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. 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 launches at the end of this month, but I’ll be posting in a week’s time to see how it fared over the week.

Opale Light

I love it when a product turns your expectations upside down! This is exactly what happened here. I was expecting a horrendous over-glittered, thin oil but what I got was a light, instantly skin compatible oil that smells beyond holidays! More like the most expensive tropical holiday you’ve ever had. The base oil is macadamia and the glitter particles, far from being concentrated are just mere twinkles on the skin.

Of course, nothing comes without a problem.. now I can’t find a stockist for it. I was expecting to find it on http://abeautifulworld.co.uk/ but it’s not there. If it does pop up, it’s well worth getting.

BB Creams Erborian Clarins Guerlain

So, I’ve selected a random three, not least because people keep asking me about the tone of the Clarins BB so it’s good to have something to show against it.

BB Creams Swatch

First is Erborian, an original Korean BB and a goodie with ginseng in it.. I can’t resist the packaging that calls it ‘baby-skin’ effect (they already have a CC out). So, the texture is good.. not too drying; it comes in three shades; gold, light and one I can’t really work out because it doesn’t come with a shade name. It’s got SPF25. The middle one, tellingly, is Clarins Skin Perfecting BB Cream – and this is the darkest of the three, but even then, it’s dark, but texturally, I prefer it out of all of them. It has SPF 25. Finally, the last is Guerlain Lingerie de Peau BB Beauty Booster in Light and although this is suitable for very fair skins which I think aren’t well catered for in the BB market, the consistency is kind of thin (impressively thin for an SPF30 though) and it’s very light in texture on the skin.

I just thought it was interesting to put a few up side by side to see the incredible variation in BBs – no wonder we’re all a bit confused by them! From my perspective, the best of the three is Erborian – it just seems to be the one that has everything a BB should have.

By Terry Hyaluronic Summer

I couldn’t be more disappointed with this product – I’m finding By Terry really hit and miss at the moment. On the one hand, Hyaluronic in anything is brilliant but actually with these formulas, you don’t always feel its there, especially as this is a matte finish which really, really needs moisture.

By Terry Hyaluronic Tan

For a start, it doesn’t really go on all that evenly (although it was much better on the face than it looks on the arm). My skin felt dry straight away, despite the hyaluronic formula, and as instructed on the tube I put it over moisturiser and it caused those horrible little squiggles to happen. A total no-no and there are far better things to spend £44 on.

If you’re going to do a hyaluronic formula, the very least it has to feel is hydrating.

Givenchy Long Wearing Compact Foundation

Oh hello! This is one goooood looking product from Givenchy for Autumn/Winter 2013.

Givenchy Compact Foundation 

I don’t really use compact foundations at all, but am sorely tempted by this one.

Givenchy Compact Foundation 

So, not only does the compact look like a mini clutch, but the zipper pattern embossed? Divine! This comes in seven shades in a mica-silica complex, Vitamin E, SPF10 and a pink pigment brightener. It’s £37 and launches in September. I couldn’t love this more if I tried.. it’s putting the beautiful in beauty products.

Givenchy Tient Couture Foundation

This is the other offering for September – it’s looking pretty small fry compared to its compact sister! However, the texture is beautiful (nine shades) in an illuminating and long-wearing formula.. it’s far too pale for me to even test so I’ll wait til about December for this! It’s £32.

Sleek Make Up Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks 1

Well, if you’re after pink cheeks you really don’t need to look any further than the Sleek Blush By 3 in Sweet Cheeks that’s part of the limited collection, Candy.

Sleek Make Up Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks

The palette has three different finishes; cream, shimmer and matte. I’ve just finger swatched so obviously they won’t be so bright on the cheeks (unless you want them to be!) but it gives you an idea of the pigment and shade levels. The blush palette is £9.99 and launches 5th June.

Sleek Make Up Lol-Lip-Pop Pout Paint 1

And now for the glossiest of glosses… it’s as close to vinyl as you can get really and I instantly thought of Nikki Minaj for some reason!

Sleek Make Up Lol-Lip-Pop Pout Paint

Pout Paint in Lol-Lip-Pop is £4.99 and again, launches June.

Sleek i Candy i Divine Palette

Another fabulous offering from Sleek MakeUP – the i-Candy i-Divine Limited Edition Palette.

Sleek i Candy i Divine 1 Swatch

As you can see, I nearly ran out of arm! So the line up from the pink thru the black is as follows: Strawberry Sherbet, Bon Bon, Parma Violet, Apple Sour, Pear Drop, Flump, Blue Fizzle, Aniseed, Bubble Gum, Mint Cream, Cream Soda and Liquorice.

Sleek i Candy i Divine

This is Bon Bon, Aniseed and Apple Sour – the shimmeriest of the lot.

Sleek i Candy i Divine

And the brights – Strawberry Sherbet, Pear Drop and Bubble Gum.

The palette launches on 5th June into Superdrug stores and Sleekmakeup.com.

