The London Beauty Review

Lip of the Day: YSL Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres in 20 Rouge Enamel

2013-05-23T18:18:00.000+01:00

I absolutely love YSL's Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stains, and I absolutely love red. And I am completely in love with this red Glossy Stain - it's part of the summer lineup (and has a sister coral shade), and it's the most gorgeous ruby red. It's a very similar tone to my hair colour, and unlike some reds which can shrink the lips, it adds volume and plumpness. The texture is fabulous - it's

Unfortunately underwhelming: Elemis Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm

2013-05-22T19:00:00.000+01:00

I've tried to like this product, I really have, but I just don't quite get it. Elemis' new Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm seems heavily inspired by the Clarins cult classic flash balm, and promises moisturising properties alongside an instant shot of radiance. To be fair, I don't really get the hype around the Clarins flash balm either - I just can't see the difference made by a single

NOTD: Mavala Chilli and Spice shades Bamako, Trinidad, Jaipur

2013-05-21T18:57:00.000+01:00

What could be nicer than a stocky, cheerful little pot of Mavala colour? How about three pots at once? Part of the beauty of these pigment-saturated summer shades from Mavala is how well they offset each other. So I decided to wear a few of them together by way of an accent nail. The main manicure colour is Trinidad, a rich ultramarine blue. The accent nail is a combo of Jaipur, the vivid

Lip of the Day: Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited Lipstick in BG 955

2013-05-20T19:24:00.000+01:00

I bought this rather lovely lipstick whilst shopping in Shu Uemura for an eyebrow pencil for my sister-in-law-to-be to use for her wedding. She also bought a Rouge Unlimited lipstick, and me being me, I couldn't resist getting one for myself. I chose this rather glorious neutral-but-not-neutral mid pink, and it's become one of my favourites in the past few weeks. The packaging is

A little KIKO haul

2013-05-19T19:02:00.000+01:00

My closest friend lives in Stratford, which means I often end up doing the odd tour of Westfield shopping centre on my way to or from the station there. The other day I wandered into the KIKO store and decided to treat myself to a few bits. (Here are said bits.) Firstly, a single powder eyeshadow with a super-interesting pseudo-liquid texture and a surface design that makes it look like it's

Paul & Joe Beaute Beach Baby Pressed Powder UV

2013-05-18T14:22:00.000+01:00

Paul & Joe's summer collection is called Beach Baby, and features a selection of lip, eye and nail shades in retro pastels and fun brights. The theme is inspired by beach locations and general fun in the sun. Contrarily enough, the piece I was most taken with out of the collection has nothing much to do with beaches or bikinis (although it does have UV filters). It's the pressed powder compact,

Review & Swatches: Bourjois Little Round Pot Cream Blush in 01 Nude Velvet and 03 Rose Tender

2013-05-17T18:04:00.000+01:00

Bourjois have made a cream blush! This is excellent news, as cream blush can be difficult to find on the high street, and they're brilliant for easy application and long wear. Packaged in the iconic little round pot, they're held together with magnets and come in four natural shades. The texture is light and silky, and I think they're best described as cream-to-powder blushes. They

REN: Three Saviour Products for Combination Skin

2013-05-16T17:46:00.000+01:00

I was recently recommended this trio of products for combination/oily skin when I visited the REN headquarters. And they've turned out to be utterly brilliant! Of the three products, the Clarifying Toning Lotion, £18 for 150ml, is probably the least revolutionary. That said, given that it's a toner for combination/oily skin, it manages to balance and clarify the skin without being overly

NOTD: China Glaze Jungle Queen

2013-05-15T18:17:00.000+01:00

China Glaze Jungle Queen is a lovely smoky purple polish with a bit of a secret: it's got a subtle purple shimmer which is almost impossible to capture with my camera. Temptalia manages better: her photos show the beautiful micro-shimmer which only emerges in sunlight. It's a very unique colour - I don't have anything quite like this in my polish collection. Regardless of the shimmer,

Swatches: YSL Marrakesh Sunset Eyeshadow Palette

2013-05-14T19:10:00.000+01:00

Meet the palette component of YSL's summer offering: Marrakesh Sunset. It's a surprisingly wearable set of shades with a twist - and the outer packaging, as usual, is beautifully luxe. The heavy compact encases the shadows in YSL's signature gold, with a subtle design worked into the lid. Pretty, but not as stunning as Clarins' latest palettes. Inside, you get five shadows and two (

EOS Lipbalm in Honeysuckle Honeydew

2013-05-13T18:30:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to try these EOS lip balms for ages now - so when I spotted one at BeautyMart in Harvey Nichols, I had to buy one. EOS stands for Evolution of Smooth, and this lipbalm is unique more for it's spherical shape than it's moisturising properties. Inside the spherical pot, you get a rounded solid balm which can be used to moisturise the lips or to tame the brows, if you

Mavala Chilli & Spice Collection for summer

2013-05-12T18:02:00.000+01:00

Don't these new Mavala summer shades look gorgeous? They're the Chili and Spice collection, which is made up of bold cream finish shades which just scream summer. Left to right: Bali; Trinidad; Cuzco; Bomaka; Samarkand; Jaipur. Swatches coming shortly! Disclosure: PR samples This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen,

REN Moroccan Rose Otto gets an update

2013-05-10T19:12:00.000+01:00

The much-loved Moroccan Rose Otto bathing / bodycare range from REN is getting a packaging update. Breaking slightly from the rest of the REN line, the rosey goods will soon have an intricate geometric pattern on both the outer box and the product packaging itself. The design is inspired by art from the Moroccan region in which the roses are grown - a handful of valleys where the flowers

