Project Beauty

It's Oh So Quiet

2009-10-05T15:04:00.002+01:00

You might have noticed I've been a little quiet over the last few days (and indeed weeks), posting slightly less than usual. I've been setting up a new site alongside Sarah of Slap Happy Beauty and we're now at the stage where we're finally ready to start blogging over there.

I don't see much point in maintaining two blogs; the quality is going to suffer if I try to produce twice as many posts, so from now on you can find my witterings about beauty at our new site:

www.londonbeautyreview.com

Spend Less September: Feria Hair Colour

2009-10-01T10:45:00.002+01:00

I know it's technically not September any more, but given the sorry state of my finances, October's shaping up to be a thrifty month as well. As a result, I've purchased two boxes of L'Oreal Feria hair dye so that I can do my own colour this month - which should save me around £50 on what I usually spend.

It's been ages since I coloured my own hair; I'm hoping to have a free evening next week to take the plunge and report back. Hopefully my tiles, grout, bath and face will remain their natural colours, and only my hair will be dyed bright red!

Clarisonic Skincare Brush Lands In The UK

2009-09-28T09:39:00.004+01:00

The Clarisonic skincare brush, which has long been available to our American cousins, is now available to pre-order at Space NK.

The brush works using the same sonic vibration technology available in Sonicare toothbrushes - and claims to reduce the appearence of fine links, pores and wrinkles. Apparently it also reduces the amount of moisturiser, night cream, etc needed by helping the skin absorb product more efficiently.

It's had some rave reviews in the US - and now it's available here. But, it comes at a price - £146.81 for the entry level version, with replacement brush heads costing £19.57. As usual, it's more expensive here than it is in the US - the basic brush costs $195 at Sephora, which at today's exchange rate works out at about £122.

I've had some success in emulating the Clarisonic by using a (new, clean) toothbrush head on my Sonicare toothbrush and gently moving it around my face in circular motions. This provides an excellent exfoliation.. so I'd be curious to see what the Clarisonic can do. But certainly not at that price. How about you?

Clarisonic at Space NK, from £146.81.

Lush "Synaesthesia" Spa Treatment

2009-09-25T10:31:00.003+01:00

I was having a little browse on the Lush website this morning when I saw an article about a new spa treatment Lush are offering. The "Synaesthesia" massage mixes massage, aromatherapy, light and music to create a treatment that involves all of the senses.

This sounds pretty interesting to me - music is usually there just to provide some background, but with this treatment, it seems that the music is a central part - movements are coordinated to it.

Available in four locations (Leeds, Poole, the Kings Road London and Kingston-upon-Thames), this is Lush's first foray into providing treatments, and having watched the video, I'm keen to try it out (luckily my nearest lush is in Kingston, where the massage is available!).

Prices aren't given on the website; next time I pop into Lush, I'll get some more details, and funds allowing, try it out in the name of research! You can get more information from the Lush Spa article here.

L'Oreal Kids Shampoo So Strawberry

2009-09-25T08:17:00.005+01:00

Last time I washed my hair, I quickly realised that I'd left my Bumble and Bumble shampoo up in our shower room. I wasn't prepared to dash upstairs to get it with wet hair dripping pink everywhere, so I resorted to using a bit of the L'Oreal Kids shampoo left over from the week with my stepkids.

It's a 2-in-1 shampoo, with a no tears, no tangles formula. While the shampoo is moisturising, I used an additional conditioner, as it wouldn't have been enough for my dry hair (kids don't tend to have chemically processed hair!). I was pleasantly surprised with the results - soft, shiny, deliciously strawberry scented hair. Not sure how well my colour would hold up if I used this regularly but overall I was surprised by how well this performed. And for just £1.85, this is a bit of a bargain.

L'Oreal Kids Shampoo in So Strawberry, £1.85 for 250ml at Boots.com.

Favourite Things: MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation

2009-09-22T14:47:00.003+01:00

I absolutely adore MAC Studio Fix Fluid foundation. It's marketed as a liquid version of their Studio Fix powder foundation, which I have tried and unfortunately had an allergic reaction to! My super-pale skin suits the lightest cool shade, NC15 - there are a total of 26 shades, you're likely to find one that suits you perfectly.

It's a medium coverage foundation - definitely not for you if you like a sheerer look, and can be built up to provide heavy coverage if needed. What I love most about it is that it is still natural looking - with a finish that's not quite all-matte, but not dewy, it looks like skin - for me, it looks like flawless, even skin. Easily blendable, too - I usually apply with my fingers, but on special occasions have been known to use a MAC 187 brush to buff it in. Either way, my skin looks even and smooth, and thankfully the product doesn't settle into my pores or fine lines.

At £19.00 for 30ml, it's definitely a high end purchase (at least here in the UK), but a bottle will last a long, long time. I'm still on the same bottle I bought a year and a half ago, and apply it about 3 or 4 times a week. I'd recommend spending an extra few quid and buying a pump for it (it comes as a pourable bottle, which isn't quite so hygienic); it's well worth the cash - and comes with a little cap so the bottle travels well!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid is £19 for 30ml at MACCosmetics.co.uk, but if you don't know your shade, I'd highly recommend popping to a counter to let an artist find you the perfect shade.

Estee Lauder To Close Prescriptives

2009-09-21T14:30:00.003+01:00

Estee Lauder has announced that it will cease distribution for the Prescriptives line by January 2010. This comes as a surprise to me, as I'd always held the brand in high regard, particularly for their custom blending services. Looks like there's only a limited amount of time left to stock up before they are gone for good.

You can see a full press release from Estee Lauder here.

Barry M Glitter Dust and Dazzle Dust

2009-09-21T11:54:00.004+01:00

Growing up in North London, I remember driving with my parents as a small child past a large warehouse with "Barry M" stamped across one corner, and a stylised graphic of a lipstick and a painted red mouth. Despite knowing about the brand for years, however, I'd never actually tried any Barry M products. In recent years they've become more and more popular, due to their wide range of reasonably priced and colourful cosmetics.

Two products which have become very popular are the Fine Glitter Dust and Dazzle Dust; the former being a loose eyeshadow with lots of glitter, and the latter being a loose eyeshadow that comes in a variety of finishes. These are not unlike MAC's pigment - the main difference being the price (naturally, Barry M's product is much cheaper) and the size - while you get a huge amount of MAC pigment in each pot, the Barry M version is smaller, and thus you are more likely to use it all up within your lifetime!

Anyway, I purchased both a Glitter Dust and a Dazzle Dust this weekend at buy one, get one half price at Superdrug, and came away with two eyeshadows for about £6. I'm EXTREMELY impressed. These go on very smooth, are easy to blend, and have a fantastic level of pigmentation.

I used the Silvery Black Dazzle Dust damp and ended up with a very metallic, opaque wash of shadow. I used the Black Purple Glitter Dust dry for a smoky liner effect with added glitter, but also tried it wet and ended up with an intensely black, incredibly sparkly line on my hand.

I'll definitely be buying these again!

If you'd like to check out the huge range of colours, you can find them at Barry M's website - Dazzle Dust and Glitter Dust are listed separately, and are £4.50 each.

L'Oreal Elvive Re-Nutrition Pot Mask

2009-09-17T15:17:00.002+01:00

I've been using L'Oreal Elvive Re-Nutrition mask for a few weeks now, both as part of my DIY colour conditioner and on it's own, and my feelings are slightly mixed.

The conditioner has a thick, creamy texture, spreads through the hair easily, and does impart some conditioning properties to the hair - but I wouldn't consider this a deeply conditioning treatment. The effects are pleasant, and the hair is left smooth and more moisturised, but for my fairly dry colour treated hair, it's not quite enough.

As a day-to-day conditioning mask, which doesn't weigh the hair down, it's perfectly acceptable, and a bit of a bargain at £3.96 per pot. I'll continue to use this, but for a weekly conditioning treat, I'll be looking elsewhere.

If you'd like to give it a whirl, it's £3.96 per 200ml pot, from Boots.com.

MAC Pro Palettes and Pans Online

2009-09-15T17:38:00.005+01:00

I'm unsure as to whether this is a new development or not, since it's been a while since I browsed the MAC website.... It would appear you can now buy Pro pans and pallettes online! Previously, if you were after the pan eyeshadows or the palettes, a trip to your nearest Pro store or a hunt on eBay was your only route to fulfilment.

Refill Pan Eyeshadows are £8.50 each, compared with £11 for the pot variety.

X4 Eyeshadow Compact (holds 4 eyeshadow pans) are £4.50 each (wouldn't a filled one of these make a lovely luxe gift?).

X15 Eyeshadow Palette (holds 15 eyeshadow pans) are £10 each - I have 3 of these, all full, and it's fabulous (and excessive) to be able to cart around 45 eyeshadows (you know, just in case) on weekends away without using up a lot of space in your makeup bag.

Refill Pan Powder Blushes are £13, compared with £16 for the pot variety.

X6 Blush Palette (holds 6 blush pans) are £10 each.

The blush and eyeshadow pans are magnetised so that they fit and stay in the palettes. I might be treating myself to a blush palette after payday. I already have a MAC powder blush and creme blush I love - time to do some depotting!

What Do You Do When You Break A Nail?

2009-09-15T16:25:00.003+01:00

Particularly when you break a nail 3 days before a Big Event For Which You Must Look Fabulous, and before it happened, you had a set of 10 beautifully even, nicely grown nails?

Chop the rest of them off to match, and use a very subtle polish?
Buy some cheapie falsies? (Boots seem to stock them between a mere £5 and £8.99 - and you can even get TOENAIL falsies!)
Go all out and get some professionally applied nails?
Wear slinky evening gloves to said event?

Having never applied false nails myself, I'm not sure that this is the best time to try them out for the first time, and I've never felt that professionally applied falsies are good for the underlying natural nail.

I think I'm going to slim the rest of them down a bit, apply a light pink sparkly polish, and hope no-one notices. It's only a little finger nail so hopefully won't be too obvious.

What's your strategy?

