Skincare of the Week - 22 August 2015

Joy abounds in the Get Lippie household whenever a parcel from Zelens shows up, and this week I was delighted that the two newest serums in the range appeared on my doorstep.  I'll be giving Zelens Intense Defence a good going over in the next few weeks, so expect my skincare routines to get a little ... visually undistinguishable ... for a while.  This was a simple routine that I'm already used to, so I can see if the serum does its stuff.

Shark Snorkelling with Boots Opticians at the London Aquarium

I've found myself in some surreal places with the blog at times, but I think a brand literally throwing me to the sharks was a bit unexpected!

Clarins Autumn 2015 - First Look

Not so much in the way of review, but just my first thoughts on the new makeup collection from Clarins this autumn:

Paradox by 4160 Tuesdays and Get Lippie

 I suspect there isn't a perfume writer alive who hasn't daydreamed of creating their own fragrance. A perfume writer who hasn't imagined sitting with a perfumer at their organ, selecting ingredients, puzzling over formulas, dabbling with modifications and attempting to create that great, mythical "perfect perfume" of their innermost desires, is, I think, barely a perfume writer at all.

Back in my smelling days, the "perfect perfume" of my imagination would have been a spicy powerhouse; containing saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and black pepper, with punchy and overlooked carnations over amber and a dirty, dirty musk. It'd smack you in the face on first application, and never, ever let you go.  It would have been a melange of Nu by YSL, which is the perfume that taught me about the citric slap of black pepper, and Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens (aka the one where I learned to love amber), alongside the suprisingly sparkling bright cardamom-rose spice of Marrakesh by Aesop, coupled with the creamy puddingy-hug of Safran Troublant by L'Artisan Perfumer.  My perfect perfume would have tickled your nose, made you hungry and (in all probability given the ingredient list), made you ever-so-slightly photosensitive.  It wouldn't have been polite, and you definitely wouldn't want to wear it to the office, either.

Skincare of the week 16.08.15

It has been a bit of a quiet week skincare-wise!  My skin has recovered from its reaction last week, so I've been re-introducing acids and exfoliation slowly back into the routine.  First acid toner to come back was the oh-so-gentle, but much beloved Clarins Gentle Exfoliator, which was really the product that got me properly into acid exfoliation.  The acids are buffered with glycerin and other soothing ingredients so even sensitive skin can use this one a couple of times a week.  I will happily use it every day, but I am hardcore*.