Monday 31 March 2008

What we learned in March

Things we learned this month...


Flying is not good for your skin. Creme de la Mer and Bliss' Sleeping Peel serum however, are very, very good for your skin.

Bobbi Brown and Red Letter Days attempted to make me feel better about only receiving ONE EASTER EGG with a variety of delicious creamy and chocolatey massages and lipsticks.

Usher doesn't think it's important how famous he is, just what he's famous for. Which is apparently now perfume. Who would have thunk it?

Eyelash extensions are BeautyMecca's new obsession.

Paul Labrecque hair products ROCK and as we found out in New York, Adolfo at Paul Lebrecque rocks even harder.

Juicy Tubes remain fabu but aren't great for windy March days.

I'm in love with Love. Well, Love scented product from Never Too Busy to B Beautiful.

Touche Eclat is actually made from miracles.

The weather once again was sneaky and horrible.
Boo to March, yay to April!

Friday 28 March 2008

New Beginnings... New Touche

For a self-confessed beauty addict, I have to admit, I'm not always right there with the classics.
I don't know why, but I occasionally get a bee in my bonnet about a so-called cult product that I'm convinced won't work once I've parted ways with my hard-earned cash.
And every so often, I have to suck it up and apologise.
With that in mind, YSL Touche Eclat, I salute you.


For years I've watched my friends artfully diffuse under eye circles and bags with this magical product and yet refused to get on board. All under eye concealers make my skin look chalky and crepey, I whined, refusing to even get a dab on my precious, precious skin. Well, on the way to NYC I took the Duty Free plunge. Well, I had to do something, I looked like absolute crap and Anthony from Big Brother was on my flight. No, he really was. Bless. He was dressed poorly.

And do you know what? The beautiful, light as a feather miracle worker wove its magic over my dark circles just like it does everyone else's. I cannot be further than ten feet of the product. So won over was I that I bought another one on the way home, so I can keep one in my bag and one in my make up drawer. I love the click pen applicator, I love the beautiful silky texture, I love the fact that I can draw whiskers down the side of my nose and all of a sudden, my entire face looks sparklier. I do blend the whiskers, natch.

So if you haven't indulged, do. In fact, it's not an indulgence, it's a necessity.
Go, go now! The shops close in like, four hours!

Thursday 27 March 2008

New Beginnings... New E45

Now, I'll grant you that E45 might not sound like the most glamorous topic for a blog as fabulous as BeautyMecca (snarf) but sit, my pretties, while I tell you a tale...

As I can't STOP telling people, Mr
BeautyLover and I have recently parted ways. This had led to a series of silly things, some of them fun, some of them drunken and one of them very, very permanent. I got a tattoo. Oh calm down, it's a lovely little wee collection of three stars on the inside of my right wrist and I love it. I'd been meaning to get it for ages and well, this seemed as good an opportunity as any other.

I have another tat (tramp stamp on my lower back, more stars) so the process wasn't a complete shock to me - the agony of having a tattoo needled into my wrist was though. Ouchies.
My main memory from the last time round was that moisturising was a big 'must' to avoid the flaky scabiness and general ick factor so it seemed like a great chance to try out the new E45 Endless Moisture body range.
According to the E45 peeps, one application is enough to moisturise for 24 hours so being a girl on the go, this was a good thing. So I started massaging the Replenishing Care cream into my wrist every morning and evening. And then into my elbows and knees as they were a little dry. And then onto my shins. And a little bit on my shoulders. And by the end of the week, it had become my body lotion du jour. Do you know what? My skin is so insanely uber soft, I can hardly bear it.
What a time to be single. There's nothing more glamorous than sexy soft skin, right?


And my tattoo is just peachy, thank you.

The entire E45 Endless Moisture range is available from all good retailers where you would get that kind of stuff.

Monday 24 March 2008

New Beginnings... I'm in Love

As some of you might be aware, I have recently been cruelly and heartlessly been dumped.

This is not good for a girl's sense of self-worth.
What is good for a girl's sense of self-worth is shopping, make up and perfume. Happily the fabulous people at Never Too Busy to be Beautiful have come up trumps. 

