BritishBeautyBlogger

Sarah Chapman Instant Miracle Mask

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:34:00 +0000

This is one of those 'can I be bothered?' products where the thought of measuring, mixing and smearing it all over your face is a little bit off-putting. But, let me just say, you SHOULD be bothered.. it's absolutely brilliant. The colour is horrible, the rubberized texture is weird but the result is completely lovely. My skin looked like one of those beauty-light cameras had flashed me - smoothed, softened and definitely younger. The effect lasted the day visually, but even a couple of days on my complexion was still feeling the benefits in terms of flexibility, smoothness and hydration.

No wonder really, when you realise that the mask is based on one of Sarah's professional treatments. My skin loves hyaluronic and argan oil, and there is plenty in the mask, along with Argatensyl (a natural line smoother), Moroccan lava clay and brown sea algae (hence the dubious shade, I guess).

After you've mixed, shaken (a container is provided) and applied you leave the mask on for a good ten minutes and in theory pull away the solidified mask all in one go. That didn't quite happen for me with a few stray bits to pick off, but it's totally worth the bother especially if you have a do to go to...I'd use it again in a heartbeat.

Instant Miracle Mask launches this month for £38 for four individual sachets. www.sarahchapman.net

Winner of Fantasy Fire

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:27:00 +0000

You know what? I couldn't pick a favourite from the fantastic re-name suggestions for hot nail polish, Max Factor Fantasy Fire. So, I enlisted Max Factor's nail expert, Zarra Celik, to do the choosing. She picked @olivadarling whose suggested name for Fantasy Fire is Peacock's Desire.

If restocks haven't happened (I hear there are 12,000 Fantasty Fires heading to our shores) Boots.com are offering 200 free Fantasy Fires with the purchase of the new Max Factor mascara; 24 by False Lash Effect from next Wednesay at 10am. It's £11.99 and is called 24 because it has a built in primer.

Paperself London Lashes

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:06:00 +0000

I'm completely in love with anything London at the moment; the Olympic and Paralympic excitement is really gathering pace so these Paperself London Lashes adorned with cut-outs of London landmarks such as Big Ben and the London Eye are perfect. Actually, I've discovered that there are incredibly stringent rules in place about how brands from any sector can use the Olympic logo or any mention, in fact, of the Olympics so using London as a focus is going to be a much more common theme this summer rather than the actual Olympics themselves.

Louboutin Temporary Tattoos

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:56:00 +0000

Spotted in Selfridges Concept Store these temporary tats from Christian Louboutin; easier on the purse than a pair of shoes at £5.

GlamGlow

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:03:00 +0000

Watch out for this mud mask that beauty buffs aflutter. It isn't new but is enjoying a revival after being nominated by Neiman Marcus as a Beauty Award Winner 2012. Volcanic rock, French sea clay and green leaf tea apparently gives a glow that's hard to beat.

I Don't Own Sponge, But If I Did Own A Sponge...

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:04:00 +0000

It would be this one.

£3.50 at Marks & Spencer.

Dolce & Gabanna Bouquet Collection 2012

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:02:00 +0000

I think this is Dolce & Gabanna's strongest collection yet with some real colour splashes to play with. Yellow eyeliner? Don't mind if I do! It's launching today at Harrods.

bareMinerals READY

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 19:22:00 +0000

If you tune into this blog regularly then you'll know that mineral make up is my bete noir. The number of times I've tried it and hated it, from the dusty strays through to the dryness factor, we just don't get along. BUT! I've just been to the launch today of the bareMinerals READY range; solid minerals! And, they are beautiful; the texture is so silky and goes on so smoothly and is SO blendable it's really quite a revelation. So, I'm delighted to have found minerals that work for me. The collection launches in Selfridges on April 1st and then roll out nationwide in May. Prices are Duo, £19, Quad, £29, Touch Up Veil, £22, Bronzer, £24 and Blush, £22. (range has already launched in the US)

bareMinerals READY Quad in The After Party

bareMinerals Duo in The Epiphany

bareMinerals have taken minerals extracted from algae and seaweed, rich in nutrients and antioxidants, and blended them with cold pressed borage oil, caffeine and cucumber to give skincare benefits along with the colour. The formulas don't feel the least bit drying.

The eyeshadows come in twenty two duos and four quads, and they've solidified their mineral veil too as well as adding ten blush shades. All in all, I'm really impressed; it's fabulous.

However, I'm not so impressed by their campaign that included a 'blind casting' and interviewing candidates to star in the campaign from their voices only. In a bid to 'find beauty without ever seeing their faces', they actually only invited models and actresses to attend. So, that's like blind tasting cakes; the icing might be a different flavour but they'll all be sweet. It's not even nearly risk-taking or a genuine attempt to look at 'real' beauty which is such a shame because real beauty is totally where it's at right now. I did mention this to their director. He said, 'well, you have to use models in a beauty campaign.' Oh no, sir, you do not.

