Conversations through the middle

Life from a (slightly) more mature perspective

Beauty round-up – foundation, fragrance and nail colour

Beautiful Color showcased at the launch event

Elizabeth Arden fans are in for a real treat as the company launches its new Beautiful Color eye shadow collection dressed in opulent packaging of silver and gold. The colours – well, the colours are gorgeous and they’re rich, so should be long lasting. I can’t wait to try them and will let you know what they’re like when I do, but in the meantime you need to know there are 20 singles and 7 duos, covering any look you can think of from day to night, in shades inspired by the autumn winter catwalk. New colours will be added each season so the collection will always be on trend.

I loved trying so many colours – the words kid and sweet shop come to mind
Texture-wise, the feel is soft and silky, while the ingredients in these shadows are geared towards protecting and benefiting the eye area. They include antioxidant vitamins C and E to help protect your skin from free radical damage, a vitamin A derivative to help reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while boosting collagen production, and advanced pigment technology to give that silky result.
According to Arthur Pellegrino, Elizabeth Arden vice president, global research & development, this technology “targets color rich pigments at their core so the new eye shadows create a fine layer on top of the lid instead of falling into lines and creases”, so escaping the dreaded crepey look.
Watch out for Beautiful Color in store from mid September. www.elizabetharden.com
 
When it comes to foundation you’ll be spoiled for choice with the Stay All Day collection from Stila. It comes in 16 shades from 1 bare to 16 cocoa, so covers all skin colours and it includes a concealer hidden in the lid, as well as a mirror to aid application. Nice.
It’s an oil-free formulation and the texture is light and easy to spread; it covers quickly and gives a matt result, which looks natural (I watched it being applied to a model, which is how I know this). The concealer makes short work of dark circles and blemishes, requiring hardly any for good coverage.
Again this is skincare in make-up with ingredients including antioxidant vitamins A and E to help protect against free radicals and premature ageing.
I’ve only one complaint about this and that’s the little spoon thing included in the foundation bottle – it looks like a mustard spoon, much favoured by people of a certain age when I was a child, but it’s not looks I object too, it’s the way too much product comes out on it when you go to use it, which is wasteful and messy.
PS there’s exciting stuff happening on the Stila Christmas gift front – including the All Is Bright Lip Glaze Set that contains eight gorgeous glossy glazes. They’re out this autumn and I already have them on my Christmas list. www.stila.co.uk
 
Whether or not you’re a fan of the fragrance, the bottle designed for Anna Sui Fairy Dance is exquisite. Based on the dimpled flacon of her Secret Wish perfume, this one is topped by a fairy figure that is sure to have little girls reaching for mummy’s perfume. The shimmering box adds to the overall impression of fantasy and beauty, while the fragrance is a melange of vetiver, vanilla, sandalwood, peony, mango and rose. Find it in Debenhams from August.
 
Ring the changes in your nail polish with these three shades from LCN. The Smokey Midnight Coat creates a dramatic veil when applied on top of another colour, while Matt Effect Polish gives a milky matt look. For a touch of glitter glam try Sparkling Effect Polish on any colour or use it on its own. They’re online at www.beautyconcepts.co.uk

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Beauty round-up – hair, make-up and fragrance

For frizzy hair sufferers everywhere (including myself), Tresemme has introduced Keratin Smooth, a product range that comprises a shampoo, conditioner, treatment masque and heat protection shine spray.

According to Tresemme, a third of women in the UK are “desperate” for products that straighten and smooth unruly hair – I know I’m still looking for a magic potion to help me tame my tresses, but as to whether this is it, well I’ll have to report back at a later date. Keratin Smooth is in store now.

For anyone experiencing withdrawal symptoms for Sex and the City, the HBO shop has come to your rescue with its new Sunrise and Sunset fragrances – the latest additions to the Sex and the City body collections that were launched late last year.

Sunrise is described as capturing the feel of “a laid-back brunch in a sun-drenched outdoor cafe in Manhattan” presumably without the smell of food, while Sunset features notes of freesia, vanilla orchid, muguet, woody amber and tonka, to capture “the soft and warm beauty of sundown reflected in the iconic skyline of New York City”.

I take their word for it as when it comes to fragrance I’m rubbish at recognising the notes, top, middle or base. Both versions are on sale now at www.store.hbouk.com.

If you’re lucky enough to have curls rather than frizz then this might be for you. New Prep Curl Defining Oil from Toni & Guy nourishes, smooths and conditions curls, whether you style your hair or leave it to dry naturally. It may well work on frizzy hair too – though that’s just my guess, the company doesn’t claim it does.

Simply apply the product to damp hair and dry. It’s non-greasy, which is a plus point, and it’s in Boots stores now.

Duo mineral blushers in L – R: Radiant Rose, Pink Blush,
Sweet Apricot and Caramel Fudge
Duo Mineral eye shadows in L – R: Everglade, Rich Tamarind,
Juicy Plum, Purple Passion, Moonlight and Ultra Marine

I’m always happy to hear of new products from Beauty Without Cruelty. The company has just released a collection of eye shadows and blushers that team a natural mineral formula with cruelty-free principles.

The six eye shadows and four blushers are talc-free, long lasting and easy to apply, and they are available now from the online store at www.bwcshop.com.

