Aeterna Gold Collagen Creme Serum Review

Aeterna Gold contains marine (non shark) collagen, but it doesn't smell at all fishy, despite being unfragranced. It also contains MSM (a form of sulfur) and vitamins E and C.  The texture of this product is unlike any serum I've ever used. It's a very thick cream texture, but it does sink into the skin and leave a completely matte finish. I do find I need a moisturiser over the top of it on my naturally dry skin as the nights get colder (so, from mid August this year). The packaging is basic but hygienic.

I haven't noticed any particular difference in my skin, having used this every evening for just over a month. My skin feels soft and smooth in the mornings, but my skin is generally in quite good condition anyway and I use a vitamin C serum and sunscreen during the day anyway, which I believe help to prevent skin damage occurring. That being said, I haven't experienced any breakouts either, and my skin reacts easily to products that don't agree with it.

I'd recommend this particularly to those with an oilier skin type who are looking for products with good ingredients to support the skin and help prevent premature ageing, at a reasonable price. A drier skin type would still get on with it, but oilier skins tended to be neglected in the anti-ageing stakes, and this would be a good purchase for that skin type. It's also reasonably priced at £26.40 for 50ml from www.highernature.co.uk. The website also sells MSM capsules, as well as many other health supplements.

Ingredients:

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

Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique Polish in Eliza

My local Superdrug has finally got the Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique range, and one of the new colours, Eliza, caught my eye. 

Eliza is a described as a sparkling aqua, and that's an accurate description in my opinion. The sparkles in it are a little bit more than just shimmer, but not full on glitter. It's harder to remove than a cream but doesn't require the tin foil trick to remove, just a bit of patience with a cotton pad and nail polish remover. 

The polish itself is quite thin; I needed three coats to get the same colour on my nails as in the bottle. It applied easily though and wasn't streaky - I could have stopped at two coats for a paler aqua with no problems. The brush is good quality - flat, evenly cut and neither too narrow or too wide to handle well. 

This polish was £5, which isn't at all bad for a professional range with some lovely colours. 

Vapour Organic Beauty video

Vapour Organic Beauty products are now available in the UK at www.beingcontent.com. I have featured some of their products on my blog previously, when J from www.makeupmerriment.com sent some over to me in one of our cultural exchanges - Vapour Organic previous posts.

Vapour Organic sent me some of their newer products to try, and I've made a video using them so you can see them in action.

I like the foundation a lot, even though I don't usually wear foundation. It doesn't feel heavy and it gives a velvety finish to the skin. It is quite expensive at £41, but it's worth the extra to me for a foundation that won't make my skin react badly. Ingredients list for foundation:

I had to edit out the lipgloss application as I ran out of time, so here are some pictures instead. These are Elixir Plumping Lipgloss in Beguile (a warm berry) and Siren Lipstick in Tempt (natural rosy mauve).

Swatched: Beguile (left) and Tempt (right).

Tempt applied:

Beguile over Tempt (the shine makes this appear a little lighter in the photograph than the combination appears in real life).

Content has a 10% discount code this weekend, which is valid until midnight tomorrow (Bank Holiday Monday). The code is AUGBANK. 

Disclosure: apart from the eyeshadow and eye brow pencil, items in the video and this post were provided without charge. 

Beauty Spotlight Mystery Make Up Bag

This week at The Beauty Spotlight Team, we're taking a look inside the makeup bag Visionary Beauty keeps in her handbag. A post featuring sweet goodies (albeit with strange faces and little legs) and makeup, now what could be better.........click on the bag to go to Visionary Beauty and take a look inside.

Trollbeads Autumn 2011 purchases

Purple Wave, Organic Bubbles, Fireflies, Lucky Clover 

The Trollbeads Autumn 2011 collection was released on Friday, and my local jewellers got their order in today.

I could have bought all of the 12 glass beads released, and would have been happy with any of them. Narrowing myself down to the three I'd set myself a budget for was hard (the eagle-eyed of you will have spotted that there are four beads in the picture: Mr London bought one for me as well. I think he took pity on me trying to decide between Lucky Clover and Organic Bubbles).

