Category Archives: beauty products

I’m back with another Beauty Reviews video after a little bit of a gap. I really enjoy making these –  capturing my reaction to new products when I use them for the first time, watching on the little camera screen as the makeup works its magic (or not!) on my face. This video was supposed to be all about YSL’s Fusion Ink foundation which is, quite frankly, a marvel and one of my most-requested reviews ever. But I can’t for the life of me find it; it was on my desk and then it wasn’t. No doubt the cat has pawed it onto the floor and the dog has then picked up the baton for his part of the “let’s hide stuff” relay and deposited it inside a boot, or beneath the sofa, or in one of the waste paper baskets.

So anyway, Plan B was my next most-requested review: the Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Loose Powder Foundation. Now for me, the words “Aqua” and “Powder” don’t really belong in the same sentence – unless this powder foundation is actually made of water. Which it’s not. It’s decidedly dry and…powdery. I don’t actively dislike it, but as you’ll see from the video, it doesn’t hold a candle to my favourite Chanel base (Perfection Lumière Velvet) and although it does give alright coverage, it’s probably not a product that I’d use on its own. I’d layer it over the top of a sheer base, a BB Cream or some kind of complexion enhancer.

Which would all be well and good, this use of the powder as a “supplementary” kind of product, if it didn’t cost a whopping great big £55. With the beautiful, glowy, creamy, velvety Perfection Lumière coming in at £33, it seems rather a tall order. (You can read a full review of Perfection Lumière here, with close-ups of my skin before and after application.) If we were to compare another powder base then Eve Lom’s mineral foundation is, I think, slightly heavier on the coverage than Chanel’s powder and it has more of a “lit from within” glow (read that review here). But it doesn’t come with a cute little marshmallow-soft mini Chanel kabuki brush, so…swings and roundabouts, my friends, swings and roundabouts!

Read more foundation reviews…

Take a look at the video, see what you think. The Loose Powder Foundation does appear to give off a lovely sheen, and I didn’t find it particularly drying, but I can’t really imagine a scenario in which I’d be desperate to use it. As a setting powder, I have always thought that Chanel’s Poudre Universelle Libre was one of the best (and used loads backstage) and if I wanted a “top coat” of something, then I think that Chanel’s Les Beiges is simply unbeatable. I use it almost daily to add a bit of life and healthiness to my skin (shade 20) or to give a really pale bronze sheen on my cheeks and temples (shade 30).

See more Beauty Review videos…

(The other two products in my video are knockout: I really like Benefit’s new blush and Jane BritishBeautyBlogger‘s lip pencils for M&S are juicy, pigmented and a dream to apply!)

Chanel Les Beiges: http://tidd.ly/816257c3

Chanel Loose Powder Foundation: http://tidd.ly/c3293459

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet: http://tidd.ly/7833e124

Benefit Majorette Blush: http://tidd.ly/d1fce33a

British Beauty Blogger Lip Colour Trio: http://tidd.ly/914eaa6

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The beauty world, as you will have realised by now, has gone contouring crazy. I mentioned in my previous post that my preferred contour method, for a really soft and subtle look, was simply a sweep of matte bronzing powder beneath the cheekbones. None of that “snail trail” of illuminator across the top, no harsh lines, no muddiness. With that in mind, I decided to give the Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette a go. Much more “up my street” than the Chubby Sticks, which, despite having received a unanimous round of applause online I still can’t get the knack of. (The illuminator stick is very weak-willed, for a start – it barely shows up on my skin. Then there’s the dark contour stick, which only comes in one shade and can get a little muddy and messy upon blending, as can all cream contour products. Seems foolproof, with its chunky child’s crayon-type appearance, but I’m still struggling to get it looking as good as a powder.)

And so move over Chubby Sticks, enter stage left the Sculptionary Palette. I used the Defining Nudes version. Three shades – one highlight, one colour, one contour – for painstakingly creating that sucked-in-cheek look with your various contour and blush brushes. Or, if you’re lazy like me, three shades that can be swirled together with one massive brush (Chanel Powder No.3, perhaps) and applied slap-dashedly all over for an instant healthy glow. Behold my before:

And after.

