Fashions Finest love Bellápierre Cosmetics! They have evolved from being a 100% minerally based cosmetics company, to being one of the hottest products on the market today. Their core values are Purity, Variety, Simplicity, and Quality. They work hard to make things easier for their customers, while still offering the best products available.

Their recent 'Get Started Kits' are no exception, and all we have to do is choose the right shade for our complexion, and there is everything inside the box we need to have flawless, perfect skin with every time. Complete with instructions on how to use the products too! 

Bellápierre

Bellápierre, the next generation of mineral make up, have created Get Started, the ultimate kit to help women achieve exactly what they want out of mineral make-up. The Get Started Kit is designed to educate women about the advantages of mineral make-up and to give them the confidence to achieve the flawless, natural look they desire with bellápierre. The kit contains all the essential products needed to get started with the bellápierre range, including foundation, blush and bronzer, and all the brushes you will need too.

With Free shipping over £40 at bellapierre.com/uk Fashions Finest loves this fabulous and easy to use foundation pack. No more getting confused about which brushes should be used with each powder, or how much makeup to apply and how - as this one box gives you everything for only £68.00. Grab yours from their website now.

Applying a primer, a foundation, concealer, and for a huge amount of people, resorting to a technique called baking has become the norm in the face makeup department, and we haven’t even included contouring, bronzing and highlighting. Then we proceed to apply the rest of our makeup, and only once everything is sealed with a foolproof setting spray, are we ready to take that perfect selfie. It goes without saying that our go-to filters are an integral part of the process, and some people go as far as to actually adjust and change their features and erase blemishes and other imperfections. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong about playing with makeup. It should be used as a fun tool with which we express our personality, mood and creativity.

However, the one thing makeup should not be is a shield behind which to hide. The emphasis is, and always should be on nourishing your skin to perfection, so even when you’re bare-faced, you have the confidence not only to trust around town, but actually let the virtual world see you in your full makeupless glory. And how does one achieve that photo-ready skin? It takes dedication and just the right steps, but trust us, there is nothing difficult about it.

The Glow Prerequisite



Many women out there are still not convinced of the important role exfoliation plays in the process of getting that perfect complexion. Dead skin cells that stay on top of your skin don’t only prevent your skin from breathing, but also clog the pores and the result is lifeless, dull skin. This is particularly visible when using a camera, as you will notice that your skin has become opaque and doesn’t reflect light. In order to shed those dead cells and reveal the radiance that lies beneath, exfoliate two to three times a week. Everything more than that can actually cause irritation and inflammation of the skin, as overzealous exfoliation can actually strip your skin of the natural oils since the dead cells haven’t had time to surface.

All The Right Foods



The connection between the gut and skin is one that cannot be denied, and a dehydrated body can be spotted from a mile away as when you’re dehydrated on the inside, it reflects on your appearance as well. Insufficient water intake definitely takes a toll on your skin, makes it dull and dry-looking, so it’s vital to maintain your water intake, and if plain water is ‘boring’ there are tons of water-rich foods that are delicious and that will, in the long run, pay off big time, so choose your favorites and don’t hold back.

Pick Your Tools Wisely



One of the most common mistakes we make is choosing the wrong skincare for our concerns, skin type as well as our age. Therefore it is paramount to rectify this mistake and how does one go about it? First, you need to establish what your skin type is. Then, you go and look for the best skincare products for your type, and if you’re dealing with acne-prone skin, hyperpigmentation and other issues, choosing wisely is all the more important. Arm your bathroom cabinet with everything from the right cleanser and toner, makeup remover, serum, moisturizer, all custom-picked and personalized to cater to your specific needs.

Be Diligent



Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was great skin. It takes good products and plenty of diligence to get your skin where it needs to be. This is why, rain or shine, you should never skip on your skincare rituals and proper steps, both evening and morning ones. The evening calls for a double cleanse, toning, overnight serum, moisturizer, and mornings are a tad breezier as you can get away with a quick wash, daytime serum and an SPF rich moisturizer, and you’re almost ready to go.

