Makeup Tips for an Engagement Photo Shoot

When you’re ready to announce to the world your intentions to marry, an engagement photo shoot can act as the official finishing touch. Snapping a few professionally shot pictures with your future spouse gives wedding guests a taste of things to come while also helping you to grow closer as a couple. Taking pictures as you shop for an engagement rings dc or frolic in the park, as this will make you look forward to your wedding even more. You may already have your outfits picked out and plan on wearing your hair a certain way, but your engagement photo shoot makeup plans need to be tweaked along the way.

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Choose Different Types of Lighting

Even if you have planned an engagement photo shoot that will take place entirely at one location, you should still choose various types of lighting. You will never accurately know how your makeup will look under a certain type of lighting until a photo is taken. Softer lighting can make you look warmer and younger, while strong lighting will capture your best features in a more appealing manner. With different types of lighting at your engagement photo shoot, you will also have more makeup choices. Put on a slightly darker shade of makeup and add shimmer when you want to switch up your look in the middle of an engagement announcement photo shoot. 

Don’t Outshine the Groom

While your husband-to-be may encourage you to go all out for your engagement photo shoot, be certain that you won’t steal all the attention. Find out how your future spouse is planning on dressing and grooming himself for your upcoming shoot, then choose makeup that will be complimentary rather than distracting. A versatile daytime makeup look works great for engagement photo shoots, and you can even add a special touch to your style by using bronzer or false eyelashes. Think about whether you would feel comfortable going out to dinner together, and that should tell you if you and your soon-to-be husband are ready for the camera. 

Be Prepared to Reapply Your Makeup

It may literally take you hours to get your makeup right just ahead of your photo shoot, but it won’t be the last time that you need to pick up your makeup brushes. Engagement photo shoots can take a long time, and in between takes your makeup is probably going to fade. Every time you take a sip of water or answer your phone, your makeup is going to be compromised. Bring all of your makeup with you when you go on your photo shoot, and take time to reapply any area that has smudged or faded. 

Once your engagement photo shoot is complete, the next memorable set of pictures you are going to take will be on your wedding day. Use this opportunity to learn how to pose and style yourself so that you look amazing in all of your future photos. Be natural, show your elegance and use high quality makeup that will last, even on an all-day engagement photo shoot.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise/GP

Stocking Fillers you need to buy!

For me, stocking filler presents are often more exciting than buying main presents and there does seem to be a lot of choice and variety out there right now. If you have someone who is a nightmare to buy for, someone who has everything or someone who never knows what they want (me) then a collection of stocking fillers can fill that gap and help you finish off that shopping list.

Beauty crackers are one of those gifts that I have grown to love. I even wrote a post about them here. To that end, some brands have come up with some brilliant products and these are worthy of purchasing.

FeelUnique have two brilliant crackers this year. The Skin Saviours Christmas Cracker is packed with beauty treats that will see you through the festive season and includes Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 5ml, Ole Henriksen Truth Sugar Glow Polishing Mask 15g, NUXE Reve de Miel Creme Mains et Ongles Hand and Nail Cream 30ml and Jurlique Calendula Redness Rescue Restorative Serum 15ml. 

The second cracker which is packed with Beauty Tools and they are U feelunique Silver Glitter Nail File 3.5", U feelunique Perfect Complexion Blending Sponge and a U feelunique Essential Eye Brush Capsule Collection. Both crackeres retail for £12.

L'Occitane Festive crackers come as a set of three nicely packaged in a box. Each cracker contains three products which include a shower oil, bath cube and a hand cream and each one smells just wonderful. 

The three chosen scents for these crackers are Cherry Blossom, Almond and Lavender. You can find these crackers priced at just £20 here

Caudalie have two crackers to choose from and again, it is a tough choice deciding between the two. 

The first one is Hydration Essentials and it contains Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet 10ml, Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum 10ml and Moisturising Mask 15ml. The second cracker is the Body Essentials cracker and inside this one you will find Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion 30ml and Caudalie Thé des Vignes Shower Gel 30ml. Priced at £10 each you can find them here and here.

Yardley Lily of the Valley Cracker is exceptionally cute. Having had a bit of a makeover, Yardley is a brand that you can't help but love and like. 

This cracker contains a luxurious Nourishing Hand Cream with refreshing Lily extract, hydrating shea butter, moringa oil and sunflower oil, rich in vitamins A and C, it absorbs quickly into the skin leaving hands feeling soft,smooth and delicately fragranced, whilst conditioning and strengthening the nails. Priced at just £4 here it is an absolute bargain.

The DHC Bento Box is another must have product. If you love Korean Beauty or want to discover it, then DHC is an amazing brand to start with.  This box costs just £13 and inside there are 4 products which I absolutely adore. 

