Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner

 Kalahari melon.  Apparently, they're a melon that grows in the desert, and an extract from their seeds has made it possible for Liz Earle to re-release their haircare range.  Initially rather underwhelmed when the Liz Earle haircare offering was just the shampoo alone, I've found using it in conjunction with the new conditioners is actually really good for my slightly coarse, definitely frizzy and (slightly) coloured hair.

Designed along their skincare lines, ie one "cleanser" (shampoo) to sort every possible type of skin (hair), then a specific "moisturiser" (conditioner) to address your particular concerns. There's one shampoo, and three silicone-free conditioners in the , one for fine hair, one for normal, and one for coarse/coloured hair.  There is also a hair "oil" (which I haven't tried), but I notice that the ingredients list Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Cetyl dimethicone and Aminopropyl phenyl trimethicon, which are all silicones, so don't be fooled by the "oil" moniker if you're going silicone-free.

Surprisingly, given my hair's propensity for being big and frizzy and basically out of control, the normal hair conditioner actually suits it best. I found that the one for "dry or damaged hair", which I initially found myself drawn to, was actually far too heavy, and led to greasiness.  But, I find the normal hair conditioner just about right, enough moisturisation to not leave it frizzy,  and it leaves my hair soft and shining for days after I wash - I don't wash every day, never have, never will, frankly.

All in all, I'm reasonably pleased with the conditioner, I remain a bit meh about the shampoo, but together they definitely get the job done. They cost £10 per tube.


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.


This post: Liz Earle Botanical Shine Shampoo and Conditioner originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

On Massage with Aromatherapy Associates, L'Occitane and Liz Earle

Lippie Underground HQ - soon to be Lippie Towers, but more about that anon - has been the scene of a lot of massage lately.  For a variety of reasons, it's become a slight necessity, prime among them is the fact that for the last few months I've been suffering from a skeleto-muscular problem, which isn't quite as serious as it sounds but has been causing continuous headaches since April.  Even so, this is all way less scary - and stressful - than the brain tumour I thought it was initially.  I don't recommend worry as a beauty aid.

Anyhoo, a decent massage begins with a decent massage oil, and I've found these to be my top contenders (one isn't a massage oil at all actually, so I hope I'll be forgiven for so heinously misusing it!):

Aromatherapy Associates Enrich Massage and Body Oil.  A glorious blend of Geranium and Ylang Ylang in a blend of olive, coconut and macademia oils, this has plenty of slip, and warms delightfully in the hands to provide a nice scented massage oil, that isn't too heavily fragranced.

I've found that it leaves the skin soft, scented, and wonderfully moisturised without being at all sticky, and, for that, I love it.  One downside is that the frosted glass bottle is a little tricky to handle with oily fingers, and it has been dropped once or twice because of that, (luckily the glass is thick and heavy, so no major spillages!) so I tend to decant in order to use this.  This costs £33 for 100mls, and I'd happily purchase another bottle.

Next up is L'Occitane Lavande Body and Massage Gel, which surprised me by arriving in a large, flat, plastic tub.  For some reason, I'd been expecting a tube. But, no matter, it's already more fit for massage purpose than a heavy glass bottle, even when you consider my heebie jeebies about jarred products.  If you like the smell of lavender (and I do, very much so), then you will love this, and even if you don't, then you still might like it, for in use, this has an odd effect that that in the jar, the smell is pungent, and heady, but on the body, it's a rather light and delicate scent.

As this is a gel, I was expecting it to be sticky, and, it is stickier than the two other oil products, but not unpleasantly so, and not so much that you'll notice it really.  It still gives very good slip, and is great in use.  It can, however, be very, very, very cold straight out of the jar, so this is one that you must warm in your hands before applying it your massage victim partner.  It's a fairly reasonable £20 for 200mls too, so is the cheapest option I'll be showing you today.

