Mr Lippie Reviews: Guerlain Homme L'Eau

Back again, with a new scent that GetLippie and I are currently arguing about....

Guerlain Homme's L'eau comes in a chunky translucent bottle that looks somewhat ominous, on first viewing. It's big, angular, and has a GINORMOUS spray nozzle that just dares you to press it.

Once you get over that, however, the scent itself is actually quite light. It's ever-so-slightly lemony, but there are so many other undertones in there that are only really noticeable upon repeated sniffing. Yes, I applied this to my wrist and sniffed it lots - so by the time you read this I am likely somewhat high on the fumes and have started talking to trees, but it'll be hard to tell the difference from normal, so I wouldn't worry too much about it...

Anyway...moving on. It's not a spectacularly uber-masculine scent, it's quite complex, preferring to sneak up on you rather than hit you over the head with how powerful it is. Think ninja rather than boxer, if you like? I would say this is also a scent where less is most definitely more...overapplying this, whilst it wouldn't necessarily be unpleasant to those around you, could get a touch cloying. With that in mind, I'd wear this possibly once, twice a week at most - it's something I'd prefer for an actual "event" rather than for everyday grind, where it's less likely to be actually appreciated.

It lasts really well, too - I've still been sniffing it a good 7 hours after first applied, and the subtle changes throughout the day still make it quite effective and interesting.

So, the argument myself and GetLippie are having....is whether I should keep the bottle or she should. It's a scent that lends itself well to women too, I think, so we could be having this argument for some time....

***

Get Lippie says:

Redolent of limes, mint and hints of rhubarb, I love this. It reminds me a great deal of Guerlain's Herba Fresca - one of my all-time favourite summer scents - but Guerlain Homme L'eau is a less green, more citrussy version, and has a slightly longer lasting effect on the skin. It's cooling and fresh and it's MINE.  I will admit that it smells good on MrL - it's a slightly woodier scent on his skin - but it does work astonishingly well for either gender. I'm keeping it.So ner.

The Fine Print: We were sent a bottle of this to review several months ago and we've been fighting over it ever since.  Currently the bottle resides with Get Lippie in London and MrLippie has weekend access. Sometimes.

Organic Weekend - Pat & Rub

I'm featuring another one of my finds from the Natural and Organic Product Show this weekend, Pat & Rub Relaxing Hand Balm.

This is what P&R say about their products:

The plant ingredients that make up our recipes are responsibly cultivated, unprocessed and 100% natural. They contain none of the following, found in many skincare products:

• mineral oil and other petroleum derivative: paraffin and vaselin
• silicons and other PEG substances
• polypropylene glycol
• artificial colourants
• synthetic aromas
• preservatives (eg parabens)

Pure and natural, Pat&Rub is skincare as it should be.

A Polish company, Pat & Rub is run by women for women, and the products are largely put together for their therapeutic properties.  They have both a relaxing and a revitalising range and I was given a sample of their Relaxing Hand Balm with coconut and Lemongrass - and a little hand massage! I do love a good hand massage, and the balm seemed ideal for the purpose keeping a great deal of slip throughout, and my hands were left feeling smooth and soft for the rest of the day.

This is what P&R say about their handcream:

A cornucupia of benevolent nourishing substances. For very tired and dry hands. Renews, moisturises, softens, brightens, soothes, elasticises the skin of your hands and strengthens your nails. Absorbs beautifully. The ingredients in this balm minimalise the negative influence of detergents and other drying and irritating factors. It contains natural UV filters and the scent of coconut and lemon grass.

• Lemon Grass Oil - invigorates the mind, enhances the look of your skin: smoothes and cleanses
• Lemon Peel Water* - brightens and disinfects
• Jojoba Oil* - strengthens and firms
• Avocado Butter* - oils, regenerates and protects
• Olive Butter* - smoothes and soothes
• Camomile Extact* - soothes irritations
• Hyaluronate Acid - moisturises and protects
• Allantoine - soothes and softens
• Provitamin B5 - reduces pigmentation, elasticises
• Natural Vitamin E* - smoothes, firms, oils and moisturises

I've used this balm several times since the day of the show, and I have to say that it is an excellent handcream, it takes a little while to massage in, and it does leave your hands soft, fragrant  and it deals with any dry patches. I like the bottle too, it's an airfree bottle with a pump dispenser that's easy to get just the right amount out with.

However:

I use the word "fragrant" advisedly ... The balm is wonderfully redolent of both coconut and lemongrass, and will perfume your hands for several hours.  And therein lies the rub.  Coconut on it's own is a great smell, personally I love it.  Lemongrass is also a great smell, aromatic and refreshing, it's a great addition to this cream, I think.  However, together, you get curry.  Specifically, Thai green curry.  In itself, not a bad smell, just ... a touch too evocative for me, I think.  The smell is very distinct, and it lingers for a good while too.

That said, this balm had an odd effect on the men in my office when I used it.  They LOVED it! I always have about five or six handcreams around my desk, and not one of the others has had the men in my office asking what it was, and begging to be allowed to try a sample of it.  One of the guys loves the scent so much that I actually gave him my sample bottle!  He uses it a couple of times a day, and is often to be found happily moisturising himself and sneakily sniffing at himself when he thinks no one is looking ...

