Sunday statcounter silliness

I always find it interesting how people find this blog - statcounter will tell you what phrase people search to arrive here. Sometimes I really want to answer the query directly, and so I'm going to indulge myself and do that here for a few of them.

"OPI Jade is the new Black am I too old" No, you most certainly aren't, if you'd like to wear it. It's quite a muted green shade, that would suit almost all skin tones in my opinion.

"Rudeness MAC Cosmetics *name of store*" The name of the store has been redacted to protect the guilty. MAC staff can be intimidating wherever you go. The MAC counters also seem to be obliged to play shouty music very loudly. Perhaps they aren't rude as much as deaf from the constant noise.

"Alice in Wonderland UK where to buy" Debenhams, but be quick. The stores are being replenished, but they never seem to have enough to last the day - your best bet is to ring your nearest Debenhams that stocks Urban Decay and ask to reserve one, or else go early in the day. I have to say that the tester unit I saw in Debenhams on Oxford Street already looked very sad and sorry for itself (the cardboard pop-up was quite beaten up) but the tester wouldn't have been treated gently. The urge for me personally has passed.

"Rachel Weisz nude" Why do you click on my blog when I show up in your search? Do you suddenly discover an interest in make-up? Do you live in hope that somewhere on my blog I do have a rude picture of Rachel Weisz? This utterly bamboozles me, and it happens quite regularly. 

Suqqu Spring 2010 FOTD

Here's a picture of the Suqqu Kisui products I bought applied. I'm also wearing the (cream) foundation in 10. The slightly odd expression is probably because Mr London had said something deliberately foolish as he was taking the photo for me.

Close up of eye:

Suqqu Spring 2010 Kisui - purchases

Suqqu Spring 2010 was launched in the UK on Thursday 25 February, and I made it to the counter yesterday, 26 February. As I knew I'd be buying a few bits from the collection, I also booked in for a Gankin massage as well as an application of colours from the new collection.

The colours  from this collection are quite similar to those of the last two collections; neutral eyes and natural lips abound. The theme of this collection is Kisui - an attitude of noble elegance and confidence. Inspired by watercolour techniques, the colours in the palettes are designed to be layered to build up colour and depth of tone. Three colours in the eyeshadow palettes are quite sheer, but do layer nicely; the eyelining/defining shade (lower left) is well-pigmented.

I bought:

Noble Nuance eyeshadow in EX01 Umegasane (£38) - a chocolate/rose quad. The top two shades (rose and rosy beige) have subtle shimmer in them, and layer nicely to give a my-lids-but-better shade.

Noble Nuance face color (£40, comes with a good brush too) - a melange of pastel shades, this is a subtle brightening powder to be used on the high points of the face after applying all other cosmetics. This is a beautiful product; it illuminates without adding any shimmer or sparkle; I prefer it to both Guerlain Meteorites and the LE Mac MSF Lightscapade (both of which I find annoyingly sparkly on my skin.) This is already selling very quickly.

Noble Nuance cheeks in EX02 Mukuge (£36) - rosy natural blush, and pale pink highlighter. This is a very natural, healthy blush, and it's more pigmented than Blend Cheeks 05 Kasabeni, which I find is very subtle, even on my pale skin. Mukuge is just the kind of cheek colour I love.

Noble Nuance lipstick in EX03 Shumomo (£24) - slightly translucent pale warm pink. This applies paler than it looks in the tube, and gives a soft, slightly translucent lip. It's somewhere between Creamy lips and Blend lips in texture. I love this lipstick, and will definitely be buying more of the 5 shades, which are all variations of natural/nude lips. Here's a picture applied:

Shoobe - if you're reading this, the Noble Nuance lipstick is worth a try - it is lovely on dry lips.

I had an absolutely lovely time; the counter staff were attentive and friendly, and the Gankin massage was heavenly; I could feel the tension in my jaw release. I loved the make-up too; I never leave the Suqqu counter feeling self-conscious about the make-up applied or Vegas Showgirl. Obayashi San is visiting the UK counter again from 25 March to 28 March, and I'd thoroughly recommend booking an appointment with her if you can (although I wouldn't personally wait until then to buy the Noble Nuance Face Color.)

I'll post a picture wearing the collection, if anyone would like to see it.

Free shipping worldwide at Cultbeauty.co.uk for 24 hours only

Enter the code 24HRSHIP at checkout for free shipping worldwide on orders over £25 for the next 24 hours.

I've just placed my order for the Rococo Nail Apparel Gold Leaf Top Coat (no shipping fee = guilt-free) and a Margaret Dabbs foot cream (rather less glamorously, for my manky dry feet.)

Cult Beauty is at www.cultbeauty.co.uk. As well as Rococo, they stock vintage-style Besame lipsticks,  Nubar nail polishes, Invisible Zinc sunscreen and Omorovicza skincare (I'm very tempted by the Thermal Cleansing Balm, but resisted.)

Suqqu products/swatches for FOTD, red eyeshadow

Products, from left clockwise: 01 Hinatazuna single eyeshadow (cream), 04 Himenadeshiko single eyeshadow (pale pink), 11 Ashibi single blush (dusky pink), 23 Keshiaka creamy lipstick (soft natural pink) EX-42 Aka single eyeshadow (bright red, with gold micro-sparkles.)

Swatches left to right: Hinatazuna, Himenadeshiko, Aka, Ashibi, Keshiaka.

