Ambre Mango & Carrot Seed Extra Concentrated Hand Cream

Look at that label. 100% raw plant source. Not a vague 'natural' claim. There is no daisy waving* going on here.

Ambre Botanicals is a new independent skin care brand that is made in London from 100% raw plant oils and extracts, with no alcohol or water added to the products. Raw skincare is something I'm increasingly keen on; the only two raw brands I was previously aware of are Dr Alkaitis and RMS Beauty. I've recently started using Live Native, another raw brand with very good results, and now I'm also very impressed by this product from Ambre.

Ambre Hand Cream is a thick, yellow orange balm texture. It smells beautiful - herbal yet clean and soothing.

As there is no water, you need a very small amount - a 5p piece sized dab will do both hands. The bit dabbed on the back of my hand is enough for that whole hand.

Using the correct amount doesn't leave any residue, but rejuvenates the skin and leaves it feeling and looking soft and even. This is the same hand a minute after rubbing the cream in. The effects last well too - I apply once in the evening and my hands feel soft and comfortable for the whole of the next day.

I bash my hands around a lot - I nearly always have some kind of cut, burn or bruise on them. It might be coincidence, but an old burn scar has faded quite significantly in the few days I've been using this, and I noticed that a cut just above the top joint of a finger healed much quicker than I'd expect it to normally.

This is a very, very good hand cream. Of course, the real test comes in the colder weather, but I've already been impressed enough with this product (which was a PR sample) to place an order for another two body products (a soap and the body cream). Ambre also make facial skin care products which look very good from the ingredients lists.

Ingredients of Mango & Carrot Seed Hand Cream:

Ambre products are available at www.beingcontent.com, and directly from the Ambre website www.ambrebotanicals.com. The Hand Cream costs £17 for 60ml (which will last for months used daily).

PR sample

*for an explanation of 'daisy waving', please see the comments on this post. I love Modesty Brown.

Live Native Essential Collection skin care review

Live Native is a skin care range made by hand by a very small team living on the Isle of Skye. It's a raw range, which means none of the ingredients or formulas are heated above 115 F (about 46 C in old money). In addition, many of the ingredients are organic, wild harvested or Fairtrade (or a combination of these). The principle behind raw skin care, much like a raw diet, is that the nutrients and enzymes of the ingredients are not lost in the heating/cooking process.

After reading an interview with Vicky Ewbank, the lady behind the brand, on Danny's Holistic Green Beauty blog,  I bought a collection containing all three of the core skin care products in the range; the Essential Earth Exfoliating Cleanser, the Essential Mist MSM Toner and the Essential Woman Frangipani Fresh Moisturiser.

The Essential Earth Exfoliating Cleanser looks like mud mixed with oil, and has a somewhat earthy smell (which I like, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea). It is an absolutely brilliant gentle exfoliant and cleanser if you can get past the slightly weird appearance, and has converted me to being a morning face washer (I used to just splash with water in the mornings). You mix a dab (I use about a 5p piece size) with the same amount of water in the palm of your hand to make a smooth paste and apply using a pressing motion to a damp face. If you've used the cleansing creams from Dr Hauschka or Jurlique, you'll be familiar with the concept and the technique. I prefer the Live Native as it does not contain alcohol (none of the products in the range do) and the oil/earth/oats combination just works well for my skin. It's a bit odd looking, but I love it (which makes it the Iggy Pop of cleansers.)

A quick word of warning - when this first arrived and was full, some oil did tend to lie on top of the paste. It's not a product to chuck in an overnight bag when it is full - decant a little into a completely tight container, or seal the lid with some kind of tape when travelling.

Ingredients for Essential Earth Exfoliating Cleanser: ( 90% organic )

 Oat (Avena Sativa) Kernel Meal*, Rhassoul Clay (Montmorillonite)*/***, Chamomile Macerate in Sunflower oil*, Argan (Argania Spinosa) Kernal Oil*/***, Coconut (Cocos Nucifera) Oil*, MSM (Dimethyl Sulfone) from Pine Trees, Chamomile (Chamomilla Recutita Matricaria) Flower*, Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) Root Powder*, Kelp (Ascophyllum Nodosum)**, Marigold (Calendula Officinalis) Flower Oil*, Vitamin E (natural d-alpha tocopherol), Glyceryl Caprilate, Grapefruit (Citrus Grandis) Seed Extract in vegetable glycerin, Acerola cherry (Malpighia Glabra) Fruit Extract*.

