PRODUCT OF THE WEEK - SMASHBOX BROW TECH TO GO:

Fresher Fenn O'Meally shares her product of the week:

Smashbox-

BROW TECH TO GO

What have we here? A defining, precision filling, long wearing waterproof eyebrow pencil… and yes it’s really waterproof! For a while now, I’ve been trying to find the right eyebrow pencil that fills the brow line smoothly yet doesn’t smudge! And here it is, come rain or shine, your brows wont budge.

So what are the little brainboxes behind Smashbox offering? A travel-perfect pen that comes double sided, with a long-wearing pencil at one and a gel at the other. Whilst the angled pencil provides precision shape, the gel, which is to be swept over the brows after applying the pencil, provides a soft coating for a long lasting fill.

With this product there really is no longer the need to constantly top up, tweak, and fine-tune those devious brows throughout the day. Fair enough, at £19 it’s slightly pricier than your average eyebrow pencil, but with a solid wax, it’ll last you longer and most definitely turn that frown upside down! 

CUB BEAUTY INTERVIEWS LAURENELLA:

Cub Fashion & Beauty Editor Sarah-Rose Harrison interviews upcoming beauty blogger and vlogger Lauren from Laurenella.


1. What initially inspired you start your YouTube channel?
I was inspired to start YouTubing after getting into watching others for a while-like essiebutton, meganisobel and dizzybrunette3.

2. What is the best thing about being a YouTube Beauty Guru?
I think the best thing about being on YouTube is that it seems to reach a wider audience than just blogging, and its nice to chat away!

3. The worst thing about being a YouTube Beauty Guru?
The worst thing about YouTube has to be the nasty comments-luckily I haven't had any so far but the bigger YouTubers get SO MANY.

4. What’s the best opportunity you've been given through YouTube?
Since I started blogging I've been lucky enough to get invited to a number of seriously cool events/parties, doing things I wouldn't get to do otherwise-like touring the London Dungeons after closing!

5. How much work is it to maintain a YouTube channel/blog behind the scenes? 
It does take quite a lot of time and effort to blog and YouTube, sometimes uni work gets on top of me and I don't get the chance to do it for a while, but I always feel really guilty for neglecting it.

6. What do you envision the future of YouTube and blogging to be?
I think a lot more people who blog are going to turn to YouTube as well, and brands are going to jump on board with it too. I'm sure in a years time my subscriptions box is going to be overflowing!

7. What’s the best advice to give to someone wanting to start out in a market that is already so saturated?
I think you have to realise that you're not necessarily going to be the next Tanya Burr. Just do what you want to do and have fun with it

8. What’s your desert island Beauty product?
My desert island beauty product has got to be my NARS Orgasm blusher. It's my all time favourite and stops me looking like a zombie.

9. What is your biggest Beauty pet hate?
My biggest beauty pet hate is definitely false lashes so big they look like they're weighing your eyes down-particularly if you're only wearing them to pop down to the shops for a pint of milk!

10.What was your first ever Beauty purchase?
My first ever Beauty purchase that I remember was a black eyeliner-I think by Rimmel, and I used to use it SO heavily that I looked like a raccoon. 

#5 WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG?

Ellie Morson shares what's in her make-up bag:

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - £36.00

This is definitely my most expensive item in my makeup bag and retails at a staggering £36.00. I’d never normally spend this on a foundation, however I’d heard great things about this product and as ASOS stocks the Nars line, I took one of their 25% student discount opportunities as a chance to try this out. I have combination skin and find this is really good at keeping the dryer areas of my face looking hydrated, whilst keeping my more oily prone areas in check too. I wouldn’t personally say it’s sheer; rather it has quite a strong coverage. I also don’t think it’s particularly ‘glowy’ (that I’ve noticed anyway), but rather it seems to have a semi-matte finish, which I like. Other plus points include its longevity – I don’t feel the need to touch up during the day and it also photographs nicely. Considering the price though, I don’t think I’ll repurchase once it’s gone.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - £4.19

This concealer is an absolute steal at £4.19. I do tend to suffer from under eye circles and this is amazing at covering those up. This is really creamy and not too thick for the under eye are, just blend out a couple of dots and you’re good to go. Both the quality and price make this an absolute must-have.

