Something to look forward to

Hi Sparkles, 

Wow it is all happening for me at the moment some really exciting news today I will be attending a press night being held by lily lulu fashion in Manchester, UK in March. I have been asked to do a blog post for them. The event will be a preview of their new stock before it goes on sale online, clothing will be available to buy on the night and a percentage of this will go to cancer research uk. I am excited about this opportunity and thrilled at being given the chance to do this.

I just thought I would share this with you all as quick as possible. 

Speak to you all soon 

dont forget to sparkle 

love and fashion 

Vikkie 

Palettes

Good Morning my little Gems that you all are, How are you doing today? 

Well as you know for my everyday makeup I am all about high street options and try to stay away from the high end cosmetics that I use in my MUA kit. The reason for this is I think Beauty is for everyone regardless of the budget they have. 

Saying that I would like to share with you my recent buys from an Amazon seller. Jazooli, they also have a website which can be found HERE.

I ordered the 120 colour eyeshadow palette which was 9.35

88 colour eyeshadow palette in neutrals which was 7.99

and 15 shade colour concealer palette for 2.99 

(all pr ices are in british pound stirling) 

Everything was dispatched within 24 hours which gets a big thumbs up from me. It was well packaged for shipping and the sleek black containers are light weight and easy to store. 

I know I know you dont care about all that do you all you want to know about is the product its self. On opening the boxes I was impressed with the different colours and shades. They contain a good selection of neutral, vibrant, shimmer and speckled shades. There is no way you can be disappointed with the variation in each palette.

Pigmentation looked good and for the price you cant really complain. I would recommend always using a base of either eyeshadow primer or a white eyeshadow pencil, you will see why below. 

They are nice and smooth and blend really well.However I have only swatched these so will let you know about length of wear over the weekend as you can imagine with that amount of colour I am sure going to play this week. 

With Eye Shadow Primer. 

With White eye shadow pencil as a base.

With No base. 

As you can see with a base of some sort these are pretty vibrant colours. Without I would say they are great for a more muted effect say for day time look or even a younger person. 

Over all my first impressions are that these eye shadow palettes are great value for money and I would recommend you giving them ago. I will be re purchasing for sure when I need to, and they will also make good value gifts for other makeup loving friends. 

Dont forget to let me know what you think of them if you have already purchased or end up buying yourself one. I am interested in your opinions. 

Much love and eye shadow 

Vikkie 

Disclaimer: I have not been compensated in anyway for this review. All views shared are my own and are unbiased in anyway. 

Small hauls

Hello my lovely sparkles, 

Hope you have all had a good weekend. I know I have been MIA for a little while this week, life is a little hectic to say the least, between hubbie and mum being ill. Trying to build my web site, store and get my new business up and running, networking and getting ready for a photo shoot next month and setting u p 2 others for over the next couple of months its been none stop. 

As some of you may know I have been patiently waiting for my new camera and a small NYX order to arrive from the UK. Well after 2 weeks waiting you can imagine I am starting to think some bugger has made off with the parcel good old royal mail grrrr I am not a happy bunny. 

Anyways last week I took some much needed time out and hit some makeup stores. The first photo is items from a Norwegian boutique called Makeup Mecca. They are based in Oslo. I only got a few things like, 

falsies, 

brush soap 

a highlighter, 

bronzer, 

nail varnish and a new kabuki brush. 

The second small  haul is from various stores in a shopping centre in Sweden. Yep sounds strange I go to a different country to shop but trust me if you knew the difference in price so would you lol and it is only a 2 hour drive from home. 

I got a few different foundations i use the dark one for contouring. 

some nail varnish and nail treatment oil. 

Mascara and a Gel eye liner. I will be doing a review on these soon but just a quick mention I LOVE the gel liner. 

Another set of falsies and some concealer. 

Nothing but essentials right?!?!?! Well at least that's what I told hubbie lol. 

Some more exciting news to look forward to is my sample from ginvera uk to arrive ( lets hope royal mail get it right this time) moving swiftly along . . . I have been asked if I wanted to do a review of some of their products. I am excited to see if they live up to the company's hype time will tell. 

So on that front my dear sparkles I am going to say good night and swiftly move along to some other blog posts I have to catch up on. Speak to you all soon. 

Much love and foundation 

Vikkie 

Liebster Award

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Hi my lovely Sparkles.

 I really enjoy meeting new bloggers and reading their posts and i'm so happy I got nominated by my twitter and blogger friend Cree ( you can check out her blog here.)

For anyone that doesn't know what the Liebster award is, its an award that connects bloggers with 200 followers or less on their blog and gives them an opportunity to meet and chat to other bloggers! Great idea really dont ya think? I have loved reading Cree's nominated blogs the problem comes when I have to find people with less than 200

followers to nominate as well lol.

