Contour - How To Create Killer Cheekbones

I don't have stand out cheekbones but with a bit of makeup magic and clever contouring I can create and fake those to die for cheekbones that I so desire.

How to create and cheat your way to Killer Cheekbones in 3 easy steps - 

Contour
Blush
Highlight

Step 1 - Use a matte contour blush in a shade one or two darker than your natural colour - Suck in your cheeks and follow the hollow under the bone to apply the blush - I love Smashbox Blush Silhouette in Rush.

Step 2 - Apply your blusher as normal, I take mine up to the hairline - One of my all time faves is NewCID Cosmetics i-glow in Coral Crush.

Step 3 - Apply a highlighter to the tops of your cheekbones for added definition and contrast - I absolutely love the Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc that comes with 4 highlighting shades.

The picture above is quite dramatic but you can still recreate killer cheekbones in a more subtle way - as seen in this picture where I am wearing a red lipstick

The blusher I used for this look was a matte neutral which is the the perfect shade for wearing with red lipstick but also works equally with a barely there nude/warm beauty look.

Cargo Blusher in shade Tonga

Seven Nude Glosses and Lipsticks In My Handbag - With Swatches

My handbag is a treasure trove of mystery, it always seems so heavy and in an attempt to lighten the load I realised that it was being weighed down by makeup and more accurately umpteen lipsticks and glosses.. I thought I had removed a few of the offending items (yes, there are even more nude shades that are not shown here) but it seemed when I yet again emptied my bag that there were no less than 7 nude shades of lipsticks and glosses that I came across. I might add I do also have two bright shades of lipstick permanently in my bag, you know for those just in case moments!

Pictured above are the 7 shades that seem to live in my handbag or get thrown in when I fancy yet another shade of ..nude.

Swatches 

Pictured from left to right

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss in Honey Pot

Burberry Lip Velvet in Pink Apricot 

No7 High Shine Lip Crayon in Daydreamer

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist

Collection Little Mix Jade's Lipstick

Benefit Hoola Ultra Plush Lip Gloss 

No7 High Shine Lip Gloss in Coral Kiss

New CID I-Prime Foundation Primer - Review

I am not sure if it is an age thing but I never used primers until a few years ago and now I mostly prefer wearing them.. I suspect I like the way they fill the pores in (the pores are more noticeable as I am getting older..unfortunately) to give a lovely smooth appearance to my skin before applying my foundation.

New CID i-prime Foundation Primer is one of my favourites for smoothing the skin, leaving it silky soft and is a fantastic prep base for my foundation.

New CID claims 

i - prime helps to blur imperfections, giving the skin a smoother and more radiant appearance. i - prime contains ATP (andenison tri-peptide) a skin care ingredient that helps to strengthen the skin's barrier function and also adds the bounce and radiance back to the skin that we lose as we age.

This lightweight serum gives a gorgeous, smooth texture and appearance to the skin. It allows foundation to glide on easily and create a a long lasting flawless finish.

My thoughts 

I like the smart packaging and the pump action bottle. 2 pumps provides enough product to use. The actual product is a lightweight gel/cream texture which I absolutely love and feels lovely applied to the skin. If you don't like the strong silicon textures and feel of other primers I think you will love this.

I-prime does exactly what it sets out to to do - smooths and preps skin and does a good job of keeping foundation in place. It smells good too!

New CID i-prime Foundation Primer costs £28 for 30ml

*PR Sample

New CID Cosmetics i-glow, i-shadow and i-shine reviewed

I was recently sent some pieces from make up brand New CID cosmetics, I have already written about how much I love their i-glosses and the pot of eye shadows from The Bodyguard Collection.

i-shine in Kir Royal £12.50

Described as a super shiny gloss, I must admit I much prefer my glosses to be applied on a wand applicator. I found this to be too gloopy and messy to apply with just my finger and if I am carrying this around I would need a separate brush. That said it is is pretty pink shade, it smells of yummy coconut and it is glossy.

Swatches of Kir Royal

Daylight

With flash

i-glow in Coral Crush £24

Daylight

With flash

I liken this to an ice cream swirl, so pretty in the case. Pinks, coral and swirls of gold shimmer. i-glow baked powder gives a gorgeous glow to the cheeks when applied and there is no need for a separate highlighter. It is quite light so the swatches below are quite heavy so you could see the colour (as I was having a hard time capturing its prettiness with my camera!)

