SERUM

SkinCeuticals Retexturing Activator

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AKA: BI-FUNCTIONAL RESURFACING AND REPLENISHING SERUM

Oh, hi.

I brought this away with me on my Christmas journeying, because I have this ridic idea that if I bring something that’s nearly gone and use it up while I’m away, it’s, ummm — a good use of the product? And that my case will be lighter by .0000001 of an ounce coming home?

Well, I didn’t use this all up in the three weeks I was travelling because it was so good and amazing I brought the rest of it home. Less eager to see it go, I had enough for three more weeks and I am raging it is gone.

*sob*

When I got the sample, I duly used it and reviewed it for the paper. I found it effective enough, but I had four other serums I was working on and moved on fairly sharpish.

In this last month and half, it certainly stood out. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror about two weeks in and thought ‘Hey, my skin looks pretty fantastic.’ Glowy, clear, and a noticeable decrease in pigmentation — should I start hoarding this?

This is formulated to exfoliate without scraping away your good skin while reinforcing the skin’s barrier against the bad stuff. I was using a whole dropper of it which was unnecessary as the coverage is incredible.

It’s obvious, but using something good consistently yields results. (It’s pricey: anywhere from €61-98 online, gahhhhh)

Saving my pennies for another round: if I hadn’t been so eager to mow through it, I’d say it’d last me at least four months. #TRUTH

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Beautyfull News: Clarins Paris, L’Occitane, Aldi, Rimmel London, Nuxe Paris

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CLARINS PARIS Joli Rouge Moisturizing, Long-Wearing LipstickCLARINS joli rouge
€22 Paired with their range of new, neutral Lipliner Pencils {€17.50}, this collection of 25 revamped hues is bound to be an autumnal go-to. Because I’m a divil for deleting photos on my phone and can’t be arsed to connect to the cloud or whatever, here’s a screenshot of the Insta I took on the day I wore Delicious Pink, which lives up to its name. The lipliners come in Nude Fair/Beige/Rose/Mocha, to suit the range of skin tones from fair to dark. I went for the lightest to go with the pink; it was fine, and frankly, it was nicer on its own. I imagine they’ll come in handy the further you head towards the dark end of the spectrum. I found the lipstick to be lovely: light, long-wearing, and in the case of this particular colour, as shiny as it looks in the photo. Perfect for people who’d prefer to wear their lippy, rather than have it wearing them.

L'OCCITANE hermeL’OCCITANE Pierre Hermé Limited Edition Fragrance Collections
€10-56 Speaking of delicious! Monsieur Hermé is a pastry chef, and has collaborated with the Provençal brand to create two new ‘flavourfull’ fragrances. There’s Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli, a flowery bend for those who wouldn’t normally go for something sweet. I find you can never go wrong with Neroli, it’s really gives one’s spirits a lift. For those who like something zestier, there’s the Pamplemousse-Rhubarbe which I also like: it’s as crisp as can be, and with its cedar and vetiver notes, can shared with your fella. The range ranges from lipgloss at a tenner to €56 for the EDTs. The packaging is delightful, and the gift sets at €72 are perfect for holiday gift giving sans an in-your-face-this-is-a-Christmas-gift vibe.

ALDI Lacura Expert RangeALDI expert eye gel
€5.99 That’s the price for all the products in the line — pretty good! There’s an Expert Wrinkle Smoother, an Expert Beautifying Serum, and an Expert Double Effect Eye Gel, and all are infused with Mimox®X, an active complex that helps encourage the skin to regenerate its own collagen and elastin fibres. NGL, I don’t know how that actually happens, but hyaluronic acid is implicated, which is still all the buzz as far as anti-ageing is concerned. I have given them all a go, and am pleased with the eye gel especially: it’s cooling and soothing, and it’s also a bit of a pick-me-up of a sleepy morning. I am also impressed by the serum, which gives great coverage and absorbs like a shot.

RIMMEL LONDON Match Perfection FoundationRIMMEL match perfection
€10.29 I prefer the coverage of the 24hr version of Rimmel’s foundation range. This promises invisible coverage to create invisible pores; my skin is in excellent nick, and I feel like this didn’t really do it justice. If you have skin like a newborn baby and want to look even more perfect, then this might suit. So basically: younger skins may get loads of joy out of this; less young, maybe not so much. I also found that I feel somewhere between the two lightest hues, with neither of them being… a perfect match.

