Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Clarins Joli Rouge Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick in Pink Orchid and Coral Tulip



I first tried Clarins Joli Rouge Perfect Shine Sheer Lipstick (mouthful much?) last year, sampling some rather juicy colours which had a seriously shiny finish and a balm like texture.  Well, Clarins have added a few new shades for spring, and I've got two of them to review - meet Pink Orchid and Coral Tulip.

Pink Orchid

Coral Tulip
What strikes me with these colours is that whilst the texture is still lovely and balm-like, they're not as shiny as the others I've tried.  They're also pretty true to the sheer moniker - and despite looking very different in the tube, they actually look very similar on the lip, thanks to that sheerness.  Coral Tulip just edges it as it has a little more pigment and punch, but unfortunately I've been left underwhelmed by these two new shades.   They're nice enough, but they're not different enough nor interesting enough to be anything other than meh.

If sheer, tinted balm style lipsticks turn you on more than they do me, you'll find them at Clarins counters and at the Clarins website, where they cost £18.

Disclosure: PR samples

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

Sunday, 23 February 2014

How to look alive when you're really a zombie




This next week might be a bit quiet here at LBR.  I worked a punishing 65 hours last week, all in preparation for a launch which is happening this week - and I suspect I'll be hard pressed to get any blogging in in the meantime.

Meanwhile, I've been relying on some old favourites to help myself look less tired and more perky this week.  These products help me create a face which isn't too grey and tired, and which stays in place well throughout a long day.

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation covers a multitude of sins and easily lasts through a fifteen hour day in the office.  Clarins Instant Concealer minimises dark shadows and doesn't look cakey on top of dehyrated eyes.  Urban Decay Primer Potion keeps eyeshadow in place all day, even on my oily lids.  Speaking of eyeshadows, I've been using Stila Kitten and Sunset eyeshadows a lot - together they're super brightening without compromising on definition.  A slick of Lancome Hypnose Drama Waterproof mascara, a pop of cheerful pink blush and lipstick, and I feel much more human.  The blush and lipstick will need top ups anyway, so I'm not too fussed on the brand or shade so long as they're bright and lively.

What products do you wear to wake up a tired looking face?  Let me know in the comments!

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

Thursday, 20 February 2014

YSL Spring Look Lips: Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick in 34 Rose Asarine & Rouge Pur Couture in 32 Rouge Avant-Gardiste


More from YSL's surprisingly un-pastel spring collection today, with two absolutely lovely lip colours.  I've been a big fan of Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain since it launched, adoring it's high pigmentation, glossy shine and surprisingly good lasting power.  They're a one stop shop for an excellent red - I've got five or six red shades in my collection, and Rouge Avant-Gardist is a welcome addition with it's pinky-ruby-red colour.


Rouge Volupte Shine lipstick is a new one for me, and oh my it's beautiful in its sleek golden packaging with intricate cut out detailing.  The texture is extremely slippery and plush, and yet once it's set down it lasts pretty well - five hours before it's too dry to leave on the lip.  Rose Asarine is a lovely rose shade with a hint of coral which brightens up my face no end.

Rouge Pur Couture in 32 Rouge Avant-Gardist

Rouge Volupte Shine in 34 Rose Asarine
The only downside?  These two little lip products are expensive at £25 a piece.  Granted, they have the luxe factor from packaging to formula, and as a lipstick junkie I'm totally happy paying £25 for a lovely product, but still - the average price of a high end lip product is steadily increasing.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Clarins Cream Blush: Bloody Gorgeous

Top row:  1 Peach, 3 Grenadine
Bottom row: 4 Rosewood, 2 Candy

Clarins have made a foray into the world of cream blush, and I'm seriously enamoured with the results.  There are four super natural shades available, and whilst pigmentation is on the sheer side, they're deliciously buildable from the softest whisper of colour to a more noticeable pop.  Buildability (is that a word?) is even more appealing because of the texture - they feel like a cool satiny liquid-powder as you apply them, and are miles away from the heavy, oily cream blushes other brands produce.  Once applied, they set down to a powder finish with a slight glow which isn't heavy on the skin at all.

