Chanel Ombre Essentielle - 417 Beige Lame

I admit, I wasn't all that taken with the Chanel Christmas collection this year, it just didn't speak to me.  But, I did have to pick up this eyeshadow single, when I was in Debenhams recently. Packaged with Chanel's usual attention to detail, the eyeshadow single comes in a little velvet pouch:

So, what colour is it?  Well, for all of you who think I live in taupe, I have a little surprise for you - this one is beige:

 So far, so dull.  What I like about Chanel though, is that their neutrals come with a bit of an edge, and this shade caught my eye in store because it's packed full of glorious - and beautiful - microglitter (cue terrible photos):

Somehow, I just can't capture the glory of this eyeshadow on camera, which is infuriating.  Whilst the colour isn't that unique, it's something I'll get a lot of use out of, as it's a great - slightly warm - beige shade, perfect for when you're getting ready in a rush.

Heree you can see it swatched dry on the right, and over primer on the right.


What have you picked up from the Christmas collections?

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

Urgh

I have a long, long meeting today, and last night thought I'd make a "silent protest" by doing my nails in as obnoxious a manner as possible. Did I succeed?

Give As You Live

Hands up, who is ready for Christmas?  I admit, I'm certainly not.  £6.8 billion pounds will be spent on Christmas presents this year, even though things are a little tight in quite a few households around the UK this year.

Things are certainly a little tighter than usual in the Lippie household this Christmas, but, after the events of the last couple of months, we have come to realise just how very, very, very lucky we are. Every two minutes in the UK, someone faces losing their home.  Every two minutes. Think about that, just for a second. That is 30 people an hour.  720 people a day.  262,800 people a year.  All facing the prospect of losing their home.

For a while this year, Mr Lippie and myself were amongst those statistics, and, whilst it was happening, it was - quite simply - hell. We are still dealing with the after effects of our experience, and, whilst we still have a way to go yet, we know we couldn't have gotten even this far without the help of our friends and in particular, our families.  We can't even begin to tell people just how grateful we are.

We also couldn't have got by without the support, advice and occasional real-life hands-on help from both our Twitter followers and even some readers of this blog, who I now consider to be real friends too.  Without those people to help us, our situation would have been very different, and there isn't a day that goes by where we don't give thanks that we had such a support network around us.  We have a roof over our head, a place of safety of our own, and we no longer spend our days in fear of what would happen to us next. 

(Don't worry, I'll be bringing this whole post back around to lipstick soon, bear with me)

Many people who face similar problems to MrLippie and myself aren't as lucky.  They may have less of a support network, or may simply be unable to help themselves get away from their situation because of a lack of finances, or family commitments, or their work situation, and this is where Shelter comes in, to be that support network for people who don't have those resources, or the right information to be able to help themselves. 

Shelter say that having a home is about more than just having a roof over your head, and they're right.  Being robbed of our peace of mind, and being forced to live in genuine fear, both for ourselves and our possessions was by far the worst part of what has happened to me and Mr Lippie. We may well have had a roof over our head for the whole time, but we definitely didn't have a home, and it's only now that we're learning to deal with how the whole experience has affected us.

Shelter do wonderful work, and it's not just about people sleeping on the streets, they help people just like you and me, who find themselves in what were previously unimaginable circumstances. They actively campaign to prevent homelessness too, and fight for legislation to help people who have been affected by malicious landlords.  I never thought I could be a homeless person, and I bet you don't expect you could be too.  But you never know what is around the corner.

Shelter helped me out this year, so, I'm going to be helping them out a little bit too.  As I mentioned back in the first paragraph, things are a little tight in the Lippie household right now, which is why I was so utterly delighted to meet Polly Gower yesterday, who heads up Give As You Live, yesterday.

Give As You Live is one of those seemingly beautifully simple ideas, that is actually also an extremely good idea.  Essentially, Give As You Live has teamed up both retailers and charities so that shoppers like you and me can give to charity by ... shopping.  If you shop online with retailers through the Give As You Live website, or app, retailers will donate between 1% and 4% of the retail price to the charity of your choice. 

The best part of this is that it will cost you - the shopper - absolutely nothing.  No prices are inflated, and you will pay the same through the website or app as you would purchasing online ordinarily.  Also, the scheme is linked to every single registered charity in the UK, so if you want to donate to a charity that means something to you - as Shelter does to me - then you can. 

There are more than 200,000 registered charities in the UK, and potentially, every single one could benefit from this scheme.  I think this is amazing.  Remember that £6.8 billion I mentioned way back in the beginning?  If every single purchase making up that figure was made online through Give As You Live, they would raise £170 million for charity, without you or I, or anyone else for that matter, having to spend an extra penny on our Christmas gifts.  

You can buy from Liberty, Harrods, John Lewis, Selfridges, LastMinute.com, Debenhams, Play.com, Itunes, Sainsbury's, Amazon.com, and around 1,500 other online retailers.  They've already raised £2.2million, but they want to raise more, so make that bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle or Tom Ford Lipstick (or Body Shop body butter, depending on your budget!) really count this year, and do something for charity whilst you're about it.  If you're anything like me, you'll never have planned to need a charity to hold your hand, but you'll be glad they're around if the worst happens.

I'd already decided to buy my presents online this year, and donate to Shelter, now Give As You Live  has given me an extra reason, and a new way to do it.

The Fine Print: Give As You Live, and their associated company, EasyClick both have a blogger affiliate scheme.  I am NOT taking part in the affiliate scheme, and this post was not sponsored.  I just had to tell you about it anyway.  Buy a lipstick, and help someone help themselves. It could be you.

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

Veet Easy Wax

There are currently only ten of these little beauties in the country at the moment.  Unless, that is, you're one of the people who have spotted that Boots has sneakily pre-released 300 of these to customers today, before they're released nationwide to stores next year.

I've just had a look, and there are still some left.  I've already got mine, and I'll be reviewing it soon (as you all know, I'm a cack-handed muppet when it comes to gadgets, but this one seems fairly Lippie-proof so far, at least), but I thought you guys might like a chance to get your hands on something before release this time too!

It's a handy gadget that replicates a salon-waxing experience at home, that minimises the risk of burns from too hot wax and other incoveniences.  Very easy to use too!

Get yours here for £29.99.

The Fine Print: Link is not affiliated.  I'm a lone wolf, me*.

*Not really,  my sample was provided by PR.

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

Guest Post: - Charles Worthington Straight & Smooth

I have the best readers, a few weeks ago, my friend Kitty said she was about the try the Charles Worthington Straight and Smooth Hair Straightening Kit, and, when I asked her if she'd write a guest post for me, she agreed straight away.  Here are her thoughts:

*****

When I mentioned on twitter that I was going to try the Charles Worthington Straight & Smooth, Get Lippie asked me to give feedback. This is one of the first mass-market home straightening systems available on the high street, aimed specifically at non-afro-carribean hair. It costs 20 and is available only at Boots. It is not suitable for hair that has been dyed platinum or very light ash blonde, afro-carribean hair, or hair that has been dyed or permed in the last 12 weeks.
My hair is quite thick, highlighted, with a strong natural curl and a tendency to look dull due to frizz. I'm far too lazy to style it every day for work, and so I tend to appear like I've been dragged through the proverbial hedge. I wash my hair about twice a week, and usually allow it to dry naturally, only styling it using straightening irons for special occasions.

Before

The product
------------
What do you get in the box? It includes the 2 tubes making up the treatment, a wide toothed comb, some gloves and a  bottle of aftercare conditioner. A leaflet describes the process (with pictures!) and includes the usual instructions about carrying out patch tests.

The process is pretty simple - it took me 62 minutes in total
1. Wash your hair, DO NOT CONDITION. Comb out any knots (ow ow ow)
2. Put a towel round your shoulders, and stay in the bathroom as you're likely to flick gobbets of the lotions around the place (or maybe this is only me). Apply the straightening treatment and comb your hair to keep it detangled and straight. The guidance on the amount of goop to apply wasn't very clear, so I applied about a third to a half of the tube. So basically 20 minutes of smelling a chemical odor (like bubble perms in the 80s) and combing your hair constantly to keep it straight. Rinse out thoroughly.
3. Look in mirror and be amazed at how your hair has spontaneously knotted into giant fright wig. Apply the Conditioning Neutraliser (again, the lovely chemical smell) and comb your hair straight again for 5 minutes. At this point my arms were rebelling from combing my hair so much, it was a relief to rinse out this last treatment.
4. Blow dry your hair using a brush and aiming the hairdryer downwards. This stage was the most awkward for me, and I could have done with Charles popping round to help out. Finally, straighten to seal in the treatment.

