Beauty Icon Makeup Inspiration - Cat Eye Wing Eyeliner...

Greetings to you my lovely readers!

Here's a question for you, when it comes to your makeup style, do you seek inspiration from a particular era? Be it a modern day celebrity or an iconic beauty of the past, no doubt there have been many women whose unique styles have left a mark on the beauty world. Personally, when it comes to my go to makeup look there is one thing I am usually NEVER without...cat eye winged liner. A look that was very popular with the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bardot, Sophia Loren & many other beautiful icons of the vintage film era.   

source: google images

Of course these ladies knew how to ROCK the red lip also, yet being slightly terrified of bright lips in general, I'm one of those that much prefers to focus on the eyes. Just the simple addition of a cat eye flick can transform your look, emphasizing & making the eyes stand out, a look that Bridget Bardot had down to perfection & one that I love to try to channel in my makeup.  

Recreating a look similar to that which these ladies rocked so fabulously back in the day doesn't have to be a difficult task either! As long as you have in your make up arsenal the core item which has come to be one of my holy grail beauty products...Felt Tip Eyeliner.

Being a complete eyeliner addict & having tried & tested literally ALL types of eyeliner out there, gel, liquid, pencil, you name it, I am always & forever returning to my beloved felt tip eyeliners.

I've found that not only are they effortless for creating the perfect cat eye wing shape, but the pen design gives you more control, perfect if your an eyeliner newbie & not confident with it. A couple of my favourites are by Bourjois and Make Up Revolutions. Not only are they pigmented but both have great longevity. However there are many great quality ones available including offerings from MAC, Urban Decay & YSL to name but a few! All these & more can be found online in the House of Fraser Makeup Department...a makeup addicts dream!

Everyone has their own way to create their cat eye wings that they are comfortable with, of course there are numerous tutorials on YouTube with detailed steps that are very helpful. I prefer to start on the outer corner & draw my wing first before going on to the lid, finishing about halfway.

If you're not sure which direction or how far out to take the eyeliner, a little helpful tip for creating the perfect angle for your wing; simply line up your pen at an an angle from the corner of your eye, going up to the end of your eyebrow, applying a dotted line if it helps & use this as your guide. 

Once drawn, you can then go back & shape it up a bit more if you wish, curving the bottom edge, defining the point etc. You know how it is ladies with getting that perfect flick!

source: google images

Once you're happy with the finished wing, you can keep it as it is for a simple low key look a'la Marilyn Monroe or you can go full on Sophia Loren & pile on more for that fully defined feline look. Just line the waterline with a gel eyeliner, my personal favourite being MAC Fluidline with its smooth formula & for added oomph factor, go in with pencil liner on top & smoke out on to the lower lid. Urban Decay 24/7 is one you can't go wrong with, super pigmented!

And there you have it! That's my simple way on how to channel the look of some of my favourite movie star divas of the vintage era. I hope you've enjoyed this wee post which I've also written as my entry for a wonderful competition that House of Fraser are running at the moment who are currently on the hunt for a Beauty Ambassador, details can all be found HERE if you're interested in applying too! 

Thanks as always for reading lovelies, I would love to know who your beauty icon inspirations are! 

Lotsa love to ya!  

Review and Giveaway - Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Hello there lovely readers, hope you're all good & well!

Something a bit different today on a topic that all beauty addicts covet... ladies..lets talk...FOUNDATION. The beauty product that pretty much all women have in their makeup arsenal. And from that then comes the question...high street or high end? I confess I am a loyal follower of high street makeup, there is such a vast range of great quality products available that are just as good as higher end for a fraction of the price!

That being said there are occasions where I, like many, succumb to the luxury temptation of high end makeup, one such being foundation choices. For my everyday makeup good old high street has been good to me, Bourjois & Rimmel being my brands of choice for a nice light coverage. However when it comes to weddings & evenings out I do like to reach for the more luxurious brands for a more flawless finish.

One high end foundation that has been on my radar for a while having heard so much about it & which has received countless rave reviews is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Every review I have read of this much coveted foundation has been nothing but positive praise. Well lovelies, after finally having the opportunity to try it myself I can safely say...IT IS LOVE.

Lets just say I now understand why many prefer to venture towards higher end foundations! They just seem to deliver that added oomph factor that is hard to achieve with high street brands. I do confess from my experiences with MAC & Estee Lauder, whilst the makeup finish is flawless, I could feel I was wearing the foundation if that makes sense? No such problems with Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk however.

Coming in a gorgeously sleek matte glass bottle packaging, this award winning foundation has a matte yet lightweight formula that is both creamy & dewy & simply glides on to the skin smoothly, creating a silky 'my skin but better' flawless finish. Stuff of dreams! Time for some obligatory shots? Unfortunately my camera decided to die & I had to resort to using my phone (no filter!) so here we go...

I applied the foundation with a flat foundation brush & found that one pump was perfect for light to medium coverage, which can easily be built up on if needed. I was delighted to note that it also gives off the most gorgeous healthy glow. I've used shade 6.5 (Tawny) which was pretty much a perfect match for my skintone.

I suffer from dry skin & always worry, especially with matte finishes, how my skin will deal with it, but I experienced zero problems at all with the Luminous Silk, no caking, no blotching...I hardly felt like I was wearing anything at all!

It is worth mentioning that this foundation does not contain SPF, great for photos! However something to bear in mind in case you require additional SPF protection. But I think its pretty obvious that I am officially converted to Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk, now I've been introduced to its wonders there is no looking back for moi!

So yes, a fantastic high end product that actually delivers. *Applauds* The Giorgio Armani Lumious Silk retails for £36.50...I know. A wince worthy price to be sure & one I would normally run a mile from, however this foundation has proved itself worthy in my eyes, plus its suitable for all skin types & comes in a whopping 21 shades.

But I do have a bit of a treat for you my beauts! I'm happy to have teamed up with the lovely people over at House of Fraser & offer you dolls the opportunity to win a bottle of this divine stuff to try for yourselves! I have a pretty bottle of the Luminous Silk in shade 9 to giveaway to one of you my lovely readers :)

For a chance of winning & experiencing for yourself the wonders of Giorgio Armani's Luminous Silk foundation simply enter via Rafflecopter below.

Good luck and thanks for reading as always!

Lotsa love to ya!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer - * this review and giveaway has been in collaboration with House of Fraser. I am not affiliated with the brand nor paid for this post, this review has as always been my 100% honest opinion!)