Pinch Your Cheeks

Now I won't start many posts this way but this weekend, I spent some time ogling a very cute baby. Babies and I traditionally do not get along. They don't like me, I don't like them, everyone's happier if we just stay away from each other. I like them in theory, it's just that in practise, there's always some unpleasant hair pulling or code brown situation that upsets the applecart.

Not this baby, she was beautiful and wee and perfect and I think the fact that all I could think about was 'how do they keep their skin so clear?' speaks alot about me as a person. I mean, that baby is not using the high end products I am forking out for and yet, bugger me, she looked great.

While a lifetime of excess and sun damage can't be undone to give you baby soft, baby clear skin, you can cheat your way to that ridiculously cute glow that babies have. I have a new favourite everyday blusher (fickle, I know).


Origins Pinch Your Cheeks has been around for a while but for some reason, I've never given in. Which is madness because it's a) great and b) in a lovely pocketable tube. Yum. The product comes out looking terrifyingly dark but actually blends into a sheer wash of baby glow blush and you you can keep layering all day until you get the right depth for you without ever looking like you've over done it. Healthy glow in a tube... And even babies could tell you gel in tube is safer than liquid stain in glass bottle (BeneTint, I'm looking at you).

There's nothing we like more here at BeautyMecca, than something that gives the lovely, lovely illusion of health even if we're as hungover as drunk dogs and got three hours sleep the night before.
Which is probably why we're less keen on babies, come to think of it...

£11.00 at Origins.co.uk or all Origins stockists.

What's in the Bag Thomas McGlashan?

Today marks a momentous BeautyMecca What's in the Bag moment... Our very first boy!
The lovely Thomas McGlashan has opened up his beauty bag/drawer/cupboard and let us peep inside... and oh, what wonders!

What is your signature product and how does using is affect your mood?
I have a few lotions and potions that I use religiously but my favourite product that use when things become desperate is Touche Eclat - I know, I know, there are better/cheaper versions but I think its a psychological thing to be honest!! Its normally the product of choice when I'm feeling rough as... Too much though can be lethal!! We've all seen examples of 'Lush in the flesh' but 'White Circle-eyed in flash photos' where Touch Eclat Overload has been the application of choice!!

A beautiful boy is on the approach and you’ve only got time to do one thing (beauty-wise!) What is it?

My obvious answer would be suck in my (ever) increasing belly and cheeks for Slimming Effect without SlimFast!! Being serious, I think it would have to be a quick application of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream onto my lips to distract from the current cracked-effect!! Again, not too much though or I could end up looking a little too lady-like! Not a good look for a boy.

What product existing or (sob!) discontinued could you not live without?
There are a few - hence the drawers of 'previously used but now forgotten about' products! I'm a complete sucker for marketing campaigns that promise "younger-looking" skin, which is a bit worrying at 23! I'm also a sucker for bargains too - is that because I'm a student AGAIN or because I'm Scottish, I don't know?! Both of these little obsessions can be ticked off by the purchase of Superdrug Vitamin E Eye Gel which costs about £2.50 or something ridiculous and lasts for ages. Its great for everyday use and if kept in the fridge, its great for hangover eyes too. I've also just started using the No. 7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum that was sold out for ages (proof of my marketing whore vice!!). Not sure if its doing what it says as yet but do feel naughty if I've not put it on before going to bed at night! I was a lovely son and bought my dear mother some too (it was 3 for 2!!) and she really likes it.

And the bag...
My 'beauty bag' is actually numerous drawers and shelves of my bathroom cabinet so I'll spare you every detail but the lotions and potions that I'm actually using just now...

Gillette Fusion razor - newly purchased and quite liking it due to the closeness and the side burn trimmer too!

Eye gel(s) - either that little Superdrug one or Clinique All About Eyes if I'm feeling flush - which I'm currently not!!

My No. 7 Protect & Perfect Beauty Serum

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - for lips, hands, nails, brows, dry patches, burns... and also any shaving rashes or irritations too! How manly...

Hand cream - which I actually need to buy soon as the crappy one I have now is about to run out - any recommendations, Miss Beautylover??

CCS Footcare Cream - very serious looking and sounding and I love it!! Keeps 'Dinosaur Feet' at bay.

How exciting! I love it when a boy wants to talk moisturisers...
For the hand cream, I had a brief flirtation with L'Occitane lavender hand cream but it was really more about the scent than the actual product. I love Soap and Glory's hand cream, that's pretty good and available from Boots but to be honest, I would always go for the Dove Hand Balm which I keep on my desk. It's refreshing, absorbs quickly and smells nice - what else can a girl/boy ask for?

Loving the anti-dinosaur feet cream. We should all start a facebook group...

Estee Lauder Azuree Collection

I'm a total sucker for a limited edition collection, not to mention pretty pretty things, so Estee Lauder's collaborations with Tom Ford always make me go a bit gooey inside.

This summer's Azuree Soiree and Azuree Bronzee (damn blogger's inability to add accents - I'm not a skank who can't spell) are super beautiful, all old Hollywood glamour in turquoise and gold. Beautiful. Choose from Bronzee, an entire collection inspired by sparkling skin on a warm beach, very golden, very pretty and very easy or Soiree, taken from rich red wine on a Mediterranean summer's evening. Preferably sipped on balcony of George Clooney's Lake Como villa.
So beautiful.
The colours, not George.
Well, you know what I mean.

