Bitchface of the Yesterday: What is On It.

10/09/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / 3 Comments

This looked bitchier in my phone, but nevertheless: onward!
> I started using, rather casually, Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer by Benefit {€35.50} — by casually, I mean: it’s a little twisty-up tube, like a big fat lipstick, and I draw it all over my face randomly. It looks ivory-coloured in the tube, but it is in fact sans colour. I am liking it loads, and considering my deep and abiding adoration for the brand’s PoreFessional, that is significant. If you feel like using primer is one step too many, this makes it super easy, and it keeps the foundation fresh.

> Continuing in the same vein, I decided on FIT me! anti-shine foundation stick from Maybelline New York, in Buff Beige/Praline {€13.79} The ethos behind the doubling of shades is that the inner core contains lightweight, anti-shine powders. Well, mainly. I still needed a wafting of pressed powder, as we will see. I did like the texture: while I am attracted to the idea of a mess-free foundation stick, in practice I often feel like I’m pulling my skin all over my skull trying to get a decent layer on. This has more ‘give’ than many of the sticks I’ve tried.

> Concealer — which I put on before the foundation, I’m not a complete eejit; the editorial, it flowed better going from one stick to the next — is via Clarins Paris and is new. Instant Concealer {€24} is light and fluid, and though the tube is only 15mls, I’d say it would see you through autumn and winter, easily.

> Pressed powder! Haven’t used that in an age. Oddly, I didn’t feel like illuminating yesterday, and went with a fave of old, Clinique superpowder: double face powder in Matte Ivory {€30}. I used to go through this like a Hollywood A-lister goes through Restalyne. I also used to use the pad that’s included, but no more of those amateur antics, thanks! Applied with a kabuki brush, this lasted for six hours straight, and allowed some natural shine to show through, but not the shiny-shine I was fighting in the first place.

> Brows and eyeshadow via smashbox. Still loving my Brow Tech To Go {€23.50} very muchly. The shadow is a trio that I was too afraid to try myself, because I never manage to make the make up look as well as it did when applied by a make up artist. Anyway! Photo Op Eyeshadow Trio {€26.50} in Aperture is really quite terrific. The colours — Alabaster, Sky, and Truffle — are perfect for a day to night look, the texture of the shadows is super light yet buildable for intensity, and just looked amazing on, even via my less-than artistically wielded brushes << which make allll the difference. You know the way I, and other journos and bloggers, are constantly nagging you to invest in proper make up brushes? Invest in proper make up brushes. It really does matter.

> Lashes: Lancôme Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara {€28}, and Hourglass Calligraphy Liquid Liner {€26.65}, both of which I have written about before, and continue to make an appearance when I feel moved to take a selfie on — you guessed it! — the 46A.

> Da lips: NYC Applelicious Glossy Lip Balm in Applelicious Pink {€2.49}. I heart this colour, a delightful combination of light texture and deep pigment. It did bleed somewhat as the night wore on, and the words kept coming out of my mouth, so that is an ish. Nothing that lip liner won’t solve, but have I said about how much I hate lip liner?

> The Hair is second day, after having been washed under the taps of the tub because my shower exploded on Friday. I was away in London and no one seemed to be able to coordinate to sort it out, and I will, fingers Xd, be in possession of a new working power shower by midday. I used Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique {€20}; I haven’t used a leave-in conditioner in some time, and ya know what, I may be about to experience a renaissance. This looks nice and swoopy, considering! As ever, Batiste {€2.39} saves the day; hate to think of life without it.

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I Used It All Up: Clarins Paris Double Serum

09/09/201303/11/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

In happier times.

I had talked to Debbie McVicar from Clarins Paris back in February about the newly launched Double Serum, and seven months on: all gone.

I am particularly bereft because a more recent meeting with Debbie resulted in my using it at night rather than in the morning, as I had been doing. You can use it both times! If you want to! But as per her suggestion, I tried it at bedtime, and really, really liked it, and felt I awoke particularly glowy on the following days.

I liked it so much, that yep: used it all up.

