Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

They’ve basically made the formulas more long-wearing, added in some new shades (above Pacific Coast and Blushed) and given them more intensity.

Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

If the shades I have this is far and away my favourite – a completely suit-all, flattering colour that’s good all year round. It’s called Peach Pop.

Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

You can see from the swatch that they’re not so bright they won’t appeal to the core Clinique customer, but the shades are just the right side of muted-trend.

Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

This little duo is called Wave After Wave and I’d put it as being for the ‘make-up scared’. It’s light with a slightly darker definition shade – pretty much anyone could use this from age 19 to 90 and it would still look pretty and shimmery.

Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

So this is my favourite so far – called Jenna’s Essentials – it’s close to a Bobbi Brown palette with suit-all, wearable neutrals in a mix of textures (matte and sheen) and a guide on how to use the palette to best effect. Bliss.

Clinique All About Eyes Autumn 2013

This is On Safari – a mix of khaki shades that is beautiful. These are more shimmery than the previous Jenna’s Essentials palette. I will swatch them later in the week.

I should also point out that my new camera is proving to be a devil.. the *texture* you see on the picture doesn’t exist on the palette – just in my camera’s crazy imagination.

So, we’ll see these palettes roll out in late summer – what do you think? Improvement on the existing range of eye shades?

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic Tri Color Blending Refils

Shu Uemura just keeps on reinventing the wheel! I couldn’t love these more if I tried. They’re the shades from the Eye-Conic autumn/winter range and are designed to go inside the famous Shu palettes. In this case, it’s a swirly, retro looking thing (no image yet) so the whole effect is flower power and then some. It’s rather special because its their 30th anniversary collection.

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic

You can get the picture from the campaign image above. Pucci on fire!

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic

So, the line-up from left to right: Purple, Yellow Brown, Coral Pink, Green Blue and a blush duo, in Orange. The shadow refils are £22 and the blush is £22.

One of the best things is that the combinations aren’t pre-chosen for you – pick what you like and stick it in the palette (£10), which takes one eye combo and one cheek or two eyes or even two cheeks. I’m sure there is a maths equation that would result in there being 8,337,000 different ways to combine but sadly, I can’t find my calculator (*not even looking*).

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte

I’ve got a couple of the Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte – above is Pink 345 while below is Beige 930.

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic Rouge Unlimited Supreme Matte

A word of warning on the above beige shade matte.. I’ve just tried it (beautiful, silky texture) but it is SO beige it literally blots our your lips. It’s a very odd look – I certainly can’t get away with it – very stylised and very sixties.

Shu Uemura Eye-Conic Rouge Unlimited Swatches

As well as the above, there are some beautiful rainbow lashes and a couple of liners too. I’m not sure when this launches into stores but I’ll update when I know.

Selfridges Summer Beauty Box

Well, you have to admit that Selfridges give good beauty box!

Selfridges Summer Beauty Box Open

This goes live today (HERE) and inside it contains:

- Aqua Splash Tangle Teezer
-        Models Own Neon Nail Varnish
-        Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray 50ml
-        Molton Brown Aqua Shower Gel 100ml
-        Caudalie Beauty Elixir 30ml
-        St. Tropez Instant Glow Face Lotion 50ml
-        Jane Tran Hair Clips
-        Erborian BB Cream 12ml
-        Lancaster After Sun 40ml
-        St. Tropez The Ultimate Tan

The value adds up to £70 but the cost is £25. I think they’ve got the beach beauty theme spot on (even though I’ve always wondered who actually buys Surf Spray!) and I really love the little hair clips. So, as usual, it’s very limited so if you want to buy it go quickly.

Paul & Joe 2013 La Belle Epoque Swatch

As it turns out, the real thing is even better than the lovely pictures I posted yesterday. I’m besotted.

Paul & Joe 2013 La Belle Epoque Swatch

Even after you’ve used the make-up (and actually they are tiny amounts so it’s not unrealistic to think you can finish it all up) you have the sweetest little box to keep.

Paul & Joe 2013 La Belle Epoque Swatch 

But, to the make up. This is easily my favourite colour-way because of the violet eye sheen.

Paul & Joe 2013 La Belle Epoque Swatch

It goes perfectly with the slightly steely grey shade that’s almost a flat shade – the tiniest bit of shimmer.

Paul & Joe 2013 La Belle Epoque Swatch

The shimmer is a vanilla shade – and ultra-ultra shimmery! Fairy dust indeed.

Clinique Autumn 2013

There’s a big focus on eyes ahead for Clinique – a revamp of their existing eye shades, All About Shadow,  to bump up the pigment and payoff with extra long-wear benefits. A range of new shades look awesome (will swatch tomorrow) and include Nudes, Goldens & Greens, Pinks, Blues and Violets. Let me at the violet! Again, not too far away with a counter date of August.

Tria Home Laser Hair Removal

So, I’ve made it look a bit friendlier! Less alien. Because this new version IS much friendlier than the old version.

Tria Home Laser Hair Removal

For a start, the older version had a tiny wait time between ‘flashing’ the laser which really slowed things up – if you’re doing a larger area such as upper leg then that really matters. With the 4X, there is no wait so you literally just zip along, zapping away until you’ve done the area you want to treat.

