A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

GUYS! See how cute saggy jowls are?  Don’t you just wanna grab, pinch and shake?

Y u no look this cute on humans?

Those gorgeous pups might be part of the anti-botox brigade but only in the animal kingdom is this kind of ground-dragging sagginess acceptable.  Boobs, jowls, ear-lobes and bums – you gotta keep ’em pointing at least 90 degrees from the vertical – well.. maybe not ear-lobes but you know what I’m trying to say!

Elemis have recently released Pro-Intense Lift Effect, a cream which promises to be the latest non-surgical solution to help improve firmness, tone and elasticity for a more lifted, sculpted facial contour.

I really think you need a couple of stitches and a scalpel to get the kind of lift that most women want to see but if you’re in your early thirties like me, and you’re just starting to see a loss of definition around the jawline and neck, it might be an area that you’d like to focus your skincare and attention without the drama or cost that having surgery creates.

Or you could just do what I plan to do and tie a couple of bells to your jowls in celebration of the “alternative to getting older is being DEAD” kinda thing.

It’s a nice enough formula that sticks to Elemis’ ethos of mixing natural products with cutting-edge science and it does indeed deliver an instant tightening sensation to the area which is strong enough to give me an “ooh it’s working” reassurance but not enough to send me screaming to the bathroom to check that it hasn’t shrunk my head.  It doesn’t deliver enough hydration to my combo/dry skin to use in place of my usual moisture so this would most likely be a “booster” to your usual skincare.  I’m sitting on the fence with this one.

Elemis Pro-Intense Lift Effect is available to on counter and online, priced at £55 for 30ml

* press sample

I wonder if my body ever gets jealous of my face?

I mean… I spend a fortune on trying to make my face look good, and if you discount x amount of moolah that I’ve spent on dieting over the years… my body is like the poor relation.  The hand-me-down kid.  At least it has my hair to keep it company, I neglect that too.

I haven’t gone mental… (in case you’re wondering).

You see, British brand, Elemis have just released a body version of their incredibly covetable Pro Collagen Marine cream.  It’s specifically designed to target anti-ageing and combat the loss of elasticity allover our *cough* vital areas.

It contains mystical-sounding ingredients such as Castanha Oil, Laminaria Brown Seaweed, Babassu Oil, Bilberry Oil and that ever-intriguing marine extract Padina Pavonica.  It even promises to help breakdown fatty deposits.

AND…

Let’s face it, once we hit 30, everything starts to head South faster than a pair of migrating blue tits.  Yeah, you totally saw what I did there.

But back to my original point.  I love Elemis’ original Pro Collagen Marine formula and it’s one of my very few top-end luxuries (the other being perfume I can ill-afford) and I’d slather it all over my body if I could afford to (oh hello cheaper body version!)…

BUT…

I’m just too lazy you know.

Do you guys make use of the wonderful technologies in your face creams and put them to use on your bodies?  Am I a bit weird for blatantly and completely ignoring what is (in fairness), the largest proportion of skin on my body in favour of this much smaller *circles face* bit right here?

Perhaps it’s more of an upkeep thing?  If I had the body of a goddess… I’d be more willing to put the effort in to keep it that way?  Hell, to get the bits below my neck reach any kind of level worthy of a bikini, I’d need about £20k in surgery and KFC/McDonalds/KrispyKreme wiped off the face of the Earth.  Minimum.

Which leads me to something that’s going to keep me awake tonight.  Do really, really ugly people not bother with face cream?

Elemis Pro-Collagen Body Cream is priced at £49.00 for 200ml and available on counter and online from www.timetospa.co.uk

Ecorganic – each time I look at that word, my fingers itch for an extra ‘O’ and a hyphen…

I’ve been trying this ECOCERT certified night cream for the last month.  It hails from Swedish brand Estelle & Thild who have recently launched in the UK exclusively at Urban Retreat in Harrods and online at Beautique.com.  It’s one of those brands that exude loveliness… beautifully packaged, whimsical designs, natural ingredients and this night cream is no exception.

