My Trollbeads Bracelet

I've liked the idea of a bead charm bracelet for a while, but couldn't decide on which brand to go for; I'd heard of or seen Chamilia, Pandora and Lovelinks, but couldn't decide between them. Ma recently passed on her Lovelinks bracelet to me (there's a story behind that which I'll tell you when I show you the bracelet) and when I was googling for a smaller bracelet for that to fit my wrist, I came across Trollbeads.

Trollbeads is a Danish company that began in 1976. They claim to be the first charm bead brand, and are a little harder to find than their competitors, being sold mostly through independent jewellers (although many of these sell online in the UK). I like the stories behind the beads, and the variety of different styles available in the glass and the silver beads. I also find the more natural, slightly alternative look and feel of the bracelets and beads appealing; Pandora and Chamilia can look a little too uniform and 'done' for my taste.

My beads are (pictured above from left to right) Silver Mountain, White Snake, Pale Green Jade, Brew of the Moor and Milky Way. I've added few other beads since this picture was taken, and I will post an updated picture soon.

Locks are sold separately and can be swapped between bracelets and necklaces; I bought the Swan lock, which is beautiful but a bit of a pain to fasten if trying to fasten myself.

The official UK website with details of local stockists is at www.trollbeads.co.uk. 

MAC to donate global profits from MAC/Rodarte collection

This post on Temptalia.com has further information from MAC that states that it will now donate all its global profits from the MAC Rodarte collection to a new initiative created to raise awareness and provide on the ground support to the women and girls of Juarez.

Summer 2010 Magazine at Makeup4All

Marina at Makeup4All.com has just produced her second online seasonal magazine, and I was very pleased to be asked to take part in the blogger interviews in it. You can read it here:

http://www.makeup4all.com/makeup4all-magazine-summer-2010/

It's a great round up of the main summer collections, I found the interviews with PR officers very interesting and it's very nice to see a magazine issued now that is still summery, rather than focussing on autumn or even Christmas!

Paul & Joe Finishing Powder Dune

I was given the Paul & Joe Finishing Powder in 02 Desert Sand at the Paul & Joe summer event I attended recently. It was a bit too dark for my skin, so I purchased the Finishing Powder in 01 Dune. Dune is a better colour for me; it blends perfectly into my skin and gives a soft matte finish without looking chalky. It controls shine through the day for me but I don't have naturally oily skin; for an oilier skin you'd need additional shine control products through the day (and I wouldn't recommend throwing this in your make up bag either - it's not travel-friendly packaging).

Picture of the powder applied (no foundation underneath, just concealer where needed) - and also hair disaster!

Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara - 1 month of use

I posted here that I'd started using Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells mascara, and that I'd update on whether it had improved the condition of my eyelashes after a month or so of use.

Here's my starting 'before' picture with no mascara, eyelashes curled.

Here's what my bare eyelashes look like after using no mascara other than Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara for just over a month. I don't use mascara on my lower lashes, and I think you can see those haven't changed. I do think that my natural lashes look darker right to the tips now, even without mascara, and my lashline looks a bit thicker. I haven't changed my routine in any other regard, and if anything I've been a bit rougher with my eyelashes - sometimes at night I think they still have mascara on them when they don't and I try to remove it. 

Picture with Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells mascara applied.

I like this mascara a lot; it doesn't make my lashes look clumpy, it lengthens nicely and it's a good true black. I do feel it has improved the condition of my lashes, and I will continue to use it. It's also less expensive than many of the lash conditioning/lengthening treatment formulas that have been launched recently (the Lancome is about £20). It doesn't give as dramatic an effect as the formulas that contain prostaglandins, but then I'd rather avoid the potential side-effects of those. I'd like to see Lancome launch a colourless version for nighttime use too. 

I'll continue to monitor the effects, and will report back in another month. 

