April 2016 - Friday Video

This months favourites, and there's more than four. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. Links to everything, under the video
Goe Oil
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow 
Kerastase Nutrive Nectar Thermique
Redken Stay High 18  
Dior Rouge Baume Lili
Clarins Anti Wrinkle Sun Cream SPF 30
Environ AVST 1 Moisturiser
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil
Clarins Eau Dynamisante

April Giveaway Winner

Thank you so much to everyone who entered. The lucky winner is Olivia Logie (hope I've got that right). Huge congratulations to you (this is one of the prizes I was hoping to keep!!), I'll be posting your prize to you as soon as I get your address.

I'll see you back here in a couple of days for the next giveaway!

Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique

As you may know haircare is not my strong point. Yes I know more than a lot of people but that knowledge is based on trial and error and having pretty horrendous hair that needs as much help as possible. I am always talked into buying products after I've had my hair done and often I can't really see the difference, or achieve what I want to achieve. Also Keratase is one of those brands which you mention to some people and they immediately say 'Oh that's made in the same factory as [I can never remember] and it's the same thing' and this sounds plausible and it is quite expensive so I tend to avoid. Until now.

I've discovered that for maximum volume I wash my hair at night, put various things in (including this from L'Oreal Professional) and then roughly dry it and then sleep on it. Not only does this give it a boost but I seems to allow it's natural 'curl' to do what it wants. I say 'curl' because it's not a nice curl, it's a varying amount of bumps that are prone to frizz. Sleeping with damp hair was causing the ends to look a bit frayed and damaged and so I was given this to try (I say given, I bought it). It also protects the hair against heat which I'm quite keen on even though I rarely straighten anything except my fringe these days.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar - The Civilian Report

Another one from Bree...

This is my daytime moisturiser, discovered after a chance encounter with the Philosophy concession at Westfield Boots. I’m in constant battle with forehead shine throughout the course of any given day, and the idea of a moisturiser that moisturised without oiling, and is not so light as to dry me out like an aged husk, was a beguiling one. I bit. I bought a jar.

I’m now onto my third jar. The formulation seems to have changed somewhat between jar 2 and 3, maybe there was a recipe change or maybe it’s just a weird batch, but either way it does the job.

The texture takes a little getting used to – it’s definitely not the same as the creams you might otherwise be used to, and it goes on and in almost too easily. And for about 5 minutes after you’ve applied it you might find yourself thinking, as I do almost every day, ‘dammit I should’ve put more on’,  but give it time and your skin feels lovely and cool and nourished and smooth and not at all heavy. I shove on my standard issue tinted moisturiser straight on top on work days – no problems with drying out, no problems with shine. It’s an odd little thing, but a good one.

Philosophy Hope in a Jar - What You Need to Know

• £34.50 or US$44
• 60ml/2oz
• Lactic Acid to help exfoliate
• Can be used twice a day
• Available in the UK from Boots,
• Available in the US from Sephora, Ulta

Louise Young Essential Palette Quick Review - Friday Video

I love this palette, which may come as no surprise to some, but I know that a few people may be surprised at how versatile it really is so here it is in some of it's glory.

Face of the Day 12th April 2016 - Friday Video

This has been pretty much my go-to look since moving. It's quick and easy and really you can recreate it with any palette you have with similar colours.

 
Lola Eye Primer
Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette
MAC Smoulder Eye Pencil
Louise Young Essential Eye Palette
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara
Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation
Louise Young Concealer Trio in Medium
Eyeko Fat Brush Mascara
NYX Contour Stick in Light
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Rose Glow
Hourglass Ambient Light Edit
Louise Young Lip Trio in Enigma

Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil

This has to be one of my most excessive skincare purchases. Having ummed and ahhhed over it for months Space NK did a £15 off orders over £60 deal and I decided to go for it. For those in the know for the past 6 or so months I have been using the Environ AVST range to try and help repair my skin barrier. The AVST moisturiser comes in 4 stages with increasing amounts of retinol in. I'm still on stage one but have already seen an improvement in my skin. Even so there are some problems with the AVST range which I'll go into in a separate post. One of them was that my naturally dry skin found the retinol and cream cleanser even more drying so the dullness and dry skin bumps I had spent so long trying to get rid off, returned. I needed something that would give me a moisture boost but wouldn't irritate and undo the work of the AVST moisturiser.

I've been using this every other day or when I need a moisture hit and it's made all the difference. A little goes a long way so although I'll never agree with products that cost that much at least I feel I'm not having to use too much each time. It's not as 'strong' as the AVST but I feel that as a much needed moisture giver it sort of works hand in hand with it... every now and then I contemplate using it under the AVST moisturiser but I'm a bit too scared at the moment. I don't know what of. *

In the Kit - Cleansers

I carry two types of cleanser in my kit; a misceller water to remove make-up quickly and clean up after application and a lovely balm to prep the skin properly before application and to give whoever is in the chair a bit of a pamper too.

My misceller water of choice is Bioderma Sensibo H20. In all my years of using this, from back in the day when you used to have to bulk it when in France, I've never found anyone who has had a bad reaction to this. It removes make-up really well and dries quickly making it the perfect thing for ensuring your flicks and lips are really precise and any drop-down from shadows or glitter is removed. If you don't have time to cleanse with a balm cleanser this will get every scrap of make-up off the face without you having to scrub - it's also great for waterproof mascara. Would I use this on myself everyday? No, although I do have some for tough make-up removal and a quick first cleanse but repeated use causes irritation on my skin (that's when I use it every day for years...)

Move and Skin Update - Friday Video

Normal service to resume soon...

Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser - The Civilian Report

Another review courtesy of the lovely Bree. I've wanted to try this for ages, I've heard great things about it...

This was another score from the Liberty Advent Calendar. I like to use something a little heavier at night, though nothing too cray-cray (my forehead being very efficient at oil-production), and my day moisturiser isn’t hearty enough to suffice.

M&G packaging looks cool. It looks very Williamsburgh, NYC. For all I know it’s from there. Whatever, this moisturiser has the lovely vitamin E as well as some hyularonic acid so whilst you dream dreams of youth and uncracked foreheads the acid and vitamins can get working to make those dreams come true.

As a result of the aforementioned efficiently oily forehead I sometimes wake up in the morning with a light sheen rather reminiscent of that found on a girl of 16 rather than the oil-caked powdered wrinkles of a Notting Hill dame. 

Definitely less blotchy on waking up and, for me, very importantly less puffy. And not dry. 

What You Need to Know - Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Face Moisturiser

•  £37
• 118ml
• Suitable for all skin types and a good choice for men.
• Nourishes and reduces irritation
• Available from Space NK,  Liberty, 

LMB Turns 10 - April Giveaway (NOW CLOSED)

Well, that March Giveaway had to run itself in the end. We moved house on 10th March and as I write this on 30th March we still have no Internet which is a massive pain. Anyway, there were a huge amount of entries to win the Louise Young Blushers which was wonderful but if make-up is not really your thing but you are into skincare then April could be the month for you. I have two amazing prizes up for grabs this month. Neither of which need any introduction for regular readers but for those who are new to the blog there'll be more on both throughout the month - Internet permitting.