Hi guys! 

This week's FFF features another collab with Tanzina of Makeup A to Z, who chose the theme to be her favourite colour teal/turquoise; I added a hint of purple to the look as I generally love turquoise/teal broken up with purple, so I hope you like!

Products used:
Eyes: 
• UDPP & NYX JEP in Milk
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Ebony
• Urban Decay Electric Palette - Fringe (eyelid)
• Motives eyeshadows: Whipped Cream (inner corner highlight), Onyx (outer corner), Cappuccino & Chocolight (crease), Whipped Cream (brow bone), Fantasy (lower lashline)
• MAC Reflects Pigment - Transparent Teal
• Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Electric & Ransom
• Motives Little Black Dress Gel Liner
• Eldora False lashes in H151
• Lenses: Desio Lens in Forest Green
Face:
• Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Foundation - 2WN2
• House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel for contouring and concealing under foundation
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Fawn, Java, Havana for contour, Banana and Sand for highlight
• Motives Blush in So Peachy
Lips: 
• Motives lip liner in Tender
• Motives lipstick in Nice

And here's Tanzina's take on the teal/turquoise look:

I absolutely love the combination she used with the royal blue and pink, I've always been a huge fan of brights and this looks stunning on Tanzina.
Be sure to follow her blog for more makeup looks and reviews (www.makeupatoz.com).

Let me know if you're interested in joining in a collab feature, by emailing me (contact@frootibeauty.me.uk)

 

Hope you liked this weeks look, let me know your thoughts!

      

FFF: Dramatic Green Arabic Makeup Look - Collab with Shazia

I thought I'd restart my collaboration feature again seeing as I've been a bit more frequent with blog posts this year.
If you remember my collab with Sanna (Look A Million) in 2013, it involved choosing a theme/colour and leaving the artists to create whatever look they want with it.

This weeks theme is a green one and I collaborated with Shazia Haque to create a look with the colour.
I've listed the products I used below as usual; I decided to try two types of nude lip shades for this look and have added Shazia's pics after too.

Products used:
Eyes:
• UDPP & NYX JEP in Blackbean
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Ebony
• Motives eyeshadows: Creme Fresh (inner corner highlight), Green Apple (inner eyelid), Forbidden & Heavy Metal (eyelid), Onyx (outer corner), Cappuccino (crease), Vanilla (brow bone)
• Urban Decay Distortion Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliner
• Urban Decay 24/7 eye pencil in Dime & El Dorado
• NYC Liquid Eyeliner
• Benefit They're Real mascara
• Motives lashes in 111
• Lenses: Desio Lens in Forest Green
Face:
• Motives Quad in Medium & Liquid Powder Mineral foundation in Vanilla Cream
• House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel for contouring and concealing under foundation
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Fawn, Java, Havana for contour, Banana and Sand for highlight
• Motives Blush in Baby Doll
Lips: 
• Motives for LaLa lipstick in Nice
• Motives lipstick in Pink Sand

And here's Shazia's look using the green theme, how gorgeous is she (mA)??!:

I like how different our looks are; I went for a dramatic look to differ from my previous green makeup looks whilst Shazia went for a more subtle look which compliments her lip choice too.
You can find the products she used on her Instagram ShaziaHaqueMakeup, be sure to check out her stunning looks!

I'm hoping to keep up with the collab features as much as possible (baby permitting!), so do let me know if you're interested in joining by emailing me via contact@frootibeauty.me.uk

Hope you liked this weeks look, let me know your thoughts! 
                   

Motherhood Mondays - Baby Classes/Baby Sign

Hello my FrootiMummys!

This weeks Motherhood Monday post is about baby classes that may be available in your area. 
To be fair I can only really comment on two classes I've attended so far - Baby Massage and Baby Sign, however I've heard Baby Yoga is like Baby Massage but without oil, but now my son's a bit too old to attend haha.

Baby Massage

credit: http://raisingchildren.net.au/verve/_resources/PIP-massage-2.gif

My local Baby Massage class had a large group of babies, all laid out in a circle in front of their mummies/carers and we were told we could bring our own oil, otherwise an oil is provided (tested first before use). Also recommended to bring along: towel and change of clothes.
The class consisted of every carer singing nursery rhymes along with the teacher/instructor, whilst she showed us different massage techniques on a baby dolly.

I was lucky enough to sit next to the instructor for the first session, which helped my bubba focus on her face rather than whether he liked being stripped down to his nappy in front of all these babies or not!
We learned different motions for the full body as well as techniques to help ease wind. The fun part for my bubba was when he was on his stomach and able to look around at all the other babies whilst enjoying a nice back massage.

I'd certainly recommend going to at least one baby massage class if there is one held near you as I found it fairly helpful to try new techniques I wouldn't have thought of at home after a bath for instance.

