Author: MANY BRAVE FOOLS

A Scent is Worth A Thousand Words: Nuxe Crème Fraîche de Beauté

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Sometimes, my approach to testing products is less than scientific. When my long-suffering postman handed over a package of the new Crème Fraîche de Beauté collection from Nuxe {he’s got to be dying to ask me what is up with all these parcels}, I opened it, had a quick look, and put it to the side. It had to join the queue, and to be honest, some of the packaging out of France is way overdone. Why all these words, French package designers?

Exhibit A. This is the inside of the box. The inside of the box! Plus there’s the usual foldy-uppy-multi-lingual palaver wrapped around the container. The outside of the box is pure carnage. And ultimately? There is nothing to tell me why this stuff smells so gorgeously fantastic. Because it does, it smells like the freshest, most invigorating line of beauty products I have ever smelled.

Back to my less-than-laboratory environment. I was sitting here the other day, stumped for a word or phrase, so I reached into the Nuxe package and came up with the Masque Crème Fraîche de Beauté. Ah, sure, thought I, let’s just lash some of this on, why not? Why not, indeed. Might be a good idea, oh, I don’t know, to cleanse and/or tone before applying a mask {or masque.} I tend to think, well, if it’s gonna work, it best be workin’ on skin that is in rag order, right? So, I liberated the tube from its tomb of text, peeled off the annoying but sanitary little foil protective thingie, slapped some on —

And was immediately transported into a sunlit meadow, its grasses freshly cut. The scent of flora is everywhere: not just flowers, but trees as well, and I swear I can smell the cool water of a bubbling brook. All I wanted to do was to lie down and breathe and breathe and breathe —

Cut to me lying on the floor of my sitting room. Nah, just kidding! But I felt inspired to forgive the brand its unnecessary packaging verbiage — well, almost. What is in this?!!? Not that I reckon I can reproduce this myself. I tried to do that once! With a base cream from Atlantic Aromatics! I gathered together my lime, basil, and mandarin essential oils, keen to make up my own Jo Malone scent, except it came out smelling like broccoli.

I’ve learned my lesson there. I’m only curious, is all. I looked it up, of course, and came up with Lupin, Pea, Green Tea, Acacia, Almond, Coconut, Oat, and non GM Soya. Yeah, no. What is acacia, even? {A flowering shrub/tree.} So maybe acacia and lupin are the cornerstones of this evocative fragrance. Soya? Please.

In further bad practice, I’ve just now slathered on some of the Crème Fraîche de Beauté Enrichie, which is for Dry to Very Dry Sensitive Skin {see what I did there, French copypersons?} on skin that has not been properly prepared to receive it. I don’t care. It feels good, cooling and soothing — just like it says there on the label.

As to the 24 hour thing: these products are meant to continually moisturize for a full day/night cycle. I’m not completely certain how that works, and will ask around. I don’t know that I believe it, frankly. I do believe that the brand continue to do what they say they will, in a lovely and uncharacteristically simple portmanteau-ish way: Nature and Luxe = Nuxe. I can certainly vouch for that working well — sure, it’s as plain as the nose on my face.

***

Nuxe’s Crème Fraîche de Beauté collection ranges from €20 to €32, and is available in chemists nationwide.

Ha! I Said a Thing About Milk, Just Kidding, Like, And Look!

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Sure, I was only messing the other day when I wrote this, after having talked about Mythic Oil Milk from L’Oréal Professionel:

Hmmm, any other milk-ish products I can cobble together? Call me crazy and cover me in milk???

And then I was tweetling around, and came across this from @Nature7_ie:

As I said: Ha! The link goes here, and seems rather optimistic re: sunburn, but I am feeling so zeitgeist-y right now, I don’t care.

{Insert reference to Cleopatra here.}

I haven’t tried the milk yet, but I did use the Mythic Oil Colour Glow yesterday, since it was on my mind. It’s good! I used a little too much, and remembered struggling with the dispensation learning curve with the straight-up Mythic Oil sample I had last year. Nevertheless, The Hair looked very salon-quality; second day was a bit oily at the roots, but the ends still looked fab.

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Nature 7 can be found on nature7.ie, and is a clearinghouse for all things 100% natural, from beauty brands to food products.

I Can See Clearly Now: Vichy Pureté Thermale Waterproof Eye Make- Up Remover

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{But the rain’s not gone, I can feel it, lurking up there, just waiting for me to go out to do me messages.}

I called in some more of Vichy’s concoction because I am in full trying-and-testing eye make up mode, and some of it is very, very black, and some of the mascara is very, very thick. I have no problem with either of those things, but I do hate to be wastin’ cotton pads, because I have to use so many, because the removal agent, in a word, sucks.

