Paperself: False Lashes Made of Paper

We spotted these beauties at IMATS this year, and couldn't help but admire the intricate detailing.  Inspired by art of Chinese paper cutting, these are definitely statement lashes.  There are eleven styles available, some of which come with a bit of "symbolic meaning" -

Horses: symbolic of success
Peony: for happiness and good fortune
Peach blossom: a symbol of love and romance

Peacock: auspicious and lucky days

Butterfly: free, beautiful and sensitive

Clown: bring the whole happiness

Despite being made of paper, we're told that so long as you're gentle when you apply and remove them, they are reusable.  Available in two sizes, so you can accentuate the entire upper lashline or use as a detail accent to the eye, these are sure to get you noticed.  Simply beautiful.

Available from ASOS and the Paperself website, costing from £10 for a pair of small accent lashes.

MAC at IMATS: Terry Barber's Editorial Makeup Tutorial

Once again this year, IMATS visitors were treated to a makeup demonstration from MAC's European  makeup director Terry Barber. After last year's breathtaking demo (a look for film and video), our expectations were high, and Terry didn't disappoint.

The theme this time around was editorial and trend makeup - the kind of statement looks you see in glossy magazines and on catwalks. He gave us a little background about updating hallmark 60s, 70s and 80s looks with a modern twist, and explained that a successful editorial look needed to be beautiful as well as edgy and distinctive. Achieving both is a delicate balancing act.

Once again Terry's products of choice were predominantly multi-purpose formats from the MAC Pro range. He used orange, coral and red tones to create a Bowie-esque elongated eye shape accompanied by a bold red lip. That's a Creme Color Base in the picture above. (And look, he organises his palettes with sticky labels just like us mortals.)

Foundation and concealer had already been applied when the demo began. Terry emphasised the importance of using different shades to contour and define the angles of the face - the model had darker foundation under her cheekbones. He set the base with loose powder, which he applied using a powder puff. "I'm quite old-school," he said "and the puff is still my favourite way of applying loose powder". He stressed that bright colour should always be applied to powdered skin to prevent it adhering to the base and becoming impossible to blend.

The next step was brows. Because the eyes would be strongly defined, Terry opted for a bare but groomed brow. He spent quite some time combing and gelling the brows into place, and explained that brow grooming was essential for editorial work. One stray hair could ruin an entire shoot once the close up photos were taken. He used MAC's Brow Set to keep each strand in order.

The shape of the eye makeup was roughly sketched in with an orange Chromagraphic pencil. He explained that because of the choice of colour, a traditional eye-makeup shape would look too strange; familiar shape and unfamiliar colours would confuse an onlooker. The unusual colour needed to be applied in an unusual shape in order to work. Colour was taken all the way to the brow at the inner corner and far down under the lower lashline too. The lines were stark, but as he blended the edges with a fluffy brush we could see the look he was going for beginning to take shape.

A second shade of Chromagraphic pencil was applied on the mobile lid and under the eyes. Again, it was very sketchily applied but carefully blended. Terry added a layer of red eyeshadow (pro pigment, I'm not sure what shade) over the top of it with a brush. He used the trusty "powder under the eyes to catch fall-out" technique:

To avoid the "sore eyes" look that can happen with red eyeshadow, Terry announced his intention to use lots of black mascara. When he said "lots", we didn't know how serious he was...

This was just the start. He went for a deliberately clumpy lash look ("the art of elegant clumping", he said) with many layers of mascara. He even powdered over the wet mascara and then layered more on top of it for extra clumpy impact.

However, it wasn't a total mascara free-for-all; to make this work, every lash should be coated from base to tip, including the lashes at the very inner corner which frequently get missed in day-to-day application.

The eyes, cheeks and browbones were treated as one area, and contoured with a Creme Color Base and coral pigment used like blush. You can see that Terry's using one of his beloved duofibre brushes to blend the pigment here.

Finally, the lips. A third shade of Chromagraphic pencil was used to block out a strong red lip. The dense, demi-matte texture of the pencil worked really well and created a nice velvety finish - I'd be interested to try these pencils on the lips myself. A layer of Lipmix over the top added some shine and stickiness.

Finally, preparing for a finishing touch - this tissue was used to prevent fall-out on the chin as he dabbed on a layer of red glitter to the lips.

