MANI MONDAYS #4

MANI MONDAY #3

Today I am wearing Barry M Gelly in 'Prickly Pear' £3.99

MY WEEK IN PICTURES

 To view more photos please click on 'Read More' below

WEEKEND BEAUTY DISCOVERY

On Saturday Adrian & I went to go buy our costumes for a friend's B-day this coming weekend. Since we were in the area we decided to go for a walk in China Town and I managed to stumble across a Asian beauty store =] It has so many cute products! They may not have a huge range however they still stock popular products that many people rave about such as face masks.

I had asked the ladies behind the counter how long has the shop been open and to my surprise she mentioned they have been open for 4 years! How did I not know about this store?! The store must have had refurbishment unless I just never had the time to realise it was there!

The store is called P2BUS Ltd and you can find them right in the heart of China town at 21 Newport Court. They also have a online store www.P2BUS.com 

Adrian & I decided to take a walk after breakfast so we decided to go Dagenham Market. As far as I can remember I have never been and to my surprise I found some stalls selling high street branded makeup. How they got their hands on them? I have no idea but what I do know is that the stalls have them at a cheaper price. I'm afraid I cannot show you any photos I was not allowed to take any pictures of the stalls.

Of course you should be wary of the products but make sure that if you were to purchase makeup from the market that it is in the original packaging. 

Okay now this last picture had to be taken because I thought it was so cute these two bulldogs... I guess it's because there's two of them hehehe!

FACE LIFT

My blog has had a 'facelift' ... What do you guys think? 

I decided to opt for a cleaner & sleek look. Not only have I changed the look of the blog but also I finally got working with a graphic designer to create my logo! ^_^ All the late nights have been worth it!

The image above is artwork that will be associated with my brand/logo and will be used as promotion material. My finished logo will not be posted up till further notice...you can however catch a glimpse of it on one of my videos for #MPOAUK posted on my Instagram or my previous blog post.

 

If you like my promotion image and would like to create a logo or need any designs for personal or business use please 'holla' at the creator Ken Munoz... his details are listed below.

Mr Ken Munoz

Graphic Designer / Videographer

07565 183 783

neekmunoz@hotmail.co.uk

I would definitely recommend Ken and it has been a pleasure working with him. Communication is the key! With every single change made he would always give feedback and update me with how the design is progressing. Ken is very 'hands on' and is willing to work alongside with you till you are completely satisfied with the end product. Thank you Ken ^_^

To see his online portfolio please visit www.behance.net/kenmunoz

www.youtube.com/intangiblenerds

MISS PEARL OF ASIA UK

Miss Pearl of Asia is a luxurious beauty pageant that will represent a diversity of young aspiring women aged 16 - 28 years old from countries in Asia, who will be involved in a deluxe production that will acquaint spectators with their beauty, personality, ambition and diversity. The primary cause of Miss Pearl of Asia UK is to help raise awareness for sponsoring children in need. 

For more information please visit Miss Pearl of Asia website

I have had such a hectic schedule for past two weeks that I have hardly had time to blog... my apologies!
One of the reasons being that I had an awesome opportunity to be part of Miss Pearl of Asia UK!
Friday 4th October was the launch of Miss Pearl of Asia which was held at Amway's London Flagship Centre. On the day I met the wonderful candidates and I also got to experience first hand Amway's beauty line, Artistry.

Whilst doing some of the candidates makeup for the launch I was fortunate to be able to speak to the ladies and get to know them. I can definitely say that they are not only beautiful... they are smart and each has a great personality. From being at the launch, I could see that the candidates were having fun and genuinely have formed friendships amongst each other.

Great job ladies... all of you were fabulous! I can't wait for the pageant night!


Here are the candidates for Miss Pearl of Asia UK 2013

 Click on misspearlofasia.com/candidates to vote vote vote!
 

To attend please click on www.misspearlofasia.com/tickets to purchase tickets

Last but not least I would like to say to Diana Bieles founder of Miss Pearl of Asia ...
CONGRATULATIONS for having a successful launch and I'm sure the big night will be spectacular! xoxo

MANI MONDAY #2

 

Misa Nail Lacquer 

262 'Go For Pinks'

£2.50

UNTOUCHED?

