The Bluebeards Revenge

Because, sometimes, you can't keep a good man down ... I present you, MrLippie!

So... The world of male grooming is one populated by a mass of extreme soft-focus stereotypes, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, so it was with some trepidation that I examined "Bluebeards Revenge", fearing the worst. I'd heard nothing about it prior to it arriving in Lippie Underground Headquarters (courtesy of Get Lippie herself), and the name and the first glimpse of the steely blue box and skull and crossbones logo had my admittedly warped imagination churning out images of marketing drones desperately trying to link shaving to Cap'n Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean", or some such ridiculousness. Thankfully not! On closer examination, the skull & crossbones logo is slightly lopsided....which intrigued me somewhat. Evidence of a sense of humour? Maybe....but yes! Cue me getting a big grin on as I examined the warnings against usage by the "bum fluff brigade", women, and espoused the values of "real men" and how it can tackle even the manliest of beards! Sarcasm & self-mockery - often the best way to a customers' wallet - certainly in this highly cynical age. So, first obstacle passed, and on to the actual product. The shaving cream comes with a free shaving brush, which looks quite snazzy, being wood & bristle, with the Blubeard skull & crossbones being emblazoned on it in gold. Quite swish, but I will admit to have being spoiled beforehand by having a badger-hair brush, which just pips this in the softness stakes (but doesn't look as nice!). Spreading the cream on my face, I was impressed. It does have an aroma, but it's not massively overpowering. It's slightly flowery, but not hugely distinctive - quite classic, in fact. The cream slides well over the face, and lathers up over overnight stubble growth very nicely, clumping it up in preparation for the application of a razor. It comes off well, generally without requiring a second stroke, but obviously that's mostly dependent on the quality of said razor as opposed to the shaving cream, but we won't mention such a trifling detail such as that, will we?  Errr...yes. Anyhow. It's a good size tin of the stuff, and it's claimed that it can last up to 5 months! Given that my face is not the size of a small moon (nor a Death Star or minor planetoid), I look forward to using this over the next few weeks!   Okay, so that's the last time I'll let him watch "So I Married An Axe Murderer" (some couples fall in love to things like Out of Africa or, Love Story or something, but it turns out that "our film" is a Michael Myers film no-one has ever heard of.  HELLO!)  However, I've tried this myself, on my legs, and, whilst the free brush is a bit scratchy (to the point where I wouldn't even consider using it in my armpits), the soap itself is rather amazing.  Smooth and creamy, and leaving you with super smooth legs, and no hint of post-shaving dryness.  Highly recommended, most of all because it's paraben-free and won't leave you smelling like a fruit salad.  Incidentally, why do all women's shaving products smell of fruit?  I can't speak for the hair retardent claims made for this product, as I've only been allowed near it twice, even though it's technically mine! You can find out more about The Bluebeards Revenge here. The Fine Print: I bought this after reading a review by Do Not Refreeze. This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.

A break from our regularly scheduled programming.

Sometimes, there are no words except these:

Please give generously.

Thank you.

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

Project Perfume - Yardley

Ahhhh ... Yardley.  It's hardly the trendiest of perfume houses, and if you mention it to most people, they'll sigh a little bit and mention how their grandmother used to wear Lily of the Valley talcum powder, or smell of English Lavender.

And, truth be known, it's because Yardley aren't the trendiest of perfume houses that they've been around for so long. Not reliant on advertising, and celebrity endorsements, they're rather fashion-proof, which is all to the good. They've been the world's premier producer of single floral scents for several hundred years now - being founded around the time of Charles I, and have been producing perfumes as the House of Yardley since the mid/late 1700's. 

I've  mentioned Lily of the Valley already, and English Lavender, which I suspect are their best-known scents - alongside English Rose - but they also have expanded their range in recent years and have added Peony, Iris and Orange Blossom to the basic scent range.

Last year, they also re-released their cult April Violets scent, which had been long sought after by perfume fans and had been changing hands for up to £100 a bottle on eBay.  Not bad for a scent that retails for less than a tenner in the first place!  


