Suqqu Eyebrow Liquid Pen R - Review

Eyebrows were part of my teen trauma, one of the only things strangely I developed a slight complex about which I still have today.

You see I grew up with hideously bushy brows, they were very thick and had little shape to them.

Looking back at photos of my teenage self, which by the way I won't be sharing not even for comedy value purposes, sorry! They looked a little like furry slugs above my eyes.

Attractive, NOT!!

Needless to say I hated them which of course led to some serious over plucking with the tweezers, which to be honest now I see pictures of both I'm not sure which looked worse.

But I think over the past few years I've reached a happy medium with my brows they are neither bushy nor stick thin all thanks to some great beauticians and a lot of threading.

Eyebrow shaping and grooming is a step I NEVER miss in my morning face routine and as a result I've tried and tested many, many products over the years in the pursuit of beautiful brows.

Suqqu's liquid pen is my latest brow buy. Beauty buzz around this little stick has meant it's been sold out for some time and is still hard to get hold of after celeb make-up artist and YT guru Lisa Eldridge sang it's praises in her videos.

Luckily I got my hands on one a few weeks ago and I'm so glad I did.

The Suqqu pen creates brow perfection with it's subtle liquid formula which seamlessly tints the areas you apply it to leaving a very natural unified effect between skin and hair.

Sometimes with waxes, powder, gel or pencils it can be a little obvious where you've filled in the gaps and the product is noticeable next to the hairs.

With liquid this doesn't happen, once the product is dry it subtly tints the skin instead of sitting on top of it and mixing with the hairs.

The tiny brush applies the tint lightly where needed and can be built up easily in colour, thickness or texture. The pen comes in three shades, I use number two, brown.

Brows sans filling in!

After an accident with a hair trimmer (never again) the front of my brows have been left a little gappy, also they aren't as long at the outer corners as they should be.

The Suqqu pen is a great way to easily fill in these small problem areas and instantly enables me to get the brows I should have been born with!

Filled!

No idea why these pictures are so tiny but here are my brows after filling them in using the pen.

As you can see they are much better but don't look too heavy or overdone as some other brow products tend to do, just subtley enhanced.
It gives a very similar effect to having them tinted in a salon which I like to have done every so often, it allows me to have perfect brows for about ten days or so before it fades.

The Suqqu pen is a nice way to get that look but obviously at home.

If the liquid is wet it can be corrected but once it dries after about 5 seconds or so it won't budge which I love.

It gives lasting perfection all day which can't always be said for gels, waxes, powders or pencils that tend to come off if you touch them throughout the day.

All in all I really like the Suqqu pen it's a lovely way to get the natural looking brows you've always wanted instantly that last all day long.

It is a little pricey at £20 but I would say well worth it if you crave perfect brows and filling in is part of your daily routine. It's much more natural and better lasting than other brow products a definite must try for those of us not blessed with beautiful brows!




Have you tried the Suqqu pen? Tempted by Lisa Eldridges recommendation??
xx

Must try Monday - No7 Exquisite Curl mascara

Today's product of recommendation may be a bit of a surprise to you because it certainly was to me.

Exquisite Curl was bought in desperation a few months back when I had one of those tempting £5 off vouchers from Boots and had to you know, buy something.

No7 isn't a brand that I 'go' for usually; to me the products always looks outdated and a little cheap but overpriced.

Not a good combination. With so many brands out there now looks count for a lot and I may be slightly superficial (cough) but I'm always swayed by packaging in the end.


So anyway I reluctantly grabbed their latest mascara and to be honest the brush didn't look like anything special, it's a curved natural fibre brush with none of the little gimmicks like a rotating or vibrating wand in sight so I didn't expect anything dramatically different.

But from the first use I was blown away by it, this is the mascara I've been searching for all these years to give me beautifully defined but elegantly enhanced eyelashes.

It separates, curls, lengthens, multiplies and thickens the lashes all in one coat, my eyelashes have never looked so good.

It feels like I have doubled the amount of eyelashes I have when I wear this mascara as it grabs every lash from bottom to top, even the tiny ones.

