1HandWashesTheOther tinted lipbalms

The recommendation to check out the 1HandWashesTheOther Etsy shop came from Anastasia of www.LipsticksandLightsabers.com. When I saw an absinthe-scented sheer red tinted lipbalm with green shimmer (Arlette) I was sold. I threw Victoria (a tea-scented sheer plum) into my order too, and both of these came to $13.50 including shipping to the UK. OHWTO also sells a variety of scented soaps, perfumes and other bathing stuff.

Swatches: left Victoria, right Arlette.

Arlette applied.

Victoria applied. 

Victoria is a duller, cooler shade than Arlette, and the shimmer is less apparent than the green shimmer in Arlette. It does make my lips look a little bit bloodless as they are naturally a paleish mauve shade, but sometimes I quite like that as a look and I'll be wearing it tonight for trick or treating. The tea scent in Victoria is very subtle - I can hardly detect it, although it is there. I definitely get a clear absinthe sniff from Arlette though, and a slight tingle from the peppermint. The formula is moisturising without being greasy and although the colour isn't very long-lasting (that's the nature of sheer liptints) it is easy to reapply.

These would be a great option for anyone looking for an alternative to the Alima Lipbalms (the European online store doesn't stock these). I actually find the OHWTO liptints to be more moisturising on my dry lips. 

Ingredients:

Nude Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum review

This serum had a job to do to win me over, as I haven't been hugely impressed with the Nude products I've tried in the past. I like the Cleansing Oil, but didn't find that the Advanced Eye Complex was moisturising enough for my dry eyes and I didn't like the moisturiser I tried very much either. Nude also does one of the things that annoys me the most about some skincare lines (and the 'natural' lines seem to do it more often); it has products that sensitise the skin to sunlight (the Clarifying Water and especially the AHA-based Miracle Mask) but no SPF in any of its moisturisers.

I only bought the Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum because a trusted friend who'd been part of a consumer pre-launch trial recommended it to me (and gave me a money off code for it too). This serum has the most probiotics of any product in the range, together with a hyaluronic acid complex and peptides. Like the rest of the Nude range, it's free of parabens, silicons, mineral oil, propylene glycol et al.

I didn't notice a huge difference in the condition of my skin initially as I was already using good quality skincare. Now, having used the Nude Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum for about a month, I would say that my skin is very well-behaved with this serum with no odd spottiness or blotchiness. My skintone is clear and my complexion looks quite fresh and bright even when I'm not feeling that way myself. I don't have any slackening issues so I can't judge it on that, and I wouldn't say it makes my skin look dramatically younger, but it does make it look good.

The serum is a light milky texture, and it sinks in to the skin quickly with no stickiness. Fragrance is listed as an ingredient, but it just has a clean smell to my nose.

This is enough to do my face, neck and decolletage

After smoothing into the skin, no residue or stickiness

At £68 for 30ml, this is better value than the original Advanced Smoothing Complex at £48 for 15ml. I use it once a day in the evening, and I either use it on its own or with the Josie Maran Argan Oil over it if my skin is still feeling particularly dry after very cold days.

Ingredients list:

Josie Maran Earth Day Essentials Kit

This is another lovely set that JV from www.makeupmerriment.com sent to me. I've been interested in the brand since it was launched a couple of years ago, but it's still US only, unfortunately. 

The hero ingredient in the Josie Maran line is Argan oil. She uses it in a lot of the products, as well as selling pure Argan oil too. Many of the products are paraben and petrochemical-free, and use organic, natural ingredients where possible, without compromising on texture and performance. There is a symbol system that disclose whether each product is organic, petrochemical-free, recycled packaging etc, and a full ingredients listing on the website here. There are silicones and non-natural ingredients in the line, and palm oil is a featured ingredient in quite a few. I can't find any information on the website about the sourcing of the palm oil, so I cannot judge if it is sustainably sourced. 

