I'VE BEEN MIA AGAIN!!!

So sorry for being missing in action... I've started my new job & been training so I haven't had any time -_- I'm drained 2 the core that it's made me get sick. I really can't complain... I'm blessed!

Upcoming tutorials 2 be posted soon!!!!

PHILIPPINES INDEPENDENCE DAY!!!

Payin tribute to the motherland...

GRADUATE FASHION WEEK!

Hi guys! 2 excited to show you pics from Graduate Fashion Week... had to upload them now! For fashion lovers click on GALLERY for more photos =]

I'm in <3

EYELINER: Simple Everyday Eyeliner Tutorial

Hello guys =] I’ve put together a tutorial of how I do my eyeliner and hope you guys find it useful. I am not stating it is the right way or this is the best way out of all methods, but the way I will show y’all how I do mine is what works best for me when applying on myself and clients. In order to apply eyeliner, do it in a way you find comfortable and what works for you. 

Please click on TUTORIALS to see how I apply eyeliner

Thanks Amazon!!!

Received my package from Amazon with some goodies 4 myself and for my readers (depending if giveaways will be continuing)

WHAT A ROLLERCOASTER DAY!!!

Firstly I want to thank ALL 166 readers for viewing my page yesterday... THANKYOU for your support ^_^ 

However not many people have entered the competition for this month’s giveaway -_- 

I'm not sure whether or not it's the products itself or people just don’t want things for free these days. Every so often there will be a giveaway but as this is all trial and error I may discontinue offering free giveaways. We shall see how things work out for now. Let me know what you guys think??? I have been told to do videos so I may just cave in, suck it up and get over being camera shy HAHA!!!

A random story: (select read more)

1 MONTH ANNIVERSARY! FREE GOODIES!!!

Hi guys!

To celebrate my 1 month anniversary for my blog I am happy to hold this giveaway to thank all my readers for their support ^_^ From one fellow beauty lover to another... it means a lot to know that people are interested in what I have to offer.

I got emails stating they do not want to post up their details for others to see so instead...
All you have to do is:

1.  Select a reaction (love it, like it, leave it) below
2. Email me (essmarieb@gmail.com) subject field: GIVEAWAY COMPETITION, then stating your NAME and code 1MNTHANNI 

The winner will be picked at random and will be announced Wednesday 13^th. No sponsors, has no catches, no gimmicks and absolutely no cost... 100% FREE! That’s it! How could it get any easier? 

I am thankful to have reached the 200+ readers mark and hopefully the more support I get the bigger and better the giveaways will be!

I would really appreciate it if you could share this post. Good luck everyone xoxo Ess

You can win the following (products posted earlier last month):

ELF: Queen Julibee OFFERS!!!

Hello lovelies!!! As it is the Queen’s Jubilee celebration I am happy to announce that ELF will be supporting this event with 3 amazing offers! 

ELF (eyes, lips, face) offers a wide range of beauty products from makeup, tools, nail polish etc at great value prices so check it out as you will also be saving even more with the codes!!! All you have to do is type in the code at checkout ^_^  


Offers end 9:30am GMT 06/06/12

SIGMA: The LIMITED edition Paris palette & Coupon

I’m excited to share these two offers with you all! This month Sigma has developed an original makeup palette inspired by the alluring city of Paris with the help of seven renowned beauty experts. Each week Sigma will post up a tutorial or vlog from each of the beauty experts.

The first offer is the LIMITED edition Paris Makeup Palette includes: 8 eye shadows, 2 blush colours and 1 highlight shade, to compliment all skin tones. The palette also comes with 2 essential Sigma brushes, E55 – Eye Shading and F40 – Large Angled Contour, for flawless makeup application.

To claim $10 off enter coupon code: PETRILUDE

The Paris Palette is only available while supplies last, so don’t miss out on the opportunity!!!

SIGMA: 10% off your ENTIRE purchase!!!

The second offer that Sigma is kindly offering this month is 10% off your entire purchase! The offer will be valid from June 1^st – June 30^th. All you have to do is click the picture above and enter the code STAR2012. Happy shopping guys ^_^ 

Keeping Your Locks Nourished & Hydrated: Argan Oil

Hi guys =] Sorry I've been MIA but dont worry I've been in meetings brainstorming great ideas for my blog... I'm super excited so please watch this space!

 

As a young child I remember my grandmother always applying pure coconut oil to my locks and scalp but it didn’t occur to me why she did that or what were the benefits. Pssshhh I thought it was to just make my hair look shiny lol! Sadly as years went on I didn’t carry on applying coconut oil onto my hair as I thought it looked greasy and as I can recall, my hair was much healthier and thicker back then! Pure coconut oil helped my hair be healthy and nourished with the use of its natural essential proteins. 

