Beauty Spotlight Mystery Makeup Bag

t's time for another Mystery Makeup Bag post from the Beauty Spotlight Team. It's only the second post and we've already got some cheating going on! Modesty Brown is bending the rules and showing us what's in her holiday makeup bag. It looks pretty small though, surely that's never going to last a beauty blogger through a ten-day holiday? Let's see what's she's crammed got in there.....

Click on the bag to see what's in it! I'm willing to place a bet that there is some taupe involved....

Deborah Lippmann Ruby Red Slippers nail polish

If I didn't know about the tinfoil trick for glitter polish removal from Lipglossiping, it's quite possible that I've had ended up sandpapering this polish off my nails. It's a pain to remove unless you do the tinfoil trick. I also found it needs a top coat or it feels a bit bumpy, and some of the glitter sequins can also pop off without a top coat if you're a bit rough with your nails (I am).

It's a gorgeous polish though - a black jelly base with ruby red glitter and larger sequins, and the picture above is with two coats. Amanda from www.beautybloggingblonde.blogspot.com said it's the nail polish equivalent of Armani Eyes To Kill Intense in #2 Lust Red, and it really is. I'm particularly liking it on my toenails, but I thought I'd spare you a picture of my feet.

This is £14 and is only available from House of Fraser in the UK. It's expensive, but lovely.

Face of the Day: Kevyn Aucoin Liquifuchsia and Bloodroses

Well this is a blast from the past: the lipstick (Bloodroses) is seven years old, and was my first Kevyn Aucoin lipstick (as I explained in this post on Liquifuchsia Creamy Glow). I am completely lousy with cold at the moment (thank you Miss London, or Typhoid Mary as she is affectionately known in this household right now) so I have no natural colour in my cheeks at all (I lose all colour when I am running a fever). I am wearing Liquifuchsia lightly applied, which fakes blood flow to my cheeks quite convincingly. It can be built up for a stronger rosy glow too.

Bloodroses is a very deep burgundy red. It looks a touch lighter in this picture than it does in real life, as for some reason the light yesterday would not co-operate fully. The picture does show the blue undertones quite well though. I pressed it into my lip as more of a stain than a full on precision lip - the Kevyn Aucoin Lip Tints wear extremely well and fade into an even stain that lasts most of the day unless you eat something particularly oily.

The only other cosmetics I am wearing in this picture are concealer from W3LL people and black mascara (a little powder might have been helpful to combat the fever 'glow', but it just wasn't happening). I do like how the blush and lipstick can give quite a finished look on their own. 

So there you go, my (consumptive) face of the day! I hope you are all having healthier weeks than mine :) 

Disclosure: Liquifuchsia sent without charge. 

Sarah Chapman offer at Beauty Expert - free Eye Recovery with 2 products bought

There is a really good offer on Sarah Chapman products at BeautyExpert.co.uk at the moment. You get a free full size Eye Recovery (worth £39) with the purchase of any two Sarah Chapman products. I like the Dynamic Defence SPF 15 for autumn/winter (it's a bit too rich for my skin in the summer, and I prefer a higher spf) and Age Repair Serum (I used this as a night treatment, as I found it a little too rich to use under the Dynamic Defence during the day). I also liked the Intense Hydration Booster*, a light, very fluid, hydrating serum.

I like the Eye Recovery a lot; it's a balmy eye treatment that I found does make a difference to puffiness, lines and darkness, and I've repurchased it more than once.

There are a number of good gift with purchases on Beauty Expert at the moment (10ml Morroccanoil treatment with any Morroccanoil purchase, 30ml Eve Lom cleanser and muslin with any Eve Lom purchase, 10ml Nubo Essence with a purchase of Nubo Diamond Cream and a Jemma Kidd lipstick when you spend £30 on Jemma Kidd products).  The offers can be found here: www.beautyexpert.co.uk/health-beauty/offers.dept. EDIT to add: There's also a 10% off code for Nubo, good until midnight 08 August - the code is NUBO10.

*This was a PR sample, which I should do a proper review of soon. The other items mentioned were all purchased by me (more than once).

Kevyn Aucoin Liquifuchsia Creamy Moist Glow (cream blush)

original pot left, new pot right

It's a testament to my love of Kevyn Aucoin that I own all three of the original colours of this product, despite the use of the 'M' word in the name (I have a disgust of the word moist. I don't know why, but I have discovered I am not alone in this).

