Make-up Forever 5 Lipsticks Palette Review

Make-up Forever is a worldwide brand that is renowned for its excellent products and amazing range. Personally for me, I have not come across anything from MUFE that I have not liked. I'm sure that says a lot. Today's review is on the Make-up Forever 5 Lipsticks Palette.  

I've had this palette for a long time. I bought it off eBay brand new and it was a total bargain. I suspect the seller didn't realise it's worth at the time. It's since become a God-send in my kit.

This is the No 19 palette (Pink Orchid Harmony) consists of 5 beautiful colours. This is the old style palette though as MUFE has since revamped these awesome palettes to a simple open and shut case with a brush included. My palette looks like this...

Nifty side slider which reveals a decent sized mirror and brush (Which I've long since chucked!)

The 5 colours that come in this palette are No 83, 86 88 22 and 92 and each lipstick contains 2g of product. (1g less than a Mac lipstick if you'd like a comparison. So it's still a fair amount of product)

 And of course because we need to see some swatches, here you go...

I have found this palette to be pretty versatile. The formula is very smooth and they are nicely pigmented. Some colours are more pigmented than others but that is to be expected and you can make them all work. The first colour above, for example, number 83 actually has a duo chrome base to it. On a paler bride with a slick of lipgloss it would look stunning. Or you could use it to add a duo blend to darker colour and create something rather special.

These lipsticks mix well and you can create your own personalized combos if you wish. Their lasting power is pretty darn good and they truly are some of the best lipsticks I've used.

If you're a make-up artist wanting a a good range of lipsticks to choose from, Make up Forever currently does 13 different palettes so you have over 65 colours to choose from! These palettes are also very light and easy to carry in your kit when you go from job to job.

As an individual, can you ever have enough lipsticks? I mean really?! Well you get my jist. One palette could do you right for a very long time ladies so I say check them out if you can!

Now I do realise that these are not readily available at Sephora.com or even on the British High street. I do suspect that the two companies in the UK that stock MUFE, PAMS and Guru Emporium would be able to get these in for you if you request them. USA girls, the MUFE boutique should certainly be able to help you out.

This palette will cost you about 33 Euros which is approx US$45 or £30. Not bad for 5 lipsticks :) Hope that helps!

Stay blessed bellas xxx

Review: Scott Barnes - About Face

A little while back I bought Scott Barne's book About Face: Amazing transformations using the secrets of the top celebrity make-up artist.

You can buy it from the Book Depository for £14.38 with free shipping.

Without a shadow of a doubt, its obvious that a lot of work has gone into making this book. I first came across Scott Barnes through You tube and some of the videos he has on there. I liked his style so I wanted to see what he had to say.

He works through a series of transformations and opens up the book by talking about The Power of Beauty. Inspiration in some aspects and it shows you the more personal side of Scott in a way.

The man is big on creating "a glow". You can see it in his work and he went as far as to create a product called "Body Bling" to help all kinds of women get that "glow". He's responsible for J-Lo's infamous glow and he has the skills to prove it.

The photographs in the book are quite detailed and the man is all about contouring. But the end results speak for themselves. There is definitely a point to contouring. The change it can bring about is amazing. And I'm not talking about no camera tricks here either.

 
He explains the looks he does in sections, explaining the kind of tool and action he used to create the look. I do have to say however that sometimes the explanation doesn't always correlate with the picture in hand but you do get a good feel for what he's doing.

The transformations are littered with tips that are genuinely helpful for both the regular consumer and make-up artist. There was one however that did get me. He's talking about applying liquid liner and he says, "If you mess up your liquid eyeliner...simply grab a Q-tip, lick it and wipe away the liner. Saliva is the fastest (and cheapest) make-up corrector on the market." Now I don't know about you, but I honestly don't think any of my clients would be happy with me using my saliva to correct a smudged eye liner mistake. Health and Safety would have my toosh. Other than that his tips are cool.

He includes a section on tools, essentials and prepping the canvas as well as further information on making your make-up work best for you. It's a pretty  in depth book and I think many people would be happy with it.

What I liked:

1. The transformations are pretty awesome. Granted there is good photography and styling involved, they are pretty awesome. Many transformations too.

2. The dude knows how to work with differing skin tones. He's a well rounded artist and it's nice to see his skill spread across different ages and races. Awesomeness!

3. He has several skills. He uses air brushing as well as traditional brushes. Has some totally random practices but he's made it his own and I love that.

4. It's a not a fluffy book. You can tell he's genuinely sharing his knowledge. The man ain't afraid to tell us what he knows.

5. He's relaxed about brows. This is not to say he ignores them, no. He just knows how to work them. I love the brows I work on to be very VERY groomed but Scott has shown me that bushy brows can work it too. Biggest eye opener for me by a mile....

