Get Lippie

Thursday, 8 May 2014

Colour Wow - Root Coverup.

By Get Lippie

Inside this rather unassuming little black monolith is one of the bestest, most amazingest, most belovedest products I discovered in 2013. It would have been one of my products of the year (if not the product of the year) if I wasn't such an idiot. Part of the reason it's taken so long to get this review together is because I have a hairdresser extraordinaire in Jack Howard, and, as such, I rarely suffer from grey roots.

For a cosmetic for covering up grey roots is what this is, and it's pretty bloody amazing at it. I've been going grey since I was 18, and without the help of hair dye I'm pretty much a badger. It's all stripy, I have grey temples, and a grey streak through the front, but most of the rest of my hair is as nature (and Jack Howard) intended. Now, whilst I have the utmost envy and admiration for those who embrace their grey in full, as it can and frequently does look simply beautiful, I'm simply not ready yet to embrace my inner grey goddess. I have enough trouble embracing both my inner accountant and control freaks, there's simply no room left for anything else in here ...

Er ... anyhoo ... Colour Wow is a root cover-up that comes in six shades (Light/medium and dark browns, black, and there are also two blonde shades: Blonde and Platinum), the one above is medium brown, and you can see it's had a lot of use. As it's a powder, it's super easy to use, you simply load up the brush with the powder, then paint it on to your grey hair, then presto! No more roots till you wash your hair again! For a cackhanded badgermuppet like myself, it's foolproof.

And here's the results. First of all, the grey at my temples, in both normal daylight and with flash:

Pretty grody, huh? Here's the same part of my hair after a 30 second application of Colour Wow:

Coverage isn't quite 100%, but this is because I've been using medium brown rather than dark, but I can live with that. Best of all, it looks like hair. It doesn't dull your roots like coloured dry shampoo can, it doesn't drop (it has a kind of static charge*, so it clings to your hair, not your scalp), and wonderfully, it doesn't leave your bathroom looking like an abattoir. Also, it doesn't run in the rain, trust me, I've tried it ...

It's wonderful for extending the life of your most recent hair colour for a couple of weeks, and as such, it'll pay for itself over the course of a year. Hair dye, even home hair dye, doesn't work out cheap over 12 months. If you use a home dye every six weeks over the course of a year that'll cost you around £90, but if you can move to using it every 8 weeks with this, that'll cost you £65 (assuming your dye costs around £10, that is), saving you around £25. Colour Wow costs £28.50 from SpaceNK, so, in technical terms, this actually costs you £3.50 for a years worth of colouring-in.

The blonde powders are really quite something, as they'll actually cover up the dark roots and make them blend in with the rest of your blonde, which is rather astonishing when you think about it. All the shades are pretty multi-dimensional, not just a flat matte shade, which makes them more realistic on your hair. I think the light brown would work well for redheads, even though there isn't a specific auburn cover-up, which is a shame) I find they last on me till the next wash (bear in mind, I don't wash my hair every day though), so this packet, which I've had for the best part of a year now, has lasted extremely well.

Colour me (you see what I did there?) extremely impressed. And better groomed as a result.

Colour Wow. Don't be an idiot like me, if you dye your hair, go out and get some now. It's a fairly hefty initial investment, but if it stops you having to dye your hair as often, it's worth it, believe me.

So yeah, product of the year, 2013. And still a front runner for 2014 too, now I come to think of it ...

* I am not a scientist. I met one once though.

The Fine Print: PR Sample

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Nuxe Prodigieux le Parfum and Parfum Divin de Caudalie

By Get Lippie

Those two great French skincare competitors, Nuxe and Caudalie, have both brought out perfume versions of their cult body oil products this summer, and I managed to get my hands on both so I could compare and contrast each of them.

Nuxe is probably the cult body oil product in the UK, and this summer, the iconic rectangular bottle has been re-issued with a cute limited edition design, which I surprisingly rather like. The perfume bottle is a flat oblong with a bronzed ombre effect over. It looks rather staid in comparison to the limited edition bottle though, I think!

