Kat Von D Lipsticks

And this is reason #23,258 that Sephora should come back to these shores; the Kat Von D line. I was sent these three lipsticks (which came in one set) by a US friend. I love Kat Von D; she's totally glamorous without a hint of that helpless girlie thing. She's also an immensely talented artist; I have a hard time deciding if she or Garver are my favourites on Miami Ink/L.A. Ink, but as she also does lipsticks....sorry, Chris; it's got to be Kat.

The colours are (left to right) Homegirl, Hellbent and Lolita. All three are the kind of colours I love; a dark plum, a blood red and a natural warm rose. As well as looking cool in my makeup bag, the lipsticks themselves are creamy, non-shimmery, perfection.

Is it bad that these have made me want to get another tattoo?

The London Wavelength

Mr London and I think alike; sometimes this is a good thing, and sometimes it is not.

His iphone made the message ping noise last night, and I automatically looked down and caught sight of an earlier email from Etsy. He isn't an Etsy type of person.

My first thought was "Bugger. He's bought me the Poppet reads The Graveyard Book that I just bought him for Christmas."  I tentatively broached the subject, and was assured that he hadn't because, as he was looking at the Poppet Etsy site, Miss London said;

"I'm not saying that you have, but you might have gotten that for Christmas."

Londons think alike. Miss London rocks, and is about as subtle as both of her parents.

(image is from the Strangestudio Etsy store, with permission to use granted. The artist also told me that next Graveyard Book Poppet will be making its appearance later this week.)

Free delivery at Beauty Expert until Midnight tonight (30 November)

There's no code to enter; it looks like it applies automatically. Delivery is generally free with orders over £50 anyway, but for today there is no minimum.

Another interesting offer is a free 50ml Shu Uemura cleansing oil with a £50 purchase of Shu Uemura products - Beauty Expert recently started to stock Shu Uemura, and this is great way to try the famous cleansing oil if you already know you want a few of the makeup products. (I didn't get on with the Shu cleansing oil personally, I prefer the Saaf cleansing balm, but I love the Shu eyeshadows and eyebrow pencil.)

The website is beautyexpert.co.uk.

Winterproofing - the hands

I have long arms and legs, and dreadful circulation (in the winter my fingernails are often a lovely shade of blue in their natural state.) Consquently, I wear gloves whenever I'm outside from September to May, and my hands are very dry, to the extent sometimes that the skin on them is itchy and red looking. These are some of the hand creams I've tried, and what I think of them.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream
I know this has a cult following, but I don't like this one much; it's rich, but it leaves a greasy after feel even if I only apply a little, and I don't like the baby powder/grease smell of it. It does combat dryness very effectively, but I find it so unpleasant to use that I don't use it often enough for it to work. £16.50 for 150ml.

Creme De La Mer The Hand Treatment
This costs £60 for 100ml (it was a gift from Mr London.) It's an adequate hand cream, but the price is completely gobsmacking, and it's not justified as a repurchase for me. My only hand issue is dryness - perhaps if I had age spots etc and this helped those I'd feel differently. I don't like the smell of this either; it has one of those marine/ozone scents that remind me of washing powder.

Lubatti Vitamin E Hand Cream
My favourite hand cream for daytime; it has a similar texture to the Creme De La Mer but  a much more pleasant smell (a very soft and subtle apricot.) It sinks in well, and leaves my hands feeling silky. £16.15 for 75ml from SpaceNK.

Neutrogena Concentrated Formula Hand Cream (Unscented)
This is a thick balm/ointment texture, and I use it at night. I find regular night time use really keeps my hands comfortable and in good shape, and it does actually sink in surprisingly quickly considering the texture. It's also as cheap as chips; I bought my last one from Superdrug for about £3 for 50ml. I don't like the smell of the regular version; I buy the unscented version.

Eco-Refills of Shea Liquid Soap at L'Occitane

This is an excellent idea from L'Occitane - refills for the Shea Liquid Soap bottles. As well as being environmentally sound to cut down on packaging (it always seems a shame to throw out the pumps) it's quite a bit less expensive to buy at £8 for 400ml, compared to £16 for 500ml in the pump.

We always have one of these in the kitchen, and I'll definitely be buying the refills from now on. It's not in stock yet, but you'll be able to get it online at the L'Occitane website, and presumably also in the stores.

(Picture from uk.loccitane.com)

HJ Manicure nail polish in Tinsel

I was contacted recently by Helen J, a session manicurist who launched her online boutique nail polish line in 2009, to see if I'd be interested in trying out her nail polish. I had a look at the website and the colours looked beautiful, so I said yes, and was sent three polishes to try.

Tinsel is from the Festive collection, and it's a stunning royal purple with hot pink shimmer. This picture hardly does justice to the shimmer effect; in real life it looks like a very expensive car paint job (Mr London reliably informs me that this polish looks like the paint job on a TVR, whatever one of those is) crossed with a sweetie wrapper. The polish is on the thin side rather than the thick so it applies very smoothly, but I did get complete coverage with three coats. It dried quickly, and the picture is without a top coat. Wear is also very good; I applied this on Thursday evening, we had a huge clean-up of the house yesterday, and I am chip-free with almost no tip-wear on Sunday morning.

One thing I really like about this line is that selected polishes are available in 5ml sizes for £3.50. I have short nails and I like to change nail polish regularly, so I appreciate the option to buy a smaller size for less; I rarely use up a standard 15ml nail polish. I didn't find the smaller brush problematic to apply at all; the brush itself is a decent size, but if you have really long nails you'd probably be best with the standard bottle.

Here's a picture of the polishes I was sent next to a standard OPI - aren't they cute and dinky? From left to right - OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow, HJ Manicure Blizzard, Tinsel and Midnight. Blizzard and Midnight are from the Snow collection, and I'll be posting nail pictures of those in due course.

Here's a shade chart (all pictures are clickable for a closer look):

HJ Manicure polishes are available from HJManicure.com and cost £8.50 for 15ml, and £3.50 for 5ml.

