Laura Mercier Classic Chic: First Impressions

Hey everyone,

After about a month of speculating, I finally caved and dragged myself to Space NK to purchase the Laura Mercier Classic Chic Set. I skipped home and gently opened the packaging to reveal what were some beautifully sleek looking packages. I have tried Laura Mercier Before but something about the presentation of these items really drew me in. 

The set comes with an eye shadow quad containing two lighter shades for the lids and highlight (Buff and guava) and two darker ones for defining and night time (Sable and Black Smoke), a rosy coloured lip glacé (Raspberry), a black mascara, a mini foundation primer, a plum coloured blush (Plum Radiance) plus a cheek and double ended eye brush (Smudge and blender).

What you are essentially getting here is a full face of makeup in a wearable colour palette, plus the brushes to apply it with. Speaking of the brushes, having previously been an LM Brush Virgin, I was shocked at the quality and feel of the brushes. The cheek brush was so smooth and the hairs so shiny and healthy looking, making my MAC #129 look cheap and chunky. 

The eye brush, which is a double ended, travel sized affair are the same, very dainty; but not overly so with top quality hairs.I would personally invest in this just for the brushes seeing as full sized ones will certainly require a huge investment that some simply do not want to make, including myself until now that I know the superior quality of these; the ones on show in the department store simply do not do them justice.

The eye palette comes in an impossibly sleek case that wouldn't look out of place in any birkin bag, as for the shadows, one swipe showcases the fine quality of the pigment and creamy texture of Laura Mercier offerings. It will be an indispensable staple in my collection from now due to the unique mix of matte and shimmer to suit every mood.

The second skin cheek colour in Plum Radiance was an iffy one for me. As I thought I would already own similar colour, this was aggravated due to the lack of comparison swatches of this colour on the net (which I intend to change). I was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't really compare to my MAC Mocha Blush, it was more dusty and less purple. 

The one thing I wasn't expecting wonders from was the Raspberry Lip Glacé, what a gross underestimation of   the power of Laura Mercier that was. This Gloss was the Perfect close-to-my-lips shade that gave them a hint of rose and a beautifully shine. No shimmer, just a great everyday colour that will intensify naturally nude lips, and for rosy, naturally pigmented lips like mine it will brighten and slightly pinken them.

I have not yet tried the Full Blown mascara and Mini Foundation primer yet, but I will post on how they work out and any other developments. All in all I think you are bound to find something in this set to update your A/W 2011 look, from dusky roses and sunken plums. This will definitely carry me through to the spring of 2012 and I highly recommend you give this a go, let me know if you have any questions or have bought the set and maybe have a different opinion on it? Let me know!

xxxx

Targeted Acne Treatments

Hey Everyone,

This post is about targeted acne treatments, ie not ones designed for the whole face and not those designed for cleaning the face, this should be done after cleansing about before moisturiser to ensure deepest penetration of the epidermis.

I have a range of different products, each with different active ingredients to treat acne. Not all of these ingredients are very common in ranges targeted toward treating acne, however they all work in their own way and many of them in different ways.

Tea Tree Oil - Native to a particular breed of trees in Australia, tea tree oil has emerged as a major player on the acne skincare market. It is known for it's anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-septic properties when blended and applied topically. I find it highly and consistently effective and a staple in my anti acne routine, it isn't overly drying either, which is a great bonus.

The range I have gone back to with this ingredient is the body shop, but only because it is so accessible in my area and comes in cleanser, toner, moisturiser and treatment forms. However, as I have mentioned in one of my previous posts (which includes a full review on the body shop tea tree line) after I've finished with my current products (they do take a long time to finish!) I am going to switch to pure tea tree oil which is only slightly more expensive. Then I will blend it using recipes found here on the net, I will let you know how that goes in the near future. This is due to the alcohol content (t-butyl alcohol) in the body shop range which makes it unhealthy for young skin in the long term.

Benzoyl Peroxide - An established ingredient in bathroom cabinets the world over, Benzoyl Peroxide increases cell turnover to clear the pore of bacteria, effectively killing it. Certainly not the most gentle of treatments, but one that can be found in small doses and one that has proven very effective for me over the years.

Quinoderm Cream was the first treatment I used for my spots (besides popping the buggers with a dirty needle, not recommended!) I vividly remember the burning the first time I used it, but it gently subsided and it would clear my spots up in around 3 days. Its always been there for me and I intend to keep using it.

