Author Archives: zu.rafalat

We were busy supporting Cochine at the launch of London Fashion Week today.

After being treated to a beautiful show by the super talented Zoe Jordan (and coo'ing at her super cute little baby) we set about trying to capture the very essence of what makes LFW so unique.

- The beautiful Vanille & Tabac Noir Cochine scented candles which were keeping the main show tent smelling BEAUTIFUL

- The MIC crew who were more than happy to pose with their adoring fans

- Creative outfits from the most daring of fashionista's

- Fashion Week legend Pandemonia who we spotted on more than one FROW

- The beautiful Mollie King getting accosted by paps at every turn

- Frankie Sandford who also caused a bit of a pap stampede

- Lot's of neon hats and lips

- A fake Karl Lagerfeld & Anna Wintour causing us all to giggle

Here's a short glimpse of what it's like to experience Day 1 of one of the biggest fashion events of the world:

Zuneta presents Cochine ¬ London Fashion Week from Zuneta Beauty on Vimeo.

We have some exciting new Nail wraps on their way to us from ncLA. Our favourite nail wrap brand, ncLA have teamed up with Celebrity Fashion Designer Melody Ehsani to create a collection of bold designs.

We are very excited to get these news designs at Zuneta. After we paraded our ncLA nails around throughout the party season we are totally in love with them. 

ncLA ¬ It don't matter

ncLA ¬ Umoja

ncLA ¬ Wax Print

ncLA ¬ Pastel Pantera

New ncLA Melody Ehsani Collection Coming Soon to Zuneta.

ncLA Nail Wrap and Lacquers on sale at zuneta.com

In a gilded dress by Michael Kors, Emily Blunt more than lived up to her reputation as a Hollywood golden girl at last night’s Golden Globes. The actress, nominated in the Best actress, Musical or Comedy category for Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, “definitely had something in mind as far as the look,” says makeup artist Jenn Streicher. “Emily wanted smoky eyes paired with soft pink lips that echoed her Lorraine Schwartz ruby earrings.”

Skin: Jenn began by priming the skin with No. 28 Primer Serum, and followed with Illusion Tinted Moisturiser in Ivory. She used two shades of Hidden Corrective Concealer: Fair, a light shade, was used around the nose and as a highlighter, and Sand, a slightly darker shade, was applied under the eyes. Jenn completed the skin by applying the new Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light all over the complexion. Available in six different lighting settings, Ambient delivers a multi-dimensional luminescence to the complexion by capturing, diffusing and softening surrounding light. “It softens and enhances everything,” says Jenn.

Cheeks: Jenn applied Superficial Waterproof Bronzer all over the face and neck to create a radiant glow. She then used the bronzer shade from Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset to contour the cheeks and jaw line. The blush shade from Illume was applied onto the cheekbones.

Eyes: She started by lining eyes with Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Espresso and softened the line with a brush. Jenn then applied the shell shimmer shade from Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Gypsy as a highlight on the brow bone and followed with a matte brown eye shadow on the lid. Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara was applied to the lashes to volumize, lengthen and separate them. She then amplified the brows with Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette.

Lips: Lips were infused with a beautiful wash of colour courtesy of Femme Rouge Velvet Crème Lipstick in Edition, a soft pink shimmer.

Shop Hourglass Cosmetics at Zuneta.com

On Sunday’s red carpet Jessica Alba looked stunning in tangerine. The glamorous mother of two, a presenter at the awards ceremony, wore a gorgeous peach-coloured gown by Oscar de la Renta. “The dress was the inspiration,” says makeup artist Lauren Andersen. “I loved the contrast between her glowing skin and the matte orange lip. It’s an almost tropical pop of colour that’s not an exact match for the dress but close.”

Lauren used Hourglass Cosmetics to achieve Jessica's stunning look and has explained to us how she did it.

Skin: Lauren prepped the skin with No. 28 Primer Serum, and followed with Illusion Tinted Moisturizer in Sand. She then used Hidden Corrective Concealer in Warm under the eyes, down the bridge of the nose and fanned the product out in the centre of the forehead to create dimension. She finished the skin step with the new Ambient Lighting Powder in Radiant Light applied all over to create a golden, subtle warmth. “It’s a soft, refined shimmer that’s glowy,” says Lauren.