Here they are in a combination. I used beads from the Autumn 2010 Lakeside collection, which I think work well, and a Golden Cave bead I received for my birthday. It looks and feels very autumnal, perfect for the grey skies and rain we seem to be having!

From the lock, anti-clockwise, the beads and silvers are (all Trollbeads): Organic Bubbles, Lucky Knot, Fireflies, Mermaid, Violet Flower, Midgard Serpent, Lucky Clover, Forget Me Not, Purple Wave, Turtle, Drifting Seeds, Brew of the Moor, Azure Bubbles, Cool Dusk, Bee on Hive, Golden Cave. 

Organic Bubbles is a similar design to Azure Bubbles from last year's Autumn collection, but Organic Bubbles is encased in an amber coloured glass, rather than Azure Bubble's clear. I think they work well together.

By Terry Hyaluronic Eye Primer Review

If you are in your twenties or in your thirties or forties with normal or oily eyelids, don't buy this product. You'd be wasting your money and something like Urban Decay Primer Potion or Laura Mercier Eye Basics will work better for you, at a lower price (the By Terry Eye Primer is £30 - I bought it when I had a £5 N/Dulge voucher to use).

If, however, you suffer from dry eyelids, this could be the eye primer for you. I have dry and sensitive skin around my eyes, and I find this soothes and adds moisture, at the same time as providing a good base for powder eyeshadows.

Ingredients:

I bought the 'Light' shade (#1) which is the lightest of the three shades available. It's not extremely light - it matches my NC20 skin.

Swatch blended in.

The shade smooths out my eyelid, and can be worn alone for a fresh, no-makeup look as it doesn't look powdery or too matte on its own. It's also a good base for eyeshadows - it doesn't hold them for as long as something like Urban Decay Primer Potion would, but I notice I have less creasing at my crease at the end of the day when I use this. 

Guest Review - Help: Clear Skin Supplements

In July I ran a giveaway with Help: Clear Skin supplements. Regular reader Proximity/Ann was the winner of the giveaway, and she very kindly agreed to write a review after using the supplements. She's written a very thorough and helpful review, which I'm happy to share with you here. Thank you Ann!

Hello London MakeUp Girl readers!

In July I was lucky enough to win the Help: Clear Skin giveaway on this blog, and now I'm reporting back on how these supplements have worked for me.

Obviously treating a skin condition like acne is highly individual, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another … but I am absolutely delighted to be able to tell you all that Help: Clear Skin has made a BIG difference to my skin! In fact, it's now known as "magic water" around my house.

Help: Clear Skin is a dietary supplement in the form of a white powder sealed in individual sachets. You dissolve the powder in a drink or food, and consume 2 a day. The active ingredient is called Praventin™which is rich in lactoferrin, a milk protein which apparently helps reduce the development of bacteria, thus helping to prevent the formation of blemishes. It also contains oligofructose (soluble fiber) and aloe vera, and is free from: artificial colors, flavors, and preservatives and gluten, and is suitable for vegetarians, diabetics, and lactose intolerant people. I won't go further into the science in this review, but you can find more information by doing some research or visiting the brand's website: http://www.workswithwater.co.uk

The supplements come in boxes of 14 sachets (1 week's worth) for £9.99, though the website above currently has a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on both single boxes (£9.99) and a multi-pack of 4 boxes (£38.96). That makes the best price available at the moment 8 boxes for £38.96 – that's a 56 day supply at £4.87 a box.

Here's some background information about me and my skin:
I am 28 years old, I have combination, sensitive, acne prone skin. I didn't have much in the way of acne as a teen, but as an adult it has become a real problem. Most of my breakouts are in my chin area (including jawline and sometimes upper lip), and there is a definite hormonal aspect to my acne, though my monthly cycle does not account for all of my breakouts. I have occasional spots on my forehead or temple area but these are not my main concern.