Immediately after treatment

The Next Day
------------
Usually after I've slept on my hair all my straightening effort has been undone, however, it was still as smooth and straight as when I'd gone to bed, apart from some very short hairs in my hairline.

The day after treatment

After the first wash
--------------------
I waited 4 days before washing my hair - the minimum you can wait is 2 days. After washing, using the supplied aftercare conditioner and allowing to dry naturally, my curl has fought back! My hair now appears a little more smooth and shiny than usual, but it's no longer the wonderful, straight style that I'd had before. However, it was very quick to style using straightening irons.

So how do I feel about this product? Well the 4 days of super-straight post treatment were wonderful, but it all going wrong after the first wash was a real disappointment. I will not be buying this again.

*****

Editors Note: Kitty has since spoken to the customer service people at Charles Worthington, and they immediately issued a full refund for the product.  Great service from them there. 

Incidentally, I have a box of this at home to try, and I'll be giving you a full report soon too, now I have hairdresser approval of my own... 

 Charles Worthington Straight and Shine is currently available from Boots for £19.99, but you get 500 Advantage points on Charles Worthington purchases at the moment, which is the equivalent of £5 off ...

The Fine Print: Kitty purchased her own product and was refunded by the Charles Worthington company when they found out it didn't work, they were not made aware at any time that a blog post was involved.  No PRs harmed in the writing of this post.

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

Yves St Laurent Travel Selection

He's a lovely boy, is MrLippie.  After his recent trip to Aberdeen, he brought me home this little box, which I couldn't wait to rip open. And what was inside?

A lovely pink pleather wallet containing four eyeshadows, a blusher and two lip colours:

Oh, it's so pretty.  Not all the shades are named, but the eyeshadows are (from l-r) Violet, Taupe, Parme, and Rose.  I have no idea what shades the lipsticks are, or the blusher.  Here are the swatches:

These are incredibly hard shadows, and proved extremely hard to swatch.  They're not nearly as deeply pigmented as the Stila shadows I showed you yesterday, and I got so fed up trying to get them to show up on my skin that I couldn't even be bothered to swatch the lipsticks.  It is possible, of course, that they will swatch better, or even wear better, over a primer, but I'm not entirely convinced.

Ultimate verdict, oh-so-pretty but ... could try harder, YSL.

The Fine Print:  Present.  Yes, I am looking a gift horse in the mouth, I'm afraid.  Here's hoping MrL never buys me a pony.

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

Stila Collectible Beach Palettes

You'll have seen these collectible little palettes on a number of blogs, I suspect, but I'm going to ignore that fact and show you them myself, because they're very lovely.  And, at a cost of just £10 each, they're a real bargain, and perfect for those last minute stocking stuffer presents you might need.

There are three palettes in the collection: Striking in South Beach, Living the Life in Laguna and Wonderful in Waikiki and there is something to love in each of them:

Packaged in cardboard with a magnetic closure, they're not the most durable of palettes, but for the price point, they'll do. Each one contains four eyeshadows and two blushes/bronzers, along with a mini-makeup lesson. Let's take a look at the insides:

Striking in South Beach:

A grey, a blue, a charcoal, and a lilac, alongside a pale pink blush and a medium bronzer with just a hint of rose, this is a cool-toned girl's dream.  Here's how they swatch:

They're all well pigmented - these are swatched without a base, and with fingers, and the coverage is good.  I find that most of the shades are a little on the chalky side for me (that blusher in particular looks like it'd be a very difficult wear for all but the palest of pale skins), but I'm sure I could get a very dramatic eye look out of those shadows.  I'll definitely be giving this one a go.


Living the Life in Laguna:

Probably the easiest to wear of all the palettes, Laguna is a symphony in rosy neutrals, and it's really rather lovely.  Again though, the blush shades are a little on the pale side, and I'm not sure I'll get any use out of them, but I'm sure they'll suit a few people:

This is great for daytime wear, and it's the one I'll probably get the most use out of.

Wonderful in Waikiki

By far the most dramatic of the palettes, Wonderful in Waikiki features some coppery/orange shades, all set off with a glorious matte blue.  I think this would be the best palette for women of colour, but I suspect the blushes would - again - be too pale, whereas I think they'd actually be a touch too orange for the pale of skin:

This could work either as a day or a night-time palette depending on how you use the blue shade (which is a little chalky, but is suprisingly well pigmented for a matte colour), as a liner it'd just add a pop of bright colour to a slightly more wearable look, whereas you could use it to create a more vivid evening look too.