Who needs lengthy contouring methods when you can lightly bronze beneath your cheekbones and be done with it? Marvellous. Clinique’s Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette costs £28 here.

I seriously doubt that this will be the end of my contouring investigations; I have become slightly obsessed with it, recently. Not with actually doing it, but just observing others who have. I enjoy bearing witness to the various levels of contour ridiculousness, but also having a genuine admiration when it is done really convincingly, when it becomes kind of like a weird optical illusion. I did a Max Factor video last week (don’t think it’s out yet, I’ll give you a nudge when it is) where I did a softer contour using the new Creme Puff blushers (which are properly lovely, by the way) and I really liked the effect. It was far stronger than I would ever wear in real life, but that’s the problem with this whole contouring craze: most of the demos you see are in online video tutorials, and you have to pile on loads of makeup so that the effect is dramatic enough. In an everyday situation, you need – and want – far less. Tread carefully, use the lightest touch!

The post Contouring Makeup Products Continued: The Sculptionary Palette appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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Space NK are running their brilliant £15 “try something new” discount again*, which means it’s a great time to do your stocking up if you’re running out of your favourite products. Or, if you’re particularly organised, a good time to do a bit of Christmas shopping! Space NK are giving every shopper £15 off when they spend £60 or more – just use the voucher code EXPLORE30 here.

The idea is that you use your £15 saving to explore different brands and discover something new, so I’ve done some quickfire reviews of new and interesting things just to whet your appetites. (Lies: a couple of the products are old favourites. But equally as interesting.)

Kicking off with some skincare, the fresh-as-water Hydraskin serum from Darphin. A recent discovery, this lightweight serum feels cooling and soothing and really helps to boost moisture if you’re feeling dehydrated in the facial department. It’s £43 .

OM is a new brand on my radar – I haven’t had a good go with the whole range yet, but it all looks and feels delicious. The Revitalising Beauty Booster is a gorgeous little bottle of antioxidant goodness – a few drops can be massaged neat into the face or mixed with moisturiser. I think this could be a great travel product for frequent flyers and those who repeatedly burn the candle at both ends! It’s £22.50 .

Omorovicza’s Elemental Emulsion is an old favourite – so wonderfully light but so incredibly hydrating. If you’ve got oily skin but want something rich and decadent that won’t feel greasy on the skin then this is it. Ditto if you’re on the dry side and want a moisture boost to layer on before your thicker cream… The price makes me want to weep, but if you’re in the market for a luxury skincare buy then this is a top choice. It’s £90.

Read my original review of Omorovicza’s Elemental Emulsion…

Diptyque Baies: where has THIS been all of my life? How have I reached thirty-five (thirty-six next month but let’s brush that under the carpet) and not ever burnt a Baies candle in my house? This smells like being trapped in an underground fairy grotto – there’s something of the woodland about it, fresh and green, but it’s also rich with berries. Difficult to describe, just know that you need this scent in your world. Candles start at £20 for the small size

Christophe Robin’s Volumising shampoo and conditioner with rose extracts have become my top hair treats. They seem to add bounce and life back into my hair when it’s limp and flat and the smell when I use them is so beautiful that it’s like a little uplifting mood boost. I’ll admit that the prices are extremely steep (I seem to have done a bit of a fantasy shopping session on this page I’m afraid!) but – again – if you’re after something decadent and take your haircare very seriously, this is a great brand. Find it online

Another brand that seems to be making waves (ha!) on the hair scene: Ouai. Now look; I don’t love the Ouai shampoo and conditioner quite as much as the Christophe Robin, but it is, price aside (another wince-inducing £20+ tag) very effective and, long-term, my hair does feel better and stronger after a stint with the “Smooth” range. I have the “Clean” products to test out (shampoo pictured above) and I’ll report back on those – I do like a thorough, non-stripping shampoo – but you can browse the entire Ouai offering

Here’s an easy way to wear blue around the eyes without looking like a five year old in a beauty pageant: a few coats of mascara wiggled right into the roots of the lashes, top and bottom, so that there’s almost a haze of colour defining the eye. It looks great on an otherwise quite neutral face – good base, touch of complexion enhancer or light bronzer, brows groomed with a brow gel – or, if you’re on holiday, it looks really striking against sunkissed skin.