The reason nighttime routine is more extensive is because we usually have makeup that needs to be thoroughly removed at the end of the day, and let’s not even get started on the external pollutants that attack our skin constantly. In addition to that, it’s vital not to give up on your products if they don’t work magically within the timespan of two minutes – think of great skin as a marathon, not a sprint; do your best, take it slow and trust in your products as they will deliver. Everything good takes time.

Camera Up!



Ok, once you’re skin is in spick and span shape, you can add a touch of makeup for that perfect no-makeup makeup look before snapping that perfect selfie, although when the time comes, you will be confident enough to go truly makeup-free. Sheer foundations and radiance-boosting tinted moisturizers are all the rage this season – the season of healthy glow, so snag one of those lightweight products and add an extra smidge of radiance to the skin. Apply some stick or liquid highlighter to the high points of the face, add a few coats of mascara and plump those lips with a touch of lip gloss and you are more than camera-ready.

Find that perfect light, hold the camera above you and point it slightly downward – this way you’ll capture your best angle perfectly, and snap away. Of course, feel free to adjust that pic to fit in with the rest of your Instagram feed in terms of saturation and exposure, but you will be pleasantly surprised with the fact that you don’t have to make any other adjustments. Happy snapping!

Lucky for you, we here at Fashions Finest, just love making your life easy, saving you from spending hours in the shopping malls trolling the beauty departments for the best gift.

We have put together our list of beauty gifts, from OMG eyeshadow sets, to the must-have skin-care staples, to much loved fragrance, these are the gifts that we will be giving to our friends and family this Christmas season.

Give the gift of Frankincense in the form of the Amber and Frankincense Diffuser, from Monsoon. Presented in a pretty decorated glass jar, this beautiful scent is a thoughtful gift for a work colleague or a teacher.

This stocking filler is the ultimate beauty gift for all the Glow Getters and jet setters, the Fake Bake Travel Survival Kit. The pack contains: Fake Bake® Papaya Exfoliation & Tan Removal Towelette 7ml, Fake Bake® Coconut Oil Free Moisturiser 10ml and Fake Bake® Flawless Tanning Towelette 8ml.

It is small but handy and Yes, girls loving the Pink ! The Twist & Spritz atomiser from The Fragrance Shop is the perfect companion to the Love Lily Fragrance From Accessorize From Accessorize. It is handy because now your friend, mom, sister or daughter can take her #fav fragrance with her wherever she goes. Fashions Finest fragrance experts love's the fresh feminine scent of Love Lily Also check out The Fragrance Shop's Monthy Subscription Box, if you are looking to give something a bit extra and special.

Looking for that extra piece to add to the ultimate Beauty Gift box that you been putting together since the summer for your #bff then the MakeUp Drop Silicone Sponge is it. This Silicone makeup applicator is designed to completely eliminate wasted makeup and skincare by soaking up large amounts of product it ensures flawless application. She will love it !!

Another two great stocking fillers are, Silver Chrome Nail Powder, from SensatioNail while you are at it treat yourself with one of there Polish-to-Gel kits. And the ferrari of tweezers,the Rubis tweezers are the best for precision eyebrow shaping.

Jaguar, we loved it for and on Him for Valentines, now JAGUAR PACE ACCELERATE – FEEL THE ADRENALINE, is a new addition to the range of this dynamic fragrance for the man full of confidence and charisma.

Nude by Nature, created in Australia and loved by all nature loving beauties. The Moonlight brush gift set, available at Debenhams. This is the ultimate 15 piece brush set, for makeup brush fanatics, and it comes in a elegant clutch case making it even more special. Who would not love this beauty, the KAT VON D MAKE UP PALETTE, available at Debenhams, is to die for, full of gorgeous colours that any colour crazy girl would love.

As far as fragrance goes, Ellie Saab is always a firm favourite and the Girl of Now gift set, available at House of Fraser, is a delight for the senses.

For the man that loves to take care of his skin there is the SHISEIDO MEN TOTAL REVITALIZER gift set. Available at Debenhams the set includes, Shiseido Men Total Revitalizer Cream 50ml, Shiseido Men Cleansing Foam 30ml, Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate 10ml and Shiseido Men Total Revitalizer Eye 3ml.

