Blondeteaparty Has Moved!!

 I have a brand new website www.blonde-tea-party.com

All my existing posts will be moved over so those who are new won't miss out on anything!

I am so excited for you to see my fabulous new and improved website. 

Much love & appreciation

Shahrzad

Greek Holiday

Sporting my post summer glow after nine glorious days on the Greek Island of Rhodes. What a beautiful, ancient land bursting with history and breathtaking scenery. We stayed at the Elysium Resort and Spa, a fantastic five star hotel with one of the most stunning beaches. If you are looking for pure luxury this is it.

We took the local bus into Old Town, the medieval city of Rhodes almost every evening for dinner. I really wanted authentic, fresh Greek food. Needless to say we ate a lot of Souvlaki and plenty of fresh fish. The weather was perfect, blue skies and sunshine save for the evenings when it was still warm but very windy. We rented a car for one day to drive up to Lindos and the Valley of the Butterflies.

Now makeup wise I switched between my Bareminerals and Estee Lauder DoubleWear which is what I'm wearing in the photo above. I love the whole routine of being at the beach all day to get back to your room, shower and get ready for dinner. It was still pretty hot and humid in the evening and I must say my makeup held up incredibly well. I brought one blush and one blush only, Benefit Coralista! It is the perfect blush and highlight in one.

 Goodbye Greece, until next time....

Benefit Skincare

Thank goodness for the Benefit boutique in Carnaby Street! After a few disappointing trips to the Benefit brow bar in Debenhams on Oxford Street, I was rather concerned as to where I would get my eyebrows shaped in the future. All the girls in the boutique were delightful, helpful and very professional. I finally got my eyebrows shaped to the standard I expect. Whilst I was waiting for my tint to set in, the lovely Vicki introduced me to some of their skincare. Now I'm not one to believe the hype. I find makeup brands that venture into skincare a bit cliche. I think well what do they know about skincare? Anyway I needed a new serum and moisturiser so gave in to the Triple Performing Facial Emulsion and the Instant Comeback Facial Serum.  When I tested these on my hands I was more than amazed! They smelled phenomenal to start with and they melted beautifully into my parched skin. I was sold! Packaging aside this is serious skincare. The Triple Performing moisturiser is oil free and contains SPF 15 PA ++ It has a tri-radiance complex that helps capture and maintain water on the skins surface. This works perfectly under makeup, it instantly hydrates my oily skin without leaving it greasy or uncomfortable. The serum is an age-defying booster worn under your moisturiser for maximum effect. It's fast absorbing and helps protect against visible signs of ageing. It also contains the tri-radiance complex locking in moisture. I must say I have been using these for the past week now and I am really enjoying them. My skin is no longer in a frenzy. It looks bright and radiant and feels soft and supple. No gimmick here, just great skin! 

Have you tired any of Benefits skincare? What do you think?

MAC Goodies!

I have very long Mac wishlist on my phone ( don't we all ) today I fancied treating myself to my top four. Mac Face and Body Foundation is a light weight,water based foundation. This is great for mixing in with heavier foundation to sheer them out, which is what I intend to do with my Estee Lauder Double Wear. 

It is great for photography making skin look like your skin but better. It is waterproof too so perfect to wear by the pool for some natural coverage. You can build this up to your desired coverage. 

Mac Paint Pot -Soft Ochre this creates the perfect base for shadows, hides any redness or discolouration on lids. I love the soft neutral shade, its just brightens up my eyes. I have wanted this for ages! I don't know what took me so long to get it.

Mac Creme Cup is a cremesheen that everyone who's anyone owns! So naturally I had to have it too. It's a beautiful cool toned pink that suites virtually any skintone.  

Mac Kinda Sexy is a gorgeous warm, nude matte lipstick. This makes a perfect base colour for lighter shades to be applied on top. For those of you who just can't do a deadly nude this one's for you! 

Top to bottom - Creme Cup Cremesheen, Kinda Sexy Matte

What are some of your favourite Mac products? Will I be adding more to my wishlist?

July Beauty Favourites

Hello lovelies! Here is a round up of all the products I have been loving in the month of July! When I'm reaching for the same things daily I know it's love. It has been wonderfully hot here in the UK so most of what I have picked out have been heat proof! Result! I have been testing out a natural deodorant so lets see if that has passed the sweat test! Do let me know what you have loving.

