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Friday, 1 January 2010

Wonder Product - Mavala Nail Systems

 

I don't give things wonder product status very often - I'm fickle, and I get bored of products very, very easily.  Certainly, if I can't see results from a product within a short time, then I stop using them, and, expecially when it comes to my nails, I'm lazy, so if I have to use a product, say, more than a couple of times a week, then I'm prone to forgetting about it altogether ....

However, the trio of products you see above, well, I love them! And they've made such a difference to my nails in a very short time, it's almost unbelievable.

Here's how my nails looked about two months ago:






And here's how my nails look after six weeks of treatment with the Mavala nail system:



Can you see the difference? (and yes, I know this is a picture of my other hand, looooong story!) best of all, my nails are STRONG now, and don't peel, flake or just plain snap at the drop of a hat.  I'm totally in love with having nails, and I've been asked a couple of times if I've had acrylics done!

Here's how the system works:

It's a three part system - but you can mix and match how many of them you need, or want to use, this is just the products I've found that work for me in combination, you don't have to use all three if you think you don't need them.


Firstly on a daily basis you use the Nailactan Nutritive Nail cream, just massage a tiny amount into your cuticles, and this keeps the nails moisturised, and prevents dryness and brittleness.  I'll be honest here and admit I don't always use this every day, but I do use it two, maybe three times a week, and it's very good at getting rid of dry, raggedy cuticles.

Secondly, you use this stuff (and if you only get one product, this is the one I can't recommend highly enough) Mavala Scientifique Nail Hardener:



It's a very thin liquid that you paint just on the very tip of your nails - twice a week to start with, falling to once a week, or once a fortnight once your nails are up to strength - and it penetrates to bond the nail plates together and make them stronger.  This tiny bottle - and it is tiny -  is an entire year's supply, but I've been using it for six weeks now, and as you can see, I've barely made a dent in the contents!

This formula does contain formaldehyde, and as such, you have to be careful with how you use it - it hardens everything, including skin, so I'd recommend that you read the instructions very carefully before you use it.  I've had no problems with it, but it is a bit whiffy, (it reminds me of sage and onion for some reason) so make sure you don't use it in too enclosed a space.

Then, before painting my nails I use the base-coat system:



Bottle number one contains nylon strands in a strengthening base, to further support the strength of your natural nails.  Once this coat is dry, you add a coat (or two) of bottle number two, which will fill in all the ridges left by the strands and leave you with a glossy base to apply polish over.  I've found that using these as a base both strengthens my nails and hugely improves the wear of my polishes.

Mavala introduced Scientifique to the UK in 1959, and they say that it's never been bettered. I think I have to agree with them.  What do you use on your nails?

Mavala products are available at independent pharmacists nationwide, but I've found all these products in my local Debenhams.  Products cost from around £3.75 for the varnishes, to around £10 for the treatment products.

The small print - these products were provided for review purposes, but all reviews are honest regardless of the source.
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Wednesday, 30 December 2009

Ellis Faas - the haul!


Courtesy of the lovely, lovely LondonMakeUpGirl these arrived today, and I'm delighted!  I'd ordered two eyeshadows and a blush a couple of weeks ago, and after a slight snafu with the order courtesy of the Ellis Faas online shop (which was very quickly and most courteously sorted, bless their cotton socks!) it's taken a while for them to get here.

I love the entire ethos behind Ellis Faas, innovative products innovatively designed and packaged, made to suit everyone. All the colours are based on natural colours you'd find in the human body, but that doesn't mean it's all beiges and browns, there are reds, purples, oranges, blues and greens.  And beige, and brown ...

But onto the products, that's why you're all here, innit?  I love the packaging, even if people occasionally think I'm carrying around "intimate objects" for midgets ... basically, all the products are cream-based, and depending on which part of the face they're for, they either stay glossy and creamy (the lip products) or dry to a flattering powder (eye and skin).  The packaging is based on bullets:



Onto the swatches, I ordered Milky Eyes (the sheerer eye formulation) in E208 - a pinkish-orange coral shade, Creamy Eyes (the more matte eye formulation) in E105 - a purplish brown, and the blush in S302, which is a beautiful slightly shimmery coral colour:

Without flash:


With Flash:



I have to say that the picture with the flash is more true to the actual colour of the products.  I do have one issue with Ellis Faas and that is that the online swatches are dreadful, these colours (beautiful though they are) aren't quite what I was expecting from the online shop.  Online they look pinker, but I suggest you hang on till you can see them in the flesh before buying - they're launching at Liberty in February, and both Grace and I will be in line for more!