And now, my controversial choice: Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate.  Probably Definitely the most extravagant oil here, by far (costing £37.50 per 28ml, or £133.93 per 100ml), this has been a pleasure to use for massage.  Now, ordinarily, this is a facial oil, hence the small bottle and the whopping price comparison, and I wouldn't recommend it for this use as a rule, but, personally,  I adore the neroli/lavender/camomile scent, and it makes for a highly fragrant experience if you do use it for anything other than the recommended usage.  Also, I had a bottle handy nearby. Also surprising is that this tiny bottle (easier to handle than a big glass bottle) actually lasted through around a month of massage!  Excellent slip, and it led to pleasantly scented dreams ...

The Fine Print: PR Samples all, and gratefully received, too.  Thank you very much to all the firms who listened to my pleas for massage products.  And sincere apologies to Liz Earle for misusing her fine facial oil ... As always, the links are here for informational purposes only, and are not affilliate links.

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

Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint

Liz Earle is dipping her toes into colour cosmetics this September, and, prior to a full range of colour products coming to market in late 2012, the first product in the line is this, Sheer Skin Tint with SPF15.


Now, I'm a great fan of Liz Earle, she's an inspiration in the beauty business, and I think the idea behind adding a colour-range to the already impressive range of aromatherapy-based skincare is a great one, but I have genuinely mixed feelings about the Sheer Skin Tint.  Described as a pathway into cosmetics from the skincare, Liz describes this a tinted moisturiser, and certainly, the coverage is as light as you'd expect from something described as sheer in the name of it!

However, I find that Sheer Skin Tint is very thick, and can be difficult to blend as a result.  As the resulting coverage is so light, this isn't a big problem.  That said, I do find that I am constantly aware of this product whilst it's on my face, which isn't a feeling that I like very much.  I also find that it takes a long time to "set" on my skin - upwards of ten minutes - and this, very much, drives me bananas.  In the mornings, I'm very much a grab and go girl, and waiting ten minutes for what is essentially a tinted moisturiser to sink in is a bit of a waste of my time.  That's ten minutes I could have had in bed!


Also, when it finally does set, I find myself suffering from the unfortunate condition known as "stickyface". This is where a product makes your skin feel sticky and low-grade unpleasant for several hours after application. It's unusual to find it in a sheer tint! I've spoken to a couple of other beauty bloggers who've suffered from the same affliction though, as at first I thought I just had a dodgy tube. I also found that is has a habit of "grabbing" any powder products I applied over the top if I tried to put makeup over it too soon, which is annoying, because, although Liz herself describes this as a matte moisturiser, it's actually more of a satin (verging on dewy) finish, and owing to being slightly oily-skinned, I find it unwearable without a dusting of powder over the top.

All that said though, whilst I don't think this is a great product for me, I do think that some people will love this, and in particular my drier-skinned sisters (provided they're of the paler persuasion, there are only three shades available, and none of them will really cater for women of colour) are recommended to try it.  It's richly moisturising, and I haven't noticed it clinging to any dry patches of skin.  It does give a nice glow, and will even out your skintone, without giving a heavy appearance of being "fully made up".


Another nice thing about the product is that when you order it, Liz Earle will send you sample sachets so that you can ensure you have a proper colour match without opening the product.  If you find you've ordered the wrong shade, you can return the full-size product, and get it replaced with the correct colour for you.


All in all, it's not a bad product, it's just something I didn't enjoy using, and as such, I'd suggest anyone buying this should do as much research as they can before they splash out the £21 this will cost on release next month.

The Fine Print: PR sample.


