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Tuesday, 10 May 2011

Bespoke Lipstick with Daniel Sandler & Cosmetics a la Carte Pt II


So, if you made it through yesterday's post, then you'll know I recently had two bespoke lipsticks created for me by Daniel Sandler and Lynne Sanders at Cosmetics a la Carte.  Judging from the comments, you'll be wanting to see the final results (and names) today!  

So, without further ado, I introduce you to my two new lipstick shades:


On the left here, we have the purple "Get Lippie" and on the right, we have the coral "Luce".  Do you see what I did with the names?  Never let it be said that imagination is my strong point, I remind you all politely that I am an accountant, and there's a reason for that.  So there.

Anyhoo - Swatches!


Artificial light
Natural daylight (and they're reversed, because I am an idiot)
Now, when I asked my readers a Quick Question  of "if Get Lippie were a lipstick, what colour would she be?" recently, there were two clear choices: rich, bright reds and clear bright pinks.  And, to be honest, both of those colours were things that initially crossed my mind too ... but ... part of the fun of having this blog is my constant quest to find the perfect red, and my (newer) quest to find the perfect pink is something that I find a great deal of fun too!  So, when I thought harder about what I'd want from a "signature" lipstick shade, I realised that I actually wanted something pretty, but a little more on the neutral side, so I can use it to accessorise lots of looks, and would get lots and lots of wear out of it.  So, these shades are probably not what most of my readers are expecting!  But, to be fair, "Get Lippie" isn't what I was expecting, either!

So, let's take a closer look at "Luce", shall we?


  
Luce isn't a perfect dupe for my beloved Chanel India, but it's pretty darn close.  It's essentially a soft pinky-coral, with just the tiniest amount of gold shimmer. For me, this is a perfect, colourful - but not too bright - wearable shade, that will compliment many makeup looks.  Sheered out it shows a little more orange, and worn in a thicker layer, it shows a little more pink.  It's a complex shade, but it's not too complicated to wear.  Here's how it looks in a thin layer in natural daylight:


Incidentally, "Luce" is my (other) nickname, only my mum and my boss call me Louise these days, which gets a bit confusing, sometimes ...  I just have to stop a couple of people referring to me only as "Oi! Lippie!" now. They know who they are ...


Speaking of which, onto "Get Lippie":

Artificial light
Artificial light with flash
  
It's a bit of a chameleon, this one.  Ostensibly purple, but it can appear brownish - as in the swatch picture at the very top of the post -, a dark purple, or a very pink-based purple with blue shimmer as under the flash picture just above here (and if someone would like to make me a nail varnish in that shade, I will love you forever.  No really, I will).  In reality, once again, it's another very soft shade, this time more of a  purpled-pink, which I find to be surprisingly wearable.


Swatched quite sheerly on the lips (natural daylight):


Not nearly as scary as it looks in the tube, eh?  In fact, the daylight has washed it out just a little here - and the natural redness of my lips has warmed it up a little.  That said, I think it suits my skin-tone very well indeed (I am learning to live with cooler shades these days), but this is dramatic for me in a way that brighter colours simply aren't.



Here's how it looks in the full context (kinda) of my face, and this is probably the most colour-accurate picture of them all.  Yes, it's purple, but it's not a full-on PURPLE!, if you see what I mean.  It goes best with slightly more neutral makeup looks, as it's far more of a statement colour in its own right than "Luce" is.

I was terrified of wearing purple lipstick in the store, and it took a lot, and I do mean a lot, of persuasion to even try it on in the first place, but, the lesson I've learned is, that when Daniel Sandler tells you a colour will suit you, you should just go with it.  I went with the softer, more sludgey purple shade than the more fuchsia-shade you saw in yesterday's post, because I felt that this colour, although  technically harder to wear, is actually far more unique, and it's definitely not a colour I'd have picked up unassisted. I love it though.  A lot. And I've worn it far more than I expected since it appeared too.  

Odd thing, I think this shade makes my hazel eyes look greener!  I could be imagining that though.  The lipsticks themselves, whilst quite perfumed (something I personally like, though your mileage might vary), do have a lovely soft velvety texture, and more than adequate lasting properties.   I've had no problems with grittiness or drying whilst they're on the lips.


Don't forget, that if you want a custom colour lipstick for yourself, then Cosmetics a la Carte will be happy to assist you, too. Just, you know, put some actual thought into what you want to call it ... What would you name a shade you created, and what would it be?  I'm, er, not using you guys for research, honest ...
 
The Fine Print: Once again, this wasn't a PR post, the lipsticks were a gift, and I want to extend the most grateful, and heartfelt of thanks to both Lynne and Daniel for this amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity to have a product named after me!  


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Monday, 9 May 2011

Bespoke Lipstick with Daniel Sandler & Cosmetics a la Carte

Picture the scene: a boring Tuesday morning at work, your mobile phone rings unexpectedly, and it's a world-renowned makeup artist who tells you that they want to create a lipstick for you.


What's a beauty blogger to do?


Well, in the case of this particular beauty blogger, you basically SQUEEEEEEEE with excitement, and run round the office like a lunatic for twenty minutes then say a very polite "thank you very much, I'd love that" then set a time, a date, and a place to sort everything out.

Which is how, two weeks ago, I found myself in the Cosmetics a la Carte store in Knightsbridge with two of my favourite people: one Mr Daniel Sandler and the always wonderful Lynne Sanders. Tucked away like a tiny jewel box in a very exclusive part of London, the  Cosmetics a la Carte boutique is a beautifully inviting, indeed, wondrous place to spend a few hours, and Daniel, Lynne and I had a delightful morning poring over the selection of lipsticks I'd brought along for inspiration (some of which you can see above), and trying to figure out what we were going to create.