I was delighted recently to be introduced to the range, and have found their single flower scents to be invaluable for helping me be able to identify individual notes in more complicated fragrances.  For, whilst Yardley fragrances are simple, they're also well-rounded and "pretty" scents to wear.  They're "linear" - meaning that the top notes are woven through the entire fragrance, and the dry down after a couple of hours or two won't smell too different from the scent that you first spray on in the morning.

In particular I've found myself drawn to Orange Blossom, which is a lightly heady concoction of neroli on the top notes, tempered with a little sprightly clean musk underneath.  It's calming and clean, and I find it's wonderful for clearing my head and making me able to concentrate.

Iris is a pretty, powdery, softly grey scent.  A little more sophisticated than a lot of the other soliflores in the range, this does away with any "old lady" images the range might have.  I'd wear this one.  A lot.  And I will.

Peony.  This is PINK.  It's sweet, and younger-seeming than the others.  A fun, uncomplicated and breezy scent, it's perfect for weekends, and is unthreatening, and very easy to wear.  It's not very me, but then, it's not trying to be.

Yardley also recently introduced their first non-linear floral scent, called: Royal English Daisy, it's a limited edition inspired by Kate Middleton, and her impending nuptials. I was slightly bemused by this idea, as the only thing daisies actually smell of is ... well ... dust.  Seriously, have a sniff of some chamomile tea sometime, it's basically dust with a hint of sunshine.

However Royal English Daisy doesn't, as far as my only-lightly-tutored nose can tell, contain any dusty daisies, it's a bit of a green lettuce and apple explosion at first before gently subsiding into a sweet, lightly floral appley-hyacinth scent, with just the merest whisp of a pale sandalwood base.  It's very pleasant, extremely inoffensive, and very easy to wear.  It's perfect for a young girl just starting out on investigating perfume, but it's nice and easy enough to wear that women of any age can wear it.  Realistically, it's not my cup of (chamomile) tea, I prefer something headier, but I can see this one being very popular indeed.   Get your mum some for Mother's Day.  She'll love it.


For more information about Yardley Perfumes, please click here.


The Fine Print: Reviews - such as they are! - were written from samples received at a PR event. No fudge was harmed in the writing of this post.
 
This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Giveaway Time!

Okay, I'm nearly at 800 followers -where on earth did you all come from? - so I thought I'd giveaway a few bits and pieces to say thank you!

Two prizes:

One: a collection of three - count them, three! - limited edition Chanel Nail Polishes, including Particuliere, Paradoxal and one mystery polish ...

Two:  A mystery bumper bag of goodies from brands such as Max Factor, Rebel Nails, and a set of five Model's Own nail polishes, amongst others!

All you have to do to have a chance to win is leave a comment on this post telling me what kinds of posts you'd like to see more of on Get Lippie in the future, or if there's anything in particular you'd like me to write about. 

Please ensure you leave a correct email address, and let me know your choice of prize in the comment too.
  

As this is a follower thank you, please ensure you're following me on Google Friends Connect on the right over there, as I'll be checking!   I reserve the right to disqualify entrants for not following these (very simple!) rules, and I'll draw the winners next Sunday - 20th March.

The competition is open internationally, so jump on in!


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

Random Face of the Day - Diorskin Nude Foundation Test

Apologies for the fact that I'm fully dressed here, random Googlers! I've been trialling Diorskin Nude foundation for about a week now, and I don't really have any hard and fast thoughts about it - yet - but I thought you might like to see how it photographs.

Alongside the Nudeskin, I'm wearing:
Sue Devitt eyeshadow in Lonely Splendour (a lovely taupe), 
Illamsaqua  Precison Ink eyeliner in Abyss, 
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara
NARS Blush in Sin
Guerlain Rouge G in Galante (yes, I bought another one)


Six products is about the minimum I can make a FotD these days, even one as simple (though I prefer the term "classic" as this one).


Here's another shot in different lighting:

You can very nearly see my new teeth!


Have you tried Diorskin Nude foundation?  What're your thoughts?


The Fine Print: I bought everything in this post. Not all at the same time, I'm not made of money credit cards.

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

My Current Skincare Routine

It's been a while since I mentioned skincare, I think - which is mainly because I have a rather settled routine at the moment, which I'm a bit loathe to change before the weather does!