Etat Libre D'Orange Tilda Swinton Like This Perfume review

I like this scent a lot. It's warm, comforting and sophisticated, and not at all what I expected from a Tilda Swinton collaboration, although perhaps being unpredictable was something I should have expected! Apparently Ms Swinton wanted something that would remind her of afternoons in front of a fire at home in Scotland.

I'd categorise Like This as a gourmand fragrance, but like Ormonde Jayne Champaca it's not a typical cake/chocolate/vanilla gourmand. If Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel makes me want to lick my skin, Champaca and Like This make me want to bite it. The ginger note is a honey/candied ginger, similar to Serge Lutens 5 o'clock au Gingembre, and I don't get hit with much ginger at all; I mostly smell the fleshiness of the pumpkin and then a honeyed immortelle, supported by a rich and earthy musk basenote that reminds me somewhat of the smell of Laphroaig whiskey; it has a peat type of undertone. It's worth noting that I have naturally very dry skin, which is why I think I get less ginger and more sweetness from this fragrance than other reviewers may have.

Like This  wouldn't be my first choice for a summer fragrance, but it's not unpleasant or too heavy for summer; I was wearing it yesterday (it was 25 C here). I'd also compare it in heaviness to Serge Lutens 5 o'clock Au Gingembre, although Like This is more earthy/fleshy than the 5 o'clock, which has more crystalline tea notes to it, as well as a bit more of a ginger kick on my skin. I was sent a sample of Like This, and I'm pretty sure I'll be buying a full size in the Autumn.

Disclosure: sample was provided without charge by www.nkdman.co.uk. This website sells samples at £3/£4, which are redeemable against a purchase of the full size product.

Paul & Joe Summer 2010 003 Morocco Lipstick applied

So, this was also in my birthday present pile; I've ended up with quite a few bits from the Paul & Joe summer collection.  I love the packaging of this lipstick, and I am glad that the pattern is printed directly onto the plastic rather than being on a sticker (which I think can look a bit cheap). 

Swatch on my hand. A sheer warm pink with golden shimmer. 

Picture applied. It adds a nice warm pink to the naturally pale colour of my lips, but I'm not sure about the shimmer. It's not frosty though, and the effect is very pretty; this is a lipstick I can see suiting many different skintones and colourings. It does also feel very comfortable on my lips. 

OPI Catch Me In Your Net nailpolish

Catch Me In Your Net is a bright turquoise loaded with green and gold micro-glitter. This picture is with two coats applied, and there is a bit of visible nail line (which doesn't bother me too much as I have short nails. Longer nails might need three coats). 

This is part of OPI's Summer Flutter collection. I met up with Helen from www.just-nice-things.co.uk recently in Selfridges, and basically, she made me buy it (watch out for a picture of it on her long nails on just-nice-things soon).  It's very summery and pretty, and looks particularly lovely in sunlight; a perfect holiday toenails colour. 

This is a gorgeous colour, but it did chip on my index finger after a day (I wasn't wearing a top coat though). It was also a bit of a pain to remove, like most glitters. 

Erno Laszlo boutique now open in Covent Garden

I was in Covent Garden last week, and spotted than an Erno Laszlo boutique has opened up there. I remember seeing this brand in Dickens and Jones department store years ago and being very intrigued by the concept, but not being able to afford it at the time.

I'm interested in giving it a go now - I like the double cleansing concept, although the indomitable Mrs Hirons is threatening to give me a telling off for my love of this on her blog (she's doing a series where she'll take a look at a reader's skincare routine, and I've asked her to look at mine). The Erno Laszlo soap is meant to be excellent, and I'm quite interested in the R.E.M SPF 30 Intensive Day Therapy (I've nearly finished my current pot of Chantecaille spf 30).

There are also two treatment rooms at the boutique, where 60 minute facial treatments are complimentary with skincare purchases worth £150 (sounds like a lot, but not hard to drop on a few Erno Lazlo products).

The boutique also sells L'Artisan Parfumeur fragrances and candles.

Have you tried any Erno Laszlo products? I'd love your thoughts on the brand.

Image from www.ernolaszlo.com.