So, girls, if you want men flocking around you grab yourself a bottle of this stuff.  You might think you smell like your local Thai restaurant, but the boys will LOVE you ...

Ellis Faas: Ellis Eyes Lights Eyeshadows.

My birthday treat to myself was a trip to Liberty to have a look around the Le Metier de Beaute counter, and play with the Ellis Faas eyeshadows. I love me some Ellis Faas, and I was delighted when I discovered that she's recently introduced a new range of shadows to go alongside her Milky and Creamy shadows (you can see my post about those here).  Most people know that the Ellis Faas range is based on shades found in the human body, but the shades in the new "Ellis Eyes Lights" range are metallics and duochromes, and were inspired by silver shimmers. They're beautiful, and they had my name written all over them:

How could I resist? Yes, yes, my name is Louise, but most people call me Luce - only my mum and my boss really call me Louise!  I bought two.  I had to. Shades E304 - a shimmering metallic lilac and E305, a reddish-brown with a beautiful green duochrome.  Here's the swatches:

See how the colours change depending on the angle? Simply gorgeous.  Housed in the signature Ellis Faas bullet applicators, these have a brush tip for an easy application.  The swatches above have been applied quite heavily to show them in their full glory.

Applied more sheerly to the eye, here's how the brown E305 looks:

I've added a touch of a darker brown in the crease, and along the upper lash area, but this is just one coat that I've sheered out a little with my fingertips towards the socket line.  The green flash is far more visible in the flesh.  The shadows do dry quickly so you have work quite quickly, but they are long lasting, and hard wearing, and will last a full work day without wearing off.

This is how the shadows look in the full context of my face:

Do you own any Ellis Faas?

Birthday Giveaway Winner!

Yes, I know the announcement is a day late, I do hope you'll all forgive me!  I did contact the winner yesterday though, so at least I managed to make someone else's day a little happier! Our lucky winner has elected to remain anonymous, but this was her winning entry:

Ten things that make me happy:


1. My husband - sickening but true. He also makes me crazy/angry/laugh/despair/throw things/bemused/proud
2. My friends - they are great. All of them. I'm not one of those people with masses of friends, but the ones I have are the best kind. When life goes wrong they bring wine and sarcasm and make it all better.
3. My cats - who can fail to be made happy by a cat that randomly bites you and uses people as trampolines, and and a cat that is so dumb that to list the ways in which she brings delight would take too long?
4. Baths - deep, hot, and the bubblier the better. I like a Lush bubble bath bar, or my REN rose otto oil - if only that made bubbles
5. My NEOM organic candles - one of the best things Get Lippie ever promoted to me
6. My nephews - especially when singing songs about poo. #Hey poo, where are you, I want to see you in the loo#.
7. Brownies from Borough Market. Nom nom nom
8. Good hair days.
9. Cakewrecks. I cannot read it without collapsing into laughter. The carrot riding babies! The cupcake cakes!
10. Lazy days on the sofa with old films and endless cups of tea. Aimlessly flipping through the channels when bored and miserable and suddenly finding a film you love is on. I did this the other week and found Calamity Jane in the middle of singing about the Windy City. Love it.
Bonus 11: Champagne! Cocktails!

These are what make me happy, and I am glad they exist.
 
The winner was picked in as scientific manner as I could manage, I shortlisted MY favourite entries and asked several other people which one they preferred.  This one was the favourite.  Our lucky winner has selected Chanel Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle as her preferred shade, and a gift voucher for this, alongside Chanel Particuliere, and Guerlain Khol in Oriental Metal has already been despatched, alongside a couple of other lovely goodies that I couldn't resist sneaking into the bag!
 
I had over 100 entries to this givewaway, and it's been an utter delight to have run it.  Thank you so much to every single person who took the time to enter, if I had something to give each one of you, I would. You're an amazing bunch of people, and you shared some amazing stories with me, I'll do a post soon highlighting just how wonderful my readers are.
 
Thank you so much.

Quick Birthday FOtD

Excuse the stupid look on my face, currently I'm *bemused* by Argos' customer service, but thought you might like a sneaky peek at the makeup I'm wearing, and my new hairdo!

Once again I'm wearing the Estee Lauder/Tom Pecheux Blue Dahlia palette on my eyes (taupe as a colour wash, tiny amount of black smudged in the crease, tightlined with teal, and lined with the smoky blue), Le Metier de Beaute Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine, no blush, and Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess lipgloss in Wild Orchid.

I had my hair done with some (very) subtle highlights yesterday, and got a LOT more layers cut in courtesy of Declan and Tracey at the Andrew Barton salon yesterday, they are seriously amazingly talented, and, I have to say that it has been the best, friendliest, most professional salon experience I have had this year! A full review of the salon will follow next week...

Right, I'm off to hunt down the peeps at Argos and throw tiny pens at them...

Last Call!

Time is running out on my giveaway - it ends at midnight (GMT) tonight!  The rules are very simple, and I'd love to hear from you.  Just click this link to find out how to win Chanel Particuliere nail varnish, Guerlain Oriental Metal eyeliner, and your choice of Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick ...

Review - Skin.NY Skincare

Remember this post? I had a little rant about the Utter Drivel that was written on the boxes, then said I'd be trying the creams out for six weeks, so I could see if they would turn me into Ava Gardner overnight.  Well, 28 nights, but you catch my drift ...