 * organic | ** wild harvested | *** Fairtrade

The Essential Mist MSM Toner is a toner with MSM from pine trees (anti-inflammatory) and acerola cherry extract (very high in vitamin C). The dispenser gives a very fine mist, and the smell is beautiful - a gentle, exotic, but calming floral blend. This is more than just a toner; it calms and soothes the skin and acts as very light pre-moisturising serum.

Ingredients for Essential Mist MSM Toner: ( 93% organic )

 Rosa damascena (rose) floral water*, Dimethyl sulfone (MSM from pine trees), Malpighia glabra (acerola cherry) fruit extract*, Rosa damascena (rose otto) essential oil*, Santalum austrocaledonicum veill (sandalwood) essential oil*, Plumeria rubra (frangipani) absolute, (*denotes organic) contains the following components of essential oils: citral, citronellol, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol and linalool.

 * organic

The Essential Woman Frangipani Fresh Moisturiser smells so good you'd think you could eat it (you probably could, but it's too good not to put it on your face). It's a solid but easily meltable balm-cream texture, and it does become more liquid when the temperature rises over 24 C (as you can see from my picture below, taken on Sunday). This doesn't affect the performance of the moisturiser and if anything makes it easier to pick up and apply a small amount (I find I need a little more in colder weather and slightly less in warmer weather). This moisturiser feels beautiful on the skin. It doesn't feel at all heavy or greasy (if you can see or feel any oil a couple of minutes after applying you've probably used too much) and leaves my skin feeling plump and peachy soft.

Ingredients for Essential Woman Frangipani Fresh Moisturiser: (96% organic )

Virgin Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil*, Aloe barbadensis miller (cold pressed aloe vera)*, Butyrospermum parkii (raw shea butter)**, Rosa damascena (rose) floral water*, d-alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E with mixed tocopherols in GMO free soy oil), Rosa damascena (rose otto) essential oil*, Santalum austrocaledonicum veill (sandalwood) essential oil*, Glyceryl caprilate (from palm and coconut oil), Plumeria rubra (frangipani) absolute, Sodium levulinate, Sodium anisate, Cupressus sempervirens (cypress) essential oil*, Citrus sinensis (orange) essential oil*, Aqua, Glycerin, Ascorbic acid, Xanthan gum. Contains the following components of essential oils: citral, citronellol, eugenol, farnesol, geraniol, limonene and linalool.

* organic | ** wild harvested

I bought and started using these products at the end of April, and I am extremely happy with how my skin feels and looks on this routine. I'm using the Oskia Perfect Cleanser in the evening as my night time cleanser and La Bella Figura Decouverte Serum as my eye product, but other than this I've been using Live Native products pretty much exclusively (apart from a couple of tests of the Nourish Skin Care I wrote about last week) for the month.

Live Native products are available from the website, www.livenative.com. As well as the full size set of the three products for £99, you can buy a smaller starter kit of the three for £50 to see how you get on with the range before investing in full sizes (the cleanser and moisturiser are about half the size of those in my set, and the toner is 1/5 of the full size). All products are also available individually (and it's £10 cheaper to get the three full sizes individually, although the set does come in a very nice and sturdy box).

Mu London Organic Hemp Moisturiser

Mu London Organic Hemp Moisturiser is a favourite of everyone in the London family for the same reason - it's excellent on patches of eczema or dry, irritated skin for all three of us. Miss London gets a patch of eczema behind her right ear (I think she sleeps with it rubbing against the pillow) and Mr London has a patch on his knee. I don't usually suffer, but a period of working twelve plus hour days on a stressful project recently resulted in some dry and itchy patches on my left shin. Having catalogued the various London scabby bits, I can report that Mu London Hemp has sorted them all out - it calms down the itch almost immediately and then gets to work repairing the dryness and redness. Skin is noticeably less rough after a single application, and twice daily application sorts out persistent patches within a week or two even in very cold weather (which seems to make it worse for all three of us) in our experience.

The smell is a subtle woody/green scent which is acceptable and pleasant to all three of us (this would be a good choice if you are looking for a Mu London moisturiser for a man to use). It is a thick, solid balm texture like the rest of the Mu London moisturisers; you just scoop a small amount out and melt between your fingers then apply to damp, clean skin. If you use a small amount it doesn't leave any film on the skin - it's best to use a little and apply more if you need it.

Mu London Hemp Moisturiser is £15 for 60ml or £9 for 30ml, and available from www.mulondon.com.