First of all, we talked about some of my favourite lipsticks, and, once again, we spoke about my love for Chanel's long-discontinued "India" lipstick (Chanel, if you're reading this, bring it back!).  I've spent the best part of ten years attempting to find a dupe for this lipstick, and the nubbin of the shade that I still have remains one of my All Time Favourite Lipsticks of All Time, and after a while, we decided to use this as the "inspiration" behind my new signature shade.



This was where the fun really began! Using Cosmetics a la Carte rainbow of lipstick shades, we began mixing and matching lipsticks together in various combinations to recreate India (which you can just see at the bottom of the picture above), we mixed up three different combinations, then tried them on the lips to see how they matched up.




Once we'd hit on what we thought was a winning mixture (you can see Daniel writing out the "recipes" there) a little further chat revealed that Daniel also wanted to move me out of my comfort zone a little bit.  It might not be completely obvious to most readers of this blog, but it turns out that I'm far more adventurous with my eye makeup than I am with my lipstick ... what that basically boils down to is that there are certain lip colours that I simply will not try.  So, of course, it was decided that for lipstick number two, we'd go a little crazy!




Purple.  It's going to be huge this winter apparently, and that's where Daniel decided my lips had to go ... his inspiration was "Pretty Biba" or ... "Happy Goth" (and where have we heard that phrase before ... hmn?).  Now, I freely admit that I much prefer a bright lipstick to a dark one, having an inkling that dark shades are too ageing for me, these days, but Lynne and Daniel were insistent that I'd be able to pull this off.   I remained sceptical, but, it was kind of hard to resist!  Of the three purple groupings above, I was drawn to the one at bottom left, so we used those to start off with.



Once again, we mixed up a couple of shades, one brighter, one darker, and tried them on the lips to decide which colour I liked best.  Here's how the one at the top looked on:


Funny camera angles R us

There was a hard decision to be made here, but I finally made it - and selected one of them to be made up into a full bullet of lipstick.  You'll be able to see the finished results tomorrow!  And you'll find out what we called them then too ...


Now, you might think I'm a jammy so-and-so for getting to have a bespoke lipshade created (and, well, let's face it, you'd be right, I am blessed with great and very thoughtful friends who I've met as a result of this blog, and well, yes, I'm jammy), but one of the exciting things that I found out during my time in the store is that anyone, and I do mean anyone, can also have this service carried out for them at Cosmetics a la Carte.  All the staff are trained in this technique, and it costs £47.  Yes, £47 is fairly expensive for a lipstick, but, for a bespoke lipstick, created for you and you alone, I actually think it's a bit of a bargain, particularly when you compare it to the cost of, say, a Tom Ford lipstick at £35, or a Guerlain Rouge G at £28.  I think for brides, or for a special birthday, or any special event, it would also make a great present for someone, too.  To find out more, take a look at the Cosmetics a la Carte website.    Sadly, Daniel isn't included in the price ...




So, tune in tomorrow where I'll show you the lipsticks in detail ... 


The Fine Print: No PRs were harmed in the writing of this blog post, I was invited along as a friend of Daniel Sandler, the blog post is purely incidental. It's also belated, but that's another story ...



This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Thursday, 5 May 2011

Nail of the Day OPI DS Chiffon

Posts are a bit thin this week because I've been ill (hang on till Monday though, won't you? I have a doozy coming up!) but this little bottle of precious arrived yesterday and it was all I could do not to paint my mails there and then!





OPI DS polishes are a particular weakness of mine, being - by and large - holographics. And I love me a bit of holo action! I spotted this on lovely Jen's Lipstick Luvvies blog sale at the weekend and had to snap it up!





Under halogen lighting (like the two pics above) it shows as a little peachy-pink number, but under fluorescents and in natural daylight (as below) you can see that it is actually a very sweet, soft baby-pink:





Not a colour I wear often, but very cheering, and a perfect antidote to last week's chocolate brown that I hated so much.

I bought another one too, and I'll show you that soon ...
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Wednesday, 4 May 2011

Kebelo Hair Smoothing Treatment

Keen not to market themselves as simply yet another "keratin straightening treatment", Kebelo have arrived with their plant-based, totally formaldehyde-free, 3-step smoothing system, and I was lucky enough to be one of the first people in the UK to try it recently.


Referring to their system as the "foundation for beautiful hair", Kebelo doesn't promise stick-straight hair, but instead it swears to free you from frizz for up to 100 days, whilst leaving you with body, bounce and beautiful hair.  You know me, I can't resist something that promises to tame my crazy barnet, so I leapt at the chance to try it out.


The Kebelo Smoothing Treatment starts with a wash with a clarifying shampoo, which strips your hair of all styling products without leaving your hair dry or brittle, in fact, when my hair was dried off a little at this stage, I was pleasantly impressed at how soft and shiny my hair felt!   Usually clarifying shampoos leave your hair feeling a little like straw, and the ones that don't leave your hair feeling a lot like straw, but not this one.  


Once your hair is mostly dry, the smoothing solution is applied to your hair, and then this is set into your hair with straightening irons.  Because flat poker-straight hair doesn't suit me too well, Aeron set my hair with a slight kink at the ends, and didn't start the straightening right from the root, so that my hair would dry with body, I was really pleased with how it looked.  But, for me, the best part of this treatment is that you don't have to wait three days before you can wash your hair again, literally as soon as you finish the heat part of your treatment, your hair can get wet.