Overall, I'm very impressed with the quality of these palettes for the price, even with some reservations about the choices of the blush shades.  Even if you discount those, this works out at £2.50 an eyeshadow, which is a bargain in anyone's book. 

I have to say that I'm very glad Stila is back on these shores, and is far more widely available than it used to be, too.  Try your larger Boots stores near you, to pick these babies up.

The Fine Print: PR Samples.

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

Bobbi Brown 20th Anniversary Lip Palette

I was shocked - shocked - when I realised that Bobbi Brown was celebrating the 20th Anniversary of her iconic lipstick line, not least because I realised when I bought this that I actually owned at least three of the original shades, and I hadn't realised I'd been buying designer cosmetics for that long ...

I digress, the original line of lipsticks from Bobbi caused a bit of a stir when they first debuted in the early 90s, as I recall, they were different because there were just ten of them, and they weren't at all dramatic, merely good lipshades.  This palette includes samples of those original ten shades, alongside ten shades which date from this year.  Let's take a look:

Now, even without the headings, it'd be fairly easy to see which side was which, don't you think?  All those (slightly rusty) neutrals compared to the brighter (bluer) shades on the left!  It gets easier to see which side is which when you add in the names of the shades too:

The 1991 shades all have simple colour names red, beige, orange etc, and the 2011 are all Atomic this, Party that, Cosmic the other, [sigh].  Now, I have to say that I've grown less interested in Bobbi Brown as a brand as she's moved away from her initial launch of wearable neutrals to suit everyone and started throwing glitter into absolutely anything and everything, but I think I'll actually get more wear out of the 2011 range of shades.

What say you?  Any shades you want to see swatches of? And can you guess which three shades I owned when I was a student?

The Fine Print: Purchase.  A nostalgia trip I couldn't resist.


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

Guerlain Christmas 2011 - Vol de Nuit & Parure de Nuit

Well, after I showed you my initial picks of the Guerlain Christmas collection a few weeks ago, I said I’d be making further purchases, and here they are. Couldn't resist!

Vol de Nuit, I simply could not resist picking up this beautiful teal bottle of sparkly deliciousness, it’s both a gorgeous and glamorous addition to any dressing table.  I don’t have a dressing table … but if I did, this bottle would be out on display at all times.

The bottle contains a pink sparkly powder, which is filled with multicoloured micro-shimmer, and when you press the bulb, it emits a wonderful cloud of scented deliciousness.  It’s said to be based on the original scent of Vol de Nuit perfume (which sadly, I have no way of confirming, because I don’t own a bottle), but the scent is light and powdery and sweet, but it’s not a scent that will clash with any other perfume that you might wear with it.  It’s a fine finishing touch for a big night out.

The sparkle is fine, and not too glittery, it’ll just add a hint of definition to collarbones and shoulders, I think.

Here’s the powder swatched quite heavily to show how it looks on the skin, then out of focus to show off the sparkle:

I did, of course, pick up the Parure De Nuit too, as I simply couldn’t resist it.  Decorated with peacock feathers, with hints of peach, pink, turquoise and a touch of gold overspray, it’s a lovely piece of cosmetic goodness.

I also love the turquoise goat hair brush that comes with it:

I found that the overspray came off after the first use, and whilst it looks very dramatic in the pan, it’s actually a very subtle powder, more of a beauty powder than a blusher, but it adds a very lovely soft-focus glow to the skin, which is very difficult to pick up on camera, but the pan itself is beautiful, I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of it …

There’s another lipstick too, which I’ll show you soon …


The Fine Print:  Purchases.  Lovely, lovely purchases.

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

What's in my bath?

 One of the “joys” of moving house is getting the chance to sort through your belongings and decide which are those things you really can’t live without and which are those you’re just hanging onto for dear life.

One of the “joys” of moving house twice in a four week period is initially moving to a place with no bathtub, and realising you have to get rid of all your bathing products, then immediately moving to another place that actually does have a bathtub and realising that you have to replace all the products you got rid of …

So, what made it back to my bathtub?

