Guest review: Blush Terrybly

Marcia from Beautyinfozone.com has been testing out the Blush Terrybly for about a month. I'm not going to share her actual age (she'd kill me, even from across the seas) but it's fair to say that Marcia is in the more mature audience that this sub-range is targeted at. Here's what she thought of it:

The minute you open by Terry’s purple silk bag to find Blush Terrybly you know you are dealing with a quality product. The simple compact is sturdy and heavy. Not exactly what you expect to hear about a luxury product but there’s something reassuring about the heft of the packaging. You open it to see a lovely quilted pattern that’s created by the words “by Terry” embossed into the blush design. The color, Platonic Coral, looks quite beautiful and you can almost see the silkiness of the powder.

Is this a blush that you’ll wear and feel like you are getting your money’s worth? Not in my world. I buy expensive cosmetics all the time. I adore by Terry’s BlackstarCrayon, in spite of the price I plan to buy more. The problem with this blush though is that it looks like a blush once it’s on your cheeks. It does its job but there’s nothing special about it. There’s no sheen, there’s no feeling of “I’m glowing”. The color is pretty enough but it’s not unusual at all.

I did a color comparison with my other blushes and the closest I could come is Rock & Republic Call Me. Call Me though has a subtle shimmer to it that enlivens the blush more than Blush Terrybly Platonic Coral does.  I’d describe Call Me as a more peachy shade while Platonic Coral is just a tad darker which gives it the coral name. According to my ‘research’ Platonic Coral is best for medium beige complexions; I’m quite fair but I can wear shades like this without a problem.

The brush that comes with it is actually pretty respectable which is unusual in itself. It’s not a brush that I’d use at home but if I put this in my cosmetic bag I’d definitely use it while away.

“Terrybly Blush boosts skins volume by stimulating the functional adipocyte skin cells, creating a unique lifting and volume revealing effect. The technology also boosts fibroblasts and promotes collagen stimulation and helps slow the aging process by stimulating skin renewal. Perfect for all over contouring, it gives a healthy glow to the skin. This unique blush contains Freshtone Technology, which actively protects and detoxifies skin proteins.” It’s impossible for me to tell if that’s true after a few weeks' wear. It’s also a little implausible but I’d love to believe it.

As far as the light rose fragrance it’s supposed to have, I find that indistinguishable which is a relief for me since I don’t like scented cosmetics.

Thanks to Grace for giving me the chance to own and review this blush. I’ve craved by Terry but haven’t indulged often. My next indulgence will most likely be done when I am able to see it in person again.

Many thanks to Marcia for her review. I like the Rouge Terrybly lipstick I bought a lot, but I also think the blush is a bit too expensive and I don't really believe a blush can plump cheeks. I'm still a little tempted by Cheek to Cheek Rose though...

Disclosure: product provided without charge.

Haus of Gloi Yuletide

I've developed a real Haus of Gloi habit since first trying them, and have ordered quite a few bits and pieces from the Yuletide collection (which will be up on the website until 06 January). The Pumpkin Butter body cream formulation has kept my very dry and picky skin completely comfortable even in very cold weather, and I also love the Bubbling Scrub for the shower.


Hearth is a bit of an odd one in the pot. I can smell the bread, the apple and the citrus, with a nutty undertone, and I'm not quite sure how well it works together in the pot. On the skin it all melds into a soft, warm subtle scent, and it is subtle - I really have to sniff my skin to smell it on me, and I usually find that Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butters throw off quite a strong scent. It's nicely wintry/festive without being the usual strong spicy/citrus, and it works brilliantly underneath my Roxana Illuminated Perfume Sierra fragrance. I'm glad I tried it (I bought a 2oz sample pot) but I'm not totally sure yet I'll buy it in the full-size.

Eggnoggin' is a very well-executed creamy rum with subtle spiciness. It reminds me of the smell of Phytorhum shampoo from Phyto. It's very well done but it's definitely foody, so I wouldn't buy a full-size, but I will use up my 2oz pot; it's not too sweet and there's no plastic-y note I get in a lot of foody scents. If you do like foody scents, it's a must-try.

Parkin sounds like it should be foody, but there is a snap of something subtly bitter underneath the ginger sweetness that makes it work for me (it might be the black treacle/roasted chestnut notes). Again, it's not too sweet, and it works particularly well for me in the Bubbling Scrub.

Snow Wolf is my favourite of the bunch - it's basically the Samhain of Yuletide for me. A musky fir/cedar/frankincense tempered by a bit of vanilla, it's a gorgeous not-too-girly smell.

You can read other reviews of Parkin on lipglossiping.com here and of Eggnoggin' on theglossgoss.com here.

Haus of Gloi are running a Cyber-Monday special today from 12 noon Pacific Standard Time (8pm UK time) to 12 noon tomorrow.  There will be special pricing on select items, some Yule Reverie items and some perfumes from the past. If you're interested in the Reverie items, I'd try to be on the website for the launch time because these tend to sell out very fast. If you have a Facebook account, the Haus of Gloi page is a good way to receive news on sales and specials.

Pumpkin Butter ingredients:

Bubbling Scrub ingredients:

Grooming gifts for the less fair sex

As well as the obligatory video games (Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood), books (the new Bryant & May, West Ham biographies, Nick Cave's novel - that'll be cheery), clothes from Howies and comic books graphic novels , Mr London has also acquired a taste for nice grooming products over the years of our marriage (I can't help but partially blame myself). These are the products that are on his Christmas List this year.

Miller Harris
Feuilles De Tabac Eau De Parfum
Mr London has been using a sample vial of this and loves it. It's a woody, spicy scent, with a clean patchouli base balanced by tonka bean and tobacco leaves. Notes of sage and pine needle make it fresh and not overpowering/heady. I predict this will become a cult classic for men who don't like the whole ozonic/citrus trend of recent years in male fragrance.

Citron Citron Shower Wash
I managed to snag the last bottle of this in the Covent Garden shop (they have a hard job keeping the Citron Citron in stock). Miller Harris shower washes are lovely quality; the foaming agent is derived from coconuts, and they also contain olive oil to nourish the skin. Citron Citron is a fresh lemony citrus; very good for the boy and nice to borrow myself too.

Anthony Logistics 
I was reminded of this brand by the always excellent Grooming Guru, Lee Kynaston. Mr London has used and liked the products in the past, so this Christmas I took advantage of the 20% off code with Space NK to buy him the Algae Facial Cleanser (a wash that's good for drier skin) and the Facial Moisturiser spf 15 (which has natural AHAs and vitamins A, C, D & E). These are both excellent products for men who could benefit from additional anti-ageing ingredients (take a tip from me though, and just don't tell them that's why you chose them). If the man in your life suffers from ingrown facial hair, the Glycolic Facial Cleanser is very good too.

Frederic Fekkai
Mr London felt that the Alterna Hair Concrete he'd been using for a while was making his hair a bit dry, and asked me to find him something similar. We tried Kevin Murphy Sticky Business matte texturiser, but that didn't have quite enough hold for him (he still used it all up though, so it couldn't have been too bad). I then bought him Fekkai's Nonchalant Piecing and Forming Wax, and apparently this is just right - enough hold, not shiny but doesn't make his hair feel crispy and doesn't smell girly (it's a light citrus/apple scent, to my nose). This isn't strictly speaking on his christmas list (I've only quite recently bought him the pot), but if you're looking for a hair product for a very picky man this is a good one to try.

As ever, links are just to be helpful and not affiliate links. I also bought him this Sackboy Amigurumi from Etsy, but got too excited about it and gave it to him before Christmas. If you visit his blog - shh, and don't tell him what else is for Christmas!

Rouge Terrybly Age-Defense Lipstick in Terrific Rouge

Rouge Terrybly is part of the new By Terry luxury range, Terrybly. I've expressed my opinion on an already premium line having a 'luxury' sub-line here, but that didn't stop me buying one of the lipsticks during the 20% off event at Space NK. I'm more willing to spend money on an anti-ageing lipstick as I do have very dry lips naturally.

The claims behind this lipstick are that the ceramides, hyaluronic acid and peptides that it contains will help to plump the lips and provide anti-ageing benefits. It also claims to use ultra-pure, high colour pigments to give luminous colour without bleeding or drying. I can see the price differential due to the extra anti-ageing benefits, but I have to admit the pigmentation claim leaves me a bit gobsmacked - so do they use only relatively pure pigments in the rest of the By Terry line? I think not.

The packaging is luxurious but not over the top.

Swatch on arm:

On my lips. The natural mauve undertone of my lips tends to make lipsticks read slightly cooler/more blue than they do swatched on my wrist. Also, this is after the lipstick has 'set' from its original very creamy state on first application. It's a good clear red, a little less orange than Shiseido Dragon.

I only received this lipstick today, so I can't comment on the anti-ageing properties yet. It feels comfortable on the lips, and wear so far has been good; it has survived numerous cups of tea and a sandwich. I'm about to pit it against some chocolate cake.

I wanted to put my swatch and picture out as soon as possible because the swatches on the Space NK website are horrible on my monitor - Terrific Rouge looks like a brick red in the swatch, and I think the brick red colour I meant to buy (which I'd swatched previously in a shop) was actually Fanatic Red. In the flesh, most of the nude/neutral shades are very warm toned, and the other shades in the line are a variation on red. There are no real corals/pinks in the line. Replica at Visionary Beauty has a swatch of Plumping Nude here.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume natural botanical fragrances

I read about Roxana Villa's perfumes on two of my favourite blogs, thenonblonde.blogspot.com and scenthive.com. My first foray into botanical perfume was with Strange Invisible Perfumes Magazine Street, and as I love that fragrance I was keen to give Illuminated Perfume a go. Roxana Villa makes many of the tinctures that form part of her fragrances herself, and then hand blends the botanical and natural ingredients that make up her thoughtful and carefully crafted perfumes. 

My husband bought me the Q solid perfume (in the antique tin, comes in the little crochet pouch), and I subsequently bought the trio of 1g liquid perfumes (which currently comes with a sample solid) myself.

I love woody fragrances, so the Q perfume dedicated to the native oak of California was always going to be a safe choice for me. Q in the solid has more smoke and dry bark than the liquid (the sap/leaf note comes out more in the liquid). I like to layer the liquid over the solid for longer wear and I do like the way layering them brings out both sides of the fragrance. Like the tree that inspires it, I find this fragrance to be solid and grounding, not in a heavy way, more that in particularly trying circumstances I can sniff my wrist wearing this and think, 'Yes, I can get through this.'

Sierra liquid is a rich, citrus, slightly boozy evergreen/frankincense fragrance. It's a perfect scent for winter, and to my nose is somewhat like a lighter version of Ormonde Jayne's Tolu. Smelling like holidays, Sierra is a very happy and joyful scent. 