Left to right:  1 Peach, 2 Candy, 3 Gernadine, 4 Rosewood
 The four shades are pretty neutral in undertone, and every one looks flattering on my skin - miraculous because of my cool-toned skin's tendancy to clash with even slightly too-warm shades.  I'm particularly fond of Grenadine for a pretty, summery pop of colour.  Rosewood is lovely for a slightly sculpting effect.


And here I am wearing a bit of Peach, blended into the apples of my cheeks and across my cheekbones.  This is a light application, which gives subtle colour and a bit of a glow.  Wear time is impressive for a cream - I can still see the colour on my skin eight hours after application.

You can probably tell that I'm rather smitten with these cream blushes.  The texture, the colour range, the buildability - it all adds up to an almost-perfect product for me, only let down by a little packaging niggle - these blushers are in the same packaging as Clarins' eyeshadow singles.  Given my tendancy to apply makeup half asleep in the morning, I've almost applied Smoky Plum eyeshadow to my cheeks a couple of times this week.  Oh well.

Find these lovely cream blushes at the Clarins website, or at their counters, where they cost a thoroughly reasonable £18.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Tuesday, 18 February 2014

So Cute: Seventeen Cheek Stamps in Blushin# and The Cheek Of It


It's been a while since I tried any makeup from Boots' Seventeen range.  These Cheek Stamp blushes are a great way to get back into the brand, and have really highlighted that for all my lusting after high end brands, there are some truly innovative products on the high street.


The Cheek Stamps are a bit of a travel wonder, with everything you need for prettily flushed cheeks included in one package.  Once you've dismantled the boxes, the product within is encased in a curvy plastic compact, with a generously sized mirror on top.


Inside, you get a foamy spongy applicator thing, which is mounted on a spring, and some blusher, which is in the cap.


Unfortunately I scratched the blusher by repeatedly trying to pull off the plastic protector from the pan.  Eventually I did it, albeit ending up with a scratch on the pan and some pink under my nail.  Oh well.


Anyway, the point of the product is that when the product is all closed up, the foamy applicator is pressed into the blush.  Once you open it, the applicator has a decent smattering of blush on it, ready to pop onto the cheeks.

OH HAI, I AM A CLOWN.
You press it onto your cheeks, blend with your fingers in the mirror provided, and voila!  Pretty flush.


There's plenty of product on the applicator to get a good pop of colour on both cheeks, and the powder itself is smooth and blendable even with fingers, giving a soft, natural flush which could easily be built up a bit, if stronger colour is your bag.

At a mere £4.99, Seventeen's Cheek Stamps are a brilliant way to get a portable pop of colour this spring (and summer).  They're great value for money, the product is great quality, and you can pretend to be a clown.  What more could you want?

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Monday, 17 February 2014

Quick Pick: Garnier Ultimate Blends The Marvellous Transformer Haircare


Garnier's latest hair launch gives us a staggering six new lines of hair products, targeted at different hair concerns.  I've been trialling The Marvellous Transformer (nothing related to Bumblebee, my favourite Transformer, sadly) for a couple of weeks now, and I'm pretty impressed.  The Marvellous Transformer line is designed to add shine and depth to dry, lifeless hair, and although my hair isn't really lifeless (in fact, it has a life of its own), this stuff really does add a glorious shine and a much appreciated softness.

The shampoo is surprisingly gentle and hydrating for something that's a) clear and b) chock full of SLS.  I don't think I'd switch to it permanently as it does pull more colour from my hair than my SLS-free favourites, though.  The conditioners are in the form of a light yet still quenching daily conditioner, and a more intensive one minute treatment.  Both contain silicone, and I've found the one minute treatment almost too rich for my hair, which is unusual.  If your hair is coarse and in need of serious conditioning, it's definitely worth a shot.

My favourite is the Marvellous Glow Oil.  It's relatively inexpensive for an oil, at £9.99, and unlike the Tresemme oil I tried a few months back, it doesn't seem to build up in the hair.  It's also very concentrated - a single pump is plenty for treating the ends of my shoulder length, thick hair, and it's an effective heat protector as well as a nice finishing product.

My only criticism of this range is that the packaging - whilst cheerful - is a little bit 1980s-Timoeti for my liking, but the products within are very good, particularly for a high street range which costs between £3.50 and £9.99 a pop.  Well worth a try next time you're browsing the haircare aisle at Boots.

