HD BROWS

Face of the Yesterday: Eyes! Because: Brushes!

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Not my usual spot at the back of the 46A; here, I am waiting for the 7. So: out-of-doors, environmental, natural lighting — always trying to mix it up here at Bright and Beautyfull!
BUS STOP FACE
Lots of Rimmel London on the face: their Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation has become my go-to for days in which I’m going to be out and about for hours; I gave their Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara a spin, and was happy with the result, but find the brush to be awfully massive. Given that I routinely get mascara alll over my lid {I cop to operator error}, I don’t know that it will go into regular rotation. But! I am loving loving loving the brand’s Colour Rush line. The Long Lasting Intense Colour Balms are in fact long lasting and balmy, and intensely pigmented. I am wearing Rumour Has It — love love love it!

Brows are the ever-reliable HD Brows via Carter Beauty.

Eyeliner! Ooh, the eyeliner! I’ve gone a bit 80s lately and been drawing on the waterline, and Smashbox‘s new Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Eye Liner is just fab. Here, in Navy, I used it all round the inner eye, and like it says on the tin, it stays sharp, thanks to having a sharpening thingie in the lid {Lid? Top? Closey thing?} You just twist it a couple of times to the left, and there you are, pointy and ready to go.

The thing that made me happiest, however, is Clinique‘s all about shadow 8-pan palette in neutral territory 2.
CLINIQUE PALETTE
In the past, I was intimidated by palettes — what to use where, and how much? I’ve gotten over it, and just use my common sense; I do feel that I tend to do the same thing over and over, and hope to go wild some day and try something different. Here, even though I did my samey thing {light on the lid, medium in the crease, dark at the outside edge} I was really happy with the way it came out.

Also, I know this is so obvs, but using proper eye makeup brushes helps loads. My current faves are the definer and blender brushes from Dr Hauschka‘s Dear Eyes line. These are limited edition, and if there are any to be had, have at ’em, they are great. They hold the shadow really well, and don’t drag on your skin. Plus: super soft!

Forgot to put on blush. Scarla’! {LOL}

Also, due to brushes and the superiority of the product, the shadow didn’t move, and saw me through the eventual bus journey, two longish walks, and two launches, with no touch up. A total of five hours — that seems pretty good? And I was gutted to have to remove it, because it held up so well, the eyeliner included.

And just for fun:

World's Largest Forehead

World’s Largest Forehead

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RIMMEL LONDON Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation, €7.95; Scandaleyes Lycra Flex Mascara, €8.95; Colur Rush Long Lasting Intense Colour Balm, €7.95

SMASHBOX Always Sharp Waterproof Kohl Eye Liner, €19

CLINIQUE all about shadow 8-pan palette in neutral territory 2, €39

DR HAUSCHKA Limited Edition Dear Eyes Brushes: Definer, €22; Blender, €26.50

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Bonjour, Les Sourcils! {Cue Something Triumphant; 1812 Overture, Maybe}

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I rather dramatically bid buh-bye to the eyelash extensions* I got in mid-January — in French, who knows why.

So in the same vein, let’s say bonjour to the freshly HD’d brows:

EYEBROWS

Carter Beauty take such good care of them! I was about to spin off into how sourcils is so similar to souris, which means mouse, and both so similar to sourire, which means smile — is it just the sou– part? Do I really know what I’m talking about? Am I going to start calling my eyebrows ‘my smiling mice’?

Is it entymology or eytmology? Words or bugs, or vice versa?

I ran out of coffee yesterday without realising it, can you tell?

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Carter Beauty HD Brows is €50 for the initial treatment.
Carter Beauty is based at 40 Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
For more information, see wwwcarterbeauty.ie or ring them on  01-210 3624.

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*Here are the eyelash extensions, in all their glory.

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Face of the Day: *Not* Photographed on the 46A

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FOTD 23 01 2013Hmmm: I always seem to do this on days that I am wearing Hourglass Cosmetics Veil Fluid Makeup SPF 15 in  Sand, along with the Mineral Veil Primer. Well, that tells you all you need to know, I reckon. I always feel like I need to show off my face when I am wearing that primer/foundation combo.