     

Cree set 10 questions for me to answer so keep reading to find out my answers.



Questions:

1) What is your must have beauty product?

I think my must have beauty product is my bioderma cleanser. I feel with a good skin care routine you can use mot brands and price groups of makeup so long as you have a well taken care of canvas to start with. 

2) Do you prefer fashion or makeup?

I am much more a makeup kinda girl. I have only recently started getting into fashion. I know kinda strange at 32 years old lol. But I am much more a jeans and tank top and bike boots kinda girl lol. 

3) What's your favourite thing about blogging?

Favourite thing about blogging is getting to meet people and share my hints tips and finds. Plus its always a good way to vent about life in general at times. 

4) If you had to go without one product for a month what would it be?

Now this is a hard one lets think one product to go with out erm I think I will opt for blusher, everything else is far to important to not use. 

5) Your favourite YouTube guru's?

Links to  my fave tube Guru's are, 

MonsterMakeUpXx

Hannah Janes

Bunnie 

Tati

I am going to be horrid and not tell you why but leave you to go find out for yourselves. 

6) What are your favourite hobbies?

My Favourite hobbies apart from the obvious one of shopping,  are reading, I am such a HUGE book worm.

 Penpaling . . unfortunately many people now like the quicker route of emails but to me that lacks the personal touch. 

Crafting. . . I am very much into handmade altered art scrapbooking etc. 

Motorbikes. . .  my get down and dirty hobbie of riding and building motorbikes is prob one of my favs as hubbie and I can do it together. 

7) What's your favourite makeup product?

Hands down it has to be foundation. If you look at previous blog posts you will find out why. I just cant live without it. 

8) Your favourite social media site and why?

Thats a hard one. I like twitter for its quick instant one line no fuss system. 

Facebook for its more personal workings. 

I dont think I can choose between them in honesty. 

9) What's your favourite fashion piece for winter?

Has to be a good set of boots. I mean come on I live in Norway. Fashion aint the most important thing so long as ya stay warm in the 6 ft of snow lol. 

10) What's your favourite TV show and why?

My favouritee TV show is Sons of Anarchy. Jax, Happy, motorbikes need I say anymore. 

Well there are my answers. I hope you have enjoyed reading this post. I will be back later with some more blogs I am going to nominate but to begin with I am going to say 

annabeebeauty

Beth

Kimmy

Hannah

Harriet

and your questions to answer are: 

1) What is your must have beauty product?
2) Do you prefer fashion or makeup?
3) What's your favourite thing about blogging?
4) Whats the one makeup/skin care product do you really want to try?
5) If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be and why?
6) What are your favourite hobbies?
7) What's your favourite makeup product?
8) Are you more adventurous with your eyeshadow or lipstick? 
9) What's your favourite fashion piece ?
10) What's your favourite TV show and why?

Have fun guys x 

Love and sparkles 

Vikkie 

Something different its Time to Talk

Hello my Dear Sparkles, 

Todays post is gonna be a little different and  hope you don't mind. today is the first ever Time to Talk day. It has started in the UK but I am in Norway as you know and think this needs to be world wide so I have decided to take part. 

Basically It’s time to talk, it’s Time to Change. 
It's time we were all able to talk openly about mental health. 

Saying that where on earth do I start . . . 

Well I am a 32 year old girl who has lived with diagnosed Bipolor and Impulse control disorder since my mid teens. What is bipolor I hear you ask well Bipolar disorder, also known as bipolar affective disorder, manic-depressive disorder, or manic depression, is a mental illness classified bypsychiatry as a mood disorder. Individuals with bipolar disorder experience episodes of an elevated or agitated mood known as mania alternating with episodes of depression.for more information click here.

 And Impulse control is Impulse control disorder (ICD) is a class of psychiatric disorders characterized by impulsivity – failure to resist a temptation, urge or impulse that may harm oneself or others. 

Types of Impulse Control Disorder

There are a number of different conditions that fall under the umbrella of impulse control disorders. The one factor that all of these conditions share is that there is an obvious loss of control. The six main categories are:

• Pathological gambling
• Trichotillomania is where people have an impulse to pull out their own hair
• Pyromania is when the individual causes fires without any reasonable motive
• Kleptomania is where people steal even though there is no need for them to do so
• Intermittent explosive disorder causes people to have violent outburst even though there is no real trigger for the behavior
• There are also other examples of impulse control disorder that fall under the category of not otherwise specified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders. This category includes such behavior as sex addiction, compulsive shopping, and self-harm. Modern phenomenon like Internet addiction is sometimes also considered to belong in this group.