The third stage of the system is the after-care, which is included in the cost of your package - which is a nice touch, and a refreshing change, which I've been trialling for the last few weeks.  In the package (of which there are two, one for oily and one for dry hair), you get a shampoo, a conditioner, and a weekly hair masque.  I've found them to be excellent, pleasantly scented, nicely lathering and highly conditioning.  The weekly masque in particular leaves my hair soft and smooth after use.  Sometimes low-sodium, no SLS shampoos and conditioners can be more of a chore than a pleasure to use, and I'm happy to say this isn't the case with these.


As to my hair, I'm very happy with it.  It's shiny. Very, very, very shiny.  To the extent that some people have actually commented on it.  It doesn't, as advertised, dry completely straight, but it is free of frizz:



This is my hair after air-drying, with no product, and more than four weeks after treatment. It still has body and movement, but I can style it with lots of body if I want to, or just run the straighteners over it to smooth out the ends.  I'm very pleased with it, here's hoping it lasts the full 12 weeks!


The Kebelo Smoothing Treatment costs around £200 and can be used on practically any kind of hair. Click here to find out more.  My treatment took place at Four London in Mayfair, which is a very lovely place indeed.


The Fine Print: Get Lippie was a guest of both Kebelo and Four London.  


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Tuesday, 3 May 2011

Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser - Factor 50+

Get Lippie has flu at the moment, so that means a new guest review on the blog!  I'm handing over to my lovely workmate Kate, who asked me for some advice a couple of weeks ago and got a little more than she bargained for ...



Within a couple of days of hearing that my colleague Louise wrote a beauty blog, I'd emailed her with my own particular problem, begging her to offer advice. Like the sparkling, perfectly made-up fairy godmother that she is, she came through with an absolutely corking suggestion.

Here's the problem. I have really fair skin that burns under the sun and colours from the heat very easily. I am also prone to eczema flare-ups - it's mostly stress related, but my skin is an awkward so-and-so and likes to surprise me sometimes. I use a daily moisturiser with SPF15 but as soon as we hit the summer, that just doesn't cut it.

So I'm forced to put my factor 50 Piz Buin on my face. Face is never happy with this and often complains, and I can forget make-up at this point as it all slips straight off.

After hearing my plea, Louise, being the star that she is, came rushing to see me clutching a sample bottle of Alpha-H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+ and told me to give it a try.

Piz Buin, you will never see my face again (although you can still take care of my back, arms, legs and everywhere else).

The big bonus about the cream is that it's light, but still manages to have enough moisturising might to replace my usual daily. And because it is so light I can wear foundation over the top without looking like
I've just been swimming. Most important of all, of course, is that it has prevented me from burning.

Now that I've gone ahead and bought the full size bottle, I can tell you that it comes in a handy pump action bottle. This is great as a little goes a long way and it'll help me use it sparingly so I don't run out too soon.

I'm going to be wearing Alpha-H 50+ during the daylight parts of my 24 hour, 78 mile walk this weekend. And that little sample tube from Louise will form an essential part of my pack. Thanks, Louise!

Follow my progress from occasional walker to endurance strider at http://wardwalkslondon.blogspot.com


***

Thank you very much Kate, looking forward to seeing if you got burned or not on your mammoth walk!

 
The Fine Print: Original sample size was obtained via a goodie bag at an event several months ago.  Several full-size bottles have been purchased since.



This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Monday, 2 May 2011

Project Perfume - Book Review

(Click picture for source)
 Alongside "Perfumes the A-Z Guide" by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, I've also read "The Perfect Scent" by Chandler Burr, and it's completely, totally and utterly fascinating.


Burr is the "scent critic" for The New York Times Magazine, and in this book he highlights the journeys of two perfumes on their way to market, One a high-end Perfume House; Hermes, making their way with Un Jardin Sur le Nil, and at the other end of the perfume spectrum, there is Coty, trying to get a celebrity perfume to market, and that is Sarah Jessica Parker's "Lovely".


At times unintentionally hilarious, as when a trip along the Nile becomes a bit of a disaster when the team from Hermes, who have just drafted in Jean-Claude Ellena as their in-house "nose",  discover that the gardens along the Nile don't really smell of anything, but at all times fascinating, it's an instructive and sometimes quite emotive book about how the high end and the mass-market go about things in their respective industries.


The Hermes story is very much about how much a company can have invested in one person's vision of how a scent should be, and how that will affect a company as whole, whereas the Coty story of Lovely is a little of the opposite, about how "smoothing the edges off" one person's vision can satisfy the company's marketing needs.  At least, that's how I read it.


All through the book you're treated to visions from both Jean-Claude Ellena and Sarah Jessica Parker (who played a surprisingly large role in the creation of her first perfume), of how they wanted the perfumes to smell, and what their inspirations were, and how they went from iteration to iteration of each scent until they were ready (sometimes only just!) to go to market.  I found this very interesting, so much so that I went out and bought a sample of each of the scents in the book, so I could smell the finished product for myself.


First things first, I'm not a massive fan of either Jean-Claude Ellena or of celebrity scents in general, Ellena's scents I find are simply too ethereal, too light, and too ... thin for me.  I can appreciate the master skill that he puts into making his perfumes, but, for me, they disappear too quickly, and usually I'm left resentful that after ten minutes or so I can no longer smell them at all.  With that in mind, to me, Un Jardin Sur Le Nil is pleasant, fruity, and, unsurprisingly insubstantial.  It is something that I will probably get more wear out of during hot weather, where I will appreciate something lighter and fruitier during the summer.  I'll be revisiting this one at a later date, I'm sure.