The scent is warm, redolent of jasmine and sunshine, with a small hit of coconut. It actually has a rather sunscreen-y scent, instantly transporting you to a beach and the tropical cocktail of your choice. On first spraying, it is intensely heady and rather strong-seeming, but this headiness wears off rather quickly, just leaving a floral-musk skin scent behind, which is rather nuzzly and lovely. It's very discreet in wear, you're not going to offend any perfume-phobics in the office in this one.

In comparison with the scent of the oil itself, it holds up very well indeed - on first sniff, they're practically identical - the oil has a more rounded profile, and because of the oil base it's less sharp-seeming than the parfum, which feels a little thinner than the original formulation. That said the two are to all intents completely indistinguishable from each other. Lasting power for the fragrance, even though it's a parfum formulation, is around 4-6 hours, but as it wears very close to the skin, sometimes you'll have to hunt for the scent whilst you're wearing it. Nuxe Prodigieux le Parfum costs £43 for 50mls.

Packaging is, for me, a very important part of any product, and hands down the Caudalie bottles win this particular context. Not only is the circular shape of the oil bottle easier to handle (I struggle with the flat rectangle of the Nuxe, owing to having very small hands, and the bottle is too wide for me to grip properly in use), but the metallic ombre effect on the Parfum Divin bottle is quite, quite lovely. I also like the wooden lids, which add just a little extra touch of luxury and texture to the overall presentation.

Divine oil is just a couple of years old, but has spawned a couple of offshoot products already - a body scrub, and Divine Legs, which is a lightly tinted body moisturiser - and the perfume is a natural extension. A lighter, fresher, fragrance than the Nuxe Prodigieux. In comparison, Parfum Divin has an almost cucumber-y ozonic scent, atop a base of blonde woods, cedar and white flowers. I can catch a hint of jasmine here, but it's far less punchy than in the Nuxe. It dries down to a more woody skin-scent than the Nuxe, but they are both somewhat on the discreet side, and dry down to a gentle inoffensiveness.

Whilst less initially heady than the Nuxe fragrance, it's actually a slightly more sophisticated scent overall, being more redolent of a spa than a sunscreen, but it does still manage to smell almost exactly like the original product, in the same way. Again, the fragrance is a little sharper, and a little fresher than the oil, but this is down to the formulation, as an oil fragrance will always seem a little "fatter" to the nose, than an alcohol-based spray. The lasting power for both fragrances is about the same. Parfum Divin de Caudalie will be available for £39 for 50ml when it launches shortly. There's a candle version of the fragrance too, which really, really, really needs to join my candle collection, tbh.

So, do you need both fragrances? Probably not, to be honest. Both the fragrances are wonderful companions to their respective oils, being respectful recreations of the originals, and they're both wonderful for layering over the oils for a little extra oomph (the oils will anchor the fragrances to your skin, making them last longer), but which one you prefer will depend on which oil you have a preference for. I can't actually pick a winner - the Nuxe is a cult product for a reason, it smells great, and is instantly evocative, but, the Caudalie is sophisticated, and (for me) a better bottle. Which one do you prefer?

The Fine Print: PR Samples. But I'm ordering a candle, oh yes. No, I am NOT obsessed.

This post: Nuxe Prodigieux le Parfum and Parfum Divin de Caudalie originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

Beauty Project at Selfridges

By Tindara

If you’re into beauty and its associated pleasures it can’t have escaped your notice that Selfridges has something rather special going on at the moment. The Beauty Project started on the 1 May and continues till 12 June. I went along for a sneak preview on Thursday morning and not only are there plenty of new launches and limited editions; there are lots of interesting events planned; poetry workshops and advice from some of the most knowledgeable in the business, as well as serious debate and discussion. Subjects include aging, body image, self-esteem, sexual stereotyping, tattooing and body modification with the likes of two of my favourites, beauty guru Sali Hughes, and psychotherapist and campaigner Susie Orbach, as well as countless other big-hitters.

