A day with Daniel Sandler

Naomi Campbell.  Jade Jagger.  Yasmin le Bon. Kate Moss. Joanna Lumley.  Keira Knightly. And now ... Get Lippie.  Oh yes, Daniel Sandler has all the luck ...

Now, if you're a regular reader, then it should be fairly well known by now that I adore Daniel Sandler. Having met him a few times this year, I've found him to be funny, friendly, down-to-earth and I've always found that time spent in his company is great fun, so when he invited me for a personal introduction to his makeup range recently, I found it to be an offer I couldn't actually refuse ... well, could you?

Popping along to his studio on Harrod's fifth floor, I find that Daniel's Hollywood-style makeup counter looks amazing, all mirrors and spotlights, and it's a glamorous spot to sit a spell and have a natter about lipgloss with the man himself.  Initially there just to take a look at Daniel's new collection of waterproof eyeliners, it's a matter of mere moments before Daniel has decided that I'm to have a makeover.  Actually, I didn't think I looked that bad beforehand to be honest!  But hey, the man knows what he's doing, and I'm not one to turn down a makeover when one is offered, particularly when it's offered so politely!

Discovering that Daniel and I first got into makeup at around the same age, and discovering that we were both influenced by the New Romantics (yes, I'm showing my age again, I know) was hilarious.  I had a Girl's World when I was about ten, and the book was full of "piratical" makeup thanks to Adam and the Ants but I found it really difficult to re-create the looks with just a green and a blue crayon! Confessing this to Daniel, he told me that he spent a lot of time grinding down chalk to make pigments for the makeup for his school plays, and that this had given him a great lesson in how cosmetics are made, which he admits has given him a boost when it came time for him to create his own line.

I'd love to tell you more about what Daniel and I talked about, but alas, I'd made a fatal error on the day.  I took Mr Lippie along, and discovered that he and Daniel got along like a house on fire!  So much so, that I could barely get a word in edgeways between the two of them ...honestly, I'm banning MrL from makeup events now, he makes me look totally socially inept at times, bless 'im.

Daniel did make time to tell me a few snippets about Lulu, and he's one of the very, very few makeup artists who've actually noticed that my eyes are actually different colours, which just shows how much attention the man pays when he's doing your makeup!  He also mentioned that I have a similar complexion to Keira Knightly (yeah, right), and was very happy to discuss all his makeup inspirations - particularly when I pointed out that when you look at his collection, I personally found a few of the inspirations easy to spot - and it was refreshing to hear from him about the problems that go with trying to launch a makeup collection.  Particularly how frustrating it is when things don't come out precisely as you want them to.  All really fascinating to anyone with even a passing interest in the beauty industry, and as a control freak myself (no, really), I had severe sympathy!

So, I'm guessing you're wondering what a makeover with Daniel Sandler actually looks like, hmn?  Well, if you excuse the dopey looks on my face (sorry Daniel), here's the finished article:

I came away with a brown smokey eye (complete with at least two different shades of eyeliner) and berry-stained lips. I don't ordinarily use brown eyeshadow, for a variety of reasons, but I always like the effect when someone else picks it for me, and I adored the choice of berry lips to go with it.  I'd normally shy away from coloured lipstick with such a statement eye look but I thought this worked amazingly well. Maybe a little OTT for an evening spent on the sofa watching X Factor, but such is life ...

I'll be talking you through some of the range of products Daniel has tomorrow, but in the meantime, if you're interested in a makeup lesson from Daniel, you can find the details here: Makeup Lesson with Daniel Sandler

The Fine Print: I was just there to look at the eyeliner, honest! 

In a rush!

I mentioned yesterday that I'm lazy, and I'd rather spend an extra minute or two in bed than spend time using two products when I can use only one.  So I thought I'd tell you my favourite "two minute face" products.

For my base, I'd use Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturising Balm, it has SPF 25, and works well for evening out skintone (taking the place of foundation) and also works exceptionally well as a moisturiser in it's own right.  This, essentially, takes the place of three products!

Eyeshadow, probably something taupe (the one above is Chanel's taupe grise, not, strictly, a taupe, but lovely nonetheless).  Taupe because it goes with everything, suits almost everyone, and it's hugely versatile.  I'll either pat a darker taupe into the crease, or a lighter one all over the mobile lid.

Trish McEvoy High Impact Mascara in Jet Black.  I love this stuff, it doesn't budge throughout the day, and I find that it volumises my lashes to the extent that I can go without liner (normally a total no-no chez Lippie) once in a while.

For my cheeks, I'd either use Daniel Sandler's Watercolour Blush in Cherub (a pale rosy pink) or, if I want a little more colour, I'd use

Edward Bess Cream Rouge in Island Rose.  Both of these are ideal for adding a little fresh colour to my pale and sallow mug in the mornings, and they're both a real pleasure to use, too.

As for my lips, I'd cheat and use either of the blush shades on my lips.  Four products, two minutes and groomed perfection.  In my dreams!

What's your two-minute routine?

Perfect Purple? Daniel Sandler Sheer Satin Eyeshadow 575

Specifically for OxfordJasmine, this one ...  I know a few people are on the lookout for the perfect "Cadbury" purple eyeshadow, and I think this one is definitely a contender!  Daniel Sandler himself picked this one out for me recently (more about that next week) after I confessed my love of purple eyeshadow to him.  I've long been after a proper "bright" purple that isn't too blue, or too "dusty", and this one has been love at first sight.