Cheeks: She used the bronze shade from Illume Crème-to-Powder Bronzer Duo in Sunset to contour the cheeks and followed with the blush shade on the apples of the cheeks.

Eyes: Film Noir Kohl Eye Pencil in Espresso was first applied to the outer corners of the eyes and then smudged it with a brush. Lauren then applied Superficial Waterproof Bronzer in the crease of the eyes and the gold shade from Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Dune on the lids. Lashes were treated to several coats of Film Noir Full Spectrum Mascara. She finished up by amplifying the brows with Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette.

Lips: Finally, Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick in Riviera, a vibrant tangerine shade, was applied to the lips. The velvety matte color delivers richly pigmented and long-lasting coverage for up to 14 hours.

Shop Hourglass Cosmetics at Zuneta.com

The Golden Globes is the start of the Red Carpet events and always sets the tone for the season with some stunning looks and gowns being worn. Their was an array of shimmering Fishtail gowns. Jessica Alba wore a Christian Dior dress in peach and completed the look with some gorgeous Makeup which we will take a look at when we look through our favourite Golden Globe Beauty Looks of the 2013 awards.

We saw a definite nod towards 1940s elegance at London Fashion Week and this look was very much present for this years Golden Globes. With side swept hair and metallic eyes, there were some very sassy strong looks around.

Jennifer Lopez swept her hair to the side with some gorgeous curls, almost nude lips and a metallic smokey eye which complemented her sheer Zuhair Murad white gown.

Isla Fisher kept with the 1940s look with her hair side swept into loose curls. She finished her look with a powerful red Lip. She Wore an all-over-crystal embellished gown by Reem Acra. 

Julianne Hough went for a look seen by Miu Miu with a bronze cat eye and nude lips. Her hair was up and she looked very AW13/14 in her Monique Lhuillier white tulle gown.

Jessica Alba was very on trend with her peachy fishtail dress and she she completed the on trend look with thick black lashes, metallic eyes and a fabulous orange lip. This will be a look we will definitely be seeing again.

Emily Blunt put her hair up into a simple bun and it worked very well, a look we have seen worn a lot recently by Beyonce. She went for an on trend copper metallic eye and pink lip and looked gorgeous.

My guide to creating the perfect base 

The most common question I am asked in emails from readers concerns how to create a flawless foundation look. It has taken me years of experimenting, trying different products and tools and this post is to share all my tips.

It can be long and arduous finding your perfect foundation and even when you have found 'the one', you will find yourself being seduced by the latest fads and claims of advanced technology. I personally have two types of foundation in my collection. One fail safe for long days, special events and when I know I'm getting my photograph taken. The other is a more relaxed version of foundation which is light in texture with light to medium coverage and glow enhancing properties.  Korres do a fantastic light foundation called Wild Rose Foundation which creates a lovely radiant base.  In this post I will be sharing all of my tips for flawless foundation!

Exfoliate, Exfoliate, Exfoliate!

I can't really stress this point enough because exfoliation is what makes your skin glow from beneath your make-up. It removes any dirt, dry skin and improves skin texture and promotes more even overall skin-tone.  I use my Clarisonic Mia every second night and it's made a huge difference to the overall appearance of my skin.  It looks more even, feels super smooth and always has a glow.  Just remember to clean it after every use to avoid bacteria building up on the brush head.

Be Patient!

It's all too easy to rush things in the morning but it's really important to wait about five minutes to let your moisturiser fully absorb into your skin before applying foundation – this will prevent any tackiness or a patchy finish. Take the time to really massage the moisturiser into your face as it will increase the blood-flow to your skin and give you a natural glow. Your skin will appear plumper and feel more hydrated, too, so you get a more dewy glow from your foundation. Dry skin will just soak up the foundation if you don't spend this time moisturising. Obviously for summer time or for oily skin, it's best to use an oil-free moisturiser.  I really like the Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser because it’s oil-free and creates a great base for foundation application.