Trish McEvoy Fall Preview eyeshadows

These two eyeshadows are part of a small collection from Trish McEvoy consisting of these eyeshadows and two new Classic Lipstick Colors in Natural 22 and Vibrant 31. 

The eyeshadows are both Glaze formulas in Gilded Lily (left, an almost-white creamy green shimmer) and Gilded Taupe (right, a shimmering neutral taupe). Trish McEvoy pretty much had me at taupe, but I liked the way the Gilded Lily works with the other shade so much that I bought both.

Swatches. 

Applied to my eye. Gilded Taupe over lid and into crease, Gilded Lily near tear duct and patted on middle of mobile lid over the Taupe. It's a very subtle look as thats the way I prefer to wear eyeshadow - you could get  a more intense and shimmery look with a heavier application. 

Comparison of Gilded Taupe (middle) with Tawny (left) and Raisin (right). Tawny is more semi-matte and warmer, Raisin is darker and more plum-toned. 

I bought these from Selfridges. The eyeshadows cost £11 each, but come packaged in a plastic disposable shell so you do need to buy a charger or planner page to hold them if you don't already have a storage system for pan eyeshadows.

Update on MAC Rodarte collection

MAC and Rodarte have issued the following statements:

STATEMENT FROM M·A·C COSMETICS

ON THE M·A·C RODARTE COLLECTION

We understand that product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection have offended our consumers and fans. This was never our intent and we are very sorry. We continue to listen carefully to the comments we have received and have the following plans to address concernsWe are committed to donating $100,000 to a non-profit organization that has a proven, successful track-record helping women in need and that can directly improve the lives of women in Juarez in a meaningful way.We are changing the product names in the M·A·C Rodarte collection.

As we have done in the past, please be assured that we will communicate details regarding our progress in this matter.

STATEMENT FROM RODARTE ON THE M·A·C RODARTE COLLECTION

We recognize that the violence against women taking place in Juarez needs to be met with proactive action. We never intended to make light of this serious issue and we are truly sorry.

Helping to improve the conditions for women in Juarez is a priority for us and we are thankful for all the comments calling attention to the urgency of addressing this situation.

(from www.Temptalia.com)

I hope that the $100,000 donation will be supplemented by at least portion of the profits from the collection, and I am glad that the names are changing. There is still a lot of anger and incredulity in the beauty community that MAC/Rodarte thought it acceptable to take inspiration from the situation in Juarez in the first place, feelings which I share. I am glad that MAC has responded to consumer opinion on this issue.

Rodarte collection - MAC, what were you thinking?

There has been a lot of controversy over the collaboration between MAC and the fashion house Rodarte, to be released in Autumn 2010.

The promotional image of the collection is of a pale caucasian woman with a ghostly complexion and darkened eyes. The inspiration, according to the designers, was 'the ethereal nature of this landscape' following a road trip they took in Texas from El Paso to Marsa. Which all sounds lovely, until you look at some of the names of the collection; pigments and eyeshadows called Badlands, Bordertown and Sleepwalker, lipsticks called Ghost Town and Sleepless, and, most controversially, nailpolishes called Factory and Juarez.

Juarez is a Mexican border town plagued by the drugs trade. After the 1994 NAFTA, several US companies set up factories (Maquilas) in Juarez, which tend to employ mostly female workers. The factory supervisors may state that this due to the nimble and dextrous fingers women have, and perhaps it's just a happy coincidence that female workers are more likely to accept low pay and poor working conditions, as well as being less likely to form or join unions. So, you have a situation where it's difficult for men to find legal employment in a traditionally macho society, and one where tension already runs high due to the crime and violence the drugs trade brings.

In this melting pot of tension between the genders, violence against women has increased in a horrific way. Not only were women being murdered, they were being raped and tortured beforehand, before their bodies were dumped, often out in the open. Many of the disappeared were adolescents and young women, and many were workers in the Maquilas, whose travel during the night due to shift patterns makes them particularly vulnerable to abduction.