 

If you are like myself and have a beauty subscription box, I'm sure you have some of the samples still around and untouched. I often find one or two items in the box that stick out to me and would want to use straight away however, I always put the rest of the products aside to try use a later time. Do I remember that the products put aside are there after a few days? No!

As some of you know, that's if you follow me on any of the social networks... that I went away for a long weekend for my birthday and anniversary with my partner. Instead of buying travel size products to take away with me, I brought the untouched samples from Birchbox with me. It was extremely convenient and saved me a few pounds.

 My favourites out of the bunch are:

Beauty Protector Leave-in Conditioner

Montibello Gold Oil Essence

Molton Brown Ylang-Yang Body Wash

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Cleansing Pads

When I was living in San Diego CA, I had discovered these exfoliating and foaming cleansing pads through my cousin. Before I had the Clarisonic, this was the best exfoliator at the time. It still is a great cleanser and exfoliator if you cannot get your hands on a Clarisonic. On one side of the pad is soft and on the other is textured with bumps that softly exfoliate your face.

I did not want to take my Clarisonic with me for the long weekend getaway just in case there was a slight chance that I would leave it behind. The only negative thing that I can say about these pads is the packaging. It comes it quite a large tub and can take quite a bit of room in your bag. Other than that, it is a great product!

If you would like a detailed review on any these products, pop me an email and I would be glad to

xoxo

IT WORKS ULTIMATE BODY WRAP TUTORIAL

Since posting up my before and after photos more people are interested in purchasing the wraps =]

I also want to thank everyone for their kind messages and also for trusting in me that my results are 100% real! I will not be selling the product if Idid not believe in it.

Please click on TUTORIALS to see a video on how to wrap (not sure if mobile phone devices will work).

FYI - Prices are shown in dollars $ on the website

Each box contains 4 wraps. Retail price is £80 however if you purchase as a loyal customer you get the box for only £50, saving you £30... that's £20 per wrap for retail price and £12.50 per wrap as a loyal customer!

If you want to only purchase 1 wrap it's £20 per wrap (you can only purchase 1 wrap from myself, not online so you will need to let me know and I will come meet you... only to London UK customers)

Use the wrap on clean skin... better after a shower/bath. Do not use lotion on the area you want to wrap.

When using the wrap you leave it on for a minimum of 45mins and can leave it on for hours. I left my wrap on throughout the night and took it off in the morning. Even after taking the wrap off, the serum infused into your skin will continue to work for 72hours. So lets say you use the wrap Monday night the next wrap you would use will be on Thursday night. I suggest you use cling film to keep it in place.

After taking the wrap off, massage in the rest of the serum into your skin. It will look creamy white in colour like a lotion and massage into skin till it disappears.

The most important thing... You have to drink ALOT of water... aim for at least 2 litre a day for the serum to work properly. Of course... try eat as healthy as you can.

It is optional... you can use the 'defining gel' for even more faster results.

Here's the site to purchase the wraps essmariewrapsuk.myitworks.com 

When purchasing as a loyal customer click on:

•      Choose country (top right of page) United Kingdom
• Shop
• Body Contouring 
• Ultimate Body Applicator (add to cart)

     *** you will now see prices shown as retail and as a loyal customer ***

•  Checkout

     *** you will now be directed to another page and have the option to purchase at retail price or sign up as a loyal customer and get the cheaper price ***

     *** If you purchase as retail price, you may get stuck on the shipping method. If this happens just click on the payment tab and this will allow you to 'proceed to the next step' ***

If you have any questions please let me know, I will be happy to help =]

Good luck!

xxx

IT WORKS BODY WRAP - MY BEFORE & AFTER

Hi readers ^_^

Just a quick insight.
I have always been a curvy lady from such a young age and because of this when I was in my teen's people who do not know me often think I'm older. I reckon the type of body shape I have is an hour glass figure... My bust and hips are fairly the same measurements and my waist a lot smaller.

I am not a person who loves the gym and I try to MAKE myself go as I lack motivation. I'm not going to lie and tell you all that I LOVE THE GYM... it's just 'blehhh' to me. When I am in the gym, I'm in my element. I actually enjoy it and the feeling after is great!

