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Monthly Archives: August 2010
Dollface Reviews: Lancome Rénergie Lift Makeup in Lifting Porcelain
I’ve been promising a review of Lancome’s Rénergie Lift Makeup ever since I bought it, way back in June, so I figured it was time I actually got around to it.
This foundation was a bit of an impulse buy. I spotted it in the duty free section of Sanford airport on my way back from Florida this summer, and was drawn in by two things:
1. The colour. I got the lightest shade available, which is number 10, ‘Lifting Porcelain’. I could tell right away that it would be a good match for my skin, and because it’s so unusual to find foundation pale enough for me, it was worth buying for that reason alone.
2. The ‘lifting’ bit. This claims to not only even out your skin and cover imperfections, just like every other foundation on the market, but to also “to visibly lift slackening skin and blur lines and wrinkles for 12 hours”.
Well, that was all I needed to convince me: I bought it with the last of my dollars, and for the past two months, I’ve been alternating it with my Revlon ColorStay, using Revlon on the days when only the thickest coverage will do, and this when I feel I can get away with something a little lighter.
Rénergie offers mid-level coverage, although it layers up quite nicely in areas where you feel you need a little extra. It’s a lightweight texture, which goes on smoothly and evenly, and is just really nice to apply. I posted a swatch on my post about foundation for pale skin, but just in case you missed it, here it is again:
How often do you get your hair cut?
Beauty confession: it’s been over three months since my last haircut.
Don’t worry, I’ve booked one for tomorrow, but only because I felt I should. Sure, my hair’s looking a little unkempt, but I don’t have any split ends, and I can live with looking like Rapunzel. Well, I can if it means I don’t have to go to the hairdresser’s, anyway…
Here’s the thing, you see: I hate visiting the hairdresser. No offence to any hairdressers who are reading this, by the way: it’s nothing to do with the actual people, who are generally lovely. (Fun fact: when I was in high school, I did work experience at a hairdressers, purely because I thought hairdressers were, like, really cool. They always seemed to be wearing these super-trendy clothes that I, of course, couldn’t afford because, er, my mum and dad wouldn’t buy them for me. And, of course, they always had fabulous hair, and often great nails, courtesy of the beautician who worked there too. It seemed like the best! job! ever!) No, it’s all because of ME, and my issues. Over the past few years, I’ve come to dread visits to the salon. It’s not just because of the famous Mullet Cut of ’08, either. I actually hate everything about the experience:
1. The hair washing, which always involves my neck being bent back over the sink in such a manner that I feel like my head is being severed. Then they’ll start the Indian Head Massage. “Please, no!” I always want to beg. “Let’s just get this over with as quickly as possible. I want to go hoooooommmeeee!”
2. The mirrors
As I’ve aged, I’ve noticed that the mirrors in hair salons have become less and less flattering. I’m going to pretend those two events are unconnected. It. Is. Mortifying. All that time in which to sit and do nothing but stare at my own face, noticing every last line and flaw that I’d never noticed before! The mirror I was seated in front of last time I visited the hairdressers had a huge amount of sunlight streaming onto it, which allowed me to view myself in a level of detail that I rarely ever see. It also made me want to tear my face off, before jumping out of the chair and yelling, ”Forget the hair! I need to get me a new face first!” I also threw the lipstick I’d been wearing into the bin as soon as I got home, because seriously, what was I thinking?
3. The forced conversation
I have the greatest admiration for hairdressers and their ability to make smalltalk with so many different people every day. Unfortunately for me, I’m really, really bad at smalltalk. I try my best, but I always imagine the poor woman shaking her head sadly as I walk out the door and muttering, “Like getting blood out of a stone…”
4. The Fear
For a while there, I had no fear at all about what my cut would turn out like. I’d finally found a stylish who totally understood what I was looking for (for my hair to look almost exactly the same as it did when I walked in, only much better), and I was gradually working up to asking for something a bit different. Then she moved away, and I’ve had to start my search all over again, which means that each time I visit the salon I sit there holding my breath wondering what I’ll actually look like when it’s over. As a veteran of several really bad cuts (there was a time about a year and a half ago when every time I went to the salon, the stylist would comb through my hair in amazement and then call all of the other stylists over to take a look. “What HAPPENED?” they’d all chorus in horror. Those were some bad days.) I have good reason for this fear, trust me.
Anyway, my first haircut in three months is scheduled for tomorrow, after which I’ll be hoping to last another three months before having to go back.
So tell me: how often do you have your hair cut? Do you stick to the “every six weeks” rule, or do you leave it a little longer?
Benefit The POREfessional minimizes the appearance of pores
I’ve been meaning to write about this product for ages now, but better late than never, I guess!
For most of my life, I’ve been plagued by open pores. As a teenager, I always assumed this was one of those temporary, teenage thing (like acne, say) that I’d one day grow out of, and be left with perfect, pore-free skin, but that day never came, and those pores are just as large and as open as they’ve ever been. To be honest, I’ve not really tried to do much about this, as I’ve always had more pressing beauty concerns on my mind, like trying to work out which mascara will make my eyelashes actually reach the ceiling, and that kind of thing.
The appearance of this product on the market did pique my interest, though. Its full title is “The POREfessional: pro balm to minimize the appearance of pores“, and that really tells you almost everything you need to know about this. The most important thing to note, however, is that it’s designed purely to disguise those open pores, not to treat them, so if you want rid of them forever (or to minimize them, rather: if you get rid of your pores altogether you won’t be able to sweat, and that won’t be pretty) this isn’t the product for you. If your content just to hide them a little better than foundation alone can generally manage, however, it’s a clear balm which can be applied over or under makeup, and which you can use throughout the day for top-ups as needed.
I’d be really interested to know how much of a difference this actually makes. Anyone tried it?
It costs $28, and you can click here to buy it from Benefit.
Dollface Reviews: Max Factor Smoky Eye Effect Eye Shadow in Bronze Haze
I don’t often wear eye shadow. This week, however, I’ve become something of a convert, and have been wearing Max Factor’s Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow, which (disclosure coming up!) was sent to me as a press sample. As you can see from the image, this aims to simply the smoky eye, and takes a two-pronged approach to doing so. On one end of the tube, you have your base colour:
Bourjois Rose Exclusif Lipgloss That Adjusts To The pH Of Your Lips
Yes, it’s another “goes on clear, turns into the perfect shade for you upon contact with the skin” product, folks! This one is from Bourjois, and it’s their Rose Exclusif lipgloss: a clear gloss which reacts with the pH of your lips to turn into the perfect shade of pink.
Now, I must admit to a strange fascination with these products, perhaps because they remind me of my school days, when people always seemed to be bringing in “mood rings” and other items that claimed to change colour according to your personality. I’ve never quite trusted them, though, which is why, although I’ve tried out Smashbox’s ‘O’ range at the counter, I’ve never actually purchased anything that claims to change colour on impact.
Could this be the product to change my mind? I think I’d probably want to test it first, to see just what shade of pink it turned into on me, but if you can’t wait then you can click here to buy it from ASOS.
Dollface Reviews: Hylexin eye cream for serious dark circles by Bremenn Research Labs
Ever wondered who actually buys all of those expensive skin creams you see in Sephora et al? The ones which carry too-good-to-be-true style claims on their boxes about how they’ll get rid of your dark circles, or make you look 16 again overnight?
Yeah, that would be me.
In my defence, I don’t buy all of them. I have, however, more than once been described as the “ad man’s dream”, and this means that I will linger too long in front of those stands, looking at the shiny rows of products and thinking to myself, “Well, if it works, it’ll be a bargain, really!”
This is how I came to find myself standing in line at Sephora this summer, waiting to purchase a tube of Bremenn Research Labs Hylexin: the new wonder cream for dark circles under the eyes. Well, that and the fact that I was desperate. Totally desperate, people. As long-time readers will know, the last year or so has been a never ending battle between me and the dark circles under my eyes. Actually, the phrase “dark circles” doesn’t really do justice to what I have. They’re more like dark canyons, which people could get lost in for days. They make me look ill and exhausted, and by the time my summer holiday rolled around, I was ready to try just about anything.
I have to back up a bit here, though: earlier this year, as you may remember, I’d had some success with Nivea’s Aqua Sensation Anti-Shadow Eye Cream, which I’d been pretty pleased with for the price, although it hadn’t totally shifted the circles. It had long since run out, though, and by the time I reached the bottom of the jar, I’d started to find it much less effective than it initially had been. It was clear that something much stronger was required in my fight against dark circles, and as I wandered around Sephora, carefully avoiding all the mirrors so I wouldn’t have to see my vampire-face looking back at me under those harsh lights (Pretty sure they do that to convince you to buy more makeup, by the way. It totally works.), it became clear to me that the “something” I needed was going to be Hylexin.
Now, this costs $59, which is a lot for me to spend on an eye cream, and an indication of how much I wanted it to work. Before leaving on my trip, I had actually done quite a bit of reading about this product, and had discovered mixed reviews of it: those who loved it seemed to REALLY love it, while those who hated it said it did absolutely nothing whatsoever for their dark circles. On balance, however, I’d found more positive reviews than negative ones, which was why I decided to take the plunge. Oh, and the fact that there was actually a photo of my under-eye are on the box helped too:
Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation
As soon as I heard the phrase “No Foundation Foundation”, I started getting excited. I mean, this is basically The Dream, isn’t it? Foundation that doesn’t actually look like foundation? Flawless skin, without heavy coverage? Count me in…
And don’t get me wrong: I love my heavy coverage. My skin isn’t naturally flawless, so Revlon Colorstay is currently my best friend, but there’s no getting away from the fact that thick coverage comes at a price, and often that price involves foundation falling into the lines under the eyes, or just generally looking like thick foundation (and actually, it can sometimes make your skin look worse, rather than better, especially in direct sunlight).