You can read more about this issue here: http://www.amnestyusa.org/amnestynow/juarez.html

One of the products is named Quinceanera, which is the Mexican coming of age celebration for a young woman. I find this particularly distasteful in the context of both the 'look' and the rest of the collection, considering that many of the young women murdered will never have reached this celebration. MAC may claim that this collection is highlighting the situation in Juarez, but a collection based around ghostly pale faces and darkened eyes does not seem to me to be a particularly sensitive way of bringing attention to the troubles there.

I can't believe that MAC didn't see the fuss coming. The cynic in me suspects they knew the furore the names would cause but thought that the buzz would just heighten interest in the collection, and that consumers would be distracted by the 'OMG pretty!' make-up and forget or forgive the dubious 'inspiration'. If that is the case, I sincerely hope they've underestimated their target audience.

You can read other bloggers' thoughts on this issue at:

www.beautymouth.com
www.mizzworthy.blogspot.com
www.britishbeautyblogger.com
www.bangsandabun.com  
www.ladyofthelane.com
www.big-fashionista.blogspot.com
www.vexinthecity.com
www.sofarsochic.co.uk
www.lesalondebeaute.blogspot.com
www.getlippie.com
www.londonbeautyqueen.blogspot.com
www.makeuploveer.blogspot.com
www.sparklesandbows.blogspot.com

www.musicalhouses.blogspot.com
www.healingbeauty.co.uk
www.lilooblog.blogspot.com
www.just-nice-things.co.uk
www.reallyree.blogspot.com
www.perfectly-polished-nails.com
www.sparkleandshade.blogspot.com
www.makeupsavvy.co.uk
www.ditzymake-up.blogspot.com
www.productplacementtheblog.com
www.strawberrymochi.com
www.diaryofacakegirl.com
www.susysmakeupbox.blogspot.com
http://www.pinksith.com
http://makeupbykaty.blogspot.com
http://www.londonbeautyreview.com
www.sparklzandshine.com

Articles on beauty websites
http://makeupadviceforum.com/2010/07/inspiration-for-a-makeup-line/
http://www.handbag.com
http://beaut.ie

Paul & Joe Shimmering Body Lotion

This shimmering lotion was also a birthday gift. It is part of the Paul & Joe Summer 2010 Sahara Sparkles collection. 

A blob of the lotion applied. It's a cooling gel texture rather than an oil; from the ingredients I've posted below you can see that alcohol is the second ingredient after water. If I had looked at the ingredients and seen this before putting it on my birthday list I might have thought twice before asking for it. It does feel cooling and refreshing when applied, but I don't think it would be the best product for sun-sensitive skin due to the high alcohol content. It does smell lovely; quite a lingering orange blossom/white floral scent. I do think it could compete with a separately applied fragrance, so I've been sure to choose a fragrance that combines with it when wearing (I like Jo Malone Red Roses with it, Ormonde Jayne Ta'if also works well). 

Applied. The shimmer in this is very subtle; it's more of a scattered sparkle than out and out shimmer, and the gel gives a healthy glow to the skin. It's very pretty under artificial lights, and doesn't look oily or greasy. I also find that the sparkle transfers less to clothes/other people than the shimmer does in most shimmering body oils/lotions.

Ingredients. 

Edward Bess Secret Desire lipstick

If you follow my twitter feed, you will have seen from my (over-excited) tweets last night that I attended the blogger launch of the Edward Bess make up line in the UK at Zuneta. 

Edward Bess is lovely. He's every bit as pretty in the flesh as he is in photographs and videos, and very charming in a quiet and non-flashy way. What came across in the two hours he spent with us was how much he genuinely likes and gets women. 

We were all given the same lipstick to take home; Secret Desire, a peachy pink shade. Like the classy ladies we are a bunch of us went to the pub afterwards and while there did a mass application - it was surprising how well it managed to suit a variety of different colourings. 

Applied. Peachy pink, not too pale, chalky or dry-looking. 