And the products are bad either. I've had a pop at the Soiree Lipgloss which is a beautiful rich berry shade that looks gorgeous against a tan on but is really stunning against a pale skin if you're brave enough. If you do feel like you need a top up of colour, pop on a drop of the Soiree Face Glow which sits elegantly on my nightstand next to my Hello Kitty alarm clock.
It really does make a mockery of me.

But hey, it's aspirational. There's a touch of Sophia Loren and Katharine Hepburn in all of us if you are:
a) prepared to groom endlessly, wear very high heels every day and generally adopt an air of elegance that can't be taught, bought or trained...
or
b) happy to purchase these beautiful lovely things of wonder.

I'm just going to pop down to Selfridges...

Stila my favourite

I know my Stila addiction is an unrequited love affair but I can't stop buying the damn stuff. Will someone give me the name of their PR?

Following my most recent fling in New York, I've become totally addicted to Convertible Colour in Fuchsia. Now, it looks terrifying in the packaging. And on your finger tips. And sometimes on your face but hear me out - this is a real less is more.


For the porcelain skinned amongst us, this is a life saver. Given that a) we don't tan and b) there's nothing to tan under this summer anyway, the Fuchsia Convertible Colour gives a beautiful Barbie flush look when stippled on to your cheeks with the Stila number 19 retractable brush. Aim for the tops of the apples of your cheeks, just on the edge of your cheekbones. If you use too much (easy mistake-a to make-a) just rub your hands together and press them onto your face. The warm skin will lift the excess colour without rubbing it away.

I team this with Fuchsia subtly dabbed on the lips, layered with Fig lipglaze


and Cloud eyeshadow.


Eyes need to be neutral to hold all the cheek and lip colour but they do want some attention - the Fuchsia really makes them pop right out!

Damn it Stila, I wish I knew how to quit you...

Tan a Sac

As you know, I'm not a tanner but how good is this?

They say... NEW innovation from Janela comes the problem solver for all fake tan lovers. Founder Jennie Pepper has created every woman's solution to avoid getting that tangoed look on your bed sheets after having applied fake tan.

Tan A Sac is a cotton bed bag that fits on top of your existing bed covers that you slip into. You don't even have to remove your existing bed linen, so you can simply whip it off in the morning.
For an all year round tan that doesn't create a mess in your bed simply get tanning and jump in your Tan A Sac!

I say... hee! At least you can keep your St Tropez off your 300 count Egyptian cotton bedding!

www.tanasac.com

Give me Moa

Every so often I get sent something to try*, start using it, love it, add it to my make up bag and completely forget to tell you about it. Today we celebrate one such unsung hero.

This slightly random little product became a handbag staple while I was in New York and was routinely cutting my legs shaving, getting hideous blisters and suffering from too-hot-for-shoes, too-professional-for-flip-flop situations.


Moa is a 100% natural balm, created in Iceland and used to heal, well, just about anything! I find it helpful on sore spots on my footsies but also on dry cuticles, grazes and even burns (I am a very clumsy person. The iron is not my friend). You can even use it as a cleanser or as a sore throat treatment... I think we're well into 'what can't it do?' territory.

It contains Yarrow, tea tree oil and various other 'super herbs' that have been grown in Iceland's bitterly cold temperatures. Basically, if it's hard enough to cope in Iceland, it's in here somewhere.

Plus the pot is very cute.

Find out lots more about this miracle balm and where to buy here!
http://www.thegreenbalm.com/index.htm

*btw, I don't get sent enough stuff.
Please send more.
beautymecca@gmail.com
And like, good stuff please.

Where there's smoke, there's wrinkles

As I'm sure you all know, smoking is neither:

a) big
b) clever
c) legal in public places anymore

And unlike swearing, this more or less remains true, even when drunk or showing off for boys.
But the happy news is, the less you smoke the less you, and all the rest of us, will suffer from wrinkles!

But if you have suffered (and let's be honest, we all have one way or another) why not treat your super new smoke free skin with a little boost with Perscriptives Super Line Preventor Xtreme! That's right, it's Xtreme!


I can't possibly explain to you what wonders are in this magic potion (it's totally witchcraft, just like my beloved Magic Powder) so here it is, straight from the warlock's mouth...

They say... Charged with a “super cocktail” of powerful antioxidants to help defend skin against both types of free radicals, SLP-X’s new and improved formulation is designed with Prescriptives’ proprietary Super Antioxidant System (SAS) to not only help protect against environmental assaults but also improve the look of visible lines and wrinkles and help prevent visible long-term damage. Prescriptives has taken free radical research a step further by focusing on seven major free radical species: Singlet Oxygen, Peroxynitrite, Hydrogen Peroxide, Halogenated Oxidant, Superoxide, Hydroxyl Radical and Lipid Peroxide. The antioxidants in SAS work synergistically to help protect against all these different types of free radical species on the skin, helping neutralize these free radicals.

I say... It comes in a darling pearlescent bottle and has a cool pipette in the screw top that makes me feel like I'm playing Weird Science at bed time but most importantly, it's good. My skin lapped it up in New York where it was exposed to all sorts of nasties and if you live in the city or are even just around traffic pollution, this baby could be the miracle worker for you. Pop it on under your regular moisturiser and wait for the lines to, well, never appear! Call 0870 034 2566 for stockist deets.

Super Line Preventor Xtreme is just £35 for 30ml and £49 for 50ml, so what, seven packets of fags for the same price as gorgeous skin? Let me get my commonsense calculator out...