The other evening, after painting my nails in Essie’s Wrapped im Rubies… it ddn’t take me long to decide that it was a dull, dull colour…
…but I’ve changed my mind. It’s not dull, it’s just not Summery.
Application was a teeny bit awkward, it seemed to remain sheer in certain places on the nail and I experienced a tiny bit of bubbling on my thumb. To be fair though, I was in more of a hurry than usual… so it could well be down to my application skills (or lack of them on this occassion).
I’m on my 2nd full day of wear and tip wear is barely noticeable. I did dent one nail despite my quick dry top coat, so it seems to be a slow dryer… deffo crack open the seche or alternative. Essie Wrapped in Rubies is a beautiful bronzed-red with flecks of gold from the Winter 2007 collection… perfect for Autumn.
This time of year (especially with the mini heatwave we had yesterday) it’s tricky to decide which season we’re currently enjoying!
With that in mind, check out Miners Spring/Summer nail collection which comprises a bit of both!
A nifty combination of 2 seasons in one collection…
Rio Pink: Not to look out of place on a Brazilian beauty dancing her way down the main strip of Rio Carnival, this shade is perfect for the beach. With a pearlescent finish and bright pink tone Rio Pink is fun, flirty and fashionable – the perfect colour for a beached beauty, along with those who like to dream.
Jaffa: Inspired by bright African colours and prints, Jaffa is a muted orange shade with a pink pearlescent undertone giving an electric look without being over the top. Jaffa is perfect for a sunny adventurous look either adding a bit of sunshine to ware away the April showers or to enhance your beach bronzed tan.
Apricot Blush: Seen on the catwalks from London to New York this is a milky-pink shade with a silver pearlescent base. Apricot Blush is perfect to add a bit of sparkle and make this seasons 70s romance style rock!
Flamingo: Putting the fun back into girly, Flamingo is a gorgeous rosy shade of pink, with a slightly orange undertone – perfect to add a touch of glamour to an everyday feminine look.
Denim Shorts: Following the catwalk trendsetters Jeremy Scott and Giles we have added a blue hue to our nail collection. Denim Shorts is a washed out blue with light pink undertones, a perfect shade for the beach or to brighten up a natural, plain look.
I’m loving the look of all of these with the exception of Jaffa (which is ontop of the blue). I have a Miners glitter polish that I love, so will have to see if I can hunt these down as stockists seem to be pretty thin on the ground.
Alternatively, retailing at £2.99 each – you can buy online from Miners.co.uk
As previously threatened, I went and picked up the new Bourjois Elastic Mascara yesterday. I ended up going to Superdrug to make the most of the £2 off promotion and ended up paying £6.99 for mine.
I know some of you think it’s daft.. but I kinda love the packaging! I have a billion mascaras, so being able to spot the one I want immediately is always useful. It does look a bit like a toilet brush holder though (well spotted Rhamnousia!)
The brush is one of those spikey bristle affairs… ideal for separation and lengthening, not so good for volume. The emphasis on the Bourjois Elastic Mascara is on lengthening, so I wasn’t surprised to see this brush design.
What I was surprised to see was the amount of product the wand picked up in those reservoirs. Too much. Combine this with quite a wet formula-ed mascara and I knew I was going to have issues with application before I’d even lifted the wand past my nose.
I was right. It actually reminded me a lot of the issues I had with the last Bourjois mascara I bought (1001 Lashes). Admitedly, 1001 Lashes has actually grown to become one of my favourites… but it took 3 months for the formula to dry out enough for me to fall in love.
I love the brush on this Bourjois Elastic mascara. It actually ‘grabs’ my lashes. I can feel the pull as I drag through from root to tip. It keeps hold of them like no other brush I’ve tried. So if that formula thickens up a bit after a couple of months, I could have an winning combination on my hands!
Having said that, once dried… it’s a slightly crusty mascara, this doesn’t really bother me – but I know some of you prefer more flexible and soft finishes. It doesn’t actually *look* crusty… but you can feel the crispiness going on!
