Beauty Mouth

The Great British Beauty Giveaway courtesy of NutriBeauty

2012-05-31T00:00:00.001+01:00

In celebration of all things British and Beauty over the Jubilee weekend - NutriBeauty are offering their customers a whopping 20% off of everything on their site from Thursday 31st through to Tuesday 5th June (inclusive). If you are as yet unfamiliar with all things NutriBeauty - go take a look - you won't be disappointed.
Trust Le Mouth.

On top of that, readers of Beauty Mouth have the opportunity to win NutriBeauty's Top 10 picks of the very best of British. Yes. Win all ten of the top 10.

Regular readers will spot a few of my firm favourites mixed in with some amazing up and coming brands.

Natural Empathy Beautifully British Limited Edition Hand and Body Lotion - £15.00

I'd be tempted to keep this unopened for the packaging alone.

Deborah Mitchell Bee Venom Mask - £65.00

The infamous mask that started the Bee Venom craze and also facialist to *the* Royal clients before a *certain* wedding last year.

Neal's Yard Wild Rose Beauty Balm - £35.25

My staple 'go-to' balm - every beauty cupboard should have one. Now's your chance.

Suti Rejuvenate Organic Face Oil - £28.00

Love Suti - great products, great results, great women, Great Britain (see what I did there?).

Suti Rose Water - £18.00

Viridian Ultimate Beauty Complex - £15.90

Supplements are a must. Viridian are amongst the best.

Pai Chamomile &Rosehip Sensitive Skin Cream - £22.00

Love Pai, recommend them every week in the Clinic.

Pai Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream - £22.00

Spirit of Beauty Facial Cleansing Gel - £19.95

LOVE this cleanser, haven't blogged it yet - which is ridiculous and overdue - because the pot is nearly empty - so will get on that asap!

Beauty Works West YOUTH - £64.00

I take these every single day without fail, have blogged about them before and probably will again. Immense. Especially if you're over 35/40 and having trouble finding your Mojo. And your skin tone!

Fancy that little lot? I know. So do I.

To be in with a chance of winning:

Simply leave your comment below naming your favourite British Beauty product from NutriBeauty's site - or what you would most like to try and why.

Make sure to leave a contact @twitter or an email address in your comment.

To receive your 20% discount simply enter BritishBeauty20 when prompted on the NutriBeauty site.

Thanks NutriBeauty and Happy Jubilee Weekend everyone!

T & C's.
Giveaway ends Tuesday 5th June.
Winner will be picked Wednesday 6th June.
One entry per person.
Winner will be picked by random.org.
Prize will be sent directly to winner by NutriBeauty.
Giveaway value is £305.10 - prize is non-transferable.
No cash alternative is offered.
Beauty Mouth can take no responsibility for lost packages.

ALPHA-H TSV - FOREWARNED IS FOREARMED.

2012-05-27T23:59:00.000+01:00

It's that time again. Where I ~~blackmail~~ ~~beg~~ ask politely for details about the upcoming TSV of one of my favourite brands in order to give you a heads up on the latest ridiculous offer available on QVC.

I know there is no need to mention Liquid Gold at this stage. Of course the TSV has Liquid Gold in it. Was there ever a product more aptly named?

I digress.

The Alpha-H TSV going live at Midnight - NOW - is...

50ML AGE DELAY INTENSIVE NIGHT TREATMENT - new to QVC

200ML BALANCING CLEANSER

15ML ABSOLUTE EYE COMPLEX and

50ML LIQUID GOLD

And the price?

*Insert Joan Rivers joke*: What's my husband's idea of foreplay?.... BRACE YOURSELF JOANIE:

£34.96 + £4.95 P&P.

And the value?

Utterly ridonculous.

Age Delay Intensive Night Treatment is worth £37.95 in the high street, £35 at QVC

Eye Complex is worth £34.50 in the high st, £31.50 at QVC

Balancing Cleanser is worth £23.00 in the high st, £20 at QVC

Liquid Gold - ml for ml = £15.75 high street, £14.25 QVC

Total: £111.20 high st, £100.75 at QVC

And again:

TSV price £34.96 + £4.95 P&P

Yeah. I know. Me too.

Shows at Midnight, 1am, 8am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm and 10pm.

Also available here.

Clinic on Thursday - CLINIC IS CLOSED

2012-05-24T11:38:00.000+01:00

Morning All!

The Clinic is open - could I ask a couple of things?

