Saturday, 7 April 2012
What's on Visionary Beauty's dressing table?
For this week's Beauty Spotlight teaser, Visionary Beauty shows us what's on her dressing table.We'll see the items she reaches for daily as she turns the spotlight on her attempt at makeup organisation. So race over to Visionary Beauty to see 'what's on her dressing table'.
Friday, 6 April 2012
Behind the scenes at Yardley London
This month sees the first Yardley advertising campaign in 16 years to launch their the new Bath & Body Skincare range. I confess, I don't actually thought it wasn't as recently as that even and my memories of Yardley products are very much attached to my Grandma. The house I will be staying in on holiday still has some very old bottles of Yardley talc that my Mum can't bring herself to part with.
The dresses in the campaign reflect the fragrances and packaging of the new products. They were created by Petra Storrs by adding individual silk flowers to white crepe. I think my favourite is the Rose & Peony dress below.
Makeup artist Karen Adler created a 60's style make for the models which is a nod to her own memory of the Yardley old ads. You can see her talk about the looks in the video below and you also get a peek at the pain staking work involved in creating those dresses.
I have to admit when I was watching the video, I couldn't help feeling those girls were probably freezing! I think there's quite an art to striking a pose when you're covered in goose pimples.
The Bath & Body range is available in five fragrances: the classic English Lavender, Lily of the Valley, English Rose, Peony and the new fragrance Royal English Daisy. Stockists include Boots, Morrisons, Lloyds as well as www.yardleylondon.co.uk.
The dresses in the campaign reflect the fragrances and packaging of the new products. They were created by Petra Storrs by adding individual silk flowers to white crepe. I think my favourite is the Rose & Peony dress below.
Makeup artist Karen Adler created a 60's style make for the models which is a nod to her own memory of the Yardley old ads. You can see her talk about the looks in the video below and you also get a peek at the pain staking work involved in creating those dresses.
I have to admit when I was watching the video, I couldn't help feeling those girls were probably freezing! I think there's quite an art to striking a pose when you're covered in goose pimples.
The Bath & Body range is available in five fragrances: the classic English Lavender, Lily of the Valley, English Rose, Peony and the new fragrance Royal English Daisy. Stockists include Boots, Morrisons, Lloyds as well as www.yardleylondon.co.uk.
Thursday, 5 April 2012
They're Back!! My Le Métier de Beauté Favourites
So, after a long wait, today is the day that Le Métier de Beauté sees a return to the UK via Zuneta. I saw a hint on Facebook recently and I have been looking out for emails and watching their "What's New" section like a hawk ever since! I thought this would be a good moment to share some of my favourite things from Le Métier. This little group includes a mixture of things I have purchased, my winnings from the BBB giveaway and PR samples.
I realised when I started writing this post that I forgot to take an individual picture of the Peau Vierge*. You can see the silver tube on the far left of the group picture. Peau Vierge is a sheer base come anti-ageing treatment that contains an encapsulated retinol treatment**. I have shade 01 and I like to wear it as a tinted moisturiser in the summer (it has an spf of 20) but you can layer it without foundation. Because of the treatment aspect, it is rather an expensive product. I'm not sure what the pricing is going to be on their return but when Peau Vierge was originally released in the UK in 2010, it cost £90.
From top to bottom, we have: Dualistic lip liner in Rose*, Dualistic eye pencil in Champagne and Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine*. Both the lip and eye pencil have a lovely texture. Rose is perfect for lining my lips before applying lipstick for a more polished (and long lasting) red lip. I don't do it that often as I am lazy and tend to slap lipstick on but it's easier to get a precise look with a pencil. Rose works well with the majority of my reds too.
The Dualistic pencil in Champagne was a cheeky purchase during a no-buy. To be honest, I was sold at the word taupe. It can be used as a liner or a base for eyeshadow and I like to use it as a base for the Le Cirque eyeshadows as I was shown during my makeover with Erin Lockard.
The Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine was also used during my makeover with Erin (not this particularly tube you understand, although I confess this tube is older than it should probably be). It's not obvious when applied that you are wearing a coloured mascara, the effect it subtle but it does bring out the green in my sometimes blue, sometimes green eyes.
The Aurora Lip Kit* is relatively new addition to my collection. I took this picture from my review post, in the group shot you can see it has been attacked and it doesn't look quite as pretty as pristine anymore. I believe this kaleidoscope is quite difficult to get hold of in the States and I suspect it may sell out here quickly here too.
I wasn't going to include any of the eye kaleidoscopes as they're limited edition items but it's hard to talk about Le Métier de Beauté without mentioning them. I think everyone needs to try at least one kaleidoscope and experience the beauty of the signature Couches de Couleur technique. Yes, they are expensive but worth it in my opinion.
Come One, Come All and Le Cirque are probably my joint favourites. Come One, Come All was a very limited edition created for a specific counter and I got very excited when someone suggested that maybe they will come up with a unique kaleidoscope for Zuneta. I could definitely break my eyeshadow no-buy for something like that!
I have a fondness for makeup brushes and I have several Le Métier brushes on my shopping list wishlist. The foundation brush is good but the concealer brush* is definitely my favourite of the two. It's excellent for blending concealer seamlessly. These brushes have quite short handles and this is true of all of their brushes. I know this isn't to everyone's tastes but I rather like short handles brushes. I have a quite a few of similar length from Hakuhodo too.
Dionysus nail polish* came out with last years summer collection. It is a petite thing of beauty. As someone who has never finished a bottle of polish EVER, I'm quite ok with the smaller size. I'm not sure whether they have any nail polishes as part of their core collection but they do release a few with each seasonal collection. I really like the taupe Faraday from the current Northern Lights collection.
The Blonzer in Maldives Magic is the item I won in the BBB/Le Métier dash. Someone once described it as looking like cocoa powder and I think it's rather an apt description. It does have shimmer but it's not really disco ball territory, I don't wear bronzer often but I tend to pick this out if I have a little colour as I like the soft texture. I have a feeling this is different to the bronzers in their permanent collection.
There are a number of things that I am looking forward to getting my hands on now that Le Métier has returned. Corinthian eyeshadow is on my list (post eyeshadow ban, of course), a couple of lipsticks and as I have already mentioned, I have my sights set on a few brushes. Do you have your eye on anything in particular?
* PR Samples
**Warning: labcoat moment** I popped this as an aside rather than in the main post, as I figured that not everyone would want to read my science wibbling. Someone commented on a previously Peau Vierge post about how unusual it was to find a retinol product in a day treatment. It is certainly more normal for a retinol treatment to be applied in the evening and I spent a little time yesterday investigating retinol and light sensitivity. There is a general impression that retinoids make the skin photosensitive but I also came across articles declaring this a common myth and that it is only the molecule itself which sensitive to light. Certainly, when I searched the published scientific literature, I could only find evidence that retinol is indeed highly photosensitive.
Patients on a retinol treatment regime are often advised to use sun protection during their treatment but they also tend to prescribe glycolic acid alongside retinol, and glycolic acid does make the skin more sensitive to UV light. Also, those taking part in clincal studies would have to use sun protection in order to prevent any new photodamage interfering with measurement of changes to existing photodamage. I couldn't find anything in the literature which definitively said that retinol caused photosensitivity of the skin.
In the limited time I had, I wasn't able to find an answer I was satisfied with. I suspect that retinol does not cause skin to become photosensitive but it does degrade in sunlight. Whether this limits the effectiveness of retinol product used in daylight I'm not sure. If you're considering a purchase, this might be something to investigate as this is an expensive product. I can report that I have never experienced any irritation with Peau Vierge as dermatitis is a common side effect of retinol use.
