A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

When it comes to enticing us into a purchase, beauty brands fully understand the power of gluttony. When was the last time you bought a shower gel from a supermarket without giving it a good sniff first?

Foody smells in beauty products have always been one of the most popular experience-enhancers available to the industry and I’ve been trawling my bathroom cabinet in the quest to find some of the most deliciously scented products around.

Things are about to get tasty!

Milkshake Conditioning Whipped Cream* even sounds completely edible!  This tasty product from Milk_Shake contains some great natural ingredients, including a milk protein that promises to leave your hair soft, shiny and thoroughly swishable.  But the best thing about it?  It smells like a bonafide strawberry milkshake.  Make no mistake, you won’t know whether to stick a straw in it and lap it up or smoothe it through the ends of your locks.  £14.79, www.specialisthairsupplies.co.uk

Radox Berry Burst Shower Cream is a fruity reinvention from a high-street classic.  Packaged rather snazzily in hot pink, you won’t miss this in the back of your bathroom cabinet.  The scent reminds me of a cross between Starburst (I nearly said Opal Fruits – I AM OLD ALRIGHT?) and a fruit salad, ensuring that the blend between completely synthetic and somewhat natural is fairly well balanced.  The scent doesn’t last long on the skin but the cream itself is pretty moisturising for an el-cheapo! £1.99, www.boots.com

Who thought that Roger & Gallet was the kind of brand you’d buy your Nan for Christmas?  Yeah, me too.  But things are getting modern with the Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier* range and this Body Lotion punches well above its weight with a tantalizing blend of: mandarin, grapefruit, fig pulp, and musk.  Still not convinced… how about when I reveal the little-know-fact that the fragrance for this new range has been created by none other than fragrance maestro Francis Kurkdjian.  Got your attention now haven’t I?  Seriously.  Lap this beauty up.  £12.50, www.marksandspencer.com

Another super-cheapy here in the form of Lidl’s very own Cien Nail Polish Remover, oh the glamour!  I’m not sure we’re supposed to be sniffing our nail polish removers (pack it in at once!) but this bargain-hunter’s dream purchase puts me in mind of a bakewell tart with its almondy-goodness.  It’s a pretty decent nail polish remover too!  Also… it’s got that pro-dispenser pump thing going on up top, and anything that makes removing your nail polish just a weeny bit more fun is ALL good in my books.  £1.49, Lidl

Finally, what else would you expect from a brand named Fudge than some foody-related shenanigans?  Fudge were one of the first hair brands I reviewed on this here blog so I’m pleased to be adding the Fudge Urban Iced Coconut Cocktail Hair Spray* to my list of tempting treats.  It makes sense for hair spray (which is notoriously noxious) to be made more pleasing to the senses and I’m delighted to report that Fudge have done the business nicely with this offering.  A mega-strong hold and lasting scent in a compact can ensures that my hair will be smelling delicious for the foreseeable!  £4.99 (currently £2.99), www.superdrug.com

What are your favourite foody-scented products at the moment?

* press samples

… but to be honest, I’m not entirely convinced.

You see, Clinique have released (as of last week) a new line of nail polishes with an impressive marketing angle.

Allow me to introduce you to it:

Clinique conducted extensive research to ensure that A Different Nail Enamel for Sensitive Skins meets Clinique’s standards of utmost quality.  In fact, three years of research and three years of product development stand behind A Different Nail Enamel for Senstive Skins.  The final revolutionary formula was tested for one month on women with sensitive skin and sensitive eyes. 

Allergy tested and safe to use for sensitive skins, helps reduce the chances that eyes will burn, itch or water with contact.

Amazing.

Except for one thing.

We already have this.  It’s called Big Three Free and has been a “revolutionary thing” since 2007.

If you’re unaware, Big Three Free nail brands (including Butter London, Zoya, SpaRitual, Barry M and many more) offer nail polish formulations that are free of: dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde/formaldehyde resin and they have done for many years now.

So what?  Well, it’s this last ingredient (formaldehyde resin) in particular that causes most of the dermatological problems for those of us with sensitive skin, particularly around the eye area where (according to Clinique’s research) we touch, on average, 200 times a day.

So, the reason I’m so unconvinced by the “revolutionary” aspect of Clinique’s new release is simple.

There is no mention, either in the two-page press release, or on the website… exactly what has been removed from or added to a traditional Big Three Free nail polish formula to further reduce the risk of skin irritations.