Kevyn Aucoin was my first big niche brand love. I loved his column in Allure magazine, and was interested when he started talking about launching his own range. He used the prototypes of many of his products in the 2000 book Face Forward, but it wasn't until about Christmas 2004 when the ladies at emakeupmeup (now the beautygrapevine.yuku.com)  started reviewing the products that I really got a sweat on to own some of his products myself.

The line only had a brief foray in the UK at Harvey Nichols, and was withdrawn by the time I started looking (Kevyn himself sadly died in May 2002, and so the promotion of the line was understandably patchy). I ordered Liquifuchsia cream blush and Bloodroses Lip Tint (lipstick) from Beauty.com in the US, waiting for ages and paying customs and huge shipping charges to get hold of them. I wore both of these to death, and it was actually quite a quick look to put on (Miss London was only a toddler at this point).  US friends helped me to get hold of lots of the rest of the line, some of which I've posted about previously.

Mise Beauty has the line and ships from Ireland to the UK without expensive postage (or customs). Mise sent me a few pieces from the line to try, and it's interesting to compare the repackaged and revamped items. My original Liquifuchsia is on the left of both of these photos, and the new version is on the right. There is slightly less product in the repackaged version, but the flat and wide pan makes it easier to get product out with your fingertips without getting a nail stuck, and helpfully now has a mirror in the lid. I do think the texture has changed a bit; it's not as solid as my old version, although it's still not tacky or overly creamy, and it feels and performs the same way on the skin. The CM Glow gives a natural flush that melts into the skin, and is buildable and blendable. The colour is unchanged, and is a bright, clear pink. Liquifuchsia works well with blue based red or berry lipsticks for a Snow White type of look (I still like it best with Bloodroses Lip Tint).

Swatched and unblended:

Blended:

Ingredients:

Kevyn Aucoin products can be found at Mise Beauty here: www.misebeauty.com/brands/kevyn-aucoin

Disclosure: new version sent without charge. I bought the original pot.

Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor spf 25 Facial Moisture Lotion

The Soap & Glory Feel Good Factor spf 25 daily moisturiser caught my eye in Boots recently, when there was a promotion on Soap & Glory which meant I got it for £8 instead of the usual RRP of £12.

Feel Good Factor has a light texture, and sinks in quickly. It adequately moisturises my skin without developing shiny/greasy patches by midday (my skin is more normal than dry in summer). It does have quite a strong (to my nose) melon scent, but it fades on the skin relatively quickly after application.

I did find that I experienced some congestion after using this moisturiser for a week or so; nothing extreme, but a few clogged pores on my chin and cheeks that required extra attention with cleansing and exfoliation to shift. I suspect that the silicones in the formula are to blame for this, as they are ingredients that can cause congestion on my skin (although the moisturiser doesn't have that overly silicone-slippery feel, thankfully). I also prefer to use a sunscreen that has some physical sunscreen as well as chemical, as I believe that provides better protection for my skin.

This moisturiser has a decent spf, and you could easily pay double the £12 it costs for something of a similar quality. It's not a repurchase for me, but my skin is quite picky and so I'm willing to pay more for a moisturiser with spf that doesn't cause me any problems at all. If your skin does not react to silicones, it's well worth a try.

Ingredients:

Aqua (Water), Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Polysilicone 15, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Triethanolamine, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/ Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Squalane, Disodium Ethylene Dicocamide PEG-15 Disulfate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum (Fragrance), Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Carbomer, Propylparaben, DNA, CI 19140 (Yellow 5), CI 17200 (Red 33)

Beauty Spotlight weekly round-up July 23

This week, the Beauty Spotlight Team shines the light on Le Metier de Beaute, helps us get our glow on, keeps us smelling great and has some awesome beauty goodies to giveaway!

Get your glow on! Pammy Blogs Beauty shares her top self-tanning tips & tricks.

Over at Lipstick Musings, Shannon's got a sweet tooth...and she's craving more of Laura Mercier's Luster Eye Shadow in Chocolate!

Visionary Beauty checks out the Mediterranean inspired Penelope Kaleidoscope from Le Metier de Beaute.