Ingredients:
Vitellaria Paradoxa (Shea Butter)*, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp Seed Oil)*, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Oil)*, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary Extract)*, Cannabis Sativa (Hemp Essential Oil), Picea Mariana (Black Spruce Essential Oil), Vetiveria Zizanoides (Vetivert Essential Oil)*, Cedrus Atlantica (Cedar Wood Essential Oil)*

* denotes certified organic ingredients

An experiment in not wearing sunscreen every day

I know, I know. I haven't been body snatched, honestly.

I've been reading quite a bit about vitamin D deficiencies caused by lack of exposure to the sun caused by constant use of sunscreen and about increasing your own inherent resistance to sun damage by the use of antioxidants (particularly carotenoids) taken as supplements.

I've decided to experiment by simplifying my own skin care routine. I've been taking Well Well Well Inc Krill Oil supplements since the middle of April (I bought my own jar after using up the sample I was sent.)

For skincare, I've been using a simple plant-based skin care routine from Live Native, a raw skin food company based on the Isle of Skye - I'll be reviewing it soon, but in a nutshell, I love it. It takes a bit of getting used to as the textures aren't the same as mass market skincare, but it's been worth the (small) effort for me.

I have also stopped using all glycolics/retinoids etc. I'm just using a very simple cleanse, tone, moisturise routine from Live Native. I don't have particularly photosensitive skin inherently - I'm my mum's fair depth of skin, but with my dad's olive tone. If you have very fair/pink skin, I'd strongly recommend sunscreen whenever the sun shines.

Things I won't be doing:

• Changing my attitude to general sun avoidance. I don't sit out in the sun and I don't intend to start doing so.
• Being stupid - on days and in situations where I put a sunscreen on my child (and/or my husband) I will still apply a sunscreen myself. I've pulled out the Super by Perricone Daylight Savings the last few days. 

My facial skin has darkened very slightly, but now it matches the skin on my tummy (which never sees the light of day) and the rest of my unexposed body. I'm still a fair olive, but a less porcelain tone. I'm about 6 weeks in to this routine, and for 5 of those weeks it did rain almost non-stop. My skin hasn't been any drier or spottier with the simplified routine, but if anything seems more balanced.

It'll be interesting to see if my face falls into disrepair after a few months - so far, it doesn't seem to have done so ;)

Beauty Spotlight round up 26 May

Here's this week's Beauty Spotlight Team round up, with lots of reviews and articles to keep you busy if you're taking a break from the sun! Hasn't it been lovely to see some sunshine finally in the UK?

Revlon's new Summer 2012 Escapism Collection catches Pammy Blogs Beauty's eye this week. Check out what she got from the collection in her recent Revlon Drugstore Haul.

Forget matching your shoes with your purse, as Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed has discovered it's now all about matching your lips with your cheeks thanks to Benefit's Ultra Plush Gloss! Check out her swatches and see if they have you feeling all matchy-matchy!

Modesty Brown gets a pleasant surprise swatching Rouge Bunny Rouge Umber Firefinch eyeshadow. If you were put off by the description, this is definitely worth a second look.

The Pink Sith imagines herself in an infomercial when she reviews the Natura Bisse NB Ceuticals Eye Recovery Balm.

A product that promises to provide a moisturiser, foundation, sunscreen, concealer and anti-aging cream all-in-one, Visionary Beauty reviews the Omorovicza Complexion Perfector BB SPF 20 to see if it delivers.

Who doesn't need an outstanding concealer? The ladies of Beauty Info Zone certainly do so they appreciate Tarte's Maracuja Creaseless Waterproof Concealer and think you will too.

Perilously Pale brings us the beautiful limited edition collection of four new Eyes to Kill Intense eye shadows from the Armani Beauty Summer Collection. Prime Beauty takes to the beach and discovers Hourglass Cosmetics Visionaire Eye Shadow Duo in Dune.

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic learns how to add volume to her braid without teasing her hair!

London MakeUp Girl reviews La Bella Figura Decouverte Eye serum, an all natural oil-based serum that works on fine lines, dark circles and puffiness.

Did you miss the original KardashianKolors collection from Nicole by OPI the first time around? Jessika from polish insomniac shows us how to score the best colors in the new Pretty Petites collections!

At Everyday Beauty, Zuzu*s Petals marveled on the wonders of red lipstick.

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty is excited to announce that she is an Ambassador for RoC Skincare. Find out who else was chose for this year, too.

Loving this MakeUp Artist Blog - Wendy Rowe

Wendy Rowe is an extremely talented makeup artist who I first heard of through Twitter. She's Artistic Consultant for Burberry Beauty, and also very friendly and down to earth.

Anyway, I'm absolutely loving her blog, and particularly the 'Recreate The Look' articles which give a helpful breakdown of exactly what products she's used to do a particular look, even though they are stirring up some potentially expensive Burberry lemmings for me again (although she doesn't just feature Burberry products).

Her website is at www.wendyrowe.com.

RMS Beauty Karma, Myth and Rapture face

I'm completely enamoured of RMS Beauty Karma eyeshadow. The soft black-brown cream eyeshadow is an excellent base, and makes the reddish copper Myth eyeshadow easier to wear. In these pictures, I've applied a base of Karma and a little Karma with an eyeliner brush in the middle of my lower lashes, then smudged Myth on my mobile lid over it.

I also used Rapture Lip2Cheek high on my cheekbones (almost where I'd usually put a highlighter) using the warm blood red Rapture to pick up the reddish tones of the eye.

I also dabbed a little Rapture on my lips, then topped with balm to give a glossy finish. The eyes look less dramatic in photos than they do in real life, although it's still wearable for daytime.

Nourish Skincare - Balance

I was recently sent a set of skin care from the Nourish Skin Care company, a relatively new natural* skin care company. Nourish skin care is available from the website www.nourishskinrange.com. The products have been developed by a team that includes Dr Pauline Hill, whose previous experience includes 20 years as Technical Director at Neal's Yard Remedies.

*Nourish uses the term 'natural' in the commonly employed skin care shorthand for 'from plant origin'.  The ingredients lists are simple but in my opinion very good; the bases of the products are plant oils and aloe, the Balance range (which I was sent) contains vitamins C, E, B3, B5 and B6. None of the products contain mineral oil, artificial colourants, sulfates, parabens or silicones. The Balance range does currently contain an artificial fragrance; there is no apple essential oil.

This isn't going to be a full review because these products are designed for a more combination/normal skin and haven't been quite moisturising enough for my normal to dry skin in the recent cold weather. I have used them all a handful of times to try them out and make sure that they didn't completely disagree with my skin before writing about the brand (they didn't).

The cleanser is a gel formulation which applies like a face wash to damp skin, but does not foam on my skin. It rinses cleanly and does not leave my face feeling tight like many face washes do.
Ingredients:

The toner comes in a spray bottle that dispenses a reasonably fine and even mist - a couple of squirts dampens the whole face, but doesn't feel like shooting a soda spritzer at yourself.
Ingredients:

The serum is an excellent product for combination skin, or any skin suffering from spots. It adds a boost of moisture and vitamins without oiliness or heaviness, and the niacinamide it contains is a great anti-inflammatory ingredient.

Ingredients:

The moisturiser is best suited to a combination/oily skin, and the gel cream formulation did not provide enough moisture for me (I'd probably be better off with the moisturiser for dry skin). It sinks in quickly though, and doesn't leave the silicone film that many oil-free moisturisers do. It does contain some oil, but that's not a bad thing for oilier skin - a good light oil can help an overactive skin to regulate itself, particularly when combined with the niacinamide that's also in this product.
Ingredients:

As I wrote at the start of this post, I have tried all of the products only a handful of times. If anyone with a more combination skin would like to try my samples and review them fully for me, please drop me an email (UK only, sorry, as they are quite heavy to post!) (Volunteer found already, thank you!)

The products are priced between £9 for the toner to £16 for the serums, which is an excellent price for these sorts of formulations, and a more accessible way to try a cleaner (by that I mean a no mineral oil etc) skin care range, which is why I particularly wanted to feature this brand on my blog. I know a lot of the skin care I review is expensive, but I do believe that avoiding mineral oil etc has really helped my skin. There are also gift packs containing all four products from a range for £40.

The three other ranges are

Protect - for dry skin
Relax - for sensitive/stressed skin
Radiance - for mature skin

Disclosure: PR samples

Hair care repurchases: Rahua and 3 More Inches

These are all repurchases, and as I find it interesting to know what products others buy again I'm hoping others like to know this too. When something works well for me I tend to be quite loyal to it; a disadvantage to a beauty blogger sometimes as it limits the number of new things I have to write about.

Rahua shampoo and conditioner is expensive, but excellent. I use the original formula (there is now one to give added volume for fine hair, too) and it works well on my medium textured, wavy hair to gently clean and moisturise without making my scalp itchy, gives my hair great shine and controls its tendency to puffiness. I have a post with more of a description and the ingredients lists here: Rahua Hair Care. They also smell lovely - a spicy woody scent from the Palo Santo oil.

