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 the beauty blog | |||||||
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Category Archives: Wanted!Bourjois Rouge High-Tech Liptint Bourjois Rouge High-Tech Liptint As someone with naturally pale lips, lip tints always appeal to me: they can look and feel more natural than lipstick or gloss, and if you’re lucky enough to find one that’s long-lasting, they can stay put for much longer, too. It’s finding that perfect tint that’s the problem, obviously, but I’ve been reading some very good things about Bourjois Rouge High-Tech Liptint, and think it could be worth trying out. This is water-based, and is designed to feel just like bare lips: in other words, you shouldn’t even know you’re wearing it. It should give you a natural-looking “bitten lips” look, and if the reviews I’ve read are to be believed, it should last for several hours at a time, too. I’ll need to see this in person to decide which colour to go for, but if you want to buy online, it’s available at ASOS.com. where it’s £7.10. BaByliss Professional 20 Piece Roller Set Heated Rollers So, I really want to buy some heated rollers. At the moment, if I want to curl my hair, I generally just do it with my straighteners. I do have a set of curling tongs, too, but they have a fairly small barrel, which means it takes absolutely ages to do my full head, and, well, that REALLY hurts my arms. (Woe!) As does the straightener technique, actually: while the results aren’t bad, it’s all a bit fiddly and time-consuming, and what I’d really like is so be able to put in some rollers and leave them in while I do my makeup (and maybe walk around the house with a scarf on my head, like a 1950s housewife). This search has led me to Amazon, where I discovered this 20-piece set by BaByliss. (They also make a 30-piece set, which I’d prefer, because I have a lot of hair to curl, but it’s currently out of stock unfortunately.) They look like more or less what I’m after, and other than the bright colours, are virtually identical to the rollers my mum used to have, and which I would regularly steal from her. These are £26.67, which isn’t too expensive either, but I’m still shopping around: anyone have a brand they’d like to recommend? Beauty Wish List: NARS Orgasm Illuminator
It’s a little bit worrying that it’s only January 5th and I already have an “Absolutely-Must-Buy-ASAP” product to add to my Wish List, but when I tell you that the product in question contains the words “NARS Orgasm” and “illuminator”, you’ll probably understand why! I’ve already talked a lot (ahem!) about my love from NARS Orgasm blusher: I have both the powder version and The Multiple, and I love the colour so much that it’s pretty much the only cheek colour I wear these days. (Note to self: be more experimental in 2010!). This new release from the brand takes that “suits everyone” pinky-peach, and uses it as an illuminator. Now, illuminators are one of my favourite products, so naturally this is a killer combination for me. It’s not cheap at $29, but I have a feeling it might just be worth it. Like most products of this type, it can be used alone, mixed in with foundation, or to highlight the cheekbones (or anywhere else), and NARS say it will transform lacklustre skin. Sounds great to me: has anyone tried it? If you haven’t, but you want to, you can pick up a tube at www.sephora.com Wanted! Remington Spin Curl Hairdryer
A few weeks ago, my hairdryer decided to give up the ghost and breathed – or rather, blew – its last. Yes, it was very sad, but there was no time to dwell on it because I can't live without a hairdryer, so I quickly jumped onto the Boots website and ordered the cheapest one I could find, with next day delivery. And almost straight away, I regretted it: not because there's anything wrong with the dryer I bought – there isn't- but because it was about a week later that I first heard about Remingston's Spin Curl Hairdryer. Like almost every girl I know who has naturally poker-straight hair, I have spent much of my life wishing it was just a little bit curly, and doing everything in my power to MAKE it that way, right down to the disastrous teenage perm. (Note to Self: Never again.) Nothing works. Or, to be fair, the things that DO work tend to be a little bit fiddlier than I like, so for the past few years I've just learned to love my straight hair. But now there's this. This, as I said, is the Remington Spin Curl, and the idea is that you feed sections of your hair into that funnel bit by bit, where they will be "spun" until they finally emerge both dry and – get this – CURLY. Well no, not curly, exactly. Almost every review I've read of this suggests that they emerge looking a little bit like dreadlocks, but once you've separated them and combed them out, they are, indeed, curly. The process does take a little longer than a straightforward blow-dry, and I suspect it's not as foolproof as it sounds, but one thing's for sure: I'd love to find out, wouldn't you?. Buy: Remington Spin Curl Hairdryer, £29.14 Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30