I realised when I started writing this post that I forgot to take an individual picture of the Peau Vierge*. You can see the silver tube on the far left of the group picture. Peau Vierge is a sheer base come anti-ageing treatment that contains an encapsulated retinol treatment**. I have shade 01 and I like to wear it as a tinted moisturiser in the summer (it has an spf of 20) but you can layer it without foundation. Because of the treatment aspect, it is rather an expensive product. I'm not sure what the pricing is going to be on their return but when Peau Vierge was originally released in the UK in 2010, it cost £90.
From top to bottom, we have: Dualistic lip liner in Rose*, Dualistic eye pencil in Champagne and Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine*. Both the lip and eye pencil have a lovely texture. Rose is perfect for lining my lips before applying lipstick for a more polished (and long lasting) red lip. I don't do it that often as I am lazy and tend to slap lipstick on but it's easier to get a precise look with a pencil. Rose works well with the majority of my reds too.
The Dualistic pencil in Champagne was a cheeky purchase during a no-buy. To be honest, I was sold at the word taupe. It can be used as a liner or a base for eyeshadow and I like to use it as a base for the Le Cirque eyeshadows as I was shown during my makeover with Erin Lockard.
The Anamorphic mascara in Aubergine was also used during my makeover with Erin (not this particularly tube you understand, although I confess this tube is older than it should probably be). It's not obvious when applied that you are wearing a coloured mascara, the effect it subtle but it does bring out the green in my sometimes blue, sometimes green eyes.
 |
| Aurora Lip Kit |
The Aurora Lip Kit* is relatively new addition to my collection. I took this picture from my review post, in the group shot you can see it has been attacked and it doesn't look quite as pretty as pristine anymore. I believe this kaleidoscope is quite difficult to get hold of in the States and I suspect it may sell out here quickly here too.
 |
| Le Cirque |
I wasn't going to include any of the eye kaleidoscopes as they're limited edition items but it's hard to talk about Le Métier de Beauté without mentioning them. I think everyone needs to try at least one kaleidoscope and experience the beauty of the signature Couches de Couleur technique. Yes, they are expensive but worth it in my opinion.
Come One, Come All and Le Cirque are probably my joint favourites. Come One, Come All was a very limited edition created for a specific counter and I got very excited when someone suggested that maybe they will come up with a unique kaleidoscope for Zuneta. I could definitely break my eyeshadow no-buy for something like that!
I have a fondness for makeup brushes and I have several Le Métier brushes on my
 |
| L-R: Dionysus nail polish and Blonzer in Maldives Magic |
Dionysus nail polish* came out with last years summer collection. It is a petite thing of beauty. As someone who has never finished a bottle of polish EVER, I'm quite ok with the smaller size. I'm not sure whether they have any nail polishes as part of their core collection but they do release a few with each seasonal collection. I really like the taupe Faraday from the current Northern Lights collection.
The Blonzer in Maldives Magic is the item I won in the BBB/Le Métier dash. Someone once described it as looking like cocoa powder and I think it's rather an apt description. It does have shimmer but it's not really disco ball territory, I don't wear bronzer often but I tend to pick this out if I have a little colour as I like the soft texture. I have a feeling this is different to the bronzers in their permanent collection.
 |
| L-R: Aubergine mascara, Rose liner, Champagne, Peau Vierge 01 |
* PR Samples
**Warning: labcoat moment** I popped this as an aside rather than in the main post, as I figured that not everyone would want to read my science wibbling. Someone commented on a previously Peau Vierge post about how unusual it was to find a retinol product in a day treatment. It is certainly more normal for a retinol treatment to be applied in the evening and I spent a little time yesterday investigating retinol and light sensitivity. There is a general impression that retinoids make the skin photosensitive but I also came across articles declaring this a common myth and that it is only the molecule itself which sensitive to light. Certainly, when I searched the published scientific literature, I could only find evidence that retinol is indeed highly photosensitive.