I wasn't hugely impressed by 3 More Inches when I first bought it and reviewed it; my final review of it is here: 3 More Inches final review. I'm still not impressed by the shampoo and conditioner and wouldn't repurchase those but I do like the Pre-Wash Treatment, enough to repurchase after I finished my first one. I use this primarily to re-do the lilac streak in my hair (I dilute Fudge Paintbox Purple Haze in the 3 More Inches to give a lighter lilac colour) - it works better than any other conditioner I've used for this because of the light texture and the fact it adds more protein (keratin) than oil to the hair (protein is one of the things that bleaching strips out). It seems to help the colour grab more evenly and last better than a richer conditioner texture does.

Beauty Spotlight Mystery week - Marcia's turn

It's time for Marcia from Beauty Info Zone to share what's in her..? She's chosen her can or maybe we should say CANS! How could she possibly need one dozen cans? What is she keeping in them?

Click on the picture to check out Marcia's cans. (I'm sorry, US ladies. I had avoided smutty puns up until this point, but it was impossible to resist.)

La Bella Figura Decouverte Eye Repair Serum review

I was sent a sample size of the La Bella Figura Decouverte Eye Repair Serum by Mise Beauty. I will admit being sceptical about just using an oil serum for my eye area (I'm in my late thirties and the skin there is dry) but it has some good ingredients so I gave it a go. For the last month, I've just been using this and no other eye cream in order to review it fairly.

This is a light oil serum that sinks in quickly and leaves my under eye skin feeling supple and well hydrated. There is no water or other fillers in the formula, so it doesn't cause puffiness or clog the delicate eye area skin. I apply a drop the size of a grain of rice on my ring finger pad, pick half of it up with the ring finger pad of the other eye and then tap on to the under eye area, starting at the outer corner orbital bone and working in to the corner of my nose or eye. I don't take it right up to my lash line, and I wouldn't recommend applying to the eyelid unless you were particularly dry skinned there (and then only at night and not too close to the lashes.) It sinks in within a minute or two applied this way, and my W3LL Narcissist concealer works well over it.

Decouverte contains argan oil and barbary fig (prickly pear) oil, as well as rosehip oil and botanical extracts of coffee and tomato. Barbary fig oil is one of the hero ingredients of the La Bella Figura range, and is naturally high in vitamin E and omega oils.

What I found interesting with this was that my under eye colouration went through the same stages as a bruise healing as I used this serum over time. My blue/purple circles went to brown/purple, and then to a more yellowish brown, which is where they are now - they still look darker on days when I'm particularly tired, but are no longer routinely and consistently bluish. I wouldn't say I feel I can go without an undereye concealer completely, but I do need less.

Now on to the downside. It's really bloody expensive at £80 for 10ml. I think my sample size is about 3ml though, and it's lasted me over three months (two months used once a day, and for the last month used twice daily). I still have about 1/3 of the sample left, so a full size should last about 6 months used twice a day. The full size Decouverte appears to come in a roller ball applicator, but I'd still apply a dab to my fingertip and use the tapping application because otherwise I suspect it'd be easy to overload the skin and waste some of the product.

If Decouverte is too expensive, I'd also recommend 100% Pure Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream, which is £9 for 7ml. The 100% Pure isn't as hydrating as the Decouverte in my experience, and the Decouverte had a more marked effect on softening fine lines in my under eye area, but if your main concern is puffiness and darkness then the 100% Pure is a good alternative.

I'm always reserved about reviewing, and particularly recommending, a very expensive product I haven't or wouldn't buy myself. To be absolutely honest I'm currently planning to purchase the new Live Native Gold Eye Cream when it's launched (unless it's even more expensive than Decouverte)! I have seen results with Decouverte that are as good if not better than anything I've seen from more traditional high end skincare lines though, and I wouldn't rule out purchasing it in future. It's an excellent choice for sensitive skins looking for a natural, high performing eye treatment.

Available from www.misebeauty.com in Europe, and www.labellafigura.myshopify.com in the US.

Ingredients of Decouverte:

100% Pure Organic Argan (Argania Spinosa) Kernel Oil, Organic Opuntia Ficus Indica (Barbary Fig) Seed Oil, Organic Rosa Rubiginosa (Rosehip) Seed Oil, Wild-crafted Lycopersicion Esculentum (Tomato) Seed Oil, Wild-crafted Coffea Arabica (Coffee Bean) Oil, Wild-crafted Rosa Damascena (Rose Otto) Flower Oil, Organic Tanacetum Annuum (Blue Tansy) Flower Oil, Organic Helichrysum Italicum Oil, Organic Cymbopogon Martinii Motia (Palmarosa) Oil, Organic Lavandulia Augustifolia (Lavender) Oil.