I based my make-up today around eyeshadow EX-42 Aka, from the Autumn/Winter 2006 collection. Red eyeshadow looks quite frightening in the pot, but I like to wear it as an eyeliner along my top lashline. It's a bit unexpected, but fun and I find it wearable if I keep the rest of my make-up quite simple. I'm wearing the cream colour all over as a base from lash to brow, the pink over my lid and into my crease, and the red along my lashline.

Guest post on Signature Scent

I was delighted recently to be asked to write a guest post for Signature Scent. You can read my post on my favourite fragrances here.

Oribe Signature Shampoo & Conditioner review

Mr London bought these for me for Christmas. I love the smell (a light, sophisticated, slightly perfumed citrus) but what is really good is the way these make my hair behave.

Put succinctly, Oribe gives my hair guts. I have volume at the roots and controlled non-frizzy body at the ends (I usually find that volumising shampoos and conditioners give me finger-in-electric-socket hair.) I also find it gives really good shine to my hair. I wash my hair every other day, and with the Oribe my hair still looks decent on day two, and doesn't look like it really needs a wash by the end of the second day.

If I was being really picky, I'd say that sometimes my scalp feels a bit dry after a couple of weeks non-stop use, and I do need to occasionally rotate with a more moisturising formula. Less dry/shorter hair would probably like this shampoo exclusively. I'm now very tempted by the Oribe Shine shampoo and conditioner to add into my routine for this purpose, despite the horrible UK price tag.

The conditioner does contain some silicones, for those who try to avoid them (cyclopentasiloxane is the second ingredient.) It doesn't make my hair either lank or crispy though, which I commonly experience when a brand contains too much silicone for my hair. The first listed foaming ingredients in the shampoo are sodium laureth sulfate, TEA-lauryl sulfate, lauramidopropyl betaine, cocamide MEA, glyceryl cocoate and disodium laureth sulfosuccinate.

Oribe is sold at SpaceNK in the UK.

Addiction Spring 2010 - Pastel Rainbow

The Addiction Spring collection looks very interesting; I like the bold colour of the eyeshadows, and although the colours are bright, I think they do look very spring appropriate. The colour combinations remind me a bit of those in the MAC Madame B collection from 2005.

I hope that Mihoko gets this collection in; I love the look of the blush and the lipstick, which, as it is the sheer formulation, should be very wearable. I am also tempted by Eggplant and Limoncello eyeshadows.

What do you think? Too bright, or a nice change of pace from all the Spring soft pastels?

Screenshot is from the Addiction website, http://www.addiction-beauty.com/special/1002_spring (with techie credit to Mr London, who took the screenshot for me.) There are also look breakdowns on the website.

Julie Hewett Rue Burgundy Hue eye colour, Natural Cheekie

Rue Burgundy Hue cream eyeshadow/liner, Natural Cheekie.

Swatches (in opposite order):

Applied:

Rue Burgundy on lid up to crease, Natural on cheeks and lips. This is a very simple face (I'm not a make-up artist, and don't aspire to be. I've usually got about 5 minutes to make myself look vaguely human in the morning.) I love the colour of the Rue Burgundy, which is more of a bronzey plum than a true burgundy, but as this is a cream product it does fade and crease quite quickly, particularly if you don't set it with some sort of powder (either a loose translucent powder, or a toning powder eyeshadow.)

I've wanted Rue Burgundy since seeing this post on www.makeupmole.com, of Rachel Weisz wearing it at a premiere. I keep meaning to get that Chanel eyeshadow too.

Rue Burgundy reminds me quite a lot of the Christopher Drummond loose powder eyeshadow in Marrom that I bought recently (the Marrom is more of a plummy bronze, but has a similar feel/look) and I think the two would work very well layered together. I'll post a picture of the Christopher Drummond colour products I bought applied, and my thoughts on them, later this week.

Julie Hewett products can be bought at www.misebeauty.com.

Interested in Amala Organic skin care

Sample sachets of the Amala hydrating Jasmine range were included in a recent order from Content, and I'm very interested in exploring the line further.

I particularly like the Hydrating Cream Cleanser and HydratingYoghurt Mask samples. The cleanser removed all my make-up, including mascara. The yoghurt mask was guzzled up by my skin, and does not need to be removed; I massaged it in for very smooth and plump feeling skin.  Both smell of fresh jasmine, a scent I love. I can't attest to any real benefits or results, as sachets do only contain enough product for a couple of uses. I might put the bigger sample kit (£33) in my next order though.

Has anyone tried this line? Any thoughts on it? My only concern is that the first ingredient of many of the products (including these two) seems to be alcohol, and although I'm sure it's organic happy hippy alcohol, I do still worry that it might rile up my skin. On the other hand, my skin does quite well with the Dr Alkaitis serum, which also contains plant alcohol as an ingredient.

Suqqu Moss Monochrome Autumn Winter 2009 FOTD

I bought these products back in Autumn 2007, when Suqqu first introduced the Blend products with the Moss Monochrome collection. I still wear and love them, and pulled them out to do a FOTD this weekend.  From left to right: Blend eyeshadow 01 Souryoku, Blend lipstick 03 Kousa, Blend Cheeks 02 Fuwaridaidai. 

I'm also wearing cream Foundation in 10, Loose Powder Natural and Creamy Eyeliner 01 Green. 