Not only do they have a gorge website, not only do they have fantastic shops filled with delightful people and not only are all of their products pee in my pants beautiful, they have sent me Love. Seriously.


Here is what the peeps say about Love:

What kind of perfume is Love? It’s youthful, fruity, a little spicy, green and floral.

What are the ingredients? Lemongrass, lemon oil, orange blossom, cinnamon bark oil, cassia, rose, jasmine, ylang ylang, coumerin and oakmoss

And how can I buy Love?

9g Atomiser Price:£11.00

Perfume bottle 10g Price: £16.00

Perfume bottle 35g £24.00

Love Body Lotion (£11.00 for 175g)

Love Hair Fragrance (£12.00 for 30g)

Love Gift Sets

Small Gift Box £16.95  

Large Gift Box £47.50

Bubble bath (£3.00 for 100g)

Body Spray  (£14.00 for 90g)

So, basically, however you want it. I'm rocking the body lotion and perfume at the moment and quite frankly, I smell like spring has sprung and I feel like kittens have blessed with their fluffiness.

I love being in Love.

New Beginnings... New Fragrance - from Usher?

Now I don't know about you but I love perfume. Love it, love it, love it. Love the smell, love the bottles, love the idea of indulgence, yum. Can't even bear to leave the house without a wee bottle in my bag.


However, I have been uber suspicious of the new cult of celebrity fragrances. Okay, so maybe some style icons can get away with a perfume. I love Gwen Stefani's L, I like SJP's perfumes (although they're not right for me, mummy BeautyLover rocks Lovely like a mofo) and as you might remember, I even liked Sean John's Unforgivable - Man and Woman. Get me.

The perfumes I am not okay with are:
a) Colleen
b) Jade Goody
c) Shilpa Shetty
d) THE BECKHAMS - I mean, 'Intimately Beckham' do you really want to be spritzing yourself down with their 'intimate' scents? Ew. I could be very vulgar (get a drink in me and I will be) but I'll leave it at ew.

Grey areas, because I shouldn't be okay with them but secretly am, include Paris Hilton and the Mary-Kate and Ashley fragrances. I'm a sucker for real celebs, okay?

Today's celebrity fragrance is form Usher (no, really) and falls into the Sean John category. I actually really, really like it, even though I feel as though I shouldn't. Gwen Stefani aside, it would seem the way to my heart for most hippity hop stars  it not via my ears but through my nose.

The Usher peeps have this to say...

For Women:

The Fragrance 

Luscious, Fruity, Floral

Mysterious and Addictive

USHER reveals a mouth watering sensation with a sexy heart. Opening with notes of Red Currant, Pink Freesia and Apple Blossom. Mid-notes of Frangipani, Apricot Nectar, Blooming Jasmine and Passion Rose add sophistication and femininity.

The base is balanced with Amber Wood, Sensual Musk, Cashmere Wood and Incense.


For Men:

The Fragrance

Fresh, Woody. Musk

HE is cool…HE is confident.

USHER for Men bursts open with Verbena, Pineapple and Melon. The mid-notes linger on the skin with the warmth and sensuality of Blue Lavender, White Pepper and Violet Leaf.

The dry down of Vetiver, Amber Wood, Black Suede, Sandalwood, Sensual Musk and Guaiac Wood create an underlying softness.


The range doesn't just include perfumes and aftershaves, there are body butters, shower gels (containing pearl, ooooh) and deodorants.

Because as Usher has apparently said, 'It's not how famous UR, it's what UR famous for.'

While I don't love the UR nonsense but luckily I do like the perfume. Start spelling proper like what I do Usher or no amount of yummy fragrances are going to help you. Unless you do that funny dancing and then I'll definitely buy it.


Check out stockists on 0845 688 3343.

Sunday 23 March 2008

New Beginnings... New Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Colours

Still sulking about the lack of Easter Eggs in my life and am attempting to cheer myself up with all things chocolatey. Today's attempt includes a giant mug of Options and the new Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip colours.


Bobbi says:

This season Bobbi introduces Creamy Lip Colour – a major new launch in the lip category. This innovative new lipstick combines rich colour, comfortable, long lasting wear, and a soft creamy shine.

Formulated with emollient Shea Butter and plant-derived skin conditioners, this amazing new formula glides on smooth, wears all day, and leaves lips soft and moisturised.