This week Modesty Brown goes nude with Kevyn Aucoin's Expert Lip Tint in ThelmaDora.

Cindy over at Prime Beauty shows you five must-have pink blushes for a fresh summer sun-kissed glow.

Makeup Merriment shares a great summer eyeshadow, Chanel Ombre d'Eau eyeshadow in Delta, with us. Check your stash to see if you have this too.

Find out what animal Marcia from Beauty Info Zone compares Napoleon Perdis lipsticks to and see if this is something that you do too.

Styrch at Pretty in Dayton gets frisky with her little bottle of LP No. 9 for Women by Penhaligons, LTD.

Perilously Pale gives us sneak peek swatches and a review of the Le Metier de Beaute Silk Road Kaleidoscope Eye Kit from the upcoming Fall/Winter 2011 Collection.

The nut jobs at Beauty Crazed have obviously been addled by the heat and are giving away a crazy amount of makeup - go enter before they come to their senses!

Londonmakeupgirl got a sneak peek at what you can expect to see from Selfridges for Holiday 2011. There's another beauty advent calendar, and some beautiful palettes from Bobbi Brown and Suqqu. Have a look here: Selfridges Christmas in July.

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, wants to tell you about the Clarisonic Deep Pore Cleansing brush head and give one of them to you (*and your BFF!). She'll even throw in a Mia to use it with, too!

Zuzu's Petals at Everyday Beauty reevaluates what beauty represents for her and wonders what it means to you and how your views have evolved over the years.

Red eyeliner - would you wear it?

This post on Beaut.ie about red eyeliner (gick or gorgeous, you decide) reminded me that actually, I quite like red eyeliner as a look. The Beaut.ie ladies are, it is fair to say, divided on the subject ;)

I think with a strong line and the rest of the make up kept very neutral, a red liner is quite a striking look. I posted this red eyeliner look with Suqqu eyeshadow back in February 2010, and I decided to visit the Illamasqua counter to pick up a matte red eyeshadow and a red medium pencil (Illamasqua's can be used on the eyes and lips) for a stronger look.

I bought Feisty medium pencil (coral red) and Daemon (scarlet red) powder eyeshadow. I already owned Succumb powder eyeshadow (peachy flesh-toned) which I used as a base from lash to brow before drawing the line with the Feisty pencil and going over it with Daemon powder for maximum staying power.

I used Primal blush as a contour (already owned this), and only lip balm on my lips. I did also use concealer (W3LL People), mascara (Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells) and eyebrow pen (Suqqu Moss Green).

Full face picture. I like it. Mr London says it looks quite 'ninja' (do they wear eyeliner, outside of 30 Seconds to Mars videos?) and Miss London thinks it looks 'cool, and all wing-y'.

Would you wear this, or will you be passing on the red eyeliner? 

Selfridges Christmas in July preview

I'll admit, I went to this blogger preview of the Selfridges Christmas in July press day hoping to sneak a look at the new Tom Ford full line of colour cosmetics (launching in Autumn). Sadly there was no Tom, but I had my camera and some challenging lighting, so here are a few of my picks of the stuff to look forward to come late Autumn (doesn't it feel quite Autumnal already with the weather?)

Lancome/L'Oreal is bringing out another Advent Calendar. The Press Officer for Selfridges beauty tells me they will be ordering a lot more stock this year after last year's sold out so quickly.

Suqqu has two Christmas kits, each featuring a limited edition eyeshadow quad. One is gold toned, the other has cooler pink and grey tones. Textures are lovely, and comparable to last Autumn's quads.

Bobbi Brown again has quite a few pieces in the Holiday collection. There's a mini travel kit with teeny eyeshadows and a lipgloss in it for slipping into an evening bag (I didn't get a picture of this) and these two eyeshadow palettes which caught my eye. One is a very cool toned, dramatic charcoal, the other is a warmer pink/chocolate/taupe combination. I liked the latter very much.

Whimsy Beading on Etsy - Wear The Lilac Pendant

I have always admired Phyrra's lovely necklaces from Whimsy Beading, and when I spotted this pendant in support of Alzheimer's fund raising, inspired by the Discworld novel Night Watch,  I took it as a sign to make my first purchase. (Night Watch is the best Discworld novel that doesn't feature Granny Weatherwax in my opinion. That's high praise.)