I am absolutely not a skincare expert, but I have spent a long time trying to learn what's right for my skin. I have learned through experience that most acne treatments are too harsh for my skin. Because my skin is sensitive, anything that causes irritation, even if it reduces blemishes in the short-term, tends to lead to more of them in the long term. The most discouraging issue has been that despite my efforts, it has seemed like my acne has been increasing, not decreasing over the past several years. This has lead to me discontinuing all acne treatments on several occasions and sticking to a very simple, minimal routine, but though these measures have occasionally helped my skin regain balance when it's been over-dried or over-irritated, my acne has not responded.

I could go on for hours about acne treatments I have tried and the degrees of success and failure associated with them – and I'm happy to answer any questions in the comments – but as far as this review, suffice to say I've tried a lot of things!

At the beginning of my Help: Clear Skin trial I was already 3 weeks into keeping myself strictly to a skincare routine using familiar products that I know don't make my acne worse, but which also aren't enough to control my breakouts. I decided to stick with this routine so I could clearly attribute any changes to taking the Help: Clear Skin supplements. At that time I had at least 2 or 3 active spots at all times, and then had "breakouts" at least once a month with at least 4 or 5 active spots. My acne had reached a point where the red marks from former spots never got a chance to heal and fade before more spots popped up, and I was finding my skin to be an increasing source of frustration and distress not to mention embarrassment. It had been months since I had experienced a single day free from "active" spots.

Using Help: Clear Skin:
I found these supplements easy to take. Though they can be dissolved in food (hot or cold) and drinks (hot or cold, but not carbonated) I mainly drank them with water, or sometimes fruit juice. They dissolve fairly easily … with a few exceptions – if you just dump the whole packet in at once you can get a big lump that's harder to dissolve. So I sprinkle it back and forth across the top of the water and watch it fall to the bottom of the glass. Then I leave it be for a minute or two before stirring. I found that if I stirred a lot at the beginning it was harder to make it dissolve and sometimes the water was cloudy. I imagine these would dissolve even more easily in hot beverages, I'm just not much of a hot beverage drinker. In terms of taste, if it's in anything with flavor, I don't think I can tell it's there at all. I might be able to guess correctly in a blind taste test, but it would be a close thing. In water, I can tell it's there (and my husband confirmed that he can also detect its presence) but it's not at all unpleasant or hard to drink.

I like that the individual sachets are so travel-friendly, and that all the really relevant information is printed right on the sachet itself, including its "best before" date. I'm not a big fan of pink, but other than that I think the packaging is well executed.

Results from using Help: Clear Skin:
I saw results within 2 days of starting to take these supplements. Existing blemishes improved in size and especially in color (less red), and became less painful. Within 5 days, I had no active spots, though I still had plenty of red marks. My skin felt much more calm. I started to let myself hope that this would be a miracle cure. However, by day 7 I felt spots coming up again, and had 3 or 4 spots by the following day, BUT they were much smaller than my usual spots, and not nearly as red and angry. I thought that they were going to be awful and stick around for a week, but within 24 hours I could already see that I'd reached a turning point and they were starting to improve, instead of continuing to get worse as they usually would at that stage. Again my skin recovered, and I had a few completely acne free days. This state has more or less continued ever since. I get a spot or two (not as bad as my usual ones) which resolve much more quickly than they used to, and then I get a few clear days. I have to stress that this is a HUGE improvement, as it had been months and months since I'd had a single clear day.

Because things were going so well, I did start to experiment a bit instead of sticking to the plan I set up for myself. Firstly, I started taking only one sachet most days. I was already often forgetting my second dose, so I knew I still saw good results when using half as much. On my budget, buying more Help: Clear Skin is going to be expensive, so I wanted to know if I could make a box last longer. The answer is YES. I now only take one a day most of the time. The other change I made was to move away from the strict skincare routine I had set out and back into my more normal skincare routine of assessing my skin on a day-by-day basis and trying to give it what it needs at that time. (This is the skincare approach that usually works best for me.)