Available in fourteen shades:

Pink Ballet, Honeysuckle, Uber Pink, Nectar, Blue Raspberry, Heather Buff, Rose Petal, Bronzed Pink, Italian Rose, Heather Mauve, Raisin Berry, Dark Chocolate, Nude Pink, Crystal Pink


I am in complete lust with the Nude Pink, the perfect nude for my pale skin and perfect teamed with my beloved smokey eye. Nudes always wash me out so Bobbi has won a lifelong fan here. Please don't discontinue? The lipsticks are genuinely lovely to wear and as a dedicated gloss wearer, I've been surprised at how often I've found myself slicking these babies on in a morning for the last few weeks. Definitely going to give the Blue Raspberry a go next.
See how brave I'm getting?

Bobbi Brown's Creamy Lip Colours are on counters now and priced at £14.00

New Beginnings... New Chocolate Treats

I'm trying really hard to get over the fact that I only received ONE Easter Egg this year (which I'm just about to devour btw) so I'm trying to distract myself by posting for you. It was all going relatively well, when I spotted this in my inbox.

Ooohhhhh...

Chocolate Wrap Treat £99

Pure chocolate heaven

A chocolate wrap and sugar cane scrub plus a day at the spa

Or a chocolate wrap, head massage and body massage with cocoa butter

Chocolate ISN'T bad for your skin during this treat!

Choose your favourite chocolate wrap experience from our selected spa treats. In West Sussex or Kent enjoy a sweet, sugar cane scrub which will add an instant glow to brighten the complexion. Follow this with an exclusive chocolate body mask where the body is enveloped inside a heated wrap to melt the chocolate into the skin. The mask rehydrates and balances to leave skin silky smooth and glowing. You also get to make full use of the great spa facilities (including gym, sauna and steam room), so dont forget to take your cossie! In London, a warmed cocoa butter, oil and brown sugar wrap will get to work. As the cocoa's antioxidant properties revive and condition your skin, the brown sugar exfoliates to leave you smoothed, soothed and relaxed. This is followed by a head massage to help you gently unwind. Once showered, a relaxing body massage with warmed cocoa butter will finish off your experience. You even get a hot chocolate drink for an interior chocolate indulgence!

By God that sounds good. You can book your very own Chocolate Wrap experience at redletterdays.co.uk or on 0845 640 8000.
Now what did I do with the rest of that Flake egg...?

Wednesday 19 March 2008

New Beginnings... New Skin

God I hate coming back from New York.
No offense to London, it's just that I always have the best time and almost importantly, the best skin and hair. The water over there is incredible.
But it could also be something to do with the incredible care and attention I take to avoid holiday acne. Travel skin is the worst but I have found a way...

If I'm flying, there are certain products I will ALWAYS have in my bag. For the flight itself, I cleanse as soon as I can and whack on a load of Creme de la Mer face creme and lipbalm. I know it's pricey but you could buy it in Duty Free and make some savings? Alternatively, Nivea creme is pretty good too or Prescriptives Super Flight Cream if you can get hold of it. Then, before landing, I even out my skintone with Creme tinted moisturiser and BeneFit Get Even powder, then I'm on my way.

The first night, I think it's really important to destress and unclog so I love a sweep of Bliss Sleeping Peel serum. It really wakes up my skin and is a fabulous deep exfoliating serum, clearing out any flight flight cabin clogging. I was a little bit scared of it at first but along with the Sleeping Peel weekly mask, I can't get enough of it now. Remember to use a broad spectrum sunscreen for a few days (although you should be using one every day!) after use, as the exfoliating power is pretty tough!
Post serum, it's more Creme and you're ready for a good night's kip - essential to looking your best missus.

The next morning, I LOVE Clarin's BeautyFlash Balm and Eye Balm. It perks you right up, evens out the skintone and is a great base for make up. Which will inevitably include Touche Eclat to cover up any lingering bags.

Stick with this routine until your skin normalises and you should be good to go!

Monday 17 March 2008

New Beginnings... New York

I'm so sorry I abandoned you! I didn't ditch, honest. My BlackBerry is refusing to be my blog buddy and I haven't been able to face the Apple Store before today.