Prime Time

I always use a radiance enhancing primer over my moisturiser to give my skin dimension and a healthy glow. It will even out your complexion and means you don’t have to use as much foundation to get an even appearance. Many formulas nowadays contain ingredients which smooth your skin and create a silky base to receive your foundation.  The Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is simply amazing and can be used both under foundation or as a highlighter.

Broad Daylight

Always apply your make up in daylight where possible. This allows you to see a true reflection of how it will appear outside in the unforgiving rays of the midday sun. By doing this, it will also prevent you from applying too much product. Artificial light generally makes make up appear paler so naturally you tend to apply more.

Use The Correct Tool For The Job

Everyone has a preference for how they like to apply their foundation whether it be a brush, sponge or good old fingertips. Consider the consistency of the product you are using and which tool would lend itself better to your chosen foundation. Brushes are generally used to get slightly more coverage out of lighter textured foundations but aren't very suitable for thicker formulas. Some people feel that sponges give the most even finish however I use Estee Lauder Double Wear and I prefer to use my fingertips. The warmth of my hands and dexterity to get into all the little areas of my face means I can get a really flawless finish. Experiment with different tools to figure out which one is best for you.

Blend

I always use a circular motion with my fingers to blend the foundation thoroughly into my skin. It’s important to spend that time because this is what will give you the really flawless appearance.

Foundation Always Comes Before Concealer

Apart from the fact that you’ll move your carefully applied concealer if you follow with foundation, you’ll probably end up using more than you need to. Apply foundation first to see what coverage your foundation provides. Then apply the concealer, patting it in lightly to avoid wiping off the foundation underneath. Put the tiniest amount of concealer on any blemishes. Don’t just whack on a huge blob hoping it will cover everything, it will just make the blemish even more obvious. It’s all about building up VERY thin layers, that way you’re more in control of how much you’re applying to your skin. Remember, less is more – you don’t want to end up with too much make-up that draws attention to what you are trying to conceal. My favourite concealer of all time is Estee Lauder Maximum Cover. It conceals ANYTHING!

Powder

Powder will help fix your make-up in place but brush it on very sparingly in small circular motions so as not to mattify away your radiant glow. Use a fat brush to sweep a little powder over the central cross of your face (that’s down your nose and chin and across your cheeks.) Korres Wild Rose Compact Powder is fantastic and I have used that for the past years.  It’s great for sensitive skin and leaves your face looking softly matte but still fresh.

Set it

I remember when I first heard about setting sprays, I almost recoiled in horror (overly-dramatic?). I couldn't understand why, after all that hard work applying and blending my foundation, I would want to ruin it by spraying liquid on my face. That is until I started using a setting spray. Despite my original preconceptions, the setting spray was the finishing touch to my make up that I had been looking for. You know once you have powdered your face, your skin has this layer of foundation, concealer and powder on it which isn't conducive with a natural appearance. Once you have sprayed the setting spray lightly on your face and dried it with a hair dryer (bear with me!) all of your make up fuses into your skin and they seem to become one. What you're left with is skin that looks like skin, not skin with make-up on top. My favourite setting spray has to be Urban Decay De-Slick.

Liparazzi x

www.liparazzi.blogspot.co.uk

style.com, the (online) bible for all things high fashion has fallen hard for Rouge Bunny Rouge. Here's what they had to say in their latest beauty blog post:

"We first caught wind of Rouge Bunny Rouge during an interview with Natalia Vodianova two years ago. True, we would have researched any product the Nizhny Novgorod-born supermodel told us to, but there was a real authenticity behind this particular recommendation. “A makeup artist was using it on me on a shoot and I loved the product so much, she got them to send me some,” Vodianova said of the brand’s Sheer Lipstick in a shade of dark rose. An adoration for its powder compacts followed soon after.

