From their Spring 2011 Collection, this is SpaRitual: Circle of Life
A very bright, blue creme which benefits from a top coat to boost the gloss factor. Applies beautifully with no nail staining either (woohoo!)
I do wish SpaRitual polishes were a little easier to come by because they makes some beautiful shades.
As it is, you can purchase this online from their website priced at £8.50 for a 15ml bottle.
Hold on to your retinas, this one’s a scorcher! SpaRitual Knowledge is Power is a stunner.
Not only is it a stunner but I think it has special powers. I wore this the other day at the gym and even though I was HALFWAY through a 5 minute run, looking down at this shade on my tips cheered me up. Magic.
Very nearly neon but not quite. This one needs a top coat to bring back the shine as it does dry semi-matte, something not uncommon with shades as bright as this.
Mr. L hates this shade on me but I love it. I feel just like Barbie, minus the boobs. Ok, with the boobs, minus the waist.
If you wanna play Barbie too, you can buy it online from SpaRitual priced at £8.50
I’ve featured vegan, polish brand SpaRitual on the blog before and thought you might like to take a peek at their 2011 Spring Collection, Truth.
6 Spring shades, 6 pretty cremes (do I spy an uber trendy yellow?!)
Knowledge is Power: Hot Pink Creme
Reveal Yourself: Pastel Lilac Creme
Circle of Life: Vibrant Blue Creme
Enlightened Soul: Yellow Creme
Eye of the Beholder: Grassy Green Creme
Face of Destiny: Peach Creme
Are you liking the look of any of these? I’ve got swatches of Knowledge is Power and Circle of Life coming up soon!
SpaRitual polishes are priced at £8.50 each and available to buy online.
Phew, you don’t wanna be trying to remember the name of this foundation after a few sakes. But for the record, Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist SPF22 PA++ in PO-10 *cough* is definitely worth remembering.
I first heard of this foundation after Kathi at LotusPalace blogged about it… anything that Kathi calls HG frankly has me running for my debit card, foaming at the mouth. So I ran for my debit card. I’m not admitting to anything else.
I paid around £15 for this on eBay from AlphaBeautyUK and it arrived within 9 days of ordering.
You get 25g of product in a small glass jar… it’s not particularly fancy, it’s just… functional.
My skin is still recovering from the Winter, dry at the best of times. I’m still needing to consider foundations that won’t be attracted to dry patches of skin and although creams are usually cited as being the ones to go for, I can’t say that I’ve noticed them being particularly more moisturising in the past.
Perhaps I’ve just been going for the wrong ones!
The most compelling thing about this foundation for me is the almost perfect shade match… it’s possibly a hint lighter than my skintone but once it’s had time to fit (oxidise?), it’s pretty damn spot on.
Although clearly pink-based, I think it has enough peach in it to stop it from turning ruddy… if colour matching to a so-called English Rose complexion is an issue for you, I really recommend giving this a try.
So, how about that moisture then? Seeing as this is called “moist”… well it’s not bad. It’s not as moisturising as something like Chanel Vitalumiere but to be honest, I find that too tacky on my skin and a little uncomfortable to wear. I’d class this as somewhere between that and a normal, satin finish foundation.
I’ve read this described as a medium-coverage foundation but for me at least, this is pretty full-on. I don’t own many foundations that give a fuller coverage than this. I’ll probably find this far too heavy for the Summer but I’m fine with it while the seasons are still changing. Here’s a before/after – prepare yourself, it’s shots like this that remind me why I like makeup and NEED eyeliner.
After is on the right, I’ve applied the Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist with my fingers over a moisturised face. No concealer. God I have big ears. And please excuse the bloodshot eye. And the lip spot. And…oh, bugger it.
What do you think? I think it tones down redness nicely, covers most imperfections adequately and doesn’t accentuate my dry bits. I think it’s a bit full-on for the Summer and wish I’d discovered it a couple of months ago. Mostly though, I love the shade which is pretty damn awesome.
Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist SPF22 PA++ in PO-10 is available to buy online from eBay (and possibly many other places that I’m not clever enough to translate).
Over the next couple of weeks, retail guru Nicky Kinnaird, founder of Space NK will be making some rare personal appearances in selected stores as part of a beauty event the brand have lined up for interested customers.