The products come nicely presented in book-style packaging. The selection of products in this set is very good; it gives a good introduction to the line and the colours of the lipgloss and cream blush are flattering and wearable on a variety of skintones. The kit contains:

• 4ml Argan Oil
• Black Mascara
• Black Eye Pencil
• Cream blush in Sunrise (a peachy pink)
• Plumping Lip Gloss in Daring (a sheer warm rosy pink)

Apart from the Argan Oil, all other products are full-retail-sized products.

Swatches of the eye pencil, cream blush and lip gloss.

I've been impressed with the quality of all the products in the kit. I've been using the Argan Oil as a night  moisturiser over my serum, and it sinks in well and moisturises without clogging pores. The pencil isn't the blackest black eye pencil, but it stays put after an initial window that you can smudge it in and doesn't give me Alice Cooper eyes by the end of the day. Similarly, the mascara isn't the most lengthening/thickening mascara, but it blackens and emphasises my lashes nicely, doesn't make them feel crispy and doesn't smear or flake.

The blush is a flattering peachy pink and blends well into the skin with no stickiness. I like the colour and texture of the lipgloss (not sticky at all), and I don't mind the smell of it (it's described as dulcet de leche, and is sweet and slightly artificial) but I can't understand why on earth they'd sweeten it with saccharin. I hate the taste of saccharin, and it makes me wince and pull a face each time I lick my lips. I wish they'd take it out of the formulation. The lipgloss states that it contain marine collagen to plump instead of 'irritants or stimulants' but it does contain ginger, and I feel a definite tingle when I first apply. I could live with the ginger, but not the saccharin. I'll persevere as I love the colour on me, but I couldn't recommend it wholeheartedly.

Picture of all the products applied. The only other cosmetics I'm wearing are my rms Beauty concealer and Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon eyeshadow.

I mostly love the products in this kit, and would be interested in exploring more of the line (the eyeshadows are calling me). I hope it comes to the UK soon. The website is at www.josiemarancosmetics.com, and it's also stocked at Sephora in the US.

Almost completely off-topic, but does anyone else think that Josie Maran really looks like Natalie Portman? I did a double-take at the box (that's her pictured on it, unfairly gorgeous creature).

15% off at Content Beauty Online today

There's a 15% off code at www.beingcontent.com today until midnight - code FR15.

If you miss it, there is 10% off tomorrow until midnight - code SAT10 and 5% off on Sunday until midnight - code SUN5.

As well as rms Beauty (I love it all, but would particularly recommend the Un-Cover concealer) I would also recommend Stem Organics Exquisite Face Fluid (brilliant as a night cream on normal to dry skin) and the Dr Alkaitis range.

Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm review

I had to check my own blog for how long I've had this pot for, and as I knew I bought the full size of this cleanser at around the same time as Mr London bought me the Chantecaille Lip Chic in Bourbon, that narrows it down to around April this year. I've used it on and off through that period, instead using the rms Beauty Raw Coconut Cream (read my review of that here) if my skin was feeling particularly tetchy or for a one step simple cleanse and moisturise on very lazy evenings.

Still a bit left 6 months on, with about 3-4 months daily use

I bought this, and used it, and quite liked it, although I found that even with using a muslin to remove it my face didn't feel clear of product after cleansing and I usually followed it with a foaming cleanser. After a robust discussion with Mrs Hirons fairly recently over whether double-cleansing with a wash-off cleanser is really necessary after using it ("STOP doing that. You don't NEED to!") I discovered that this product is particularly good when you RTFM*

It's completely my own fault - I just assumed I know how to use a balm cleanser, and that this is the same as other balm cleansers I've used in the past. When I read the instructions, I discovered that this works best if you mix a little bit of water with the cleansing balm in the palm of your hand to make a creamy milk before applying to the face. With this routine I have found that I don't need to double-cleanse and my skin is soft and completely clean.

The amount I use to clean face and neck

With water added and emulsified to a creamy texture

So, Emma Hardie makes an excellent cleanser, particularly if you read the instructions. I would repurchase and I'm also interested in the night cream from the range.