There are also interesting collaborations with artists, Jo Malone are working with London studio collective Calm and Collected who are live screen-printing in store to decorate a suite of bottles. Their sketchbooks and inspiration boards are also on show and it’s great to see how their designs have developed. Acqua di Parma have also worked with artists to produce some beautiful limited edition hand painted lids for their Blu Mediterraneo collection. Bobbi Brown have launched Art Sticks with giant pencils about the place, and MAC have their full range displayed in giant lipstick storage too. I love a massive lipstick or eye pencil. Reminds me of my days as a window dresser in Boots. My office was full of giant lipsticks and enormous fake perfume bottles. Sigh.

For those of you against cosmetic surgery but interested in softening the signs of aging, Spa Junkie has recently unveiled her new venture, the Face Gym, which works on the premise of exercising the face in the same way that you would the body. There are also a couple of Fingers 2 Go manicure machines that paint nail art directly onto fingernails or stick on falsies then and there. There are hundreds of designs to choose from and you can even print a selfie or group friend shot onto your nails. I predict groups of teenage girls going mad for them.

In short, lot of fabulous new products and a fascinating series of events. I’ll be at ‘Sali Hughes: Beauty, Good Or Bad For Our Body Image?’ And may even do some shopping. Join me! Have a look at the programme and get down there

Nikki Lissoni

By Get Lippie

We like a bit of bling here at Get Lippie, and Nikki Lissoni is a brand of mix and match jewellery that we were introduced to recently. Now, anyone who knows the story of how I ended up with an accidental collection of FIVE engagement rings (chronicled here, and here) knows that I'm both a bit of a magpie, and that I am cursed with obsessive-compulsive collecting tendencies, so a new range of collectible jewellery? Oh, I am SO in.

The Nikki Lissoni range is quite simple, it is essentially a collection of coins, which you use to accessorise a range of coin holders, either in necklaces, bracelets, or earrings. All the coins come in silver, yellow and rose gold, as do the coin holders and chains. So you can have a yellow-gold coin in a silver surround on a rose-gold chain if you wanted to, or go slightly more restrained with a more monochrome look. I am not generally known for my restraint, so I picked a silver chain with a silver coin and a rose gold surround.

The lockets open a bit like a pocket watch, allowing for really easy swapping of coins, but they feel very secure in wear too - I've barely taken mine off since I got it, and it's never yet fallen open.

There are three sizes of coins, what you're seeing here is a medium silver (it's around the size of a £2 coin) tribal heart piece. The large size is perfect for a big statement piece, and the smaller is lovely for something more discreet.

As well as silver, gold and rose gold, there is also a selection of swarovski crystal coins, and some natural gemstone coins too. What follows is just a small selection of the Nikki Lissoni collection which is currently available:

See anything that catches your eye? Me, I'm gonna be picking myself up a swarovski-encrusted pendant and coin ASAP. Prices are extremely reasonable, beginning at around £20 or so. You can find Nikki Lissoni jewellery online, or at independent jewellers around the country.

The Fine Print: The Tribal Heart necklace featured in this post was a press sample.

Also: Pictures for this post were taken with a Nokia Lumia 1020 lent to me by Microsoft.

This post:Nikki Lissoni originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

Zao Organic Makeup

If you are anything like me, the mere mention of words such as ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ where makeup is concerned will send your eyes rolling so far into the back of your head they may never return to their normal position. However, sceptical as I am, I recently tried out Zao Makeup following its Highly Commended accolade in the Natural Beauty Awards this year.

Fact is, until about 5 or so years ago because of all those nasty scare stories about such things as parabens in the Daily Mail and the like that sent the whole cosmetic buying public into an unnecessary frenzy, we really were quite happy with the selection of overly perfumed, and anything-but-the-essence-of-nature beauty products. Since then a whole slew of brands have come out that claim to have been untouched almost by human hands. That the angels themselves (who dine exclusively on pulses and the leaves of trees, of course) have fashioned together the purest and most chemically unadulterated makeup and skincare, which is free from practically everything. I am exaggerating somewhat here, but you get the drift.