Givenchy AW 2103 Ecrin du Soir Palette

A first look at Autumn Winter from Givenchy – yes, in beauty world it’s that time again! Don’t forget I’ve got the mania of Christmas in July to look forward to yet.

I absolutely love this palette and if it’s an indication of A/W trends thank goodness that there is a move away from really hefty colours. I adore the buff shade (I’ll swatch at a later date) in the Ecrin du Soir Palette, the understated mauve and the shimmer – not entirely sure what I could do with the blue though. It’s such a soft look for winter.

Givenchy Ecrin du Soir

Three shades are matt monochrome and obviously the silver is a high shimmer.

Givenchy A/W 2013 Le Rouge Givenchy

If you think that these coverings (remember the leather clad lipstick?) are a simple matter in production, they are not. I did a feature for FT How To Spend It.com HERE that explains the minute detail of how they’re made if you are interested.

Givenchy A/W 13 Le Rouge Givenchy Rose D’Exception

This is one of two limited edition shades – a neutral beige/pink; the other is a brickish red.

Givenchy A/W13 Vernis D’Exception

I don’t have samples yet to swatch of these: Rose d’Exception and Lilas d’Exception but I am totally obsessed with both already. These are the perfect milky, muted shades that I like to wear.

Givenchy A/W 2013 Noir Couture Khaki d’Exception

Hmm.. khaki mascara.

Givenchy A/W 2013 Noir Couture Khaki d’Exception

I’m thinking on grey eyes this will look phenomenal but I think I am too addicted to black lashes to give it any real consideration.

So, what do we think? Is winter going to be a soft affair this year? I hope so.. if I never see another berry shade in my life it will be too soon

Vichy Idealia BB Cream

Another BB cream to throw into the ring – and the only reason I’ve focussed fully on it is because it got a great reception in Ireland where it was released before here.

Vichy Idealia claims to give hydration, radiance and illumination – I have to admit it ticks all those boxes and has SPF25. I’ve done one side of my face and there is a distinct difference between the sides, with the Idealia looking significantly more glowy than the other.

Vichy Idealia BB Cream

There are two shades – the light is very light so should suit all but the very palest tones and the medium is fine on me with an olive complexion. The coverage isn’t heavy but it does give some colour; the main sell for me on this is that it is so hydrating and that it’s suitable for sensitive skin types. It definitely evened out my tone with the non-Idealia side showing more in the way of pigmentation, it doesn’t really smell of anything in particular and it’s got pink mineral pigments to banish any signs of grey.

Anti-grey claims are new to me – but Vichy call it ‘anti-grey’ technology – I can only think its another way to say ‘brightening’.. but I do know complexions can get a sluggish cast on them (exfoliate regularly to avoid) and Vichy are using Kombucha to combat this. I’ve not rubbed in fully in the above picture so you can see the colour stain. I’d highly recommend this for dry skin types who haven’t got along with other BBs.

It’s not quite on Boots.com yet.. but I believe available off-line at bigger branches for £21.

I’m beginning this post without I title because I hardly know where to start.. hoping something will come to mind!

You might have spotted in the news that a cosmetic surgery clinic (MYA) tried to place some on-line banner ads of real women pinching their wobbly bits. You know, those bits we all pinch while looking in the mirror – there’s one shot of a lady grabbing a spare couple of inches on her bum and it could be me! I do that! I’ve no objection in general to cosmetic surgery if it’s for the right reasons – I don’t like ‘celebrity led’ faddy procedures for example, but I do think if you’ve spent all your life hating your nose or your ears and you have the option for change, then go ahead. Life is too short. I’ll just add in the rider here that please, please don’t have any kind of surgery at all unless you have thoroughly checked the establishment and done research into the company and the surgeons.

So, the surprise is, that our women-loving, supporting, friendly magazines would not take these ads in their ‘real woman’ format. What?? Sorry, what? But the biggest WTF is that they asked for them to be replaced with ‘slim, tanned models in bikinis’. Now you look at the bum shot:

MYA Image

So far as I can see that just looks like a normal woman to me – and we’ve ALL done that pinchy thing. What do you say? Would you find this offensive if you saw it on line? What I find more offensive is the tanned model ads that suggest some cosmetic surgery will make you look like said model. It won’t! And anyway, what would all the models do for a job if we all looked like models. Just sayin.

On the one hand, I recognise that cosmetic surgery ads in general aren’t great – it’s not ideal that we have an entire industry that goes to any lengths to make us feel inadequate, but on the other, the MYA clinic tried to do things a little differently to highlight Vaser Liposuction more realistically and were shot down in flames by another industry that’s supposed to be on our side. Anyway, if you want to have a look at the MYA site, it’s HERE – it’s mainly celeb shots to be honest but the section for Vaser now has a diagram pointing to body areas rather than a line up of perfect or even imperfect bodies.

I know who refused to take those ads.. I’m not naming and shaming but I am pretty ashamed of them. Refusing to take pictures of real women in ads is just awful – and anyway, I didn’t know that the print industry was in such fine shape it could turn ads away. There’s a much bigger debate here about how the quest for perfect is out of control, but I’ll leave that for another day.