The humble soap dish always has little bumps and grooves on the bottom to help the wet soap drain and air dry - and it's those bumps and grooves that take all the hard work out of getting stubborn makeup out of brushes.

we're all about diy and doing things on a budget here

Pop a squirt of baby or unperfumed shampoo in the dish and add warm water, then gently swirl the bristles of your brush over the bumps to dislodge makeup. This works especially well for dried on gel liner. Once the brush is nice and clean, dump out the shampoo, tilt the dish and use the grooves again to swirl the brush under clear running water to get all the soap out. You can pick up cheap soap dishes at dollar, pound or 99p stores in all sorts of fab and funky colours!

One More Thing...

• Heartbroken tho I am at not being able to afford the NARS Limited Edition Andy Warhol collection... I am considering trying to do a dupe post if anyone is up for that?
this costs
£0.99
• And speaking of limited editions... MAC have another one coming up for Archie comics, but there seems to be an amusing emphasis on Veronica and less on Betty. Who said that blondes have more fun?
• And... speaking of all things Andy Warhol, Nic from Pixiwoo announced her forthcoming daughter's name as Edie. That is SUCH a fab name! And, she'll be Little Edie too - one of my major heroines. :)
• Another tip for makeup kits - always carry a paper fan. Astoundingly useful for drying nails, helping foundation to "cook" and myriad other uses.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx