I want to: Smell Like a Hug ...

 For all that I love my avant garde niche perfumes (and I do), there are days when all you want to do is smell loveable, the olfactory equivalent of a quick snuggle on the sofa.  For those days, all you need is musk, for musk is the scent of skin and so these are the products I pick:

I'm a big fan of layering my scents, so I start with:

Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel

A softer scent in the shower gel form, than the rather sharp scent you get in the eau de toilette form, this is a gentle, almost flowery form of musk that is, in it's slightly laundry-soap kind of way, rather loveable in itself.  I have a hard time keeping my bottle away from MrLippie.

Khiel's Original Musk Body Lotion

Not all hugs are innocent, are they?  So I follow Amazing Grace with a light slathering of Kiehl's Original Musk Body Lotion, for that little hint of naughtiness under the light and bright musk scents I'll be following this up with. I can't speak for the formula's moisturising properties, as I don't use body lotion as a rule, it's generally something I only use for layering scents with.  That said, this is a nice formula, and I used it for scenting my skin on my wedding day (layered underneath L'Artisan Perfumer's Safran Troublant).

Body Shop White Musk Perfume Oil

Most definitely not the spray eau de toilette!  I find myself using this as an anchor to many floral fragrances, and occasionally as a perfume in it's own right.  It moisturises the skin somewhat, and allows your fragrance "proper" to have something to grip to, moisturised skin holds fragrance better.  In it's own right, this is soft, powdery and rather delicious, and it helps give a sensual base-note to whatever you apply afterward.

Which is (in this case):

 Serge Lutens Clair de Musc

 A bit of an overlooked fragrance from the Serge Lutens line, this sweet, fragrant hug-in-a-bottle reminds me of childhood cuddles from my female relatives.  It's not ground-breaking, it's soft and gentle and rather lovely.  Longevity isn't the greatest, which is why I like to layer it.  This was this close >.< to being my wedding fragrance ...

The Fine Print: Mixture of samples, purchases and gifts.
 
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Beauty Blogger Problems ...

1)  Not having a laptop for three weeks will severely curtail your ability to post regularly.

2) Getting a new laptop with a vastly different keyboard layout will severely curtail your ability to write cheeo  ochersn coheerentlee proper.  Innit.

3) Forgetting where your camera cable is will severely curtail your ability to post photos.

4) Standing on samples kept in your jeans pocket will make your bedroom look like an episode of Dexter:

Found my cable.  It was where is usually is.  I am an idiot.

 Still, Lanolips Apples was (is?) such a lovely colour!  

5) Coming to the end of a six month spending ban is surprisingly stressful - WHERE DO I START OFF BUYING ALL THE THINGS AGAIN????

6) Use of the phrase "chemical free" in a press release is still fricking infuriating. It induces rage. Oh, and I will never feature a product if a PR suggests that I am "jumping on a bandwagon" for picking up on the fact that it's a nonsensical phrase.


7)  I'm getting tired of being asked to write articles for brands so that I can potentially "win" products to try.  Why do companies do this?  I don't mind not getting samples, but I don't want to spam my own blog with articles about products that I've not tried just on the off-chance that I'll win something.  What do readers think about these kind of articles?

8) Ditto "guest posts" from brands and or SEO agencies.  I don't read 95% of the press releases I'm sent (even the ones for the products I do feature!), so I'm not going to use the blog as a place for you to publish them!  How do readers feel about pre-written features from brands, rather than written by myself?

8a) Let's not even discuss that both of the above are attempts to boost a brand's SEO at the expense of my own, shall we? It's a con, and I'm not interested, I'm afraid.

9) Feeling guilty that I've just whined about getting emails at all. Sorry!

10)  Trying co-washing was a big mistake. Dear hair, I'm very sorry.

Now, what have I missed, and, does anyone know how to get bright red lanolin stains out of carpet? 

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Lippie's Lust List #4 - Elemis Luxury Cleansing Cloths

I fupping love these.  And yes, I'm aware a facial cloth is an odd thing to have on a "lust list", but bear with me.  At a fiver each, they're not massively cheap, but they're huge, and soft, and give a wonderful cleansing experience.