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

Reader Request - Handcreams

Well, it is Valentine's day, so I'm hoping all my readers will find at least one person they'd like to hold hands with today, so here's something to make sure your paws will be at their smooth best.  Now, I'll be honest, I don't use much in the way of handcreams - my hands aren't particularly dry, as a rule, and I'm blessed with good "hand genes", in my hands are always pretty smooth and youthful looking. Sorry! But, I do use handcream occasionally, especially at this time of year, and these are the three that I reach for when I need one:

For every day use, I have a tub of this on my desk at work:

 All for Eve Hand Cream.  Simple, easily absorbed, and beautifully herbal-scented, this is a great all rounder, and everyone at work who has tried it has ended up buying a tube.  In fact, it's the most seen beauty product in my office.  I think the fact that all the profits go to help The Eve Appeal make this a simple decision for me.  A "feel good" product that actually does good, it's a no-brainer.  At £7.50 for 100mls, it's an affordable treat too.

Most times, I have a tube of this  in my bag at all times too:

 Liz Earle Hand Repair.  When I first tried this hand cream - must be about 12 years ago now - this was a revolutionary texture for me. It's matte, and leaves your hands soft and moisturised, without ever feeling greasy, which is utterly wonderful. Again, it's easily absorbed and with a lovely herbal scent.  A 50 ml tube of this will set you back £8.95, so it's a bit more pricey than the All for Eve, but it's a very handy size for carrying around with you.

When my hands really need a bit of TLC I use a dollop of this:

Lanolips Wild Rose Balm Intense. Which is an incredibly rich, thick, even dense, balm of medical-grade lanolin which requires warming in the palms of your hands before it becomes soft enough to be spreadable onto your skin. Once that's done though, you're rewarded with a rose-scented treatment cream that's an incredible treat for parched skin.  It's fabulous on dry cuticles and anywhere you have dry, parched or even cracked skin.  It costs £8.95 for 50mls , but it's also available in a less intense version for dry skin which is £9.95 for 120 mls, making that one a bargain.  I find the smell of this one extremely (and randomly) nostalgic, in that it smells - ever so slightly - like the plastic they used to make Sindy's out of. 

Yes, I am a weird.  What are your recommendations for handcreams? 

The Fine Print:  These are all products I've quite happily spent my own pennies one.  Make of that what you will ...


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

Winter Skin Preparation

I had a request from a reader to write about how to prepare skin for the coming winter months.

I'll be honest, I don't change my skincare routine much unless the condition of my skin changes drastically, with that in mind, I'll tell you what my current routine is, and what I'm planning to change when the weather gets colder.

I have combination skin, which - depending on the weather - can be more oily or more dry in patches, so I adjust my routine accordingly.

Turns out, I have around eight cleansers on the go at the moment, but the two I alternate between most at the moment are Alpha H Balancing Cleanser, and Nude Cleansing Oil - I may toy with with others, but these are the two I keep coming back to.  The Alpha H is a cream cleanser, which I enjoy using to "melt" off my makeup at the end of the day, and I like using a cleansing oil in the mornings.  I'm playing with a couple of other cleansers too these days, and I'll talk to you more about those soon.

The cold weather can make even the best looked-after skin a bit drier and a little flaky looking, so you may find you need to exfoliate a little more often. For exfoliation, I'm still in love with my Clarisonic (I cannot tell a lie) but I found in the past that the hot-cloth cleansing method with a muslin cloth used daily was more than adequate for my exfoliation needs.  Occasionally (once a week or so) I'd use a little Origins Modern Friction, which I enjoy using for the warming sensation, and removing the gluey mass at the end is very satisfying, but then, I am a little odd.

You may want to switch to a (slightly) heavier moisturiser at this time of year,  I'm currently trialling a few moisturisers at the moment - amongst them ROC, Estee Lauder and a couple of others - but, I admit I'm still waiting to find "the one" that's going to suit me all winter long.

Whilst I'm waiting for the magic moisturiser to make itself known to me, I'll be upping my hydration levels via the use of a few judiciously chosen emollient masks.  Sisley Flower Mask is one I adore, though it's expensive, and I'm also planning to make use of Liz Earle's Intensive Nourishing Treatment Mask over the coming months too.