It’s not hard to understand why Vodianova fell hard for the Moscow-born, London-bred brand with botanical-illustration-adorned packaging, a luxurious color palette, and an enchanted air that boasts the romanticism and fantastical fairy tales of Victorian England and the regality of Tsarist Russia, according to founder and creative director Alexandra De Montfort. An alum of Yohji Yamamoto, Max Mara, and the U.K.’s Pout Cosmetics, De Montfort started RBR in 2005 with an Ulyana Sergeenko-esque sense of whimsy and slowly distributed it across Europe. Her line of cosmetics, skincare, and fragrances, which she describes as “modern heirlooms,” only made their way to the U.S. this spring when they debuted on Beautyhabit.com, which currently stocks its new holiday collection. Featuring a gorgeous array of luminous pigments with a subtle, seasonal sparkle, the five-piece range includes the Highlighting Liquid in Sea of Tranquility, which imparts a lovely, gilded-rose luminosity to the complexion and is easily mixed with any foundation to add an understated glow; the Color Burst Lipstick in Scrumptiously Devious, a shimmering, cool lavender-pink; the Sheer Lipstick in Dissolved in Dreams, a beautiful, golden berry stain; and the Loose Glitter Pigments in Caress of Mink, a taupe-y brown, and Wishing for Wings, a light silvery mauve, that add a concentrated dose of metallic glimmer to eyes, cheekbones, clavicles, what have you. Thanks for the tip, NV."

- courtesy of www.style.com

It's here.

The Baby Pink Lip Palette from Edward Bess.

What an incredibly refreshing winter launch.

Gently thinking about what you're going to be adding to your Chrsitmas list?

We're going to make that decision VERY easy for you.

Just check out these beauties that will be launching with us in November!

For Edward Bess, it's all about the 90's. He loves the grand, bold beauty looks of that decade, plus the birth of the Supermodel. Edward's latest launches definitely follow on that bold 90's vibe.

Firstly, we have the BABY PINK palette. How great is this? Loving pink lips at the moment and it's especially exciting to see these colours as a winter launch, when everything else is usually so dark.

The palette comes with 8 shades of Edward's famous creamy lipstick. This is the palette that everyone in the office has gone crazy for....

Following on from the lip palette, we have 3 new PRISMETTE Eyeshadow Quads.

Each one comes with very wearable shades and we can just see these becoming absolute staples.

COSMIC BLISS

OVER THE MOON

SUN AND STARS

Launching end November

I do love an H&M collaboration.

But I usually love the idea of it and the (often) pretty cool virals and online ads that go with them. Yes, I'm talking about the Lanvin promo in particular. Loved that.

But the collections themselves can be mildly disappointing sometimes, as the quality is not always much of an improvement on the H&M standard range. I do have a pair of the famed Versace leggins, and while I was very excited to get my hands on a pair, I was mildly disappointed in real life and they are sort of banished to 'round the house' wear in the summer.

HOWEVER, I do have high hopes for the new Maison Martin Margiela collection. Huge hopes.

I am loving the look of the line. All slouchy and wintery - the sort of thing that will keep you warm, whilst still looking cool, which is the part of winter dressing I always struggle with. I'm a total wuss when it comes to the cold, the idea of stepping out in just a frock during the winter literally sends shivers down my spine. I love big knits, but it can be difficult to make them look 'professional'. I think I could get away with this knit. It's a very strong look.

I've got my eye on a few key pieces. I highly doubt I will manage to get my hands on them as I just do not possess the necessary skills of the limited edition shopper. But I will try. I have my brother on standby in Berlin - it always seems less difficult to get your hands on these collaborations abroad.

One of the things I love about this collection is it's all about statement pieces. But the statement comes from the structure, not from wild clashing patterns (which is another fave of mine). `The excellent news is that it allows me to go with clean, statement make-up. The only question is, will I focus on my brows or my lips? Or both? Decisions.

But, one thing is for sure, I need a little Margiela in my life so that I can show it off in Copehagen, which is where I'll be headed for the first weekend in Dec. Do you have any Scandinavian brands you want me to check out? If so, just let me know. I love getting requests from you and we do follow up with any brands we think would be a good fit to our growing family!