I think this is down to the very densely packed natural fibre brush and the formula which I love, it's neither dry nor wet, bang on perfect.

There's zero clumping with it and as you can see the brush separates the lashes but doesn't give the spidery effect many seem to do.

Curl wise Exquisite Curl creates a really nice natural curve to the lashes that lasts which can also be made more dramatic depending on how you apply it.

For extra lift I turn the curve upside down so the arch is at the top and wiggle up through the lashes slowly and then gently hold at the base to create a great curl.

For a more natural curl I use the wand with the arch down.

I absolutely love this mascara for getting perfect, daytime, dramatic but not over the top lashes with just one coat, it's my go to mascara of the moment. I've used so much I just purchased another tube!

I really recommend trying this mascara for getting truly excuisite lashes it's a real gem! Especially if you have some Boots £5 off vouchers burning a hole in your pocket, RRP is £13.

Taking a chance with this has made me realise that sometimes some of the best products can come from the most unexpected places! What have you found recently in an unexpected place??

xxx

Sleek Avoir la Peche collection, swatched!

I couldn't contain my excitement yesterday morning when this unexpected package came through my letterbox; I squealed with delight when I saw the box.

You see, collecting Sleek palettes has been my adult obsession for the past few years, I've got to have them all.

I think I only have one missing from my collection as they sell out so fast when they hit the Superdrug shelves and I just wasn't quick enough that once but nonetheless almost a complete collection.

Sleek palettes are great quality mineral eyeshadows with amazing pigmentation and personally I think a great way to collect a great array of colours without hurting your bank balance.

Their newest palette, Paraguaya, is a gorgeous coral creation with twelve different shades and several different finishes.

At 6.49 the packaging of the Sleek palettes is well, just that, sleek. No clear plastic, garish colours or gimmicks like a lot of cheaper make-up but nice and simple, quite similar to the Mac palettes but just baby sized.

Each shade has now been given a name, up until recently all my Sleek colours have been anonymous. It's a nice touch but I don't know how long that piece of plastic will last. I'm sure I'll loose it in no time.

Anyway here are the colours swatched below:

Parfait - a champagne pink.(pearly)

Blush - a milky, pastel, peachy pink. (matte)

Cameo - a deeper coral.(matte)

Perisian Orange - an intense deep orange (pearly)

Peach Gold - a deep peach with gold shimmer (pearly)

Sandstone - a beige with a hit of soft peach (matte)

Bellini - a soft gold (pearly)

Redstone - a muted neutral orange (matte)

Persimmon - a bright orange with a hint of pink (matte)

Tangelo - an intense orange (matte)

Bittersweet - a purpley grey (matte)

Stone - a grey brown (matte)

Although I don't think all the shades in this palette are really that wearable for my skin tone I think they would look amazing on mid tone to darker skin for the summer. There are some shades I do love though which I wore yesterday and looked lovely, Sandstone, a gorgeous base, Parfait, I wore on the outer corner and Bittersweet in the crease.

I'm going to attempt to use Blush and Cameo today as blush colours as they're gorgeous cheek shades. I wish Sleek did blush palettes too, that would be amazing wouldn't it?

There is also a blush in the Avoir la Peche collection, Pan-Tao, a bright orange and a new Pout Polish in Sugar May, a bright peach which I'm after, it looks amazing for a sheer colour wash for the summer.

I have a passion for all things peach as you know so I love this collection and if you do too then don't hang around as these babies sell out fast. They are available from the 16th in Superdrug stores and online at Sleeks website.

I will do a Sleek palette post too I think to share my love and of course detailed swatches.

xxx

Must try Monday

I've been meaning to start this feature for quite some time but have never got around to doing so until now, anyway 'Must try Monday' will focus weekly on the one current beauty product that's stood out in the past week and that I reckon you should try or buy.

Today's must try product is Roc's Perfecting Toner.

Some people are of the belief that a toner is an unnecessary addition to their skincare routine or some kind of paint stripper for the face but personally its a step I rarely miss in mine and love to do.

