Flippin’ My Lid: Colour Effect Flipsticks by Max Factor

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I’ve gotten lazy as regards lipstick: you have to look what you’re doing, unlike lipgloss, and ugh, the maintenance: it is high.

Also, my only lip-lining brush has gotten extremely unsanitary, which makes it difficult to use most of the lippys I’ve got in trying & testing rotation.

And then I got a bunch of these in the post:

These are FUN with a capital F-U-N.

So what we’ve got here are 6 lippys that are actually twelve, so when you buy one, you are getting two, with one side giving you a matte colour, and the other side a bit of iridescent shine to go over top of the matte.

This is exactly the kind of mix-and-matching we used to do in high school {high school? What am I even talking about? I did this yesterday} only now, you’ve cut your lipstick-bulk in half. Less crap in the handbag! I think we can all get behind that.

The six shades, that are actually twelve are, from top:
>Gipsy Red
>Bloomy Pink
>Folky Pink
>Salsa Red
>Swingy Brown
>Boreal Mauve

So far, I am all about the Boreal Mauve. Those pinks look pretty red to me, so I am leaning towards the Folky Pink to try next. I found the Swingy Brown to be a bit dark when applied to the full gob, but if you put the darker shade on top, and the shiny shade on the bottom, and then smoosh your lips together, the effect is really cool.

As far as application goes: the matte colour is rich, yet light as feather, and it has a lip-balmy feel to it as well.

A layer of clear gloss over top of any one of these and you’ve got red carpet lips. Which sounds weird, and a little gross, but you know what I mean.

Wear is what you expect from a lipstick not designed specifically for heavy duty: it’s a normal, get-a-reflective-surface kinda jawn. Me, I think these shades are dramatic enough to reserve for evening wear, so I don’t need the pigment to last forever. If you don’t plan on eating or drinking, then you won’t be touching this up very much, which, frankly, does not sound like much F-U-N to me.

€11.99/£8.49

A Sensible Stick by Eau Thermale Avène!

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First, let me just say: look how nice and shiny my famous supermodel thumbnail* looks! And just so you know, I have duly applied another coat of the Dr Lewinn’s stuff, and boy, do I feel virtuous!

Also feeling virtuous re: suncare. It is understandably difficult to be bothered about SPF in this country, but as I do spend time out-of-doors on the horses, I have decided to cop on. And with the sky this very strange and unfamiliar shade of … blue, I think that is blue? it only stands to reason that there will be a glowing orb radiating both healing rays and not-so-healing rays.

On the way to the yard last night, even though it was slightly overcast when I left the house, I took up my Stick Zones Sensibles by Eau Thermale Avène, and rubbed it all over my face. This seems like a good one to bring to the yard, because it’s small, and it’s waterproof. And even though I am riding with a helmet, and it’s got a wee brim, I can still get colour.

I want colour, but I don’t want to burn, so yeah, SPF. Here’s hoping I actually have need of this thing over the coming months.

I guess it worked — I mean, it did get sunnier as we went up the hill, and we were outside, but it was after 7pm, so…? I don’t know. To be honest, I’m going to go a’googlin’ because I don’t see how you really judge SPFs. Okay, like, total fail if you fry, but otherwise? I think it may be about absorbency and fragrance and relative stickiness.

Eh. So, I’m going to be good, and do this. According to a study done by Avène, 77% of women and men don’t bother with sunscreen on their lunch hour. As if it’s not hard enough to decide what you’re going to eat in the first place! Seriously, though, it is a good decision to slap on some protection, and there are easier, if more chemically-based, ways to get your glow on. But you still need to use sunscreen anyway. I think I read somewhere that you have to put it on even on the bits that are covered by clothes, because clothes don’t really protect you? Wha’?!?! Off to go see is that true or not…

*On a day when I have nothing else to do, I am going to find all instances of said thumbnail and make a whole category, just for it. Gotta have goals, ladiez.

Manky Nails, Your Days are Numbered!

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So, last Friday I had a friend’s wedding {OMG she looked gorgeous — like, magazine-bride stunning} and I thought about getting a manicure, and then I thought, Why bother, your nails are so manky. And I know that my nails are manky because I don’t take care of them, but I swear, they are so crap — they have started splitting down the middle! WTF?!? — that it seems like I should just keep them short, since they are so nasty and brutish.

