Wednesday, 18 July 2012

My Favourite Lip treatments for kissable, soft lips

I really love a good lip treatment. I have tried quite a few over the years and have a some favourites in my arsenal to keep my lip supple and feeling good.


Clarins Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm with essential Rose Wax
I have repurchased this countless times. It in my handbag all the time for quick on the go application.
It hydrates and really keeps my lips soft. It has many active ingredients like Shea butter and Ceramide 3.  Other ingredients which make up the Maxi lip complex helps boost collagen. It also doubles as a great natural gloss. It's lightweight and comfortable to wear,

Super By Nicholas Perricone Lush Lips
This delectable lip treat stays next to my bed. It has a light coconut scent which sends me into holiday mode. However, not only does this little jar of goodness smell so delicious it contains Coconut Oil Tocotrienols, which is a form of Vitamin E that drenches your lips in moisture. I would love this to come in a stick formula for all day use, as I'm not one to stick my fingers in the jar if I feel they are not 100% clean. The jar  lasts quite a long time as the formula is packed tight in the jar, but melts into the lips on application. This is one of my favourite Super By Dr Nicholas Perricone products. My lips definitely are LUSH after using this product.

Sugar Advanced Therapy by Fresh
This product is most like your traditional Lip Balm. This product is meant to help with wrinkles around the mouth area with the inclusion of Sea Fennel and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres to help add volume to the lips. Honestly I have not noticed this particular benefit. It is a good hydrating lip product. I do wish it felt a bit more pliable on the lips and only seems to melt onto the lips when the weather is hot.

Chantecaille Lip Potion
This lip treatment is by Chantecaille, a niche brand which I recently discovered and I am loving. They have innovative formula's using cutting edge technology. This lip treatment also has Vitamin E and Shea butter to nourish and hydrate. The product in the jar is softer that the Super Lush Lips, so it is easier to apply. The downside is that it gets used up much faster. It does work really well in keeping my lips chap-free and is a good overnight treatment. I wake up am my lips still feel soft.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Skin Protectant
This is the work-horse of the group. The consistency is quite thick and sticky. I think it makes a great moisture barrier by virtue of this consistency. The scent reminds me of regular petroleum jelly - which I think could be approved upon. It also relies on the benefits of Vitamin E. Included as ingredients are Petrolatum and Salicylic Acid for mild exfoliation for kissable lips. This is the least "pretty" of the group, but does work as well if you can get past the thick formula and scent.

I have just ordered Sarah Happ Lip Slip and scrub and hopefully they will arrive soon. This brand had been hyped by many in the media. I really do hope it lives up to it. The packaging is so sweet and I am a sucker for little boxes with bows.

What lip treatment do you love? Any recommendations......




Monday, 16 July 2012

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection- My Picks

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection- My Picks: The Bobbi Brown Desert Collection was launched recently and was available at our local stores last week. For all Bobbi Brown fans it is ...

Bobbi Brown Desert Twilight Collection- My Picks

The Bobbi Brown Desert Collection was launched recently and was available at our local stores last week.

For all Bobbi Brown fans it is a great collection which is made up of the following
Desert Twilight Eye Palette - This palette offers a mix of matte, shimmer and sparkle. If you do not already own a few of her palettes this would be a must. I however, have enough other Bobbi Brown palette and shadows, that I feel there is too much duplication. The only standout colour is the Twilight metallic eyeshadow. Colour payoff on Bobbi Brown shadows are a bit subtle for me and have never been my go to choice. It is tho, a great travel option as it also has a liner colour and handy two-sided brush.
Bronzer/Blush duo - this duo is also great when travelling. The bronzer has a "lived-in "tan colour. The blush was a pretty peach/pink. I love Bobbi Brown blushers on the whole but I struggled to swatch the tester.
Long Wear Eyeliner Gel in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink - This was the first item in my shopping bag. Bobbi's gel liners wins awards for good reason. This a a beautiful aubergine with gold and purple reflects. This is nice as as a strong line or smudged out to see the shimmer. The gels are easy to work with and stay put.
Lip Gloss in 4 limited shades- The most unique shades were Desert Rose and Twilight (a sparkling champagne). The Desert Rose was my pick. It deepens the lip for that tawny look Bobbi was going for. It is described as a heather brown.
Long Wear Cream shadow in Blue Moon- Bobbi Brown's cream shadows are really good. This one is no different. I would have scooped it up, but for the fact that I did not want to duplicate other products that I have in my own collection. BB rarely does bright cream shadow, so this is a must, in my opinion. This is a blue that could accentuate tired looking eye so beware from that point of you.
Desert Twilight mini brush set- This is a well-edited brush set in a elegant case for travel. I would have considered it (I love BB brushes and have quite a few), but unfortunately our counter's did not receive it.
Nail polish in Twilight shimmer and Turquoise- I have not heard much buzz about BB nail polishes. These two are very pretty but not enough for a purchase.