I’m thrilled to see this brand continue to evolve and embrace the latest make-up trends, without compromising any of its ethics. I remember Beauty Without Cruelty from the 1980s when the products were perhaps not as good as those of the competition. That has changed and BWC is now up there with the bigger brands in terms of ingredients, colours and product range. Their cosmetics are also easier to get hold of now than they were back in the day. Find them in stores nationwide.

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Beauty reviews – fragrance, sunscreen, hand cream

Verveine EDT, Fragonard 
This is something I’ve been searching for all summer, though I didn’t know it. When it’s hot and sticky outside (I know that hasn’t been the case very often with the weather so far this year), I don’t want to wear my regular fragrance, I want something light, refreshing and cold. Many, many moons ago No7 satisfied that need with its lemon fragrance, but still many moons ago, they stopped selling it and I’ve found nothing else that comes close. I did have a brief fling with a passion fruit perfume in the 1980s that I discovered in France while at Bordeaux Uni, but my love for that waned as quickly as my relationship with my then French boyfriend.

So I was overjoyed this week to find an eau de toilette that – I think – is what I’ve been looking for. It’s made in France (!), in Grasse, which is renowned for its fragrances, and contains lemon, verbena, petitgrain, benjoin and chamomile. Verveine EDT is by the parfumeur Fragonard and I found it nestled in the corner of Marks & Spencer’s new beauty hall at Marble Arch.
About the new beauty hall – it’s fab. The idea is to stock niche and little-known brands, introducing people to a cosmetic world outside the mass market. It’s a great idea but my only criticism is, the assistants did not have product samples for people to take away – and frankly who is going to spend a fortune on something they haven’t heard of if they haven’t tried it first? They didn’t even have information leaflets for the different products, which is ridiculous and surely defeats the object?
Back to the perfume. I’m wearing it now and I love it, but only time will tell whether or not it wins a long-term place in my heart. It’s £22 for 100ml, which is a big enough bottle for lots of liberal spritzing.
Rituals Sun Protection Face Cream is a bit of a revelation. It is factor 50, which according to everything I’ve ever been told about SPF creams, means it should be thick and sticky. It’s not. The consistency is light and non-greasy, and it sinks easily into the skin. The fragrance is pleasant, not overpowering, in fact it doesn’t smell of sun screen at all. I found it a pleasure to wear – usually when it’s hot I find facial sun screen melts and feel greasy on my skin, but not in this case.
Rituals is a brand I’ve been learning more about recently and I blogged about a couple of their products here. I love cosmetics with a story behind them and this company, with its ethos, natural ingredients and focus on traditional bathing rituals from around the world, is impressive.
A couple of months ago I subscribed to one of those beauty box services that deliver a selection of products to you each month. The one I chose is She Said Beauty because they had a great subscription offer on at the time, but there are other ones out there.
My first beauty box included a Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream, which I’ve been using before going to bed at night. This was an award winner at the Beauty Insider’s Choice awards in 2010, taking the accolade for ‘Best New Certified Organic Skincare Product’. It contains 98.8% natural ingredients and is free of sulphates, parabens, mineral oils, DEA and petroleum oils.
The cream is thick and luxurious, which is why I use it at night (I find it too rich for day as it can leave my fingers feeling greasy). I’m not sure about the fragrance – it’s a herby smell but a little too medicinal for my tastes, however, it does make my hands feel soft so I’ll keep using it. Tip: one way to cope with a heavier hand cream is to wear cotton gloves over the cream, overnight. I do this when I’m using intensive products, especially in the winter when my hands tend to crack and age about 50 years. It’s too hot at nights to wear gloves at the minute though.

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Refreshing fragrances

For years, as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of The Body Shop. These days I don’t buy so many of my skincare or makeup products from there, but I do pop in from time to time for old favourites and my daughter shows all the signs of becoming their number one fan also. The sweet scents of strawberry, dewberry and pink grapefruit are still fresh in my mind from a couple of decades ago and it’s lovely to see Dot getting excited about the same things I did, though then it was bath bubbles (we didn’t have a shower) whereas for her it’s shower gels. I also greatly admire The Body Shop’s stand on animal testing, natural ingredients and fair trade, which despite now being owned by L’Oreal is still something that is very much at the forefront of its philosophy.

The latest launch takes those trademark fragrances and works them into a perfume spritz for summer, eight of them in fact, including strawberry, pink grapefruit, satsuma and mango. There’s also coconut, vanilla, shea and moringa (a floral fragrance). Spray them all over for a refreshing lift on a hot day. They contain alcohol and true to The Body Shop’s principles, this is fair trade from Ecuador and is produced from sugar cane. The Body Mists are £7 each and are in store from next month. I haven’t tried them yet but will go with Dot to town and sample them as soon as they are out.

Biodroga is a brand I’ve discovered relatively recently. It’s expensive but I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of the night cream and loved it – though it will have to remain on my lottery-winning wish list as I cannot justify spending so much on a skincare product at this time, unfortunately. However, a new shower gel launched last week, which at £23.40 is more in my price range. Express Refreshing Shower Gel is moisturising and has a fresh fragrance. Launched alongside it are Ready To Go Body Lotion (23.90), with macadamia nut oil and something called bisabolol, which comes from chamomile and is anti-inflammatory, and Rich & Tender Body Milk, with avocado and wheat germ oils, vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids. The milk is richer than the lotion and is a bit more expensive at £30. Check them out at www.bcidirect.com


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