Whimsy Beading jewellery is hand stitched and beautifully finished, even on the back:

The necklace is not included. I'm wearing it with a Thomas Sabo leather necklace.

This pendant is available from the Whimsy Beading shop on Etsy here: Whimsy Beading Wear The Lilac Pendant.

Real Skin Cream from Real Body Care review

I was approached by Real Body Care recently to see if I'd be interested in trying out their Real Skin Creams. There is no water in the Real Body Care creams and each cream is made of just four ingredients; shea butter, almond oil and then another plant oil and an essential oil. There are three varieties: Apricot & Shea (with orange essential oil), Hemp & Shea (with bergamot essential oil) and Rosehip & Shea (with lavender essential oil).

The texture is whipped but very rich indeed. It's a similar texture to the original Creme De La Mer and I apply it in the same way as I applied CDLM - take a tiny bit, emulsify between fingertips and then pat and press into the skin.

I've been using the Rosehip & Shea cream as an eye cream every morning and night. You only need a tiny bit, and I've found it very effective for keeping the skin there hydrated and comfortable. I've been using the Apricot & Shea as a soothing night cream and on my cuticles. The Hemp & Shea is meant to be good for inflammatory skin conditions like eczema, so we're keeping that handy for any dry patches that appear on Mr or Miss London. I wouldn't recommend these for anyone who prefers a light lotion feeling, but for those who enjoy a rich skin cream they are an excellent, reasonably priced option.

The 10ml travel size tins are perfect to try the range, and I've found my travel tins are lasting a long time; I've barely made a dent in the Rosehip and there is still plenty of the Apricot left in the couple of weeks I've been using them. The travel sizes cost £3 each, and then 50ml is £15 and 100ml is £25.  The website is at www.realbodycare.co.uk.

Disclosure: products provided without charge.

For Strange Women Perfume Sample Kit

I think this is the sweetest perfume sample kit I've ever seen. It comes in a little cardboard matchbox, with a dried rose bud. 

The three oil sample kit allows you to chose three perfume oils out of the six that For Strange Women currently sell, and I decided on the two new scents, November in the Temperate Deciduous Forest (let's just call it November) and Bollywood, and Moss & Ivy. The sampler is $13, and gives enough in each 0.5ml vial for a week's worth of applications; more than enough to see if a particular fragrance suits you. Three cards come with the kit, each giving the notes and the character of one of the fragrances. 

Bollywood is a spicy floral, inspired by the glamorous film stars of India. It opens with a cardamom chai note followed by a rose/floral and saffron heart, on a base of sandalwood incense. It's exotic, but also quite a light fragrance with a very subtle sillage; I have to hold my wrists close to my nose to smell it and it has faded into a ghost of the scent after a couple of hours. I do like the combination of cardamom and a dry sandalwood with the floral notes though - I think it works better than Cleopatra (now discontinued, also by For Strange Women) where the anise note dominated the fragrance. Bollywood is best for those who like a fragrance to whisper rather than shout, and I'd suggest trying a sample first to see if it's too subtle for you if you are considering purchasing. 

November... is more my personal cup of tea. It really does smell like a wood in late autumn; there's a hint of woodsmoke, the smell of leaves turning into humus on the floor, and it has something in it that smells like cool, damp air on my skin. I will be buying a full bottle of November... in the autumn. 

I haven't tried Moss & Ivy yet, other than smelling it in the vial. From that, it's a very pretty, chypre-style herby fragrance. 

The For Strange Women Sample Kit can be purchased on Etsy here: For Strange Women Sample Kit. 

Update on RGB nail polish in Beach

colour (and hand) looks cooler here as there is no sun today

I've been wearing this nail polish since Monday. There are no big chips, and only a little tip wear after that time. The more I've looked at it on my nails, the more I've appreciated its quiet elegance. I've gone from being not sure that I like it to absolutely loving it.

I'm removing it now because my nails have grown too much to keep it on, but I'll be reapplying as soon as I've taken it off.

RGB Cosmetics nail polish is available from www.misebeauty.com.

Disclosure: product sent without charge.

The Beauty Spotlight Team Mystery Makeup Bag

The Beauty Spotlight Team has a mystery makeup bag to share with you. Twice a month our team will be featuring one of our member’s current makeup bags. This week the honors go to Marcia from Beauty Info Zone. Click on the picture to find out what she has hiding!