Please note: these products were provided free of charge for consideration for review. I receive no remuneration if you click on the link in this post or any other.

FOTD in celebration of Scott Barnes

So, I decided to pull out my Scott Barnes stuff in celebration of his new book, About Face, which is now available for pre-order. It's also the perfect time of year for my Scott Barnes; although I can easily do a more natural/neutral look with his products, his stuff is my absolute favourite for party faces.

I'm wearing (all Scott Barnes unless stated otherwise,)

Cream Foundation in Alabaster
Chic Palette (blusher trio) in Samba
Matte eyeshadow in Ivory Coast as a base
Matte eyeshadow in Cashmere in the crease
Eye Ice (pigment) in Mediterranean Lights on lid and under lower lashes
Eye pencil in Moondance on waterline
(Mascara is from Hourglass)
Flossy Glossy (lipgloss) in Whisper

I've said it before, but I really hope he can relaunch his cosmetics line. You can see pictures of the products themselves in my previous post here.

Nice presents at Cowshed

Cowshed has some lovely gift ideas for Christmas. I'm buying my sister this - the Lazy Cow set, which contains 100ml bath/shower gel and 100ml body lotion for £16. Cowshed is a natural and high quality range, and is paraben-free.  The packaging is also lovely, which is so nice for presents.

This set and other gift sets can be found on cowshedonline.com.

Why do I blog?

Why do I blog? Well, I love makeup, and everything about it; I remember sneaking up to my grandma's vanity table in her bedroom and sniffing the powders and potions, and then at 15/16 my mother took me to the local Dior counter to buy my first high end cosmetics. I found emakemeup.com  in 2001 when searching for a review of Creme De La Mer, and it was like coming home for me; I found a place filled with people who love all things beauty related in the same way I do, and who could debate over the minute differences between two shades of brown eyeshadow. I've reviewed on emakemeup as a panelist since 2004, and I'd like to particularly thank Ammie, another panelist there, who has enabled/encouraged/egged me on over the years in my love of the lesser-known brand.

I like the smaller, lesser known brands. I'll always be on the side of the independent over the big corporation, and they just don't get enough coverage either in print or in new media in my opinion. I also find that smaller brands often work harder and are better at both customer service and reacting to feedback. I've been frustrated trying to find reviews of brands that I'm interested in and either finding nothing, or just finding anodyne press releases regurgitated in magazine articles.

So, that's what my blog is about; writing passionately about the brands that I love that don't get enough coverage in my opinion. If a new/interesting (to me) brand offers to send me something, and it's a brand that fits with my personal interest/ethos, I will try it (but I will always disclose if something was sent to me without charge.) It makes me happy to try something new that is great, and to write about it. I'm also in a fortunate position that both I and my husband earn good wages, and we only have one child (although I'd have liked more, my pregnancy and childbirth with Miss London were very difficult) so we both have disposable income; London MakeUp Girl would be just fine if I was never sent another thing without charge, because, goodness knows, I buy enough myself!

This post is a bit self-indulgent, but I hope it helps to see where I am coming from. I'd also like to reiterate now that I'm very grateful for the feedback and interaction that I get from this blog, and I truly appreciate everyone who comments on it and reads it.

Armani Prive Cuir Amethyste Fragrance

I've just finished a sample of this, and I'm utterly torn on whether I want to buy this or not. It's a leather/violet blend in the Armani Prive (read: bloody expensive) fragrance line.

On first spray I get heavy sweet violet, that morphs in about 30 minutes or so into a subtler floral with a supple leather heart/basenote. The violet note smells a lot like the fragrance used in the old Dior lipsticks (in the hexagonal navy tubes) so it makes me feel very nostalgic.

The lasting power of this fragrance is incredible; I could still smell it on myself a good 14 hours after I sprayed it on. It worries me a bit that it could easily be overpowering for others; one of the reasons why my sample vial lasted me for several wears is that I was very careful to use a small amount after my first application.

I first tried this out in the spring and found it overpowering myself; I had to cut it with Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne which freshened it up a bit. Wearing it in the winter was much more successful; it's a warm, luxurious and enveloping scent. It's like getting a cuddle from your favourite glamorous aunt. If the Prives were £50-£75, I think I'd go for it. At £150 (I think? It's either that or £120) it's just too expensive for a scent I would only wear if I was really in the mood for it, and only for part of the year. If I was spending £100 on a fragrance today I'd buy the lovely Magazine Street by Strange Invisible Perfumes (from Content) instead, which is an equally sensuous scent, but without the headache-inducing potential of the Cuir Amethyste.

Lovely Vintage Bourjois

I was invited to a network event by Handpicked Media which took place earlier this week. It was a lovely event - representatives from blogs and websites across the network got together to have a chat and a Cosmopolitan (or three.) Talking about makeup gurus and handbags with Vex in the City and the Domestic Sluts was slightly surreal, but fabulous.

The event was sponsored by and held at the Bourjois headquarters. At the end of the event, Bourjois gave all the attendees a bag containing some very pretty items.

The top picture is of one of the Vintage Collections - a set containing Blanc Diaphane, Beige Rose and Marron Glace. The pots are decorated with designs originally used by Bourjois on its packaging at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. The other set includes the Beige Diaphane with a grey and a smoky black, and, interestingly (to me, anyway) I've seen the design on the Noir Precieux on a makeup compact in the Science Museum in London. I really like that the designs are printed directly onto the lid and aren't just a slapped on sticker.

The bottom picture is of one of a set of Limited Edition little round pots with designs by Nathalie Lete on the lids. This shade is Violet Absolu, a shimmery vivid purple, decorated with a picture of the Place Vendome. Again, the designs are printed onto to the lid, and there are five eyeshadow pots and three blush pots in the collection (all with a different illustration depicting a specific facet of Paris.)

The Bourjois baked eyeshadows aren't the most pigmented used dry, but they are very pretty. I find they do best over a creamier base if you want a stronger look. I already have the colours in the Vintage Collection (Marron Glace is a classic neutral) so I'm giving this one to a friend (and yes, she knows I didn't buy it!)

