I've been ill for a fortnight now - why there weren't any posts on the blog last week, sorry! And this is the skincare I've been using to help myself look approximately normal again. It's not working, I still look like death warmed up, but at least my skin isn't blotchy and flaking. For now ...
Monday brought Biologique Recherche Lait, with PixiBeauty Glow Tonic, Murad Eye Cream, Medik8 Red Skin serum (something I'm starting to truly love and rely on), and SkinCeuticals moisturiser - of which there is a full review coming up, because it's a great product on my sensitive oily-combination skin. Oh, and Serozinc, which is an all-time favourite!
Tuesday was the same, only I swapped in Bioderma Crealine spray for the Serozinc (and in all honesty, I use them both interchangably - if you have one, you probably don't need the other), plus I added in Pestle & Mortar Pure Hyaluronic, for more hydration. Tuesday was a long day at the office, and I knew I'd need a boost of hydration to get through the day, but I needed a bit of exfoliation first to make it sink in well, so the morning also brought in my much-loved Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner.
Wednesday was one of those days where I woke up super exhausted, and it was showing on my face, so I wanted some lovely, buffering, comforting skincare, so I dug out my beloved (truly beloved) May Lindstrom Blue Cocoon Balm, which is an amazing skincare product for sensitised slightly reactive skin like mine. A rich balm that melts into an oil, and contains natural anti-histamines in the form of blue tansy oil, I use it as a night treatment mostly, but it's superb at protecting from the weather, on occasion.
Thursday - I'm experimenting with the Kiehls' Ultra Facial moisturiser at the moment, which I really liked in conjunction with the Blue Cocoon Balm, and, just because I could, I did a double-cleanse with PixiBeauty Nourishing Cleansing Balm, and Bioessense Miracle Cleansing Water Cleansing Jelly (about which more soon). I don't normally double-cleanse in the morning , but sometimes you just want to kick things up a bit.
Friday. KATE SOMERVILLE is back in my routine! I received a little package of the products a while ago, and I've been holding onto them (along with the KS products I've been keeping in my fridge for a good few months now too - thanks to kind friends and family who have been to the US this year, and dragged some back for me) till now. You're going to be seeing a lot of KS in the coming weeks, but it's always a joy to use them. I'm currently using the Kate Somerville Nourish Moisturiser, and the Age Arrest Eye Cream, but I'll be rotating a couple of other products in and out of my routine for a couple of weeks. I also have a couple of pots of Goat Cream, but I'm keeping those mainly as night creams right now.
Saturday - I wanted to do a routine composed entirely of favourite products, both old and new ones, and this was the result. Zelens Balm Cleanser, which I left on my face for a good five or ten minutes as a mask before removing (not deliberate, but it felt really nice, actually!) Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner, Serozinc, Zelens Antioxidant Serum, and three (count them!) Kate Somerville products, the aforementioned Nourish and Age Arrest eyecream, alongside Quench Hydrating Serum, which is one of my favourite products ever. I probably need the oil-free version for every day use, to be honest, but I do like to use this on days where I'm in no rush to apply my makeup afterwards.
How has your week in skincare been?
The Fine Print: PR Samples, purchases, and gifts which were until recently kept in the back of the fridge ...
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Spicy fragrances have been one of my saviours this year. For some reason that's not quite clear (but which is possibly related to trigeminal rather than olfactory nerve stimulation) my parosmic nose can register spicy scents (and tastes) really quite well. So, when I discovered Library of Fragrance were bringing out a Cardamom perfume, I was super-excited.
Cardamom is one of my favourite smells (and tastes) anyway, so I was always destined to love this, but even so, I was a bit surprised by it. Expecting a sharp and pungent hit of hot perfumed spice, I was greeted with a soft fluffy cloud of warm cardamom-scented powder. Creamy and gently perfumed with cardamom, this is really lovely. It smells a lot more expensive than any £15 perfume has any right to, frankly.
Library of Fragrance perfumes aren't particularly known for their lasting power, but this seems to last quite well on my skin, having a 3-4 hour wear time (which, compared to the 30-minutes to an hour I get from Clean Laundry, is nothing short of miraculous). I was hoping for a sharp punch of spice to use for layering over other fragrances that I have trouble interpreting, but what I got was actually a lovely fragrance in its own right, perfect for wearing alone. Can't argue with that.