Patients on a retinol treatment regime are often advised to use sun protection during their treatment but they also tend to prescribe glycolic acid alongside retinol, and glycolic acid does make the skin more sensitive to UV light. Also, those taking part in clincal studies would have to use sun protection in order to prevent any new photodamage interfering with measurement of changes to existing photodamage. I couldn't find anything in the literature which definitively said that retinol caused photosensitivity of the skin.
In the limited time I had, I wasn't able to find an answer I was satisfied with. I suspect that retinol does not cause skin to become photosensitive but it does degrade in sunlight. Whether this limits the effectiveness of retinol product used in daylight I'm not sure. If you're considering a purchase, this might be something to investigate as this is an expensive product. I can report that I have never experienced any irritation with Peau Vierge as dermatitis is a common side effect of retinol use.
Wednesday, 4 April 2012
Guest Post: Why Avene Thermal Water is not just water in a spray bottle, and other miracle skincare stories
We have a guest post today from the very lovely Musing about Beauty. Mariella lives in Belgium and I secretly hoped she would pick a European pharmacy favourite as her subject. She hasn't disappointed! I've got a cup of tea on hand and I'm about to settle down for an interesting read.
I was thrilled when our lovely host invited me to guest post here, and my first question was: what shall I tell them about. «The world is your oyster, subject wise» she said. There, I had a learned a new English expression, yet I was still subject free. Until I remembered one of my pet peeves that regularly comes up in YouTube videos and beauty blog: people saying that Avène Thermal Water is just water in a spray bottle.
Actually, people will say that about pretty much any thermal water in spray bottle, and I don’t know about all the others, but if we’re speaking about Avene, they’re wrong. And I thought it would be good to explain why, given that I’m currently using that product myself at this very moment and it is my saviour in a time of very upset skin.
So, what is «thermal water» exactly.
In order to be declared thermal, a spring water must be naturally mineralized and suitable for therapeutic use. It has a particular content in minerals and trace elements, as well as a particular temperature and flow, which all contribute to the healing properties. It must also have verified results on particular skin disorders.
The Avene Spring Water comes from very deep in the ground and is from very ancient rainfalls, yet there is still a huge quantity available (good for us). It undergoes no chemical treatment so its composition is not altered.
What is the Avene Spring Water good for?
Avène is a little thermal city in France, and each year, thousands of people go there to treat their skin issues. The Avene water is proven to reduce inflammation and irritation (itching), and to accelerate healing. It is particularly useful for:
- burn-related scarring
- follow-up to dermatological treatments
- psoriasis
- eczema and dermatitis
- ichtyosis (a hereditary condition of dry skin with lots of itching)
The Avène water has been used for over 200 years in skin healing treatments and has been declared of public benefit in 1874; it is well-known by dermatologists and cures at the Avène Thermal Stations are mostly prescribed by a doctor.
Ok, but what’s in it for me?
If you get Avene Thermal Water Spray just to set your makeup, clearly, you’re spending unnecessary money on something that you won’t find special.
However, if you suffer from dryness, sensitivity or eczema, you can definitely include this water in your daily skincare routine to help relieve your skin.
Simply spray the water on your face after your cleansing routine, and gently pat a towel to dry your skin (no rubbing, ladies, it’s irritating!), then follow with your skincare products (and if necessary, use the Avene products recommended for your skintype and condition: these also contain the Avene Spring Water)
Being seriously addicted to trying new beauty products, it is bound to happen that I, once in a while, would get a reaction to something new that I am trying. Every time that happens, I remove the culprit from my face and spray with Avene Thermal water - it always helps my skin calm down really quickly.
If the water is particularly hard where you live, you can use the Avene Water to rinse off your face after you’ve washed it with tap water: it will help your skin restore its balance. If you suffer from dryness a lot, you can even skip tap water altogether and cleanse your skin using micellar water then Avene Water, and you’re good to go!
