Elizabeth Arden is 100 years old and to celebrate the skin care giant have launched a limited edition Eight Hour Cream in a vintage-meets-5th-Avenue pots, which I think you’ll agree will make the perfect stocking filler this Christmas.
This little pot of cream can be used for everything from chapped lips, dry cuticles, unruly eyebrows, cracked feet, glossy eyelids (i.e mix with dark eye shadow to achieve a sexy smoky eye effect) and is great to keep your skin hydrated on long flights.
There’s a big difference between sporting a ‘healthy dewy glow’ and looking like your face has underground oil rigs that have just sprung some leaks – namely on your nose, forehead and chin. We’re all familiar with that unattractive sheen which makes us glow in photos, and which always occurs at the most inopportune times like during your first date with Mr Right, or as you sit in the waiting room before your big interview or on your wedding day. Instead arm yourself with the ‘shiny girl’s saviours’ which promise to take the shine off your face (in the best possible way).
After your make-up application is complete fix it in place with a light spritz of Urban Decay All-Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Setting Spray (Available from Boots).
When the sheen strikes the last thing you want to do is apply more face powder as it just gives a chalky finish which can end up leaving your make-up looking blotchy and heavy, instead try Paul and Joe miniature Blotting Paper (asos.com)
Or The Body Shop Tea Tree Facial Blotting Tissues (also comes in Camomile for sensitive skin) or Dior Blotting papers, one sheet is enough to blot the whole face during touch-ups or when humidity hits.
The product’s promise: Say “Au revoir” to dark circles, blemishes, sun damage, broken capillaries, redness and more.
It does, but you have to be really careful when applying it. A little goes a long way and it’s essential to use a make-up/concealer brush.
Apply pin dot amounts of concealer at the inside corner of each eye. Three dots in the shape of a triangle is all you’ll need to erase under eye circles.
I found it totally covered dark circles and stayed put all day, even in humid conditions. It didn’t create that dry starchy appearance which sometimes happens with concealer but I had applied eye cream first, when I lent it to someone else to try their experiences were different. They found it dried and caked on their under-eye area. I think this was because the beauty boffin in question applied too much, but she begs to differ, so the jury is still out on this one. I guess I liked it but I don’t think it lived up to the hype to be honest and I also thought it was over-priced at forty dollars plus postage.
It is a celebrity favourite because they need a hundred per cent coverage when they’re being consistently snapped by the paps, for us mere mortals I think the cheaper alternatives are just as good.
The singer is said to have been attending a New York based surgeon for non-surgical face-lift treatments called the stem cell facelift, in which a patient’s complexion is revamped using their own grafted fat tissue.
Doesn’t Cheryl Tweety look amazing on the October cover of Vogue? Vulnerable and seductive all at once. If there was ever a face that make-up loves this is it, and she’s a perfect example of how false lashes can transform your face from to pretty to stunningly glam.
British Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Alexandra Shulman says Cheryl was a “trouper” on the set, as she must have been feeling ill because the day after she was diagnosed with malaria.
Is Cheryl the new Princess Diana, or am I the only one who see the similarities?
The Californian Glow
To achieve the California glow on her face she uses Chanel Bronzing Powder in Desert Corail, but be warned, this works best on those with an olive or tanned skin, not so great on us Lillie Whites and if we must bronze then apply lightly.
Sun-kissed Hair
She get regular Baby Blond Hairlights. Her colourist mixes shades of blond with more natural sandy tones for a California beach girl look to bring out her green eyes.
Skincare.
She’s a fan of the Epicuren skin care line which is made with a natural, pure ingredient that deliver antioxidants and enzymes, both essential for rejuvenate.
See www.epicuren.com for stockists.
Facials.
She also enjoys a weekly session with her highly trained facialist, alternating between seaweed and oxygen facials to maintain and improve elasticity and texture.
Please pop back for our review of the oxygen facials which Eva Longoria told InStyle magazine she was addicted to!
Sleek hair, strong lips, contour under the cheekbone and feline kohl-rimmed eyes with winged lashes, oh how very A/W 2010.
I think the full feline craze is best left for the catwalks or brave sixteen year olds. I, myself, am trending more towards the sensual black eyeliner as perfected by the original sex bomb Brigitte Bardot, and perhaps I’ll play with a little feline flick for fun Saturday night antics.
Though I also adore how celebrities have interpreted the look, such as the beautiful Christina Hendrick who used light brown shadow to softly turn up the look.
And of course Kate Hudson, who nearly always gets it right.