Clinique Turnaround Instant Facial

2009-09-14T16:10:00.002+01:00

I was going to write a post on one of my favourite products, Clinique's Turnaround 15 Minute Facial mask, but when I went to the Clinique website, I found it's been discontinued in favour of a new product - Instant Facial. While the old mask was to be left on for 15 minutes, this new one claims to do the same magic in just five minutes. Hopefully sometime soon I will have the funds to try it out and let you know how it performs!

The original turnaround mask was a ticket to glowy, clear skin for me - something I turned to before a big event when I needed an immediate effect, not the crap skin now, great in 4 days effect you often get from a facial or more deeply cleansing mask.

The premise is much the same - apply mask, let it dry, and rub off with circular movements to stimulate the skin and to get an exfoliating effect. I loved the old one for it's slightly PVA-glue like consistency - takes me right back to painting my hand with glue and peeling it off - although this is definitely not peelable! I really like that the new product is in a tube and not a tub - makes for more hygienic long term usage.

£30 for 75ml at Clinique.co.uk.

Plum Lips for Autumn

2009-09-11T16:30:00.004+01:00

It feels like we've barely had summer, but already autumn trends are being written and spoken about - this season's hot colour is plum. Here are a few great lip colours featuring plummy shades:

From the top left corner, clockwise:

MAC Lustre lipstick in Plumful; moisturising and semi-sheer, great for a look that's not too in-your-face
Shu Uemura Gloss Lacquer pot in Irrational Purple; very sheer purple-plum shade, subtle on its own or on top of lipstick
MAC Viva Glam IV lipstick; slightly metallic, rich colour, full coverage but still relatively easy to wear (and the proceeds go to the MAC Aids fund!)
NARS lipgloss in Talitha; very pigmented with no shimmer and a thick texture; more of a liquid lipstick
Dior Creme de Gloss in Fig Nectar 641; cushiony, soft lipgloss, a more neutral way to wear a touch of plum (this feels SO good on the lips)
NARS lipstick in Flair; listed on NARS' website as a sheer lipstick, but in reality intensely pigmented, metallic, and vampy. Slightly drying, but lasts and lasts

I love autumn for the opportunity to wear richer, earthy colours like plum, copper and smoky browns; a plum lip looks fabulous paired with a light wash of pinky blusher, and smudged, possibly metallic brown eyeliner (and lots of mascara of course!).

Will you be rocking the plum trend this autumn?

Autumn Trend: Matte Nails

2009-09-10T16:48:00.005+01:00

Matte nails are big news this autumn. OPI have brought out a new range of matte-finish colours, and a variety of companies have now added a mattifying topcoat to their line. Given that the new "in" colour of the season is plum, does this mean that the hottest trend is a matte, plum nail?

I've not personally seen any matte polishes in the flesh yet, but can't say I really like the idea of a matte nail. To me, nails should be glossy at all times. What do you think?

If you're interested, you can see OPI's new Matte collection at Lookfantastic; I can't really see a matte grape-green working on many skintones, can you?

Free P&P With HQHair This Weekend

2009-09-10T15:05:00.002+01:00

HQHair are offering free P&P on orders placed this weekend. Use the code "FPOSTS" at checkout - but be quick, the offer is only valid until 13th September 2009.

Fudge Paintbox + Conditioner = Colour Depositing Conditioner

2009-09-10T08:56:00.005+01:00

I tried out making my own colour depositing conditioner yesterday, using a Fudge Paintbox semi-permanent vegetable based dye, and a pot of L'Oreal conditioner mask. In a plastic dish (mine are from IKEA, years ago, I usually use them for holding nuts/sweets, or mixing other beauty concoctions), I mixed about 6 parts conditioner to 1 part dye.

I didn't want to create something with such staining power that I accidentally dyed my hairline/scalp/face pink (as I have done in the past), but wanted something strong enough that some colour would stick to my hair. I made just about enough to cover, but not completely coat, my hair, and slapped it on with my head held over the bath - upside down. This helped me to concentrate on the mid-lengths and ends, and prevented me from working the conditioner into the roots too much.

I applied to damp hair, and it was slightly difficult to spread the mixture - next time I'll try fully wet hair with the water squeezed out, so there's still some moisture to help distribute the conditioner evenly. Once applied, I put on a plastic showercap (clingfilm would do just as well), then wrapped my head in a towel and left for a good half an hour. The result was shiny, well conditioned hair with a lovely refreshed colour - there was definitely a fair bit of depositing going on, pretty much on a par with the Aveda conditioner I usually use.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking to refresh a fading hair colour - so long as you are careful with your shade choice, as the Paintbox colours are pretty loud. Also, be sure to rinse off any splatter from tiles/bath/skin, as it will still stain badly, even diluted with conditioner, as you can see from the state of the latex gloves I used while applying it!

Remember - the Fudge Paintbox colours are mixable because they are vegetable derived, ammonia and peroxide free - other colours, containing more harsh chemicals, should NOT be mixed with other things.

Spend Less September: Hair Styling Products

2009-09-09T15:28:00.005+01:00

The latest casualty in my bathroom is my Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam, a coconut-scented conditioning mousse. I used it to hold my curls in place while they air dried, to help prevent frizz (and also because it smelled nice).

I've replaced it, curiously, with a gel. Yes, a gel! I've never bought a gel before. Never really thought it was a useful product for long haired girls, only really there for short-haired boys. But I'd heard on a few curly-hair boards that gel can be a great way to get the level of hold that provides well defined frizz-less curls; in the spirit of experimentation I've purchased L'Oreal Mineral Control Invisi'Gel. Apparently it won't build up in the hair and contains minerals "to care for" the hair.

A little bit (very little, a blob about the size of a 5p piece for my head of thick, below-shoulder-length hair) distributed evenly through the hair and scrunched in leaves my hair well defined and only slightly crunchy - and that can easily be scrunched out.

Paul Mitchell Sculpting Foam:	£6.60 for 200ml
L'Oreal Invisi'Gel:	£3.42 for 150ml
Total saving:	£3.18

£3.18 doesn't look like a large saving, but comparing the amount of gel I used in one go to the amount of mousse I used to use, I suspect that the gel will last much longer. Also, the gel is much easier to get hold of - available at Boots, Tesco, Waitrose... Assuming my hair still looks clean and lovely for the next couple of days, I'll be pleased with this swap too.

Anatomicals No Old Bags Allowed Eye Gel

2009-09-08T13:15:00.002+01:00

I've had a tube of Anatomicals No Old Bags Allowed eye gel hanging around for a bit, and after a recent teary episode, decided to try it out to counteract the puffy, swollen, horrible looking eyes that I usually end up with after shedding a few tears.

To my surprise this humble product worked wonders and my eyes looked relatively normal. I've since been using it every day and I really do feel it keeps puffiness and bags to a minimum.

If you'd like to try it too, it costs a very reasonable £3 from the Anatomicals store. Everything on the site is reasonably priced, and given the performance of this one product, I might well try more in the future.

Review: Cargo Blush in Tonga

2009-09-07T16:56:00.003+01:00

It's taken a while for me to get around to reviewing this Cargo blush, which I picked up as part of my Sainsbury's mini-haul, and in the weeks I've been using it, it's become a core part of my day-to-day routine.

I picked up the Tonga shade, which is a matte dusty rose. Applied lightly, it creates a perfectly natural looking flush; it can also be layered to give a stronger effect.

I absolutely love the formula - it's soft and silky, not at all chalky, and VERY pigmented. The photo on the right shows my blush brush (with black bristles) tapped gently on the surface of the blush 2 or 3 times - a good fine distribution of powder is picked up, and as you can see, it's very opaque. This is definitely a blusher that needs to be applied softly, building up in intensity, as I think it would be terribly easy to slap on too much and look a bit clownish. That said, the powder blends beautifully into the skin, so if you do accidentally over-apply, a bit of a buff with a kabuki brush would sort it out.

Overall I'm highly impressed with this blusher; moreso than the shimmery shade I already own from a trip to the US last year. Given the level of pigmentation, which is the same with the shimmer shade, a matte finish is much easier to control and blend than a shimmer one. I will continue to use this as a perfectly natural, rosy daytime colour.

Spend Less September: Nail Varnish Remover

2009-09-06T21:16:00.004+01:00

Another thing ran out this weekend, so I trundled down to Boots to replace it with a cheaper option. This time, my OPI Nail Polish remover was sadly empty, and I replaced it with Cutex Moisturising Nail Polish Remover.

The Cutex product does the job, removing nail polish easily, although I'm not sure it has any moisturising effect. It also apparently has a nail whitening effect, which I will assess after going through the bottle - I doubt I'd see a difference in one use. The main reason I love the OPI remover is the smell it leaves behind after removing polish - slightly rosy, and not at all chemical-y. The Cutex polish does smell chemical-y once it's evaporated off the nails, but hey, that's easy to solve by washing your hands!

OPI Polish Remover:	£6.10 for 120ml
Cutex Polish Remover:	£1.99 for 200ml
Total saving:	£4.11

Given that nail polish remover is something that's in contact with the nails for such a short amount of time, I'm not really sure what compelling reason there is for buying a high-end brand. The Cutex remover is much cheaper and, being a larger bottle, will last longer too. I think this may well be a change that will end up being permanent!

Lipo Contour Cellulite Busting Leggings

2009-09-04T16:30:00.003+01:00

We've had cellulite busting creams, devices, and tights, and now you can buy cellulite busting wet-look capri length leggings. Why you would, I don't know, but they claim to provide inch loss and cellulite reduction using "the proven principles of heat, pressure and massage to detoxify the skin by removing toxins, fluids and ultimately fat".

The product blurb says that you can "consider Lipo Contour Elite as your own personal sauna and massage therapist". 8 weeks wear will get you the maximum effect, during which you should wear them for at least 4 hours a day while doing activities that use the muscles in your legs, bum and tummy - the best effects come from stenuous exercise. Well, if I strenuously exercised for 4 hours a day for 8 weeks, I would expect a pretty good effect, leggings or not!

If you're curious to try them, they're available from Beautique.com, priced at £94.95 (!). They also do a shorts version for a much more reasonable £79.95 (!).

Spend Less September: Colour Depositing Conditioner

2009-09-04T10:58:00.005+01:00

Apologies for not posting this yesterday, I had one of those days where you spend all day in meetings, no time for actual work, let alone play!

