Best Beauty Brand of 2013

As all hard working women know, it can often be difficult to find a make that will last all day. By biggest issue is the effect that make up leaves after it has begun to fade; scaly, dry and overall unattractive.  So I have been searching for products and tips which can improve the length of my make up since I began to wearing it. During this time I have tried and tested almost every make up brand in the form of foundations, powders, bronzers, lipsticks or eye beauty, which could not only go the distance but have the consistency to continue to give me the look that made me fall in love with a brand.

One day while browsing in Penney's I decided to have a look at the beauty counter which is usually just by the till, primarily Catrice, Essence and NYC products.  Now I love buying new make products and I especially love a bargain so this was the perfect combination. The first brand that I starting picking up products was Catrice and I think on that first day I bought eyeliner, mascara, foundation and an eye shadow, and the best part was the total was around 10 Euro. Not only did I love the price but I went on to love the products.

I started using the "matte mousse" first and loved the results. It gives great results for a flawless effect and lasted longer than most foundations for a reasonable 4.50 Euro, although I think the price may be slightly higher these days. I no longer use this product because I found after time I realized this was not the best foundation for my skin type (combination). My skin feels its best when using "matte" foundations so I now use Clinque "Stay Matte" and the results are amazing. Also with this Catrice foundation it only lasts for about 2-3 weeks which can be irritating having to constantly go in and buy more! The eye shadows are also extremely great value and the brand offer a vast range of colours and tones to choose from.

But it was the following product which was the clear winner for me; Catrice Prime and Fine Smoothing Refiner. I had previously used Smashbox Primer as it is suppose to have the best results but I wasn't sold. It was alright but it was definitely not worth the money and didn't have that much of an impact on my make up so I couldn't understand the obsession and it mad be reluctant to try primers again. But I did! This primer not only kept my make up on ALL day but it retained that smooth, just applied look also. It is by far my favorite beauty find of 2013. 

The brands lip liners are also very effective. As a newbie to the lip liner world I dare not compare it to the effects of larger brands products but it converted me. My grads was a few months ago and it was my first experience using it with lip stick. I went for the nude effect and was very impressed with the  results; long lasting and beautiful natural tones. 

So there you have it, another year and another beauty discovery. Let me know if any of you are using any of Catrices products and what you think of them.

Love C X 

Jump... For my Love

Over Christmas we are faced with lots of nights with friends and events to attend to but also faced with the dilemma of "nothing to wear". My fix quick solution to this is investing in jumpsuits. Not only are they really comfortable and stylish but they also fix the top and bottom solution, perfect! A black jumpsuit will never let you down and will always be there for anything it is you need to attend, be it birthdays, weddings, drinks with friends or interviews. With that said it is also nice to step away from the classic black and venture for something bright and colorful, which is exactly what I have done here. Above are some of my favorites this season which include a healthy mix of dark and electric tones. All the links to the featured jumpsuits will be featured at the bottom of this post. 

In my honest opinion I feel the high street offers a vast range of styles for jumpsuits, be it in colours and prints so I have no fear that you will have difficulty finding one that suits your own style and personality. I don't think I could pull of the canary yellow jumpsuit as seen above but I do love this photo, a girl can dream! Rachel Zoe is also featured above wearing a black jumpsuit accompanied with a gold waist belt. She is a personal style icon for me and can wear anything and look great so it is no wonder that she works this look so well.


Below are links to my favorite  jumpsuits which were seen in the first image of this post.

Warehouse jumpsuits romper

Matthew Williamson jumpsuits romper

River Island romper

River Island jumpsuit

Jumpsuits romper

Warehouse jumpsuits romper

Topshop jumpsuits romper

Topshop jumpsuits romper

Boohoo jumpsuits romper

Love C X 

Jewel Citizen

I've been saying this for awhile now but I definitely want to start designing my own jewels. This is the perfect way of making the necklace, ring or bracelet that is exactly how you want or to accessorise an outfit that you have in mind. Over the past few months I have collected and researched various different techniques on how to make a range of pieces and today I am going to share one with you.

What I enjoy most when it comes to my personal jewellery is a statement, particularly with neck pieces. Bold colours, beads and gold is definitely a winner. Below is a guide on how to create this costume neck piece. The colour of beads that you choose to use is completely optional and I think I may venture for a deep purple tone when posting my own edition. 

The best place to gather supplies for crafting your own jewels is etsy. Here you will be able to buy your cable wire, pliers, beads, and chains, and all at very affordable prices. My favourite bead tone at the minute is seen below. 

As soon as I start making a few of my own bits in the new year I will make sure to share with you guys but for now I will share with you a few of my favourite jewel pics of the past few months. 

Love C X 

December Loves...

BB Dakota Jumpsuits, 81 Euro, karmaloop.com
Vila Black Romper, 44.96 Euro, vila.com
Warehouse Black Floral Jumpsuit, 40 Euro, johnlewis.com
Block Heel Sandals, $2,090, alexandermcqueen.com
Floral Clutch Bag, $1,715, ssense.com
Pink YSL Clutch, $890, ysl.com
Skull Ring, $550, eleonorabonucci.com
Marc by Marc Jacobs Black Watch, $175, forzieri.com
Gold Earrings, $270, monnierfreres.co.uk

Love C X 

A Touch of Silver: Review

For the past month I have been trying out this new shampoo called "A Touch of Silver" which is specifically for brighter blonder hair. The reason I decided to give this a go is because I had heard such great things about it from people who I know I have used it before. I love having blonde hair but the one thing that really frustrates me is the up keep! I have to get it touched up every six weeks to maintain that fresh blonde look that I love. So really I have nothing to loose by simply giving this a go. I've decided to do this review in stages, this being stage one (based on a four week period). I will go through each week with you and how I think using this shampoo has made a difference.