NUXE PARIS Splendieuse Radiance-Activating, Anti-Dark Spot Range
€30-38 I suspect that the word ‘splendieuse’ is along the lines ‘fabilicious’ in English; it is, in fact, a combination of ‘splendid’ and ‘radiant’. I say go for it, Nuxe: make up all the words you like, as long as you keep expanding your lines of skincare. This targets dark spots, and boosts the radiance of the complexion, all the while smelling gorgeous and feeling luxurious — far more luxurious than you might think you’d get at that price. There’s a fluid for normal skin, a cream for dry skin, a serum, and the pièce de résistance, which is the Anti-Dark Spot Perfecting Mask, an actual mask that you lay one your face and gently press against the skin. One got passed around at the launch and it felt rich with product — in fact, it’s infused with what amounts to almost the entire bottle of 30mls of serum; even holding the box, you can feel how heavy they are. As ever, all of these take their effectiveness from natural ingredients and there are no animal-origins ingredients involved. Check back here for an in-depth review of that mask! {Look at the drawing at the bottom left — I die!} CLARINS perfecting mask

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Beautyfull News: NARS, Max Factor, Rimmel London, Payot

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BEAUTYFULL NEWS 02It’s mainly about colour for me this week, with a bit ‘o’ skincare thrown in.

NARS Christopher Kane Violet Atom Multiple {€40}
****
Lips and cheeks and general highlighting are covered by a multiple, and NARS are well known for their contributions to this cosmetic enhancement. I have to say, I don’t know where I’d be without my Orgasm — but what gal would, in fairness? This is an iridescent tube of purple-y/silvery goodness and it’s all I can do to not draw all over my face with it. I find it wears away more quickly than I’d like, so be prepared to reapply often. This is a limited edition!

MAX FACTOR Creme Puff Blush {€11.49}
****
I reach for this more often than not — and I’ve got an Hourglass trio of Ambient Blush sitting right there. This is effectively a dupe for said Ambients, and has equal pigment and durability. I don’t know, I think because it is less spendy, I feel like I can use it on a daily basis? I have nothing bad to say about this at all, although it could use more impact in the highlight. Otherwise, this is produces a rich, expensive glow to the complexion.

RIMMEL LONDON Oh My Gloss! {€4.99}
****
Enriched with Argan Oil and Vitamin E, this is the perfect treble-purpose lip gloss. It applies (and reapplies) like a lip balm, shines like a gloss, and fades with aplomb. I found the lighter shades to be too light, but the ones that have got decent pigment — like Rebel Red (shown) and Twinkle Twinkle (not) — truly take you from desk to disco. There’s a good balance matte and sparkly choices, too.

PAYOT Élixir Idéal Skin-Perfecting Illuminating Serum {49.50}
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I am currently motoring through a Payot moisturiser, which never happens — I never finish a moisturiser. I’ll be writing about that soon, but until such time, I got stuck in to this. I love a good serum, and this is pretty good. I’m finding it absorbs that bit too quickly — I don’t think my skin is suffering from unusual dryness, but it is ‘summer’ after all. I’m not giving up on it, just saying that it’s not been an immediate ‘love’.

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Those Three Little Words: Gift With Purchase (Thanks, Elizabeth Arden!)

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Even now, after all these years of beauty journalism/blogging, I never tire of hearing that magical, magical phrase. This one is particularly good.

EA giveawayThe bag! So pretttttty! The content! So impressive! These sample sizes would surely last me an entire Christmas visit back to the States, and would mitigate the usual overloading-of-the-make-up/skincare-bag.

There’s a Beautiful Color Lipstick, the anti-aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser {which is the bomb}, Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum which are also the bomb, two more serums, a moisture cream and a lifting cream.

So, heavy on the serum, which suits me down to the ground — can never get enough serum. I love that the lippy is there, but may have liked a targeted nighttime cream. Whatevs! It is pretty darned perfect, and is yours with purchase of two or more products.

The bag is the work of British designers Preen, and you’d almost be tempted to use it as a clutch, much less as a Product Conveyance Device For Travelling.

Get yours while you can, exclusively at Debenhams, from 21 May to 13 June — while supplies last, naturally.

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Merumaya Treatment Toner: I Am Converted

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MERUMAYA tonerI have not been a fan of toners. Don’t know why… I think I reckoned that they were unnecessary, that my cleansing regime was just fine, thanks, and that I didn’t need anything else pre-night serum/cream.

