DIY brows

Hello! I hope you've all had a lovely week and you've been celebrating two days of no work in style. Unfortunately, I've not been able to travel home for Mother's day this year due to work commitments so I'm feeling a little bit sorry for myself. But we've decided to celebrate in a couple of weeks when I can make it home so yummy afternoon teas and spa time is heading my way soon (phew!).

Anyway, I've been meaning to blog about this topic for a while now since a few requests I received after mentioning in 'My Essentials'  post that I dye my own eyebrows. As my brows are fairly thin, I still use the Benefit Brow Zing in Fair as a day-to-day filler, but to make sure my base shape is always there, I rely on my DIY dying!

Now I first stumbled across this when my Mum's hairdresser offered to dye my blonde eyebrows for me if I bought the products. The thought of having two visible hairy things above my eyes did scare me at first, but seeing as the vast majority of the world have their eyebrows on show I thought, why not?!

Two weeks later I was raring to go. Recommended products purchased and notepad and pen at the ready to jot down all of the details. Twenty five minutes later, I had a set of eyebrows and an empty notepad. Luckily it is so simple to do so I didn't need to make any notes (how I thought simultaneous eyebrow dying and note taking would work, I dont know!).

So here we go, a little step-by-step guide to dying your eyebrows at home...enjoy!


The products

Strictly Professional eyelash tint developer (£5.00)- This is the solution which helps the dye to develop. Enough said really!

Combinal eyelash and eyebrow tint dye (£9.99-£12)- I use the brown shade of this dye as my hair is quite fair, but you can purchase this dye in black and for some bizarre reason in blue as well (maybe Kim K's next trend?!)

Lip brush- I use this to applicate the dye as a small brush makes it easier to create the desired shape.

Small pot- Use this to mix together the developer and dye

Tweezers- If you're like me and have blonde eyebrows, when you dye them for the first time, it is scary to see the amount of strays that have been lurking for so long!

Step 1- mixing the solutions

 

To start, add 3-4 drops of the developer into your small pot.

Next, add a small finger nail sized amount of the dye into the pot with the developer in.

Mix the two liquids together until they create one brown solution which is thick enough to sit on the eyebrow and not drip!












Step 2- applying the dye

 Use your lip brush to apply the solution. Start on the inner corner of your eyebrow and use long, sweeping strokes to apply across.

 Do this a few times to ensure you have created the shape you want, with no gaps (even Cara D couldn't pull off bald spots in eyebrows).

Take a make up wipe or a cotton wool bud and wipe around the eyebrow to make sure you don't have excess dye left on the skin around the area. Don't panic if you miss a bit at this point as I find that over night the skin that was dyed accidentally seems to go back to a normal colour (hurrah!).



Step 3-  the wait

This bit depends on how bold/dark you want your eyebrows. Personally I leave it on for 20-25 minutes when I haven't done it for a while. My hairdresser recommended 15 minutes when she first did it on me, but as I have blonde eyebrows, this didn't give me the obvious 'I have eyebrows' look I was hoping for. During this time, the dye will darken quite a bit- don't panic! You will look very odd as time goes on but it's all for a good cause. Just avoid any human contact during the waiting period.



Step 4- the grand reveal

When the time's up, you can wipe the dye off. I use a make up wipe to do this. First of all I take the main bulk, and then I scrub a bit harder around the eyebrow to get rid of any excess dye. At this point I also quickly grab the tweezers before anyone spots the unruley beasts that have appeared on my forehead.





And that's it! I hope this post is useful for anyone who is spending a copious amount of time and money on getting their eyebrows dyed professionally. I mean yes, it isn't as relaxing as sitting in a salon with a cup of tea in your hand and the latest Cosmo on your lap, but it is far cheaper and you get a bonus accomplished feeling at the end- perfect!

Let me know how you get on.

Georgie.

MAC Pro lip pallette- Editorial reds

Hello, hello! Hope you have all had a lovely weekend and made the most of that glimpse into summer we experienced on Saturday! I've been a busy bee again this weekend again but it's been another good one! On Friday evening my boyfriend and I drove up to Hereford to spend the weekend with his family. On Saturday we spent the day walking along by the river and soaking up the sunshine, followed by a pub quiz in the evening (we came second to last...oops). Today we spent more time lazing around and enjoying the relaxing countryside before travelling back to reality this afternoon!

The one thing that was perking up the gloomy car journey home was the thought of testing out my new MAC Pro Lip Palette- Editorial Reds with another new purchase; the Real Techniques retractable lip brush. I've been hunting for a lip brush to apply this beautiful palette with but after many evenings of scouring blogger's reviews, I ended up back to square one with the trusty Real Techniques brand. 

The first thing I did (after staring at it lovingly for a little while) was swatch it on my arm. I wanted to see the true colour pigmentation of each shade before letting my lips takes them for a spin. The palette is made up of two cremesheens (Ruby Woo and Dare You), three mattes (Lady Danger, Russian Red and On Hold) and one satin (MAC Red). 

