Finishing Touches (#LipsNspritz) of the Week 2nd May 2016

 Bright reds and dark berries, plus one glorious pink this week, alongside some classic fragrances too. Top left were the gorgeous white flowers of Narciso  For Her, which is a fragrance I love a great deal, and could even smell it slightly through my parosmia last year, which always grants a special place in my heart for a fragrance. I wore this on Friday with Mac Hot Tahiti, a soft and gentle red.  

Middle Left: I'd also worn Narciso Rodriguez Musc For Her this week, which is a powdery musk, somewhat clean-smelling (reminiscent, slightly, of laundry musks), but the oil format keeps it close to the skin.  I wore this with the most emailed about lipstick ever featured on this blog, Rouge Baiser 306, which I picked up in Paris a few years ago.  (Incidentally, I'm not a stockist or supplier of these lipsticks - which are only available in France - so, please, stop asking me to get them for you!)

Bottom Left: I wore Mugler Cologne, which features a little creaminess in amongst the usual neroli and bitter orange that you get in a classic cologne, making this just a little more interesting than the usual plain citrus blast you might get with a sharper cologne.  I wore this with It Cosmetics Vitality Lipstick Stain in Pretty Woman, which is a sheer deep berry.  I'll have a lot more to say about It Cosmetics products later on this week.

Bottom right is Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Stylo in 208 Roman, which is a beautiful bright pink.  I've not bought anything from Chanel in AGES, and it's hard to get across in this picture just how bright, beautiful and juicy these shades are in the flesh.  I'll be picking up some more for sure. I wore it with Chanel Exclusifs Sycomore, which is a fabulous smoky vetiver that I should really pick up a proper bottle of at some point.

And finally (top right) Reiss Grey Flower.  Still one of the most unusual and haunting fragrances you could buy on the high street for less than £50, it's filled with guaic wood, which has an oddly fleshy kind of effect (smelled neat, its a bit like parma ham), and this doesn't smell flowery, either.  It's hard to say what it smells like (apart from good, interesting, unusual), but it's definitely worth a sniff if you can find a bottle.  I paired it up with YSL Rouge Volupte No4, a bright and beautiful sheer red.  Not my favourite of formulas - I find it too slippery - but a gorgeous shade.

What have your favourite finishing touches been recently?

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Skincare of the week 2nd May 2016

I'm trialling a couple of new bits and pieces at the moment, mostly from Zelens.  The new pieces I've added to my routine are the Zelens Power D Treatment Drops, which I've been adding to my serums this week for a lovely antioxidant boost, and I've been using them alongside the Zelens Hydra Shiso Balancing Moisturiser too.  Loving the treatment drops, but I really need to re-try the moisturiser - I had a touch of sensitivity towards the end of the week (which I think was related to a rather silicone-heavy cosmetic product I'd been using), so I'll be gradually re-introducing the skincare back to my routine over the next week or so.  I was also introduced to Erborian Eau Ginseng toner this week, which is a lovely moisturising step in my routine.  I'm really enjoying using splash toners at the moment, they're a bit less shocking than sprays, first thing in the morning!   Plus, you can really feel the difference in what they do to your skin, as you apply.  (I also have plans to use this as an occasional eye mask, I've been doing a lot of squinting at a computer recently, and the dehydration lines I've been suffering with as a result are no joke, believe me!).

What's new in your routine these days? 

The Fine Print: A mixture of PR samples and purchases


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Skincare of the Week 17 April 2016

I'm still playing "Eenie, meenie, minie, mo" with my skincare at the moment, luckily, it's all tried and tested stuff that I know works with my skin, so there's been no irritation, in spite of my background level of stress still being on the high side (year end will do that to you).  Mostly this week, I've been welcoming back Kate Somerville Goat Cream - and attempting to buy the new Goat Cream Cleanser and Eye Balm from Sephora with NO LUCK whatsoever.   I love Goat Cream, it doesn't matter what state my skin is in, or what state my life is in, Goat Cream always soothes and leaves me looking (slightly) more human.  It's a little too heavy for wear in the warmest of weather though, so I'll be making the most of it for a week or too more, then hoping to find a suitable moisturiser for the summer months.

Mostly, I'm hoping to get back into a proper skincare - and blogging! - routine soon, at the moment, I'm suffering because I don't have a space to take photos just yet, and ... I haven't finished unpacking!

How's your week been? 

The Fine Print: PR samples and purchases


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LipsNspritz of the Week 10/04/2016

I have been parted from my favourite lipsticks for far too long* now, and have spent this week doing a random kind of "lucky dip" with my pot of "second favourite" lipsticks, which I keep stored in a lego storage case as compensation.  Truly, I am one of the coolest people on earth, let's face it.  I love my lego-head storage though ...

Monday morning after a full house move meant I wanted to wear something light and fun, not in the slightest bit serious, but still lovely, and Ananas Fizz from L'Artisan Perfumer fit the brief perfectly, as it smells of pineapple chunks in their juice.  Fizzy, fruity, fun, and completely discontinued, alas.  I wore it with Clinique's All Heart, which isn't really a second-best lipstick, but I do have two of them ...

Tuesday I was in a springy Tom Ford kind of mood, so I dug out  Ombre de Hyacinth, a soapy-green and clean floral, that is a breath of fresh air, after the long, long winter we've had. I found my long-misplaced Tainted Love lip and cheek stain this week, do determined to wear this lovely sheer wine shade as I move (slightly) away from winter opaques.

Wednesday I went to a perfume launch in the evening, so wanted something lovely, that doesn't draw too much attention to itself, so I chose Clair de Musc by Serge Lutens, because I love it a great deal, it smells of warm skin, talcum powder, loving hugs and just a hint of nostalgia.  Because I'm irrational, however, I paired it with Rouge Orage from Chanel, a medium-neutral red.

On Thursday, I wore a fragrance from the launch I'd attended the night before - something that very rarely happens - as I fell totally in love at first sniff with this one. Safran Rare by Amouroud, a buttery-soft chamois-leather fragrance, with hints of oud and spices won't be released until July (at Harrods) and I'll have a full review for you in a week or so.  I recommend you check the brand out even if you're an oud-hater, or are "over" the oud "trend", the whole range is that good, even for the oud-phobic.  Also, the price-point for a new niche brand is a good one, these big bottles will be £145, which when you consider that even the dreckiest department store brand is coming in around £70 these days, looks incredibly well-thought out. Lipstick was Chanel Passion, a bright red, because I felt like it.

On Friday I had some big meetings, and wanted not to look or smell threatening or disturbing, so I picked out one of my favourite colognes: Andy Tauer's Cologne du Maghreb, a citrus with good lasting power.  I paired it up with History by No7, which was from the limited edition collection Boots did with Poppy King a couple of years ago.  A sheer soft red, this is just lovely.

And finally, on Saturday I was just opening and unpacking cardboard box after cardboard box after cardboard box, so I wore just a bit of lip balm (my favourite Nuxe de Miel) and a spritz or two of Aqua Manda which is a lovely reminder of years gone by.  I love the retro-style packaging too, the orange and brown reminds me of the seventies so much!

What've you been wearing? 

 *About a week, in actuality

The Fine Print: PR samples and purchases


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Skincare of the Week 10/04/2016

It's taken me a while, but I've finally managed to get my broadband connected, and unpack some skincare!  Moving to a new house is always stressful, but I had somehow managed to schedule my move for the beginning of a new financial year, and the end of my probationary period at work.  As I'm an accountant, April is a pretty busy month anyway, but ... anyway.  Never again.

Skincare-wise, I've been using pretty much everything in my day-to-day collection this week, as I've been happy to be reunited with it - we've been living out of boxes for so long now, it's felt a bit like emerging from a cardboard forest!  - but the two products I've used most are the Zelens Best Defence Antioxidant serum, and the Omorovicza Omoressence.  I'm a big fan of the Antioxidant Serum anyway - as you can probably tell from the amount left in the bottle - and I use this a minimum of three times a week, and it's great for slightly sensitised skin, and feels very protecting.  It has been really cold this week, and I really do find this protecting.