NOW the latest craze out there in the market for hair is the Argan oil. Hmmmm?! Coconut oil helped my hair many years back... can Argan oil do the same? 

HERE ARE A FEW FACTS:

• Argan Oil is attained from the kernels of the Argan tree which is only found in the Argan forest of South West Morocco.

• For centuries it was a well-kept secret known only to the Berber women in Morocco who use it for skin, hair and nails.

• Argan Oil is notoriously known as the natural anti-ageing cosmetic product.

• It also has been reported to protect against skin cancer as it contains Squalene.

• It is rich in freulic acids, eight essential fatty acids, carotenoids, anti- oxidants, sterols, saponins and polyphones and contains high levels of vitamin E which is crucial for the skin.

WHAT CAN ARGAN OIL DO FOR YOUR HAIR:

• Improves the elasticity of hair.

• Extremely nourishing for the growth of hair.

• It hydrates the hair naturally.

• It stops coarseness/roughness of hair

• Contains natural antioxidants which strengthen the hair by repairing the damaged cellular membrane of hair.

• It restores the smoothness of hair and makes it more manageable.

• Helps brittle and colour treated hair. 
   

Here are three products I’ve tried out but for a full review please click on PRODUCT REVIEWS ^_^

 

BOOTS: Natural Collection

I wanted to see if I could do justice for a cheaper drugstore/highstreet brand and create a simple look for teenagers or even for those who don’t dabble in makeup that much & just want to try it out.  

The good thing about this brand apart from the price is that it is fragrance-free and dermatologically tested!

I was quite sceptical before trying this brand out but surprisingly it has surpassed my expectations.

Click on PRODUCT REVIEWS to find out my thoughts & opinions ^_^

MOTD 190512

 

If you want a tutorial feel free to email me xxx

MOTD (Makeup Of The Day) 170512

 

If you guys want a tutorial feel free to email me =]

SAVINGS!!! Coupons/Vouchers!

I know I’ve been MIA due to my dad being in hospital but things are looking up for him =] Thank God he’s on the road to recovery!

On another note I was shopping the other day and noticed an offer that any beauty lover would take advantage of. So for those who don’t already know here you go...

SUPERDRUG 3 FOR 2 NOW!!!

Buying beauty products can be very costly especially if you are looking to try new products, so the best thing to do is to be on a look out for sales or coupons/vouchers. Usually, brands that are trying to introduce a new product have an introductory price which is lower than the standard price so it’s best to buy then.

Another way to save some money is to look for coupons or vouchers. Here are some websites that you can check out... Sadly UK does not make use of coupons as well as US however still check out the UK sites for spa retreats etc. Hope this helps =] xxx

USA Websites

 

http://www.coupons.com/

http://www.redplum.com/

http://mojosavings.com/

http://coupons.target.com/

UK Websites

                    

http://www.myvouchercodes.co.uk/

http://www.vouchercloud.com/

                                                                       

 http://www.groupon.co.uk/

http://www.wowcher.co.uk/ 

         

EYEBROWS: Framing Your Face

Your eyebrows play an important part to your look. It is a simple thing but makes the biggest difference to your face. The general rule is that if you have a round or oval face you should have more of an angled eyebrow and if you have a prominent sharp face your eyebrows should have more of a curve to it to soften up your look. 

Many times I have seen failed attempts on people that I can’t help but stare and feel like I want to get my tweezers out and help them lol! Others have the right principle but still need a little tweak to their technique to make it even better than it already is. Here are some examples taken from Google to show you where they went wrong... NO NO NO this is not how you do it o_0

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

• Figure 1: I see a lot of ladies with this problem. Hardly any hair left of the eyebrows, has no shape to it and looks like a line drawn on.

• Figure 2: Having an arch is great but having them too high can make ladies look constantly angry LOL! Especially if drawn on too harsh.

• Figure 3: Mc Donald eyebrows... Similar to figure 1 but this time the arch is way too high and curved making ladies having a consistent surprised look on their face.

• Figure 4: The shape of her eyebrows is thick but that is ok if it is the look you are going for. The problem here is that her eyebrows clash with her hair colour. There are different ways to soften or darken your eyebrows e.g. tinting.

How to measure your eyebrows in order to shape them:

Here is a diagram of how to measure to find the dimensions of your eyebrows and it’s perfect for each individuals face. The thing you need to remember is to go with your natural shape and not to overdo it with the shaping. Use pencil eyeliner to help measure and mark your eyebrows. 