Firstly we have the Iconic Deep Cleansing Oil which is DHC’s worldwide bestselling makeup removing cleanser. Also included is the Ultra-nourishing Mild Soap for thorough-yet-gentle cleansing. Revitalising Moisture Eye Strips, to quickly brighten eyes and reduce puffiness and the final item is the 100% natural Blotting Paper, to reduce shine and absorb oil on-the-go.

Gatineau Discovery Collection - This Box of treats is a delight at just £20 from Marks and Spencers. Featuring  a 6 piece collection, worth £107 it is a great way introduction to Gatineau if you are new to the brand and a great way to experience the benefits of premium Parisian skincare. 

I have reviewed the box fully right here but inside you will find Gentle eye make-up remover 50ml, Melatogenine cleanser 50ml, Radiance enhancing gommage 15ml, Melatogenine futur plus anti-wrinkle radiance mask 15ml, Melatogenine AOX Advanced Rejuvenating Cream 15ml and Age Benefit Integral Regenerating Cream 30ml.

So there you have it. A delightful collection of products which would make the most amazing stocking fillers.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Christmas Gift Guide - Perfumes you need in your life!

Perfume for me makes an amazing gift and this year I have totally moved from the confines of my comfort zone, mainly constant repurchases of Bvlgari Pour Femme, and have branched out and have been lucky enough to try some amazing new scents.

I know there are scents that I will not like no matter how good the blurb is and just because I dislike something intensely doesn't mean others will - Thierry Mugler Angel continues to be a best seller and yet for the life of me, I cannot fathom why. So here are some of the most amazing fragrances that I have discovered this year and ones which would make an exceptional gift.

Zadig and Voltaire This is Her is perhaps my obsession right now. I seriously can not get enough of the scent, which I loved from the very first spritz at the launch party. The female fragrance is described as being sensual, free and jauntily. The woody, floral and gourmand This is Her, signed by perfumer duo Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac, contains notes of pink pepper, Sambac jasmine, milky chestnut cream, vanilla and sandalwood. As a scent it is cosy, it is sweet, it is indulgent and most definitely unique. I love that it smells so totally different to anything else I currently own or have tried and on the skin it starts out being quite floral until the fragrance settles and is mixed with vanilla and sandalwood it becomes just beautiful and I cannot get enough of it. Sold in most fragrance stores on and offline you can expect to pay around £50 for 50ml and John Lewis have a great offer on right now too.

Elizabeth Arden Always Red Femme is another scent that I new I would like from the onset but I was quite prepared for how much I would love it. Always Red Femme is a mixture of fresh fruits, delicate florals and warm woody tones and is a scent which you notice from the very first spritz, it isn't shy or light, but instead arrives with a punch to let you know it is there. With zesty top notes of the blackcurrant bud, lemon and green pear it lands quite heavy and takes a few minutes to settle before you are greeted with the heart notes of peach blossom, ily of the valley, davana and jasmine which take in most of my favourite scents together to create what is a beautifully refreshing scent which are beautifully crisp and light and dry down as Patchouli, moss, cedar and vanilla from the base notes finish off to leave a beautifully fresh floral and fruit scent. At £54 for 100ml here it isn't overly expensive and it is one which lasts.

Monsoon Rose Gold is a scent which surprised me because the base notes are everything I am not a fan of when it comes to a scent - Vanilla being the main issue. But I do like it and I do wear it and once it has settled on the skin, there is quite a floral tone to the fragrance, so if the florals are your thing, then this fragrance is one to look out for. This is a fragrance to look out for due to its rounded bottle and rose gold colouring as well as the scent, it is aesthetically pleasing as it is a delightful scent. When it comes to the price, a 30ml bottle costs £29 and is available from Boots.

Molecule 03 Escentric Molecules is a very new fragrance for me and one that I loved immediately. I am a huge fan of the entire range and have shared my views right here. 03 created by Geza Schoen was constructed around single scent ingredient, or aroma-chemical: vetiveryle acetate, a refined vetiver note which is celebrated at its purest in this fragrance. As a scent it is dark, woody and earthy and the vetiver scent being totally dominant makes this a stunning fragrance for him or her. Priced at around £69 you can find it here.

Viktor and Rolf Bonbon Couture Eau de Parfum is a scent I also adore. The fragrance opens with a juicy combination of mandarin, neroli oil and peach and as soon as the fragrance is spritzed you get a hit of fruit, as the scent settled the heart notes of orange blossom and Sambac jasmineare then sweetened by a potent caramel note. The base notes are what akes the scent and with sandalwood, patchouli, a hint of vanilla and blonde tobacco giving it a woody accord that works well alongside the fruity notes. A 30ml bottle is priced around £50 with John Lewis having the current best deal.

