Jenny Saville inspired abstract makeup. I really enjoyed doing this, I feel as though I was going back to how I started getting in to Makeup in the first place! I used to just sit and paint myself crazy when I was younger. 

I mainly used a mix of liquid foundations and OCC Creme Color Concentrate for the white areas, and mascara for the speckled detail. The main brush or tool I used was a small sculpting palette knife. The poses are a little unusual - this was intentional! Not just a bad selfie day. I thought the similarity would be increased if the pose was like the models she paints in her over sized portraits. Here's an example of her work!

Discounted Illamasqua Nail Varnish and Bourjois Lashes!

I am always on the look out for a bargain - especially when it comes to cosmetics. It's not like most items are reasonably priced... Even if they are,  we wonder if this is a reflection of the poorer quality of the cheaper product. From my experience working within the beauty industry, I'm aware of the wide gap between the cost or 'trade price' of a product and the actual recommended retail price (RRP) for consumers. This is why I sometimes begrudge paying the full retail price for an item I know did not cost as much to produce, and the extra money on top is for the brand name or designer packaging, or purely for the profit of the company.

This is why it's fabulous when you find premium brand makeup for less! You should always shop around and do your research before shelling out a lot of money on an unfamiliar or new product. I've found that in many cases the quality and performance of cheaper products match that of premium and sometimes luxury brands. And a lot of companies actually use the same suppliers and manufacturers behind the scenes, and a few even own smaller drug-store companies too, so if you shop wisely you can find almost identical products for a much lower price.

Here are some beauty STEALS!

I love Illamasqua! Every product of theirs I've tried has been a performer. 

I found a range of nail Varnish in my local TK Maxx store for £3.99 each! RRP £14.50 - a saving of £10.51! I only treat myself to the shade 'Creator' , but there were about 7 shades and finishes to choose from including matte and glitter. 2 Layers of this and you're good to go.

These Bourjois lashes usually retail for around £6.00 from most stores. When picking up some cleaning supplies from the pound shop (like a dollar store!), I stumbled across these! They cost me a grand total of £2.00 for both packs, a saving of approximately £10.00. I probably wouldn't have bought these if they weren't so cheap, but they'll be great for back ups on shoots or layering of lashes for a fuller look.

I've actually had the pair on the right before, but by a different brand. They were sold by ARTDECO, a german brand that a few years ago teamed up with Dita Von Teese when she released her makeup line with them. These DVT Artdeco lashes retailed at £14! And they are practically the same.

I can't guarantee that these products will be in all UK TK Maxx or Poundshop shops due to the nature of how they stock their stores, but keep a look out and you may just find a bargain!

If you like Elizabeth Arden skincare you should also check out your local TK Maxx as they had some fantastic sets that retail for more than double the price in Debenhams or House of Fraser.

Step by step Brow tutorial...

I usually do my brows towards the end of my makeup, once my eye shadow is done.
My primer neutralizes any discoloration on my lids, but if you have any dark or red areas - go ahead and buff some concealer onto the brow bone first.

1 - To begin, use a brow brush or disposable mascara wand and brush your brows upwards and away from the center of the face. Then gently comb the tail end of the brow down towards the top of the ear.

2 - The product I used in this tutorial was Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate by Anastasia Beverly Hills with a Real Techniques Hard Angled brush from the Nic's Picks collection. The first line of product I apply is along the base of the brow, above the iris. Gently drag the brush up towards the arch. This should be the darkest line, so use the most amount of product - however a few dabs will do.
For a longer brow like mine, take that bottom line up through the arch and then continue over the brow bone - tapering the brush across and down so the line becomes the top part of the tail.

3 - Extend the tail end until it finishes softly along the brow bone. I think it looks much sharper if your eyeliner wing and brow are equally extended. I find this is easier to do with your head to the side of the mirror. Make sure the end is straight and not flicking upwards, which it tends to do if you look straight on when applying.

Going for a longer brow will make your eye area appear wider. If you'd like to make your eyes appear rounder, go for a more curved arched shape, and don't extend the ends as far towards the temple.

4 - Using what ever's left on the brush - draw a soft line along the top of the brow. Try and make it almost parallel to the bottom.

5 - Fill in the area between the bottom and top lines with small quick hair-like strokes. Again, use what ever's left on the brush but if there's not enough only dip it in the product once or twice.