I'll bring you a FotD with these products soon, I can't wait to use them properly!  I already have two of the lipsticks, and I know they'll both work with these colours!  
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A Date With Ellis Faas

I'm so excited today! I'm picking up the Ellis Faas order I placed a couple of weeks ago, and I can't wait to get my hands on the goodies!

In honour of this momentous occasion (and because I'm also meeting LondonMakeUpGirl and I don't want to feel like a scruffy oik) I've broken out my Ellis Red lipstick:




I love this colour, it's almost black on the brush, but it blends out to the most gorgeously wearable red shade in everyone, and you can build up the coverage to make it as intense as you like. This is about medium coverage on me Sorry about the crappy iPhone pic, but I'll bring you lots of lovely swatches (and links!) later.
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Tuesday, 29 December 2009

What I'm up to this week ...



Well, I started a new job today so posts are going to be a bit thin on the ground this week, but I'll hit the ground running next week, I promise!

Taking a leaf out of the lovely Lipglossiping's book (as I so often do, I love her blog!) I've joined up as part of The Beauty Blog Link Love network this week, so every week in 2010 I'll be bringing you a round-up of the best posts around, so you'll always have some fresh and new blogs brought to your attention for your weekend reading!

Also, I've restarted my Facebook Group - what do you mean you didn't know I had one?  It's okay, I'd forgotten about it in the joy of getting my blog properly underway too ... you can find it here, if you'd like to join, I'd love to see some new faces there!  I set it up a while ago to promote my personal shopping business, but I've changed the focus a bit there too ... What do you mean you didn't know I had a personal shopping business?  Take a look at my Facebook group and find out a bit more, some of my clients have had a chat on there ...

Oh, and I've been busy buying nail varnish.  LOTS of nail varnish.  That nice MizzWorthy  has LOTS to answer for, she introduced me to holographic polish just before Christmas and now I'm hooked.  HOOKED!  Will bring you posts and swatches as they arrive.  Because it's Christmas week, there won't be any Organic Wednesday or Makeover posts this week (sorry!) but they will be back, along with some other features I'm working on.  All good stuff, I hope!
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Monday, 28 December 2009

Unhappy Badger (balm) ...


I love me some Badger Balm - and so does Mr Lippie now I don't flinch when I see his elbows coming anywhere near me! - so when the company left a comment on my original article and said they'd just made their last 1343 tins of the Chai Rose variety (my personal All Time Favourite of All Time), I immediately emailed them and asked how I could get hold of a couple of tins.

I just heard back from them. I can't.  They're not shipping them to any international distributors!  I'm actually now even more bitterly disappointed than I was when I realised they'd discontinued it in the first place!  I've got money, I can pay, but I'm slightly aggrieved that, once again, international fans of US products - I'm looking at you, Stila, Urban Decay, Zoya and a couple of other companies ... SEPHORA -  tend to get the fuzzy end of the lollipop when it comes to getting products over here in the first place, or being excluded from special offers and twitter competitions and the like.

I still love Badger Balms, they're second to not very many in their field ... but, companies need to try not to get people's hopes up, just to dash them badly. Unlike Chai Rose, it's not a pleasant flavour.
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Friday, 25 December 2009

Smokey Eyes - How I do it

Lots of pictures here, and not too many words, merry Christmas everyone!



 

Applying a colour wash - Mac Dovefeather





Defining the crease - Laura Mercier Twilight





Powder Lining - Laura Mercier Twilight





Lining the lower waterline - Laura Mercier Twilight (considering botox, priceless)



Applying Mascara - Lancome Hypnose Drama




Deciding I need liquid liner - Make Up Forever purple



Applying blusher - Cargo Plant Love Illuminator in Wind (fnaar)



Lipstick - YSL Rouge Volupte 23




How the eye make up looks close up

And, how the look is complete:



(possibly the worst picture of me, ever taken, hence the close cropping!)

This is my smokey-eyes party look, and it's what I'll be sporting today.  Hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas!

I'll be back around the new year, I'll see you all soon!
Luce
x






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Thursday, 24 December 2009

Merry Christmas!



Hope everyone is planning a lovely Christmas this year - I'm not going to be around much between now and new year as I'm ill, I'm travelling round the country a bit, and I'm starting a new job!  I'll be around just after Christmas though, and I have a post about smokey eyes coming up soon, so look out for it!

See you all soon!
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