diptyque - figuier | the candle editions

           

Ever the candle obsessive, I have added a new scent to the stash!

With a *mild* Diptyque obsession developing I felt the urge to pick up something fresh and summery, this fell in the form of Figuier!

On first sniff of this I must admit I really wasn't keen, it smells almost nettle like, something I wasnt drawn to, I considered exchanging it for a different scent, but persevered and decided to burn it anyway as I am a lover of fig scents and thought I'd see what it smelled like once it was burning.. Im so glad I did! 

The scent is very warming almost like baked figs and summer rolled into one, which isnt too over powering, for me I prefer this as there's just a subtle hint in the room i've lit it in once you walk into it, it almost leaves you wanting to know where the fragrance is coming from.

Diptyque describes this as: "The warmth of fig wood, the freshness of fig leaves and light milky sap all blend  to create a candle that is a glorious ode to the fig tree, with its light and delicious fresh fruit fragrance, figuier encapsulates the essence of summer" 

Figuier really is the scent you wish for at this time of the year, light and fresh but with a warming sence to the air, it almost reminds me of cosying up on a warm summers evening in the garden, eating salad and drinking pina coladas, I almost wish they would make this in a perfume, it would make the most  perfect summer fragrance!

Im so happy I picked Figuier up, and will definitely repurchase this in the larger size very soon, next on my list is the blogger cult classic Baies & my favourite perfume scent Roses, im desperate to try the candle version as I just adore the scent.

Have any of you tried Diptyque candles, know of any I should add to my wishlist?

Let me know in the comments below!

Frankie xo

Vintage wedding makeup

So i rarely ever divulge into sharing my personal/work related areas of my life through this blog and ive been thinking recently that i really should, as some people may know i work as a freelance makeup artist and have done for around 3/4 years now and the basis of my work is weddings, and when it came to this wedding i just couldn't not show it to you guys!

The beautiful and very colourful bride Clare was seriously one of the nicest people ive ever met, with the most amazing tattoos and vibrant personality, i knew from the minute i met her for her bridal trial that her wedding was going to be amazing and i definitely wanted to be a part of it!

On the day i had Clare and her three bridesmaids to do, who were equally all as lovely and entertaining in there own rights and definitely made the early morning start a bearable one.

For Clare the look was very simple, a bold statement red lip, i used Lancome's La Laque Fever which literally doesnt budge so perfect for a wedding day where you know topping up makeup throughout the day probably wont happen! 

For the base i used Dior Skin Foundation, which is a lovely lightweight dewy foundation, i then powdered down the TZone with Clarins - Everlasting Powder Foundation, added a touch of Mac - Dolly blusher with Kevin Aucoin Celestial Highlighter in Candlight on the high points of Clares face.

For the eyes Clare wanted to keep it really simple with a bold wing liner and fluttery lashes, for this i used the Naked 2 Pallette and just used a light dusting of Foxy all over the lids with Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack for the liner, using a Mac liner brush to give a full but very neat winged line, finished off with Clarins Waterproof Mascara and Ardell Demi Wispie lashes. 

I thouroughly loved creating this look for Clare on her big day and am so pleased with how her vision has played out on camera in these images, incase your wondering the beautiful photographs are the work of a very talented photographer from Kent named Emma, you can view her work here.. and between you and i, i have her on my list for my wedding, her work is literally stunning! 

If Clare isn't hugely proud of how amazing there wedding turned out to be then what about a magazine wanting to feature your wedding in their latest issue, how amazing is that, the piece will be in Rock N Roll bride, how bloody cool!

Thats all from me today guys, let me know what you think of this sort of post and if you enjoyed seeing a little insight into something different on the blog?

Lots of love, Frankie x

foundation favourite

As some of you may know, i previously worked for Clarins, during this time i discovered a few firm favourites and one of them is the True Radiance foundation.

True Radiance is literally the most beautiful, flawless-inducing foundation i have ever used, and believe me i have tried ALOT.

The formula is very lightweight but incredibly dewy, i would say a little powder is neccesary with this product just on the T zone, im someone who is more on the drier side and even this is a little

too dewy for me, as i said having drier skin makes this foundation a god send for me as it has some really fantastic skincare properties, shea butter nourishes the skin feeding it some well needed moisture, whilst moringa seed makes the skin luminous and bright.