Then, after the wedding, I attended a fabulous ladies lunch in aid of The Seachange Foundation, and the lovely lunching lady on my left had the most amazing natural nails I have ever seen in my life. She was talking about how her nails had been manky, too, but she uses this treatment stuff and it is amazing, and how she had to have her sister buy it up for her because it wasn’t available in Ireland, but now it was, and I gasped and asked, ‘Is it that Dr Lewinn’s stuff?’

And it was.

I’d heard of this stuff, and in fact, had put in a request to try and test some last week. It arrived yesterday, and you can’t help but feel that the stars just fall into glorious alignment every now and then.

I am determined! I am going to do this! I’ve seen how good the Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Nail Strengthener is, in real life  — the evidence of its efficacy was right there at the tips of that lady’s fingers.

How it works is:
> You apply two coats on the first day, then a coat a day for the next five, and then remove it on the seventh day.
> Then you rest for 1-2 weeks.
> Then you do it twice more.

In the 1-2 week rest period, you use the Nourishing Oil, which I checked out really quickly yesterday, and it is oily, and hopefully nourishing.

Okay: I just applied my first coat. It’s very thick, and it is milky in appearance. It feels really cold on application, which is weird; it dries clear. I was curious as to why it works, and didn’t really find much info, except that the Strengthener has diamonds and pearls in it? I will say, though, that the internet contains predominantly glowing reviews, and I hope to have proof of that myself in six weeks.

Here’s a picture of my Manky Nails, in all of their shock and horror. I must say, they are looking nice and shiny with my duly applied two coats, and I am preparing to bathe them in the nourishing oil. The middle finger one is so short because that is the one that has started splitting. Only the one! That is weird, right? Although, I absolutely do not want anymore of my nails to start doing the same.

I know I have said, in the past, that I was going to mind my manicure, and didn’t, but this time is for real! I am going to have healthy, strong nails!

Nail Strengthener, 30mls: €31/£21; Nourishing Oil, 14mls: €15/£11
Irish prices are approximate; Debenhams are having a discount deal, which may just be online, I’m not sure. Go check it out on debenhams.ie.

Actual Bronzing from Actual Sun!

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I can’t get a good picture of my arms, which, after only like 45 minutes sitting in the sunshine at lunch, are warmly light brown.

I mean, not like a celebrity tan — which is a good thing, depending! — but more like I am a living, breathing human being, and not a pale pod person who still has to wear her fat coat to the stable. Wearing a down jacket in May! I ask you!

Since we are set to get the stones split by sunshine over the next few days, I am sure that most among us are going to be gasping to take advantage of it. This is as good a time as any to shake my finger at yees all re: SPF. Frankly, I am shamelessly using you as a surrogate, because as I have said before on this site, I am a lazy arse when it comes to sunscreen.

Not anymore! I am going to go on an SPF binge for as long as we have the rays beating down upon us. Eau Thermale Avéne have a new suncare line that is going to get a look in tomorrow, when I prepare to go horseriding, and I’ve also got some goodies from Cien, the house brand from Lidl,  and we’ll see how we get on with that. I’m sure I’ve got more, but I am posting from the library in Dun Laoghaire, and can’t remember what else I’ve got in the press.

Seriously, I swear, my arms are nice and toasty. It may just be from the flourescent light in here, though. Eh, I don’t care, because you know what the colour of my arms is? The colour of HOPE.

Catching Up as Regards Avon ANEW Clinical Resurfacing Expert Smoothing Fluid

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Okay! Posting like the wind, as I have a wedding {just the ceremony} and then a fancy ladies lunch {for a worthy cause: go here to read all about the Seachange Foundation’s microcredit scheme}, but I have not only been using the Avon ANEW Clinical Etc Etc {tired of typing that out!} but I have also been paying attention to what it is doing.

So, I used twice this week. Each time, I noticed two things:

A} I went into the loo to start the macquillage, and thought, Hmmm, my face is really red. Now, it could have been from the way I blow dry The Hair, which is, of course, upside down like a normal person. It could also be from the Avon Etc Etc. I’m going to use this once more time during the day, and if this ruddiness continues, I may switch to the night.

My face didn’t feel sore, or tingly, or like it was having a reaction that I could feel. It was just noticeable. But!

B} My face looks brighter. I found that I needed less foundation primer, because my skin was smoother, so what I was using was suddenly getting better coverage. Ditto the foundation itself. Since this is the way my face acts after its gotten a fancy facial, I am quite impressed.