Wellllllll — I’ve changed my mind. I like Merumaya’s Treatment Toner loads, and I wouldn’t be without it now. {If nothing else, using it shows me if I’ve done a proper job cleansing.}{Which, sadly, I mostly do not, but that’s another post waiting to happen.}{NOT that I’m using this to cleanse because that is, of course, a no-no!}

I found this great for my pores, which I am not angsting over all that much, but am happy enough to keep shrunken. I’m also happy with the hydrating feeling I get when I use it, and the way it interacts with the brand’s Iconic Youth Serum — my skin feels like silk after using them both, and more importantly, it still feels that way upon waking.

The brand have a deal on their site that I think is worth investigating if you are unfamiliar with them: the Skin Essentials Intro Set includes the Iconic Youth Serum, Youth Preservation Moisturiser SPF 15, both in 15mls, and 100mls of Melting Cleansing Balm < this is so good, I feel like going and cleaning my face right this second. It’s £24.95; if you’re ordering from Ireland, shipping is the same as the UK (£3.95).

I talk about how I used up the serum all up, here; within, there’s also a link to a Q&A I did with brand founder Maleka Dattu, as well!

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Nurture Anti-Ageing Conditioning Hair Treatment: When Good Things Come In Small Packages…

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… if the thing doesn’t sparkle, it better do something useful.

First: adorbz!
NURTURE package

Second: handy!
NURTURE capsule

Could this be any easier to pop into a going-away bag? It could not.

Third: any good?
NURTURE HAIR

Yes! The softness, the shine… The Hair feels good, and looks good, too.

A few things:
> You need to be patient with the twisty top. The capsule is made of particularly soft soft plastic, so it takes more than one twist to get the cap to snap. I think it took me abut six twists. Careful! Don’t want to spurt serum all over the joint!
> As tiny as the capsule is, it felt like there was almost too much in it. It’s like the wardrobe to Narnia, or something. Speaking as a long-haired person, it was ultimately the correct amount. Shorter-haired persons may even be able to get another go per capsule.
> It is oddly, and yet welcome-ly, scentless. I sniffed my locks a couple times, I was that surprised.
> The serum has UV and thermal protection qualities. I never think about my hair getting baked by the sun, which = duh, espesh as my highlights gets noticeably highlightier in the summer…
> 20 capsules suddenly doesn’t seem like enough…

You can buy them online here, on nurtureskincare.co.uk for only £7.45, which is a snip, frankly.

And there’s a whole world of product on the site designed for mature skins, and the company are located in Guernsey, which looks stunning!

Let the hording begin…

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UPDATE: You won’t get second day hair out of this unless you use dry shampoo the night before. < Which, when I was first investigating how to use dry shampoos properly, wrecked my head {ha, ha}.

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UPDATE, MARK II: I used two of my carefully hoarded capsules on a recent trip to France. The water in France is usually rather hard on The Hair*, and it gets all dry and frizzy and dull. This stuff was magique: softness, shine and manageability were the same as at home. So, maybe the headline should be: Travel-sized Product Travels Well!

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*Occasionally, my diamond shoes pinch just the tiniest bit, too.

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How’d It Do? RICH Hair Care

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I thought I wasn’t hungover, but I totally am. The fab new Shelbourne Spa is officially launched, and they did in style, as you can imagine.

The champagne was still being poured well after most of the crowd grabbed up their goodie bags and bolted. I can’t imagine why anybody ever left at all — I can’t believe I’m still not there, necking the Moët {which I had been tweeting as Möet all night; the shame!} There were also these amazing meat-on-sticks-things wrapped in cheese — wrapped in cheese — and medium-miniature lemon meringue pies.

Okay, so, it took me five tries to spell ‘meringue’. I really need to go have a lie down.

I used almost all the RICH products on my hair yesterday.

Yeesh, my hair is long!

I found that the Pure Luxury Intensive Shampoo was hard work to lather up — and I say this even knowing that big lather is meaningless. I loved the Pure Luxury Hair Repair Treatment, the scent off it was gorgeous. The Pure Luxury Silk Oil Serum should probably last me from now til Doomsday as a half of a pump was more than enough.

I wasn’t paying much attention when I went to spray on the Pure Luxury Maximum Brilliance Protect & Shine: it goes on very heavily if you are treating it like a hairspray. It’s more like a thing that you spray all into the air and then walk into it, so it settles gently on your ‘do?