Swatched on my hand. I think this shade works for me despite not being in my usual comfort zone because it's quite sheer and has a sheen. 

In the context of the rest of my face (with a diffused flash - there is not enough sunlight here today to take face pictures.)

Edward Bess is available at www.zuneta.com in the UK. 

Disclosure: product was provided without charge as part of launch event. 

My current skincare routine

I've had a couple of comments asking what I'm using at the moment for skincare, so here it is. My skin is normal to dry, I'm in my mid to late 30s and it reacts badly to ingredients that don't agree with it; I can get clogged pores or itchy bumpy skin quite easily. My skin doesn't get on well with mineral oil, but it also seems to dislike some heavy plant oils too.

Morning routine:

• In the winter, I just splash with water. With it being so hot and sticky at the moment, I use Nubo Softening Cleansing Mousse in the morning to cleanse.
• Vitamin C serum - I'm using Nubo Vitamin C 12% Concentrate. This is an excellent vitamin C product - my skin is clear and bright using it. It is very expensive though, at £60 for 12ml. I've also used and loved Skinceuticals CE Ferulic Serum in the past. I swear by a vitamin C serum for daytime use as a good one boosts the protection from your spf and also helps to prevent and repair the dullness and uneven pigmentation that sun exposure can cause.
• Chantecaille spf 30 face firming cream. Again this is expensive, but it doesn't feel like a sunscreen on my skin and doesn't turn me into an oilslick in the summer. I love it, but it didn't work quite so well for Replica at Visionary Beauty blog when she tried it underneath a foundation. You can read her review on it here: http://visionarybeauty.blogspot.com/2010/06/chantecaille-firming-sun-cream-spf-30.html
• Omorovicza Reviving Eye cream. I received a couple of samples of this from Liberty when I bought the Ellis Faas Eye Light, and I've been ekeing them out since then. It contains Arnica and Vitamin C, and I think it has made a difference to my dark circles - I'll be purchasing it when I finish my Sarah Chapman Eye Recovery.

Evening routine:

• Cleanse with Emma Hardie balm cleanser, then double cleanse with Nubo Softening Cleansing Mousse. I know the Emma Hardie states that it doesn't need an additional cleanser, but I prefer to follow with the Nubo to leave my skin feeling really clean in the hot weather.
• Nubo Controlled Dynamic Retinol Boost I serum (2/3 times a week). Before the weather became really hot and humid I followed with Nubo Cell Dynamic Overnight Recharge Totale, a very rich night cream, but now that my skin has gotten more accustomed to the retinol and the weather is more humid I can use the serum on its own.
• Other nights - Nubo Cell Dynamic Overnight Recharge Totale. I've been using a couple of samples of Omorovicza Rejuvenating Night Cream for the last week instead, and so far I like it a lot; it's much lighter than the Nubo (which is excellent for colder weather).
• Omorovicza Reviving Eye cream.
• La Roche Posay Effaclar AI as a spot treatment when necessary.

Basically, I think that the things that make the biggest difference are a good vitamin C serum for daytime, a gentle retinol at night, and an spf 30 for sun protection. The ones I use are expensive (my skin is really picky, and I'd rather invest in skincare that doesn't rile it up) but there are good, less expensive options in lines like La Roche Posay and Avene.

Disclosure: Nubo Softening Cleansing Mousse and Cell Dynamic Overnight Recharge Totale products provided without charge for consideration for review, Omorovicza Eye Cream and Rejuvenating Night Cream were both commercial samples, and all other products were purchased.

Edward Bess launches at Zuneta, and pictures and swatches

The Edward Bess line has just launched at Zuneta.com here and I thought this might be a helpful time to post pictures and swatches of the products from the line I own (US friends have helped me to get hold of it from over there).

Eyeshadows pictured above, from left to right: Night, Mystery, Dusk, Intimate.

Swatches in the same order.

Daydream bronzer.