I am finding the dropper to be awkward. It’s a sexy design, with the flat button on top, but it isn’t the best for drawing up the ever-so-slightly thick product.

Okay, gotta run! Have a great weekend! x

Snap! Judgements: Only Two Today

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Weird day: went to a PR event, which wasn’t weird, but I almost went to The Dylan instead of the Brasserie du Pont — actually, this is not weird either, I’ve been going to the wrong places for things for about a year now. Sometimes on the wrong day, and one time? Wrong month.

Then I wandered over to the archaeology and history museum which has a freaky exhibit of bog bodies? I think there should have been a warning, I really do. Because: gross, and also I felt sad.

And then what… oh. I’m listening to the radio station that I loved when I lived in Paris (RFM Musique) which was great because they played American music, so it’s not really working the way I thought it would, like, all la vie en rose, or whatever. They are playing Mambo Number Five right now, which does not make me think of Paris, but of my first year living here — my cognition, it is dissonating!

Snap! BREMENN RESEARCH LABS Upper Eyelid Lifter (€60) really feels like it is lifting up my lids! It’s beige, which strikes me as weird, because most eye stuff is white. I’ll get over it, because this the provides instant gratification. Seems dead pricey, but one pump is good enough for both eyes. I’d say this’ll last a good while.

Snap! THE BODY SHOP Lip & Cheek Dome in Crazy for Coral (€15). Me, I’m not so crazy for coral. There is a version in  Pinch Me Pink that looked way more like my thing. The domey-ness of it is pretty cool, and it is very creamy, so it feels nice to apply, but I wasn’t impressed by the pigment, which was pretty weak. That was several snaps, I think.

Actually, this day does make sense, as I eat the second of two Ladurée macarons that were presented with the Eau Thermale Avéne sun protection  products we received at the presentation at the brasserie. This is all French stuff. Okay, less cognitive dissonance, and more making sense out of apparent chaos. Maybe the bog bodies were unlucky Normans who wandered beyond their remit? We’ll never know. {Thanks all the same, I don’t want to.}

Four out of Five Senses: LUSH H’Suan Wen Hua

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Because I am not going to taste any class of beauty product, not even for you, beloved readers.

This is H’Suan Wen Hua Hair Treatment by LUSH.

It looks like this:

A bit like custard, only beige.

It’s got avocado in it, and balsamic vinegar, and watercress — a veritable salad for the hair. Apply it to dry locks before showering and let it do its intensive hydrating for twenty minutes.

It felt a bit light, which turned out to be a good thing, due to the amount of hair that sprouts out of my skull. There’s a lot to cover.

This is how much I used:

One third of the pot, not bad. Its lightness translated into excellent coverage, so that a little bit went all the way.

The smell? Slightly odd. Sort of like lapsang souchong tea — smoky, a little bacon-y, which I completely do not understand. There are eggs in this too, so maybe they are the culprit? Is it sulphur?

But, this is how my hair looked:

Shot in my favourite location, the back of the 46A.

Look, so shiiiiiny! And sleek, and the highlights, popping even more than they did the day I got them! Highly recommend, even with the odd fragrance.

And it felt crazy-soft, and still does, two days later.

I can hear you saying, Yeah, and the sense of hearing, Sue? I don’t know how to pronounce the name of this! So there. What’s it sound like to you?

Sounds like: if your hair needs a comprehensive conditioning, you better get some of this.

€11.50/£8.50/$19.95

Okay: Why I Have Fallen Behind as Regards Avon ANEW Clinical Resurfacing Expert Smoothing Fluid

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{I’d like to be nominated in the category of World’s Longest Blog Post Title.}

So, what happened was, I got Botox*, and for weeks, many weeks that may have even added up to a month or so, I was afraid to put anything on my face. I was afraid to even touch it too much. Yeah, crazazay, I know, but even the gentlest exfoliant scared me to bits.

The last thing I was going to do was to finish trialing a thing that was purported to be 79% as effective as professional microdermabrasion, mainly because in my naivety, I wasn’t sure my entire face wouldn’t fall off, in case I put something on it that reacted badly with The B.

I am finally at one with the ‘work’, and understand that it would have been okay to attend to my face again, after 24 hours — make that a week? A week sounds safe…  Anyway, I can do stuff to my skin again.

Now, I am preparing to self-tan, for the big summer push in the Herald, and half the discolorations on my face are going to get all bronzed up, but hey, let’s prepare the canvas as best we can, right?