Well, I signed up to try them for six weeks, but I am here to announce that I failed. I'm sorry.  I tried, I really did, but I only lasted two weeks. 

The box warns that you might feel a mild tingling sensation when you use it, I never had that, but what I did get as a result of using the cream was worse.  Much worse.  After about ten days, (in which I really did think my skin was softer as a result of using it, even though there were no visible differences), I found my skin was actually getting worse. Greasy, patchy, red, coarse - seriously, my chin and forehead were resembling sandpaper - and my pores (which according to the bumpf should have been refining themselves) were gaping.  And gopping, but never mind. I've also noticed milia under the skin around my eyes, which I've never had before, and it's been quite distressing.

It's possible that I was having some sort of reaction to the cream, so I stopped using it, as there was a risk that I could permanently damage my skin if I kept it in my routine, and no skin care trial is worth that. So, I'm sorry, lovely readers, I stopped using a cream before my self-imposed time-scale was up. I'm very disappointed with myself!  I've gone back to some tried and tested products (including Mir, Pai and Nude) and I've been treating myself with some Clarins as prescribed by the amazing Caroline over at Beautymouth (do you read her yet?  If not, you really, really should, there's nothing she doesn't know about skin, and she's sharing her knowledge with you, so go read her!) and that seems to be helping with the greasiness and the pores, and Avene water spray (as recommended by BritishBeautyBlogger) is helping with the redness. It's the first time in a long time that my skin has reacted in such a way to a cream, but I've been reminded that my skin is pretty sensitive, I guess. It's calmer now, but it's going to be a while before I introduce any new products.

So, er ... yeah. It didn't work for me, but that doesn't mean it won't work for you.  I think, in all honesty, that it was just a bit too rich for my skin - which in a way is good news!  I don't need radical cosmetic intervention! - Will you try? And what symptoms would make you stop using a product?

All for Eve Launch Sophy Robson Nail Varnish on June 15th

Yeah, I talk about All for Eve a lot.  It's a cause that's close to my heart, and because of that I'm not going to make any apology for mentioning them yet again!

This is just a quick post to let you know that the nail varnish created by Sophy Robson for the charity goes on sale via the All For Eve website on June 15th.  A gorgeous, classic red - perfectly complementing the Daniel Sandler lipstick that was released recently - it's a fine addition to any nail wardrobe.

Sophy Robson has painted the nails of (amongst others) Yasmin le Bon, Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer and Natalie Portman.  She's also taken the mickey out of yours truly once or twice (never offered to do my nails though, I notice!), and she created this shade as it symbolises a "strong, stylish woman".

This is is how it looks on my alien-blue-fleshed fingers, but I think it will work on many skin-tones.  It's a lovely shade, averagely long-lasting (I found it a bit chippy after two days, but that's a common problem with a lot of reds, but I suspect a rushed application was also slightly to blame), and with a jelly-finish.  The picture shows two coats with no base, and a Chanel topcoat.

Buy it, wear it, love it. But just make sure you buy it.  And, if you haven't had a gynaecological checkup recently, book one, your ladygarden will love you for it.

The Art of Shaving Lavender Carry On Kit

No, I haven't gone entirely mad, but this is just a little heads up to let you know that MrLippie has made his "official" blogging debut over on Ape to Gentleman today!  Please go show him some love.  Er ... you know what I mean, comment on his post. Yes, that's what I meant. He's got a girlfriend, y'know, don't make her jealous, she's a right pain in the bum.

Pedicures - Heaven or Hell?

Feet freak me out.  It's a sad fact, but true, and they've always given me the willies (so to speak).  I can deal with the fact that I have feet, but, well, just don't talk to me about them, don't show me pictures of them, and don't, whatever you do, touch my feet unexpectedly.  More than once, when my mum was training to be a reflexologist and using me as a guinea pig, she got a swift (accidental!) kick in the head after a ticklish manoeuvre.  She's never really forgiven me.

All of this probably makes me the worst person in the world to attempt to review a pedicure, but hey, I'll give it a go! I was invited along to experience a Himalayan Signature Pedicure by Pinks Boutique recently, so I went along to their outpost at the Aurora spa in the Park Plaza Hotel in Waterloo last Friday to see how they coped with a terrified blogger ...

First impressions were that the spa is tiny, but very clean, and the staff were all very welcoming.  Nicole, my therapist for the day, had been made thoroughly aware of my little ... er ... problem before I arrived, and she took it magnificently in her stride (see what I did there?  I crack myself up sometimes, I really do.  Ok, I'll stop it now), and made sure that I was feeling comfortable at all times throughout the procedure.  At Aurora, they have a bespoke pedicure room which is liberally strewn with cushions and magazines, which is ideal for it's purpose (pictured left).  As I was having the signature pedicure, which involves a leg massage, I was in the more traditional spa room which was clean, smelled delicious, and had beautifully ironed sheets on the bed.

Starting with tea and cupcakes  - always a good way to set my mind at ease, at least - we started with removing the old polish, then went onto a trim and file (always the worst part of any pedicure for me), your cuticles are oiled, then your feet are soaked in warm water which is liberally filled with Himalayan salts and essential oils.  Once soaked, your cuticles are pushed back and then your feet are massaged with a salt scrub to remove the hard skin. This is where we discovered that my feet are exceptionally ticklish, and there was, I'm afraid, a bit of flinching - sorry Nicole!  A file was also necessary on my scaly heels, alas!   Feet are soaked again to remove the oils, and then it's onto the massage part of the pedicure.