Now, okay, seven months seems like a long time, but it’s not, not really, not when you consider that I’ve tried & tested at least ten serums in that time. Given that, the fact that I squeezed every last drop out of this dual-dispenser, and considered trying to pry open the top to get the last bit out, is as I like to say, sayin’ something.

I am all about minimisation of the pores just now, and this was one of the benefits that I felt this product actually produced.

Hey! I think there is maybe one more pump left in the old girl. *LOL*

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€69.50/£49.50/$85 {for 30mls.}

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Benefit Hydra -Smooth Lip Color: It’s Art Decorable

03/09/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / 2 Comments

Well, it seems like fun, at least at first: the matryoshka-esque packaging of Benefit‘s latest addition to its make up line, Hydra-Smoooth Lip Color is, as to be expected from this brand, beautifully designed and well-made. Speaking from beneath another of my hats, that of a graphic designer, the richness of the detail on this little cardboard tube is really impressive. It is adorable and Art Deco at the same time, and ‘adorable’ is not necessarily an adjective I would assign to the design style. Art Decorable? Hmmm.

The outer tube slides off easily enough. Despite having designed graphically for a number of years, I never did any package design. I guess there are standard tube sizes or whatever? Much like there are standard page sizes? No idea, and if not, I hope the design team had fun figuring this out. I suspect they had about a million tiny little strokes, actually, because it’s not just about the sliding, it’s about fitting in the lippy itself…

And also fitting in the piece of paper that tells you that this is a lipstick, and that you should use the angled bit to apply it to the shape of your lips. I am paraphrasing, but: seriously?

Anyway: the delight of the packaging, apart from the silly paper, continues to … delight. Look! The lipstick itself is like a tiny little sceptre, a little piece of art decorable royalty. The integrity of the design is pretty impressive, and I am, duly.

And, yeah, okay, the angled top is actually useful. Not that I was giving out about the angle itself, but rather the instruction as regards how to use it.

This is air kiss, and it falls into the sheer finish category; there are shades that are medium and full finish, an example of the latter shown here, towards the end. This is from the bubblegum end of the spectrum, and even though autumn is nigh, it’s a lovely shade.

It feels great on: I am certain that the ‘hydra’ has to do with moisturisation, not Medusa. There’s shea, mango butter and Vitamin E involved, and the texture feels light as a feather, which is terrific if you hate the feeling of gunky, heavy lippy. That famously angled tip means you can apply like a lipgloss, i.e., without looking.

The top of the wee sceptre/container, though… it doesn’t feel like it’s going to survive a sojourn in your make up bag, much less your handbag. It feels a bit fussy to me, to have to mess with that tube; as one who routinely shoves sticks and glosses into all manner of pockets, this inspires anxiety.

But I do love this shade, and will use again… so it seems I’ll be happy enough for that cardboard tube, after all.

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€22/£15/$19, available in September — oh, wait, IT IS SEPTEMBER.

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Buy This: Clarins Paris and FEED Partnership Gift Set

30/08/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

Don’t want to get all preachy or anything, but here’s an effective way to do something useful.

Clarins Paris and FEED have joined to raise money, via the United Nations World Food Programme, via via this very handy and roomy beauty purse. It’s made of sturdy burlap with a very dependable-looking zip — you cannot be too careful about the quality of a zipper — TWSS, lol.

Seriously: it comes with three very decent-sized Clarins products. I am a fan of the Beauty Flash Balm, and like the looks of the Cleansing Milk with Alpine Herbs. The Hand and Nail Treatment Cream I could take or leave — could this be the hand product that will dispel my ambivalence towards hand products???

Retailing for €24, worth €42, and in stores now, it’s a useful treat in aid of doing a good deed: 10 meals will be provided to children in need, all around the world, thanks to this purchase.

DON’T KILL ME: what a great Christmas gift, right?

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Lads, for real, it’s practically flippin’ September. It’ll be here before ya know it.

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Yippy! Lippy! A/W 2013: An Assortment

28/08/201320/12/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / 3 Comments

Let’s just get right to it, shall we?

CLARINS PARIS Joli Rouge in Pink Camellia, €21
This is light and yet brimming with pigment. I likey much, except for the part where I’ve eaten and it has bled all over the place. God, I hate lipliner, but there may be nothing for it…

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YVES SAINT LAURENT Rouge Pur Couture Pur Colour Satiny Radiance in Rouge Neon, €31
The orangey-red doesn’t suit me particularly, but the texture of this is pure luxe.