And the title's a misnomer too, as I actually have two skin care routines, one am and one pm!  So here's my evening routine first:

(

(L-R) 

Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex, Absolution La Solution + Controle, Absolution La Creme du Soir and Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel.

Taking these in reverse order - as that's the order I use them in.  Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel is a very recent addition to my cleansing routine, but I'm a big fan already.  I'm usually a bit scared of gels, as they tend to contain high levels of alcohol, but this is a thick oil-based gel, and is almost a balm.  It's unusual to use, as it liquifies as you massage it over your skin, getting runnier the more you rub, in fact.  It's perfect for removing heavy makeup, and even removes your eye makeup, which is great.  The lightly citrus scent might be better suited for morning cleansing, being a little invigorating, but I prefer a deep cleanse at night (with my clarisonic) and a light cleanse in the morning, as you'll see.  I said this was a recent addition, but before this, I would use an oil-based cleanser anyway (either Shu cleansing oil, or the Nude cleansing oil I've been using on and off for a couple of years now)

Absolution  La Creme du Soir - Up until recently, I tended to use the same skincare for both morning and night, thinking night creams were a waste of time.  This, from my very first use of it, changed my mind totally. It's rich, it's thick, it's nourishing, it's organic, and whenever I use it, I wake up with smoother, hydrated and plumped up skin you can see the difference in.  It's amazing.  It's so amazing, I tried to use it during the day too.  Ironically, that little experiment didn't work, it was far too heavy.

I use it alongside the La Solution + Controle which is a balancing complex that you add a drop of to the night-cream and helps control blemishes and oil production.  My skin has been going through an oily phase this winter - I'm contrary, I know - and this has helped keep everything in check.

Absolution products are 99% natural, and these two items are around 65% organic.  I love the packaging too, the "cylinders" the products arrive in actually unroll to form the instruction leaflets, which is a cute and environmentally sound use of the packaging.  Also, the product packaging is both air-tight and protects the creams from the light, meaning that there are few, if any, preservatives used in the creams.

Then I use  Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex all over the eye area, including the lids.  This a cooling, refreshing and moisturising eye gel which I can't get enough of.  It's worked wonders on my bags and dark circles, and it's all I can do not to apply it twelvety times a day.

In the morning, this is what I use:

(L-R) Absolution L'Eau Soir et Matin, Alpha H Balancing Moisturiser, Alpha H Age Delay Facial Oil, and sneaking in there, Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex.

I mentioned that in the mornings I prefer a lighter cleanse (and in fact, sometimes I just have a rinse with water, if I really can't be bothered), so the Absolution L'Eau Soir et Matin works a treat.  Micellar waters are massive in France (indeed, Absolution is a French brand), and they're great for sensitive skin.  You merely wet a cotton pad with the water - and I can't tell you how much I LOVE the bottle for this, as you can pump it onto a pad with one hand - and run it over your face to remove the remains of your night creams. You don't need to rinse it off. It also works admirably well as an eyemakeup remover.  One thing, it smells - rather strongly - of lemon balm so if you're sensitive to strong scents (or indeed, you're not a fan of Thai food) then this might not be a good product for you.


I then follow this up with Alpha H Balancing Moisturiser, to which I add a drop of Alpha H Age Delay Facial Oil.  I like this combo, because the moisturiser is very light (though it contains 10% glycolic acid to help with signs of aging), but then I can add a drop - or two - of the facial oil, if it's a particularly cold or windy day for an extra drop of protection.  I really enjoy the little tingling sensation I get when I use this moisturiser, too.  And I think I can actually see the benefits I'm getting in my skin at the moment too.


Well, I could until I started using a primer that's given me zits, but more about that next week.


Then, as in my night time routine, I finish off with the eye complex.


So, what's your routine?


The Fine Print: As usual, this is a mixture of stuff I've bought, and stuff I've been sent by PRs.  It's all great, wherever it came from though, half of this is repurchases.


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

What's In My Shower?

Some people might know that I'm more of a bath person than a shower person, so this is a hodge-podge of bath/hair and shower products, but this is everything I have in current rotation - and more!