Here's the finished look:

And finally... just to prove that even models have this problem...

Lipstick on teeth!

IMATS 2011: Day 2 Summary

Today was Day 2 of London IMATS, and it was just as busy a day as Day 1.  The Pro Only hours, we're told, led to there being a couple of hours of quiet and calm between 9 and 11 - and indeed, when we turned up at half ten to be there in time for the first session of the day, the main exhibition area was quiet enough that you could get to see the products on show without using your elbows to get around.  Good times.

We sat in on the Lauren Luke question and answer session first off - which was surprisingly quiet, perhaps due to the early hour (11am on a Sunday!) and possibly down to the very consumer focussed nature of the session.  More on that in due course.

More inspiring body art (and a tiny bit of distracting pant bulge)

An amazing array of eyeshadow refill pans from the Make-up Studio, a brand we'd not heard of before from the Netherlands, which is supposedly big in mainland Europe.  The pans are massive: the size of Stila eyeshadows, they cost between £7 and £10, with a huge range of colours available.  I picked up one of their baked shadows; review coming up soon.

More large eyeshadows, this time sold as customisable palettes from French brand Paris Berlin.  These are thick, sturdy carboard palettes which snap shut with magnets - very durable.  I bought some of these for my mother, and they're pretty impressive - decent pigmentation if not the highest I've ever seen, and the palette quality is excellent.  

More incredible body painting.  The symmetry and level of detail in this appication was seriously impressive.

The infamous Alex Box, wearing a rather gorgeous sparkly red number, just before she began her epic 4-look application, which was set to music.  We'll be providing a full breakdown of her performance in the next few days.

A glorious combo of body painting and some very striking facial makeup.  The lashes are Make Up Forever and had a gorgeous fluttering movement when the model blinked - beautiful.

IMATS 2011: Day 1 Summary

So, today was the first day of the London IMATS weekend - and it was literally jam packed.  Alexandra Palace was stuffed with people out to catch some bargains, learn tips and tricks from the professionals, and have a look at what's new in both special effects and beauty makeup.  So stuffed, in fact, that walking around was quite a chore.

Continuing on a theme from last year, there were a high number of airbrush makeup companies exhibiting, with all of the systems being demonstrated priced for the professional market; we've yet to see a consumer oriented device launched.  There was also a massive explosion in the number of companies offering false lashes, from natural to glam to all out fantastic.

Illamasqua was in attendance, but only selling "kits" - with a kit being made up of a few shades in a particular product.  We suspect this was an exercise in selling off old stock.  MAC was swamped as always, as were both Crown Brush and Royal Brush, both of whom were selling their already reasonably priced brushes at a heavy discount.  If you're going tomorrow, get to those stalls early!

There was also a massive NYX stand - with the products being sold at a discount compared to the UK website, but still not on a level with US stores like CherryCulture.  That said, there were some pretty big palettes being sold for a very reasonable £10.

Session wise, there was a huge amount to choose from, with talks on airbrushing, bridal makeup, character and SFX techniques.  There was also an interesting session featuring EnKore, Pixiwoos, Wayne Goss and Pursebuzz, dedicated to all things YouTube - which we'll be reporting in more depth later on.

And now... here are some photos for your viewing pleasure!

Incredible character makeup was being applied in a number of places today - this one is from the Makeup Atelier Paris stand

Ben Nye eyeshadows at the Treasure House Makeup stand - these pans are massive: the size of MAC blushers and a fair bit deeper too.  

From the makeup museum, which contains many recognisable character masks and prosthesis from film, TV and beyond.  These characters are from Hellboy 2.

An example of some of the fantastically detailed (and glittery) body makeup being demonstrated during the day.  This one was at the PAM (Makeup Artist Provisions) stand.

An entire wall of nail polishes in rainbow colours courtesy of Inglot.  Beautiful.  Inglot had brought most of their range along with them, and were running some very good deals on their Freedom Palette system - with a 3-pan palette costing just £10.

More body art, this time from renound body artist Einat Dan, using Vimua products.

Some beautifully detailed false lashes - can you believe these are made of paper?  We'll be posting more about this company in a few more days.

And finally, the editorial look created by Terry Barber of MAC.  If you want to see how this was done, we'll be publishing a full walk through (with many photos) within the next few days.

