OIL PULLING - HOLY GRAIL OR FAD?

Recently a friend posted a Facebook link to Oil Pulling. Originally a traditional method for keeping the mouth healthy it has, in recent times, become something of a phenomenon, sparking much debate online and within the natural health communities. 

So here I at 6am on a Monday morning about to try it for myself… Turns out I'm not a natural swiller and only last 5 minutes with the oil in my mouth before I spit it out - bleugh! My lips do feel beautifully moisturised though and the faint taste of Coconut is pleasant. I will endeavour to continue this routine once a day, building up to 20 minutes and report back on my findings.

What is Oil Pulling?

Swilling Organic Unrefined Coconut Oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes a day

What does it do?

Supposedly rids your mouth of bacteria to improve oral and overall health

Benefits of Oil Pulling?

• Whitens teeth

• Strengthens your teeth, gums and jaw and has been recommended for those with sensitised teeth.

• Prevents cavities & gingivitis.

• Clear Breathing and Reduced Allergies

• Reducing Skin Conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis

• Aids in overall detox

• Prevents Bad Breath

• Remedy for General Pain and hormonal Imbalances

Does it really work?

There's a huge amount of discussion out there on the web about Oil Pulling...

My teeth are so so so much whiter (which is great cause I can’t do any sort of white strips- my teeth are too sensitive), I have been sleeping much easier which is a big feat for this insomniac, my teeth have been less sensitive to hot & cold, & the best result of all- MY JAW PAIN HAS DECREASED BIG TIME!!! I have major jaw issues & awful TMJ 

- Fashion Lush

Negatives?

Oil pulling’s positive effects are based entirely on anecdote and not at all on clinical research – because there’s been very little. Pubmed lists six clinical studies related to oil pulling, all performed in India, and their quality and results seem all over the map. Some do indicate mild improvement in gum health, comparable to mouthwash use. But they’re not well blinded, use very small sample sizes and involve oil pulling only as part of a proper oral hygiene regimen. So it’s impossible to tell what’s causing said improvement. 

- Skeptoid

Like it or loathe it? I would love to hear your thoughts and, of course, I will keep up with my efforts and report back if I notice any improvement on my overall health and general wellbeing.

SOME MAKEUP FAVOURITES FOR UNDER £10

It's just occurred to me how much time I spend 'diving' into my local Boots or Superdrug to get supplies for my kit and it's strange I've never written a post specifically about products stocked in these stores. Here are some of my favourites for under £10.

Set of 3 Clear Makeup Bags £5.99 Superdrug

In a great range of sizes perfect for at home or you kit. You can see exactly what's in there (essential if you have two suitcases full of makeup like me) and know that nothings spilled and everything is neat and in order. 

Barry M Pigments £4.59 Superdrug

I absolutely love pigments for creating a strong look and at a quarter the price of some other brands you can afford to buy, play and experiment.

Katy Perry Lashes £5.95 Superdrug

I go through lashes like there's no tomorrow - especially for my private clients who adore them. These particular ones in the range "Oh Honey" are soft and fluffy with a slight flick at the outer corners - great for all eye shapes.

Real Techniques Setting Brush £8.99 Boots

From the amazing Pixi Woos girls - I only have one brush from the range and absolutely love it. The setting brush is perfect for powder touch ups and the right size for around the nose, chin and forehead. Must invest in more!

No7 Clear Lash and Brow Perfector £8.50 Boots

Great for mens grooming or a super natural look on the lashes or brows. A friend recently said she uses it over the top of mascara to separate her lashes more. I literally use it on every single job! Boots also regularly do some great deals which means you can get money off or even free - love it.

Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush £7.99 Boots

I recently borrowed this from a friend and was very reluctant to give it back. Yet another product I have vowed to invest in the whole line (not a bank breaker as there's only three in the range).

KRYOLAN RE-LAUNCH EVENT

For the family owned brand that has always married science and the creative art of Make Up, the Royal Society of Chemistry in Burlington House was the perfect venue for Kryolan's re-launch last night. 

The brand was born in the 1940s, founded by chemistry student Arnold Langer, wanting to combine his two loves, science and theatre. The family tradition continues, last night was hosted by Arnold’s son Wolfram who is now the Managing Director of the company and grandson Dominik, also a director. Impressively Arnold, now in his 90s, still works four days a week at the company – now that, my friends, is passion and dedication. 

The event re-introduced us to the brand and its philosophy that ‘Make-Up is a Science’ and provides cosmetics for all aspects of the industry. Models personified these 5 key areas – Fashion, Special Effects, Cinema, Theatre, Body Art and walked among us as part of the evening. 

Did you also know that this is the brand that also creates the Illamasqua formula and products? Click here to link to the Illamasqua brand video which has so much information on the history of Kryolan.

Right, down to the nitty gritty, what were my highlights?

In a stroke of genius, bare face models were provided for the Kryolan team to demonstrate on and for us to try out products, yippee! Make-up artist Kenneth Soh got stuck in first trying out the Shimmering Event Foundation in Antique Bronze- a sheer, glowing formula that could only be described as a ‘dirty highlight’ and quite delicious. I’ve made a mental note to have a play with the rest of the range which includes 6 shades - Pearl, Silver, Gold, Antique Gold, Bronze, Antique Bronze and properly try them out on top of and combined with foundations. 