Swatches of Coral Crush 

Daylight

With flash

i-shadow in Florence £22

I absolutely love this eye shadow quad and have been wearing it most days - 4 shades that are so wearable.
one matte shade, 2 shimmers and a highlighting colour. Perfect. Texture wise they are smooth and creamy, making them very blendable and they last all day.

The casing is slim and smart too. My only niggle is the applicators included. The handle is too small (even for my fingers) and I end up getting eye shadow all over my fingers. I prefer to use my own applicators that are not double ended.

Swatches 

With flash

Daylight

The matte brown makes a lovely base colour or worn alone it really brings out the green in my eyes. The light brown/bronze shimmer is so pretty and the dark brown with shimmer is fab for depth and lining the eyes for definition. Florence is a gorgeous quad palette.

Coming soon - my review of i-prime - Foundation primer.

For more info visit www.newcidcosmetics.com

*PR Samples

New CID Cosmetics - The Bodyguard Collection Limited Edition Box Set

New CID Cosmetics are the official make-up sponsors of the musical The Bodyguard and to celebrate the collaboration have created a gorgeous limited edition 5 piece Bodyguard Collection box set.

Packaged in black and gold it contains 3 limited edition Long Wear Cream Eye Shadows each with names in reference to the show!

Spotlight - An iridescent highlighter shade with a pinky pearl aspect
Diva - A deep and rich metallic Aubergine shade
Melody - A smokey grey with a silver shimmer

The cream eye shadows are a dream to work with, mousse like in texture, smooth and blendable.

Swatches of Spotlight, Diva and Melody Cream Eye Shadows

with flash

2 i-gloss Light-up Lip Glosses

Obsession - Pale fuchsia with shimmer
Romance - Pearlescent cool gloss

I am already a huge fan of the i-glosses and these ones do not disappoint either. Smart black and gold packaging, mirror on the side and the (really) bright light in the lid. What is not to love. 

Swatches of Obsession and Romance Lip glosses.

With flash

I recently posted a FOTD wearing some of the products from The Bodyguard Collection 

* It was a real pleasure to attend a showing of The Bodyguard Musical. I am a massive fan of musicals, Whitney Houston and the West End so I must admit I was in my element... If you love Whitney's music (I had forgotten just how many amazing songs she had made), love romance and a bit of suspense and of course loved the original film then this show is a must go see!

It took all my muster to not sing along every time a song started up..but I needn't have worried as there was the perfect opportunity to join in with the brilliant cast at the end. Just fabulous.

The Bodyguard limited edition box set costs £35 (worth £74) and is available online from www.newcidcosmetics.com , www.qvc.co.uk, Champneys nationwide and the Adelphi Theatre.

*PR Samples

Face Of The Day Featuring New CID Cosmetics - The Bodyguard Collection

Absolutely loving the New CID Cosmetics The Bodyguard limited edition box set featuring 3 cream eye shadows and 2 fabulous lip gloss shades. Here I am wearing some of the products.

Full post of The Bodyguard New CID Cosmetics Collection, taking a closer look and with swatches.

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss Trio Collection Gift Set - Nude

Now you all know how much I love lip gloss particularly a fabulous nude shade with a bit of sparkle that imparts the appearance of a full and luscious pout...

All I can say is why I have I not discovered New CID Cosmetics i-glosses earlier!

2 days before Christmas this lovely trio of glosses were delivered to my door and already one or another is in my handbag on any given day.

Three fabulously wearable nude shades

Swatches of i-gloss Trio Collection - Nude

L-R Honey Pot, Tickled Pink and Coconut Ice

Honey Pot - Is a gorgeous sheer nude packed with golden shimmer (no scent)

Tickled Pink - Brings a touch of pink to your lips with added cool shimmer (fruity scent)

Coconut Ice - A lovely creamy nude/peach with a fine shimmer (bubblegum scent)

The packaging is smart, the brush applicator is short for easy application. However..What sets this apart from just another gloss and what I really do love is the clever design. On the side of the tube is a mirror and when you turn the lid to open the gloss it lights up meaning you can literally apply this anywhere on the go. I am all for multipurpose products :-)

New CID Cosmetics i-gloss Trio Collection Gift Set retails for £25.

As each i-gloss normally costs £16.50 this set represents excellent value - more details can be found at www.newcidcosmetics.com

*PR Sample