Vera is a clear lavender/sage/wood blend. I find it very head-clearing, but not overly sharp or astringent. I asked for Vera in the solid sample with my trio of liquid perfumes, and in the solid the lavender note is softer and tempered more by the sage, and is a little more herbal and less floral than the liquid perfume to my nose. Vera would be a perfect scent for hot or muggy days. 

The solid fragrances wear closely to the skin and the liquid perfumes have a little more sillage, although like all natural perfumes they do still wear quite close to the skin. I like this aspect of natural perfumery, as I don't like my fragrance to be apparent from more than a couple of feet away. I find that by layering a solid underneath a liquid I can still smell the ghost of the fragrance at the end of the day although natural perfumes do tend to lack the tenacity of mainstream perfumes that utilise artificial notes. For the clarity and pureness of the scents I enjoy with natural fragrances, I am willing to reapply or layer if necessary. However, if you prefer a more generous sillage or longevity of fragrance is very important to you, I would try a sample of these first before buying a larger size. 

Being hand-made from all natural materials, these fragrances are not inexpensive, although the prices are comparable with other eco-luxe perfumers like Ayala Moriel and Strange Invisible Perfumes. The Etsy shop does offer a variety of sample packs to try scents out before committing to the full-sizes. 

The Etsy shop is IlluminatedPerfume. 

Julie Hewett Scarlett Lipstick

Scarlett is from the Icons of Beauty line of lipsticks by Julie Hewett. It is described as a bright rosy fuchsia, and I'd generally agree with that description although I would add 'with a fine, cool mauve shimmer' to it. 

Swatch:

Applied on my lips, you can see the shimmer more clearly. It's an opaque lipstick that gives good coverage with one swipe, yet is comfortable on the lips. Like other Julie Hewett lipsticks, it has a subtle natural (non-sickly) rose scent.

I'd prefer this without the shimmer personally, but I prefer cream lipsticks to shimmer generally. It's a very cheery and bright colour, and a good alternative to Tom Ford Pure Pink if you don't want to spend that much on a lipstick (although the Tom Ford is a cream texture and slightly less blue-based). Julie Hewett products are available from www.juliehewett.net (US) and www.misebeauty.com (Ireland and UK).

Becca Fallen Angel collection for Holiday 2010

The promotional picture for the Becca Fallen Angel collection is, as always, totally stunning. Even if I'm not hugely keen on nude lips, I love the smoky eye, made a little softer in shades of mushroom and smoke rather than greys and black.

I'm a bit disappointed in the pricing of this collection though. Instead of the usual 5 pan palette, there are two 3 pan palettes. The Fallen Angel palette for cheeks and lips has a peachy highlight, a tawny peach lip & cheek cream, and a sheer peach gloss.

The Enigma palette for eyes has three eyeshadows, 2 demi-matte in a beige/fawn and smoke, and a shimmer eyeshadow in a mushroom/mauve.

The Fallen Angel palette is £35 and the Enigma palette is £48. That's £83 for 6 pans of colour, compared to £55 for the usual 5 pan palettes. The Becca online shop doesn't give the weight of the Engima palette pans, but it does for the Fallen Angel palette and these are 1.3g each, compared to 1.5g each of the lipgloss and lip & cheek cream in my Showgirl palette. It's hard to judge online pictures, but I don't think the Engima pans are bigger than the standard single 1g, which is also the size of the eyeshadow/compact eyeliner pans in my Showgirl palette. 

Edit to add: following a comment from Replica below, I've just gone back to the Becca website to double check the price, and it is now shown as £35. I know I'm not going crazy (at least not on this point) because Marina at MakeUp4All has the price for Enigma listed as £48 on her earlier post about the collection here. It looks like it was an error on the Becca website.  

I won't be buying from this collection. Although I do like the look of Enigma, I think it is overpriced compared to other Becca eyeshadows and palettes. Edit to add: It doesn't look so badly priced now, although I will still probably pass. 

Images are from www.beccacosmetics.com.

Miller Harris Flower Water in Fleurs D'Oranger

Miller Harris Flower Waters are very simple flower distillations, done very well. They also contain Benzyl Alcohol and Dehydroacetic Acid as preservatives. These come in a splash bottle with a screw top lid; I asked for a spray pump when I bought this at the Miller Harris Covent Garden shop and they were happy to oblige.

Fleurs D'Oranger is a warm honeyed orange flower water, distilled from Orange Flower Blossoms from the village of Pegomas near Grasse. It's more of a honey/perfumed orange blossom than the citrus note that people often expect because of the 'Orange' in the name, and is a warm, soothing scent. I use this to spritz linen before ironing it. I detest ironing and find it a total chore; anything that makes it marginally more pleasant is worthwhile to me. In hot weather it's also nice to spritz sheets with before getting into bed.

The flower waters can be used as facial spritzes/toners and as a very light body perfume, and I like the Fleurs D'Oranger for the hair too.

Miller Harris Flower Water also comes in Lavande (good for summer) and Rose Centifolia (I love this, but Mr London doesn't want our sheets to smell of rose). They are £17 for 250ml, but you do only need to spritz a few times to get a nice scent on bedlinen.

Shiro Cosmetics Legends (Zelda) loose eyeshadows

Top left to right: Ganondorf, Temple of Time, Deku, Bottom: Epona, Master Sword.

I read about Shiro Cosmetics on www.lipsticksandlightsabers.com. See that post here for swatches of all the shades in the Legends collection, as well as the Super Effective (Pokemon) collection.