Disclosure: PR sample. As always, links are not affiliate links.

Aftelier Sepia Eau De Parfum review

It was fuller when I got it - didn't take a picture until after using for a while. 

Sepia is a fragrance created by Mandy Aftel as part of the Nathan Branch Letters to a Fellow Perfumer series. The inspiration for Sepia was Mandy's exploration of California's Gold County Ghost Towns. My husband shares this love for lost places - he's been fascinated by Ghost Stations on the London Tube since he was a small boy, and also loves old and derelict buildings and railway stations.

I'd characterise Sepia as a dry, woody/earthy fragrance with boozy notes. That's quite a blunt tool characterisation, although it may help to give you an idea of whether it would appeal to you. Although it has fruit, cocoa and coffee notes I wouldn't say that it is gourmand - the fruit notes (yellow mandarin, pink grapefruit and a note derived from a natural isolate that smells of strawberry) give the booziness and the cocoa and coffee are dialled back to a dusty darkness to my nose. The woods are overlaid with a layer of dust, and the effect of subtle decay is achieved by the deft blend of the tobacco, oud, ambergris and cepes.  The base notes sound like they have the capacity to be quite animalic, but on my skin (which tames animal notes) and in the Eau De Parfum the effect is a dry earthiness, rather than sweat or skin.

The overall effect to me is a half finished glass of Tokaji, left over from the night before in a library that has cobwebs in every corner. There's no money to keep on a phalanx of servants to dust everything, and the roof of the house is leaking in several spots. The smell of dry earth and overgrown vegetation from the garden creeps in through a broken window pane. Sepia is how I would imagine Satis House to smell.

In her interview at Bois de Jasmin, Mandy says that those who enjoy Sepia may also enjoy Tango and Cepes & Tuberose from her line. I'd say Sepia is more restrained than Tango to my nose, and a very good daytime alternative for those who love Tango but prefer to keep it for evening wear. I love scents that have some darkness to them and I adore Sepia, which is full-bottle worthy for me.

On longevity - I can still smell the base and the ghost of the booze when I come home from work and get out of my work clothes, although I do enjoy another spritz when I change into clothes to lounge about in. I find Aftelier fragrances last well on me, although they aren't as pervasive as non-natural fragrances (which now I often find too strong for my sensitive nose). If you are used to mainstream fragrances you may find natural fragrances more subtle than you are used to, but I found my nose quite quickly recalibrated when I switched to wearing mainly natural scents. One tip is that I apply fragrance to my torso on my sternum before dressing so that my clothes trap the scent - that way I find I get wafts of scent throughout the day.

Top: blood cedarwood, yellow mandarin, pink grapefruit.

Heart: pink lotus, strawberry, jasmine grandiflorum, cocoa, coffee.

Base: flowering tobacco, oud, indole, ambergris, cepes, labdanum.

Sepia is available directly from www.aftelier.com, which ships internationally from the US. It is not yet available on the UK Aftelier stockist, www.scent-and-sensibility.co.uk, but it's worth keeping an eye out for it there if you are wary of Customs charges when buying from outside the EU.

Disclosure: sample provided by perfumer for review.

RMS Beauty Karma, Magnetic and Moment applied

This is a combination I've been using a lot recently - I use the black/brown Karma as a base on my lids and into my crease and then dab some taupe Magnetic over the top in the middle of my mobile lid. Bloom (sorry for the typo, and thanks to Sam!) Moment Lip Shine goes on both lips and cheeks for a glossy hint of warm brown. I apply all three with fingertips.

The only other products I've used are my usual W3LL People Narcissist as a concealer, a black pencil on my upper lashes (applied before the cream eyeshadows) and Shu Uemura Hard Brow Pencil in Seal Brown.

I really like the combination of the Karma and Magnetic. Magnetic softens Karma a little, and Karma oomphs up Magnetic. It takes five minutes to do too, which is always good on busy mornings.

Beauty Spotlight Team Weekly Round Up 12 May

Here's this week's round up from the Beauty Spotlight Team. I'm resisting the new Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow palettes, but I'm not sure how long I'm going to be able to hold out at this rate...

Are you a beauty sample junkie? Enter to win a Total Beauty Collection beauty sample box at Pammy Blogs Beauty!

 Pink Sith’s tiny brain convinced her to get ANOTHER bronzer! At least it knew well enough to make it CHANEL!