Impulsive control disorders are considered to belong to a wider group of mental health conditions known as obsessive-compulsive disorders.You can find more information about ICD here.

I guess  my teenage years where the hardest, I got myself into some right messes not knowing how to or being able to control myself. I just had to go with my urges and didn't think of the out come. To be perfectly honest with you, at times I still don't, although now it tends to focus around other aspects. I get a real high out of shopping esp for other people. I know some of you will be thinking here that it could be a lot worse, but try explaining that to my bank manager. Spending is the least physically harmful to myself or others but over the years I have done so many things I am not proud of, scared people away, upset people, hurt them, and I am deeply sorry. I have never been able to explain or make them see why. I just run off or shut myself away from everything. Living with ICD and Bipolor is hard, very hard infact. I have become very good at hiding my illnesses because not many people understand or can get past the stigma that comes with mental health illnesses. Sometimes it is hard to know what is the real me and what is the me people expect to see. 

Charli Bruce over at secrets behind the closet door says it all so much better than me I urge you to head over and read what she has wrote about living with Bi polor. 

I didn't understand my extreme happiness and sadness, and never talked about it because I was ashamed. After it nearly took my life,many times, I learned it has a name: Bipolar Disorder. I will never be silent about my feelings again, and I will never be ashamed because it makes me who I am: very passionate, very creative, very loving, very everything. 

My highs make me feel like I'm on drugs, and my lows have made me consider suicide. I am both anti-social and extremely personable. I feel out of place everywhere I go, unless I'm home or with my support group. I choose to live and educate people about who we really are: not killers, not "crazy", but people with misplaced energy.

This is one of the hardest posts I have written and yes I am finding it really hard. How do I explain that yes I have mental health issues, yes i can be rather unstable at times, one second i can be laughing and joking the next I could be having suicidal thoughts. I take medication to help keep me more stable and they work. I am able to hold down a job without a problem, I have good friends and family and a wonderful husband all are supportive and without them I don;t know what I would do. Should I tell you something I am scared the big what if in my life is what if during one depressive episode I dont have hubbie or friends around me what if my drugs are not as helpful as they are day to day, what if the suicidal thoughts and self harm is one step further and my life is over. . . What if . . . . . 

On that note I am going to leave it here I dont know what else to say but please if you have any questions do ask I will answer as honestly as I can. And go over to Charlis blog and read it, as I said she words it so much better than I can. Please educate yourselves educate ur family and lets stop the stigma around mental health. 

Love and foundation 

Vikkie 

Exciting News

News to share. . . . 

Last week I got my business number through ( means foundation mascara and fairy dust is now a registered company) 
Which means that not only am I able to work now as a freelance MUA without complications but I am in the process of setting up Fairy Dust Parties . . . . Whats that I hear you ask . . . welllll I will be offering 3 services which are, 

Fairy Dust Parties . . .
We arrive at your apartment or hotel with full makeup kits, false lashes, and bottles of bubbly to put the fun (and glamour) back into party prep. You can tell us what look you want or leave it up to us. Either way, you’ll love how glam you feel when we finish! We also offer group lessons to those wanting to perfect their own makeup skills.

Fairy Dust Weddings

We do away with the old “heavy bridal makeup” stigma by creating beautiful makeup schemes to enhance your best features and bring out your individual qualities. We feel that your wedding day look should reflect your personal style, represent you, and most importantly, bring out your inner beauty.

Fairy Dust Events

A walk-up bar stocked with Lip N’ Lash goodies. Whether your guests arrive bare-faced or all done up, each party-goer can pop over to the bar to be styled with her own set of false lashes and lip gloss. Great for corporate parties, weddings, holiday and PR events. Plus, each guest receives a complimentary Fairy Dust gloss to take with her for future glossing needs.

I will be using one brand of makeup ( just waiting for all agreements to be signed before I let you know who) using it in my events as well as having it for purchase and its not Mary Kay lol.
This service is offered mainly for Norway and England although I am willing to travel just drop me an email with your requests and we can see what can be done. I am busy working on building a web site which will have more info.

Hope you all had a good Saturday Night did you go out or stay in?

Soo thats my exciting news well to me atleast it is exciting lol

Love and Foundation to you all and dont forget to sparkle

Vikkie

Foundation full coverage or not to full coverage whats the difference?

Should you buy whipped, liquid or powder foundation?

The very best way to achieve a smooth and even complexion is to apply foundation before you do your eye makeup, cheeks or lips. The right shade will disappear into your face making it appear as if you are wearing no makeup at all. I find my real techniques brush is the best way to apply foundation, but you can use your fingers or a foundation sponge.

