Professional looking Brows in Seconds

Eylure Brow Stencils

Pre Shaped Arches

Brows can be tricky to get right even for a makeup artist. There are so many little things to take into consideration such as your face shape, colouring, eye setting and general look you are trying to achieve. Of course there are tips and tricks you can use to help create the perfect brow such as, mapping out where your arch should start and where the brow should begin and finish. But let's be  honest this can be time consuming, and if like me time is too valuable a commodity to spend calculating your brow dimensions then just cheat! Don't get me wrong I’m all for knowing how to to do something correctly and mastering the art of good brows is a skill. A skill which many of us may not be able to master in the short space of time we have to do our makeup everyday. So I came across these amazing Eylure Brow Stencils. They are super easy to use and come in four different arch shapes (Full, High, Medium, Slim). So you're sure to find one to suit. Personally I use the slim arch as my brows are naturally thin and sparse.  

Here's a quick run down of how to use these stencils:

·       Choose an arch you think is most suited to your natural brow shape.
·        Place the thicker part of the arch at the starting point of your natural brow, ensure the top line of the stencil is in line with the top of your own brow.
·        Hold in place with one hand, using a small flat rounded brush pick up some of your usual brow shadow colour.
·        Using dabbing motions apply from the narrow point of the arch and work inwards towards the nose making sure to get the product into the skin behind the brow hair.
·        Brows naturally go from light to dark and so by starting at the end point of the brow you will get a more natural looking finish as the product from the brush is used.
·        Remove carefully, wipe the stencil clean and repeat on the other brow (I will admit though it can be a little tricky to hold the stencil in place on your non dominant side but you get the hang of it very quickly). 

And there you have it easy peasy professional looking brows in seconds.

Steal Her Shade: Nude Lips

Autumn does not necessarily mean having to go dark and brooding with vampy lip colours. A perennial favourite, nude is still having its moment. Whether light, medium or dark skinned, there is a perfect nude look out there that won’t wash you out. Here’s how to find it…

Fair Skin: Pixie Lotte


With her blonde hair, light blue eyes and creamy complexion, Pixie Lott (24) is the epitome of a pale skinned beauty. While she loves going for daring deep, dark reds, nudes work particularly well for her to team with a darker, bronze, smokey effect eye. Pale skinned beauties should look for a nude lipstick with pink undertones. The best advice is to choose a lipstick as close to your natural lip colour as possible and avoid warm shades that will make your skin look pale and pink, and your teeth look yellow.

Steal Her Shade: Rimmel Dare to Bare Lipstick 41, €6.99 nationwide

Medium Skin: Rita Ora

With her white blonde hair and deep brown eyes, beauty Rita Ora (24) falls into the medium skin toned category. Of course, central to Rita's look is her stunning pout, which she either highlights with some red lippy for a vampy look or leaves nude to allow her eyes to smoulder. Rita can get away with either a pink-based nude or a yellow-based beigy nude both of which will have different effects. However, she looks best with a sheer colour that allows her natural lip pigment to shine through. Get this look with a touch of nude lip liner blended onto the line before adding a touch of clear gloss or balm to the flesh of naked lips.

Steal Her Shade: Bobbi Brown Lip Pencil in Cocoa, €22.50, Brown Thomas.

Dark Skin: Jennifer Lopez
Perhaps the queen of the nude lip, Jennifer Lopez (46) loves to try nude shades with various undertones to include dusky pink and light orange. However, the best nude for her is the classic beige tone that is often marketed as “nude”, but confuses the majority of Irish women because it is just too too warm for us and does nothing to flatter our complexions. If you have natural warm undertones in your skin like la Lopez, then do look for warmer nude lipsticks that are highly pigmented to cover any natural pinkness in the lips. Add a touch of gloss over the lipstick for Jennifer’s polished finish or leave matte for a look that is bang on trend. Use a brush to apply for best results.