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GIORGIO ARMANI Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Colour in 505, €28.50
This is amazzzzze. It is much poppier and neon pink in real life, and the compliments! They flooded in! Not so great to be wearing unless you are nil by mouth: I got some on my *nose* because I was drinking champagne and kept moving the glass around. Do people drink from the same spot on a champagne glass? Have I got some class of disorder? Don’t answer that.

This is indeed velvety, and super intense, and I adore it.

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BUFF MAKE UP Lipstick in sex on heels, €18
Like this one, too. The pigment is autumnal café au lait, and it is the sort of lippy I can apply like a gloss: swiftly, without looking, because it’s neutral. Which I like… I feel like this needs more make up surrounding it, to really work well.

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LANCÔME L’Absolu Velours Matte Effect in Velours de Pêche, €25
Loving matte texture as a general vibe, and liking it here espêche. Ahhhhh, see what I did there.

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BENEFIT Hydra-Smooth Lip Color, Full Finish in wing woman, €22
Hmmm. There’s a new lippy in town, via our pals from San Fran, and this is meant to be the full finish version, as opposed to the mediums and sheers on offer. More to come re: this line, but I was not wowed by this coverage.

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DR HAUSCHKA Lipstick Novum in 09, Miraculous Rose €16.50
Waa! Also feeling ‘meh’ about this, too, and I had such love for the oldum Novums, as demonstrated here. This is light, if you want light, and reflective, if you want reflective.

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REVLON Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake, €9.60
Not terribly autumnal, but the texture! of! this! lippy! It is the perfect mid-point between gloss and stick, and the shine is terrific. I am sure that they must have suitably deep colours for the time of year that is almost in it; until I find out more about them, this will do me just fine, thanks.

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Soz, probably should have posted a ‘nostril alert’. Hope no one is scarred for life…

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Hello Lightness, My Old Friend: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

26/08/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / 3 Comments

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, my entry point into skincare was via Clinique. As I wrote here, I began to tend to my skin when I was only a nipper, and I was drawn to this brand’s… cleanliness? There was something science-y about it too, and there always seemed to be lashings of water depicted in their advertising — in a good way! Like, before we even began throwing the word ‘hydration’ around, Clinique were all about it. The Three Step! Ah, the Three Step! I had the soap and the Clarifying Toner, and most importantly of all, I had the Dramatically Different Moisturing Lotion.

Did I say dinosaurs? I am sure I refer to the first amoebae that crawled out of the deep into the evolutionary light: I bought this stuff when it came in glass bottles.

I used it religiously, and bought allll the Clinique Bonus Time offers because I wanted the wee tiny bottles of it to bring with me on my travels. The soap lasted forever and I used until ‘they’ said soap was bad for us; the toner is a tonic upon which I still depend; but the yellow stuff fell out of favour once I began trying and testing myriad products on a weekly basis. I had, I confess, forgotten all about it, until the Irish launch party earlier in the summer.

So what is + about Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, or DDML+ as many of us are calling it? For me, the new element that jumps out is the addition of hyaluronic acid, a very 21st century ingredient that addresses 21st century needs. We weren’t thinking about barrier repair when we were sitting out in the environment, at sidewalk cafés, chowing down on our brontasaurus burgers. Given climate change and ozone depletion and who knows what; creating some class of protective layer between our beloved pelts and the depredations of pollution and UVA ‘n’ Bs ‘n’ Cs is welcome, and necessary.

Hyaluronic acid helps the skin hang onto the moisture imparted by moisturisation. Your very own body produces it, and it is what keeps your skin hydrated and plump, or not, as the case may be, and therefore is the case made for products that contain it. I’m sure there’s a whole acid v alkaline rabbit hole down which to tumble, but I’m a blogger, dammit, not a scientist!

So? It looks the same, it feels the same, and even if the bottle hasn’t been made out of glass for some time now, it is very much like its old self. Which is and isn’t the point. If you’ve been faithful to the product, you’ll be happy enough with any bonus points, but won’t be alarmed by massive changes.