Swatch of Daydream. It's one of the few bronzers I can wear on my pale skin because it doesn't have orange tones and the fine texture makes it difficult to overcook.

Swatch of Midnight Bloom lipstick (left) with Tom Ford Cherry Lush lipstick (right) for comparison. Midnight Bloom is a truer, less pink red, although it is still cool toned.

The lipsticks and bronzer are scented with fig - which isn't my favourite scent and it's quite strong too. I do love the textures though, and the eyeshadows are some of the most flattering shades of sludge I own. Intimate is one of my favourite eyeshadows to wear with a strong lip - it adds definition without competing with your lipcolour. I'm tempted by the powder blushes and the cream highlighter products, now that this line is available in the UK, as well as Eternal Flame lipstick (a more vivid 1940s red).

Addiction by Ayako nail polishes

Addiction has just released some nail polishes that match lip glosses from the line and I'm very interested in Dark Night and Moonwalk. It's interesting to see them matched to lipglosses rather than the lipsticks from the line, but I think my favourite nail polish pairing is still from the Suqqu Black Pearl collection, where rich dark jewel tones were matched in eyeshadow and nail polishes.

Illamasqua make-up amnesty

You'll probably see a post about this on a lot of blogs, but it's quite a good deal so I thought I'd post it here just in case you miss it. 

From 17-31 July, you can take unloved make-up items (any brand, any condition) to Illamasqua counters, and in exchange for each item you turn in you'll receive a 25% discount on one Illamasqua product of your choice. There is no limit to the number of items you can submit for 25% off a new Illamasqua product. Unfortunately this doesn't apply to the online store - it's at counters only. 

Illamasqua is known for its bold and unusual colours, but they do some very lovely neutrals too - I particularly like Unrequited pink powder blush, Sophie black medium pencil and Succumb (nude peach) and Truth (grey brown) eyeshadows. 

Daphne Guiness for NARS Fall/Autumn 2010

Daphne Guiness is the muse for the NARS Autumn 2010 collection, and it looks like she inspires Monsieur Nars very nicely.

The purple single eyeshadow in the collection is named Daphne for Ms Guiness, and also used in the promotional shot are the limited edition yellow Mangrove eyeshadow, and lipstick in Rouge Basque and lipgloss in Strawberry Fields (also both limited edition.) I'm interested in the blush from the collection - Douceur (thankfully not limited edition) and one of the powder eyeshadow duos - Rajasthan.

There are pictures of the products on www.makeup4all.com/nars-makeup-collection-for-fall-2010 and a review with swatches on www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/product-reviews/nars-fall-2010-a-playful-mix-of-texture-and-pigment.

The collection releases in the UK on 01 August.

Thomas Sabo charm bracelet

After reading about Thomas Sabo at www.vaguelyinvogue.blogspot.com I bought myself a necklace that I love, and for my birthday Mr London bought me this Thomas Sabo charm bracelet. The cameo is from Mr London, the birthstone is from my lovely sister-in-law, and the hummingbird was chosen by Miss London. 

The Thomas Sabo charms are beautiful - there is a wide selection and plenty that aren't too cutesy. I like the way they are attached with a clasp - they're easy to take on and off a chain and switch around. 

Tom Ford Private Blend Cherry Lush

Happy birthday to me! Mr London did very well indeed with my birthday presents this year, which included this lovely lipstick.

Swatch:

Applied to my lips, and in context of the rest of my face. Cherry Lush is a bright cherry red, and a perfect summer red. Mr London also gifted me the Tom Ford Private Blend in Smoke Red, which I will show you soon (that's a darker, slightly blackened/browned red). 

Edward Bess Night Orchid lipstick applied, and chance to meet Mr Bess

This post is for Lucia, who is considering an Edward Bess lipstick, and specifically Night Orchid. Please excuse the non-pristine state of my lipstick - I've had it for a while.

Night Orchid applied to my lips and in context of the rest of my face. Do please bear in mind that my lips tend to mute colours, and on someone with more pigmented lips this will appear pinker.