The first thing I've run out of is ironically one of my favourite, most often-repurchased products. Alas, my Aveda Madder Root conditioner is now empty; I cut the top off the tube and scraped out the last few drops on Wednesday night. In my new spirit of saving money, I asked my dear friend and hairdresser Silvie whether it would be OK to use a mixture of a semi-permanent vegetable colour and conditioner in place of the Madder Root colour conditioner. She said it sounded OK, so not only am I about to embark on my first money-saving mission, but also on my first product-alchemy mission too.

If you've ever had brightly coloured hair, chances are you know about Fudge paintbox colours. They are semi-permanent colours in a range of wild shades, essentially staining the hair (and skin, and towels, and sometimes grout, if you're not careful). I'm intending on mixing a dab of their Cherry Bomb colour (a very bright red) with an intensive conditioner, and slathering it on as I would with the more expensive Aveda product.

Aveda Madder Root Conditioner:	£15.00	for 250ml at Lookfantastic
Postage:	£2.95	from Lookfantastic
High End Total:	£17.95
Fudge Paintbox Cherry Bomb:	£6.99	for 75ml on eBay (free postage)
L'Oreal Elvive Re-Nutrition Masque	£3.29	bought from Tesco during weekly shop
DIY Total:	£10.28
Potential saving:	£7.67

I'm saying "potential saving" because this might not work as well as the Aveda conditioner, or I might end up accidentally staining my face pink, which would probably not be worth the saving. I'll report back after my first test!

Spend Less September

2009-09-02T16:45:00.004+01:00

I get the feeling September is going to be an expensive month for me. I have a couple of big events to go to, my car needs an MOT, some tyres and an extended warranty, and a few of my products are poised to run out. Can't really help the events or the car, so I'm going to spend this month cutting down my product expenditure - every time I run out of something, I'll replace it with a high street, not high end product - hopefully I'll discover a few gems along the way, and save a few pennies too!

Cargo LashActivator: One Month On

2009-09-02T15:43:00.004+01:00

Approximately a month ago, I got hold of Cargo's LashActivator mascara at Boots, where it was languishing in a dark corner with some chewing gum. I took a picture shortly after I brought it home, and have taken another picture; hopefully this will reveal whether my eyelashes have magically grown in the month I've been using it (both alone, and under other mascaras).

The top picture is the before, and the bottom is the after. Both shot from roughly the same angle, although obviously the before photo was shot in the heady days of summer (August) and the after shot in the overcast days of autumn (September).

So, the differences. It doesn't really look like I've gained much more length at all - if there is any gain, it's minimal. To be honest, I'm not really all that surprised - a huge increase in length could probably only be expected from a prescription-strength product (like the recent Latisse product released in the US).

Still, this mascara has really grown on me over the past month. I originally dismissed it as not quite dramatic enough for me (I like big, thick, heavy black lashes at all times), but I've come to like the effect of a couple of coats for days when I'm wearing light makeup and dramatic lashes are just too much. I'll continue to use it for that purpose (and also because it has a wonderfully bendy brush), but I wouldn't buy it again for any lash extending properties.

If you're interested in trying it for yourself (and hey, it might work better for you!) - you can find it on Boots.com for £19.

Beyond Emery Boards: Glass Nail Files

2009-09-01T12:58:00.002+01:00

Glass nail files might look like a bit of an investment compared to the cheap-as-chips emery board, but they're truly worthwhile.

Supposedly, glass files are kinder to the nail, as they are much smoother to use, and indeed, I notice less of a burned-nail smell when using my glass file than I do using an emery board. However, the main draw for me is the longevity you can expect to get from a glass file - so long as you rinse them every so often and make sure you don't drop them, they pretty much stay usable forever.

I've had the same glass files for about 8 years now, and they're still going strong. I have a large one in my office, for regular filing, and a little tiny one which (in theory) I carry around to deal with any unexpected splits or breaks.

The file pictured above is from Pfeilring at HQHair, and costs £11.95. eBay will find you whole sets for that price, but as usual you have to be careful that you're buying from a seller with a good reputation.

Purchase Regrets

2009-09-01T11:02:00.002+01:00

Do you ever buy a product, and then regret it? I know I do. I wore a very expensive Armarni lipstick to a party this weekend, which I sort of regret buying. The formula is slightly drying (but hey, I couldn't have known that when I bought it), and the colour is precisely the same colour as my lips. Come on, why did I think I needed a lipstick the same colour as my lips?

Our American cousins don't have to deal with this sort of problem - while we can really only swap or give the product away, they can take the product back to the shop. I'm sure this leaves shops open to huge amounts of exploitation (we all know of someone who took a dress back to a shop after wearing it once, tags still attached). A few years ago while I was in the US, I was matched to the wrong shade of MAC foundation - I look it back after a few days of use and exchanged it for a better shade. While I wasn't just returning it for no good reason, I still felt guilty, as that foundation would have gone straight in the bin, which is a huge waste.

Do you buy products and then regret it, letting them languish in your makeup drawer, or do you keep using the product in an attempt to make the purchase justified? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Cargo Liquid Shadow Collection

2009-08-31T20:40:00.004+01:00

My recent excursion to a Cargo-stocking Sainsburys yielded two purchases (although there could have been many more!), of which this is the most unlike anything I already own. This is Cargo's Liquid Shadow collection, a set of 6 tiny tiny tubes of liquid eyeshadow.

The colours range from fairly neutral to fairly strong - 3 of each. They all have a pearly, slightly metallic finish to them and are easily applied as a sheer wash of colour, and easily built up to provide a more striking look.

This swatch shows the colours included with decent accuracy. From left to right:

Silvery white, sparkly, metallic finish
Burgandy red, high shine finish and fairly intense colour
Golden peach, also metallic
Silvery lilac (looks fantastic on green eyes)
Mid-green - slightly less metallic than the others
Teal - shimmery but not particularly metallic

On application, these colours really give a sheen to the eye, drying quickly from a blendable cream to a powder finish. I applied the silvery lilac shade to my lid, and then the teal underneath my eye, so I could see the contrast between the subtle and bright shades. The teal applied slightly patchy - you would need a second swipe to ensure dense, solid colour. The silvery lilac, however, applied fairly evenly, although I was going for more of a wash here. I think the visible sheen is rather lovely.

Unfortunately, I was slightly let down by the wear. After about 7 hours, the colour in the crease of my eyelid had disappeared entirely - no creasing, just a mysterious lack of any colour. Possibly layered over UDPP, or as a base with powder eyeshadow on top, maybe these would last longer.

Overall, for the reduced price I paid (half price, from £12.72 to £6.36) this is a lovely set, and I'm already in love with the silver white shade for a bit of browbone highlighting. At just over £1 for each colour, you can't really go wrong!

If you're interested to try this, get down to your nearest Cargo-stocking Sainsburys. A review of the blush I also purchased will be forthcoming shortly!

Cargo at Sainsburys

2009-08-27T13:57:00.005+01:00

Although I'd heard some time ago that selected Sainsbury stores would be selling part of the Cargo makeup range, previously unavailable in the UK, I didn't think there were any Sainsbury stores near me that stocked it. Thanks to my good friend and colleague AJ, I discovered that a Sainsbury store near my workplace did stock the range - and so I went to have a look at lunchtime today.

I certainly wasn't expecting such a large and well stocked selection of products - comparing what I saw to what's available on the website, it appears that Sainsburys do get most of the Cargo range. Their Blu-Ray range of high performance face products was missing, but their most popular products like the blush and bronzer tins are available. In addition to the stand alone products, there were a few lovely sets containing several products, including a set of mini-eyeliners; a glitter, eyeliner, shadow and blush set; and a "best of" box with a £60 value.

I picked up a few things which I'll be reviewing over the coming days. Price wise, it seemed that my timing was perfect- all the products were half price. I bought a mini-liquid eyeshadow set, marked at £12.72, but costing just £6.36, and a blush tin, for the same price. If there's a Sainsburys in your area that stocks the range, I'd highly recommend going to have a look - you can check for one in your area at the bottom of the page here.

Review: Original Source Shower Smoothie

2009-08-26T14:24:00.004+01:00

I'll readily admit that most of my bath/shower purchases veer towards being mid-to-high end. Having recently taken up swimming for exercise, though, I didn't really want to be using more expensive products at the pool to wash the chlorine off. So I bought an Original Source Shower Smoothie - in the Nourishing Mango and Macademia variation.

The product comes in a lovely squishy pouch (which apparently means much less plastic wastage) with a tap on the top, much like the ones you find on sports water bottles. The product itself is a reasonably thick, almost jelly like cream, which smells absolutely gorgeous; the combination of mango and macademia isn't sharp or overly fruity, but much softer than you would expect for something with mango in it.

When applied to the skin you get a decent, moisturising lather, which I suspect would probably be best used alongside a shower puff, to get the most out of it. It leaves the skin feeling clean and quite soft, and all scent of chlorine was gone post-swim.

At approx £1.90 for 250ml, the price is fantastic, and I'd actually say that this is on a par with the Soap and Glory body wash I usually use - I'm a convert! I got mine from Tesco, but the Original Source range is available at Boots, Superdrug, etc, nationwide. You can also visit their rather funky website to see the other products available in the range.

Burner Balm - Lose Weight via Lipbalm?

2009-08-25T10:14:00.003+01:00

Currently exclusive to HQHair.com, Burner Balm claims to be a "fat burning, appetite curbing, energy boosting lip balm". Apparently, by applying it whenever you're feeling a bit peckish, it will squash your hunger and you will therefore lose weight.

Sounds too good to be true to me, but at £4.95, if I'm ordering from HQHair anytime soon, it might make its way into my basket, in the name of scientific research, of course.

If you're interested, it comes in 5 different flavours (where's the chocolate fudge version? Or the crisps one? I'd be much more inclined to buy if they actually tasted of foods I shouldn't be eating), £4.95 at HQHair.com.

LookFantastic Stocking RMK

2009-08-24T10:36:00.004+01:00

Oooh. Japanese brand RMK is now easier to get hold of; Lookfantastic.com is now an official stockist. I've been wanting to try RMK for a while now - particularly their Mystique Cheeks, which contains 5 shades of blusher - much like a shimmer brick, but with stronger looking colours.