Guest Review - Biotherm Source Therapie 7

Disclosure - PR sample


Writer and editor Vix Guthrie has been getting to grips with Biotherm's classic Source Therapie serum and has kindly agreed to share her findings with us in another guest review. Here's how she got on...

They Say:

7 benefits concentrated in one serum. Visible results. Now even faster.

The Biotherm biologists have immersed 7 ionized minerals in an ultra-sensorial velvety-gel to obtain a formula that catalyzes skin perfection: cellular renewal increases hydration flows within skin’s surface layers, and skin appears revitalized. Instantly skin feels incredibly velvety-soft, it is hydrated, and feels smoother. After 7 days, it is more even and radiates with a new healthy rosy glow.

A daily dose of perfection to enhance your beauty ritual. With 7 benefits:

Instantly smooth skin
Complete hydration
Regenerates youthful skin
Tightens visible pores
Mattifies skin
Evens out skin tone
Instant velvet touch

         

I Say:

A) What the heck are these ionized minerals and what do they do to my face?
Biotherm are a brand well known for their top quality products, formulated with a unique spa ingredient sourced from Thermal Spring Water. As well as this unique ingredient, Biotherm’s new product Source Therapie 7 contains seven ionized minerals (Copper, Zinc, Magnesium, Manganese, Sodium, Potassium and Calcium, Pure extract of Thermal Pankton) that they have tagged their 'revitilising oligo-mineral complex'. After a quick pootle on Google, it turns out that this fancy-pants sounding complex boosts skin cell regeneration, for fresh, re-energised skin. 

B) My, what a lovely glass bottle you come in. And with such a cute, yet practical squirty lid, too. And oh, you feel so luxurious and silky!

My skin is really sensitive, and has always had quite a rough texture and large pores but Biotherm’s Source Therapie 7 noticeably smoothed out the feel of my skin. The consistency of the serum itself was a cross between a gel and a rich, luxurious cream. I do believe it’s the silkiest face product I’ve ever had the pleasure of feeling! With a fresh cucumber smell, the serum left no greasy residue, and only took a couple of minutes to completely sink into my skin.

C) Gosh darn it, after a week of testing, this product seems to do everything it says on the bottle!I did need to use the serum combined with my regular moisturiser (as recommended) to keep my skin hydrated. Whilst using the serum, my skin felt great, but once I stopped, I really noticed the difference. Though Source Therapie 7 does cost a lot (price ranges from £28-£36), a little goes a long way - you only need one small squirt to coat your entire face. I did notice that when I scratched my face during the day, I found a light blue residue under my nails, so it appears that the serum does leave a fine residue on the skin. After a week of testing this product, I can honestly say I’m in love with it! It smoothed out my imperfections, closed up my pores, and my skin was noticeably clearer and smoother after only two days use! Source Therapie 7 is the best product I’ve used on my face this year! It’s the perfect product for someone who is showing the signs of getting their first wrinkles!

Source Therapie 7 is available at Biotherm.co.uk, starting at £28.60 for 30ml.

Cult Beauty pop up shop now at Selfridges

Disclosure - goody bags received from Cult Beauty at the launch. Cult Beauty is part of Handpicked Media. 

Cult Beauty's new pop-up shop launched in Selfridges, Oxford St. yesterday evening.

For those not familiar with the site, Cult Beauty is an online retailer-cum-blogazine selling some of the best and most effective beauty products sourced from around the world. One of the nicest things about Cult is that "best" doesn't always mean "most expensive". Some of their most desirable products are refreshingly low in price, like Tara Smith's haircare range (shampoos and conditioners costing £5.50) or Lucas Papaw ointment (£4.50 for 25g).

The pop-up shop in Selfridges will run from now until Monday 31 Jan, and is located in the beauty hall on the ground floor. You won't find the full Cult Beauty range there, but there is a substantial range of hero products selected by founders Jess and Alexia, including the Tara Smith and Lucas Papaw mentioned above, Strange Beautiful nail polishes, Belmacz and Face Atelier cosmetics, Rahua haircare and Immupure skincare. There will also be the chance to meet and learn from some of Cult Beauty's panel of beauty experts who will be in attendance for the duration.

If you get the chance to pop down this weekend, do. It's a great opportunity to get your hands on some superb beauty products not usually available at bricks and mortar shops in the UK. If you need more incentive, check out this offer of a free gift at the shop when you sign up to the Cult Beauty newsletter.

www.cultbeauty.co.uk

NOTD: Orly Sapphire Silk

Disclosure: PR sample

Part of Orly's new spring collection, Precious, Sapphire Silk is a sort of petrol blue with a green edge.  This colour, in combination with a cream finish, is not at all in line with the usual Spring offerings, which are usually pastels, pastels, pastels - and I love this shade all the more for it.  In real life, there's a little more green in the colour than the photo shows, but the overriding look is a strong, creamy petrol blue-green.

This photo, incidentally, was taken after three days wear.  The tipwear, as you can see, has just started creeping in - which is impressive for a shade like this.  I generally find that strong, cream finish colours like this show tipwear really quickly, so I've been pleased and surprised with the longevity of this shade.

I'll definitely be wearing this one again and again this spring (and probably summer too).  If you'd like to grab one for yourself, you'll find them at BeautyChamber or Spice Beauty sometime this month, where they'll cost around £9 each.

Review: Dr Nick Lowe Age Correct Eye Serum

Disclosure: PR sample

Every time I think or type Dr Nick Lowe, I remind myself of Dr Nick Riviera from the Simpsons - "Hi everybody!".  Dr Nick Lowe, distinguished dermatologist and creator of moisturisers I really quite like, is a good deal more trustworthy than Dr Nick from the Simpsons - particularly where skincare is concerned.  This Age Correct product is a "lightweight, ultra-moisturising eye serum" which instantly "firms, tones, and moisturises the delicate undereye area".

Now, I find this last part a little misleading: whilst the blurb claims it works on the under eye area, the directions say to apply it around the eye area.  So I've been using it as stated on the directions - smoothed gently with my ring fingers around my undereyes and across my eyelids.  And let me tell you - when the description says "ultra moisturising", they mean ultra moisturising.  Since I started testing this product out, my eyelids (already pretty oily) have become unstoppable eyeshadow guzzlers, capable of turning any eye look into shiny oily goo within a few hours.  Even Urban Decay Primer Potion has been incapable of preventing the oily effect.

This might be partially down to the packaging: one pump dispenses enough to more than adequately cover both eyes.  Between the thin, silky texture and the amount of product dispensed in one pump, it's easy to overapply the product (or else resign yourself to losing half of what you get out of the pump).  The texture of the product is actually rather lovely - silky and smooth, it's easy to apply to the eyelid and doesn't cause any dragging; the serum takes a few minutes to sink in, so it's difficult to be overly hard on the delicate skin in the eye area.

Unfortunately, due to the oil slicks caused by the serum, and the packaging which dispenses too much, I've had to suspend my testing after 2 weeks, instead of my usual month or so - so I have no comparison photos.  I suspect that it might work out better for someone who suffers from dry skin around the eye area - but for me and my normal skin and oily lids, it's far too moisturising.  

If your eyes are dry and crying out for some moisture, you'll find Dr Nick Lowe's Age Concern Eye Serum at Boots, where it'll cost you around £17 for 15ml.

Review - Agua Spa at the Sanderson Hotel

Disclosure - treatment was provided free for purposes of review

The Sanderson is a 5 star hotel located a few streets away from the frenetic foot-traffic of Oxford Street. From the outside, it's a monolithic, imposing building, but it contains one of the most blissful sanctuaries known to mankind - the Agua spa.

I'll be honest - I'm not the sort of person who can walk into a 5 star hotel as if to the manner born. I felt decidedly small and overwhelmed as I walked through the Sanderson's imposing lobby area for my treatment last week, but as I stepped out of the lift on the first floor and into the Agua reception, I immediately relaxed. I think it was the "quiet zone, no mobile phones" sign. (My subconscious probably thought I was in the geeky refuge of a public library.)

Agua is a maze of billowing white curtains, suspending from an incredibly high ceiling. It's probably quite a large space, but it's divided by miles of white fabric into a series of corridors and nooks that defy all wider sense of its dimensions. Without walls or windows, you quickly lose all sense of being inside a building, far less a busy hotel.