I'm very nosy, and I'm always fascinated by what people have in their makeup bags.

Paintbox Soapworks review - Avast! Sorbetto Scrub (summer limited edition)

I've written previously about how much I like the Paintbox Soapworks Sorbetto scrub formulation. I recently bought one of the summer limited edition Sorbettos in Avast! and I absolutely love this scent. It's a mix of coconut and coffee, with a little spice (cardamom) and musk. The coconut note is a clean coconut milk, and the overall combination is summery without being too sweet or suntan-lotionish. The scrub also has a layer of ground coffee beans in it, which is a very nice touch; it's enough to add a little extra scrubbiness and a fresh coffee smell, but not so much that it makes a mess in the bottom of the shower.

Avast! also comes in the Paintbox Soapworks soap and Slip (hand and body lotion). You can buy Avast! Sorbetto on Etsy here: www.etsy.com/listing/76760149/avast-sorbetto-emulsifying-sugar-scrub.

My current favourite products for a natural face

My favourite everyday look is either a natural face with a red/bright lip, or an overall natural face. Natural doesn't mean completely bare, but neither does it mean nude to me. A nude make up mutes down the natural colouring of the lips and cheeks, where my preferred version of a natural look supplements the natural flush/colour of my lips and cheeks and gives subtle definition to my eyes for a healthy glow (I have colouring where I have to fake that).

Base:
W3LL People Narcissist Foundation and Concealer Stick in #1. I only use this where I feel I need it, generally under the inner half of my eyes and around the base of my nose where I have a little redness. I prefer the look and feel of my skin without foundation for everyday. I have normal to dry skin so don't tend to use powder either, although I do blot my t-zone during the day just using bog standard (excuse the pun) toilet roll to do so.

Eyes:
Rouge Bunny Rouge Solstice Halcyon eyeshadow and Lola eye pencil. I know, I know - still my favourites for this look. Not very exciting or new, but utterly reliable, and I've loved this eyeshadow since I bought it two years ago as it's my ideal taupe (not too shimmery or too flat, not too dark or light, just right for me for subtle definition). I'm still using and liking Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara too, although I don't always apply mascara when I'm doing a natural face.

Cheeks:
W3ll People Universalist Multi-Use Colour Stick #7.* This gives me a very natural rosy flush, and doesn't slide off my face in high humidity.

Lips:
W3LL People Nudist Lip Shine in #3. This sheer red lip tint gives me healthy, strawberry stained lips. The more I use this, the more I love it for its conditioning properties as well as the very pretty (and non-shimmery) finish it gives.

Pictured with everything applied. This takes me less than five minutes to do, which is fortunate as five minutes is generally all the time I have to apply cosmetics in the morning.

*PR sample. Everything else purchased by me. 

RGB nail polish in Beach

I can't decide if this nail polish is an elegant, understated neutral on me, or if it veers slightly into corpse-of-a-heavy-smoker territory. It gives me an almost perfect mannequin hand look (where the nails match the skin, like a mannequin).

Beach is from the RGB Spring 2011 collection. It's a caramel nude semi-sheer, and it applied beautifully. No streakiness whatsoever, and these pictures are with two coats applied (no top coat).

It's a nice change of pace from a pink or peach nude polish for a very work appropriate look. I think it'd work better on slightly tanned hands, so I'm looking forward to wearing it over the summer. 

Are you a fan of nude nail polish? What shades do you think work best for nude shades? I think I'm more keen on the bright/weird colours personally. 

RGB Cosmetics nail polishes are available from www.misebeauty.com here: Mise Beauty RGB nails.  

Disclosure: product sent without charge for review.  

For Strange Women Decadence & Debauchery Perfume Oil

I read about For Strange Women perfumes on www.scenthive.com, and as I've always loved everything I've bought after reading one of Trish's reviews, I was confident in buying a full bottle of the Decadence & Debauchery Perfume Oil.

Decadence & Debauchery is rich, spicy and boozy on my skin. It’s not particularly smoky on me (my skin eats smoky notes and accentuates sweetness), instead the patchouli, vanilla and immortelle in the base combine into a spicy almost coffee/clove note on my skin, with the rich golden tobacco weaving into it after the initial opening of ripe blood orange. This is sweeter and more gourmand than Ayala Moriel Espionage on me.