The weird handle is actually another thing I love about the Bourjois Elastic Mascara. It makes me more ‘light handed’ with the wand and I find myself applying with fluttery light but sweeping strokes as opposed to my usual ham-fisted, poke yourself in the eye efforts.
Another cool thing about the handle is that you can ‘twizzle’ the wand whilst applying to get maximum coverage. Didn’t think about that did you?! Rolling the wand between my thumb and forefinger feels quite a natural action as I’m pulling the product through the lashes. Unfortunately, the action just encourages this damn formula to clump… I’m still clinging to the hope that with a bit of age, the formula transforms into something amazing.
Definitely lengthening… not volumising or even very defining (I’m blaming the formula).
I’m on the fence with this one.
Something I’m not on the fence about?
This promo image:
Seriously? Just. Sod. Off.
Bourjois, you may be my favourite high street brand… but you hands down win the sucky Photoshop bs eyelash promo image award.
EDITED TO ADD:
The above promotional image shouldn’t be on the website under Elastic Mascara apparently, some kinda mistake as it’s a few years old.. here’s the correct model image!:
No wait, I’ve got another one. Longevity. 6 days, no chipping and minimal tip wear.
Application is ok… it’s the same as all the other Eyeko polishes, on the thick and gloopy side but not unworkable with a fairly slow drying time. Top coat recommended.
The colour is lovely though, on my short nails it really ‘pops’ and makes my fingertips look like sweeties! Or maybe I’m just hungry.
Either way, I like this one lots! The new formulation is definitely an approvement on the old version.
£3.50 from Eyeko online with free UK delivery and cheap international shipping.
They were putting these out on the shelves of my local Superdrug last Friday but I couldn’t see any testers so was unable to check out the wand and brush – boo!
I was also on my way back from my sk:n appt so I didn’t wanna hang around too long with my uber-flushed red bits on show, but I’m going back into town this afternoon to check it out.
They say…
The new Elastic Mascara achieves 130% more visible length to the lashes with its innovative, ultra-lengthening elastic formula and lash-extending brush.
The brush is the essential partner to the mascara and has two parts: the reservoirs which release the formula along the whole length of the lash, and the long, fine bristles to stretch the formula and visually increase the length of every single lash. All lashes, even the shortest and finest, are stretched to the maximum leaving them intensely smoothed and coated from root to tip.
I do love me a bit of lengthening mascara, there haven’t been too many new high street mascara releases recently have there?
Boots are currently offering a 3for2 on all Bourjois or you can head to Superdrug for £2 off!
Price: £8.99 / €12.99
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I’ve recently had a bit of a mascara purge (threw away 7 of the damn things)… so I think I can treat myself to some new mascara love.
In other mascara news, I keep reaching for my YSL Singulier in an attempt to finish it off… I’m just not that keen on it especially considering it’s price tag. I’m kinda loving my L’oreal Telescopic Explosion (controversial choice?) but it’s a bit of a faff to apply…
I think I should get back on my ‘mascara series‘ wagon, I’ve been through so many tubes and forgotten to review them – bad blogger!
What are your current mascara favourites and will you be checking out this latest offering from Bourjois?
So, last Friday (14th May) I had my first consultation and test patch for facial laser hair removal at the sk:n clinic in Southampton.
I had previously shared my concerns and nerves about this first meeting… but I needn’t have worried too much. The staff and therapists at the clinic were very friendly and I was put completely at ease in their care.
When I arrived, I was given a few forms to fill out… general contact stuff like name, address, next of kin… and I was also given a consent form.
I asked if I could have a copy of the consent form and they were happy to oblige. I really recommend you do this and infact, it would be great if they did it as standard. It’s a well written document that summarises many of the important concerns about laser hair removal and if you’re signing your name on the dotted line… it’s good to have a reminder of exactly what you’re giving your consent to right?