If you’re selling your product on the basis of it being a “pioneering innovation” (their words), that’s kind of a big deal, congratulations… but as a consumer, I want to know exactly what’s in it (or lacking from it!) that makes it so Different, and I want this information readily available at the point of purchase.

I’ll enquire and if/when I hear more, I’ll be back to tell you about it.

Having said that, the polishes – taken solely on the merits of painting your nails – are quite, quite lovely.  The shades I received went on smoothly with a nicely cut, flat(ish) brush and didn’t give me any application issues.  I’ve included swatches of the four shades below for your reference.

The 12 shades are available in slightly maller-than-average 9ml bottles, available exclusively online at www.clinique.co.uk and nationwide at Clinique counters from 31 May 2013. RRP £12.00

UPDATE 07/05/2013: Clinique have released a statement in response to my concerns and a full ingredient list, click here to read the update.

* press sample

Makeup.  You can’t deny that it’s pretty damn tactile.  And shiny, let’s not forget shinyyyyyy.

I think that all makeup lovers out there have a certain magpie quality to their personalities.  I mean, we don’t go around destroying other people’s eyeshadows (did you know magpies destroy other bird’s eggs? stupid magpies) but there is something fairly irresistible about small, alluring objects.  The shinier the better.  Did I mention shiny?

Of course, brands positively count on this element to our personalities and play us for all they’re worth.  Have you seen YSL’s latest collector offering?  NO?  Oh, you must!

YSL have released a while-stocks-last collector edition of their iconic complexion highlighter* that has been inspired by the crystal bead-covered Haute Couture “Edition Soir” evening gown designed by Mr. Yves Saint Laurent himself in the 1960s.

It sort-of looks as though it’s been attacked with a bottle of topcoat and a nail dotting tool but the website blurb assures me that I am wrong, as it has infact been delicately engraved and embossed with a sparkling shower of light like an exquisitely embroidered dress.

Oh, alright then.

Whatevs.  It’s small, gold, kinda spangly, and a limited edition.  I’d swoop into your nest and steal it.

The YSL Touche Eclat Collector Edition is available to buy on counter, instore at Boots and online from yslbeauty.co.uk priced at £25.00 and available for a limited time.

Are you a makeup magpie?

* press sample

So, what does natural beauty mean to you?

Is it poreless skin without the help of foundation?  Laughter lines that show a life well-lived?  Perhaps it’s simply the beauty of an unspoilt vista lifting your soul in a way that city-life never could?

St. Ives – creators of iconic skin-scrubbiness – recently approached a selection of bloggers with a creative challenge which celebrates the company ethos of imparting confidence and exploring the radiance of natural beauty.

The brand, who have been around for over 25 years now, are dedicated to harnessing the power of nature within their skincare range.  To this end, their formulas do not contain parabens or phthalates, the brand use sustainably-sourced ingredients wherever possible, cut waste, and employ eco-friendly packaging for all their products.

The brief itself was simple: “capture and share an image of natural beauty”.  So simple in fact that it left a lot of room for interpretation, perhaps too much for a procrastinator like me!

I’m incredibly fortunate to live in a beautiful part of the world with the New Forest on my doorstep, beaches a few miles down the road and the rolling hills of the South Downs only a stone’s throw away.  But the problem was, that despite a wealth of inspiration surrounding me… beauty that I was itching to go and photograph.  I couldn’t get over one small detail…

The greatest source of natural beauty was sitting right next to me.

A brush through the tangles, a crown of flowers, and a couple of “knock knock” jokes later and I had all the inspiration I could have ever needed.

Despite the rather obvious fact that she’s not pumping half a gallon of Double Wear onto her face every morning, Leila’s natural beauty lies in the fact that she is so wonderfully oblivious.  Every inner thought and feeling, like most children, is reflected upon her face: from the doughnut she can’t get enough of to the wonderment of seeing Sleeping Beauty’s castle.  From the pride that correctly identifying her ABCs brings her to the chutzpah that follows when she utters the words “I am rather marvellous, aren’t I?”

Her eyes are not only a window into her soul but a porthole, skylight, dormer, and sunroof… all untainted by the self-consciousness that adulthood brings with it.  She feels no need to mask her feelings or to “tone-down” her excitement, fearful of looking too eager or heaven-forbid, uncool.  If only we could all recapture some of that day-to-day, unbridled honesty in our faces.