YSL Beauté have launched a new line of mascaras called Vinyl Couture, with a jet-black lash lacquer (I’ll try and use that in a video soon) and a range of top-coats and coloured mascaras in the most vibrant shades. Some coloured mascaras tend to act more like tints, and they only really show up in a certain light. My favourite blue before the Vinyl Couture, which was, incidentally, an older YSL one, looked amazing on the wand but wasn’t quite so noticeable on the lashes. The new Vinyl Couture in 05 looks just as intense in real life as it does in the tube – no chalkiness, no fading. It’s really rather zappy.

Zappy! Good God. I’ll be saying trendy next.

It’s the Space NK Gift with Purchase time again  – or, as I like to call it, The Time of Great Temptation. Some very nice things to try in this new season edition, as well as the obligatory Diptyque mini-candle. I’m especially interested in the Algenist serum, as I’ve been really impressed with their cleanser (here) and am keen to try more from the brand; also the Chantecaille mask and the little bottle of treatment from Radical Skincare. Lots to get your teeth into, if you’re something of a beauty fanatic. Here’s a closer look at some of the skincare samples:

For those of you who have wanted to try Sunday Riley’s face-transforming Good Genes but not make the full investment, this is a nice opportunity – and you get 10ml, so a third of a full-sized bottle. (The full size costs £85, more info here.) Good Genes can be used a serum or a mask and there are three other face masks in the goody bag – Caudalie’s Instant Detox, Chantecaille’s Healing Mask and Wei’s Bee Venom.

I’m really into my minis at the moment (even more than usual!) because I’m living from a suitcase and have had to whittle my beauty product stash down to a ridiculous bare minimum. I’m quite enjoying trying lots of new things, though; filling my makeup bag with little travel sizes and working my way through them. One area I’m particularly lacking in is haircare (I misjudged how much I’d need to take with me during my holiday-let-hopping period) and so I’m particularly pleased about these:

I loved the No Frizz stuff from Living Proof so looking forward to having a go with the styling cream and the Phyto shampoo is a welcome surprise. Also – completely unrelated to haircare I know – I do still absolutely adore my mini versions of the Sleep Plus Pillow Spray from This Works – I take them absolutely everywhere with me to create a kind of “home from home” ambience. It’s comforting, calming, and I’ve already popped one in my bag of stuff to take to the birthing centre when the time comes to welcome Baby AMR into the world.

As usual, the Space NK goody bag is free with any order over £150 – no need for a code, it will automatically be added to your order once you’ve reached the threshold. The goody bag can be shipped internationally (though usually I think that the US is excluded because they have their own separate promotions, let me know if you’re in the states and manage to order one) and it’s available on a first-come-first-served basis, which is why I’ve crept this post in before the big Space NK newsletter goes out! The gift with purchase promotion runs from now until midnight on the 14th (tomorrow night) and it’s limited to one per customer.

Shop at Space NK…

My suggestions for a shopping list if you’re stuck for ideas? Laura Mercier’s amazing Silk Creme Foundation (see full review here), Algenist’s Genius Cleanser, Aurelia’s Dry Body Oil, which is quite possibly the best smelling body oil ever to have been invented, and Diptyque’s Philosykos eau de toilette, a gorgeous figgy scent to take you through the summer. The more electronically-minded people who are looking to tech-up their home facial routine can find the various versions of the Clarisonic at Space NK (I love the new limited edition summer colours) and if you were looking for some seriously swish home fragrancing, then Diptyque’s gargantuan version of the Figuier candle is a bit of a showstopper.

View the full list of products in the Space NK goody bag… 

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