It'll be in-store soon.
The Fine Print: PR Sample
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I'd love to be able to do a complete gel manicure at home, but sadly, I remain the cack-handed muppet I always was, and the thought of having to do all that cuticle-work and tidy-up and preparation makes me a little light-headed. Luckily, one of my good friends is Nails by Miss Merx, so whenever I fancy a full-on gel manicure, it is to her I go. Times being what they are, however, I can't afford permanent gel manicures, and my nose being as problematic as it is (I can no longer bear the smell of nail polish) I can't be doing with painting my own nails too often either, so what is a girl to do?
Enter United Beauty Gel Touch Top Coat, which claims to turn any nail polish into a gel manicure. All you do is apply your nail varnish as usual, wait until dry (incredibly important, this step), cure with the included UV lamp and boom! You're ready to go!
Costing £49.99, the kit includes a UV lamp, a bottle of topcoat and five cleansing wipes (which you use before and after applying the top coat, initially to remove grease, and then afterwards to remove any residual gel left over after curing). I really like this, with some caveats - the cleansing wipes are on the dry side, so once you've used them pre-manicure, they're too dry to use to wipe off excess gel, and there are only five of them, and if you need two per manicure, that's only two full manis you have wipes for. And, of course, there is the fact that your manicure won't last quite as long as a full gel manicure, either. After a few months of using this, I can get a manicure to last ten days if I apply very (VERY) carefully, but a week is more usual.
That said, a week is usually more than enough for me, I get bored of wearing the same colour for longer, anyway, and I can cope with only painting once a week, instead of two or three times as with normal nail varnish.
I've used it a lot over the last couple of months (after buying myself some alcohol to use as a cleanser) and like it very much. If you're expecting full-gel manicure wear, you're going to be a little disappointed, but if you're a lazy article, like myself, it'll save you a manicure a week.
Available from the United Beauty website.
The Fine Print: PR Sample
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Yes, I'm back to Christmas gift sets! What? I love them! And this Moor Mud Set from Omorovicza is not just a brilliant way to try what is, frankly, one of the best skincare products on the planet, it's a bargain, too.
Containing a full-size Thermal Cleansing Balm (which normally retails at £46), a third-size Refining Facial Polisher (100ml full size retails at £65) and a third-size jar of Deep Cleansing Mask (50ml full-size retails at £57) alongside a mini-cleansing mitt, the entire kit sells for £46, which is the cost of the Thermal Cleansing balm alone! I've reviewed both the cleansing balm and the facial polisher previously (see the links above), and I've been dying to try the cleansing mask - I've read really good things about it - so to get two good-size samples, alongside an excellent full-size product to boot brings me real joy*. You can find this (alongside some other kits which look great) on the Omorovicza website, and in Liberty, or wherever stocks Omorovicza near you.
*And isn't that the real meaning of Christmas?**
The Fine Print: PR Sample
**Joke!
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I don't actually remember the last time I straightened my hair on a regular basis. There was a time when my (naturally) curly hair was kept such a secret that it frequently came as a huge surprise to people that my hair was anything more than just slightly bouncy. I went through straighteners like no one's business! For the last year or so though, I've been embracing my inner curly-girl, and occasionally cursing the fact that, actually, curls are a lot more work than straight hair! And don't even talk to me about frizz ...
Anyhoo, I've about reached the end of my tether with my curls at the moment, so when the chance to review a Steampod Straightener from L'Oreal came up, I kind of leapt at it. Well, not kind of, actually leapt! The system - for it is a system - use both steam and keratin-enriched styling creams to infuse conditioning ingredients into the hair, before the ceramic plates seal the cuticles and straighten your hair.
Inside the rather imposing box are one pair of straighteners (which come complete with a comb attachment, which I love), one steam pod itself, one replenishing styling cream, and one smoothing serum. The straightener and steam pod are attached to each other by a very sturdy wire, and the pod (which you must keep on a flat surface when in use, as it is full of water - the water chamber itself is removable for easy filling and emptying) comes complete with sucker pads to keep it in one place.
