Comments Off on Defending Eyes from Unfriendly Skies!
Let’s get real here: we moisturize & exfoliate, cleanse & prime—but we still can’t always seem to protect our skin the way that we want to. Specifically, our eyelids. They’re small, but oh, so delicate, and we’re planning on using them to protect our eyes for years to come. So, like any Benebabe would, we came up with a fabulous solution for eyelid defense! Enter, air patrol—our brand new BB eyelid primer with SPF 20!
Our eyelids go through a lot of abuse every day: between smoke (& smoky eyes), smog & sun, there’s a lot going on in the life of an eyelid! Air patrol protects your eyes against environmental stress with EnviroDefend Complex, which combines shea extract, silktree extract & licorice root for a fabulous formula to protect, defend & soothe. As always with Benefit, it’s also all about the tip. Air patrol has a cushion calm tip inspired by gel foam found in mattresses & pillows for stress free, pressure free application that’s softer than your pinkie!
We know your next question—air patrol will protect your lids, yeah, but will it also keep your shadow from creasing? Of COURSE, gorgeous! Have we ever let you down!? Air patrol works flawlessly on its own for color-correction & a gorgeous no-makeup makeup look, or under shadow for crease-free perfection that lasts all day! To apply air patrol, just click once & massage into the eyelid, using the cushion calm tip to blend evenly. Pro-tip: give air patrol a few seconds to dry, and once it gets tacky, blend into the area around the eyelid for a seamless look.
So what do you think, gorgeous—are you ready to protect those peepers with some serious eyelid defense!? Air patrol is landing in stores September 1st!
When celebville hits town, there is so much preparation to do – even last minute like the stand-in Cheryl for lighting checks above. The Cheryl Stormflower launch was shrowded in secrecy – not one leaked picture or details – and still, some of Cheryl’s fans used their spidey senses and knew where and when she’d be! I didn’t even know til a few days ago. Anyway, they were so friendly and chatty and waited a long old time for Cheryl’s arrival on the hottest, most uncomfortable London evening of the year.
When Cheryl arrived to launch her new fragrance, I was so surprised at how tiny she is. She’s like a flower fairy – absolutely petite. Of course, she was immaculate – beautiful dress, beautiful make-up, smiley and relaxed. If I compare it to the Kim Kardashian fragrance launch – it was a whole different vibe.
So, if you’re a regular reader of BBB, you’ll know I’m not in the least interested in celebrities but Cheryl looked directly at me, did the most beautiful smile – and I actually got a shiver. Whatever ‘it’ is, she has ‘it’.
Marvin did a quick interview with Cheryl about Stormflower – it was really relaxed – she said all the usual things (totally involved, etc) but they had a good chemistry and it didn’t feel all that celeby in the end.
So, finally, here’s StormFlower in its rose gold packaging. It’s a fruity-floral that’s suprisingly clean and fresh smelling. The intitial spray is quite heavily fruity, but the dry down is very wearable – it doesn’t wear you, I suppose I am trying to say. The blurb says that it contains vanilla (not heavy), white musk, sandalwood, mandarin and nectarine, freesia and peach blossom. I would have to say it’s a pretty scent – it won’t rock the fragrance world but it’s right for its audience I think and a very welcome change from the usual youth market fragrances that smell of boiled toffee and roses.
There were plenty of flower shaped fragrance spills spritzed with StormFlower so I pocketed lots of them and gave them to Cheryl’s fans on the way out – I’m not sure why this isn’t done as standard – they were waiting in boiling heat for such a long time so it seems such a small thing to do; and I only learned to do it at the Kim Kardashian fragrance launch when I accidentally had some extras and gave them away there and they were just so pleased to smell the scent. Not that I’m at many celebrity fragrance launches, but if I am I always do it.
I’m also wondering if the bottles had to be re-done in light of Cheryl’s secret wedding. Imagine the panic!
The post Cheryl StormFlower appeared first on British Beauty Blogger.