And that is why she, and other children of a similar age, are such a joy to be around (in moderation, of course!) and for me, an unparalleled definition of natural beauty.

Do you allow your natural beauty to shine through in certain company or are you focused on maintaining a facade? 

If you fancy talking about what “natural beauty” means to you, feel free to use the dedicated #StIvesNaturalBeauty hashtag on Twitter.

* In the interests of full-disclosure, all photographic entries will be judged by beauty photographer Claire Harrison on behalf of St. Ives and displayed at a gallery-style event in London next month.  The eventual winner will receive a fabulous prize (and one to give away to a reader!) 

** On a plate beside Leila, sat a sausage roll… looking particularly beautiful.  To be honest, it was a close-run thing.

I may not be the internet’s biggest fan of the Rimmel Lasting Finish “Kate” lipsticks… but don’t let my thoughts stand in the way of a good bargain, hell… I might even give them another try myself at this price.

What price?  Well, they’re priced at £5.49 each in Boots and Superdrug, so…

How does £1.99-a-piece sound?

Unhelpfully, there’s not much going on in the way of swatches but that’s nothing a good Google can’t fix.  Here are links to a few of them, via one of my fav lip-swatcherers: beautyswatch1, beautyswatch2, beautyswatch.

Are any of these catching your eye?  I can’t help but admit that I’m tempted by “04”, not that I should be… what with it finally being Spring n’all.

European ladies can also join in the fun with fairly-priced international shipping.  Who said Sundays are boring?

Rimmel Lasting Finish “Kate” Lipsticks are currently priced at £1.99 each, online from Fragrance Direct.  Tempted?

* don’t forget that Fragrance Direct also have the rather brilliantly-priced Dainty Doll leftovers up for grabs too (go for the blushers, gooo for the blushers!!)

Last week, I received a couple of samples from online beauty haunt, MyBeautyEmporium and one of them caught my eye instantly.  Priti NYC is a nail polish brand that have been around for a couple of years and I remember they caused some controversy back in the day when it was revealed that their collection (allegedly) consisted entirely of repackaged Diamond Cosmetics nail polishes.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Diamond Cosmetics are an inexpensive brand who offer a private label division for just such a thing.  There’s nothing wrong with this, nothing at all.  Private label cosmetics is a huge market and a huge amount of the cosmetics we buy aren’t made by the company on the label.  So what’s the issue?

Well, the problem was that Diamond Cosmetics polishes retail to the public at less than half the price of Priti NYC polishes.  The blogger Polish or Perish wrote a post on which polishes from the two brands crossover so-to-speak.  It would be foolish to spend more on an identical polish no?

Well, this isn’t really an issue for us in the UK anymore.  With the new Royal Mail restrictions, we’ve never been more of an island than we are today.  The only UK retailer of Diamond Cosmetics polishes packed up her online store a couple of years ago and if you want to get hold of some of the stunning polishes that DC used to offer… Priti NYC may be the only way you can achieve this nowadays.

If you haven’t already discovered the brand for yourself, I really recommend you pick up Lambstail Cactus – a beautiful, scattered holographic charcoal black.  Snapdragon* shown above is also a bit of a Summer must-have with it’s warm opaque-in-just-one-coat, jelly-esque squishiness that reminds me of a Jolly Rancher.  No top coat in that picture by the way.

Priti NYC polishes retail at £8.95 each online at MyBeautyEmporium

* press sample

It’s arguably every girl’s dream to create their own space.  From the day your parents let you pick the paint that will adorn your bedroom walls until the moment you sign the lease on your first flat, there’s something so utterly empowering about unleashing your personal style upon a visible arena.

Well, Jo Malone London’s Style Editor Charlotte Stockdale must be doing cartwheels, because you can’t get much more visible than the beauty hall at Selfridges.

In celebration of one of Jo Malone London’s most traditional scents, the brand are continuing to place their trust in super-stylist Charlotte, who has been revamping the brand’s classic image since her appointment as Style Editor last year.

The star of the show and Charlotte’s favourite Jo Malone fragrance, Red Roses, has been transformed from mere perfume into a collectable objet d’art – three hundred limited edition cologne bottles have been hand-dipped in neon paint and individually numbered.

Priced at £120-a-piece, demand has been high but perhaps a little more attainable for us mere mortals are the pretty textiles that have been created in collaboration with Abigail*ryan, the Belfast-based homeware company.