Having oily and spot prone skin means that I like to be as thorough as possible when looking after my skin, using a toner allows me to rid my skin of any dirt or left over make-up not fully removed by my cleanser and eradicate the greasy residue sometimes left on my skin especially after using a cream cleanser.

With regards to the paint stripper element, over the years I've tried some pretty harsh and frankly unpleasant toners which have left my skin feeling clean but incredibly tight and dry, a feeling I hate.

Roc's version is far from those, it's so light it feels like water on the skin, has a lovely peachy scent, removes all left over dirt, tightens my pores and leaves my skin looking refreshed and healthy without drying or removing my skins natural oils.

It is alcohol free and is for all skin types even sensitive skin which I assure you is true, there's not a hint of stinging or skin stripping it's super gentle.

I really love using this toner, by far one of the nicest I've tried, so if you are in the market for a new toner or feel like adding another step to your skincare regime with one, Roc's Perfecting Toner is definitely a must try!

xxx

Mighty Aphrodite Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered my little Wonder Woman competition and telling me your superpowers. I drew the winner this morning randomly using random.org and counting the comment.

Congratulations NUDE OBSESSION!

I will e-mail you today.

xxx

Want a beauty bargain??

If Chanel foundation for just over a tenner, tonnes of limited edition Mac and lots of Nars for less than half price interests you then my blog sale blog is having a sale tonight.

I convinced my best friend to cleanse her soul and reduce her stash of slap which is a great chance for you to get your hands on some beauty bargains.

Go check it out before it goes :)

xxx

Feel like a mini movie star with Les Tai Tai

You may be little surprised to know that I've never owned a mirror, you know a specific handbag sized one that you plonk in your purse and carry around with you.

I've never really seen the point to be honest as most good compacts come with one built in already, anyway, the point is I've never classed them as a make-up must have before but I do now.

What prompted me to change my mind you may ask? A little parcel from a company named Les Tai Tai to be exact.

It was love at first sight between me and the Model Mirror, I swooned at it's quirky but uber glam design and love the fact that it solves the dilemma of time issues for make-up addicts on the go with it's built in lights.

I've never had aspirations to be a movie star but I wouldn't mind feeling like one sometimes and with this I do every time I whip out my glossy little compact with it's mini movie star vanity lights.

I've only had mine a week or so but my BFF has had her Model Mirror over a year and it's still in perfect condition.

She's a chuck it all in your handbag kinda girl and let me tell you if this mirror was going to break it would have broken so that's testament to the durability and quality.

The design I chose was this glam but slightly Gothic skull a la McQueen. It's the Hippy Skull II model and I love it. I love the gold and black colour combination and the fact it's made up of beautiful but tiny flowers.

There are around 20 current designs to choose from on their website or in store at Selfridges/House of Fraser outlets, they so vary slightly in prices from £19 - £22 depending on style.

I love the fact that no matter where I am and when, the Model Mirror makes time no issue when it comes to touching up my make-up, a real handbag essential and a chic one at that.

Oh and also if your looking for a great OTT and glitzy I-Phone case check out Candy Covers too, I've ordered the Eden!

Do you carry a purse mirror with you??
xx

Cocktails, cadets and cake

I spent last weekend up in Leeds letting my hair down with the BFF, it was a much needed mummy break and something I hadn't done in over a year so well overdue.

We dined in style, partook in a little retail therapy and consumed copious amounts of alcohol over the few days, namely afternoon Pimms, Ameretto sours and rose wine.

If your wandering why Helen looks like one cool kitty then we also may have had our arms twisted into going on a fancy dress bar crawl.

It's something I never thought I'd do again at almost 25 but for one night only I lived life as a student, a medical one if anyone asked, wink,wink!

Anyway, I ended up being an army cadet for the night sporting a not so flattering or chic camouflage tutu, dog tags, leather jacket and aviators to hide my embarrassment.

I haven't done any FOTD/N posts due to the fact my camera broke and I haven't been out for some time so here's a long overdue FOTN for you.

Below are some of the products I used to get this look, which if you know me was pretty simple and neutral.

One day I will attempt a smokey eye of sorts, I promise.

Base make-up

- Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation mixed with half Estee Lauder Double Wear for staying power. I love the colour and finish of Chanel but it doesn't stay put as long as I like so always mix it.

- Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage concealer, new purchase, review to come.

Cheeks

- Mac Harmony blush as a contour colour

- Nars Sin blush

Eyes

- Urban Decays NAKED palette, always reach for this! I used Naked, Sin, Virgin and Sidecar.

- Benefit's Magic Eyes liquid liner for a classic black flick.

- No7 Exquisite lashes mascara for a light coating.

- Urban Decay 24/7 new shadow pencil in Rehab underneath, review to come.

- Girls with Attitude lashes in Velvet Passion from the Shorties range, love these, ultra thick and a nice but not over the top flick.

On my lips I used my two new favourite lip purchases, Nars Madere Pure Matte lipstick a gorgeous peachy nude that's a little drying so I paired it with Shu Uemura's Rouge Unlimited in SSPK 306, an ultra glossy light lipstick with a gorgeous finish.

This is my current lip combo and I love it!

What lip combo's are you loving right now?? Hope you all had a great weekend!!

xxx

A bit of a designer diva

I'm the first to admit I'm a bit of a designer diva when it comes to accessories. I rarely (if ever) buy designer clothes but I do love having more expensive items such as handbags, scarves, jewellery, purses and sunglasses in my wardrobe.

Accessories unlike some garments go with everything no matter what you wear, so for me it makes sense to have better quality items that I can use every single day.

I almost never ever pay full price for them either which is all down to some very savvy shopping at places like Bicester Village, online at www.theoutnet.com and even Ebay.

Last week I met up with an old school friend at Bicester, a discount designer shopping haven in Oxfordshire for some good old retail therapy.

The outlet can be a bit hit and miss if your shopping for clothes but it's absolutely great for accessories, think half price Alexander McQueen scarves, Micheal Kors watches, Gucci shades and Mulberry handbags.

There's nothing better than picking up a bargain and thanks to some left over Xmas money I still hadn't spent here's what I found.

I've been looking for a giant purse for so long and found this one in the Micheal Kors shop, made from lambs leather it's beautifully soft and simple in design.

I love anything tan, I'm a complete tanorexic and it was a steal at £49.

Once the suns out I'm rarely spotted without shades so I always invest in a pair every summer as I know I'll just wear them to death.

I've seen these exact same Dior sunglasses for a few years but I've never wanted to part with £240 for them so when I spotted them for just under £100 I had to have them.

They're such a classic shape made from a gorgeous brown tortoishell with tiny gold glitter flecks. which I only noticed when taking these photos.

At the checkout the sales assistant subtlely pointed out that it was buy one pair get another half price, so how could I say no and I rushed to grab another pair that had caught my eye.

These simple black Gucci shades.

They ended up costing me £48 which is a complete bargain, I'm still beaming from the deal now!!! This was at David Clulow btw.

After splashing the cash on my new accessories I was ready to go home but of course was tempted of course by the CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet) a cosmetics store full of discount Estee Lauder company brands.

Bobbi Brown, Mac, Origins, Prescriptives, GoodSkin, Clinique, Estee Lauder and more.

I couldn't resist these gorgeous Tinted Lip Conditioner from Mac in Calm Mode which was supposed to be released with the ChamPale collection not long ago but never made it to stores???

Anyway your nearest CCO will have boxes and boxes of them!

I've read great reviews about Lumecin, a two week intense skin treatment which helps brighten the skin and get rid of acne scars on MakeupAlley so purchased a tube with hope!

It is pricey still at £20 from £30 but at the moment I'm willing to try anything to get rid of spot scarring. I am almost one week in and will update you with how it goes.

Lastly a new pot of my favourite ever day and night moisturiser by Origins, Starting Over. It's a light, oil free moisturiser with a citrus scent that nourishes my skin without being heavy, the best I've tried!

I'd just run out so perfect timing, at the CCO it was £24 instead of £31.

There have been times when I've left Bicester empty handed and driven the almost two hour journey back home in misery but this trip as you can see was highly successful. I love a bargain or two!

Are you a bit of a designer diva?? If so you'd love Bicester Village!!
xxx