#AriaNightOut

Hello lovely readers! I have something exciting to share with you today! I have always loved Las Vegas and have visited numerous times, so I was absolutely delighted when Vegas.com asked me to create a post on how I would style myself for a night out at the Aria. I have been to the Aria resort and casino a few times and let me tell you its spectacular! When I'm on a night out in Vegas you can be sure I'll be dressing up to the nines! The glamorous the better! Think sexy smoky eye, and a glitzy dress. Well that's exactly what I went for. I want my foundation to be flawless in pictures and there is no better base than Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. It has medium to full coverage and no spf which means you won't have to worry about the dreaded white cast. Apply with a buffing brush for the perfect finish.

Now is the time to get your smoky eyes on! This is a sultry, sexy look great for drinks at Haze or dinner at Blossom. I start of with a cream base like Maybelline Color Tattoo in Taupe, this ensures your shadow will stay put all night. I smoked it out with Charcoal liner from Mac and applied Urban Decay Diamond Dog Moondust for a touch of sparkle. Add lashings of your favourite mascara or pop on some false lashes for extra dramatic effect! Don't forget those bottom lashes to really open up the eyes. I lined and filled in my lips with Bareminerals Moxie in Energised, a vibrant peach shade and topped off with NYX Butter Gloss in Maple Blondie for super luscious lips. I added plenty of highlighter to the tops of my cheek bones for an added glow. Always set your makeup with a good setting spray like Urban Decay All Nighter. This will ensure you makeup stays put from dusk till dawn. Time to party!

What I'm Loving On My Face This Summer

Hello lovelies, these have been my go to products for summer. I've mentioned before that mineral powder is fabulous for hot and humid weather as it does not slide off. I particularly like Laura Mercier mineral foundation as I find it has the best coverage and really leaves skin super flawless. You can wear this over your regular foundation for extra staying power. I dust a bit of bronzer and pop a bright peachy/pink blush on the apples of my cheeks and I'm good to go. I don't like to fuss with too much eye makeup so I start of with a cream base like Maybelline Colour Tattoo which again won't budge, then top off with my new obsession Urban Decay Moondust in Spacecowboy. This gives the most gorgeous sparkle and works over top any eyeshadow. For lips I line and fill in with Urban Decay 24/7 glide on lip pencil in the shade Native, this pink is perfection and looks more natural than a nude. This won't come off it really does what it says. I top off with Mac plushglass in Fashion Fanatic, a bubblegum pink plumping gloss that is not sticky. Last but not least a slick of Benefit Gimme Brow to keep unruly brows in place.

What are your favourite products to use this summer?

Urban Decay Moondust & Glide on Lip Pencil

Hello lovelies, I just had to pick up the much talked about Urban Decay Moondust in Spacecowboy and the 24/7 glide on lip pencil in Native.here Both are divine! I'm so obsessed with Spacecowboy so I went ahead and got Diamond Dog aswell.here These metallic shadows are like no other, they are almost wet in texture and uber sparkly! They look amazing on their own or for a more amped up result, over a darker cream shadow. What fantastic is that there is zero fall out! The best way to apply these is with your fingers,gently patting onto your eyelid. 
Ok, now onto the Glide on lip liner Native. These are the creamiest pencils ever! They are waterproof too! I like to use this all over my lips as a base before gloss. I can eat a burger and it won't rub off! Native is the perfect cool tone pink. If you are new to lining your lips then these are the pencils for you, they are fool proof. You barely need to apply any pressure these literally do what the say, glide on! 

Urban Decay is fast becoming one of my all time favourite brands. I love the packaging and the quality of the products rival some of the biggest brands out there. 

Thanks for reading :) What are some of your favourite UD products?

Summer Coral Lip Combo || Marvelous Moxie

This has to be the most delectable coral combo I have ever seen. Be prepared to have the brightest,softest summer lips in town! The formula of the Marvelous Moxie lipsticks and liners are hands down the best I have ever used! If you have uber dry lips like me, these are the lip products for you. The ingredients are natural and nourishing keeping lips soft and supple all day long. The pigmentation and wear of these are incredible. The lip liner has a rubber piece that makes lining lips a breeze! I purchased mine at a Bareminerals boutique but you can find them online at Feel Unique 

Marvelous Moxie Lip Liner - Energised , Marvelous Moxie Lipstick- Light It Up

Fridays Face | Summertime Glow

 Happy Friday lovelies. I love when I have time to sit down and really enjoy putting on my makeup.