If you have strayed, you’ll return to find it is as silky and soothing as it ever was; as rapidly absorbing without drying; as blessedly free from fragrance as always. My skin also felt tighter, in a good way, not an unpleasantly dry and squinchy way. One pump covers the entire visage, and I suppose there is some algorithm I could devise — 125mls – xmls/pump = X uses… er. I’d say you’ll get great use out of this. Heh.

Is it worth my while to return to DDML+, apart from nostalgia? From the remembrance of going into Macy’s for the first time and making my first adult purchase of skin care, of walking around with the muted green boxes tucked into the shiny little bag, of the feeling of having crossed an important threshold into womanhood? Well, when I put it that way… It’s a lovely feeling of connection to my young self, with, hopefully, the needs of my new self being met.

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125ml with pump: €42*/£29.50/$26

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*Seriously? That’s essentially a tenner more than the sterling price!

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Maybelline Colossal Color Shock Mascara: Unleash Your Inner 80’s Rock Chick

22/08/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

Or, reawaken, as the case may be.

Also, or: maybe New Wave Chick? Either way, this stuff is fun.

That’s two coats worth of Electric Blue. What comprises a coat, in fairness? I go over and over the lashes, and then let them set, and consider that a coat. This may be incorrect.

…

Well, The Internet says, essentially, one swipe of the brush is a coat. I suspected as much — not sure I agree. I’m sticking to my personal definition, thanks, and even if by The Internet standards, the above lash look resulted from, like, ten coats, I don’t care. It’s fab, and I wasn’t expecting it to look so well.

I suppose I had low expectations because of my experience with colouredy mascaras during the actual 80s: they either gave no pronounced colour at all, or were of such a low standard that they produced nothing but clumps.

This went on like a proper mascara. The first ‘coat’ was barely discernible, and I felt justified in my prejudice. Then I gave it another go, and was delighted and impressed. Then I went completely cray — because at this time my Inner 80s Rock/New Wave Chick was fully revived – and put some on my lower lashes. I don’t know what’s stopping me lashing on some crazy eyeliner, except I have to go get my laundry out of the dryer and might meet someone on the stair.

I think there is a purple one*, which I think would be better for blue eyes. If you have brown eyes, I bet this will look amazzzzzzing. Brown-eyed girls, go get it and see, and send me pictures!

Off to listen to The Go-Gos!

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€10.75/£5.99/$7.79**

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*Yes, there is a purple, but we can’t have it here. Were we bad and we didn’t even know it??

**Price point alert! Not good!

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I Used It All Up: BLISS Triple Oxygen Instant Energising Eye Gel

21/08/201303/11/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

I have only really gotten into eye care in the last year or so. Take my advice: start now. I don’t care if you are like, two years old, you should have started when you were one. I have found that when a product targeted to this area works, it really works, and you can see the improvement. I feel like I am not only playing catch up, but struggling with a little bit of damage control — where did those creases come from? {Laughing, so that’s actually a good thing.}

Am I bothered? Eh. Enough, clearly, to be feeling like I am scrambling to rehydrate that area. But again, see: laughing. It’s not like I’m going to stop doing that, so targeting the auld peepers has started coming top of the list.

Better late than never, and you can’t do better that bliss. I had the extraordinary good fortune to have received a Triple Oxygen Facial in an actual bliss spa in NYC — oh, so many, many years ago, but it was was so amazingly amazing that it makes me sigh, thinking back. This is a tiny little bit of that, well, bliss, in a pump-thingie.

It’s got caffeine, which is will wake you up in the a.m., and depuff your eyes; it’s a gel, which absorbs quickly; it’s got Vitamin C, which brightens the eye area, and stimlulates collagen; it’s also got these Soft-Focus Powders? Which I didn’t even know existed, but are there to blur fines lines, and they brighten the area, too. Lotsa brightness! Okay! All I know is that I felt the area tighten to just the correct degree, and felt it immediately, and so it encouraged me to keep using it.

Spendy, but highly recommended, and deeply missed.

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€58.50/£42/$50

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How Super is GlamGlow Supermud™ Clearing Treatment?

12/08/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

Oh, packaging: it must be of a high enough standard, espesh when mucho spondoolicks are involved. But when is too much, well, too much? Coming from a package-design hussy such as myself, you know this is a serious question.

Case in point: GlamGlow Supermud™ Clearing Treatment.

Hello, yourself.

Okay, losing the will to live, right about here.

I mean, okay, it is so gorgeously designed! It really is, to the extremely super-highest of high standards {It’s even got me talking like it, if you know what I mean}, but I had started feeling a little overwhelmed. You don’t even want to know how much information is on that removable bit of bumf. {I end up telling you.}

At last, the stuff itself! I was immediately assailed – in a good way — by the scent, a deliciously licorishy fragrance, and dammit if I didn’t go and consult the ‘Hello Sexy’ double-folding insert for information. Yup: there’s licorice root implicated, as well as peppermint leaf, aloe vera, ivy, cucumber, and chamomile, as well as some Science-y stuff called Acnecidic-6™ which, I think, is six acids blended together to basically fix everything: improve texture, de-pigmentise, unclog pores, stimulate collagen, minimise fine lines and wrinkles, and fight breakouts, among many, many other things.

Supermud, indeed.

It’s not only full of super things, it goes on super-smoothly, and dries super fast, without drying. Which is some trick to pull off, in fairness. I think the licorice went to my head because I got a bit goofy with the photos, but with excellent result.

Muddy to shiny! Perhaps not the most opaque of applications, but it didn’t feel like I’d missed any spots. That’s about three scoops worth of mud on my face, using two fingers, to be semi-precise.

One is instructed to leave this on for any number of minutes, from 5 to 20. I went for the full complement, and while I can sort of see the point of using this as an express mask — actually, I kind of can’t. It felt so good drying, I would hate to rush it. It removed — wait for it — super easily, too. One week on from that treatment, and I feel like my skin is still in good nick.

I am all about the minimisation of pores at the moment, and am amping up my testing of several products that promise to shrink ’em. I am thinking that this is the regular ladies way of keeping the skin youthy, as opposed to the A-list celeb Botoxing, lasering, peeling way. So here’s a little bit of that Hollywood vibe in a jar. Again, spendy, but really worth it.

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€49.99/£44.99/$69

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Thanks for Making My Life Easier: Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm

08/08/2013 / brightandbeautyfull / Leave a comment

And yet, more difficult at the same time, given this, for example. Now I gotta decide what are the circs under which to utilise this little beauty.

This is Blush Orchid, one of four new additions to Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm range. Best of both worlds, as far I can tell: a little bit of tint, a whole lot of balm. I like the clever tube in which it comes — I wonder if this is less packaging, or more? It’s certainly superior to the sort in which a tube is encased in plastic and glued to cardboard. Does anyone read all this stuff, though?

There’s even more text on the pink part of the barrel.

Whatevs! Really love it: it is emollient without being slippery, and the tint is just exactly right.

I forgot I had it on, and even though one of the pleasures in life, as far as I am concerned, is the ritual re-application of lip balm, I didn’t obsessively top this up… which probably means that my obsessive topping up derives from necessity, which means I do the thing I love to do because the product I adore is inferior?

Oh, dear, I feel an existential crisis coming on!

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Petunia, Sweet Violet, and Caramel Daisy join Blush Orchid as 2013’s new hues.

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€7.95; available from The Health Store, Nourish, Avoca and selected independent health stores and pharmacies nationwide.

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Bright & Beautyfull!

Beauty | Fashion | Lifestyle

FACE

Bitchface of the Yesterday: What is On It.

I Used It All Up: Clarins Paris Double Serum

Benefit Hydra -Smooth Lip Color: It’s Art Decorable

Buy This: Clarins Paris and FEED Partnership Gift Set

Yippy! Lippy! A/W 2013: An Assortment

Hello Lightness, My Old Friend: Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+

Maybelline Colossal Color Shock Mascara: Unleash Your Inner 80’s Rock Chick

I Used It All Up: BLISS Triple Oxygen Instant Energising Eye Gel

How Super is GlamGlow Supermud™ Clearing Treatment?

Thanks for Making My Life Easier: Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm

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