Givenchy MISTER PERFECT

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:09:00 +0000

Completely love this made-to-measure retoucher called Givenchy MISTER PERFECT that erases make-up mistakes with the flick of a pen. This could not be more perfect for me who cannot do identical strokes of eyeliner correctly first time. It's launching in March 2012 for £20.

Max Factor Fantasy Fire Give Away

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 17:37:00 +0000

I'm a little late in catching up with the news of the mini Fantasy Fire polish that has become one of the most sought after holo nail varnishes in the world right now. And, why? Because apparently it is a dupe of Clarins 230, a now discontinued shade that sells for upwards of $50 a bottle on Ebay. Even Fantasy Fire has been seen selling for over £20 and it's a teeny bottle!

But, I've managed to secure a bottle - in fact it is the one that Max Factor used to feature in photographs of the range, so it's a little bit famous all on its own! Max Factor have been taken by surprise, selling six months worth of stock in three weeks, so the shade is very, very hard to find.

Okay, so I'm going to make this a really quick giveaway closing Friday. All you have to do is rename Fantasy Fire - if you'd invented that shade, what would you have called it?

Because it's such a quickie, I'll choose my favourite myself this time. Please leave your suggestion in the comment box with your twitter contact name and I'll let you know if it's you!

Roger & Gallet Emperor's Flasks

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:24:00 +0000

Roget & Gallet is 150 years old this year and it is one of those brands that I think sometimes gets overlooked. It isn't overly expensive but feels and looks like great quality. It's not that helpful that distribution is mainly to pharmacies (the brand's roots are apothecary based) so it misses out on some of the glamour of being in the bigger stores.

Anyway, I had a funny time the other day discovering that Napoleon 1st went through their signature eau de cologne, Jean Marie Farina, by the bucket load. He was so fond of it that Josephine asked Roget & Gallet to make a specially created bottle that was easily transportable. They came up with an oblong bottle with one flat side so that Napoleon could tuck it into his boots for easy travel. It's also thought that the reason he went through so much of it was because he drank it.

So, up for a challenge, I had a little nip of it myself. Can I just say, please don't try this at home - it was absolutely horrible. Like a mix of Floral Gums and the bitterest alcohol you ever tasted. Not quite sure how Napoleon glugged it down so readily because the formula is pretty much the same now as it was then. I expect he drank it for the alcohol content, but I'll take a gin and tonic any day.

Back to the fragrances, however. No 1. Jean Marie Farina is a traditional eau de cologne, fresh and light and quite manly. No 2. Bois d'Orange is fruity and woody, and No 3. is floral with down notes of sandalwood. These three fragrances have all been bottled in the Emperor's Flasks; limited edition as they were Napoleon style and almost entirely true to the original. Personally, I didn't quite have enough room to squeeze all three into my boots, but they fit in my handbag very nicely! Look out for these gems - they're £34 each from pharmacies.

Beauty Forums

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:09:00 +0000

This is one of those knee-jerk posts in reaction to learning that one of my favourite bloggers is closing her blog. Why? Well, despite being articulate, well travelled and a hard-core beauty fanatic, she's been subject to a disproportionate amount of abuse, both personal and racial. I might add that amongst beauty bloggers, I think she has been well supported; she is certainly very well liked, but the main protagonists come from beauty forums around the world. She is of Asian descent, but to some she isn't quite 'Asian' enough; to others she is ugly, to yet another faction, she has too much money to spend on beauty products. She has been the subject of mockery, derision and the worst possible kind of written abuse, including identity theft, because she has a beauty blog.

We all have a certain number of 'haters', and the internet is a very easy place to be 'brave' on when you don't have to face your target and can hide behind anonymity. That's a subject all on its own. But, really? Racism and beauty? How in the world do these two things collide? Beauty is open to subjection, but surely it should be a unifier.

It pretty well boils down to forums, where gang mentality allows certain groups to round on one individual. This bloggers most looked at post, that generated literally thousands of hits, came from a forum abroad, accusing her of being an old crone kept by her husband who shouldn't wear make up. Those who profess to be against internet bullying are quite happily throwing personal comments into the forum ring - and sometimes outside of that - under the guise of discussion and can often use exclusion of others as a key weapon. It's not a discussion if you are making threats, unpleasant personal comments, racial attacks or implications about another individual; it is out and out bullying. And, it's nothing to do with beauty either; it's a more hateful agenda than that. It is people so desperate to be part of something that they'll swim with the shoal because the feeling of being accepted is far superior than the morality of the situation. The exclusion issue is the same. There are many faces of bullying.

