Creative Heads Most Wanted Awards 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Creative Head magazine and invited to be a judge of one of their "Most Wanted" awards. It's a massive honour (other judges this year include both John Frieda and Andrew Collinge, amongst a load more respected people both from inside and outside the industry, sadly, I don't have a full list to hand), and it's an offer I was delighted to accept. Can't help thinking that Creative Head haven't heard about my insane hair though, otherwise they may have thought twice about the invite ...

I spent some of yesterday at the Wella Professionals World Studio in London, and, after a couple of hours alongside my fellow judges discussing our category (Best Online Salon) we had to come to what was a very tough - for me - decision.  All the entrants on our list had some great points, and it was excellent to see so many of them making use of Facebook and Twitter (which most of you already know I'm a massive fan of), so it was hard to decide who should win! I had my own set of criteria, which may have been a little different to the other judges, but it was nice to see where our thoughts were all on the same page, and that we had had some identical reactions to some of the entries!  Some spirited debate took place, I can tell you!

We did all eventually make our decisions, but obviously I can't reveal any details as yet! I'm looking forward to the awards ceremony in September though, and getting to know who wins all the other categories, some of the entries looked amazing, I'm sure the ceremony will be tonnes of fun. One thing I won't enjoy (the less said about Jimmy Carr being the host, the better as far as I'm concerned) seeing will be my VT - yes, I was filmed giving my opinions on hair again, I'm afraid! It keeps happening by accident, GHD made me talk to Fashion TV a few months ago ... I hate seeing myself on camera, I sound (to myself) like an idiot and I spend the whole time I'm watching just counting my flaws.  That reminds me, my eyebrows need doing ...

So, just out of interest, what do you guys look for in a hairdresser's website?  Do you even look for hairdressers online? What's important, and what would make you decide never to darken their doorstep?

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 ...