How do I make my eye makeup last longer!

Hi there I am Andrew James and I post about hair, makeup and skincare over at beautyandtheboy.com. I am guest posting today for Beauty Queen UK. I thought it would be a good idea to post about one of the questions I get asked a lot social media, "How do I make my eye makeup last longer?" Personally I would say by using primers or bases. Eye Primers work as a magnet for eye shadow, some will even out the surface and colour of the lid some extend the wear of eye shadows and some just make the eye shadows more vibrant. I’ve chosen a few products I think you will like. The products range from drug store all the way up to luxury, including different textures for all skin types so there is a good mix for everyone.

Firstly, we have an old makeup trick that has been used by makeup artists for years. The “secret" is to just use some plain old pressed powder after you've applied your foundation. Applying powder to the eye will give it a good base to start working on that way your eye shadows will go on smoothly and blend evenly. As you can see above, I picked Collection Cosmetics Lasting Perfection Powder as it’s a long lasting, finely milled powder, a great pick from the drug store

Here we have some products that will either give you a smooth base or make your eye makeup last much longer, I put these products together because you don't want a coloured base so these are all either clear or nude this way you won't see them when you apply eye shadow on top. On the far left is the Illamasqua Sealing Gel which on its own doesn't do much, although when mixed that's when the magic happens sometimes I find myself mixing this with eyeliners, eyeshadows etc. This will make sure your eye makeup won't crease and will be particularly good for those of you with oily lids. Next we have the NARS Pro Prime and Laura Mercier Eye Canvas which both contain starch to help control oiliness on the lids which causes the creasing of your eye makeup. NYX Jumbo pencil works better for those with normal/dry skin as it tends to crease a bit on oily lids. I find the NYX Jumbo Pencils work best when set with eye shadow.

The above products are for those of you who want a bit of colour on your lid but want the eye shadow to last. I often find myself using coloured bases a lot, I’ll usually put down one of these then use a powder to blend over the top and work from there. I would say the key to good long lasting makeup is using what works for your skin type and layering products on top of each other that way they don’t wear away as easily.

My favourite coloured bases have to be the OCC Cream Colour Concentrate which is basically a cream eye shadow that sets down and dries which is a god send for oily lids. These blend really well too if you just want to use this on the lid as an eye shadow without powder. A more affordable version of the Cream Colour Concentrate is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo which works in the same way although it’s a bit drier. The last 2 products are more for your normal/combo eyelids as the Chanel Illusion D'ombre. These set and it looks absolutely beautiful although I’ve found they don’t tend last as long with oily lids. CKone Eyeshadow Bases are great for a wash of colour before doing a smokey eye they work the same as the others but this one has a more grungy tone that then others

I hope this post have helped out you somewhat, if there are any other questions you have or anything you want to ask tweet me @beautyandtheboy on twitter or instagram

You can also follow me on Bloglovin: http://www.bloglovin.com/en/blog/4747223

Thanks for Reading!

Makeup Wishlist

Over the weekend I was sat browsing the interweb as you do, debating what I need to spend my Christmas Vouchers on, yes I still have them. With vouchers for New Look, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Next.

There are so many dresses and tops that I want to buy right now, but I made a promise to myself not to do so until I had cleared out the wardrobe, same with shoes and boots, so that leaves Makeup, for which there is always room for more. Rather than spending my vouchers online, I have instead complied a wishlist of items I want to buy and here it is:

I have become a tad obsessed with the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Range and whilst I have one of the lipsticks, I absolutely adore this Blusher palette which retails for £35. Staying with Urban Decay, I have been hankering after this Naked Skin Illuminating Beauty Balm which has SPF 20 ever since I swatched it. It is said to hydrate and prime, almost like a multi-use product and costs just £24.

You can never have too many lipsticks as far as I am concerned and there are two that I currently have my eye on. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire in shade Berry Beret, I just love how these lipsticks are designed to look and match one of my favourite bottles of perfume. Then who doesnt want a bit of Tom Ford and his boys? I have a list as long as my arm when it comes to these beauties, especially in shade Luciano. What I love about Tom Ford is the sleek chic design.

Staying with the theme of lips, Benefit Chachabalm Lip Hydrator (£14.50) and is said to not only add a tint to the lips but is also super hydrating, which at this time of year we ll need.

YSL are another brand I also love, mainly their lipsticks and I am a big fan of YSL Touche Éclat, but there are two other products that I am intrigued by and want to try for myself, more so because they have got mixed reviews. The first is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Foundation (£32.50) and then the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer (£30). 

