Sheila Morris circa 1946


Hi, I'm Brenda
My weekly blog will let you in on all my great finds and pearls of wisdom learned over 50 years in the beauty industry, from Elizabeth Arden Salon in Bond Street, to training girls all over Europe, then running the Elizabeth Arden training School in New York and looking after 13 salons, to finally ending up in Exeter, Devon with my own salon Visage for 25 years! I've been busy! and it all started when I was 11, with very dry, sore skin, so I borrowed my mothers beautiful Elizabeth Arden glass bottles (with little pink bows!) I started using a cleanser, toner and moisturiser, and I haven't looked back since! 

 

Luxe for Less

 

To shave or not to shave?

To shave or not to shave, that is the question! A bit of a personal one too! I’ve tried the derma blades that you use on your face to get rid of the fuzz, but I just couldn’t make them work! Useless! But getting back to your body, If you do shave try this wonderful, beautiful, lemon scented, Italian shaving cream, it really is quite lovely! It lasts for ages and I got mine on Amazon. 

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The wonder of EA 8hr!

What a great little Elizabeth Arden kit that I picked up in the Euro Star duty free in Paris (as you do!)We all know 8hr cream is the miracle cream, but I had no idea about their incredible hand cream and lip balm. Both are so silky soft and absorb so quickly . It’s a great little gift for someone or yourself! I’m keeping this one for me! 🤣

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Don’t be frightened of colour!

What's New? Don’t be frightened of colour! Especially going into Spring & Summer. This Revolution Mousse Eyeshadow is a fabulous colour called Lilac. At £3.99 it’s really good value. Soft and easy to use, with a brush or fingertip. Added some pencil in Twilight, which was actually a very old Cosmetics a la Carte one and finished off with Telescopic black mascara. So don’t let colour put you off or frighten you as it will give you that new look you want! 

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Velvet Cream Blusher, gorgeous!

What a lovely blusher! It’s a cream to powder one that you can use for a little, gentle colour or you can build the colour up. So very soft and sheeny (if that’s a word!) I totally love it! It’s Raspberry Ripple by Collection! looks good enough to eat! Oh it goes on so easily, I just love this! £2.99 in Superdrug

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For beautiful nails!

Another must-have nail product by Beauty Pie!If you are a “do it at home nail girl” do try this! It takes off the dead skin beautifully, leaving your nails in perfect shape!

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Brazillionaire!

An easy peasy eye! With the wonderful Brazilionaire Wondercolour Cream Shadow Stick from @beauty Pie, so soft and silky and easy to apply, just a few swipes and you’re done! Brilliant!  I had read so much about this wonderful crayon and how stunning the colour was, a rich bronze that suited all colourings. It’s always good to have a fail safe product with just the perfect colour, well this is it! Members price £12

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The blush everyone should have!

We all want a bit of extra help this time of year as the weather changes. I’ve got this super little powder blusher from The Collection by Superdrug in Rose 6. It’s one of those lovely, universal colours that suits everyone, a browny pink! Everyone should have something like this in their kit so you can just throw it on and not have to think too hard!  @collectioncosmetics_uk

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An easy eyeliner trick!

This  nifty Trinny London T-Kit brush set £28 it’s a perfect little number! It means you don’t need 3 separate brushes! I used the angled one, loaded up some Langmanni Eye Crayon. In Metallic Smoke and not so carefully placed it along the upper lash line to the outer corners with a little flick at the end. So soft, so easy to use, so much better than a hard crayon! 

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New Brushes!

The Primark Bronzing Brush and the Mini Foundation & Concealer brush are my two new favourites! I particularly like the mini one, some how it fits into your hand a little more easily! But the best part is the nifty little concealer brush. It’s exactly the correct size to get in all those nooks and crannies! Both are under £2!

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First steps before my makeup

A few things I do to make sure I’m ready for my makeup! A quick wipe over with a Micellar Water, I’m using the Garnier one at the moment, It gives me a fresher base, I go over my eyebrows with a q-tip loaded with the Micellar water too! A little bit of Nuxe Reve Miel Lip Balm £9, gives me lovely soft lips and some brown eye pencil in between my lashes gives me more definition  and a thicker looking lash line! Well it all helps! 

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Have you tried this yet?

Am I mad! Nivea Cream! Have you tried this super, little, iconic cream? Well it’s soft, smooth and smells lovely. Rich and creamy, ideal for a dry and normal skin. Mix a little face oil with it if you want it slightly thinner, I prefer it undiluted! Ideal to replenish your skin after the summer and prepare it for the colder months! Try it! You’ll be surprised! But buy the little blue tin, don’t go for anything else, get the original!  £2.50 75ml Superdrug

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Do you have terrible nails?

Do you have terrible nails? I do, but this is really helping. After too many years I care to count of having my hands in creams, lotion and potions as a Face Treatment Specialist for Elizabeth Arden, Director of Training and then my own salon for 25 years, my nails are completely done in! It’s so easy to give up, and I’m embarrassed to say that’s what I did! It was only when they were getting even worse that I gave myself a good talking too! Consistency is always the key and a good product! So I started in earnest a couple of weeks ago, day and night with this lovely smelling, easy, quick (essential for me!) product. I really like it. Sally Hansen Cuticle Massage Cream £7.95 from Amazon. You only need a tiny amount! Things are looking better. https://www.sallyhansen.com/en-us/nail-care/nail-care/sally-hansen-cuticle-massage-cream

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Something was missing!