I have continued to enjoy the same results that I described above for over a month now. Help: Clear Skin does NOT completely stop my skin from breaking out - I still have small breakouts and a spot here or there a lot of the time, but there are fewer spots, and the ones that I do get go away much faster, never get as big, and are much less red. This held true through what would normally have been my usual hormonal breakouts. At those times I've gotten an extra spot or two, but still nothing like it used to be.

My current plan is to take two sachets of Help: Clear Skin when experiencing or anticipating a breakout, and one sachet per day the rest of the time. It's taken me a long time to get back to Lydia with this review because I wanted to make sure that the results I was experiencing weren't a short-term fluke, and I am convinced of that now. My husband, as a more objective observer, is even more convinced of the success of "the magic water" than I am. In fact, he notices a visible difference in the redness of my spots within an hour after drinking "magic water"!

Obviously I can't tell anyone whether this would work for them, but I am happy to answer questions about my experience. I will be re-buying Help: Clear Skin when I run out (hopefully for a reduced price as in the offer above, as I feel the base-price should be lower, despite being able to make a box last roughly twice as long as it should). I will also be looking around to see if I can find a less expensive alternative with the same active ingredients, though given the choice I would prefer to stick with Help: Clear Skin purchased at a lower price, as I know this product works well for me.

Sarah Chapman Skinesis full hour-long show on QVC Bank Holiday Monday

Sarah Chapman Skinesis skincare has been available on QVCUK for a while now, but this Bank Holiday Monday (29 August) there will be the first hour-long Skinesis show with Sarah Chapman at 9pm.

I've used, loved and repurchased a few Sarah Chapman Skinesis products, so I'll be tuning in to listen to the lady herself.  QVCUK are offering the chance to win a facial worth £140 with Ms Chapman too - the details are on the QVCUK blog here, the competition closes at 4pm on Friday, 26 August and the winner will be announced on the show.

Tom Ford Beauty preview

I was invited to the blogger preview of the full Tom Ford Beauty cosmetic line last night. The Tom Ford Beauty line launches at Private Blend counters on 03 October 2011, and is previewed at Harrods, Selfridges London, Harvey Nichols London and Brown Thomas Dublin from 03 September 2011.

Tom Ford is launching a comprehensive beauty collection, including skincare, complexion, colour products and brushes. As well as two formulas of foundation (a liquid and a stick) and pressed powder, there are highlighting and sculpting products in the base collection. Two new Private Blend Collection Fragrances also launch at the same time; Jasmin Rouge and Santal Blush.

There are 10 Eye Color Quads (TF's american spelling, not mine) and there are a good selection of neutral combinations as well as some more colourful options.  There are four textures of eyeshadow, sheer sparkle, shimmer, satin and matte, but no set format to the Quads: at least one appeared to be all matte/satin, and the others were varied combinations of the finishes. As you'd expect, the eyeshadows are well pigmented and creamy and swiped easily. I was instantly drawn to the taupe combination of Silvered Topaz (swatches are at the bottom of this post).

Silvered Topaz

I also liked the look of the more reddish/gold combination of Burnished Amber, which I think would be lovely for a berry toned eye for Autumn/Winter.

Burnished Amber

There are six Cheek Colors, and I particularly liked Ravish, a medium warm rose. These are well pigmented and the powder feels creamy to the touch. I also swatched Ravish, and there is a picture of the swatch at the bottom of this post.

Ravish

Pictures of some more of the Quads (Silvered Topaz is in the middle).

The Private Blend Lip Color range has become the Tom Ford Lip Color. There are now 18 colours in the line, although sadly some of the original 12 Private Blend Lip Colors didn't make the collection (including Pure Pink *sob*). However, there are more natural/neutral shades to choose from. This is a swatch of Casablanca lipstick, a natural rose shade. This colour bridges the gap between Pink Dusk and Moroccan Rouge in the current Private Blend line.

Swatch of Ravish Cheek Color and Silvered Topaz Eye Color Quad.

There are also eye pencils, a black gel eyeliner, a mascara, brow pencils, lip glosses and a clear lip lacquer in the colour cosmetics line. The whole range strikes a balance between being comprehensive, but still tightly edited. 

