Le Metier De Beaute Summer Event

A few of you might remember that I discovered Le Metier de Beaute recently, and fell in love with their Anamorphic Mascara. Well, I’ve just found out that Ivan Castro, the talented international makeup artist behind behind the brand - and responsible for some of the gorgeous looks sported by the likes of Nicole Kidman and Rhianna - will be available for one-to-one makeup lessons between 3-5th June at Liberty. I’m going to be popping down to see him, and get him to overhaul my eyeshadow application on Thursday next week, and I’m really looking forward to it! Wonder if it’ll look better than my NARS makeover?


Appointments cost £20, and that cost is fully redeemable against purchase, but if you spend £50 (and admittedly, that would be very easy to do!) you will get a free blushing/bronze duo which is worth £30. To book, call 020 7734 1234 ask for extension 2506, and maybe I’ll see you there!

Review - Lancome Climat

Scouting around trying to find myself a bottle of Cuir de Lancome in Selfridges (I was offered O de Lancome five times, but no matter), I came across this little beauty.

First released in 1967, it is described as a floral aldehyde, and was re-released by Lancome a couple of years ago.  I find it beautiful, it's very feminine - even ladylike - but it's another scent that's sweet without being candy-ish, and floral without being too single-note.

On first spraying, it's a very scent-y kind of scent, it reminds me in a dim and distant kind of way of Chanel No19. It's a classic fragrance in that sense, calling to mind boudoirs, and negligees and wedge-heeled mules.  And yet, when it dries down, it's powdery and warm, a little comforting, and lingers close to the skin.  It's old-fashioned, almost, in it's powdery-ness, but it's intimate and lovely, and it's been a fine addition to my perfume wardrobe.

Climat costs £38 and is available exclusively from Selfridges.

The Appliance of Science

“To not be afraid of one’s beauty is truly the rarest occurrence. To find it, is the most valuable gift”


Words of wisdom there. I found them written on the side of a facecream I’ve just committed myself to using for the next six weeks. But more about these wise words shortly.

Someone asked recently how do you know you’re trialling something properly, and how do you make sure you’re being fair to the products? I have to admit that when it comes to skincare, it’s a difficult question to answer.

It’s easy to know if a makeup item works, you know pretty much straight away whether it’s going to be an item you’ll use and cherish, or if it’s something that is just going to hang around like a supermodel in your cosmetic drawer, gorgeous, but yet slightly useless and having a knack for making you feel guilty for not appreciating it more.

With skincare, it’s a lot harder, who is to know, really, that it’s the wonder serum that you tried that’s made you glow, or the moisturiser you’ve been trying that’s truly smoothed you out instead of a couple of early nights or a slightly healthier diet?

Ultimately I try to use new skincare for at least a month before I form an opinion of it, and so it irons out any temporary wrinkles (sorry) in diet and lifestyle that might be making a difference. But still, in the end, most skincare reviews, in my experience anyway, tend to boil down to “I like using it, it makes my skin feel nice”, basically.

However, this skincare trial I’m doing at the moment is slightly different, my face has been scanned, and I have a collection of slightly sinister (and very scary) mugshots to prove it. I’m to use the creams religiously for six weeks, then go back and be scanned again to see if there are any differences and what the scale of the changes actually are. I’m pretty excited to be taking part!

The creams I’m using are from the SKIN.NY range, and the opening quote in this post is from the packaging. As is the below:

“The SKIN.NY woman is not afraid to be beautiful. She knows who she is and expresses herself down to her every step, breath and word. She personifies quality and wants the best of everything in her life including her skincare.

The SKIN.NY woman was born before this skincare range. It was her who demanded its creation.”