But, there are many wonderful beauty buys for me to tell you about when I get back. Can't stay here blogging all day when there is shopping to be done, Irish people to avoid (long story) and they're playing U2 in store. I must leave now.

Keep London warm for me x  

Monday 10 March 2008

New Beginnings... New Lashes

Okay, I'll admit it. I'm OBSESSED with the idea of eyelash extensions.
A friend of mine indulged and she looked amazing.

I know it sounds a bit
OTT and even though I'm a massive beauty fan, I'm hardly what can be called high maintenance. In fact, most of my beauty routine is built around me looking as fab as possible with a much time as possible spent in bed. And therein lies the obsession with eyelash extensions.

Imagine waking up every morning looking like freaking Bambi. A flutter here, a flutter there, bluebirds singing at the window... And most importantly, looking super hot without trying. That's £175 well spent if you ask me.

Since I'm not putting forward the most technical of arguments, here's the skinny from
Shavasana:
What makes Shavasana Eyelash Extensions different from other Eyelash Extensions?
Shavasana lashes are available in three types of volume and length. Unlike other lashes available to the market, they are pre-curled. The result is a natural extension to the lashes that will last the full length of the natural lash cycle. The Shavasana Eyelash Extension application technique is specific to Shavasana. This is not simply about lying lashes on top of existing lashes. The technique isolates one lash at a time, working individually on every row of lashes, to ensure a natural and beautiful extension to your existing lashes. The Shavasana lash extensions are the softest and most comfortable wearing lashes available to the market, and provide excellent staying power.


What can I expect when getting Shavasana lashes applied?

The eye area is prepped for application. Individual synthetic j-curl lashes are applied one by one to
each individual, natural lash of the eye. During this procedure approximately 80 eyelashes will be applied to each eye. The synthetic lash is adhered using a specially formulated extension adhesive. The adhesive is then sealed with a coating to protect the extensions from sweat, dirt, and pollution. The result is thicker, longer, voluminous lashes!

I'm in!

Shavasana Eyelash Extensions are exclusively available at the Michaeljohn salon, 25 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4HU. Salon direct line: 020 7629 6969.

New Beginnings... Paul Labrecque

Now I think we all know I can be classed as 'particular' about my product usage.
My hair is seldom exposed to anything other than a Fekkai Protein RX mask or the odd Lee Stafford Sleepover Treatment but I have to say, in the interests of newness, I've become really rather taken with a new range from Noo Yoik, Paul Labrecque.



Aside from his enviable address of NYC, the fabu range of Repair products have left my hair feeling like silk. Honestly, it's gorgeous. Sexy packaging aside (although I have to say, gotta love those hefty, weirdly great big bottles. There's no dropping in the shower and the pump dispenser is really handy. No slippery squeezing), I heart the products. They smell divine, they leave my hair silky soft in two shakes of a lamb's tail and it even seems like it's taking a whole lot longer to get a even a teeny bit greasy. Yay.

The repair variant encourages moisture replenishment, strength and lustre... sounds nice, huh?
The Labracque website says:
Paul Labrecque Repair Shampoo is a creamy, nourishing egg and milk shampoo enriched with protein to strengthen dry, brittle and over-stressed hair. Used regularly on damaged hair, Repair Shampoo restores luster and helps rebuild the weakened hair's cuticle layer to avoid future breakage. Silk proteins, jojoba, and lemongrass improve elasticity, moisturize and soften, leaving hair stronger, healthier and more manageable.

Ahhh.
Choose from Repair, Straight, Curly, Color, Volume or Daily - Paul's got it all...
And the damned man even does heavenly smelling body wash and body lotion.
Bag yourself some well deserved hair heaven at Selfridges and www.beautyexpert.co.uk now.

Friday 7 March 2008

New Beginnings... Classic Bubble Bath

As a recent dumpee, I will admit to a certain amount of wallowing in the last couple of weeks. Some of it in bars, some of it on sofas but MUCH of it in the bath. I love the bath - there can be no bad there. When I was wee, I spent hours in there, playing with My Little Pony sea ponies, them making my Barbie a Little Mermaid costume and even pretending I was Daryl Hannah in Splash (don't laugh, I was 'creative' as a child).

