Makeup Tips for Red, Irritated Eyes

Hayfever, tiredness, allergies or maybe you just watched The Fault In Our Stars - whatever the reason for your red eyes here are some helpful makeup tips to camouflage that redness.

- Firstly, irritated skin can often get dry so it's important to use an eye cream. This will also help concealer go on better and avoid it looking cakey. Look for one suitable for sensitive skin so it won't irritate eyes further.

- Don't go heavy with concealer. Gently pat on a yellow toned concealer like the Bourjois Healthy Mix Corrector which will help counteract redness. Don't forget to apply it all over the eyelid too.

- Apply a light coloured eyeshadow across the whole eyelid, this will conceal out the redness.

- Line the waterline with a nude coloured eyeliner, this looks more natural than white and helps brighten the eyes. I love the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Liner in Nude.

- Similarly use a shimmery, cream eyeliner on the inner corners of the eyes. This instantly makes your eyes look more awake. I'm using the Glo & Ray Sky Breaker Lasting Silky Liner* in Champagne Pink.

- Wearing blue/green eyeshadow can help to brighten the whiteness of your eyes. These colours also cancel out redness, just go lightly!

- If you also suffer with watery eyes you'll want a mascara that won't end up on your chin. The No7 Stay Perfect Mascara is smudge proof, sweat proof and tear proof- it really does not budge! I'd really recommend this if you suffer from watery eyes.

I hope these red eye makeup tips help, what are your must-have products for concealing redness?

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Eye Creams & Gels: Review

Eyecare has always been an important step in my skincare routine. I suffer from hereditary dark circles and dry skin around my eyes so I like to use either an eye cream or gel morning and night. I apply it after cleansing but before moisturising my skin. Here's a selection of some eye creams I reach for when my eye bags are big enough to qualify for extra baggage allowance.

REN Vita Mineral Active 7 Eye Gel �20.00* 15ml
A light and cooling gel which helps to revive tired eyes. You can use this one under or over makeup, the latter I'm yet to try. With this a little bit goes a long way so I only need to apply a small amount. Like all REN products this contains no parabens, sulphates, mineral oil or synthetic fragrances. This helps to cool and refresh my eyes and does reduce puffiness but I don't find this has done a great deal for my dark circles.
L'oral Skin Perfection Awakening Eye Cream �12.99
Designed to ward off crow feet, quench tired eyes and conceal dark circles. This cream is slighted tinted so it does work to correct dark circles and illuminates the under eye area. I can't comment on whether it's any good for fine lines but I'm sure my future self will thank me. Possible favourite out of all five....
HealGel Eye Fix �32* 15ml
Not one for those on a budget but I've found with this a little bit goes a long way. The gel formula has a delicate scent so great for those with sensitive skin. This definitely helps to reduce puffiness and slightly reduces dark circles. I've only been using this for 3 weeks so will be interested to see in a months time whether this is worth the hefty price tag.
Guinot Eye Mask �28.50* 30ml
I didn't even know that you could get a mask for your eyes before coming across this one. This is a thick, clear non-setting gel which instantly cools and  soothes tired eyes. This would be perfect if the skin around your eyes gets irritated. Not only does this moisturise, it also tightens skin and improves circulation to help banish dark circles. I leave this one for ten minutes when my eyes are looking puffy and remove with cleanser. Key ingredients include witch hazel and hyaluronic acid.
Simple Revitilsing Eye Roll On �4.99 15ml �4.99
I keep this in the fridge to keep cool and apply it to my eyes in the morning to wake them up. I love the refreshing feeling the cucumber extract gives and it definitely helps to wake my eyes up. The roller ball makes this really easy to use, also this is a great option for those on a budget ( not pictured because I've misplaced it!).

Are you an eye cream obsessive like me? A special mention goes to Nip + Fab Eye Fix which is in my top 3 favourite eye gels, definitely repurchasing after I've used up these ones! 

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Autumn/Winter 2013 Makeup Trends: Eyeliner

So eyeliner is BIG this season and it's here to stay for S/S 2014. Make up artists at Anna Sui and Moschino got inventive with pencil and liquid liners by using them as eyeshadow to fill in the whole lid. If you wanted to try something that looked a little softer, at Michael Kors dramatic cat eyes were blended into sockets and paired with nude lips and sleek ponytails. Bored of black? Take inspiration from Dior who opted for silvery, ice blue winged eye liner. I love this trend as it suits all eye-shapes and looks great day or night! Whether you're going for subtle wisps or graphic blocks, here are some of my top eyeliner picks to get you ready to line___

A.K.A Cosmetics Eyeliner in Grey Blue �7 The small brush makes this really easy to get a precise line. The ' Grey Blue' shade makes a nice change from black eyeliner whilst still being really wearable. The staying power for this is great, but i do need to apply to coats two achieve a block colour.

Makeup Atelier Paris Cream Cake Liner �12.50* I found the best way to use this solid eyeliner is with a wet brush,. This glides on smoothly and dries quickly to leave an intense black line. 

Cargo Texas Liner �19.50*(with mascara) The first product I've tried from Cargo and i really like it! As you can tell from the photo's above it has quite a thick tip, making it perfect for re-creating the look at Anna Sui. 

Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner �2.99 The nib has just the right amount of flex to it, not too hard that it's difficult to apply. The 24 hour claim is waaay too much. I'd say this lasts around 5 hours before needing to touch up. This also comes in purple,teal and blue if you're feeling creative! 

Eyeko Skinny Liner �10.00* My favourite liquid liner, ever! This lasts all day with no need for touch ups, leaves an intense colour and it super easy to use. Eyeko have recently launched some metallic shades to their collection if you wanted to get the Dior A/W '13 look! 

Collection Faststroke Waterproof Eyeliner �2.99 I needed a waterproof eyeliner so i thought i'd give this one a go. The formula to this is a lot more watery than any of the others mentioned above. I have to apply a few coats of this to reach full opaque-ness. This is very long-lasting but not that waterproof - sorry Collection!

Will you be trying the eyeliner trend this Autumn? Make sure you check out my other A/W makeup trend posts here and here! 

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New Beautyuk Posh Palette in Eden: Review

Mum: "Kia, you don't need another eyeshadow palette! " Me: "It's not for me, it's for my readers..." 

Mums reaction when she caught me swatching the new Posh palette from Beautyuk. Fellow beauty bloggers will understand.

Now you may think this looks quite similar to the MUA Undressed palette and Undress Me too (both of which i own #sorrynotsorry) and you'd be right. If your a fan of neutral, dusky, sultry colours you'll love 'Eden'.

The palette consists of ten mainly shimmery shades with a couple of mattes for shading. I like the simple white packaging and the mirror on the inside of the lid. The eyeshadow quality overall is good. As you can see from the photos above, some are more pigmented than others. The second shade in particular doesn't have very good colour pay-off. However, the colours are buildable and work best with a wet eyeshadow brush. I can see this becoming an everyday essential for me!

Beautyuk Posh Palettes come in three different designs and retail for �5.99 from Superdrug or online here.

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my thoughts on: Eyeko London

I've been trying some Eyeko London products lately and i wanted to share with you how i got on. I've not tried anything from the brand since their re-launch in 2011. I know the re-brand didn't go down well with some because they increased prices as they moved from Superdrug to Harvey Nichols. I must admit i prefer the newer, high-end packaging to the old cute anime look the brand had. 

I tested out the mascaras first. I LOVE the tube packaging they all come in, why don't all brands do this? It reduces waste and stops the mascara from drying out. Out of the three i tested (curvy,black magic & skinny) my favourite had to be Black Magic �18 (pictured above). The brush has a gentle curve to it which helps to curl lashes, the brush is quite big but not too big. The soft bristles separate lashes easily and the colour is jet black. 

Eyeko Skinny Mini Brush Mascara �15 (closest) has a long thin brush. The wand doesn't get much excess mascara on it, leaving lashes clump-free. I found this added length to my lashes but i prefer them to look a little thicker. The Eyeko Curvy Brush mascara �15 was the only product i didn't get on very well with. The unique ball-like brush made it tricky to coat each lash, i found it didn't give me a lot of control.

Each mascara uses a unique conditioning formula which blends Keratin and Shea Butter for long-lasting lashes but at the same time is still easy to remove. I found with all the mascaras i tried, they didn't flake or crumble. I really like the cute guitar pick that comes with each mascara, a little unnecessary some may say but i end up with mascara everywhere - eyelid, nose, cheek, elbow... so by using this as a shield for my eyelids has really helped! 

Brow Gel is a must-have product for me. I need it to keep my unruly eyebrows in place! This is a good one because the brush is quite small and the gel is tinted, which helps to define brows. The only thing with this is that you have to scrape off excess before applying because you do get a lot on the brush. The has become a daily essential for me but the �18 price tag really puts me off!

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner �10, one of Eyeko's best products. Alexa Chung uses this eyeliner to get her signature cat eye look. The flexible felt-tip nib makes this really easy to use. I have the shade Black which is a true jet back, it also comes in brown, blue, olive and purple.

Overall, Eyeko has impressed me. My top picks would be the Black Magic mascara and the Skinny Liquid liner. Eyeko isn't particularly cheap but the products are good quality. Have you tried anything from Eyeko before, how did you get on?

You can purchase Eyeko from Harvey Nichols, ASOS and the Eyeko website. 

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kia's essential guide to: false eyelashes

Hello lovely people :) I have an 'Essential guide to:' post today, most of us would like longer eyelashes. So with the help of some falsies & mascara we can! My favourite brand of false eyelashes is Girls with Attitude. I like quite natural looking false eyelashes, so these two are ideal. They also have a special range called 'Shorties' which specialises in short false eyelashes. 

On the left, Short & Sweet. On the right Glamour to go 004.

Each pack contains glue & an application brush

remove the eyelashes with tweezers.

bend the lash in a U shape to make it flexible and easier to apply.

wait a few seconds for the glue to go tacky

always curl eyelashes before applying

before

after!

 These are perfect for every day wear. You can also apply mascara afterwards if you fancied, these were 5.00 and you can use them more then once.You can get them from Superdrug/Boots or they have Free delivery on their website - http://www.girlswithattitude.co.uk/

Thoughts on false eyelashes? x

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