The real revelation for me is  Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker, which I was surprised to find actually lives up to the name.  I am, I admit, a bit of a snob, there are no two ways about it, and I have, for years totally ignored - rightly or wrongly - celebrity perfumes.  I have no real desire to smell like the latest trend, and as the latest trends in perfume all appear to veer towards fruity toilet cleaners (particularly at the cheaper end of the z-list celeb scale)  then, I don't think I've missed all that much.  But this is a little gem, a non-fruity, rather sophisticated little musky floral that I don't mind admitting that I've been carrying around in my handbag for a week or two now.  It's a simple, easy wear, that doesn't need much thought, but it is, as the name suggests it will be, rather pretty, and sometimes, when you've been wrangling with other perfumes which can, and indeed do smell like cat-poo doused in honey (and that's a GOOD THING btw, but more about that later), Lovely is a nice little no-brainer that won't make you smell like Kerry Katona.


So, The Perfect Scent is a "right riveting read" as my mum would say, and a salutory lesson that price isn't - always - everything when it comes to scent.  Highly recommended.


The  Fine Print: Everything mentioned in this post was bought with my own cash, even the cat-poo-doused-in-honey scent, which I'll tell you more about later.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Saturday, 30 April 2011

Nail of the Day

I tried OPI's Suzi Loves Cowboys from their recent Texas collection, but the plain dark brown creme shade didn't really suit me, so I souped it up a little with a coat of Nfu Oh #61:




And it turned out a lot nicer than anticipated. However, this was two coats of OPI, two coats of Nfu Oh, and two coats of Poshe topcoat, it lasted a day, then started pinging off all over the place!




So, a nice combination, but next time, only one coat each of the OPI and topcoat ....
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Thursday, 28 April 2011

Haut Totes - How much do I love thee?

Answer: Quite a darn lot, actually.

It's not often I get called a "happy goth" three times in one week, but this bag from Haut Totes has a lot to answer for ... ! I saw London Makeup Girl's El Dia de los Muertos bag about a year ago and fell in love with it a bit - but it took me a little while to order one of my own!  

When I saw the pink skulls though, I knew this was the one I wanted, I love the roses, and the cheery black skulls on the pink background.  Mind, I love practically everything on the Haut Totes Etsy shop, even the stuff with fairies on, which is partially why it took me so long to order, I simply couldn't make up my mind!

To go with the tote bag (which is made from an amazingly strong mesh, covered in the skull-printed fabric, seriously, you could haul around pretty much anything in here without worrying about it ripping), I also ordered a makeup bag:



Which is nice and roomy, and the back is mesh, so I can see at a glance what's in there, plus, I also ordered myself a wrist bag/cellphone holder (you need to buy the strap separately, but it's very cheap), which is astonishingly versatile:

I got the wristbag for those occasions when I can't be bothered with a handbag at all, it fits my iphone very well, and is lightly padded so there's little danger of damaging your phone if you drop it.  Not, of course, that I've ever tested this claim ... {ahem}

My bag makes me smile every time I look at it, and it's had a lot of compliments in its own right, which is about all you can ask from a pink bag covered in skulls, eh?  Haut Totes bags cost around £30, plus shipping from the US (so beware of customs charges), and the turnaround time is around a month, as all items are handmade from scratch by the lovely Melissa once ordered.

I'm taking this one to Portugal with me in June, as I think it'll make a perfect holiday bag, big enough for books, and lotions, and a towel.

The Fine Print: I bought this, and I'll be ordering more from Melissa soon ... Pink Lightning, you will be mine, oh yes ... All pictures in this post replicated by kind permission of Haut Totes - thank you Melissa!

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Wednesday, 27 April 2011

Quick Question

Okay, readers, riddle me this:

If Get Lippie was a lipstick, what colour would she be?

All will be revealed soon ...


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Tuesday, 26 April 2011

Whoa ... Bodyglide ...

... Bodyglide for yooooooooooouuuuuuu ....

(with apologies to the Bodyform people)
This is the least glamorous product ever featured on a beauty blog! Nonetheless, it's a lifesaver for me, particularly in the summer.

Chafing, ladies and gents, is not sexy.  It's not much fun either, being painful, and in summer it can lead to limited clothing opportunities, owing to the need to dress in a way to minimise rubbing.  For years, I lived in trousers in all weathers simply to avoid my thighs rubbing. In summer, just the thought of wearing a skirt without tights (and thick, black opague tights at that) would make me weep.  Yes, some stores stock what they call "comfort shorts", but that's just an added layer of clothing and kind of defeats the object of wearing a skirt in summer in the first place!

When I was training for a marathon a few years ago (what?  I've done a marathon! And raised nearly £2k for charity whilst I was about it too, stop laughing at the back), I was introduced to Bodyglide by a friend, and I've never been without a tube since.

Essentially a zinc-based balm, it creates a barrier between your skin and any materials that might chafe (or other body parts that rub together), and prevents the friction that causes rashes and discomfort, and as such it's a godsend.  This little tube means I can wear skirts without tights in hot weather, and as it's also great for preventing blisters from strappy shoes, means I can happily trip around town in any combination of sandals and other footwear without fear of blisters or unsightly plasters.  All you do is rub a thin layer - and you really do only need a thin layer - over any areas where you are prone to chafing, or rubbing, and that's it.  I haven't had a foot-blister in about four years now ...

So yes, it's not glam, not sexy, not sparkly or shiny, but it is just plain useful, and a product I couldn't live without it.  I get my Bodyglide (and how can you not love that name?) from wiggle.com where a large tube, which will last you all summer - and beyond, will cost you £8.99.

The Fine Print: I buy two tubes of this a year, a small one for my handbag, and a larger one for the house.  If a PR had suggested I write about this stuff, I'd probably have laughed at the pitch. Oh yes.  But the recent sweltering weather has reminded me just how much of a blessing this stuff is.  So there.