Of course, it's going to be expensive. The quads are £62 (info from this post on BritishBeautyBlogger) and I doubt you'll get much change from £40 (if any) for the blush. However, the Le Metier De Beaute eyeshadow Kaleidoscopes were £60 too, so depending on the size of the Tom Ford Color Quads it might be a comparable price. 

Some of the line will definitely be going on my Christmas list, and I plan to purchase the Silvered Topaz Quad when the line launches. 

John Carne Knightsbridge salon and Holiday Hair Rehab treatment review

I was invited to try the Holiday Hair Rehab treatment at the John Carne Knightsbridge salon last week. My hair had just had two weeks by the Suffolk seaside with a few dips in the sea (Londons are a hardy lot) and lots of windy sea walks, so it was looking a bit untamed.

The Holiday Hair Rehab uses Schwarzkopf Seah Black Pearl products to remoisturise and restore damaged hair. The treatment consists of shampoo, followed by a hair mask to restore (with an excellent head massage) followed by conditioner to seal the hair cuticle. The treatment took place in a separate room with subdued lighting and the most comfortable chair/basin set up I've ever known (I may or may not have fallen asleep during the head massage).

I also had my hair cut by Sean. I'm the reverse hairdresser's nightmare to Mrs Hirons. I'm the opposite of a control freak; I give rubbish instructions like, 'I just want it a lot shorter' (with a vague gesture to a point just below my ears), or, 'I don't like my hair to look too done'.

Sean asked a few questions about how I style my hair (I don't) and how I like to wear it, and managed to translate my very imprecise direction into a cut that I absolutely love. The first picture is after having it cut and blow dried at the salon (excuse the knackered face), and the second is after washing and leaving to air dry with a little Rahua Finishing Treatment worked into the ends.

I'd thoroughly recommend the salon, which is in Montpelier Street (opposite Harrods) and has an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. The website is at www.johncarne.co.uk/knightsbridge-salon.

John Carne Knightsbridge is offering Londonmakeupgirl.com readers the chance to win a complimentary Holiday Hair Treatment. You just need to like the John Carne Facebook Page, and leave a comment on the John Carne wall (before 12 September) saying that you came from Londonmakeupgirl and would like to try a Holiday Hair Rehab in order to enter the draw. Good luck!

Disclosure: I was a guest of the salon, and treatment and cut were provided without charge. Links, as always, are not affiliate links.

Beauty Spotlight weekly round-up August 20

It's another fortnight of beauty news and discoveries with The Beauty Spotlight Team. Here's their pick of their posts for you.





Have you ever pined for longer, thicker, curlier lashes? Then Shannon at Lipstick Musings has a treat for you! Check out what happened when she tried Rapidlash for a month! You'll never want to turn back.

Beauty comes in many forms, Skeem proves that. Enter Beauty Info Zone's giveaway for a Skeem Half Pint candle of your choice.

Visionary Beauty gives us a round-up of all the Rouge Bunny Rouge Long-lasting Cream Eye Shadows SILK AETHER. Such beautiful, effortless shades these are really not to be missed.

It's true! Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed DOES have the sparkliest nails in the universe! Check out her swatches of OPI's newest editions to their Designer Series!

Everyday Beauty raised a glass to Laura Mercier Shimmer Lip Colour in Amaretto.

Over at Pretty in Dayton, Styrch's had a rough couple of weeks but she did manage to post some swatches of her first ever Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar purchase and finds that they live up to their stellar reputation.

Modesty Brown shares un petit peu de French shopping.

How would you like to make the dreaded task of washing your makeup brushes less of a chore? Perilously Pale shows you how with her review of the BECCA Professional Makeup Brush Soap.

It's time for Monthly Favorites! See what made Pammy Blogs Beauty's list of July Star Products!

Does NARS new lip gloss Larger Than Life live up to it's name? Is Cindy really a giant? Find out at Prime Beauty!

Don't forget to enter the Mega Beauty Bloggers Giveaway and win a $100 Sephora Gift Card and more!

