TOP TWELVE OF 2012

Top Twelve of 2012: The Future is Now, Via My Face and We Love Laser

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This is the final installment of posts about my twelve new fave products and services of last year. They do all add up, even though they weren’t in twelve posts, and even though, uh, there were actually thirteen? You come for the reviews, you stay for the LOLz…

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Do We Love Laser? Yes, we do. Not only because it is in my locality, but also because the vibe of the place is as youthful as the services it provides.

Do I want to recapture my youth? Hmmm, not so much — but I am happy to look as well as I can for as long as I can. I feel like the Photo Facial has tidied up some fines lines, zapped some excess hair, and in general refurbed the canvas of my face. I also feel like the potions and lotions I use for all that anti-aging biz will actually have a chance to work.

The first time I lasered? That was something of a learning curve, for sure. The second time? I thought I was blasé, but there was still a touch of The Fear. The third time? I was all over it, an old hand, and really delighted by the progress my pigmentation was making — meaning, it was progressing away, away, away, and off of my face.

Pictures are worth a thousand: the top two are from the first session, and the bottom from the most recent.

FIRST LASER

THIRD LASER 2I didn’t intervene with the Photoshop, so the colour temperature of the images is different, which makes it look like I intervened to make the third one look better, but I didn’t. I am entirely satisfied with the work, and I’m deffo going to go for more.

Two things that I’ve found that work wonderfully well on the new, improved surface:

FACE IT

I still stand by my post about Human+Kind’s Anti-Ageing Cream. This is another product I’ve used down to its last pump. And whilst I didn’t blog specially about Sisley’s Black Rose Masque — OMG, Sisley’s Black Rose Masque! I had gone to get a facial at the Brown Thomas Beauty Room, and the aesthetician had recommended this, as had the Sisley PR. I am designating this as my US to IE jet lag cure. Even if it doesn’t zap the lag, at least I’ll look stunningly dewy and fresh-faced.

It does cost a bomb — €106/£81/$158 — but it is a little miracle in a tube. I expect to get ten masques out of this, as the usual dictum of ‘a little of an expensive product goes a long way’ applies, so that’s really only €10.60 per masque!

I got your world class rationalisation right here!

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We Love Laser Medical Aesthetic Clinic is located at 82 Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire. Visit www.welovelaserireland.com for the full menu of treatments.

Top Twelve of 2012: Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Miracle

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dr-lewinns-strengthenerNow, I never did get around to my superfantastic celebratory manicure, due to Auld Schplitty — although, having said that, I did give myself a nice fake French Manicure. And the only reason the fake French manicure worked is because of Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Regime.

Incorporating a Nail Strengthener and a Nourishing Oil {for the cuticles}, this is a miracle worker of the highest order. Having had manky, weak, ridgey nails for the entirety of my life, I suddenly have longer, stronger, smoother nails.

Suddenly? Yeah, not really: it did take discipline, and I didn’t maintain, and I learned my lesson. But if you do the work, you will reap the bennies, and in fairness, it’s not that big a deal.

The result? You can refer to the Dr Lewinn for the whole saga, but if you just want to see The Wowness, then click here.

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Top Twelve of 2012: The One About The HD Brows

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The one? How about the million? Of the many excellent things that I experienced in 2012, HD Brows have turned out to be revolutionary for my overall look. My go-to salon is Carter Beauty in Blackrock, and I leave happy — nay, delighted — every single time.

They are particularly great when I don’t feel like putting on a lot of makeup. Like today. Here I am with my lovely dad, and my lovely brows:

POPSTARI have intervened only slightly with the colour and shape, and my favourite brow-shaping-cosmetic thingie has been AVON Glimmerstick Brow Definer. I try and test so many things in the course of a year, much less a week, that when I use something up entirely, it is highly significant.

I used this up entirely. Will use again. And again.

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This is the account of my first session of HD Brows; click the HD Brows category for allllll the posts.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Minding Me Pelt

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BODDDDAlso file under: Hoarding. I love both of these so much, I ration my uses of them. Which is too bad really, to not use something that I like, but on the other hand, I know how to make special occasions even more special.