Next the Shimmering Vision Palette (I love these names!) was pawed over, a range of 18 cream eyeshadow colours that look silky, burnished and glowing on the skin. The shadows had a great colour pay-off and may need to be set with a translucent powder or a powder eyeshadow for longevity – again I’m sure more time spent with this product is in order. 

I was dragged over to see the HD Micro Foundation Cream Palette which is available in a handy 15 colour range (perfect for your kit). I also discovered this was the make-up used on the Miss Universe pageant  - total digression but you have to watch Drop Dead Georgeous - a fantastic beauty queen satire!  It is a very light and creamy formula, delivering a glossy finish so will need to be expertly powdered in some areas of the face such as the chin, sides of the nose and centre of the forehead. It may be possible to use this luminosity as an advantage – using lighter colours as highlighters and warmer colours for naturally glowing cheeks. Needless to say, added to the proverbial list.

Finally I indulged my inner drag queen and got (literally) stuck in to some glitter with the Hydro-Mastix Washable Spirit Gum which is water based – I wonder if it can be used around the eyes and lips? Add it to the list of things to find out! 

All in all the evening was a lovely way to be re-introduced to the brand, meet up with some old chums, make some great new friends and a scrummy taster of the huge range of products available from Kryolan. Most importantly it is great to see that family owned brands at this level still exist and I believe deserve the continued support of artists in the industry. A visit to Kryolan's London home - Charles Fox with a good few hours of play time is clearly in order!

For some candid shots of the event and products check out my Twitter and Instagram (KathGould_MUA)

KIT CLASSICS FROM CAMILA FERNANDEZ

Make-up Artist Camila Fernandez shares her favourite kit products

At London Fashion week this year I was talking to my buddy and fellow Make-Up Artist Camila Fernandez about some of our favourite products. While a lot of our bits were the same we also introduced each other to some new gems - this led to the inspiration for today's post.

Camila has very kindly agreed to to fill us in on her current kit loves:

Clinique Airbrush Concealers £17

I absolutely love this product for using under the eyes. It conceals as well as illuminates, without creating that “panda eye” look. My most used shade is “Neutral Fair”. I also find that unlike other concealers, whilst still creamy it is light in texture and sets well (without looking dry) making it last on the skin.

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealers £26

These concealers do not budge and cover even the most pesky of blemishes. The high level of pigment means you require very little product to achieve complete coverage. Each one has a unique two-shade system, one to match the skins depth of color & one to match the skins undertone.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector £33

I first discovered this product when I assisted the amazing Lisa Eldridge. This highlighting cream works a bit like MAC’s strobe but without the harsh blue tones and much more reflective (and effective!). You can mix with your foundation however I mostly like using it along the cheekbones to make the skin look dewy. I used to always use shade “Pearl” but recently they brought out “Moonstone” which is a light gold tone – which I actually now prefer!
I posted about this product earlier this week - link to it here

Bags By Kirsty Set bag £28.99

Set bags were always something I was having issues with. I could never find anything in them, they were either too big, too small, not enough pockets, not the right sized pockets etc… When I was working on the junket for ‘American Pie Reunion” I enviously spied another make-up artist with the niftiest set bag. She put me on to www.bagsbykirsty.co.uk which is an online shop created by another make-up artist having similar woes!
The bag that I’m currently rocking is “set bag 1” with a retro apple side panel design and shoulder strap. These genius bags have a tissue dispenser, inside pockets and two circular side holders for your brush holder (I put my Paris Berlin brush tube in them) or hairspray (if you do both).

Sponges - cheap as chips!

Sponges are a tool that I never used because I considered them to be dated and didn’t see the point of, “I have hundreds of brushes that do the job just as well.” I thought. Or so I did until I started working with the legendary Kay Montano, who is also the total don when it comes to skin! She taught me to only apply foundation where it is needed, if the model doesn’t have any blemishes on the forehead? Then leave it bare. It’s beautiful to actually SEE the skin, not cover it in a one dimensional mask. Kay has taught me to blend and take away product using sponges to create a flawless base.

View more of Camila's work on her website here.

 

BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR

A product that has continually appeared on my radar over the last wee while is the BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector. A number of makeup artists, including Lisa Eldridge have listed it as an adored classic and recently I dipped in to a friends makeup kit backstage at one of London's Fashion week shows to try it for myself.

The product does exactly what it says on the bottle - delivering a highlighted shimmer without glitter in a light, smooth fluid in four shades:


Pearl - a soft pearlised illuminator giving a soft sheen without the violet pigments contained in many so it doesn't look blue or icy on the skin. In fact it doesn't really leave a colour at all, just leaves a dewy, glowing highlight.

Opal - a warm pinky/peach which I have seen used on pale cheeks to give a very subtle flush or layered underneath powder blush. Beautiful when mixed with foundation for glowing skin in editorial work.

Moonstone - a pale gold, fantastic highlighter on yellow/olive skin tones.

Topaz - a golden bronze wonderful to mix with foundation and buff onto the cheeks for the ultimate summer glow. Gorgeous on dark skin as a highlighter.


What I really love about this range is that it is so beautifully light and buffs onto moisturised skin like a dream. It doesn't contain glitter unlike many other highlighters - more like finely ground pearlised pigments so it looks simply like dewy skin rather then makeup.

Click this link to go to Beccas website- 
Shimmering Skin Perfector 
50ml/1.7 fl oz pump bottle 
£33.00