Since my thought process was pretty much just 'Zelda eyeshadows...must own!' it took me a whole 30 minutes between reading Ana's post and pressing buy on an order for five mini sizes.

Ganondorf is a black/charcoal with burgundy shimmer. It's a great shade for eyeliner, which is how I have been wearing it.

Temple of Time is a sparkly light dove grey/taupe, more grey than taupe. Like Master Sword and Deku, without a base it applies more sheerly than Ganondorf or Epona, although more colour saturation is easily achievable with a base underneath (Ana uses Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy for her swatches, I like to use a creamy pencil as a base).

Deku is a copper brown with green sparkles.

Epona is a warm golden brown with subtle shimmer, no sparkles.

Master Sword is a taupe with multi-coloured sparkles.

Dry swatch of Ganondorf and Master Sword:

Master Sword applied over a blended out creamy brown eye pencil (Sue Devitt's Gold Reef)

Master Sword (over eyelid and up into crease) and Ganondorf to line upper lashline. Blended out base of   Sue Devitt Gold Reef pencil used. The colours are washed out in this picture compared to in real life (winter is the absolute bane of a beauty blogger's life).

Swatched over a base of blended out Gold Reef pencil, Left to right top: Temple of Time, Master Sword, Epona, and bottom Deku.

Overall, these are lovely neutrals with added zing, and I would buy more from the range. I love how all the colours are exactly spot on for the characters they are named for; Epona isn't just a random brown, it's the exact golden brown of Epona.

Shiro Cosmetics can be found on Etsy, here http://www.etsy.com/shop/shirocosmetics.

20% off at SpaceNK from today until 21 November

SpaceNK are re-running the very popular 20% off everything (except vouchers) pre-Christmas promotion, from today until midnight on Sunday.

There's an email to print and use in the shops, or use the code GLAMSLAM when ordering online or by telephone.

If you aren't on the SpaceNK mailing list, you can print off the voucher from the SpaceNK Facebook page here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPACENKapothecary/168168859619

I'm kindly forwarding this to Mr London, just in case he was planning to get anything from SpaceNK for me for Christmas...

Edited to add: well, the code definitely works, and there is free shipping on orders over £75 online. (Christmas stuff for Mr London was mostly purchased, although I might have snuck a lipstick for me in there with the money I'd saved).

Suqqu Fuyukoiki Holiday 2010 collection and event

Suqqu has just released its annual Holiday collection, Winter Chic. Each eye kit comes with a limited edition quad, a mascara volume long and 4g of the refine flow eye cream. There is also a limited edition face powder (Ichimatsu Glow Nuance Face Color).

I've had a look at the collection at the counter. It's not obvious in this picture, but the smaller pan in the face color compact is a pale silver with quite a bit of shimmer/sparkle in it. It's very pretty for parties, but not as versatile as the face powders in previous collections with less shimmer. The pink side is more subtle in texture, and in my opinion, wearable.

There are two options in the eyeshadow quads, a pink option (kit B) and a navy blue option (kit A). The accent colour (top left) in both kits is very sparkly. The quads are similar in feel/finish to the quads from the previous two winter holiday collections, but if you don't have either of those are very pretty.

I won't be buying from this collection, but if you are interested there is an event at Selfridges London from 25 to 28 November. There are double points on members' cards, and Obayashi San is visiting from Japan again (I have had two lovely makeovers with her in the past, and would recommend it as an experience). The telephone number for the London counter is 0207 318 3538

Images are from www.Suqqu.com

Has the economic situation changed your shopping habits?

At the moment, the current economic situation hasn't started to bite my family too hard (touch wood). However, a VAT rise is looming, and train fares are also likely to rise steeply. No increase in the money coming in to the house + more going out will have to = spending less on frivolous stuff.

I've actually been buying less cosmetics over the past few months, and oddly I seem to have been having less cravings for new stuff too. Most days I reach for variations on the same basic theme with either Rouge Bunny Rouge or rms Beauty, and I'm happy with those. I no longer seem to have the same restless yearning for the next perfect taupe because I'm pretty happy with the taupes I already own.

I've also noticed I'm now using skincare products up instead of getting bored halfway through and buying something new. Thanks to blogs like www.beautymouth.com I no longer feel the need to buy everything from the same range, and I'm picking and choosing the skincare products that suit my needs. Although I'm still buying from high-end ranges, I'm not buying new skincare every month.

It's a slightly strange state of being for me - to be content with the cosmetics I already own. I enjoy looking at the new collections, but I'm not as grabbed by the need to buy as I once was. I'm also enjoying finding new independent brands from Etsy and the like. Of course, it would be disingenuous of me not to also consider that I am sent products without charge through this blog, and that means I get to try some new things that appeal to me without having to buy them.

I'm not sure if it's born of necessity or if I'm just too exposed to new brands through the blogs I read to the extent that by the time I see them, I don't want them so much. I do still like to check out the new collections (and I'll continue to write about them). Personally, I prefer to buy a lesser number of high-end products that I absolutely love, rather than a lot of less expensive things, although I am opening myself up to the fact that great products don't always have to be horribly pricey (thanks to brands like the Haus of Gloi body products, and Sweet Anthem perfumes).

Have you changed your cosmetic shopping habits? If so, how?

NARS Makeover competition at HQHair.com

I'm not a massive fan of the revamped HQHair website (I like to search by brand and product type) but they are hosting a good NARS competition at the moment. The prize is a make-over by David Scheffen, a NARS international make-up artist, and the winners will also get a bag of NARS products to take home. To enter, you need to name your favourite beauty icon and give the reason why (e.g. 'Katie Price, because she does the natural look so well.' Perhaps don't use that as your entry).