Of the designs, Charlotte Stockdale said:

“I wanted to add a modern twist to the iconic packaging of Jo Malone London.  I love neon, especially on a neutral background, so the classic cream and black set against shocking pink is a brilliant combination.  It’s fashion graffiti.  Playful, cool and alive,”

There’s a great post on Abigail*Ryan’s blog detailing the manufacturing process of these very pretty pieces, the little scent sachets – all stacked up and ready to go look completely darling don’t they?

The Red Roses Scented Sachets are priced at £22, the Cologne Pouches are £20, and the Scatter Cushions are £90.  Available to buy online from selfridges.com or on counter at Selfridges London and Manchester Exchange.

I’m engaged in a bit of a tempestuous relationship with Clinique’s new CC Cream*.  A turbulent love affair that swings from “YOU DO NOTHING FOR ME!”, to “HOW DID I EVER LIVE WITHOUT YOU?”  Unforunately for you dear reader, this may make for a somewhat confused review that I’m hoping will unravel itself by the end of the post, leaving me standing firmly on one side (or the other) of the fence.

First up, CC Creams… why would you need one?

Marketed as the industry’s answer to colour-correction, you should be interested in them if you suffer from a range of tonal issues.  Nose like a lush?  Hyperpigmentation like an ageing banana?  The CC Cream, in theory, should help to brighten, reduce dark spots, take out redness, reduce sallowness and act as your one-stop solution to anything that removes you from the “normal” range for skintones.  Of course, that’s not actually going to happen, not in the biblical sense at least… we’ve been around the block long enough to reduce our expectations somewhat when it comes to these kind of claims.

But still, it’s an interesting theory… particularly when you’re not expected to use these CC Creams as a stand-alone base product.  The CC Cream should be considered a primer, something that will prep your skintone in advance of your usual base product.  Except, that’s not actually the case here.  Bucking the trend, Clinique have released a CC Cream that contains enough pigment to actually act as your base product… oh, ok then.

Forming part of their established Moisture Surge range, the Clinique CC Cream promises to deliver oil-free hydration, colour-correction, and sun protection.  It comes in a total of six shades ranging from Very Light to Deep and contains a summer-appropriate broad spectrum SPF30.  For your money, you get a fairly generous 40ml of product… though priced at £28, it sits at the higher end of Clinique’s pricing for their base products – has anyone else noticed their recent price jumps?

Application is a little tedious and best achieved (in my opinion) with clean fingers, a little at a time, working the product into the areas of the skin that need “correcting” before blending toward the edges of the face.  The thick texture requires you pay attention to ensure that your blending skills are up to par, I’m assuming that this is a side-effect of a higher SPF protection.  That being said, it’s a product that will happily accept a few layers over the areas that require a little more help.

The shade Very Light is well-suited to my skintone despite it looking somewhat peachy when initially dispensed from the tube.  I would say that instead of brightening my complexion, it actually dulls it a little.  It’s not a disaster, because I’m handy with a bit of highlighter… but still, it seems to take away radiance rather than inject it.

So how does its colour-correcting capabilities perform?  Well, it certainly does “something” but I’m not convinced that it achieves it in a different way to any other light-coverage base product on the market.  In other words, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid if Clinique had called it something other than a CC Cream.  You know, maybe something breakthrough like “tinted moisturiser”… but as much as this irritates me, I can’t dismiss the product because it does fit in perfectly with my preferred summer makeup routine.

Even though it delivers too much blanket coverage for me to value it as anything other than yet-another-tinted-moisturiser-masquerading-as-something-new, my dehydrated skin bloody loves it.

Once applied, the gluey texture diminishes and leaves behind a velvety finish that feels comfortable on the skin without encouraging too much shine across my t-zone.  The level of sun protection means that I don’t feel too guilty about forgetting to apply a separate SPF underneath, particularly when I’m finishing off my base routine with a dusting of (SPF-rated) mineral foundation to achieve a more complete level of coverage.

So, there you go.  I feel like I’m fence-sitting a little, despite my best intentions not to.  Incase you’re under any misconception, I’m calling bullshit on the CC Cream status because I’m not seeing anything that I wouldn’t get from a standard (good) tinted moisturiser.  The areas of my face that aren’t affected by diffused redness are displaying the same colour-correction as my red bits… it just doesn’t feel like they’re being cleverly targeted in a specific manner.