The range isn't cheap, but if you're looking to try any of their products, you can find them at Lookfantastic.com now.

End Of A Rather Hot Holiday

2009-08-23T18:46:00.003+01:00

With temperatures between 23 degrees and 30 degrees centigrade in London, this week has felt much more like a summer holiday than a week at home with the kids. Having spent the week rushing around in the sun, I've been careful to always remember my (SPF inclusive) moisturiser, plus a bit more SPF on top. Being pale skinned and (unnaturally) red haired, I like a high SPF - but hate the greasy, white feel one often gets with a sunblock.

This week I've been using a favourite - Nivea Light Lotion, SPF 50. Although it goes on very white, and requires a fair bit of rubbing in, after a few minutes, the skin feels normal and not at all coated in product, which I absolutely love. While I can cope with being a bit sticky while on holiday abroad, when I only have to move from pool to sun lounger, if I'm active, I can't bear the feel of product on my skin, sticking to my clothes, etc.

At the end of the week, there's not a patch of red skin to be seen - I might be a little less white than usual, but I'm neither tanned nor burned. You can get this delightful cream from Boots for £10.49, and it's currently available as part of Boots' Buy One, Get One Free promotion.

Reprise: Tesco Skin Wisdom Skincare Range

2009-08-18T20:34:00.003+01:00

I posted last week about a couple of products I picked up from the revamped Tesco Skin Wisdom range. I mentioned that one of the products, the Radiance Boosting serum, was far too sparkly to be something I'd use on a regular basis, and so I returned it to Tesco a few days ago. The lovely man at the customer service desk gladly exchanged it for a new serum, Moonlight Renewal Serum, after sampling the Radiance serum and agreeing that yes, it was too sparkly (which was amusing in itself).

I've been using the Moonlight Renewal Serum, which is part of the Instant Benefits range, for the last few days. The texture is a fairly thin serum which is easily absorbed, and leaves the skin feeling quite silky. The smell is strange - a lovely rose scent with a waft of something slightly chemical - although it doesn't linger. The packaging is, however, absolutely terrible. I liked the last Radiance serum, with its pump dispenser, but this serum is in a pot. With a normal large opening. For a product which isn't particularly thick, this is a bad idea. The first little bit from my pot ended up working its renewal magic on my bedroom carpet.

All in all, the product is okay, but nothing special, and with the epic packaging fail, I won't be repurchasing this one. If you're interested to try it, it's around £6 at most larger Tesco stores.

Favourite Things: Redken Butter Treat

2009-08-16T20:21:00.004+01:00

I bought this product last year in the US, so my version is in a tube, not a tub, but still - this is probably one of the best frizz fighting treatments I have ever used.

A rinse out, highly moisturising treatment, this + a tiny bit of serum on the ends of my hair is enough to give me perfectly frizz free hair. The texture is somewhat lighter than you'd expect, particularly given the "butter" moniker - I'd expected something fairly thick, like body butter. As a result, the first time I tried this, I used way too much - despite the product being thinner than I'd expected, a little goes a long long way.

I wouldn't recommend using it every wash, as it's probably a bit too rich, but every week or so as an intensive treatment works a, err, treat for me. Available at the princely sum of £16.30 for 250ml at LookFantastic.

Quiet Times Ahead

2009-08-15T20:32:00.002+01:00

I'm on holiday for a week, tearing around London with my stepkids. If I have anything beauty related to report, I'll still do so during the evenings, but there's a fair chance it will be a quiet week.

Unless, of course, anyone is interested in seeing the state of my face after my 4 year old stepdaughter has done my makeup for me ;)

HQHair Offer 10 Free Dermalogica Samples

2009-08-13T16:45:00.002+01:00

This is a pretty good offer! Dermalogica products are generally lovely, but often worth trialling before you splash out on full sized products to see if they work for you or not. HQHair are giving away 10 samples for free with any order. If you happen to need some new product, this is a great way of trying some new stuff for free. Offer ends on the 16th August though, so best get your skates on!

A Small Rant On The Subject Of Shampoo

2009-08-13T09:10:00.003+01:00

While I have a large stockpile of 6 conditioners (some of them salon size, oh yes), I have a smaller collection of shampoos - two, in fact. And one of them - my Redken Colour Extend shampoo - is only about a third full. The other shampoo is Bumble and Bumble's Coconut shampoo, which is lovely, but not quite as rich and colour-protecting as the Redken offering.

So, when my husband leaves his shampoo (Wash and Go Sport - who knew they still made it, even?) upstairs in the shower room, and washes his hair over the bath of a weekday morning, what shampoo do you think he uses? Hmm?

This has happened before, you understand. I've told him repeatedly that he shouldn't use my shampoo, but if the morning rolls around and his shampoo is missing, empty, or out of his line of sight, he uses mine. When challenged recently, his response was "But yours makes my hair feel nice". I would buy him his own posh shampoo (men's range, of course), but I suspect it will end up like the moisturiser I bought him; sat there, gathering dust, while he swears he uses it every day (ahem).

Would it be too cruel to mix a bit of my bright red Aveda conditioner in with the shampoo so his hair takes on a pinkish tint?

Review: Tesco Skin Wisdom Skincare Range

2009-08-12T12:03:00.005+01:00

As I mentioned earlier in the week, I've recently finished my bottle of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum, and have been looking for something new to try in it's place. Last night, as I pottered around Tesco picking up some groceries, I happened to stop by the beauty section (quite large in my Tesco!) and ended up with two products from the recently revamped Skin Wisdom range. All the products are reasonably priced (as you'd expect), and are produced with Bharti Vyas, a leading holistic beauty therapist (not that I have any idea what that really means).

Skin Wisdom Restore and Replenish: Radiance Boosting Serum

Costing around £6, this is a purse-friendly serum that claims to "restore radiance, tone the skin, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles". On application the texture was lovely, sank into the skin quickly and left it feeling smooth and silky. The packaging is great; one of those pot+pump contraptions where you can dispense a continuous amount of product (as opposed to pump-by-pump), which means that the cream is easy to dispense and stays locked away from bacteria from your fingers, and the air.

However, nowhere on the packaging was it mentioned that by "restore radiance", they meant "cover your face in tiny gold glitter, thus making you sparkly". I personally dislike having a sparkly face (I apply my sparkles in a much more localised fashion) and so this will probably be going back to Tesco. Shame, as the product itself felt like it had potential.

Skin Wisdom Instant Benefits: Revitalising Fruit Peel-Off Mask

My initial impression of this product was that it is a lovely shade of pink. Spread thinly over the face, the complexion takes on a flushed pinkness - but that's really beside the point. On application, the overriding impression is of a huge cloud of alcohol floating directly around your nose - possibly enough to disqualify you from driving. Once that's dried down, the mask is inoffensive enough, eventually drying on the skin so that one can peel it off.

On a quick aside, I love peel off products. There's something deeply pleasurable about peeling stuff from the skin, as I used to do when I was younger with PVA glue and the palms of my hands.

Anyway, back to the product - it left my skin feeling soft and refined, and given the alcohol content, not at all dried out. At £1 a sachet, which contains enough product for 2 applications, I'll probably be buying this again for when I want a bit of a boost with some additional peel-off-y joy.

Review: Curly Hair Solutions Curl Keeper

2009-08-10T14:47:00.004+01:00

I'm always on the lookout for a new curl care product. My hair is loosely curly and somewhat frizzy, and my ideal product would be something that provides good curl definition, reduces frizz, moisturises, and doesn't leave my hair feeling hard or crunchy. That's not too much to ask for, is it?

As part of my investigations into curl care products outside of Boots/salons, I found a lot of buzz about the Curl Keeper product, which purports to control frizz and give a defined curl. It's also water based; no heavy silicones here, which means it doesn't weigh the hair down and can be "reactivated" with water.

So, after washing my hair as usual I poured a small amount of Curl Keeper into my hands and distributed it through my hair with my fingers. I repeated this 3 times to ensure that my fairly thick hair was well coated, and then I scrunched my hair so it contracted into spirals. After that, the instructions say to leave the hair alone - the less touching during the first 15 minutes of drying, the less frizz, apparently.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the effects. I did re-scrunch after 15 minutes or so, and although my hair did dry a tiny bit crunchy, that was easily scrunched out. On the right here you can see my hair mostly dry (it takes about 4 hours to dry completely) - the effect isn't SO defined that the hair looks flat and overly product-y, but is a good midpoint between well defined, smooth curls, and fluffy volume.

This morning I re-scrunched with wet hands and indeed, my curls did become more defined, which surprised me somewhat, as water + my hair usually = frizz. I think this'll become a staple in my house, until I hear news of something even more effective!

If you'd like to try Curl Keeper, you can buy it from BritishCurlies, at £15 for 240ml.

In Search Of A New Serum

2009-08-10T10:35:00.003+01:00

I've been using Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair for years. It's quickly absorbed, hydrating, and I *think* it keeps my skin looking fresh. But I've been using it for so long, I can't really remember how much of an effect it had when I first started using it.

So, for that reason, and because my bottle is almost empty, I'm going to be looking for a new night serum. Any recommendations? I'm thinking about going for a Darphin one to compliment my current Darphin night cream. Or possibly the new Lancome one.

I'll either end up realising that removing the Advanced Night Repair from my routine has terrible consequences for my skin, or I'll discover a better product. So it's a win either way. Whatever I choose, a review will be following shortly after!

Yummy Things: Cake Beauty

2009-08-07T16:21:00.004+01:00

Cake Beauty make some absolutely lovely products which smell divine. I was given their Milk Made Hand & Cuticle Buffer and their Milk Made Velveteen Hand Creme as a gift a while ago, and I've done the unthinkable - used them both up. For me, this is quite unusual, as I usually get bored, lose or give away the product before I'm anywhere near finishing it.

Not so with these; the Hand & Cuticle Buffer is a luxurious, oil-and-sugar based scrub, which smells of rich vanilla sugar cake, and leaves the hands so soft after use. The velveteen hand creme is a quickly absorbed, similarly scented product which leaves the hands feeling velvety and non-greasy.

