Tuesday, 26 November 2013

Purminerals Show Off Collection


This cute collection of crayons is the Show Off collection from Purminerals.  It contains six chubby crayons, three of which are lip gloss sticks, and three of which are eye shadow sticks.


The format is probably familiar to you:  chunky, twist up sticks of colour with a tapered end.  These ones feature colour coded barrels and clear caps to stop you from mistakenly applying dark brown eyeshadow to your lips.  Because, you know, it's not the 1990s anymore.


The lip gloss sticks are all on the pink spectrum; you get Pucker, a pale pink, Fling, a mid brownish pink, and Taunt, a metallic raspberry pink.  The eyeshadows are all neutral - Exposed is a pale, shimmering champagne beige, Unveiled a burnished metallic mid-brown, and Staged is a shimmering chestnut brown.

Left to right:  Pucker, Fling, Taunt
I was surprised to find that whilst the lip crayons are described as 'lip gloss', they're actually pretty high in pigment, and are better described as glossy lipsticks.   Pucker is the least pigmented of the three, giving a soft baby pink tint to the lips, with Fling and Taunt giving plenty of opaque colour.  Taunt is very, very metallic in finish, and makes for a real statement pink lip.

Left to right: Exposed, Unveiled, Staged
I was expecting the eyeshadows to have a creamy, slippy texture, and whilst they are blendable and smooth to apply, they're a lot more waxy than I imagined.  This slightly waxy texture doesn't interfere with application, though, and does give the shadows better power to cling to the lid, although those with oily lids may find they crease unless you apply a heavy dose of primer.  Applied and blended, they give a neutral eye look with a bit of sheen to the finish, and the intense pigmentation can easily be blended out to give a subtle look, or layered if you want to go smoky.

These Purminerals crayons are actually pretty impressive - I wasn't expecting a lot from them, but I've found myself pleasantly surprised by their pigmentation and texture.  The set of six crayons is only £22 at Marks and Spencer.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Monday, 25 November 2013

Ellis Faas Hot Lips in 409 Pink Nude and 405 Bright Coral


Ellis Faas lip products have sexy, sexy packaging.  They're a bit like a stiletto - if Quentin Tarantino wanted to make a film in which a female assassin killed someone, then slapped on a bit more lipstick, she'd be doing both with one of Ellis' pointy, sexy lip products.

Left to right:  409 Pink Nude and 405 Bright Coral

This latest lip product is Hot Lips, a new breed of full pigment liquid lipstick which is designed to give full on colour, a matte finish, a light feeling on the lips, and long wear.  I had the pleasure of meeting Ellis herself at the launch, and she told me that these lipsticks are designed to be worked into the lip, and that once they'd been worked in enough, and dried fully, they'd be matte, transfer proof, and long wearing.

409 Pink Nude
409 Pink Nude is a very neutral, beige based pink.  Don't let its neutrality fool you - it still has a ton of pigment, and you need the smallest amount worked into the lips for a perfectly matte, perfectly nude lip effect.  I find this works well with shimmering purple eyeshadow and lots of black mascara.

405 Bright Coral
405 Bright Coral is almost neon bright.  Again, the pigmentation means you need only a tiny bit, and the sponge applicator helps to get a soft edge to the lips which stops this bright colour looking too POW on your face.  The shade goes well with a low-key face, and it's certainly attention grabbing.

I've been impressed by the wear of these - I get around four or five hours before I need to wipe off and reapply.  Because of the matte finish, applying more on top is likely to just make a dry, weirdly textured mess, so reapplying completely is recommended.  They do dry out a bit on the lip towards the end of the wear time, but they don't become massively uncomfortable.

They're available at Liberty in London, or online via Ellis' online store, and cost £22 each - not much for intense colour, long wear, and the ability to kill a man with one throw.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Sunday, 24 November 2013

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in 15 Ombre Mercure



This is a By Terry Ombre Blackstar.  An Ombre Blackstar has nothing to do with Mos Def, nor does is have anything to do with gradient hair colour.  It's actually a stick eyeshadow with a cooling, creamy texture, and a metallic finish.


This is shade 15, Ombre Mercure.  It's a glorious pewter-taupe-silver shade which is hard to accurately describe, but which is oh so pretty on the eye.


The stick texture makes application a doddle - you colour in your lid, smooth it out with your fingertip, and voila, done.  My oily lids destroy this within about 8 hours if it's applied over primer, so I'm not entirely sure it deserves to call itself long wearing, but the colour and finish are both worth the extra finger-crease-blending that occurs thanks to that creamy texture.