Swatched on my hand. Edward Bess Tender Love lipstick on left, Night Orchid lipstick on right. Tender Love is a more rosy/plum shade, to Night Orchid's slightly milky pink with subtle coral undertones.

I definitely find this shade easier to wear in the summertime - it doesn't work for me on my slightly green wintertime complexion. 

I'm very excited by the imminent launch of the Edward Bess line in the UK at www.zuneta.com, and there is an event to meet him next Wednesday, 14 July. Zuneta are offering five customers the chance to attend the launch - but the draw is happening tomorrow so you'll need to hurry. Details are here. 

Going without undereye concealer

The adorable Tsunimee on Twitter made a comment that she sees a lot of Youtubers/Bloggers who think that they need undereye concealer when they don't really. I feel like I have quite dark undereye circles, so I took up the challenge to forgo undereye concealer for a day and see if anyone noticed. 

The result is the top picture. The rest of my makeup is as normal, but I am wearing no concealer. I'm not wearing foundation or powder either (I rarely do) so the skin underneath my eyes is completely bare. 

A couple of pictures in context of the rest of my face. I think I do look a bit consumptive without the concealer, but not hideously so.

Here's a picture wearing undereye concealer to compare. I do think it makes a difference, but not as massive a difference as I have always thought it does. 

Nobody commented that I looked tired today. I even prompted Mr London, finally, with, "Do you think my dark circles look worse?" and he swears he genuinely does not see a difference. 

I won't be throwing out my concealer, but on mornings when I'm pushed for time I might drop it as a step from my routine. I think it doesn't look too bad because I tend to do quite simple and basic eye looks - a more complicated or structured eye look might require a more even skintone around the eyes, and benefit from concealer. 

What sort of posts would you like to see more of on this blog?

I haven't been buying as much make-up recently (the summer collections don't tend to appeal to me as much as other seasons, so I'm just writing about some of my basics in my fallow shopping period). It seems like a good time to ask people who read this blog what sort of posts they'd like to see more of. For example:

I've recently been buying charm jewellery - would you be interested in posts on that sort of thing?

Are the 'meh' reviews helpful to you? It's easier to write about the things I love (or really don't) but as a consumer myself I find neutral/negative reviews very helpful too.

Are there any particular brands you'd like to read about here? I am always interested in finding out about new brands, so I'd love to hear from you if you think there's a brand I'd like that I haven't already featured.

Thank you in advance for any input.

Ojon Restorative Pre-Cleansing Treatment

I bought this as part of a QVC Today's Special Value. I've used and liked the results of the original Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment before, but found it tended to make my hair greasy quite quickly and very lank. My hair type (long, dry at the ends, fine to medium weight, but lots of it) definitely gets on better with this new Pre-Cleansing Treatment.

It's still a bit stinky (to me Ojon smells of Parisian cafe - strong coffee and Gauloise cigarettes) but it isn't as pervasive as the original solid treatment. I find the creamy texture easier to apply than the original treatment and also easier to wash out of the hair. You apply to dampened hair, leave for five minutes and then rinse it out before shampooing and conditioning as normal.

This leaves my hair feeling strong and hydrated as well as very glossy. It's very good for abused hair, although if you have shorter hair in normal condition I wouldn't say that you absolutely need to add this to your routine.

Ingredients list:

Rouge Bunny Rouge Blackpepper Jay eyeshadow

Blackpepper Jay is a matte browned charcoal grey eyeshadow. To my eye it's mostly grey with a hint of brown. I like it in a wash over my lid with some black eyeliner for a simple smoky look, and I also like it with Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon (semi-matte light taupe). 

I find it easy to pick up and deposit pigment and easy to blend, so for me it's worth paying the extra for Rouge Bunny Rouge because I find I can have a hard time on both those points with other matte eyeshadows. There are similar shades available in MAC and other brands, but the ease of use (and the fact that Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows don't irritate my dry eyelids) make the premium this brand charges worthwhile for me. 

Swatched on my hand.