LANCOME

Right, FR.ed: Let’s See What You Said

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Hey, this is fun! Thanks to The Perfume Society {www.perfumesociety.org}, you can use their clever fragrance editor, or FR.ed, for short, to figure out how to expand your vocabulary or scent — or possibly replace something long and lamentably gone.

It’s easy: Just type in your responses to the internet’s easiest form. I had a blast from the past and remembered how much I had loved Jil Sander from the 90s. It was, I thought, the only Jil Sander fragrance in the world, but no: there was a much longer list than I suspected possible. A quick Google, and I found that the EDP that I’m thinking of is No. 4. This perhaps points up the limitations in scent in duty free more than anything else, and also what’s available in Ireland.

FR.ed simple quiz

And I’m also presuming that anyone anywhere in the world still carries this particular perfume. Anyway! Let’s go.

FR.ed Jil results

Hmmm. I actually had some Boucheron and remember it to be much sweeter than I remember the Sander to be. Also, Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle seems a sweeter match than I would have thought… it doesn’t help, I suppose that I haven’t smelled the Sander in donkey’s.

I’m almost out of Coco by Chanel, which I haven’t worn in years. I noticed that it was almost gone and reckoned I may as well Use It All Up, and fell in love with it all over again. Here’s the results from this edit:
FR.ed Coco results

Cinnabar? Helllllloooo 1970s, hang on a sec, I’ve got some perfume that wants to talk to you. I’m interested in the Penhaligons simply because I haven’t ever tried anything from them — are they pricey? {Uh, whoops!} Eh. I can still buy the Coco, so no big deal.

Well, that was fun. I may try to see if I can actually get the original somewhere*, but if not, I think a visit to Macy’s ground floor goes on the holiday to-do list…

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Play with FR.ed here.

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* Hey hey! Sold! Heart you/hate you, internet!

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Much Excite: Lancôme Visionnaire Advanced Skin Corrector *Improved*

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LANCOME VISIONNAIRE 2014This has been one of my favourite things since I began this blog — and I can prove it by directing you here. A part of my inaugural series of posts, Visionnaire was a big part of my night-time regime… until I had to try something else, or many, many something elses. It took on classic status, which is not bad thing, and also became something of a hoarding object. And in fairness, in the flurry of oils that had come through the post box, it got forgotten.

You can go to that link for some information about that molecule, LR2412 — or you can stay here while I report briefly that it is a creation of the Lancôme laboratories belonging to the jasmonate family. Which, okay, whatevs; the thing is, it works on the all three parts of the skin — the epidermis, basement membrane and the dermis. So this can only be a good thing.

It’s like, you’re trying to shore up the foundation of your house, but you’re only re-pointing the bricks on the façade. Not good enough. This goes all the way into the ground, as it were, and in this new formulation, they’ve doubled the amount of jasmonate, and added comb polymers which basically make the formula easier to apply, whilst giving it greater coverage.

This is all about wrinkle-smoothing, pore-reducing, and skin-refining. I very much liked what this stuff did the first time round, and I’m looking forward to putting this back in rotation to see how it works.

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€74; on counter in September 2014.

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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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

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Lucky Thirteen of 2013: Lippy, and the View From Below My Nose

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WARNING: clicking through these links may result in PTND*.

I was into lipstick this year! I say that like it is news, like I haven’t posted this picture:
ALL THE LIPPYs
These were just the ones that were by the place where I keep my going-out-the-door stuff: my purse, the thingie with my Leap Card in it, my sunglasses.

Lots of lippys — thirteen, in fact — lots of pictures of my nose from an… interesting angle.

I reviewed eight shades of lipp-ay here, which alerted me to the proboscis problem — and then I clearly just chose to ignore it because: here I went again, and again, and… yeah. Um, and this one. And then also.

Sheesh.

The main issue I see is that I have not been wearing nearly enough purple/mauve lipstick.

There’s my new year’s resolution sorted!

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*Post Traumatic Nostril Disorder

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Lucky Thirteen of 2013: Smartest Make Up of the Year

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LANCÔME’s Teint Visionnaire is so, so smart.
TEINT VISIONNAIRE
Perfectly matched concealer in the cap! I ask you.

See here for a stupid dewy lookin’ selfie, and you may note its appearance here, bottom right.

When I was packing for The Christmas, I realised that I couldn’t do without this; I swathed it in bubble wrap and wrapped it a T shirt and tucked it in a boot. It’s that good.

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Red Alert! Things That Are; Not Just Lippy

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Because I like red. Loads.

SALLY HANSEN Right Red Fred
It’s been ages since the World Famous Super Model Thumbnail™ has made an appearance on this page. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Right Red Fred {RRP€8.95} is warm red, and that is the brand’s vaunted one coat > meaning, one coat will get you salon coverage. Perfect for us lazy arses who are bad at polishing their nails.

RIMMEL As You Want Victoria
Rimmel London Moisture Renew Lipstick in As You Want Victoria {€6.49} is purely luscious. It feels as soft as a balm, but the pigment! Not what you’d expect from something stuffed full of moisturising vitamins. It isn’t the absolute best for long-wearingness, but blot a couple of times and reapply and you’ll get some mileage out of it.

