BEAUTY DIY: HOW TO TURN LOOSE PIGMENTS / POWDERS INTO SOLID PRESSED POWDER

December 9, 2015December 7, 2015 ~ Amy | bobo & mimi ~ 1 Comment

I have quite a few eyeshadow pigments that are beautiful but I just never use them because they’re so messy and far more time consuming to use because of this (unless you want loose pigment all over your face, in which case just slap that bad boy on and go…). If you’re the same then this picture should get you a little bit over excited: Loose Pigment to Pressed Powder

This little DIY means that I can transform my loose pigments into solids, and now these beauties are actually getting used (and I’ve discovered a new favourite eyeshadow shade in the process). It’s so quick and easy that you’ll wonder why you haven’t done this before.

WHAT YOU NEED:
Empty eyeshadow / powder pans (I used this)
Rubbing alcohol (I used this)
Cocktail sticks (or cottons buds / Q-Tips with the cotton wool removed)
Cling film / tissues
Coins Items Required

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
STEP ONE: Pour some of your loose pigment / powder into the empty pan. Now carefully add some alcohol in to mix with the eyeshadow. I usually start by adding just a few drops, you can always add more later. You just want it to be damp enough where you can stir it together and smooth it out. (I prefer not to fill the entire pan as it takes a really long time to dry so I fill it halfway up, let it dry and then add a second “layer” to the pan.)

STEP TWO: Use a cocktail stick to stir the powder and alcohol together and then use your finger to smooth it out (you could use the back of a spoon if you don’t want to get your hands dirty…)

STEP THREE: Leave it dry for about an hour (this obviously depends on how much product you filled your pan with. If it is dry enough that you get powder when you run your finger over it then you’re good to go…) and then lay a piece of cling film or tissue over it and stack some coins on top, I find 2p pieces work well for eyeshadow pans, to “press” it down. This helps compact the shadow making it more solid and less likely to give you excess product when you come to use it. Leave it overnight and boom! You’re done and have your pressed eyeshadow ready to use.

You could do this with any other powders – next up, I’m going to get myself an empty blush palette and do the same with my loose face powders – they’ll get used far more often and be so much easier to travel with. (This method would also work for fixing broken / smashed up powder compacts.)

Easy peasy, right?

TOP PRODUCTS FOR DEHYDRATED SKIN

December 2, 2015December 2, 2015 ~ Amy | bobo & mimi ~ 2 Comments

Never mind #winteriscoming, winter is here. And with it, for many of us, comes dehydrated skin. Central heating, windy weather and embracing the excesses of the festive season don’t make it the best time of year for our skin and can leave skin feeling tight, sore and uncomfortable.

Dehydrated skin is something that happens to all of us regardless of our skin type. For me, the first way I can tell my skin has become dehydrated is that make up just seems to disappear off my face as the day progresses as my skin desperately absorbs any water in my foundation.

These are my go-to products for fighting dehyrated skin: Dehydrated Skin Products

Indeed Labs Hydraluron, currently £16.66 at Boots (normally £24.99) available here.
Hydraluron is much hyped and, in my opinion, deservedly so. Hyaluronic acid can hold up to 1,000 times it’s weight in water so helps your skin retain moisture, keeping it hydrated, plump and more youthful looking. As Hydraluron is made with a very pure, high quality hyaluronic acid it means that when you use this before your moisturiser it helps you get more from your moisturising cream. If you have dry skin I imagine this would be a daily skincare staple, however, as someone who doesn’t generally have dry skin, I only use this when my skin is dehydrated or I’m having a particularly “off” skin day – results are super quick, I can see a difference overnight when I use this.

Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream, £11, available here.
Without a doubt the best moisturiser I have ever used. Despite the fact it was made for those with dry skin, it’s perfect for my combination / oily skin – non greasy, absorbs well and one of the few moisturisers I have ever come across that you really only do need a pea-sized amount of. Paired with Hydraluron, this solves my dehydrated skin problems quickly, often overnight.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Internsive Lip Repair Balm, currently £15 at Feel Unique (normally £20), available here.
I’m yet to find a product that matches up to this. If my lips are feeling dry then some of this sorts them out in no time (often one application is enough to make a difference). I’ve been known to use this on my nose too in winter, if I’ve had a cold and nose blowing has left me with those red, sore patches at the side of my nose, I slap some of this on and let it work it’s magic.