PS apologies for the earworm, 80s kids!

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.
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Sunday, 24 April 2011

A Week In Lipstick

This week, I have mostly been wearing:




Clinique Chubby Stick - Mega Melon
Ellis Faas Creamy Lips - L307
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain - Passion
Chantecaille Lip Chic - Tea Rose
Yves St Laurent Candy Sheer Volupte - 2 Papaya Gelee
Tom Ford - True Coral
And finally …




The last lipstick there is a mystery, the full details of which I'll reveal ... eventually! But it's obviously been a coral kind of week...

Here are the swatches, which one catches your eye?




It might be warm outside, but I still love wearing my lipstick.
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Friday, 22 April 2011

My Current Skincare Routine - Reactive Skin

In almost two years of beauty blogging (seriously, how the hell did that happen?) I've been incredibly blessed in that my sometimes sensitive skin hasn't broken out in boils, blotches and mysterious rashes.  Until recently, that is.  Something I've been using near my eyes has caused a hot, red, itchy rash, and, to put it mildly, I'm not happy!


I've narrowed down the possible offenders to three potentials, one an eyecream, one a moisturiser, and one  ... er ... something else.  I forget which now.  Most likely a cleanser.  Yes, I tried a new cleanser recently.  Must have been that. Oh, and there's a fourth thing it might have been, but I really, really can't remember what that was.  Anyway. 

So, in order to try and get my skin back into some semblance of normality, I've pared my skincare routine right back, and I'm using just three products until my skin calms down enough for me to start re-introducing items in order for me to weed out the irritant.


These products are: Nude Cleansing Facial Oil, Darphin Intral Toner and Avene Extremely Rich Compensating Cream.  I've completely removed any skincare with more "active" ingredients from my routine to stop my skin flaring up further and that means "bye-bye" to my beloved Alpha H for a couple of weeks!  Here's how I've been getting on with my new routine.


Nude Cleansing Facial Oil


An old standby, and very much an old favourite, this is gentle, effective and luxurious to use.  I never used to really like the smell, but I've grown used to it over the years (this is one of the first things I ever bought to blog about, and I've never been without a bottle since), and now I love it.  Thick, rich, and feels intensely nourishing, which, when your skin is as red and reactive as mine is at the moment, is just what the doctor ordered.  Mine cost £24 from Space NK, which reminds me, I'm running low - very low - right now, and it might be time to re-invest in a bottle.  Did I mention it's organic?  It's organic.  And it's very nice indeed.  If you're not sure you like oil cleansers, this is a good one to start off with, it'll kind of spoil you for the rest.


Darphin Intral Toner


I'm not much of a one for toners.  Some people think I'm wrong, but hey, it's MY skin, and I like what I like, thank you very much.  And, it turns out I like this particular toner very much indeed.  Formulated specifically for sensitive skins, this alcohol-free (the only time you'll ever see me approve of this phrase is when it comes to my skincare, btw) delicately flower-scented pink liquid is something I've been using every day recently to soothe and cool my inflamed temples.  It is moisturising, and calming, and I think I might just keep it in daily rotation once the current skin-crisis is over.  I'm trying to think of toners as the beginning of my moisturising routine, and not as the end of my cleansing one, I wonder if that will help me keep them in my routine?


Anyway, this is a nice toner, and I like using it.  So there.  I'm thinking of decanting a little of it, and keeping it by me at all times over the summer for a more moisturising spriz than usual. My bottle cost £27, again, from Space NK.




Finally, I've been using Avene Extremely Rich Compensating Cream, which, on first look I thought was just going to be far too heavy for my skin.  I was assured otherwise by a certain Mrs Hirons who assured me, when she handed the pot over, that, as well as being irritated, I - sorry, my skin - was also dehydrated.  Turns out she was right.  I hate that.  Anyway, this is a fairly heavyweight little pot of soothing, calming and rehydrating goodness.  Yes, it is a little heavier than my normal moisturiser of choice, but it has worked wonders on my perpetually re-occuring patch of dry skin on my forehead, and for that alone, I have to love it.  It does, also, I have to say, seem to be soothing my irritated (and irritating) skin.  I can't use this one all over my face, but applied just to my dryer areas: forehead, temples and cheeks, mainly, I can definitely see that this is about the most hydrating thing I've ever applied to my face, and that has to be a good thing.

You can buy this for £16.50 from Boots, but my pot (the design of which I detest, by the way), came from Caroline's Magic Beauty Cupboard, which I'm hoping one day to get her to blog about ...


So, my skin is now not at all hot, flaky or burning any more, which is wonderful. And it's less red, which is great. I'm just waiting for the bumps to subside now, and all will be well.  Then I can start using more sexy products again ... that said, I've been so impressed by the Darphin and Avene products I've tried as a result of the flare-up that I'm sure I'll be investigating more of their ranges, so for a beauty addict like myself, there has been a bright side!


The Fine Print: I bought half of this, and the moisturiser was a present.  Kind of.  More a bribe to stop me whining, I suspect, but hey ho, it worked, anyway.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Wednesday, 20 April 2011

YSL Volupte Sheer Candy - 02 Papaye Gelee


It must be said that YSL Rouge Voluptes have some of the prettiest packaging on the market.  That out of the way, I have to say that I am not a fan of the Rouge Volupte formula, finding it too greasy, and disliking the way the texture sits on your lips, rather then melds with your lips texture.  For such an expensive lipstick, personally, I think they're not worth the price, and, I've never quite understood their popularity, which I suspect is partially down to their undeniable prettiness - even MrLippie thinks they're "swish"!

