Hi Guys

Did anyone else get makeup envy over Adele’s gorgeous look at the Brit Awards on Tuesday night!?

We were totally bowled over by her singing talent but her smokey eyes had us all rushing to the office cabinet fighting for the gunmetal shadows and flirty lashes!

Adele’s success at the Brit Awards 2012 made us feel super proud to be British and so to celebrate, e.l.f cosmetics is offering you guys a FREE SHIPPING Weekend, so you can all stock up on goodies to achieve Adele’s award winning look! We may not all be able to belt a good tune like she does but we can at least look as good!

We’ve recreated her look using products from the e.l.f Studio and Mineral Ranges. See how we did it below.


Products used:

• Studio Tinted Moisturizer
• Elf eyelid Primer
• Studio Pigment Eye shadow in Naughty Noire
• Studio Matte Eye shadow in Charcoal
• Studio Single Eye shadow in Sand Dollar
• Studio Cream Eyeliner in black
• Studio Blush in Mellow Mauve
• Studio Eye Brow Treat and Tame
• Elf Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Black Bandit
• Mineral Lipstick in Fiery Fuchsia
• False lashes from the elf flirty eyelash pallets set.

How we achieved this look:

Step 1:

Use the Studio Tinted Moisturiser to even out the complexion and give your skin a radiant finish.



Step 2

Apply Primer to the lids to create a smooth canvas and base for applying the eye shadow.

Step 3

Take the e.l.f Eye Shadow Brush and apply Studio Pigment Eye shadow in Naughty Noire to the whole eyelid. Work the colour into the socket and along the crease line blending outwards to create a slight flick at the outer corners.

Step 4
Next using the Defining Eye brush apply Studio Matte Eye shadow in Charcoal to the outer corner of the eyes to shape them into a slight winged effect. Blend the colour into the socket line for a really defined and dramatic effect.

  
Step 5

Adele has used a white shadow in the inner corners of her eyes to really make them pop and add dimension to her look. Take the elf Eye Crease Brush and dot Studio Single Eye shadow in Sand Dollar to the inner corners of the eyes and blend outwards along the bottom lashes to create a bright-eyed look.

Step 6

To recreate Adele’s luscious, flicked out lashes we used Dramatic Lashes from the Flirty Eyelash Pallets set.

Step 7  

Once the lashes have set, line the eyes with Studio Cream Eyeliner in Black and create a flicked, wing at the outer edge of the eye for a more intense look. 

Step 8

Define the eyebrows using Studio Eyebrow Treat and Tame to groom your brows to perfection.

Brow on Right Styled with Eyebrow Treat and Tame compared to bare brow on the left

Step 9

Line the bottom lashes with e.l.f Shimmering Eyeliner in Black Bandit be careful not to line the whole of the bottom lash line as this will close the eyes making them appear smaller. Bring the liner in to about 1/3 in for best effect.

Step 10

Now we’re going to recreate those stunning cheekbones using e.l.f Studio Blush in Mellow Mauve. Sweep this gorgeous matte finish blusher along the cheekbones and apples to define them and give your face a radiant glow. We used the e.l.f Blushing, Bronzing and Blending Brush. 

Final Touch

Finally for Adele’s Gorgeous Pout we used Mineral Lipstick in Fiery Fuchsia to make the lips soft and supple with healthy pink tone.

We think our model (who also by the way goes by the name Adele..oh the irony!) looks great! What do you think?

That’s it guys! Thanks for reading we hope you liked it and will give it a go!

Why not take advantage of our Free Shipping weekend and get all your bits and pieces to recreate your fave looks from the Brit Awards!

Just enter the follow code* at checkout:

UK: BRITLOOKUK
ITALY: BRITLOOKIT  
EU: BRITLOOKEU

*Valid on all orders of £10 or over, from Friday 24.02.12 12pm (UK Time) till Monday 27.02.12. 9.30am (UK Time).


ENJOY!

Love

e.l.f

I love my specs. I’ve collected them over the years, friends have given me pairs they know I’d adore, and I’ve picked them up in far-flung places while travelling.  I see specs as an accessory and an investment – after all, they’re on your face all day!

I think the reason I like to have so many spectacle options is how far specs fashions have come, from the 1970s & 80s. If you did love those NHS specs though, you can still find them! Check out Dead Mens Specs!!

