*tumbleweed*
7 Sep 2006 11:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kangeikoWhere did the internets go? It's like my flist has all gone into hibernation or something. *pokes you* You guys OK?
I have been at work all week and I feel fantastic. I leapt out of bed this morning, flounced into the shower, blow-dried my hair, put on make-up - ok, my train was late because Northern Line = TEH SUCK - but as I came in, I ran into Senior Partner, who was unbearably sweet and it put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.
I am also wearing tighs (or pantyhose, for the non-Brits out there) and a dress, and earrings. Did I mention the make-up and blow-dried hair? It's like all of a sudden I'm myself again. No strange inexplicable need for loose trousers. No aversion to heels. No loathing of contacts, mascara or eyeshadow. *grooms*
So, girl-things. It's high time everyone out there reveals their beauty secrets and fabulous products, dontcha think? Hand them over.
*
Skincare
I'm a big fan of the Origins stuff, even though it is very pricey, so my mother tends to buy this stuff for me as she is a Star (TM). I'm a particular fan of the Never a Dull Moment skin brightening face cleanser, which is fabulous for mornings - it removes all the dead skin with a very very mild exfoliant, so it doesn't feel like you've removed your face. It's also chock-full of fruit extracts, so your face feels really fresh in the mornings.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
athena25 tend to use it first thing, as part of the shower routine. However, as I said, it's pricey, so a cheaper alternative is the Body Shop peachy clean facial scrub (which I can't find on the website, so I'm not actually sure they do it anymore). This is a more rigorous exfoliant, so you can't use it every day. But it's still got that fruity-fresh thing about it which is a great wake-up call. For the evening, there's Origins Pure Cream, which is a rinseable cleanser you can also tissue off. I tend to rinse it off, as it is quite heavy and foamy, so using tissues just makes you feel like you have gunk on your face. But it works wonders if you have very dry skin, and it doesn't do horrible things to your T-zone either.
Moisturiser-wise, I quite like Have a Nice Day moisture lotion, which is good for combination skin. It's nice and light, so you don't feel like your face is weighed down during the day. Also, as I like in London, the pollution content of the air is very high, so you need something that won't clog your pores. I do like this, but it's expensive and you only get a tiny wee pot of it. It is lovely packaging, though - this and Pure Cream both come in solid heavy pots with ceramic tops, so it feels like you're in the sixties when you've got them lined up on your dresser.
Make-up
I use Lancome Colour ID foundation - which is my foundation saviour, as I don't have what you'd call 'even' colour across my skin - which I mix with a little bit of moisturiser as it is just a touch too heavy for summer. They don't do tinted moisturisers, unfortunately, otherwise I'd buy all their stock. This, I have to say, is a fabulous product if your skin has blotches or an uneven tone. You need to really massage it in - none of that slapping it on with a trowel; a little goes a long way - but it's fabulous. And the massage itself is also good for your skin, so.
Blusher-wise, I stick with Benefit, which has a fabulous selection.athena25 is fond of Georgia, which is a lovely peachy colour; I prefer Dandelion, which is more pink and has gold flecks to make you "look more awake". This is a good thing, as first thing in the morning I resemble a corpse. For those who require a little more, aherm, 'specialist' ake-up - and we're talking the Anais Nin brand of 'speciality' here - might one recommend Benefit Benetint? It's a little pot of liquid with a brush - more lide nail varnish than anything else - that can be applied to cheeks and lips. All lips. And, also nipples. So, if you're going to a baroque club, or an S&M party and want to do something a little more Moulin Rouge-inspired, this is the stuff. It's a tint, rather than a lipstick or similar, so it doesn't rub off. It also looks a lot more natural, depending on hot many coats you put on.
One other fabulous product is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, which takes care of bags under eyes, too large noses, blemishes, lack of cheekbones or anything else you might want to fix. It's a little brush-pen that has a light-reflecting fluid. A little under your eyes gets rid of bags, and a swipe down each side of the nose makes it narrower. Again, a little goes a long way.