As a Mascara fiend, again a product you can never have too much of, I have been wanting to purchase a full sized Lancôme Hypnôse Drama since having a sample size which had dried out before I had time to use it, but instead of throwing it away, I washed the brush and used it with my Benefit Mascara and loved the brush.


The final item on my list is from the fabulous Laura Geller, whom I have been lucky enough to meet and it is the Easy Cover Up Concealer Crayon which caught my attention because it is infused with super antioxidant Italian Tomato Extract to protect, hydrate and help firm skin and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres hydrate skin and fill in fine lines for more youthful look! How amazing and all for £18.

Have you got any products on your wishlist currently?

Benefit and Starbucks February Collaboration plus FREEBIE

Barely able to contain my excitement that Starbucks have got some new flavours to try (I miss the honey and almond hot chocolate already) with Pistachio and Rose Mocha or a Burnt Caramel Latte, they then add to it by teaming up with Benefit for the whole of February!

All you need to do is go along to your participating Benefit Counter (find yours here) and collect a pink coffee sleeve, seriously how cute are these?  This sleeve gets you a Buy One Get One Free (Bogof) coffee for you and your #Bestfriend. But that's not all... once you retrieve your coffee, ask the lovely Starbucks people for a special pink Emoji coaster and this gets you a free makeover at Benefit and whilst you are there, you can ask the lovely Benebabes which products will suit you, what brow shape you should have and anything else you have been dying to know.  Sadly, the pink cup is not available.

This offer is only running throughout February! So go and hunt down that pink sleeve, grab the coaster and enjoy your make-over!  If you have already grabbed yours then don't forget to share your gorgeous cosmetics and coffee posts using #bestfriends @benefitcosmeticsuk @starbucksuk

Finally if you are out and about in London, head to Carnaby Street and look out for the Bright Pink Van where the Benebabes will be handing out free coffee and cosmetics for those who need a quick pick-me-up on the go!

Purrfect Box for Cats - February 2016

The big pink cat box arrived with some excitement for my boys this morning. The Purrfect box** of which we have had a few now, is a UK subscription service which allows you to treat your cat, or your dog (Pawsome Box)and each month you will receive each month treats, toys, accessories, hygiene and personal care products customized and based on the cat's age, size, weight, fur type and preferences. Anyone who reads my blog or follows me on Instagram will know what a big part my three cats play in my life, Hector even has his own Instagram!

Each month has a different theme so you get different goodies each month. The cost is £19.50 per month or £15.50 if you subscribe yearly and this was what was in the box.  

The box was again packed to the top and as soon as I ripped the lid off, as you can see my boys wasted no time inspecting the contents.  There was a bit of a fight over a few of the toys, but that was soon sorted out and their attention was diverted with treats.

First up there is some Cat Caviar by Schulze. Cat Caviar is a delicious treat for your cat, that you can either sprinkle over your cat's usual food to enhance the taste and diversify, or you can just give it to him as a reward when deserved. Then we have Cat Munchies in Fish flavour.  These treats are cereal, gluten and wheat free, made from 100% natural quality fish fillet, is naturally Low in fat and calories and easily digestible.  Both have been received with glee and I have no doubt they will be consumed within no time at all.

Then come the toys.  This time we have three toys and you would assume three cats and three toys would make for an easy dividing up of the assets right? No... They all wanted the Dolphin. There is very little information on this Dolphin Plush, but it is handmade and does contain catnip, it is obviously quite strong as all three cats wanted to claim it as their own.  This is followed by A Trixie Cat toy.  Trixie is a brand I am really familiar with and we have a lot of Trixie cat toys already.  This one is a bird of sorts with a fluffy tail which catches their attention as they chase it around the floor.  The final toy is from a company called Pet Brands and it is a crocheted ball with a bell on the end, bright yellow in colour and not too noisy, thankfully!

The final two items in the box are useful ones for cat owners.  The first is deodorising cat litter crystals and these are to be sprinkled on the top of litter to mask the odour that they omit.  The second is from Wolf and Tiger and it is a cat brush, which I had been meaning to purchase as the one I had seems to have grown a pair of legs and walked away.  All three of my boys absolutely love being groomed, so I know they are going to love this brush.

So there you have the February Purrfect Box and as I have said before, it is a real treat for my boys to get and as soon as they see the box they know exactly what it is and cannot wait for me to rip it open. If you have a friend who has cats, then this would make a fantastic present!