The combination of the incredible scents, and the light but effective products in their pretty pink packaging has proven to be a winner with me.. and this weekend, I suspect I'll be going out to replace them, which is something I hardly ever do. Particularly for hand products!

Mine came from Boots, who stock parts of the range (which includes bath and body products, hair powders, and more) online and all of it in their larger stores, or there's a full list of stockists on the Cake website here.

The Curly Girl Method

2009-08-06T15:07:00.004+01:00

I recently bought a new curl-control product from a site called BritishCurlies.co.uk. A review for that will be coming up soon, but in the meantime, I was having a browse through the site (which contains a multitude of information for curly haired girls) and saw a number of references to the Curly Girl (or CG) method.

Well, my curiosity was piqued. After doing a bit more research, I discovered that the theory is that the harsh surfactants in shampoo cause damage to the hair, sapping the hair's natural moisture. Supposedly, by avoiding shampoo and washing the hair in conditioner, the hair becomes stronger, healthier, and curls look less frizzy.

Washing in conditioner is something I've heard of before, but the CG method takes it a step further. Because conditioners don't actually cleanse the hair, one shouldn't use products containing silicones, as they build up and the conditioner can't "lift" the build up away as it can for normal dirt and oil.

This is something I'm considering giving a try. I dislike the frizz that's such a part of being curly-haired, and I wonder if moving away from shampoo will also help me to keep my colour fresh. Only one barrier into me getting started though - I currently have 2 shampoos and 6 conditioners, all of which contain silicones. Watch this space though, in the next few months, I might well give it a shot!

If you're interested to learn more, you can find oodles more info at BritishCurlies.co.uk or NaturallyCurly.com.

MAC Graphic Garden Collection

2009-08-06T12:05:00.003+01:00

I don't know about you, but I seem to get an email from MAC about a new collection, ooh, every other day. Yesterday I got a mail about the Love That Look collection being online, and today I got a mail about the Graphic Garden collection, which is apparently a Harvey Nicks exclusive, now being available online.

This collection is made up of the stuff we usually see being released around Christmas; two pallettes, two lip bags, and two brush sets.

Now, I love MAC dearly, but I wish they'd stop wheeling out collections every ten minutes when all that's new is some new shades, possibly grouped into a new pallette. I bought a few things from Colour Craft, because there were some interesting Mineralise items I'd not seen before, and I might buy a few things from Love That Look because of the limited-edition Starflash finish (which I missed last time), but this collection is nothing hugely special to me. I kinda feel sorry for the hardcore MAC heads who collect every item; their wallets are being bled dry!

If you like the look of this collection more than I do, you can get it now at MAC Online.

REN Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil

2009-08-05T10:13:00.002+01:00

REN's Morroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil is something that I always gave as a gift, but never bought for myself. With it's heady perfume, which smells so intensely of roses while also smelling clean, fresh, and definitely not old-lady-ish, it makes a great gift - and it's clearly a luxe product. Every time I've given it as a gift, it's been well received.

Just after Christmas last year I was given a bottle of this for myself. Well, I say I was given it, what really happened was that I guilted my husband into buying it for me because he'd decided that what I really wanted for Christmas was Guitar Hero World Tour. Hmmm.

Anyhow, I've been using it as a special treat, generally monthly, since then and it's lasting very well. Only a tiny, tiny bit is needed; a capful dropped into an already-run, hot bath produces a lovely milky effect. While the water feels slightly more moisturising, the main attraction for this product is that beautiful scent. In the water, it loses none of it's potency, making the whole bathroom (and hallway, sometimes!) smell deliciously of roses. And, once you're done relaxing, the oil doesn't leave the bath greasy and slippery, but washes away cleanly.

REN also do a matching body oil, body cream, and body wash, which I have miniatures of, but haven't yet tried (waiting for a special occasion!). If you like a bit of luxury in your bath or are looking for a gift for someone who does, this is ideal.

£26 (ouch) for 140ml at Lookfantastic.com.

DIY Beauty: Coconut Oil

2009-08-04T08:29:00.003+01:00

I've had a massive tub of coconut oil for almost a year now, and it's become a firm DIY beauty favourite. It's versatile, moisturising and relatively cheap - plus the bonus of a natural, non-chemically coconut scent.

I personally find it to be too rich for use on my face - I have combination skin and applying pure coconut oil is just too much. For drier skins it might be more suitable.

Here's a quick list of possible uses for this versatile oil:

Fabulous as a weekly deep conditioning treat for the hair, slathered on and left for hours, then gently washed out
A tiny tiny dab can be used in lieu of serum, which leaves a lingering scent
As a shaving aid, helps the razor to glide over the skin
Massaged all over the body post-shower or bath as a moisturiser
Mixed with sea salt or sugar to create a spa-worthy scrub
Makes a fantastic nail and cuticle oil
I've also heard it works as an eye makeup remover - some report fuller, thicker lashes as a result of using it this way

Coconut oil is generally solid in a British climate, but slightly softer during the summer. At the moment, a chunk taken from the tub will melt into an oil within 10 seconds or so on the hands. In the colder months it can take up to a minute of warming between the palms to melt down.

I buy virgin organic coconut oil from Coconoil online, £10.99 for 460g, although the non-organic version is slightly cheaper at £8.99.

Review: Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara

2009-08-03T14:36:00.010+01:00

Earlier I mentioned that I had been to Boots and purchased Lancome's latest Hypnose variation, Hypnose Drama. I'll admit that the excitement of buying it was slightly overshadowed by the exictement of finding a Cargo LashActivator hidden away in store, but hey, I'm all about instant gratification, and since it'll be a month before I discover if the Cargo offering works, my attention has now shifted to Hypnose Drama.

So, what's different? Firstly, the brush. I love the original Hypnose for it's normal sized, normal bristled, reliably easy brush. Hypnose Drama has a funny S-shaped twisty brush, which is a bit bigger, and has slightly longer bristles. I was slightly worried that this'd make it harder to use than the original Hypnose, but oh no, it's just as easy.

Even easier, in some ways - I don't know about you, but I always feel most mascara brushes have to be angled differently to give good coverage and uplift on the outer lashes. The twisty Hypnose Drama brush is curved in a way that gives great coverage on my outer lashes with no special attention!

And on to the effect. To the left is a photo with two coats: fluttery, defined, pretty dramatic.The formula doesn't clump, and gives both length and volume, with more emphasis on the volume.

And on the right here, three coats. Those are some full, dramatic looking lashes right there. Still well defined despite the amount of mascara I've applied.

In short - I'm in LOVE with this mascara. I have a feeling it'll be in my makeup bag for a long while yet! While it's definitely a luxe purchase at £19.50, I'll happily pay that for this kind of effect.

Available from Lancome.co.uk or on counter.

Cargo LashActivator

2009-08-03T10:27:00.003+01:00

Last week, I posted a link to Boots.com, who were selling one solitary Cargo product, which apparently was so much in demand that one had to register interest in the next batch, as the first batch had sold out so quickly.

So, you can imagine my surprise when I was paying for my new Hypnose Drama in Boots on Saturday, and the lady at the till mentioned that the packaging was similar to the Cargo one.

"Cargo one? Do you guys have the Cargo one?!" said I.

"Oh yes, it's over there, just next to the chewing gum" she said.

So I got her to un-scan all my items and off I went to find it. And indeed, it was between the chewing gum and the end of the display, the ones Boots put near the tills so you're tempted into other purchases as you queue. 5 or 6 Cargo LashActivators, hidden in a little corner - I would never have found them otherwise. Which surprises me, given that the website makes such a big deal of them.

Anyway, long story short, I now have a Cargo LashActivator, which I don't think will cut it as a mascara on it's own for me, but which I will wear under mascara for the next month, and report back as to how much my eyelashes grow. If you'd like one for yourself, I'd suggest having a careful look around your nearest large Boots store, or asking one of the trend-savvy till ladies!

Things I Want: John Lewis Cosmetic Organiser

2009-07-31T16:29:00.005+01:00

This cute little organiser caught my eye while I was browsing JohnLewis.com earlier. While it wouldn't stand a hope of organising all my makeup (or even most of it), it does look like it would be fabulous way of organising my brushes. And maybe my lipsticks. So I guess if I see these in store, I'll be buying at least two. And, my husband couldn't complain because it would help me to Keep Things Tidy.

Cosmetic Organiser, £9.75 at JohnLewis.com.

More Crap Packaging: Boots Protect & Perfect Eye Cream

2009-07-31T15:13:00.005+01:00

I bought this Boots No7 Protect and Perfect Eye Cream because I'd decided that my usual Clinique cream wasn't doing a great deal, and I needed to research something super-effective. This wasn't the super effective thing, no - it was the "stop gap" thing I decided to buy in the meantime because it would be reasonably cheap and do the job while I did my research. Unfortunately I didn't actually look too closely at the price before I bought it, and was rather surprised that a Boots own product (even one with the No7 moniker) was £16.50 for 15ml.

Anyway, before I get sidelined, that's not the reason why I want to discuss this product today. Let's get straight to the point - it's has terrible packaging. The tub is quite cute, isn't it, with it's sloping sides, no? But, look at it with it's lid off:

Oh dear. The opening is rather small. It's fine at the moment, when the product is reasonably full, but as the amount left starts to dwindle, I'm going to have to poke my finger into the put and swirl it around to get the last bits of product out from the crevices. Not good.

One further annoyance, purely because I'm a little bit OCD when it comes to symmetry, is that because the sides of the pot slope from the lid downwards, it's very hard to align the screw top so it screws on perfectly time and time again.

Fairly safe to say I won't be buying this one again, despite thinking it's a decent, hydrating eye cream.

Stuff That Works: Zam-Buk

2009-07-31T13:09:00.003+01:00

Zam Buk is a product that I've been using all my life; despite being made in the UK by Rose & Co, it doesn't seem to be widely sold here, and I only know of it because of my mother. She's South African, and this herbal ointment has been a staple all her life.

Described as a "soothing, healing, antiseptic ointment", it has a multitude of uses. Helps heal dry, cracked skin, grazes and cuts, and most importantly (for me), dries out and heals spots quickly without harsh chemicals.