6 - Hold the brush horizontally and draw a line at the base of the centre front part of your brow. Try not to raise your eyebrows, relax your face and you'll achieve a straighter line. Keeping that brush on it's side, hold it from the base line and comb it upwards through the hairs until you create a gradual shade.

7 - Turn the brush vertically now and lightly stroke the brush against the skin in an upwards motion to emulate real hairs. You really want this part of the brow to look as natural as possible.

8 - Use a small amount of a light cream concealer with a soft blending brush and line along the lower brow line. Try to get as close as possible without disturbing any brows. Do this with your face relaxed also and you'll achieve a cleaner line. Blend the concealer out with the brush or your finger. I find less is more, so you don't disrupt any eye shadow but the highlight is strong and defines the brow.

9 - This last step is optional, but great if you have unruly brows like mine that stick out in odd directions. Using a clear or tinted brow gel, gently comb through the brows up and away from your face as before. And fluff what ever product is left upwards through the center front part.


Tada! The advice I give when asked how to improve your brows is to be mindful of what you're doing - think of the position of your hand and the shape you're trying to achieve. And take your time! If you haven't got time - get up earlier.

It's my first time...

using the new Cream Series by ABH. Now, this is only my second video so please bare with me whilst I improve them!



And apologies for my bad skin, I have quite bad acne, it's relatively calm at the minute apart from that rock on my forehead that I failed to fully conceal. Sorry about that...

Here's the full look from the video. Skip parts you're not interested in, I realise it's pretty long, I do my brows and lips towards the end.

Here's the full list of products that I used:

Rimmel TrueMatch Foundation - for a lightweight base
Dermablend Concealer Palette in Fair
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - Bargain! Really brightens and lasts
Mac Soft Ochre Paint Pot - to prime and even the eye lids
ABH Light Cream Contour palette - Using mainly Banana, Vanilla and cinnamon
ARTDECO Loose Fixing Powder - Dita Von Teese packaging is now discontinued
ARTDECO Shade 22 Dita Von Teese Blush
ARTDECO Glam Couture Luxury Baked Powder - sadly discontinued, also part of the DVT series
ABH Contour Powder shade Java
ABH & Tamanna 'Dress Your Face' palette Chocolate & Bengal
ARTDECO Shade 27 Jungle Fever Eyeshadow - above the lash line and inner eye
ABH Waterproof Creme Color in Jet
Benefit Roller Lash mascara
ABH Dipbrow Pomade in Chocolate with Real Techniques hard angled brush
Mac Studio Sculpt concealer in NC15 to neaten and highlight below the brows
ARTDECO Dita Von Teese lipliner - any bright red will do but Artdeco lipliners are the real deal
ABH Liquid Lipstick in Blood Line


Hope you enjoy the video. Feedback is welcome, please subscribe to my YouTube channel if you like!

Recent Makeup by Sophie Cash, Hair by Dom at UrbanQTR

SIGMA Mystery box!

I recently received a mystery box from Sigma. I was expecting brushes, but to my amazement I found a little haul of bright & colourful cosmetics! I've swatched them and they seem great so far. I'll create a colorful look with these products soon! There's nothing like the buzz of new makeup! Thank you Sigma!

NEW Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Cream Series!

I can't fault the powder contour books and shades that ABH has brought out, but oh my has she out done herself this time! Anastasia has developed CREAM Contour shades! And they're brilliant!

There's currently a choice of 3 books with different shades grouped together, there's Light, Medium and the Deep kit. An additional 'Fair Kit' is coming soon! Exciting!
Compared to the powders which can be used for light to heavy shading/highlighting - the creams can be used for a more dramatic sculpted face. They're pretty thick but not dry, easy to blend and the shades I used (Light kit) seem well thought out and complimented my skin tone, which is light/neutral.

PRO TIP: Formula was specifically developed to stay put when layered with foundation and concealer. Dab your brush in a drop of oil when applying to the face to increase blendability as desired.

Finish: Matte and full coverage. My skin looks smooth and imperfection-less. I think next time though I shall avoid using them so much around the eye area as I always crease throughout the day.

These will retail for $40 each, which I think is a fair price, considering you get 4.5g of each colour, and the packaging is convenient and clean for personal or professional use. Hopefully the shades will be sold individually too! I can see my powder ABH contour book becoming neglected in the near future!