So after these formalities, I was greeted by my therapist Hayley and led into a treatment room. The laser device was the indimidating looking machine lurking in the corner looking a lot like a big photocopier with a hoover attachment. It’s true… look…
Hayley went through a checklist of contraindications which included things like asking me if I were pregnant, suntanned (yeah right) and whether I was on any medication including steroids (I was assured that steroid inhalers didn’t count!). We discussed which body areas were going to be treated and at this point I asked if it would be ok for me to pay to have a small patch on my chest included in the treatment area. She grabbed a price list and gave me a quote for 6 sessions (just under £300) which I agreed to.
I was asked what I do to currently control the hair growth and I explained that I shave the areas daily. She was pleased with this as it meant that the hair follicles would be intact and undamaged by the plucking or waxing process. If you want to know more about why this would be important and how laser hair removal actually works (along with a video demonstration), check out this page on the sk:n clinic website.
The last thing we discussed was after care. At this point, I was offered the option to purchase a ‘starter pack’. What this basically includes is three products that are recommended for you to use after treatment to help soothe and protect your skin.
It’s obviously another string to sk:n’s money-making bow to offer you the option to purchase products directly from them at the time of treatment. I don’t think they’re particularly marked up (although the seperate purchase price of £15 for a SPF30 Sunblock seems quite expensive).
Anyway, here’s the “Starter Pack”:
Aloe Vera Gel
Spray Water
SPF 30 Sunblock
If you already have these… you don’t HAVE to purchase them. For me, it was a convenient time to pick them up. I’ve already been through a lot of the Aloe Vera gel and I’ll be buying another tube (albeit from Holland & Barratts!).
You’re advised not to use your normal skincare for a few days… simply because you don’t want to expose your skin to any lotions and potions that could cause extra sensitivity on an already sensitized area. However, I made sure to check that wearing makeup wasn’t a problem!
The single most important aspect of aftercare however, (and Hayley drummed into me!) is sunblock. Do not leave the house unless you’re protected from the sun. To be blunt… don’t risk a tan whilst you’re undergoing treatment. The whole premise of laser hair removal is that it targets melanin, the areas of pigmentation (i.e. dark hair and the follicle under the skin). You start getting tanned bits and you lose the contrast making the treatment less effective and more likely to burn the skin.
Dun, dun, dun! It was time to hop up on the couch and get on with the test patch… my mouth went a bit dry at this point…
I was handeed a pair of sunbed goggles… you know, the ones that kinda fit the shape of your eyeballs and don’t extend much further… these are total blackout, so it’s immediately a little more unnerving as you can’t see a thing. A side effect of this is that your hearing becomes a touch more acute… so when the machine (which was right by my head) fired up… I’m not ashamed to admit that my heart beat a little faster.
Hayley was constantly talking to me, explaining what she was doing and reassuring me that everything was as it should be. I’m glad she was chatty… it really helped to put me at ease. I’m such a wuss!
As the (I’m not sure what to call it!?) laser head bit was put over a small area on my chin… I felt a slight vacuum-y/cooling sensation before the laser fired and I felt a sharp twang on the surface of my skin. It’s not painful… but the anticipation is uncomfortable for me. It’s a bit like waiting for a balloon to be popped. I think that as I get used to it and into the swing of a full session, this feeling will fade… but I was really aware of anticipating the next laser fire.
What I wasn’t expecting however, was the smell. Burnt hair… really quite unpleasant and thanks to the treatment being carried out around my chin and top lip, right under my nose! I think I’ll breathe through my mouth next time!
Immediately after, Hayley sprayed my skin with thermal water and applied copious amounts of Aloe Vera Gel which I forgot to rub in and spent the next ten minutes looking like I’d sneezed on myself. My skin immediately turned a shade of lobster pink and I was sent on my merry way with an appointment for my first full session (Tues 18th May) and my starter pack of after-care products.
You can see how my skin looked 12 hours later and read my concerns at the time by reading my update here.
It remained hot to the touch ’till Sunday evening (60hrs after treatment) but the redness and swelling have now subsided. There’s still visible signs of irritation, but it doesn’t feel ‘burnt’ anymore. I’m a lot happier that my skin isn’t reacting in some unusual way. It also would have helped if I’d read the aftercare sheet FULLY and not just scanned it thinking I recognised everything I’d already been told:
2. …the treated area may become red and swollen and may remain so for several days after treatment.