Mac Eyeshadow in Brun - £9.00

Mac’s Brun eyeshadow is a dark muted brown and I lightly use a small angled brush to run this through my eyebrows. It just helps to give them a little bit more shape and definition and to help them match my hair colour a little better.

Clinique Brush-On Cream Liner - £14.00

If ever I had a must have product, it’s probably this one. I’m constantly repurchasing/ claiming my trusty boots advantage points on this Clinique eyeliner, despite the fact that that one little pot lasts me ages.  I used to use liquid eyeliner all the time a few years ago but after having become used to gel eyeliner, I don’t think I could go back. This has all the appearance of a liquid eyeliner and none of the mess, not to mention it’s a lot easier to avoid mistakes. It’s extremely pigmented and leaves a nice, smooth and dark line which lasts throughout the entire day. You could go all fancy and buy an eyeliner brush, however I just use a small synthetic craft brush with it and it does the job just as well.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero - £14.00

For my lower lash line, I’ll just use a slick of this. It goes on easily, without tugging, whilst still remaining incredibly black and lasting throughout the entire day. Not to mention that I can’t remember when I first purchased this, only that it was a long, long time ago now and that it has lasted ages and still has a lot of life left in it yet.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara - Volum' Express - £7.19

I’m a huge lover of most of the Maybelline mascaras and I think I bought this one on a whim when I saw that it was on offer one day. Like many of the other Maybelline mascaras, it doesn’t fail to disappoint. I’ve found Colossal Volume Express to be more defining than some of their other mascaras, however it still offers really good volume, giving nice thick, yet separated lashes for the day.

Mac Lipstick in Cherish and Patisserie - £14.00

In terms of lipsticks, I have two that I pretty much alternate between on an everyday basis-  Mac’s Patisserie and Cherish. Both feel comfortable on the lips, with neither of them feeling sticky. They also last a fair amount of time compared with others I’ve tried in the past. Cherish is really nice natural nude colour, airing more on the peachy/brown side of the nudes. Meanwhile, Patisserie is more of a rose/brown nude and is slightly glossier compared with Cherish.  I adore both and they’re nice to vary between on a day to day basis.

Mac Powder Blush in Harmony – £17.50

Though not an everyday product, I do reach for Mac’s Harmony a lot. I love this product, simply because of its versatility. It’s a soft rose brown ‘blush’ from Mac, without any of the more orange tones. I have mega pale skin so a warmer/ more orange based brown can sometimes cause me to look a little tangoed. However, this is a nice neutral brown shade which I tend to use either as a blush/ bronzer for a hint of a tan on more summery days and for going out. However, this also doubly serves as a really good contouring shade, allowing me to enhance cheekbones and get rid of any sneaky dub-chin action that I tend to get. Much love for this product.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder in Translucent - £3.99

Finally, I could not live without Rimmel’s Stay Matte powder. As I mentioned, I have combination skin and whilst my cheeks can tend to be dry, my t-zone always gets oily. This does a fab job of masking that oil. I only use this across my forehead and nose, but it does well at keeping the shine at bay. I’m not a massive fan of the packaging, (I don’t always feel that the lid’s secure). However, for the price and product itself, you can’t go wrong. It’s also a nice size for on the go touch ups, which is always a plus.

BEHIND THE SCENES - MONOCHROMATIC SHOOT, ISSUE 547:

For what was (very sadly) the last issue of CUB this academic year we combined fashion and beauty in one ambitious shoot. With editors, photographers and models rushing between university and the shoot the whole affair was a high speed one! Despite being sunny it was absolutely freezing our Editor Sarah managed to convince our models Rosie and Fenn that they were actually on a beach in Barbados to counteract the bitter cold - however thanks to them and the rest of the team the photoshoot came out brilliantly - giving Lloyd plenty to photograph and me some great behind-the-scenes moments.

For more behind-the-scenes images from the shoot click here.

