{a guide to : false lashes}

The ability to apply false lashes (well) is becoming an increasingly demanding life skill. I cant live without several pairs on rotation to suit different occasions; from a glamorous night out to lunch at a chic cafe. It is very easy to get lash choosing and application very wrong; yet I find if you stick to a flattering lash that actually fits your eye, and placed correctly on your lid - always on top of a slick of black liner, its fool proof.

My favourite ways to wear a lash are (as pictured at Gucci SS12) with a flawless, dewy base, a groomed brow and nothing too statement making with your makeup - allowing you to go full-on with your lashes.. Look to the Gucci Spring/Summer collection for inspiration. I also like to team fluttery lashes (like MAC 7 Lashes) with a smokey eye and strong brow, long fluttery yet not thick lashes work better than anything else to open your eyes with heavy makeup.

r u l e s  o f  l a s h  a p p l i c a t i o n . . .

1. Never apply lashes without a good coating of lengthening and volumising mascara first (my favourite ever, fail safe mascaras are Benefit Bad Gal Lash and Maxfactor False Lash Effect - the new 'fusion' version in the purple tube is even better).

2. Same goes for a slick of eyeliner - liquid or gel, whichever type of girl you are, I'm personally all for liquid, specifically Lancome Art Liner, but my gel-friends tell me no one does gel better than Bobbi Brown.

3. If you're using eyeshadow, make sure you apply it before the lashes, it'll stop you getting too much powder on the lashes and keep them blackest black for longer.

{a guide to : smokey eyes}

This seasons new beauty take on 'gothic drama' can be interpreted in one of many ways; today I'm focusing on creating a stunning dramatic, dark eye.

My fail-safe route to re-create this look would include a radiance-giving primer, and a glowy yet high coverage foundation; NARS Sheer Glow would probably be the ultimate in this category - to prevent skin looking chalky and veering on the wrong side of gothic! - followed by a ton of highlighter and pinky/peachy blush (my favourite would be NARS Orgasm). A flattering yet fuss free lip (try MAC Lipstick in Hue or Angel) leaves the face looking polished and ready to start on the eyes.

I find a simple, smokey eye is best achieved with (all eye shadows by MAC) a slick of Patina all over the lid, with Satin Taupe blended from the outer corner to about three quarters of the way through your lid, before adding a slick of gel liner covered with Black Tied and a little in the outer corner to add depth. Lashings of mascara and some dramatic lashes (My current favourites are MAC 7 or 8s) and you're good to go. You could of course take things up a notch...

The Rachelle Edit: The Best Beauty of 2012

You know me; I believe that if something isn't broke - don't fix it. This motto rings true when it comes to my skincare and makeup routine, I have favourites that consistently work for me which I've used for a number of years. It is fun to try new products and replace something which isn't doing what it used to for ya so I've made a list over the last few weeks of my very favourite products I've discovered throughout 2012..

1. We saw the launch of the new Creme de la Mer Soft Cream this year, and it is bloody amazing. All the benefits of the original version but a million times easier to work with, and more effective. 

2. Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Deep was always my go-to bronzer until one fateful day browsing the stands of Space NK, leading to the swatching of the famous NARS Laguna - and I've never looked back. The perfect tanned but never orange colour, perfect for both contouring and adding some warmth to my face all year round - its everything I ever looked for in a bronzer! 

3. Come the beginning of October, I was ready for a darker lip to embrace the colder months, Mac matte lipstick in Diva has been my the answer to my prayers. A beautiful deep lip looks so striking with creamy skin and a slick of gel liner; my lips are far from the luscious loveliness of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's, but when filled in neatly with a lip brush I definetley feel a step closer! 

4. This year is the first that I've had the pleasure to try the famous Essie Nail Polishes; I bought Peach Daiquri to wear on my toes with summer sandals and was amazed by the creamy consistency, fan-brush which applies like a dream and the incredible chip-resistant finish. No nail polish lasts like Essie. Fast-forward a few months and my finger nails are pretty much a continuous loop of (left to right) Leading Lady (a deep red with gorgeous glitter), Jazz (the perfect greigey nude), Wicked (my favourite EVER shade - it goes with everything and makes your nails look longer) and Muchi Muchi (a Kardashian-esque soft pink). 

A Beauty Revolution? | Three-Way Eyeliner

I think I've made it pretty clear that I do enjoy a statement eye. But, how many times can you strike a thick swath of liner across your lid à la Bardot without getting a little antsy to try something new? Clarins’ new 3-Dot Liner is kind of the answer to our prayers ladies, a three-pronged black eyeliner pen, intended to be applied at the base of the eyelashes to thicken your lashline without looking like you’re wearing any eyeliner at all. But, because maybe we don’t take direction that well, we were similarly impressed by how it simultaneously draws three perfectly parallel lines wherever you want them.

Not only is the result not boring, but if you keep the pen flat and twist it up at the end of your lash line, it can lend the appearance of freakishly long and plentiful eyelashes. 

You can thank me later. rachel xo

Backstage Beauty: Fall 2012 Haute Couture | Christian Dior

Inspired by Christian Dior's architectural vision, Simons' designs boasted familiar silhouettes with new, contemporary touches—a message he translated to hairstylist Guido Palau and makeup artist Pat McGrath. Gone were the coiffed couture updos, the perfect red lips, and the winged black liner of old. In their place: air-dried, blunt-cut middle parts; matte, multi-tonal mouths; and electric cat-eyes with coloured lashes.

Designed by Dior creative director of makeup Tyen, the palette of colors employed backstage was positively futuristic. Using a full-coverage skin tint, like CoverGirl & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation dusted with its Pressed Powder, Pat McGrath kept complexions paled out and matte, save for a slight contour on cheekbones that she created with a pink blush. She then turned her attention to eyes that came in four different iterations, all of which boasted two unifying factors in the form of white kohl liner along the inner rims and a thick slick of chrome cream eye shadow, like CoverGirl Intense ShadowBlast in Platinum Pop.

Beauty Icon: Brigitte Bardot

Model, actress, singer - French fatale Brigitte Bardot has led an amazing life. Starring in over fifty films, popularising the bikini, a romance with Serge Gainsbourgh, a millionaire playboy husband and a bedroom scene with Hermes icon Jane Birkin, in her heyday, Bardot was the only one to watch.

Breathtakingly beautiful and explicitly sensual, her beauty is still iconic. With her signature cat eye, trademark tousled blonde locks, a girly grin and womanly curves, in the 1950's she was equalled only by Marilyn Monroe as an international bombshell.

The easiest way to achieve a Bardot flick is with Bobbi Browns Gel Liner in Black Ink on their Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush which has two sides, allowing you to do both thick and thin lines. Build up your liner in stages and clean up with a cotton bud dipped in eye makeup remover. Look straight ahead in the mirror when getting the angle of your flick in the correct place - it should give your eyes a subtle lift, crucial for getting Bardot's kittenish, sexy appeal.