The photo above just shows the product lightly buffed with my fingers, personally i use a duo fibre or stippling brush to give the most natural effect, the pigmentation is very high considering it feels so sheer and lightweight on the face.

I would even go as far as saying this is my holy grail foundation, it lasts all day, is natural, yet flawless without feeling cakey on the skin and just gives everyone ive ever applied it to the most perfect looking skin whilst remain soft and dewy!

What are you favourite foundations and are there any that you reccomend i give a try, and have any of you tried this particular foundation, what are you thoughts on it?

See you all soon, Frankie ♥

P.s

I have created a group for all you fellow bloggers/vloggers out there, its a group where you can share your links for your current content and meet like minded people, feel free to join and add your work!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/507521156065289/

the five minute everyday face

Minimal makeup is definitely my go-to right now, anything that takes longer than five minutes to apply just doesnt cut it for me right now!

My approach to makeup has changed drastically since changing jobs, from working in a department store as a makeup artist/beauty manager i learned how to apply makeup quickly and effectively with minimum effort and it is something that since leaving that career i still put into practise everyday!

The Base

The best way to look fresh faced and awake is to always apply a great moisturiser which works as a base for the products you will apply later on, seeing as this is a quick and easy look, i use the Dr Jart BB cream, this has a shed load of fantastic qualities for your skin to literally drink up, it contains serum, moisturizer and fantastic coverage all in one little tube, along with a beautiful radiant glow,

 it really is amazing!

If im feeling suitably pale i will just roughly contour and bronze myself using Soleil Tan De Chanel - Chanel, using a medium sized brush i just sweep this in the hollows of my cheeks and then naturally where the sun would hit my face just to give myself a healthy glow, something my face usually never has the honour of having!

On the apples of my cheeks i dab a little of the Max Factor Miracle Touch Creamy Blusher, again a very quick and versatile product which creates a really lovely dewy glow.

Eyes

To fill in my brows i use the Sleek Brow Kit just to fill out the shape a little and make them a little darker than usual as my brows are very light, and for mascara the Chanel Le Volume is perfect for a one application wonder, its the blackest formula i know and the easiest for full foolproof thick lashes!

Lips

If you have been reading my blog for a while you will know i am a huge bold lip coveter, think Mac Candy Yum Yum & brighter and I'm all over it, but when it comes to a natural quick look it has to be something that i dont need to line my lips with and if it wears off throughout the day doesnt neccasarily need touching up, my go to shade for that is Mac Pink Plaid, it is the perfect everyday berry pink colour that is fuss free and just looks a little more polished than wearing nothing at all!

So that concludes my five minute everyday face, and even though they take little time to apply the longevity of the products generally last me a whole day without the need to retouch throughout the day which is the best part of it all!

What are you fool proof everyday products, let me know below.

Lots of love, Frankie ♥

Lancôme - Le Vie Est Belle

So i had planned to do the typical beauty blogger christmas edition 'what i got for christmas' post, uhmming and ahhing over whether or not to do that post i decided i would just stick to what i know best and keep it simple and post about the products i love, there is so much scepticism over those posts that i just wasnt sure if it would be a viable move (although if you would like to see a post about it comment and let me know, you may wangle me round!).

I had been banging on and on about Le Vie Est Belle to everyone for so long, i spray it at work continuously on myself and ive probably upped Lancome's sales over the last few months by promoting it so much, but i just didnt own it.

Everyone who knows me, knows im a pefume fiend, my collection is ever growing, but never big enough and i just knew LVEB had to become a staple in my collection!

Samuel had a nudge in the right direction by the mother in law and this landed in my present stash this christmas, i was over the moon as i didnt expect anyone to have remembered me talking about it and that i finally owned my own!

The scent at first is very sickly sweet, but bare with it, when it warms down it is the most beautiful sweet but elegant scent, the notes contain Iris, Orange blossom, Jasmine and Patchouli and considering the notes are floral this fragrance is actually not very floral at all, although you can definitely smell the Iris when first sprayed, the fragrance is warm and inviting, perfect for the cold winter months.
LVEB really lingers around for a long time so even if you only go for a small bottle it will last you a super long time, i sprayed this on my scarf christmas day and i could still smell it when i picked up my scarf yesterday, so your talking a good week and it smells just as beautiful as when i first applied it!