Somewhat thinner (but not by much) than a regular face cloth, and much bigger in size than my Washi cloths, these really are the most luxurious cleansing cloth on the market right now.  I like them so much, after trying the one that came with my sample of the Elemis Collagen Cleansing Balm, I immediately rushed out and bought eight more, so I would never be without one!  Increasingly, I find muslins too scratchy for my elderly and sensitive face, and these are a perfect replacement.

Yes, I went out and bought face cloths in bulk.  You may think that's sad, but my face is happy!

You can get them from Time to Spa at £10 per pack of two.  

The Fine Print: Purchases, after an initial PR sample.

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Aurelia Miracle Cleanser Review

I'm a firm believer (rightly or wrongly)  that if you get your cleansing routine correct for your skin, then it doesn't really matter what moisturiser you chuck onto your face afterwards, you can use olive oil, or lard, or whatever, and it will be fine.  

I can, of course, only base this on my own personal experience, but I spent years labouring under the misapprehension that I had extremely dry, yet very acne-prone skin. It turns out that the foaming cleansers I was addicted to - which gave me that "squeaky-clean" feeling I thought was correct - were very much to blame for my red, scaly and spotty complexion, and I discovered the cure when I was given a cream cleanser and a hot cloth to try, which helped clear my spots up in a couple of weeks.  Then, when I discovered oily cleansers, I dropped foaming and cream cleansers for good! It turns out that your face shouldn't feel "tight" or "squeaky clean" after cleansing because this means your skin is being stripped of vital oils, and oil-cleansing helps keep your skin in balance.  Certainly, since I swapped to oil-cleansing exclusively, I've not been plagued with acne since, and I get maybe three or four zits a year, instead of that many a week. Nowadays my major problem is ageing alongside redness and sensitivity, which I suspect was caused by my decades of using the foaming equivalent of paint-strippers on my face.

Well ... I say I dropped cream cleansers for good, but a couple have sneaked back into my rotation recently, this one: Aurelia Miracle Cleanser, and another from Elemental Herbology which I'll tell you about next week. Aurelia is a new British brand, which promises that all their products are: "free from synthetic fragrances, parabens, mineral oils, silicones, sulphates, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, PEGs, TEA, DEA and are never tested on animals" All of which is a good thing as far as this beauty-blogger is concerned, frankly.  Their "miracle" cleanser is a light, almost whipped cream consistency, rather strongly  aromatic with eucalyptus and rosemary, but also contains chamomile and bergamot, and is packed with probiotics and peptides besides.

I can find some products which are packed with too many essential oils an irritation, leading to reddened under-the-skin spots, and occasionally they can over-stimulate my skin as well, causing a itchy "tight" sensation, so I approached this product with care after sniffing it. I needn't have worried.  I find this exceptionally calming and soothing on my skin, leaving it feeling soft and supple and - most importantly - less pink after I've used it.  I don't really use it for makeup removal, I find the scent a little too much for night-time use, so stick to balms or oils for makeup removal, and use this for a lighter, more refreshing cleanse in the am.  I apply it to dry skin, massage for a minute or so, then remove with a dampened bamboo cloth which is included in the pack.  I really like it, and my skin does too.

The full ingredients list is:

Aqua (purified water), Dicapryly carbonate (coconut-derived cleanser & emollient), Cetearyl alcohol (vegetable based thickener), Glycerin (vegetable glycerine), Cocoglycerides (emollient from coconut oil), Butyrospermum parkii (shea butter), Glyceryl stearate (natural glycerides & thickener), Cetearyl glucoside (corn sugar emulsifier), Rhus verniciflua peel wax (berry wax), Theobroma cacoa (cocoa butter), Kigelia Africana fruit extract (Botanical Kigelia Africana ), Hibiscus sabdariffa flower extract (Hibiscus flower), Adansonia digitata fruit extract (Botanical Baobab),Lactose (probiotic bifidoculture milk extract), Lactis proteinum – (probiotic protein), Bifida ferment lysate (probiotic culture), Schinziophyton Rautanenii kernel oil (Botanical Ubuntu Mongongo oil), Panthenol ( Pro-vitamin B5), Sodium ascorbyl phosphate (Vitamin C), Rosmarinus officinalis leaf oil (Rosemary essential oil), Citrus aurantium bergamia peel oil (Bergamot essential oil), Anthemis nobilis oil (Chamomile essential oil), Eucalyptus globulus leaf oil (Eucalyptus essential oil), Xanthan gum (natural based stabilizer), Sodium stearoyl glutamate (naturally derived emulsifier), Tocopheryl acetate (Vitamin E), Benzyl alcohol (preservative), Dehydroacetic acid (preservative), Citric acid (fruit derived pH regulator), Limonene*, Linalool* 

