A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m a big fan of homeopathic brand Nelsons, a British institution with over 150 years of history behind it.  As a teen, I relied on their Bach’s Rescue Remedy to get me through my GCSEs and driving test, I keep an Arnica kid’s stick in my handbag for when Leila walks into something/falls over/needs to pretend that she’s a doctor, and I keep forgetting to pick up a tube of Graphites Cream for the little eczema flare ups that I get where my wedding ring sits.  I find the products effective at providing quick relief (almost like a security blanket) without breaking the bank.

I was sent a tube of Calendula Cream*, which is marketed as a multi-purpose cream for rough, dry, flaky or chapped skin.  Oh hai!  That’s me that is!

I’ve spent the past two days rubbing it into my cuticles as a benchmark, simply because I’m so used to nourishing that area I feel that I can judge it’s efficacy better here than by using it on other parts on my body.  I’d describe the Calendula Cream as a good option for those who need a lightweight but nourishing moisturiser.  This isn’t something I’d apply before bed for an intensive treatment, it’s better suited to a daytime environment.  It’s a little too slow to absorb to keep in my handbag (when you’ve literally only got about 30 seconds before you need to be doing stuff/touching things again) but it’s nicely balanced as an option for your desk drawer.

It has been effective at softening the hardest bits of skin around my fingernails even after only a couple of days.  I don’t care for the scent, which I’m struggling to describe as it smells (to me) neither floral, nor herbal.  I don’t know what calendula (the plant) actually smells like, it may be a perfect representation.  The cream doesn’t leave a greasy film behind but does leave a silky sensation that may put you off… you can ‘feel’ it, but it doesn’t hinder at all.

You can use this on any dry bits, I’m currently suffering around my hairline… so I’ll be giving it a go on my face, albeit a little concerned that it may be too rich… we shall see!  I’ve posted a picture of the ingredient’s list above, the cream is described as being free from: artificial colourings, fragrances, parabens, PEGs, lanolin, silicones and mineral oils.  So basically, it’s a good option for anyone that has experienced (or feels they have experienced) any problems with the above ingredients in the past.  I also really like the Weleda Calendula Weather Protection Cream which is more of an intensive treatment (and doesn’t sink in so well) for very dry skin.

Priced at £6.35, Nelsons Calendula Cream is available to buy instore and online at Boots

* press sample

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their bath rituals and tales of Easter debauchery!  The Gods at Random.org have wiggled their pointing fingers and chosen TEN lucky winners, each of which will receive a LUSH Carrot re-usable bubble bar.

Claire
SarahC
Vicki
Sydney Kav
Julianne
Gilian
Victoria
Dejeniera
Gemma
Liza

If you’re one of the lucky winners listed above, I’ll be in touch to request your postal details.  Thanks everyone for entering, hope you had a lovely long weekend… next BH is a month away, keep on trucking!

If you’re still crazy for carrots, this is a really cute audio interview with the LUSH product inventors talking about the origins of The Carrot Bubble Bar!

Twice a week, I’m instructed to make bubble monsters of varying shapes and sizes.  Some are scary, some are friendly… some exist for mere seconds before a chubby toddler squishes them back down beneath the water. Others cling to the bath until I can be bothered to flush them down the plughole with a healthy dose of Cif.  We like bubbles in our house and a bath simply isn’t a bath without an accompaniment of pops and froth.

Imperial Leather have released a duo of limited edition fragrances, one of which caught my eye owing to the fact that it alludes to one of my favourite perfumery notes, and one that you don’t usually see in high street bodycare products, Amber.

Claiming an intoxicating base note of Amber, the Blissful* range (which comprises a shower gel and a bath cream) promises a highly nourishing formula, balanced to be pH neutral.  Other than the colour in the bottle, I didn’t detect too much of the promised amber but it does still offer a warm and comforting exotic floral scent.  Containing jojoba pearls to help both exfoliate and offer additional moisturisation and with bubbles a-plenty, it passed the toddler test with flying colours.

The other limited edition fragrance is Sublime and is based around a pomegranate scent, expect a far fruitier affair!

Can you remember the Imperial Leather ads from when we were growing up?  I found this one on You Tube and have to say, despite it featuring the magnificent Julie Walters, this one slipped my attention!

The new Imperial Leather Limited Editions range of pampering shower and bath creams are available from all major retailers, with an RRP of £1.89 per 250ml shower cream and £1.53 per 500ml bath cream.

* press sample

Late last year, I talked about a Brenda Anvari candle that I’d been burning, it was full of spice and citrus and all those wonderful Christmassy things that we get heartily sick of by January.  Well, I’m back with another product from her Persian Rose range of scented bodycare products.

Last weekend, I scraped the last few grains from the jar of Persian Rose Body Scrub* and howled a gentle “nooooooooooo” into the air as I replaced the lid.  You see, it’s a really freakin’ beautiful scent.