You do NOT use this on wet hair. You apply the styling cream to damp hair, and either blow- or air-dry until your hair is 100% dry, then, after applying a little of the protective serum to the ends, you then use the straighteners as you would any others. Well, almost. They're a little wider than normal straighteners and this is to encompass the row of steam nozzles (which only activate when the plates are pressed together), and the comb attachment below the heated ceramic plates. You have to ensure that at all times the steam-holes are below the ceramic plates, so the steam infuses the creams first. This can mean a bit of manouvering (especially around the back), but the set has arrows to show where the steam holes are - after a bit of practice, it's quite easy to remember.
The Steampod promises mirror-like shine at a lower temperature than a normal straightener, so does it deliver on that promise? The first time I used these, no it didn't, actually. I initially used mine at 180 degrees (I usually use my traditional straighteners at the highest temperature, having learned the hard way that whilst my curls aren't the tightest, they are incredibly tenacious) and tried out the "normal" hair styling cream alongside the low temperature. I found that my hair needed several passes with the straighteners to get straight, and even with a liberal application of the protective serum, the ends were still a bit frizzled, and, I admit, I was disappointed. Frizzy bits and hard work? No thanks.
Nonetheless, I tried again (for it is not only my hair that is tenacious, at times), this time pushing the temperature up to maximum, as I am ordinarily wont to do, and this time using the replenishing cream for thick hair. I used it over wavy, air-dried hair, and the difference was amazing. I won't go so far as to say my hair was mirror-shiny, but it was soft, shiny and straight, and best of all, felt like natural hair. Sometimes I find that straightening my hair with a styling cream leaves my hair feeling slightly plastic-ky afterwards, and without an ability to bend naturally. I didn't have this problem this time. Hair felt natural, and looked like naturally straight hair, rather than "ironed" hair. I loved the results, second time around.
Plus, it lasts. The publicity for this states that it "can last up to three days" (emphasis mine) I've found that it does last at least that, and it has survived several bouts of rain this week too, both drizzle and proper stormy wind and rain without any permanent damage. I'm impressed.
So yes, there's a bit of a learning curve with this one, taking time to figure out the best positions to straighten your hair in, and figuring out which temperature works best for your hair (personally, I never put much stock in anything that says "styles at a lower temperature", because, frankly, my hair doesn't work that way) and making your choice of styling cream correctly in the first place - my hair isn't particularly thick, but there is a hell of a lot of it, and the ends of mine are bleached, to boot. I'd recommend anyone with anything but the very thinnest/finest of hair avoids the "fine/normal hair" cream, and just goes straight for the "thick/very sensitised" version.
All of which brings me around to the price. It's £170 (though I have seen it for £143 on LookFantastic this weekend), which is a heck of a lot of moolah. And then there are the creams/serums at £15 each to boot. I can't deny that it's a lot of money. A lot of money. Do I think it's value for the money? I'm not sure, actually. Yes, it's quicker than traditional straighteners (the combination of the steam, the comb, and the plates mean you can straighten more hair in each "grab" than with just ceramic plates), and yes, hair feels healthy and conditioned - once you get the balance right - afterwards, but £170? I just don't know. £143 (even though it is on offer), feels like a better price to me. Mind, Cloud 9s retail at £130, and even GHDs cost over £100 these days, and I do feel like any of them would be an investment purchase, to be honest.
I tell what though, I have just bought backups of the creams and serums, because I can tell there's going to be a lot straighter hair in my future ... make of that what you will. My GHDs were binned long ago, and my Cloud9s have been quietly gathering dust under the bed for over a year now. Has the Steampod replaced them? Only time will tell, but I will be using it again this very evening ...
The Fine Print: PR Sample
This post: L'Oreal Steampod Review 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
Yawn, celebrity collaborations are so ovah, amirite? Well, no, actually, I was so happy when this appeared on my doorstep last week that I actually did a little clap in the hallway. I need to get out more, I know. Now, I have to admit, that I'm not, particularly, a fan of Gwen Stefani (and I could name two, maybe, No Doubt songs, if I was pressed), but I do know her makeup style quite well, and I like it a lot. Well, I would, as it is based on my own, being mostly neutral eyes, and a strong, bright lipcolour. This palette encompasses that look beautifully - though you'll have to supply your own lipstick ...