Now the bath is absolutely my favourite place to be in the homestead. It's warm, it's quite, I can't take my BlackBerry in there and once the door is locked and the lights are out, I could be absolutely anywhere. Along with candles, Toblerone and Grazia (Elle is too heavy for the bath), my bath must have is bubbles. I love bubble bath. Or bath bombs. Or bath oils. Or bath cubes. Or bath salts. Or bath cremes. Or even bath pearls if I'm pretending it's 1994 again.


As you can imagine, Chez BeautyLover is home to many a bubble bath, all of which are fabu, all of which are generally in constant rotation - until recently. My current wallowing partner of choice isn't fancy, it isn't a designer label, it isn't even expensive but it is divine, reassuring and best of all, uber bubble. It's Radox Relax.

You know you love it. The bubbles are rich and dense, the scent makes me so calm and relaxed and you can buy it everywhere! Truly one of the high street's wonders.
Radox, i salute you. If I could wear it's juniper-y goodness as a perfume, I would.
But I can't, so if you'll excuse me, I'm just off to run a bath.

Wednesday 5 March 2008

New Beginnings: Juicy Tubes

March is officially underway and officially all about New Beginnings for moi.
As such, I've been rooting through my beauty bins and searching out exciting colours, textures and products that perhaps hadn't ever actually seen the light of day since they arrived Chez BeautyLover. I am ashamed to say, this may include many, many products and we would need more than a month to go through everything...

The first product to be promoted to My Make Up Bag, is my Marshmallow Juicy Tubes lipgloss.
As a huge fan of this season's pink lips, I've been experimenting with colour a lot lately, which is fairly unusual for me. So far, I've rocked B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful's Biatch lipstick on a night out to rave reviews but this fab fuchsia is just all too much for my pale complexion in the daytime. So natch, I looked gloss-ward.

I've had a few Juicy Tubes, I've liked them, I've used them, I've lost the screw on top on the dance floor and I've moved on but I'm proud to say, I'm bringing them back back back. I wear gloss every day and I own more little tubes of the stuff that I would like to admit but I always forget how great Juicy Tubes are until I dig one out. It's a bit like having a nice bowl of Corn Flakes after like, a year and going - ooh, these aren't boring at all! They're really nice! Well, sort of.

Marshmallow is one of the more opaque colours and it gives really lovely solid kick of pink to your face without being too draining or difficult to wear. I've teamed it with my new fave fuchsia Prescriptives Thai Orchid blush and Clinique Lash Power mascara in the daytime as well as a more smoky eye at night and it's stood its ground with both looks. Plus, its long wearing, it smells nice and I haven't lost the lid yet.

Hurrah... Juicy Tubes are available EVERYWHERE but if you get them at Boots, you get Advantage points. Double score. I'll be stocking up at the airport next week on my way back to New York, New York.
That's right Sephora, I'm coming to git ya!

Monday 3 March 2008

Mad March Hair

I have a funny relationship with March. I really want to love it, I do but I don't think it can be trusted. March has my favourite saying of any month attached to it (no other month has anything as cool as 'In like a lion and out like a lamb' which I've always thought oddly reflective of me on a night out. If that lamb is puking and being held up by her friends...) but every year I think, hurrah, spring is sprung! And then without fail, spring springs for about three days and then it tips it down. Or snows. Or tips it down and then snows. I just feel a bit shafted.

But this year will be different. I'm prepared for the schizo weather conditions, I'm excited to be tested to within an inch of my spray wax and I am wearing waterproof mascara every day.



I am also sporting, for double protection, Kadus Slalom modelling spray. A far cry from my nana's hair lacquer (I think I can still taste her Harmony Hairspray in the back of my throat from 1987), Kadus sprays are enriched with UV filters, glycerin, panthenol, pro-vitamin B5 and all sorts of other wonders. The Sprayer variant is truly a flexible friend, staying malleable, not crispy, so even if you get buffeted around a little by the March winds, you can sort out your do without any frozen frights when you get back inside.

The whole range is available at over 12,000 salons nationwide so whether you're just trying to keep your do did or you're attempting a Winehouse-a-like look, Kadus could be your new bestest beehive bud.

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