Beyond Agua's reception desk, the curtained pathways lead through to a central relaxation area. The lighting is low, and a cauldron-like water feature bubbles away, casting bright reflections on the ceiling. Elegant white chairs and side tables, custom designed by Phillippe Starck, are arranged around the edges of the room. Further along is a changing area with individual showers, mirrored lockers ready-prepared with robes and slippers, and a dressing table with thoughtfully provided hairdryers. There's also a steam room, and several individual relaxation areas; cosy curtained nooks with armchairs and lamps.

After a quick tour, I settled into a chair and sipped on a glass of iced water while I filled out the pre-treatment form. It was very thorough; even my taste in music was queried on the form and catered to during the treatment. After donning my white robe and slippers, I met my therapist Kasia who led me up some white stairs (who knew they were hidden behind all those curtains?) to a spacious treatment room. I had chosen the Restorative package, one of eight new "Inside Out" packages at Agua. Each one is different, but all are targeted at those who are short on time but keen to maintain their health and wellbeing. Each package involves a treatment followed by a carefully designed healthy meal and accompanying smoothie.

Before beginning the treatment, Kasia explained in detail how she would proceed, which was quite handy for me as I quickly became so blissed out that I wasn't really keeping track. First was the Eve Lom "Ultimate Cleanse" - a double cleanse of my face and decollete using Eve Lom's cleanser. (Kasia used natural sponges throughout the treatment to remove the products, which was a particularly luxurious touch as they're very soft and absorbent on the skin.) Next she painted several layers of warm paraffin wax onto my face to open my pores. Then she placed a warm cloth over my eyes before gradually peeling off the mask and finally performing extractions on the exposed skin. The cloth shielded my eyes from the very bright lamp she was using to check for areas of congestion.

I'd never had an extraction before, and to be honest I didn't think there would be much to extract, since I exfoliate regularly and keep a pretty vigilant eye on my pores, patrolling regularly for blackheads. However, several rather eye-watering minutes later she seemed to have honed in on quite a few problem areas and I was thoroughly purified.

Afterwards, a chamomile lotion and a layer of Eve Lom Rescue Mask were used to calm my skin and I lay back and enjoyed a massage with Aromatherapy Associates oils. The massage was slightly unusual in that I lay face up while Kasia slipped her hands under me and massaged my back, shoulders and arms. I was lying on a water pillow, so she was able to manoeuvre quite easily. The massage was the only part of the experience I might have wanted to change, and that was only because I wished it could have gone on longer.

Kasia was a great therapist - not only for her technique, but also her quiet, calm manner. She was gentle and careful in all respects, but also gave me a sense of assurance and expertise that made it very easy to relax with her.

After lying quietly for a while, I was installed (like royalty) in one of the private relaxation areas where I put my feet up and was served dinner - on a silver tray no less. To be honest, I thought the meal might be a bit "virtuous", but it was absolutely delicious - a light but fortifying meal that I enjoyed enormously. I had grilled turkey breast, quinoa with a salty dressing, watercress and roasted butternut squash. The coconut and fig smoothie that came with it was also very tasty.

I will let the picture do the talking - I ate every last bit.

After a luxuriously warm and powerful shower (with Korres toiletries) I dressed and reluctantly left the Agua premises. Stepping back onto the grey London street was like coming back down to earth after a few hours floating on a cloud. The experience was an absolute respite from daily life, which is, I suppose, exactly what a spa should be.

The Restorative package is £170 at Agua spa. For more information see the spa menu at the Sanderson Hotel website.

Review & Swatches: Laura Geller Babycakes Blush Palette

In my humble opinion, Laura Geller is one seriously underappreciated brand here in the UK.  Sold through QVC, it seems that the products aren't particularly well known to the general public, which is a damn shame.  So many people go nuts for MAC Mineralise Skin Finishes - but I think Laura Geller's baked blushes are far superior, in that they give pretty colour with a good dose of shimmer, without the massive glitter chunks that you often get with MSFs.  Having tried a full size Pink Grapefruit blush, and absolutely loving it, I'd been hankering after this Babycakes baked blush palette for ages.

Now it's found a place in my makeup collection and I've had a chance to use it a fair bit, I'm even more smitten.  This palette contains four colours - Sugar Free Raspberry, which is a non shimmery warm raspberry pink; Pink Grapefruit, a shimmering pink with orange tones in it; Golden Apricot, a sparkling peach; and Sunswept, a gentle bronze with champagne shimmer.  The colours are all absolutely beautiful, although the shimmer shades are quite similar.  The differences can really be seen in the sunlight; the sparkle has different tones in each blush.

