Haus of Gloi Summer 2011 - initial impressions review

Sanctum - a beachy scent, but a tropical beach. This is mostly melon on first sniff, but with the coconut water and lime coming through, and something more exotic and woody at the base of the fragrance. This makes me think of Thailand, and is perfect for hot summer days, as it is quite a fresh, subtle scent. If you like Jo Malone Sweet Lime & Cedar, Haus of Gloi Sanctum is well worth a try. I also think those who liked Lassi from Haus of Gloi Spring will like Sanctum, although I personally prefer Sanctum as the fruitiness is more subtle. Really lovely in the Bubbling Scrub. I've used both the Bubbling Scrub and Pumpkin Butter since my order arrived, so these are 'on the skin' reviews.

The Brier Path - this is the one for lovers of Ploughman and Samhain from other seasonal collections. Rich damp woodland earth with berry/rose top notes. Fresh and pretty but not too girly, would also work for a man who doesn't mind a subtle rose note. An 'in the tub' first impression.

Narcosa - a heady warm floral. I don't know how I missed the tuberose in the description but I did, and the tuberose tends to dominate the blend a bit to my nose (I'm not a big tuberose fan). Heavier/headier than Come Hither from the Valentine's collection. If you liked Hex last Halloween, Narcosa is worth sampling. An 'in the tub' first impression.

Beguiled - smells like sweet lemon cake. Less tart and more foody than Honeysuckle Lemon Curd, with a sweet raspberry note following the initial lemon cake hit. I like it in the Bubbling Scrub, but it would be too sweet and foody for me in the Pumpkin Butter. If you liked Eggnoggin' last Winter, this is worth a sample. An 'in the tub' first impression.

I also bought Zazz in the soap. I haven't used it yet, but sniffing the bar this is a fresh, zesty, fizzy sort of scent.

Sanctum and The Brier Path are my favourite of the summer blends, although I recognise all the others are done well: my personal preference is for fresh or earthy scents. Haus of Gloi Summer scents are available until mid-July at www.hausofgloi.com.

Rockalily Lipstick in Rockette Red

There have been a few blog posts about the new UK independent lipstick line, Rockalily, but I haven't seen many reviews of the lipsticks. I took a bit of a leap of faith and ordered one in Rockette Red, because I like independent lines, I like the retro feel of the branding and I love a good red lipstick.

The packaging is quite basic, but functional. The Rockalily logo is stamped onto the lid, rather than being a sticker.

Rockette Red is a blue based red. It's not overly blue or dark like many blue-based reds can be: the colour is in the same colour family as Tom Ford Cherry Lush and Julie Hewett Femme Noir. The texture is matte but not drying, and gives a creamy satin finish on the lips. It's very comfortable on the lips although due to the matte texture I do need to prime my lips with balm first. The Rockalily lipstick is also extremely well pigmented; think Besame classic lipsticks or Julie Hewett Noir range (this does mean a lip brush is necessary to get a clean edge). It has a gentle vanilla scent, similar to MAC but more subtle.

Swatched:

Applied to my lips.

In context of the rest of my face (I only realised I'd forgotten mascara after this picture was taken, so forgive the unfinished eyes please).

The Rockalily also wears well and lasts a morning (with many cups of tea) without fading noticeably. When this does fade a bit after eating it wears evenly without leaving the red ring of doom around my lip line.

So far there are four lipsticks in the line: the Rockette Red I bought, Roulette Red (a deeper blue based red), Hot Rod Red (an orange red) and Pompadour Pink (a semi-gloss fuchsia). At the moment the lipsticks can be bought from the website at www.rockalily.com and cost £14 each (plus £2.50 postage), and are also stocked at the Powder Rooms in Soho and Shoreditch: link to Powder Room addresses. 

Beauty Spotlight weekly round-up May 28

These products had better be good....

Welcome to the Beauty Spotlight. Every other week our beauty blog team will shine a spotlight on their best posts. Expect them to bring you the latest, the greatest and the most fun to find beauty products the world over!