As always for By Terry, it's an expensive little treat at £27.50 for just 1.2 grams of product.  Very nice product though, perfectly paired with a ruby red lip.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Friday, 22 November 2013

Cargo Swimmables Eyeliner in Pfeiffer Beach and Secret Beach


Did you know Cargo has arrived firmly back in the UK, with new displays popping up at Debenhams stores?  No, me neither.  I remember fondly it sort of arriving into Sainsbury's and Boots, and then slinking off again.  Nice to see it's back.  These Swimmables eyeliners are a new part of the range, and they're somewhat akin to Urban Decay's cult 24/7 liners - they both glide on smoothly like a liquid liner, and set for long wear.  Cargo say you can get 14 hours out of these new pencils, and not only that but they'll remain steady in the face of sweat and water.


These two are Secret Beach, a pale peachy shade, and Pfeiffer Beach, a deep aubergine.  I was curious to know what was behind the Secret Beach sticker, so I peeled it off - and found that the liner was labelled Pfeiffer Beach - obviously a bit of a mix up during manufacturing then.

Left: to right Secret Beach, Pfeiffer Beach
 Secret Beach is a perfect alternative to white for lining the inner rims of the eyes if you want a bright, wide-awake effect.  Pfeiffer Beach is the sort of aubergine which doesn't look too obviously coloured, but flatters green and hazel eyes.


Whilst they are very smooth indeed, Cargo's Swimmable liners aren't quite as smooth to apply as UD's 24/7 liners.  The colour intensity and wear are just as good as UD's liners, and at £12, the Cargo Swimmable liners are £2 cheaper, too.

They're not available online yet, but you'll find them at Debenhams stores now, alongside the rest of the collection.  I'll see you by the blushes!

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Thursday, 21 November 2013

WIN! Too Faced The Return Of Sexy Palette


I purchased and reviewed Too Faced's rather beautiful The Return Of Sexy palette a couple of months back, and then received another one from the brand's PR this week.  What to do with the brand new palette?  Give it away to you guys of course!

I'm running this competition through Rafflecopter, and basically if you tweet about the competition, follow me on Twitter, or like my Facebook page, you'll get one entry.  If you do all three, you get three entries.  The winner will be chosen by random selection after the competition closes on Friday 29th October.  Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Wednesday, 20 November 2013

Bleach London Super Cool Colour in I Saw Red


Hey, did you know that I'm not a natural redhead?  Surprising eh?  As I've often posted before, red is a very difficult colour to maintain - it fades, it loses its intensity fast, and it's sensitive to water exposure and product exposure.  My regular hair colour maintenance includes monthly permanent colours, and weekly top-ups with semi-permanent cream colourants.  So, when I heard that Bleach London (apparently a hip salon for those with interestingly coloured hair) was releasing a range of brightly coloured dyes into Boots, I thought I'd try it out.

Interestingly, Bleach London describes this as a non-permanent hair colour, which I think is a bit misleading.  Granted, it won't permanently change the colour of your hair, but if you bleach your hair, apply this, and wait a while, it won't ever wash out fully (well, unless you subject your hair to pretty harsh cleansers or re-bleach).  This sort of vegetable based colour works by staining the hair, and if you think you can go from blonde to red and then get back to blonde without further bleaching, you're wrong.

Left to right:  before and after

I Saw Red is a bright, true red with no obvious orange or pink tones.  I applied it to freshly washed, towel dried hair and left it on for an hour before rinsing.  The bottle says to leave it on for fifteen minutes - since this is a dye without the usual harmful chemicals, there's no harm in leaving it on longer, and indeed, you'll get a better staining result if you leave it on for longer.  I put a shower cap over my colour-bedecked hair to keep the colour moist and warm and to increase the uptake.

I was surprised by the scent of the dye - this kind of colour is generally inoffensive, smell wise, but this one had an interesting spicy whiff to it.  The texture is thick, although easily spreadable through wet hair, and it didn't drip or run at all.

Left to right:  before and after
An hour after application, my hair was back to full intensity - the difference is subtle, but post-colour my hair has the depth and glow which fades so quickly with red dye.  It's also noticeably shinier, too - Super Cool Colour has plenty of moisturising ingredients, and whilst I did need a touch of conditioner after use, I needed it more for detangling than anything.

All in all, I'm rather impressed - having bright colours available at your local Boots is a definite draw, and Super Cool Colour is thoroughly decent.  The range has twelve shades from blue to pink to peach, and at just £5, they're a great accessible high street colour product.  You'll find I Saw Red, and all the other shades, at Boots.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Old Hollywood


Bobbi Brown's Old Hollywood collection for Christmas 2013 is absolutely beautiful - sleek black or golden packaging, with classic shades of shimmering neutrals with stark black and red accents.  The eyeshadow palette is beautiful (and might possibly be on my Christmas list already, even though I really don't need more neutral shimmering shadows).  This lipstick is at the core of the collection - it's called Old Hollywood, and it's a classic, rich blue-toned red.


One thing I really like about it is the slightly curved bullet tip.  It has a slightly concave curve to it, which means it hugs the lip beautifully as you apply.


The colour is a classic - bright red which makes the teeth look whiter and looks flatteringly striking on most skintones.  The texture is soft and comfortable, and has plenty of pigment - two passes over the lips gives full coverage, and a single pass gives a slightly less rich finish.  Wear is also thoroughly decent, requiring a topup after a few hours, but fading evenly and avoiding the dreaded ring-of-death around the outline of the lips.

Overall this is a really lovely red - if you're in the market for a classic red it's definitely worth the £19 pricetag.  Find it online now.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Monday, 18 November 2013

Winter Essentials: 3 of the best facial oils

Ah, winter.  How I love thee.  Thick jumpers, knee high boots, warm tights, heavy coats, snuggling under blankets, fires, casserole, warm mulled wine, long hot baths, hats.  As much as I love winter for all of the reasons before, I also love it for allowing me to start using facial oils again - the cold, dry weather saps moisture from the skin, and there's nothing like a facial oil to nourish it back to health overnight.  Here are my top three.




Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate is a super rich oil which adds plenty of hydration.  It's a bit thicker and heavier than some oils I've used, and I tend to save it for nights when my skin's feeling really parched.  At around £40 for a 30ml bottle, it's not cheap, but a few drops goes a long way, and my skin always feels hydrated and plump the morning after using it.







Darphin Organic Rose Aromatic Care Oil isn't quite as hydrating as the Liz Earle oil above, but it is perfectly balanced, adding moisture and suppleness to the skin with an oil that feels light and is quickly absorbed.  Skin feels smooth and soft the morning after, with absolutely no residue at all.  At £45 for 15ml, this is one of the more expensive oils I've tried, but if you're looking for something to provide balanced hydration which won't overwhelm your skin, this is a great little bottle of oil.







The Sanctuary Therapist's Secret Facial Oil is a brilliant high street oil - it's light enough to use a drop during the daytime, but a few drops applied at night time plumps, smooths and hydrates the skin with no visible residue come morning.  I've actually been using this on and off for at least ten years in one form or another, and repurchase it between testing other oils as it's just so dependably good.  At £17.50, it won't break the bank either.






What's your favourite winter-time skin nourisher?

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Soap & Glory Loved and Glossed


Soap and Glory have a pretty comprehensive Christmas offering this year, from the usual bath and body sets to sets of their makeup.  This Loved & Glossed tin contains three sheer Sexy Mother Pucker gloss sticks.


I do wish they'd find a new lip-based pun.  Sexy Mother Pucker was funny the first few times, now it's sort of lost it's drama.  Anyway, there are three shades included - Nudist (unsurprisingly, a nude), Fuschia-Ristic (unsurprisingly, a fuschia) and Plum Jam (I think you can work this one out for yourself).


The packaging is nice - sleek, basic black, with colour coded strips on the bottom so you don't get them mixed up in your makeup bag.  Worth mentioning that it's an absolute bugger getting them out of the black plastic tray - I chipped my nail polish trying to pry them out.

Left to right:  Nudist, Fuschia-Ristic, Plum Jam

The crayons are chunky, with pointed tips to allow for a more precise application around the edges of the lip.

Left to right:  Nudist, Fuschia-Ristic, Plum Jam
And yes, the fuschia shade looks strangely and terrifyingly orange in the tube.  Never fear, though...

Left to right:  Nudist, Fuschia-Ristic, Plum Jam
What looks orange in the stick turns out to be a lovely light and bright pink when swatched.  Nudist is a pretty standard nude, but Plum Jam is a rich but still wearably sheer berry colour.

