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This is a great video blog demonstrating how to create a summer signature look using the fabulous Lavera make up range. This video tutorial includes a number of professional make up tips that are useful. Annabella is a TV producer and has hosted numerous TV shows. Like me She loves fashion and beauty, but wants it to come at less of a cost to the earth and to our bodies so her aim is to find fabulous eco and organic products.

Annabella used the following Lavera Products:

• Beautiful Mineral Eyeshadow – Golden Beige #2
• Beautiful Mineral Eyeshadow – Chocolate Brown #8
• Liquid Eyeliner – Black
• Double Black Mascara – Black
• Eyeliner No. 1 black

View the Lavera makeup range

When it comes to makeup, I am a hoarder. My makeup bag is bulging to the seams. Of what you may ask and indeed that is the question I asked myself the other day. The answer is below:

• 1 old compact with a scrap of makeup left and 1 newish one
• 3 grey eyeliner pencils (clearly my favourite colour!)
• 2 mascaras – one almost empty and out of date
• 3 shades of red lipstick, one pink and one plum
• 2 x eyeshadows, one that I can’t open despite my best efforts but that I continue to hope that one day I will be able to…

The contents of my makeup bag this morning.

So it’s confirmed, I am a hoarder.  In all honesty, I only use a couple of these items on a daily basis but still feel the need to cart the rest around. Apparently however, I am not alone. A British study of 1000 women found that 2/3rds of participants are reluctant to throw out makeup that is past its prime.  So what’s the problem? The study’s author says that while “beauty is timeless, our makeup is not”.

Certain types of makeup are more susceptible to bacterial infection or mould growth including liquid foundation, concealers and the worst is mascara. So tips for keeping your make up fresh and up to date:

• If your makeup is past its used by date, toss it particularly if it contains water as an ingredient. Water can be a breeding ground for bacteria.
• If you have an eye infection or cold sore avoid wearing makeup on the affected area. If you do wear it consider changing your mascara, lipstick and lipgloss as they may continue to carry the microorganisms that caused the initial infection.
• Don’t share mascara – eyes are very sensitive and cross contamination may occur.
• If the product smells or looks bad, throw it out. Best not to take the risk.
• If you are in your 30′s and were wearing the same makeup at highschool, it’s time for a change!

There are exceptions to these guidelines. Dry powdered products such as mineral make up generally don’t go off and they don’t contain water so not prone to microbial overgrowth.

So if like me, you are a hoarder, check out your make up bag and see if you have any products that are way overdue being replaced. And if you dare, tell us what gems you find!

While I love eye make up, my own style is quite boring and generally consists of grey eyeliner and mascara. Occasionally I glam up and apply some grey blue eyeshadow (Dream is my favorite) or even a dusky pink (I love Vintage) but it is rare. And so in the spirit of all things adventurous I started looking around for eye makeup ideas and came across some great video blogs from EcoTools. I have listed the links below and a bit of detail about each one. If you do try out any of these shades or styles, please let me know…and I will share my experiences next month. In the meantime if you see me in store with bright green eyeshadow, I am not trying to emulate Kermit the Frog…I am just trying something new!

• How to do Cat Eyes – this is such a simple but sassy look. To do easily use the Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush and Bamboo Eyeshading Brush. The eye colours you can use are:
  • Charm as a base colour with Lust or Serene as highlighting colours.
  • Or Its a Girl with black liquid eyeliner

• How to create a Smokey Eye – this is the ultimate in sultry eye makeup. Although this eye is often created using quite dark shades (black & grey) you can also adapt it using dark and light blue, dark brown and copper or even brown purple shades with antique pink. Be creative with this technique. I have previously done a video using Dream and Flirt from Minerelle but also recommend Ere Perez Smokey Eye Duo. For a different take, celebrity makeup artist Meredith Baraf talks through her technique using brown tones. Naturally she uses EcoTools brushes which are great from an eco-perspective – they are vegan, made from recycled materials and fast growing bamboo which has a low impact on the environment.

I will bring you more videos from our brands over the next few months as they bring new perspectives and tips. If you have any eye makeup application tips you would like to share please do so. I would love to read about them…and then try them out. And while I think green eyeshadow can look great…on me it looks awful so I take back my Kermit the Frog quip!