More details can be found here:

HQ Hair Nars Makeover competition

The small print: the prize is only available on 30 November from 12pm to 7pm. HQHair are not offering travel expenses either, so you need to be able to get yourself to Central London for the makeover. Three winners will be notified by 23 November. It's worth a go if you're in London for a bag of NARS stuff - I'm hoping reader mq, cb sees this, enters it and wins, because then cosmic karma would be restored for her lost bag of NARS.

Etat Libre D'Orange Putain des Palaces

Etat Libre D'Orange is a fragrance house that definitely sets out to get a reaction. Sometimes (Secretions Magnifiques) it does it almost in the manner of a small child shouting "Poo!" at elderly relatives. Along the way though it does make some cracking fragrances that don't smell banal or generic. The only shocking things about Putain des Palaces to me are the name and the imagery. 

subtle imagery, isn't it? 

For a perfume with 'putain' in the title, this scent is surprisingly un-skanky. It's much more Belle de Jour than Auld Slapper*. I get quite a staid, soft rose/floral with a powdery lily of the valley note in the top notes, which then opens up to a clean leather/amber/musk on my skin, with the rose still weaving through it. Putain des Palaces lasts incredibly well on my skin and I can still get whiffs of it at the very end of the day.

There's no sweaty cumin note in this fragrance to my nose and it's a much less 'dirty' fragrance than the original Agent Provocateur, for example, and less diva-ish than Ormonde Jayne Ta'if. It's not a light,  neutral scent, but it's a pretty, warm, feminine scent; it's good for winter, and it wouldn't be unwearable in warm weather on skin that can take amber well. It's actually a bit too feminine for me, but if you like ladylike rose scents, it is worth a sniff. 

*A young English premiership footballer allegedly employed the services of a lady (of more mature years) of negotiable affections who went by this nickname. Very classy.

Disclosure: sample provided without charge for consideration for review. I also have a sample of Secretions Magnifiques, dare me to try it? 

Chanel Holiday 2010 - Les Tentations de Chanel

I love the promotional image for the Chanel Holiday 2010 collection; I think the combination of bright fuchsia cheeks, bold pink lips and copper brown eyes is absolutely stunning.

I had a quick look at the collection on Friday, but didn't buy anything. The chocolate brown and pink shades in the Tentation Cuivree eyeshadow quad have a lot of shimmer/sparkle in them, which put me off the quad. I did like the look of Splash Ombre D'Eau though (a cool taupe liquid shadow). The Tweed Fuchsia blusher is a very pretty bright pink colour, but I don't like the shimmery overspray on the Tweed blushes, so won't buy them (I typically don't buy oversprayed products, I would much rather be able to see the colour and texture I'm actually getting when I buy something).

I didn't care much for the lip products; both the Rouge Cocos were too light for my taste. The Pink Pulsion Glossimer gloss is pretty, but swatched sheerly on my hand. I don't think I could build it up to the bright pink in the promotional image without it feeling too sticky for me.

To approximate this look, I'd use Rouge Bunny Rouge Bejeweled Skylark eyeshadow, Kevyn Aucoin Liquifuchsia creamy moist glow (blush) and Tom Ford Pure Pink lip color.

Le Metier de Beaute Tamarack Dualistic Eye Pencil

The Le Metier de Beaute dualistic eye pencil is often recommended for use as a base underneath the kaleidoscope eye kits, and that's primarily what I bought this one for. It's a slightly shimmery cool chestnut brown. The texture glides on and is easy to smudge out onto the lid with a brush for soft definition, and works very well indeed as a base for eyeshadows. I don't find it to be particularly good for a stronger line though - it tends to fade during the day if I wear it that way, and I'm better off with the Armani eye pencil I reviewed here if I want a crisper line.

When I got this home and swatched it on my hand, I thought it looked remarkably similar to the Rouge Bunny Rouge Lola eye kohl I already own.

Top Rouge Bunny Rouge Lola, Bottom Le Metier De Beaute Tamarack

Top swatch is Tamarack, bottom is RBR Lola. Surprisingly, Lola swatches darker than Tamarack, although there isn't much in it, and Lola has a slightly more obvious shimmer. They have very similar textures too - easy to smudge, great base for eyeshadows but not my first choice for a crisp line. 

So, if you have one of these you don't need the other. If you're buying online anyway, I'd recommend the Rouge Bunny Rouge - it's £17 for 1.6g compared to £20 for 1.25g for the Le Metier. If you can't get hold of the Rouge Bunny Rouge, the Le Metier is a good substitute. 

New Lipstick Queen Peacock Alley trio in SpaceNK

While browsing SpaceNK at lunchtime with a friend, we spotted the new Lipstick Queen Peacock Alley trio.

This is a trio of non-sticky glosses (they feel more like lip balm swatched on the hand, and have a similar texture to the By Terry Baume de Rose) in a clear with pink shimmer suspended in it, a mid toned candy pink shimmer and a light pinkish peach shimmer. The glosses are beautiful, if quite sheer, and would work very well layered over lipsticks to give matte colours a pretty lift for the holiday season. The set is also well priced at £29 for the three (although each tube is on the smallish side).