Finding the right foundation can be a very daunting prospect because there are so many brands and formulations on the market.  I am going to try to give you a basic run down  of the various types of foundations.

Liquid (or Cream) Foundation

Liquid foundation is a basic term for foundations that come in a liquid form. There are many specialized versions, including oil-free, oil-based, waterproof and even 24-hour. They can go from medium to full coverage depending on how much you apply. To build foundation, simply apply a layer and let it dry, then apply another layer on top of it over your problem area.

Cream foundations provide a bit heavier coverage and are formulated for normal to dry skin.

Tinted Moisturizer

Tinted moisturizer provides light coverage and will cover up some unevenness, but is best for women with pretty good skin. It's truly a moisturizer with a wash of sheer color. It works as a 2-in-1 (sometimes 3-in-1 if it contains SPF) makeup product because it moisturizes while providing an all-over sheer color.

Tinted moisturizer is  great but in warmer months when only little coverage and some moisture is required. Keep in mind tinted moisturizers with SPF don't provide enough sun protection, be sure to supplement with sunscreen of at least SPF 40 to be safe. 

Oil-based Foundation Makeup

Oil-based foundations add moisture and tend to temporarily "plump up" skin, making them a great foundation choice for anyone with dry skin and for older women who want to minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

You'll want to shake up the bottle before use because the oil will separate in the bottle.

Sheer Foundation

If you are seeking a foundation that glides on smoothly, giving skin the appearance of having no foundation on at all, sheer foundation is a great bet. The coverage is light, so it won't give you what I call "cake face" if you apply too liberally. It tends to be buildable if you do want more coverage. 

Sheer foundation is made with silicones and works best on women with normal to dry skin. Many sheer foundations today contain SPF, which gives you the added benefit of sun protection, but I always recommend supplementing with a sunscreen of at least SPF 40.

Matte, or "Oil-free," Foundation

Created for women with oily skin, matte (also marketed as "oil-free") foundations are formulated with water and not oil. They tend to dry quickly, so you will want to blend it in with a sponge or your fingers as soon as you apply. And always use moisturizer or foundation primer first to add an extra layer of moisturizer.

Mousse or Whipped Foundation

Mousse -- also marketed as "whipped foundation" -- is liquid makeup with air whipped in. This makes the product light and smooth. Mousse foundations tend to have a perfect matte finish and a weightless feel.

Whipped foundation is typically good for all skin types, but I find it's great for those with dry or mature skin because of its tendency to go on smoothly instead of caking up.

For those of you who have been reading my posts for a bit or following my on facebook or youtube you will know that this is one of my all time favourite foundations to use.

Stick Foundation

Stick foundations are portable so you never have to worry about spills in your purse or bag. The coverage tends to be heavier, making them perfect for covering up blemishes, scars, reddened areas and dark under-eye circles.

Stick foundations are best for normal to oily skin. If you have dry skin, make sure to apply a bit of moisturizer first because stick foundations can cake up on you. This is why I recommend using stick foundations only on your problem areas, leaving the rest of your face to regular liquid or cream foundation.

Powder (or Compact) Foundation

Powder foundation comes in compact form, so it makes a great foundation for women who want on-the-go portability. It's basically a powder and foundation in one and you can get it in several formulations, but it's really best for women with oily skin.

Mineral Foundation

For women interested in natural, organic makeup, mineral foundation is your absolute best bet. Mineral makeup is made up almost always primarily of minerals, which come from nature. It's a great bet for women with sensitive skin or allergies.

Mineral foundation is best applied with a big, fluffy brush. 

Shimmer Foundation

Shimmer foundations contain ingredients that add a dewiness to skin. Laura Mercier has a great shimmer tinted moisturizer, but I found it works best as a highlighter instead of for overall coverage. Buy in a shade lighter than your skin tone and apply only to those areas where you want to achieve brightness: above your brows, on the cheeks and the tip of the nose.

Waterproof Foundation

Waterproof foundation is made to stay on for a long time, which makes it perfect for humid areas and hot days. It also means you may not be able to remove it with just cleanser and water, you may need to use makeup remover. These foundations can clog up pores and you may be more susceptible to blackheads, so I wouldn't use this foundation daily.

Well thats my take on foundations lol I know it can be pretty daunting trying to find the best one to match your skin tone and type. I personally have about 5 different foundation makes and slightly different colours depending on what time of year it is and how much coverage I want to achieve.

I hope you have found this helpful let me know what your foundation recommendations are and why and in the next 2 months I shall do a foundation review of a few of them.

Have a great Saturday all and stay safe and warm. Tomorrows post will be on my makeup bag must haves. . . .

Dont forget to Sparkle

Love and Foundation

Vikkie