 I've also heard about another brand using Benzoyl Peroxide called Panoxyl gel, but I would advise you NOT to go for this cream, after looking at the ingredients list for all the different concentrations, I have found the 2.5% to contain acetone (nail polish remover, widely considered to be toxic) sodium lauryl sulfate (foaming agent, dries out skin and hair like a MoFo, I recently switched to an SLS free shampoo and have seen a dramatic drop in split ends) Whilst the 5% and 10% concentrations contained ethanol (pure alcohol, irritant) and fragrance. Quinoderm cream contains only ingredients to fight acne and none that will harm skin.

AHAs and BHAs (Salicylic acid) - AHAs and BHAs are two common ways to chemically exfoliate skin. Instead of using harsh scrubs, this is a good way to clean off dead skin cells for an even appearance. They work infinitely better than scrubs, I haven't scrubbed my face for around 3 months and I've seen a dramatic improvement. If you aren't already using a BHA or AHA product, or both, then I strongly recommend that you make it the next thing you buy.

In terms of acne treating, the one you'll want to go for is the BHA, of which there is only one which is Salicylic acid. Primarily because it is oil soluble therefore able to clean the pores of excess sebum that can clog skin. NOTE: Beware of compaines claiming to have Salicylic acid in their products when it is just willow bark extract which does contain salicin, but only turns to salicylic acid when enzymes are present, meaning it must be taken orally for it to work.

What I love about products that have Both BHAs and AHAs in them is that you get that acne treating complex and also added radiance from the AHAs, which are water soluble and good for sun damaged and dry skin. I use the CANE + AUSTIN acne treatment pads with 2% Salicylic and 2% Glycolic acid (and AHA). However I don't recommend something as strong as that every day as it can be very harsh and cause sensitivity. I would recommend a gentle BHA toner for Acne Prone Skin.

I am finishing off my La Roche Posay Effaclar Toner (from boots.com,, I think it is also avaliable at CVS), however, due to the alcohol.denat content I will be switching to something different, probably the clinique mild clarifying lotion as I've heard it's alchohol free but with salicylic acid in it. Although having never tried it I will have to find out a bit more before I buy, let me know if you have tried it and your thoughts!

Kaolin Clay - This clay comes from the mineral Kaolinite, commonly mined and has been used for many years by women as facial masks and cleansers. Unfourtunately, the dermatological effects of Kaolin Clay have not been heavily researched so no one knows much about how it works on the skin. However, it does naturally absorb oils in the skin and can increase localised circulation, which can help inflamed skin. So it is a natural acne fighter. However it is important that the product you find Kaolin in has the right formula to help the effects.

I like the Good Things five minute facial mask with Superfruit Extracts (from Boots.com) that key things to look out for with this as it is not an oil controlling mask but rather a nourishing one with its avocado oil and Goji berry extracts. Therefore the drying effects of the Kaolin Clay are toned down and you have a great gentle mask too soothe the skin, it is not a super effective acne fighter, but I find after continuous treating of my skin with acids and chemicals this is a nice alternative that will still fight acne but not sensitise it in any way by being to harsh.

There we have my top acne fighters, I know there are other ingredients out there that people do use, but these are easily accessible ones I mainly found at the drugstore, and when used in conjunction, they stave off my acne pretty well.

If you have any questions feel free to ask and I will reply in due course, also if anyone has any requests on a particular topic, then feel free to ask and the chances are I will do it for you! More Makeup and Hair Posts coming your way! And skincare posts coming soon!

Thanks for Reading

xxxx

CANE + AUSTIN Acne Treatment Pads Review

Hey everyone,

The main reason I found out about the huge internet beauty community several years ago was due to looking at ways to cure my emerging adolescent acne. After Two years of researching, working out a suitable routine and spending substantial amounts of money on trying out 'miracle' products, I stumbled upon something on my new favourite website SpaceNK, encased in a glowing jar that resembled the radioactive material that clung on to Homer Simpson in the infamous title sequence of the programme. It certainly struck me and after researching it went straight on my wishlist.

I eventually succumbed and bought the product from my local store, I tried one of the pads in store on the back of my hands to discover it certainly isn't an at home treatment for the faint hearted.
The jar comes with 60 round pads not dissimilar to cotton rounds used for applying toner, they are heavily saturated in the formula used for treating acne and exfoliating skin.

Apparently 60 pads equals a 30 day supply as you are advised to use them morning and night. Although most people will know that is a ridiculous notion as the pads are very strong and you could easily damage skin by overusing, a regular BHA toner will suffice for every day, I use this more as a deep treatment at night time only. Either way, at £50 of my own money (my parents don't pay for any of my beauty products) it is certainly not feasible to use this twice a day for a whole year as the bill would run into Stratospheric proportions.

