Alpha H Instant Facial

This is a rather elderly bottle of Alpha H Instant Facial.  It's nearly empty, but I love it very much, and I shall be sad when it is gone.

Alpha H are the queens of glycolic acid, and their Liquid Gold product is - rightly - a cult, but I find it is a little too stimulating for my skin, so I don't use it very often these days.  Instant Facial is a lighter acidic spray designed to be used throughout the day for an immediate pick-me-up effect.

Personally, I prefer to use this as part of my cleansing routine as the acidic toner part of my routine, I spray a little onto a cotton wool pad and sweep over freshly cleansed skin, and then immediately follow with Serozinc and serum/oil, then moisturiser.  It gives me a light exfoliation effect, which is particularly noticeable if I've been neglecting my skin for a couple of days, and it does this without irritation, or too much tingling.

I find it an excellent addition to my collection of acidic toners, it is a little on the pricey side compared to Clarins exfoliating toner (less than £20), at £37 from Cult Beauty, but compared to my beloved Zelens PHA pads at £65, it's more of a bargain, I happily rotate Instant Facial with both of those.  Because of the spray, you use a fixed amount per use, and this product lasts and lasts and lasts, as you can probably tell from the scruffy state of my six-months+ old bottle.

What are your old but beloved products?

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Josh Wood Blending Wand - Dark Brown

It's hard work being a brunette sometimes.  Well, if you're a brunette over the age of 35 or so, it is, anyway.  Yes, I'm talking about greying.  I have been going grey since I was 18, actually, and it has ever been a pain in the backside.  I'm incredibly lucky in that my hair colourist (Jack Howard, currently at Paul Edmonds) is a genius, but he's an incredibly busy one, and I don't get to see him as often as I'd like these days, so, in between visits I have to cover up my roots myself.  It's fun!*

I've written before about Colour Wow, which takes literally seconds to use, and I really like it, but I do also use the Josh Wood Blending Wand in dark brown for when I need a slightly longer-term solution.  The blending wands contain a weak hair dye which actually works as a stain on the white hair, and this blends your greys in almost seamlessly

To use, you "paint" your white roots with the applicator after shampooing (whilst your hair is still wet) then dry and style as usual, there's no need to rinse, or mess about with different processes, you literally paint it on and dry your hair.  I find the brush is a little fiddly, and prone to falling off in my thick and wiry hair, but in those circumstances, I tend to just apply direct from the bottle and rub it into the roots with my fingertips.  You will need to wash your hands pretty thoroughly afterwards though!

Ostensibly, the stain will last through a wash or two, as it is NOT a permanent dye,  but I have found that it will fade hugely after the first wash, needing a second application, but I've never tried to use it more than three shampoos in a row. However, I do have to admit that it did leave me with PINK roots after the first wash the first time I used it, but I rather liked the effect actually ... your mileage might vary though!  My roots haven't been pink since, but the fading effect is intense.

I've used this once or twice a month for the last six months or so, and there is still plenty left in the tube, so for £12.50 this is a bit of a bargain, albeit one that comes with considerable caveats.  You can find Josh Wood Blending Wands in the beauty sections of larger Marks & Spencer stores.

How big a problem are roots for you?

*For a given value of "fun", admittedly

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Spring Fragrances with Elie Saab, Diptyque and DKNY

If you've been following my travails over on The Parosmia Diaries, then you'll know this post is a bit of a breakthrough - perfume reviews have necessarily been thin on the ground for Get Lippie over the last twelve months, but I think I have finally recovered enough of my sense of smell to offer at least a brief overview of some lovely fragrances that have crossed my radar over the last month or two.  So, as we swing into spring (at last!) here's my pick of the best warm fragrances to celebrate the passing of winter:

Elie Saab Resort Collection:

I love orange blossom, and orange blossom is the signature note of the entire Elie Saab range, which is an incredibly lovely, sheer and diaphanous range in the main.  Resort Collection, as well as being housed in one of the loveliest bottles this beauty blogger has in her entire collection, is a gloriously blossom-y scent, replete with fig, jasmine and frangipani.  To my nose it smells like sunbathing whilst wearing expensive suncream under orange trees in the spring.  Very lovely indeed.

Diptyque Florabellio

A powdery apple-blossom floral, with an intriguingly salty top note, and a slightly dark dry-down, this EDT is fresh without being too bright, soft and gentle and overall rather cheerful to wear.  It's a little more ladylike than I would normally wear - in fact, if this had been released this month instead of waiting till May to be on shelves, I'd have suggested it would be a fabulous Mothers Day present - it's delightful.

DKNY Delicious Delights

And speaking of delightful, DKNY have brought out their Delicious Delights range, which is a limited edition extension of the apple-themed Be Delicious range.  There are three scents, Cool Swirl, Dreamsicle, and Fruity Rooty.