I fell for Dermalogica’s Hydro-active Mineral Salts immediately. Itcombines the excellence of salt-based therapeutic bath salt, with minerals and tonnes of essential oils. It smells rather… organic, which some may find off-putting. I feel medium about the scent, personally, but the effect of the sea salt and sandalwood, lavender, orange, clary sage, lemon, and tea tree — among others! — is pretty spectac.

Oh, Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse, how do I love thee? Countless ways! I have tried other oils, and liked them muchly, but not completely and utterly muchly — no where near as muchly as I adore this. The scent! The coverage! The suppleness of my skin! This year saw a special anniversary addition that came in a spray bottle! There is a version that has glittery sparkle in it! Still waiting, like many of this product’s fans, for the perfume version. Hint, hint, Nuxe!

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Here’s the original post about the Dermalogica salts; here are the words about the prodigious oil.

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Top Twelve of 2012: Four, Calling Birds

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Did anyone else think that this holiday was completely weird, time-wise? Not only that it came up so quickly, but also, I don’t know, it just seemed like everything was on the wrong day?

I blame Tuesday. Aw, poor Tuesday, I feel bad immediately saying that. However: Christmas on a Tuesday just doesn’t work. So let’s avoid that for the next while, ‘kay?

Because of time and Tuesdays, I suddenly don’t even have twelve days to do a single Top Twelve per day, so I’m doing some grouping here. Let’s start with makeup, my B&B birdies! Continue reading →

Top Twelve of 2012: Lucky Number Thirteen

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I was just this second reviewing my list, and I gasped aloud: there is nothing on it to do with The Hair.

Scandalous!

HYDRATING STYLINGAnd then I remembered that I was in fact going to laud the seemingly implausible qualities of Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream. So let’s just call this Lucky Number Thirteen, and then we’ll get on to the business of the rest of the list.

‘Seemingly implausible’ because, as the owner/operator of fine hair, the notion of putting anything as heavy as a styling cream on post-blow dried locks is like, why not just stick your head in a vat of goo?

As I reported here, I took the risk, and I have to say, the risk has paid off in spades since April. No matter that I use styling oil, and have gotten one of those Keratin hair dryers*, I still get flyaway strands that want to do what they do best, and flyaway. This tames them, and also imparts that signature Moroccanoil fragrance, which is powdery and clean, and one other thing that I can’t quite put my finger on. Possibly the thing itself from which Moroccanoil is made, like a nut or something?

Hang on.

Okay. I have plenty of stuff that has argan oil in it, and they don’t all smell like this. The Internet was sharing all kinds of links with itself when I Googled, but most of the links had to do with other products {reading is fundamental, mentallers} including the nut one, so clearly I was confused, too. We all get confused sometimes. Glass Petal Smoke — a site I will certainly be bookmarking — breaks it down to white amber and musk. I am huge fan of both, so there ya go.

So, two more things I couldn’t put my finger on. Also! Totally forgot to try it on damp hair, pre-blow, as I had vowed to do in the previous post. That will be top of my New Year’s Resolution List, right below ‘world peace.’

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*OMG Keratin blow dryer thing. Have you heard? I’ll be back with that anon.

Top Twelve of 2012: Um.

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I had big, big plans that I had set in train, oh, back in November practically, which in internet cat years is like, pre-historic. Had all the things chosen — products and services — and thought, Ah sure, just organise the photos and take care of it while you are away.

I have left allll the info and stuff on my external hard drive at home.

LOLLLLLLLLLLL. *Sigh*

Wait, maybe I am genius and I put it on a USB, but why would I, what with the cloud and all?

Wait, did I bring a USB — crap. {Yes, but did not back up.}

Okay, time to plumb my actual as opposed to virtual memory. In order of remembering:

> We Love Laser Photo-facial
> HD Brows
> Vichy Pureté Thermale Soothing Eye Make-Up Remover
> AVON Glimmerstick Brow Definer
> Dermalogica Hydro-active Mineral Salts
> Huile Prodigieuse
> L’Oréal Nude Magique
> Human+Kind All-in-One Cream
> Sisley Black Rose Masque
> Dr Lewinn’s Renunail Treatment
> BeneFit PoreFessional
> Hourglass Cosmetics

Well, I lied because clearly I no longer have actual memory at my disposal: checked my email and found most of them.

Whew! Right, so, tune in over the next several days!

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Dammit, photos all at home, too. Massive linkage will ensue.