Disclosure: PR samples

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

Sunday, 16 February 2014

NOTD: YSL La Lacque Couture in Rouge Pablo


YSL La Lacque Couture nail colours are very, very spendy at £18 a pop, but their super smooth texture, one-stroke nail-coating brush and glorious shine makes them almost worth a second mortgage.  Rouge Pablo is one of the new shades for spring - a bold move from YSL when most people seem to favour pastel shades at this time of year.  Rouge Pablo is a rich, bold red which has a bit of a coral undertone to it, making it juicy and bright rather than vampy.  It's almost obscenely shiny, is perfectly opaque in two coats, and applies like a dream.  Unfortunately I found the wear time to be on the poor side - I suffered chips within two days, and with a colour like this, chips are noticeable and not to be tolerated at all.

Still, if you're looking for a bright, juicy shade for spring which'll take you through summer and into autumn (albeit in little bursts), this one's a corker.  Find it at Feel Unique (who seem to think it's pink - it really, definitely isn't).

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Thursday, 13 February 2014

Guerlain Ecrin 4 Couleurs in 503 Les Tendres



This pretty four-pan palette is part of Guerlain's spring collection.  You can tell it's for spring because of that pale, minty green in it - spring basically means pastels - but rather unusually for a spring palette, it also has an aubergine purple, purple taupe, and sparkling pink.


It's an interesting colour combination, and that pale green stops it from being a plain old purple-taupe palette (okay, I personally love a purple-taupe palette, but hey, it's good to change it up a little sometimes).  As always for Guerlain, the packaging is lovely - it's a heavy metal compact, which feels weighty in the hand, and the aubergine shade is embossed with a Guerlain logo.


Swatched you can see there's a good mix of textures and finishes here.  The pale pink on the left and the pale green are seriously sparkly, almost metallic.  The taupey colour and the aubergine are more matte - I think I'd describe them as satin, as there's definitely a slight sheen to them.  All four shadows are smooth and blendable with good colour payoff - much more consistent than the Ecrin 2 Couleurs I tried a while ago.


On the eye, the green is bright and fresh without being too GREEN, and it blends really well with the taupe shade in the crease and a light application of the aubergine on the lashline.  I love that sparkling pink for some inner corner highlighting, and if you like a noticeable browbone highlight it's good for that too.  Should you want to hang on to the smoky eyes of winter, the taupe, pink and aubergine make for a lovely purple toned smoky eye without the green.

All in all, a lovely palette, and one which I think will last well from the last bits of winter through spring and into summer.  Which it really should do, at a whopping £49.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Wednesday, 12 February 2014

YSL Gloss Volupte in 103 Opium Persan, 10 Or Rose, 201 Pure and 49 Terriblement Fuchsia


Oh, YSL, your new lip launches always set my heart aflutter.  No change with the launch of YSL's latest lipgloss, Gloss Volupte, which promise a sensual and intense gloss experience, with the hefty dose of luxe I expect from YSL.  This'll be picture heavy, so click on after the jump to see more.

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Quick Pick: Clarins Ombre Minerale Eye Shadow in Smoky Plum




This gorgeous metallic smoky silvery plum shade is rather incongruous in Clarins' spring collection.  In a collection that's all about light, this deep and mysterious shade breaks the mould a little, and I'm so glad Clarins have released it - it's absolutely lovely.  Blended over the eyelid with a nude lip and sculpted cheeks, it's a simple, sophisticated take on a sultry winter look, and when the weather warms up a little it'll still look good along the lashline.

At £17, it's not cheap for a single eyeshadow, but it's in good compay - it's almost the same shade as my beloved Chanel Illusion d'Ombre eyeshadow in Illusoire.  Find it now at the Clarins website.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Monday, 10 February 2014

New in at Love Makeup - Viseart and Rae Morris Magnetic Makeup Brushes




Two new and interesting brands have just appeared on Love Makeup.  I've talked about Viseart in the past - I bought their twelve-pan matte eyeshadow palette from an obscure website with a very manual ordering process - actually I bought two, one for me and one for my Mum.  You can now nab it, and some very useful looking lipstick palettes, at Love Makeup.

Also new is the Rae Morris range of makeup brushes - I've not tried them myself, but the unique selling point seems to be the magnetised handles, which allows them to be organised standing up on a magnetic tray.  So clever.  Granted, the brushes are expensive, but the storage concept is very interesting.