Woo! There’s a name – Fendi Furiosa. Despite such a strong name, the fragrance is very feminine – it’s powerful with some big blossomy notes in the form of gardena and jasmine absolute, and the centrepiece, the Violaciocca flower (scented stocks). Like the name suggests, Fendi Furiosa isn’t for wallflowers! It’s unapologetically sexy and meant to be so – down-notes of woods and amber ensure a base that’s enveloping and heady.
The bottle is such a mercurial design; basically an ‘animal’ print that could be anything from a butterfly wing or leopard spots, to alligator markings or even, I guess a giraffe print. I think it is so, so clever. Fendi Furiosa is all about evenings – I wouldn’t mark it for myself as a day fragrance, but as the last part of a glamorous going-out ritual, it’s spot on. As you might expect, it’s rather a ‘luxury’ price, too! You can find it at Harrods for £63.50.
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Comments Off on YSL Sahariennes: The Ultimate Bronze
If you watched the June Favourites video then you’ll already know that I’ve totally fallen for these silky, buildable bronzers from Yves Saint Laurent. I love everything about them, from the way that the powder has been pressed so that it looks like rippled sand right down to the luminous, creamy finish when applied to the skin.
I have to say that the glamorously-named Sahariennes Bronzing Stones nearly got passed over in the testing queue – I thought that they’d be like those annoying pots of powdery beads that you can get. Blasted little spheres of bronzer or blusher or illuminating face powder that bounce out all over the place and go everywhere except onto the makeup brush.
But they’re not. The cream-powder is pressed into a compact, just like a traditional bronzer, albeit one that’s far lighter, brighter and smoother. The Sahariennes use ultra-fine pigment that sits so beautifully on the skin, so seamlessly, that it’s difficult to tell whether you’re actually wearing any bronzer at all.
I mean that in a good way, obviously; nobody wants to fork out on a bronzer for it to make absolutely no difference! I suppose what I’m getting at is that the finish is so lightweight and non-powdery, so fine and smooth, that it’s a subtle and believable bronzing effect that you end up with rather than anything brash or “done”. Definitely one for people who like makeup with a light touch, though both shades of this that I’ve tried (1 and 3) are supremely buildable for a more dramatic look.
Read more makeup reviews…
In the photograph above I’m wearing a light dusting of shade 1 with a bit of shade 3 in all of the usual places – below cheekbones, temples – so that you can see the overall effect. I can’t get enough of these Bronzing Stones: bright but non-shimmery, light but generously pigmented… Well worth checking out on counter if you’re on the hunt for an easy makeup bag update – you can also find them online here. They are £35 each, come with a smart-looking brush and are lightly scented with the most delightful, fruity sort of smell. Just delicious.
The post YSL Sahariennes: The Ultimate Bronze appeared first on A Model Recommends.
Comments Off on Bridal Beauty Prep #3: Picking My Perfect Scent At Jo Malone London (And Top Tips To Fragrance Your Day)
As such a fragrance fiend I knew that getting my wedding day scent just right was going to be top of my priority list as soon as the big things were ticked off. I’ve always worn different perfumes dependent upon my mood, look, the time of year and even occasion, so it was never just going to be a case of spritzing on my current favourite: it was about finding the perfect accompaniment that would always remind me of this very special day as soon as I caught an unexpected whiff. And when you want something uniquely you, timeless, elegant and beautifully crafted there’s nowhere else to turn to than Jo Malone London. It’s undoubtedly become one of those brands I adore wholeheartedly over the last five years or so, and their fragrances adorn my body more than any other – whether that’s the classic Lime, Basil & Mandarin, the limited edition Tudor Rose or the refreshing Wood Sage & Sea Salt among others. What I adore about their perfumes is that they transcend trends or ages, instead providing an aroma that can always be treasured; and that’s exactly what you want from your bridal scent of choice.