This is completely the opposite of the former term. This is basically perfect. I’ve used it before, and used it up, and wanted to rave it about it all over again.

It’s billed for those with sensitive eyes, and mine must be more sensitive than I thought: just last night I used another oil-based remover that I had to hand, and I was squinting away for about half an hour before my vision came completely clear again. I’ve got my bookworm nerdy pants on, but: how am I supposed to catch up on my Henning Mankell if I am blinking?

^I had been in the middle of The Fifth Woman and went and watched the first season of the BBC’s Wallander, and now I’m not going to read any of those books, and will miss out on what, at least half the series? Somebody please tell me there will be more Wallander books? Also: the TV show is incredibly creative, really really good, totally captures the tone, IMO. Although I think that Ann-Britt is not at all completely realised properly. She’s a hot shot young wan, and all she does in the show is look at Kenneth Branagh with concern.

Up until discovering this product, I’d had an aversion to oil-based make up removers but this is oily to the correct degree. By that I mean it cuts right through the make up, but doesn’t leave me with the blinkiness. Since I am all about the oil this week, this couldn’t have arrived at a better time. Gestalt!

Seriously, take it from someone who uses a lot of stuff on her face: this is the business.

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€13.75/£10.50/$16.50

Various Updates on Stuff That Has Been Featured

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*John Frieda Precision Foam Colour
I was just thinking, I really ought to email ‘Audrey’ and see how she’s getting on,’ and this morning, lo and behold, in the inbox!

Thought I’d let you know: dropped in home last night, shook my hair out of ponytail and the mammy said: Wow! Your colour is great, is that still the John Frieda stuff?

No photo was attached, but you can have a look at the result here.

Also: ‘Audrey’ says her hair is amazingly soft. I am now glancing over at my box of light ash blonde…

———

*Avon ANEW Clinical Resurfacing Expert Smoothing Fluid
Commenters keep asking me how I got on with this, and I guess I really haven’t given a definitive answer. I have not been consistent, and I’m not gonna lie, so I can’t really hand down a judgment yet. Too many other treatments to review, and I didn’t want to try to tan and use this at the same time? Is that dumb? Because this maybe giving me an even clearer, cleaner canvas upon which to paint my bronzey goddessness? Shoot.

I did have these thoughts, if you’re interested.

———

*The Oily Stuff from Yesterday
 I’ll have to get back to you on that in more depth, but the REN Bio-Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate is, I must say, pretty darn brilliant. I almost did do the thing where I forgot to close the cap, but caught myself in time. I really don’t want this all over the floor — I want it all over my face!

———

*Appropos of… Not Much, Except Maybe in Honour of Wella
Except I clearly cannot go a whole week without posting a picture of my face.

Wella Professionals took a bunch of us out to dinner last night in Thorntons, which is a Michelin Star restaurant, and I am not a foodie — it was, in fact, my first foam — but that was one terrific meal. The food, the service, the wine… the wine, which was a Sauvignon Blanc, which I generally dislike, but this one! Clos du Porteau ‘Les Chaffines’ Touraine 2010, completely gorgeous, and not so pricey according to Monsieur Le Google!

Oh, and the event was an introduction to Illumina Color, a new range of natural looking hair colours that increases the level of light reflection and shine when the hair is dyed. We saw several representative treatments — blonde, red, brunette — and they were very, very Wow.

But, yeah, the wine: it’s the way it gets poured? The fancy way, where you take a sip and the waitress refills, and then you take another sip, and the waitress refills — so you have no idea how much you are drinking, and if you’re me and not drinking all that much lately, things go a bit pear-shaped. And then self-portrait high-jinks ensue in the taxi home, because the clever women repping Wella gifted us all with Rayban Aviators — so that when we get our hair coloured with Illumina, we won’t be blinded by the glow.

I was a little afraid of the shades, but I think they will work just fine.

***

Very cool image, look at the reflection of me taking the picture of me! Hmm, am I still drunk?

Tanning Twenty Twelve: Tired of It {Soap & Glory Glow Getter}

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How much work can it be, this tanning? It’s not like digging ditches, I mean, come on. But there is a mental tiredness I am experiencing that is pretty comprehensive, and makes me think I’d rather go pick up a shovel. There is actually a lot of thought that goes into this caper: making sure I’ve exfoliated, because sometimes I can’t be bothered; making sure that I am all moisturised and whatever; and most of all, get my head round the particular qualities of the tan involved.

Glow Getter by Soap & Glory is a Face & Body Sun Powder Spray. Okay, ‘spray’ — already an issue for me, because of the mess. ‘Powder’? Wha’?

I couldn’t get my head round it, and so I kept putting off putting it on.

I gave it a go the other day and I am so confused.

It is awkward. You can’t spray it on a mitt and manage to spread it around as well as you would a mousse or a gel or a liquid. So I had to spray it directly onto the bod. Which resulted in splotches of powdery {it really is a powder!} patches, because I didn’t want to hold the can too far away because the spray would get all over the place.

Too splotchy, though, spraying up close, so I got into the shower — my white, pristine shower — and tried again. It wasn’t much better, to be honest.

I used my mitt to spread the tan around, and was just effing and blinding the entire time. This is a pain in the arse was the prevailing theme.

In about two minutes, though? Pretty feckin’ lovely colour. Extremely warm and … posh. This was instantaneous poshness. I looked like, if my life was Inception, I’d put on some fancy dress and when I walked out my door I’d be stepping onto the Riviera.

Confusion! It is the messiest tan I have ever used, probably down to the powder element — but it is also like the kind of tan you get when you have nothing else to do but lie around on a lounger on the deck of a yacht. {I am guessing. I would very much like to find that out in practice.}

My conclusion: I will take this with me on holiday to a place that has a bathroom that I don’t have to clean myself. Otherwise? Too much like work.

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€14/£10.50

Also! The next morning in the shower, the colour just rolled right down the drain. Just so you know.

Long Lashes Lady: An Update

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Last week we heard from a reader whose lashes are so long, she can’t get them to look right.

She sent in some images: left, the lashes as bare as the day she was born, and right, some mascara.

I have the same sort of invisible lashes, that take on proportion only when dolled up, so I totally get where the Long Lashes Lady is coming from. It’s a matter of finding the correct mascara, I think, and trying out the suggestions I’d… suggested.

Even now, she is ‘fecking’ with the products I recommended, so more photos anon.

I mean, they don’t look that tangly and unmanageable, but I think that LLL will definitely see some improvement.If anybody’s got any other ideas, let us know!

Hello, Holiday!

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Well, that is simply, fantastically orange.

In real life {not via iPhone} the pigment of that orange is so dense, it’s like paint.

And, that’s just one coat on the supermodel thumbnail, which should probably have its own Twitter account at this stage.

I rang Brown Thomas to find out the price, and then forgot to write it down, and now I don’t want to ring them back, because, you know, my voice is so unmistakable — yeah, okay, Conley.

So here I am, holding for Harvey Nicks… hmm… wow, really? I’ve lost track of the number of rings… well, fair play to them, being too busy to answer the phone…

Okay, House of Fraser! Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Ring, ring. Return of the operator… who put me through to some poor girl who just happened to pick up the phone — okay, €22.

Once I get my cuticles seen to by a professional, I am going to do all my nails in Holiday! {Wait, I’ve said this before, haven’t I? This time, it’s for real!} Or maybe I will just bring this bottle with me to said professional, which makes more sense.

This colour launches at the end of May.

When Worlds Collide

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In my review of REN’s Guérande Salt Exfoliating Body Balm, I mentioned that I was a featured columnist in the upcoming Irish Tatler.

Well, as I was waiting in the salubrious environs of Therese R Wellbeing and Beauty’s Sanctuary Salon yesterday, ahead of my Voya eye treatment, I found that the issue is not upcoming, it is here!

The piece is about whether or not beauty is only for the young, to which I responded, ‘Uh, no’. I’ve never felt better about myself, and my age advances every year, funnily enough.

The issue looked great — well, what I could make out without my reading glasses…

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…

Oh, Lush, Why Do You Do This To Me?

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Not that I don’t want you to send me things — OMG, don’t stop sending me things! — but I swear, anytime there is a thing inside another thing, I go cray-zee with wanting to play!

The Immaculate Eggception is a double-layered bath ballistic, and you can hear the thing inside the thing rattling around. I made myself sit down and breathe, which allowed me to enjoy the Lush-y scents of vanilla absolute, ylang ylang, and grapefruit, and also to get a grip.

Not on the egg though, with the view to OPEN IT AND SEE WHAT IS INSIDE, but in order to calm down, because my water heater is waiting to be replaced and I can’t draw a bath.

Dammit.

The plumber is in tomorrow, and so I will have to just hang on til then. And given that the weather is bright and sunny, like, it is so not bath time, right?

{You just keep telling yourself that, love.}

€8.75/£7.99/12.95