Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel

Today I had food poisoning.
I felt bad. I also had a very important meeting. A meeting that was two hours out of London. On a train. This was not good.

What was good however, was my skin. In between vomitings, I managed to slap on a layer of Elemis' Papaya Enzyme Peel and somehow, due to a combination of an amazing product and something great I must have done in a former life, I looked human.


Wow.
Praise be that I managed to go a whole ten minutes without puking and that was just enough time for the natural enzymes to work their magic. As a paley with delicate skin, a lot of granular scrubs leave my complexion red and blotchy - not so with this bad boy. It's madness, you just glow. Aside from the papain extract from papayas, there's tonnes of yummy natural stuff that you'd expect from Elemis - seaweed extracts of bladderwrack and porphyridium renowned for their moisturising properties, vitamin E and sunflower oil to moisturise.

And if this can make me look human after a dodgy steak sandwich from Camden tube station, I can't wait to see what I'll look like on a healthy day. Well worth £26.00 and you can find stockists at elemis.com
And yes, thank you, the meeting went as well.
From what I remember.

Bobbi Brown Mauve Collection

So, I didn't get fired last week but it was incredibly stressful.
Sorry for freaking out on you all. You know it's only because I love you.

Anyways, as an apology, here's the gorgeous new Mauve collection from Bobbi Brown. I'm a little late off the mark and the collection is in stores now but hey, it's a very autumnal collection and it's a very autumnal day.


Check out the super pretty pictures...

The face palette is gorgeous, so incredibly wearable, including the brillbags Navajo eyeshadow and the yummy suits all Vintage Mauve lip colour. It's like your lips! Only better!
I'm also all over the black mauve shimmer ink long-wear gel eyeliner, LOVE it for Christmas parties.

Go forth and purchase on counters or at bobbibrown.co.uk

Hateful early mornings

I apologise in advance for the quality you can expect from this post but I thought you should know that I am sat on a train to swindon at 7.45 in the morning. And I was supposed to be on it at 7.30 so the mere fact that I'm here is both heroic and likely to get me sacked. Bloody Addison Lee.

Anyway, as you know, I resigned from festivals this year due to the skankiness of last year's Reading and yet I somehow have found myself on a train full of Reading festival goers. Brillbags.
Of course, at this time on the Thursday it's generally hardcore crusties so there's not a lot of festival chic to blog about. Very camo pants and dockers.

If you've been with me a while, you'll maybe remember last year's festival make up post on tactical slap. I stand by it - no point pretending you're not wearing any but no point trying to do pretty pretty in what is, once again, likely to be a big muddy carpark in Reading. Keep your skin as clean as you can (wear tons of sunscreen!) and go big on eyes - lots big dark eyeliner like Benefit's Bad Gal or go Urban Decay if you want a shot of glitter. For liquid liners, I love Estee Lauder's double wear no smudge, especially the new graphite colour. Gorge. And the best bit about big smudgey eyes is they just get better as the festival goes on. Do try and clean under the eye though, you're going for Courtney Love not Alice Cooper.

Back with more later if I don't have a job.

Avon Anew Rejuvenate 24 Hour Eye Moisturiser

I am so freaking tired, it's not even funny.
Seriously, I'm living about seventeen different lives at the moment (this is my favourite FYI) and it's really starting to make me very, very sleepy...



Not that you can tell of course because I am rocking Avon's new Anew Rejuvenate 24 Hour Eye Moisturiser. Having been a devotee of Estee Lauder's ANR eye cream for a while now, it took something quite special to make me sample something else BUT having heard nothing but rave reviews about Avon's Anew eye lift duo, I thought I'd give the newbie a spin.

The dual cream formula includes a gel cream for nighttime and a SPF 25 cream for the day - SPF in eye creams is pretty unusual so that got me interested. Also, at the moment, it's just £10 which is madness. It feels like a much more expensive product, even at its regular price of £15 I'd say it's a megabargain. Very credit crunch. And after two weeks use, I'm a big fan.

LOVING the Avon lady. I'm totally up for becoming a rep...
I think it's the new WI.

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

Anyone else NOT loving this weather?
One minute it's hot, one minute it's cold, one minute it's dry, the next it's raining. I'm not coping well wardrobe or hair-wise. Quite honestly, I'm a frizzy hairdryer/straightener addicted mess.