Steal Her Shade: Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Lipstick in Sensual Silk, €33, Debenhams 

No time for Morning Makeup?

If like me you find yourself chasing your tail in the morning and being fully dressed leaving the house is a HUGE achievement (honestly I forgot to put my bra on the other day!), try my five minute morning makeup routine. It's super quick and easy and will leave you feeling a little bit more in control and ready to face the day, whatever it may bring.

Step 1.      Use a gentle foaming cleansing wash first thing. It will help waken up tired eyes and instill a little colour in your cheeks. Try Nivea Aqua Effect Refreshing Face Wash (€5.19, Boots) for its energising fragrance. Follow with a light everyday moisturiser.

Step 2.       For coverage that will last all day use Rimmels 24 Hr Wake Me Up Foundation (€6.99, Pharmacies Nationwide). It will hide any dark circles and leave your skin looking flawless. Finish with a light dusting of Bronzer along your forehead and cheekbones.

 Step 3.     Apply a slick of nude/pink lipstick such as Clarins Jolie Rouge in Pink Blossom (€22.00, Debenhams), and dab a little on the apple of your cheeks, blending with your finger. This is a great little beauty trick that will save you time and money and leave you with a  dewy glow. Finish the look with a flick of mascara, et voila 5 minute Morning Makeup done.

Top Tip. If you have the time run a brow mascara over your eyebrows to set any strays, this will help frame your face and lift your eyes making you appear more fresh faced than you might actually feel.

Notox or Botox?

I choose Botox. Let me explain why. I'm 33 and have had two children in two years and it has definitely taken its toll on my face. Sleepless nights, worry and all round life has made my once youthful appearance not so youthful anymore. So after a lot of thought and research I decided to take the plunge and do something about it. Botox for me seemed the right way to go. After all it is the World's most popular non-surgical cosmetic treatment with amazing results and no downtime recovery, or so I’d heard and read. So I booked in a consultation with Excellence Medical and the wonderful Dr. Shunil Roy. I arrived at the exclusive Donnybrook based clinic and was immediately impressed with the stunning surroundings. Dr. Roy showed me into the consultation room where I explained my concerns about my face and he agreed that Botox was the best option for me at this point in time. A full medical history was taken and all questions I had about the procedure were answered thoroughly. I was confident I had made the right decision and so we went ahead with the simple procedure. Let me first tell you how Botox helps to pause the ageing process. Doctors have been using Botox for years to successfully treat wrinkles and facial creases. Botox is a brand name of a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It works by blocking signals from the nerves to the muscle making them unable to contract, in turn making your wrinkles relax and soften. It is most commonly used on the upper third of the face but can be used on the lower third. I opted to have the lines around my eyes or ‘smile lines’ and vertical frown lines treated. It only took a few minutes, the Botox was injected into the specific muscles surrounding my eyes and forehead with a very fine needle. It was pretty painless but I did flinch once or twice! I was advised that it may take 3-4 days to take effect and there may be some slight bruising with results lasting usually around 3-4 months. I left feeling excited to see the results. One week on and I'm a changed person. My forehead looks smoother and I no longer have crows feet around my eyes. My face looks fresher and brighter. I am definitely a more youthful, beautiful version of myself, and I can say without doubt I will be back for a top up.

Excellence Medical

12 Morehampton Road, Dublin 4

+353 (0)1 232 5528

Info@excellencemedical.ie

Www.excellencemedical.ie

90s MakeUp is back on trend this A/W 2015.

90s poster girl and Miss You Already star Drew Barrymore (40) rocked the look back in the day and again today. Here's how to get Drew’s updated 90s inspired makeup look.

Step 1  Use a primer all over the face and eye lids. You want your skin to look matte not dry, so choose a foundation that mimics the skin like YSL Youth Liberator Serum Foundation (€46.00, House of Fraser). Apply a thin layer of pressed not loose translucent powder to set your foundation.  This  will defuse light and leave the skin looking matte not caked. Apply concealer under the eyes and on any blemishes. Use a pressed foundation two shades darker to contour the cheek bones or if you have a matte Bronzer use that. You don't want any shimmer for this look.