Nudist
Fuschia-Ristic

Plum Jam
Texture wise. they're soft and hydrating, although given the glossiness and the softness, you do need to top up regularly.  At £16, this set is a good pick for those who like their lip colours soft and natural, or for those who are just experimenting with lip colours other than nude.  Find it now at Boots.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Amazing value Elemis TSV on QVC tomorrow


This rather excellent little set contains a whole heap of Elemis goodies, including the new Jasmine and Rose Milk Bath, which is exclusive to QVC.  The price hasn't been announced yet, but it will cost under £40 - which is a great deal given the products included - a 30ml pot of Pro Collagen Marine Cream alone is £50.

Included in the set is a full size Jasmine and Rose Milk Bath, full size Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream, 30ml of the cult classic Pro Collagen Marine Cream, 30ml Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm, 15ml Pro Radiance Flash Balm, and 35ml Frangipani Monoi body oil.

If you're interested in grabbing one of these excellent value sets, they'll go on sale at QVC at midnight tonight, the 16th November, and will remain on sale all of 17th November (until it sells out, of course).

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Friday, 15 November 2013

By Terry Nail Laque in Terrybly Terry and Glitter Glow


These By Terry Nail Laque are part of the new Christmas offering from the brand.  Terrybly Terry is a gorgeously vampy deep plum, so dark it looks black on the nail.  Glitter Glow is a mix of black, silver and electric blue glitter in a clear base - it's a topcoat for a sprinkling of glitter rather than an all out opaque glitter effect.

The winter light is leaving me struggling to get decent nail swatches, so hopefully more on these in the next few days.  At £21 each, they are very expensive lacquers, and whilst they do give opaque, shiny colour, the wear isn't quite as long as I'd like for something so expensive.  When they launch, they'll be available at Space NK.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Thursday, 14 November 2013

Japonesque Lip Lacquer S3 and Velvet Touch Eyeshadow S1


Japonesque, known mostly for their excellent makeup brushes and tools, have diversified into a makeup line.  The initial launch is a carefully edited (read small) range of products - there are eyeshadows in singles, duos and quads, an eyeliner pencil, two mascaras, powder, blush, concealer, two foundations, a lipstick and a lip lacquer.


The packaging is both beautiful and a bit unique - there's the usual sleek black compacts and tubes, mixed up a little with poured acrylic accents.  The colourful acrylic bits are created with multiple colours and mixed whilst liquid, making every combination unique.  Nice touch.


The eyeshadow singles give you a reasonably sized pan, with a good sized mirror inside the lid.  The lip lacquer has a firm but flexible brush for a precise application.


Both lacquer and shadow are well pigmented indeed. with the lip lacquer providing intense, opaque colour with a shiny finish and the eyeshadow having plenty of shimmer.


I really like the lacquer - the shiny, intensely pigmented texture makes for a lush lip, even if it is a little heavy and prone to transfer during wear.  The lacquer loses its shine and wears down to a more soft-focus stain over a few hours, and it's preferable to reapply completely rather than topping up.


I wouldn't normally choose a white eyeshadow, particularly one as frosty as this, but it does wake the eye area up beautifully.  The eyeshadow texture is reasonably soft and blendable - it's not that buttery texture that almost applies itself, but it is smooth and silky, blending well across the lid.


And finally, a face-shot of both products together.  They make for a nice low-effort look.

At £15, the Lip Lacquer is well priced for the intensity in pigment.  I think the eyeshadow is a bit overpriced at £14 for a single - particularly in this colour, which is easily dupeable in cheaper brands.  The eyeshadow duos are better value at £18, and the quads even better still at £24.

Overall, I'm pretty impressed by Japonesque's foray into makeup, and I look forward to more shades and products in the near future.  Having been down to John Lewis (which has the range exclusively) and stuck my fingers in things, I'd pick out the lip lacquers, eyeshadow duos, and foundations as the highlights of the range so far.

Disclosure:  PR samples

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Soap & Glory Girl-O-Whirl Special Offer - 15th November

Remember the Soap & Glory hatbox which sold out so very quickly when Boots reduced it a couple of Christmases back?  Well, here's another limited edition set which may well go the same way - Girl-O-Whirl (no, I don't understand the name either) contains luminous face powder, bronzer, six poured lipsticks, six eyeshadows, mascara, kohl and a nude lip crayon, as well a a couple of brushes.  Having seen this one in the flesh I'm a bit disappointed that the blush brush is so small, and I really dislike poured lipsticks - unless the kit is portable (which this one isn't), they don't help with top ups.