Baby Sign

credit: http://www.babysignlanguage.com/signs/drink.gif

Baby Sign (or Sign Language) is a fairly new concept whereby the babies are taught Sign Language and yes whilst most people associate Sign Language with deafness, this concept is to do with babies learning to communicate before they're able to speak, to ease frustration.

I first knew about Baby Sign when I saw my friend Ayan's son sign to her before he could talk and I knew there and then that one day my baby was going to go sign class!

The course is held over 6 weeks (1 hour sessions), usually with two instructors/teachers and at the end the babies get certificates too which is quite cute despite the fact they have no idea they're on a course haha.

The first session covers why Baby Sign is handy;

• empowers babies to communicate earlier
• boosts self confidence - can allow a baby to communicate frustrations
• can help parents identify a baby's needs
• enhances bonding/interaction

I have to add my own benefit for Baby Sign too- 

• Multi lingual babies - if you plan on teaching your child more than one language, Baby Sign is a great way to use the Sign for an object/action in English, then reinforce it in the language you're also using (in my case Arabic).

I was quite impressed with this extra benefit when I discovered I could talk in both English and Arabic for the same Sign word and I'm interested to see if my little boy picks up on it.

The sessions consist of starting by saying Hello to each baby, then on to learning words of the day in Sign (e.g. one week Animals, one week Basics/Meal Times, Nappy/Bath time and so on).
The Sign words are used within Nursery rhymes that we sing together in a group with the actions to reinforce it to the babies who sometimes stare mesmerised at all these mummies/carers doing all the actions and singing.

There are also various activities that the instructors then do.. much to their own amusement at times which is funny for us parents to see too. Things like "what's in the bag" (followed by more relevant nursery rhymes related to the object pulled out), musical instruments and then bubbles!
The babies love the bubbles, the way their faces are in awe when the bubbles are falling around them is priceless.

I'm currently on my third course of Baby Sign and at the first course I noticed my little bubs was deeply concentrating and taking it all in with an expressionless face (which is weird for him as he would usually smile at anyone and everyone).

The second course we started attending with my cousin and her baby who he is familiar with and it was cute to see my little munchkin act like a big brother saying "look, its my class!" 
It was at the second course that he began to get confident and army crawl away from me to explore with the other babies.

Now on the third course, he's definitely confident and knows the routine; actually playing instruments, grabbing objects and of course staring intently at the bubbles and waiting for the instructor to blow them.

Sign language wise - he certainly learned the Meal Times/food related Sign words ("drink milk", "eat food" etc) and would grunt impatiently if I mentioned "drink milk". I now have to mime the word "milk" or "eat" to friends/family for fear of him thinking it's time to eat or drink haha

"Bath time" is another favourite of his, he knows what's to come if I sign for "bath" and bounces excitedly. He understands "Change Nappy" and "Sit" as well as "Lie Down/Sleep" so it's quite impressive to see this.

Honestly speaking, I think my baby is developing verbally/cognitively more than physically, so I'm yet to see him Sign himself, but I think he'll actually speak words before he learns to sign; he's constantly babbling away with different tones of voice which I'm sure he thinks is actual words but it's just handy for me to Sign whilst I do an activity and helps him concentrate on what I'm saying as opposed to be oblivious to noises coming out of my mouth lol.

Anyway!! 
As you can tell, I'm definitely a Baby Sign fan and would recommend any parents to take their child along to at least two courses if it's offered near them.

It does take practising at home too though, but to be fair the words taught at the class are things we'd be doing on daily basis a fair few times anyway seeing as babies eat poop and sleep more than anything haha.


So that's my verdict on the classes I've attended so far, I'd recommend getting out and about to any mum (especially new ones), it's great to meet other mums/parents and also actually feels good to get out for you and baby too with the change of scenery.

I'd love to know if you're a mum/carer who has attended any baby classes and what you thought, and I'd love any suggestions too!

FFF: Glittery Gold and Red Makeup Look

Hi my lovelies!

Last week was a busy week for me as my baby boy turned 1, so I didn't get time to blog but not to worry, I'm back this week with a makeup look that I hope you like =D

I thought I'd go for another gold glittery look, the last one I did was back in January 2013 and this look is fairly similar, but using different brands. I also tweaked a couple things; instead of the black eyeliner on the lower waterline I opted for a nude in this look as well as wearing colour contacts of course, and I also tried two different shades of bold red lips this time around - the bright red Illamasqua "Maneater" lipstick and the dark berry Motives lipstick in "Naughty".
 