That being said, I like the product.  Go and get a sample from your nearest counter and try it on your face before deciding if it’s the kind of product that would fit in with your daily routine.  Certainly don’t judge it on a back-of-the-hand swatch like I did when it was first released, once applied to the face it’s a completely different animal and very kind to those of us with complicated moisture-concerns.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream is priced at £28 for 40ml and available on counter and online from clinique.co.uk and johnlewis.com

* press sample

This month, eco-conscious brand Aveda are supporting Earth Month 2013 with the launch of a limited edition Light the Way Candle.  The brand will be donating 100% of the retail price (less VAT) to Global Greengrants Fund (GGF), a non-profit organisation that channels high-impact grants to grassroots groups working to solve pressing environmental problems.

Terry Odendahl, Global Greengrants Fund Executive Director says…

“Aveda’s support makes an enormous difference to Global Greengrants Fund and our goal of creating a sustainable world. Partnering with local communities, we have protected over 700 watersheds, lakes and rivers, and have supported over 20,000 women working for clean water in their communities. All of this is made possible by the sale of Light the Way Candles, and the salon owners who participate. We are grateful to the Aveda community for their visionary support!”

These clean-water projects can make a real difference to the lives of real people around the world.  In Morocco, just one candle donation can support the purchase of eight metres of piping to transport drinking water!

The 2013 Light the Way Candle (held in 100% reclaimed glass beverage bottles) features a new Madagascar-inspired aroma and has been blended with essential oils, including: vanilla, cinnamon, and ylang-ylang, all sourced from Madagascar.  The carton (made from 70% post-consumer-recycled paperboard) has been decorated with artwork made by students of the Association School in Ampasimanjeva, Madagascar, a village that has received two Global Greengrants Fund grants for water projects.

It’s plain to see that a lot of real thought, and energy has gone into the production of these candles.  Almost every aspect of the finished product can be linked in some way to the very good cause that the brand are helping to promote.

The Aveda Light The Way candle is priced at £16, and available to buy online from www.aveda.co.uk

Wotcha, I just thought I’d post a little update to apologise for my lack of… err… updates.  You see, to put it plainly, I’ve lost my blogging mojo in a big way.  So majorly infact, that I didn’t really want to voice it aloud out of fear of cementing it in my psyche as a “thing”.  In 4+ years of beauty blogging, I’ve only ever lost my blogging motivation in the most superficial of ways but this time it feels more emotional and backed with the full force of a little resentment.  I’ve always been a great believer in not forcing things and sometimes you just need to take a step back for a while, I can’t even remember the number of times I’ve said that to other bloggers who have found themselves drifting aimlessly and posting for the sake of it.

The problem is, I’m actually a bit too scared to take my own advice.  It’s not as if I have a thrilling social life once Leila has gone to bed, sure I’m kinda tempted to get back into the CSI franchise that made my pregnancy 100x more enjoyable (“Oh, I think the morning sickness is back, leave me alone with Greg Sanders K?”) and I haven’t watched an uninterrupted episode of Eastenders since 2011!  But where will all those unwritten posts go?  Not the reviews as such, but the random observations that creep into my head at 2am when I should be sleeping.  Has a lapsed-blogger ever exploded from not having somewhere to put these things?

Anyway, while I work through my “ishoos”, I’ll share yesterday’s FOTD.  You might be a little surprised to know that I’ve rediscovered a bit of love for nude lips.  I often look to the queen of nude lips (a.k.a Holly) for inspiration and remember my first nude lip love which was an old YSL Rouge Pur Transparent (we’re talking 10+ years ago).

This isn’t my old old favourite but it is still a YSL, and one of my favourites, Rouge Volupte #1 Nude Beige.  I bought this a few years ago when the Volupte’s were causing major pants wetting across the blogosphere and unlike my dabble into #7 Lingerie Pink, this one has remained a staple for whenever I need to glam up a smoky eye.

Whilst I prefer my bold shades to be richly pigmented… for me, there’s nothing worse than a white-based nude.  Anything remotely chalky can go straight into room 101 and this one is about as opaque as I can go before I start to feel like a wannabe ganguro.  I’m excited by YSL’s latest launch of Volupte Sheer Candy lipsticks (obv. not the should-be-bloody-bold-and-nothing-else shades) and hope that I may find another nude friend (please with sparkle?) among its collection.