Over at Makeup Merriment, Jeanie believes she has discovered handbag heaven with her new Purse to Go organizer.

London Makeup Girl reviews two shades of Ilia Pure Lip Care Lip Conditioners.

Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird eyeshadow

Abyssinian Catbird is one of the most popular powder eyeshadows in the Rouge Bunny Rouge line. It's a richly pigmented, metallic olive bronze shade.

Unfortunately the 'olive' in it is, I suspect, why I don't like it on me. The tone of this picks up the greenish undertones of my skin and makes me look a bit sunken eyed. It's also a very similar colour and tone to the iris of my eye, and I personally prefer the look of a contrasting eyeshadow - I find a grey or mauve taupe or a silvery green more flattering to my eye. I've tried Abyssinian Catbird on quite a few occasions, and have always had other people remark that I'm looking peaky or looked in the mirror and thought that myself at some stage during the day.

It works beautifully on other people and there are many very (well-deserved) positive reviews for it, particularly from those with pinker skintones. It looks lovely on the blue-eyed Modesty Brown - Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird and on the also blue-eyed Replica at Visionary Beauty - Rouge Bunny Rouge Abyssinian Catbird (scroll down to the bottom of the post).  If you do have olive undertones, I'd recommend caution and trying a similar colour in a less expensive range first.

Haus of Gloi Autumn 2011 is live

The Earth has done a full turn since I first started buying Haus of Gloi body products, and the Autumn/Halloween collection is once again live. I'm extremely happy to see a return of Samhain and Pumpkin Queen and I've bought full size Pumpkin Butters in both and a full size Bubbling Scrub in the Pumpkin Queen (the Samhain was stocked out in the scrub full size when I got to the website, although Britton has said that re-stocks will be happening in a couple of days).

I've also ordered samples of the new Pixie Sorcerer (in the Bubbling Scrub) and Haus Cider (in Pumpkin Butter) and the Queen Mother Perfume Oil, which sounds amazing - last year's Pumpkin Queen Perfume Oil, aged for a year, blended with patchouli, jasmine and vetiver, co-distilled with honeysuckle blossom.

The Halloween collection has been my favourite release, and you can read my reviews of the different scents I bought last year here: Samhain Pumpkin Butter review, Pumpkin Queen & Saft Ernte, Samhain Perfume Oil.  

Algenist Regenerating Moisturiser SPF 20 ingredients list

I've just bought this moisturiser from SpaceNK, having finished my SPF 30 day cream from another brand.

Algenist is formulated with a proprietary ingredient, alguronic acid. This ingredient is derived from algae and is a polysaccharide like hyaluronic acid, but a more complex compound. More details can be found on www.algenist.com.

I obviously can't review this yet (I've only been using it for a few days) but I thought it might be helpful to post an ingredients list for anyone interested in it. The texture is a gel-cream, and feels plumping and hydrating without feeling greasy.

It is expensive at £68, but it is a 60ml size rather than 50ml or 30ml.

Suqqu Eyebrow Pen in 01 Moss Green

The Suqqu Eyebrow pen received a massive boost in popularity after being featured by makeup artist Lisa Eldridge, to the extent that it was very difficult to find one in stock for a while. On my last trip to Selfridges London, I struck lucky and managed to buy one in 01 Moss Green (they did have 02 Brown in stock too, I deliberately chose the Moss Green).

The nib is extremely fine, giving precise lines that can be deepened/widened by applying additional pressure.

Is this really green? No, not obviously. It's a slightly khaki/ashy toned charcoal colour to my eye, which works well to give a bold, cool eyebrow colour which is much softer than a black eyebrow product. I'd recommend the brown shade for a more natural look, or for blondes. The colour is transparent, so it doesn't look blocky or obvious unless you overcook it. Unfortunately, one of its good points is also a potential negative - it dries very quickly and then doesn't budge until you remove it, so if you do accidentally overcook you have to remove the lot with makeup remover and start again. When I was getting used to the nib and the amount of pressure I need to apply, I did end up with brows that looked a bit tattooed on a couple of times.