The rose isn’t the most complex of fragrances, I think of it as pretty universal – it’s kinda safe, being both inoffensive and rather lovely.  Brenda has taken the classic rose and whipped it into a headier form.  Persian Rose takes on a dirtier, naughtier vibe with altogether more earthy qualities.

What I’m saying is, there are two types of people in this world.  Those who like the thought of walking in to find a scattering of rose petals on their bed, and those who like the thought of being physically whipped with a rose, thorns and all.  I’ve always hated the thought of waking up with a rose petal stuck up my nose.  You know?

I also like a good scrub.  And this is a good scrub.  It’s got just the right amount of grrrr going on, it rasps a little at the skin and feels like it’s working some proper skin-smoothing magic.  But if all that sounds a little too intense for you wimps, don’t worry because the salt granules sit in a base of beautifully-scented Persian Rose-infused oil that ultimately leaves your skin feeling nourished and kissably-smooth.

I haven’t mentioned the body moisturiser* or the bath oil*, because… well… they’re ok.  There’s nothing about them that makes me not want to recommend them, they make great flankers for layering the scent but there’s nothing that screams “buy me above everything else available on the market” either.  It’s a tough world out there.

If the thought of Persian Rose doesn’t float your boat, other scents available from the Brenda Anvari bodycare range include: Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood & Black Pepper, Lime, Mandarin & Grapefruit, Orange Blossom, and Pomegranate, Raspberry  & Patchouli.  Prices start from £8.95 and you can shop online.

What bath-time scents are you loving at the moment?

* press sample

Having spent the afternoon skirting around the possibility of knuckling down and doing some actual work, I was indulging in one of my favourite evening procrastination activities (online shopping), when looksee what I spotted!

Lanolips Herbal Treatment Body Oil.  Holy mother of all things oily and lanoliny.

If like me, you’re a fan of body oils  – you’ll be delighted to hear that this one is completely free from mineral oil.  It’s a super-concentrate of Ultra Pure Grade Lanolin Oil with extracts of Pine and Eucalyptus thus needing no petro-chemical fillers, note the 60ml sizing which I’m guessing means that a little is destined to go a very long way.  There’s just one thing… where’s Lady Lamb gone?!

Ok, now I’ve got that off my chest, back to the oil…

I personally apply my body oils whilst still in the shower over skin that has been wiped with a flannel (not dried) to lock in the maximum amount of moisture.  It’s the quickest, least messy way I know of giving my skin a suppleness boost in this icy weather.

Lanolips Herbal Treatment Body Oil is priced at £9.99 and available online now from Victoria Health (who may or may not be harbouring one lady lamb)

Do you use body oils or creams?  Miss Lady Lamb too?

My mother is obsessed with guessing the ages of celebrities she sees on reality shows, infact – I’m quite certain it’s the only reason she watches them.  She hasn’t quite grasped the fact that with the power of the internet, I can hop on Wikipedia and tell her exactly how old Stefanie Powers is quicker than she can analyse the tell-tale signs from the actress’ neck and hands.  She guessed correctly by the way: Mum 1 – 0 Wikipedia.  Perhaps I should point Stefanie in the direction of the new Elemis Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, the latest addition to the Elemis sp@home body anti-ageing lineup.

The rich hand cream contains a wealth of skin-loving oils including: Omega 7, Avellana Seed Oil, Macademia Seed Oil, Virgin Plum Oil and Camellia Seed Oil to promote skin suppleness, elasticity and protect from free-radical damage.  It’s delicately scented and leaves my hands feeling nourished without that sticky hand-cream feeling.  It may be a little too heavy-duty for the summer months but it’s been doing wonderful things for my cuticles and hang nails this month.

Formulated free from: parabens, sls, mineral oils and silicones, the new Pro-Radiance Hand & Nail Cream is generously sized at 100ml and will be launching next month alongside a sister (limited edition) product; Perfect Hands Anti-Ageing Treatment (£29.90) which will be contributing £8000 from sales to The Eve Appeal.

The Pro-Radiance Hand & Nail Cream will be priced at £22.00 and available from Elemis stockists nationwide including timetospa.co.uk, spas/salons, selected John Lewis, Debenhams and Harvey Nichols stores.

* press sample

How magnificently cute are these?

Not only cute, but pretty darn affordable too at £7-a-piece.  Keep the packaging as a tree decoration whilst bubbling up the contents (a 3-in-1 shampoo, shower gel & bubble bath) in your bathroom.

Choose between: Gingerbread Girl, Snow Angel and Peppermint Bark – but be quick because Philosophy Christmas sets are always in high demand and usually sell out pretty quickly.

Available to buy instore at Boots who are also currently offering 1000 points when you buy 3 or more selected Philosophy

Another supermarket, another vintage-inspired bodycare range… all I can say is, these must sell really well!  Sainsbury’s have Dirty Works, Asda have Ella & Rose and now Tesco have jumped on-board with the new Along Came Betty!

These ranges all look a bit samey (I guess that’s the point) but I can totally see the appeal for those who can’t afford to fill their S&G addictions and I bet Grandmas are forever picking them up for younger, female members of the family!