If you ever go past a Lancome counter please have a little test of this fragrance as im sure you will love it as much as i do, a big thankyou to Samuel for getting it for me!

Frankie xXx

Lancome - Le Vie Est Belle from £39+ 

Clinique - Anti Blemish Solutions Foundation

Afternoon my lovely friends, hope your midweek Wednesday is going well?

Today I'm blogging to you about a wonderful new find I stumbled across recently, that being the Clinique - Anti Blemish Solutions foundation, I have the shade 01 Fresh Alabaster which is the lightest shade in the range, seeing as I am SUPER pale and even this can be slightly dark on me so a warning to anyone who is on the fairer side, get colour matched before you buy this, something I didn't do.. that being said I quite like the colour of this on me, gives me a little hint of colour!

 

The formula to this foundation isn't too heavy, its gives good coverage whilst still being light on the skin which is definitely something you need when you suffer from acne as I do (I have previous posts that are more in depth about this).

 

You can just see where my hairline is that the colour is slightly dark for me but it blends well into my neck which is where i generally tend to worry more as I hate the obvious foundation lines that I coveted back when i was 13!

 

I wanted to actually test this foundation out before I popped it up on the blog as I feel this is a product people will want to know more in-depth about before the go out and purchase it, although I do feel this is worth the money.. I believe this has actively cleared up numerous current outbreaks I have had, my skin has been much smoother in appearance and overall it looks much brighter and healthier.

The oil free foundation is aimed at actively controlling breakouts, neutralizes redness (definitely a problem I suffer with) whilst preventing future blemishes, I really feel Clinique have got this formula and testament bang on, I feel much more confident with my skin makeup free now than before as combining this with there skincare (post coming up on this soon) i have clearer fresher skin!

The finish of the foundation is quite matte, I would almost say you could get away without using a powder on top of this, unless you are more on the oilier side, it smoothes out perfectly using a buffing brush and is almost invisible once dried - beware though this is a very fast drying formula so you will need to work quickly!

Another feature I find fantastic about this foundation is the bottle, especially the little nib where the product is dispersed from, it controls the amount of product you use by only allowing you to squeeze what you need out from it, I would say a 10p piece on the back of your hand is the perfect amount for a full face meaning this will you last you a long time and no wastage!

Overall I've enjoyed using this foundation and think I'll be sticking with it until something else catches my wandering eye #beautybloggerproblems, keep your eyes peeled for the skincare instalment from Clinique coming up soon!

Do let me know if you have any questions about this or anything else skincare related as i love to hear from you!

Frankie x

 

 

 

Phillip Kingsley - Elasticizer 40th Anniversary Edition

So im pretty sure most of you have heard of the Elasticizer - cult hair mask with a huge celebrity following, oh and created for the pretty amazing Audrey Hepburn?

Phillip Kingsley has brought out a 40th anniversary limited edition set which includes a beautiful pearlized bottle with a hair wrap to keep the heat in your hair which makes the mask penetrate the hair further and this means I can wear it overnight without any mess ending up on my pillow :)

I have the original mask in the usual tub which I actually have in the Extreme Elasticizer for extremely dry hair which is amazing but only needs to be used once a month on my hair, the downside to the tub version means you have to dig the product out, which I don't mind at all but I know that some people really don't like the idea of this, well with the anniversary edition it comes in a squeezy tube meaning you wont waste any product or get water inside the bottle from digging around for the product!

I use around two 50p pieces as my hair is rather long now and this covers it just nicely, I don't apply this to the root though as it can make my hair greasy quickly when I do, I apply this from around 3/4 of the way up my hair right down to the tips where I am the driest and leave it for around 15-20 minutes whilst I bath, I use a cap from my original tub to make sure no water washes any of it off and keeps the hair warm as I explained earlier to allow it to penetrate the hair shaft deeper for maximum use of the mask..

One ive washed this out of my hair I follow with my regular shampoo and conditioner as normal, upon drying my hair I can instantly tell the difference in the feel of my hair, it brushes through so much easier, there are virtually no tangles, no dryness it literally feels as if I have had my hair freshly cut!