The events are taking place on the following dates/locations:
16th March – Marylebone: 10-2pm
17th March – Loughton: 10-2pm
18th March – Kingston: 10-2pm
23rd March – Glasgow: 10-2pm
24th March – George St (Edinburgh): 10-2pm
25th March – Cobham: 10-2pm
31st March – Northcote Rd: 10-2pm
The event costs £60 (redeemable against all purchases).
For your money, you get a 15 minute consultation with Nicky herself on your skincare needs and a 30 minute makeup lesson from a professional.
If this sounds like something you might be interested in, you can find participating store numbers here.
I never get round to doing “products of the month” posts because there’s inevitably something else that I wanna blog about when the ‘critical’ time is approaching.
I do love reading other people’s picks though so instead of giving up on these type of posts completely I think I’ll just throw random ones out there when the mood takes me instead. Who needs time restraints anyway?
1. Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil (£19.50)
This has given my dry, overprocessed hair such a lift these last few weeks. I don’t know how it compares to the likes of Moroccan Oil which I haven’t tried yet but the Gielly Green Argan Rescue add shine, softness and smooth ends without being too heavy on my fine (but lots of it!) hair.
You can buy the Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil here.
2. Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel (£19.40)
I received a sample size of this tucked into my last Debenhams order and “uh oh”, ‘cos it’s on the repurchase list!
I’ve been trying to work out a morning skincare routine that suits my combo/dry skin and this has become my morning cleanser of choice. Normally, I use a ‘cleansing gel’ to remove my makeup but this one is so light that a pea-sized amount cleanses my bare face beautifully.
It has a delicious ‘wake me up’ grapefruit scent and is the only cleansing gel/oil/balm type product I’ve used that makes me feel clean without doing a double cleanse. Add to that the fact that it’s one of the least drying cleansers I’ve discovered and I’m delighted to start the day with this gem!
Now, I’ve said that… watch me hate it once I purchase the full size. It’s always the way right?
You can buy the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel here.
3. Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml (£34.00) *
Now available in a travel-friendly 20ml bottle, Balenciaga Paris is simply exquisite. I’m not sure how it manages to capture so much in one small bottle.
It opens with a crisp, floral freshness that announces itself with all the fervour that BIG openings bring before mellowing into something quite creamy yet grown-up.
It seems to capture both a lightness and a depth that feels more sensual, darker… naughtier!
My only gripe is that it needs a top-up every 3 hours or so as the fragrance sadly doesn’t last the day… but I guess that’s the benefit of a 20ml bottle!
You can buy Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml here.
4. Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper Hand Cream (part of a duo set that cost £8.00)
Beautifully citrusy with a hint of spice, this hand cream is light, fast-absorbing and nourishing. The scent lingers for a short while and will keep you sniffing your hands until it fades! It’s a great daytime moisturiser that sadly only comes in a 30ml tube. I think it may be limited edition too…
Oh well, as much as I love it – I guess I’ll have to find something else to replace it.
You can buy Bliss Blood Orange and White Pepper Hand Cream here. (on offer!)
5. Vicks First Defence (£7.14)
I know this is a bit of a weird one… but I’ve used it twice now at the onset of a cold. As soon as I get that “drowning feeling” in the back of my throat, I pull this out and use as often as the directions allow me. Whilst it hasn’t killed or cured the ensuing snuffles, it’s made a real difference to it’s severity.
The last two times I’ve used it, my cold hasn’t progressed into full-blown face ache/streaming nose type horrors as it normally would. I’ve been able to get on with day-to-day life with a couple of paracetamol and this nasal spray nearby quite happily!
You can buy Vicks First Defence here.
6. Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist (£12.95) *
Since my run in with the Prai o2 Infusion I reviewed yesterday, my skin has been in dire need of TLC and the Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist has provided this well. Once made up in the mornings, I obviously can’t moisturise with normal creams and this refreshing spray gives my skin a hydration boost with a couple of squirts throughout the day.
It’s alcohol-free and at 60ml is handbag-friendly.
You can buy Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist here. (Guthy Renker sells products through a ‘membership’ scheme and you may need to cancel your membership if you don’t want automatic product topups every 90 days)
7. Melvita Eye Contour Gel (£18.00) *
Organic brand Melvita failed to impress me first time round… I tried a particularly stinky oil that I just couldn’t bring myself to use because of it’s… um… aroma. However, the Melvita Eye Contour Gel is a delight!
Incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing, I’ve finally found an eye cream that I’m happy to wear under my makeup. I’ve noticed a decrease in puffiness since incorporating this into my routine… not sure it does much for fine lines or dark circles but it feels wonderfully refreshing and lifting for bleary morning peepers!
You can buy Melvita Eye Contour Gel here.
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What are you currently using and loving?
* press sample
I love store loyalty cards (as my Boots Advantage card will happily testify) and so I was delighted to hear about the new(ish) Space NK scheme that gives something back!
Benefits include:
I signed myself up a few weeks ago after CityGirlsFashionBox ordered me to do it and am waiting for my card to drop through the door any day now (hurryup hurryup hurryup).
It’s free to sign up so if you’re a Space NK shopper, whatchu waiting for?
Ellis Faas fans will be pleased to hear that one of their favourite brands is now available to buy from Space NK online and in selected stores.
The Dutch brand launched in the UK a year ago exclusively to Liberty and have seen great success and growth on these shores over the past 12 months.
The sleek products, instantly recognised for their quirky packaging and iconic colours (Ellis Red anyone?) have garnered fans globally and I’m interested to see how they fare with the opportunity of a wider UK audience.
Initially, 14 Space NK stores will carry the line though I can’t hide my disappointment when I note that 13 of the 14 stores have London addresses. The 14th and final store (for now) is in Glasgow… a little bit too far for a day trip methinks.
Here’s hoping for a all-encompassing nationwide roll out following this initial launch!
Prices start from £20 and the range can be viewed online on the Space NK website, here.
The Art Deco signature Paloma styling on the packaging is doing it for me alone. But throw in bejewelled lashes (that in fairness, I would probably only ever gaze upon), a red lipstick, black liner and a smoky eye set? I’m liking the look of the collection very much indeed!
The two limited edition items from the collection are unsurprisingly, the palette and the eyelashes. The lipstick and liner can be found in Shu Uemura’s current core collection (albeit in different packaging).
~ Paloma for Shu Uemura limited edition Swarovski encrusted false eyelashes – £55 (ouch)
~ Rouge Unlimited lipstick in 190 – £19.50
~ Black Gel Eyeliner – £19.50
~ Limited Edition Paloma Faith make up palette – £57
Paloma says… “I’m inspired by the queens of tragedy – Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Judy Garland. Then throw a bit of Nick Cave, Etta James and PJ Harvey into the mix, add all my influences from avant garde cinema and you start to come close. My visual style is fancy dress as I never grew out of dressing up boxes! My early performances were David Lynch meets William Blake at the circus. Welcome to my world….”
The collection is available throughout February, exclusive to Selfridges, London.
Is it just me or are we seeing a bit of a theme emerging? 
First up…
Hot. Hotty Hot Hot.
Blush – Scandalous (£4.29)
Pout Polish – Scandal (£4.29)
NAILED – Geisha’s Seal (£3.89)
Due to be released exclusively to Superdrug on February 14th.
All For Eve and all for a very good cause indeed.
All For Eve have joined forces with London florist OnlyRoses in time for Valentine’s Day. Above is the “ultimate in red” package. Priced at £90, it includes a dozen red roses, an award winning lipstick from celebrity make-up artist Daniel Sandler, the Sophy Robson Nail Polish and the clutch bag essential of a Swarovski Crystal Nail File.
Orders are being taken online at allforeve.co.uk and www.only-roses.com from 27th January with 100% of All For Eve’s net profits going directly to The Eve Appeal.
If you haven’t seen or read about this collection 100 times already then you truly are in love and should stop snogging your beau before your lips drop off. C’mon, the makeup’s this-a-way!
Illamasqua Throb is their nod to the season of lurve and the cheekily-named pieces reflect this. I picked up the lipstick in Sangers last week and can’t wait to give the true red it’s first outing!
Nail Polish – Load, Scorn, Throb (£13.50)
Lipstick – Sangers (£15.50)
Intense Lipgloss – Succubus (£13.00)
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Any of those take your fancy? They’re less maintenance than a fella!
I received a few bits and pieces from Screenface before Christmas and have been putting them to the test.
I love the idea of using ‘professional’ makeup in my day to day life. It’s no secret that us consumers pay through the nose for pretty packaging and the immense marketing budgets of the high street brands. So I’m always curious about whether going for professional products really will give more bang for our buck!