*read the flipping manual.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Anne

I love the Tudor period of English history mostly because they're all so horrible. It's like Dynasty in brocade with beheadings. I was excited to see that Rescue Beauty Lounge's Fall 2010 nail polish collection is 'The Housewives of Tudor England' and then immediately disappointed when I remembered that we don't have RBL here any more (why, Liberty, why did you stop stocking this brand?) Luckily for me, Amy at www.cafemakeup.com kindly offered to help me get hold of them, and you can see Amy's post on the collection here.

Anne Boleyn wasn't conventionally beautiful by the standards of the time, but she had allure by the bucketload. This nail polish is the perfect colour for her; a murky grey-green-khaki with gold and pink shimmer suspended in it (the pink only shows up when the nails or bottle catch the light just right). 

This was the woman who allegedly said that Henry VIII could not satisfy a woman, having neither the skill nor the potency to do so. She is my favourite of the six wives and I'm happy to say that this polish represents her beautifully. It's not a pretty polish but it is fascinating and it does look somewhat 'something wicked this way comes' on the nails for a nod to the allegations of witchcraft levelled against Queen Anne. The pictures are with three thin coats applied; a more careful hand could get full coverage with two thicker coats. 

Apivita First Line Day Cream SPF 15 with Myrtle and Jasmine

I love Chantecaille Firming Sun Cream spf 30 and use it as my daily moisturiser from April until September. I prefer to use something a bit richer in the colder weather though, and I don't feel like my skin needs the spf 30 in Northern Europe in the darker half of the year.

A quick google for spf 15, natural ingredients, mineral oil free came back with www.apivita.com. Apivita is a Greek brand that makes products using natural ingredients, avoiding mineral oil, parabens, silicone and propylene glycol. The website is based in and ships from Greece; although there are UK stockists they don't seem to have the whole product range available so I decided to order from the Apivita website. 

Google actually directed me to the anti-wrinkle and firming day cream spf 15 with red wine and beeswax but after a browse of the different ranges, I decided that the fine line reducer  range was the best option for my 30-something skin (which, due to years of diligent sun avoidance is in pretty good condition for my age). I placed an order for this, some throat pastilles and a cleanser, and it was delivered within a couple of days. 

The day cream is a white, rich textured cream, with a pleasant floral-herbal smell. I did wonder if it was too rich for my skin when I first started using it at the beginning of October, as my skin did feel a bit greasy on my forehead and chin by the end of the day. I think the problem is that I was slapping it on in the same generous quantity that I do the Chantecaille (which has a much more matte texture) coupled with a short spell of warm weather in October. Now the weather has turned colder, my skin is much more grateful for the Apivita, and I'm more judicious in application - I apply a couple of small dabs to my cheeks and one to my forehead, and mostly avoid my nose and chin. I apply a little more generously to my neck and decolletage. 

More than enough for my face, and probably enough for neck too

This is a very good winter moisturiser for my dry skin, but I would definitely only recommend it for a drier skintype. I think it would be too rich for normal/combination skin, unless used very sparingly indeed.

Ingredients:

Nubo The Essence ingredients list

On the post I wrote a while ago after using the Nubo Set de Voyage travel kit, a comment was left requesting a list of the ingredients for The Essence. At the time I thought I'd thrown out the packaging but I've just found it after clearing out our spare room.

Annoyingly, the ingredients are printed in very small letters on a shiny silver surface so I couldn't just photograph them. Here they are typed out:

Aqua, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Arginine, Ascorbyl Teteraisopalmitate, Sorbitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Methylsilanol Mannuronate, Disodium Adenosine Triphosphate, Mannitol, Pyroxide HCI, RNA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Avena Sativa (oat) Kernel Extract, Dextran, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene, Coumarin, Eugenol, Cinnimal, Evernia Furfuraceae (Treemoss) Extract, Geraniol, Citronellol, Histidine HCI, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin.