Tria Home Laser Hair Removal

There are five settings to set the intensity (to be honest, I’m pretty sure everyone will go straight to five so they really might as well have only one or two). I set mine to five – the strongest – and it was perfectly tolerable. As the laser flashes you get a little wave of heat that doesn’t even go to a sting.. it’s really very gentle, considering. You can actually track the number of pulses you use in any one go, but I didn’t do that – it just seemed a little confusing, somehow.

Tria Home Laser Hair Removal

This is the laser window, so you can see that large areas are going to take a while – it’s a small window. But, for underarms or bikini, it’s a piece of cake. I imagine an underarm would take ten minutes maximum, while you’d expect a whole leg to take the best part of an hour I think.  If you wonder how this can work, I’m no scientist, but basically, diode laser light beams penetrate the skin to the follicles. The laser targets the hair pigment (it absorbs the heat) and disrupts the follicle to the point that it stops re-growth.

It’s a serious outlay at £345 but you the fact that you can use it on face and body is such a plus that I’d say that its a very serious competitor to salon treatments both on efficiency and money. Home lasering does work.. I’ve seen some spectacular results, but you must be dedicated in treating the areas properly and over the suggested time scale. Tria say that you’ll start to see results after two sessions at two-weekly intervals, so within a month (Tria say that 70% less hair grows back after two treatments).

The only thing I’m not so convinced of is the gel that you use between the skin and the laser – the Tria Gel Moisturiser is £25 and given that this new model is really quick and efficient I am not sure that you really, truly need one at all. To be safe though, I’d recommend you use it as instructed (I didn’t use mine!).

The site is HERE and features a skin shade chart that you must complete to see if you are suitable – it’s not suitable for very dark skin or very light hair.

Trilogy Rosehip Travel Set

Trilogy is such a great brand – it’s among some of the loveliest skin care I know of and if you haven’t tried it yet, this travel set is a great introduction to their best selling Rosehip range. I’ve used the Rosehip Facial Oil and it’s truly beautiful. This is a well edited little set for £20, with Rosehip Facial Oil, Vital Moisturising Cream, Cream Cleanser and Hydrating Mist Toner – perfect for trying a new range while on holiday. I reckon there is at least a couple of week’s worth in the box and because of its antioxidant properties is a good one for use after the sun.

It’s not quite up on the Trilogy site yet, but the site is HERE so you can check back.

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 La Belle Epoque

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 La Belle Epoque

Umm.. just how pretty are these beautiful eye sets from Paul & Joe for A/W13? I’m obsessed already. Funnily enough, this morning I was feeling a bit gloomy because I thought I hadn’t any decent colour stories for today and then this!

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 Fairytale

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 Fairytale

The story of the range focusses on fairy tales, whimsy and childhood.

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 Princess

Paul & Joe Beaute A/W13 Princess

These eye sets are really all about sparkle which isn’t a favourite thing of mine but I’ve found the exception to my own rule, here! Each little box contains Cream Eye Colour, an Eye Colour and an Eye Colour Powder so you can mix and match the shades.. kind of snow queen, icy princess style.

For the lipstick collection, it’s mix and match – choose the outer casing you like best to go with the colour you like best.

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Far, Far Away

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Far, Far Away

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Happily Ever After

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Happily Ever After

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Once Upon A Time

Paul & Joe Beaute 2013 Lip in Once Upon A Time

And however early you might think this is, the whole lot goes on sale on 1st August! I will have some swatches for you tomorrow.

Skin Art Temporary Tattoos

I love temporary tattoos – I’ve never been brave enough to go for the real thing but I do use temps quite often in summer. I don’t really get the lion-on-finger thing a la Cara – but these dandelions look so sweet – (they’re in the Skin Art I’m A Dreamer set) I’d be tempted to use on my hand I think or the writing on the inner side of fingers. They’re commitment free best of all and cost £4.99 HERE.

CND Vinylux

I am so excited about Vinylux, the gel/polish hybrid that promises a week of wear with no UV curing – it cures in the natural light for extended wear coverage.

CND Vinylux

I’ve opted for this hot coral shade, Lobster Roll. You don’t need to use a base coat – the colour goes straight onto the nail and you should use two coats. Then, a thicker top coat (in the black bottle above) goes over to give the gel like finish and keep the colour locked to the nail. Within the top coat are photo initiators to set the top coat (which makes me wonder if you are better applying in the day than the night – I have no idea whether the more light, the stronger the coat, or if it’s just any light that will do). I found the application really easy although be generous with your coats – I could have done with a third coat really for that very solid look and next time I will go to three. It’s easier to move around the nail if there is plenty of it. The finish is immaculate. The top coat is quite thick and again, be generous with portions – I’ve found with this that it starts super glossy, dies back a bit, but you can actually polish it up (on my jeans in my case!) to super gloss again.

Anyway, another useful fact I’ve learned with Vinylux is that these weeny mini-bottles are known in the nail trade as ‘pinkies’. I think that’s cute.

Vinylux launched at the beginning of the month, and I’ll be posting in a week’s time to see how it fared over the week.