Why didn't either of us buy it, despite admiring the colours? The lids on two out of the three testers did not stay on when closed. They weren't just a bit loose, they didn't stay on at all. It could just have been an issue with the testers, but there's no way to test that theory out without buying a set. If anyone has bought these already, I would be interested to know if the lids on them are sound. I will check back at my local SpaceNK next week to see if they've been able to resolve the issue and determine if they were just sent some shonky testers, or if it's a wider issue.

Edit to add: Please see the comments to this post. SpaceNK have identified an issue with some lids, and have removed current stock to replace.

Haus of Gloi Troika Bubbling Scrub

Troika is described by Haus of Gloi as:

A trinity of soft milks, almond, oat and coconut, lashed with sweet agave nectar and the ethereal scent of clean white. 

I mostly get a sweet almond with a bit of coconut behind it when I sniff the jar. Honestly I thought it might be a bit too sweet and foody for me when I sniffed the jar,  as I was looking for more of a clean neutral scent. I like it better on the skin in the shower and after I've washed the scrub off as then it does leave a soft, neutral, clean skin scent behind. It's one of those scents that wouldn't interfere with perfume, and I'm going to order it in a 2oz Body Emulsion sample in my next order to see how it translates in that. I also want to see if the standard lotion will be rich enough for my skin in the summer, to determine if I need to really stock up on the Body Butters before they are gone. 

I am a big fan of the 2oz sample jars. It's a good low-risk way to try out a scent you're not sure about, but they contain plenty of product to get a few uses out of and are perfect for weekends away or holidays. 

I love the texture of the Bubbling Scrub. It's a semi-solid scrub that is easy to scoop out and apply - it isn't oily and it doesn't gloop everywhere when I use it, but it stays in the palms of my hands as I use them to apply it and then scrub. It's also gentle enough to use every other day on my dry, sensitive skin, but it exfoliates decently. 

I've used this a few times - the jar does come full!

As an aside, I've completely finished the full size Absinthe Bubbling Scrub I bought in my first Haus of Gloi order (the texture of the scrub means it is easy to get every last bit of it out of the jar). It's immensely satisfying to get to that completely empty jar, and I'll repurchase the Bubbling Scrub in this scent after I've worked my way through the other Haus of Gloi scents on my to-try list. Absinthe is a very clean and refreshing scent - I reviewed it after purchasing it here. 

Rescue Beauty Lounge Jane

Jane is another of the Rescue Beauty Lounge 'The Housewives of Tudor England' collection. Like Jane Seymour, I find it a bit meh. It's a very pale dove grey with subtle beige/mauve undertones, and a subtle gold shimmer in the bottle that I've never managed to catch on my nails. I don't think it suits my pale olive hands at all; Anne looked much better on me (that post is here).

What it is good for is giving me excellent zombie hands. I watched episode one of the new The Walking Dead series with Mr London at the weekend (he's watching the rest of the series by himself, it gave me nightmares) and this is exactly the colour of zombie nails.

Look:

Beauty blogger, or undead minion? My best L4D pose. 

(The lovely bruises, which I think add to the effect, are from bare-knuckle fighting - should wear mitts!)

For a greige, I prefer Nubar Sandstone on myself. It's a touch deeper, has a bit more beige and mauve and the shimmer lifts it from the corpse-nail effect.

NARS Holiday 2010

I had a look at the NARS Holiday 2010 collection last week in Selfridges, and it is a very good one indeed from Monsieur Nars.

I am most tempted by the Melusine eyeshadow duo, which is a matte deep purple and a silver mauve shimmer. The deep purple is quite red-toned, so I am concerned it could be difficult to wear (it's somewhere between the Daphne and Lulu singles in colour). I think that layering it over a grey/charcoal cream eyeshadow or pencil would help with that though, and the silvery mauve is beautiful; not as frosty as the mint green in the Habanera duo and so easier to wear in my opinion.

Sex Appeal blush is a lighter, less shimmery version of Orgasm. It was quite light against my paleish skin, so would be best for those looking for a subtle blush or on paler skintones. I don't think it'd be my first choice of NARS blush for a deeper or warmer complexion (for a similar tone with more oomph I'd recommend Torrid).

The Okinawa eyeshadow trio is stunning to look at, but I know I wouldn't wear the blue. It's a beautiful combination for a cool smoky eye though. Etrusque single eyeshadow is a warm gold metallic, and more pigmented and less yellow than the gold eyeshadow from the Night Series (Night Sun). I'm tempted by this one too, and I don't usually do gold eyeshadows.

Downtown lipgloss is a very interesting metallic lavender gloss. It's well-pigmented, but again, I don't think I'd be brave enough to wear it! I prefer the creamy warm purple-red of Bougainville. I didn't look particularly closely at the lip colours as NARS lipsticks tend to disagree with my dry lips, but they are a berry shimmer and a classic beige nude cream. None of the lip products stood out to me, but I do tend to prefer NARS eyeshadows and blushes to his lip products.

Sweet Anthem Cordelia Solid Perfume

Sweet Anthem is a Seattle-based one-woman rock-band of a hand-made perfume house. Each fragrance has a name and a distinct personality. I will unashamedly admit that I bought this Sweet Anthem perfume as it is Miss London's name, and happily this perfume is every bit as lovely as my child is.

Cordelia is one of the recent Autumn/Fall additions to the Sweet Anthem line up, and is described on the Sweet Anthem website as:

Be the sweetest of all the petulas. Woodsy & fall-fresh top notes of plum and fir needle make way for lavender, black pepper, and a sultry coriander - all are thrown asunder by the most marine of all musks.