Start from the corner of your nose and place the end of the eyeliner there as a pivot point. Now pivot the eyeliner to the start of your eye. Wherever the pencil is on your eyebrow, that’s the start of where your eyebrow should be e.g. line A shown in diagram. Make a mark with your pencil. The same method is repeated for the arch of your eyebrow (line B) and the end (line C).

Once the marking are in place get shaping with your tweezers or razor =]

For a more detailed ‘how to shape your eyebrows’ let me know and I shall do that for you.  

Tweezerman Slant Tweezers is the best tool that I’ve ever used for my brows and highly recommend! 

For those who do not like pain try Tinkle Razors... very safe and ideal for eyebrows!

 

 

How to fill in & define your eyebrows:

Click on 'TUTORIALS' to see how I do mine

Lashes, Lashes, Lashes!!!

 

 

Who doesn’t like false lashes especially on a night out?! I don’t wear lashes on a day to day basis as I’m quite blessed with a reasonable pair ^_^ but on a night out to a club or a special occasion I would definitely use them to add extra length and volume.

I’m in love with MAC’s false eyelashes and other high end brands to the point where I want to purchase many pairs however, as an aspiring makeup artist I need to find a cheaper alternative but with the same qualities for my freelance kit. Having looked around the market I’ve made some good buys. Drugstore/high-street brands are cheaper in comparison to MAC’s but what if I could tell you that I can still save you some more money?!!!

Here is a rough price comparison:

MAC: $15/£10+ (per pair)

DRUGSTORE/HIGH-STREET: $4/£4+ (per pair)

ONLINE: $1.49/£0.63+ (per pair) OR £1.00+ (10 pairs in a box)  
                                             

Check out these websites and SAVE SOME MONEY =]

A New Game 2play On The iPhone LOL

This takes me back to my memories with my cousins at Big Bear ^_^ Fun times and it got really competitive haha! Playing when drunk is even better!!!

New products...

Super excited to try these much raved products and see what all the fuss is about...

• EOS: Mint Lip Balm
• Cover Girl: Lash Blast Volume
• Revlon: Lip butter in 025 Peach Parfait & 050 Berry Smoothie

Colour swatches can be found in my gallery =]

Let me know if you want a review on any of these products shown xxx

1st Purchase From Sigma: Mr. Bunny Black Essential Kit

This is my first purchase from Sigma and I can honestly say that I cannot be any happier with the quality of these brushes. The bristles on the brushes are far softer than your average high street brands giving you the ability to glide on makeup with ease and precision.




I purchased the Mr. Bunny Black Essential Kit and it contains 12 brushes… 4 for the face and 8 for the eyes. I am NOT getting sponsored to do this review and purchased it with my own money so it’s 100% my own opinion. The brush kit is $109.00 but compared to high end brands such as MAC I think its value for money. Each brush is stated what it is assigned to do on their website however I am going to let you guys know I use each brush for as it may be different. I am not stating that the way I use the brushes are the only way or the best way to use them… it’s just my preference.  
 

When receiving the brush kit it will come in this cute packing. The package includes a brush cup holder and the 12 brushes that are each individually wrapped in a protective plastic cover

 

Brushes in this kit:

INTRODUCTION: Hi Everyone =]

At a very young age just like many young ladies I've been fascinated with makeup and beauty, from the moments where we've watched our mum's put on their daring red lipstick and painted their nails in the classic timeless red. My mum has always been about simplicity when doing her makeup but as for me it has escalated and now I’m an obsessed 26 year old beauty junkie LOL ^_^

Don’t get me wrong it has been a rollercoaster from the first day I plucked my eyebrows looking not so great *eekkk the memories*  from the deep black eyeliner and deep red lipstick inspired by our very own Aaliyah RIP, with those baggy jeans, white vest tops & open long sleeve shirt HAHA. Over the years its always been about trial and error and I guess that’s led me to where I am today with the knowledge and techniques that I can share with many… even now I’m still learning. A good makeup artist is someone who keeps up with change from new products, technology and trends.

I’ve always been asked to teach people how to do their makeup and in return I’ve never had a problem with it… in fact I loved it especially the way it made me feel to see someone’s face light up and see that look on their face, that look that screams out “wow is that me?!!” or “I am beautiful” … that alone makes my day.

"Dress, hairstyle and makeup are the crucial factors in projecting an attractive persona and give one the chance to enhance one’s best physical features" - Vivienne Westwood

"No amount of makeup can mask an ugly heart" - Kevyn Aucoin