However, in the so doing, alongside their zeal to appear not only to fix your dry skin, or colour your face, they occasionally removed all the ingredients that in fact made the products WORK! There were some shocking textures, and colours out there were there not?

“Why yes! It does feel like six day old porridge on my face, but at least I’m not getting any nasties into my system, and thank god it only lasts a maximum of 3 minutes otherwise the sheer joy of trying to scrape this unrefined goop onto my suffering skin 1000 times a day so you could actually see it would be totally lost!” You know the score ...

Well, mercifully there have been several improvements and some attention to details such as lasting power and texture over the last few years, and most of the brands have really upped their game as far as their efforts at claims of being ‘natural’.

Zao, the new cosmetics brand, available from www.zaomakeup.co.uk I had not heard of at all, till they got in touch, I have to say.

It arrived in these very neat little cotton type bags, fuelling my initial pre conception that again, we were going to be looking at a bit of hippy style makeup. Upon opening them up, a loud ‘Oooooohh’ issued from my lips as the packaging is rather beautiful Bamboo. Not bamboo effect, but actual bamboo chosen for its ecologically sound growth rate and sustainability over say, wood. Almost all of the products incidentally, are refillable also, so points here for being ecologically minded.

To be clear on this, I asked only to see the products that I KNOW are notoriously difficult to get right in a ‘natural makeup’ context, and these would be foundation, lipstick, and mascara.

Firstly, I didn’t receive a foundation, but a compact powder. Fair enough, as I know these can sometimes fall prey to the slightly ropey end of the spectrum too. What can I tell you about this? It’s a powder. Designed to take away shine, is talc free and has a whole host of other ingredients in it that read like an Ottolenghi cook book. One of the most interesting here is Silver. Actual silver. This runs through the entire range incidentally (save for a couple of products such as nail colours) as a natural preservative. Silver I know also has some antiseptic properties so would be a good addition in principle. It goes on well although my only concern would be to use sparingly for fear of looking a little dusty. Overall, not a bad powder by any stretch.

Next up was the mascara. Again in this rather lovely bamboo covering, the Structuring Mascara has a very nice, small precise looking wand, and the formula is not too wet, and not too thick or dry.

Containing Acacia senegal gum to grip onto the lashes, and give it flexibility, and avocado oil to nourish, when on this took a while to dry. So if you use this, be aware of looking up too soon, and save yourself a job of getting it off the top of your eye area there. Getting it off was easy, and there were no reports of any of it falling off, or flaking either. It comes in two colours, black and brown.

Now the lipstick. I asked specifically for a matte lipstick, a) because there are not that many out there, and b) I was interested to see how a ‘natural’ brand would approach this. So, firstly, and call me picky, but the matte lipstick, is not matte. It is a creamy texture, meaning that it has some shine to it, not a lot, but some nonetheless. The colour I used was No 462, or ‘Old Pink’ as it says on the website. A SUPERB colour for a very subtle coat with a hint of pink in it. Would easily suit the most fussy of natural lip colour seekers, and felt really rather good. It lasted as well, is opaque, and was a very pleasant surprise! The lipstick contains silver, as mentioned earlier, and also has cocoa butter, and pomegranate in it to nourish and also moisturise.

Overall, I am mightily impressed with Zao. The products I saw were of a very high standard, and were pretty much as described. For a brand that claims to be a natural brand, I would be happy to use this on anyone, without fear of having to retouch every five minutes, and also for anyone that is concerned about the contents of their makeup, I can recommend giving Zao a go.

The website has been translated from the original French in a rather literal fashion, which can bring a smile to your face too ...

Zao makeup is available from www.zaomakeup.co.uk