This is definitely an overnight or day-at-home treatment - a smear of green ointment on your face doesn't really constitute a good going-out look. I tend to buy mine from South African shops, but if you don't have any in your area, you can now buy it online from Rose & Co, for £3.99 for 20g.

Today's Lip: MAC Lipgelee in Sugar Shock

2009-07-30T16:44:00.004+01:00

Today I'm wearing MAC lip gelee in Sugar Shock. It looks rather dark (with flashes of fuschia) in the tube, but goes on a very sheer, glossy pink. Not really a girlie pale pink, but a bit more bright, which I usually shy away from, but the sheer coverage is brilliant for a pop of colour without being in-your-face.

Have I mentioned how much I love lip gelees? I was underwhelmed by Lancome juicy tubes, finding them a little bit too sticky and thick. These glosses are more along the lines of what I was expecting - soft, jelly-textured, comfortably easy to wear, and very highly conditioning.

Sugar Shock was a limited edition shade, but MAC still carries a small range of these wonderfully low-effort glosses - head over to MAC online to take a look.

Things I Want: Hypnose Drama Mascara

2009-07-30T14:56:00.003+01:00

I'm a long standing fan of Lancome Hypnose. It's my favourite mascara for long, volumised lashes, and I love that it's easy to apply - no messing around with funny brushes, just a couple of quick coats and go. Now there's a new version - Hypnose Drama. Dollface posted about it a while ago, having spotted it on the Sephora site - and I've just spotted it on Lancome.co.uk.

Hopefully this means that when I next pop into Boots, their Lancome counter will have it too. And since that might well be tomorrow.... it's a good thing I'm running out of regular Hypnose anyway (honest!).

Boots.com Stocking Cargo Products?

2009-07-28T11:03:00.003+01:00

Having a quick look at Boots.com this morning has led me to an interesting discovery. Cargo Cosmetics has been difficult to find in the UK for quite some time; I tried out one of their blushes via a trip to the US and would love to try more. Boots.com seems to be stocking at least one product - Cargo LashActivator, a mascara with a built in lash treatment which promises longer looking lashes in 30 days.

While it's currently out of stock, you can register your interest for the next batch of stock they receive - in the interests of scientific testing (ahem) I've put my name down. I've also asked if Boots will soon be stocking the full Cargo range - I'll update this post if I get an answer. If I do manage to snag a LashActivator, I'll certainly be posting a full review! Fingers crossed :)

Brushes, brushes, brushes

2009-07-27T17:51:00.004+01:00

Good quality makeup brushes are a must - even the best eyeshadow in the world doesn't go on particularly well with a foam applicator. Once you've made the investment in a good set of brushes, keeping them in great condition (and scrupulously clean, of course) is a doddle.

I wash my brushes (and line them up neatly, as shown above) once a week - or every other week if I'm busy and don't have the time. I like to use Johnson's Baby Shampoo, as it's so mild, but any mild shampoo will do (this is a great way of using up a product you bought for your hair, but for whatever reason don't like so much). Wet the brush a little bit, and then put a dab of shampoo in the palm of your hand. I gently swish the brush around the shampoo, working up a bit of a lather (for bigger brushes) or just until any colour residue has been worked out.

After washing, shape them gently with your fingertips and allow to dry naturally. I always leave the brush head dangling out into the air so the brush doesn't dry with any funny flat bits, and so that the bristles aren't sitting around in a pool of water.

A good set of brushes is an investment but doesn't need to cost the earth. My collection contains a number of MAC and Bobbi Brown brushes, which are great quality but rather expensive. I have a good few brushes from Crown Brush, who produce great quality brushes very similar to the MAC range, at a much better pricepoint.

Too Many Products

2009-07-27T16:06:00.002+01:00

According to my husband, I have Too Many Products. Generally, this clashes with my opinion, which is that I have Too Few Products. Variety is, as they say, the spice of life, and as such, I NEED 5 mascaras on the go at once, when I only really like the one.

Anyway, this becomes relevant when I explain what I did on Friday afternoon, after I washed my hair. While I'm letting the conditioner soak in, I exfoliate my face, and once I'm out of the bath, I always slap a bit of moisturiser onto my freshly-scrubbed skin. On Friday, I wandered into the bedroom and decided on a whim to use some Clinique Anti-Oxidant night cream for a bit of a change. Unfortunately said cream had been there for a while, and while it was a perfectly good product while it was fresh, in it's slightly old state it totally made me break out (as well as stinging a little bit).

Lesson learned, I'm going to clear out any old bottles/jars of product that are lying around before I do this again. I know full well that the little jar icon on the label tells you how long the product lasts once opened, but I'm damned if I can remember when I opened something (this might be down to having Too Many Products lying around). New rule, I think, will be that if I can't remember the last time I used something, then it's going in the bin.

Review: MAC Odd Bits Mineralize Eyeshadow Quad

2009-07-27T11:08:00.007+01:00

As part of my last MAC order, I received one of the new Mineralize quad eyeshadows that were released with the Colour Craft collection. The eyeshadow is the same size as the other Mineralize eyeshadow releases - bigger than the usual MAC pan, and domed. Pricing wise, the regular shadows are £11 for 1.5g, and the Mineralize ones are £14 for 2.5g.

Pictured here is the Odd Bits colourway, which MAC describes as containing "Mid tone Silver Grey, Dusty Rose with gold pearl, Dark burgundy, Peachy bronze". The eyeshaodws are all quite shimmery, as you'd expect from anything carrying the Mineralize moniker, but surprisingly, are not particularly pigmented.

The swatches here are shown on the back of my hand. As you can see, the effect is quite sheer - I applied a decent amount of each shadow to my hand, and while they were buildable, I get the feeling you'd need to layer it up a fair bit before you got any intensity. What you can't really see well in the photo is the effect of each shadow - the pale pink has a pretty intense pink/gold pearl when the light hits it, and the peachy bronze is very glittery. The burgundy and silver shades both have a sheen, but are much more subtle when compared to the other two shades.

I have two qualms with this product - firstly, that silver grey doesn't really go with the other shades. I thought maybe it would make a nice lining shade but it's not quite dark enough for that. Secondly, as the pan is split into four segments, each segment is really quite small - some care is required when loading up your brush to ensure that you only get one colour.

All in all, this quad can be used to make a fairly subtle work-safe eye look, which has shimmer but isn't too in-your-face. I don't think I'll be buying any more quads from the Colour Craft collection; this product is OK, but nothing hugely special.

Favourite Things: Aveda Madder Root Colour Conditioner

2009-07-24T15:16:00.004+01:00

I have bright red hair. Not naturally, unfortunately - once a month my hair is re-coloured by my good friend and excellent hairdresser Silvie. The problem with coloured red hair is that it fades FAST - something I've been striving to avoid for years.

The one product I keep returning to is Aveda's Madder Root Colour Conditioner. It's a thick, bright red cream which imparts a shot of very bright colour; unlike many other "colour enhancing" conditioners, this one actually stains the hair. And the hands. And possibly the scalp if you're not careful enough in the application!

As well as the colour benefits, it's also deeply conditioning and smells divine, like most Aveda stuff I've tried. My preferred method of using this is to wash my hair, squeeze all the water out, squeeze again (gently, of course), and then apply a healthy amount to the midlengths and ends of my hair. I use a much smaller amount on the roots and make sure I really rub it through my hair carefully so avoid a pink-tinted scalp. I then put on a showercap and relax in the bath, or wander around the house, for up to an hour. The end result is shiny, well conditioned hair which is much redder than before. Done every other wash, this keeps my red fade-free much longer than a normal conditioner.

If you have darker hair, this should give you a red glow. And a word of warning - dark towels are a must - while your hair is drying it will tint anything it touches pink!

Aveda Madder Root Colour Conditioner, £14.45 for 250ml at Lookfantastic

Review: Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara

2009-07-24T12:18:00.006+01:00

Can I start this review off by saying that I was really, REALLY excited to try this mascara? I was excited for one reason, and that reason was the advertising. I usually tune out when makeup ads come onto the TV, especially mascara ads, because the effects shown are almost always cancelled out by the small print. "Filmed with last inserts". "Enhanced in post production". Yeah, that's going to make me buy a mascara. But the small print for the Max Factor False Lash Effect mascara was different. The tagline was originally to do with the biggest US mascara launch of 2008. And the small print said.... "Sold as Lash Blast".

CoverGirl's Lash Blast mascara made waves in the beauty world last year. Bloggers raved about it, reviews were positive, and it gained a bit of a cult following. Those of us outside the US watched but couldn't try it. So when I saw that small print on the Max Factor ad, I had to try it. I decided to try the Waterproof variety.

First, let's examine the brush. It's very big, even the plastic wand is big and thick. I don't usually have a problem with mascaras with big brushes - I love DiorShow, have had success with Bad Gal in the past - but this one? I really dislike it. I suspect it's because while the brush is very big and fat, the pointy-outy-plastic-fingers (I'm sure they actually have a name) are quite short. This means that when you apply the mascara, to actually drag it through your lashes effectively, you have to really get in close at the base of the lashes. And for me, that + big brush = MESS.

Look at all the mascara that's been deposited on my eyelid, close by the base of my lashes! Try as I might, I just couldn't apply this mascara in a way that coated my lashes effectively right from the base to the tip, without getting a mess of black gunk (waterproof black gunk in this case) on my eyelid.

I wouldn't necessarily mind a bit of cleanup if the effects were spectacular, but they really aren't all that great. Lashes are longer, a little bit thicker, but this is no way a false lash effect.

This mascara won't be replacing my usual Lancome Hypnose as a favourite. In fact, I doubt I'll be using it again. I'm really disappointed by this product, probably because I had such high expectations for it given the association with Lash Blast.

If you'd like to try it out for yourself, I bought mine from Tesco, who are currently selling it with £3 off the RRP, making it around £8.

Surprisingly Good: Murad Age Reform Perfecting Day Cream SPF30

2009-07-23T09:23:00.003+01:00

Last time I had a facial, I asked the therapist to recommend me a new day cream. I'd been using Estee Lauder DayWear Plus for a good year or so, and although it's a perfectly good day cream, I was in the mood to try something new. My only stipulation was that the new cream had SPF and wasn't too rich - I didn't want anything that took ages to sink in, making me wait before applying my makeup after moisturising. My therapist recommended Murad Age Reform Perfecting Day Cream, with SPF30, and I've been using it every morning since.