It's almost legendary how much Prime Beauty loves coral--this week she went cuckoo for these five coral lipsticks. Which of these summer shades are must-haves on your list?

Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows have grabbed the heart of Marcia from Beauty Info Zone.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed spent all last week drooling over the new Essie Braziliant collection and still can't pick a favourite - check out her digits and help her choose!

Pammy finds her "custom shade" with Stila's new Custom Color Blush at Pammy Blogs Beauty.

Visionary Beauty gets a surprise when the Laura Mercier Riveria Eye Quad, an unexpected acquisition turns out to be a really useful, high quality palette!

This week, Jeanie of Makeup Merriment shares with her readers why she's so smitten with Le Metier de Beaute true color eye shadow in Jojo.

Zuzu's Petals at Everyday Beauty has discovered the perfect sheer red lipstick for summer, appropriately named Sweet Cherry.

This week Jane at Modesty Brown shares her brush collection. She talks us through her favourites and which ones aren't so great. If you like a peek at other people's collections, this one is for you!

London Makeup Girl has succumbed to the allure of the limited edition Mimosa nail polish by Chanel. She's not entirely convinced that Big Bird yellow nails work for her.

Perilously Pale is basking in the glow of Le Metier de Beaute's Tuscan Sunset True Colour Eye Shadow.

Curious about what how makeup application can be different when you are a 40+ lovely? Older Girl Beauty has tips from Emmy award winning Makeup Artist, Eve Pearl - "What the Pros Say..." - Eve Pearl.

Styrch from Pretty in Dayton attends the wedding of Project Runway Season 6 Alum Althea Harper and has way too much fun!

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #4 Pulp Fiction

I liked the Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #2 Lust Red I posted about here so much I went to Selfridges to buy another shade straight away. Regular readers of this blog will most likely be unsurprised that I chose #4 Pulp Fiction, a silver taupe.

It's lightly speckled with a rosy/red accent shade, but this isn't individually detectable when the eyeshadow is swatched or applied; instead it gives an overall mauve/silver taupe with strong shimmer. There are silver micro-sparkle particles scattered throughout, although the creamy texture helps to prevent the sparkle dropping on to the skin (it's not actually cream, it's more of a cream/powder hybrid). The lighter shades are definitely more shimmery/sparkly than the darker shades, giving an almost wet-look metallic finish.

Applied, using a fingertip. If I use the MAC 239 brush, it does tone down the sparkle a bit, although it's still very shimmery.

This is the closest duplicate I've seen for the discontinued Shu Uemura ME Silver 945 eyeshadow. ME 945 was replaced by ME 950 in the new Shu Uemura formula, but the colour of the ME 950 lacks the mauve undertone and the new formula is less creamy and less metallic than the old formula. 

I did have a look at the L'Oreal Colour Infallible eyeshadow in Flashback Silver today in Boots, and honestly, if you don't want to spend £25 on the Armani Eyes To Kill, the Colour Infallible is a good substitute (and Boots has these on sale for £5.50 at the moment - £1.50 off the regular price). I think that the L'Oreal Flashback Silver was a bit lighter and not quite as 'complex' looking as the Armani Pulp Fiction (the L'Oreal don't have the speckling that the Armani do in the pot, and are one uniform colour). I'm considering buying the L'Oreal to do a proper comparison of both of them at home.

Illuminated Perfume Solid Perfume - a video

I particularly like the solid perfumes from Illuminated Perfume, and find them very helpful to hold a liquid fragrance on my dry skin and extend the wear time of a natural liquid fragrance. This is a quick guide to why I like them, and how I use them.

New Etsy discovery - Lucent Jewels

I bought these Labradorite, Green Amethyst and Lemon Quartz Sterling Silver hoop earrings from a recent Etsy discovery, Lucent Jewels. They have just the right amount of dangle and jingle without being heavy or annoying, and were very reasonably priced at £20, including postage.