The Vintage sets cost £15, and the individual eyeshadow costs £5.86, and both are available online at ASOS.com. The Vintage collections are also available at some House of Fraser stores.

Products provided free of charge for consideration for review; I receive no remuneration if you click on a link in this post or any other.

Fantastic review and pictures of Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes

I'd recommend having a look at Witoxicity's blog for a fabulous review of Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes 104.

The review is here. There are great pictures of this product applied, which has confirmed to me that I certainly will need this one when the line launches in Liberty in the new year. 

Free full size Glycolactic Mask at REN until Monday

You can get a free full size Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask with an order over £50 until Monday 30 November. The code is PARTY.

The website is renskincare.com.

Actually, this offer reminds me of something that annoys me a bit about REN and Nude. They both sell quite strong AHA masks (this one, and the Miracle Mask by Nude) but their moisturisers don't contain any spf. You should always use an spf when you're using an AHA/BHA on your skin.

Nubar Chocolate Coffee Bean

This is from the new Chocolate Truffles collection by Nubar, and it's gorgeous. A deep, cool coffee/chocolate hybrid with red shimmer shot through it. Absolutely lovely. Once again, application was easy; this is two coats and no top coat.

You can see Helen's pictures of the Milk Chocolate and Raspberry Truffle shades from the collection over at Nice Things. Raspberry Truffle and Chocolate Coffee Bean do look quite close to my (admittedly not a nail polish expert) eye; if I had to distinguish I'd say the red shimmer in Coffee Bean is a little more subtle  - the Raspberry Truffle has larger red flecks suspended in chocolate.

The Chocolate Truffles collection is available here at Beauty Shed, and each polish costs £8. I bought a couple of other Nubar polishes from Beauty Shed last week, and shipping was fast and CS was good.

Please note: this product was provided to me free of charge, for consideration for review. I receive no remuneration if you click on the links in this post, or any other post.

Content Christmas Party - Thursday December 3rd

Content is holding a Christmas event next Thursday, and if you book in advance you can get 20% off anything in store. Inika is an Australian mineral cosmetics line; I've been testing out the (silicone-free) primer that I received in a press/event bag, and it's lovely.

My favourite Content things are:

• RMS Beauty - so easy to slap on in the morning, and so pretty and flattering. A review on the Un Cover concealer is coming soon. I've posted about the Lip2Cheek and Cream eyeshadows previously. 
• Evolve - fabulous ethical and effective products at very good prices. 
• Strange Invisible Perfumes - expensive, yes, but completely non-headache-inducing. Magazine Street is on my wishlist after I added a sample to a recent order. 
• Dr Alkaitis - in my opinion, probably some of the purest skincare you can buy, and also very effective. The Soothing Gel is excellent for any sore/irritated/blemished patches. 

New Illamasqua website is up, and Limited Edition Christmas gift sets

Illamasqua has now updated its website, and from a quick look at some of the products I've bought and own, I can say that it is a lot more accurate.

They have also got some lovely Christmas gift sets online; diamante studded false lashes and pantomine themed nail polish duos (my pick of these would be Hiss and Boosh - the red/pink/gold glitter of Hiss over the patent black Boosh would be fabulous for party season.) The stars of this particular show though are the box sets themed around the gold and silver liquid metals; each comes with a toning pigment, false lashes and the black medium pencil in Sophie. Each set is £42, a saving of £12 on the content value. The picture above is of the Silver Seductress set (picture courtesy of Illamasqua.)

Julie Hewett Twilight Palette FOTD

This reminds me why I like Julie Hewett products so very much. After having to really work hard with the Jemma Kidd quad on Monday, applying the Julie Hewett Twilight palette yesterday morning was effortless.

I used the Clay shade from Soiree as a base (I don't like shimmery base shades) then (all from Twilight) the cool matte brown in the crease, the pewter with scattered sparkles on the lid, the shimmery charcoal to line the upper lid and the shimmery white to highlight my browbone. The overall effect is subtle but polished, and I could easily smoke it up by using more of the charcoal and cool brown. The colours are well pigmented, but blend easily.

I'm also wearing the Rosie Cheekie, and Lulu Bijou lipstick (sheer lipsticks.) Lulu is a cool rose; it was a bit brighter in real life than it looks in this picture.

Here's a close up of the eye: you can just about see a tiny bit of the sparkle on the lid; it's subtle, but pretty and brightening (and again, it was more apparent in real life.) Twilight is overall cooler and more shimmery than Soiree palette. I'd love to try it with the Vampie Cheekie, as recommended on the Julie Hewett website.

Jemma Kidd Make Up School Brown Wardrobe eyeshadow quad

From bottom left, clockwise - define, highlight, accent, mid. Also pictured, Titania lipstick (which is teeny tiny. More lipstick, less balm please, Jemma.) The box is lovely, but the actual palette packaging itself is kind of meh - plain black NARs-type rubber with the Jemma Kidd logo in red. Somehow the packaging doesn't work as well for me as the NARS does, and I don't know why.

The attempt at brand repositioning going on here is interesting; originally this line was sold in Selfridges (in a terrible spot - it had a little end of counter display in the bit off the main beauty hall near the chocolates and magazines, and no dedicated Sales Assistant.) It then moved to Boots, where it was sold in a Ruby & Millie, Urban Decay kind of positioning, before relocating to SpaceNK. I think the line does sit better at SpaceNK, but the prices have jumped a fair bit at the same time; this quad was £16 when I bought it a couple of years ago at Boots, now it's £22 at SpaceNK. I don't know how well known the brand was when it was at Boots, but if you know it was sold there for quite a bit less you might have a hard time paying the prices being charged now.

I also don't understand the Jemma Kidd Make Up School/Jemma Kidd Pro thing, and then there is JK by Jemma Kidd at ASOS.com. Why are some products Pro, and others are Make Up School?

Anyway, back to the palette.

Things I like:
The colours are all wearable and neutral - not too cool or too warm.
The gold is nice antique gold - it's not too orange or too yellow.
The idea of having more of the shades that you use more of (highlight and mid) and less of those you don't (define and accent) is a really good one.
The shadows are all a nice texture; semi matte, and a shimmering accent.