I love my food tooo much LOL but I don't over eat and have been eating the same amount as I did when I was in secondary school... actually maybe even less than I did. For some reason it's been harder for me to keep off the extra love handles unlike when I was younger.

I have currently used 1 box which is 4 wraps and I have been loving this discovery! I was in doubt about these wraps before trying them out for myself however seeing the before and after photos, I decided to take a leap of faith and jump right on it. The first wrap I wasn't sure if I saw a difference but taking before and after photos shows! I am grateful to have found this body wrap and each time I've seen the results on myself. 

If you give the 'itworks' products especially the ultimate body wrap a chance, I am sure you will not be disappointed!

This was me when I had an average diet and worked out at home

Click on 'Read More' 

SALON-GRADE, CUSTOM MADE... IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME

eSalon claims to provide completely personalised hair colour for home use. Each colour is custom blended for each person, just like in a salon. eSalon uses a patent-pending technology which enables distinct customisation on a large scale. They mention that their products are made of high-quality, nutrient-rich ingredients that leave your hair soft, shiny, and provide complete grey coverage. 

If this is all true, then heck yeah I would give their products a go especially if it saves me money in the long run.  

eSalon takes each customer through a survey that considers your natural hair colour, any grey hair, skin tone, eye colour etc so that their expert colourists can create your own personalised hair colour. eSalon will then mail it to you for a convenient home application. You will apparently get salon results in the comfort of your home!!!

Dying my hair is often quite tricky for me as I have the darkest brown, almost black natural hair colour. My type of hair struggles to pick up any colour unless I go to a salon that is familiar with my hair. I may consider trying eSalon =)


Readers… let me know via email or comment below if you have tried out this service/product and what are your thoughts xoxo

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE UNEXPECTED PARCELS

MANI MONDAY #1

SALLY HANSEN COMPLETE SALON MANICURE

• Base Coat
• Nail Strengthener
• Growth Treatment
• Colour
• Top Coat

Today I have on on nails Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure 'Commander in Chic' 370

WHAT YOU DO MATTERS (WYDM)

www.whatyoudomatters.webs.com

Jacqueline Fernandez is the founder of a charitable organisation called What You Do Matters. She founded WYDM last summer to bring awareness to charity projects who need our time and kind donations. 

On the 30th August they are holding an event at The Fox at the Excel to fundraise for The A21 Campaign. The charity organisation works towards to abolishing human trafficking to the 21st Century. Jacqueline recently got the opportunity to partake in the protest that started off in Westminster and travelled around 27 different boroughs to represent the 27 million still trapped in slavery. They welcome you to come to their event.

All WYDM events are self funded and she very grateful to those who have volunteered their time and efforts to allow her organisation to continually grow. Last year they received donations from kind WYDM supporters for their raffle. Our proceeds will all be donated to The A21 Campaign. A night of singers, dancers, spoken word, rapping, raffle, open mic and the audience gets to nominate 'WYDM Inspirational Person 2013'. 

  

I am pleased to be donating a voucher for a FREE make over as part of their raffle AND 1 box containing 4 It Works Ultimate Body Wraps AND a iPod Shuffle!!! 

There will also be theatre vouchers, jewellery, alcohol, Nandos vouchers & much much more!!! 

ELF COSMETICS

 Here is some backgroujd information about E.L.F Cosmetics for those who are not familiar with the brand.

Launched in New York and guided by American celebrity and beauty professional Scott-Vincent Borba (the man behind Hard Candy’s cosmetics line) e.l.f. Cosmetics burst onto the beauty scene in June 2004 with the mission to provide customers with quality cosmetics at low prices. Today, revolutionary cosmetics brand e.l.f., continues to enable makeup lovers to enjoy and experiment with makeup without sacrificing their budget.