The Omorovicza Omoressence, I love.  I was initially sceptical - I do find Omorovicza can overclaim somewhat on their product descriptions - but I do love the velvety-feeling I get after using this, and it does seem to keep my face calm.  I'll be doing a full review of this soon, but I genuinely really like it.  No a huge fan of the glass bottle - it has a shaker, and it can get slippery, but a great product inside.

Other things I've tried this week include the Murad Colour Correcting Moisturiser.  I'm very pink-toned naturally, and this light  green moisturiser helps tone that down slightly.  In conjunction with a slightly yellow-toned powder, it works really well.  I'm not entirely sure it's moisturising enough, but a few more uses should help me figure that out.

Reviews will remain a bit patchy whilst I get myself - and the new flat - organised, but I'm BACK!  For more regular updates, you can find me at least three times a day over on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/get_lippie/

The Fine Print: PR samples and purchases


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Guerlain Meteorites Base and Meteorites Perles Primer comparison

Guerlain recently reissued their Meteorites Perles Light Diffusing Perfecting Primer as Meteorites Base. I just happen to have a bottle of each, so I thought a comparison might be useful.  In the picture above, the bottle on the left is the original and on the right is the new version.  Both bottles contain 30mls.

On first sight, the major difference is the colour of the perles, in the original (left) they are a little greyer, and the new perles seem both bigger and a brighter pink.  Both look stunning in the bottle though, and I have to say that I much prefer the sleeker bottle of the new formulation.

The new formula (right), seems a little runnier, and just a little lighter on the skin.  But, once outside of the bottle, the differences in the perles almost entirely disappear.

Again, on swatching the differences in the perles aren't that obvious, and the formulation for both seems very "wet" (and I do find this to be a quite hydrating primer, even though it's sold more on its brightening properties), and the new formulation is the one that sinks in more easily.

Once blended in, skin seems softer, plumped up, and yes, more glowy.

In all honesty, I can't really tell the difference outside of the bottles - which is no bad thing, really, I hate when reformulations really muck about with what you liked about a product in the first place! - it's still a good, hydrating, and lightly glow-giving primer that gives just a little oomph to the skin without being sticky, or giving you a sparkly, or slightly metallic finish.  Particularly if you're a pale-skinned person, you'll like this one.

I don't find either formulation gives that much of a longevity boost to your foundation, but it will make it glide on better.

The new Guerlain Meteorites Base is available in-store now, and costs £46.

The Fine Print: PR samples and purchases

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Diptyque Rosaviola Candle and Solid Fragrance

Good grief I fell hard for Rosaviola!  I didn't intend to, it's pink, it's girly, and it's very, very, very sweet.  But I have, and what's done is done.  I went to the Diptyque store in St Germain (I think I may have mentioned that I've been in Paris recently?) fully intending to buy something super-exclusive and incredibly French (not to mention achingly chic), and I came back with ... pink.

Balls.

Rosaviola is, essentially, a blend of rose and violet, and it smells like lipstick.  There's not much more to it than that, to be honest, but it's so pretty, and so friendly and good-natured that I couldn't really help myself.  Violet fragrances speak to me these days in a pretty visceral way, that they never used to before my nose got brain damage, and so this is a lovely and easy to wear perfume for me.  The violet also tempers the rose to my nose - roses still occasionally smell dusty or burned - so it's a light and fresh, and yes, girly and friendly smell.

I hate myself.  But it's got lips on, so it's okay.  The lasting time can be measure in literally minutes, but I don't really care.  It's lovely.

I think I need help.  If anyone wants me, I'll be drowing myself in a bucket of Muscs Kubla Khan by Serge Lutens until this phase passes ...

The Fine Print: Purchases

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