I do wear contact lenses for performances and evenings out, but generally you’ll find me wearing my specs with pride.  My favorites are genuine vintage (you’ll need to find a friendly local Optician to put your prescription lenses in though, many modern chains won’t touch them) but there are also lots of fabulous modern styles in gorgeous colours, as well as vintage reproductions.

Wearing glasses does mean giving some extra thought to eye make up – specs draw attention to the eyes, and depending on your prescription, can make them seem smaller or larger.  Here are my top make up tips for specs wearers:

Groomed Brows

This is my top tip, and can make a big difference to everyone’s make up (and even affect the way your face-shape appears!) but it’s especially important for specs-wearers, as your eyes are such a focus for attention. The e.l.f. eyebrow powder kit is fabulous, and if you’re having trouble with plucking and defining your eyebrow shape, try the e.l.f eyebrow stencil kit – choose a shape, fill in with eyebrow powder, then pluck stray hairs!

Mascara

Eyelashes can be a nuisance for specs-wearers – bumping against your lenses, & leaving little mascara streaks, and it’s almost impossible to fit a set of stage-worthy false lashes under a pair of specs! I always curl my lashes with an e.l.f. eyelash curler to help fight against smudges, and I use mascara only on my top lashes which helps to minimise shadow being cast onto the under-eye area.  For daytime wear (especially as I’m dark-haired) I can get away with one coat. 

Concealer

Specs can draw attention to any dark areas under the eye, and even cast shadows, so choose a light-textured concealer very close to your skin tone.  Apply sparingly and dust with powder - too much and your specs may slide away!

Colour & Blending

Because I like dramatic frames, I prefer to keep eye makeup simple and stick to fairly neutral shades, usually just one dark and one light shade.  Careful blending is extra-important for specs wearers as glasses can magnify mistakes.  If you find that powder shadows cause fallout onto your lenses, cream colours are a great alternative.

Highlighter

A creamy pale highlighter dotted onto the inner corners of the eyes and under the arch of the eyebrow will really brighten and open up your eyes.

Anna x

www.annafurlaxis.com

Products Used in Photograph:

Eyelash Curlers

Mineral infused Face Primer

Flawless Finish Foundation in Porcelain

High Definition Powder

Mineral Eye shadow Primer

Cream Eye shadow in Candlelight

Mascara

Eyebrow Powder Kit

Beauty-On-The-Go Palette blush & Eye Colours

Cream Eyeliner - Black

Lip Stain in Red Carpet

In the last couple of months I’ve had shows in Sweden, Paris, Rome and Las Vegas, as well as across the UK. I’m very lucky to travel so much with my job, but all this touring has meant that I’ve had to pick up some shortcuts and tips for moving around on my own with heavy luggage, and since it’s holiday season, I thought this would be as good a time as any to gather my thoughts.

But let’s start at the beginning: For an early flight, should one wear full make up to the Airport?!   Often, for European shows, I have to leave my home at 4 or 5am to check in for an 8 or 9am flight. Is it worth applying make up at that crazy hour?  If I’ve had a show the night before, I might not have made it to bed before 2 or 3am! – But from personal experience, I find it’s always worth taking the time to apply a little e.l.f. Mineral Foundation, Mascara and Red Carpet Lipstain. It takes 2 minutes and I know I’ll regret it at the check-in desk if I don’t.

But what about luggage?! And all the rules and regulations for in-flight bags and their contents?!   It might look like Burlesque Performers wear next to nothing on stage and could fit their costumes into a clutch bag, but I promise you – our bags are rammed full & are heavy. It takes a lot more luggage than you’d think! So, how to maximize your baggage allowance? First things first; check out your Airline’s website before you go for their own baggage limits – individual airlines have a mind-boggling variety of maximum weights for hold bags, from a teeny 15kg to a whopping 96kg. And bear in mind that your suitcase will probably weigh around 4-5 kg before you’ve even packed a thing! With hand baggage it gets even more complicated – but if you’re savvy, you can play the figures. Many (but not all!) Airlines allow one item of hand baggage (check the sizes allowed – they can be strict!) up to around 8-12kg PLUS a handbag or laptop. So I have the world’s-largest-handbag. I can fit my laptop in there, as well as an assortment of other bits and bobs which probably weigh another 10kg. Of course, on approaching the check-in desk, I act as if it’s lighter than air. ;)