People often ask how e.l.f. are able to provide their customers with such fantastic products, most for as little as £1.50. By sourcing the best ingredients at competitive prices, and by using the internet for branding rather than higher-priced advertising media e.l.f are able to pass the savings on to their customers providing them with some of the highest quality, low cost cosmetics on the market today.

e.l.f continues to revoloutionise the beauty industry, turning heads away from more expensive brands with its unique approach. A favourite of some of the industries most influential Beauty Editors and customers alike, e.l.f.’s community and following continues to grow.

e.l.f. arrived on British shores with it’s much anticipated launch on 27th November 2007 and is run by Welsh brother and sister team, Neil Phillips and Jo Westlake from e.l.f. UK’s HQ in sunny Swansea!!

I had first noticed this brand on my travels within the US quite a few years back. I had to travel every year to the US to make sure I renewed my greencard. I can not say that I love all of their products as I have not tried their whole range however for the few products that I have tried, I can say that ELF is a worth getting your hands on!!!

Also keep a look out online for their discount offers! I am quite sure after they gain massive brand awareness here in the UK, there will not be huge discount offers.

Thank you ELF cosmetics =)

BODY SHOP SKINCARE

I have been going through some health concerns the past few months and having breakouts is one of the symptoms. My current skincare regime has worked for me as long as can remember however recently it has not been 'cutting it'. I am not sure if it's because I'm too use to the products that they do not do anything for my skin, or just the fact that my skin has changed it's pH levels and is now way off balance. 

For those readers who haven't got clue what I am talking about feel free to read this link (http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/ph-levels)

Recently I have been getting the few odd spots on my cheeks. It doesnt come up as tiny little spots but more large and sore leaving me with acne scars... I absolutely hate how my skin is right now!

I have in the past used the 'The Body Shop Tea Tree Toner' and my oily skin loves it. So I thought to switch things up a bit and try out more of their products. I went into the store only to pick up a few products but having seen their deals in store I thought it was too good of a deal to say no lol! 

I have been using The Body Shop's tea tree range for only 3 days now and it's been helping out my outbreaks soooo much! This stuff is freakin' amazing!!!

I can't wait to try their seaweed skincare products. If you would like a more detailed reviews please let me know =)

BEAUTY HAUL

Here are some products that I have repurchased and some that I haven't yet tried.

• DOVE LEAVE IN TREATMENT: From my previous post I have decided to get my hands on this product yet again! Loving this stuff!
• GOODY OUCHLESS HAIR TIES: Great for your hair as is does not have the metal fastening on the band which prevents breakage to your hair.
• TRESEMME CERAMIC VENT BRUSH: Excellent to use on damp hair whilst blow drying. Offers maximum heat and a faster drying time.
• BIORE NOSE STRIPS: Do an awesome job for taking out blackheads and whiteheads

OPI NAIL ENVY MATTE

GOODY TEASING COMBS

LOREAL SUPER LINER PERFECT SLIM

MAYBELLINE ERASER EYE

  

LEAVE-IN HAIR CONDITIONER

 From the weather to our styling tools, our hair takes on a lot! Recently I have been trying to treat my hair with more care as it's taken a toll from exposure from the environment, the sun, dry air, cold air, and of course our hair styling tools. I have naturally coarse thick hair so quite often my hair gets dry easily.

Since I am a working lady and always out early morning I find it hard to take great care for my hair. When in a rush in the mornings I will use a 2in1 shampoo and conditioner, towel dry my hair and spray one of these bad boys. It saves you time from washing your hair twice from the shampoo and conditioner. It will also help seal the strands of your hair before any styling. 

•  Reduces frizz
• Time saver
• Detangles
• Hydrates
• Protects

  I have tested and tried out these three products from Aussie, Dove and VO5. 

All three recommend you to have hair clean damp hair before use and evenly spray the product all over.

Aussie - The bottle is a solid colour so you cannot see how much of the product you have left and the spray nozzle could be improved. The spray comes out in a harsh mist instead of soft. It makes your hair slightly shiny and soft however I suggest you use a brush or comb to smooth the product into your hair as it felt slightly sticky and heavy. The scent is a sweet and soft. £4.99 250ml

Dove - The bottle is clear which allows you to see the amount of product and the spray is a soft light mist which helps an even application. The product leaves a nice shine to your hair and incredibly soft and leaves a fresh scent. £3.59 200ml

 VO5 - The bottle is slightly opaque which still allows you to see the amount of product left and the spray is also a soft light mist. The product itself leaves your hair smooth and soft leaving your hair with a sweet fresh scent. £4.39 150ml

 

WET N WILD u.s.a. HAUL

I have been meaning to post this up for a while now but I wanted to make sure I tested out the products beforehand.With the majority of beauty gurus on YouTube raving about Wet n Wild's products I decided to finally get a few for myself and my pro makeup kit! 