Can you please contact me here if you have re-commented on last week's Clinic or have emailed me and are still awaiting a response? Apologies - but as I know you'll understand it's a lot to keep up with.

And I'm sorry to reiterate but please don't email me your queries unless I specifically ask you to on the blog (i.e. for further information) - if only 1% of my (lovely) readers from last week emailed me, I'd still be dealing with 160 emails - all of which are very detailed and take a lot of thought - on top of the Clinic, the blog, full-time work and a very large family.

All of which I adore and am blessed with - I'm not complaining - BUT - I have to stop somewhere.

Thank you for your continued support - this site has opened so many doors for me and I am very grateful to you all.

Fortnum & Mason Summer Scents aka Private Perfume Party - Tuesday 29th May

2012-05-23T22:41:00.000+01:00

I watched an interview with Michael Winner over the weekend where he said that the English were on the whole, dreadful at Customer Service. He was referring to restaurants in particular - you know - the allegedly upmarket ones where you are greeted not with 'Good Morning Sir/Madam', but 'Have you got a reservation?'

In Winner's words, 'What's THAT got to do with anything?'

In department store terms the same thing occurs. There are certain stores in Central London where you are greeted by a security guard giving you the once over.

And then there is Fortnum & Mason. *insert audible sigh* I love F&M. Yes there are other wonderful stores in London. But here, the staff are the best dressed and the most polite in town - and no apologies from me on that score. Customer Service I KNOW.

F&M are unbeatable.

I have regular business meetings in the Fountain and the Parlour (waves to Alex), both busy, both with amazing service and delicious food. I have digressed completely - but if you have never been - and think of it as the home of tea and jam and biscuits and her Maj, think again. Do yourself a favour. Go.

*inserts totally gratuitous picture of one of the Treatment Rooms - more of which to come at a later date*

If you happen to be around next Tuesday 29th, Fortnums are holding an amazing evening of perfumes, discovery and interaction that is a must for fragrance lovers.

With Brand Ambassadors from Creed, Caron, Guerlain, Clive Christian (go smell 'X' *dies*), Illuminum (Kate Middleton's fragrance of choice on her wedding day) and an appearance from Azagury himself, it promises to be an eventful evening.

For those in attendance there is also the little matter of this hamper full of fragrance and worth over £1000 up for grabs.

(Apologies for the picture - I fired it off today after a meeting - and the ginormous Guerlain bottle is display - calm down!)

Fortnums, fragrance, champagne, hampers. Oh to be an English~~man~~woman in the Summertime.

Tickets are priced £15.00 and are available by calling 0845 602 5694.

Kim Kardashian True Reflection Launch

2012-05-22T12:52:00.000+01:00

Sometimes you need a little fun. When Kim Kardashian rolled in to town last week to launch her latest fragrance 'True Reflection', I was invited to the launch party and figured it would be 'an experience'. That it was.
A word on the fragrance - The Kardashians are not stupid. Givaudan are behind their fragrances and that is what genuinely sets them apart from other 'celeb' fragrances. They actually smell quite lovely - as in 'you would really wear them' lovely. In short, if I was making a fragrance, I would probably go to Givaudan first. This is gardenia-heavy. So for me, a winner.

The event was a little packed and a lot hot - and the view was restricted. By the time she arrived, the surge forward, along with her 'petite' (very small) height meant we couldn't see anything.
So I climbed on to a sofa (as you do) to have a gander and it was at this point that I turned to Priya and Zara and said 'What the F**K am I DOING?? I'm a 42 year old woman. JESUS CHRIST.'
Anyway. We soon ~~pushed everyone else out of the way because I'm 5'11~~ made our way to the VIP area where we met the lady herself.

Very sweet, extremely small and with a face full of make up that she didn't need (I did a full on skin inspection while she was saying something about flowers and fragrance - as you do) - she was very polite. She seemed as if she was just going through the motions to be honest but if I was plonked in a room full of people standing on sofas to get a look of you I'd probably be over it too.
She did, however, respond very graciously to my request for a quick head shot to send to my daughter who was at a sleepover and not happy that Mummy was meeting KK without her.

So: good quality fragrance that I am actually wearing, a picture for the babygirl who quickly became the star of the sleepover - and a Wagamama's with this lot:

When bloggers go wrong.

