Speaking of High School: NYX Jumbo Lip Pencils

Seriously, this is time travel:
IT'S OLD
My high school lipliner/eyeliner sharpener, here with me all these years later, and called upon to sharpen a thing that I surely would have used back then but have now. The mind, it is melting.

Clearly haven’t cleaned the thing since 19mumblemumble, but damned if I haven’t hung on to it. And good thing, too. I remember having the chats with reps from another brand, who said they discontinued their versions of medium-chubby stick-objects because the sharpeners were like 30 quid or something. I am remembering this imperfectly — and I won’t mention the brand, even had I remembered this perfectly — but I know I had thought to myself, ‘I think I’ve got one at home.’
LITTLE & LARGE
I also remember wondering if Cover Girl was even still a thing, and it is, in New Jersey, anyway, surely the brand’s spiritual home. So last time I was back, when I went into CVS I kept my eyes peeled and sure enough, there was a display of the range: still going strong, still probably a magnet for a young girl’s make up desires — although I am guessing it’s tweenies now, rather than mid-teens. Me, I was rather a THE RESULTlate-bloomer.

I think I can remember the smell of the compact powder: it really did smell like powder, a sharp clean scent with a massive overtone of roses. And the eye pencils never ever worked, never ever made my eyes look like they were out of a magazine, because they were as hard as rocks, even when you tried to warm up the ends with a lighter.

OMG, I am giving myself PTSD.

Despite its mankiness, the blade, it still mainly shaves. It’s not great, but at a very early stage, I thought my NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil was a dead loss after only a few uses. I tried, to no avail, to twist up more product from the bottom — because the thing is made of plastic, surely it dispensed with a twist? There was a seam at the end of the pencil that seemed to indicate twist-action. But no.

I was going to bin it, against my will, because I was pretty happy with it, so instead went agooglin’. Luckily, there were a number of American gals who blogged about one’s ability to sharpen the thing, despite its not-wood casing.

I am happy not to have to toss this in high dudgeon: the texture is soft, the appearance the time-travelling frost that I’m loving this summer. It appears that there are 30 shades, which is amazing, and also: I’ve got an eye pencil to try, that surely — surely! — will be super soft and make my eyes look they could be in a magazine. Better late than never!

***

NYX Jumbo Lip Pencil: €4.99; Cover Girl Dual Sharpener: priceless.

***

La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL: Compact, But Not Sturdy

Ugh: nothing worse than the mix of sunscreen and make up. I’ve got a few liquids I’m trying, and so far, not so good. They are fine on their own, and I gotta say, SPF 50 works. I haven’t had the usual outbreak of freckles all summer, because I’ve been as mindful as I’m meant to be, especially when horseriding. Not a smidge of pigmentation! This is great news.

Not so great: the days when I want to put the foundation on my face, or even a tinted moisturiser, and continue on with the full complement of brows and mascara, much less eyeshadow. What’s gal to do then?

I’ve been doing this.
ANTHELIOS COMPACT
La Roche-Posay’s Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Compact-Cream is proper make up with proper SPF that properly protects and also makes you look like you’ve got a good, finished look to ya. You’ve got your UVA/UVB broad spectrum protection, and an excellent quality creamy foundation coverage. It is also water-resistant, so sweat as much as you like.

However, if like me you don’t know your own strength…
BUSTED
I’m pretty sure I’ve never used a compact so much that I’ve broken it. I don’t know that I’ve used this all that much, either, to result in such destruction. Good thing I bought that asparagus that time, because I kept the purple elastic and it’s just the correct size to keep everything together.

I’ve had this issue with other LRP products, in which the packaging doesn’t stand up to regular usage. Its annoying, but it won’t put me off altogether, at all.
ANTHELIOS B&A
And this is why I love it. I feel all sun-protected, and yet natural-looking. I can use this with allll the make up, or as depicted here, with none a’tall. I haven’t even scraped down to the bottom — you know the way you get that little hole in the middle of a compact? — and there is so much summer yet to be had.

Okay, so maybe there’s a freckle or two on my nose, but srsly: nothing like the splatter of frecklage that used to look so cute all those years ago…

***

€21;  comes in Sand Beige or Golden; the former is depicted here.