Laura Blair

GYM MAKE-UP: BEETROOT VS. BEAUTY

 image from teawithhunni.com

  
History Student Elyse Clarke discusses the issues of vanity within the gym:

Recently my housemate and I have been trying to shift a few pounds, which has involved our renewed effort to go to the gym being undermined by our greater effort to convince ourselves that midnight pizza is a good idea. It’s not. Anyway, during one recent visit to the gym I was sweating away on the treadmill when I looked to my right and saw what I can only describe as some sort of gym angel bobbing along beside me. Whereas I end up resembling a human beetroot when I exercise, this girl was the embodiment of the ‘exercise glow’ - that elusive side effect of exercise that I have read so much about in magazines, but has sadly eluded me. So what are the rest of us supposed to do? To prevent the beetroot from making a public appearance, is it ok for those of us who aren’t lucky enough to ‘glow’ post-gym to cover up with make-up or is it an excessive vanity?

I do wear makeup to the gym, but my rationale is that it is purely defensive. I usually pop on some BB cream to tone down the impending redness, eye shadow through my brows to prevent the ‘egghead’ and maybe some mascara (just because). I think that if I’m not worrying about what I look like (human beetroot sans eyebrows) then I’ll work harder at the gym, look and feel better and thus eventually achieve inner Zen. 

Issues of vanity and Zen aside, there are questions about how good it is for your skin to wear a full face of makeup while exercising. If you’re doing it properly, you should be sweating and sadly your face is not an exception to this. As your pores open up to release the sweat, make-up can seep down and clog them, resulting in spots, dull skin and pesky blackheads. There is, therefore, something to be said for letting your skin breathe while you exercise because as you sweat, you sweat out toxins. Ever wonder why there’s that faint smell of alcohol floating around you if you brave a hangover gym session? You are literally sweating it out. Make-up can become a barrier and trap in what your body is trying to expel. Another more visible downside to wearing make-up (particularly heavy foundation) to the gym is that you are vulnerable to the sweat-tache and other similar side effects that can occur when you combine with foundation with sweat and gym towels.

Your best bet if you can’t go to the gym totally bare faced is to go for the lightest options – a tinted moisturiser, BB or CC cream – which will tone down any redness without effectively sealing over all your pores like a long-wearing foundation. And afterwards, make sure that you thoroughly wash and exfoliate your face to prevent any clogging of your pores.

What do you think is an acceptable amount of make-up to wear to the gym? Is it OK for girls slap it on before hitting the gym or should we go unashamedly barefaced, beetroot be damned?

#4 WHAT'S IN MY MAKE-UP BAG?

Freelance writer and second year student Eleanor Doughty shows us what's in her Make-Up bag: 

Now then, excuse me for being that girl, but I have a confession to make.  I like my makeup simple.  Preferring to stick to sixties doe eyes and an insouciant natural skin tone, my daily routine is less than arduous. 

Both fortunately and unfortunately, my job has enabled me to try such a great array of new products that I scarcely have room for them.  Beauty sales have happened in my bedroom, no kidding.  If you see me in my two most regular (sigh) E1 hangouts, the library and the gym, this post won't make so much sense; I am usually almost makeup free.  Suffice to say, I don't really look like a fashion and beauty journalist a lot of the time, whatever we’re supposed to look like.

Despite my makeup bag overflowing to the point where I actually had to buy a cabinet for everything, I'm pretty laid back about it.  I enjoy getting dressed and ahem, beautified far too much to want to do it every day.  Only when I am in the office full time - now a growing commonality - do I deign to spend the necessary time sixties-fying myself.

Diorskin Nude BB Crème (£30)

Shockingly, I don't wear foundation and never have- occupationally, this has proven tricky when trialing products and working on features.  Upon the arrival of Dior's BB cream in the courier post some months ago, I felt dishonourable to my standard routine, as it became a soft staple to my morning routine.  Designed to provide a soft, blemish-free backdrop to the skin, Dior's rosy cream is the most delicate I am yet to road test.  In my sampling wisdom of late, that is high praise.  It isn't so perfect for your purse, clocking in at £30, but for the amount you need to use in the morning, it's more than an investment piece.

www.dior.com

Bare Minerals powder blush (£19) / Chanel blush (£31)