Sorted. My skin probably isn’t going to fall off then. I am Norman normal, just perhaps a teeny bit more sensitive than hardier types!
You’re gonna have to excuse the hair… I have shaved twice since my test patch on Friday… I guess you can see why I so desperately want this treatment done huh? Anyway, at the risk of stating the bleedin’ obvious… the red bits are irritation and these photos show the affected areas 60hrs after treatment.
Honestly, I’m kinda dreading what I’m going to look like on Wednesday morning after my first full session. I’m thinking Freddy Krueger. Don’t forget I’m practically having the whole of my lower face lasered… I’m not sure I’ll be able to leave the house for a few days if the test patch was anything to go by. I guess it’s something I didn’t consider. Oh well, I think it’s time to stop worrying and wait and see what greets me in the mirror on Wednesday morning.
So that’s it really… a full on update. In total, I’ll be having six sessions and although I won’t be updating with as much detail as this after my subsequent treatments, I’ll still be doing progress reports and posting photos when appropriate.
I guess that if I’ve got something worth sharing, I’ll be letting you guys know about it.
Here’s a vid that Mr. L shot when we went for a cup of tea afterwards, please excuse the sillyness at the end. Apparently, I’m boring, unlike the dude that walks behind me with a giant red erection… no, really (40 seconds in).
Yesterday I went along to the Bourjois Press Office in central London to have a look at a new line of cosmetics that have been launched exclusively to Boots in the UK.
Une Natural Beauty is a new brand backed by Bourjois. The main focus of the brand is on it’s natural and eco-credentials. The brand’s formulas are 98% – 100% derived from natural origin, contain no oils from petrochemistry and are paraben and silicone free. 14 out of the 20 products carry the French ECOCERT label which means that the products adhere to strict ecological and environmental regulations and standards. You can find out more about the ECOCERT label here.
Une Natural Beauty is a brand for those who take a keen interest in ingredients and the environmental impact their cosmetics may carry with them and simply want to discover a more natural way to wear makeup.
This is all great stuff and frankly an exciting concept for a new high street brand, but only if the products are as good as the philosophy behind them right? I chose a few products from the range to bring home with me to have a play with and I’ll share my thoughts on them (and some of the products I didn’t choose) later in the week.
For now, I thought you might like to see some photos from the unveiling.
Mooching around Covent Garden last week (as you do!) I stumbled across the Bare Escentuals boutique (the only one of it’s kind in the UK) and practically squealed at it’s boutiquey cuteness and revolving tester tables! I wish I had a picture to show you… but if you ever find yourself at a loose end whilst down Neal Street, check it out… I could have spent many, many hours in there swatching all the pretty shadows. Truly surrounded by pigment…. a swatchers paradise.
It also helped that the MUAs in there were completely approachable and at one point swatching with me and rediscovering shades they liked and disliked themselves in an attempt to find a potential alernative for an OOS shade I wanted to pick up.
Anyway, I was looking for a more summery lid colour… but as a neutral-loving fiend I wanted to be able to combine it with my boring beloved array of taupes and mauves in my collection.
I discovered this…
Bare Escentuals Heart is a wonderfully blended concoction or rose/mauve/pink/bronze… it’s dusky without being flat and colourful whilst still remaining neutral.
Being a ‘glimmer’ it’s pretty darn sparkly but despite this, still works surprisingly well as a crease colour. I do love these minerals for their blendability and this is no exception. At £13 for a small pot, they’re not cheap… but a little really goes a very long way. I barely have to touch my brush to the sifter to pick up enough colour for both eyes.
I also fell in love with two other shades whilst browsing… Queen Phyllis makes the most beautiful highlight and Grace is simply one of the most beautfiful minerals I’ve ever swatched… I was proper “woahhhh… that’s purdy” whilst playing with the testers… so I was gutted to discover that Grace was out of stock when I tried to buy it!
Have you checked out the Bare Escentuals boutique? What are your favourite BE shades?