I love this product as it really does the job in transforming my dry hair in between cuts, I highly recommend purchasing Elasticizer, the anniversary box is slightly more expensive than the regular tub version but you do get more for your money with this set, if you fancy just testing it out then you can purchase a mini version too :)

Hope you enjoyed reading this post, have any of you tried the Elasticizer before?

Frankie xxx

Elasticizer Anniversary Edition £38.
Elasticizer Tub £21
Travel Elasticizer £15

Home Tour.. Beauty/Blogging Room..

Hi guys, apologies for the lack of posts in the previous months, have had sooo much to do recently that i just havent had the time to upload, im sure you will all here about what ive been upto in the next few months as i have so much to tell you all :) In the mean time if you follow my Instagram you will see more about me as i upload daily over on there @frankiebooblogx

As you will know from the previous post me and Samuel moved house, we now have a beautiful little Victorian Terraced Home with two bedrooms and i have the luck of having the 'spare' room as my own little officey/makeup/beauty/spare room space, Brownie points to him for knowing a girl with too much makeup needs a room to put it in ;)

Just to pre-warn you this may be a little photo heavy for your liking but i love posts like this so im hoping you guys will too :)

The room is quite large so i manage fit in a spare bed which is always handy as we usually have people stay over and as much as i want a pretty pretty makeup room we have to be practical too, i absolutely love my bed its from Feather and Black, underneath it also has a guest bed which pops up on legs and actually turns the bed into a super-king so you dont have to squeeze onto the small bed if a couple stays over :)

I wasn't really to sure what to do with this little area, i do want a huge floor to ceiling mirror to go in this gap especially for when im getting ready for an evening out, it currently holds my hair products, brushes etc a cake stand which i plan on popping my perfumes on and a little chair which i will be repainting white, i love it as it came from my mums and plan on using it for future baby in our lives when that day comes :)

In the wardrobe i keep my 'nicer' clothes in here, mainly dresses for going out and nicer tops etc, in the bottom draw houses all my 'extra' makeup, i.e the stuff that i dont keep on my desk in my Muji storage as its products i tend not to use so often or bits from my freelance kit, i will be doing an actual makeup collection post hence why i havent gone into more detail of this, hope you guys dont mind :)

The bedside/nightstand just currently holds these beautiful glass bon bon jars with my cotton balls/pads and cotton buds as its super easy to get to when taking off makeup in the evening, i love little details like these as i feel they add a classy but simple element to the room, i also have a little mirror tray with my earrings in and i like to keep my watch in here too!

My desk is actually the farm house table i had in the old kitchen, i wanted to purchase the Ikea Malm dresser which every blogger and there mum has but i actually really liked the idea of using this as its so large and houses everything nicely with lots of space to take photos, type up posts and do my makeup at.

The reason im using such a huge tv screen as my computer is as its a spare room i still wanted guests to be able to use the tv in the room and its makes typing at the desk so much easier than constantly having to have my laptop there at the same time.

Love this little area of my desk, it just makes me feel good when i walk in the room and always have pretty flowers to cheer me up, also how cute is my little bunny light <3

The light is from Ikea and the floral lights are from Asda, i love simple lighting to make the room look extra girly without being too in your face, the chandelier style shade i picked up from Amazon for around £12 and i love it, it looks super pretty in the room and catches the light from the window aswell so is always sparkling.

I hope you enjoyed a little tour around my beauty space, and let me know which room you would like me too show you all next <3

See you all soon lovelies, love Frankie x

riri for mac..

As soon as i saw a press release image of this collection way back when i instagrammed it back at the end of April, the beautiful rose gold packaging instantly drew me in, the fact its Rihanna had nothing to do with it (yer right)!

I had originally wanted to get the 'talk that talk' lipstick, a dark deep purple tone, it had sold out instantly and can i get my hands on it, no of course, so i decided to go with the original 'Riri Woo' this was the other lipstick i had wanted to get hold of and thankfully my local MAC still had a few left, pheww!

I also picked up the Riri lashes, i didnt actually realise that she had released lashes in her collection until i went to buy the lipstick, i saw them and put them straight on the till and handed over my card without hesitation!