One of the things I really liked about this collection, and about Suqqu generally, is that there is a good choice of warm, cool and neutral colours to choose from. This is quite a neutral/warm look on the cheeks and lips, paired with a cool/neutral eye look. In the same collection there were some very pretty cool pink lips and cheeks, warmer brown lips and cheeks, cool blue and purple quads, a neutral grey quad and a warm brown quad. The overall theme/feel was a slightly smoky classic eye with a neutral lip and cheek. None of these products were limited edition. 

Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Supreme Shine lipstick in Beige 957 applied

I bought this earlier this week as my lips were feeling incredibly dry and Miss London had taken my Malin & Goetz lip balm away to Ma's. 

Good things:

It does feel very comfy and moisturising on the lips. 

The colours are lovely, and I like this one (a rosy dark beige) a lot. 

At £19.50, this is pretty reasonable for a high end Japanese lipstick. It's a lot less expensive than the Chantecaille Lip Chic I pictured earlier this week at £26.50. 

The tube is quite handy, in that the clear lid lets you see the colour inside easily; useful if you have a few  as you can find the lipstick you are looking for quickly. 

Not-so-good-things:

It's a little more sparkly than I personally like. The sparkle is muted in this photo - in real life the sparkle particles are more apparent. 

The formula is very soft; used consistently a tube would not last very long. 

As expected with this kind of formulation, it isn't very long-lasting. The Chantecaille Lip Chic does have much better longevity, and I also find the Suqqu Blend lipsticks last a bit better too. 

I bought this from the Shu Uemura shop in Covent Garden; it's also available online at www.beautyexpert.co.uk. 

Suqqu Spring 2010 Kisui - launch date for UK

I stopped by the Suqqu counter today to ask if I could reserve a Noble Nuance Face Color Powder, after a fit of probably paranoid fear that these would be sold out through a waiting list before I could get to the counter.

The Spring collection stock is due to arrive next Thursday, 25 February. I'm going to pick up my Face Color Powder on the Friday, and I have booked in for a Gankin Massage too. I'm sure I'll buy at least a couple of the colour pieces from the collection too; I look forward to the Suqqu collections very much.

Rococo Black Sakura nail apparel

This is a deep, black cherry cream shade. The flash makes it look a little less opaque than it does in real life, but it shows the cherry undertone well (this is with two coats.) I find this shade very flattering on my pale hands.

Rococo polishes are available at SpaceNK, and this was £11.50. I still can't get hold of that blasted gold leaf top coat, and I think it would look fabulous over this shade.

Ellis Faas Milky Lips L207 applied

I received my order from www.misebeauty.com today, and I bought two Ellis Faas products in it. This is the Milky Lips L207 applied, which is the pinkest natural shade in the Milky or Creamy lips in my opinion. There is still a fair bit of brown/peach to it, but for someone looking for a natural pinkish tone, this is your best bet.

Swatches, from left to right: Milky Eyes E208 (a coral/brown pink, not nearly as pink as it looks online. Bottom is swatched heavily, fading out at the top.) Milky Lips L207 in the centre, and then the Milky Lips L205 I bought in my first Ellis Faas order on the right, which is a lighter and slightly brighter peachy nude shade.

Chantecaille Amaryllis Lip Chic applied

A reader, Kelly Ann, has asked if I had any idea what lipstick Rachel McAdams wore in the Sherlock Holmes movie. I haven't seen the movie and I'm only going by still shots I can find online, but it looks like a slightly reddish bright pink to me. I have read that Chantecaille was used on the set, and the closest colour I can think of to the shade I can see on the pictures of Rachel is the Lip Chic in Amaryllis.

Lip Chics are sheer but buildable, and very comfortable on the lips. Unfortunately, they are also among the most expensive lipsticks on the market (that aren't Serge Lutens) at £26.50.

Below is a face picture; I'm also wearing Chantecaille eyeshadows in Agate and Titanium and Chantecaille blush in Mood.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for the lipstick Rachel McAdams might have been wearing in the Sherlock Holmes movie (or even know which one it actually was?) 

Sue Devitt Spring 2010 FOTD

The PR for Sue Devitt contacted me recently to ask if I'd be interested in trying out a couple of items from the Spring 2010 Southern Seas Sojourn collection. 

From left clockwise: Lip Intensifier pencil in Kira Kira, Lip Enhancing Gloss in Telina (that's what the compliment slip with it said, but from the descriptions it looks like it could be Coral Sea instead, and there isn't a label on this as it's a sample so please check before buying!)  Silky Blush in Koh Samui, Eye Intensifier pencil in Pointe Noire, Silky Sheen eyeshadow in Berlin. 

Applied: Eye Intensifier close to lashes, and then smoked out with Berlin on the lid. Lip Enhancing Gloss applied over the Lip Intensifier pencil. Koh Samui on cheeks. If I had to sum up Sue Devitt as a brand, I'd say that it typically gives a casually glamorous look. The products are all very easy to apply and wear. 

Close up of the lips:

The Lip Intensifier takes the idea from the very popular Eye Intensifier and applies it to the lips. It gives a creamy non-shimmer, comfortable colour that lasts well. The Lip Enhancing Gloss really is something quite special; I'm not usually a huge fan of glosses, but this feels lovely. It contains marine filling spheres, marine collagen, peptides and ceramides that help to fill out lines in the lips. My lips are horribly dry naturally, but they feel incredibly soft and smooth with this gloss. It has a very light menthol scent, which feels cooling when I apply it, but isn't obtrusive or bothersome to my nose.