This set has an RRP of £40, but for a week starting 15th November, it'll cost just £19, which is a decent price for so much makeup however you look at it.  Find it at Boots.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Superdrug offers home lash extensions kit


Superdrug are now offering a home lash extension kit, so you can attempt to give yourself that fluttery look for less at home.  I say attempt because lash extensions are notoriously fiddly - taking up to a couple of hours in a professional salon - so I'm slightly cynical about how easy it'll be to get a truly professional result yourself at home.

If you're interested in giving it a go, the kit costs £34.99 at present, and will rise to £39.99 in December.  If you do decide to give it a spin, let me know how it turns out!

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Wednesday, 13 November 2013

Origins Christmas Bauble



This cute Christmas bauble is a lovely stocking filler - you get sample sizes of popular Origins products to try, and for each bauble sold, Origins will plant a tree, so you're giving the environment a gift too.  The product list includes 7ml of Plantscription serum, 7ml Drink Up Intensive Overnight mask, 7ml of Modern Friction, 5ml of Ginzing eye cream, and 5ml Make a Difference moisturiser.  The sizes are pretty small - you'll get a maximum of a couple of applications from each - but if you (or someone you know) are looking for a nice way to try out some Origins classics, this is a nice way to do it.

Find them at Selfridges and the Origins website from December 1st.

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Roger & Gallet Boise d'Orange Shower Gel and Fragrant Water


Roger & Gallet is a range I generally associate with soaps, rather than fragrance and body products.  I think this is down to my Canadian cousin generally bringing Roger & Gallet soaps (and ice wine) when he came to visit; strange in that Roger & Gallet is a French brand, and has little to do with Canada at all.

Anyway, I was recently offered the chance to try out one of the latest fragrance lines, Bois d'Orange.  The fragrance is designed to be the olfactory equivalent of walking through an orange grove, and contains notes of neroli, orange flower, and mandarin, tempered with a bit of verbena and basil for freshness.  The result is something which smells fresh and citrus-y without being overpoweringly orange, too fruity, or too sweet.  It's a soft, gentle take on orange, with just enough freshness to avoid being cloying.  Very pleasant, although it feels more spring-like to me - I prefer heavy, musky scents in winter.

The shower gel is excellent - I was surprised to find that it's soap and sulphate free, as it lathers up brilliantly with the help of a shower puff, with a little squeeze of gel creating masses of bubbles.  The fragrant water I'm less convinced by - it seems to be a light fragrant spritz which isn't quite as strong as a cologne.  I can see how it might work if you like carrying your fragrance around with you and regularly spritzing it on, as it has absolutely no lasting power.  On me, it fades within an hour, and given that I like to apply my perfume in the morning and have it last til evening, this format isn't for me.

You'll find the shower gel (which is a very decent £9) and the fragrant water (£16 for 30ml) at Escentual, who are currently offering 10% off Roger & Gallet products.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.

Tuesday, 12 November 2013

By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge Lipstick in Sangria Appeal


I've tried By Terry lipsticks in the past and found myself a little disappointed - for all the beautiful packaging and glorious pigment, Terrybly Lipstick doesn't wear as well as a £31 lipstick should.  So when I was presented with an equally beautiful lipstick at a recent press event, I felt a little apprehensive.  Would it be lovely?  Would it be worth the cash?  Would it fall off my lips?


Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge is described perplexingly as an "aqua-glossy melt-away balm", and apparently it hydrates, smooths, plumps, and all manner of other lip-loving things, whilst adding colour.  It comes in a twist up, skinny tube in shiny silver, and unlike the Terrybly Lipsticks, has a flat top rather than a sculpted tip.


Sangria Appeal looks pretty dark and dangerous in the tube, doesn't it?  However, it's called Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge, so it probably goes on quite sheerly, right?


Wrong. This is a couple of passes over the lips, which is required to get even colour.  It's not sheer at all.  It's got a slightly soft, balmy, soft-focus texture, but sheer it definitely ain't.  It is a gorgeous colour though, all red wine (that'll be the Sangria reference then) with a finish that's not too glossy but not too flat.


And here it is within the context of my whole face.  I LOVE IT.  It could only be more winter-in-a-stick if it smelled and tasted of mulled wine (if only).

I'm pleased to report that not only is it rather lovely looking, it feels soft and comfortable on the lips, and (joy of joys) it wears pretty well, fading evenly to a soft wine stain over a few hours without a ring-of-death in sight.  AND it's cheaper than the Terrybly Lipsticks, at £25 instead of £31.  All in all, a rather lovely (if still Terrybly expensive) lipstick.  Find it at SpaceNK now.

Disclosure: PR sample

This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.
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