The London Beauty Review

Review & Swatches: Clarins Long Lasting Kohl Kajal

2012-06-01T19:34:00.000+01:00

Another part of Clarins' limited edition summer 2012 collection today. This is Kohl Kajal, a soft, long lasting eyeliner in the style of traditional Indian kohl. As you might expect, the oversized, pointed nib of this liner is seriously soft stuff, to the extent that Clarins have provided some handy instructions on how to remove the lid to avoid spoiling the liner. The idea is

Duochrome Showdown: OPI vs Topshop vs Revlon vs Barry M

2012-05-31T19:00:00.000+01:00

I don't know. You wait ages for one grey-green-lilac duochrome polish to come along and then three turn up at once. I thought OPI's Not Like In The Movies was a one-of-a-kind sort of shade, but in the last couple of months I've come across three other polishes that disprove that theory - Revlon's Smoldering (sic), which I picked up in the US in January, Barry M's Silvery Lilac, which came out

Review & Swatches: Lipstick Queen Liptropolis

2012-05-30T20:12:00.000+01:00

Sarah and I were lucky enough to meet Poppy King at a recent Space NK event. Being a fan of both lipstick in general and the Lipstick Queen herself, I was pretty excited. My excitement was soon surpassed by the little look I got of Liptropolis, volume one of an unspecified number of lipstick libraries, encased in book-like packaging and containing three shades apiece. The inside of

FOTD with YSL Touche Eclat Foundation

2012-05-29T19:30:00.000+01:00

YSL's new Touche Eclat foundation lands in stores in July, and given the almost fanatical following that the original highlighting pen has gathered over the years, it's set to be a big launch. At £28, it's very definitely a high end foundation - but it does make some rather high end claims too, including a weightless texture, brightening properties, and a lightweight, natural finish.

Review & Swatches: Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow Duo in The Showstopper

2012-05-28T19:29:00.000+01:00

Bare Minerals, famous for their loose mineral makeup, particularly foundations, have recently released a set of pressed mineral makeup. This makes me happy - mostly because I've always admired the beautiful multi-dimensional shades of the Bare Minerals loose eyeshadows, but generally consider myself too cack handed and sleepy to deal with loose shadow in the morning. This is The

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balms 2012

2012-05-27T18:51:00.000+01:00

I've developed a bit of a thing for these limited edition balms from Clarins, ever since my socks were rocked by the Crystal Coral one last year. This year there are 4 of them (there were 3 last year - they're multiplying!), and they come with a new trick, namely a core of colour down the middle of the bullet. The shades are 01 Crystal Pink, 02 Crystal Violet, 03 Crystal Coral and 04

Review & Swatches: Burberry Lip Cover in Primrose Hill Pink

2012-05-26T18:56:00.000+01:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to San Francisco for a two-day meeting. A long way to travel for a short meeting, no? Given the insane jetlag that this was likely to cause, I figured I was due a few treats from Duty Free on the way out. Once there, I headed straight to the Burberry makeup stand - this is the first piece I've tried from the collection, and I was drawn by the heavy, classy

NOTD - Nails Inc Kensington Park Road and Superdrug nail stencils

2012-05-25T19:32:00.002+01:00

Important news: Nails Inc have invented a nail polish the exact colour of blue Smarties. Through what must have been hours of painstaking drop-by-drop matching work, the Kensington Park Road polish from their Neon collection contains the exact tiny hint of green needed to make a routine mid-blue creme into this unmistakable chocolate-connoting shade. Unfortunately my camera has washed this

Too Pretty To Swatch: Clarins Enchanted Colour Quartet and Liner Palette

2012-05-24T19:31:00.000+01:00

Everything about this limited edition palette, part of Clarins' Enchanted summer collection, is incredibly, perfectly pretty. The packaging bears a beautiful floral pattern inspired by traditional sari prints, picked out in tiny dots, which appeals to my OCD side with its preciseness and symmetry. Opening the guilded case, you'll find four eyeshadows in warm, neutral shades with a punch

Review: Cowshed Slender Cow

2012-05-23T18:55:00.000+01:00

Cowshed have released a trio of cheerily-packaged products for summer, all with the aim of firming skin. The bright pink range is called Slender Cow, and while I think it'll take more than a tube of body lotion to turn me into one of those, I was pleased to be given the opportunity to try out the Extra Firming Body Butter from the range. At £28, this is a decidedly premium buy, despite the

Quick Pick: Kerastase Oleo Curl

2012-05-22T20:07:00.000+01:00

I have a soft spot for Kerastase. In recent years I've found myself veering more towards products that are light on silicone, but there was a time in the past (which coincidentally corresponds with a period of intense straightener usage) when little else would make my hair glossy, manageable and soft. Whilst their products are ludicrously expensive, they're undeniably luxurious to use, and

Urban Decay new eyeshadow singles and Build Your Own palette

2012-05-21T18:52:00.000+01:00

I have been a bit worried about Urban Decay's single eyeshadows over the last couple of years. Don't laugh. With all the insanely popular palettes offering incredible value, it felt like the stand-alone singles had been getting neglected. The permanent line of subway-token themed circular pots sat on the counters much as they had for nearly 10 years, notwithstanding a few additions and

NOTD - Mavala nail art by Jenni Draper

2012-05-20T13:54:00.001+01:00

I recently had the privilege of a manicure from tremendous nail artist Jenni Draper, using the new Mavala spring collection. The green colour is called Pistachio - it's a warm-ish pastel green with a slight shimmer. Jenni used other colours from the collection, (which is called "Delicious Colours") for the accent nails, along with some teeny crystals. What I most enjoyed about this manicure