From the Estelle & Thild Rose Otto Age Prevent Line, the night cream* is rich and nourishing without sitting on the surface of my skin all night.  I’m actually not convinced it’s quite rich enough for my skin in the winter but can’t deny that it’s pretty much the perfect formula for these warmer months.

I do have one problem with this product though: it stinks.  It took me a little while to pin it down… infact, it was Mr. L who hit the nail on the head when he leant into me one evening and sniffed my face: “Why do you smell like a freshly painted room?”

Not just any paint either, we’re talking gloss which is really a big shame because if it weren’t for this simple olfactory issue, I’d be tempted to give it top marks.  I feel especially mean when you consider that the reason it smells like the inside of the Dulux factory is probably because it’s completely lacking in the crap that would otherwise synthetically scent it.

I’ve been persevering with the smell simply because I like the results I’m seeing from daily use.  Upon waking, my skin tone is remarkably more even and although I can’t say I’ve seen any particular anti-aging benefits from it, I can tell that it’s a ‘calming’ formula for my reactive skin.  I’ll be taking a closer look at the brand’s popular ‘baby’ line for when L’s eczema starts playing up this winter.

Estelle & Thild Ecorganic Night Cream is priced at £46 for 50ml and available online at Beautique.com where you can check out the rest of the range with prices starting from only £14.00

* press sample

When a well-known skincare brand announces that it’s bringing out a professional line with professional results, it’s a point of interest.  When well-known skincare brand points out that its results are backed by a long-term, independent clinical study that’s been published in the British Journal of Dermatology – it’s a point of slightly more significant interest.

Introducing, Olay Professional.

You can keep your Thandie Newtons, show me the clinical studies!!!  Though to be fair, better dumb ’em down a bit, I only got a C in my GCSE Double Award Science.

The study involved a panel of women aged between 40-65 who tested the regime over a 6 month period against a leading anti-ageing prescription ingredient.  The study showed that the new Olay Professional range was as effective as the prescription ingredient, Retinoic Acid (the most powerful form of Vitamin A) at reducing the appearance of wrinkles.

If you want to find more about this study, there’s an article on cosmeticsdesign.com that you may be interested to read.

POP-UP SKIN CLINIC!

In celebration of the launch, Olay will be opening the doors to a temporary clinic where you’ll have the opportunity to pre-book for a free one to one consultation with a skin expert from the world of dermatology.

The Olay Professional Clinic will be open to the public for three days only (28-29 June and 1 July 2011) at 18 Maddox Street, Mayfair, London from 10am-5pm.  If you don’t want to pre-book, you can still drop by to receive a product demonstration by an expert beauty consultant, and relax in the lounge with an anti-ageing “mocktail”.

To book, call the Olay Professional Clinic booking hotline on tel: 0207 611 3770 and register your details.

Olay Professional went live on the Boots website today on a strictly limited pre-sale basis with only 300 Olay Professional Anti-Wrinkle Kits available for purchase and I hear that over 7000 women signed up for the pre-sale.  Scary stuff!

The full, nationwide launch is scheduled for August.

Do you feel like you’ve seen it all before or are you more likely to be interested by products marketed around the results of their clinical trials?

As one of many Pro-Collagen Marine Cream devotees, I’m always happy to discover an opportunity to purchase my beloved anti-ageing moisturiser in a tub big enough to drown myself in.

Due for a strictly limited release this June, the Elemis Anti-Ageing Super Duo combines two of Elemis’ most sought after skincare offerings…

Pro-Collagen Marine Cream – 100ml (usual price £127)

Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules – 60 caps (usual price £59)

The Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules are a new one on me.  I have to say, I usually overlook anything that comes in little pods like that… I’m quite old-fashioned about my moisturisers being cream based!  However, the capsules contain pure Moringa Oil and promise to renew skin elasticity and counteract the external effects of our environment thanks to a healthy dose of anti-oxidants.

The set doesn’t come cheap (but we knew it wouldn’t right?) at £128 but does offer a saving of over £59 were you to buy these two products separately.

It will be available online at timetospa.co.uk or at Elemis spas, salons and selected department stores nationwide.

Quick, sell your grandmothers!