The Pure Luxury Sure Hold Hairspray was grand, I don’t have great expectations when it comes to hair spray. This smelled good, which always helps.

I felt like my hair was smooth enough, and I was sorry I had scared myself as regards the gloss spray — I think in future, when I use it correctly, it will really pump up the shine.

I knew I wasn’t going to be bothered washing The Hair this morning, so I twisted it into a top knot to sleep, and reckoned I’d iron it out and lash on some of that mysterious Pure Luxury Intensive Treatment Cream, but when I took out the elastic, look what happened!

Big sexy bed head! I put some of the treatment cream on the ends to dial down the frizz. It didn’t really last the whole day — it might look better when I get me roots seen ta — but seriously crazy waves I couldn’t get if I tried.

In general, I am feeling positive about the RICH line! Now, time to fire up the electric underblanket and forget I even heard of French champagne.

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RICH haircare is available in all good chemists.

The Shelbourne Spa is really fab, follow them @shelbournespa

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You Don’t Have to be Rich to be RICH

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I bet you think you do, when you see a fancy box like this.

I really — really — want to see what’s inside.

{Well, hey, I was in the kitchen.}

Ah: happy family of hair products!

Prices range from €6.99 for the Pure Luxury Intensive Shampoo to €8.99 for the Pure Luxury Silk Oil Treatment, and €9.99 for the rest. That’s really good! And they are available in chemists!

The text promises me ‘unparalleled moisture, strength, and shine’, which is exciting. I admit I am not entirely sure what to do with the Pure Luxury Intensive Treatment Cream: it says to leave in the hair and style as usual… After drying? Maybe? Eh, I just fecked some on the ends of my dry, pre-washed hair, just for the craic. It smells gorgeous, and, well, rich.

We’ll see how we get on!

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Sensation: Dermalogica Overnight Repair Serum

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I think that there was this crazy diet going around that had something to do with losing weight in your sleep? Am I making that up? Because wouldn’t it be so fantastic to do pesky, annoying stuff in dreamland?

It seems silly… but I do think that subliminal listening programmes might have some value, the ones where they lull you to sleep, and have all these tracks that you can’t hear, but are rewiring your brain. I’ve never tried any, because I’m afraid I’ll get all tangled up in the headphones and choke myself. This would not be a good visualistion to fulfill. But I do think that overriding the conscious mind has value and what better time to try than when you are not conscious?

I guess my issue is that it would be great if things happened over night, but you do have to apply yourself in some way, regardless. Those ‘quit smoking’ tapes are not going to play themselves! And it’s all well and good to take a product like Dermalogica’s Overnight Repair Serum and look forward to enjoying the fruits of its nocturnal labours, but you do actually have to apply it.

Yes, I’m talking to you, Self.

I don’t know where to keep this bottle so that I don’t forget to put it on before I go snoozing. I’ve got it on my bedside table, which seems to make sense, so after I’ve brushed my teeth and put on some night cream — oh. Dammit. Forgot!

The thing is, I can mix this oil with that night cream. But sometimes I wander out of the loo and use the stuff I’ve got on the lower shelf of the bedside table…  is there a subliminal tape I can get so I remember that I’ve got this serum?

Because: it is awesome. Part of Dermalogica’s AGE Smart range, it is targeted to maturing skin, and I have to say, when I wake after I’ve remembered to use it, my skin feels great. It looks so glowy, and feels so moisturised, that I, the least likely to be nominated as Best Morning Person in any year — I feel pretty good about getting up and about.

The secret of its efficacy is all about oils: Argan and rose make up the base; added to this are essential oils and plant extracts — and seaweed! All combine to make this an aromatherapeutic experience, too.

You only need 3 to 5 drops to saturate your face in anti-aging goodness. Good thing, because the only issue I have with this is that it is a bit challenging to shake the stuff out of the bottle. Once out, it smells and feels like a fancy treatment you get in a spa, and the soothing scents are a lovely escort into the land of Nod, where everyone quits smoking and doesn’t gain a stone as a result. Magic!

PLUS: Dermalogica have joined with FITE {Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship}, so every time you buy a product branded with the FITE logo, Dermalogica will make a donation to an indigenous female entrepreneur. These micro-loans help women all over the world, and you get to choose where, and what kind of business you’d like to support. Go here for more info.

€64.85/£56/$60