Afraid of color? Prime Beauty helps ease you from black and white into Technicolor with six new pastel eye shadows shades from Make Up For Ever with tips on how to wear them!

Marcia from Beauty Info Zone is at it again trying to tempt you with her Sunday Riley eyeshadow posts. Will she sway you this time?

Looking for an effortless cool smoky eye look..look no further than the new eye shadows from Rouge Bunny Rouge, Visionary Beauty shows us the shades in Trumpeter Koel and Lilac Reef Curassow


Modesty Brown decides that depotting those neglected single eyeshadows is the way forward. Ever considered depotting your Rouge Bunny Rouge collection? Read this before putting knife to pan! 

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed is bitten by the Giorgio Armani Rouge D’Armani Sheers bug - check out her swatch and see if you think it might be contagious!

Perilously Pale finally finds out what all the buzz is about with the Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows from their Summer 2012 collection when she reviews Madra Perla. Now she can't wait for the rest of her Armani summer goodies to arrive!

At Everyday Beauty, Zuzu*s Petals felt a new wave of frustration over print ads, not because extremely young models were advertising anti-aging products but because over-40 models now look like they are under 30. What do you think about this new trend?

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic takes a closer look at deep cleansing brushes. What are the differences amongst the Clarisonic, Olay, Neutrogena and Proactiv products?

London Makeup Girl is celebrating Spring with a...grey nail polish. Well, it has been raining in London for the last month or so! Have a look at RGB Cosmetics nail polish in Dove.

Shannon at Lipstick Musings has fallen for the glimmer and gleam of YSL's new Dessin du Regard Waterproof Eyeliner in Luminescent Gold . See if you agree that this is one of the loveliest eyeliners ever!

Illamasqua Beauty School Sunday 13 May

Illamasqua are holding 15 minute classes at their Beak Street London store tomorrow which are free of charge. Illamasqua has reputation for being quite a theatrical, dramatic brand (and they are) but I found the masterclass I attended a couple of years ago incredibly helpful for contouring tips. The three classes (which are being re-run through the day) are:

Flawless skin and defined brows

Liquid liner flick, highlighting and contouring

The smoky eye and perfect pout


The timetable is here: Illamasqua Beauty School Drop In timetable. If you are in London I'd recommend this; the Illamasqua makeup artists are very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

RGB Cosmetics Dove nail polish

Dove is a very pale pure grey shade, and is unusual while still being quite neutral. Sometimes it can look more green or blue depending on the relative coolness of the lighting, but in natural light it doesn't lean to either side. This picture is with two coats applied; Dove has very good coverage for a pastel shade.

RGB cosmetics are one of my favourite nail polish formulations - they are easy to apply, last well and I love the colours in the range. They cost £11.50, and I bought mine from www.misebeauty.com, the European stockists.

Do you like pastel nails, or do they look too tippex-ish to you? I like them a lot, especially for spring and summer.

Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara review

I have used and liked Shu Uemura Basic Mascara in the past, so when I needed a new mascara recently I decided to repurchase it. Unfortunately, it's been discontinued and replaced with the Ultimate Natural Mascara. New is not necessarily improved.

When I was searching fruitlessly for the Basic Mascara, I was helped by a makeup artist in the Shu Uemura boutique who asked what I wanted in a mascara. My answer was 'Something to make my lashes darker but not clumpy.' 'Waterproof?' said he, 'No,' said I, 'I really don't like waterproof mascara.'

You know where this is going. The new Shu Uemura Ultimate Natural Mascara formulation is waterproof, as I found out when I tried to remove this the first time and lost half my lashes in the battle. The makeup artist didn't tell me it wasn't waterproof, but he didn't tell me it was either, after I'd specifically said I don't like waterproof mascaras.

Other than the waterproof thing, it's a nice mascara. It's a good sooty black, it doesn't clump and gives long, feathery lashes. The brush is narrow and neat, and very much my preferred brush size and shape.

Unfortunately, you need a heavy duty eye makeup remover to take it off and it makes my lashes feel crunchy. I persevered for a week, but it's going in the bin. It was a waste of £20 for me, but might be good for anyone looking for a waterproof mascara. Did I mention it's waterproof?

Mascara applied.

Beauty Spotlight What's In My....

My Beauty Spotlight post is late this week as I've been away all weekend, but if you haven't already seen it here's a chance to sneak a peek inside Older Girl Beauty's Mom's vanity cabinet. 

Click on the picture to go to her post and find out more about the contents...