The results I saw using this were good but no better than the Nude Advanced Cellular Renewal Serum I'm currently using which is less than half the price of the Nubo Essence (and still not inexpensive at £68). For my skin, the Nubo isn't worth the price tag.

Blush Terrybly Platonic Coral - pictures, and tester wanted

I was sent this blush in error. A PR officer contacted me to offer to send me a blush from a different brand, and sent this instead. I did contact them to point out the error, but never heard back.

I haven't reviewed it despite having it for a while because honestly, I don't think I'd buy it myself. If I was ever going to spend £50 on a blush it would be the Serge Lutens one. I don't see much point generally in reviewing things on this blog that I'd never consider parting with my own cash for because I suspect that most people who read it have similar values (and lines in the sand) as I do. I like and buy some products from By Terry, but I do think the idea of an already very high-end brand having a 'premium' subset within it is a bit of an odd one. I could just about see paying the £60 for the powder foundation if I was a bit older and my skin was more dry/fragile, due to the skincare benefit claims made for it, but I'm sceptical whether a blush would have the same effect. This blush claims to detoxify and boost skin volume, so I'd like to ask for a volunteer in her (or his) forties or older to try the blush and report back to me after a few weeks use. I have swatched the blush for the purpose of this post, but have not otherwise used it.

Swatch on my ring fingertip and the back of my hand. It's a pretty, subtle apricot. It has no shimmer, but has a soft matte glow, similar to the Rouge Bunny Rouge powder blushes that I like. The Blush Terrybly is more pigmented than Chantecaille powder blushes, but not so pigmented that it would be easy to overcook.

The packaging is very luxurious (and it had better be!) The blush is presented in a beautiful smooth metallic compact, which itself is presented in a purple By Terry drawstring bag.

Please email me (but just your age/skintype/country, not address or personal details please!) if you'd be willing to test the Blush Terrybly for my blog. I won't ask for pictures unless you particularly want to provide them, just your thoughts on the blush. I'll get in touch with the person chosen for postage details within the next week.

Tom Ford Bruised Plum Private Blend Lip Color

Tom Ford Bruised Plum is the last of the four dark shades in the Private Blend Lip Color collection. The only shade I don't own from the line up now which I don't own that tempts me is Ginger Fawn from the brights; the three other nude shades aren't calling to me, thank goodness. 

Applied to my lips. 

Swatched on hand:

Swatched left to right (the sun came out for this swatch): Moroccan Rouge, Bruised Plum and Black Orchid. Moroccan Rouge and Bruised Plum are quite similar; I would say that Moroccan Rouge has more apparent pink tones and is slightly brighter, Bruised Plum is a slightly duller, slightly darker more muted plum. It's closer to this season's dark lip without going all the way to Black Orchid's blackberry. Like Cherry Lush and Smoke Red, the two shades are similar enough that unless you collect plum/rosy shades, you probably don't need both Moroccan Rouge and Bruised Plum. If you do love this sort of shade, you may want both as the difference on the lips is more apparent than the difference swatched on the hand.

Full face picture:

Disclosure: product was sent without charge for consideration for review. 

Another reason why I like niche/independent brands - for the story

I was browsing Etsy at the weekend and found this post by Johnny B. Truant on the Etsy blog. It really resonated with me, and it clicked that one of the major reasons I like smaller brands is that I feel much more connected to them. I like to know the personality who is behind my lipstick or body cream and the story behind the product. I like knowing that Julie Hewett formulated her Noir range of red lipsticks because she couldn't find the authentic colours and finishes she wanted for the film Pearl Harbour (like I always say, terrible film, beautiful make-up), and knowing that Britton at Haus of Gloi was a chef before Haus of Gloi took off to the extent that she could take it up as a full-time job.

So I like things with personalities behind them. Of course, the products have to perform well too. Does this ring a bell with you, or am I just a bit odd?

Liz Earle Haircare review

There have been a lot of blog posts on the new Liz Earle haircare, so I'm not going to repeat all the stuff about how it took fifteen years to produce, or how Liz Earle found a special new foaming ingredient that isn't SLS (there are other brands that avoid SLS/SLES already, but hey, it's a good story about the Liz Earle journey into haircare). This post is just what I think of the products I was sent to try.