Here you have:

Elemis Skin Nourishing Milk Bath
Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak
Kniepp Juniper Bath Salts
Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax shower and bath oil
Shu Uemura Pleasure of Japanese Bath – Hinoki
Elemis Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir
Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil

Disclosure, it actually turns out that two of these products I couldn’t bear to be parted with, and they actually made it through the moves, these are the Aromatherapy Associates, and the Shu Uemura.  I do prefer the AA as a bath oil, but it does make an excellent accompaniment to a shower too, and the Shu Uemura was discontinued about a year ago, so I wasn’t letting it go anyway.

Elemis is a brand that has really snuck up on me in the last year, for all sorts of reasons.  Whilst I don’t find that the skincare suits me too well, I absolutely love their bathing products, and the vast majority of their Spa@Home products are a complete joy.  This is my second bottle of the Milk Bath, which is great for when you’re having sensitive skin days, and I can’t even tell you how many bottles of Super Soak that I’ve been through, but it’s a lot.  A LOT.  I adore the deep herbal scent of this, and it’s about as relaxing as a bath can be.  I can tell you, however, that I have backups of both of these, and expect to be purchasing them for years to come too.  Nothing comes close.  The Bath Elixir and Frangipani Monoi oil are samples that I got with my recent purchase, I’m looking forward to trying them out.

Well, I say nothing comes close to Super Soak, but the Kniepp Juniper range (a gin flavoured bath?  I’m IN!) I was introduced to on my recent trip to Paris, does come close, but whilst it has the same soothing effect on tired muscles, it’s a little more invigorating and refreshing than the Elemis version.  They also do a matching shower gel, which brings me to the “What’s in my Shower” portion of today’s blog post:

Kniepp Juniper Shower Gel
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino
Elemis Sharp Shower Gel

Like the bath salts, this is herbal and refreshing, and invigorating.  Paraben and sulphate-free, it foams nicely, and leaves your skin tingling fresh. The Tom Ford is a joy to use too, it smells of liquid sunshine and holidays (I took it on my trip to Portugal earlier on in the year), and doesn’t dry my skin out. I adore this minty Elemis shower gel, it smells, perfectly, of Wrigleys Doublemint gum (which MrLippie hates), but I find it’s perfect for waking you up in the morning.

So, what’s in your shower?

The Fine Print: The Tom Ford, and Aromatherapy Associates were PR samplea, everything else featured was a purchase.  In many cases, a re-purchase.  I take my baths very seriously.


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

Get Foodie

A few people already know that I have another blog (which has been sadly neglected owing to circumstances beyond my control recently), and I just thought I'd let you know that I've finally updated it.  Here you can find out why I want to talk about food, and what I'm planning to blog about going forward.  Take a look, please!

http://getfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/11/why-food.html 

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

You Know You've Been A Beauty Blogger Too Long ...

... When your local department store RINGS you to let you know their sale starts next week, and they'd love to see you there.

So yeah, anyway, Debenhams sale starts 16th November.  Be there, or ... they won't send me a Christmas card.

The Fine Print: No sales people or PRs harmed in the writing of this post.  I should get commission you know,  I wish Debenhams did cashback.

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

Model's Own Beetlejuice Giveaway

Hello lovelies!

Whilst I'm waiting for my broadband to be re-re-connected (I've tried blogging from a dongle, and it's no fun), I thought I'd do a little giveaway.  Would you like to own the entire Models Own Beetlejuice collection?  Look, they're so pretty!

Yeah, I let some people talk me into buying more of them than I needed, so I thought I'd give my spares to you guys!  I'm nice like that ...

Anyhoo, the rules, leave a comment on this post telling me what kinds of posts you'd like to see when I get back to full-time blogging (which will hopefully be later this week, btw), you must leave either a valid email address, or another way for me to get in touch with you.  You must be a follower on the blog, if you leave a comment here.

Or if you can't be bothered being a blog subscriber, be a twitter follower!  Tweet the following: "Lippie's back, and she's giving stuff away! @Get_Lippie #LippieBeetlejuice".  If you follow in both places, you'll get two entries, and if you only follow on one, you'll get one.

Because of the nature of the prize, this giveaway is open to my UK readers only, I'm afraid.  I'll make the draw (at random) at some point on Monday 14th November, and I'll keep you guys posted ....

The Fine Print: Draw held entirely at the discretion of the blog-owner, who reserves the right to disqualify any entries deemed to be arriving from competition forums and the like.  Blog owners decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

The Further Fine Print: Models Own are entirely unaffiliated with this giveaway, I bought the prizes, and I'll be despatching them too.  Eventually.

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

So ...