But, the one thing I absolutely, positively can't live without at this time is - of course - lipbalm.  For an overnight treatment, I simply adore Sisley's lipbalm (no, Sisley haven't sponsored this post, I just love them!) I just slip a little over my lips at night, and generally all is free of chapping the following day.  For during the day though, I love my little tins of Badger Balm, they're organic, not full of mineral oils, and taste divine, even if they have discontinued my beloved Chai Rose flavour!

What are your winter skincare tips?

Review - Clarisonic (First Thoughts)

Ever since I read Gemma's Clarisonic Diaries posts about her experiences of using a handset for a month over on London Beauty Review a while ago, I've wanted one of these sonic beauties!  A couple of weeks ago though, this desire was cemented by the amazingly talented Jody Bloch at the Fern Skin Clinic, who told me that a Clarisonic would definitely help me with some dry skin issues I've been suffering from lately.

It took me a little while to get my hands on one, but I finally have one in my sticky little paws, and, after a week of use, I thought it might be interesting to get some thoughts down about how using a giant toothbrush Clarisonic to clean my face has been.

Here is what Clarisonic claim for themselves (from the Clarisonic website):

Benefits beyond just clean skin: Clarisonic improves the appearance of skin tone and reduces the appearance of pore size

Clarisonic is the sonic technology proven to gently yet effectively loosen dirt and oil to clear your pores. The Clarisonic Cleansing System uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to clean, soften and smooth your skin. In just 60 seconds a day, the Clarisonic micro-massage action cleans more than twice as effectively as manual cleansing.

Clarisonic Sonic Cleansing Benefits

• Removes 6x more makeup than manual cleansing
• Leaves skin feeling and looking smoother
• Cleanses so well that products absorb better
• Gentle enough for twice daily use
• Helps reduce oily areas, dry skin patches and blemishes
• Helps reduce the appearance of visible pores
• Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles 

I've been using mine twice a day for the last week, with an old favourite cleanser (Nude's Facial Cleansing Oil), and, I have to say, I've been astonished at how much I love using this thing. Essentially, you apply your cleanser to your damp skin, then, after wetting the brush head with warm water, you move it in small circles over your skin, moving to different parts of the face when the handset beeps.  Once the brush turns itself off, I usually go over my skin with a warm facecloth and remove any last traces of cleanser that are left behind, and give myself a little steam-treatment too.

So, how have I found it? Well, after my operation, I'd been quite openly complaining about my dull, grey, flaky skin, which not even my usual hot-cloth method of skin-cleansing had been able to shift.  In addition, I've been "suffering" from a constant patch of dry, flaky skin on my forehead for a matter of months that has been driving me bananas - it was diagnosed by a couple of people recently as "lipid dryness", meaning that oil wasn't able to penetrate beyond the most superficial layer of my skin.  From the first use, Clarisonic has helped with both of those problems. 

My dry patch has disappeared, and my skin has been uniformly more even in tone, and it's soft. So soft that it feels like velvet!  I do find that my skin most definitely feels a lot cleaner when I use the handset, and from the first use (for me), it's been a bit of a revelation. I've also found that I don't need to exfoliate at all.  Astonishing.  Astonishing enough for me to actually look forward to cleansing my face as a result!

Now, has my skin been visibly changed for the better?  I can't in all honesty say so.  Yet.  MrLippie hasn't noticed any difference in my skin (then again, he'd only really notice a change in my skintone if I suddenly dyed it to match his London Irish rugby shirt, to be honest).  Skin creams certainly seem to sink in better after using it, and  I think this might be raising their efficiency slightly.  Oils, in particular just seem to vanish into my face with only the bare minimum of massaging, and my skin has been brighter as a result.  The main skin oil that I'm using at the moment is Liz Earle's Superskin concentrate, by the way, I just adore the neroli-scent as a night treatment.