Things I don't like:
The increase in price with no perceptible (to me) added value to go with the increase.
The shadows are not particularly pigmented. I'd have to work to build this up to anything vaguely approaching smoky, even on my pale skin. I think you'd have a tough job to get it to show up on anything past a medium mediterranean skintone.

Z Palettes - most useful palette ever?

I really think these might be the most useful palettes ever; I was sent mine by a US friend. It's magnetised, so it holds any metal pan securely, and it has no dividers so you can put in pans of varying shapes and sizes. This one has a mixture of MAC, Trish McEvoy and starsmakeuphaven pans in it, and still plenty of space left in it. There is also a smaller size that's perfect for holding a few products to sling in a make up bag.

The website is here - I'm not sure if they ship internationally, but if they don't lets hope they start soon!

Julie Hewett discount code at The Land of MakeUp Obscurity

In case you miss it in the comments on my last Julie Hewett post, Olivia at The Land of MakeUp Obscurity has posted a great Julie Hewett 15% off code here.

While you're over there, if you haven't already, do check out her blog. It's one of my favourites, and not just because she's nice about my eyes. Olivia's posts are interesting and I've found them really helpful too. She's also a fan of the cosmetic road less travelled, brand-wise.

Nubo Exfoliating Foaming Cleanser

I was intrigued by the Nubo line when it was first launched last winter, and placed a telephone order for the  tipped-to-be-hero product Voile (you can read my review on that here) and this cleanser.

Nubo is a line sold exclusively at Harrods that combines advanced ingredients and formulations with a clean no parabens/SLS/petro-chemicals stance. The USP of this line is the Cell Dynamic Technology complex, which allegedly helps the cells to continuously rejuvenate, instead of getting used to the products and gradually stop responding to them. (Has this ever actually happened to anyone? I tend to just become bored due to my product ADD, and get seduced by the coolness of new lines. The one time I was really faithful was when I used Renee Rouleau products from the US for about 2 years continuously until our currency went down the toilet, and it still suited my skin on the day I finally ran out.)

The bottle packaging looks a bit cheap (incongruously with the rest of the line, which is very luxuriously packaged.) It's a white plastic foam pump dispenser with a label stuck on it. It's a glycolic formula in an olive oil castille base, and like the rest of the range contains no parabens, SLS, petro-chemicals or artificial fragrance or colouring.

The product dispenses as a whipped foam, and I use it as the second part of my double cleanse night time routine, 2-3 times a week, and when I remember I leave it on for 5 minutes for a deeper treatment once a week (as one of those 2-3 times, not in addition to.) You really cannot use this around the eyes; it would sting like mad. I find it does help to keep my skin comfortably exfoliated and clear, although it is a little drying; I have to use a bit more moisturiser on my drier areas on the nights that I use this.

This is £35 for 125ml, and as it is dispensed as a foam you really don't use much each time. I'd estimate that  it would last me 4-6 months, if I used it continuously 2-3 times a week (if I'm testing out specific skincare to review, I discontinue use of all other treatment products; it wouldn't be fair to say a particular product gave me a particular result if it actually came from something I routinely use.)

In summary, this is an excellent quality, simply-and-effectively formulated, gentle exfoliator. I'll buy it again when I finish my current tube. I'd like to try more of the line, but the moisturisers and serum are incredibly expensive, and so I'd need to have a look at the counter before I decided whether to spend that much money on them. The counter is at Harrods, and the prospect of the schlep to Knightsbridge has so far saved me from myself. Incidentally, the Voile has been launched in a 30ml size for £98, which is much better value for money than £40 for 10ml.

Ingredients: water, olive oil castile, glycolic acid, glycerin, rose hip oil, chenopodium ambrosiodes extract, laminaria japonica extract, citrus japonica fruit extract.

Becca Showgirl Palette FOTD

This is another example of why I'm not a professional photographer (or model!) but I hoped it might be at least slightly useful to get an idea of what the Becca Showgirl palette looks like on my colouring (neutral pale but not porcelain skin, hazel brown eyes, chestnut hair.)

The only things I added to the palette were concealer, mascara and Becca Nymph loose shimmer powder on my cheeks. I'm wearing the lip/cheek creme on my lips underneath the gloss from the palette, the lip/cheek creme on my cheeks, the mauve shade on my lid and mushroom in my crease, with the brown cake liner used dry on upper and lower lashline.

Becca Showgirl Palette - actual palette pictures and swatches

I was recently sent the Becca Showgirl palette to try, and I thought some pictures of the palette and swatches might be useful to anyone considering buying this palette online; Becca is a gorgeous brand, but like many brands their promotional pictures can be quite different to the actual products.

From left to right:
Parisette lipgloss (soft pink)
Hollyhock lip and cheek cream (I love this. It's a berry/rose shade, very flattering because it's not purply like a lot of berry shades.)
Tulle demi-matte eyeshadow (pinkish lilac)
Charmeuse demi-matte eyeshadow (neutral mushroom beige)
Emmanuelle eyeliner powder (cool brown)

The liner shade is not terribly pigmented used dry; I think this is one of those products that to get a strong line you have to use wet or use with a sealant type product. I will man up and try it with my Illamasqua sealant one day. In the meantime, it does give a soft line used dry with a push brush.

The overall effect is very soft and pretty; softly defined pastel eyes (I'm using Tulle on my lid, Charmeuse in the crease), flushed berry cheeks and flushed pink lips (I'm using the gloss over a dab of the creme on my lips.) I've added a little bit of Nymph shimmer powder to my cheek and on my browbone; if you wanted to add a shimmer powder to the look I'd recommend one of the cooler tones like Nymph or Gypsy. This is definitely a cooler toned palette, which is a nice change of pace from the Aurora palette (the last palette released, which was warm bronze/plum toned.)