ARMANI red
And here she is again! Giorgio Armani Nail Lacquer in Four Hundred {€24} is a one coat application as well, and a bluer red, which I tend towards. It is so shiny, you’ll be tempted to eschew a top coat; do use one, if only to make it last even longer.

LOREAL
I have been going-to my L’Oreal Paris GlamShine Stain Splash in Juliet {€12.29} since I got it, and it may be the first lippy installment in I Used It All Up. As shiny as gloss, as light and yet not nearly as drying as stain, this is a spectacular red, and the look will last through hours of talking and drinking. I did quite selflessly put that to the test — anything for you lot.

LOUIS VUITTON Capucine £3250
There is a smaller version of the latest It bag, Louis Vuitton Capucine {£3,250*} that does not look as if Michelle Williams could fit her entire self in it, with room to spare for her keys and cell phone. This snap of the page of Vogue is likely as close as I’m going to get to this, but oh! The silhouette! The brazen redness of it! I die.

FITFLOP FLAME
‘Why is everyone staring at me?’ I wondered grouchily — then I looked down. I had forgotten I was walkin’ around in my FitFlop Super T Sneaker in Flame {£34.99 via clogg.co.uk}. Red shoes make peeps very starey! {These are, in fairness, very much an orangey red…} I had a pair of red patent leather Doc Martins that inspired New York drivers to shout ‘Nice shoes!’ out their windows as they passed.

I got these in a larger size than my usual, as my previous pair of Super Ts still has not broken in properly. I am not super mad, as it’s not really that FitFloppy in terms of support, not old school FitFlop, in any case. Still, it gives good sole, and had I bought the Gogh Moc Snake clogs in Snake Jam (red) instead of Choclate (self explanatory), they’d be featured here to much greater acclaim. Nice wedgy sole, great to walk in, and they make my ankles look skinny!

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*AHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA

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The Eyes Have It! And Boy, Do They Need It: New Fave Mascaras

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Just for the sake of argument, here’s my naked lashes.
BYE BYE EYELASH EXTs 2

And so:

CLARINS Length & Curve Mascara, €26
They look pretty clumpy in the first photo, which they really weren’t. The second image shows them to better advantage. That is Intense Brown, which you may not have thought. They look nice and black to me!
CLARINS 3
CLARINS 1

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RIMMEL LONDON Scandaleyes Retro Glam, €8.99
So fake looking, in the best possible sense!
RIMMEL 1
RIMMEL 3

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BOURJOIS Volume Clubbing Blackjack Mascara, €10.49
I heart this a lot because it is so seriously thickening.
BOURJOIS 1
BOURJOIS 2

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LANCÔME Hypnôse Doll Lashes Mascara, €28
We’ve seen this one before; in this case, I only had time to do one coat, and I think it looks pretty substantial.
LANCOME doll eyes

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Finally, here’s a reminder about the Electric Blue stuff via Maybelline Colossal Color Shock Mascara, €10.75; I wore it out into the world, and it was noticeable in ‘Ohh, like yer blue lashes’ way.
MAYBELLINE COLOR SHOCK 1

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Finally, finally, a shot I like to call Daft Noir Selfie.
DAFT NOIR SELFIE
I am especially proud of the daft shadow of my phone, and my hands holding it.

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How About A Quickie? Lancôme DreamTone Facial at Arnotts

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Is a 20 minute facial enough? It usually takes me a good while to relax into the vibe of a beauty room, but I am willing to train myself to let go faster, if it means enjoying a facial the like of Lancôme’s, on now through September in Arnotts, using DreamTone, the newest skin tone-evening, dark spot-eradicating product on the market. Three tones have been created to suit all skins, which mainly works, as the tone of the product itself isn’t all that overwhemling, which is a good thing. It’s a bit creamy for a serum, in my opinion, but it gives a lovely sheen to the skin while it is doing its complexion enlivening thang.

DREAMTONEThe cost is €40 against purchase, which is great, because I can totally rationalise 50% off the price of the serum {€87}; you can of course, use it against purchase of any of the products. I have to say, I’ve got my eye on the Hydra Zen Neurocalm Moisturiser, as I am very into its gel aspect, and how soothing and cooling it is on my skin.

The protocol packs an awful lot into those 20 minutes, so yeah, it’s plenty of time to do something nice for your skin…
> The facial starts with a double cleanse, using Galatéis Douceur.
> Your skin gets a thorough but gentle scrub with Exfoliance Clarté.
> The Hydra-Intense Masque follow; Sheena, my expert aesthetician, called it a ‘drink of water for your skin.’ {It felt like it.}
> A 10 minute hand massage is administered while the masque is let do its work.
> After the masque is removed, the Dreamtone is applied, also accompanied by a gentle massage.
> The whole biz is sealed with the application of the Hydra Zen Neurocalm Moisturiser.

Don’t worry about going out into the rest of the store, much less the world, with a naked face: you’ll be offered the chance to have some foundation applied, if you wish. Me, I was happy enough to go forth, glowing.

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Ring 01 404 0400 {ext 371} to book.

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Bitchface of the Yesterday: What is On It.

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This looked bitchier in my phone, but nevertheless: onward!
FotYD> 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 MAYBELLINE fit me in 130me! 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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