Sue Devitt products are available at www.qvcuk.com, and at Harvey Nichols. I'm extremely tempted to schlep to Knightsbridge to pick up the Eye/Cheek Hydrating Marine Minerals palette from the collection (Soloman Islands, a mix of pink, peach and bronze tones.)

Disclosure: Lip Intensifier Pencil, Lip Enhancing Gloss and Eye Intensifier were sent to me without charge for consideration for review. The blush and the eyeshadow were bought by me (or by Mr London as a gift.)

Julie Hewett Ombre Palette

This is the Ombre palette from Julie Hewett. It contains Hue cream eyeshadow in Mystere (taupe shimmer), Bette Cheekie (shimmery warm bronze) and powder eyeshadows in Bellini (peach with subtle shimmer) and Brunette (matte neutral dark brown.) 

The Cheekies can be used on cheeks and lips, so this is a complete face. It'd work particularly well on a redhead, or anyone who prefers warmer toned make-up. 

Swatches (left to right) Mystere, Bette, Bellini, Brunette. 

This palette was sent to me by a US friend, as part of a gift exchange. Julie Hewett products are available from www.misebeauty.com, based in Ireland, who will ship internationally. They don't have the Ombre palette, but they have all the elements to make it as a custom palette. 

Inlight Organic Skincare Review

(The boxes didn't come beaten up like this. I just didn't have the patience to open them nicely.)

I was contacted in January by the PR for Inlight Organics to ask if I'd like to try some of their products, for consideration for review. As I like organic/non-chemical skincare, I was very happy to try some out. Pictured are the products I was sent, and I've been using them for about four weeks now.

Inlight is certified organic by the Soil Association, and is formulated by Dr Mariano Spiezia, a medical doctor, homeopath and herbalist with 30 years of scientific research under his belt.

The Organic Face Cleanser is an oil/balm type. It smells lovely and just a little spreads over the face well, lifting out grime and make-up before I remove using a damp muslin soaked in warm water. You do need to use the balm cleanser method with this cleanser as it does not emulsify with water; apply to dry face, massage, remove with damp muslin, then rinse with water. This is £24 for 60ml.

If I had to compare and contrast this cleanser with the similar Saaf one I already love, I'd say the Inlight feels slightly more astringent/toning to me. They both remove make-up, including quite heavy eye make-up, very well, and both leave my skin comfortable and not smothered. I'd say if you have very dry, mature skin, it might be worth paying the extra for the Saaf, but if you have more normal or oily skin, or you simply want an alternative, very pure cleanser at a lower cost, the Inlight is absolutely excellent.

I adore the Floral Face Tonic. It's alcohol-free, which is actually quite difficult to find in natural lines; many of them use plant-based alcohol in their toners/serums. This has a herby/earthy smell, rather than a typical floral one, and honestly, it's a bit surprising when you first open the bottle, although I quickly grew to like it. It leaves my skin feeling soft, fresh and comfortable, and although I'm not usually a fan of toners, I'll be keeping this one in my routine. I did feel like it added something to my evening routine, and I also enjoyed using it in the morning to refresh my face after my usual splash with cold water. This is £18 for 100ml.

I was also sent the Firm & Tone Oil. I like that this product doesn't claim to perform miracles, but has ingredients that together with massage can help to improve the tone and elasticity of the skin, and therefore reduce the appearance of cellulite. I don't really have cellulite (and before you all throw things at me, I work out for about 4 hours a week and I don't eat much junk/drink carbonated drinks etc,) but I did feel that this oil helped to combat that time-of-the-month bloated feeling, and I enjoy the feeling and smell of it for a general body oil moisturiser. This costs £32 for 100ml.

The website is at www.inlight-online.co.uk, and the range is also available at www.beingcontent.com.

Please note: products were sent without charge for consideration for review. I am not affiliated, and receive no links if you click on this links in this post or any other post.

Ellis Faas face of the day (beige/taupe eyes, rose lips)

This is a very quick and easy Ellis Faas face I've been wearing recently with the two new items I picked up from the counter.

I'm wearing the Christopher Drummond Veludo powder foundation and rms Beauty un-cover concealer as base, Shu Uemura Hard Brow pencil in Seal Brown and Le Metier de Beaute black mascara. The colour products are:

Ellis Faas Creamy Eyes E107 (beige/greyed taupe) on lid and taken under lower lashes.
Ellis Faas Blush in S302 (peachy pink.)
Ellis Faas Milky Lips in L203 (deep slightly browned rose.)

I'm finding that the delivery system on the most recent products I bought seem a little more responsive than my first purchases (or perhaps I've just gotten the hang of using them.) I love that I can do quite a polished face that stays put all day in under 5 minutes, and the only brush I need to use is an eyeliner one for my lower lashes.

10% discount online at Mise Beauty

Mise Beauty have a 10% off code running to the end of February. The code to use is LIVE2010.

As 10% off Julie Hewett and Ellis Faas isn't so much an invitation to treat as an obligation to treat in my book, I placed a small order for :

Ellis Faas Milky Eyes 208,
Ellis Faas Milky Lips 207, and
Julie Hewett Hue cream eyeshadow in Burgundy.