The rest of the FOTD was a touch warmed up by the setting sun but it involved rediscovering my MUFE Face and Body Liquid Foundation in #36 (what lovely, natural coverage), a bargainous Wet n’ Wild palette in Comfort Zone, and some eyeliner (which could have done with a lot more smudging) courtesy of Clarin’s Kohl Kajal, which was a limited edition release from last Summer.

I hate to be such a giant cliche when it comes to changing my lipstick according to the seasons but when something feels right, well… you’ve just got to go with it haven’t you?

What colours are you wearing on your lips at the moment?

GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH

GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH

GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH GUSH

Dying from pigmented, juicy lipstick love.  I wanna squeeze it’s chubbiness until it spews a slash of hot pink glory all over my lips.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Plushest Punch*, priced at £16.00 and available on counter and online from www.clinique.co.uk. 

We gonna need moar than eight shades please Clinique.

* PR sample (thank god I’m not a gusher)

If ever there was a product subject to some major scrutiny on this here blog, this would be it. You see, Kiehl’s recently discontinued one of my favourite base products: their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer… and this, their new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has taken its hallowed place. I’m not entirely happy about this but I am curious to see how it compares, and ultimately, differs.

If Kiehl’s have done away with a fantastically valued tinted moisturiser – we’re talking 75ml of product for £20.50 – and replaced it with a glorified 30ml of tinted moisturiser (hyped as a BB cream), priced at £23.50 for 30ml, I’m not going to be a Kiehl’s fan for much longer am I?

Old vs New

Their old tinted moisturiser was a no-fuss product without any real skincare claims (not withstanding a less-than-substantial broad spectrum SPF15). Other than fantastic value, a naturally sheer coverage, and some thoroughly decent moisturising capabilities, it delivered nothing more. But that was all I wanted.

The new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has far more going on beneath the surface. The most obvious of which is broad spectrum SPF50 PA+++ sun protection. Whether or not one physically applies enough product to benefit from this protection in the real world is still up for discussion but it does at least, offer it in the first place.

It’s also been formulated with a high level of Vitamin C to help boost skin radiance and fade dark spots, which combined with a moisturising base certainly does enough to qualify bullshit-free, bonafide BB Cream status.

the old Tinted Moisturiser (on the left) compared to the new BB Cream

You can see that the texture of the two base products are completely different. At this point, my faith in Kiehl’s has been restored and I’m sufficiently convinced that their new release isn’t simply an excuse to bump the price on an old favourite.

So what do I actually think of Kiehl’s new BB Cream now that I’m happy to judge it on its own merits?

It’s available in three shades: fair, light, and medium. Of the three shades, I received “light” which is sadly a little too dark for my skintone as you’ll see in the following photos.

The texture is thick and the tone is fairly neutral, it certainly doesn’t present the greyed-hues of some Asian BB Creams which should please anyone who finds they tend to look ashy on their skin. Unfortunately, if I’m wearing the “middle” shade of the three, anyone with a darker skintone will feel excluded from this launch.

Please excuse the pin curl clip!

The texture feels heavier than their tinted moisturiser and yet provides only the same level of coverage and skin-unifying. The heavier texture is something that can often be expected from a product with increased sun-protection. Nevertheless, the finish isn’t greasy or even particularly dewy, something that many combination/oily skintypes should be pleased about.

I don’t feel that the BB Cream delivers the same level of prolonged moisture to my skin as the original tinted moisturiser did, and as someone with dry skin – this has the potential to be a deal-breaker for me. To be fair to Kiehl’s, this new BB Cream isn’t marketed toward any specific oily/combo/dry skin issues and as such, I’m assuming it’s more of a one-type-suits-all product. Taking this into consideration, I’m impressed that it neither highlights nor clings to my dry patches.

One thing that I will say improves upon my beloved tinted moisturiser is the longevity of the BB Cream. I have worn it on four ocassions and each time, coverage has lasted comfortably into the evening – something my old favourite would never have been able to achieve.

Ultimately, I don’t like Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream as much as I liked their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturiser, not for my specific skin concerns and not for my wallet.

However, as a BB Cream, and standing on its own merits, it performs very well and should suit most skin-types thanks to a formula that genuinely seeks to provide an effective skincare treatment alongside surface beautification.

Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream is priced at £23.50 for 30ml and available to buy on counter and online at www.kiehls.co.uk

* press sample