***

NYX Lipstick Misnamed, But Still Okay By Me

Sure, it’s not their fault really. How could NYX know? I don’t blame them, in fairness. But see, they named this lippy Harmonica, of all things.
NYX Harmonica 1
In fact, it really ought to be called Sue’s Sophomore Year in High School.
NYX Harmonica 2
Or even more simply: The 80s. Oh, the frostiness! The pinkiness! I am loving this and I do not care. It is easy to apply without looking, it actually lasts long so you needn’t even worry much about the former, and it. is. so. frosty.

I am finding the NYX line in general to be rather hit and miss: tried a mascara that was not good — very dry to apply and didn’t take a second coat — but am hoping to get to the fab eyeshadow palette Love in Paris A La Mode soon, and equally hoping I like it.

But this? In all but name, it is pure perfection.

***

NYX Round Lipstick, €5.49; available in pharmacies nationwide.

***

I Used It All Up: Eau Thermale Avène Cleanance Toner

… in fairness, this is in all likelihood the third one I’ve used up, if not the fourth. I heart this stuff.
CLEANANCE ALL GONE
I went and double-checked myself, but for sure, this is the first time I’ve posted about having Used This All Up. The Cleanance range is designed for blemish prone, oily skin, which I can’t say that my skin is at all, but I loved the purely clean feeling I got after using this every evening. It’s bi-phase — shake it up! — and it feels like a little breath of fresh air  post-cleanse/pre-night cream or oil.

This is great for keeping your pores from enlarging, and mattifying your complexion. It’s also a two-times-a-day job, if you choose, but I can’t imagine how quickly I’d go through this had I done so. Sigh.

Here’s something new, that I’ll probs go through for a shortcut:
AVENE XERA CALM
XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil can be used all over the body, and it’s terrific if you’ve got dermatitis or eczema. Again, I’ve got neither, but I love a good oil, as it soothes and manages to get sebum production under control. Which seems counter-intuitive, but it works. And this isn’t all that oily, it feels very much like a gel, if oil makes you nervous.

The new line includes a balm and a cream; all of the products are paraben free, and suitable for children and infants, too. And of course, Avène spring water is a primary ingredient, and there’s more info about that here.

Wow, I really feel sad about that toner. Off to the chemists I go!

***

Cleanance Toner: 200mls, €15
XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil: 400mls, €16.50

***

Is A Perfectly Made Up Face Your Goooooooallllllllll?

I have been utterly and completely distracted by the World Cup. I’ve got a backlog of about a million things I’ve been working on, but the minute the clock hits a certain hour, I am gone, totally focused on the matches of the day. In fact, I’ve got all of ten minutes before the latest round of the last group matches begins!

Do you give not a monkeys about footie? Here’s something for your face:

BENEFIT SCORE!Clever Benefit, very clever! Not only the wisdom to package something for the summer that is in it, but also because this is a perfect combination of travel sizes. I hate not being able to do my usual face when I go on hols — or perhaps to the final of a major soccer tournament* — so to have all these bits in miniature is a real treat.

As ever, can’t say enough good things about PoreFessional, and the BeneTint doubles as a lippy, too. The sample size of They’re Real is also a genius addition.

Gotta go! Chat soon about other stuff, once the first round is done!

***

Beauty Score! is €39.50, available at Debenhams, Benefit Boutiques and online at benefitcosmetics.co.uk.

***

*I have entered every competition to win a trip to the final that I could find. Wish me luck!

***

Kiehl’s: Don’t Judge a Soothing Gel Masque By Its Colour

I opened my little tub of Kiehl’s Soothing Gel Masque and went, ‘Urgh!’ I did, I literally expostulated. But look:
KIEHL'S GEL MASQUE
It is a little bit urghy. Not that I am averse to putting darkly coloured stuff on my face, as witnessed here and here, but there was something about this — the texture? — that is slightly ick.

I put some on.
KIEHL'S GEL MASQUE on2
My first impression was that it doesn’t look all that different to a fake tan application — which observation might give me pause as I enter into fake-tan-testing season.

It felt deliciously cool; didn’t feel sticky; was light as a feather; and felt hydrating as all get out. It’s got green tea in it, and I have to say, I was happy enough to lounge around, letting it do its thing for the prescribed 20 minutes.
KIEHL'S GEL MASQUE on1

Rinsing it off was slightly troublesome. I didn’t want to get the goo all over one of my few white face cloths, and tried to rinse with water from the tap. Eh, not so good. I was showering anyway, and that took care of the last of it, but I did find that it wasn’t great to rinse off over the sink.