Like the blush? It’s IsaDora Glow Stick in Rose Bud, a tiny wee cream-blush-in-a-twist-up-tube that I am {is}adoring at the moment. It is very soft, and applied on the apple of the cheek, it makes you look like a Victorian Valentine. as

As if my cheeks weren’t entirely apples!

Brows are my usual HD Brows, for which Carter Beauty can take credit. I have defined them with my favvvvourite new brow thing, Smashbox Brow Tech To Go. Google it now, ladiez, it is so good: it comes with a brush-in-gel to set them up, and then an angled pencil to fill ’em in. Proper review to come — hey, haven’t done a Haiku Review in yonks. There’s a plan!

Eyelashes are via VenusLash by Venus Medical. Oh, there will be updates there.

A bit of Clinique eyeshadow, the fabbalis Black Honey, which never, ever goes wrong.

Lips = a combo of Lush Liquid Lipstick in Confidence, with some Clinique Chubby in Chunkiest Chilli on top. This solves two problems I have, one with each: the Lush is too dry, and the Clinique doesn’t have the staying power I’ll ned today. Together, they are perfect.

Okay! Ready to face the day with the #FOTD!

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Top Twelve of 2012: The One About The HD Brows

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The one? How about the million? Of the many excellent things that I experienced in 2012, HD Brows have turned out to be revolutionary for my overall look. My go-to salon is Carter Beauty in Blackrock, and I leave happy — nay, delighted — every single time.

They are particularly great when I don’t feel like putting on a lot of makeup. Like today. Here I am with my lovely dad, and my lovely brows:

POPSTARI have intervened only slightly with the colour and shape, and my favourite brow-shaping-cosmetic thingie has been AVON Glimmerstick Brow Definer. I try and test so many things in the course of a year, much less a week, that when I use something up entirely, it is highly significant.

I used this up entirely. Will use again. And again.

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This is the account of my first session of HD Brows; click the HD Brows category for allllll the posts.

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Eyebrow Dye: Should I?

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I’m little afraid.

The thing I love best about all the things there is to love about HD Brows is the part with the dye.

It is almost gone — I got a pretty impressive run, almost a month! — and they look okay with enhancements, but not 100% fantabulous.

So I got this… Such detailed directions! So complicated! Or it seems so for someone {me} who is never bothered to follow directions a’tall.

I am so going to follow these, because doin’ this wrong would have terrible consequences.

Should I?

Q: Why is This Woman Grinning Like an Eeeejit? A: HD Brows.

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HD Brows are the best thing ever, ever, ever.

Ever. Seriously, it’s like the rest of the face can just chill out, because the brows are doing all the work.

I just got them seen ta yesterday at Carter Beauty in Blackrock, and the world of difference it makes!

If you haven’t seen the before-and-after gallery on their site, go have a look.

Evidence: compelling.

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What else have I got going on?

> The Hair: Dermalogica Shine Therapy Shampoo & Silk Finish Conditioner {€22.20/28.65} with a few squirts of L’Oréal Mythic Oil Milk {€19.99}

> Foundation Le Teint Touche Éclat from Lancôme {€38}. I think I got too light a shade, maybe? Can’t tell from the seriously warm photo. I’m not sure this is right for me. I have to give this another go, and see.

> 10 Bronzer {€34} from Benefit because of the above.

> Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume Mascara {€21}

> NYC HD Color Quattro Eye Shadow in Queens Boulevard {€3.49}. I didn’t use the full quattro, only a duo; the palette is nicely purple-y.

> Dr Hauschka Lipstick Novum in Slow Mood {16.50}, because I was going for a neutral lip. I’m thinking it is only okay, and was sorry that I hadn’t remembered this new Lacura Beauty lippy I’m liking at the moment, from Aldi, in 419. It’s a smoky purple-y grey, and the other day? I ate an apple, and it didn’t wear off. !