Two words for this - utter bliss.  My feet and calves were given a thorough massage with glorious-smelling oils, and no flinching!  I absolutely loved it.  Even the bit where she was wiggling my toes ... we finished off by painting my toenails with OPI's India Mood For Love to match my pink patent Birkenstocks (yes, I did buy them, and I LOVE them, so there), and we were done.  My toes were looking beautiful, all the hard skin I'd carefully spent the winter storing up on my heels was finally dealt with, and I felt rested and refreshed rather than faintly sweaty, slightly stressed and somewhat resentfully twitchy as I tend to after other, rather more medical (and functional) pedicures.

If you're nervous about feet - and I suspect many people are, after I tweeted about the subject recently - then I can't recommend the Pinks Boutique Himalayan Signature Pedicure highly enough, the products are organic (the varnishes aren't, but then, there aren't any organic varnishes on the market, so it's not a black mark in my book), the therapists are highly trained, and the staff at the Aurora, Park Plaza will go all-out to accommodate mad phobias. And mad clients, but we'll gloss over that, shall we?

The signature pedicure costs £65 for a 75 minute pedicure, but there is a shorter version which costs £45 for 45 minutes.

The Fine Print: Pedicure was provided for free,  in order to help a me deal with a phobia that I'd admitted to on Twitter.  I'm not cured, but I thought I'd blog about it anyway. ;)

Beauty Blog Link Love

 
Over at theNotice, Rae has been bitten stung by the Misikko bug -- and she is not pleased!

Betty Girl Makeup is back, and continuing on with her series on contouring!

Vex in the City shares her delight at discovering the wonders of Mehron's new Celebré HD-Pro foundation.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out the multitude of choices in lash enhancers.

Louise pens a love letter to a BLUE eyeshadow, and is now trying to deal with her embarrassment.

Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam tells you all about her experience with the Zoya Nail Polish Exchange, and shows off her new goodies!

Does your significant other complain about "too girly" shower gel scents? Want a happy medium? Look no further and discover what shower gel Hellcandy and her bf are raving about!

Jeweled Thumb shares how she spot cleans her brushes, and reviews 6 cleansers to help you find the best one for you!

Hot Beauty Health shares the top beach beauty buys for summer 2010!

Krasey Beauty meets Dany Sanz, the artist, legend, and creator of Make Up For Ever.

Spiced Beauty shows you that you can look fab in red lipstick... even if it just costs a dollar!

There's a new natural cosmetics line on the block! Lipglossiping casts her eye over Bourjois' little sister, Une.

Jolie Laide Girl is glowing with Make Up Forever's HD Blushes.

Learn how to get 'Perfect Skin' with the help of makeup artist Jon Hennessy at Makeup by Kim Porter.

Phyrra shows you the newest collection from Aromaleigh, Victoria’s Revenge. If you like steampunk, you’ll love this collection!


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Find out what Audrey Dao is giving away for June's Reader of the Month Giveaway!

Cindy from Prime Beauty is a Stila IT girl and you can be too, with her awesome Stila giveaway!

When accidents happen - YSL Summer Solaris Collection

Sigh.  I took the pictures for the FotD for this a couple of weeks ago, and I was just digging through the promo pictures (which I hadn't seen in several months!) to show you the range in full when I noticed this:

My FotD:

YSL Promo:

Notice anything? I'd even stolen the hairdo ...

Blue eyeshadow.  It makes me crazy.   Now, would you like swatches? It's a lovely collection - if you ignore the glitter.  YSL and I are going to have a chat about the glitter...

The Fine Print: YSL promo pic provided by PR, my face is entirely my own work.  And some genetics, but let's gloss over that, shall we?  As I mentioned earlier in the week, I'm as creative as a doorknob, and now I'm a plagiarist too.  I give up.

Review Clarins Instant Smooth Compact Highlighter.

Oh, it pains me to write this one, really it does. I bought, and reviewed most of the Clarins Instant Sunlight summer collection a couple of months ago, but I've been hanging back from covering this one, as I wasn't sure what to say about it.  Then I scratched my head and had a really good think about what I wanted to say, and this is what sprang to mind:

It's rubbish.

I did a series on highlighters recently too, and this one is notable for it's absence.  You know why?

It's rubbish.

Clarins promise:

Its melting, silky and non-oily compact cream texture smoothes and evens the skin while giving an instant healthy-glow effect. Optically reduces fine lines and wrinkles and smoothes skin. Moisturizing and nourishing, ensures skin looks fresh and comfortable. 

Well, one part of that is certainly right.  It's definitely a cream.  AND it's in a compact.  Sadly, this "highlighter" is invisible on the skin. I tried to swatch it.  Man, how I tried!  No joy.   I applied it on my cheeks, my browbone, my hands, my cupid's bow.  Seriously, anywhere you'd think of applying a highlighter, I applied this.  And how many photos did it show up in?  None.  Mind, I couldn't see it in the mirror either, so I don't know what I was expecting.