Closer look: these are really beautifully made and detailed.

Finally the mug shot. The hair is a mess and it had been a very long day, so please excuse me!

It's also worth mentioning that Lucent Jewels is based in the UK, so there are no Customs Charge worries on purchases. The packaging is pretty and has a good brand identity to it, and would be lovely for gift-giving. A couple of the necklaces in the shop are going on my birthday list. 

The Lucent Jewels Etsy shop can be found at www.etsy.com/shop/LucentJewels. 

W3LL People Universalist Matte Multi-Use Stick #7

W3LL People is an American Eco-Luxe cosmetics line recently introduced to the UK by www.beingcontent.com. Being familiar with my love for brands like rms Beauty and Vapour Organics, Being Content kindly gave me the opportunity to try an item from the range. 

I decided on the Universalist Matte Multi-Use Stick in #7.

#7 is a medium pink that leans towards cherry undertones. It's brightening on my skin, and good for adding colour when I'm feeling peaky. The texture is matte, but not drying, and it doesn't have a slippery silicone feel like other multi-use products available can. This would be a very good option for oilier skins that find cream multi-use products don't last on them, but it's absolutely comfortable on my drier skin type too. It has a fresh herbal smell that fades quickly on the skin.

Swatched: a transparent cherry pink, buildable and also blendable to a soft natural flush.

I like this both on cheeks and lips; it gives a matte finish on both, but I don't find it overly drying on the lips (although I do need to use a balm underneath). I would not wear this shade on my eyes, but there are some more neutral/contour shades in the range, as well as shimmering shades in the Universalist Luminous Multi-Use Sticks.

I intend to visit the Content Shop soon to have a look at the Narcissist Stick Foundation and Concealer (with the intention of buying one), because this is all I have left of my rms Beauty Un-Cover Up: 

it's safe to say I like this concealer

The swatches on the W3LL website aren't brilliant for choosing colours as they are a little on the small side, and it's very difficult to pick foundation/concealer shades online, so I think I do need to see the colours in person before deciding (I think I'd be #1 or #2).

W3LL People cosmetics are available at Being Content here: www.beingcontent.com/filter/brand/w3ll-people.html, and in the US from the brand website at www.w3llpeople.com.

Ingredients of the Universalist Stick:

Disclosure: product was provided without charge.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Loose Pigments in Dope and LaFayette

Dope and Lafayette Loose Pigments (Colour Concentrate Pigments) were also sent to me to try by www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk. These are intensely pigmented metallic loose pigments that can be used on the face and body.

Dope is a warm orange bronze, and Lafayette is a golden moss green. They are swatched below dry, on my dry skin.

Picture of Lafayette applied to my eye. I'm wearing no base underneath it, and applied with the MAC 239 eyeshadow brush. It applies evenly and easily and lasts well too.  Cocktail Cosmetics also sell the OCC primer here OCC Primer which I'm considering buying; the pigments apply very well on their own so I'm intrigued to see how they'd look over the primer. 

I'm not wearing liner or mascara in this picture as I had a stinking cold when I took it and prefer to avoid mascara when my eyes are streaming (so apologies for the unfinished look). This is also the reason for no full face picture; I look like death, and not cute Neil Gaiman Death, but take me out with a head shot as I stumble towards you groaning 'braaiiins' walking death.

Disclosure: products provided without charge. Links are not affiliate links.

Chanel Mimosa Nail Polish applied

This was a complete impulse purchase. I bought Chanel Mimosa from the Covent Garden Pharmacy on the day of the Chanel Summer nationwide launch without spending much (any) time considering whether I really want it, simply because it had sold out in Selfridges within a couple of weeks of its exclusive launch there; the allure of the limited edition at work.

It's a bright zesty yellow with the typical subtle Chanel shimmer, and the colour and finish are bright and cheery. The particular shade of yellow chosen is likely to be flattering on a range of skin tones (for yellow) and the hidden shimmer stops it looking flat and paint-like. It was a pain to apply; very draggy, and it required three coats to get a vaguely even finish on my short nails.