But look!
POST GEL
Shiny, happy person! I am not a fan of super-sensitive-skin-anything, because I’ve got the hide of a rhino, and they make no impression whatsoever. This, though: this felt like a healthy treat, as soothing as it claims to be, and one I would recommend to pals who flare up at even the sight of a masque.
A keeper!

***

Kiehl’s Soothing Gel Masque: €20.50/£25/…
^^ Gotta say, Kiehl’s web presence is not great. Despite a flashy site, their internal search engine is rubbish. This product exists, at least in Ireland — I went all analogue and rang the shop — but as far as t’internet is concerned, this isn’t easy to find…

***

Yippy! More Lippy for 2014: Glosses, Mainly

MAC mineralise Vibrant Vibe
MAC Mineralize Glass Lip Gloss in Vibrant Vibe, €22 This absolutely luxurious, lightweight, highly pigmented stuff. I want many, many more of these, and have my eye on Lovingly Yours and Wake Up! as well… and there’s a baby pink one that looks cute as a button.

***
Rimmel Rumour Has It
RIMMEL LONDON Colour Rush Long Lasting Intense Colour Balm in Rumour Has It, €7.99 Honestly, Rimmel are playing a blinder with these balms. They feel light, look intensely pigmented, and stain the lips juuuuust a tiny bit so that you don’t need to keep reapplying. I consider this to be a good thing.

***
Catrice made to stay Megan Fuchsia
CATRICE COSMETICS Made To Stay Smoothing Lip Polish in Megan Fuchsia, €5.49 I googled that a couple of times just to make sure that was the name, which it is, and which I find a bit awk, TBH. Not awk: the bluey-red that I love so much, and pretty good staying power. Awk: the applicator has no give, and will have to break it in. Until such time, I have to go really easy on the curves or else I look like I’ve had wonky collagen!

***
KARDASHIAN in the nude
KARDASHIAN BEAUTY Au Naturel Lip Kit in In The Nude, €18.99 Okay, this is my third go-to nude. Whatever! Can’t have too many go-to nude lip things! I used the thin liner part of the kit, so I must have really wanted matte. There’s a nude gloss that accompanies it, just in case I change my mind and want a bit of shine. It’s win/win!

***
Pür lip gloss stick in Fling|Adventure
PÜR MINERALS Lip Gloss Stick in Fling|Adventure, €22 I do like this tone quite a lot; I find the texture of this to be a bit plastic, and the price a bit much, considering the rest of the category. I do like it, though — just not head-over-heels.

Below: because this is such a crazy way to take a picture, and because it shows the taupe-ness of it to greater effect:
PUR 2
***
And then I was going to on about how excellent I have found GIORGIO ARMANI’s 505 to be, and couldn’t remember the full name, and also got annoyed as usual about Il Maestro’s numbering system, and googled it, and found myself.
OOPS ARMANI
I FOUND MYSELF. Google knows everything, including enough to remind me that I did in fact talk about Lip Maestro Intense Velvet Colour {€28.50} before.

***

I Used It — Them! — All Up: A Head-to-Toe Miscellany from Lancôme, Dermalogica, Pixy Natural, and Merumaya

I turfed through loads of stuff this week — and it took me long enough. It is with some sadness that I present what I have used all up, because I was hoarding all of these. It had to be done, though, and all came in especially useful in recent times.

Trust me, this one is all used up, barring jabbing the top of it open with an awl, or something:
LANCOME BI-FACIL
I mean, that’s not even one eye’s worth of make up remover. Au revoir, LANCÔME Non Oily Instant Cleanser for Sensitive Eyes {€28.50} — je t’aime pour toujours. This removes the smokiest of the smoky eye, and doesn’t make my vision all vaseline-y up, like some equally effective but oil-based removers can do.

***

DERMALOGICA MINERAL SALTS
I had been hoarding this stuff forever. Initially, I found the scent of DERMALOGICA’S hydro-active mineral salts {€31.50} to be a bit pong-y, and who knows, it may have been my own sense of smell that needed adjusting. Or I just got used to it. I don’t know! But I needed it bad these past few weeks, first as I was recovering from an injury sustained from horseriding, and then I needed the even badder to recover from going back horseriding.