Score.
True Reflection is available at Debenhams now and launches nationwide in June.
£30.00/50ml
£40.00/100ml
*very obviously a PR sample
*non-affiliate link

April in the life of Beauty Mouth

2012-05-20T18:37:00.000+01:00

(Yes I know its late)

Behind the scenes of the What's in My Handbag? shoot.

Max's first time at Meat Liquor.

My lily addiction is out of control.

Dude.

One of my gorgeous nieces.

Max totally busted.

My kind of store.

Enough said.

Loved this. As you can see.

About bloody time.

The other two ladies of the house.

Glad they're back on UK soil.

Quick visit to Monaco.

Loving this brand.

Got these out. Then put them away.

SO amazing.

Used a LOT.

At-home facial.

Great windows. Shame the clothes come in two sizes: foetus and five year old.

Anndddd Flannelgate in the Daily Mail. Amusing stuff.

Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud - Cologne Intense

2012-05-18T23:12:00.000+01:00

I wasn't surprised when Jo Malone originally released the Cologne Intense range in 2010. In a way it was more 'What took them so long?'.

Every Spring, London - and London retail - is inundated by visitors from the Middle East escaping the intense heat for somewhere more amenable. I've blogged about Arab Season before - this range was without doubt designed with the Middle East in mind. My favourite of the existing range is the beautiful Rose Water and Vanilla.

Well, that may all change - this arrived this morning- and my GOD is it good.

Velvet Rose & Oud is on counter in June as a Limited Edition to the range. Damask Rose, Oud, Clove and Praline come together to give the most intense, sultry fragrance that in my opinion, JML have done so far. As per the ethos of JML, they give various scenarios for combining with other fragrances - but this, to my mind, is perfect on its own.

Available June 2012 priced £95.00 from all Jo Malone stockists.

*PR Sample

Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment

2012-05-17T20:03:00.000+01:00

Three years in the making, Elemis launch a new addition to their ridiculously successful Pro-Collagen range this Summer.

Advanced Eye Treatment is designed to aid fine lines and wrinkles and moisturise and hydrate. Yes please. I have a sample so will report back when I've had time to use it properly.

On counters 1st July - £39.00.

Acne - Cheat Sheet

2012-05-16T22:17:00.001+01:00

One of the biggest concerns in the Clinic seems to be problems related to acne/bad spots and 'raised red bumps'. I have taken my time with this cheat sheet because of all the skin problems out there, this one causes the most upset/depression/stress and I don't take it lightly.

When I turned 40 a couple of years ago I experienced adult onset acne - along with food allergies. Out of nowhere. I mention this because it it is increasingly obvious that the same is happening to a lot of women. I had near-perfect skin for 40 years and then suddenly, a face full of red, angry cysts. My GP put me straight on anti-biotics and I, in my desperation, took them unquestioningly.

Once I realised that the acne was more than likely hormonal, here to stay and that the anti-biotics were doing me no favours, I decided to fix it myself. And I more or less have. The reason I am giving you so much background is because you need to do the same for your skin.

There is no magical 'cure' for acne. There are different types, yes, but no one-dose-fits-all cure. So do read the below - but bear in mind that acne is different for everyone. You may have one type - or 3 types.
You need to know your skin, your body, your state of mind, your 'system' inside out to truly see results.

I'm using this as a 'skeleton' to build on. I'm posting it in place of the Clinic so when you ask your questions - if the answers are something that will help others - I'll add them to the body of this Cheat Sheet. Make it interactive - but more importantly - get as broad a spectrum of questions and answers/tips that we can.

I'm not touching on scarring yet - I'm assuming that the people who are reading this have active acne - in which case you are a little limited in what you can do for bad scarring.

Types/causes of acne:

Hormones - just starting periods, just finishing periods, peri-menopause, menopause (all of them), for boys - raging androgen
Can cause over production of oil, slow shedding of dead skin cells, increases in the mount of androgen in your system - all creating the perfect breeding ground for acne

Bacteria - Propionibacterium Acnes is the bacteria that gives our friend its name - all it needs is the perfect environment to spread

Inflammation - illness, foods, stress - a system fighting illness is inflamed on its own, add medication and you are doubling your potential problems (not that that's your fault!), foods can cause inflammation (especially food allergies) and stress always causes inflammation - again, all breeding grounds for acne

Sensitivities - allergies, reactions to products, reactions to foods/environment

Looking at the above you may see where your skin fits in - and why anti-biotics just don't work for some people.

Myths and Old Wives Tales:

It seems that once something has been said in a glossy mag, heard on tv - or both - it becomes the Law. Sad but true. And not helpful to those of us with real problems that we want to fix!

