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Life from a (slightly) more mature perspective

Beauty roundup – face, nails and body

June 25, 2012

With so many new beauty products on the market it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to looking for something new, so I thought I’d introduce a regular news post of what’s out there, both just launched gems and pieces that have perhaps been around a while, but because they’re from small suppliers or they’re niche products, you might not have heard about them.

That reminds me, the new beauty hall at Marks & Spencer in Marble Arch opens on Wednesday and I’m told it is to showcase products from less well-known brands. I so can’t wait to see it and try out the products that I went there a week early. I had heard the launch was last Wednesday – wrong. I’m in towo=n on Thursday so intend to have a play in there then.

By the way, let me know what you think of the products I post about and what you think about having a beauty round-up on the blog.

With the weird weather we’re having this summer it’s hard to know what to wear from one day to the next; it’s either pouring with rain or stifingly close. For days when the heat is getting to you, a facial spray such as this one from natural skincare company Angela Lawford is ideal and easy to fit in your bag. Freshen Up contains orange blossom, geranium and rose, and you can see it at Angela Langford.

This pretty pink blush is from 100% Pure Cosmetics. The colours are made from fruit and vegetable pigments, nothing else, which the company claims gives your skin the benefits of the antioxidants they contain (though surely these nutrients will have disappeared during manufacturing – I’ll have to ask). The products are paraben-free and contain no synthetic chemicals They’re also gluten-free and suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Also available in coral and taupe.

There’s a cheek and lip tint (left), if you prefer your blush liquid, and a  lip glaze (right) with a  base of cocoa and avocado butters to keep your lips hydrated. The collection also includes eye shadow, eye liner, cream blush and mascara. Find them at Cocktail Cosmetics.

 

I’m a little late to the party with this one as I know lots of other writers have already covered it, but it’s for a good cause as sales of the peel will help raise money to vaccinate children in Africa. Elemis is donating 1 vaccine for every tube sold and has already hit the 10,000 mark – which is excellent. There’s still a way to go though until it reaches its aim of 50,000.

Papaya Enzyme Peel contains papain, a fruit enzyme found in pineapple and papaya. It acts as an exfoliant, dissolving away dead skin cells, and there’s no need to rub. Simply apply to cleansed skin, leave for 10 minutes then remove with a damp cloth.

It’s been around for 10 years now and this pretty bottle has been produced to celebrate that anniversary. Created by British designer Laura Oakes, it looks lovely and summery and will certainly stand out on the bathroom shelf. Find it at Elemis.

These nail wraps from Models Own are available in lots of fun designs and the’re not that expensive so they’re great for ringing the changes and varying your look. There’s 20 nail wraps in each pack and a full-size nail file, and they’re easy to apply. They’re exactly the sort of thing I would have to hide from Dot, otherwise she’d ‘borrow’ them and I’d never see them again – except for on her nails. Find them at Boots.

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Cool Britannia

May 4, 2012

Everygone is gearing up to go Diamond Jubilee crazy in June and there’s jubilee, royal, Union Jack, Britannia-themed merchandise everywhere. It ranges from the totally tacky to the highly stylised, from chic to tut, and encompasses home wares, toys, wall art, food and make-up. And that’s what I’m interested in.

I’ve spotted some lovely make-up pieces that pay hommage to the upcoming 60th anniversary celebrations that are both pretty, practical and could become treasured keepsakes.

My favourites are:

Jane Iredale limited edition pure pressed mineral foundation Celebration Compact, £29.95 at www.janeiredale.com
Butter London Lillibet’s Jubilee – a metallic, glittery, sparkly purple/silver party for your nails at www.butterlondon.com

An inexpensive jubilee treat that will leave your lips soft and hydrated
Nail art – join the party with these pretty crown detail nail stickers, £2.10 for 12 at www.bcidirect.com

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Pixie make-up – a little fairy dust

March 12, 2012

What do you know – no posts for ages then two come along at once! Well I did say I try to squeeze as much into a day in London as I can.

Pixie make-up. This is not a brand I was familiar with until I attended their new product launch, along with hundreds (it seemed like) of other bloggers, most of whom were much younger than me and appeared to be much more au fait with the products.

The store in central London was packed with eager young things frantically taking photos with their phones, eating pastel-icing covered cupcakes and sipping Champagne. I joined in, I took a couple of photos as you can see and I drank some kind of melon-type juice, but somehow managed to stay off the Champagne and cakes.

But what were the products like? Ah yes, they are very pretty – in fact if you didn’t know otherwise you could be forgiven for thinking they are for children as there’s more than a touch of Disney and Tinkerbell to the range (I think it’s a collaboration between Pixie and Walt Disney actually, with a more grown-up version of Tink on the packaging).

The colours and quality seem good, I particularly like the green eye pencil ‘Straight on till morning’ (great name) and the bright pink nail varnish – both would be great for holidays against tanned skin (fake tan obviously, it’s much healthier). But I do think they will appeal most to younger women, from teens to mid 20s. They’re the sort of thing my 18-year-old niece will love – and no doubt she will end up with the samples I was given. Except for the green eye pencil, and the bright pink nail varnish. Can’t wait for my holidays…

Fairy Face Palette with eye shadows, lip glosses, blushers, brushes and mirror

That pink nail varnish I was on about (and possibly the green eye liner)
A bevy of beauty bloggers enjoying a bevvy

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

Boots summer launch

March 12, 2012

Summer of Dreams collection

Last week was a busy one in terms of launches and meetings – as I don’t live in London I try to schedule as much as I can into each trip to the capital (train fares are not cheap). It makes for an exhausting day out and sometimes I do wonder why I bother, but I’m happy to report that this time the experience was worthwhile and interesting.

First off was the Boots summer launch event. This took place in a weird and wonderful section of the Barbican I didn’t know existed; it was a sort of hothouse aviary, full of plants (presumably tropical), birds, fish and terrapins.

The Boots guys had laid out a trail taking guests through the various products, from children’s clothes to sunglasses to pharmacy products to beauty – the bit I was most interested in seeing. And I wasn’t disappointed. Boots No 7 has a new collection of make-up in pretty pastel shades and lovely packaging, including eye crayons, blushers (bronze and pinky shades),  and lip glosses. There’s also a new mascara out in June I believe and two nail varnishes – one with gold glitter and one with silver glitter – both would look great with a tan on holiday.

Celebrity make-up artist and No7 ambassador Lisa Eldridge was there and it was great talking to her about the products and trends for this summer. I took a couple of photos, one of which is just about good enough to show here. The others are supplied by Boots.

The shape of the brush is supposed to ensure even distribution and bit lashes
Peach is set to be big this summer

Great over nail colour but I prefer it on its own
My attempt at an artistic image

Filed in: Uncategorised • by Lisa •

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I live in the countryside with my dogs and cat, and I love horses, yoga and running (sometimes). Writing is what I do - I've tried other things, but keep coming back to it. And I'm learning to meditate.
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