The lineup features a range of body and skincare products inspired by 1950s screen stars and beauty icons. It includes:

~ So Much Bubble Skin Softening Bath Soak (£3.99)
~ To the Skin and Beyond Ultra Rich Body Butter (£4.00)
~ Hey Sugar Sugar Easily Spreadable Body Scrub (£5.99)
~ Clean Around the Clock Soft Skin Shower Wash (£2.99)
~ It’s a Skin Thing Ultra Light Body Butter (£3.99)
~ Say you Scrub me Scrubby Skin Polish (£3.99)
~ The Big Scrub Mitt (£2.00)

Along Came Betty will be selling at 1/3 off from 16.11 to 06.12 and also available on 3for2 from 7.12 to 03.01 January making it ideal for stocking stuffers and hamper builders alike!

I’m excited to share this with you… because over the past few months, I’ve been hiding a pot of gold.  A little lab sample of Lady Lamb’s latest launch (try saying that drunk).

Lanolips Golden Ointment is a deeply rich, nourishing balm for ultra-dry skin.  The kind of skin that tears at your clothes and makes your tights feel like sandpaper against your shins… the skin we dread each Winter.  If you’re in need of deep moisturisation and instant relief, this could be what you’ve been looking for – provided in the form of some of the most natural, pure and most-overlooked ingredients in the world.

Smelling like warm, buttered-honey, Golden Ointment has a creamy consistency to match.  The ointment is enriched with Ultra Pure Medical Grade Lanolin, Manuka Honey & Vitamin E, and contains no artificial colours or fragrance (of course).

Simplicity always was the recipe for success.

Lanolips Golden Ointment will launch mid-November EXCLUSIVELY at Victoria Health (waiting list available), priced at £17.99 before rolling out across Boots stores nationwide from February.

I’m not a great self-tanner. I mean that in both senses of the word — I don’t do it very often and when I do, I’m pretty shit at it. The historical exception to this rule is with Sally Hansen’s old Airbrush Legs… you can still buy it, but the formula is a little different now and they’ve ditched my shade. I used to love it and would go through cans of the stuff when the weather called for a bit of leg-display.

So, when St. Tropez’s new Perfect Legs Spray landed on my desk, I had barely opened the envelope before I was prising off the lid and putting it to work, ever-hopeful that I might find my pasty-leg saviour.

Look how stained my hand is!! I’ll tell you more about that in a minute…

The new St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray promises an instant, natural bronzing effect combined with a longer-lasting self tan. The aerosol can contains 75ml of product, which isn’t a lot — about enough to do your legs twice/three times at most. The product is fairly reasonably priced at £10, making it a cost-effective choice for special events or big nights out. Don’t forget that as-well as the instant bronzer, you’re also benefiting from a normal self-tan at the same time. Although, I’d obviously like to see more for my money, I think the price is reasonable for special occasions when compared to alternative options.

Unlike my old Sally Hansen cans, this isn’t like makeup for your legs. It won’t conceal veins, freckles or give you a massively airbrushed effect but it excels at what it does deliver: healthy-looking, bronzed pins.

It’s ridiculously easy to use and dispenses a very fine mist. Any slightly larger droplets that appear from holding it a little too close blend easily into the skin for a completely streak-free finish. I blended one leg with my hands and the other with a mit. Use the mit, this stuff sets faster than an 80s perm and despite rushing to the basin mere minutes after my first blend – my hand is perma-tanned. Looking on the bright side, this is obviously great news for my legs as it didn’t transfer once touch-dry.

Product doesn’t leak/drip from the nozzle during operation and the spray works regardless of the contorted angles you put the can through. It may just be, that as a novice, I’m having a hallelujah moment with tans in a can but I simply didn’t run into any problems with this one.

And as for my legs? Oh god, hold on to your breakfasts…

It works well right?  My left leg (right as you look at it) was tanned with the St. Tropez and it doesn’t look remotely orange or streaky!  Honestly, if I can use it… a total fool can use it and make it look good in under 5 minutes. I’m so pleased to be able to recommend this to ultra-pale girls who suck at applying fake tan like me. I’m so jealous of wimmen to whom this stuff comes naturally. It’s a bleedin’ art-form to get it right I tell ya!

St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray simply takes the hard work out of bronzing. Definite repurchase for those times when tights just won’t do.

St. TropezPerfect Legs Spray is priced at £10.00 and available from the usual stockists.

* 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

What is it?

Jo Malone are supporting this month’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign with their new Red Roses Body & Hand Wash, a delicately scented bottle of roses tinted goodness which co-ordinates perfectly with the emblematic colour of the BCA campaign.

How much is it?

Jo Malone Red Roses Body & Hand Wash is priced at £30.00.

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

£5 from every sale will go directly to help funding UK research grants.

How do I get it?

Available throughout the month of October from Jo Malone Express Mail Order and Worldwide Delivery Service, Tel +44 (0)870 034 2411 or shop online at jomalone.com