 I think, for the ingredients, and for the thought that's gone into these products, Aurelia is offering quite a reasonable price-point, to be honest.  This cleanser costs £34 for 125g, and I've already purchased a full-size Cell Repair Night Oil to go alongside, after trialling a mini-bottle of it that arrived with my cleanser sample.  I'll most likely give the moisturiser a go after I've finished up my last jar of Kate Somerville Goat Cream ...

The Fine Print: PR Sample.
 
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Max Factor Giant Pen Sticks Launch Monday!

 

*This post contains sponsored content* 
 
So, the day is finally almost here, and I thought I'd save my favourites of the new Max Factor Colour Elixir Giant Pen Sticks till last, so here they are; Designer Blossom and Passionate Red:

As in the previous pairings, there's one sheerer (Designer Blossom) and one more opaque shade, in this case, Passionate Red.

Now, whilst Designer Blossom is rather sheerer, it isn't lacking in pigment, and can be blotted down into a rather nice stain, which is my preferred way to use it. Passionate Red is a deeper, more dramatic shade, with hints of golden shimmer.  On the lips:

As you can probably see, Designer Blossom has more of a glossy sheen, whereas Passionate Red is more of a satin, last time for both is about average, you'll need to reapply to get a glossy effect, but Designer Blossom has more of a staining effect on the lips than Passionate Red, so there's very little "red ring of doom" effect in wear.

Overall, I've been quite impressed with the Giant Pen stick collection, they're unflavoured big lip pencils (the name is a bit misleading, I think - they're not "giant", and they're definitely not pens!), in a nice range of colours for both the colour-shy, and the fans of vibrant shades.  And, at £6.99 each, you can afford to buy (more or less) the entire range for the cost of one shade from Tom Ford.  Well, if you don't buy yourself a sharpener at the same time, you can, anyway!  Here's a last look at all the shades together, both on the lips and not:

Sheer shades at the top, opaque shades at the bottom.  My picks are very definitely both of the reds, with Vibrant Pink and Subtle Coral edging their way in too.  Whilst I wouldn't wear Princess Pink outside the house if you paid me a million dollars, it's a brave shade for a collection from Max Factor who aren't particularly known to be that edgy, and I know a lot of people will love it

Which are your picks?  There's a 3-4-2 offer on at Boots right now, btw ....

The Fine Print: Advertorial post: Max Factor paid for the space on the blog, but not the opinions held within.
 
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Shay & Blue: Atropa Belladonna Review

I do get a bit excited when I hear about a new perfume brand, and I get super-excited when I realise that it's an affordable brand, albeit one with aspirations.  Niche perfumes are (in the main) lovely and amazing and wonderful, but I am aware that if I wasn't a beauty blogger, very many of them would be beyond  my reach from a financial point of view.  

Describing themselves as a "boutique perfumery", the creators of Shay & Blue; Dom De Vetta and Julie Masse, boast a wealth of perfume experience between them. Indeed, Dom has worked for Chanel and Jo Malone, and Julie has trained as a perfumer with (amongst others) Christine Nagel.  Shay & Blue are trying to handcraft fragrances, and bring a new experience to perfume-buying that can't be replicated by the mass-marketers of fragrances.

With a new collection of six fragrances, (Atropa Belladonna, Blood Oranges, Amber Rose, Sicilian Limes, Suffolk Lavender, plus Almond Cucumber) I had a hard time selecting what I wanted to try, my heart was torn between Almond Cucumber, Blood Oranges and Atropa Belladonna, but I eventually settled on Atropa Belladonna, as I was drawn in by the description of:

"... Atropa Belladonna, inspired by deadly nightshade, with the richly decadent scent of dark cassis berries blended with the heady white flower blooms of narcissus and jasmine, on a base of rich bourbon vanilla. Daringly different, chic, mesmerising ... "

Further reading about the notes yields:

Top: Mesmerizing berries and cassis liqueur.

Heart: Blooms of white narcissus and Grasse jasmine.

Base:  Patchouli, sandalwood, rich bourbon vanilla.

The top notes are a very intriguing flash of blackberries and blackcurrants, with an oddly savoury undertone.  Whilst fruity, the fragrance isn't sweet at all, which is something I very much appreciate.  In fact, the opening reminds me, very much, of the recent Jo Malone release of Blackberry and Bay, which has a similar blast of non-sweet fruit, and both of these openings are very much to my taste.

On further wearing, I don't really get much in the way of jasmine, but there is a lingering hint of soapiness, which I attribute to the fact that very many berry leaves do smell a little soapy, it's a bit waxy, and feels fat with the promise of sandalwood to come. Sandalwood always smells a little "fatty" to me, for some reason, I don't really understand why. The dry down is a little sweeter once the vanilla shows up, but it's not a custard-y kind of vanilla, it's a bit dark and rather creamy, with hints of wood.  It's a very nice scent!

I think for the price-point (£30 for 30mls, £55 for 100mls, and £35 for candles), Shay & Blue offer an intriguing collection of fragrances - I've heard great things about their Almond & Cucumber, which I'm dying to try - and I think this is great, tightly edited collection of items, there are no body products, no makeup, no home furnishings etc to dilute the ranges with. They offer beautiful packaging - reminscent of Jo Malone, but in a rather fetching blue, and as such Shay & Blue is definitely a brand to keep an eye on.

Available at Harvey Nichols; www.harveynichols.com and Shay & Blue on 0845 548 0113.

  
The Fine Print: PR Sample.

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Max Factor Giant Pen Sticks Launch April First!

*This post contains sponsored content*

In my post before last, I mentioned that Max Factor were launching their Giant Pen Sticks, and I gave you a little preview of two of the shades; Vibrant Pink and Hot Chocolate.  I'm back this week to show you two more, namely Princess Pink and Subtle Coral. 

First a reminder of all the shades:

I spoke to Caroline Barnes recently, who was very excited about the range of shades, commenting on how it was an "extremely 'fashion-forward' collection for Max Factor", and how the range of shades, as selected by Mel Arter was suitable for a range of skin-tones and looks.  

With that in mind, here's a closer looks at what might be the single-most "fashion-forward" shade: Princess Pink, alongside what is probably the easiest shade of the collection to wear, Subtle Coral:

  
Subtle Coral is a sheer pink-coral, and Princess Pink is an milky, almost fluoro pink, with an extremely white base.  A little too bright to be a proper pastel, it's saturated, and comes complete with a blue micro-shimmer.  Here's how they look on skin:

And here's a blurry close-up that hopefully shows off that shimmer better:

And on the lips:

Same day, same lighting, same position - look what happens to my skin!

As you can see, Subtle Coral gives just a whisper of sheeny colour to the lips, whereas Princess Pink is more opaque, and you can blot it down to a stain.

In fact, Princess Pink is a bit too "fashion-forward" for this particular beauty blogger, I tried to take a picture of my full face wearing it, but ended up having to filter the heck out of it (oh, and I got photobombed too) to stop me looking dead:

Seriously, you should have seen the "before" pic ...

 

That said, Princess Pink is a colour a lot of people are going to love, in particular those with a much deeper skintone than me ... Subtle Coral, however whilst not nearly as "fun" to wear, is a useful neutral addition to a lipstick wardrobe, and it's one I've had a lot of wear out of already ...

Later this week, I'll show you what I think are the two stars of the collection, Designer Blossom, and Passionate Red.  Yes, I've saved the best (the reds - I'm ever a sucker for a red) till last - and there are no scary pictures of me and MrLippie for you, either ...  Max Factor Giant Pen Sticks will be available in Boots from 1st April.  Will you be picking any up?

The Fine Print: This is a sponsored post.  Get Lippie's editorial policy is only to accept sponsorship from products which would have featured whether or not sponsorship was on offer.  This product passed that test.  
 
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