Spring Pretty…

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend 🙂

Spring is here…even though it doesn’t seem like it! We’re pretty much still dressed for the winter, but it doesn’t mean our make up shouldn’t be in season. Think supernatural glowing skin, spring’s painterly strokes of colour ranged from the understated to high-impact lips and eye shadows. I have picked out my favourite make up trends for #SS15 (Spring & Summer 15).

The first look that did it for me and for those who love wearing bright colourful shadows, was at Elie Saab #SS15, Make up expert Tom Pecheux used MAC, layering different azure shades top and bottom absolutely gorgeous.

The romantic look, from Dolce Gabbana #SS15 was inspired by the Spanish influences in Sicily. All products used are Dolce Gabbana, the classic cream lipsticks in shades Ultra and Amethyst and the new Dolce matte lipstick in Dolce Desire, the brow is sculpted with a brow liner in chestnut. Perfect date night look!

The clean, “no make up”, glowing trend is my ultimate favourite, perfect for work, school runs, everyday make up! And it was seen in a few fashion houses’, like Christopher Kane #SS15 to name a few. Lucia Pieroni’s trick for getting that glowing skin, is to mix the Pure Radiant Tinted moisturiser with the Optimal Brightening Concentrate, both products by Nars, making your skin look healthier in an effortless way.

The final look, is for the lipstick addicts from Burberry Prorsum #SS15. Burberry’s make up artistic consultant Wendy Rowe, created the lustry look, the honey skin, tawny eyes and ruby lips. Proving the classic lip look is not dated. Lip colour in Ruby No18 from Burberry.

Pictures belong to http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/beauty-hair/beauty-trends/news/g3648/spring-summer-2015-hair-makeup-trends/

If you’re feeling spring on inside, then it will show on the outside!   X

What is your undertone?

As a woman of colour, it is hard to find a foundation or concealer at an affordable price in the UK that truly matches your skin. If your willing to spend £30+ then, you have choices of cosmetics brands with a wide range of shades for African, Caribbean and Indian women. Such as MAC, Iman, Lancôme, Clinique, Revlon, Fashion Fair, Bobbi Brown and Nars.

However finding your undertone can still be very tricky, research shows that cosmetics makers design foundations based on two completely different colour palettes; the traditional artists’ palette, which is set up with a pure white canvas in mind, and the cosmetic palette uses fleshy tones of real skin as its canvas. Things on paper may be subtle however the difference when the canvas is your skin is very much noticeable. I have managed to find a diagram so we have a better understanding of how complicated this can really be.

The Artist wheel, the palette, yellow is always cool, red is always warm and blue is neutral, but could be either warm or cool.

The Cosmetic wheel however classifies yellow as warm and red can either be neutral for warm or cool tones.

Brands like MAC use conventional artists palette, for example ”warm beige” on their swatches has a pinkish tint, whilst the same “warm beige” in Clinque, which is based on a cosmetic palette, would have a yellow tint. This can be complicated but it’s all down to finding what is good for you.

Experts say finding your undertone is all on your wrist, if your veins look bluish or purplish then you probably have cool undertones; if your veins look greenish then your more likely to have warm undertones and if you see both then chances are you are neutral.

As previously mentioned in the UK, Drugs stores foundations are very much limited for women of colour, for example even though affordable brands like Maybelline and L’Oreal have created foundations for women of colour it’s never really a true match it is always more of a “fits all” undertones skin type foundation.

Ladies I have found a true gem, for coloured women of the UK, it’s affordable and it is a UK-based brand called C.a.k.e. Cosmetics UK.

They have a range of concealers, mineral foundations, mineral blusher, cream foundations and cream blusher, which are hand-made and not tested on animals! And I did say affordable right? You can spend less than £10 if you wish to. I spent £4.99 plus shipping for my Caramel concealer, it covers dark circles well and works beautifully with powder or mineral foundation if you want that natural make up look. Just make sure you use a good primer, because dark skin at times may look ashy or grey if you are using powder based foundations or mineral foundation. I highly recommend this line, here’s a link of their online shop, where you can contact them and ask questions. I think it is very important for us Brits to support small business in the UK! Check them out #smallbusinessUK. Please feel free to ask questions or comment.

http://cakecosmetics.co.uk/

@christelledm thank you for this wonderful post. You have brightened up our day! #bblogger #beauty

— Cake Cosmetics UK (@CAKEcosmeticsUK) March 11, 2015