I've worn it in daylight, artificial light, candle light, fluorescent light, and it's invisible.  I've applied it with the sponge provided (useless, stained the sponge, none on my face), used a brush (nothing on my skin, but the stickiness of the product ensured that it pulled a few bristles from the brush out, so now I have a hairy highlighter), and my fingers.  Nothing works! Now, I'm all for the natural-look (you might have noticed) but I don't really want to pay £23.50 for invisible makeup again.  A case of The Emperor's New Highlighter?  Has anyone else tried this and had success with it?

It's a shame, as I normally really like Clarins products (except Beauty Flash Balm, which I've never understood the fuss about), and I'm feeling a bit guilty that this is the only product I've ever featured on here that I couldn't find a good thing to say about.  Shame on me.  It's a nice compact, shame about the contents.  There, that's the best I could do.  Sorry, Clarins!


The Fine Print.  I bought this, and it's probably the only thing I've bought in about five years where I really wish I could get a refund from the manufacturer, still, keeps the economy afloat and all that, eh?

Birthday Giveaway Reminder!

Guerlain Oriental Metal, Chanel Particuliere, PLUS a Chanel Rouge Coco (you pick the shade!) are what you can win in my birthday giveaway/competition.  This is just a little reminder post, as the giveaway closes next week (midnight on Wednesday 9th June), prior to my giving away the goodies on my actual birthday on June 10th.

Click here to be taken to the post with the entry requirements

I want to say a MASSIVE thank you for the astonishing number of amazing, wonderful, heartwarming, funny, and occasionally tear-jerking entries that I've received so far, there have been so many more than I ever expected and every single one of them has made me smile! You're an amazing bunch of people, thank you so much for sharing your stories with me.  I'll be printing up some excerpts from some of them when I announce the winner on Thursday of next week.

So, if you haven't entered yet - and remember, you don't have to be a follower to take part in this one, and it is open internationally - please do take a look at the original giveaway post, and find out how to take part.

Estee Lauder - Blue Dahlia Collection

Hold on to your hats people, for I have fallen in love with an eyeshadow.  And it's BLUE ...

I was saying in one of my rambles on Zuneta recently that I much prefer the autumn/winter collections from the major cosmetic houses than the summer ones, and this a/w collection - the first widely available one from new Lauder creative director Tom Pecheux - is a beauty.  I don't mind admitting that Lauder are - for me - doing some of the most interesting collections of the major beauty houses at the moment, Michael Kors was a total winner, and Bronze Goddess is probably my most favourite of all the summer collections I've seen.

I was invited recently to take a look at the new Pure Colours collection which is shortly to be re-launched in new packaging complete with 24 new eyeshadow shades and 24 new lipglosses.  The new formulation is great, long-lasting shadows and some lovely glosses (though I do wish they had a brush instead of a rather stiff and hard to use does-foot applicator), but it was the capsule limited edition Blue Dahlia collection (above) that caught my eye ...

Here's the palette itself:

There's a teal, taupe, smoky blue, a white with an iridescent teal shimmer, and a black for defining.  Take a look at a close up of that white:

It's gorgeous.  It swatches quite sheerly, but with a teal-ish glimmer, it's very good mixed with the other shades in the palette, or patted over the top for a hint of sparkle.

I think the palette - despite my allergy to blues - is really very versatile, and I've created a couple of looks from it already.  Ha, Ha! Created looks - I hate that phrase, I'm about as creative as the average doorknob - what I actually mean is that I've done my makeup in a couple of (slightly) different ways with it already:

First off, a smoky eyed look:

I used the lighter teal shade in the inner corner, with the smoky blue on the outside, then blended the taupe into the crease, I used the black as a liner on the upper lid, with the smoky blue as a liner on the bottom, I then finished it off with a spot of Guerlain Kohl in Noir on the waterline.  Here's a (slightly fuzzy, sorry!) close
up:

I didn't use any base with these shadows, I wanted to see how they lasted (something I always do the first time I wear new shadows), and this is how they looked after ten hours wear:

Yes, the colour has faded somewhat, but the creasing is minimal, and it's still quite wearable.

For a simpler look (I can't, in all honesty, usually be bothered using more than two shades of eyeshadow on a daily basis), I used the taupe all over the mobile lid into the crease, then blended some of the teal into the crease and the outer eyelid:

I've also been using the teal for tightlining, alongside the taupe as a neutral shade, but I forgot to take photos of that one ...

The new pure colour shades will be available from July, and the limited edition Blue Dahlia collections (there's a lavender/lilac version too, which I think I may have to splash out on) will debut in House of Fraser at the same time.  Will you be indulging?  What's your opinion on blue eyeshadow?

The Fine Print: Palette was provided as part of a PR event, opinions are - as usual - as credible as you think opinions on PR-provided products possibly can be.  However, I've never had a good word to say about about any blue cosmetic ever, so he fact that I've used this every day since it arrived should speak volumes. That, or I've suddenly gone colourblind/mad/senile.

Nail of the Day - OPI Meet Me At The Starferry

This might not be the most exciting nail polish you've ever seen, but I adore it.  A work-safe mauvish-pink with multicoloured sparkles, it has a lovely depth on the nails, and is very pretty.  I spent several days last week admiring it. I'd seen it on a lot of blogs recently, and it appealed to me a lot more than, say, Jade is the New Black, for some reason!