Powder-wise, I've tried everything from loose powder, to powder-puffs, to a cream foundation that supposedly doesn't need powder, to pressed powder ranging from Versace to Maybelline, and the best one I've found is the translucent pressed powder from Christian Dior, which glides on smoothly and is sheer enough so it doesn't look like you're wearing a mask.
Lipsticks - I don't like them. I don't like chalkiness on my lips, and they're pretty dry anyway. I like Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm, which has peppermint oil as well as all the usual stuff, and makes your lips pout and tingle. I follow that with Helena Rubinstein Collagenist Lip Zoom, which creates Angelina Jolie-lips out of thin air. I have no idea how it does it, but it's amazing. It has this glossy, "I've just had great sex" look to it once it's been slicked on that I adore. You can't really wear it with any lipsticks, though, as it's too thick for that (unlike Benefit Lip Plump, which is also fabulous but goes goopey in the tube really quickly). One set of lip glosses that I liked was also Benefit, but they don't do them anymore. My mummy got them for me - they were in a little chocolate box, wrapped up as French fancies, and they looked more like cakes than anything else.
Haircare
If I could only use one shampoo and conditioner for the rest of my life, I'd use TiGi's Honey and Oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. It costs and bomb, so I can only ever afford it around Christmas-time, but it's wonderful, and it leaves your hair smelling amazing. It's particularly good for colour-treated hair - in fact, I'd argue that it's better than TiGi's colour-treated specialist shampoo, which just smells of bubblegum and is rather disappointing.
A cheaper alternative is the Tresomme stuff, but I get bored of that really easily. I quite like John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette stuff, but I haven't really discovered a difference between that and the cheaper brunetta ranges offered by Sunsilk and the like, so.
Bodycare
Benefit Body so Fine is basically sex in a tin. It smells lovely, and you use a velvet puff to smooth it on. I don't tend to use it as my primary body moisturiser, as it's just a touch too dry for that, but, rather, as a going out 'finishing' product that makes your skin glisten and smell divine. Follow it up with Kitten goes to Paris, and you're all set to go.
For feet, I have been stealingathena25's Sandal Scandal for a few months now. It's glorious, so she has to put up with it. Also, I provide the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectorant, which some might put under skincare, but I don't, because it's useful everywhere. It's basically posh Savlon, but it gets rid of any blemishes or dry bits you might have. It tingles like anything, and a lot of my friends are allergic to it, so have an allergy test at the shop before you fork out the cash for it. It is fabulous, though, and does for your elbows and blemishes and dry hands etc what Sandal Scandal does for your heels.
Other fun things to try are Origins A Perfect World body moisturiser, which is heaps better than their Ginger Souffle nonsense, and the ultra-cheap, ultra-fabulous Dove Rich Moisturising Cream, which turns your skin into milk. Seriously. Try it.
*
Right. Those are my recommendations. What do other people think? Don't be stingy with your beauty discoveries - none of us have the disposable cash to go and purchase products on a whim. Careful research is required before we can persuade richer people to purchase them on our behalf. Fork the info over, ladies.
I have been at work all week and I feel fantastic. I leapt out of bed this morning, flounced into the shower, blow-dried my hair, put on make-up - ok, my train was late because Northern Line = TEH SUCK - but as I came in, I ran into Senior Partner, who was unbearably sweet and it put me in a good mood for the rest of the day.
I am also wearing tighs (or pantyhose, for the non-Brits out there) and a dress, and earrings. Did I mention the make-up and blow-dried hair? It's like all of a sudden I'm myself again. No strange inexplicable need for loose trousers. No aversion to heels. No loathing of contacts, mascara or eyeshadow. *grooms*
So, girl-things. It's high time everyone out there reveals their beauty secrets and fabulous products, dontcha think? Hand them over.