Shipping costs to the UK were a reasonable £3.50. The Mise Beauty website is at www.misebeauty.com and they have some excellent brands, including Annick Goutal and Agent Provocateur fragrances, and Korres, Pai and Decleor skincare.

Euoko/Liberty update

After my post on my disappointing customer service experience at the Euoko counter at Liberty, I was contacted separately by both a representative of Euoko and a customer services manager at Liberty.

Both of them apologised for the experience, and said that they would not expect a similar issue to be handled in the same way in the future. The Euoko representative offered to send me something to make up for the experience, which I declined (it was the same day, and I was still pretty cross.) Liberty have offered to send some gift vouchers, and as I do know the difference between cutting off your nose to spite your face and total self-decapitation, I haven't knocked that back.

I didn't mind not getting a new product, but I did expect the sales representative of the brand to be there when I arrived when I said I would (perhaps I'm being overly critical here - she might have had to go to the loo or something, but I got the impression from her colleague that she wasn't expected back any time soon) and if the solution was to replace the pump I'd have preferred to have seen it hygienically sealed, particularly when Euoko make a point of not over-using preservatives in their products. I'm trusting that this wouldn't happen to someone else in a similar situation in the future, and I do still love the Liberty Beauty Hall, where I generally receive very good service.

As for the moisturiser, Mr London reports that, "It does make my skin feel really nice." Yeah, I'm happy for him.

Magazine Street, by Strange Invisible Perfumes

Strange Invisible Perfumes is a botanical fragrance house that uses no artificial or animal essences or ingredients. Wherever possible, the ingredients used are certified organic and fair trade. Inspired by the city of New Orleans, 8% of the price of each bottle of Magazine Street sold is donated to the Katrina relief efforts of www.commongroundrelief.org. Strange Invisible describes Magazine Street as Brazen. Sumptuous. Romantic.

On me, Magazine Street starts with a fresh spicy blast (from patchouli, I think, and vetiver) and then soon settles into a warm and sensual blend - I get the fresh floral of magnolia, the vanilla adds warmth but not sweetness to the overall tone, and the botanical musk gives a salty-skin note (but it's clean, fresh sweat, not the Serge Lutens cumin/groin note.) To me, this is a sensual, voluptuous scent, but it isn't overpowering or fluffy. It is romantic, but it's more Gone With the Wind than Romeo & Juliet, and that suits me perfectly.

So, Magazine Street is warm and spicy but also has a freshness to it, I think from the magnolia and vetiver in the blend. I've had a cold recently and after I recover from one of those I often find that my sense of smell is extremely acute (or seems that way, after losing it during the cold.) I'm also at the stage of my hormonal cycle when I'm particularly sensitive to smells and even perfumes that I ordinarily like can make me feel a bit headachey. This one has not bothered me at all; instead I find it comforting and enveloping without being in any way cloying to me.

Another thing I love about this perfume is that it lasts well, but it's intimate; it stays quite close to my body. I get wafts of it through the day, but I don't feel like my scent enters the room before I do.

This is £120 for 50ml. I honestly didn't know if I could spend that much on perfume for myself, but as a guilt-free anniversary gift from Mr London, I adore it. I haven't had such an immediate and personal accord with a fragrance or fragrance house since I first walked into the Ormonde Jayne Royal Arcade Boutique. I'd budget to buy this myself in the future if I run out of it at a time when there is no handy gift-hinting opportunity.

Mr London bought this from www.beingcontent.com. The Strange Invisible website is at www.siperfumes.com. 

OPI Jade Is The New Black applied

This is OPI Jade Is The New Black, from the Hong Kong collection. Apologies for the lack of clean up, but I wanted to get a shot while there is decent light outside to pick the colour up properly. This is a slightly faded bluish jade green cream. Gorgeous colour, but I did find it a little draggy to apply. I got good coverage with two coats, as pictured.

I bought mine from Selfridges, because I was too impatient to wait and order online, but OPI is available from e-tailers for less than the £10 I paid for mine.

Shiseido Spring 2010 purchases

I saw Shiseido Spring 2010 yesterday and it is very lovely indeed.

I bought Perfect Rouge Tender Sheer in RD629 Natural Red. I know, I know, because I needed another red lipstick, right? This one is very comfortable, and has a touch less pink to it than Lipstick Queen Medieval.

I also bought Luminizing Satin Face Color in RD103 Petal, a natural warm pink. Quite a big sticker shock on the blush - these are £30 each (yes, I should have asked before I bought it.) You do get a fair bit though; 6.5g for that price, compared to £22 for 4.5g in a Suqqu single blush (a blush of comparable quality.) This is also a new product for Spring, and comes in 6 shades;

• warm red RD401 Orchid,
• medium slightly browned rose RS302 Tea Rose,
• RD103 Petal,
• cool pink PK304 Carnation,
• white WT905 High Beam White, and 
• gold BE206 Soft Beam Gold.  

Swatch of Perfect Rouge Tender Sheer lipstick RD 629.

Applied to my lips. This is a very comfortable, casual sheer red that can be built up. It's a great beginner's red. 

Other pieces of the collection I liked:

Perfect Rouge Glowing Matte in BR323 Wink - a sheer matte beige/brown with tiny green iridescent particles.
Perfect Rouge Glowing Matte in PK224 Sugar Babe - pictured on my lips here, a light coral pink matte.
Perfect Rouge Tender Sheer in PK327 Tender - a warm sheer light pink.
Luminizing Satin Eye Colour VI720 Ghost - mauve with multi-coloured iridescence.