I really can't decide if I like it, or if it's a bit hideous. Mr London prefers it to the American Apparel Butter nail lacquer I featured here, and I think he is right.

Only Chanel could make yellow nail polish so desirable. Perhaps this is what went on in product development...

Chanel Nail Guy: Come on people, I need a challenge. I've had them wearing black nails, blue, mint, taupe, aqua....even the khaki brown sold like hot cakes. What colour next?

Development intern: What about...yellow? 

Chanel Nail Guy: Yellow nails? That's insane! Let's do it. 

Perhaps they put catnip for women in the nail polish.

Mercurios double banner ring giveaway drawing

C helped me to pick a winner for the Mercurios giveaway, and here she is doing it:


Congratulations Product Pixie (Katherine)! Please drop me an email and I'll pass your details on to Mercurios.

OPI Pirates of the Carribean - Stranger Tides applied

In sunlight

I've been anticipating the OPI Pirates of the Carribean collection since it was released to a selection of bloggers in February. It's finally been released, and I consulted Helen of Just-Nice-Things.co.uk, who is my go-to for nail advice, on what colour I should go for. She said Stranger Tides (actually, she said 'Why buy just one?' first, but then she recommended Stranger Tides). Today I nipped to Selfridges at lunchtime, and sure enough, Stranger Tides sang to me.  

In shade

It's a murky green-tinged neutral. It's been a while since I watched any of the Pirates of the Carribean films, but I think I remember them having ghostly zombie-type pirates in them, and this would be the colour of their nails. It's quite similar to the StrangeBeautiful Cinder nail polish I posted a picture of (worn as an accent nail) a couple of days ago, but with a more definite green tone, and is less green and more muted than Illamasqua Milf (as well as having a nicer name. I like the shade, but don't care for the name of the Illamasqua at all).

I liked this shot showing the two Trollbeads bracelets I'm wearing at the moment; I think they look a bit like pirate swag.

These pictures are with two coats applied: it is on the thin side, and could do with three coats for absolutely perfect coverage (particularly on longer nails) but two does a good enough job for me. The brush is excellent and practically applies the polish for you. 

From the rest of the collection, I wasn't overly grabbed by Mermaid's Tears although I thought I'd love it. I did like Skull and Glossbones a lot, and may get that one too. The silver shatter top coat is also still calling to me, although I resisted buying it with Stranger Tides.

reminder - Mercurios giveaway ends tomorrow

This is just a quick reminder than my banner ring giveaway with Mercurios ends at midnight tomorrow. If you haven't already entered and you would like to, you can find the post here.

Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Eyeshadow #2 Lust Red

The new Armani Eyes to Kill Eyeshadows have been burning a hole in my psyche since they were released in the US an age ago (it's probably about a month, but in internet-torture of things-you-can't-have-yet that's a decade, at least). They are a hybrid of cream eyeshadow and loose pigment pressed together lightly to give a velvety, creamy, shimmery finish that sets on the eye and doesn't budge. The shimmer finish is quite similar to a MAC Mineralize eyeshadow, but with a base that provides better coverage and adherence. 

There were about four of these released before Christmas, but none of those colours really grabbed me. When I saw the colours for the new release, I knew I had to have #2, Lust Red. A mottled black/ruby red, it looks completely impractical and yet called to me even more than #4 Pulp Fiction (a taupe melange, which is a more typical shade for me). I basically bullied Mr London into going to Selfridges to pick this up for me yesterday, after stalking the Selfridges counter and website for these to be released.

Comparison below clockwise from top left: Armani Lust Red, MAC Mineralise in Ether, High Voltage Cosmetics Loose pigment in Freyr (from the Norse Mythology collection).

Swatched: Lust Red, High Voltage Cosmetics Freyr, MAC Ether. This picture shows how the MAC is dustier and has less substance and coverage to the base shade than either the Armani or the High Voltage Cosmetics (these are really excellent indie pigments by the way, and well worth a look). MAC Mineralise shadows really need a good eyeshadow base to stick to. 