Swatches are below in the same order:

Both pictures are clickable for larger/closer images. The Becca Showgirl collection is available at Beauty Expert here. Becca is a lovely brand, if expensive, and this palette is a good way to try a few different products all at once for £55. The eyeshadows and liner are all 1g; which is the same size as a full-sized product (although with the liner bought separately you do get a sealant.) The lip gloss and lip/cheek cream are both 1.5g each.

Please note: this product was provided to me without charge for consideration for review.  I'm not affiliated, and receive no remuneration if you click on the link in this post or any other.

A few of my favourite things - Julie Hewett

This is the Rosie Cheekie, Goldie Shimmy, and Soiree eye palette.

Soiree is a very useful basic palette - the shades are clay beige, chestnut brown, black and shimmery taupe.

Rosie gives me a pink/red natural rosy glow (the texture is along the same line as Bobbi Brown Rouge Pots; it melds into the skin very well without being too creamy.)

Goldie is a neutral beige shimmer, good for highlighting the eyes, cheekbones and collarbones.

I also love the red lipsticks in the Noir range, which I've pictured here. Olivia at The Land of Makeup Obscurity has great swatches of the Cheekies, Shimmies and Hue (cream eyeshadow/eyeliner) products on her blog. The website is www.Julie.Hewett.net and the products can be purchased in the UK from Makeup Artists Provisions in Shepherd's Bush, London - their telephone number is 020 8740 0808.  

Neon Nails from Nubar

This is Hot Orange, from the Neon collection by Nubar. I bought this polish and Peacock Feathers from Beauty Shed earlier this week. It is that PMS time of the month, when my tastes become a little more avant garde than usual (remember Style Black?) and Hot Orange is not a classic or retiring colour, but it does make me happy to look at my fingers. Would I wear it for a serious meeting? Possibly, depending on the time of the month :) Quite seriously, it is perfect if you're after a nod to that retro-eighties look without going the whole fluorescent lipstick hog.

It did need three coats to get full gob-stopping jaw-dropping coverage, but like the other Nubar I've previously reviewed it dried very quickly, so this wasn't a problem for me. Shipping was fast; I ordered on Tuesday, it got here today. Nubar polishes are £8 each.

What do you think? Hate it? Love it? Think I'll only be wearing it once in a full moon? ;)

By Terry Ombre Blackstar 01 - Black Pearl

So, I was in SpaceNK at lunchtime, shopping for a friend (honest!) and happened to have another play with the By Terry Ombre Blackstar. It was as nice as I remembered it, and so I bought it. Applied to a bare lid, this gives a soft, smoky, sparkly eye. The finish is lovely, very pretty and sparkly, but not glitter-ish and still daytime appropriate. This was easy to apply too; I dabbed it on in a thickish line near my lashes, and then just blended up onto the lid with my fingertip. It applies much more easily than MAC shadesticks (no tugging here) but once it sets (you have about a minute to blend before this happens) it really stays put. I like that you can build up a decent colour/coverage with these too; the Bobbi Brown metallic cream eyeshadows are very pretty, but very sheer.

The thing that tipped me over the edge into buying the Ombre Blackstar today was swatching the purple from NARS Eurydice over it on my hand. I could see blue shimmer, without killing the purple undertone (I tried it over my MAC greasepaint on Tuesday night, and although the blue shimmer showed up beautifully, I lost all the purple base tones.) Here's a picture applied over the By Terry to show you; Look! Blue shimmer on the lid.

It is expensive at £26, but there is a 20% off code going on at SpaceNK from now until Saturday. I am very tempted to also pick up the Rock shade, and Bronze is lovely for those who like a warmer bronzey eye.

20% off at Space NK from today to Saturday

Space NK are offering 20% off everything online and by telephone order using the code FF201 from Thursday 19 November (today) to Saturday 21 November. I do hope this code works; you don't enter the code until you enter your credit card details, which I find extremely odd; what if it doesn't work and I've been charged the full price? I personally would be disposed to order by telephone instead: the number is 020 8740 2085. (Also, many of the newer products instore aren't online yet.)

There is also an email voucher to print off and use instore - if you aren't on the mailing list and you'd like this, email me at londonmakeupgirl at  googlemail dot com and I'll forward it to you.

Things I would buy/have recently bought/recommend/are on my Christmas List include:

Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball lipsticks (actually, Lipstick Queen is pretty fabulous all round.)
Sarah Chapman Skinesis starter/trial kit
Oribe hair stuff
Rococo Gold Leaf nail polish top coat
By Terry Ombre Blackstar cream eyeshadow
Lubatti bath/body products

Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball now at SpaceNK

These were in the Covent Garden shop today, and they are all lovely. Moment, a sheer red, is a warmer version of Medieval (so good if you turn Medieval pinkish.) Float is a creamy beige nude (it's the nudest shade in a lipstick in the Lipstick Queen line.)

I want to say that Trance was a natural rosy shade, and Fly was a brighter pink, but I'd need to double check that I haven't mixed those two up. I've pictured Goodbye, a wine shade, here.

All shades have a sheer turquoise shimmer that gives a subtle, pretty, iridescence to the base shade.

Rococo Gold Leaf nail polish top coat

It looks a bit manky over my bare nail (swatched today in SpaceNK), but try to imagine this Rococo gold leaf top coat over a deep red or any other dark shade. If you missed Baby Goth Girl, over a blackened red this will give a very similar (and I think, perhaps even better) look. I think it'd look incredible over the Black Sakura shade, also by Rococo. I think we all know how this ends...yes, they're going on my Christmas List.

The gold leaf top coat is £22, and the nail polishes are £12. Available at SpaceNK (image of bottle is from SpaceNK.co.uk.)

NARS Brousse eyes of the day

As expected, Brousse eyeshadow duo is lovely; wearable and easy to work with. I'm wearing it over Lili Marlene cream eyeshadow (again!) with the smoky purple applied over the lid, and the bark brown in the crease and applied under the lower lashes. Waterline lined with London pencil. All products by NARS.

Picture taken at a horrible hour of the morning before I went to work, so I think the flash may have muted the colour of the eyeshadow a bit.

Sleek Storm palette giveaway result

There were 30 entries for the Sleek palette, and the number drawn by random.org generator was 24.