Ultimately, the key lies in responsible forums where abuse of any nature is not tolerated and is swiftly moderated. I'd urge beauty lovers not to join forums or organisations where this is not the case; however benign it seems at the time it is literally the strokes on a keyboard that could make you the next subject of the same unpleasantness. Reporting abuse is absolutely key, and feeding back on those that are not 'safe' forums is also a good way to spread the word. If nobody joins in, then the words might as well not have been said.

All in all though, it is a very sorry state of affairs that allows racists and bullies to use the umbrella of beauty to unleash their hateful words. If you see it, report it and stop it.

Steamcream Love For Japan

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:11:00 +0000

You can't help loving this very worthy beauty launch. Steamcream's Love For Japan tin, £12.95, with 100% of the funds* raised from its sale going to support the people of Japan. Because the earthquake and tsunami in Japan was so catastrophic, people are still suffering the devastating effects. The disaster killed more than 20,000 people and left many, many children orphaned. The tin launches in March and will become a permanent part of the Steamcream tin line-up which hopefully means support will be on-going.

*Excludes VAT.

Laduree Make Up

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:40:00 +0000

Ok, the Laduree make-up range has now been released in Asia, and thanks to another blogger I am soon going to be the proud owner of a cameo blush as Liz picked one up for me on her travels. I've also used some of her pictures below (with kind permission) so you can see more of the range.

The Laduree Beauty Counter in Mitsukoshi Department Store, Tokyo

Diego Dalla Palma Nails for Spring

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Petrol Blue – Bubble Pink – Fuchsia – Coral Orange – Raspberry – Lilac

I love these strong, power-pops of colour from DDP for Spring. I'd wear Bubble Pink in a heartbeat. They're £10 at Tesco Stores.

Aveda Stress-Fix

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 18:38:00 +0000

The Aveda Stress Fix range launches in April and is aimed, as the name would suggest, at giving you a little bit of calm. You kind of have to like lavender as that is a key ingredient and as it happens I do. Lavender has undergone a revolution of late with the 'real' scent of lavender emerging and all the synthetic versions with 'granny' connotations banished to the back corner of your local chemist in the form of 'dusting powder'. I like best the Stress-Fix Soaking Salts which double as a body exfoliator first and then as you emerse yourself in your bath water, fragrance the water with pure essential oils. The difference between that and any other exfoliator (because they all will immerse when you do) is that it is very finely ground and dissolves quickly in the water. There's nothing that ruins a bath more than sitting in grit.

The First Ever Make-Up Tutorial?

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 19:23:00 +0000

I've been browsing old Pathe beauty films and this one from 1936 will shock you to the bones! There's a very odd face measuring device to determine the triangular area that should have blusher (and plenty of it, by the looks of things) and some, um, colouring in with lipstick. It's a beauty must see:

And, you cannot miss this ad for Max Factor's Top Secret Hair Spray; that lady's hair would not move if you blasted it with dynamite.

Olympic Beauty from Benefit

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 16:24:00 +0000

I've just come back from the Diving World Cup at the Olympic Aquatics Centre: we only have two Olympic tickets (between four of us!) so I thought this would be a great way to experience the Olympic venue. I have to say, it is completely wonderful and the volunteers showing us the way were so lovely they totally added to the event by being so smily and cheery.

Anyway, all this is leading up to saying that in the blink of an eye we'll be seeing all things beauty branded Olympic style. I suspect that for many, it won't go much further than shoving a Union Jack on the product so here's a shout out for Benefit That Gal Olympic Limited Edition launching on 1st of May exclusively at John Lewis. It's the first Olympic themed beauty product I've seen to date, and if my flag suspiscions are correct, probably one of the best.

Genuinely no idea what this 'thing' is called...

The Olympic Stadium

Great dive by someone!

The Legend of Lead In Lipstick

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 17:33:00 +0000

This story does the rounds every few months or so and each time it resurfaces I think there will be some horrendous scandal where a brand has been caught poisoning us. But no. This is never the case, and Colin from www.colinsbeautypages.co.uk, who is a scientist, a product formulator and no-nonsense all-round know-everything about beauty formulations has a feature on his blog telling us why a little lead (little being the operative word) never did us any harm. Below is an excerpt and please click through to read the rest of it here: http://colinsbeautypages.co.uk/lead-in-lipstick/

"They (Campaign For Safe Cosmetics) had some testing done and did indeed find some small traces of lead – down in the parts per million level so hardly alarming. Nonetheless, the FDA chose to investigate and carried out a proper study. This found similar levels. Even at face value the numbers weren’t particularly significant. Several were zero, most were barely above the limit of detection. Even the highest figure found, which was 7 ppm, was way too low to constitute any meaningful health risk. Just to make this clear, an average adult has about 1200 micrograms of lead in total in their blood stream. I did some experiments and worked out that an average application of lipstick weighs around 0.075g. If you assume that there is 7 micrograms per gram, using the highest figure from the FDA study, then you are going to add less than a microgram of lead even if every bit that got onto your lips found its way into your bloodstream, not a very likely scenario. Increasing your current loading of lead by a lot less than 0.1% doesn’t strike me as risky.