Tried either of these two brands?  Let me know in the comments!


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

Sunday, 9 February 2014

Bare Minerals True Romantic Collection: Marvelous Moxie Lipstick in Feel the Love and Lipliner in Liberated


Bare Minerals' True Romantic collection has landed just in time for Valentine's Day, and very pretty it is too.  It incorporates shades of pink and nude for a super-feminine, soft and romantic look.  For the lips, we've got new shades of Marvelous Moxie lipstick, lipgloss and lipliner, and I've got the lipstick, Feel the Love, and the lipliner, Liberated, to show you today.


The packaging is similar to the regular Moxie packaging, although instead of a glossy black casing for the lipstick, we've been treated to a shiny rose gold instead.  Very luxe.  Both Feel the Love and Liberated are nude shades, although they're more caramel rose than traditional beige.


Together, they make for a lip look which is nude but not overly flat or corpse like (which, sadly, is the effect I get from a lot of nude beige lipsticks), with just enough pink to keep it fresh, and a lovely caramel tone which adds richness and warmth.  Although I don't normally use lipliner, I do like the Marvelous Moxie formula - not too draggy, yet still waxy enough to prevent bleeding.  Marvelous Moxie lipstick is one of my favourite formulas - slippy and hydrating, highly pigmented and comfortable to wear - and I think I'll be wearing Feel the Love a fair bit this spring, probably paired with a purple/taupe eyeshadow and a warm pink/coral cheek.

You'll find Feel the Love lipstick and Liberated lip liner at Bare Minerals counters, and at the Bare Minerals website, where the lipstick costs £16, and the lipliner costs £13.

Disclosure: PR samples

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

Friday, 7 February 2014

Guerlain Rouge Automatique Lipstick in 144 Insolence



This Guerlain Rouge Automatique lipstick is very, very luxurious, and also a bit mechanically interesting too.  The lipstick casing is all one piece - there's no cap to remove, you just slide the G logo down the lipstick, and the bullet pops out of the top.


Insolence is one of two new shades for spring 2014.  It's described as a bright, vibrant fuchsia, although I think it's more of a bright coral-pink - it doesn't have that blue undertone which most bright fuchsias do.


On me it reads as more of a straight bright pink, although there's a slight coral cast which my camera hasn't managed to pick up.  I've not tried one of Guerlain's Rouge Automatique lipsticks before, and I'm very, very impressed with the texture - it's smooth and silky, but not so silky it feels like it'll slip straight off the lip.  Once set, it lasts very well - around four or five hours - and it fades evenly, remaining comfortable on the lip throughout.  At £25, it's definitely a luxurious treat, but one which delivers everything you could want from a high end lipstick.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Wednesday, 5 February 2014

Clarins Extra Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream



In the age of cleansing oils, cleansing balms and micellar waters, the old fashioned cream cleanser has become a bit unfashionable.  Clarins' newest cleansing addition, however, is an old fashioned cream - and very lovely it is too.  Enriched with extracts of moringa, shea and mango, everything about it screams comfort and softness - it's thick, rich and luxurious feeling, and slathering it over your face is very enjoyable indeed.

As for its cleansing efficacy, it's pretty damn good - it lifts dirt and makeup easily off the skin, and so long as your eye makeup isn't of the heavy waterproof variety, it does a good job on eyes too.  Strangely, Clarins advocate a specialist application technique on their website - it involves using your hands to form suction on the face - but I can't really see what the special application technique adds above and beyond my normal slap-it-on-and-rub-it-about method.  After application, my skin is left feeling soft and velvety, not at all dry, but without any residue, a common criticism of oils/balms.

There's a catch, though - this admittedly lovely cleansing cream is £25.  Most of Clarins' cleansing range falls into the £12 - £20 range, which is spendy but still okay.  I'm not entirely sure what makes this cleanser special enough to cost quite so much, particularly given that you need a not-tiny dollop to cover and cleanse the whole face.   Still, it is a nice product, and if you don't mind splashing out on cleanser, and want something comforting and nuturing for the winter months, Clarins Extra Comfort Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream could work for you.  Find it now at Clarins counters or online via the Clarins website.

