Beauty Trends Throughout The Ages

For hundreds of years women and men have been beautifying themselves in various ways and year after year, decade after decade trends emerge. Way back when they came about out of necessity but now days we tend to do some pretty odd beauty tricks for the sake of it. I thought it would be really fun if today I shared with you a few of my favourite and quirky trends throughout the ages. I think most of us know that back in the 16th to 18th century they were a huge fan of a pale white face. When I think of 'old fashioned' beauty this is what first pops into my head. While the look may of been fashionable it wasn't exactly good for you, the white paints and chalks where lead based which eventually broke down the skin and caused scarring. We are all about brows now days, but legend has it so were the Ancient Greeks, in fact women loved a good unibrow as a sign of purity. Of course when you think of where beauty and makeup began it is the kohl liner of Ancient Egypt, think Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra. Back then it was used for medical as well as aesthetic purposes by protecting the eyes. Fast Forward to the 1940's and WWII, there was a huge shortage of cosmetics and the ingredients to put in them in Europe but that didn't stop women using what they had or creating their perfect red lipstick at home. It was the era of bright lips and some even said the kiss mark of the bright hue bought moral to the troops. In the 60's gone were the days of bright lips and in came the spidery lash and liner trend, all thanks to the wonderful Twiggy. Whether it was a winged liner or cut crease, pretty much if it was black and thick it was on trend. When you think of Twiggy's iconic look you think of her baby doll spike-y lashes and it was certainly a look for the time. The 1980's were a time for all sorts of fashions and trends, some better than others. Eyeshadow was huge, especially in bright colours, and especially applied all the way up to the brow bone. Blue washes were applied across the lid and all the way up to the brow with little definition, just one fun pop of colour. Jump forward a few years and we are in the 90's, the era of the over plucked brow. Come on most of us have been there in out high school days, we went to town with the tweezers and now regret it. But hey it was a trend back then and some even shaved the whole lot of and drew stick lines back on, not one of our finest beauty moments. As we entered the 2000's matte skin really became a huge trend, in fact the matter the better. A velvety finish was perfect if you dreaded oily skin but if like me you were dry then you praised the day dewy skin became a thing. Lastly we have probably the biggest trend for many years, yes contouring. That game changing trick that slims down the face, adds some light and gives the perfect shape. Of course it took off because of the one and only Kim K but is now used by most make up lovers all over the world. The question is, that with the woman herself saying she is no longer such a fan will it die out?

I hope you have enjoyed our little jaunt though beauty's history and I want to know your favourite trends throughout history, leave them in the comments for me. My inspiration for this post was through reading Lisa Eldridge's Face Paint book which is all about the history of makeup and one I'd really recommend you read if you enjoyed this. I also want to point out that my facts are from research but I am not saying they are 100% accurate and they may all be interrupted differently. Beauty and History are two of my favourite things so this was a real joy for me to do, I hope you enjoyed it too. Lastly I wanted to share Lisa's 'Best and Worst Makeup Moments in History' video which is a really fun watch. Love...

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Autumn/Winter Trends with House of Fraser

Earlier this week I was invited along to the House of Fraser A/W press day showcasing Men and Women's fashion along with home wear for the season. We wandered into the lovely One Marylebone that is absolutely beautiful and had a good snoop round. Of course I wanted pretty much everything I saw and the home section had me dreaming of my own place some day, although more on that another day. We then went and got our hair done by a lovely girl from Show Hair and I had some serious Volume going on, no photo's though I'm afraid. Anyway I thought today I would share with you some of the emerging trends for the season, it feels a little odd talking about this coming into Summer but hey that's how the fashion world works.

The first big trend I noticed when it came to women's fashion was the array of jewel tones, and specifically reds and burgundies. Oxblood is on of my favourite colours and I love whipping it out every autumn so I am very glad it is in again this year. It is a great way to add some colour to your winter wardrobe without having anything to bright or bold, and the beauty gal in me also really wants to say it looks amazing on the lips.

The other overwhelming theme was a mix of soft neutrals in the form of greys, beige's, and subtle blacks. The was a lot of knitwear which I love, and some beautiful layering pieces. There were also some lovely grey toned wool coats that I have my eye on. I also noticed a few pops of colour in there, a little like that lovely lime green and navy on the tote bags. Another big thing I spotted was the use of pints, but animal prints specifically. I just love those gorgeous tan flap bags with the faux snakeskin detailing, and I believe there was a rather fancy leopard print coat in the mix too. I apologise for my lack of description but  hope the photo's help. I am hoping to branch into the fashion world a little more, but what can I say I am a beauty girl at heart. Love...


*A huge thanks to House of Fraser for the invite!

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Holidays With Lancôme

The holidays are my favorite time of the year, decorating the tree, baking cookies, and sitting by the fire. There is nothing better than spending time with friends and family and of course, gift giving. This Christmas I am going to be going festive with my makeup, specifically that perfect red lip. I am keeping the eye's simple with a champagne shadow all over the lid and then a thin winged liner. I am also keeping the rest of my makeup very simple with a light base and natural blush, and of course the icing on the cake is the beautiful creamy red Lancome L'absolute Rouge Definition in 195 Le Carmin. This demi-matte lipstick is highly saturated in color and the precise shaped bullet makes it as easy as pie to apply. The overall finish is a very festive look indeed. If red isn't you're thing then Lancome have a range of easy to use and Limited Edition Color Design Matte Lip Crayons in 10 different shades ranging from nudes, to bright pink, to deep berry's. The formula of these are incredibly creamy and they leave a wonderful matte but hydrating finish to the lips, the small sculpted tip also makes them the perfect liner, lip color combo. To add that finishing touch spritz Lancome's classic and ever so wonderful La Vie Est Belle fragrance that will enchant everyone as you celebrate the season. The scent has joyous notes such as jasmine and orange blossom, and the bottle is to die for; making your life certainly beautiful. Have a wonderful and charming Christmas. Love...