*
Skincare
I'm a big fan of the Origins stuff, even though it is very pricey, so my mother tends to buy this stuff for me as she is a Star (TM). I'm a particular fan of the Never a Dull Moment skin brightening face cleanser, which is fabulous for mornings - it removes all the dead skin with a very very mild exfoliant, so it doesn't feel like you've removed your face. It's also chock-full of fruit extracts, so your face feels really fresh in the mornings.
athena25 tend to use it first thing, as part of the shower routine. However, as I said, it's pricey, so a cheaper alternative is the Body Shop peachy clean facial scrub (which I can't find on the website, so I'm not actually sure they do it anymore). This is a more rigorous exfoliant, so you can't use it every day. But it's still got that fruity-fresh thing about it which is a great wake-up call. For the evening, there's Origins Pure Cream, which is a rinseable cleanser you can also tissue off. I tend to rinse it off, as it is quite heavy and foamy, so using tissues just makes you feel like you have gunk on your face. But it works wonders if you have very dry skin, and it doesn't do horrible things to your T-zone either.Moisturiser-wise, I quite like Have a Nice Day moisture lotion, which is good for combination skin. It's nice and light, so you don't feel like your face is weighed down during the day. Also, as I like in London, the pollution content of the air is very high, so you need something that won't clog your pores. I do like this, but it's expensive and you only get a tiny wee pot of it. It is lovely packaging, though - this and Pure Cream both come in solid heavy pots with ceramic tops, so it feels like you're in the sixties when you've got them lined up on your dresser.
Make-up
I use Lancome Colour ID foundation - which is my foundation saviour, as I don't have what you'd call 'even' colour across my skin - which I mix with a little bit of moisturiser as it is just a touch too heavy for summer. They don't do tinted moisturisers, unfortunately, otherwise I'd buy all their stock. This, I have to say, is a fabulous product if your skin has blotches or an uneven tone. You need to really massage it in - none of that slapping it on with a trowel; a little goes a long way - but it's fabulous. And the massage itself is also good for your skin, so.
Blusher-wise, I stick with Benefit, which has a fabulous selection.
athena25 is fond of Georgia, which is a lovely peachy colour; I prefer Dandelion, which is more pink and has gold flecks to make you "look more awake". This is a good thing, as first thing in the morning I resemble a corpse. For those who require a little more, aherm, 'specialist' ake-up - and we're talking the Anais Nin brand of 'speciality' here - might one recommend Benefit Benetint? It's a little pot of liquid with a brush - more lide nail varnish than anything else - that can be applied to cheeks and lips. All lips. And, also nipples. So, if you're going to a baroque club, or an S&M party and want to do something a little more Moulin Rouge-inspired, this is the stuff. It's a tint, rather than a lipstick or similar, so it doesn't rub off. It also looks a lot more natural, depending on hot many coats you put on.One other fabulous product is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat, which takes care of bags under eyes, too large noses, blemishes, lack of cheekbones or anything else you might want to fix. It's a little brush-pen that has a light-reflecting fluid. A little under your eyes gets rid of bags, and a swipe down each side of the nose makes it narrower. Again, a little goes a long way.
Powder-wise, I've tried everything from loose powder, to powder-puffs, to a cream foundation that supposedly doesn't need powder, to pressed powder ranging from Versace to Maybelline, and the best one I've found is the translucent pressed powder from Christian Dior, which glides on smoothly and is sheer enough so it doesn't look like you're wearing a mask.
Lipsticks - I don't like them. I don't like chalkiness on my lips, and they're pretty dry anyway. I like Burt's Bees beeswax lip balm, which has peppermint oil as well as all the usual stuff, and makes your lips pout and tingle. I follow that with Helena Rubinstein Collagenist Lip Zoom, which creates Angelina Jolie-lips out of thin air. I have no idea how it does it, but it's amazing. It has this glossy, "I've just had great sex" look to it once it's been slicked on that I adore. You can't really wear it with any lipsticks, though, as it's too thick for that (unlike Benefit Lip Plump, which is also fabulous but goes goopey in the tube really quickly). One set of lip glosses that I liked was also Benefit, but they don't do them anymore. My mummy got them for me - they were in a little chocolate box, wrapped up as French fancies, and they looked more like cakes than anything else.