Products used:
Eyes:
• UDPP & NYX JEP in Milk
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade - Ebony
• Motives eyeshadows: Whipped Cream (inner corner highlight), Gold Rush & Goddess (eyelid), Cappuccino & Hot Chocolate (crease), Vanilla (brow bone), Heavy Metal (lower lashline)
• MAC Reflects Gold Pigment with Anastasia BH Beauty Genius
• Urban Decay Midnight Cowboy and Baked Heavy Metal Glitter eyeliners
• Illamasqua Colouring Pencil Vow (lower waterline)
• NYC Liquid Eyeliner
• Estee Lauder Little Black Primer Mascara
• Ardell Lashes: Demi 117
• Lenses: Desio Lens in Forest Green
Face:
• Motives Quad in Medium
• House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel for contouring and concealing under foundation, and "Illuminate" for highlighting on top
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit - Fawn, Java, Havana for contour, Banana and Sand for highlight
• Motives Blush in Runway
Lips: 
• Illamasqua lipstick in Maneater
• Motives lipstick in Naughty

Let me know which lip you prefer to go with this look and how it compares to my last gold glittery look!

                

Sunday Swatches: House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll Lipstick

So if you've been following me on Instagram you may have seen me post a pic recently of House Of GlamDolls' GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll lipstick.

As you saw in the previous makeup look, I've had a chance to play around with the products and thought I'd share the swatches and review on my skintone.

But first, a bit about House Of GlamDolls. 
House Of GlamDolls (HOGD) is a studio space in Islington (London) created for professional makeup activities; not only are they a school/venue, they also have a range of artist products such as the GlamBase Wheel, GlamDoll Lipstick, affordable eyelashes and more.

I was lucky enough to be sent the GlamBase Wheel and GlamDoll lipstick by HOGD creative director Chinyee and have met HOGD Makeup Artist David Horne on several occasions at previous Illamasqua events where he developed amazing products such as the Skin Base/Skin Base Lift, Hydra and Matte Veils amongst more.

So I was most definitely intrigued when I received information about this GlamBase Wheel and was eager to try it out, considering the current craze for contouring! I've also recently discovered the MDMFlow lipsticks and was pleased to receive the HOGD lipstick in "GlamDoll", both of which are swatched below.

GlamBase Wheel

I received the GlamBase Wheel 1 (shade 2 is for darker skintones, probably around NC/NW 40+).

Colour & Pigmentation: The whole wheel consists of cream pigments that have extremely intense colour payoff, so a little goes a long way.
My personal favourites are Illuminate- perfect for that Kim K super highlighted look. I also love that Sculpt 1 is an ashy/taupe contour colour. 
To be fair, I love the whole wheel.
Texture: The texture of this product is really thick and pigmented, and slightly dry. I'd recommend using the fingers to warm the product up a bit so that it doesn't cake up. And most probably use something like HydraVeil underneath if you have dry skin.
Packaging: I was strongly reminded of a concealer wheel I've seen by Kryolan when I saw the packaging! The windowed compact is so handy to grab at a glance, particularly if you're a makeup artist and have both the shades in your kit.
Price: Priced at £25 this complexion enhancer mixing wheel is very reasonably priced (around the same sort of price as the Kryolan concealer wheel).

FrootiFactor: Compared to other similar contouring/highlighting products on the market, I really really like that this one is particularly suitable for my skintone; I feel like all of the shades are usable up until maybe NC/NW40/42, so I love how versatile it is and would definitely recommend it for makeup artists and contour enthusiasts. I give it a 5 out of 5.

GlamDoll Lipstick - MDMFlow

HOGD collaborated with MDMFlow creator Florence to create this exclusive signature hot pink shade in "GlamDoll". 

Colour & Pigmentation: "GlamDoll" is hot pink lipstick and is pretty pigmented (satin).
Texture: The lipstick is available in two textures: Satin (strongly pigmented) and Sheer (glaze).
Packaging: When I first discovered MDMFlow, to be honest I was attracted to the packaging and embossed "MDMFlow" detail on the lipstick bullet. As with all shiny packaging, though it looks pretty, its hard to not get fingerprints on and unfortunately my bullet was snapped at the base so I'll have to use the lipstick with a brush or depot it from the beautiful packaging *cries*.
Longevity: I like that the lipstick leaves a slight stain on the lips, making it seem to last longer.
Scent: No particular scent.
Price: At £18, this lip product is slightly pricey, however if you're attracted to shiny pretty things like me, chances are you'll love adding this to your collection too.

FrootiFactor: I'm glad I got to finally try a MDMFlow lipstick through HOGD no less; aside from the fingerprint issue, the lipstick is a gorgeous pink that I would definitely wear particularly in the Summer or when I want to inject a bit of colour! I give the lipstick a 4.5 out of 5 

All HOGD products are available to buy from the House Of GlamDolls website.
Be sure to check the site out also, for more info and tips on how to use the GlamBase Wheel and of course check out the makeup courses and other classes/events they hold.

What do you think of the House Of GlamDolls GlamBase Wheel? Which product would you buy?