I was lucky enough to be given a complementary session at the wonderful Bare Minerals boutique in Covent Garden for this addition to my makeup bag/drawer/life.  As all my individual products were chosen precisely for my skin tone, I completely hit the jackpot with Bare Minerals' divine powder blush.  You only need use the tiniest amount as the powder is incredible dense, but that makes it the most valuable possession.  I switch between Chanel's actually-smells-like-roses blush Joues Contraste too as this is probably the most incredible piece of makeup that I own, but I use it very sparingly so as to only enable its goodness for the very special occasions.

www.bareminerals.co.uk

www.chanel.com

Estee Lauder Two Tone mascara (£25)

Another press trial and another all-too-regular makeup bag staple comes from the team at Estee Lauder.  Introducing, Two Tone Eye Opening Mascara.  Bit of a mouthful, but so worth it.  On first impressions it appears gaudy, a little overdressed in its entire golden splendor, and a little heavy.  With two ends, a brown wand for the bottom lashes and a deep black for the top, the famous EL, as it has been known in our flat, is perfect for recreations of Twiggy's wide-eyes.  And on a makeup day, that's always me.  You know when you've met the one, and this is mine.

www.esteelauder.co.uk

Sephora Rouge Cream Mr. Lover lipstick ($12)

Some like it hot, some like it red…I like it pink.  Lipstick, that is.  I have been on the pursuit of the perfect pink lipstick for longer than I care to remember.  I have requested pink trios of lipstick from every brand I can find, been gifted packages of many, many that just weren't quite right.  Chanel sent some, Bare Minerals sent some, even Dior.  Dior's Swan comes almost perfectly close to a day-night perfect pink, but I am a little more swayed by Sephora's Mr Lover.  I admit it's not the pink I have been daily-searching for, but hot pink is a happy substitute.  Even if the name alone takes your fancy, it comes with Shard-high recommendations.  Of many of the lipsticks I have tried and failed at using, Sephora's Rouge Cream has most consistently delighted.  It doesn't fade, smear or wear off- it's never out of place and the colour fixes all day.  Okay so a little comes off on a wine glass here and there, but we're all winning in that scenario.  Disappointingly, Sephora still don't ship to the UK which is the biggest nuisance, but happily various European/North American dwelling friends are only too willing to post packages home to London in cases of extreme Sephora-itis.  I am only too inclined to buy Sephora makeup, that's how good it is.

www.sephora.com

Enter Pronoun Blacknailed eyeliner $28

Bizarrely, visiting Enter Pronoun's website brings up a header describing 'a unisex makeup collection'.  This hasn't stopped me from using their divine Blacknailed eyeliner every single day since it popped through into my in-tray during the summer.  The blackest black felt tip pen is the easiest eyeliner I have had the pleasure of using, even trumping my long-term BFF, Sephora's Long-Lasting 12HR Wear to the top spot.  Enter Pronoun's silver-packaged simple liner has never let me down, even in moments of flash flood, knee-jerk emotions or puddle-splashed-in-face-on-Curtain-Road (yup, that definitely happened), I have not been left resembling a panda.  And it's not even specifically waterproof, which I figure is even better.  Coming in at $28, it's not the cheapest eyeliner you'll ever use, but it might just be the best.

www.enterpronoun.com

TIMUR KIM:

A fairly new face to the fashion scene, but fast growing in popularity, Timur Kim had audiences queuing round Freemasons Hall for a glimpse of his take on AW13. Focusing on dresses and skirts with the exception of two trouser suits near the opening of the show, Kim's designs were super feminine yet demure.

Using inspiration from his native Russia, Kim produced prints based on baroque patterns and ceilings at the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, even keeping a nod to the Soviet with his show invites, featuring caviar tins. These prints hark back to the sixties and seventies, featuring kaleidoscopic and floral designs, but updated for a modern wearer in more minimal cuts and shades of lavender, powder blues and browns with the occasional dash of pink and teal. The print on print trend continues within the collection  - however Kim steered clear of the print clash and instead paired dresses with jackets featuring not matching, but complementary prints.

Personally, the highlight of the collection was Kim's choice of fabrics. Light, fluid silks formed the basis for many of the garments, followed by more structured A-line skirts of iridescent taffeta paired with printed white T-shirts - all paired off with the interesting decision to forgo towering heels: the models wore flat masculine brogues. With this collection following on from his beautiful offerings for the last season, Kim is surely one to watch for the future.

Words & images: Laura Blair