This sea salt concoction is stuffed full of relaxing essential oils, including lavender, clary sage, and cinnamon, amongst many. Bonus: my skin felt like silk, in addition to my muscles being completely soothed.

SRSLY, all gone…
DERMALOGICA EMPTY

***

Speaking of lavender, here’s PIXY NATURAL’s Lavender Bath Bomb {€3.45}. Well, duh, it got used all up, you may be thinking. No, not so ‘duh’, as I have tried bombs in the past that fizzled out juuust before having totally dissolved, leaving me with a freaky moonrock lookin’ thing that, funnily enough, disintegrated when I let it dry out, to try to use it a second time.

PIXY LAVENDER BATH BOMB

This fizzes all the pieces, in the best possible sense. It’s got little bits of actual lavender in it, and I turned to this relaxing little thing when I’d used up the Dermalogica salts, and I wasn’t sorry.

One thing, though.
PIXY PACKAGING
There’s the plastic wrap this comes in, and then another round of wrap, which I didn’t discover until I was in the bath, ready to drop the bomb, as it were, and had to fumble with wet fingers to liberate it. Just so ya know.

***

Goodbye, Merumaya Intergrative Effective Skincare, in more ways than one…
MERUMAYA
This was another thing for which the scent was an acquired taste, but once I got into it, I loved it. The brand have an extensive line, and this, their Iconic Youth Serum {£34.50}, was like rubbing velvet and angel feathers all over my face. I found this to be notably effective when used at night, as I awoke radiant.

Sadly, the brand are no longer available in Arnotts — you’ll have to buy online at merumaya.com. As a way towards easing our pain, shipping fees will be dropped to match those of the UK, from a tenner to £3.95, or freeeeeee if you spend over £40.

***

Here’s a Q&A I did with Merumaya founder Maleka Dattu, just as a matter of interest!

***

Yippy! Lippy: New for 2014

BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION VELVET
BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper, €12.49 Very intense, in the best possible sense. I found it to be a tiny bit tacky when it dried, as do most class of lippy that claims to be completely smudge-proof and matte. This is great for occasion-wear, but I don’t think I could stick the high maintenance of it during the day. Hence the rather sober-looking gob.

***

CLINIQUE MATTE MAGENTA
CLINIQUE Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Magenta €20 As a devoted fan of the brand’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick, I haven’t ventured very far — okay, I haven’t ventured anywhere else in their lipstick line. I am encouraged to do so here: this is as soft as promised, and it’s got the typically dense pigment of a matte, sans the dryness. There’s a gorgeous orange just waiting to be snapped up by those who can wear it well — sadly, not me.

***

DIEGO DELLA PALMA
DIEGO DELLA PALMA Glossy Lipstick in Natural Pink, €20 I don’t know, this is more like a neutral to me, not a pink… Whatevs, this is my go-to nude for the summer. It feels fab

***

ME ME ME PERSIAN PINK
MEMEME Longwear Satin Lip Cream in Persian Pink, €10.50 That’s MeMeMe — looks much better in U&lc. Um, okay, the above is my light go-to nude for the summer, and this is my medium go-to nude for the summer. This has all the lush richness of a Leading Department Store Brand, at half the price.

***

MICHAEL KORS BOMBSHELL
MICHAEL KORS Lip Lacquer in Bombshell, €30.50 Ah! So sexy! There’s a fantastic gloss in this line as well, which I thought I’d prefer, but I like this lipstick equally.

***

REVLON COLOURBURST LACQUER BALM
REVLON ColourBurst Lacquer Balm in Vivacious, €11.20 So shiny! With a touch of sparkle! Plus hydration! I am all over these lip crayons — I find the texture and staying power to be terrific, and again: The. Shine.

Also!
REVLON COLOURBURST MATTE BALM
REVLON ColourBurst Matte Balm in Audacious, also €11.20 The matte version! OMG, using alll the exclamation marks! I am not at all a fan of coral-on-me, but this suits really well, and again, loving the texture and the moisturising. There’s also a tiny zap of mint or something: an unexpected little bit of refreshment.

ColorBurst can do no wrong by me, clearly.

***

There are more to come, as I can’t get enough of cosmetics for the mouth. Pictured, the thingie in the on-the-way-out-the-door place, where I make my lip coverage decisions on a daily basis:
LIPPY ARCHIVE
I think a trip in the wayback machine may be in order. Sure, good lippy never goes out of style.