Summer is all about glowy, youthful sunkissed skin. I'm all about luminosity but being an uber oily skinned girl this can be rather tricky without looking like a hot mess! I opted for my all time favourite Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation (full review here) for coverage and staying power, I mixed a small amount with a pump of Josie Maran Argan Illuminizer (full review here) which gives the most gorgeous, non greasy glow. The combination is simply divine! I applied with a damp beauty blender for the lightest application.Cheeks were dusted over lightly with Bareminerals ready blush in Aphrodite which is very similar to Benefit Coralista.I think peachy shades are a must of summer.

 For eyes I am still obsessed with the Urban Decay Naked 2 palette. I find the shades so flattering to my skintone and eye colour. I'm enjoying sporting an all over lid shade at the moment and these metallic tones really enhance glowing skin.I used my bronzer as a transition colour and Suspect all over the lid and lower lashline. I lined my eyes with Soap&Glory Supercat liquid liner in black. 

What summer makeup look are you enjoying? 

FOTD || OOTD

Necklaces are from an Etsy store called Layered & Long

Hello lovelies. Friday was a glorious sunshine filled day. I went for a fresh bohemian kind of look. I'm not quite ready to squeeze my butt into a pair of shorts so I opted for this maxi skirt from H&M. It is nice and light weight and doesn't cling to wobbly bits. I love pinning my hair up like this as it gives me a bit of volume. For make-up I kept it simple with Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation in 4.0, Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer in light, Bare minerals matte in fairly light,Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Antigua 2, Covergirl Lash Blast mascara and Benefit Coralista lip gloss. Et Voila!

May Favourites

Hello lovelies I know I'm rather late in the day with my May Favourites but better late than never. I really shopped my stash this time as some of these products I have literally had for years! These are just some of my go to products that I can throw on at 6am with my eyes closed. I go through these phases of wanting to use things up and my theory is to use the heck out of them during the work week! I leave weekends and days off for experimentation and brand new make-up. Check out my video below.

Marvelous Moxie Lip Gloss in Hypnotic

Hello lovelies this Bank holiday weekend was rather nice and sunny so I took a stroll down to Covent Garden. Bareminerals has a lovely little boutique there which I like so much more than the counters in department stores. I feel like they have a lot more to look at. I wanted to buy a particular lipstick and pencil but then I saw this. A kaleidoscope of colours in a tube. This magic multi-coloured gloss changes up the colours of what ever lipstick you are wearing. Worn alone gives lips a subtle dimensional effect.

Fresh Faced Spring Makeup

This look is inspired by the wonderful Jaclyn Hill. here I just love learning from her, I find her tutorials so easy to follow. I love the natural eye with a pop of colour on the lower lashline it just gives the look a bit of dimension. I am not one to wear bright eyeshadows so this is a great alternative.

 

Products I used:

 

Face

 

Rachel K CC Renew - light

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer- light

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder - rich vanilla

Mac Mineralize Blush- dainty

 

Eyes

 

Makeup Geek Shadows - crème brulee & shimma shimma

Soap&Glory Supercat Liquid Liner - black

Nars Eye Pencil - Kaliste

 

Lips

 

Rimmel Lip Liner- eastend snob

NYX Butter Gloss- maple blondie

 

 

Elemis Total Glow Bronzing Moisturiser | Face

It's finally started to warm up here in the UK so what better time to get your glow on. I've always been into gradual tans because they look so natural, are easy to apply and require minimal upkeep. I also like something that incorporates skincare as I feel that is one less step to worry about. For someone who has oily, blemish prone skin like me finding a tan for my face that won't break me out is pretty much a miracle. Elemis is a well known, trusted British brand that uses active plant extracts. No artificial colours, parabens, silicones or mineral oils. The second I read up on this I purchased it! here What I love about this is that not only does it build up a gradual tan, it improves skin tone and luminosity. Packed with skin loving ingredients like anti-oxidant rich green tea, ginger water and evodia fruit this leaves skin feeling soft and smooth with a beautiful golden glow that creates the perfect base for makeup. What more could a girl want? 