Being of a fair mind - and, having tried the new sheer Dior  and Chanel lipsticks recently too - when I noticed that YSL had brought out a tinted balm version of their Rouge Voluptes, I thought I'd give one of them a try.  Having swatched all 6 shades, which go from an extremely pale pink, through to a red, I picked out shade number 2, which is Papaye Gelee, or "Dewy Papaya", and is a pretty coral shade:


This is really beautiful packaging, I much prefer the silver to the gold, and  on the lips, it's very moisturising, if a little lacking in pigment.  Yes, I do appreciate this is a balm, but I did notice on swatching that there was little to no difference between any of the colours on the pale side:

As you can see from the swatch, it's barely visible at all.  But this doesn't, actually, make this a bad balm.  It's nice to use, pleasantly scented (with no taste) of watermelon, and does make your lips feel soft and moisturised while you're using it.  I find that if I use it with a lipstain, it does have a tiny "brightening" effect on the colour, and for that reason, I'm glad I bought it.

So out of all the sheer/balm lipsticks I've tried recently, I think YSL wins on packaging (and price, being cheaper than both the Chanel and Dior), but ... the Chanel wins overall for comfort of wear, and range of colours. 


YSL Volupte Sheer Candy are currently exclusive to Harrods, and cost £20.


The Fine Print: Harrods stole my credit card, and gave me this in return.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Tuesday, 19 April 2011

Remington 5 in 1 Airstyler

I've had blow-dry lessons from some of the best hairdressers in this country - Yes, Ben Cooke (creator of Victoria Beckham's various 'do's over the years) I'm looking at you, and, it has to be said that I remain a cack handed muppet at it. 


The problems are that I have short arms and a lot - and I do mean a lot - of wavy hair.  So, the traditional hairdryer and brush method is backbreaking, not to mention, heartbreaking work with my thatch of frizzy fuzz.


Years ago, I had a Remington Airstyler that was basically a hairbrush with a built in hairdryer, and, I have to say, I loved it.  My only real problem with it was that the hairdryer was a rather feeble 300 watts, so drying my hair (which was a lot curlier back then) took hours.  Luckily for me, the new 5in1 Remington Airstyler is a massive 1200 watts so this solves that particular problem, and has made me a very happy chappy blogger.


The new Remington Airstyler comes with five attachments: two round bristle brushes (one with hard "fixed" bristles, and one with softer, flexible bristles), a targeted hairdryer nozzle, a ridge "tong" attachment, and my own personal favourite, the flat "paddle" brush attachment, which has a side each of fixed and flexible bristles.

I've found that I can give myself a nice (not great - I'm still rubbish), blowdry with lots of volume using the paddle brush attachment, in about 15 minutes or so, without really needing to follow up with my straighteners, or needing a massage on my aching shoulders - the fixed bristles glide through the hair smoothly with no snagging, and the flexible bristles provide a great deal of traction, which is great for making the hair smoother.  The dryer itself has three speeds: low heat, high heat and a cool shot, which is very handy.



All in all, a winner for me - and for around £25 it's a bargain, I paid nearly £40 for one with just a quarter of the drying power (and no attachments besides the round brush and the nozzle) around ten years ago!


The Fine Print: PR sample.  And an horrendously overdue review.  I'm nice like that ;)

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Monday, 18 April 2011

Hob Salons - "Treat Me Like A Princess" Package

I'm an accountant (I may have mentioned it), and this is my busiest time of the year. That occasional KA-thonk sound you may hear in the distance is my hitting my head on my desk whilst trying to get to grips with the concept of deferred income vs restricted reserves and their associate release against spend schedules, and please do not even talk to me about auditors, or I might simply weep - but I digress.

All this was my roundabout way of saying that today I have a guest review for you - and from a work colleague, no less ... I found out about Hob's Treat Me Like A Princess package last month - which they're offering all through April, which includes a cut, colour, plus lots of other little extras that will make this feel like a really pampering experience - and I'd been looking forward to trying it out. Sadly, as it got nearer the time, I discovered I wouldn't be able to attend, so I drafted in one of my co-workers, the always-amazing Amy, to take my place ... here's how she got on:

I paid a visit to Hob salon in Camden on behalf of the lovely Louise to trial out a current promotion they are running throughout April called 'Treat me like a Princess' in celebration of the run up to the royal wedding. The package includes a colour, a cut, a treatment, a head massage, a goody bag and a voucher towards your next appointment with them.

Before my appointment I had to go for an allergy test to ensure I had no reactions to their products which is company policy and must be done 48 hours before colouring. Immediately I thought this was going to be hassle but as you can get it done in any of their salons you can pick and choose when and where and you don’t need to pre-book an appointment. I chose the Baker Street branch so I could walk there after work. It took roughly 5 minutes all in all and I was back on my merry way before long.

As I made my way to the Camden salon I soon realised the directions on their website were not so helpful and I walked past the turn off I was meant to take. (Hint: walk down Jamestown road and take a right after CBS offices).  When I finally got there the reception staff were very friendly but not too falsely over-friendly like you can get in a lot of other salons. They showed me to my seat and introduced me to Lindsey who was my colourist. 


She sat down and talked me through what would suit both my hair and my features. She suggested going for a halo bar which meant that the highlights would lie under a layer of hair,  which would make them not so prominent on the top of my head. We decided on antique blonde, which to be honest I was a little apprehensive about, as I am not a fan of blonde hair but I trusted her judgement and was delighted with the outcome. I did notice though that they must have drafted her in from another branch for the day,  as the other staff were asking her what she was doing there that day, but that’s nothing bad, they obviously wanted their best colourist to do my hair which I can hardly complain about now can I?