Acne is caused by dirty skin. Not true. There is a massive difference between bacteria and dirt. Over-washing your face destroys the acid mantle that protects your skin, makes an alkaline environment, makes your acne worse and your skin a dry, dull, sore breeding ground.
You can 'dry up' spots. Not true. A spot is a mixture of oil, inflammation, bacteria and dead skin cells. No water in that list. All you are doing is drying the surrounding area in the hope that it will make the spot look smaller. What it actually does it put the spot on its own 'look at ME' platform.
You can use toothpaste or *braces self* nappy cream to spot-treat acne. I cannot EVEN.
A one-off spot may have its redness taken down - temporarily - by applying one of the above. If acne could be fixed by Oral-B or Sudocrem all of our problems would be solved. YAY! *jazz hands*
Dude. Stop putting toothpaste and bum cream on your face.

Things that may help:

Below are some of the things that have helped myself, friends, clients and readers of this blog. It is not a definitive list and is only suggestions. They may not work for you, they may work brilliantly - unfortunately there is no perfect recipe. If you are on serious medication speak to your consultant before supplementing.

Avoid mineral oils when cleansing. Natural oils are better for the skin. They just are. (See one exception later on in the list)
Avoid too much alcohol in products. A 'tingle' is ok. A 'burning' is not. Products where the main ingredient listed is alcohol will dry out the surface of your skin, destroy the acid mantle and make the perfect breeding ground. However: alcohol is sometimes a necessary evil for suspending things like glycolic acid in a solution - where they would normally not work as well.
(See Liquid Gold as an example - the glycolic benefits override the alcohol) It can be confusing but its a case-by-case basis.
Avoid soaps and foaming washes. These break down the acid mantle of your skin (think: armour) and make your skin a 10 on the 1-10 acid/alkaline scale. Remember litmus paper from science classes? Again - the perfect breeding ground.
Don't pick red cysts. A whitehead can be popped in the correct manner (see previous cheat sheets), a cyst is going nowhere and will always, always prevail if you battle it. And then it will scar. Just to teach you who is boss.
Don't completely strip your skin of oil and moisture. An acne skin that sticks solely to foaming cleansers and oil-free products is nearly always - always - reddened with inflammation and sensitivity. Thus making more work for yourself.
Treat your skin gently and with respect. You know what I mean. Abusing it with harsh products and getting angry with it - like it's a different person - will make it worse. Your skin belongs to you. Don't try and disown it when it needs you.
Cleanse with good quality oils and balm cleansers. There is absolutely no reason to avoid oil when you have acne. Again:
There is absolutely no reason to avoid oil in cleansing when you have acne. Mineral oil, avoid? YES. Good, light, naturally-derived oils, no. They don't clog pores, they nourish the skin you are now pledging to take care of and they do not break you out. Cheap, nasty, mineral oil used in heavy formulations may break you out when you are cleansing, not good oils. Check labels. Avoid paraffin, paraffin liquidum, mineral oil in ingredient listings.
Use topical exfoliants. Acids used topically help alleviate blocked pores, dead skin cells, trapped hair follicles and reduce your acid mantle to the lower end of the scale - usually around a 3/4 - which is in layman's terms, strengthening your first line of defence to the acne. Think glycolic and salicylic.
You can use products like benzoyl peroxide, found in spot treatments, to topically treat bad acne spots. It can penetrate the pore and kill off the bacteria specific to acne, but I prefer the acids in the step above. Sulfur is more commonly used, but in my experience, both can be drying to the skin in high %'s. Go easy.
Hydrate your skin and consider that it might need oil in places. You can have acne in areas and be really dry/dehydrated in others.
Consider supplementation. I have no doubt in my mind that consuming large quantities of fish oil has saved my face. And it's not just me. People I know have had the same response. It works for acne OR psoriasis and eczema - so if you have any of those - or all - I would definitely recommend. I take anything between 3000 and 9000mg a day depending on the day, my skin and circumstances. If you are vegetarian you can use flax - but fish is better. (Sorry!)
Avoid moisturisers with shea butter. Yes its natural but its harder than most oils for the skin to break down and thus tends to clogs pores and give you nice whiteheads.
Buy moisturisers with water as the main ingredient for day. You can use appropriate oils and balms at night.

