Christmas | Gifts For The Girls

Being a girl myself, it's not hard to think of gifts us ladies would love this Christmas. I've trawled the shops and the internet to find some of the best gifting options in beauty, books, gadgets, and everything in between...

Review: Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF15

Full disclosure - the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF15 isn't new, it was released early last year. However the shade range has been extended. And now, with 43 colours to choose from, I've finally found a shade perfect for me. So the time has come to review it...

Behind The Brand: Bobbi Brown

Date of Birth: 1990

Founder: Bobbi Brown

History: In 1990 make-up artist Bobbi Brown worked with a chemist to create 10 natural looking, wearable lipstick shades. The essential line of lipsticks launched in New York’s Bergdorf Goodman in 1991. Bobbi hoped to sell 100 lipsticks during her first month at Bergdorf's, however she ended up selling 100 during her first day! The successful range began to expand in 1992, when Bobbi Brown was the first cosmetics company to create yellow-toned shades of foundation sticks. From there the brand continued to grow in popularity and was eventually sold to Estée Lauder Companies in 1995, with Queen Bobbi retaining creative control of the brand.

USP: Bobbi Brown provides real beauty for real women. It doesn't care for wild throwaway makeup trends or novelty products. It simply creates quality beauty products that are designed to enhance a woman’s natural beauty.

Motto: “Women want to look and feel like themselves, only prettier and more confident”

Giving Back: Bobbi Brown donate considerable funds and support to two great organisations. The first is Dress For Success, a charity that aims to "promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools". The second is the Broome Street Academy, a tuition-free public charter high school.

Offerings: Bobbi Brown create everything from eye shadows and makeup tools, to moisturisers and bronzers. Oh and (makeup) self-help books!

Hero Products: Shimmer Brick, Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner and Foundation Stick

Availability: Bobbi Brown is sold in 850 locations across 50 different countries. If you reside in the US of A, you can find Bobbi Brown at Sak’s Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdales. If you are based in Britain, you can get your Bobbi fix at John Lewis, House of Fraser and Fenwick.

Website: bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Price Points

Foundations: Up to £39.00 / $62.00

Single Eye Shadows: Up to £24.00 / $33.00

Blushers: Up to £34.00 / $46.00

Lipsticks: Up to £25.00 / $35.00

Skincare: Up to £65.00 / $112.00

The Gift Edit: Makeup Palettes

Makeup palettes are, personally, my favourite type of gift to give a beauty girl. Although palettes are released throughout the year, I find those launched in the winter season particularly special. Palettes make great gifts as they are packaged beautifully and always contain something for everyone. I have selected four of my favourite palettes this season, each made up of soft pinks and earth tones and that suit just about anyone.

My first favourite is the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot (£29.50 Boots / $36.00 benefitcosmetics.com). Described as a 'box o’ blushes', this palette is made up of six of the brand's most loved blushers. When you pop open the tin - designed like a Christmas candy house Hansel & Gretel would kill for - you will find Hoola, Dandelion, Coralista, Bella Bamba, Rockateur, Sugarbomb and Watt's Up. Benefit is celebrated for its blushers, so to be able to access all of these favourites in one tin - for just £29.50 - is pretty freakin special.

Aerin Weekend Palette (£48.00 esteelauder.co.uk / $70.00 aerin.com). To start with, this palette is absolutely  gorgeous! It's protected by a blush pink cotton pouch and the palette itself comes packaged in a sleek gold compact that would slide into the smallest and thinnest of clutch bags. Inside the compact is a Pretty Bronze Illuminating Powder, Eyeshadows in Simplicity and Cocoa, Rose Balm Lipsticks in Whisper and Cabana, Multi Color for lips and cheeks and Highlighter in Glow. The neutral colours work across all seasons and will compliment all skin types and colourings.

The next palette on my list is the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Eye Shadow Quad in Chic Brown (£26.00 Debenhams / $40.00 Macy's). Unlike the Aerin palette, this one is all about the eyes and is made up of the most gorgeous soft browns and shimmery nudes; staple colours that look great on their own, as well as paired with other makeup looks.

Keeping up with all things eyes, the next palette I love is the Bobbi Brown Limited Edition Mini Eye Palette (£26.00 bobbibrown.co.uk / $35.00 bobbibrowncosmetics.com). This sweet little palette showcases a selection of eight matte, shimmer and metallic shadows than can be used to create everything from a shimmering smoulder to a smokey eye. Included are three Eye Shadows in Cool Ivory, Saddle and Nude, three Sparkle Eye Shadows in Opal, Pink Rose and Gold, one Shimmer Wash Eye Shadow in Bone and, finally, one Metallic Eye Shadow in Sugar Plum.