Things I don't like: it takes a long time to charge - when it first arrives, you have to charge it for 24 hours before you can use it, and, I've found it can be tricky trying to change the programming.  It has three speeds, which are very easy to sort out, but moving it from a 1 minute timed setting, to a 2 minute timed setting or a setting without a timer can be difficult.  So difficult, in fact, that mine appears to be stuck on the 2 minute timer, and I can't, for the life of me, figure out how to get it back onto a one minute timer!  This is eating up my battery life, which ties back into my point about it taking a long time to charge! It's also on the pricey side, coming in at £150 for a face-only version, or £175 for a face and body unit. You can pick one up from Selfridges, Harrods, or SpaceNK.  That said though, a course of facials would cost a similar amount, and, this is something that I feel is definitely going to make a big change to  my routine, so, on a cost per use basis, it actually works out pretty cheap.  I've always believed that getting your cleansing right is the key to any skin routine, and, well this is a big step along that route.

Overall, I'm exceptionally impressed, and I'm looking forward to seeing if the coming weeks bring any differences to my face that other people can notice ...

The Fine Print: Unit was accidentally provided for review purposes.  Long story, it involves Selfridges, a champagne cocktail or two, another encounter with me talking WAY too much to Daniel Sandler and some lightly embarrassed gatecrashing.  Probably best not to ask ...

Avon Calling? Liz Earle joins up ...

I don't often regurgitate press releases, but there's been a lot of talk on Twitter about this today, let me know your thoughts!

***

The Liz Earle Beauty Co. announced today a new partnership with leading global beauty brand, Avon Products Inc.


Co-founder Liz Earle, said of the deal “We are very excited to be joining forces with an iconic global beauty brand like Avon. We believe the Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare philosophy and extraordinary brand loyalty we have built in the U.K., when combined with Avon’s presence in more than 100 countries around the world, will create an outstanding opportunity for international expansion for our company.”

The deal, designed to deliver international expansion opportunities for the leading British skincare brand, will see the company remain firmly rooted in its home in Ryde, Isle of Wight. The company will continue to operate as a standalone brand, under the leadership of co-founders, Liz Earle and Kim Buckland.

“Joining forces with Avon is a dream come true for us,” said co-founder Kim Buckland. “Just as Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare has its own ‘Precious Recipe’ which lies at the heart of all we do, Avon has a long established reputation for its high levels of customer service, its great workplace environment, and its contributions to the wellbeing of society.”

Andrea Jung, Avon’s chairman and chief executive officer, said “We are delighted to welcome Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare to Avon and we see this new partnership as a perfect fit for both companies. Liz Earle’s tightly edited range of award-winning, naturally active skincare products is highly complementary to Avon’s anti-aging skin care and broader beauty portfolio. It also represents a long term opportunity to develop a standalone Liz Earle direct selling Representative channel.”

Terms of the arrangement between the two companies remain private and will not be disclosed.
 
***
 
What do you think?

Review - Liz Earle

Liz Earle were kind enough to send me some of their products to try out recently, I thought it was about time I had a fresh look at the brand, so was happy to give them the once over.  Here's what I thought of their basic skin-care products.

Cleanse and Polish 

I first tried C&P about 10 years ago, and I remember not loving it then. At the time I was addicted to foaming face-washes and thought that the soft-feeling skin I got after using this eucalyptus-scented cream was "wrong" somehow and gave up using it without really a second thought.

Now though, after spending many years re-educating myself to remove those oil-stripping facial washes from my routine, and using oils to cleanse my face instead, I do like this stuff a great deal.  For the uninitiated,  you spread a glob (scientific term there) of the cream over your face, then use a muslin cloth dipped in hot water to remove it.  I've found it spreads easily, removes even the toughest waterproof mascara and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. I'm delighted to have rediscovered it, and will be using it as my go-to cleanser from now on.  Liz Earle was the brand that introduced me to the hot-cloth cleansing method - which I've used in the decade since first using the cream, no matter what cleanser I've used since! - so on some level I owe a great deal to the brand for at least teaching me one good habit!