But delve a bit deeper into the FDA report and it is even more benign. They have published the method they used to do the testing, so anybody who feels inclined can check their results. When you look at the details it turns out that they have had to work really hard just to get the lead extracted from the lipstick in order to measure it. In fact they have had to use hydrofluoric acid, the strongest mineral acid that exists. The reason for this is that the lead is not added during manufacture, but is a trace contaminant in some of the minerals used to make the pigments. This is inevitable. Lead is a naturally occurring element that is found in a lot of minerals. But it is generally bound up in a form that makes it unavailable."

Maybelline Forever Strong Pro Porcelain Nails: Blue Denim

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:05:00 +0000

in sunshine

not in sunshine!

Part of the Porcelain collection launching in March is this shade; Blue Denim. I'm in love with this colour that really is 'denimy' with a great shine.

While I was looking on the US site, I spotted Baby Lips, a six shade balm that offers 8 hours hydration and has SPF20. Hurry up, Maybelline; we need this now.

Crownbrush Concealer Palette

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:57:00 +0000

I've got several palettes from Crownbrush and really do like them: the latest is this concealer palette that is perfect for me since I am deathly pale in winter and really quite brown in summer going through all the shade zones annually! Nightmare for matching foundations and concealers generally, so a palette like this at £16.99 is good value for me and means I can banish those undereye circles any time of the year. http://www.crownbrush.co.uk/10-con.html

Make Up Store

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:51:00 +0000

Make Up Store Summer Look 2012

I'm really impressed with the selection of Make Up Store make-up I was sent, particularly the Microshadows which have a really good colour payoff.

Microshadows: Fokelore, (can't read label), Tradition and Cultural

Swatches are literally one stroke of the brush so payoff is very good.

I also love their metallic eyeliners which have the right level of shimmer for me and very good colour:

Below: Water Spring Metallic, Above: Wave Metallic

And, I totally fell for this nail polish in a pale blue with some shimmer in Kaja.

What I've found about Make Up Store is that while they are very good at creating looks, the packaging doesn't really inspire (and I couldn't even get the lids off the Eyedusts - seriously, I tried three times) so you don't feel inclined to pick up the products. I get it that it's kind of like MAC, but for example, the eyeshadow pots have the letter M in clear plastic so you can see the colours through it, but in fact, you can't.. it's been made so thin that you can barely see any colour coming through at all.

Having used the products though, they're great and I'll definitely give the range more attention in future. It's just something of a leap of imagination for the consumer to connect the products to the looks easily.

Adult Acne

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Basically, if Shabir Daya speaks, I listen! He is the pharmacist at www.victoriahealth.com and has helped me out on many occasions recommending health products that have really made a difference. His feature on adult acne is the best I've ever read (and no, this post is not sponsored ;-)) and if you do suffer from acne, then it could well turn out to be a life-changing read. I get lots of emails from BBB readers, young and old, whose lives are just made a misery by acne so while I'm not a sufferer myself thankfully, I understand the emotional impact and that to be free of it is quite literally a new start in terms of confidence and happiness. Shabir lays out the common causes and gives properly helpful recommendations..anyway, read it here: http://editorial.victoriahealth.com/category/shabir-daya

One thing to remember; acne is one of the most commonly searched Google topics (after sex!) so if you do have it, you certainly aren't on your own.

CK One Cosmetics UK Launch

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:07:00 +0000

(pic www.com/courtesy photo)

Ooh, interesting.. ck one are bringing a line up on 130 products to our shores in March. It will be interesting to see what comes.

Benefit Sun Beam

noreply@blogger.com (britishbeautyblogger) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:35:00 +0000

I was going to save this for a little while, but after today's balmy sunshine in London it seems now is the right time. Meet Benefit's newest highlighter, Sun Beam, in a gorgeous, golden bronze that makes summer cheekbones gently glimmer with dewy sheen. A Sun Beam little goes a long way with this so use with caution: start with tiny dabs and add more - stop before you're mistaken for an Oscar. Personally, I'd use a slanted blush brush to apply. It's £18.50 and launches in June (erm, can we have it earlier please Benefit: some of us go on holiday in April, i.e. me).