So I am currently thanking my lucky stars for all things Aussie. Not so much the country (what is the last things they've done for me, eh? Plus I'm jealous of their sunshine) but the wonderful, wonderful 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor. If I've learnt nothing else during my stint writing BeautyMecca, it's that classics become classics for a reason and this fabby deep conditioner definitely falls into that category.

The fail safe formula smoothes rough hair cuticles to leave your do shiny and smooth in just three minutes. Super speedy. And the unique Australian Balm Mint formula smells delish, is thick and creamy enough to feel uber luxurious and the hand-dandy upside down bottle is easy to use in the shower. There's literally no bad here.

Oh, and the big old bottle is only £4.49.
BAR-GAIN.
Happy Monday!

Dermalogica Travel Kits

Sigh, festival time is upon us again - have you been to any this year?
Old lady that I am, I'm ducking out this year but good god, I wish I'd had one of these for Reading 07.


Dermalogica are one of those fab brands that do exactly what it says on the tin and I can't think of a brand I'd rather be stuck in a tent with. Natch, it's also the perfect pack to take on holiday, even where there is running water... Choose from sensitised, normal/dry, dry, normal/oily, oily or acne-prone. There's no possible way that they don't do the perfect kit in your skin type, the lovely people.

Each of the kits contain cleanser, multi active toner, moisturiser and conditioner plus sachets of other grooming products and masques to try out - could they be any more perfect?
Oh, they only cost £20.00.
So yes, they can.

STOP EVERYTHING - EVE LOM IN LONDON!!!

Okay, I know it's KitKat o'clock but put down the biscuits and check your calendars.
I've just had a very exciting email...

We've just confirmed some very exciting news for fans of skincare guru Eve Lom and beauty junkies London-wide. On Sunday 1th August Eve will be making a special PA and giving customers exclusive 15 minute personal consultations at the John Lewis department store, Oxford Street between 15:30 and 17:30. During the 15 minute session she will analyse each customers skin and from that make a personalised skincare recommendation as well as sharing some of her best kept skincare secrets.

Tickets for a 15 minute consultation with Eve are priced at £25 and can be purchased by calling 0203 073 0646 and asking for Eve Lom. Tickets are non-refundable, however they are also redeemable against any Eve Lom product purchased on the day, and anyone who is not able to secure and appointment with Eve is entitled to a complimentary consultation with an Eve Lom Therapist at a date and time that is convenient to them.

Appointments are limited and will be made on a first come first serve basis, so get dialing and be sure to get there early!

Mew! GET ON THE PHONE!

Clinique High Impact Lipstick

I'm having a bit of a lip colour moment for the end of summer, it's my way of trying to brace myself for a full on lippy winter. I know, I know but I'm growing up and a girl can't wear Stila lipglazes all her life. Apparently.

Anyway, as luck would have it, I've completely fallen in love with Clinique's new High Impact lip colour range. There are 20 gorgeous shades to choose from and it has SPF 15. Yay! The lippy itself is very moisturising, pretty long lasting and really comfortable to wear. I merrily minced around my new flat on Sunday rocking Reddy-to-Wear (in turquoise jersey shorts, an I Heart New York tee, red metallic skyscraper heels I found in the move and wearing Minnie Mouse ears if you must have a complete picture painted for you) and it was still on when I Liz Earled it clean off that night.


As for the shades, I am not usually a big fan of bright or colourful lipsticks (not brave enough) but I've got to say, I'm a little bit in love with Reddy-to-Wear, it's such a fab shade and I never, ever look good in red. I'm loving the look of After Party too. And Metallic Sand. And Go Fig. Well, I'm quite keen on the range anyway...

And if you buy online at the mo, you get a free High Impact Mascara sample - my second favourite mascara after the Clinique Lash Power. Which you should buy while you're there.

I'm moving!

Afternoon BeautyJunkies,

You'll be THRILLED to know that I moved this weekend - no longer am I co-habiting with the Former Mr BeautyLover but am instead taking up residence in The Penthouse, my new all gorgeous pad that bears an uncanny resemblance to the Selfridges Beauty Hall. Finally, my products can be unleashed...

Seriously though, moving may be KNACKERING work but it also reminds you of lots of hidden treasures you'd forgotten you had. I'm rocking a gorgeous Dubonnet wine coloured pout today from MAC's autumn/winter collection. It's not even out and I'd already lost it...

Sigh. Expect to see some reviews of oldies but goodies ASAP!

Do they know it's Christmas time at all?