As for the product itself, the SA told me a lot of people use this and don't bother with moisturiser as they feel it isn't necessary with this. I definitely dispute this as it can be drying at times, particularly if you don't suffer from extreme oiliness like I do. I recommend a light serum or non greasy moisturiser over the top of this to protect your skin and prevent tightness.

I should also mention that it claims to deliver anti ageing results, I certainly saw an improvement in brightness but I cannot vouch for diminished appearance of fine lines. They also carry a product in the same packaging developed for hyper pigmentation, radiance with more focus on anti ageing. I've also heard good things about that product as well.

Now for the deal breaker, the Acne Treating Credentials of this product. I can wholeheartedly state that my moderate acne that covered my entire forehead, nose and part of my cheeks were completely gone after the first application. I was gobsmacked, of course acne sufferers will know that products tend to work miracles at first and then the effects wear off after a while, that is partly true with this, a few spots did return, but they were just a few tiny spots and in a different league to my acne of old.

That all happened back around May-June time, now, around 3 months later. My Acne is still minute and as long as I keep my skin clean, care for it everyday and don't wear my studio fix fluid every single day. This is absolutely the best thing I have ever purchased and I have only used up around 8 of the pads as I use them very sparingly. I can go more than a full week without using them and I will still be fine.

It is certainly an investment but it is something you won't regret, I would particularly recommend you using this if you have a wedding or an important even coming up as it will zap your acne away if you start using it a week before and no earlier. This could be used as an occasional treatment only for events to maximize the effect. However you use it, I wholly recommend it for any acne sufferers out there.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comment section below,

see you soon

xxx

Haul: NARS, Ojon, Trilogy + MAC Duty Free!

Hello Ladies!

After an extensive absence from the blogosphere, I've decided to get my page going again with some more posts. I thought I'd start off with a haul of things I haven't seen mentioned on the internet very much.

First off from John Lewis Oxford Street, I picked up the Ojon Volume advance Kit for £32.50, it comes with the shampoo, conditioner, treatment and Volumising spray. After the first use I wasn't too convinced. But the products are very different from what I've been using in the past, they are all silicone free which fundementally changes the effects of them, however I will update on the results in a later post.

Next is two new additions to my nail polish collection, first up is a Mavala Polish which came with the september issue of Elle Magazine. It is a true red and has outstanding colour pay off, I believe these polishes normally retail at around £4, which is less than designer or salon brands, however you do get less product than you would with a more expensive company. Therefore I would recommend it for colours that you aren't going to wear frequently, such as seasonal colours, where you will never get through a whole bottle of the OPI version.

Next, I got my second Orgasm! (sorry I couldn't restrain myself from saying that ;) The infamous NARS shade that is, having only tried the Illuminator (Liquid version that comes i the tube, which I lurve) I wanted to check out other products within the range. I was on the lookout for a peach shade of polish, so the Peachy Pink allure of Orgasm inevitably drew me in.
Twas a Pricey bottle of Peach Polish with glamorous gold shimmers at £13.50, but it is something I'm sure I will enjoy wearing it as warm nude shade for the coming F/W Season.

Next is the Trilogy Rosehip Oil (£16.50) which from the first use I have seen continuing spectacular results with. Applying all over my Combo/Extremely Oily T-Zone skin. I wake up in the morning with no greasy residue, and instead with the cleansed face I went to sleep with! Which was a revelation for someone who has been waking up to a oily mess every morn for the best part of 3 years.
It is so calming, repairing and gentle, which for any acne sufferer can be difficult to find in amongst all the harsh scrubs and barely there moisturisers. I only use this at night and substitute for sunscreen in the morning, an absolute must have for every skin type as it also soothes my dry patches on my face and arms exceptionally well.

And lastly something for anyone heading for the airport! At a glance, this looks like a bog standard MAC haul, but read on and discover that the 4 pictured products were purchased in the terminal 5 MAC counter at duty free prices!

Altogether it came to around £57, for the 109 and 168 brush (both normally Retail at £26) and the Studio Fix fluid fluid in NW15 (normally £19.50) and the pack of 2 Disc Sponges (£3.50). Put it all together and I should have paid £75 for the lot! What an absolute steal! So if you are going on holiday I beg you to take advantage of not just the cheap MAC, but the many other counters at the haven that is World Duty Free T5.

With counters such as Victoria's Secret (the only one in the UK so I'm told), Jo Malone, a huge Chanel Station, Bobbi Brown, countless perfumes and all you're standard department store counters (although I think it is lacking in a Laura Mercier one, which is a disappointment). Many brands also have travel exclusives that you can only buy duty free, which I have snapped up in the past (namely MAC packed to go, which is now available online).


That concludes my haul, I will update on the Ojon situation, and look out for future posts!

Happy Blogging

xxx