Swatches shown are two thin coats over an Orly base and with an OPI topcoat, and are around three days old at the time of photographing, it wears much better than a lot of polishes in my collection!

The day before I removed it, I decided to mattify it just to change it up a little:

Unlike the red creme I tried this with last time, I think this one looks better shiny, what do you think?

The Fine Print: I bought this from Selfridges.  I might as well get my entire salary paid to them and have done with it, let's face it.

All for Eve Launch - Pt II

All for Eve have just released a video of their official launch, which I was lucky enough to attend recently, and it's a far better record of the event than my gushing about stalking talking to Daniel Sandler, so I thought you'd like to see exactly how it was, so here it is!


You can rest assured that I'm not in it, but  Johnathan Rhys Myers is, so I hope you watch, and that you enjoy it as much as I did. Now, don't forget to buy the products, as the cause is a very important one.

Organic Weekend - Melvita Guest Reviews

A couple of months ago, I asked for some volunteers to try some products that didn't agree with me.  Both of the products came from Melvita, but with my dry, sensitive gel-resistant skin, I thought it would be better to get them tested by people they really suited.  Here's what MakeupbyKaty and DinkyLondon made of their products:

MakeupbyKaty tried the Foaming Facial Scrub:

When the lovely Louise at Get Lippie posted an opportunity on her blog to try and review this product, I shamelessly jumped up and down with my hand in the air shouting “ME ME ME!”. Okay I actually wrote a witty and apparently persuasive argument as to why I should review it. It was along the theme of this;


I have oily, problematic skin. I cannot use most products that everyone else adores. Yet I seem to be bombarded on a daily basis by ‘intensively moisturising’ creams or ‘nourishing anti-aging’ promises. The majority of products that are aimed at an oilier skin are the teenage acne blasting products which I am also not really in the market for.


So, a foaming facial scrub sounded right up my street. I love a bit of foaming me.


I gave this product just over a week and tested it 3 times on both my husband and myself. He is a keen exfoliator and always has an opinion so I thought I’d utilise him.


Dry skinned husband used it in the shower first and gave me a running commentary throughout. His first comments were that it had a ‘nice texture’ ‘not too oily’ (?) and that it felt ‘airy’, like someone had left the door open on his face (really). He then proceeded to rinse off and screw his face up and ask for some moisturiser. From someone who only ever moisturises after shaving, that told me that it may not be great on dry skin.


Here are my thoughts. It’s a nice reasonably firm scrub. Not scratchy, not gritty but most disappointingly, not foamy. At all. No foam anywhere! How very dare they? However it rinsed off well and didn’t leave that annoying bitty residue that a lot of exfoliators can.


Here comes the bad news- I also screwed up my face and begged for moisturiser. I mean my skin felt seriously tight! That’s never happened after using a scrub. I wanted to give it a fair shot so I used it twice more later that week. Once mixed in with my face wash to dilute it a bit. The end result was always the same.


My skin felt parched and stripped and, shock horror, dry! It’s done one thing and that is made me appreciate my oilier skin now, I’ve been to the dark (dry) side and I did not like it.


So with the combination of dry, tight skin and NO FOAM, I’m afraid it’s a ‘No thanks’ from me.


DinkyLondon tried the Eye Contour Gel:
 

When I saw Get Lippie was looking for someone to test Melvita’s Eye Contour Gel I knew I had to put myself forward. I’ve been hunting for the perfect eye cream for years with what can only be described a great degree of failure.

In my mid-twenties, standard anti-aging eye creams are often too thick and rich for my skin and leave me puffy looking and swollen by morning – not a good look and quite the opposite of what I was hoping for. So, I was always left with two choices; keep dabbing on creams which are too rich for me, or sit and wait for the crow’s feet to set in.

With Melvita Eye Contour Gel I’ve thankfully been given another option. A milky white, fluid gel in a small tube, the formula dries to a slightly tacky film within a few seconds and totally dissipates in less than a minute, leaving the eye area feeling soft and looking radiant. I can use it morning and night without any puffiness and I can even use makeup after application without my eyeshadow slipping down to my cheekbones.

I’ve been using the gel for several weeks and I love how I can use it all over the eye contour and even the eyelid. Whilst I haven’t seen a massive long term improvement in the fine lines I’ve already developed around the eyes, I’ve been hugely impressed by how it changes the look of the eye area on a short term basis. If I’m stressed or tired and my eyes are showing it, then I know I can reach for this tube and look ten times better. Even better, I can rest easy knowing that I’m protecting the fragile skin around my eyes from future wrinkles and premature aging. I’ll definitely be repurchasing – my hunt is finally over!

So there you go, a mixed bag there, but a massive thank you to both Katy and Joy (and MrKaty!) for taking the time to review the products for me!

Get Lippie - An Announcement ...

Time passes, things move on, and sometimes you need to make some changes. I've done a lot of soul-searching recently, and have been trying to think of ways to make Get Lippie a bit different.

Then I thought, stuff that, I like what I'm doing!  But, sometimes it helps to have a different viewpoint on things, and some of my very favourite blogs have two writers, so I thought I'd enlist someone to help me out sometimes. And I'm happy to announce that Get Lippie now has a new co-blogger!