Pro Makeup Brushes are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of makeup brushes. They offer wholesale, customisation and supply to brands such as Elizabeth Arden and The Green People.
and they kindly sent me a few from their range to trial and report back on.
I would call their selection of 16 tools fairly exhaustive for your average makeup user. The price is low/mid range. Brushes start from £5 and work their way up to £15.
The white goat hair brushes feel fairly soft, pliable and densely packed. There’s a faint whiff of wet dog about them which is common with the more budget friendly natural hair brushes. This is accentuated when I give them a wash but as they dry, the smell fades once again. Similarly, the other sable brushes are soft and densely packed.
The brushes arrived with this rather fabulous booklet which describes itself as an ‘educational booklet for makeup application’ and it’s really rather fab! It manages to cover all the basics in plain and simple English. Definitely a worthwhile inclusion and great for novices.
Onto the brushes…
#14 Blush Brush – £13
Though described as a blusher brush, the hair is cut with a slight angle so it’s perfect to use for contouring those cheekbones aswell. It’s a lovely brush, densely packed, soft enough not to scratch and well cut. Unfortunately, that’s where my praise ends. This sheds like a mofo.
Amount collected from running my fingers through the brush after 2 washes… this amount of shedding is kinda unacceptable from a £13 brush. I pick white hairs off my face every time I use it.
#1 Round Ended Concealer Brush – £6.50
I’ve never used a long haired concealer brush like this before… but it works fantastically well at applying concealer under the eyes and around the nose…. all those little crevices are covered quickly and smoothly with this brush. I didn’t expect much from this unassuming little tool, but it’s made it’s way into daily use for me.
#2 Fine Angled Brush – £6.00
A nicely made brush that picks up brow powder well. I wouldn’t use this for gel liners as the hairs are a little too bushy for precision lining. This has replaced my usual GOSH brow brush simply because it seems to work the powder through my brows more evenly.
#12 Large Eyeshadow Brush – £10
Another disappointment. I was hoping for a reasonable MAC #239 dupe, but the quality falls way short. Most noticeably, the ferrule on this particular brush is loose. I can hold the brush at the end of the handle… give it a gentle shake and watch the whole thing rattle. Perhaps connected to the loose ferrule… but despite gentle washing, I can’t get the brush to hold it’s original shape… it’s now a splayed mess. I’ve obviously received a faulty brush, but have to review on what I find. The goat hairs however are pretty soft and non-scratchy.
#11 Mascara Brush – £5.00
Again, I’m going to have to raise an eyebrow at the quality of a brush that arrives like this. You can see in the photo how some of the fibres are straggly. I’ve since cut them with a pair of nail scissors to avoid poking myself in the eyeball.
Aside from this… it’s a useful tool and is designed well. It does a good job at separating the lashes once mascara has been applied. It’s an extra step to the routine and one I wouldn’t normally take… but I can’t deny that it’s worth the effort for special occasions.
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Overall, Pro Makeup Brushes offer a good range of products at a reasonable price but I’m disappointed with the overall quality of the samples I received. The sable brushes were mostly of good quality, but I’m afraid that I can’t recommend the goat hair brushes based on my experiences with them.
Ok, so I have another video update on the way…. it needs a little bit of editing and I’m totally new to this video lark so still learning how to do all that stuff! I’m happy to overshare… but not look like a total moron, hence the need for editing.
I thought I’d give an impromptu update on the test patch I had at the sk:n clinic today in preparation for my course of laser hair removal. More of what actually happened during the consultation will be revealed in the vid, but as of a quarter to one in the morning following my consultation and test patch, I just wanna say…
Owwie! (please excuse the hint of boob-age)
The technician lady/laser thingy operator said that the redness (and any swelling) usually fades after an hour or so… but this is still going strong 12 hours later. It feels hot to the touch and slightly stingy but not too bad. I’m guessing it’s laser burn.
You can see that the hairs in that area *blush* are unshaved and I think this is the cause. She said that it’s best if I shave on the morning of treatment as the skin can suffer from burning if there’s much hair above the actual skin surface.