*PR Samples, all opinions are my own. Refer to my disclaimer for more information.

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NYFW SS'16 Beauty Trends

Being the Beauty Junkie that I am seeing all the makeup at fashion week is my favorite part. My favorite look of the week has to be the one pictured above for the Mansur Gavriel presentation by the incredible NARS Director of Global Artistry, James Boehmer. It's so simple but really feminine and pretty, the look referenced the 60's without looking to dated or literal. The strong brows are the perfect addition to the long lashes and rosy lip. The rosy lip in question is NARS El Agua Velvet Lip Liner and the Audacious Lipstick in Dominique, a lilac. To create the dewy skin the NARS Luminous Moisture Cream was used and then a new release for Spring next year, the Velvet Matte Skin Tint (Very excited for that launch) which I can imagine it kept the skin from looking to 'wet' while adding a sheer coverage. Oh and it's safe to say the lip combo is on my 'to buy' list. 

After going through a lot of the looks from the weeks festivities I noticed that actually a lot of makeup wasn't being used. A lot of artists and designers chose to have bare skin with just a glowing cream like MAC Strobe Cream or NARS Luminous Moisture Cream. They also kept it really plain with clear or no mascara and bare lips. It really was a very naked look but some how the models skin still manages to look great. I am not sure if it would be something that looked good on me but on 'no makeup' days it's definitely going to be something I give a try. 

Dewy skin is the best kind of skin in my opinion, and year after year it seems to continue being on trend. This year a lot of artists opted for a dewy primer or cream and then using something with a most satin finish on top, for instance a matte tinted moisturizer or concealer. A great satin finish pick would be the MAC Waterweight SPF 30 Foundation. This is a fresh way to wear dewy skin especially in summer and for you more combo skinned gals; keeping shine free but glowy at the same time.  

Color isn't always used very much in the makeup of fashion week, mainly due to having the attention on the clothes, and rightly so. But I did see some fun colored lips like the cool toned pink used for the Michael Costello show, which by the way was NARS Roman Holiday Lipstick. Another beautiful lip color was the muted red on the lips of the Badgley Mischka models which will be a new release from MAC come spring. 

Glitter and Blue seemed to be very 'in' on the eye front. The Creatures of The Wind show featured tons of gold glitter and thick black cat flicks. While the Delpozo show featured a whimsical silver glitter eye which was created with makeup glitter and MAC Mixing Medium Eyeliner to adhere. Blue eyes appeared in a number of shows and I think it's a really fun way to incorporate color even on a day to day basis. Marc Jacobs used NARS Solomon Islands Eye Paint which is a rich blue, on the lids and then kept the rest of the makeup very bare and almost tired looking. For the 3.1 Philip Lim show NARS used the same blue eye paint but this time to line the upper lash line and inner water line. 

We're almost half way through fashion month, can you see your self recreating any of the trends you have seen so far, beauty and fashion wise? Love... 

*Images are courtesy of MAC Cosmetics, Inglot, and NARS. 

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A Rose Gold Obsession

When the rose gold 'thing' blew up a few years back I never really got into it. I always thought it was to girly and much preferred just classic gold or sliver. Saying all of this, suddenly a few month ago I had a 360 and have been buying pretty much all rose gold jewelry. I have come to understand the rose gold I do like; when it's not too pink, more just a tinted gold. With my new found love for rose gold I have been on the hunt for the perfect high quality pieces to add to my collection without breaking the bank. I was scrolling my Instagram 'discover' page (which by the way is amazing to find new accounts to follow, I would say the majority of people I follow I have found there) and came across 'The Peach Box' who are an Australian jewelry company. I was instantly besotted with their Instagram feed so went straight to their website. I fell in love with practically everything on there and had to make an order immediately! I was a little worried about shipment charges (as the order would be coming all the was from AUS to the US) but I was pleasantly surprised with it being under $10 (AUD) and if you spend over $50 AUD then it is free international shipping! I ended up with only two items as I wanted to see the quality before I order anymore, but right now I can tell you I am stalking their 'new in' page as we speak (or type). The two rose gold bangle bracelets I got are beyond beautiful and I think I have been wearing them every day since they arrived, which by the way took about 10 days from ordering. They are both pretty simple but I really like that as they can be worn alone or stacked with other bracelets. The Buckle Bangle caught my eye first, and I just new I had to have it. It some how reminded me of my horse riding days, so felt very appropriate. The quality of the piece is beautiful, it feels sturdy and looks polished. It has a very interesting fastening where you almost have to do up the buckle. The second bangle was The Floating Crystal Bangle, I like this because it really is incredibly simple. It has a elegant almost girly feel to it with the one tiny crystal and looks really pretty paired with some dainty rings. Again it is amazing quality for the price and I think I am going to get a ton of wear out of it. On the two pieces at the times exchange rate, and including shipping I ended up paying around $40 USD. What a steal!

Are you Placing you order as you read? If not here's a little incentive, I have a coupon code so that you can get 15% off their already incredible prices. Just use the code "tpd-perfect_peonies" and head to thepeachbox.com to redeem. The code is only valid till the end of August 2015 so make sure you get over their quickly! I hope you enjoy. Love...


*A discount was given for my thoughts to be relayed, all opinions are my own. Refer to my disclaimer for more information. 

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