The notes are listed as : Ambergris, Black Pepper, Civet, Coriander, Fir Needle, Lavender, Plum, Sandalwood.

I mostly get plum on sniffing the tin or when the perfume is first applied to my skin, with a subtle snap of something behind it. I don't sniff it and think, 'Oh, that's fir,' but there is a crispness underlying the plummy sweetness. After a few minutes on my skin the woodsy/musky warm heart of the fragrance develops and the plum note lingers softly (and doesn't ever completely disappear). When I first shoved my wrist under Mr London's nose wearing this he immediately said that it smells of the seaside to him, and although I can't detect an obvious ozonic note there is a note/accord woven in that also reminds me of being at a cold beach (we saw a lot of those this 'summer').

This is a beautiful warm fruity fragrance for Autumn/Winter, and it's layering well over the Haus of Gloi Halloween body products. As a solid perfume it remains quite close to the skin, but lingers for a good 4-5 hours (solid perfumes are perfect if you prefer your perfume to remain intimate). The formula of the solid perfume is a soy/coconut blend which is quite hard at first particularly in cold weather (you can see I've dug in my nails to get it out) but then softens up a little once you get past the surface, and it feels absolutely lovely on the skin. I've now also ordered Cordelia in the perfume oil to layer underneath the solid perfume for a longer wear and a bit more throw.

Sweet Anthem is on Etsy, although I bought mine directly from the Sweet Anthem website at www.sweetanthem.com. The turnaround time is not short at 14-21 days from payment to dispatch, but the fragrances are made by hand in small batches as ordered for freshness. For me, the perfumes are worth the wait.

Le Metier de Beaute Face Kaleidoscope Kit applied

This kit was a gift from the lovely Dempeaux (www.Dempeaux.com) another of my international cultural exchange partners (and my supplier of Lanolips before it came to the UK). You can read her thoughts and post on this Le Metier kit here. The four products in the kit are (from top left, clockwise) Flawless Face Powder in Translucent (bone, but does not appear obviously yellow on the skin), Whisper highlighter (beige pink), bronzer (yellow-brown) and Echo blush (pinky peach).

I already own and love the Echo blush, so I was interested to see if I'd think that the other products in the kit would impress me too. I have to admit, I didn't think the bronzer would work on me - it's quite yellow-toned in the pan, and has subtle shimmer. With a light hand it's actually very natural looking, even on my pale skin. I used it to contour my temples, cheekbone and chin in a light 3 and reverse 3 shape, and it doesn't look obvious on my pale olive skin. I then applied the Echo blush to the apples of my cheeks, the face powder just to my t-zone, and the highlighter on the highest point of my cheekbones.

Here's what the kit looks like applied on me:

I'm wearing rms Beauty un-cover concealer in 11 under my eyes and around my nose, but no foundation. Lips are Lanolips Rhubarb, and I'm wearing the Le Metier de Beaute Hypnotique Kaleidoscope Kit on my eyes. 

Leighton Denny Graycious nail polish applied

Graycious is from the Autumn/Winter 2010 Opulence collection by Leighton Denny, UK Nail Technician extraordinare. Leighton is worth tuning into QVCUK for alone; he is probably the only person alive who gets away with teasing the beauty presenter Alison Young.

Graycious is described as a 'Graige' on the Leighton Denny website, but to me it's darker than that; a dark storm grey cream with a slight green undertone, and I find it a very flattering shade of grey on my pale olive skin. This picture is with two coats and no topcoat. I found the nail polish applied very easily although I did need to be careful to removed excess from the brush and post of the brush before applying.

The Opulence collection is very nicely balanced with a variety of colours to choose from. As well as the dark grey, there is an imperial blue, a deep purple, a scarlet red, a beige nude and a pale pink. I also have the purple shade to show you in a few days time.

The website is at www.leightondenny.com and Leighton Denny products are also sold on QVCUK.com. If you are on Facebook it is worth signing up to the Leighton Denny group to receive notification of QVC shows and today's special value kits.

Disclosure: product provided without charge for consideration for review.

Davina Peace Body Care and Candles

The biggest compliment I can give to the Davina Peace products is that you really wouldn't know you are using organic products until you look at the ingredients. The products feel like 'standard' luxury body products; they glide on, smell and feel indulgent and sink into the skin quickly, leaving no residue on the surface. The wonder ingredient is Crambe Oil, which mimics the slip and feel of silicone.

The PR officer at the introductory event I attended recently asked me what brand I'd compare it to, and I still can't come up with anything without using a hybrid, like 'Dr Hauschka meets Creme de la Mer'. It has the eco-credentials of the former (Soil Association accreditation, ethical sourcing, avoids mineral oil and silicones etc) but the luxury feel of the latter (no oily film on the skin after application, doesn't smell worthy/earthy). The fact that I can't compare it to a single existing range bodes very well for the brand; it's one of those concepts that you think someone must have thought of before, but then can't name a brand currently on the market that does both well.

I was invited to an introductory event for a few bloggers, and had the opportunity to meet Davina Peace and her small and very enthusiastic team. You can read about the story behind her journey on the brand website, www.davinapeace.com here. I won't repeat the story, but I will say that the attention to detail the team has is remarkable and impressive. At the event we were given a box to take away with some of the products to try. The box is recycled cardboard, constructed with starch adhesive and printed with soy inks. Instead of the box being given to us in a cardboard or plastic carrier bag, they were each in a reusable Turtle organic cotton string bag.