In order to pick the perfect fragrance for my wedding day I popped along to their flagship store at Sloane Square for the full bridal treatment and experience, including a glass of champagne and a hand massage to make me feel pampered and bridal. Having someone to help you make decisions, provide suggestions and recommendations is well worth taking a few hours out of your day for, as is the knowledge that you’ll leave with a scent you’ll be counting down the days to wear.
THE CONSIDERATIONS
My personal tastes are very specific and they always have been: I adore citrus, fresh and slightly masculine scents, but detest anything too sweet or floral. Although I knew the kind of scent I wanted to wear, I didn’t want to adorn something I already had – instead choosing to make new memories and keep the fragrance as something super special in my mind. During a Jo Malone London bridal consultation you’ll be asked to share as many details about your day as possible: from the style of the venue, to colour schemes and your dress design, to the time of year and the kind of atmosphere you’re looking to achieve. This helps to set the scene and provides something on which to base recommendations, and makes you think about your wedding in a whole new way. Our big day is taking place in a barn in the country on a (hopefully) warm autumn day, which helped pinpoint certain fragrances that would work beautifully with the surroundings – it’s unsurprising we ended up opting for autumnal fruits and richly warming scents.
THE BLIND TEST
Undoubtedly the best bit of the process, this is where it gets fun! After you’ve discussed your likes, dislikes and theme for the day, your fragrance expert will pick out a selection for you to smell – both alone and in combination with complementary scents. With the names removed your mind is far open than it otherwise would have been, allowing you to choose the scents that you genuinely love rather than are preconditioned to like. We tried and tested a number of different combinations to enhance the base notes of my preferred perfumes, both on a fragrance stick and on my skin, finally settling on a combination that I adored and knew would work with my vision of the day perfectly.
THE FINAL CHOICES
So what of my final choices? I settled on a combination of English Pear & Freesia and the rather iconic Blackberry & Bay – which together provide a timelessly rich, fruity and elegant scent that I simply can’t get enough of. I’ve loved English Pear & Freesia for such a long time but always talked myself out of an impulsive purchase, so my wedding day was the perfect excuse to indulge; Blackberry & Bay was one of my first Jo Malone discoveries, but it’s been such a long time since I’ve worn it that it’s also like starting anew. Together they’re exactly what I envisioned, but would never have settled on alone… So thank you Jo Malone for helping me choose the perfect fragrance combination!
Although I knew having my scent just right was important, I didn’t realise how much of a role scent could play in the overall event – both in the lead-up and on the day itself. The whole experience left me thinking about new ways to infuse my day with the fragrance of autumnal fruit, while little tips have provided the perfect excuse to coat myself in even more Jo Malone concoctions!
TOP TIPS FOR FRAGRANCING YOUR DAY
1. Wear your chosen scent to your dress fittings, subconsciously associating the fragrance with your wedding day and wearing the dress of your dreams. (It’s a great excuse for a cheeky spritz too!)
2. Pop a fragranced soap in the same scent into the bag holding your dress ahead of the main event. It will subtly infuse the scent into the dress and make you feel even more fragrant.
3. Dot a few candles (or diffusers) of your main perfume around the wedding venue, so your guests get a subtle preview of what’s to come when you walk down the aisle.
4. On the morning of your wedding, wash using the corresponding shower gel and apply a complementary body lotion, helping to layer up the scent for longevity.
5. Spritz a little of your chosen scent onto napkins, menus and orders of service (or even the bottom of table cloths so they get a waft of perfume as they get up from the table.)
6. Ask your partner to spray a little of your scent onto his tie or handkerchief, not only so he smells a little like you, but so you complement each other perfectly.
7. To keep your beautiful fragrance lasting for as long as possible, spray a little into your hair (which holds onto scent a lot longer than skin.)
8. When the big event is over, wear the scent only during special occasions and anniversaries so you can treasure the memories made and associations with your chosen fragrance.
Have you any other top tips on choosing, wearing or styling your fragrance of choice on your wedding day? Which scent did you choose to wear and why?
(Or which scent do you think you’ll opt for, even if you’re not yet planning a wedding!)
SHOP THE SCENTS
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