Lip gloss in Desert Rose, Long wear gel in Twilight Night Shimmer Ink


Lip Gloss in Desert Rose inside


Lip gloss in Desert Rose in sunlight



This collection gives the idea of long summer days. The colours gives one a tawny, sexy look, as one would look, when the day is entering dusk and the shadows are long. I think there are a few great products that would suit most people which lines up with Bobbi's philosophy which embraces everyone.

Which are your top picks from Desert Twilight?

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Nars Fall 2012 - Nars at his best


The Nars Fall (or as we like to call it here Autumn) collection is about to be launched on Narscosmetics.com on the 14th July and instores 1st August 2012. This is once again a beautiful yet surprising collection. Mr Nars has an eye for colour and always has new ways of mixing them. The trio High Society is a interesting mix of texture and shades which make's a warm transition into fall. The duo Vente Glace' adds the frosy feel with icy platinum and silver, which makes it a perfect compliment to the trio. What I really like about these colours is that that are so different from other Nars shades that I feel happy to purchase them, as they are all one-of-a-kind. The nail colour is aptly named Storm Bird, a deep sexy grey. The cheek colour Oulaw is a re-promote of a shade that everyone apparently loves. The lip colours are offered in a Velvet Gloss (More). a sheer lipstick (Autumn Leaves), a Larger than Life Gloss (Rouge Tribal) and a pure matte lipstick (Amsterdam)  which is the best matte lipstick I have found. The collection is rounded off with an icy accent Multiple (Undress Me). The different elements in this collection play off each other. The icy planes of the face are contrasted with jewel lips and strong eyes.

I definitely have my eye on the eye shadows, nail polish and perhaps the blush. This is a thoughtful, sophisticated, restrained yet bold collection which is does not dissapoint. With this collection about to arrive I am going to revisit Nars Summer 2012 before everyone forgets how beautiful it is. One lucky thing is that I'm about to go into to spring so my Marie-Galante and Ramatuelle will still be in heavy rotation.

Which Nars Fall items will be in your bag?

Wednesday, 11 July 2012

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in En Vogue - a sheer cora...

Makeup Remastered- reinvent yourself daily: Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in En Vogue - a sheer cora...: Chanel brought out two new Coco shines's for Summer 2012- En Vogue and Empreinte. Since coral was a huge trend I went for the colour En Vo...

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in En Vogue - a sheer coral delight

Chanel brought out two new Coco shines's for Summer 2012- En Vogue and Empreinte. Since coral was a huge trend I went for the colour En Vogue. What is really great about Chanel's take on the trend, is that it is a wearable coral that has a good colour payoff without it being a bright coral that most people would shy away from. The Coco shine formula is described as "hydrating sheer lipshine". This really does drench your lips in a soft "lipbalm-but-better" feel and a luscious glossy finish.

If you love to wear the colours of the seasons, but prefer a less bold lip, this product for you. This is also a great alternative to a gloss as it has the look of a gloss but the wear of a lipstick- no stickiness here.

L-R Mac Sheen Supreme in Blossom Culture, Chanel En Vogue, Bobbi Brown  Gloss in Citrus


As you can see on the lips the Coco shine gives of a lovely luminosity and is extremely hydrating. Since it is so sheer, it is not long lasting, but with such a comfortable feel I am only to happy to re-apply. This colour is great for summer and it would be great if this colour was made part of their permanent line-up.



I would love to know which are your favourite coral lip products?





Friday, 6 July 2012

Chanel Routes Des Indes De Chanel- Illuminating powder

The new limited edition Bombay Express De Chanel has just launched in our local stores. Of course, I rushed over to see this little nugget of a collection. A lipstick in a soft sheer nude (Empreinte), a soft gold nail polish (Diwali), a re-promote of Mirifique from the Illusion d 'Ombre range, a blush Brume d'Or Joues Contraste and the star of the collection, the gold illuminating powder Chanel Routes Des Indes De Chanel. I have to say a little sigh escaped me as I saw it for the first time. This is Chanel embossing at it's finest- this brocade pattern is almost to pretty to touch.



This powder is a beautiful true gold. Admittedly, there are large pieces of glitter which are only on the surface. Underneath is the finely-milled gold which buffs beautifully into the skin. I think warm-toned girls with love this product as it will accentuate the tone of their skin. It will look great as traditionally placed as a highlighter on the high points on the face (above cheekbones and brow bones). It can also be used over a bronzer over the whole cheek buffed in really well, and as a eyeshadow on it's own.

I would have to say that gold illuminators are not readily available, so this is quite nice to add to your collection. I'm not sure however if it is essential to your collection........
The Chanel Routes Des Indes De Chanel was the only product that called out to me. The other products in the collection were not as special or different from the usual Chanel line-up.

Which one of the products from the Bombay Express Collection do you just have to have?