I bought these at Selfridges. Shiseido is reasonably widely available in department stores in the UK. In the US, it is available at Sephora.com, and in department stores.

Beaute Harlot & Julie Hewett FOTD

In this FOTD I'm wearing Harlot on my cheeks and lips (dabbed lightly in the middle of my lips and then blended out to a stain,) and the Julie Hewett Twilight eyeshadow palette (the grey on the lid, brown in the crease and outer corner of lid, shimmery black to line, and white to highlight under the browbone.) 

Beaute cosmetics now available in the UK at Cocobeau.co.uk

You can finally get hold of Beaute in the UK without paying a big shipping fee or running the risk of being hit with a customs charge at www.cocobeau.co.uk.

I've just been sent Harlot Liqui-Gel Stain by a Canadian friend. It's a bright, cool, berry pink on my skin.

Pictures of the Liqui-Gel Stains I own. Left to right: Fever, Harlot, Flouron.

Swatches in the same order:

You can find my previous posts and pictures of more of the products I own here.

Unimpressed by Euoko

Those of you who saw my tweets yesterday will know I've had an issue with a product I bought from the Euoko Liberty counter for Mr London as one of his Christmas gifts.

I emailed Liberty Customer Service on 04 February to tell them that the pump on the Euoko moisturiser was faulty, I no longer had the receipt and if I could exchange it (Mr London had only just finished another moisturiser and opened this one up.) Liberty states that it aims to respond to emails within 24 hours of receipt, so when I'd heard nothing back by yesterday, 08 February, I telephoned to enquire. The Customer Services representative I spoke to said that the counter staff had said they'd already spoken to me and dealt with my issue by sending out another pump, which came as news to me. It appears that someone else had had the same issue, and they had dealt with them, but not me (it's not a very good reflection on the quality of the packaging of this expensive brand, is it?) I said as I was in London tomorrow (today) I'd come in to exchange in person.

So, a bit later I received a call from the counter. They're terribly sorry, happy to exchange the whole thing so I get a fresh product, what time will I be at the counter? Then, about 5 minutes later I had another call to ask if I had the receipt. No, as I explained in my email, I do not customarily keep receipts for skincare as you can't exchange it in the UK if you just don't like it, and I didn't expect a £70 moisturiser to have defective packaging. The counter assistant on the phone was then very hesitant about whether she could exchange, so I asked her to call me back if there was an issue.

Receiving no further phone call, I went to Liberty at the appointed time, with my bank statement as proof of purchase. The sales assistant was not at the counter, despite having assured me that she would be. She had left a replacement pump, loose in a drawer, and had asked a colleague from another line to give it to me. The replacement pump was put on my original purchase and luckily it worked, so I left, not very impressed with the customer service I'd received.

Unless this moisturiser turns Mr London into Ewan McGregor's younger, hotter, sibling, I won't be purchasing from Euoko again in the future. I expected better from Liberty.

EDIT to add: please see this post for the follow up on this issue.

Anne Semonin skin care to launch at Liberty

I mentioned briefly that last week I was invited to an Handpicked Media/Liberty event to introduce a skin care line that Liberty will soon be stocking. Anne Semonin is a french skin care brand that specialises in customising skin care to suit the individual. It has been going for over 20 years, sold mainly through international spas, and is launching in the Liberty Beauty hall at the end of March 2010.

The core of the range are paired sets of Intensive Complexes made up of an Essential Oil blend and a Trace Elements blend, which are used together as the default night time treatment, and to customise the other skin care products in the line. The brand literature states that these are sold separately in order to preserve the purity of the active ingredients (you blend a few drops of each together before each use.) There are different pairs for firming, moisturising, balancing and soothing (plus a body care pair for draining.)

The moisturisers are intended for day time use, but do not have any sun protection in them. I was quite surprised by this, as regular use of an spf is widely regarded as one of the most beneficial things you can do to help the skin age as gracefully as possible. The Anne Semonin trainer and therapist at the event explained that this is because the addition of an spf would compromise the efficacy of the active ingredients, and that they recommend using a simple sunscreen on top of the moisturiser if you need to. I know that some of my makeup ladies at www.emakemeup.com have expressed frustration at how difficult it is to find a day moisturiser that doesn't contain sunscreens in it (they're sensitive to the chemical sunscreens most commonly used) so I think this isn't necessarily a negative point for this brand. I do think that when you have a range that contains essential oils that are potentially photosensitising in it you should have some kind of sunscreen available though, and I hope that the brand considers adding a light sunscreen for use over their moisturisers soon.

If you like brands like Decleor and Darphin, then Anne Semonin would be an excellent brand to look into, at around the same price point. In my opinion it allows for more customisation of products than either of those brands, but at the same time also allows for a simpler routine; you can use the same Trace Elements and Essential Oil blend as a night time treatment and to customise all of the other products in your routine to suit your skin condition.

We were each given a couple of skincare items to test out; I've been using the Toning Apricot Kernel Oil  (on its own, as my night treatment) for a few nights now. This is a special program treatment that is used instead of the Intensive Complexes occasionally, and the Toning Oil is designed for skin that has been overexposed to the weather/sun. It smells fresh and citrussy, sinks in very well and leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth in the morning, and I find it quicker to apply than a heavier cream. It's the time of month when I'd expect my chin to breakout if it was going to, but my skin has been very well-behaved and clear with this product. It costs £36 for 30ml.