Just like Nicole Richie who’s famous for her cats eyes
Drop by later for our follow-up step-by-step tutorial on how to create perfect feline-eyes
Did you ever notice how celebrities rarely seem to suffer from the unattractive shiny face us mere mortals do when we’re photographed, Kim says it’s thanks to Blot Film by MAC, “Blottting is a must for every bag. It’s super portable and perfect to touch up my skin – and get rid of the shine”
Kim’s favorite most versatile product is Glam Balm, which she says she uses to tame flyaway hair, moisturise her lips and keep her brows in shape.
I’ve used it too and it’s a much nicer texture than the Elizabeth Arden eight hour cream, though quite a bit more expensive. I do love it too though, it’s also great for cuticles and even feet!
To keep her glow Kim applies a Blushable Creme Stick by NYC New York Colour, “This is a super blendable blush that can act as a lipstick in case I need a touch up,” she says.
Her preferred foundation is Makeup For Ever HD Foundation and Powder and she also regularly uses – M.A.C. Zoom Mascara and is a big fan of La Mer The Lip Balm.
Coral is a toe-nail colour which seems to look glorious and expensive on every skin colour, but finding one with a high gloss and longevity is not always as easy as it seems. After testing over twenty brands we’re bringing you the top three
A creamy coral with red undertones. Excellent longevity and dries quickly with high gloss though you’ll need a few coats to make it look as luxurious as the others.
Under €12
Lippmann Daytripper: I wasn’t familiar with this brand but have since learned Deborah Lippman is manicurist to the stars and created this line to meet her clients’ demands.
A bright coral with excellent coverage after two light coats. This product also contains a build-in nail strengtheners and dries extremely quickly.
Under €20
WINNER: Revlon Coral
The brush applicator smoothed on the varnish with ease and the texture and coverage meant one coat was enough. It is thick enough not to run and was, perhaps the easier to apply, it was also the cheapest, at under €10, but nothing and I mean nothing (even after a steam and sauna) caused this varnish to peel or chip.
We all know that beauty comes from the inside but now the beauty industry have taken this quite literally and are bringing drinkable cosmetics to the market.
BORBA Skin Care Products offer drinkable products for different needs from treating acne-prone skin to reducing fine lines and wrinkles, hydrating skin and firming elasticity.
Even the companies we don’t necessarily associate with healthy drinks like Coca-Cola are jumping on the band wagon and developing a tea-based drink with L’Oréal, destined for the beauty shelves.
Similar products in Japan such as the phenomenally popular Nutraceutical drinks are one of the fastest growing areas of their drinks industry.
There is no debate that what we put into our body is reflected in our skin and bodies and I’ve no doubt these cosmetic drinks will be huge. These products are not yet available in Ireland so I’ll be sticking to Aloe Vera juice and water, both help to rebuild and maintain the skin.
At the Bottega Veneta Spring 2010 RTW show in Milan the models’ eyes seemed to pop, not only because of their amazing glitter eye make-up (happy dance, glitter is back for a/w 2010) but also because their eyebrows had been bleached to a pale shade of blond, so much so that the Caucasian models looked as if there were eyebrow-less, focusing all the attention on their eyes.
The models in Miu Miu’s stunning new advertising campaign are also without brows.
The bleached eyebrows or no eyebrows has been seen in earlier seasons but it’s never been as strong as it is now.
Though I think you have to be incredibly beautiful to pull off this look and even at that it doesn’t always work.
Here’s how one of the most beautiful women in the world might look without brows – Angelina Jolie.
So, what do we think?
Will it become main-stream?
On pay day I used love nothing more than skipping into an upmarket department store to sample the delights at the cosmetic counters, but over the years some haughty sales people staffing these counters have turned it into a fairly traumatising experience.
You know the type, they look you up and down, are snippy and condescending when they realise you’re not going to buy a 200euros tub of face-cream without sampling it and I don’t just mean a dab on the back of my hand because that’s about as helpful as lawnmower. I need a proper sample, a sachet which will let me test the product at home, when I’ve had a chance to wash off the day’s grime and can investigate the product’s possible merits. Even though the sales person has a drawer of samples, her reply to my request is, ‘sorry, samples only come with purchases’.
If I were purchasing the product I wouldn’t need a sample, I explain, but she gives me one of those withering looks sales people reserve for such annoyances as customers.
In truth, it’s more their tone and bad attitude that kills me, so much so I now do almost all my cosmetic shopping on-line, which is not only cheaper but also more convenient without the chance of being looked down upon.
Here’s my top three on-line cosmetic stores.
No. 1 StrawberryNet
Fantastic selection of well known luxury brand cosmetics. Free shipping world-wide and 5% discount for purchasing three or more products, the more times you return to this site the greater your discount will be. I use this site for birthday gifts for friends and family living abroad as the site also offer a free gift wrapping service.