A word on anti-biotics. If you are taking them and they haven't 'done anything' - something I hear a lot on the Clinic - stop taking them (in the appropriate manner). They are bad for your system, cause stomach problems and make you massively susceptible to severe sun damage. Why some GP's insist on giving out repeat prescriptions for skins that are not responding to them is beyond me. It's just lazy. If your acne is really bad - ask for a referral to a hospital consultant/specialist unit - but I do mean really bad - covering your entire face, possibly back, scalp, chest etc - a few hormonal spots once a month, while causing you to break out the heavy duty concealer - is not on a par with the suffering of people with the severest cases.

OK - first draft. Done. I know its just the tip of the iceberg and I'm happy to add your requested sections - just wanted to get it out there or it may never happen! Also - I will be monitoring comments carefully for spam - from randoms and brands pushing products - which I have been getting lot of lately - so please don't worry if your comment doesn't show up straight away. If you're genuine - it will!

First Update - Foods. I'll add foods. :)

Havaianas and Mavala

2012-05-16T18:41:00.000+01:00

Havaianas and Mavala are doing their bit to save us all from the dreaded trotter feet this Summer by offering a free shape and polish to all customers purchasing a pair of Slim Havaianas at John Lewis Oxford Street.

The Pedi Bar is available from Saturday 15th May until 5th June. You may need to book at busy times - but if you're planning on buying a pair anyway - and live in London - do us all a favour and spare us the trotter!

Emma Hardie TSV - Forewarned is forearmed.

2012-05-15T23:59:00.015+01:00

Regular readers will know of my addiction to Emma Hardie's Moringa Balm Cleanser. I also love the night cream.

Emma Hardie's TSV goes live at Midnight. NOW.

What's in it?

1 x full size Moringa Balm *joy* (normal price £34.00)

1 x 50ml Night Cream *scream* (value £28.00)

1 x Lighter Hydrating Lotion Moisturiser - perfect for upcoming months (normal price £38.00)

1 x trial size of Skin Plumping Serum (value - by this stage - WHO CARES???)

All this: for the frankly, stupid price of £39.96 +4.95 p&p.

Also available online - Don't hang about.

*does dancing leaps of joy*

QVC digital channels

Sky: 640
Freeview: 16
Virgin TV: 740
Freesat: 800

Elemis Limited Edition Papaya Enzyme Peel

2012-05-15T19:11:00.000+01:00

As brands go - very few have an entire offering of masks which are all not only amazing, but must-haves. Elemis is one of them. Exotic Cream Moisturising, Fruit Active Rejuvenating and Herbal Lavender Repair are all brilliant. The Gentle Rose Exfoliator is the only one my mum will use on her medicated lupus skin due to its gentleness.

The Papaya Enzyme Peel is to my mind, the most gentle of the masks. It's designed to regenerate tired and sensitive skin and does so without the rubbing off/sloughing off stage - the part that most people find irritating due to the friction caused.

To celebrate its 10 years Elemis commissioned Laura Oakes, a British (obvs) born designer to create limited packaging showcasing the key ingredients - namely papaya and pineapple from Africa. Being Elemis - a brand with a history of great CSR and charitable initiatives - they have linked up with SOCO - a charity dedicated to alleviating poverty, malnutrition and aiding the underprivileged around the globe.

So for every PEP sold, Elemis are donating £1.07/$1.75/1.34E to provide one '5 in 1' Pentavalent vaccine to immunise a child in Africa against diptheria, tetanus, whooping cough, hepatitis b and haemophilus influenza type b.

Elemis are aiming to provide 20,000 vaccines.

From 1st June you can go help them do that. And help your face at the same time.

111SKIN - Opportunity to meet the Founder.

2012-05-15T18:31:00.001+01:00

Next Wednesday, 23^rd May - you have the opportunity to talk to the founder of 111Skin, cosmetic surgeon Dr Yannis Alexandrides and bombard him with your questions. Okay - maybe not bombard, but still, do have a go.

Tickets are £25 redeemable against any 111 Skin product purchased on the day and appointments are available between 1-3pm and 4-6pm at Harrods.

To reserve your place contact enquiries@111harleystreet.com or call 0845 222 5111(ask for Claire).

Jo Malone Blackberry & Bay Launch

2012-05-15T16:40:00.000+01:00

Earlier today I attended the press launch of Jo Malone's upcoming fragrance set to hit counters at the end of Summer, Blackberry & Bay. Held in a square in Central London, it was everything you would expect from Jo Malone and did the fragrance itself justice. We were kept warm under a marquee with hot water bottles and cashmere blankets while being served a picnic breakfast from a basket, surrounded by foliage. It worked beautifully.