All are fun, fruity and fresh.  Cool Swirl (green) has blueberry, violet leaf and coconut, Dreamsicle (orange - my favourite) has elements of orange, mandarin and raspberry, and Fruity Rooty (pink) has blackberry with hints of rose.  They are rather on the sweet side, which my new nose seems to appreciate, but they are also flirty and nice to wear.

So, there you go, not as in-depth as usual, but I'm hoping my nose will continue to improve so my reviews can too!  Happy Spring, peeps!


The Fine Print: PR Samples

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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An introduction to Tweezerman

Think of Tweezerman, and you think of tweezers.  Well, I do.  Just tweezers.  Well, it's sort of in the name really, isn't it?  You can imagine my delight, however, when Tweezerman recently sent me a parcel containing all kinds of goodies, and I was surprised, not to mention delighted, at just how extensive their range goes.  Basically, anything you need for your eyebrows and nails. Tweezerman has probably got it covered ...

 Fingernail and toenail clippers - I did actually knew they did these, but thought they were too expensive, but I simply hadn't realised how much better they are than the £1.50 jobbies I routinely buy and then immediately blunt with the toenails of doom, so suffice it to say, no more own-brand clippers in the Lippie Household for a while -  cuticle pushers and colourful nail-files galore.  I have to say that I am terrified of the gorgeously designed purple springy cuticle clippers though!  Being a bit of a cack-handed muppet, I fear possibly cutting a finger off ... Oh there's a blending/glossing block in the range too, which (being a muppet), I was too stupid to photograph ...

 But eyebrows and, to a lesser extent, eyelashes are Tweezerman's raison d'etre, and it shows.  From rose-gold plated eyelash curlers, to the classic slanted and pointed tweezers (of which I already own several pairs of each in various sizes, there isn't a makeup bag in my house without a pair of tweezermans in there, frankly), there are also eyelash combs and spoolies (which is the mascara-brush thingy up there).

But the best discovery for me, without doubt, has been the eyebrow scissors.  I had no idea you could buy these, and I've long known that the best part of any professional eyebrow shape has been the trimming of my long - my eyebrows grow long and thick and luxuriant - LONG eyebrow hairs.  Have you ever tried trimming your eyebrows with nail scissors?  I have.  Please don't be like me - it does not work!   I am rubbish at plucking my own eyebrows, depending on professionals for shaping, but still needing maintenance at home, I've found that by simply trimming the longest offenders I can look groomed in seconds without plucking at all.

Any surprising discoveries for you, here? You can buy any and all of these items from BeautyBay, who have an extensive collection of Tweezerman products, including a couple not shown here ....

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

Long-time readers will know I don't always see eye-to-eye with gel-based products, usually finding them a little too harsh (many gels have an alcohol base, which my skin doesn't always appreciate.  Gin, on the other hand ...) for my stupidly sensitive and extremely prone to redness skin.  So I approached Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel very warily.

I needn't have worried, for this is a delight, not actually being a "gel" in the traditional sense at all, more like a soft oil-based balm.  It is deliciously scented with rose in a way that even my poor, tortured nose can detect, which I really like. However, Oskia products always smell delightful, I recall being happily surprised by the scent of their Micro-Exfoliant balm (sherbet lemons!) the first time I used it.   In this way, Renaissance Cleansing gel does not disappoint.

The peachy pink "gel" softens into an oil texture when massaged over dry skin, it provides great slip,  and is good for a quick massage.  It's quite a light-textured oil, and slightly sticky in use, however,  when warm water is introduced it emulsifies into a light milk, and that makes it very easy to remove from the skin with a cloth, or it is easily rinseable through splashing, if that is what you prefer.  I don't use this for makeup removal, preferring Renaissance as a morning cleanse, but I think you'd need a separate eye makeup remover with this one.

Oskia contains MSM, a sulphur-containing compound which helps with skin healing, and the cleanser further contains pumpkin AHAs, and vitamins b2, A, C, & E, alongside Starflower oil, so leaving the gel on your skin for a few minutes before rinsing will allegedly give a brightening effect, I've not tried this, as I habitually am running short on time in the mornings, but the ingredients are nourishing and good for a mild exfoliating effect, even though they will only be on your face a short time.

I'll be investigating more from Oskia, this I can tell ...

The Fine Print: A CEW Product Demonstration evening sample.

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Vichy Liftactiv Supreme & Liftactiv Serum 10

  
Regular readers will know that I don't really shop for my skincare in the likes of Boots or Superdrug as a rule. Being a bit of a skincare snob means SpaceNK and Selfridges are more my jam, and I'll buy my more mainstream skincare requirements from the likes of Debenhams before I hit the high street proper.

That said, I do love me a bit of French skincare, and my flat is bursting at the seams with my backups of La Roche Posay Serozinc, Avene redness care products for flareups, and there's even a bottle of Bioderma around here somewhere too.  So, when Vichy sent me press release promising skin that is as hydrated at the end of the day as it is when you apply the cream initially, I happily asked for a jar of Liftactiv Supreme to try, and, being the lovely people they are, they also threw in a bottle of their Serum 10 for eyes too.  I've noticed a lot over the last few years that I look more dehydrated in the afternoons/early evenings, when dehydration lines tend to settle (in particular around the eyes) and are really noticable, and it all just makes you look tired. So a cream that combats that?  Include me in!