Now, I could have, as I've seen on some other blogs, put out a call to my readership, and ask people to submit their writings in order to "audition" them for a regular guest spot.  Seemed like a lot of work for both me and for my readers.  As I'm both lazy and a control freak (some of you might have noticed) my search for a new writing partner went as far as the other side of the sofa and the immortal words: "Oi! Write me some articles, bugalugs!" and they delightedly* agreed.

Some bright sparks on Twitter may have already figured out who the new correspondent is ... and with that in mind, I guess I should let  the new blogger introduce himself ...

Please give a nice Get Lippie welcome to ... MrLippie!

Let's see. I'm 'the posh boyfriend' according to some, and, looking at it in a vaguely detached light, I suppose they might, begrudgingly, have a point! I follow rugby rather than football, I have some random white-collar job that has some sort of connection to the oil industry, and I speak with a fairly generic southern accent which is often found in the BBC when they're not actively encouraging the many and varied regional accents across the UK. If that makes me posh, then so be it!

I'm still not entirely sure how I've ended up blogging - or even volunteering to on a semi-regular basis! - but I'm willing to admit it's my own fault! Having actively encouraged GetLippie in the creation and formation of this blog, I couldn't help but get interested, and I've found myself commentating on many a lipstick or eyeliner (much to the horror of my internal monologue). So, here I am. I'll be occasionally dropping by to review some male grooming products, and possibly offering my outlook on the world....but there is just one thing:


No Guyliner**. No. No. No.


And NO.


That is all...

So there you go!  Ironically, he does in fact know his taupes from his tans, and where to put chunky glitter ("not in a highlight FFS!"), I'm just hoping writing on a regular basis will get him to learn to love moisturiser!  He'll be writing here when he can be bothered once in a while plus he's also going to be contributing on a regular basis to Ape to Gentleman, a great and wonderful blog dedicated to all things male-grooming related. His collected writings will be collated in a page under the header (that black and white picture at the top of the page)  which I've cunningly titled Mr Lippie, and I'll give him the odd aftershave to sniff once in a while on my/your/someone's behalf.  He likes smelly stuff.  He may mention whale bottoms a lot.  You have been warned ...

*Not true.  At all.
** Also not true.  There WILL be guyliner.  Oh yes.  You watch.

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.

Lippie Chat - Fiona Parkhurst of Amie Skincare

Another Sunday, another profile of someone I think is doing interesting things in the beauty industry at the moment.  This week, please welcome Fiona Parkhurst of Amie Skincare:

 Hi Fiona, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Well, I am a ‘working mum’ of two teenage kids – Harry who’s 16 and doing A/S Levels and Samantha who’s 14 and beauty and fashion-mad! I have a lovely, very patient husband and a very naughty Golden Retriever dog called Gemma.

How did you end up in the organic “beauty” industry?

I have spent my whole career working in the beauty industry and for some of the ‘big players’ such as Estée Lauder, as I have always been passionately interested in beauty products.  So, it was an obvious thing for me to develop my own range which also dovetailed into my interest in natural and organic ingredients.

A lot of previously “high-powered” women are increasingly giving up their lucrative careers in order to get involved with organic products at the moment; do you have any thoughts on why that may be?
I think it’s because, as a mum, you are always so concerned about what you feed your children or what you put on their skins.  So you start to question all the previously received wisdom and want to have better, greener, healthier products for the whole family.

How did Amie come into being? 

Well, I actually developed Amie for my own daughter, Samantha, who, when she was around 11 starting needing to use skincare products as her skin was changing and getting oilier.  I looked around for nice, gentle,
natural products for her to use, and, when I couldn’t find any that were good quality but affordable, I decided to create my own.

What are the philosophies behind Amie?

Really, it’s about creating excellent products that deliver what they promise and using only the best, natural and organic ingredients that we can find.  We also want to make Amie products affordable and keep our prices under £5 as not everyone can afford the pricey upmarket brands.  We also hate anything to do with animal testing and want products to be vegan and vegetarian friendly.

What makes Amie unique?

Well, all of the above plus the fact that it was created for a real person – Samantha.

Who are you targeting the Amie brand at?

Everyone !  From women in their early teens upwards – we have many, many happy customers who are in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s.  Amie is all about effective cleansing and moisturising using high quality natural ingredients and no nasty chemicals.

What do you hope is in the future for Amie?

Just to create more and more products !  I get requests every day for new products and I love developing them – so, just watch this space !!

What’s your beauty regime?

I always cleanse my face – morning and night !  I use our Amie Morning Clear Facial Wash without fail, as I still have combination skin and need to keep it clean (but not stripped).  Then I use a light moisturiser, Amie Morning Dew Matte Finish Moisturiser – obviously - as my skin can get shiny and I need a shine control product.   I nearly always wear makeup and cannot live without black mascara !

What is one cosmetic product couldn’t you live without?

My Amie Bright Eyes Gentle Eye Makeup Remover as I use mascara every day and always take it off before I go to bed.  So I needed a very gentle but effective eye makeup remover and Bright Eyes is the best !

What advice would you give Get Lippie readers?

Don’t forget to take great care of your skin !  Sounds obvious but many women spend hours and hours on their hair, makeup and nails but forget to make much effort with their skin. 