Review & Swatches: Stila In The Light Palette

2012-05-16T19:13:00.000+01:00

Stila have released three new palettes this season - In The Garden, In The Moment, and In The Light. They contain rich jewel tones, smoky shades, and wearable neutrals respectively. In The Light definitely ticks all the wearability boxes, but not in a boring or one-dimensional way. Encased in champagne cardboard, In The Light contains ten eyeshadows and a chocolate brown smudgestick

Amazing Emma Hardie Deal on QVC Today

2012-05-16T11:46:00.000+01:00

Today's QVC TSV (Today's Special Value, for those not in the know). For the relatively tiny price of ££39.96, you get a full size Moringa cleansing balm (100ml), day and night creams (50ml each), and a 10ml sample size serum. Given that the oft-raved about Moringa cleanser is usually £29 in it's own right, this is a fantastic deal, and one which'll be finding it's way into my shopping basket

Makeup storage: thinking outside the box

2012-05-15T19:21:00.000+01:00

Here's the box... ...and here's my new makeup storage. It's technically a "parts cabinet" meant for organising mechanics' workshops. It's metal, and coated in red shiny paint. I've been unhappy with my makeup storage for a while, and had been mulling over the options for something sturdy enough but with enough small compartments to house all my makeup. I was initially thinking about a

NOTD - AEOS vegan nail lacquer in Maha Chohan

2012-05-14T19:16:00.000+01:00

Summer's done a bit of a u-turn here in London. It was getting all sunshiney and sandal-esque during March, but has since gone chilly and rainy again. To inject a modicum of summer spirit, here's an NOTD featuring a dreamy duochrome blue from AEOS. (That's Advanced Energetic Organic Skincare.) AEOS is a brand with an esoteric, new-age vibe about it - its products are based around a belief

Fishnet Showdown: Nails Inc vs Barry M

2012-05-13T19:12:00.000+01:00

It's no secret that the magnetic polishes on the UK market all bear a telling similarity to one another and almost certainly come from the same source, repackaged for different brands. The now-familiar wave pattern is the same across all the brands I've tried. Barry M recently released 4 magnetic polishes with different magnetic patterns - stripes (horizontal), fishnet, starburst, and stripes (

Lip of the Day: By Terry Aqua Tint in Dancefloor Flirt

2012-05-12T19:30:00.000+01:00

This juicy, orange jelly filled tube just screams summer. Shame that the British weather is still screaming winter, but if you're looking for a bit of brightness, then this limited edition stain might well be right up your street. It might look orange in the tube, but when applied to the lips, it's a pretty bright pink pop of colour. The texture is weighless and a cross between fluid

Lip of the Day: Clinique Runway Coral Long Last Lipstick

2012-05-11T18:36:00.000+01:00

This sunny bright lipstick is an online exclusive at Clinique.co.uk. It's got something to do with fashion. Runway is American for catwalk. Karen Walker is the label apparently... I don't know. I'm a beauty blogger. My clothes all come from Dorothy Perkins. But I do know my makeup, and this is an exceptionally lovely lipstick. It's a creme finish that's extremely smooth and buttery to

Review: Red Carpet Manicure LED Gel Polish

2012-05-10T20:00:00.000+01:00

I've had two gel manicures in the past, one Shellac and one Artistic Colour Gloss, and I loved then both. The long wear, the incredible shine, the lack of worrying about your nail colour chipping for a coupla weeks... what's not to love? Admittedly, regular gel manicures will leave a large dent in your wallet, with each manicure costing at least £30. There are a few home kits on the

Groupon giveaway - win £40 to spend on Groupon.co.uk

2012-05-09T18:24:00.000+01:00

WE'RE GIVING AWAY A £40 GROUPON VOUCHER! It's been a while since we did a giveaway, but hopefully this £40 windfall for one lucky reader will make up for it. Group voucher overlords Groupon are offering one of you £40 to spend on beauty deals, spas, products, haircuts, massages, manicures or whatever else you might like from their website. To enter, Leave us a comment telling us what

Random PR Stunts: The Bliss Bed

2012-05-08T19:30:00.000+01:00

I wouldn't normally post photos from random PR stunts, but since this one took place right outside my office, I couldn't help myself. Today, Bliss branded a giant (king-size would be my guess) motorised bed and sent it whizzing around London, to promote their "the youth as we know it" night cream. The photo above was taken outside the Bliss spa on Sloane Avenue (which is next door to my

Diego Dalla Palma Snow White and the Huntsman palette

2012-05-07T14:11:00.001+01:00

A move tie-in palette? A movie tie-in palette featuring fairytales? It's a proven formula, and it's one that Diego Dalla Palma has embraced with this Snow White and the Huntsmen palette, out now at Tesco costing £25. OK, it's not as ornate or mushroom-laden as Urban Decay's Alice In Wonderland Book of Shadows, but they're there, kind of (on the press release). And given that I love all

Illamasqua's Bank Holiday Nail Polish Sale

2012-05-05T11:21:00.000+01:00

Cause it's a good old Bank Hol, Illamasqua are putting 15 of their most popular polishes on sale at a 45% discount. They're the most popular according to the Illamasqua Facebook page, where readers have been voting to pick the candidates for the Bank Holiday bargain-fest. They'll be £7.50 each, reduced from £13.50. There are 5 polishes going on sale each day. Today (Saturday) the shades are: