Yves Saint Laurent Archives | Rachel Elizabeth

February 27, 2015

February 2015 Favourites | Makeup, Skincare, Haircare & Body

When I was considering writing a favourites post for this month, I honestly didn’t think that there would be many products worth mentioning. It wasn’t until I sat at my dressing table and was looking through my drawers that I realised that this month was a great beauty month for me – I even got more into hair products! Who would have thought? This month’s favourites is a nice mix of all things makeup, skincare, haircare and bodycare…

Makeup

I had a bit of a rediscovery this month in the form of the Bourjous 123 Perfect CC Cream which I actually have a full post on here. This has been collecting dust in my collection and I forgot how much I love it. Despite it being a CC cream, the coverage is incredible and I love this for days when I’m in a hurry as this blends seamlessly and quickly. I’ve also been loving a glowy cheek this month, and two products that stand out are the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso and the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beige. The blush is a gorgeous peachy coral shade (can you tell I’m excited for summer) and surprising the Shimmer Brick is not the most shimmery highlighter I own – it gives a stunning glowy highlight without looking like a disco ball. Love. The final makeup products I want to share today are all to do with eyes. If you read my last post, you’ll know that I recently got the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette and this has been my go-to for eyeshadow recently. It’s great for the more natural everyday looks I want to achieve and also has some smokey and colourful shades to take me through to the night. Finally, the Mac Tan Pigment had to get a mention. If I had a perfect eyeshadow colour, this would be it. It is a highly shimmery, rose gold-esque shade, and it is beautiful.

Hair

Usually when it comes to hair, I don’t really bother doing much with it. I have naturally straight hair and while I don’t love the flatness of it, it looks good enough for me to get away with its natural texture. A product I used to use all the time was the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Body Booster Mousse (post on the whole line here) and since I have recently been craving some more volume in my hair, I pulled this out of my stash and started using it again. I have been using this every time I blow dry my hair and I have fallen back in love with it. It provides a lift at the roots but doesn’t leave my hair feeling gunked up with product which is something that I hate when it comes to mousses. This is some great, and affordable, stuff. I have also got into using the Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer as a hair mask about once a week. This leaves my hair looking so full and healthy, and my hair honestly looks at its best just after I have used this on it.

Skincare/Body
This month seems to be filled with rediscoveries – I recently repurchased the balance Me Radiance Face Oil (full review here) and it has been doing my skin wonders. For those of you who have oily/blemish-prone skin and are scared of putting oils on the skin, don’t be. This really helps to clear any blemishes I have without drying them out. It nourishes and balances my skin and is overall a great product. For the body, I have been loving the Rituals Fortune Scrub. It is a really effective exfoliator without been too harsh and scratchy on the skin. It has a citrus scent which is very invigorating and fresh in the shower which I love. A rather random favourite this month has been the LaVanilla The Healthy Deodorant in Pure Vanilla. I picked this up while I was in New York as I was looking for a more natural deodorant and I have to say this stuff actually works wonders. It keeps my underarms dry all day and it smells really sweet but isn’t so strong that it competes with your perfume. Speaking of, my favourite scent of the month has definitely been Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. I received this a christmas present and it is one of the most unique and interesting perfumes I own. It has a combination of vanilla and coffee notes which results in a sweet, rich yet dark and sultry scent.

I feel like favourites posts are meant to be fairly text heavy, so I hope you find these mini reviews useful! I didn’t include any lip products in this post as I always have so many favourites that this may have turned into a dissertation… Let me know your current favourite products below!

–RachelElizabeth

October 30, 2014

FOTD | Makeup For Glasses

I’m not entirely sure why I’ve never spoken about or worn my glasses on my blog before, but I actually have to wear them everyday in real life. I also have contacts, but I’ve never found them comfortable enough to wear daily, and in all honesty, I actually quite like wearing glasses. The only thing that I find annoying is that makeup ultimately gets swallowed up by the frames, and there are also several factors that I have to consider when adapting my makeup for glasses.

So, my frames are Tom Ford (link here) and they are relatively new. On me I prefer a bigger frame, just because I feel it suits my round face shape. I really like the slight cat eye that these glasses have and I always go for tortoise shell frames as they are less harsh against my light features than black. However looking at them from a distance they practically look black meaning that they go with everything.

The main concept I’m going to focus on in this post is definition. Especially with big frames like mine, your face can get pretty lost and end up looking quite flat. I find it hugely important to pay extra attention to the brows – the key here is for them to look groomed, defined but not so intense that they compete with the frames. Today I used the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Taupe (full review here). I think it is also important to focusing on defining the lash line, especially when you have light-coloured eyes like me. I always go for a wing, and my favourite eyeliner of the moment is the Urban Decay Ink For Eyes (full post here). Finally, as cliche it may be when it comes to makeup looks for glasses, I love to rock a bold lip as it really balances out the face. Today I was feeling quite autumnal, so I lined my lips with Mac Beet Lip Pencil and then applied the Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in 60 Antifashion over the top. I love this lip combo as while it is still a berry, it still brings a lot of light and colour to the face.

I don’t believe that there should be any rules or restrictions you have to abide to when it comes to makeup, but sometimes, especially when you’re in a rush, it is nice to have a go-to look to fall back on. Glasses are a great accessory in themselves, so it often means you don’t have to wear as much makeup to make a statement. Do you wear glasses? What are your tips and tricks?

–RachelElizabeth

February 19, 2014

3 Red Lips

Red lipsticks are my weakness – I have managed to build quite a substantial collection. Everybody can pull off a red lip, its just a matter of finding one with the right tone to suit your face. Personally, I wear all sorts of reds, as I normally like to play up the lips when doing my makeup. Today I bring you three of my faves, from high-end to budget friendly.

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain – 9 Rouge Laque

The most expensive of the lineup, and one that was very hyped on its release. This was a very innovative product from YSL – if you haven’t read about/bought it already, this is a long lasting lip colour with a glossy finish. I like to apply 2 or 3 layers and blot in between to ensure the longest lasting application. The glossy finish lasts around 4 hours, and when it fades it leaves a stain on the lips. What I love about this particular formula, is that is really easy to reapply unlike some lip stains and it doesn’t dry out your lips. Shade 9 is a bright yellow toned red.

Maybelline Superstay 14hr Lipstick in Non-Stop Red
The budget option and a Lisa Eldridge recommendation (if you don’t watch her videos on youtube, you must!). This is a really great long-lasting matte formula that really does stay on the lips for hours. You have to make sure that your lips are well exfoliated and hydrated as imperfections can show through. However, if you like a matte formula, you will no doubt enjoy this. Non-Stop Red is a bright slightly pink-toned red.

Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in F-Bomb
Last not least, is the most classic shade of red amongst the three in this post. The release of the Revolution lipsticks was also a big one. They claim to have everything – longevity, high pigmentation and hydration. I am pleased to say that this lipstick really does deliver, and is one of the most comfortable lipsticks to wear even though it is a long lasting formula. F-Bomb is a slightly deepened blue-toned red, and one of those reds which make your teeth look really white.

I could ramble on about red lipsticks all day, and I have such an extensive list of favourites that would have made this blog post tediously long. As you may be able to tell from the three I decided to feature in this post, I love long-lasting formulas and I would recommend all of these completely. What’s your go-to red?

–RachelElizabeth