This contour stick is such a great colour, you can really use it everywhere. It is very easy to use, and very fluid able, in a soft milk chocolate brown. I tried a little Collection Contour stick no 3 (from Superdrug £4.99) just above my eyesocket, blend it in with a clean fluffy brush, and you’ve got instant definition! It’s a great, quick trick! 

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If it’s good enough for Sienna Miller!

With just a few strategic swipes across your cheeks, that’s all you need, well and maybe a little one on your forehead too! Primark Moisturising Foundation Stick in Almond (lots of other good colours to choose from too) at £3 is a wonder! Blend with your fingers, a damp sponge, or if you want a super smooth finish use a foundation brush. Well what a surprise this is! Perfect colour, light, easy, smooth foundation. How good is this! Very! I love it.

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A Great Nude Eyeshadow Palette!

This is a great nude eyeshadow palette, with a pinky undertone, which is super! I bought it in TikTok (link below) for £3.46, and it has so many nude colours! So soft, so easy and good to play with, as I find nudes a bit tricky sometimes! So I started with the lightest on the lid, and then blended to next shade up on the outer corners fluffing up and out. This then followed with the next darkest in the same area but also above  the socket for more definition. Finished off with Cool Beans eyeshadow crayon from Elf £5. A bit of mascara and then it’s all done! https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe3H2vTy/

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Look at these Bronzing Drops!

Who would have thought that I could getaway with just bronzing drops and a concealer! She of the pigmented, mature, sun damaged skin! Well I can! Can’t believe it! These Primark Bronzing Drops are like gold dust, I’ve never been able to find them until now. This one is Dark, there’s also Medium a a lovely little pink blush too! Just £3.50, as good as any other. Very runny, so give them a good shake before you open them, and you only need a little! I would load your brush (by patting from your hand) then Pat it on your cheeks. Gorgeous! 

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How the hell do I open this concealer?

Illuminate Under eye Concealer. I had such trouble opening this sponge tipped concealer! Anyone else found this? I had to go back into Primark and ask them how to get the concealer up and in the sponge. I was turning it right instead of left! ha. I’ll know for future!

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Spring Lips!

Try a Kiko Matte Lip Crayon in no 06, perfect for Spring Lips, to use as a pencil or fill or use as a lipstick. Vibrant colours, easy to use crayon, so soft. I added a bit of H & M lipstick in Cerise -ly Metallic for a little bit more pink! Spring Lips for £5.99Subscribe at www.shoestringbeauty.com for all the latest blogs, offers and advice straight to your In box

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Doll Face!

What's new? Dollface! A super eyeshadow palette from Primark, 9 great eyeshadows for £3.50! Wow!  I love their kits, with usable, fun, easy to blend eyeshadows. I put the palest on my lid, with a little of the light tan above my socket to open my eyes. Then using a Maybelline Tattoo Ink crayon, lined the top of my lid next to my lashes. A little of the denim blue in the outer corners going over the pencil line, to anchor and soften it, followed by the deeper tan in the socket to give my eyes more definition. Then I took a fluffy brush to just help blend the colours together. All brushes were from Primark. Great Spring look!

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A healthy look with a gradual tan!

A gradual tan to give you that healthy look without the mess and worry of being too dark and it all looking a disaster! I’ve used the new Dove Summer Revived Gradual Tan from Superdrug. £2.79. Good texture, easy to apply, not sticky and nice smell! Definitely one of the better options. What's not to like! Really it’s foolproof! Www.shoestringbeauty.com

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Fabulous Anti Ageing Hand Cream!

What's out there? Trying to combat slight dodgy Winter hands? My go to hand cream is always the soft and creamy Lacura Hand Cream by Aldi £3.99, hits the spot every time! I’ve fallen in love with the Rubarb & Rose hand cream by Molten Brown, oh the smell! But if you want the ultimate in hand care with 1% retinol, to help fade those dark age spots (what an awful word) aka sun damage, then look no further! It comes from Beauty Pie £12.50 for members otherwise £40. This is the stuff of miracles! I’ve used it for a week, day and night and all I can say is, wow, what a difference! If you want results, get it! Super Retinol Anti Ageing Hand Cream.    

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Let’s Chisel! Like Victoria Beckham!

I wanted to try Victoria Beckham’s chiseling techniques! Considering that I've never had cheekbones I thought I would give it a go! So I used a Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit for light and medium toned skin. £5.99 it's like a dry powder( I know sounds strange!) but it's neither matte and flat or creamy. It's a good product and nice colours, easy to blend. From Superdrug. I used it under my cheekbones, in a cross each side of my forehead, down the sides of my nose and under the jaw! Then blended all in towards my hairline with a nice chunky brush from Primark. This was fun, though on retrospect I think I needed to blend it in more, and it’s definitely not a something I would do everyday! 

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Euphoric Lilac!

We all need Euphoric Lilac in our lives! This is a super soft, creamy eye shadow stick, looks a little like a lipstick tube! and its so easy to use! It just glides over your lash line or eye lid. I paired it with my current favourite Dollface eyeshadow palette from a Primark which has bronzey and tan eyeshadows which really do make the most of this glorious colour! It's by By Revolution, there were a few other colours too, so I will definitely be trying those! All at only £5!   

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