Products 

A Touch of Silver, Dry Shampoo, 3.50 Euro 

A Touch of Silver , Twice-A-Week Shampoo, 3.17 Euro 

 I wash my hair three times a week so every second wash was used with this product. On the alternative wash I used my regular shampoo which is L'oreal. Between washed I used the dry shampoo to revive the freshness and it smells amazing!

Week One 

My hair was due a cut and colour so once I had done this I decided to begin using the shampoo. I thought this best as it would give a clearer indication of how good the product actually is depending on how long it would be before having  to get it done again. Just to note, a women told me that she didn't have to get her hair done for 7 months once she started using this product, so I have high hopes!

So my hair was initially bright and fresh starting this trial so I found it difficult to determine any significance of the product but my hair did smell really really nice from the dry shampoo.

This was my hair after being done and starting to use the product.


Week Two 

So my hair had slightly started to gain roots by week two (this is normal for my hair) but maintained that bright effect which would have usually faded by now. Being a natural brunette means that sometimes my hair looses that white blonde result when I dye my hair very quickly. But it did last that bit longer thanks to this shampoo. 

Week Three 

As you can tell from the picture my roots have not darkened much in the week, which I am really happy about it. At this point I am usually at my half way mark of needing to get my hair done but if it continues like this I will definitely get longer than normal. The brightness has maintained also and I have to say my hair feels and looks really healthy, considering how much I have coloured it over the previous two years. For my hair I wanted to achieve the "white blonde" look rather than the dirty blonde and this shampoo definitely adheres to this style of blonde.


Week Four 

So my hair has darkended a little but you can tell that the brightness has remained in the body. So far I am really happy with the product and will be continuing this review over the next few weeks to determine how long this great effect will continue for. Coming up to Christmas is an expensive time of the year and I am trying to hold off having to get it coloured before the new year (it ain't cheap being blonde) but I am definitely feelingt hat I am going to get longer than my average six weeks.


Keep an eye out for the next post review on "A Touch of Silver" and if you are a blondie give it a try. It's so cheap you won't even notice the money has gone!

Love C X 

You May Say I'm a Dreamer

These days I love re-pinning "wise words" with an underlying message to  be yourself and follow your dreams and I now seem to have quiet a collection on my Pinterest board. For this post I thought it would be different for me to share a few of my favourite with you. These images will include "free" photography images featuring beaches, forests and minimal shots, all of which I love. This is not a post I would usually cover but I it is nice to change things up every now and then. 

I tend to get most of the images that I love from the  Free People blog, which I briefly spoke about in my last post The Rise of Blogging. Last week I gave the blog a slight makeover (different theme and imagery) and decided to start including art and photography that inspires me, so this may be the start of similar posts like this.

I'm guessing that is is an obvious statement to say that I love black and white images, and I'm always on the look out for new amazing photography. If you have any that you want to share with me please do by either posting the link below/ tweeting me using the sidebar option (or @cicijewels) or by visiting my Facebook page CiCi Jewels.

Let me know if you guys like this.......

Love C X 

The Rise of Blogging.....

Factory F has now been a fashion/beauty blog for almost five months now but the concept had been in place for (roughly) a year before ever publishing. Blogging is something that I always wanted to dabble with due to the fact that I am obsessive when it comes to style, particularly street style platforms ie LookBook, Polyvore and Pinterest images. High end fashion is so beautiful and amazing but I am very realistic with my budget and this is honestly beyond my financial means. So my fashion focus has always been geared towards styling, so much so that I can be instantly interested in someone based on their outfit. I just want to know where they buy ALL their clothes! When I started this blog I wasn't really sure what direction I was going to take it or what topics I would even cover to begin with, I just knew that I wanted to portray my personal tastes. The reason that I am writing this post is mainly to highlight how blogging has evolved so much more than just a hobby for people and can now be seen as "a career" for successful blogs (the dream for all aspiring bloggers).

Recently I graduated and now in a position where I am "looking for a grown up job!", which is much harder than anyone prepares you for. Trying to figure out what you want to do for the rest of your life is daunting and very over0whelimg, but I am slowly figuring it out. The one aspect of my life that I have decided on is that writing will definitely be a major factor, be it for a living or just writing  this blog in my social hours.

So like I said, the idea of blogging had been on my mind for quiet some time before I ever signed up to blogger, but when I started to read other fashion focused blogs (hate sounding cheesy but.....) they really inspired me. There are four blogs in particular that I found myself glued to......

• Mojo Made 
• Thunder and Threads 
• Intrigued and Infatuated 
• Free People 

If you haven't looked at these blogs, I highly recommend them. Each one is very unique and different from the last but each post is a great read. Starting Factory F with CiCi Jewels is by far the highlight of this year for me and if anyone is remotely interested in starting a blog  my advice would be to just do it. 

Love C X