That hasn’t stopped me adding this one to my wish list, though, because this sounds like a whole other kettle of fish altogether. Rather than being a foundation, which is what I assumed at first, this is basically a mineral sunscreen. It contains SPf 30 and is talc-free, matt and transparent. This sounds like a fabulous idea to me: I’ve also said before that I have huge problems in the summer, when I’m normally forced to wear thick, gloopy sunscreen under my makeup. Not only does it make the makeup want to slide off my face, it also makes me look super-greasy. In fact, the last time I was in Sephora, the assistant gave me a free sample of a product she said would help deal with my "very greasy skin". I was too embarrassed to tell her that my skin is actually normal, it was the SPF50 sunscreen on it that was greasy. But I digress. This not only blocks the sun’s harmful rays, it also "crates the illusion of smooth, radiant skin" according to Sephora. I’m not sure how "safe" I’d feel going out in the sun with just a powder as a sunscreen, but I think that’s only because this is such a novel idea to me, and I’m so used to the thick creams. If it works, it could be a fantastic addition to my makeup collection, and I may even be willing to overlook the issues I’ve had with mineral foundation in the past for it. Buy: Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30, $30 Yves St Laurent Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skin Care Brush
By Yves St Laurent, the description on the Neiman Marcus website says: "This high-performance formula contains energizing active ingredients that boosts radiance and leave behind a fresh and healthy complexion. With a single brush stroke, signs of fatigue fade away and the texture of the skin is refined." The product is said to be the first of its kind, and is a sort of cross between makeup and skincare, delivering the benefits of both. I’m really interested in trying this out – not just because I’m a sucker for anything that promises to smooth away the signs of exhaustion, but because it sounds like a genuinely interesting idea. If you want to get there before me, it’s $52 at Neiman Marcus. Buy: Yves St Laurent Top Secrets Flash Radiance Skin Care Brush Eyeko Fat Balm – balm for lips and cheeks
The name "Fat Balm", mind you, doesn’t make this particular product sound too appealing, but that didn’t put Kate Moss off – she’s said to be a fan of this tinted balm, which works for cheeks and lips. I’ve mentioned before that I love products like this, which you can throw in your handbag and use whenever you need a quick pick-me-up (Benefit’s Benetint Lip Balm and Vaseline’s Rosy Lips both have the same effect), so this is one I’d definitely like to try. The fact that it’s only £4.99 is an added attraction. Buy: Eyeko Fat Balm, £4.99 Dior Diorshow ‘Iconic’ mascara
This is Diorshow ‘Iconic’, which, we’re told, is "the secret weapon behind the most alluring eye looks created backstage for Dior’s fashion shows and celebrity red carpet events." The main differences between this and the original are the shiny silver packaging and the brush, which is Dior’s new " Oblique™ Brush", which they say is designed specifically to create curves. Well, I’m all for curves, so even although I’m not a fan of Diorshow (I sometimes feel like a freak for saying that, but it’s true), I’d love to try this to find out if that claim is true. Buy: Dior Diorshow Iconic Mascara, $27 Urban Decay 24/7 Concealer Pencil Beauty confession coming up: I sometimes use Benefit’s High Brow as a concealer. Yes, I know it’s supposed to be a brow lifter (and it’s a damn good brow lifter, too), but it’s the right colour for my pale skin, it’s reasonably creamy, and the fact that it comes in a pencil means that you get really precise application onto spots and other blemishes. But… it’s a brow lifter. Which means it’s a little bit shiny. And this is why I’m so interested in Urban Decay’s 24/7 concealer pencil. It’s a creamy formula with a matt finish, and it’s also in a pencil format, which means it should provide that same, precise application. I’m mostly interested in this for concealing spots, but Urban Decay say you can also shade it onto larger areas to conceal redness etc. It comes in four shades and is $16 at Sephora. Urban Decay Surreal Skin Liquid Foundation
It’s Urban Decay’s Surreal Skin Liquid Foundation, and it will, of course, co-ordinate perfectly with Urban Decay’s best-selling Eyeshadow Primer Potion. Will the foundation perform as well as the primer? Well, the description certainly makes it sound good, that’s for sure: it’s oil=free, which means it won’t clog your pores, and although the liquid itself is said to be light, it will apparently give you a medium coverage, which you can build up by layering it on any area that needs it. It’s also vitamin-infused, and they say it will last all day. It all sounds good, but I have to say, it’s still the bottle that’s making me want to buy it! Buy: Urban Decay Surreal Skin Liquid Foundation, $25  | |||||||
I’ve said in the past that I’m not a huge fan of mineral makeup for the face, because I tend to find it leaves me looking older than I really am, with the powder emphasising the lines and dry skin around my eyes. (Nice!)
Here’s another product designed to combat the signs of fatigue, and therefore guaranteed to grab the attention of a certain Dollface. 
I’ve yet to try any of Eyeko’s products, although I have to say, the affordable prices and cutesy packaging has definitely earned them a place on my 
Dior’s Diorshow mascara is hugely popular, with loads of women swearing by it, so I guess it was only to be expected that Dior would try to capitalize on that success with the launch of a newer, improved version. 
This has to be one of the best-looking foundation bottles on the market, no?