Purples are notoriously difficult to photograph, and I'm not entirely happy with how these shades appear here, but I shall do my best.

Don't be fooled by the adjective "sheer" in the name of this shadow, it's vibrant and well-pigmented, and very smooth to apply. Whilst not as buttery-smooth as, say, Rouge Bunny Rouge, it's plenty soft, and very blendable.

The top swatch there is blended over Urban Decay Primer Potion, and the bottom is over bare skin.  As you can see, putting this on over a primer brings out the hidden shimmer in this shadow, which makes it appear lighter on the skin.  The photo has washed out the shade of this shadow a little, it's very definitely purple, and not at all the lilac-y shade you're seeing here.

Daniel Sandler cosmetics are available online from LookFantastic (but a slightly limited range) and Your True Colours (which has a full range) and you can see the entire line in the flesh at Urban Retreat on the 5th floor at Harrods. The shadows cost £10.

The Fine Print: No PRs harmed in the making of this post.  Nor did any money change hands. 'twas a present.  Kinda.  Long story, look out for a longer post explaining soon.

Review - Clarisonic (First Thoughts)

Ever since I read Gemma's Clarisonic Diaries posts about her experiences of using a handset for a month over on London Beauty Review a while ago, I've wanted one of these sonic beauties!  A couple of weeks ago though, this desire was cemented by the amazingly talented Jody Bloch at the Fern Skin Clinic, who told me that a Clarisonic would definitely help me with some dry skin issues I've been suffering from lately.

It took me a little while to get my hands on one, but I finally have one in my sticky little paws, and, after a week of use, I thought it might be interesting to get some thoughts down about how using a giant toothbrush Clarisonic to clean my face has been.

Here is what Clarisonic claim for themselves (from the Clarisonic website):

Benefits beyond just clean skin: Clarisonic improves the appearance of skin tone and reduces the appearance of pore size

Clarisonic is the sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. The Clarisonic Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just 60 seconds a day, the Clarisonic micro-massage action cleans more than twice as effectively as manual cleansing.

Clarisonic Sonic Cleansing Benefits

• Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Cleanses so well that products absorb better
• Gentle enough for twice daily use
• Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles 

I've been using mine twice a day for the last week, with an old favourite cleanser (Nude's Facial Cleansing Oil), and, I have to say, I've been astonished at how much I love using this thing. Essentially, you apply your cleanser to your damp skin, then, after wetting the brush head with warm water, you move it in small circles over your skin, moving to different parts of the face when the handset beeps.  Once the brush turns itself off, I usually go over my skin with a warm facecloth and remove any last traces of cleanser that are left behind, and give myself a little steam-treatment too.

So, how have I found it? Well, after my operation, I'd been quite openly complaining about my dull, grey, flaky skin, which not even my usual hot-cloth method of skin-cleansing had been able to shift.  In addition, I've been "suffering" from a constant patch of dry, flaky skin on my forehead for a matter of months that has been driving me bananas - it was diagnosed by a couple of people recently as "lipid dryness", meaning that oil wasn't able to penetrate beyond the most superficial layer of my skin.  From the first use, Clarisonic has helped with both of those problems. 

My dry patch has disappeared, and my skin has been uniformly more even in tone, and it's soft. So soft that it feels like velvet!  I do find that my skin most definitely feels a lot cleaner when I use the handset, and from the first use (for me), it's been a bit of a revelation. I've also found that I don't need to exfoliate at all.  Astonishing.  Astonishing enough for me to actually look forward to cleansing my face as a result!

Now, has my skin been visibly changed for the better?  I can't in all honesty say so.  Yet.  MrLippie hasn't noticed any difference in my skin (then again, he'd only really notice a change in my skintone if I suddenly dyed it to match his London Irish rugby shirt, to be honest).  Skin creams certainly seem to sink in better after using it, and  I think this might be raising their efficiency slightly.  Oils, in particular just seem to vanish into my face with only the bare minimum of massaging, and my skin has been brighter as a result.  The main skin oil that I'm using at the moment is Liz Earle's Superskin concentrate, by the way, I just adore the neroli-scent as a night treatment.

Things I don't like: it takes a long time to charge - when it first arrives, you have to charge it for 24 hours before you can use it, and, I've found it can be tricky trying to change the programming.  It has three speeds, which are very easy to sort out, but moving it from a 1 minute timed setting, to a 2 minute timed setting or a setting without a timer can be difficult.  So difficult, in fact, that mine appears to be stuck on the 2 minute timer, and I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to get it back onto a one minute timer!  This is eating up my battery life, which ties back into my point about it taking a long time to charge! It's also on the pricey side, coming in at £150 for a face-only version, or £175 for a face and body unit. You can pick one up from Selfridges, Harrods, or SpaceNK.  That said though, a course of facials would cost a similar amount, and, this is something that I feel is definitely going to make a big change to  my routine, so, on a cost per use basis, it actually works out pretty cheap.  I've always believed that getting your cleansing right is the key to any skin routine, and, well this is a big step along that route.

Overall, I'm exceptionally impressed, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the coming weeks bring any differences to my face that other people can notice ...

The Fine Print: Unit was accidentally provided for review purposes.  Long story, it involves Selfridges, a champagne cocktail or two, another encounter with me talking WAY too much to Daniel Sandler and some lightly embarrassed gatecrashing.  Probably best not to ask ...