So what’s inside the bags I won’t let leave my side during travel? Let me preface what I’m about to say by telling you that about 50% of the flights I take have “issues”, which can be anything from a 10 minute delay, up to spending a weekend stranded in a country in which I neither began, or intended to end my journey in, followed by a week of not knowing if I was going to get my suitcase back. So I always carry anything valuable in my hand luggage. Which includes my giant pink fluffy boa. You’ll also need a few bits and bobs just in case.  So that’s spare underwear, phone & laptop chargers, universal power adapter, any medicines you might need (tip: don’t ask for codeine-based painkillers over-the-counter in a USA Pharmacy unless you like to be looked at as if you’ve just asked to shoot up in the middle of the store) and some toiletries. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be wanting your make up kit, that’s for sure. Before I say any more, it’s important to check current regulations to be sure that you have the up-to-date information on things like liquids and gels (currently you may fly with containers no larger than 100ml – excluding essential medicines – which must fit in a single transparent, resealable, 1-litre bag).  It’s worth separating your powder make up in to a separate bag before you go – my Lipstain, Lipsticks, Cream Eyeliner and mascara all have to go into the little plastic bag. Powders can go into my little bag of brushes I told you about last time.

Phew. That’s a lot to pack!

Of course you COULD go down the route suggested by my lovely colleague Lada Redstar and buy a Rufus Roo Jacket (www.rufusroo.com) which is either the most genius, or the most unglamorous garment I’ve ever seen – possibly both!

Anna xx

Products used in Photo:

High Definition Powder

Mineral Eye Primer

Studio Eye shadow in Raspberry

Cream Eyeliner in Black

Red Carpet Lip Stain

Studio Blush in Tickled Pink

Eyebrow Kit in Dark

Lengthening & Volumising Mascara

Lady Gaga lived up to everybody’s expectations as she worked the The X Factor stage for the semi final results, writhing around in a giant bath with her zombie-like backing dancers.

Looking bizarrely like a cross between Gwen Stefani a la 1920’s platinum locks and Amy Winehouse with her thick, black winged eyeliner, Lady Gaga looked very inch the superstar.

The uber sexy singer showcased a new look feminine hairstyle with her trademark sunglasses nowhere to be seen. She still showed off her naughty side however and worked her bondage-esque wardrobe by wearing a leather leotard, gothic gargoyle inspired wings and horns and a prism shaped corset that encompassed her hips to reveal her bare legs.

When Dermott asked for some advice for The X Factor contestants she simple said “Be yourself and don’t let anyone ever tell you, you can’t do it.” Sound advice that hasn’t worked too badly for her!

Gaga also revealed that she couldn’t wait for 2010 when she will be touring the UK, so if you’re a big fan check out her official website for more information about tour dates and venues www.ladygaga.com/events

What did you think of her performance of The X Factor and who has been your favourite celebrity performance throughout the series?

Its official, the English rose look is on trend thanks to the likes of fashionista and Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts and model of the moment Agyness Deyn.

While we’ve all been running around fake tanning ourselves for summer these beautiful girls have been embracing their milky white skin and using make-up to complement their natural complexion. Nicola, who was known as ‘the ginger one’ out of Girls Aloud has blossomed into a beautiful swan since accepting her stunning Celtic looking skin and even beat fellow band member Sarah Harding in FHM’s annual World’s Sexist Women poll recently.

If you’ve got fair skin and want to make the most of your snow white features follow our quick guide to getting the most out of your make-up:

Foundation is the most important tool when it comes to pale skin. Stick to one with a high SPF in order to look after your skin. Try e.l.f. Shielding Hydro Tint SPF15 in Tone 1 to give your skin that angelic look.

Apricot colours are ideal for creating peachy cheeks which is on trend for this Spring Summer. Girls with porcelain skin should really avoid pinky shades as they can clash with fair skin tones. e.l.f’s Mineral Blush in Coral is a great for adding a natural colour to pale skin.

Always stick to using brown mascara and eyeliner rather than black as it will look harsh against milky white complexions. Try our Earth & Water Mascara in Brown and Brightening Eyeliner pencil in Coffee.

Do you have any tricks or tips for fair skin? If so, we'd love to hear them.