The lady was very nice and explained everything very well… but I kinda wish I’d known about this before hand. Or that they had disposable razors onsite that they could have offered me to quickly remove the surface hair and avoid this discomfort. I’ve been applying Aloe Vera like it’s going out of business ever since.
I’ve already declared my preference for shopping solo before… it’s a control thing.
My tastes are probably different to yours and I don’t wanna spend 20 minutes pretending to like that green eyeshadow you’ve gone all misty-eyed for.
I mean… “Hey! Why don’t you come over here instead and examine these 7 different taupes with me whilst I delve into miniscule detail noting all the subtle differences between them”.
See the problem? I’m not a very compatible or companionable person whilst shopping. Just leave. me. alone.
So, it’s with interest that I saw Elemis’ latest launch!
By the way… this is supposed to be a graphical representation of Debenhams on Oxford St… I wanna know why there’s only two women in the picture? There should be at least 50… all foaming at the mouth… pushing, snarling and invading one another’s personal space whilst clutching their little yellow Selfies bags from down the road.
Anyway, where was I?
Oh yeah… Elemis… Well, they’ve introduced this thing called a Double SpaPod and it goes something like this…
Launching this May is the world’s first Double Elemis SpaPod. Now there are two treatment rooms available so you can book in alone or if with a friend you can both stop for advanced facial therapy and total body revival before you continue to shop!
I’m really not sold on this whole “go with a mate” thing but it got more interesting when I read this…
Each treatment is carried out whilst you relax on an Intelligent Massage Chair that measures the length of the spine, takes your body weight, warms the body and is then programmed to deliver a customised massage using a variety of techniques, working specifically on any problem areas.
Getting warmer…
And check out the new innovative Smart Glass Technology. At the flick of a switch, this advanced glass instantly frosts over locking out the hustle and bustle of the beauty hall and cocoons you in its relaxing retreat-like ambiance…
Sold to the lady who wants to play with the switch! *flick, flick, flick*
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I guess I can see the point with going to a spa-type thing with a mate… but I dunno, if it involves shopping too… I think I’d rather be forced to buy nothing but Constance Carroll for a year than buddy up…
Are you a sociable shopper? Do you take your girlfriend’s to the loo with you? Do you want one of those Elemis massage chairs for your front room too?
My first video… eek, no edits! Video queen I ain’t…
If you have any questions (no matter how silly you think they may be) about professional IPL treatment at a clinic, please ask and I’ll either be able to answer them through my own experiences or find out on your behalf.
If you don’t feel comfortable asking questions in the comment box, feel free to email me privately.
To find out more about the sk:n clinic and the treatments they offer, visit their website here.
EDIT 13/05 20:51:
I wanted to quickly update to say…
Firstly, thank you SO much for being supportive and generous in wishing me the best of luck with the treatment, it’s really appreciated and very good of you.
But I also want to clarify something…
I don’t feel brave and I don’t think you should think me brave either. Save that for someone who writes openly about something like this without being rewarded with many many pounds worth of free treatments in an attempt to fix it.
Honestly? I wouldn’t be discussing this on my blog if it weren’t for that fact. I’m certainly no martyr to the cause of hirsutism!
I seriously contemplated limiting my experiences, review and photographs to my upper lip. It’s the least ‘freaky’ area to suffer from excess hair and the place where most people would be able to relate. But the simple fact is that receiving this free treatment puts me in a privileged position. I’m not a bonafide beauty writer… I’m a lucky girl dedicated to her blog and I think I can suffer a little bit of indignity if it:
a). helps highlight the more embarrassing aspects of excess hair in a sympathetic way.
b). brings a small amount of comfort to even one person who may read this and realise that there’s literally loads of women with the same problems.
c). (if the treatment works) bring hope that there is an effective solution to the problem.
d). (if the treatment doesn’t work) potentially save someone a good deal of money, or encourage them to explore other options first.
Regardless, from now on… if I see any of you checking out my FOTDs with a magnifying glass… you’re off my Christmas Card list FOR GOOD!