Crabtree & Evelyn La Source Hand Cream, £5 for 25g / £9 for 50g / £15 for 100g, available here.
I get horribly dry hands in winter but I struggle to use most hand creams as I can’t bear feeling like there is product on my hands and I don’t like having scent on my hands. This is the only hand cream I’ve been able to get on board with: absorbs quickly and leaves hands softer without feeling like there is any residue or greasiness on the skin. It’s hard to describe the scent but this just smells clean to me so I don’t find it cloying or sickly like so many hand creams. I keep one of these in my handbag as a winter saviour for my hands.

SEPHORA MINI HAUL

October 28, 2015October 28, 2015 ~ Amy | bobo & mimi ~ 1 Comment

Do three items count as a haul? Thought not…

Anyway, on my trip to France last week I popped into Sephora to help ease my withdrawal symptoms until I get to the US next year (because Sephora’s in Europe are NOT the same as Sephora’s in the US. True fact.) and can do some serious damage.

In truth, I probably would have bought more had the Sephora that I went to not had such terribly rude staff however once a make-up addict, always a make-up addict and it turns out I’ll put up with a lot to feed my addiction.

I picked up two of the Sephora Cream Lip Stains €10.95 (approx £8.50) in the shades 01 Always Red and 06 Pink Souffle.

I love the Sephora lip stains; they’re la ong lasting, highly pigmented cream that sets to a lightweight lip stain and, as they have avocado oil in them, a great option for a matte look that doesn’t dry out the lips.

Always Red is a repurchase and I adore it. It’s a classic, bold true red in a perfect matte finish. Pink Souffle is a great everyday option, although it does come up as a brighter pink on my lips than the swatch so I think I may try it with a little foundation over my lips first to get a truer version of the colour when I wear this.

I also picked up a mini version of the Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder €14.50 (approx £11.25) because who can resist products in travel size?! I’ve only tried this once so far but I’ll post a review once I’ve used it a little more.

FRIDAY FIVE: 5 LIP BALMS

October 2, 2015February 29, 2016 ~ Amy | bobo & mimi ~ Leave a comment

This weeks Friday Five seems me delving into my stash of lip balms for a quick mini-review.

Maybelline Baby Lips in Intense Care, £2.99 here.
This is neither a love nor hate for me. I know a lot of people hate the packaging and yes, it’s not remotely sophisticated, but it’s kind of cute and I don’t mind it. For a stick lip balm it glides onto the lips, it doesn’t tug or pull like so many can do, lasts for a couple of hours and smells lovely. I don’t think I would personally use it again as there are other lip balms in a tube I prefer but it’s cheap and if you’re just wanting to hydrate your lips on the go it’s worth giving it a try.
Vaseline Lip Therapy, £1.95 here.
The original. You all know this one. These little pots can be messy as hell and I don’t use this on my lips any more but as a multi use product, it’s great. I use it on my heels and cuticles to combat dryness / cracked skin. I’ve heard it can also work wonders on eyelashes to make them thicker and longer although I’m not sure I’m willing to start slathering this on my eyes to test the theory!
Korres Lip Butter in Guava, £8 here.
I could just sit and smell this all day. It’s delicious! Made with shea butter and rice wax the texture is buttery and not at all sticky, making this one of the few pot lip balms I’ll actually reach for. Apparently these also come in a stick form so I’d like to give those a try and see how they compare. It’s perfect for keeping my lips soft and definitely a favourite.
Figs & Rouge Balm in Cherry & Vanilla, £4.95 here.
100% organic and petroleum free, this balm can be used anywhere on the body, although personally I’ve only ever given it a try on the lips. I have both the Cherry and Vanilla and Rambling Rose balms and both feels moisturising, gives lips a nice sheen and I loved the scent (particularly the cherry and vanilla…) but the texture did seem a little gritty on first application. If you warm the product up with your fingertips you do get a soft even texture but I don’t think I’d repurchase, mainly because I’ve realised that I just hate applying lip balms with my fingers when I’m out (sticky fingers = no bueno) so I’m more likely to stick with those in tubes from now on. Whilst writing this post, I’ve discovered that they do balms in a tube so I might give one of those a try in the future.
Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar, £8 here.
It’s in a tube so it’s easy to apply on the go, it’s long lasting and it’s tinted. #winning. The shade Honey Nectar is called a “true nude” on the Pixi website and they’re right. If it was a lipstick I’d be calling this a “my lips but better” shade. It’s sheer and neutral but adds a little something to your lips when you’re out and about. Pixi’s lip balm has shea butter to nourish lips and Vitamin E to protect and is definitely my pick of the bunch.