Hey, that’s one pricey face…

As Seen in The Wild: Chubby Stick in Pudgy Peony

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In my usual spot in the back of the 46A, wearing my ‘summer’ turquoise pashmina, and Clinique’s Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour in Pudgy Peony.

Given all the variables — camera phone, crappy cloudy weather, and back of the bus — that is an excellent representation of the excellence of that colour.

How does it last? Well, don’t eat a sandwich and expect it to be unmoved. The thing is, it probably lasts perfectly well, but it feels so nice and soothing and yes, moisturizing on application, that I keep applying it. Even when I don’t need to.

And just so you know… Chubby Sticks For Eyes are launching in the autumn! Much excite! Maybe I can finally do a decent smoky eye, look at that black one! Also love the fourth from the left, the bronze-y one… Hey! Can a whole Chubby face {blush, highlighter, and even foundation} be far behind?!?

{Also, seriously: HD Brows. Do it, do it, do it.}

HD Brows: Must to Maintain

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My eyebrows were in great shape, I thought. Sure, I had to jazz ’em up somewhat extra, with the auld eyebrow palette, but they looked fine, yeah?

No.

Before and after, obvs. Yes, the use-of-dye aspect of the HD Brows process helps loads, even if I do feel like Groucho Marx for the first two days, but the whole shaping technique, using waxing and threading and measuring, is simply non-pareil.

Between the tanning and the HD Brows, I need almost zero make up, which lowers the maintenance in other areas.

Look, I let them go so long that I resorted to the tweezers myself. I am so bad at tweezing, even when I’m only after yanking the really obvious wigglers. Plus, I feel the pain, and can only manage like two hairs and hour.

So much simpler to go to the professionals…

More info here at http://www.carterbeauty.ie; see here for the first go.

Brows and Lashes: I Can Haz Cut ‘n’ Paste?

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Yeesh, sorry if my followers are getting update notices — saw some typos I needed to fix, or else I wouldn’t be able to sleep this night!

It may just be that I am addicted to Photo Booth, but I wanted to update with the latest installment of HD Brows: simply put, the treatment/technique is fab, and I got mine refurbed last Thursday. That one is the bottom image, and I wish I was adept enough at P-shop to put those brows over those eyes {top} because the top brows are definitely furry, and blurry around the edges.

At one stage last week, I finally tried L’Oréal’s Superliner Gel Intenza(€14.99), of which I went on record as being to afraid to try — but I did it, and it is pretty fab. I found that if you didn’t get it right the first time round, it meant serious do-over, down to having to use eye make up removal product to clean the slate. as ever, my right eye was a doddle, and my my left eye, a debacle. It is kind of tacky on the finish, and it dries quickly, so I don’t know, maybe practice on the back of your hand?

The main problem I have with liner on the top edge of the lid is that I have almost no eyelid to speak of, so it just looks like I fecked a dark bit of whatever on my entire eyelid; so rather than getting something all eye-opening and dramatic, my lid merely looks dark. And then you skip right to the part between my lid line and the brow, which is called… What is that called? The upper lid? I can’t even think — does it have a name?

I think I am having a senior moment.

Also in use was a sample from MAC’s newest eye shadow, Extra Dimension Eyeshadow in Warm Thunder (€20.50). It received compliments, and lasted like nobody’s business. I found it as sticky to put on as the liner, but both lasted as long as I needed it to — that is, until I got home — so my advice would be to go lightly with this stuff, but go with authority and confidence.

HD Brows: A Reader Writes…

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I read your review on HD brows and I’m sold! Would you recommend I get them done? I heard they dye your skin is that true?

In a word, dear reader: no. Even though I just had mine done on Monday, and feel a veritable expert, I googled they dye your skin with HD Brows and came up with no such thing.

You can’t dye skin — wait, hang on — nope, Google says you can’t do that either, but you can of course dye your hair with Kool Aid.

Listen, I was nervous enough getting the brows dyed, so I totally get the query. Anything that smacks of permanency makes me twitchy {Ooh, ‘scuse me, Dr Freud will see me now.}

Here they are, with make up accompaniment:

Must try a smoky eye, and false eyelashes! This is like having a whole new face!