The For Strange Women Perfume Oil fades relatively quickly on my wrists (after about 3-4 hours it’s pretty much gone and I need to reapply) but I can still smell it in the crook of my elbows at the end of the day. I also bought the Natural Perfume Fixative Balm, which is a blend of shea butter, cocoa butter and beeswax with subtle essential oils that enhance and extend the wear of the perfume oil. It's not strictly necessary to enjoy the Perfume Oil, but as I have dry skin I do like to layer solid and liquid fragrances, and I think this does help to extend the life of a natural perfume on my skin. (I bought the full size, which is pretty big. A smaller size is also available).

For Strange Women uses only natural essences in her products, and even though Decadence & Debauchery is rich it is never headache-inducing or overpowering for me. The Perfume Oil base is jojoba and fractionated coconut oil. The packaging is beautiful and fits the aesthetic of the brand beautifully, with exquisite attention to detail (a smoked amber glass bottle, and the padding in the little boxes that the perfume oil comes in is natural dried moss). The only thing I’d change is to have a drop dispensing insert in the bottle opening, to prevent the risk of spillages (and I'd feel happier carrying it around in my bag with this too). I think the prices are reasonable for natural perfume oil, at $30 (about £20) for a 7.3ml bottle. Sample sets are available to try the fragrances before committing to a full size, and I've just ordered one with the two new fragrances (November and Bollywood) as well as the Moss & Ivy perfume oil that Trish also reviewed.

For Strange Women is sold on Etsy here: www.etsy.com/people/ForStrangeWomen.

Beauty Spotlight weekly round-up July 09

The last two weeks have brought some makeup excitement to many of our Spotlight Team. From travel to California to shopping in the US and UK, we have wonderful articles to share with you.
















A new lipstick from Chanel? Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed knows you are dying to see swatches so here you go already!

Beauty Info Zone went to California for shopping and the IMATS show. Find out why their suitcases were overweight on the way back home.

Zuzu's Petals at Everyday Beauty had a blast debating the merits of the nude makeup invasion with fellow readers.

Over at Lipstick Musings, Shannon's brown eyes turn blue with Lancome's Eye Brightening All-In-One 5 Shadow and Liner Palette #401, Midnight Rush. Will you fall in love, too?

Now the UK is finally getting some Summer, London Makeup Girl had a look at the Sue Devitt Beausoleil Summer 2011 collection. 

This week Jeanie at Makeup Merriment has once again fallen under the spell of the Rouge Bunny Rouge cosmetics line. This time she's enchanted by a gorgeous eye color named Delicate Hummingbird. With a name like that how can we blame her?

Modesty Brown gets her rouge on, Kevin Aucoin's liquid lipstick in Aquarouge to be precise.

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty tells us how she refreshed her hair color, and how we can all refresh ourselves this summer, with the help of Natural Instincts.

Its time for monthly favorites! Find out what made Pammy Blogs Beauty's list of Star Products for the month of June.

Chanel Peridot Le Vernis Nail Colour from the Fall 2011 Illusions d'Ombres de Chanel Collection has Perilously Pale contemplating buying her first ever "backup".

Styrch shows what a dramatic difference weight loss can make in just YOUR FACE on Pretty in Dayton. (People saying she looks like a teenager again).

See what Vincent Longo Pearl X eye shadows and a Chameleon have in common over at Prime Beauty!

Described at the “new classics” Visionary Beauty has a look at the Sand eye palette from the Bobbi Brown Tortoise Shell Collection.

A couple of blogs I love

It's my birthday weekend (30...*mumbles*) and so I'm eating cake instead of blogging. I'm highlighting a couple of blogs I discovered relatively recently and love, so if you're not already reading them I'd recommend taking a look.

Jen at myfunnyvalentineblog.com has a similar pale olive skintone to mine, and I love her face of the day posts (although she makes me want to buy things, like this Chanel lip gloss). My Funny Valentine - FOTD featuring Chanel Extrait de Gloss Impertinence.

Dain at arsaromatica.blogspot.com writes considered, thought-provoking posts on a whole spectrum of beauty issues. I found this blog through this post on Bobbi Brown Ars Aromatica - Bobbi Brown, which Gaia of thenonblonde.blogspot.com linked to in one of her round-ups.