I'm most interested in finding out what Essential Oil/Trace Element pair would be best for my skin, and the four masks in the line also look interesting to me. Have you heard of Anne Semonin or tried it before?

Disclaimer: the product mentioned in this post was given to me without charge as part of an event bag.

Free shipping at NARS with spend over £25

The code is VAL2010, and it's valid from today through to 14 February.

I've had a closer look at Spring 2010, and the only two pieces in it that I'm still considering are Easy Lover gloss (sheer hot pink) and Purple Rain nail polish (purple with bluish iridescence.) The Kuala Lumpur eyeshadow duo is a little too reddish pink toned for me, and D.Gorgeous eyeshadow single, when I swatched it, was quite sheer (matte lilac.)

The website is at www.narscosmetics.co.uk

Sarah Chapman Skinesis skincare review - Age Repair Serum

I love the Sarah Chapman spf 15 Dynamic Defence and Eye Recovery that I previously reviewed. Unfortunately, I'm not so keen on the Age Repair Serum.

It's a bit too rich for my skin; it's more of a cream than a serum texture in my opinion. I can't wear it underneath the Dynamic Defence, even in the coldest days of winter, without my dry skin feeling and looking oily by midday. I've been using it as a night treatment on its own instead, which has worked well. It moisturises well, and my skin looks and feels okay when I wake up - I'm not amazed, but it generally looks pretty good while using this. I don't experience any clogged pores, unless I apply it directly to my chin. The active ingredients are good: vitamins A and C, and various peptides to help smooth fine lines and promote collagen repair.

Like the Dynamic Defence, this has a jasmine/monoi scent. I don't dislike it personally, although it isn't a selling point to me, but it's worth knowing if you find it hard to tolerate scented products.

My biggest problem with this for me is it's shimmery. I dislike shimmery moisturisers - they don't make your skin look magically radiant, they make it look shimmery. It's not that big a deal, because I only use it at night, but I can find products that perform a similar function adequately for me that aren't shimmery.

In summary, I think this particular product is best suited for very dry skin if you do want to use it underneath a moisturiser, and avoid if you don't like shimmery or scented face products. I'll use it up, but I won't repurchase like I have the Eye Repair and Dynamic Defence.

Lise Watier Quatour Nuits Magiques Saphir

A Canadian friend helped me to get hold of this lovely quad, from the Lise Watier Holiday 2009 collection. Like the other Lise Watier I have, the eyeshadows are nicely textured with a pretty sheen to them, easy to apply and work with, and a gorgeous combination of colours.

Here I'm wearing the pink all over as base, gold/bronze on lid, chocolate in crease, sapphire to line upper and lower lashes. I find this an easy way to incorporate a brighter shade on the eyes. I'm also wearing Le Metier de Beaute Echo blush, and a Le Metier lipgloss that came in a Handpicked Media event bag on my lips.

Scott Barnes Crease Brush

I bought this from Strawberrynet.com for £14. It's still available, and if you don't have a crease brush you love, this is worth considering.

The brush is soft, and fits perfectly into my eye socket, applying and blending crease colour effortlessly. Scott Barnes brushes get a lot of love from my emakemeup.com ladies, and they recommend the angled cheek brush particularly. I love my Shu Uemura 17, but again, if you don't have a blusher brush you love, it's worth having a look at the Scott Barnes.

Fyrinnae Eye of the Day, and Pixie Epoxy is kind of magical

This is a slightly more dramatic look for me than usual, using some of the Arcane Magic loose pigments I bought from Fyrinnae recently. I'm wearing Warrior Mage over lid, Mystic in crease and outer v of lid and Farseer on inner corner of lid.

Pixie Epoxy really is all that and a bag of chips. It's a completely clear balm-like primer for loose shadows that grabs onto them like nothing else. It feels comfy on my naturally dry eyelids too, as one of the main ingredients is glycerin.

I had an "Oh My Goodness" moment with the Arcane Magics. I swatched the ones I bought and they were all beautiful greens, but I didn't see the colour change...until I held my hand close to a lightbulb. These really do change colours closer to an artificial light. They were worth buying just to amuse myself moving my hand closer and further away from my desk lamp. They are also beautiful, beautiful eyeshadows.

The website is www.Fyrinnae.com. They ship internationally, and shipping is free on orders over $20. Each full size Arcane Magic is $5.95, and the Pixie Epoxy is $7.50. I'll be placing another order soon.

Le Metier de Beaute Anamorphic Mascara has grown on me

I was a bit meh about this mascara when I bought it back in June, but it's really grown on me.  I still wish the brush was a bit narrower (I prefer thinner brushes, as I can be less careful when applying.) I love the formula though - it leaves lashes soft and flexible, without wilting a curl, you can build it up without clumps and it doesn't flake or smudge. I picked this up again when I had my cold/sore throat recently and absolutely had to wear mascara for a work meeting, and it didn't irritate my eyes either.

When I was in Liberty earlier this week I had a look at the Le Metier counter, and the counter assistant showed me some pictures of the Spring 2010 Kaleidoscope kits. There is definitely one or more of those in my future; the colours are based around formal garden colour schemes, and are much more wearable than last year's very bright kits. I'm going back next week to see if they have them in yet, and I will show you pictures if/when I buy one.