The body cream and body oil are both lovely and very indulgent. As I don't have any particular firming/toning issues, I wouldn't personally purchase these over the Haus of Gloi products I've reviewed recently, but if you're looking for a good body treatment to also help address cellulite/slackening either of these would be worth a go.

The product that has impressed me most so far is the hand cream. I have very dry hands, and most hand creams on the market have to be constantly reapplied in the winter to avoid my hands hurting from cold-induced dryness. I had been using the Organic Pharmacy Ultra Dry Skin Cream I wrote about here, but as I wrote in that post I can only apply this at night as it leaves quite a greasy film on my hands immediately after application and for a while afterwards. The Davina Peace hand cream sinks in to the skin almost immediately, but still keeps my hands soft and supple for a full 12 hours after morning application. I have been fine with a once a day application for the last couple of weeks (with no other product used on my hands at all during the couple of weeks I've been testing it) but in the absolute depths of winter I'll probably step that up to twice a day. It has a very light and slightly creamy citrus scent which is not at all obtrusive to my nose.

Plenty to do both of my hands

Davina Peace also sells a range of candles, with three current variations. The Spiced Punch on a Winter's Afternoon is a warm orange/spice blend, and as you might expect from the name, lovely for winter. The candles are made of soy wax and beeswax (no paraffin, and also no palm oil in these).

So far, I'm very impressed with the line. It hasn't tempted me away from current favourite body cream
but I'm a convert to the hand cream and the candle has a firm place in my stable of favourites. There are plans for facial skincare products next year and I'm very interested in those.

The Davina Pearce range is available at the website www.davinapeace.com and also at Harrods.

Disclosure: products were provided without charge following introductory event.

New Etsy crush - idlehandsdesigns

This is the My bloody valentine sutured heart necklace from my latest Etsy crush, idlehandsdesigns. Each item of jewellery in the shop is handmade by the artist, and this particular piece is in sterling silver with garnets. I'm too late for Halloween, but this is definitely going on my Christmas list, with some very heavy hint dropping going on. I also like the customisable coffin rings.

Image is from and with permission of idlehandsdesigns at Etsy.

Tester picked for By Terry Blush Terrybly Blush

I had quite a few offers to test the Blush Terrybly (oh the spelling!) blush. I used a random number generator to decide in the end as I couldn't, and Marcia will be giving it a go and reporting back.

Thank you to everyone who offered to help.

Face Stockholm cosmetics back in the UK

Face Stockholm is a Swedish make-up artist brand that has a wide variety of colours and textures in its colour cosmetics, and some very good foundations and base products. That's not such a big deal now but it certainly was back in the 1990s, and it's still an excellent brand with some very reliable products in wearable colours, as well as much brighter shades. Years ago there used to be a Face Stockholm shop in London's South Molton Street, and then a selection of products were available at HQ Hair until a couple of years ago when sadly it was withdrawn from the UK market.

Face Stockholm has now relaunched in the UK with a Manchester shop and a UK website at www.facestockholm.co.uk. The colour swatches on the website are a bit on the titchy side, but hopefully more shops will follow. I've owned and would recommend the cream blush in Shanghai (a coral red that gives a very pretty natural flush) and matte eyeshadow in Gron (a slightly greenish chestnut, which sounds odd but makes a very good crease/contour shade for the eyes). I liked the colour density of the pot lipglosses, but did find them a bit sticky on the lips.

(Image from Face Stockholm website).

Mad Men Joan Holloway step-by-step at Into The Palette

Olivia over at Into The Palette has written a step by step guide to an interpretation of a Joan Holloway look using my face to demonstrate it. I love Olivia's guides, because she illustrates exactly what she means for each step and makes them goof proof. Joan is also my favourite Mad Men character (as well as the sass, for those dresses and that hair!)

You can find the post here:

http://intothepalette.blogspot.com/2010/11/mad-men-joan-holloways-look.html

I'm planning to give it a go myself this weekend.

Mike Shevdon - Road to Bedlam review (no spoilers)

Road to Bedlam, the new Mike Shevdon book was released on Wednesday and I finished it on Friday. It's the next book in the Courts of the Feyre series, following Sixty-one Nails.

I think to compare either of these books to Neverwhere is to flatter Mike Shevdon - he's very good, but he's not (yet) Gaiman at his best. That's not to say that I didn't devour and love both Sixty One Nails and The Road to Bedlam. Stories about the modern world and the worlds of the fey colliding aren't hard to find, but Mike Shevdon does it very well, with cracking storylines and an engaging hero in Niall Peterson, a middle-aged man who discovers in Sixty-One Nails that he is part-Feyre, and that his magic is very dark magic indeed.

The Road to Bedlam carries on where Sixty-one Nails finished, with Niall trying to deal with his own newly-discovered magic as well as learning the martial skills he needs to become a fully paid-up Warder of the High Court of the Feyre. Disaster occurs when his teenage daughter Alex comes into her own magic in an uncontainable accident, and Niall has to try to find out what has happened to her without upsetting the shaky truce between the Seven Courts. I missed the interaction between Niall and Blackbird (a fire and air Fey'ree ) who are physically separated in this book by circumstance, but it's still a very good read, and a worthy follow-up to Sixty-one Nails. Mr Shevdon again blends real places and rituals with his imaginary world within the book in a fascinating way.

If you like Urban Fantasy, this book is well worth a read (read Sixty-one Nails first though). Not quite as good as Gaiman, but I found it less meandering than Mark Chadbourn (with more likeable characters).