Im absolutely in love with Riri Woo, a blue toned red with Rihanna's signature Riri carved into it, i almost dont want to use it for that reason but i definitely will be, infact i will be applying this beautiful shade to my lips as soon as i have posted this and head off to work!

Now you can see why i needed (wanted) these lashes, for starters they are the most natural looking lashes i have ever come across, they are a very dark brown which makes them even better suited to me as i have such light lashes naturally that black ones can sometimes look to harsh on me, they are so fluttery, they look like semi-permanent lash extensions where they have been so naturally done, im in love with them and cannot wait to wear them, i havent ever owned a pair of MAC lashes before so im even more excited to try them!

Im always a sucker for MAC collections, but this time im so pleasantly surprised by this one even more than any previous collections that have been released, the quality is so good, i love that the packaging is really well done, not just cheap plastic looking, and the fact that its Rihanna just tops it off, who doesnt want to wear something on there lips that emulates the queen of hot, she makes everything instantly sexy and the shades she has chosen for her line make you feel confident and independant!

Have any of you picked up something from the Riri collection, what did you get or lusting after?

Frankie xXx

Maybelline Colour Tattoo - Pomegranate..

I think this may be a post that every blogger in the blogging universe may of heard about and thats the amazing Maybelline Colour Tattoos, i have a few of these already but i felt the urge after buying Mac Cranberry to add this little gem to my already growing makeup stash.. Pomegranate .

The colour is absolutely beautiful, its like a vived red/burgundy with tiny flecks of glitter running through it, it isnt overly glittery when applied to the lid so you can get away with wearing this during the daytime and smoking it out for an evening look, i dont think theres really anything i can compare it to out there, its a shade ive never really seen before and i think thats why i love it so much!

Paired with the Mac Cranberry the combo is just stunning, i do apologise for not actually have a photo of the look but i will upload one to my instagram page as soon as i can @frankiebooblog.

The Colour Tattoos as you can see are super pigmented, this is just one swipe of the product on my hand so you can see how much of any impact they can make on your eyes, this shade looks so beautiful with blue eyes, its a lovely warm tone and perfect for that autumnal make-up look, christmas please anyone?

Hope your all having a lovely day, have you tried the Colour Tattoos? Whats your favourite shades :)

Frankie xXx

Revlon Photoready Skinlights - Face Illuminator..

Afternoon my lovelies, how is your bright and sunny monday going? Im currently at home today as ive come down with an awful cold and sickness fluey bug and feel absolutely awful so im dedicating today to being lazy, drinking tea and blogging from under the blanket :(

Ive been wanting to write a post about this for a while as the product has been sitting in my stash for a while now but i never really knew how to use it so i wanted to test it out first so i knew exactly how it worked so i could tell all you wonderful girls (and the occasional boy) about it :)

I decided to purchase the colour 'Pink Rose 200' as it was my favourite shade from them all and i wanted it more as a highlighter than a bronzing product, the shades you can pick up currently are:

100 Bare Light
200 Pink Light
400 Bronze Light

The above 2 photos are from the beautiful Kaye's Post:http://beautifulkayekie.com/2013/05/29/revlon-skinlights-are-back-in-photoready-form/ here, as her swatches are unreal and she has all the colours to show you and the most informative post out there on these delights, she shows you how to apply them, where and how to :)

After reading Kaye's blog post i realized how much i actually now want all of the shades as you can really works wonders on the face with all them if you know how to correctly apply them, although for now i am very happy with the shade i picked up.

Swatch on my hand above, you can see my skin colouring and how pretty it looks even on a pale toned skin.

Pink Light is a champagne toned highlight, it reminds me of the MAC Strobe Cream with a pinkier tone to it, its beautiful as a cheek and brow bone highlight over makeup just light buffed on the skin with my Mac contour brush or a Real Techniques contour brush as the are slightly tapered meaning you can really work the product into the smallest of areas, i also love to run this over the nose and on the cupids bow to really accentuate the lips, infact i used this on one of my clients last weekend for her birthday party and it looked absolutely beautiful with her complexion!