... Yeah, this post isn't very beauty related either, but ... the next one will be, I promise!  I moved house this weekend, and I have spent a few very happy hours reacquainting myself with my candles - god I missed my candles, who knew that was even possible? -  my perfumes, my unguents, my lotions and my potions and I've been arranging them in the new Lippie Mansions (yes, we've taken a little step up in the world, we're out of the dungeon at last!), which comes equipped with its very own built-in beauty bloggers closet. It's not the only reason I chose the place, honest* ... but I'll let you have a sneaky peek at it later on.  Once I've finished alphabetising it** ...

Oh, and the other great thing about the new Lippie Mansions is the kitchen.  I have a big, big kitchen, so Get Foodie is back on.  Yes, it's delayed (stress kills the appetite, we discovered recently), but it's coming, don't you worry.   I'll keep you posted ...


* Pretty damn close though.  A cupboard!  A cupboard of mine very own!
** I'm an accountant.  It's what I do.***
*** Sometimes.  Allegedly.

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

Back Soon!

...I aten't dead... *

I am, though, planning lots of blog posts, attempting to buy a new laptop, and, providing BT don't screw up again, I'm hoping that I'll be fully back in the blogosphere very soon ...

Thanks for all your patience, and support on Twitter (and elsewhere), you've been aces.  Especially you. Can't say too much at the moment, there's a lot going on, but there is very definitely light at the end of the tunnel right now.

Okay, who can recommend me a good restaurant in Windsor, please?

* Prize for whoever gets that reference**
** Not open to LondonMakeUpGirl***
***I'm serious

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

Chantecaille Lip Chics -Tea Rose, China Rose, Bourbon Rose

The Chantecaille Lip Chic formulation is one of my all time favourites.  Sheer - like so many of the new lipstick collections have been this year - but hugely moisturising, extremely balm-like, and just pigmented enough to give you a wearable and polished look.  I love them, and the funky pewter packaging, and own three, all from the rose shades.


Here they are, Tea Rose, China Rose, and Bourbon Rose:

Tea Rose, is a lovely muted rosy mauve, for me a My Lips But Better shade, which I use with stronger makeup looks, so I don't look like death warmed up by using more "traditional" nude lip shades.  China Rose is a little more red, and is a tad warmer, almost coral-ish in wear.  And Bourbon Rose is a lovely pink, good for giving a gentle flush of colour to your lips, without totally taking over your face.


Here's how they swatch, with and without flash:

Whilst it's a soft formulation, the lipsticks don't wear down all that quickly, and they're a pleasure to wear.  Yes, they're pricey, at around £29 each, but my lipstick collection wouldn't be complete without them.

 The Fine Print: I bought each of these, and have actually bought Bourbon Rose twice, the first time was a present for someone else, and I liked it so much, I had to have it for myself too.


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

The Scent of Fear

I have a confession to make.  Since my month of living hell began, I've not worn any perfume at all, it's an odd situation for me to be in, for, even before Project Perfume began, I would apply perfume daily, even though I wouldn't, actually, pay that much attention to it afterwards.

However, since I've spent most of this year actually paying a lot of attention to how things smell, what I've been trying very hard not to do is to accidentally end up attaching a scent to this period of my life.  For, I keep thinking, if I do, what would happen if I accidentally caught a sniff of that scent afterwards?

I've spent the last week with a racing heart, a dry mouth, total confusion, a constant sense of dread, and  more besides, if that was to come back, even by accident because I caught a whiff of, say, Ananas Fizz by L'Artisan Perfumer (a scent guaranteed to cheer up even the darkest day, with it's pineapple-sunshine sense of fun), then I think I would go crazy.

Scent is an odd sense, as it is most definitely tied to memory.  Even now if I smell  Origins Ginger, it makes me want to throw up, because of a bout of food-poisoning I suffered once whilst wearing it.  The merest smidge of Rive Gauche and it's 1981, and I'm waiting at the airport with my mum, waiting for my dad to come home from his first job abroad.  And for serious, you never want to know what I'm reminded of if I get within even a molecule of Southern Comfort ...

So I haven't wanted to tie a scent to this terrible time.  But, if I did want a comfort-scent, what would you recommend? 

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

Nanoblur - Review

So ... there's been a lot of talk about Nanoblur recently.  It's been hailed as the latest wonder product, and claims to make you look ten years younger in 40 seconds. It's now available in Boots, and it costs £19.99. I've had a tube for a couple of weeks now, so how does it do?

 Nanoblur is, essentially, a silicone-based primer, suffused with micro-prisms which will refract light, and make lines and wrinkles (and other flaws) seemingly "disappear".  The nano particles are the wonder ingredient in this particular melange, as the rest of the product doesn't really offer any skin-care benefits over and above what you'd be using on your skin anyway.

You can use it over your moisturiser if you're going bare-faced, or, the packaging alleges, that you can use it over your foundation, if you're going for a fully made-up look.  I've not been in the mood for much makeup lately, so I've been wearing it over moisturiser only. 

It's a white cream, which I find quite difficult to spread, and this means I have to apply quite a lot.  My skin adores my current skin-care regime (Darphin, mostly), and is more than adequately hydrated, but still I find this stuff patchy in application, and once dry it gives me matte finish to my skin.  I have severe and grave misgivings about how this would work over foundation, if it goes patchy over moisturised skin, I suspect it wouldn't mix too well with anything pigmented.  It's a very matte finish.

A TOO-matte finish, if truth be told.  My skin is combination-oily, and I know that if I were using this during my more dry-skinned phases, then this product would be a complete and utter no-no.  It doesn't have any lifting or tightening effects (and doesn't promise them), but I do find that my skin is a little more "taut" when I'm using this.

So, does it make me look ten years younger?  Well ... in a word ... no.  In the spirit of experimentation, I've actually worn this on just one side of my face once or twice, trying to replicate the effects you can see below:

I have to say that not one person (including my nearest and dearest) noticed whether I was wearing a full OR a half face of this stuff.  I did, however.  In my defence, I didn't tell them, but ... Yes, I did find that it softened lines, and made some flaws more difficult to focus on, but the difference wasn't, at all, as noticeable as promised.  It's ... okay.  I guess.

The lack of amazing results, and the matte finish (which is actually ageing in itself when you're past a certain point in life) means that Nanoblur isn't a must-have for me.  Add in my reservations as to how it would work with makeup, and I'd have to say that it's not really for me at all.  A day without foundation is a day wasted as far as I'm concerned.  However, if you have very greasy skin, you might get on better with it than I did, but if you're over forty (as I most decidedly am), then I recommend that you approach Nanoblur with extreme caution.
 
The Fine Print: PR Sample.

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

Hell

Hello, my name is Get Lippie, and right now, I am a woman on the edge.

Some of you know that I've been having trouble with my landlord (a woman) since moving to another of her properties on Friday 30th September.  Well, things are now a little, shall we say, out of hand.  If you've read my Tweets, you'll know what's been happening.

My landlord has instituted a seeming campaign of terror since moving, and life is pretty much intolerable as it stands.  Currently we're looking for a new place to live, at the same time as trying to defend our rights to a quiet life.  At some point I may blog about what's going on, maybe use this as some kind of electronic diary of an illegal eviction (it's a colourful story, and might involve salutory lessons to anyone who reads it), but at the moment, I can't face it.

What I also can't face right now, is blogging about beauty.  I miss it, and I miss my regular interaction with my readers, so this is just a little blog post to let you know why posts might be sporadic, if at all, and when they do appear, they might not feature lipstick for a little while.

What I'd like to request from people who have my address and want to send stuff to Get Lippie (life does go on, and Get Lippie WILL be back - hopefully very soon) is that they email me FIRST, to get new contact details, I do not believe that it is safe to send anything to me at my current address.

If you're a tenant in rented accomodation, please make sure that you have checked out your landlord thoroughly, make sure you have all your documentation in order, and that you document any and all conversations with your landlord during your tenancy.  You never know when you might need it.  Also, check they have protected your deposit, and that you have seen your gas appliance certification.  Protect yourselves, and hopefully you'll never need to use those things in anger, or despair.  We're doing everything by the book, and have faith that we'll prevail, because right is, this time, on our side.

The Lippies want to send out heartfelt thanks to the following people: Tanya, Peter, Lucy, Carmen, Katherine, Gillian, Indy, Jack and Caroline for going above and beyond the boundaries of work, blogging and friendship and have taken the time and trouble to help us out recently. And, to everyone who has taken the time to email, text, DM or RT pleas for help on Twitter, thank you too.  The Lippies wouldn't have got through the last weekend without that support, and I can't thank people enough.

Next time I post, I hope the news will be better.  I'll keep you guys informed.

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

I'm Back! Kinda!

And I thought you might like a look at the first things I unpacked when I moved to my new bathroom (don't worry there's a flat attached to it too), so here's a sneaky peek at my bathroom cabinet.  Well, some of it.  It turns out that MrLippie's shelf is camera-shy:

As you can probably tell, I've been splurging a bit on the old Darphin, I'll not tell a lie, it has worked wonders for me, and I've been slowly extending my forays into the range.  You can see the Camomile facial oil, the Intral redness serum/toner and comfort cream, and I just recently bought the eyemakeup remover too.  Darphin products are pricy, admittedly, but if you suffer from reddened sensitive skin, as I have a tendency to, then they're a lifesaver.

You can see the Elemis cleansing melt next to the Darphin products, I do still love this for a deep cleanse with my Clarisonic, this tube will need to be replaced soon, as I've worked my way through most of it in the last few months.

Then there is some contact lens fluid.  You don't need to know about this, do you?  It's basically sterilised salty water.  It's, er, you know, good for storing my contact lenses and that. There is also two eye products, one from Filorga, and one from Alpha H, the Filorga is my current night treatment, and the Alpha H is the one I use during the day.  Too soon to see if they're making any difference, but neither of them sting nor give me zits so far, so I'm happy!

There is also a bottle of Pai Geranium and Thistle moisturiser, which I use when the Intral isn't quite moisturising enough.  This is a little bottle of calm for combination skin, and it's gentle enough to use even when I'm red enough to light up  ... erm, something that needs a red light.  I've used it on and off for a couple of years now, and it's very good indeed.

There's a Vapour primer at the back next to these, more about this later, I think it deserves a full post of it's very own.  But suffice to say, I like this a great deal, even with my reservations about face primers in general.

Decleor Aromanight.  I love a balm at night, and this is a balm to die for.  Smells wonderful, soothes and calms, and you wake up to plump glowing skin.  You can't really ask for anything more, just plain divine.  My skin drinks this stuff like it's going out of fashion.

Sue Devitt Bioluminescence Serum.  Love this pale blue moussey stuff.  It's so calming and cooling, it's wonderful.  Also, makes a great primer.  Sue makes wonderful products from sea-stuffs (I believe that's the technical term), and this is a good one.

Next to that is some decanted Bioderma Crealine.  I use this in the mornings for my "quick cleanse".  I don't love it, I must admit, but it doesn't sting, and it seems to do the job, so I stick with it.  There are other micellar water cleansers I prefer, but this is the classic.  I mainly use it as an eye makeup remover, but the Darphin one is taking over at the moment.

Le Metier Peau Vierge, this isn't something I use often - but it is something I'm going to write more about later.  It's an interesting concept, but, as my skin has mainly been reactive this year, it's something I've been a little afeart of using too often for the last wee while.

Alpha H Gentle Exfoliant.  I love this stuff.  There, I said it.  I used to be a big fan of Dermalogica Microfoliant back in the day (till Dermalogica started turning my face radioactive red on a daily basis, that is), and this is a great, nay, excellent substitute.  It gets rid of stubborn dry patches, and doesn't irritate.  Since I've added this to my daily routine, I've been able to reduce my clarisonic usage to less than once a week instead of once a day.

Vaseline Active Fresh cream deodorant.  This has been my choice of underarm protection for more years than I care to remember.  It's practically impossible to find these days, so whenever I do find it, I snap it up in multiples.  Clean and fresh-smelling, without clashing with any scents I choose to wear with it, I feel lost when I have to use something else.  Which I had to do on Saturday when I couldn't find the damn thing.  Saturday was not a good day.

Finally, on the right there is a selection of products from Repechage.  Little-known outside of certain circles, this is a brand I'm very fond of.  If you've read the rest of this piece, you'll have seen the word "calming" a lot, as my skin has been very reactive and RED this year.  Well, I'm slowly (very slowly) trying to re-introduce some more "active" skincare to my routine, and I've chosen the Repechage Biolight range to do it with, so I'm alternating the Darphin products with the Biolight - designed to lighten and brighten the skin without irritating - and I'm happy with the results, and the lack of RED, so far.  I'll keep you posted.

I guess this is just a list of current favourites, and some old, old favourites, but this is very much a snapshot of what I use on a regular basis, and why.

I'll be back with regular postings soon, well, as soon as I get my broadband sorted, that is ...


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