What I wasn't too keen on:

1. The "After" pictures: I genuinely believe that Scott is a talented make-up artist however I would love to see the after pictures without photoshopping. Now I hold my hands up and say, I am not 100% sure that the after pictures are photoshopped but some look blatantly so. I could be wrong. I'm not trying to slate the guy. My issue is not so much with photoshop but sometimes I think we should have all three. The before, the natural after and the photoshop after. It shows the artist's true skill as well as what the person REALLY looks like. I feel that photoshop can lift a person's expectations more than it needs to be. It's ok to keep it real.

2. The explanation sections are written in long paragraphs. Because the book is so visual I feel like it could have benefited from being more like a list than paragraphs. Maybe I'm just a lazy reader. But it really made you concentrate a whole lot more and you even spending more time deciphering than understanding.

So overall, I like the book. It's worth having in my make-up book library. The man has a lot to share and I'm happy I get to learn from it.

Sam Fine: The Basics of Beauty DVD Review

A beautiful fellow make-up artist friend of mine [gosh how long an explanation!] lent me her copy of Sam Fine's new make-up DVD entitled "The Basics of Beauty". Thank the Lord for kind people? Where would we be in this world without them?

Anyhoo the day I got it from her I was totally stoked. I had watched a few reviews on Youtube and my curiosity was piqued.

Front Cover

The DVD run for about 60mins and during this time he covers tools and does 3 make overs. Zuccherro watched this DVD with me a few times and each time he could not get over just how groomed Sam was. Every time I stuck the DVD in he would mutter, "Here's Mr Fine. And he is Fine. All shaped up like that!" He just could not get around the fact the everything about the guy was on point. Hair, clothes, shoes and even that mega-watt smile. And let me tell you, Sam Fine, has a MEGA WATT SMILE! It's not fake or anything, cause you can see he's smiling from within, but the man looks after his teeth! And his dentist needs a pay rise. His smile is that good!

Back Cover

If you are beginner, this DVD will teach you a wealth of tips and tricks that you can practice on yourself and really step up your personal make-up game. His language is concise. He doesn't rush and the picture quality of the DVD is superb. You get to see everything. Which is what beginners need. Sam takes his time to explain the reason why he's doing a certain thing on his models. You're being educated in a way that is engaging and really I can't fault the DVD on that.

If you are a make-up artist, you're still going to learn something from this DVD so don't dismiss it all together based on it's title . I learnt a new way of doing my eyebrows.  In fact as far as I'm concerned it stepped my brow game up. His tips for how you can do make-up on yourself, translate very well into things that you can use as a make-up artist. Sam did a mighty fine job of catering for different people who are interested in make-up.

Is there anything I can fault Mr Fine on? No. Not really. The DVD does what it says on the box. It is the basics. All in one. Presented in a brilliant way. Even if it is particularly geared at Women of Colour, the things you learn can be used across all skin tones. 

I would love to see an advanced class from Sam Fine. High drama, classy editorial type stuff for those of us who wanna learn more than the basics. I'm not knocking the basics DVD but I know I would certainly make a plan to get my hands on his next DVD whenever it should come out. Make a plan Sam...

Sam's DVD is available to buy from Amazon. Don't sleep on it!

Stay Blessed xxx

Review - My Skin: No Shine Mattifying Moisture Lotion

Moisturiser is just one of those items that is a non negotiable. It can also quickly become a mission to find one that works for your skin type. 2 months ago I ran out of my previous moisturiser and picked one up whilst doing my weekly shop in Tesco's. It's called "My Skin: No Shine Mattifying Moisture Lotion". This particular moisturiser is geared toward teenage skin. Trust, I didn't notice that little bit when I bought it!

What does it contain:

It is oil-free and It has 2 yummy ingredients which are Kiwi and Raspberry extract as well as Cimicifuga extract [which is a plant with several medicinal purposes]. It does not contain any parabens. It has a strong smell but it's a lovely fruity smell. It's not overpowering and once its on your face it does fade.

What does it claim to do:

It claims to soften and hydrate skin. The Kiwi extract helps moisturise while raspberry extract helps to stimulate and condition leaving the skin soft and smooth. Cimicifuga extract helps to control excess oil and shine.

How much does it cost:

Last time I check this was £1.99 but do check with your local Tesco as it might be cheaper with the January sales and all..... :)

How did it work for me:

I am an oily girl. And have been for a long time. After using this moisturiser for about 2 months -[which is a fair trial in my books!] it has made it easier for me to control my skin. It is a very good mattifyier and when you just want radiant looking skin with no make-up this stuff is the bizness. My skin isn't as oily anymore at the end of the day so the Cimicifuga is definitely doing something!

Underneath a full face of make-up it also does a pretty good job. Depending on what you're using, you could pass up on a face primer, which, for a lot of oil girls, is quite important. The fact that it's formulated for teenage skin is neither here nor there. I'm 25 and it's worked brilliantly for me. How can you go wrong for £1.99? The price is definitely worth it. If you're oily, try it. It might work for you too. If you're normal to dry this could still work for you as a face primer if you're wanting a more matte look to your skin.

Stay Blessed lovlies xxx

Coming up: Sam Fine: The Basics of Beauty DVD Review