Haircare
If I could only use one shampoo and conditioner for the rest of my life, I'd use TiGi's Honey and Oatmeal shampoo and conditioner. It costs and bomb, so I can only ever afford it around Christmas-time, but it's wonderful, and it leaves your hair smelling amazing. It's particularly good for colour-treated hair - in fact, I'd argue that it's better than TiGi's colour-treated specialist shampoo, which just smells of bubblegum and is rather disappointing.
A cheaper alternative is the Tresomme stuff, but I get bored of that really easily. I quite like John Frieda's Brilliant Brunette stuff, but I haven't really discovered a difference between that and the cheaper brunetta ranges offered by Sunsilk and the like, so.
Bodycare
Benefit Body so Fine is basically sex in a tin. It smells lovely, and you use a velvet puff to smooth it on. I don't tend to use it as my primary body moisturiser, as it's just a touch too dry for that, but, rather, as a going out 'finishing' product that makes your skin glisten and smell divine. Follow it up with Kitten goes to Paris, and you're all set to go.
For feet, I have been stealing
athena25's Sandal Scandal for a few months now. It's glorious, so she has to put up with it. Also, I provide the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectorant, which some might put under skincare, but I don't, because it's useful everywhere. It's basically posh Savlon, but it gets rid of any blemishes or dry bits you might have. It tingles like anything, and a lot of my friends are allergic to it, so have an allergy test at the shop before you fork out the cash for it. It is fabulous, though, and does for your elbows and blemishes and dry hands etc what Sandal Scandal does for your heels.Other fun things to try are Origins A Perfect World body moisturiser, which is heaps better than their Ginger Souffle nonsense, and the ultra-cheap, ultra-fabulous Dove Rich Moisturising Cream, which turns your skin into milk. Seriously. Try it.
*
Right. Those are my recommendations. What do other people think? Don't be stingy with your beauty discoveries - none of us have the disposable cash to go and purchase products on a whim. Careful research is required before we can persuade richer people to purchase them on our behalf. Fork the info over, ladies.
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Erykah's recs part one
Date: 2006-09-07 03:57 pm (UTC)Wow, I didn't realise I used so much stuff! Posting in two comments because I've managed to exceed the limit!!
Skincare:
I use Elemis almost exclusively for my face because my facial skin's quite sensitive and doesn't seem to like much else.
Lime Blossom Cleanser, Lavender Toner and Absolute Day Cream. It's light, easy and quick.
Their SOS Skin Emergency Cream is fantastic for days when your skin is just looking rubbish and the day cream isn't enough. Instant perk up.
I also use St Ives Swiss Formula Firming Masque, which is a lovely mud-based face mask that leaves you feeling refreshed. Their Apricot Scrub is also the best facial exfoliator I've found. These guys do the job without costing a fortune.
Gale Hayman Lighten Up Eye Cream is good for the day after the night before. Gets rid of those dark circles. ;-)
Make Up:
I don't wear a lot of make up and when I do I tend to go for a very natural look but one of my favourites of recent times come from Avon (of all places!). They have a "tropical glow" range of powders, eyeshadows and lipsticks that are simply devine and you'd never know they cost so little because the quality is very high.
For lip plumping, I use Urban Decay's Big Fatty Lip Plumper. Capsicum pepper extract stings your lips to sexiness and it lasts quite a while. I also use Urban Decay's Baked Bronzer, Surreal Skin Powder and Afterglow Blush... all of which I totally recommend.
In lipsticks, I swear by Gale Hayman's 14ct Gold. You can wear it on its own or over any other lipstick. It makes those dry lipsticks all glossy without going sticky and icky. She also does an Opal lipstick which is nearly as good.
Smashbox products are also really good. Especially their Photo Finish Foundation Primer.
Haircare:
For everyday, I use Aussie Mega Shampoo and the matching conditioner. It gets the job done and smells nice. The BF uses it as well. He has a totally different hair type to me but it's works for him too. A good all rounder.