The fragrance itself is a definite positive addition to the range - I genuinely liked it and sprayed it all over myself before leaving - most unusual. It's not as you would expect, overly fruity. It's a vetiver and cedarwood base and has middle notes of jasmine and lily of the valley which work really well with the blackberry bud and grapefruit top notes.

If you're a fan of Jo Malone I'm sure you'll want to try this when it launches in September. And bonus time - it launches with body products and a candle. Much British Loveliness to be had by all. Marvellous.

Quick Weekend 48 Hour Giveaway - WINNER

2012-05-14T21:38:00.000+01:00

Thank you all for your entries - my biggest giveaway so far!

The winner chosen by random.org is......Jess - aka @starflykiwi

CONGRATULATIONS!

Please email me your details so that I can pass them on to Boots.

Silent Sunday

2012-05-13T12:47:00.001+01:00

Quick Weekend 48 Hour Giveaway - Boots Beauty - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

2012-05-12T00:00:00.001+01:00

I was contacted by the lovely people at Boots literally 10 minutes before I hit 'Publish Post' on my Clarisonic giveaway - I think more than one giveaway at a time is a bit much so I saved it for this weekend while I'm off doing the Moonwalk. (I'll answer Clinic questions from the recovery position on Sunday afternoon!)
If you fancy winning all of the above which includes goodies from Soap & Glory, No.7, Ecotools, Batiste, Gilette, Rimmel, 17 and Botanics simply leave a comment below stating your favourite brand sold in Boots with a valid twitter ID or email address. (The favourite brand is just me being nosy - it wasn't a requirement of Boots for the giveaway - just so you know!)
Giveaway closes on Sunday night at 11.59pm.
Good luck everyone! And thank you to Boots Beauty.
T&C's.
Open to UK only
Winner will be chosen by random.org
Goods will be sent directly to the winner by Boots - Beauty Mouth can accept no liability for lost parcels
One entry per person
Some items may differ slightly from shown
Prize includes:

EcoTools Bamboo 6 piece eye brush set
Boots Luxury deep moisturising foot cream
17 Nails Xtras Double Gloss Top Coat
No7 So Smooth Base Coat
17 Candy Collection Nail Polish 8ml in mint choc chip
Bourjois smoky eyes eye shadow
L'Oreal Paris Infallible eye liner in chocolate addict
No7 airbrush away primer
Rimmel match perfection bronzer in light
Batiste dry shampoo
Botanics 3 minute deep conditioning hair mask
Soap & Glory breakfast scrub
Soap & Glory Daily smooth
Venus proksin moisture rich 3
EcoTools Bamboo Bronzer Brush
Natural collection rosemary and witch hazel face mask

And the Winner is.... Clarisonic Giveaway

2012-05-11T20:24:00.000+01:00

Thank you all for your entries - my biggest giveaway by any standards!

The winner as chosen by Random.Org is:

True Random Number GeneratorMin: Max: Result:29Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Congratulations SNJx
twitter@sianjay !!!!

Please email me with your address. It must be able to take a signature. I am not trusting this to normal mail!

And PLEASE don't overuse it or go mad with it. It's a good tool - when used properly!

Enjoy! :)

*I realise that the random.org is showing 100 as the high number when I did in fact enter 181! I have taken a photo of what I see on MY screen before pressing Publish should anyone have an issue. But I'm hoping my word is good enough!

Clinic on Thursday - Clinic is CLOSED!!!

2012-05-10T07:00:00.001+01:00

CLINIC IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU!

Hi Everyone,

I appreciate your patience over the last couple of weeks. Driving test done and dusted and back on track!

HOWEVER:

I'm doing the Moonwalk this weekend. (Pictures of boobage to follow)

Should you feel the wonderful desire to sponsor us the link is over there ---> on the sidebar. SO - I won't have as much time for loads of in-depth skin analysis questions this week.

I will obviously publish all your questions but would really appreciate it if they could be of the shorter variety - more akin to twitter q's such as: Should I use xx cleanser or xx? Do you rate this eye cream? Why is my foundation patchy? etc etc

Sore feet or not I'll be responding as soon as I can!

Also - don't forget to enter the Clarisonic Giveaway here - it's open until 7pm on Friday.

Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm - Review

2012-05-09T21:11:00.000+01:00

Oskia is one of those brands that has been on the peripheral for a while that you can feel just 'bubbling under' about to hit the big time.

Firstly, their website is great. I like a brand that puts themselves out there with confidence: This is Who We are, What We Do and Why. It's also full of great tips in general and has a full background on their key ingredient MSM - and why it is the backbone of the range. They label them selves as 'nutritional skincare' which appeals to me - there is definitely a link between what you can eat and what you can use topically.

The Micro Exfoliating Balm has worked its way into my 'always in use' box (I sense a blog post on that box coming up!) and I am really enjoying it.

So:

What's in it?

Full Ingredients

PRUNUS AMYGDALUS DULCIS (SWEET ALMOND) OIL*, GLYCERIN, SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL, DECYL OLEATE, GLYCERYL STEARATE, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, METHYL SULPHONYL METHANE (MSM), GLYCERYL DIBEHENATE, SILICA, TRIBEHENIN, GLYCERYL CAPRYLATE, GLYCERYL BEHENATE, HELLIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, COCO GLUCOSIDE, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER*, CALENDULA OFFICINALIS FLOWER EXTRACT, PARFUM (NATURAL FRAGRANCE), MENTHA PIPERITA (PEPPERMINT) OIL, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL, BENZYL ALCOHOL, ZINC GLYCINE, AQUA (WATER), INULIN, ALPHA-GLUCAN OLIGOSACCHARIDE, ALEURITES MOLUCCANA (KUKUI) SEED OIL, ROSA CANINA (ROSE HIP) SEED OIL, TOCOPHEROL, DEHYDROACETIC ACID.

ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED INGREDIENT.

The exfoliation ingredients are a mixture of silica and pure MSM granules.

What's good about it?

It has a really lovely creamy and rich texture and holds its form in the pot.
A lovely list of 'nutritional' ingredients - this feels expensive on the skin.
Skin is left really soft, glowing and really smooth.
Gentle enough to be used 2/3 times a week and suitable for all skin types.
It has a won a multitude of awards - and awards usually mean something when the brand in question doesn't pay for advertising in the glossys. It means the beauty department like it enough to give it an award over a paying advertiser. Which is a big deal.

What's bad about it?

Nothing is bad per se with the product itself - but it's not cheap. It's £46.00 for 50ml. That would make me use it as a 'treat', when I prefer to use something as often as I need. The outer packaging is unnecessarily bulky and large. Considering research shows most people bin the box as soon as they've opened it, that seems a little excessive.
But that's about it.

All in all, if you can afford it - buy it.
If not, add it to your birthday list and give it to someone else to buy for you.

Oskia Micro Exfoliatng Balm is priced £46.00 and available here.

*PR Sample

Champneys Super Rich Cleansing Balm - Review

2012-05-08T22:48:00.001+01:00

Ignore the fact that it uses the word 'Super' in the title.
And ignore that it says 'normal to dry skin'. This affordable balm is actually a nice find for most skin types.

What's in it?

Literally :
Persea gratissima (Avocado) oil, Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba) seed oil, Cetearyl alcohol, Copernicia cerifera (Carnauba) wax, Sorbitan laurate, Tetradecyloctadecyl stearate, Parfum (Fragrance), Anthemis nobilis flower oil, Citrus aurantium bergamia (Bergamot) fruit oil, Mentha piperita (Peppermint) oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) oil, Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) leaf oil, Pelargonium graveolens flower oil, Linalool, Dipropylene glycol, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, BHT, Citral.

The avocado, jojoba and carnauba (palm) waxes form the base. I had a little flinch when I saw the palm wax - I know palm oil is not good for the environment but it would appear that palm wax is harvested differently? (If anyone knows differently - please let me know!) Also - Dr Hauschka use it in their products. So it should be ok right??
I think the palm wax is an integral part of this as it appears to be the ingredient that gives this its granular consistency.

What's good about it?

Although it's labelled as a balm, it's really a kind of scrub. It's very rough - in a good way - you get a great exfoliation and it's a mahoosive 100ml pot - for £11.00. Yes. £11.00.
Not a mineral oil in sight.

What's bad about it?

In my opinion its completely mislabelled. This is an exfoliator. Not a 'Super Rich Cleansing Balm'.
It comes with a muslin cloth. Enough with the muslin cloths brands please! I have enough dusters. FLANNEL.
It's a mixed message. The box says to use once a week - the website says 'will remove all traces of makeup'... You do not want to rub this all over a mascara-laden eye. Unless you have myxomatosis perhaps?
It also recommends you rinse with cold water. Meh.

I do like this Balm.

But I would:

Use 2/3 times a week as an exfoliator.
Bin the muslin and buy a flannel.
Use at the 2nd cleanse stage in the evening or before a hydrating mask.
Never finish with a cold water splash. You don't want extremes of temperature when you've just exfoliated.
Go straight in afterwards with your P50 or Liquid Gold and your skin will feel like silk in the morning.

Verdict? Absolutely worth the money, invest if you have any type of skin except really 'super' (see what I did there) sensitive.

Just use it the way I recommend above - ignore them. Sorry Champneys.

£11.00 from Champneys online.

*PR Sample

Lab Series BB Tinted moisturiser SPF 35+++

2012-05-06T13:04:00.001+01:00

Mr Hirons has used more products than most. The poor man is my guinea pig for all things male skin/hair/shave orientated. Over the years he's liked and loathed products in equal measure - but I can count on one hand the number of occasions where he has requested seconds.

This was one of them. Granted, you wouldn't know it if you didn't have the unspoken husband/wife psychic speak of 23 years: 'Love, I need some more of that stuff. It was quite good.'
This, readers, is the equivalent of 'and the Oscar for Best Male Grooming Product in a Leading Role goes to....'

Initially a little sceptical when he saw the slight tint - the other half also does a mean eyebrow - I knew he must have been enjoying it because it stayed on his shelf. And stayed. And stayed. And was emptied.

Lab Series BB Cream could actually be no to a winner here. With the exception of a few, most men I know can just about be bothered to apply something after shaving/washing their face so a 10 in 1 does-it-all product is probably the way forward.
The BB Cream hydrates, regulates shine, tones, reduces redness and has broad spectrum SPF protection.The tint is more designed to even skin tone and post-shave blotchiness as opposed to give coverage - you cannot see this on the skin - no worries here for a chap not into the Robert Smith look.

Mr H says this is 'pretty perfect' and gives it 4/5. When I asked 'Just out of interest...Why not 5?'
His response was 'Purely for motivational purposes.'

Typical bloke.

Lab Series BB Tinted Moisturiser is £32.00 and available here.

The one where I give away a Clarisonic Mia - GIVEAWAY CLOSED

2012-05-05T15:51:00.002+01:00

Well I passed 1 million page views. And I passed my driving test. And I haven't blogged properly in a while because of said driving test. So as a thank you...why not have a nice giveaway?!

The Clarisonic Mia pictured above is up for grabs. You don't have to do anything fancy schmancy.

Just leave a comment below listing your favourite cleanser and why.

T&C's.
You must be a follower of this blog and leave a valid email address/twitter name.
Open to UK and Ireland residents only.
Winner will be chosen on Friday 11th May at 7pm.
Winner will be given 24 hours to respond otherwise an alternative will be chosen at 7pm the next day.
Prize will be sent Special Delivery. Proof of postage will be provided but:
Beauty Mouth accepts no responsibility for non arrival of prize.
One entry per person.
No alternative prize available.

*Prize provided by me, not the brand. That's why its bright pink innit. Thanks peeps.

EF MEDISPA launch Biologique Recherche

2012-05-02T20:52:00.000+01:00

Well thank the Sweet Baby Jesus for THAT.

FINALLY. Someone has had the good sense to get BR into the UK!!!

I can exclusively reveal that EF Medispa in St Johns Wood is now stocking Biologique Recherché AND doing their facials. *faints*

What I don't know as of yet is if they will be stocking P50V - which is my preferred version and which the BORE-Ocrats in the EU had issues with - the crusty faced swines.

Needless to say I will be checking it out as soon as I possibly can and reporting back straight away, but let me just say this - yours truly couldn't be more excited if it involved Liverpool winning on Saturday, Simon Le Bon waiting on my doorstep and the Barefoot Contessa making me dinner.

EF Medispa

*If you don't follow me on twitter that last sentence will make absolutely no sense to you. WHATSOEVER. Apologies.

Slight Delay to Proceedings

2012-05-01T21:33:00.000+01:00

Lovely peeps.

This week, as predicted last week with my upcoming exam - is proving incredibly busy. I haven't forgotten about this lovely little blog but I'm probably not going to be posting for a couple of days.

Sorry - but will be back to it tout de suite.

Thank you all for your patience.

Most appreciated!