Instant Boost Skin Tonic 

Okay, it's possible I'm not the best person to review this product, I don't really like the smell, and - if I'm being really honest - I don't, in all honesty think toner is a necessary step in a cleansing routine, particularly if you're already rinsing off your cleanser with water, and a cloth anyway.  But, if you like toners, then it's likely you'll like this one.  It has a herbal scent, and I find it nice and refreshing, but I find that it's just one more step in my routine, and so ... I tend to skip it.  I have put some in an atomiser though, and I find spraying a little over a too-powdery or too-matte foundation helps me stop looking cakey.

Superskin Moisturiser
Oh, how I love this stuff! It's a fragrance-free moisturiser full of ingredients such as borage and pomegranate alongside cranberry seed and rosehip oils.  My winter-parched skin has just been drinking this stuff up over the last month, and it's something I can totally see myself buying again.  I find it leaves my skin silky smooth and velvety, without leaving a greasy film like so many moisturisers geared towards dry skin tend to do. 

I've also been trying a few other products, but I'll bring you reviews on those later.  What do you think of Liz Earle products?  Will you be giving them a try?

(Almost) Organic Wednesday Liz Earle + Giveaway!

Giveaway is now closed, thank you lovelies!

When I'm asked about handcream, I very rarely have to stop and think, I simply say "Liz Earle Hand Repair", because I truly believe it's one of the best handcreams I've ever tried.  It smells divine, sinks in easily, doesn't leave a greasy residue (it leaves them matte, the first handcream I ever tried that did that!), and it leaves your hands soft and moisturised for hours on end.  I may flirt with other creams whose scent I admire, but it's safe to say that in the handcream race Liz Earle has won my gold medal.

I'm a big fan of the Liz Earle brand, and have been ever since it debuted on QVC back in the mid-90s.  In fact, I think my second ever purchase from QVC was a Liz Earle tester set, and I've liked the brand ever since! Their commitment to  natural ingredients (though they don't claim to be certified organic), alongside a female-friendly profile - Liz is a wonderful spokesperson for the brand -  and a desire to keep luxury affordable, are things I always admire. 

After I wrote a little feature the other day about my dry skin tips (in response to a reader request) the company got in touch and offered to give one of my readers a set of their Superskin goodies!  Perfect for treating  dry, and flaky skin in winter time, the kit includes:

• Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser 30ml
  
• Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer 30ml
  
• Superskin Moisturiser 15ml
  
• Superskin Concentrate 2ml
  
• Sample size of new Superskin Eye & Lip Treatment
  
• 1 pure muslin cloth
  
• Zip-up kit bag

OR, if you're not suffering from dry skin at the moment, don't worry, Liz Earle is offering a bottle of her brand new fragrance instead: Botanical Essence No.1 which is 98% natural, and contains (amongst other things) lavender, patchouli, rose and bergamot which sounds perfectly divine!

Now, because I'm hosting this giveaway, and because I'm a helpless over-sharer, I'll be adding a couple of prizes too, plus I will personally be providing the second prize.  I'm off to IMATS the weekend of 30th/31st January, and I'll pick up some mystery gifts for the lucky winners while I'm there.  They'll have to remain a mystery for now, as, well ... I haven't bought them yet!  Companies exhibiting at IMATS include Ilamasqua, OCC, Crown Brush ... who knows what'll be in the bags?

To enter, all you have to do is be a follower of the blog - click the link on the right there, if you haven't already! - and add a comment to this post telling me what your particular skin-care concern is (doesn't have to be dry skin, it could be something like open pores, or dark circles for example), please leave me a valid email address and say whether you'd prefer the skincare or the fragrance. If you're not a follower of the blog, don't worry, I'll be holding a giveaway which is open to all entrants in the near future. 

This giveaway is open internationally, and will the draw will be held on Sunday 7th February.  We'll do our best to ensure you get your goodies in time for Valentines Day!