NOTD: Wild & Crazy Hard Ball vs. Models Own Beth's Blue

2013-05-09T19:21:00.000+01:00

I've blogged about Wild and Crazy Hard Ball before, but hadn't worn it in many months. I was lucky-dipping through one of my nail polish drawers (a Helmer, yeah) and decided to give it a go over Models Own Beth's Blue, a beautiful pale blue creme with just a smidge of lavender. I still really like Hard Ball. I think I may even like it more than its close cousin, Models Own Indian Ocean,

Review & Swatches: Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette

2013-05-08T19:05:00.000+01:00

Naked Flushed is the latest addition to Urban Decay's very successful Naked line. Unlike the two iconic eyeshadow palettes, this one is for cheeks. The solid, beige, mirrored compact contains a satin finish bronzer, a shimmering highlighter, and a pink blush. The idea is that you use the bronzer to sculpt the cheekbones, the blush to add a pop of colour blended from the apples of the

Repurchase of the week: By Terry Sheer Expert foundation

2013-05-07T19:33:00.000+01:00

It might cost an eye-watering £44, but I firmly believe this foundation is worth every penny, and I was glad to part with the cashola to replace my PR sample tube this week. Two main reasons: 1. It matches my skintone fantastically. The colour is just the right mix of warm and cool to create an utterly natural, luminous finish, and in comparison pretty much every other foundation I

Review & Swatches: Clarins Summer 2013 Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms

2013-05-06T19:54:00.000+01:00

I have no idea why I haven't posted about these yet. If Sarah had her paws on these, you can bet they would have been photographed, edited, written up and smushed onto her lips within about a day. You see, these Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms are a regular release for Clarins - and Sarah has absolutely adored every version released by the brand. Understandable, really - they're

Quick Pick: Dove Purely Pampering Range

2013-05-05T18:19:00.000+01:00

Since these new Dove Purely Pampering goodies landed on my doormat, they've become a firm favourite, not just with me, but with my husband too. The range includes Body Wash, Nourishing Lotion, and Body Cream, all in three different scents - Shea Butter and Warm Vanilla (wonder what Cold Vanilla smells like), Coconut and Jasmine, and Almond Cream with Hibiscus. Whilst all of the scents are

NOTD: OPI First Date at the Golden Gate - San Francisco Collection

2013-05-04T19:00:00.000+01:00

This rusty orangey red is part of OPI's new San Francisco inspired lineup for AW2013. Out of the four shades I was lucky enough to bring home from the event, this one was the least exciting - until I put it on my nails. It's a rich, deep cream finish polish and it looks fantastic on short stubby nails. Thankfully my nails happen to be short and stubby (I'm regrowing them for my brother's

Review: Aveda Invati System

2013-05-03T19:23:00.000+01:00

The Aveda Invati system is designed for thinning hair, and aims to promote growth and health by treating the scalp with a selection of herbs and spices. I tried it out as my hair has been slowly recovering from six months of thinning brought about by the contraceptive implant. The Exfoliating Shampoo cleanses and renews the scalp, removing dead skin and oils which can interfere with

Swatches: Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadows in Rose Gold and Light in Purple

2013-05-02T19:04:00.000+01:00

I picked up these Maybelline Color Tattoo eyeshadows recently in Boots during a 3 for 2 event. I chose Rose Gold, a pretty shimmering rose, and Light in Purple, a very interesting blue/purple duochrome colour - something I've never seen before on the high street. Color Tattoo eyeshadows claim to stay put for up to 24 hours - not quite sure why anyone would want to wear eyeshadow for that

Incoming: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil Vault

2013-05-01T21:49:00.000+01:00

Launching tomorrow is another Urban Decay bumper limited edition release - the 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil Vault. Apparently in the USA these have been going for more than double their $295 RRP on eBay after selling out very fast over there. Here in good old Albion, these will be rolling out in Debenhams from tomorrow, and selling for a rather substantial £240 (though as the press release

Review & Swatches: REN Satin Perfection BB Cream

2013-05-01T18:44:00.000+01:00

REN's Satin Perfection BB Cream is a somewhat new direction for the cult skincare brand, given that their extensive lineup doesn't currently contain colour products. REN see BB cream as a halfway house - not skincare, not colour, and their BB cream is certainly different to many of those I've tried recently. This is the Light/Medium variety, and it looks a little bit orange in the

BB Bandwagon: L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Blush

2013-05-01T10:46:00.000+01:00

I do wish brands would stop jumping on the BB bandwagon. This blush from L'Oreal Paris is called Nude Magique BB Blush. It has nothing to do with BB creams at all. It's also not particularly magical - it's one of those clear gels which turn pink when they come into contact with your skin, the area, or a piece of paper. Not massively exciting, but it is cheap compared to the original

NOTD: Revlon "Moon Dust" Moon Candy nail polish

2013-04-30T19:07:00.000+01:00

Revlon's got flakies. Yes indeed. The new Moon Candy polishes are double-ended kits (a la Andrea Fulerton), each with an opaque base colour and a clear top-coat filled with iridescent flakes. I've seen several Revlon Nails displays around London in the last week with the slots for Moon Candy polishes ransacked and empty, but finally I struck lucky on Oxford Street and bagged this one - Moon