Ellis Faas counter at Liberty

I visited the new Ellis Faas counter for the first time yesterday, and as Luce will tell you, I was very restrained indeed.

The counter has great visual appeal; the pens set in clear perspex with an indicative plastic colour blob around them draw attention and create interest amongst browsing shoppers. The make-up artist at the counter is excellent; she's a lovely redhead who looks great in the line and was giving a lady a very pretty and appropriate makeover while we browsed at the counter (and she also acknowledged us, instead of ignoring us as some sales assistants do while giving makeovers.)

I bought Creamy Eyes 107, a greyed beige/taupe, and Milky Lips 203, a browned raspberry. I was also tempted by Milky Eyes 108, a warm coral pink, but I resisted. Swatches of E107 and L203 below:

I would say that apart from about three of the eyeshadows and three or four lipsticks, all the shades lean towards warm. The Creamy Eyes are mostly brown-based; E103 is black and E109 is cream, but the colours in between are all variations on brown/beige. This isn't the line for you if you like cool, clear colours, and there are no pale cool pinks in the lip line up that I could see (sorry Marcia.)

As far as online resources go, you get the best deal if you buy in Sterling. Most of the line is now up on www.liberty.co.uk. It's also available at www.misebeauty.com, which ships worldwide. Mise also stocks Julie Hewett, another line I love.

Valentine's Day Is Over...*

I don't actually do Valentine's Day. We got married on 06 February, and as we were young and skint, Mr London and I agreed we'd do presents for our anniversary only. Plus, every day is Valentine's Day with him, apparently. (Insert your own gagging noise here.)

I find the idea of Valentine's Gift Guides on a website read primarily by women slightly odd (or do men google 'Valentine's Gift Guide' at this time of year?) but here's some stuff that you might want to hint for, or just buy for yourself or a friend.

Here's one for the friend who always dates unsuitable men. Gemma Burgess' The Dating Detox novel is a semi-subtle way to say, 'Would you please stop dating losers?'. It's much better than buying her 'He's Just Not That Into You.'

The Chantecaille counter in Fenwicks, London,  is running a promotion from 08 February to 14 February where if you book in for a lip consultation to find your perfect lip colour (£10, redeemable against stuff bought at the appointment) you get a complimentary gloss worth £21 too. The telephone number for the counter is 0207 629 9161. It's my favourite Chantecaille counter, as I find the assistants there are better trained than the assistants in SpaceNK (where, to be fair, they do have to know about a million different brands.) I love the Lip Chic I own - it isn't very long-wearing, but it is incredibly comfy. The regular lipsticks are good too.

Jo Malone has brought out a limited edition Red Roses Fragrance Chronicle for Valentine's Day. A 30ml Red Roses Cologne is accompanied by 9mls each of Moroccan Mint, Ice Rose and Honeycomb, packaged in a box-like book.

Nubar has a Valentine's collection available at beautyshed.co.uk, which includes a baby pink, a bright red and their base and top coat for £22.50. I'd be more bright red than baby pink, personally.

If you're going to go for chocolate, the lady may love Milk Tray, but this broad would prefer Hotel Chocolat, thank you very much. We always make time to do a raid on the Cambridge shop when we're there.

*Billy Bragg. Bloody good song, but very sad. Postcard is from www.gemmaburgess.com. I receive no remuneration if you click on the links in this post or any other, and I'm not affiliated with any brand/retailer.

Some old posts you might like, hopefully...

Forgive the slight laziness today, but here are a few early London MakeUp Girl posts that you might have missed, that I hope you might find interesting and/or amusing.

Mr London composed a haiku while watching the Twilight film under duress (duress to watch the film; he'll happily compose haikus) here.

My account of my Suqqu Spring 2009 makeover here.

When I began to like JEdward here.

and

We all love IKEA here (When IKEA met Style Black.)

Thank you for all the comments over the last few days - I owe you all a bunch of replies, which I will get to! I'm off to Liberty today to meet up with Luce from Get Lippie and have a browse at the new Ellis Faas counter, and as part of the Handpicked network we're getting a preview look at a new skincare launch that looks interesting.

I'm writing a 'not-a-Valentine-gift' guide, so look out for that in the next few days. Are there any other posts that you'd like to see?

Grace
x

Suqqu Spring 2008 Kirari FOTD

Pictured are: Blend Eyeshadow Quad 08 Koucha, Blend Cheeks 04 Yanwaricha and Blend Lipstick 11 Shunkou. These are all from the Spring 2008 Kirari collection, which was themed around the play of water on colour. The colours of this collection all had a sheer, crystalline quality, but still managed to be completely OL ("Office Lady") appropriate. This is a combination I wore a lot during the summer of 2008, and I still love it. None of these products were/are limited edition. 

Close up of the eyes. I used the beige as a base, the dark brown to line my upper lid, the peach with sparkle on the lid itself and under the lower lashes, and the white sparkle on the very inner corner near my tear duct. I quite often wear with the dark brown in the outer half of my mobile lid and crease, blended into the peach on the inner half, for a slightly more made-up look. 

Here's a picture of the whole face. I love this lipstick for a subtle but very pretty look. It's not easy to see in the picture, but it has small shimmer particles in a sheer base.

Here's a picture of the promotional leaflet from the collection. The Suqqu collection images are always stunning. The green Blend Eyeshadow quad from this collection, 06 Touryoku, is gorgeous.