Amie products are available at Superdrug, Boots and John Lewis and online at: www.amieskincare.com

Nail of the Day - Nubar Lustful Red

One from the Nubar Risque Reds collection that was released recently, I really like it.  A blue-red creme it applies smoothly (if a little on the thick side, but nothing that can't be fixed with a couple of drops of thinner), and evenly. There is no shimmer, and no glitter I really like it for a dramatic old-school"Hollywood" nails look.  Pic above is two coats shown over an Orly basecoat, and without a topcoat. Okay, it's not very edgy, but it is classic and pretty, and I like it. You can buy Nubar polishes from Beautyshed, who are lovely people, they cost £8 each.

Speaking of "edgy" though, I was at Boots No7 Autumn/Winter trends preview last week, and they're releasing a matte topcoat for nails in August, and I managed to snag a bottle.  I was wondering what a classic glossy red nail would look like mattified and here it is:

I think I kind of prefer this shade matte, to be honest, it's more of a raspberry/cranberry colour once the gloss is removed,  what do you think?  No7 Stay Perfect Matte Topcoat will be available in Boots stores from August 11th, and will cost £7.25.  I've just doubled my varnish wardrobe!  Hmn ... wonder what matte toenails will look like?

The Fine Print: Both items featured in this post were provided by PR for review purposes. Opinions are all my own work, feel free to ignore them though, it's cool.

Nailgirls

I held a tiny Twitter competition recently, and invited one of my readers along with me when I went to check out the Nailgirls salon in Islington.  The adorable Lauren Marks was my companion for the evening, and we had a fine old time. As much a great place to hang out as it is your traditional nail salon, we had a great time, we met the lovely and very friendly owners, had a glass or two of wine, and - of course - got our nails done! 

Here's Lauren's impressions of the evening:

I joined the lovely Louise at a manicure evening at Nail Girls in Islington and must say I wasn’t sure what to expect when I turned up at a small building in a side street – but it seems the best things come in small packages. I was greeted incredibly warmly and made to feel welcome within seconds of my arrival. All the staff were very friendly and chatty, making the effort to come round and chat to everyone – and even after doing tons of manicures they were all smiles. Now considering my nails are bitten to shreds – terrible habit I know! – the girls still made them look fantastic. I picked a coral/red colour, trying to be bright and colourful in preparation for the summer, and had many compliments on the colour as it was being painted on from fellow party-goers and staff – a great confidence boost. Certainly a lovely, pampering experience and I left feeling confident, happy with my bright, shiny nails and that despite the spa not being that local to me – I would definitely be returning. A great find, very reasonably priced and highly recommended by me!

I have to agree with all of that - I'll be going back, I'm wondering what their pedicures are like!  Sadly, we forgot to get a picture of Lauren's nails on the night, but I went for a gorgeous khaki shade shot through with golden shimmer, as below:

,

I adore it! This shade is Green #2.  I have to say that one of the most impressive things about NailGirls is that they use all their own products and treatments, it's great to see so much creativity and ingenuity around.  The quality of the polish is amazing too, the colour above lasted about five days before I chipped it! Fairly reasonably priced too, at £10 a bottle.

Where do you get your nails done?

Birthday Giveaway!

If you read my Zuneta post yesterday, you'll know I'm about to have a milestone birthday.  In many ways the milestone birthday.  Eek!

But, I thought I'll make the most of it and share some of the wonderful goodies I've discovered over the last few months with you.  So, with that in mind, I'd like to offer you a chance to win all of the following:

Chanel Nail Varnish in Particuliere (limited edition, no longer available in stores):

 A Guerlain Kohl in Oriental Metal (limited edition taupe shade):

 And finally, one Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick in the shade of your choice:

How to enter:

Okay, writing this blog makes me happy.  Discovering new products makes me happy.  Other bloggers make me happy.  Getting new comments on posts here makes me happy, Basically, this blog makes me a very happy bunny indeed, but I want to know what makes you a happy bunny!

So.  Basically, tell me what makes you happy. A story, a product, a picture, an anecdote, a makeup look, anything, it doesn't matter what it is,  if it gives you joy, I want to hear about it! There are two ways to enter (and you don't need to be a follower, either):

1) If you have a blog, write a blog post about what makes you happy - please link back to this post - and leave me a comment in the comments section here with a link to it, so I see it!  I'll comment on it so you know I read it! 

or

2) If you don't have a blog, (or you're just plain shy!) then drop an email to contest@getlippie.com and tell me about your happy things.  I just want to hear about good stuff in time for my big day!

Only entries submitted either in blog posts or emails will be counted, the comments on this post should just be used to give me your links to your entry posts. 

This contest will close at midnight (UK time) on Wednesday 9th June, and I'll announce the winner of the contest on Thursday June 10th (which is actually my birthday, but I want to give someone else a little present on the day!). And yes, it's open to all my international readers too! I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

The Fine Print: All prizes in this competition were purchased by myself at various times throughout this year, prizes are brand new, in packaging, and unused. No PRs were harmed/hassled/bothered/asked/approached/emailed or tweeted about this, so they didn't supply anything.  The judge's decision will be final, random.org won't be used in this one.

Zuneta Tuesday

It's that time of the week again, where I wander off and spread my pearls of wisdom on the Zuneta blog!  This week I'm blathering about something that's been on my mind a lot lately.  Or something.  Go read it and see, please!