Shiffa Dubai Sweetness body lotion and Tamanu moisturising cream review

Shiffa Dubai isn't a brand I'd heard of until I received these products, and it's relatively new to the UK market, having recently launched at Harrods Urban Retreat and Zuneta. The first product was the Pregnancy body oil, which Shiffa Dubai founder Dr Lamees Hamdan tested on herself during her own pregnancy. The Pregnancy body oil sounds lovely - it has mandarin and tangerine in it to tone and firm, and tangerine oil was one of the few smells I could tolerate during my own pregnancy (I used Aveda Tangerine Oil on my own bump).

The company website states that Shiffa means 'healing' in Arabic, and the products are formulated with nourishing and healing plant extracts and oils. I was sent the Tamanu moisturising cream for normal to dry skin and the Sweetness body lotion to try.

The packaging is simple but attractive; products come packaged in a light cardboard box sealed with a ribbon.

Both of these products are light textured but moisturise dry skin on the face and body effectively. As it's been raining almost non-stop for the last few weeks I've been willing to forgo my usual sunscreen and use the Tamanu moisturising cream as my day and night moisturiser. I've also stopped using all serums and oils in order to test the moisturiser more thoroughly. My skin feels balanced with no dry patches or congestion. I'd particularly recommend this moisturiser to anyone with normal to dry skin that doesn't like a heavy cream, or who finds that thicker creams clog their pores or cause spots. It's also a perfect texture for an after-sun cream as it doesn't sit heavily on the skin.

The Sweetness body lotion is also a light fluid texture that deals with dry body skin without leaving a film on the surface of the skin. It sinks in quickly, and again, would be a great aftersun or body lotion for anyone in a hot climate, where heavier body creams can sometimes feel too much.

I couldn't quite place the smell of the moisturiser (slightly incense-y?) until I read the ingredients and saw frankincense (boswellia carterii) oil appear just after cocoa butter. This cream is packed with botanical ingredients to nourish and soothe the skin, and it's good to see that you are getting good quality ingredients for the (high end) price. If you're wondering where the tamanu is (as I was - I had to google 'latin name for tamanu') it's the calophyllum inophyllum seed oil.

The body lotion is similarly full of good stuff. Gardenia is also quite high in the ingredients list, and gives the lotion its distinctive monoi scent naturally.

The Sweetness body lotion is £30 for 200ml, and the Tamanu moisturising cream is £65 for 50ml.

Disclosure: PR samples.

Well Well Well Inc superfood supplements

I've been interested in taking an Astaxanthin supplement since reading about its potential to help protect the skin from UV damage, as well as to support the health of the eye (particularly the macula). I'm always looking for ways to prevent sun damage, and I do a lot of computer work in my day job. I saw the Well Well Well Inc Krill Oil supplements on www.beingcontent.com and was going to buy some myself when I received a PR email from the brand offering two week trial packets of each of their three supplements.

The Krill supplement comes in small capsules and you take one or two a day. I like that they aren't huge, so they are easy to take. That red colour? It's from the krill oil itself, which is why wild salmon that eat krill turn pink. I know the colour is from the oil, because I poked a capsule with a needle just to see.

The Black Rice Bran and Acai supplements come as powder supplements that you mix with juice, smoothies, porridge or yoghurt. There are some recipes on the Well Well Well Inc website, but I usually chuck the Black Rice Bran in a yoghurt (the fibre helps you to feel full for longer) and the Acai in some juice (I like the way it turns apple juice bright purple.)

Black Rice Bran in yoghurt:

Acai in apple juice:

It's been a couple of weeks of taking all three daily, and I'll definitely purchase the Krill and Black Rice Bran (this has more anthocyanin antioxidants than the same amount of blueberries, but with less sugar and more vitamin E.)  I like the idea of the Acai, but it doesn't grab me as much as the other two, perhaps because I already regularly drink smoothies with it in.

I've been spending a lot of time staring at spreadsheets over the last couple of weeks with some very long days put in, and I haven't had sore, gritty eyes by the end of the day this week (which I would normally expect to.) I'm also looking, for want of a better phrase, quite well, and I would usually expect to look completely knackered at this time of year.

Supplements are a leap of faith when you begin taking them because you can't see an immediate difference, but I do generally like to take some kind of fish oil supplement and I will stick with this one. I love the idea of supplements that come from a single, traceable natural source.

The Krill Oil is £24 for 60 capsules, the Black Rice Bran is £22 for 125g and the Acai is £20 for 125g. Well Well Well Inc products are available from Content Wellbeing and from the website www.wellwellwellinc.com, which has more information on the products too.

Disclosure: PR sample.