Lush's Hybrid shampoo and conditioner in a bar is very good, especially for travelling with. It's one of those products you buy for a laugh but then surprises you by being good(!)
At weekends, I use Ojon Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner. It's too rich to use everyday (and way too expensive).
To treat my hair I use Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment (http://www.ojonhaircare.com/products/OJT0001). It makes my hair incredibly glossy and the natural curliness looks sleek rather than the otherwise frizz of it all. It smells of overripe fruit, which is sort of on a borderline between amazing and gross, but it really does the business.
I find that Tigi's Fashionista Smooth and Shine actual helps control the frizz somewhat and evens out my curls, even though that's not what it's meant for. It is also great for straightening (which IS what it's meant for). Studio Line's Hot Curl Spray is the best for getting great curl definition with heat sources.
Re: Erykah's recs part one
Date: 2006-10-01 02:38 pm (UTC)I've been pleasantly surprised by a lot of Lush stuff, actually. I liked their blueberry masque, and bought a very expensive pot of it... which
And their bath bomb things are uber-cool. Also! Their witch-thingie chocolate massage bar is amazing. It's the one with the beads in it that slowly melts as you're using it, and has muscle relaxants.... *purrs*
erykah's recs part two
Date: 2006-09-07 03:57 pm (UTC)Bodycare:
I'll use pure L'Occitane 100% Pure Shea Butter for anything: lip balm/gloss, elbows, feet, nails, hands. You can even put a bit on your hair to make it shine. It's a little bit of heaven. Everyone should have a pot of this stuff. Even my soap in the bathroom is L'Occitane Shea Butter soap.
In the bath I'll use all manner of things. L'Occitane Shea Butter Milk Bath Cream is a favourite. The Sanctuary Salt Scrub is also lovely. I love Molton Brown Ginseng Bath & Shower. Avon do a shower gel called Refresh! which is orangey and fabulous for waking up with in the morning. Lush's Angel Delight soap is also fun and smells wonderful.
I shave my legs (because I'm allergic to waxing and depliatory creams), so I use Somerset's Shaving Oil. A couple of drops from the tiny tiny bottle beats the pants off every other shaving foam and gel that I've tried. And, when you get out of the bath, it starts to tingle in a really interesting way. They do make a female version in a pink bottle and a sensitive version in a green one now but the original stuff in the blue bottle is the best. Leaves legs feeling very slinky and soft.
When I've just got out of the bath I smoother myself in Decleor Moisturising Body Milk (very lush). Other than that my single greatest moisturising tip is Johnson's Baby Oil (put it on in the shower or bath) and Baby Talcum Powder (very lightly afterwards).
Nails and Hands:
OPI's Nail Envy and Avoplex are great. Nail Envy just does wonders for strengthening and Avoplex sorts out the cuticles. In fact, OPI full stop for any nail product.
I got collared by some woman (named Dodi) in the street the other day and she did me this demonstration on my nails. She buffed one of them up in seconds and it looked amazing... glossy without any need for nail polish. I was so impressed that I bought it on the spot and when I got home it was exactly as easy as she said and my nails do genuinely look great with it. Jill Jordan Nail Kits (http://www.jilljordan.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22&osCsid=d3b1a995d6143253a7ec9993fe7c4618) I went for the Unity because I liked the smell of the hand cream but the hand cream is not the good bit. It's the 3-way buffer that you really want (and the cuticle trimmer).
For my hands, I normally use L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcream. I can't get this stuff in enough products. I could rave on about it all day. ;-)
Feet:
Avon do a very good exfoliator with diamond dust. Inexpensive and very much gets the job done.
Then L'Occitane again, shea butter foot cream. I slather on way too much and then put a pair of socks on over the top.
Re: erykah's recs part two
Date: 2006-09-08 09:57 am (UTC)Re: erykah's recs part two
Date: 2006-10-01 02:40 pm (UTC)Re: erykah's recs part two
Date: 2006-10-01 02:39 pm (UTC)Also! New facial wash, Body Shop outmeal and glycerin. Sounds awful but is divine.