After the colour the next part of the ‘Treat me like a princess’ package was a conditioning treatment and a head and neck massage which was glorious and so relaxing I almost fell asleep at the sinks! The treatment was an intensive conditioner and a toner to help maximise the colour in my hair. My hair was amazingly soft afterwards and looked beautifully healthy.

Next was the hair cut and the guy to carry this out was Rodos who was very easy on the eye and a true gentleman. As you can see from my before photo:




this is no simple feat, and not a task for the faint hearted, with the amount of hair on my head. But Rodos gracefully accepted the mammoth task of removing a few inches, a lot of thinning it out, and giving it some shape and style. He combined the use of a thinning scissors and a blade. I felt he really listened to what I wanted but still gave his opinion of what he thought would sit best and look great and he really did know his stuff as I was delighted with the cut and finish.



 

The salon I found had a great vibe and with trainees in full view practising on balconies above, gave it a nice full and bustling atmosphere.  The place was clean and had lovely Sanctuary soap and hand moisturiser in the bathroom.

Overall I found the experience really and truly worthwhile and would recommend it to my friends. You do feel like a princess as you get well looked after including receiving a glass of wine while your colour sets.


I left the salon feeling great about myself and my new hair style and with a goody bag of shampoos and hair masks to take home and a 25% off voucher for my next colour. 


I've seen Amy's hair since, and it does indeed look fantastic, Lindsey has given her a subtle sunkissed look, and it is amazingly healthy and shiny, I was very impressed.  And jealous.  If you fancy being treated like a princess too, then contact your local Hob Salon for prices.

The Fine Print: Amy was a guest of Hob Salons.  PS, Amy, you owe me a cup of tea ;)


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Saturday, 16 April 2011

A Week in Lipstick





Another week, another seven lipshades. From top to bottom here we have:




Guerlain Rouge G - Galante
Rituals Cream & Care - Sunset
Shiseido Shimmering Rouge - RS310
Guerlain Terracotta Gloss - Grenade
Revlon Just Bitten Lipstain - Frenzy
ELF Luscious Liquid Lipstick - shade unknown
Bourjois Effet 3D Max gloss - Rose Acidulé

And here are the swatches:




Bit of a glossier week than usual, what've you been wearing?

Some exciting (for me at least!) lipstick news coming up next week, keep your eyes peeled!
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Friday, 15 April 2011

The Show Must Go On - OPI Burlesque Collection

In a "blink and you'll miss it" collection from OPI to celebrate the release of the Burlesque movie at the end of last year (did you blink? You missed it), were some of the prettiest, blingiest and just plain joyful nail polishes that this jaded blogger has ever seen:



A cool raspberry, this foiled-effect polish is packed to the rafters with layer upon layer of glass flecks:




It glows.




I'm wearing it for a board meeting today:




Work appropriate, schmerk appropriate.

The Burlesque collection was discontinued approximately three days after it was released, so I picked this beauty up off eBay recently (there are loads of the mini size multipacks on there at a reasonable price) I don't know if the film was any good, I blinked, and missed it.

(this is an emergency post as the original post planned for today has technical issues - normal service resumes ASAP)
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Thursday, 14 April 2011

Guerlain Meteorites Perles Perfecting Primer

Who can resist a product that looks like sago pudding?





Not me! I admit that I'm not much of a one for facial primers, but, as I am a big fan of Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau foundation, I thought I'm give their primer a try too. Mainly, admittedly, because it is by far the prettiest primer on the market.

Tiny pink opalescent pearls of light diffusing powder are suspended in a gel formulation, which feels cool and silky, rather than velvety like a lot of more silicone-heavy primers. Once pumped, the pearls burst and you get a measure of pre-mixed primer:






You can see how it reflects light already.

My favourite way to use this is to mix equal amounts of primer with my foundation (and I use it with all my foundations) then "slip, slap, splosh" it all over my face with my fingers. I'm too lazy in the mornings to bother putting on a layer of moisturiser, a layer of primer and a layer of foundation, so I skip a step.

I find that mixing the foundation with the primer gives the foundation a more "moussey" or airy texture, and also thins out the foundation a little, giving a slightly sheerer finish, also the primer allows the foundation not to gather in pores as a result.

This won't give you as "flawless" a finish as a silicone primer, but I do find it makes my foundation last a little longer through the day, but, that being said, I wouldn't class this - or indeed any - facial primer as a necessity. I've never found a single one that does what it says. Ever.

In essence, the Guerlain Meteorites Primer is nice to have, lovely to look at, and fun to use, but is it an essential? No.

It costs around £40.
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Tuesday, 12 April 2011

Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau

Serge Lutens, how much do I love thee?  The first super-expensive bottle of perfume I ever bought for myself (at a whopping £45, back at the time when most "expensive" perfumes cost £18-25 depending on precisely how "fancy" you wanted to smell) was a bottle of Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose. This was shortly followed by a bottle of A La Nuit, neither of which I ever wear these days, but I do still own the remnants of both bottles in their "vintage" formulations.


I can't really bear to part with them, because of the memories I associate with them, even though I realise they're two of the least complex of the Serge Lutens line, these days.  Back then I really just loved rose scents (Ombre Rose was a contemporary purchase too, and I used that bottle up in a matter of a few short months), and I thought jasmine - the primary, and some might say only ingredient in A La Nuit - was a much more innocent scent than it actually is.  I know different now, but ... do I know better?  Nowadays, I much prefer Ambre Sultan, and Femininite du Bois.


