Month: April 2012

The Day Cream v Night Cream Debate Continues

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Or is it, in fact, concluded? The lads at Human+Kind have developed an All-in-one Day+Night Cream, a super-hydrating, double-dipping, wear-it-all-day-and-night-long concoction that makes having a million and one products in your bathroom superfluous.

{I like having a million and one products in my bathroom.}

Back in February, I had gone on record, wondering if it was actually necessary to use both a day cream and a night cream. Two days later, I posted a response to my own query, thanks to a talk given by Sally Penford of the International Dermal Institute. Okay, thought I, I will carry on observing the day v night divide…

And then this landed on my desk. Now, I have been using, to excellent effect, this brand’s Anti-Ageing Cream, at night, and I’ve been pretty darn pleased. I’m willing to give this a go, though, and will let you know how my skin reacts to it. At €23.95, this is great value, but we’ll see how quickly I use it up, given that it’s going to be in service twice a day.

And on a graphic design-y note: the packaging! Gorgeous!

Also! Sneak preview of how at least one varnished nail survived horseriding!

Ooh, Let’s Try This, Too: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

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In Greige Gardens! This neutral purple-y grey is just lovely, and we’ll put it to the ‘horseriding glove test’, too.

<< In more evidence that I have A} freaky, awful nails and B} no dignity whatsoever, here’s a really creepy picture of me  trying to show you what this gorgeous colour looks like in the wild.

Well, that is hilariously awful, so here’s the actual bottle itself, so you can see how it is actually pretty.

What is going on with my palm? It’s looks so stretchy and gross! Half the pictures I take of my face don’t make it on here, which has nothing to do with dignity and everything to do with vanity. I don’t what is up with the iPhone camera lens, but it makes my nose look like I sup a bottle of whiskey every night, and then get into a fight: red and squashed.

I also received a bottle of Nude Now, which sounds like an order, and sorry but I’ve got stuff to do that requires clothing. I kid.

Anyway, we’ll see how I get on after this evening’s equine adventures. Fingers crossed for a good result, ha ha.

Both of these go for €8.95, and can be got at selected pharmacies, and department and grocery stores nationwide.

Let’s Try This: Catrice Cosmetics Ultimate Nail Lacquer

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I think we all know by now that I am not the best when it comes to nail care. I’ve been gazing longingly at the Catrice Cosmetics Nail Lacquer (pictured, from left: Sing: Oh Champs-Élysées and Karl Says Tres Chic) I received about a week ago, knowing that the beauty and promise that shines through the bottles will be all but wasted on my manky nails.

But did I do anything about said claws? Did I stroke my cuticles with oil? Did I dig out one of those nail buffers thingies and attend to the ridges? Did I even bother going a few rounds with a hand cream?

No, I did not. So, you know, unless I find a patron saint of manicures to whom I can pray, I really need to start participating in the rehabilitation of my fingernails.

I think I really do not have anything to work with, to be honest. I see other people’s blogs and am stricken with manicure-envy: everybody has beautiful nails except for meeeeeeeee —

Anyway, these little beauties are only two in a long line of striking colours, and at €2.49, you can treat yourself to many of them; see here for the extensive pallette.

See there for my left thumbnail, my fave nail varnish model. I received a Quick Dry & High Shine top coat as well, which helps with the ridgy-ness. I normally wouldn’t be a fan of the pale end of the spectrum, and frankly, if I’m going to take such lackadaisical care of my nails, I should become one: the lighter colours wear better in the long run, and look less bad when they start chipping, which for me is in, like, one minute.

Tonight is horseriding, and we’ll see how we go. It’s a stringent test, I know — the gloves are hell on the polish — but I am a tough, if lazy, customer. When I find the nail varnish that works for manky nails and my equine activities, you will be sure to hear about it. Might the Ultimate Nudes be the one? We shall see…

Haiku Review: L’Oréal Nude Magique BB Cream

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Gray, yet shiny cream
With an odd gritty texture?
Strange but true magique.

NO, SERIOUSLY. This BB cream stuff, how is this not merely tinted moisturiser*? I could google that, and I will, but for now, I would just like to say that this latest product from L’Oréal is actually magique.

Nude Magique BB Cream (€14/£9.99) doesn’t much look like it, though.

Yeesh. I don’t know, I thought it might look at least a little bit like a skin colour — a skin colour that was alive. The pearlescence gave me hope, though: it looked pretty, and I figured, well, some highlight-y primers have that kind of sheen. If worse came to worse, I could just put some foundation over top of it.

And it felt weird too, a little bit sandy, or something? The slightest bit of grit, not like a facial exfoliant, but there was definitely some sort of textural thing going on that I didn’t expect. These would be the Smart Pigment Capsules, which are the things that make the magic that occurs upon…

Application! I watched with wonder as the shiny, pearly cream turned into my skin tone, only better. I took some pictures, which I don’t know, are these at all helpful? I didn’t mess around in pshop {maybe I should have; brush your hair, Conley!}, so you can see how strangely unlike my skin the cream is, and then how well it blends to become a light and bright version of the colour of my face.

Eh, I don’t think this is as convincing as it should be, because this is a pretty incredible product. Please visit Lovely Girlie Bits for clearly superior photographic evidence of the efficacy of this jawn. This is perfect for those days when you absolutely cannot be bothered to do your full routine, but don’t want to go out there, well, nude.

I have gotten into the habit – a habit of a whole entire week — of lashing this on before horseriding, because of the SPF. It is great, because I get protection and perfection without looking like I some eejit putting on make up to go horseriding. I put some on yesterday, in fact, when I went showjumping and won my first rosette!

Was the Nude Magique my lucky charm?!?! Hmm, won’t go that far {and believe me, I could} but I will say that this will take up a permanent place in my notoriously fickle make up bag.

* Because, depending upon the brand, you get anti-aging, high SPF, even skin tone, moisturizing, sebum control from the BB, which you don’t get from the tinted moisturiser. So it’s like a treatment thing and a make up thing in one. Right, got it.

Origins Global ReLeaf: A Correction

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So that wee 50ml tube is actually not for sale, it was a promotional thing. But don’t let that stop you availing of this great thing, which again: a tree is planted in your name by Origins whenever you buy something from their A Perfect World franchise.

And remember, either a full-sized tub of A Perfect World Age-defense moisturiser with White Tea (worth €45.00/£32.00) or Starting Over Age-erasing Moisturiser with Mimosa (€50.00/£36.00) can be yours when you bring in an empty thingie of any other skin cream, from your local Origins counter, from 15-28 April! That is a genius treat!