To me, these really smell like Refreshers sweets - a slightly sparkly sweet citrus scent. There is one universal shampoo that is designed to clean without stripping the hair and three conditioners for oily, normal and dry hair types. I like this as a range concept, and it is similar to the (now discontinued) REN haircare range that I used and liked a few years ago.

I find I get the best results from the shampoo if I use a small amount (see picture below) and add a little water to it in the palm of my hand, before massaging in to my scalp. I typically rinse and repeat with shampoos and I have to with this one as well, otherwise my hair and scalp feel less than clean. A better lather is achieved on the second wash, in common with most other SLS/SLES free shampoos I've tried.

The conditioner is a good conditioner; it's the thickest, creamiest, most moisturising conditioner I've ever used, including the silicone-based ones. It turns my unruly waves into glossy loose ringleted curls. The main moisturising ingredients do seem to be the fairly standard waxy compounds cetearyl alcohol, behentrimonium chloride and glyceryl stearate, which are all listed in the ingredients before the shea butter, yangu oil and seakale extracts that are on the front of the tube. 

I think this is a very good traditional haircare line at a reasonable price point, but I still personally prefer WEN and CTonics on my hair, as my scalp does much better without a traditional shampoo. My scalp was drier than I am used to and a little itchy after a week's continued usage (every other day) of the Liz Earle range. (My CTonics stuff is twice the price of the Liz Earle though, and does smell a bit like hippies rather than sweeties). 

Ingredients shampoo:

Ingredients conditioner:

Disclosure: products were provided without charge for consideration for review. 

Elizabeth Hurley at Harrods tomorrow for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Elizabeth Hurley is making an appearance at the Harrods Estee Lauder counter tomorrow between 1pm and 2pm to raise awareness of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and will be signing purchases of the Pink Ribbon Collection 2010. Estee Lauder has supported this cause for several years now, and I applaud the brand for this even though I'm not really a regular Estee Lauder customer (although Tom Pecheux is starting to make me more interested in the brand).

The Pink Ribbon collection comes in two variations - the Elizabeth Hurley Collection and the Evelyn Lauder Collection (pictured.) They each cost £25, and a donation of £7.50 from each purchase is made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

If you can't make it to Harrods, then the collections can be purchased online on the Estee Lauder website here.

Cult Zeros make very cool t-shirts

Both my husband and I support rubbish football teams (he's still in denial, I'm not). He found Cult Zeros when looking for a present for his best friend's 4 year old, and when I saw that they could produce a t-shirt with one of my team's legends on it, I wanted one too.

There are a variety of basic t-shirt colours and graphic colours to choose from, and they have the big name teams as well as the, ahem, less fashionable clubs. Although they do ladies t-shirts, mine is a size S man's t-shirt - I don't like how ladies t-shirts are often tighter and shorter in the body, so apart from Howies (who make them long enough for me) I typically buy mens size S t-shirts.

The website is at www.cultzeros.co.uk. Extra fairy cakes for you if you can name the team and the player.

Haus of Gloi Samhain Perfume Oil

I loved the smell of the Haus of Gloi Samhain Body Butter I bought so much that I added one of the perfume oils in this scent to my last order.

The perfume oil comes in a 5ml glass tube - there is no stopper or narrowing on the opening, so I have to be very careful not to drop it and spill the oil (Haus of Gloi are currently considering alternative perfume oil bottles). The perfume is blended into a base of liquid coconut oil, and I apply it by dabbing with the fingertips on the inside of my elbows, wrist (but not on the wrist that I wear my trollbeads bracelet on) and on my torso (in my cleavage, such as it is). Body heat from these areas warms the oil and releases the fragrance.