I’ve got this handily situated on the sink, next to the thing that holds my toothbrushes and paste, so I can see it every day, and will remember to use it.

Impressions so far:
> Its consistency is thick, and I find that the squeezy thing on the dropper isn’t that great. I am not getting a whole dropper-full of product.
> I am not meant to get a whole dropper-full of product! Little under half an inch/1.5 cms is enough, even for my roundy face.
> It tingled when I put it on for the first time {in the long time between the first first time and this, the second first time.}
> It didn’t tingle so much when I used it again.

The prescription is to use this morning and night, but I think night will be enough for me. Or not! as the case may be.

Right, so: officially paying attention to this now. Back to you in a week! {Promise!}

*I’ve just created a new category for the whole saga, so do click on it and read all about my intensely emotional reaction to the jabs.

This Just In: Womanity Eau Pour Elles by Theirry Mugler

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Feelings: mixed.

This is where I out myself as a ho for packaging. Oh, holy night, I love a good package. In every way, yes, but when it comes to beauty products or those tin boxes that they make so attractive in the South of France, or an infused olive oil in a gorgeous bottle… you got me. Here’s my hard-earned cash.

I received Womanity Eau Pour Elles by Theirry Mugler today, and it was a feast of packaging, a delirium of unwrapping:

Since I am an rabid recycler, I did feel a bit of a twinge — did there really have to be so many layers? Especially the outside sleeve, which seems to have been devised merely to carry the QR code.

I scanned it, which isn’t something I do as a rule, and entered a competition to win a dream day with friends. I like this idea! You know, hanging out and being all in your womanity with your pals? The day I entered for is all about spa treatments — quelle surprise — and a nice meal.

Hey! I got distracted from the excess cardboard! Very clever, designer and marketing people!

So, okay, too much branding, clearly: they are trying to get the imagery with the funky gals and a more discreet, elegant vibe going on at the same time.

And then you see the inside, and the designer in me goes squeeeeeee because someone figured that out, and I am impressed. All those folds! The type everywhere! Love.

And then a teensy bit of an 80s bondage-y vibe with that cap, uh, whatever that means. LOL.

After all of that, I am not sure that the scent is my gig. After all of that! It describes itself as a ‘fruity, savoury, sweet Eau de Toilette’, but all my nose is picking up is the fruit, and … oh, I don’t know. I don’t think it suits me.

You also receive a ‘unique code’ with which to register on the Mugler site, but I find that I am not as excited by an excess of Flash as I am by an embarrassment of cardboard. The registering, it takes forever, and what am I really going to get out of it besides more rando emails? Yeah, I bailed after I selected where I lived and typed in my code. But: the Holy See is listed as a place to live. Can you imaaaaagine, like, the college of cardinals all signing up for their Theirry Mugler updates???

So: a bit heavy on the branding and the fruit. You can make up your own mind as of June 1, when this goes on counter.

Womanity Eau Pour Elles by Thierry Mugler is €50/50mls.

Fashion Police!

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I like bright things, and beautyfull ones, and I will admit that when I lived in NYC, I loved nothing more than a knock off handbag. Oh, Canal Street!

But then, okay, when I sold my novels, I thought, I think I will buy myself a Chanel handbag! I went to Brown Thomas on a recce, and decided to go for the classic Coco version, and it wasn’t cheap. And I didn’t even get that big an advance either!

On the way home I started thinking about how maybe people wouldn’t realise that the bag was the Genuine Article? They would think I simply got it on my latest jaunt to Chinatown, or Cabra, even. And then I figured, eh, I’m never going to actually carry the thing, because the lambskin finish is so easily scratched, and then I thought Lambskin?!?! No way! Why not just sell it to me stuffed with veal, and then I put the money in the bank. {Which was good because it got me through the recession-y parts of 2009-10.}

I remembered all this reading about the above bust of the counterfeiting factory in D7. And I very, very much like the idea of the Intellectual Property Crime Unit. Awwwwesome. <This makes me come over all American, because surely — surely — this is in an initiative that has USA stamped all over it.

Any chance of getting a job there, I wonder. I feel like everyone there is, like, rilly smart? You know? Like? Although I suppose my forte would be counterfeit … foundation? I suppose fragrances get knocked off with regularity. Hmm, maybe not much of a future for me there, after all. Does anyone know anyone who works there? Sounds like it would make a good feature!