The Tuesday Tip: Forehead Fix

Got a big forehead and want it to look smaller? Then reach for the bronzer my friends!

Bronzer is great for creating shadows, so blending a small amount of it into the hairline, from temple to temple, will give the appearance of a smaller forehead. I would recommend using the Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder (£28.00 House of Fraser / $40.00 Sephora)

The Lookbook: Kylie Jenner

The 'Kylie Jenner Lip' has been a big talking point amongst beauty fans these past weeks. Whether little Miss Jenner is injecting those lips with fillers or extending them with liner, they look amazing and girls everywhere have been dying to know what colour she puts on them. For those who care, she applies MAC's Whirl Liner across the entire lip. She also revealed that MAC's Velvet Teddy is another one of her favourite lip colours.

Her makeup is always flawless, so it's no surprise that there are already hundreds of tutorials on how to replicate it. I am obsessed with her everyday makeup look, so I created something that was similar but a little softer.

Here is what I used to create the look...

Skincare:
- Antipodes Apostle Skin Brightening & Tone-Correcting Serum
- Dermalogica Age Smart Skin Perfect Primer SPF30
- Elizabeth Arden Flawless Future Eye Gel
- Homemade lip scrub (recipe here!)

Makeup:

- bareMinerals bareSkin® Pure Brightening Serum Foundation SPF20

- Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer in Light Golden

- Cover FX Illuminator in Moonlight

- Max Factor Wild Mega Volume Mascara

- MAC Spiked Eye Brows

- DHC Liquid Eyeliner EX

- MAC Beurre Cremestick Liner

- Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner in Addiction

- MAC The Perfect Cheek Blush

Tools:

- MAC 168 Large Angled Contour Brush
- Real Techniques Blush Brush
- Bobbi Brown Eye Brow Brush
- Japonesque Power Curler

Now it's time to show me your 'Kylie Jenner' inspired makeup look. Just Tweet or Instagram me your #lookbookselfie!

The Tuesday Tip: Toilet Trick!

If you ever find your face on the oily side during a night out and your face powder is nowhere  to be found - head to the toilets! The toilet seat covers that you often find in restrooms work incredibly well at absorbing oil. Best of all, they are free!

However, if this tip just doesn't do it for you, invest in a handbag-friendly pack of blotting papers. If you keep them in your bag at all times, you will never be oily and alone again!

I love Bobbi Brown's refillable faux-leather blotting paper case (£17.00 John Lewis / $20.00 Nordstrom). The powder-free blotting papers are amazing at absorbing excess oil and perspiration and the gorgeous case even contains a mirror! What's not to love?!

Ask TBI: Do I Apply Foundation Or Concealer First?

Question: I have the worst dark circles so concealer is a must! However I also use foundation religiously. So which do I apply first? - Jenny, Detroit.

Answer: When it comes to the natural order of things, foundation should always come first. However when concealing dark eyes, although foundation should still be applied first, it should not be applied where you intend to place concealer. This may sound a little confusing but too much build-up of product around the eyes will just cause creasing. So when applying foundation, I recommend avoiding the eye area altogether. Once the foundation is applied, you can then apply a colour corrector, followed by concealer, in and around the eye area.

Bobbi Brown has a great tutorial on how to conceal and correct. Take a look below...

News: Katie Holmes Becomes The First Celebrity Face Of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics

Leaving Tom ‘controlling’ Cruise was the best thing that ever happened to Katie Holmes. Since the split she has starred on Broadway, launched a fashion line and has now become the the first celebrity face of Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

We learnt last September that the Dawson’s Creek darling was set to become the brand's new spokeswoman. I personally thought this was a match made in heaven as, not only does the 34-year-old look like a younger version of Queen Bobbi, she embodies what the Bobbi Brown Cosmetic range is; stylish and sensible.

So, after a three month wait, the spring 2013 ad campaign has finally been revealed...

Although she appears very wooden (much like her acting), Holmes looks freaking' gorgeous in this ad and her hair is to die for! 

You'll be pleased to hear that Bobbi Brown has put together a little ‘Get Her Look’ on the US site. I would definitely recommend taking a look at this if you want to achieve Katie's seductive smoky eyes or beautiful dewy skin!