Perricone MD’s No Foundation Foundation, however, is designed to be the answer to all of that, so when the company offered to send me some to try, I jumped at the chance. Here’s what they have to say about the product:
Created to keep skin looking dewy and flawless, this unique formula delivers many benefits of a traditional foundation without the heavy matte finish, which emphasizes the tiniest skin imperfections. No Foundation Foundation is a multi-purpose product that provides natural translucent coverage, corrects skin undertones, instantly smoothes fine lines and boosts skin’s natural moisture throughout the day, all the while delivering antioxidant benefits.
When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the medicinal appearance of the bottle – perhaps unsurprising, given the name of the company, and the fact that it was developed by a skin doctor. The pump dispenser comes separately, and screws onto the top of the bottle, allowing you to get the right amount onto your skin. Because the coverage is supposed to be translucent, it comes in “one universal shade”, and this turned out to be problematic for me, because I don’t think there IS one universal skin shade, and this one turned out to be too dark for my skin:
No7 Autumn Limited Edition Matte Nail Top Coat
Remember those matte nails that were on all the catwalks last year? Well, they’re sticking around for this Autumn, too, and while I’m still not quite sure what I think of the look (I tend to associate matte nails with polish that got something stuck to it while it was drying, and I need to rid myself of that association before I can fully buy into the look), if you love it, Boots No. 7′s Matte Nail Top Coat (£7.25) will be a helluva lot cheaper than buying matte nail polishes in lots of different colours.
This is, as I’m sure you’ve already guessed, a top coat which makes the polish underneath it look matte. It works with just one coat, and it’s part of Boots limited edition Autumn range (about which I’ll have more news and reviews soon), which is available from now until October 5th.
What do you think of matte nail polish? Yay or Nay?
(Click here to visit the Boots website)
Liz Earle Energising Body Range
Meet my current Bathroom Buddies: the three products that have been accompanying me into the shower every day for the past couple of weeks!
These products are all part of Liz Earle’s new Energising Body range, which the brand was kind enough to send me to try out, having taken pity on me out there running through the mud and rain a few times a week. As it turns out, these are the perfect post-workout treat: as well a physically energising the skin with a range of natural ingredients designed to exfoliate and soften, they also smell fantastic, turning the shower into a little private spa, with a kind of zingy, forest-fresh scent that really helps wake me up, whether I’ve been out running, or, er, just lazing around in bed.
The three products I’ve been using are:
Liz Earle Energising Body Wash, £7.75/100 ml
This includes damask rose, flower water and essential oils like sweet orange, grapefruit and peppermint (which is presumably responsible for that “zinginess” I was talking about). It’s a clear gel which does a really good job of moisturizing the skin as well as cleansing it – my skin isn’t particularly sensitive, but this is so gentle it feels like putting moisturiser on rather than a simple shower gel.
Liz Earle Energizing Body Scrub, £12.50/200ml
Similar ingredients to the body wash, but this time in the form of an exfoliating scrub. I also have the Liz Earle foot scrub which I’ve been using daily, but this could also substitute for it: it’s a very fine-grained scrub, so it’s gentle to use, but still does the job on rough skin.
Liz Earle Energising Hip and Thigh Gel, £21/200ml
I must admit, my hips and thighs aren’t a part of the body I’ve been in the habit of giving any extra attention to, but this gel can be used elsewhere, too: they recommend trying it on the stomach and upper arms, and I’ve basically been applying it anywhere I feel like it! It uses things like eucalyptus oil, patchouli, geranium oil and other natural ingredients to invigorate and moisturise, and I always notice a difference when I use this – it leaves my skin feeling super-soft, and is a nice way to round off the other two steps.
The only downside to these is that they’re a little too expensive for me to be able to justify using on a day-to-day basis, but they’re great as an indulgent treat, and, as with other Liz Earle products, there are different sizes available if you want to just try them out – for instance, a 50ml tube of the Body Scrub is just £5.25, which will let you see what you think of it without paying for the full size.
Check them out and order online at the Liz Earle website.
More products for pale skin from the Nicola Roberts/Dainty Doll range
Good news for my fellow palefaces: the Dainty Doll range, which was created in 2008 by Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts and Jelly Pong Pong, to cater to those of us who’re a whiter shade of pale, is due to release a selection of brand new products later this month. This time, however, the range will be produced by Original Additions, the brand behind Eylure and Elegant Touch, and will include some extra products.
I loved the colour of the original Dainty Doll foundation, but didn’t love the texture, so I’m really excited to learn that there’ll be a new mineral foundation as part of this launch, along with more concealers, plus blusher, lipsticks and more. You can take a look under the jump to read a bit more about these products: I’m really hoping to get my hands on some of them when they become available, in which case you can expect reviews of some of them, too.
In the meantime, these will all be available exclusively from Harrods from August 24th, and then at ASOS.com from the end of September.