The packaging is a great - strong graphic black and white, with antique gold edging, it's actually rather misleading in terms of the contents, for they are not as "in your face" as the box leads you to expect:
It's a palette of neutrals with a couple of pops of bright colours and a few deeps for lining. It's skewed very pale, however, and, whilst this made my heart sing (all the Urban Decay Naked palettes have been either too warm, and/or dark for me - so I don't use any of them), it'll be a huge problem for a lot of warmer-toned, and darker-skinned people than me, I think.
There are mattes, shimmers, satins and glitters, nine neutrals (yay!), three deeps, three "pop" shades and if you're as pale as me, it'll make you very happy indeed. I've seen a lot of talk on other websites complaining that it is "boring", but I think it's actually hugely versatile - and, it looks exactly how I would have expected, though I'd have thought there would have been more contour shades. But, if you're pale, which I am, it's great.
Shades are:
Top Row (l-r)
Blonde - a very pale matte gold
Bathwater - pale shimmering wheat
Skimp - extremely pale peach
Steady - shimmering cool peach
Punk - matte blackened burgundy
Middle Row (l-r)
Baby - warm pale taupe
Anaheim - matte slightly-greyed flesh tone (my favourite!)
Stark - Matte peach
Zone - warm matte taupe
Serious - glittery dark grey
Bottom row (l-r)
Pop - glittery peach
Harajuku - cool baby-pink satin
Danger - dark blue satin
1987 - glittering green-gold
Blackout - soft black.
My sample came complete with a little card with four bubbles of "UD Gwen Stefani Lipstick" samples on, which I am - possibly - even more excited about than I am the eyeshadows! There's no information re the lipsticks available, but the eyeshadow palette will be released on November 22nd, and will cost £40. There's a waiting list you can put your name on for it on the Urban Decay website - I predict a sell-out very quickly.
The Fine Print: PR Sample
This post: Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette 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
I was ill on Wednesday, and yesterday (the day after the Paris terrorist attacks), rightly or wrongly, it simply didn't feel appropriate to celebrate lipstick and perfume on Instagram, so a shortened #LipsNspritz this week.
Monday brought Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipstick in Walk of Shame wjhich is a lovely neutral berried-rose shade (seriously difficult to describe this one, it's not red, and it's not brown) which is one of my favourites for looking polished without drawing attention to itself. Inspired by the name, I wore it with Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa, which is Aqua di Parma's hairy-chested big brother, fresh from a hot shower, and about to put on his medallion and dancing shoes. The smell of hot soap, shaving cream, and chest hair, it's about as masculine as it is possible to be.
On Tuesday, I went to the opposite extreme, pairing Estee Lauder Private Collection - the smell of bitter, green boardrooms, shoulder pads, and perfect manicures - with Clinique Color Pop in Kiss Pop. I liked the idea of pairing the mature femininity of Private Collection with a bubblegum confection of a lipstick.
Thursday brought what is likely to be one of at least five appearances for Guerlain Shalimar in one guise or another. Seriously, for a fragrance I don't, in all honestly actually like that much, I sure do own a lot of bottles of it! This time around I wore it's perfect entry-point fragrance: Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial, which as it has the addition of a lot of buttery, carroty, rooty iris in the opening is much easier to wear than the tar, fur and vanilla of "grown-up" Shalimar. I wore it with red lips, regardless, breaking out the Guerlain Gloss d'Enfer in Rouge Parade, which was last year's Christmas lipgloss from Guerlain, and I like it very much indeed.
And finally, because I had a day off on Friday, and was just wandering around a very wet and windy North London (because: reasons), I wore simple and yet still lovely Aerin Waterlily Sun. Which is an aquatic floral - an unknowingly apt choice, considering the bright sunshine I applied it in first thing Friday morning! It's very lovely, and it's something I wear quite regularly when I just want to smell pretty and simple. I paired it with Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Stain in Swank, which is a sheer and pretty red colour.
What've you been wearing?
The Fine Print: PR Samples and purchases.
This post: LipsNspritz 15 November 2015 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