Applied - my brows are extremely sparse at the end, and this fills them in without adding too much artificial width (I have naturally fine brows - I don't pluck other than to tidy obvious stray hairs). I find applying in short, feathery strokes works best for the most natural effect.

Suqqu Eyebrow pen costs £20, and is available in the UK from Suqqu counters in Selfridges Birmingham and London.

Lovely Giveaway on Best Things In Beauty - a Cle De Peau lipstick

Charlestongirl, who kindly wrote a guest post for me last week, has a great give-away on her blog at the moment. She is giving away a Cle De Peau Beaute lipstick from the Fall (Autumn) 2011 collection. Cle De Peau is a line that I couldn't afford when it was here in Harrods, but I'd love to have available in the UK now. I'll keep my fingers crossed for an appearance back this side of the Pond at some stage.

I considered quietly entering myself, but I decided I'm fortunate enough already with the things I get to try through blogging, so I'm not entering. If you fancy putting your name into the hat, the post is here:

http://bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.com/2011/08/cle-de-peau-beaute-extra-rich-lipstick.html

The deadline for entries is 20 August, and the give-away is open internationally.

Ilia Pure Lip Conditioners in Nobody's Baby and Arabian Knights

Ilia Pure is a range of six organic conditioning lip tints made from natural moisturising oils, waxes and butters. I was recently sent two colours from the range to try.

One swipe gives a subtle wash of colour which can be built up with a heavier application, and the colour applies evenly without gathering into lip lines. These lip tints feel light on the lips and are very comfortable, even on my dry lips. The Ilia feels thinner and lighter than the W3LL People Nudist tinted lip balm I recently bought; the texture of the Ilia is similar to Becca lip tints, where the W3LL are more like Chantecaille Lip Chics. I don't need to apply balm underneath the Ilia, although I still do use balm in the evening before going to bed.

The combination of the cocoa butter in the formula and orange, vanilla and jasmine essential oils give a natural and subtle chocolate orange scent to the Lip Conditioner. This is a pleasant change from fruity or flowery scented lipsticks which I tend to find overpowering, particularly if the fragrance has quite an artificial base.

The packaging is a simple but elegant brushed metal tube in a plum box. It isn't flashy, but it feels and looks high quality, and the tube closes with a satisfying click.

Nobody's Baby is the nude shade in the range. In the tube it's a peachy nude shade but on my lips it pulls slightly more pinkish (my lips have a mauve tint naturally). I wasn't sure that I'd like this shade as I generally don't get on with nude shades, but the texture and the shade actually work very well even against my pale olive skin, making it one of the very few nude lip shades I feel comfortable in.

Swatch:

On my lips:

Arabian Knights is not as dark as I expected it to be from the picture on the iliabeauty.com website. It is a reddish berry shade that gives a bitten lip look with a light application but can be built up to a brighter berry stain (on my pale lips, I can't get a very dark look though, although I am sure a more naturally pigmented lip could). Purple/berry lips are once again predicted to be popular for autumn/winter, and this is a flattering version of that gothic lip, particularly for more mature ladies (a dense dark lip can be quite ageing if you aren't very careful).

Swatch:

One coat applied:

Built up:

Ingredients list:

Finally, here's a full face picture wearing Nobody's Baby. I'm wearing my typical Rouge Bunny Rouge natural face (Solstice Halcyon eyeshadow, Lola kohl and Delicata blush) so it's not the easiest way to wear a nude lipstick (I always think nude lips work best with a heavier eye). Nevertheless, I think this actually looks flattering.

Yes, that is a grey streak I've deliberately put in my hair. It was meant to be lilac, but I couldn't get hold of a lilac toner/semi, so I used a colour correcting conditioner for darker hair and it turned out kind of blue. I still quite like it (although I will be looking for a proper lilac colorant). 

I took the Ilia Pure Lip Conditioners on holiday and rarely wore anything else for the two weeks. I would buy more of these, and I plan to purchase Blossom, a rosy shade. 

