Month: May 2015

Those Three Little Words: Gift With Purchase (Thanks, Elizabeth Arden!)

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Even now, after all these years of beauty journalism/blogging, I never tire of hearing that magical, magical phrase. This one is particularly good.

EA giveawayThe bag! So pretttttty! The content! So impressive! These sample sizes would surely last me an entire Christmas visit back to the States, and would mitigate the usual overloading-of-the-make-up/skincare-bag.

There’s a Beautiful Color Lipstick, the anti-aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser {which is the bomb}, Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum which are also the bomb, two more serums, a moisture cream and a lifting cream.

So, heavy on the serum, which suits me down to the ground — can never get enough serum. I love that the lippy is there, but may have liked a targeted nighttime cream. Whatevs! It is pretty darned perfect, and is yours with purchase of two or more products.

The bag is the work of British designers Preen, and you’d almost be tempted to use it as a clutch, much less as a Product Conveyance Device For Travelling.

Get yours while you can, exclusively at Debenhams, from 21 May to 13 June — while supplies last, naturally.

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Hello, Shiny! You Are Lover-ly: Lancôme Paris Shine Lover

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SHINE LOVER
This is the sort of shine you’d expect from a gloss, but Lancôme Paris have managed to produce this with a lipstick. As boundaries shift and experimentation starts to pay off, the days of heavy, drying lippy may be behind us — plus, there’s no need to sacrifice pigment for comfort.

This is French Sourire, which is the precursor perhaps to the kiss of the same adjective. It’s labelled as 340, if you’re keen on it yourself. One thing that frustrates about this brand is the numbering but not naming of shades; if you are a compulsive Googler makes no odds, but if you’re trying to get posting as soon as poss, it’s one step that feels unnecessary.

Nevertheless, this is a winner: it feels light and moisturising, it looks strong and shiny, and the hues cover the usual range from nude to mulberry-ish. This lasted longer than your average gloss, as well. Lots to love!

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€26/£21/$25

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Could This Be More Portable? Pure Potions Arnica Rescue Salve

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As regular readers know, I ride horses, and I often review beauty products in the context of that pursuit. SPFs get a good workout during a lesson in high summer; anything that claims to be waterproof, from mascara to foundation, will find its claims challenged in the saddle.

Then, there’s those random little nicks and bruises that appear as if out of nowhere. Like this one.
TINY SCRATCH

Yeah, no idea. Could have been anything. Maybe I scraped up against a buckle, or the door to the loose box. Who knows! All I know is, I didn’t have this handy little tin — ha, ha — to hand.
PURE POTIONS

Part of their First Aid range, pure potions arnica rescue salve is accompanied by tea tree, lavender and calendula & comfrey salves, and all are about the size of a lip balm tin. It couldn’t be easier to pop one of these in a pocket, especially if you’re me and have become so inured to bodily injury that you don’t even notice straightaway that you require some sort of intervention. Any one of these are a good thing to have hanging around.

As a quartet, they’ve got you covered for minor burns, stings, cold sores, insect bites — admittedly small ones, as while their small size enhances their portability, you’re not going to cover a whole body’s worth of excessive sunburn with your tin of lavender.

They are also organic, with no added nasties.

How I wished I’d had this on me the moment I noticed that scratch. Once home, I lashed on the arnica and in a day and half, the scratch was healed.

I’ve learned my lesson! Into the rucksack it goes…

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Set of four rescue salves are £16.99. Check in your local Holland & Barrett for any and all, or see http://www.purepotions.co.uk

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SHINY! essence Gel Nail Polish

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While I generally dislike when a name brand insistS upon being lower case (I’m looking at you, too, bliss), it doesn’t translate into dislike for the brand itself. essence have launched a new line of Gel Nail Polish that promises to be super shiny without all messing around with LED and UV lamps.
ESSENCE GELs
These! From left: love is in the air, prince charming, and ever young. Also, all in lower case. Grrr. There’s a base coat and top coat which are option, but I would certainly opt for them, as I expect they make your manicure last that much longer.

I haven’t tried these yet because as ever, my nails are in rag order. They basically suck, in fairness. HOWEVER: I have found a New York style nail shop around the corner from me, so may bring in that gorgeous lemon yellow one and have it professionally applied to my toes.

There are 46 colours to choose from, and at only €1.79… well, need I say more? Base and top coats will run you €3.09. Amazers!

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Available at Penneys and pharmacies nationwide.

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Beautyfull News: Elvive, Nuxe, Skinician, He-Shi and Image Skincare

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Beatuyfull new things that are worth knowing about…

BEAUTYFULL NEWS 28 04

L’ORÉAL PARIS ELVIVE Nutri-Gloss Luminiser Miracle Shine Booster, €14.99
Elvive is one of my fave budget brands, and this is a pre-blow dry treatment that sprays in and stays in, and imparts high shine. There is a suite of products that go with this {shampoo and conditioner, 250mls, €5.84}, and depending upon the texture of your hair, you can spritz a bit of it on your dry hair, too. I’m finding the latter to be working well, in my case, by YMMV. It smells gorge. Available at your local pharmacy.

NUXE PARIS Prodigieux Huile de Douche, €12
Speaking of gorge-smelling things: huile de douche, lads! Between this, the body oil which I could not love more if it was my own child, and the perfume, this amazing frgrance now is fully inducted into the layering corps. Drumming my finger on my desk waiting for the shampoo and conditioner…! Available at Arnotts and selected pharmacies.

SKINICIAN Pro-Radiance Enzyme Peel, €31.50
I’ve been acquainted with the Skinician line for a while, and haven’t really become BFFs with it. There was a serum that I tried that I liked well enough, and there’s a cleanser that I like too, that foams up on contact and does a good job. I have high hopes for anything that has ‘radiance’ in the name, so am looking forward to giving it a go. Available in Harvey Nichols and select salons.

HE-SHI Overnight Ageless Tanning Balm, €28
As a fan of the brand, both the self-tanning products and the salon spray tan, I have a lot of time for this. Applied beforebed, this gradually tans your face whilst also giving it a lovely anti-ageing balm. There is hyaluronic acid in it! TheÈ whole blend is eco-friendly, too, created using sustainable methods and full of plant-based ingredients. I’m feeling a bit ambiv about tanning on my face this year — I’m feeling like a flat tan is too ageing — but this might convince me otherwise. Available in selected salons, Harvey Nichols, and McCauley Pharmacies.

IMAGE SKINCARE Intense Brightening Eye Crème, €63.50
The American brand has been residing on our shores from years, but I’ve only had tiny little samples of their work to try in the past. Not terribly helpful when one is getting to grips with a product! Happily, founders Janna and Dr Marc Ronert were in town recently, and generously produced full-sized samples for us journos and bloggers. I’ve been using this eye cream and adore it even after less than a fortnight. I’m using it mainly before bed, and am becoming rather more delighted every morning…