I'll admit to not expecting much from this cream; in fact I rarely expect much from a daycream - for some reason I just think that richer night creams are going to make more difference, and that the day cream is just there to moisturise and protect. This cream surprised me - in just over a week my skin looks clearer, more even toned, and just generally better - I'm very impressed! The texture is a fairly light cream which smooths into the skin easily, although the high SPF does mean there's a little bit more massaging in required than with a no-SPF cream (that's a price I'm happy to pay). I also like the packaging - the tube ensures that the product remains fresh and it's easy to squeeze out just enough - I need about a pea-sized blob for my face.

This has been my first foray into the world of Murad products - and I suspect that when my current night cream and eye cream run out, I might be trying some more. True, this is an expensive range - the day cream is £31 for 50ml, but for these results and the small amount I need to use, I think it's probably worth it.

Murad Age Reform Perfecting Day Cream SPF30

Beauty Forgetfulness

2009-07-23T09:11:00.003+01:00

My internet connection has been somewhat flaky over the last few days, and it culminated in it becoming totally unusable yesterday. So, yesterday morning, before I started work, I put some new mascara on one eye and took some photos so I could write a review last night. And then all hell broke loose and I couldn't stay online long enough to write an email, let alone do my day job properly!

I ended up dashing up to my local high street to replace my broadband equipment twice. And guess what? Totally forgot I had mascara on one eye only. When I eventually looked in a mirror again and noticed, I felt like a bit of a fool.

Anyway, the review will most likely be going up tonight, assuming my new mobile broadband dongle arrives in time!

eBeauty: Makeup Alley

2009-07-20T19:22:00.002+01:00

Ah, Makeup Alley. How I survived before I found this gem of a website, I don't know.

For those of you not familiar with MakeupAlley.com, it is a veritable goldmine for us beauty fanatics. It has a lively boards section, where lovers of all things beauty chat about skincare, makeup, haircare, and all manner of other girlie things, where you're never far away from an opinion on your new lipstick or a recommendation for a new eye cream. It also has an amazingly comprehensive product reviews section, covering product from high street to high end, including at home ideas like oatmeal scrubs and aspirin masks. Yes, really, aspirin masks. Surprisingly good!

But the kicker for me is the swap section. The premise is that you list your gently used or unused product, and swap with like minded addicts. So long as you wipe off anything you receive (lipsticks and eyeshadows are easy to sanitise, mascara and lipgloss significantly less so), a whole new world of product becomes available to you - and the best bit is saving a ton of money. A fair portion of my stash has been acquired from MakeupAlley:

A MAC 15 pan pallette, FULL of MAC eyeshadows
A brand new 187 brush
Numerous quirky Asian makeup items I'd never have found otherwise
Several very rare MAC Lovemate lipsticks
A bright pink Benefit lipgloss I never expected to love
A seriously flattering Laura Geller blusher I would have passed by for it's orange cast

So long as you follow some simple rules, swapping on MUA is easy, fun, and seriously addictive (not to mention a fantastic place to find discontinued products you can't live without).

If you're new to swapping, expect to send your side of the swap first. Everyone has to do this, to prove they're not swaplifting (swapping for items and never sending your side).
If the person you're swapping with has a similar number of tokens (feedback) to you, send at the same time.
Be totally honest. If your eyeshadow has a dent in it from being dropped on the bathroom floor, say so.
Always post when you say you will!
And if you can't, communicate! Most of the girls are totally reasonable and so long as you keep them informed, a day's delay is OK.
Don't swap for used mascara, unless you're happy with the risk of an infection.
Always wipe off a new product before using it.
If you have sample sachets lying around, send them as extras. It's always nice to receive something unexpected!

Happy Swapping!

UDPP: Great Product, Crap Packaging

2009-07-19T13:39:00.009+01:00

Urban Decay Primer Potion is a cult product, and deservedly so - it really does make eyeshadow stick to the lids, and stick there for hours and hours. I use it daily, and my eyeshadow never fails to last 10 hours plus. But this fabulous product has a major downfall in its (albeit very pretty) packaging - you've probably seen this before, but here's a selection of photos showing you how to get the most out of that little purple tube with minimum wastage.

This morning I realised my UDPP was (seemingly) almost empty. So, I gathered my UDPP, a serrated knife, a well used chopping board, and a little sample pot I've used for this purpose before, and set to work.

I carefully began to saw off the top and bottom of the UDPP. Some people like to saw it neatly into two halves across the length of the tube, but I'm slightly (okay, very) clumsy, and I like to keep my fingers well away from the knife.

Once you've cut through enough plastic, you can bend the top and bottom away at an angle so you can get at the product inside. Look how much there is left that would otherwise be going in the bin!

Using the applicator sponge, I scraped out the remaining primer from both ends of the tube. There's usually a fair bit in the bulbous top end of the container. I squished it all down into the sample pot. Should be able to rescue a couple of months worth of product.

A sample pot brimming with UDPP that would otherwise be thrown away. You could keep the sponge applicator to use with it, but in this form it's easy enough to dab a finger in it and smooth it onto the eyelids. Just remember to keep the lid on tightly, this stuff dries out really quickly with contact with the air.

I've heard that Urban Decay have updated the packaging for the primer potion in response to customer complaints about the wastage. I've also heard that they've simply angled the sponge applicator so you can (theoretically) get to more product inside the tube. If this is the case I suspect I'll continue to cut up my UDPPs for a long while yet!

Review: MAC Cream O'Spice Creamstick Liner

2009-07-17T17:01:00.005+01:00

My last MAC online order contained something I actually sort of needed, as opposed to the many things I end up buying because I want them and am terribly weak willed. Creamstick liner in Cream O'Spice is a creamy beige liner which is delivered in a twist-up format, retailing at £10.50.

Colour & Application

This is probably the best nude lip liner colour for my lips I've tried. Like the rest of me, my lips are quite pale, and as such, if I'm wearing a full face of makeup, I can't really just leave my lips bare - it looks too unfinished. I'm a firm believer that strong eyes and strong lips shouldn't be paired together for most makeup looks, so I often need a little kick of colour to make my lips look less dead.

Unlined, natural lips. That slight pink outline around my top lip is natural, strangely enough.

Lips lined and filled in with Cream O'Spice. More of a contrast to my surrounding skin, and a more even colour. I think this is a classic MLBB shade - My Lips But Better.

Lips lined and filled in with Cream O'Spice, and topped off with a little clear gloss. This is my idea of the perfect nude lip to go with a stronger eye look.

I believe that the Creamstick liner is supposed to be slightly creamier than the regular pencil liners, but in my experience, I don't really see much difference between the two. The Creamstick liner is indeed creamy, although don't expect it to apply without tugging unless you've prepped your lips with a bit of balm, wiped off just before you line. That said, this stuff lasts a long time on the lips - I wore it to the office yesterday under a touch of gloss and it was still visible on the lips after lunch (if a little patchy), having been applied at 7AM.

Packaging & Price

The twist-up packaging is great - I much prefer this to a pencil liner which needs sharpening. I dislike the little bits of product that get lodged in the sharpener with a pencil liner, and so this is a brilliant alternative. The stick of product is slim and small enough that even once the initial point has worn down, it's still the right size for a precise application.

Over ten pounds on a lipliner is a bit on the high side - this is a high end product. I'm fairly certain that something similar could be found in a less expensive brand, and if you're purchasing mostly to use under nude/pink lipsticks, then maybe £10.50 is too high. That said, you do get a lot of product in the tube for your money, and I can't see myself needing to replace this soon.

Verdict

Love the colour, love the long lasting formula, love the packaging - worth the price for me :)

Favourite Things: Soap and Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble Bath

2009-07-17T16:01:00.003+01:00

Soap and Glory was founded by the lady behind Bliss, Marcia Kilgore. The products are all beautifully packaged with retro photos and tongue in cheek descriptions, and cost a good deal less than the more high-end offerings from Bliss. I have a few of their body butters, which are comparable to the Bliss body butters, and the bonus is that they're generally easy to get hold of - larger Boots stores have the full range, and even my small local Boots has a few products.

Now, on to Calm One, Calm All bubble bath - I love a good bath. Plenty of bubbles, a good book, and I'm entertained for a few hours - having mastered operating the hot tap with my toes, I can happily stay in the bath for up to 3 or 4 hours on an especially lazy day, with an especially good book.

If you're spending that long in the bath, a long lasting, moisturising bubble bath is an essential (and even if you're not, it's still a great-to-have!). This Soap and Glory offering ticks all the boxes - a clean but not overpowering scent, masses of gorgeous bubbles which feel more moisturising than your average bath foam, which last for a long while to boot. I've been through many different kinds of bubbles, oils, soaks, etc, and this is my absolute favourite.

Salon Review: U R Beautiful

2009-07-16T08:53:00.003+01:00

I've got to say it; in my opinion, UR Beautiful in Kingston-upon-Thames is one of South London's best kept secrets. An offshoot of the luxurious Urban Retreat salon in Harrods, this little gem opened over a year ago on the second floor of a surburban branch Boots, and has attracted a loyal clientele. With good reason - you might enter the salon from a normal store, but the second you step inside, you get a much more high end salon feel.

Lines such as Kerastase, Darphin, Redken, Dr Murad, Thalgo, Tigi, Daniel Sandler are all stocked in dark wood units, with separate sections of the salon separated by glass or a particularly beautiful metal chain curtain. The staff are all knowledgable and friendly, too!

But what of the treatments? I've been a regular for some time; my most recent visit was for a Darphin facial and quick file-and-polish. The facial came first; my therapist Emmie led me through to a lovely treatment room - all wood, mirror, and subdued lighting. No whalesong either - the music was low, relaxed, and a bit more funky/trendy than your usual salon music selection. The therapy bed was comfortable, plenty of towels were provided for coverage, and the facial itself was sublime. Starting off with a double cleanse, exfoliate, facial massage with the most gorgeous tangerine oil, and then... I fell asleep. I believe that more massage, a masque, and moisturisation followed, but I was so relaxed I dozed off.