As you can see from these swatches, some of the shades have quite a pinkish base despite the title 'Editorial Reds'. Personally, for my favourite looks I love to wear a neutral face with a pink lip so it came as a nice surprise! 

The application, as with all MAC lipsticks, was very easy and the colours have all lasted extremely well (even after the all important chocolate brownie and tea tests I had to endure). To get a really bold lip takes quite a few layers, however like I just said, once it's on, it's on and only a little touch up here and there is required! But here's where we meet the only slight downfall...it's size. Because MAC wanted to treat us all to these gorgeous shades, unfortunately it is not very practical to carry around in your handbag when you just need to use one of the shades. But hey, we've all been in the situation where we're trying to justify our stupidly large handbags!

My favourite shade from this palette would have to be Lady Danger as it is a perfect coral red shade for Spring. And my favourite thing about the palette- it's so much more than 6 shades! Apply lots of layers for a bold lip, a little less for a subtle day time feel or blend shades together to create your very own personal MAC shade (what's not to like about that?!).

Have you tried any of the MAC lip palettes? Which is your favourite? Have you got a good colour combination for me to try? Leave your comments below :)

Georgie. 

My recommendations for a good night's sleep

Hello everyone, I hope your Monday has been delightful whatever you've been up to. After a busy weekend of wining and dining at a local Michelin restaurant (it was amazing!), catching up with friends and running a half marathon (I'm one of those crazy people who enjoys running- don't judge) I am now longing for my bed after a tiring day at work. The thought of getting up at 6am for another four mornings in a row at the moment seems impossible. So tonight I've planned in my early night and (sadly) I can't wait!

So I thought I may as well share with you guys my favourite sleep inducing products which always ensure I have a natural and easy journey into the world of dreams...

This works- deep sleep pillow spray (£16)

Something that makes me feel relaxed, whatever mood I'm in, is a lovely scent. When I'm in my lounge in the evening, I always have a Yankee Candle on the go and it helps me to unwind after a hectic day. However, lighting a candle when you're trying to head off to the land of nod is not always practical, or safe! So instead I reach for this This works- deep sleep pillow spray to fill my room with a beautiful aroma. The lead scent is lavender, as with most sleep products, but this spray is also infused with essential oils of vetivert and wild camomile. With just a few sprays, you really do feel it starting to work its magic in soothing your body and mind.

This works- deep sleep pillow spray (£18)

To take it one step further, I love this deeply moisturising This works- deep sleep dream cream. Not only does it smell as wonderful as its sister product previously mentioned, but it also gets to work on any dry skin patches you may have so you wake up feeling smooth and refreshed!

The scent for this product is less powerful than the pillow spray which is a good thing otherwise you may send people off to sleep when in a confined area with them. For this reason, if I was to purchase only one of these products to aid sleep, I would choose the pillow spray.

Badger Balm- sleep balm (£7.99)

I've saved my favourite until last here as this little tin has rescued me on many stressful evenings when I've gone to bed with a head full of to-do lists. The organic Badger Balm- sleep balm is infused with rosemary, ginger, bergamot, balsam fir and of course are faithful sleep friend, lavender. As advertised, this balm claims not to make you sleepy as instead, ' ... the sophisticated blend of essential oils helps quiet your thoughts and clear your mind, then you fall asleep naturally'.

They advise you to apply to your temples but I like to rub it under my nose too for a more intense smell (you can never be too relaxed!). The best thing about this product is the fact you can pop it in your toiletry bag when staying somewhere else and you know you're guaranteed a good night's sleep (even if you've been left a tiny bit of floor space at the end of a friend's house warming party). 



Some of my other rescue items

 Bach rescue remedy (£9.99)- If you haven't tried Bach's rescue remedy range and you're a bit of a worrier like myself, then look no further! Day or night, drop a couple of pipettes of this relaxing liquid on your tongue and within seconds you'll feel your worries drift away (as you can imagine I was very popular in exam waiting halls!).

Twinings Calming Camomile tea  (£1.49)- I'm a huge lover of herbal teas and I am constantly refilling/pouring the kettle! Recently I've discovered the sweet taste of camomile tea and it has become an important part of my bedtime routine. It caters for my sweet tooth and my need for lots of sleep- perfect!

Russell Brand- Revolution (£8.45)- You can't beat a good read just before bedtime. My current book is Russell Brand's Revolution. I'm a big fan of his books and throughout this particular one I have gone to bed feeling full of reflections and positive thoughts (I kind of feel like I'm helping to put the world to rights which is a very productive thing to do in my pjs). I am a little biased however as I have always been a massive Mr Brand fan and even got the chance to meet, hug and kiss him (it was a book signing...I'm not one of his numbers if you're wondering).


So that's the end of my bedtime routine. What products/rituals can you recommend to help others have a peaceful night's sleep? Please leave comments below, it would be great to hear from you.

Georgie.