If I was less technically cack-handed, I would do a screenshot for you, but the end number keeps defaulting to 100 when I try to do a grab; I do promise that I put in 1 to 30 for the generator!

So, can Aliona please send me your address, and I'll get the Sleek palette sent out to you. My email is londonmakeupgirl at googlemail dot com

Thank you to everyone who commented - it looks like Edward Bess really does need to get international, and it's also interesting how many of us would like access to drugstore/chemist brands from other countries.

Clinique Even Better moisturiser and Even Better Corrector (serum)

I think my skin is pretty good for someone in her mid-thirties. I've used skincare since my teens, sunscreen consistently since my early twenties, and I've never set out to tan. My skin is quite clear and smooth-textured; my biggest issue is undoubtedly its tone. I have pale olive skin that can take on a dull yellow-green tinge if I'm feeling below par, and having pale skin it shows red marks from any trauma (read: picking) for a good few months afterwards.

This makes me a good candidate to try Clinque's new Even Better moisturiser and corrector serum. The moisturiser has a clever blend of ingredients to soothe the skin (apple extract, trehalose, turmeric) as well as ingredients to prevent and repair pigmentation issues (vitamin c, and a special yeast blend.) After my consultation at the new Selfridges Clinique counter (you can read the post on that here) I was sent some products suited to my skintype to try out, and these were among them.

Things I like about these products:

The moisturiser has a decent spf of 20.

The moisturiser is hydrating without being heavy or feeling greasy.

I haven't suffered from any clogged pores using these products.

There's no added scent.

I do think they have helped to improve the clarity and overall brightness of my skintone in the 8 weeks or so I've been using them. Red marks on my chin and forehead have faded much more quickly than I would have expected. It hasn't suddenly given me skin like Cate Blanchett, but my skin does look fresh and I haven't had as many 'why does my skin look so blah?' days as I would have expected, particularly at this time of the year.

Things I'm not so keen on:

I'd rather the moisturiser came in a pump than a jar.

The serum is quite silicone-y. It's tolerable for me, as it's a dry silicone rather than a waxy/slippy-feeling one, but it's worth mentioning if your skin doesn't do well with silicones.

That's it - that's all the cons I can come up with* I think the moisturiser is an excellent daily moisturiser for 30-something skin. If pigmentation isn't a major concern for you, or you are looking to prevent rather than treat it, you might not need the corrector underneath it, but if you already suffer from visible uneven pigmentation it does help to speed up the process of breaking it up and clearing it away. The moisturiser costs £32 for 50ml, and the corrector is £30 for 30ml.

Please note: these items were provided to me without charge, for consideration for review.

* Also, I still really don't get on with the clarifying lotion. I was sent the clarifying lotion 2, and my skin just does not do well with the alcohol in it, and I had to discontinue use within a couple of weeks. I know a lot of people must love this product or Clinique still wouldn't be making it, but I'd strongly recommend getting the mild version which is alcohol-free if your skin is anything like mine.

Seven Seas Femibion supplements for women

I was recently sent a press release for a new range of supplements aimed specifically at Women by Seven Seas. It's called Femibion, a slightly strange name that makes me think of fembots. I assume that there was user testing research stuff done on the name before it was decided upon, so maybe it's just me.

As well as the usual vitamins and minerals, the Radiance version also contains grapeseed and linseed oils. I do believe that what you put in your body has as much of an effect as what you put on your skin, and it's a good idea in winter to add an oil-rich supplement, particularly if, like me, you suffer from dry skin.

They cost £10 for a 30 day supply, sold at the usual places you find Seven Seas (Boots, Superdrug etc.) Boots are doing one of their 3 for 2 offers on vitamins at the moment, so I'm planning on picking up some of the Radiance supplements from there. I already take and like the JointCare supplements by Seven Seas, because getting thrown around during training is quite hard on the knees.

Other versions include Balance (if you suffer from heavy...don't make me write the word, you know, the monthly curse,) one for pregnant women and one for the over 50s to strengthen the bones (I might buy that one for Ma, just to see if she kills me. I'm not even sure if she's admitting to 50 yet.)

Sue Devitt FOTD

This is a change of pace from yesterday's more dramatic FOTD. Sue Devitt gives a very soft and pretty look, but the eye intensifier really does, well...intensify, the eyes nicely.

I'm wearing Koh Samui blush, which is a beige with slight shimmer and very subtle pink undertones. It gives a glow and polish to pale skin without looking like obvious blush, and is good if you have naturally high colour, or none at all.

On my lips, I'm wearing Hollywood sheer lipstick, one of those my-lips-but-amped-up rosy shades I love.

On my eyes, I have Kinshasa (pale peach matte) as a base, Gold Reef eye intensifier on my upper and lower lashline, and Nordland (slightly chocolatey plum shimmer) eyeshadow on the lid up to the crease.

Here's a closer shot of the eyes:

Slightly better FOTD picture with NARS Eurydice

This picture is slightly sharper/in better focus than the one in my NARS post earlier today.

I've changed my lipstick; this is Lipink in Rose, with two layers of the Rose topped with a layer of Clear  (I found that three layers of Rose gave a slightly too dark look for me; two layers gives me the colour I wanted.) We're having Nachos for dinner tonight, so I thought I'd see how the Lipink fares against that.

NARS Brousse and Eurydice eyeshadow duos

Top picture is without flash, and is more true to colour, bottom is with flash in order to show the shimmer in the shades. A friend from the US bought these duos for me in exchange for items she couldn't get there.

Brousse is a bark brown and a smoky mauve combination; both shades are shimmery. This is lovely, and very wearable. Eurydice is a cool bright purple with violet shimmer and a deep charcoal with multi-coloured shimmer. It does look a bit scary in the pan, but I think this might be my favourite item from the Holiday collection (which is another great collection; I'm also tempted by the Aigle Noir eye colour pencil and by the Pop Life lip pencil.)