Apologies for the massive pictures of my eyes that follow. I found it very difficult to pick up the red shimmer/sparkle in photos, and even in real life the ruby shimmer is subtle although more apparent than it appears in these photos. This probably makes it more wearable than an obvious or strong red shade, but don't expect to get the red sparkle to show up strongly without some work; I found patting the eyeshadow on with a finger resulted in a stronger red shimmer, although it's messier than applying with a brush. Something like a MAC Greasepaint stick would also give the red shimmer more to stick to, and I might have a go with the one I have from Style Black over the weekend. 

My preferred application is to pat on with the MAC 239 flat eyeshadow brush. I'm wearing Rouge Bunny Rouge Atlas Swallowtail cream eyeshadow as a base, although the Eyes to Kill doesn't really need one I find it softens the edges of the black a little. 

natural light

with flash

Is there anything similar to this eyeshadow? I've read that MAC Beauty Marked is a similar shade and finish (although it appears the MAC presents even more of a challenge to get the red shimmer in it to show up when applied). Although High Voltage Freyr has a lighter, more taupe/purple base shade, the reddish duochrome in this is stronger, so if you are looking for a smoky eye with a reddish flash, this is a good (although not identical) alternative to Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Lust Red. High Voltage cosmetics can be found at www.hvcosmetics.zxq.net.

I'm glad I have this, and I will most likely buy more (hello, Pulp Fiction) if this formula does live up to the long-lasting claims made for it. I will report back on that after I've worn it a few times. 

Nails of the day - Reverse Accent nails with StrangeBeautiful Nail Polish

Today's nails of the day is a particular favourite combination of mine; Yeats Poem Lapis Lazuli and Cinder from StrangeBeautiful. The texture of these nail polishes is excellent; rich and creamy with full coverage in two coats. I absolutely love both of these colours too, and you can see them each in a more traditional manicure in my previous post here: StrangeBeautiful Yeats and Cinder.

I bought this duo from Cult Beauty here: http://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/strangebeautiful/, and I am hoping that more colours are released soon.

How (not) to apply Beaute Liqui-Gel Stain

Ashley commented on a previous post that she was having difficulty getting this product to apply evenly to her lips. I replied with my tips on how I apply it, but I thought a video (yes, another one!) might be helpful to show how I apply it.

I (brilliantly) overcooked the application on one cheek, and you really do only need to use a small amount. It's much better to build up colour rather than frantically trying to blend it down. My klutziness does show that this is easier to blend and gives more wiggle time than the more liquid stains (like Benetint) though.

Institut Esthederm Bronz Repair cream normal to strong sun

This brand often causes a bit of controversy when it is mentioned on a blog, because it does not give an spf on any of its products. Instead, the products are categorised by type of skin (normal, sensitive, intolerant) and strength of sun (gentle, normal to strong, extreme). The bronz repair and adaptasun ranges are designed to support safe tanning, which sounds like an oxymoron; the commonly accepted current belief is that a tan is a sign of damage. Institut Esthederm claims to 'prep' the skin to produce melanin more quickly and evenly on exposure to sunlight, thus minimising damage.

I'm intrigued by this line as it has had some positive reviews. It is also meant to be good for skin that becomes uncomfortable in sunlight. On the basis that it's all good for blog research, I bought a tube of the Bronz Repair Cream for normal to strong sun, which the SpaceNK assistant said was more than adequate for UK sun, even in high summer.

These products do contain traditional sunscreen ingredients. I used the BASF sunscreen simulator to calculate the spf and UVA protection of the Bronz Repair normal to strong sun based on the active ingredients (the % and name of active ingredients are on the back of the tube), and it gives an SPF rating of 15 and PPD protection of 7.4 (UVA 3 stars or Good, or PA++). The moderate UVA protection means that you will almost certainly notice some tanning with this product, and I wouldn't personally use it for prolonged exposure in the middle of a hot summer day, even in the UK.