Rahua Finishing Treatment repurchased

I gave the Rahua Finishing Treatment a moderately warm review last September, which you can read here: Rahua Finishing Treatment Review.

Since then, I've used no other styling treatment on my hair, I've used the pot up (about a month ago, having made up a sample for a friend from my original pot) and I've repurchased it. I really like this treatment. I bought the Rahua shampoo and conditioner at the same time I bought my second pot of Finishing Treatment, and I'm also liking those a lot more than I did from my initial sample sachets, although I do find I'm going through the shampoo quite quickly. The combination leaves my hair glossy but bouncy and controls frizz well even in high humidity, without making my hair feel crunchy. It doesn't make my hair feel weighed down either; I can wash it every other day and my hair isn't unbearable by the end of the second day. I had the really dry and damaged ends of my hair cut off recently, but Rahua did a decent job of moisturising those ends, and I'd recommend it to anyone with long hair.

I love the unusual slightly woody/spicy smell of the range, and it's subtle and not overpowering.

I purchased mine from Beauty Bay, who still have Rahua at a better price than I've seen at other retailers. www.beautybay.com/haircare/rahua/

Ingredients of shampoo

Ingredients of conditioner

Ingredients of Finishing Treatment

Rimmel London Lycra Pro Nail Polish in Aqua Cool

This is the third Rimmel Lycra Pro nail polish I bought; Aqua Cool, a pastel blue with slight purple undertones. I think of aqua as more of a greenish blue, but this is a lovely colour even if it's not aqua to my eye. 

This is with two coats, and it was a bit draggy around the base of my nails. The wide brush makes it very easy to apply though, and three coats would have given perfect coverage (two coats is more than adequate to the everyday eye - photos tend to magnify any small imperfection). 

I'm at the beginning of a third day of wearing (including a training session on Monday night) and have only minimal tip wear and no chips (with no top coat applied). 

Beausoleil Bronzing with Sue Devitt

I was recently invited to a presentation of the Sue Devitt Summer 2011 collection. Sue Devitt herself was absolutely lovely, and explained the inspiration behind her brand and colour stories. I can write a post on this if anyone would find it interesting, but today I'm concentrating more on showing you the products themselves.

The Summer 2011 Colour Story from Sue Devitt gives various options for a bronze glow.

Beausoleil Hydrating Marine Minerals Eye and Cheek Palette with colour gradation of Sand, Shell, Nude and Bronze.


Bronzing Pressed Powder (left) - quite a cool-toned bronzer, with no orange tones. Gives a stronger bronze/contour than the Beausoleil compact.

Gel Bronzer spf 40. Slightly yellow-toned gel bronzer. This is particularly good for a drier skin, but it isn't at all greasy and gives a very natural glow. The gel texture wears very well in hot weather without separating on the skin.


Beausoleil - I've tried to show the lighter shade to bronzer shade gradation from left to right. Beausoleil has a gentle sheen.

On left Gel Bronzer spf 40, on right Bronzing Pressed Powder.

There are also two Lip Enhancing Glosses to finish the collection. Telina is a cool pink, and Coral Sands is (as you might expect) coral. Telina doesn't work with my pale olive complexion (too pale, too cool), but Coral Sands is a good shade for me. 

My favourite of the bronzing products is the Beausoleil compact. It gives a soft peachy glow, rather than a stronger bronze, which works well on my NC20 skin. I could wear the Gel Bronzer or Bronzing Pressed Powder, but I prefer a less tan/bronze look on myself.

I tried the Beausoleil compact as an eyeshadow today too, using the two darker shades on my lid over a base of Sue Devitt Gold Reef Eye Intensifier Pencil, blending into the lighter shades in the crease. I applied the three darker shades as a blush/subtle bronzer, and highlighted with the palest shade from Beausoleil. I am wearing Coral Reef on my lips, black mascara from Lancome (Hypnose Precious Cells) and the W3LL People Narcissist stick in #1 as a concealer under my eyes and around my nose.

Sue Devitt products are available from Fenwicks and Harvey Nichols in London and QVCUK.com.

Disclosure: All Sue Devitt products apart from the Gold Reef Pencil were provided without charge.