No. 2 Drugstore
Shop for an extensive selection of great every-day products as well as many American brands which are not freely available here. They also have fragrances, hair care and perfumes. I particularly like their Avalon Organics body moisturiser and Reviva products, which are a little cheaper here than else where.
Delivery to Ireland is now available.
No. 3 Beautyhabit
Hand-picked assortment of the best independent beauty. Free samples are included with every order from this American websites. They also offer an outlet section with 20-30% off and deliver to Ireland.
Asked about her decision to embrace the ageing process, she said: ‘The secret ingredient of beauty is being happy. And maybe a little eye cream.’
Charlize is a fan of Truth Serum Collagen booster by Ole Henriksen – a vitamin C product which claims to plump up skin and keep blemishes at bay, while anti-oxidants protect from pollution, boost collagen and promote a flawless complexion.
I thought to myself if this product only lives up to half these claims I’d be bathing in this stuff, irrespective of price, besides I was already a fan of the Ole Henriksen range.
Charlize likes using it on long-haul flights as she jets around the world.
At last, a celebrity who uses something other than Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream when flying, so I was excited to try this. I lathered it on for my drive from Derry to Tipperary, it’s about as long-haul and glamorous as I get right now.
My ‘truth’.
It really is a long ways to Tipperary.
I don’t always take my make-up off after a night out.
I have skin envy.
My Mui Mui wallet is fake.
I have bought weight-loss dvds from infomercials in the middle of the night.
I saw no immediate results from this products, but I can be a persistent little fecker when I have to be so I continued with the regime.
I’ve almost finished a whole Truth Bottle and I don’t think I’d buy it again because for the price I paid I would have expected to see results.
Instead nada.
The Scent
Presumably it’s the vitamin C which gives the product its very orangey scent, though it’s not a smell I particularly liked because it seemed synthetic and over-powering.
The Pump
I also found the pump dispensed too much product. Even when I distributed it on my neck and chest it still remained sticky and clammy.
I’m a big fan of vitamin C products but I think the levels available in this product are perhaps too low and would work best for those with very sensitive skin. For those of us with lizard skin I’m all for nuclear levels of vitamin C because I need to see results!
Available from Harvey Nichols.
Secret Camouflage, by Laura Mercier
This is a hard-working product and although its consistency is a bit thick at first, if you warm it up on the back of your hand it becomes more workable.
Less is more is the secret.
It’s a firm favourite with make-up artists and superstar Kate Moss. And it’s no wonder because not only did it camouflage my dark circles but it also diminished a couple of awkward blemishes which would previously have sent me scurrying under the duvet to wait out their extinction.
Its success is its ability to match exact skin tone with the use of two colours which you blend together before application.
Purchase from: Brown Thomas and Space NK at Harvey Nichols, Dundrum.
Price: under €40
Jennifer Aniston has a complexion to die for, sun-kissed and flawless.
Her ‘secret’ (and I use this word lightly) is an inexpensive bar of soap – Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar – which she says she has been using since she was a teenager.
‘I wake up and wash my face with Neutrogena face soap. I use a serum and then a Dr Hauschka day cream – that’s it!’ she says.
Of course I wanted to believe it’s just the two euro bar of soap that has her looking as she does, but then she added.
‘I run, work out every day. I do a lot of running – exercise is so important too,’ she says.
Still, I’m off to the supermarket to buy this bar of soap. Let’s hope it’s only matter of a few washes before my skin has the Jennifer Aniston glow!
Will report back soon 🙂
Teri Hatcher says she’s banned Botox.
The 45-year-old actress posted a photo album on Facebook Monday night titled “Oy with the Botox!” featuring nine pics of herself wrinkling up her face.
Hatcher writes, who is makeup free and dripping from the shower, “Thought about all those damn critics of my face. Love it or hate it, my face that is, [it’s] no surgery, no implants… no matter what ‘they’ say. Decided I’d shoot myself in to reveal some truths about “beauty” and hope it makes you all easier on yourself.”
Hatcher admits she’s used fillers in the past. “Did I ever toy with fillers or Botox over the years? Yes. Tell me does this look Botoxed to you? Yes I am alone in my bathroom naked in a towel on behalf of women everywhere trying to make a point. Women YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.”
“Just me wanting to teach that all those glam versus trash pictures of celebs are about LIGHTING. It’s not makeup, it’s not surgery or Botox…. Flat front light in your face, especially sun setting [or] 4pm light blows out all wrinkles and imperfections. Overhead light [and] sun… casts shadows under your eye from your brow, making you look tired. Shoot all family reunion photos [with] the camera man… holding the camera a little higher than your eye line.”
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