The file-and-paint was nice, but fairly unremarkable, it being a quick maintenance job rather than any pampering, although the Leighton Denny products used were lovely and I was treated to a gorgeous mini-hand massage. The salon stocks a range of Essie polishes too; I chose "Bikeride", a cream candy pink. My nails were left perfectly polished and beautifully filed and I was offered a magazine for the inevitable drying period.

All in all, UR Beautiful is a lovely salon, much more high end than one would expect to find in a branch of Boots - and there's another benefit. Advantage Card points can be collected on all salon services and products - and even spent on them too. Perfect.

A Special Delivery

2009-07-15T13:13:00.005+01:00

I love ordering product online. Love love love it. Doing a little online shopping during my lunch hour perks me up from the usual daily grind, and then there's the delicious anticipation of waiting for the things to arrive. It's sort of like getting a gift when the product does arrive.. even if you did pay for it a few days before.

This afternoon a smart little black box arrived from MAC. I originally visited because I needed some more Cleanse Off Oil, but there were pretty limited edition things, and I sort of bought more than I really needed. And look how nicely all the products are packed into the box, with black tissue paper!

I received the following:

Cleanse Off Oil (a staple, removes longwear lip/eye makeup a treat)
Cream O'Spice Creamstick Lipliner (I really do need a nude lipliner, I promise)
Odd Bits Mineralise Eyeshadow (split 4 ways, limited with the Colour Craft collection)
Smooth Merge Mineralise Skin Finish (striped 3 colour, limited with the Colour Craft Collection)

I was sort of tempted by the pretty marbled Colour Craft lipglosses, but damn it, I need another lipgloss like I need to gain two dress sizes. Reviews will be coming up shortly!

DIY Beauty: Oats

2009-07-13T09:01:00.004+01:00

I've read (and heard) good things about the benefits of working oats into your beauty regime, so on Friday, when the husband was safely out of the way, I decided to put a few recipes to the test. I'm sure most of us have tried some kind of DIY beauty recipe at home before, possibly with mixed results.... Long ago, I read in Mizz magazine (anyone remember Mizz?) that bananas were good for hair. So I mashed a banana up and put it in my hair. Naturally it wouldn't come out particularly easily and I spent a good few hours picking bits of banana pulp out. Yuck.

But anyway, back to oats.

Oat Bath

I took an old, clean popsock I was fairly sure I'd never use again, and spooned in 4 tablespoons of oats. Because I did this mostly on a whim, I used just plain porridge oats - I'm told ground is easier to deal with, but hey, the plain unground oats were in the cupboard.

I tied a knot in the top of the popsock and threw it in my bath. The result? As the water started to draw the milk out of the oats, the bath grew more and more opaque. I also tried squeezing some of the milk directly out onto my skin, and discovered that it is indeed very moisturising - but given the dilution of it in a bath of water, it didn't really have much of an effect.

Next time, I will try more than 4 tablespoons of oats, see if that helps.

Oat Mask / Scrub

For this, I mixed a tablespoon of the same oats with about a teaspoon of honey, and a little bit of milk to turn it into a paste. This, I guess, is where the ground oats would really be useful - the resultant mixture was a bit, well, lumpy. It didn't adhere to my skin particularly well, mostly falling off into the bath. So instead I used it as a scrub, rubbing it gently in circles over my face. This turned out really well - once I'd rinsed it off and patted my face dry, my skin looked clearer than it had pre-bath, felt well moisturised, and my blemishes looked much calmer. I'll be trying this again for sure!

A word to the wise though: don't risk any of these treatments if you like porridge and are hungry!

Do Eyelash Curlers Actually Make A Difference?

2009-07-10T11:32:00.006+01:00

Long ago, I bought a pair of Shu Uemura eyelash curlers, partly because they're a cult staple, and partly because I was in the Shu section of Harvey Nichols, and well, that's quite a bit of temptation right there. I found them to be effective, but not any more effective than my cheap Boots pair. But I wondered: do they actually make a noticeable difference to the eye, once you have applied mascara?

I'll be honest - when I started this test, I was fairly sure that there would be a noticeable difference, and that I could continue feeling smug in my ownership of posh, cult-status eyelash curlers. If you look at the photos though..... I can't really see a major difference. Can you?

(On a slight aside, I love that I can see the reflection of my home office window in my eye. If this was CSI, they'd probably magnify that image so they could read the serial number of a plane that happened to be passing by in the distance, upon which the murder suspect was travelling.)

Anyway, the eye which had the curler treatment before mascara is on the right. Given that I know that, I think I can see a slight difference in the curl of the lashes, although it's so minor.... Maybe next time I'll try gently heating the curlers up first. Although with my clumsy hands I'm more likely to burn my eyelids than get a more defined curl. Either way, I'll continue to use my curlers (mostly because they were expensive, and I hate buying and not using expensive things) , but I doubt I'll worry too much if I forget.

How Many Lip Products....

2009-07-09T09:14:00.003+01:00

... does one girl need to carry around with her?

I'm in the office today and have just rummaged through my little makeup bag for a lipgloss. I seem to have accumulated a huge number of lip products in there, probably because when I decide to wear a lipstick, I take it and pop it into my handbag so I can retouch during the day. And never take it out again. So currently, my makeup bag contains:

1 lipbalm (MAC tinted lip conditioner, Petting Pink)
1 lip stain (CoverGirl Outlast, shade 435)
5 lip glosses (MAC Dazzleglass in Money Honey, DuWop Lip Venom in Berry Chill, Chanel Glossimer in 97, MAC Lipgelee in Sugar Shock, and Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Opal)
5 lipsticks (MAC Slimshine in Urgent!, MAC lipstick in Craving, Lovemate, and Plumful, and NARS lipstick in Flair)

This is possibly too many.. but I like having the choice. Often I don't apply lip product until I get to the office, so having a wide choice is important.

Well, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it ;)

Splitting Nails

2009-07-08T12:15:00.008+01:00

There's this one bit of my littlest fingernail on my right hand which always, always splits. The split is in the same place, and I've tried many things to prevent it: OPI Nail Envy at the high end of the scale, Sally Hansen in the mid-range... nothing really seemed to work, until I tried NailTek Xtra - it proports to be a "highly effective treatment designed to correct severe nail weakness". It really works! My nails grow extra-fast and strong with this stuff, and if I'm good about my maintenance (filing down, religiously applying at least twice a week), that little annoying split is kept under control. Naturally, if I don't use it regularly the split comes back, but I'm prepared to put a bit of effort in to have lovely nails.

Speaking of lovely nails, I found the OPI polish pictured here right at the back of my polish drawer the other day. It's VERY pink but perfect for summer. Would be great for toes if you don't usually go for the very bright fingernails look. The shade is called "A Rose At Dawn, Broke By Noon", probably best described as a slightly slightly frosty bright rose - no glitter in this one, and perfectly opaque after two coats.

Home Facials

2009-07-06T16:58:00.006+01:00

I've read a number of posts about home facials recently, mostly because the world economic situation is pretty dire, and many of us are less willing to spend our hard earned cash on expensive facials at the salon.

But that's not why I'm posting about them! I love salon facials and probably have them more for the relaxation and me time than I do for the skin benefits. I give myself a home facial weekly for maintenance, and because it's an easy way of giving the skin a bit of a boost.

Cleanse. Twice.

I think the key to a home facial is cleansing. Every facial I've ever had starts off with a double-cleanse. I suspect that this simple step might be key to the clean, glowy skin effect. I like to use a creamy cleanser - something that doesn't strip the skin of any moisture. One of my favourites is Clinique Comforting Cream Cleanser. It's extremely gentle, and seems to be have a good balance for my combination skin. Apply, massage, and rinse with cool water, pat the skin dry with a fluffy towel, and repeat.

Exfoliate

I apply exfoliator to slightly damp, but not dripping wet skin. If your skin is hardier than mine, you might get more dramatic results by applying to dry skin... but be careful. And don't over scrub! I love Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream for power-exfoliation, or Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant which is incredibly gentle, but still packs a punch.

Mask

I've never used anything as potent as Dermalogica Multi-Vitamin Power Masque. A friend recommended it as a weekly treat in the run up to my wedding, and it's now a staple. A thin layer is all you need, and although it turns a slightly scary shade of orange while it dries, once you've rinsed it off, your skin will look more clear and glowy.

An alternative for those looking to add some serious moisture is Caudalie Vinosource Cream Mask. A thin layer left on for fifteen minutes will leave your skin plumped up and feeling very well moisturised. And it's a dual-use product - you can leave it on overnight for extremely dry skin!

Moisturise

There are two ways to go with this, for me. Firstly, there's the lazy, got-other-things-to-do solution, which I just slap on my face - another Clinique product, Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. A lovely, light, fresh gel which adds moisture and sinks in so quickly - just be sure to use the minimum amount possible, or it will sink in and leave a sticky residue.

If I've got more time on my hands, facial oil + massage = heaven (and sometimes an unexpected nap). The key to making oil spread over the face is slightly damp skin - the oil won't mix with the water, but will glide atop it. When the water evaporates away you'll get good distribution of oil without that greasy chip-face look. I love Clarins Blue Orchid Facial Oil - it's for dehydrated skin, but there is a version for every skin type.

After this, even if your skin doesn't show an immediate improvement, you may well be feeling relaxed and pampered, which is a bonus either way. Home facials - not just for times of economic woe!

Hello.

2009-07-06T14:51:00.000+01:00

This is my first foray into the world of blogging although I've been reading numerous beauty blogs over the last few years. And who wouldn't? Those of us who delight in new eyeshadows, face masks, the hunt for the best mascara... there's plenty out there to keep us up to date, give us real advice, allow us to fixate just a little bit more.

But there don't seem to be a whole lot of British bloggers out there. The ones I read regularly are PJ at A Touch of Blusher and Amber at Hey, Dollface, both fantastic bloggers. Still, seems us Britishers are a small proportion of the wider beauty-blogosphere (is that a word?).

So anyway, rambling aside, I'm hoping I can add to the list of great British beauty blogs. Stay tuned :)