I've just started using this as my day cream, and it is cosmetically comfortable on my normal to dry skin (more normal than dry in summer), although it does feel more sunscreen-y than the Chantecaille Firming Sun Cream I've been using for the last couple of summers. I do not intend to change my routine of practicing sun avoidance where possible, and will report back on if I do develop the glowing even tan that this brand claims to promote (or if I experience any issues using it). I will reapply if I am in sustained sunlight, as per the instructions (like the instructions for all sunscreens).

This is a very expensive facial sunscreen at £52 for 50ml. The Bronz Repair range is more expensive than the Adaptasun range (£32 for 50ml for Normal/Strong sun) as it contains additional anti-wrinkle ingredients. If you were in the sun for prolonged periods, you'd get through a whole tube within a week or so quite easily.

Blogger ate this post during its tantrum, so I'm re-publishing it. Apologies to Klara and Mq, Cb whose comments were lost - I will be sure to write an update after using it for a while.

Bobbi Brown reformulated Creamy Concealer Kit

CERN can just stop and dismantle the Large Hadron Collider now, because Bobbi Brown has discovered the Secret of the Universe and it is concealer.

I'm not sure that I'd go quite that far myself, but a good under eye concealer does make a difference if you're short on sleep or just naturally prone to dark circles (I am both. Miss London still considers 6am to be a lie-in).

I like the old formula Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit, which came with the creamy concealer and a mini pot of loose powder.

Old kit left (Ivory) New Kit right (Warm Ivory)

As well as replacing the loose powder with a pressed powder, the concealer itself has been reformulated to be a bit less emollient.

New creamy concealer left, Old creamy concealer right

While Blogger was down I made a video using the new kit, and comparing it to the old kit. 

I actually prefer the creamier texture of the old creamy concealer personally, but I do think the reformulated version will be easier for more people to use. 

Before:

After:

Disclosure: reformulated kit was provided as part of a blogger launch event for this product. I bought the old one myself. 

InStyle Nails Inc Candy Orange

The InStyle magazines with the free Nails Inc nail polishes are on the magazine shelves now. I picked up Candy Orange, as I intended, and it's a very nice summer colour.

It's actually a slightly muted bright orange: here's a comparison with Nubar Neon Orange (which is not in any way muted). The slightly pastel edge to Candy Orange makes it a bit more wearable for most people, and it will look lovely on more tanned hands.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Reverb Lip Tar and Twirl Pigment

When I recently placed an order with www.cocktailcosmetics.co.uk the owner of the company also sent me some other pieces from Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics to try. These two items were included, and they are Reverb Lip Tar (from the new Spring 2011 collection) and Twirl pigment. 

Reverb is a hot orange red. It's the colour you'd get if you mixed OCC NSFW and Traffic Lip Tars. Like the Anime Lip Tar that I pictured here, you need an extremely small amount and use of a lip brush is essential (as is a good balm beforehand). The Lip Tars dry to a semi matte finish. 

Twirl Colour Concentrate Pigment is a pale peachy shade. The colour reminds me of a slightly peachier version of    MAC vanilla pigment. The OCC pigments seem to come in two textures; a sheerer veil texture (like Becca Loose Shimmer Powders) and a more full-on metallic texture (like MAC pigments). Twirl is one of the veil/highlight type of shades; I do have a couple of other shades in the more full-on texture to show you soon. 

Applied: Twirl on lids and into crease, Reverb on lips, black mascara, brow pencil and concealer. I didn't wear blush on this day, and I can't decide if I like the look as is or if a bit of blush might have finished it off. I wish I'd dusted a touch of Twirl on my cheekbones to tie the eyes and lips together, and I think I'll try that next time I wear this combination. I do like the soft peachy eyes with the bold red lip.

slightly out of focus, courtesy of Mr London

Disclosure: products were sent without charge. Link, as always, is not an affiliate link.