I used this today with minimal makeup and so far I am rather impressed. No greasy film, no fake tan smell. I feel like I'm just putting on my moisturiser. Throughout the day I noticed a welcoming glow peeking through and someone even complimented me on how good my skin looked. 

Face | Elemis Total Glow Bronzing Moisturiser | bare Minerals original/matte foundation

What are some of your favourite glow getting products? Do tell :)

Thank you for reading and commenting BlondeTeaParty x

Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System

Facials can be expensive, especially Microdermabrasion.After seeing quite a few demonstrations by some of my most trusted youtubers, I knew I had to have this! I got mine from Amazon here (like I do everything) at around £20 which is a bargain since you get a one month supply of the pre-dosed rejuvenating pads. This is salon quality microdermabrasion at home. I have to say this is incredible. Its so easy to use and used three times a week replaces the use of an exfoliator. The rejuvenating pads release the perfect amount of fine crystals and purifying cleanser to gently exfoliate. You massage each section of your face for one to two minutes, the micro vibrations boost surface cell turnover for smoother, firmer skin. I use this once a week in conjunction with Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser(skincare regime) here The first time I used this I saw an immediate result, my skin was super smooth, clear and my pigmentation considerably less visible. 

What you get:                                                                                          

- Microdermabrasion Applicator
-One month supply of rejuvenating pads (12)
-Attachment head
-AA batteries

How to use it:

Attach one of the pre-dosed pads to the attachment head,blue side facing up. Run under water till we thoroughly. Then snap the attachment head onto the hand-held applicator and switch on. Once you have carefully done each part of your face, take the blue pad off and throw away.

I am really impressed with this little gismo! I feel like I'm really taking my skincare to another level. Hello smooth, blemish free skin! Yippee.



Thank you so much for reading & commenting :)
BlondeTeaParty x

The Perfect Dupe || Diorskin Nude BB Creme

Top- Garnier BB cream | bottom Diorskin Nude BB 

Hello lovelies, so I think I have found the perfect dupe for Diorskin Nude BB Creme! The Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream for oily/combination skin. The moment I tried it it reminded me so much of the Diorskin, the finish is near on the same. They both provide excellent coverage and dry to an almost powdery finish. The textures are different though, the Garnier is really runny and a tad hard to control, the Diorskin is much thicker and smoother in texture. I always set with a powder and find that they both last the same amount of time (8hrs) before wearing off. So if you have oily/acne prone skin and are looking for something light weight but doesn't compromise on coverage, then I think the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector is the one for you! At around £7.99 you can't go wrong.

Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation | Review

Hello lovelies. So I caved and bought the Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation. I have heard so much about this foundation but being a true devotee to Bare minerals I was hesitant to try it. I got the shade Rich Vanilla which is a tad too dark for me, will be perfect when I'm tanned. The powder itself is so finely milled it buffs onto skin like silk for a gorgeous glowing ( not shiny) complexion.

Description from the LM website here

Oil free and water-resistant

Apply as a buildable foundation or a pigmented powder

Pure Pearl Powders and Mica impart a soft focus effect creating a natural, healthy, youthful glow

Zinc Oxide works as a sunscreen agent to block the sun's harmful rays

Contains anti-aging properties

Apply Mineral Primer to skin prior to application to enhance SPF 15 protection

Use with the Blending Brush for flawless application

Use with the Face Brush for more coverage

Non-comedogenic

0.34 oz./9.6g

This works wonderfully over any foundation as a luminous setting powder or if in a slightly darker shade, to add some colour and dimension to your skin. It has an almost invisible texture that gives  medium to full coverage in seconds. I prefer to wear this over a BB cream like Rachel K or Garnier for bit more coverage. I find that this doesn't cake up or get chalky around my chin or nose. It makes my skin look so smooth and healthy. I like to apply this with the real techniques buffing brush as I find this picks up and holds the right amount of product.
Laura Mercier Mineral Foundation comes in eight shades. The container has a nifty twist and lock cover that's easy to open and close.
I must say I am rather impressed with this foundation and if you are on the fence about trying it, I say try it!

Watch my video below to see how I apply it.

Thank you for reading
BlondeTeaParty x