From left to right:
Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax bath/shower oil (just visible) - I adore this stuff, and have been through several bottles of it.  I will never be without it again.
Ren Rose Otto Shower Gel & Bath Oil - I adore the scent of roses, and for me, it's hard to beat the scent of these items, sweet and heady these are my real "special occasion" treats.
Morrocan Oil Shampoo & Conditioner (back)- I've had these for a while now, and not got around to giving them a full review, but I think these are good all-round shampoos and conditioners, but they don't have anything particularly special to recommend them, to be honest.  Rather on the expensive side, they're perfectly acceptable, but ... they're not something I'll re-purchase.  I'm just using them up at the moment.
Connock London Comforting Body Wash - This is a pricey (£22.50), but rather wonderfully moisturising shower gel.  I adore the subtly floral scent, and find that it really does leave my skin feeling softer and smoother after using it.  It's full of papain, which I think explains why.
Elemis Aching Muscle Super Soak - Love this stuff.  It foams slightly in the bath, so it's a slightly different effect to my beloved Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax oil.  Intoxicatingly herbal, and truly a relief for any aching bits you might have, it's a wonderful addition to any bathroom.
Elemis Sharp Shower & Bath gel - I've mentioned before my love of minty products, and this is a wonderful smell.  I've only used it once though (it's a very recent addition to my collection!) so can't tell you how it works with my skin, but if you like minty scents, then you must try this.
Naked Rescue Repairing Hair Treatment - a hair mask.  It's okay.  It didn't really do what it said on the label, but ... it smells nice. I got it after a failed Keratin treatment last year that left me with crispy frizzy hair, and it left my hair a little softer, but didn't really treat the problem.
Haus of Gloi Bubbling scrubs - I love these, not having much experience with satisfying body scrubs, these were a revelation for me, and I love their squidgy texture, which is really satisfying to play with in the mornings.  The scents here are Eggnoggin' and Snow Wolf, both of which I also have full-size pots of.  Sadly, they were part of the Christmas collection so no longer available in those scents.  I'm hoarding mine!
Body Shop Earth Lovers Shower Gels - in Apricot & Basil, and Cucumber & Mint.  These are soap-free, 100% biodegradable, and contain no colourants, parabens or sulphates.  And they're very nice indeed, they lather nicely on a shower lily, and smell delicious.  Nice to know you're not harming your skin or the environment using these.
Shu Uemura Pleasure of Japanese Bath oil - I wish this stuff hadn't been discontinued.  That is all.  This is my back up bottle, and I shall cry - yes CRY - when it runs out.
Haus of Gloi Whipped Soap - Haus of Gloi don't always have this in stock, but it's worth grabbing them when you can.  I use this as a shaving foam, and on occasion as a soap (who knew?) and they're rich and luxurious on the skin.  This is Eggnoggin', which again, I have a back up for, as it won't be back until next Christmas.
Haus of Gloi Bathing Dust - Again, another discontinued product that I love.  This is in the scent of Samhain, which is a glorious leafy scent that perfectly encapsulates autumn in a tub.  Gloi have - currently - no ability to bring these scented salts back, which distresses me greatly.
Body Shop Spiced Vanilla shower gel - Another (sorry!) discontinued little gem.  The warm scent of vanilla mixed with just a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg makes this a cuddle-some little bottle of love.  I'm hoping they bring it back next Christmas.
Paul Mitchell Wild Ginger Awapuhi Shampoo & Conditioner - These are currently my second favourite shampoo & conditioner, but don't let that put you off, they're actually excellent.  Very excellent indeed for sulfate and paraben-free products, it's just that I've found something which is unexpectedly better for my hair (and which I'll tell you about later).  The shampoo lathers wonderfully well, which means I don't have to double-cleanse with it, and the conditioner - which is silicone free - has wonderful slip and leaves my hair soft, silky and very, very shiny.  I adore the slightly spicy scent of ginger too. They're the best shampoo and conditioner on this shelf of my shower.


So, what's in your shower?


The Fine Print: This is a mixture of stuff I've bought, stuff I was sent by PRs, gifts, and stuff I've snuffled around eBay in a mournful manner for.

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