The Liftactiv Supreme cream feels amazing on the skin, it sinks in quickly, and isn't greasy, leaving a gorgeously velvety base for makeup, I've enjoyed using it a great deal.  The Serum 10 is a light and silky lotion that again sinks in very easily, and I've found that it really does help with hydration, and most importantly - me having incredibly sensitive eyes - doesn't sting.

 So, does it help hydrate throughout the day?  According to the press release, you could look up to (and I quote) "four months younger" at the end of the day.  Accordingly, after nearly a month of usage I asked my workmates how much younger I looked now than I did when I started the experiment, showing them pictures of myself from last November for comparison.  Hands down, every single person I asked called me a pillock for even asking, and demanded that I have a word with myself.  I think I can take that as a no ...

Anyhoo, my foray into the less than £30 skincare bracket has been a success, even disregarding my workmates less than stellar reaction to my before and afters.  I think the Liftactiv Supreme cream is idea for oiler-skinned older ladies, having a slight mattifying effect on skin.  I'm not sure I'd rebuy the moisturiser, I genuinely think some of my more expensive creams are better for my requirements, but the eye serum is definitely going to be staple in my arsenal from now on, it's fabulous.

What are your French skincare favourites?
 
The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Anosmia Awareness Day: 27th February 2015

This Friday, 27th February is Anosmia Awareness Day.  Ordinarily, this is a date that would probably have passed without too much comment at Lippie Mansions, but this year is different. Very different.  

Most people think not being able to smell is just a little thing, but please let me tell you that it is not.

When I lost my sense of smell last year, I had literally no idea just how devastating a condition it would be, and just how much my life would be changed as a result of the cold that caused my olfactory nerve to die.  I've had to give up reviewing perfumes, and beauty blogging has had to take a bit of a back seat to learning to deal with my condition. There are so many things I can't eat, there are activities I simply can't do, for example, I can't go to a coffee shop, I can't stand near someone who has been smoking.  I've had to avoid eating out. I can't drink wine, I can't just go to a sandwich shop and pick something up for lunch.  Even brushing my teeth makes me puke! I can't tell when my oven is on fire - and this has happened recently.  I can't tell when food is spoiled.  Worst of all, for me, I can never predict the things I'll have a reaction to, which means I've lost control over my life, and it has been an incredibly difficult 12 months as a result.

On top of anosmia and its attendant conditions parosmia and phantosmia, I've also suffered from a crippling depression, and no little amount of social anxiety as a direct result of losing my sense of smell.  I never expected this to affect me so badly, and to say it has been difficult to deal with would be a mild understatement. Without the help of my family, my friends, and especially Fifth Sense, I'm not sure how life would be right now.  There was a point last year where I didn't really know if I could cope for much longer, as there simply didn't appear to be an end in sight, and my medical diagnosis was, basically, "wait it out, you'll laugh about this one day".  I'm still not laughing, and I'm not sure when I will.

I have been exceptionally lucky in that my doctors have taken me seriously, and I've been fairly informed in my own right about the condition because, as a perfume writer, research about olfaction has always been of interest to me. I'm now getting the medical help I need, but Fifth Sense have helped me in many ways that my doctors couldn't.  There was a conference for fellow anosmics and parosmics like myself last November, which helped me when I was very much at my lowest ebb, and I can now pinpoint this event as the date where I was able to start turning my life around.  

Life is getting better these days, but I still have a way to go, and I will need more support from my friends, my family, my medical team, and yes, Fifth Sense, which is why we're trying to make this year's Anosmia Awareness Day the best ever, because not everyone who suffers as I have has been lucky enough to have the support system I've been able to create.

This year, Fifth Sense are trying to raise funds to help others who are in a similar situation to myself.  There is very little research being done to either look at the causes of anosmia, or into cures for anosmia, or even into gadgets to help anosmics get by in every day life.  If you have a penny or two - every little helps, no matter how little - to spare, then, please, consider donating to Fifth Sense this week.  If not for me, then in the hope that you never catch a cold that turns your life inside out too.

In addition, all this week, Fifth Sense are asking you to tweet the smell you think you'd miss most if you lost your sense of smell, by using the #LongLostSmell hashtag, please get involved!  I shared  mine on the Fifth Sense Facebook page last week, but there have been some amazing tweets on the subject, and I've loved reading them - and occasionally weeping over them - over the last few days.

I'll also be featured in the Guardian this weekend talking about my experiences of anosmia and parosmia, so please keep an eye out for that, oh, and I'm working with Basenotes on something rather amusing too - I'll keep you posted!

This post has been crossposted between here and the Parosmia Diaries.

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more. 


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