Bobbi Brown Beauty Masterclass

A few weeks ago I was invited to a Bobbi Brown 'Christmas Beauty' masterclass being led by the company's Head of Artistry in the U.K., Paul Herrington. The event took place in John Lewis' Cardiff store.

Paul and the other lovely ladies and gents from 'Bobbi Brown' had taken over the Espresso Bar, where we were invited to relax with a glass of something fizzy and a mince pie. Perfect to get us in the festive mood! There was a real range of ladies at the event, from teenagers to grandmothers, and that reflects the approach that the brand has.

Paul talked us through his 10 key products from Bobbi Brown, which he thinks are essentials. Unfortunately, I lost my notebook which had my notes from the evening, so I haven't got all the details of the products. But I have been really impressed with the products that I bought on the evening, so I still wanted to post about the event.

I really enjoyed the format of the evening. Firstly, Paul demonstrated the products on members of the group on stage and took questions from the floor. The second part of the evening was where we were invited to sit at tables named after Hollywood stars and to have small-group consultations with one of the makeup artists, where we could ask more individual questions and get our hands on the products to try them

Here are some of the key products that Paul talked about over the course of the evening:

• Hydrating Face Cream - Bobbi believes that the most important skincare step is ensuring hydration, and this product is designed to provide hydration throughout the day. 

• Foundation Stick - this is one of Bobbi Brown's most well-known and award-winning products, which is designed for all skin types except really oily skin. This is great for giving easy coverage on the go.

• Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner - this is another one of Bobbi's products which has won many awards, including an 'InStyle Best Beauty Buys' award. This long-lasting and water-resistant product gives the look of a liquid liner, but with a gel feel. This is definitely going on my 'to-buy' list.

• Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow

• Metallic Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow - this still gives the long-lasting coverage of the original cream eyeshadow, but with an added sparkle

• Pastel Sugar Sparkle Eye Quad - this is part of the brand's Christmas Collection. The sparkly, sheer texture of these shadows means that they are great for layering over neutral shades such as 'Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow' in 'Bone', to take you from a day to an evening look.

• Shimmer Brick - This is perhaps one of Bobbi's most iconic products, and it is fair to say that there were more than a few fans of the product in the room. The shimmer bricks have 5 different bars of colour, which work together to give the skin a glow. The product can be used as a highlighter and shimmer eye shadow. There are 5 options: the original Bronze Shimmer; Pink Quartz Shimmer; Nectar Shimmer; Rose Shimmer and Beige Shimmer. 

• Pot Rouge - This fantastic cream-based blush comes in five different shades. Paul recommended 'Powder Pink' as being suitable for my colouring, so I added it to my shopping list. I have been using this nearly everyday since, and I love it! It gives a really natural flush to the skin, and can also be used on the lips. It also transpires that it is the blush used by my good friend Liz, whose blusher I always love. It was obviously meant to be!

I also purchased one of Bobbi's new high shimmer lipglosses in 'Bellini' (a nude pink and silver pearl). I really like this product as it gives a subtle shimmer effect, and without the sticky finish that so many glosses can leave. 

Have you tried any of the products on the list? How did you find them?

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in 'Pop' (Limited Edition)

It's that time of year again, when companies from Estee Lauder to Asda urge us to 'Think Pink'. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to raising awareness of the disease, the month also raises a lot of money for Breast Cancer charities, via the sale of a host of pink items.

I have only used a few Daniel Sandler products but have been really impressed with them, so I was really keen to try this, as his legendary 'Watercolour' blushes were next on my 'to try' list (which seems to be growing by the day!). Daniel has created a new limited edition shade, 'POP', especially to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support. Only 250 of these have been produced, and they are available exclusively at Escentual for £14.50.

I love this shade as it is a perfect perk-me-up pink which gives a beautiful flush of colour. The colour is best applied with one of Daniel's waterbrushes, which are currently on offer for £5. I already had one of these from when they were offered as a free gift with any Daniel Sandler product a few months ago. One of the things I liked about this was that the colour was buildable, so that I could get exactly the intensity I was looking for, without worrying that I would look too 'Aunt Sally'! This blush gives a really natural flush to the skin, with just the right amount of 'pop'.

1 sweep of Watercolour Blush

With a second sweep of Watercolour Blush

So if this looks like your kind of blush, get yourself over to Escentual . This shade is selling fast! There are lots of other lovely shades in the Watercolour Blush range too, and this month Escentual are donating 10% of the selling price of the Watercolour Blushes to Breast Cancer Care.

Fine Print: I was sent this product for review purposes.

Guest Post: The "No Makeup Makeup" Look

I was really pleased when I discovered that the lovely Emily a.k.a 'Shopgirl' over at Sugar and Spice was a Cardiff-based blogger. While I love a great style blog wherever it is based, it's nice to see someone local blogging, and I like it when they reference local events and place. So without further ado, here is Emily's great post on achieving the much sought after "no makeup makeup" look:

When the boy commented recently that there was not much difference between my made up face and my no make-up face, I took it as a complement and to mean that I had nailed the "no make-up" make-up look.

For work, I don’t like to go too over the top with my make-up. I like to look professional and together but not as if I am about to hit the town.

Boots No 7’s new Lash Adapt mascara is the perfect starting point for this look as it allows you to add more coats to your lashes if you are planning to go straight from the office to the bar but one coat is enough for the "no make-up" make-up look we are trying to achieve here.

I like a good base for my make-up but nothing too heavy – mainly because I hate the way it feels when anyone cakes the foundation on me. So I start by liberally applying Olay’s Radiant Glow moisturiser. I leave it to absorb into my face while I dry my hair and then I apply a little Instant Radiance Concealer under my eyes and Tinted Moisturiser over the rest of my face. It creates a lovely even tone with just enough of a dewy glow.

I find that cream blusher blends easily, giving a natural flush.

For my eyes, I line with a brown liner – keeping black for night-time. I’ve just tried out Boots No 7’s Autumn Collection double ended liner which has an ivory pencil at one end to highlight the inside corner of the eye too and naturally open it up a little.

For my day-time look, I swear by No 7’s Stay Perfect eye shadow in Mink . It goes with everything and if you plan to go from the office to the bar you can use it as a base for blending other coloured shadows into.

Finally, I like to finish off with a little lick of lipstick. The best natural colour I have found – which also looks great when balancing out a heavy smoky eye at night-time – is the Moisture Drench lipstick in Rumour .

And yes, before you ask, I am a massive No 7 fan. I stray occasionally but am always brought back – mainly because of the £5 vouchers Boots are always offering – and the quality of the product!

What is your day time make-up look?

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Lou Lou says: Thank you Emily. I love a beauty bargain and will definitely be trying out some of these products. Purely in the name of blog research of course!