Disclosure: PR sample

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

Tuesday, 4 February 2014

Kiko Lipstick Haul - Smart Lipstick, Virtual Dream Lipstick and Velvet Mat Lipstick


Velvet Mat Lipstick, Virtual Dream Lipstick, Smart Lipstick

Just before Christmas I had a little splurge in the KIKO store on Regent's Street.  Being me, I came out with way too many products, three of which were lipsticks.  I decided to try a variety of KIKO's lipstick lines - they have a surprising number of different types, all of which are very reasonably priced.

Velvet Mat Lipstick in 614 Dark Berry, Virtual Dream Lipstick in 02 Actual Rose, Smart Lipstick in 914 Amaranthe 

Velvet Mat lipstick is, unsurprisingly, a velvety matte finish lipstick, and I had to buy it in a deep berry shade, very winter appropriate indeed.  Virtual Dream lipstick is part of the limited edition Digital Emotion holiday collection - I chose a soft rose.  And finally, Smart lipstick is a very emollient, super cheap option - I went a little off-kilter with this one, and chose a bright purple-pink.

Velvet Mat Lipstick in 614 Dark Berry, Virtual Dream Lipstick in 02 Actual Rose, Smart Lipstick in 914 Amaranthe

Velvet Mat Lipstick in 614 Dark Berry

I'll admit I was expecting more pigmentation from the Velvet Mat lipstick - it's still decent enough to give you a full coverage look, but it's not the kind of super-matte super-pigmented lipstick that shouts I'M WEARING MATTE LIPSTICK, LOOK AT ME.  It feels comfortable on the lip, wear time is decent at four hours before it becomes drying, and the Dark Berry shade is a slightly less scary way to wear a deep berry lip.  At £6.90, currently discounted to £5, it's a reasonably priced way to experiment with matte.

Virtual Dream Lipstick in 02 Actual Rose

Virtual Dream lipstick has sadly disappeared from the KIKO website now, but hopefully is still available from KIKO's three London stores.  The texture of this lipstick is sublime - it glides onto the lip with incredible buttery smoothness, and feels slippy on the lip for a minute or so before it sets down.  Actual Rose is a lovely mid rose pink which really warms up my complexion, and I've been really enjoying wearing it with a purple smoky eye this winter.

 Smart Lipstick in 914 Amaranthe
Smart Lipstick is my pick of the bunch - Amaranthe is an interesting purple-pink shade which is suspiciously similar to Pantone's Colour of the Year, Radiant Orchid, and one which actually doesn't clash with my hair too much.  The pigmentation is excellent, applying true to colour straight from the bullet.  It applies smoothly, sets down quickly, and wow does it hold.  I've worn this comfortably from 7.30am to 8.30pm with only a single touch up around 1pm.  Impressive, particularly for a lipstick which costs a mere £3.90 - and which is currently discounted to a it'd-be-rude-not-to £2.50.

Disclosure:  Purchased as part of a larger haul paid for partially with a PR-provided gift card, and partially with my own cash.

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

Monday, 3 February 2014

Clinique Neutral Territory 2 Palette


Clinique have released a new collection of nudes entitled 16 Shades of Beige (tee hee).  If I'd had to put money on which brand would do a cheeky take on 50 Shades of Grey, I'd have chosen Urban Decay or Pixi, not squeaky-clean Clinique, so more power to them.  Anyway, poor quality erotica aside, the 16 Shades of Beige collection contains a plethora of nude nail polishes, and this rather gorgeous 8-pan eyeshadow palette, entitled Neutral Territory 2.


Neutral Territory 2 contains eight shades of neutral shadows, from palest white to a deep chestnut brown.  I like how the first four shades are soft variants on white, cream, and bone - the last four shades are deeper but none are scary-dark.


As you can see, the shades have a bit of shimmer to them - there are a few shades which are a little more metallic, but none of them are glitter-tastic.  The first two shades of the lower row are gloriously cool toned taupes, and that chestnut brown on the end would work well smudged into the lashline as a liner.

One of my favourite things about this palette is it's sleekness - it's relatively small, with the eight shadows and double-ended-brush packed in efficiently.  It doesn't take up much room in your makeup bag, unlike Urban Decay's Naked palettes, which are all hefty, chunky beasts.

So - sleek packaging, lovely neutral shades to suit everyone, the usual buttery-soft Clinique shadow texture.  Love.  Find it now at Clinique counters and at the Clinique website, where it cots £32.

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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