Delightful bath and body treats, from Oliver Bonas, Flora Bath and Body, a combination of fresh freesia, pear, floral desert lily and tropical fig to pamper and rejuvenate. The Soap Bubble, from Bronnley England, with its christmas scent of Apple and Cinnemon encased in a collectable tin bauble makes for a pretty nice stocking filler.



If you really want to treat yourself then the Omorovicza Gold Facial set from Liberty London, is just the thing. Eve Lom a cult beauty favourite has a fantastic range of Christmas set to spoil each and everyone this Christmas. Gift set includes a cleanser and a muslin cloth beautifully packaged in a Christmas bauble.

Any young lady will love the Bobbie Brown On Trend Hot Lips Set, available at House of Fraser inside the cute Lipstick Make Up Bag, available at John Lewis.

Because luxury skin care is always such a treat, the Ritual's Gift Boxes are a combination of all the best selling collections, Ritual of Dao, The Ritual of Sakura, The Ritual of Laughing Buddha, The Ritual of Samurai and The Ritual of Hammam. Gift Boxes are available in varying sizes and colours, all made to pamper your loved ones this festive season. Advent Calendar always makes for great gifts and the Ritual's Beauty Calendar's in the shape of a Christmas tree, are packed with treats to make you slow down and enjoy all the best moments of this season. Another great stocking filler, Bronnley's Orchid Hand and Nail Cream Cracker.

The giving and seeing that smile on their faces, sure makes the hassle of shopping for the perfect gift so much more enjoyable.

We are 16 days into the new year and now there is no more turning back, 2017 is officially in full swing. The excitement of a new year is the new things it brings and we are jumping for joy for all the new beauty trends this year will bring.

Here is our quick guide on what’s hot for 2017 and how to get the look.

Minimal Madame

The barely there, makeup look continues its reign of popularity. Keep your face fresh and dewy with minimal colour and product. Embryolisse Lait Crème Concentre £20, is the one product makeup artists swear by. Use it as a makeup base to moisturise and transform your skin in an instant. Giving you a dewy and youthful finish. It also doubles up as a repairing mask and primer too. Natural and untouched looking brows, are key to this look, achieve this with the Lord & Berry’s Must Have £14, a brow mascara that locks stray hairs into place whilst also adding a subtle tint.

Finish off the look with a soft and subtle touch of nude lipstick- to recreate an English rose shade with the Lord & Berry’s 20100 Lip Crayon in Charme £12, giving a subtle hint of pink, its creamy texture adding moisture to your lips.

Colour Chic

Bright bold popping colour is key for 2017. A bold lip such as PPQ’s Lilac theme is a must this year. As seen on the catwalk, models were sporting the Lord & Berry’s Lip Crayon in La Fiesta, £14. Highly pigmented with a creamy texture, this lip colour will show that you are fearless, so embrace it. However, if bright bold and fearless is too much for the office try the Lord & Berry’s Timeless Kiss-proof in Bold Red £15 to make a subtle statement. A liquid lipstick that dries matte, is long lasting and smudge proof, perfect for all those Valentines kisses.

Glow me baby

Another trend that is here to stay so highlight and shimmer away for healthy youthful glowing skin. To achieve this look, apply a highlighter such as the Lord & Berry’s Luminizer stick £14 on the bridge of your nose, cheekbones and on your cupids-bow this will give the illusion of a smaller nose, higher defined cheekbones and fuller lips.

For an all over dewy glow to your face, perfect for summer, apply the Transformulas 23 Carat Hydration Gold £41.95. This crème instantly illuminate and adds a hint of 23 carat gold shimmer to the skin. As and added boots is it contains hyaluronic acid that hydrate the skin, help promote collagen and keeps your complexion youthful.

Blush me up

Lastly, another trend that will hit us in 2017 will be the return of the blush-woo! Spotted on the 2016 catwalk in 2017 we will see this trend evolve with blusher now being used across the temples and eyes-adding a stronger and more daring edge.