'My client, makeup done by me*'

My favourite way to use this product is to actually mix it in with my foundation, my favourite product to use is the YSL Touche Eclat, as it has radiance properties in its own formula so mixing it with a small amount of the Skin-lights gives the most flawless, radiant, dewy finish you could ever imagine, it really is the most beautiful way of applying the Skin-lights to the face and then adding touches of it in the areas i explained above over the top just to set it off, in the photo above i applied the skin-lights to my client with the YSL foundation and you can see how it gives a lovely peachy glow without looking heavy or cakey, they actually blend really well together making the formula really easy to apply!

There are a few downsides to the product, and that is, if you have large pores, scarring, etc the product can tend to reveal these slightly, so on myself as i do suffer with this i just apply it as a highlight rather than on my whole face, it can also make oily skin types looker 'oilier' so a powder is needed with this!

Overall im absolutely in love with the Skin-lights and as soon as i recover from this horrid illness i will be straight off to my local drugstore to pick up the other two as i definitely want to re-create the look from Kaye's blog post!

Hope your all having a wonderful day and dont forget to let me know what youtube videos you would like me to film as i am starting them this week :)

Lots of love, Frankie xXx

P.s I have a new facebook page for you all, search Frankie Boo Blog and like the page for more regular updates and photos from me :)

Freelance Make-up Artistry, My Story..

So i figured ive been blogging For a while now and i haven't ever really gotten into much about my personal life, of course there has been little snippets along my blogging journey but never deep enough to get much of an idea about myself, so i thought i would write a post about being a freelance makeup artist and how i went about doing so, here goes..

From an early age i'd had a deep routed love for makeup, i don't know if its because my dad never wanted me to wear the stuff or if something had swayed me down that road without me realizing, its strange because my mum absolutely hates makeup and i think in the 40 years of her being on this earth ive seen her wear eyeshadow maybe once or twice, i think maybe the fact that i was swerved away from makeup made me really intrigued into why i wasn't being told to avoid it, its like when you tell a child to stop biting there nails, they do it even more, i think i had this reaction to beauty products.

It was when i first moved out of home that i knew i could finally get into working freelance as i would have the time and space to dedicate my time to it, and the fact that i had moved from the countryside to a town made it more accessible for me to reach a bigger client base, i decided i was going to trade under my 'real' name, Frances Clarke as to me it sounded more professional than Frankie, i kept it simple: Frances Clarke Makeup Artist.

I designed and produced my own business cards and basically handed them out to everyone willing to take one, hairdressers, salons, barbers etc, and of course family and friends as they talk about you work to anyone who will listen :)

These were fairly cheap to create, i designed them on VistaPrint and i think it cost around £11 for 500 cards!

I then decided i should start up my own website, i brought a domain name and created my first ever business site, you can find it here: www.francesclarkemua.co.uk it features my portfolio of work, prices and an information section of what i can possibly do for you!

Getting my name out there at first was a slow process, i advertised through my facebook, and created a facebook page for my business for people to like and i regularly updated it with my photos of my work, questions and answers, and just simple marketing to get my name out there, it definitely helped alot as many of my friends and friends of friends got in touch with my for bridal makeup and proms etc, currently so far i have done 3 weddings, 2 proms, handfuls of birthdays and general makeup for girly nights out, ive also hosted my own pamper party at my home where i had lots of friends and family come for an evening of makeup, nails and hair, it was a fantastic evening and definitely spread my name out there even more!

Even though i havent ever had any 'official' makeup artistry training i feel i am doing well as ive only been doing it for just under a year now, ive had such good feedback from clients who have hired me and have also had a few come back to me for other occasions, i definitely do want to go and further my skills by doing a course but i just have to figure out some time in my busy lifestyle to be able to go and get it done.
I do currently work a 9-5 full time job in an interior design showroom, aswell as blogging in my spare time, i have a very hectic schedule but i love it and thrive on the fast pased lifestyle, eventually i would love to fulfill my dreams of being a fulltime makeup artist/blogger as im way to creative to be sat in a showroom all day with someone elses creativity to market!

Onwards and upwards, i will leave you with some examples of work i have done recently so you can get an idea of where i am in my career now..

I hope you enojoyed reading this post and for any of you wanting to get into a career in makeup artistry please dont ever hesitate to email me: frankiebooxx@gmail.com im always here to answer your questions, i will at some point be posting about my makeup artistry kit and what you need to start out in the business, for now i shall love you and leave you, speak soon!

Lots of Love Frankie xXx