Step 2.       Using a muted brown palette for the eyes, try L’Oreal Paris Color Riche La Palette Nude Eyeshadow Palette Beige, (€21.99,Boots Nationwide), apply the lightest beige colour from the lid to the brow bone. Next apply a slightly darker shade all along the lid, look for a taupe brown, finally apply a darker shade such as a deep brown alone the lash line and on the outer edge. Blend with a blending brush. This look is all about blurred lines so apply a brown eyeliner alone the lash line but blend it out with an angled brush to soften the line.

Step 3.     Learn from previous mistakes and ditch the pencil thin eyebrows for a fuller set just as Drew has. There are plenty of great brow kits out there to help shape and fill in any gaps. To finish this look use a brown toned lip pencil applying along the lip line, working inwards to cover most of the lip, keeping with the blurred line theme. Apply a grey brown lipstick and blot clean, we love the iconic MAC Lipstick in Stone which has a matching lip pencil, (€20.00, Brown Thomas).

Top Tip For fair skin keep to ashier eyeshadow tones, while more olive complexions can opt for warmer hues.

It's All About the Base...

Primer has become a must-have in recent years, but once upon a time it was reserved for use on the rich and famous and only found in the glitzy make-up kits of Hollywood. Oh, how times have changed, nowadays it's a crime not to prime! So make sure you have this pour perfecting, wrinkle reducing staple in your repertoire. From budget to blowout, there's one to suit everyone's pocket. Here's three of the best!

BUDGET

Garnier 5 Second Perfect Blur

As the name suggests this primer blurs away signs of ageing, wrinkles appear reduced and pores less visible, AND it only takes 5 seconds post application for your face to be makeup ready. Sold yet? I am. It has a lovely creamy velvety texture and glides on beautifully. Not only does this primer blur it also illuminates too which leaves your skin feeling beautifully glowy. It does have a matte finish though so beware if you have slightly dry skin. It has a tendency to cake onto dry patches so you might be well advised to do a little exfoliation before using this product. Use it under your regular foundation or with its sister Garnier BB Cream for pourfect ;) skin. For the price you can't go wrong, (€16:39, Boots Nationwide).

Midrange

Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Protective Base

If like me you tend to be a little ruddy around the cheek area you may do well to consider a colour correcting primer. Unlike most colourless primers the green pigment in Clinique Redness Solution Daily Protective Base Spf15 (€26.00, Boots.ie) counteracts any redness in the skin and prepares the skin for a more even toned flawless finish. It has an extremely lightweight feel and transparent finish due to its velvety silicones. With ingredients such as Oat Extracts and Oat Kernel Oil you skin is soothed and conditioned. The great thing about this primer is that it has an added Spf15 protecting your sensitive skin from the sun's rays and environmental factors.The downside of SPF is that it does not photograph well, so you may not be Instagram ready with this as your base, but as a daily soothing primer which will ensure your skin is well cared for I'd keep it handy in my kit bag.

Blowout

YSL Touché Éclat Blur Perfecting Primer

This is one you will want to save for! I generally don't buy into luxury brands and often feel formulations of other less expensive brands do just as good a job as their counterparts. I will on this occasion however say, if you can afford it, get it. What Yves Saint Laurent don't know about illuminating beauty just isn't worth knowing. This is cult classic Touché Éclat meets blur perfecting primer. It is free from any opaque fillers allowing light to diffuse and illuminate the face. The clear gel fluid is flecked with flat gold pigments which when smoothed over the face are not obvious just beautifully decadent. It creates an amazing blurring and soft focus effect leaving your skin flawless even before foundation. It smells divine, like walking through a rose garden and feels deliciously soft on application.I really can find no cons with this primer and although a luxury brand the price really isn't too bad, well worth the investment (€38.00, Brown Thomas).