I get a bit more of the leaves/green notes in the opening of the fragrance than I do in the body butter, and then it blooms into the predominantly earthy/spicy scent that I love. Although it's rich and autumnal, Samhain is still fresh and not woody or headache-inducing. Like most perfume oils it doesn't have massive sillage, in that it stays close to the skin rather than wafting around me in a great cloud. I like that, as it means people can only smell my fragrance when they are quite close to me. It does have good lasting power, particularly layered over one of the Body Butters (either Samhain or another scent in combination - I like it with Pumpkin Queen). I still get little wafts of it when I move my arms several hours after application.

The only downside to this fragrance is that it has a sometimes inconvenient effect on Mr London. My husband is a typical taurus, and while there's nothing wrong with having healthy appetites of all the earthly persuasions, his sap doesn't need any encouragement to rise. Unfortunately, Samhain appears to act as a sort of anti-bromide on him. I like it enough that that doesn't stop me wearing it.

(Also - After writing earlier that I wasn't that keen on vanilla/amber Hex from the sample perfume vial I was given of it in my first order, it's grown on me and I've ordered it as a Body Butter. It's softer and sweeter than Samhain and Pumpkin Queen, but I think it'll be nice in a Body Butter to layer under stronger fragrances).

rms Beauty Lip Shine in Bloom

There have been teasers and hints about this product for a while on the rms Beauty Twitter feed, so I was already very interested in the Lip Shine before it was launched. This product feels more like a balm, rather than a gloss. It's cushiony and seems to plump up my lips, and it isn't at all sticky.

Swatched on my hand. It is a very sheer, soft natural pink. The other shade, Moment, is described as a light brown-rose and appears to have more obvious brown tones to it. 

Regular readers of this blog will probably know that my lips are naturally extremely dry and the lines in them can often look obvious. I think this product seems to lessen the appearance of my lip lines. On my lips it's a light slightly-rosy pink shade. 

In context of the rest of my face. This is almost a nude lip look on me, but I think it works because of the sheerness and the glossiness of the Lip Shine, and because it's pink rather than beige. I do prefer it on me worn over a brighter Lip2Cheek shade to add shine and softness, and it's perfectly timed for the cold weather when my lips get even drier. 

Ingredients:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, *Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, *Moringa Oleifera (Moringa) Oil, *Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, *Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter, *Cera Alba (Beeswax), Cetella Asiatica Extract, *Rosmarinus Officinals (Rosemary) Extract, Tocopherol (Vitamin E) Non-GMO. May contain [+/-]: Red Iron Oxide Cl 77491, Yellow Iron Oxide Cl 77492, Black Iron Oxide Cl 77499, Titanium Dioxide Cl 77891, Mica Cl 77019 *Certified Organic

Disclosure: product was provided without charge for consideration for review. rms Beauty products are available at www.beingcontent.com (as ever, not an affiliate link). 

Blogger interview at Running In Heels

I was very flattered to be asked to take part in the new Beauty Blogger Confidential series at Running In Heels (www.runninginheels.co.uk)

You can find the article here. The questions included quite an interesting one on my view of the blogger/PR relationship and how best to make it work well for both parties. This is a very topical issue at the moment, following the recent posts on www.bangsandabun.com.

Everyday basic face products applied

When I wrote a post about the products I reach for when I need a 'five minutes, no time to think about it!' face, a couple of people asked for pictures of them applied.

These are (all Rouge Bunny Rouge) eyeshadow in Solstice Halcyon, eye pencil in Lola and blush in Delicata.

I am wearing rms Beauty undereye concealer and Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil in this picture as well as the eye pencil and eyeshadow, but no mascara. No mascara is apparently a 'look' this season, but I'm not sure quite how much I like it on me, rather than a sixteen year old model who already has lashes to rival Bambi.

The rest of my face. I just have clear Lanolips on my lips in this picture, hence their almost bluish tone. I like Delicata particularly for the way it warms up my complexion without turning orange or looking too 'look at this blush'. It's an excellent neutral (non pink) blush for pale skins, and I find this blush (and the eyeshadow/pencil combination) works with every lip colour I've worn it with.