In the US it is a very known drugstore (highstreet) brand and retailing at very affordable prices with great pigments. Sadly we do not have it here in the UK however you can purchase some of their products via eBay or online stores.

My overall opinion with Wet n Wild cosmetics is that the products are very pigmented on the downside the packaging looks and feels very cheap. Basically you get your moneys worth... I rather have the products being greater than the packaging. Definitely worth it ^_^

*** See pictures below and please click GALLERY for swatches ***

OHHH BABY!

For the lip balm lovers out there! I know that these balms are spoken about as much as the EOS balms and another favourite of our friends in the US.

I happy to let you guys know that UK are NOW stocking them at Boots retailing at £2.99 each.

TIME FOR CHANGE

As everyone may have seen on all my social media networks I have changed my blog name from  

Makeup By Ess Marie to Beauty By Ess Marie.

Although I am more makeup orientated I also delve into other beauty related subjects such as hair, skin and nails so I thought to change up the name. If I can help my readers in any little way by sharing my findings and tips, I would most definitely put it up on this blog.

I hope you all agree with the name change if not, tough!!! Hahaha just kidding!

BEAUTY SO CLEAN

Some of my readers may know I have a slight OCD when it comes to hygiene. When it comes to my makeup products and tools, I have to make sure they are correctly sanitised especially because I would want the best for my clients!

I use 'Beauty So Clean' on my pro makeup products and tools. The world's 1st antibacterial spray and wipes for cosmetics!!!

"Whether a professional makeup artist, or a makeup lover, you want to ensure that each product you put directly on the face, lips and eyes is clean, safe and bacteria-free. All makeup products gather bacteria from the oil on our skin, our fingers (especially when we use them for application) and coughing or sneezing during makeup application. Some of these bacteria can lead to eye irritations and infections, skin irritations and even encourage acneic breakouts."

• CLEANS
• REJUVENATES
• REMOVES BACTERIA 

NEW BREATHABLE NAIL POLISH... IS IT HALAL?

 

 I love reading other blogs and one of my lovely ladies has a blog of her own... she lives and breathes nails and I highly recommend www.sepidelicious.com

From reading her blog the article that stuck out most to me was 'Is it Halal?' and from there I discovered the new breathable nail polish and have done a bit of reasearch of my own.

“For religious Muslim ladies who religiously pray five times a day, wearing nail polish can be a bit of hassle. Prior to praying you'll need to follow a process using water to wash your face, hands, arms and feet as you'll need to be clean before praying. Wearing a polish is forbidden as it will prevent the water to get through to your nail bed.

Wojciech Inglot was the answer to a health conscious and Muslim fashionista's prayer! His Halal proofed nail polish range have been formulated in a way allowing the water and oxygen to pass through and onto the nail plate calling it the Inglot O2M, which stands for water and oxygen. 

Alhamdulillah! (Translating praise to God)”

Source: Sepidelicious

Inglot began his research approximately four years ago to develop the formula for the breathable enamel, which uses a polymer similar to that in the newest generation of contact lenses.

Inglot mentioned that the chemical formula is 'tricky' and 'quite expensive' to produce, and that the profit margin on O2M is not high. Nevertheless, he said he was determined to create a breathable polish knowing that consumers are ever more health conscious and expecting them to welcome a varnish that would let the nail breathe.

One of the research methods was putting the O2M nail polish and a standard polish on coffee filters, letting them both dry, and then planting water drops on top of each and seeing if the moisture seeped through. The results were the traditional nail polish it did not, but it went through the O2M polish and even wet a second filter below.

Mr Inglot, who sadly died last month, developed something ground breaking for the Muslim female population. RIP Mr Inglot.