In the UK, Ilia Pure Lip Conditioners are available from beingcontent.com. More information on the line and the ethos behind it can be found at iliabeauty.com. 

Edited to add: actual product pictures and swatches of these products are hard to find at the moment, so here's a link to a review (in german, but with swatches) of Shell Shock, the coral shade, on beautyjagd.wordpress.com here: http://beautyjagd.wordpress.com/2011/08/07/ilia-beauty-pure-lipcare-in-shell-shock/ 

Disclosure: products were sent without charge for review. 

Beauty Spotlight Mystery Make Up Bag

Hello, I'm back from holiday! Did you miss me? I missed you. I have some posts written in draft on the iPad that just need photos, and ideas for a couple of videos too. In the meantime, let's have a nosy in another Beauty Spotlight Team Member's makeup bag...

This week at The Beauty Spotlight Team, we're taking a look inside Shannon's makeup bag. Although the bag isn't that big, even Shannon was astounded at how much she had packed into it! She was going to edit it down a bit, but that's cheating, right? Let's see what she has hiding in there...(click on the bag)

Guest post: beauty in a rush with Best Things in Beauty

Today, the always polished Charlestongirl from www.bestthingsinbeauty.blogspot.com shares her tips for getting out of the house in five minutes flat.

The word "rush" may may bring to mind a faster pace than usual - perhaps a few minutes faster than the hour a gal might spend on her beauty routine in the morning. I don't think of that as a rush. I'm thinking of a full-fledged emergency, when you need to look good with only five - maybe 10 minutes max - to "get pretty" before leaving the house.

It happens to all of us: moms who spend most of their time getting the kids out the door and on the way to school, night owls who overslept, gals who suddenly remembered an appointment. Here's what I'd recommend when you find yourself in a pinch for time.

Let's assume your hair is clean. Perhaps its style went kaput overnight, but it's clean. There's nothing like a ponytail (oh so stylish right now) to save time. Even if your hair isn't quite long enough, warm up a curling iron while you're doing something else and give a curl to the tendrils that won't stay put in your band. You'll look like you planned it!

Clean your face! If you bathed the night before and feel clean, you might skip a morning shower, but don't leave home without preparing your face. If you don't have time to wash your face, use one of the cleansing waters and a cotton pad. I like La Prairie's Cellular Cleansing Water for eyes and face, but there are choices galore. You might even want to use a wipe designed for the face like Josie Maran's Bear Naked Wipes.

Treat your face! Your skin has to look good. On a normal day, I use an eye cream, treatment serum, and moisturizer. I might even use a spot-treatment too. If I'm in a hurry, I'll skip the serum. Forget about spot-treatments; you've got to move. If you can use a double-duty tinted moisturizer - one that evens out your skin tone and hydrates your skin in one fell swoop, go for it. It saves a step.

I think concealer is a must for most women. Use it quickly and blend it well. Try Temptu's Under Eye Concealer, a treatment concealer you can smear on directly from the tube. Le Métier de Beauté's Large Concealer Brush is a perfect blending tool for beauty in a hurry. If you do a great job applying your concealer, use the perfect shade, and blend it well, you might be able to skip foundation entirely.

Let's consider eye shadow. Use a concealer designed to be used on your eyelids, and you'll brighten your eyes. Skip the eye shadow. Heresy you say? Try it. You'll need mascara, though, unless you plan to wear sunglasses all day. If you select a good non-clumping mascara, such as Maybelline's DEFINE-A-LASH, you can apply your mascara in two minutes or less - probably the longest step in my rush routine.

You won't have time for bronzer or contouring. Just add some color to your face with a blusher. I can apply a powder blush with a fluffy blush brush in four seconds. Smile at yourself, swirl it onto the apples of your cheeks, and move on to lipstick, the finishing touch. Choose a look you like (matte, shiny) and make sure to use a lip product that does it all. I love the new Dior Addict. It adds color and shine in seconds. No gloss needed.

There you have it - a polished look in ten minutes or less. No one will know you went tearing out of the house without a moment to spare.