To achieve this look, apply a blusher such as Lord & Berry’s blush in Lotus, £18 along the cheekbones in a sweeping motion with a brush such as Brushworks Blush Brush £6.99, giving you a soft and subtle rosy glow ready for the day ahead.

Perfect for contouring and strobing, highlighting your natural facial feature.

The one and only Taraji P Henson is set to launch her own collection with MAC cosmetics next month.

Our Beauty Writer Victoria Davies says Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue is a must have product in her pro kit.

What an enjoyable few hours spent this evening at the Bare Mineral counter at House of Fraser Nottingham.

I braced the wintery weather and was warmly welcomed by the two hosts with a glass of bubbly and strawberries dipped in chocolate and a raffle ticket.

Guests were given an overview of some of the best Bare Mineral products and offers in the range which would make great gifts for Christmas for family and friends.

We were also able to see a demo of the products being applied to two of regular people, one young and one more mature. The looks were nice and natural and showing how just adding a little more colour, eyeliner and heavier mascara can transform the face from a day look to evening look using one simple pallet.

After the demo we were given the opportunity to test and purchase any product we wanted and with every purchase we received a raffle ticket to win one of the lovely gifts on offer. I purchased the mineral powder and stoke of light eyebrightner for darker skin tones which was nice and light but had good coverage. Just how I like it!

 Tha raffel was finally drawn and i won two prizes one of which was possibly the best on the table. The prizes were - travel makeup brushes, a gold bag with mineral powder, lip gloss, eye shadow, eye shadow brush, eyeliner and a makeup brush.

Before the evening ended we were all presented with a Bare mineral goody bag which contained even more fabulous gifts to sample from other brands within House of Fraser such a perfumes, eyeliner, body wash mineral foundation to name a few.

To say this was a worthwhile and enjoyable experience is putting it lightly and I have lots of lovely products and gifts to try out over the next few months.

If you have never used Bare Mineral products I suggest you give them a try.

A big thank you goes out to the ladies who hosted the event and I look forward to attending another event again soon and telling everyone all about it.

More information about their products here: Bare Minerals

Written by Fashions Finest Director Deborah St. Louis 

As the weather heats up we find ourselves either avoiding foundation altogether or putting it on and finding it has disappeared throughout the day.

So we are not all top notch make-up artist and if you like me, you are always buying new make -up products and before you realise it, your make-up bag is over flowing. So let's make things easier, here are your 8 basic essential to always carry in your make-up bag.

Many women often buy products that;
• where sold to them by an over enthusiastic make-up counter assistant, they buy it and then do not use it
• because they were drawn in by the advertisement on television, because the model looked so good wearing it
We then end up not using any of these products because we do not know how to use correctly
It is time ladies, to go back to the basic, because everything else in our lives are already complicated the last thing we need is to complicate our make- up routine
Carrying these basic essentials with you can make things so much easier and will give you a flawless look for day and night.

1.Concealer

Concealer is used to hide your dark under eye circles and the spots on your face

2. Foundation

Even out your skin complexion by applying your foundation all over the face, this will balance out your complexion and give you a clear canvas to apply the rest of your make-up

3. Neutral eye shadow

Neutral shades like beige, is easy to use and suits every skin tone and are great for an everyday look

4. Eye liner

A black or brown eye liner is essential or you can also use dark eye shadow along your lash line to enhance your eyes

Mascara

Defines your eyes by applying it over your lashes to enhance the length of your lashes

Blush

As foundation evens out your skin tone, blush ads colour, apply it to your cheeks. Blush comes in a variety of shades so choose the right shade for your skin tone.

Remember;
• Select a colour that will accent your facial features and will not make you look like a red check clown
• Bright red colours may not look that good if you have a very pale skin. Pale skin try a soft pink colour.
• So depending on your skin tone you will need a lighter or darker colour
When applying it, make a fish face then apply blush to the centre blending it along the cheekbone

Lipstick

We do not all like popping colours so try a nude colour to enhance your natural lip colour

Lipstick like blush adds colour to your face.

Translucent powder

Apply to skin to set make-up and for a matte effect, dust lightly using a fluffy powder brush

Declutter your make up bag and let's get back to basic !!