Now I know you might not know it either but yes, it is in fact Christmas.
One of the absolute joys of BeautyMecca is that I get to take a sneak peek at the Christmas ranges in July/August and then spend three months wetting myself with impatience, waiting to get my hands on them.

And oh my, there are some special things coming your way this festive season - it is so not the time to worry about the credit crunch.
Space NK have some amazing new gift sets and five new perfumes based on founder, Nicky Kinnaird's travels. I have to say, they're all pretty amazing but I was totally won over by Jasamber which is based on her trip to the Arctic Circle. It's totally different to anything I've ever worn but at the same time is completely familiar. Gorgeous. The packaging is gorgeous too - I'm officially obsessed with the candles.

Bobbi Brown, currently wowing us with our Mauve collection (more on that later) has some absolutely beautiful products for her Copper Diamond collection. Seriously, you're going to be sharpening your elbows. The palettes are back too, along with a fab gel eyeliner palette which made me feel a little bit faint.

While we're on make-up, Ruby&Millie have some gorgeous compacts for Christmas which I'm quite giddy about. They have the joy of being not only pretty and wearable but also part of the Boots 3-4-2 Christmas promos so they're bargainous to boot. Joy.

Cowshed are rocking some amazing new prods too, the range has gone super clean and natural (e.g. paraben free) and they've juiced up the packaging. It's looking very pretty and smelling amazing. I feel a purchase coming on...

By far the most amazing Christmas event of the summer (does that even make sense) was the B Never Too Busy to be Beautiful and Lush showcase last week. It was fantastic. Every single product they have for Christmas will somehow be finding its way into my bathroom/make up bag. And there was some super top secret goss that I'm hoping to share with you London ladies asap. It's BEE-yoo-ti-ful news!

Sigh, better get writing those letters to Santa - I for one have been VERY bloody good this year!

Dr Lewin's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster

I might have mentioned an over-reliance on Beauty Flash Balm in previous posts. I do worry that it's a bit like antibiotics - that if you use it too much, it will just stop working and you'll look like the complete hag you really are. As such, I treasure my babyface brightening prods and am always on the look out for more.


Today's treat is Dr Lewin's Instant Beauty Radiance Booster...
And it truly boosts radiance instantly and beautifully - how often does something do exactly what is says on the tin? This baby contains in excess of 70% aloe vera to soothe and hydrate your skin and doubles up as a moisturiser and an intensive mask. I was lucky enough (ahem) to have the need to test both of these features over the weekend and I can confirm that it is effective. Thank the lord.

I really liked the long slim tube, it fits in my make up bag better than the stubby Beauty Flash Balm tube and it smells good too. Always happy to make a new friend.

Grab a tube at your local Lloyds Pharmacy

Givenchy Autumn/Winter Collection

Well, the weather is certainly playing ball with today's post, isn't it? I was all kinds of ready to complain that I didn't want to write about Autumn/Winter make up collections in the lovely summer sunshine but lo and behold, it's pissing it down.


Happily, we can be cheered by the new Givenchy collection which you can pick up at House of Fraser (while you're there getting your Gossip Girl sampler DVD from the Guerlain counter) RIGHT NOW.


It is THE most gorgeous collection, inspired by dandy fashions with with a rock and roll twist - I want to say more Russell Brand than Oliver Twist but it doesn't sound right. You know what I mean though, sexy smokey eyes, intense scarlet lips and fresh dewey skin, all tied together in the most covetable packaging I've seen in forever.


Sigh.
All make up should be packaged like a pocket watch.
All hail Givenchy...

Gossip Girl at House of Fraser

There are few things I love more in this world right now than Gossip Girl. If you see a girl entranced by her iPod and then running at full pelt to get off the tube before the doors close at Putney Bridge, that is me and I am trying to decide who I love the most - Dan or Nate. And my girl crush on Blaire will not abate. How awesome does that girl look? Best make up on TV.
I am not coping well without new episodes.


But the lovely people at House of Fraser and their glamorous pals at Guerlain are trying to make it up to me... As of RIGHT NOW, you can bag yourself a free Gossip Girl pilot episode DVD with every purchase or Insolence or My Insolence. Pretty perfume and pretty boys?
Sounds like a deal.

And if that wasn't enough, you'll also be entered into a draw to win a trip to (be still my beating heart) New York to hang out with the cast.

Sorry, I can't write any more today, I have to get to House of Fraser...