Here's a couple of pictures of me wearing Eurydice over Lili Marlene cream eyeshadow (grey.) It's dramatic, but I think the combination works really well. I applied the charcoal all over the mobile lid and quite high (for me) in my crease, and then smudged the purple shade over the mobile lid. I kept the rest of the face simple; a bit of lipgloss in Gothika (a sheer berry) and Illamasqua Primal blush (a beige shade) to contour instead of a more colourful blush.

Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball in Goodbye

I finally got my hands on a Butterfly Ball lipstick (I swear I was so obsessed I dreamt about these, which is a bit of theme for me with Lipstick Queen!) This is one sheerish coat of the shade Goodbye, a sheer deep wine. Does it brighten my teeth? I don't think it does in any noticeable way, but the turquoise shimmer gives pretty dimension to the shade without being frosty shimmer. As you can see, on my lips the shimmer is very subtle; also it isn't gritty and you can't feel it on your lips. I'd say the Butterfly Ball has a similar level of pigment to Medieval, and feels similarly comfortable on the lips; it's going to make a great option for me when I want similar softness to the Medieval but with a different shade and a little extra oomph. The deep wine shade makes me look a little bit consumptive, but in a good way; this lipstick has a pretty slightly gothic-twilighty feel to it.

I got this in a swap with a US friend; it should be out here in SpaceNK soon.

Cosmetic Counter Etiquette

As a veteran of the cosmetic hall battlefield, here are my tips for surviving a department store shopping trip:

1. If you can, try to wear foundation for a whole day before buying it. What looks okay freshly applied at the counter can oxidise to orange or turn ashy as the day goes on, and ideally, you want to see what it looks like in all kinds of lighting. If you say at the outset that you won't be buying foundation straight away, you'll be less likely to feel pressured into buying whatever the sales assistant puts on you. Another good idea is to pick someone who is wearing the correct shade herself; if the sales assistant can't match her own skin chances are that she won't have any better luck with yours. 
2. If I book a makeover, I do try to have at least two items in my head that I know I'm going to buy beforehand, to avoid the awkward moment when you look in the mirror and decide that you aren't terribly keen on what the make up artist has done. If someone mugs me or begs to apply something to my face, then all bets are off, but generally I politely decline impromptu makeovers unless I'm very interested in the line. The sales assistant is in many cases betting that you'll be too polite to get out of the chair without buying something. 
3. Talking of makeovers - try to be specific as to what look you're after. It's not the make up artist's fault if you hate what they've done if you told them to do 'whatever you think will suit me.' 
4. To receive courtesy, be courteous. I know, this is obvious, and you are all far too well-mannered to need to be told, but it is true; if you expect a sales assistant to be polite to you, greet him/her like a human being and don't talk on your mobile while someone is serving you. 
5. Resist high-pressure sales. Some lines are worse than others for trying to persuade you that you also need a brush/liner/balm/blush to go with it when you just wanted to buy a lipstick. Know what your limit is, and stick to it. You want to be able to enjoy your purchases, not be crippled with guilt when you look at the department store bag. 
6. And sales assistants - please don't hover. Say hello, ask me if I need help, sure, but if I say I'm just browsing don't keep talking to me about every single item I pick up. The Dolce & Gabbana counter in Selfridges is particularly bad for this. I was browsing with a friend, we were discussing shades and the sales assistant kept interrupting us to tell us what we should be buying. It was horribly uncomfortable, and neither of us bought a thing because of it. 
7. At the other end of the spectrum - if you are the only assistant on a counter, please don't ignore other customers who clearly want to buy something because you're doing an impromptu makeover. This has happened to me more than once at the Bobbi Brown counter in John Lewis Cambridge, most recently earlier this week when I was trying to buy a Christmas present for my mother there. If you are in the middle of a makeover and there is no-one else about, then politely excuse yourself from the makeover for a moment and take my blasted money!

What are your tips for surviving the beauty hall?

By Terry Holiday products

SpaceNK has a lot of its holiday products in store now, and the By Terry display was the one that caught my eye yesterday.

Ombre Blackstar eye shadow pen - this is like a cross between the MAC shadesticks and greasepaint sticks. They're lovely - soft, intense and with beautiful complex-but-subtle shimmer. I was *this* close to buying 01 Black Pearl, or (I think, I could have the number wrong) 04 Rock Pearl. However, they are £26 each, and I just wasn't sure that I could justify that price for an impulse purchase. I might go back for one of them, otherwise they're going on the Christmas list.

Or de Rose Baume Precieux - basically it's Baume de Rose with gold pink shimmer. In my opinion this is not worth the extra £15 on top of the Baume de Rose price (yes, this is £45) when you can get pinky gold lipglosses in the range for £25.

Or de Rose Elixir Extreme - another jaw dropping price here - £105 for a pink/rose highlight serum. On the plus side, this makes my Rouge Bunny Rouge illuminator look like a bargain at £45.

I also recently had a play with the new tinted moisturisers, Eclat de Rose - the coverage is lighter than the Light Expert pens, and I prefer the delivery system of Eclat de Rose (I don't trust those pens with brushes that you can't clean for foundation/concealers.) The Eclat de Rose does smell quite strongly of rose, and I doubt I could tolerate the smell. The colour choices are forgiving; I could wear either Light or Natural. These are £58 for 40ml.

Horribly rubbish pictures are from me taking a picture of my SpaceNK Christmas Catalogue - the holiday items don't appear to be online yet.  The eagle-eyed might spot a picture of a Lipstick Queen Butterfly Ball lipstick in the picture; these aren't in store yet, and the sales assistant did not know when they would be getting them in. As they are in the Christmas catalogue, I can only assume it will be some time before Christmas.

Emma Hardie skincare review

I've finally gotten around to using this set. I've been using it in the evening for the past couple of weeks, and that's just about long enough to give an initial review on it; I can't speak for long-term effects, but I can tell you what it feels like to use the products and whether I had any adverse reaction to them (no, I didn't.)