It would appear that dear old "Uncle Serge" has been playing memory games with his fans with this his new release.  I've read lots of reviews that talk about bread, jam, butter, and baked goods, and thought that as I'd recently come to terms with Guerlain's "patisserie accord" (more about that in a Guerlain post later on), that this might be a good one to try.


And, on initial sniffing, my immediate reaction was "bread and butter pudding!".  I was delighted, as bread and butter pudding is one of my favourite things.  Sadly, on closer inspection, the butter in this particular pudding turned out to be margarine.  The scent of cheap spread was cloying and clinging, somehow managing to be both fat, and flat.  It also - for me - crowded out the scent of anything else for the first three hours.  Then, when something else did turn up on my skin, it was curry.


Oh yes.


Actually, it wasn't curry, it's actually the scent of Immortelle, which has cumin-ish aspects on my skin.  Margarine and curry.  Yummy!  Then, finally, about six or seven hours of wear, there was a lovely, slightly peppery maple syrup scent that stuck very close to my skin.  Had this been more prominent, or had appeared sooner, I'd have loved this.  But, alas, it wasn't to be.  Me and margarine have never got along all that well, and this was terrifyingly close to being a scrubber throughout the entire day of wear.


Serge Lutens definitely tries to create art with his scents, and even his more challenging fragrances deserve a shedload of admiration. Jeux de Peau is a skillful creation, and it's a rather playful one, too.  However, this is Serge playing games on my skin, and I'm not sure I liked it.  I have to admire it, but I don't think I'll be wearing it again any time soon ...


Jeux de Peau costs £65.36 and is available from escentual.com


What's the worst scent you've ever put on your skin?


The Fine Print: Review written from sample.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Monday, 11 April 2011

Daniel Sandler Brushes


I've lot count of how many makeup brushes I own, there are a lot.  Besides which, I have two sets, a set of brushes that I keep for myself, and a set (from Crown brushes) that I keep aside for makeovers, that I rarely use on my own skin.  I was made a gift of some Daniel Sandler brushes a while ago, and I've been using them on practically a daily basis ever since, so I thought it was time to share my thoughts!


Some of the most used brushes in my kit are the ones with short handles, I much prefer a short handle to a long handle for some reason (probably to do with me being a cack-handed muppet), and so I'm really happy that these brushes are "handbag" sized.  Above (l-r) you can see the concealer, smudge, waterbrush, base and bronzer/powder brushes, and I find they have varying levels of usefulness, as you'll see below.


Concealer brush:


Made from taklon - a polyester derivative, so the brush is vegan - this helps with applying concealer in a thin layer (always the best way to apply concealer), and the long, somewhat flexible bristles make blending very easy, particularly around the eye area.  It's not a very wide brush, so it's great for applying concealer to blemishes, without adding too much product to unaffected areas.  Cost: £12.30


Smudge Brush:

Made from hair (non-vegan), this picks up powder beautifully, and it is probably near the top of my list of all-time favourite brushes (of all time). It's perfect for creating smokey eyed looks, and it is very handy for - as the name implies - smudging creamy eyeliners to create a softer effect.  You can, as I frequently do, also use it as an eyeliner brush, where it's practically foolproof for even the most cack-handed of us to use.  Simply dip it in the powder eyeshadow of your choice and then dot'n'dab around the base of your lashes.  Cost £10.25


Waterbrush:

If you already own one of Daniel's Watercolour Blushes (and if not, why not?) then you'll most likely already own one of these synthetic-haired beauties too.  They're ideal for applying liquid products, as they aren't as absorbent as natural-haired brushes, and that will allow you a little more time to blend your product.  A top tip from Daniel is actually to apply a tiny dot of moisturiser to the back of your hand then run the bristles of this brush through it before adding a drop of the water colour blush to the bristles and this will also allow you a little more time to blend the products.  I do this when I use this brush, and it really works!  You must, of course, ensure you wash the brush thoroughly after doing this technique though.

The synthetic bristles of this brush also allow for a practically flawless application of any cream blushers too.  It cleans up a treat as well, with no shedding or dye loss.  Cost: £15.35


Base:

I'll be honest, I don't use a brush to apply my base very often (I prefer to use my fingers), but this is a good example of a base brush, as it's very thick, and this means you have more bristles to spread your foundation or tinted moisturiser with.  I do prefer it to the similar brush I have from MAC, as it has a thicker bed of bristles.  If you like a flat base brush, you could do worse than this one.  Cost: £20.45 

Bronzer/Blush brush:

This is a lovely soft and dense synthetic-haired brush, which makes applying powder a breeze.  The bristles pick up about the right amount of product (you may need to tap off any excess if you're using a loose powder) to swish over your face.  The bristles are flexible enough to cope with harder pressed powders too - although it was defeated by a Top Shop bronzing blush the other day, but I won't hold that against it!  At a cost of £25.55, it's more than comparable with the MAC powder brush which is a lot more expensive, and that one is long-handled, so I was always going to prefer this one.

So there you have it, a small selection of Daniel Sandler brushes.  You can tell a fair amount of thought has gone into the creation of this range (the shorter handles, the variety of materials to suit the task, etc), and they're really nice to use.

Who makes your favourite brushes?

The Fine Print: The brushes were a gift, which doesn't affect my opinion.  As always links are for informational purposes only, I get no financial recompense for reviews.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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Sunday, 10 April 2011

Andy Tauer's Carillon Pour Un Ange Giveaway Winner

Going by the scientific method of asking MrLippie to pick a number between 1 and 25, the winner of my giveaway this time around is ....


BIG FASHIONISTA!

Drop me an email with your address, bugalugs, and we'll get the bottle in the post to you!  Well done Kellie, and thank you very much to everyone who entered.



This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.
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