Pretty puke-making stuff! If I’d read that before I’d agreed to take part, I might have thought twice about it. Leaving aside the logical error in the second paragraph – come on, how many toddlers do you know who are demanding face cream at £55 a pop? – I don’t think a cream can make you beautiful. There, I said it. It’ll definitely make you look less knackered feel more moisturised, but … make you beautiful if you’re at most passably attractive (in a dim room) in the first place? I don’t think so. I’m not holding my expressive breath on that one …

The products also contain warnings (the first on the moisturiser, the second on the eyecream)

Warning: You will have beautiful skin after using this product.

Warning: your eyes will be big and bright after using this product.

Shame there was no “Warning: you may belm gently to yourself in a bemused fashion every time you read the box” written on it. I ask you.

Seriously, do we have to have this guff written on it to justify an expensive purchase? How does reading statements like this on your products make you feel? The worst part is that this cream has been clinically tested, and has a lot of fairly rigorous peer-reviewed scientific papers behind it. I haven’t read them, of course, but you know, there’s graphs and stuff on the little leaflet, and I’m an accountant, so I like me some graphs. It doesn't need guff like this if you ask me, but then, I'm scared of my beauty apparently, so what do I know?

But, all that aside, I’m keeping an open mind, I’ve used it a couple of times so far, and I like using it, it makes my skin feel nice. So there.

The Fine Print: Products mocked in this article were provided as part of the clinical trial process.  The author reserves the right to wish this had never been written should she wake up looking like Ava Gardner in approximately 28 days time.

Final Zuneta Post!

For the final time, I'm pimping my posts elsewhere out, and begging - literally begging! I'm not proud - for your input.  I'm having a rant this week about cosmetic companies.  At least, that's what I think I was doing, why don't you go take a look and let me know?

Guerlain Kohl Noir - Review and FotD

I cannot tell a lie, I was petrified of using this. It's the stick.  Putting sticks in my eyes to apply my makeup just seems wrong. Pencils are fine, brushes are good, even putting my fingers in my eyes to wear my contact lenses is okay, but using a stick, just to apply eyeliner? Noooo...! I don't mind admitting that I've been ignoring these beautifully packaged eyeliners for a very long time.

They've been popping up on various blogs recently though, and I finally got around to biting the bullet and  trying one out.  I chose the Guerlain Kohl in Noir, which is a rich, slightly sparkling black powder. Kohl is the traditional way of wearing eyeliner, and the stick is actually very handy for being able to apply the powder to both the upper and lower inner waterlines at the same time.  This is how the applicator looks:

Essentially, there are two ways to wear the liner, Eastern (on the inner rims) and Western (on the eyelid itself).  The powder is rich, and pigmented, but it can cause fallout, so I suggest you apply it before the rest of your makeup, in order that you don't ruin your foundation.

To apply it Eastern style, just settle the point of the stylo into the inner corner of your eye (on the waterline) and "swipe" gently towards the outer corner, this instantly lines both the upper and lower waterlines, and makes your eyes look brighter, and your lashes look thicker. It's a look I happen to adore, and this is, I've found, by far the easiest way to do it.  To line your eyes Western-style, you pop the stylo next to your lashes, and "swipe" in exactly the same way, then I like to smudge it out a little with my fingertips:

The powders last well - better than most pencils - but they will need re-applying to take you from day to night, I've found.

So, have I been converted?  Yes, I think I have!  As well as the black (noir), I now also own Mirage (a rich matte brown), Oriental Metal (a glorious metallic taupe) and I've just placed an order for the discontinued "Secret Glow" which is a shimmering white, which I think will be just perfect for opening up and brightening eyes when a smokey look isn't required, I can't wait for it to arrive!

Here's how I tend to wear the kohls, I make the liner the main focus of my eyes, and co-ordinate with a light, bright lipstick (in this case, Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia):

Yeah, no idea what I'm scowling at there.  Guerlain Kohls are available from most major department stores and cost about £20.  Yes, that's very pricey, but you use so little every time, I think they'll last for a very long time.

Do you use kohl?  How'd you wear it?

The Fine Print: I bought this. The others have been acquired via various means up to and including bribery and corruption.  And eBay.  Thank goodness for paypal.