I have actually been doing that myself lately, as my skin was seriously dehydrated after Winter and the tap water was really giving me a hard (no pun intended) time. It made such a difference over the course of 3-4 days, it is truly amazing!
It’s a kind of magic.
The composition of the Avene Thermal Water being well-known, scientists have recreated it artificially, which is actually pretty easy to do.
It turned out the copycat water just didn’t do the job.
It looks like, when it comes to thermal water, the real deal is more than the addition of its components. How interesting is that?
--------------------------
I was thrilled when our lovely host invited me to guest post here, and my first question was: what shall I tell them about. «The world is your oyster, subject wise» she said. There, I had a learned a new English expression, yet I was still subject free. Until I remembered one of my pet peeves that regularly comes up in YouTube videos and beauty blog: people saying that Avène Thermal Water is just water in a spray bottle.
Actually, people will say that about pretty much any thermal water in spray bottle, and I don’t know about all the others, but if we’re speaking about Avene, they’re wrong. And I thought it would be good to explain why, given that I’m currently using that product myself at this very moment and it is my saviour in a time of very upset skin.
So, what is «thermal water» exactly.
In order to be declared thermal, a spring water must be naturally mineralized and suitable for therapeutic use. It has a particular content in minerals and trace elements, as well as a particular temperature and flow, which all contribute to the healing properties. It must also have verified results on particular skin disorders.
The Avene Spring Water comes from very deep in the ground and is from very ancient rainfalls, yet there is still a huge quantity available (good for us). It undergoes no chemical treatment so its composition is not altered.
What is the Avene Spring Water good for?
Avène is a little thermal city in France, and each year, thousands of people go there to treat their skin issues. The Avene water is proven to reduce inflammation and irritation (itching), and to accelerate healing. It is particularly useful for:
- burn-related scarring
- follow-up to dermatological treatments
- psoriasis
- eczema and dermatitis
- ichtyosis (a hereditary condition of dry skin with lots of itching)
The Avène water has been used for over 200 years in skin healing treatments and has been declared of public benefit in 1874; it is well-known by dermatologists and cures at the Avène Thermal Stations are mostly prescribed by a doctor.
Ok, but what’s in it for me?
If you get Avene Thermal Water Spray just to set your makeup, clearly, you’re spending unnecessary money on something that you won’t find special.
However, if you suffer from dryness, sensitivity or eczema, you can definitely include this water in your daily skincare routine to help relieve your skin.
Simply spray the water on your face after your cleansing routine, and gently pat a towel to dry your skin (no rubbing, ladies, it’s irritating!), then follow with your skincare products (and if necessary, use the Avene products recommended for your skintype and condition: these also contain the Avene Spring Water)
Being seriously addicted to trying new beauty products, it is bound to happen that I, once in a while, would get a reaction to something new that I am trying. Every time that happens, I remove the culprit from my face and spray with Avene Thermal water - it always helps my skin calm down really quickly.
If the water is particularly hard where you live, you can use the Avene Water to rinse off your face after you’ve washed it with tap water: it will help your skin restore its balance. If you suffer from dryness a lot, you can even skip tap water altogether and cleanse your skin using micellar water then Avene Water, and you’re good to go!
I have actually been doing that myself lately, as my skin was seriously dehydrated after Winter and the tap water was really giving me a hard (no pun intended) time. It made such a difference over the course of 3-4 days, it is truly amazing!
It’s a kind of magic.
The composition of the Avene Thermal Water being well-known, scientists have recreated it artificially, which is actually pretty easy to do.
It turned out the copycat water just didn’t do the job.
It looks like, when it comes to thermal water, the real deal is more than the addition of its components. How interesting is that?
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
We're off in a motorcar...
Hopefully by the time you're reading this I'll be in the car and on my way to the Isle of Man. I will be on holiday for a week and (once the drive and ferry crossing are over) I hope to enjoy a relaxing week with my folks.
I have scheduled some posts, including a lovely guest post, and I hope they keep you entertained in my absence. I will have internet access to publish comments but I fear I will get shot if I spend all my time on the computer. Feel free to tell me off if you spot me lurking!
In the meantime, I hope you all have a lovely Easter and I'll see you on the other side.
x
I have scheduled some posts, including a lovely guest post, and I hope they keep you entertained in my absence. I will have internet access to publish comments but I fear I will get shot if I spend all my time on the computer. Feel free to tell me off if you spot me lurking!
In the meantime, I hope you all have a lovely Easter and I'll see you on the other side.
x
Monday, 2 April 2012
Books: Scandinavian Crime Thrillers
I've got back into the habit of reading regularly and I hope you will forgive me indulging in a bit of book chatter. I mentioned a little while ago that I had started reading the Millennium trilogy. I enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo very much and quickly launched into the other two. I found the series as a whole immensely engaging but the second two aren't quite as fast paced as the first book. I tend to devour books whereas my husband reads at a slower pace, dipping in and out. He's reading them at the moment and has complained of 'nothing happening' whilst reading The Girl Who Played with Fire and I understand what he means but we both agree that it is well written, even in those inbetween bits.
Whilst I raced through the trilogy, I was aware that I was going to struggle to find a book that I would enjoy after such a gripping series. It's rather hard to let a characters like Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander go! Normally when this happens, I opt for a completely different genre to prevent any unfair comparison but I did the complete opposite on this occasion.
Jo Nesbo's The Snowman is proclaimed as 'the next Stieg Larrson' on the cover and indeed, this is another crime thriller written by a Scandinavian author. This would normal put me off but this book was given to me a friend who knows my reading taste very well, so I knew I had to give it chance. I took it along with me to my recent spa day and once I got 30 - 40 pages in, I was gripped.
It's more lightweight than Stieg Larrson and reminds me a little of the Ian Rankin novels in style. I did enjoy a smug moment having correctly identified the serial killer early on in the book. I discovered when I finished the book that The Snowman is the 5th novel in the Harry Hole series (yes, I'm not a fan of the name either). It does work as a stand alone novel so I don't think you need to read them in order but I am considering buying a couple of the earlier books from the series.
I'm undecided on what to read next, I have a little list but I would love some recommendations. Have you any of you read We Need to Talk About Kevin? I have avoided thus far as I am a little fearful that I will be traumatised.
Sunday, 1 April 2012
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist (EDT)
I realised recently that, although this is my signature perfume, I've only ever mentioned this perfume in passing and never done a proper review. I think it deserve a more attention, especially as it doesn't seem all that well known. Certainly the many DKNY releases get much more attention in terms of advertising. This isn't a new fragrance though and was first released in 1994
This is a perfume that I spritzed many times before finally taking the plunge. I stumbled on it quite a few years ago at the CCO at Bicester Village. I was halfheartedly looking for a new everyday perfume as I could no longer wear my old favourite Kenzo Flowers post pregnancy. Compared to the Kenzo, it is a very subtle fragrance and I think this is why I was so unsure to start with. I would spritz, not purchase but then spend the rest of the day sniffing my wrist. Of course, I caved eventually.
It is a soft, creamy, seductive scent. Although it doesn't scream 'smell me, I'm wearing perfume' (it's far too sophisticated for that) it isn't particularly weedy either and the fragrance lasts well on my skin. There are no jarring or competing elements and, indeed, I struggle to pick up any of the individual notes. The Donna Karan website describes it as 'Moroccan jasmine, lily of the valley and bergamot with warm undertones of sandalwood, amber and musk'. What I smell is a warm, slightly sweetened suede.
I bought this bottle of Cashmere Mist from CheapSmells.com some time ago but they no longer seem to stock it. Alternative stockists are Escentuals.com, Debenhams and House of Fraser. It costs £33 for 30ml of the Eau de Toilette.
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