B&B! Q&A: Michelle Casey and the Super Electric Fountain of Youth

Michelle Casey Okay, I’m juuuust a tiny bit excited to talk about my experience of the Viora Reaction Skin Tightening Frequency treatment, which I received at Aqua Beauty, Stillorgan, from the hands of the owner herself, Michelle Casey. The clinic was awarded the Guinot Crown Award for 2014, and has been a leader in the beauty field for fifteen years.

Originally from Galway, Michelle had worked in a family business from an early age, and says, ‘I was aware of all stresses that a business can bring and the enjoyment, too. My Grandmother used to always say, if you own half a counter, own it yourself! So I decided to move from Galway and open my beauty clinic, the first of its type in Ireland at that time and have never looked back.’

First, a few Qs with Michelle, then the verdict on the process (as if you couldn’t already tell how I feel about it, from the headline.)

After all this time, are you still excited to be in the beauty biz?
I look forward to going to work every day, meeting my super team and all my clients. I have a strong passion and absolutely love what I do. I am a people person and love looking after and making my clients feel good!

Has the business changed much in fifteen years? How do you keep everything on the cutting edge?
Absolutely. Clients are more demanding and want immediate results: Irish women and men are very cosmopolitan and travel a lot now. Men are more open and savvy.

I myself travel a lot, and listen to my clients as to the kind of results they are looking for and usually that’s what inspires me. I will then go and source the best available treatment — I did this even through the recession. It’s so important to stay ahead of the game and that’s what I love so much about owning my own business.

Tell us a bit about the procedure you offered to B&B?
It’s called the Viora Reaction Skin Tightening Radio Frequency treatment. My clients are blown away by the results, and by how straightforward the whole process is. It’s pain-free and there’s no downtime required. It can be used on face and on the body and to firm, sculpt and tighten the skin. It’s a fabulous treatment for jowls and sagging skin around the neck area and to contour the body.

What is so appealing about this particular treatment?
The fight against ageing will always be top of the list for women in particular. Your future will be written all over your face, so it’s so important to look after your skin now. Technology is so powerful today when it comes to non invasive anti-ageing treatments. This will go from strength to strength over the next few years. I’m really excited to be a part of that industry and bring these innovations to Ireland.

Any beauty tips for the readers?
My beauty tips are never go to bed with make-up on, and invest in a good cleansing routine. I adore DR Daniello Profound Advanced Performance Glycolic Cleanser, Dermalogica’s Skin Smoothing cream and Guinot’s Instant Radiance Moisturising Mask. A course of customised facials are a fabulous investment that keeps on giving.

***

I really had no idea what to expect from this procedure. I’d had laser, and had rather memorably freaked out about it; at this stage in my career I hop up on treatment tables with a high degree of aplomb.

Michelle explained the process: using three different radio frequency channels, Viora stimulates collagen and elsatin production, the slowing down of which is what causes wrinkles and sagging skin. The applicator  looks like a laser thingie, and its tiny zaps of current, at the contact point,  felt like I imagine a staple gun feels — but, I also imagine, with far less pain. Michelle worked for 45 minutes on each side of my face. Here’s are pictures of that midpoint:
VIORA mid-treatment2
VIORA mid-treatment
I love the look of delighted shock in my eyes in the second one.

Once I knew what to expect — little blasts of very manageable heat at the contact point on my face — I almost fell asleep during the second half of my face. This is the end result:
VIORA after

I gotta say, four months later, I’m still seeing the benefit. A client is only permitted eight treatments per year, because otherwise the skin overstimulates, and there’s the possibility of an increase in wrinkleage and sagging. No thanks!

Had I needed to, I could have put on makeup straightaway: there was no redness, no pain, and absolutely no downtime.

Also: this works on cellulite, and I’ve seen evidence that it works on bingo wings! Need I say more?

***

Face €160: Course of 6 €800 (includes one free)
Neck €150: Course of 6 €750 (includes one free)
Face & Neck €290: Course of 6 €1450 (includes one free)
Cellulite 1 area from €120; 4-6 treatments are recommended

***

Aqua Beauty
No. 6 The Hill
Stillorgan, County Dublin
T 01 278 1616
W aquabeauty.ie

***