Cleanser - this is one of the waxy balm cleansers of the Eve Lom/Saaf type, but what's unusual about the Emma Hardie is that it emulsifies with water. I was a bit nervous when I read this, because the last emulsifying balm I tried was the REN, and that was horrid. The Emma Hardie is much better; it doesn't leave a film on the skin when removed with the cloth (or just a normal muslin) and I haven't experienced any clogged pores. It also smells gorgeous; it smells like the old Bharti Vyas balm cleanser; a clean jasmine scent. I like the addition of moringa seed oil, which is purifying, and I find it removes every last scrap of eye make up. I wouldn't say it's better than the Saaf that I love, but it's as good. The base, for those wondering, is a grapeseed/almond oil mix.

Exfoliating Seeds - these are crushed rosehip seeds with an essential oil blend that you add to the cleanser once a week to exfoliate. You do need to be careful not to scrub too hard; natural doesn't automatically mean gentle, as I found out the first time I used these! I do like these very much though - again, these remind me a bit of the Bharti Vyas exfoliator.

Eye Serum - I have the same problem with this that I have with the Nude Eye Complex - it takes an age to sink it. I do find it sufficiently moisturising, but I wouldn't buy the full size instead of the other eye creams in my current rotation.

Moisturiser - this is a nice light-textured but very hydrating moisturiser. It left my skin comfortable, even in the cold weather, without feeling greasy. It has a slightly strange (to me) almost herbal-minty smell. I wouldn't say that this amazed me, but it's a pleasant and effective moisturiser.

In summary, this is a nice skincare line, and the try-me kit is a great way to try out all the products in the line before committing to full sizes. The only thing I think I'd  purchase in the full size at the moment is the cleanser and exfoliator kit.

Emma Hardie skincare is available at SpaceNK, and the starter kit costs £30.

Lipink Fire Red

Reading the reviews on Makeupalley, you either love Lipink or hate it. I'd always been intrigued by this product, especially as the fabulous Jitterbugdoll uses the Red Lipink for her photoshoots. I found out this week that there is a UK website, and I promptly placed an order.

This does take longer than applying your usual lipstick. You have to clean the lips with the 'Off' solution, rinse with water, apply a little of the Shine moisturiser and then apply three even layers of the colour, letting it dry between each layer. I corrected any wobbles in the line afterwards with a little of the Off solution on a cotton bud, before finishing with a layer of the Shine.

It's actually a bit disconcerting how well this stays on. It really doesn't transfer onto cups, and I could kiss Mr London without leaving a trace on him (funnily, he was happy to assist with this particular research.) The big test was lunch at GBK; chilli burger, chips and onion rings. It stayed on, almost perfectly. On close inspection it had worn a tiny bit on my upper lip around the outer corners, but I was happy to walk around without reapplying for the rest of the day. I had to use the Off to take it off; a regular cleanser would not budge it.

Surprisingly, this hadn't made my lips dry or sore by the end of the day; I'd reapplied the shine twice. With the shine it looks like a regular lipstick, and it didn't make my lips flaky or sore like the other long wear lipsticks I've tried in the past. I can't speak for long term usage yet; I don't know that I'd use this every day, I love some of my regular lipsticks too much, but if I really needed my lipstick to stay on I would reach for it again.

Some of the copy on the website is a little weird. It looks like it's been written by Dolores Umbridge; for example; "Surprising how many clients tell us 'they don't work/last/stay on' when clearly they have neither read the instructions or followed them properly. Nor have they used the spare applicators supplied. Very difficult for us to remain courteous when being fibbed to!" Personally I think it'd be better to have a no-exchange policy than one that requires a lie-detector test before you get half of your money back. I also think it's a bit off to charge £5 for exchanging one unopened and sealed colour for another; I kind of wish I'd ordered a neutral shade rather than a clear to tone the colours I chose, but I'm not sure if I can take the hassle of trying to get an exchange agreed, or if I'm willing to pay £5 to do so.

It is an expensive system; I bought a starter kit with the Off, Shine, travel Off and two colours for £45, although I think it'd last you a long time, even with daily use. The website is at lipink.co.uk.

Why True Blood is better than Twilight

Okay, imagine that Bella didn't forgive Edward after he did that douchey thing in book two. Imagine instead she thought, "Hey, I'll shack up with Jacob instead. He's hot too, he's not creepy and he's way more fun."

....and that is why True Blood/Sookie Stackhouse is better than Twilight.


(Dear Twi-hards, I love Twilight. Honestly. I've read all the books, even the last one, and I made Mr London watch the film (you can read his haiku on it here.) I'm just Team Jacob, is all.)

Linda Mason Method Kit in Aries

Linda Mason is an absolutely fascinating make up artist who doesn't get talked about nearly enough. She was responsible for the runway makeup looks of Gaultier, Mugler and Commes des Garcons in the early 1980s, and was one of the pioneers of the movement to see the make up as an integral part of the show that should be in harmony with the clothes. I can see a lot of her influence and legacy in the work Alex Box is doing at Illamasqua (interestingly, Linda Mason is also an artist in paints as well as cosmetics, and Alex Box's background is originally in art too.) If you're interested in make up artist books, I thoroughly recommend Linda's 'Make Up, the Art of Beauty.'

Although I'm actually a Cancer (and was meant to be a Leo - I was a month premature,) I picked the Aries Kit because the colour/feel of it appealed to me the most (and also because I really wanted that black lip gloss. Linda Mason has been making and using a black gloss to dull/cool other colours for years.)

The packaging is a CD case, which doesn't feel particularly luxurious, but you are getting a full kit of quality products for $54. It's not terribly portable for touch-ups, and it is worth considering purchasing a couple of lip colours and a gloss separately to throw in a bag; the Earth Lip Trio, which contains the brown and nude lip colours and the black gloss is a good buy.

This is an excellent neutral kit; if I was being really picky I'd say the blush is a little too dark on my pale skin and I do have to be careful not to overcook it. The lip colours are brilliant; I can get any colour from a nude to a rose to a deep burgundy red. The eyeshadows are all matte, apart from the taupe/mushroom, which has shimmer.

Do check out the website; http://www.lindamason.com. I think they will ship outside of the US if you email; I had a friend in the US help me get hold of this instead.