So, The Anti-ageing Beauty Bible may have only been on the shelves for a couple of weeks but Beauty gurus Josephine Fairley and Sarah Stacey’s new book is already ensuring brands are making an effort to capitalize on their mentions from withing the Bible’s hallowed pages.

I don’t have a copy of the book yet, so I had a crafty ‘google’ to see which brands had already publicized their awards and mentions!

Liz Earle have released an Anti-ageing Beauty Bible collection (£25) to coincide with the book release.  This kit features 4 of their best-selling products that were featured within the pages of the book.

Monu are making sure we all know that their Skin Perfector (£16.25) got a big thumbs up in the book.

Nutritional skincare purveyors Oskia are keen to tell us why their Micro-Exfoliating Balm (£46) was an Anti-ageing Beauty Bible award winner!

Finally, NUDE Skincare are so proud of their award that they’re shipping their Replenishing Night Oil BUNDLED with a copy of the book!

Will you be picking up a copy of the new Anti-ageing Beauty Bible or checking out any of the brands that feel the Beauty Bible love?

… or to give it’s full title – Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector!

Phew!

Brand new from Clinique, this is sure to be a top seller this Autumn/Winter… especially with Christmas round the corner.  Promising to combat both wrinkles and UV damage, could this be the all-in-one solution that so many desire?

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]

Clinique introduces NEW Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector, a de-ageing serum uniquely formulated to work day and night to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles, and repair and help prevent UV damage with results remarkably close to a dermatological laser treatment.  Use just three drops of NEW Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector twice a day and in 12 weeks, achieve 63% of the visible wrinkle reducing power of a laser.

Like three serums in one, delivering multiple benefits leading to visible wrinkle reducing results of a laser. Skin might not forget, but it can now help forgive the visible effects of sun, stress and pollution.

[/stextbox]

I’ve been sent one for review consideration.  I’ve seen some pretty impressive results with it on other blogs, but in all honesty… I don’t think a review from me would do this much justice.

At 29, I don’t have wrinkles or even many fine lines… wait, let’s interject a little more honesty in that statement.  At 29 and with a penchant for cream cakes… I don’t have wrinkles or even many fine lines.  It’s the cakes, not the genetics.

I’ve also never been one to accept and review products “just ‘cos I can”, so I’d like to offer this up to one of my lovely readers to trial thoroughly and review honestly for my readers.

There are a few ‘stipulations’ though.

* You must be happy to provide before and after photos (close ups are fine if you’d rather remain anonymous!)

* You must be aged over 35

* Your trial period is 12 weeks with one reader update (no photos required) around the 6 week mark and a reader conclusion (with photos) once the trial period is over.

If you fit the above criteria and fancy giving this a go, please leave me a comment below and I’ll choose someone suitable next week.

Sound good?

If you simply can’t wait to find out what our guest reviewer thinks… then, Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Wrinkle & UV Damage Corrector will be available at all Clinique counters nationwide from 10th September 2010 priced at £35.00/€48.00

Elemis, who were recently voted “Best British Brand” at the prestigious UK CEW awards are marking a special occasion with a rather special release.

Celebrating their 20th year, one of their most celebrated products has undergone a transformation!

From the 31st May until the 27th June, you can purchase a supersized 100ml pot of Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for £99.  Taking into consideration that a 50ml pot retails at £75 and if I do my maths correctly… that makes a saving of £51!

Now, I’m not gonna pretend this is the “bargain du jour”, some skincare is just pricey, and Elemis’ Pro Collagen Marine Cream most definitely falls into the luxe range.

It’s been a product that I haven’t been without since I first got a sample from the Elemis counter last year… infact, I think I posted about it.  Yes, I did!  I’ve never actually reviewed PCMC other than to declare random love for it occasionally (I will put that right soon!).  Anti-Ageing skincare reviews are HARD, I think they’re so personal and more often than not based on how a product makes you feel rather than any immediate effects.

By the way, Elemis are hustlers with their generous sampling policy!  That 15ml sample I innocently picked up last Summer has cost me a bleedin’ fortune since!

You can buy the Limited Edition 100ml Pro Collagen Marine Cream online from their website at TimetoSpa or from your nearest Elemis counter or Spa.  But only until the end of the month!