Left to right: Sugar Free Raspberry, Pink Grapefruit, Golden Apricot, Sunswept

(in shade)

Left to right: Sugar Free Raspberry, Pink Grapefruit, Golden Apricot, Sunswept

(direct sunlight)

The packaging is a simple cardboard framed palette, with a thin but usable mirror, and a retractable brush.  Each blush is actually quite small, which makes the palette very portable - I find it very useful for weekends away, as with the four colours included you can match pretty much any makeup look with ease.  And they're domed!  Despite the small size, I'd be very surprised if I came anywhere near hitting pan on these within a year or so.

The included brush is a little bit small for my liking, but at a push it's still usable enough to apply the blush - it'll just take you a bit longer than it would using a full size brush.  I like the fact that it's a retractable brush - this prevents the black cardboard inner from getting covered in too much sparkly fallout (although you'll still get a fair bit when you swirl your brush over the blushes themselves).

Overall, I really love this palette.  Costing around £30, you get a perfectly portable blush wardrobe which will provide a decent match for almost any look.  The blushes themselves are well pigmented and pretty, and while the shimmer levels are quite high, it translates into a fine glow on the skin rather than an overly reflective or glittery finish.  I'm very pleased with my purchase - and if I ever reach pan on these shades, I'll definitely be buying another one.

If you'd like to try Laura Geller's Babycakes palette for yourself, you'll find them exclusively at QVC, where the palette is currently priced at £26.56.  What do you think?  Would you get a lot of wear out of these shades?  Let us know in the comments!

FOTD: Raspberry Flush

Yesterday's makeup was pretty understated for me.  I usually go much more heavy with the eyeshadow, and very rarely go without a strong lip, so this pared down natural look was a bit of a change.

Face
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation in Ivory
ELF HD powder
Becca Beach Tint in Raspberry


Eyes
Accessorize eyeshadow duo in High Maintenance (PR sample)
Chanel Inimitable Waterproof mascara in Noir
MAC Prunella Eye Kohl


Lips
Becca Beach Tint in Raspberry


I bought the Becca Beach Tint in one of the many New Year sales and I absolutely love it.  A full review and more swatches will be coming up very soon.  I've also been pleasantly surprised by the Accessorize eyeshadow... review and swatches coming up for that soon too!

NOTD: Andrea Fulerton Trio in Petrol In The Water

Gemma and I were both amused to learn that we'd quite independently gone out and bought one of these Andrea Fulerton Trios each. We're predictably alike in some respects. Like her, I was very tempted by the aqua-mauve flakies of Rain Fall, but in the end I opted for Petrol In The Water. I'm very glad I did.

We've been consistently impressed by the Andrea Fulerton range so far. Original concepts, well-selected colours, practical packaging and very high quality products.

Andrea's obviously someone who loves to experiment with unusual colours and finishes. The Trio format (which I think is unique to the Andrea Fulerton line) is a kind of creative toolkit, allowing you to apply the two contrasting colours as you choose to create one of three different looks. The two "ends" are 4.4ml each, around the size of a Mavala polish. They work out similar in price to Mavala too, at £7.99 for the Trio set, so around £4 per 4.4ml.

Petrol In the Water consists of a shimmery chocolate brown with gold pearl on one side, and a sheer iridescent white on the other. Here's the brown side worn alone:

As you can see it's more than just a base coat, and has a shimmery charm all of its own. It applied well too, with a thick, smooth consistency giving even coverage (this is two coats). I really like this and would happily wear it solo.

But... when the white side is added, an incredible turquoise-purple duochrome emerges. I was smitten by this effect and just couldn't stop looking at my nails. Look at the transformation from just a single coat of the white polish over the brown:

Here's a close-up:

You can see how densely the reflective particles are packed into the sheer base. Amazing.

I'm very impressed with both the quality and the colour choices in Petrol In The Water. I will definitely be collecting more Andrea Fulerton Trios in the future.

If you're interested in picking up your own Trio, you can find Andrea Fulerton's full range in larger Superdrug branches and via Superdrug online.