Let’s start with the Screenface Shadow Magnet Eye Primers…
The Screenface Shadow Magnet Eye Primers (£8.95) come in two shades, light (left) and natural (right). They’re both hard-textured with less slip than the likes of UDPP. The shades can be mixed to create a good neutralizing base (should your eyelids need it) and they promise to deliver true colour and long lasting eyeshadow results.
I’d agree on the true colour… but long-lasting? Not as much as the other eye primers in my collection. I did a side-by-side comparison with UDPP and the Shadow Magnets were beaten by a good few hours. I was surprised that these didn’t deliver in the way I’d anticipated from a pro-brand.
Moving swiftly on…
Screenface Cremewear Blush (£9.95) – Small, but perfectly formed. These 2.8g cream blushes glide on effortlessly with a good deal of slip, making blending a dream. The shades are sheer and glowy with a hint of sparkle (just a hint mind)… I couldn’t be more sold on these and am finding it very hard to pick fault with them.
L-R: Crush, Afterglow
They last and last without sliding down my cheeks or transferring… the colour payoff is great, yet they remain buildable for the heavy-handed among us. They remind me a little of the new Urban Decay cream blushes (due out soon)… but I prefer these.
Just buy one. Or three.
Lastly, Screenface Creme Shadow (£12.95) – Available in 6 shades, above is Moss… which looks more like an Antique Gold to me, strange considering they do a shade called Antique Gold! However, 7g gives you a hefty amount of product for your money. Deeply pigmented and spreads like a dream. Longevity isn’t that amazing on this if worn on it’s own but it does make a lovely base for intensifying powder shadows.
I usually apply this with my finger for a sheer wash of colour and achieve around 5 hours wear before it disappears upward into the crease of my eye socket. It blends beautifully without setting too quickly and is a quick-fix for time-pressed mornings!
If you find yourself in Covent Garden, I recommend taking a look around the Screenface Store on Monmouth Street. It’s a charming shop and I defy you to walk out empty-handed!
I’ve been dying my hair since the age of 14… first pillar box reds and harsh blacks – anything to be different which was ironic really, considering I used to simultaneously do anything I could to fade into the background.
At the age of 17, I discovered my first grey hair… and since then, they’ve been coming in thick and fast. I now dye my hair (roots) every 8 weeks or so to keep on top of it.
I attended a masterclass at the Schwarzkopf Academy back in October. It was focused on their Palette range of home hair colourants and aimed to demonstrate the very best way to achieve great results at home.
Let me show you a video from the afternoon (if you spot me, please ignore the horrendously unflattering camera angle… it’s not my seven chins, it’s the bloody angle alright?)
I’ve found the Schwarzkopf Palette dye gives a beautifully natural and glossy result. It’s not particularly different to anything else I’ve tried in terms of application although I found that it was a tough cookie in terms of staining… definitely a little harder to remove than my normal product. It was also a lot less ammonia-stinky than my normal Superdrug hair dye… a welcome discovery!
My favourite thing about the Schwarzkopf Palette formula though is that I don’t get the “Lego Hair” thing that I usually notice with home hair dyes. Are we all familiar with “Lego Hair”? That horribly obvious single block of colour that screams “I’ve just given myself a cheap home hair-dye job!”. The Schwarzkopf Palette range appears to melt into my own natural highlights and lowlights instead of overwriting the lot.
Freshly coloured hair, what a lovely feeling!
Some tips I learned from the day:
- Wash your hair if it’s greasy or full of oil-based product (hairspray/mousse is ok)
- Apply your hair dye to the point of saturation (one of the biggest mistakes people make is not using enough product)
- Custom mix your colours – it’s far easier than I imagined to create a personalised shade!
- You can’t lighten pre-coloured dark hair
- Grey hair needs extra processing time
- Use moisturiser to protect the skin or vaseline, but don’t get any vaseline on your hair or the colour won’t take.
- There’s no need to shampoo after dying unless you want to.
- To protect your clothes, use a bin liner with a hole cut in it for your head!
- Section off your roots and concentrate the colour there. You can smoosh the ends in to ensure they get even coverage later.
Schwarzkopf Palette comes in a range of 12 shades from a light natural blonde right through to black. It’s available instore at Boots, Superdrug and some supermarkets priced at around £3.49 – bargain!
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