L’Occitane Arlesienne Eau de Toilette. If you like your floral fragrances, then you will love this because it is just such a stunning scent. It belongs to the Musky Floral family and has Head notes of Bergamot Essense, Saffron Extract, Galbanum and Hawthorn Accord. Immediately when it is spritzed the bergamot note bursts into life for the citrus effect and is settled with Saffron and the slight almondy scent of Hawthorn alongside the greenness of Galbanum. The heart notes of May Rose Absolute and Violet Leaf Absolute brings to life the floralness of the perfume.  A 75ml will cost you just £49 here.

Miller Harris Vetiver Insolent is a scent I should have disliked but infact the total opposite and it is one I just absolutely adore. From the first spritz it is outwardly masculine with its woody and earthy tones, but as it settles, the scent becomes much more crisp and sweet but not at all sickly and it lasts forever on the skin and for me that is always impressive. Vetiver Insolent is definitely going to be a scent you either love or hate, I expected to not like it, but I love it and I expect it to be a scent I wear all year round rather than per season. At£85 for a 100ml bottle you get your moneys worth and then some, find it here.

Paco Rabanne One Million Eau My Gold is a scent I disliked intensely for some time, much lie Chanel No.5 which I now also adore. A friend recently sent me this bottle as a thank you for recommending a scent to her and in return this was hers to me! With a composition of mango and the zesty freshness of grapefruit. Violet leaf and orange blossom absolutes lend the floral heart a sparkling feel. Finally, cedar heart and ambery musks reveal their sensuality for an explosion of freshness. An 80ml bottle of One Million Eau My Gold will cost around £45 and you can find it right here.

So there you have 8 fragrances which have been a big part of my life this year and all of them are scents that I would not usually look at or try, but moving away from my comfort zone, I have found some new favourites.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

The 2016 Holiday Gift Collection from Omorovicza

If there is one brand which is going to capture your attention, it is Omorovicza, or Oh - more - o - veet - za as the kind lady at the Liberty counter taught me how to say. Inspired by tradition, guided by nature and spearheading the concept of Mineral Cosmetology, the Omorovicza skincare range has a rich, romantic heritage. It was founded by a young couple, Stephen and Margaret de Heinrich de Omorovicza, who met in Budapest. The unique Hungarian thermal waters are the foundation of Omorovicza's innovative skincare range.

This coming holiday seasion, Omorovicza are to launch a collection of  gift sets which are just stunningly packaged. The intricate design of each set was inspired by the peacock feather, a decorative motif often used in Art Nouveau architecture in Budapest. Each gift set includes a selection of bestselling Omorovicza products, ensuring everyone’s skincare needs are catered for.

The Introductory Kit. RRP £69

The perfect Omorovicza starter kit for skincare on-the go. This introductory set contains five bestselling products handpicked for their cleansing, hydrating, energising and anti-ageing properties. Each product works in conjunction with the others, to reveal your skin’s true beauty. Includes the Queen of Hungary Mist (30ml,) Thermal Cleansing Balm (15ml,) Cleansing Foam (30ml), Balancing Moisturiser (30ml) and Ultramoor Mud Mask (15ml).

The Blue Diamond Collection Set. RRP £400

The Blue Diamond Collection was designed to awaken and revitalise senescent skin, and to illuminate from within. This opulent set contains the Blue Diamond’s Collection’s favourite products: the Blue Diamond Super Cream (50ml) and the Blue Diamond Concentrate (30ml). Silky smooth yet deceptively powerful, this duo will transform the appearance of your skin within minutes.

The Moor Mud Set. RRP £48

Cleanse, purify and detoxify the skin with a selection of products from our iconic Moor Mud Collection. Harnessing the power of Hungarian Moor mud, the Thermal Cleansing Balm (50ml), Deep Cleansing Mask (15ml) and Refining Facial Polisher (30ml) leave the complexion cleaner, brighter and younger looking. This set also includes a Mini Mitt to enhance the experience.

The Miracle Facial Set. RRP £80

This spoiling set comprises a trio of sweet-smelling products to tone, refresh, hydrate and nourish the skin: the Queen of Hungary Mist (30ml), the Illuminating Moisturiser (30ml) and the Miracle Facial Oil (30ml).

The Gold Facial Set. RRP £310

The Omorovicza Gold Collection showcases the anti-inflammatory properties of colloidal gold to help repair and strengthen the skin. The Gold Facial Set includes the Gold Rescue Cream (50ml), a natural barrier cream; the Gold Night Drops (30ml), a night serum to resurface wrinkles, and the Gold Eye Lift (15ml), to rejuvenate the eye contour. 

I am blown away by how beautiful these kits are and I am impressed that there is something for everyone's budget and that each set will give you a great insight into an amazing brand, or if you are an Omorovicza fan already, a complete pampering treat!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise