Sunday Tittle Tattle: Sick Dogs and Superhero Boxes

ruth crilly a model recommends

**Apologies to those reading this by email; I wrote the post and then forgot to schedule it, so you’ll be reading this on a Monday! If you’re not subscribed to the email then you can do so here.

1) Top tip: never watch Channel 4’s Supervet on the same day that you’ve had to drop your dog off at the pet hospital. Oh my God, I cried more than I have for months! There was this little Bulldog puppy and it had to be put down and the owners were in absolute pieces and I was bawling for about a full five minutes! Phew. I don’t think that pregnancy hormones mix well with dramatic, heart-rending television programmes. I had burst into tears already that day, when I dropped Dexter off at the vets, because the lady in the waiting room had just had her cat put down and was weeping into a hanky. I wanted to give her a cuddle but then I just loss all sense of self-control and started to cry and had to run out and sit in the car. I am avoiding potentially emotional situations for the rest of my pregnancy. (You can keep up with my pregnancy diary here.) I have a full eight weeks to go yet, so it may prove difficult, but I’m thinking that if I avoid all television that hasn’t been pre-approved (ie I’ve read the synopsis or blurb or whatever it is) and only read happy books….

2) Talking of books, I found myself being incredibly irritated by the ending of Simon Mawer’s The Girl Who Fell From The Sky. Look away now if you’re currently reading it or about to read it (if you’re not then you can find it here online), but for those who have finished it: WHAT THE HELL? What was going on with the ending? I didn’t sit through hours of tense espionage and radio-parts-hidden-in-fannies for that kind of ending! I was bitterly disappointed. I kind of knew that something abrupt and bad was on the cards, but it was all just such an anticlimax. I almost threw my Kindle across the room in frustration. If you’ve read it then let me know what you thought – the rest of the book was top-notch, I was totally absorbed. My new book for this week is Elizabeth is Missing; came highly recommended but I’m only three pages in so I haven’t read enough to comment on it yet! If you want to read along with me then you can find the book at Amazon here.

my little box super hero

3) I’ve been a little bit slow with getting my post recently, so I’ve probably missed the boat with this one, but I really liked this “Super Hero” edition subscription box from Parisian brand My Little Box. They do beauty boxes with a difference; each one has a theme or “guest host” and includes a selection of carefully curated non-beauty items as well as a little cloth bag filled with skin, makeup and body treats. It all looks very stylised and cute and I can see why the service has become so popular – it’s more of a lifestyle box than a beauty box.

my little box super hero

Some of the things that come through aren’t really my particular cup of tea (what do I do with sheets of stickers now that I don’t have school books to cover?) but then I’m not sure whether I’m slightly out of the age range, at 34. There’s no denying, though, that My Little Box are doing something a bit different and they seem to have built up a really strong identity which can’t be the easiest thing to achieve in the overpopulated beauty box market. Everything is so carefully planned and “on brand”: beautiful web photography, gorgeous product illustrations and a dedicated magazine with interesting content. You can find out more about the My Little Box service here.

The post Sunday Tittle Tattle: Sick Dogs and Superhero Boxes appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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The Business End of Beauty: Price Differences

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Back in the days before internets, brands could price pretty much as liked from country to country – it was always something of a secret that you could find beauty products far cheaper in other countries than you can here. The USA is a good case in point, although you must remember that most websites aren’t showing sales tax which differs from state to state. And the dollar rate fluctuates (most in our favour).

When a BBB reader asked me why a particular NUDE product is less expensive in the US than it is here, I really wanted to know why. It’s completely unexpected from this brand. Most brands will try and keep an acceptable ratio between prices taking into account exchange rates and shipping costs. So, when you’re looking at brands that are more expensive here than in the US, you actually need to be looking at the retailers who are selling the products more expensively.

If a product is with a huge retailer, they’re more likely to want to offer competitive pricing. The retailer is king when it comes to small brands and if they want to sell it cheaper, nine times out of ten, they can do as they please. It can be the case that a retailer agrees to sell at a particular price and then changes their mind.

Which is what happened to the NUDE Rescue Oil I blogged about – one minute it was in price alignment, the next is wasn’t. Although NUDE is part of a bigger beauty conglomerate (LVMH), each brand has to stand on its own two feet.

Nude Rescue Oil

The same brand can have entirely different retailers across the world and with that comes different audiences and consumers. In light of BBB readers being hot on this issue (and I thank you for it) and educated around pricing variations, I was able to flag it up to the NUDE team as something that needed to be sorted out.

As it turned out the NUDE team were already on it! Some brands would just let it be, but I know the NUDE team and it’s just not their style so I wasn’t all that surprised that they were already actively making changes to the pricing.

What To Wear: Audi International Polo

audi polo what to wear

I have attended the Audi Polo Challenge for the past three years now; it’s a very smart invitation-only affair with cocktails and champagne and, of course, the high-octane, thundering-hooved spectacle that is a polo match. But this year there’s also the Audi International, an equally smart affair that’s taking place at Guards Polo Club near Windsor. It’s on Saturday 26th July and it’s open to all!

There are different types of ticket, depending on whether you want a full three-course meal and champagne kind of experience or a more relaxed picnic to see you through the day – there’s even a Buddha Bar after-party if you want to make a day and a night of it. Whatever floats your boat – whichever way you decide to soak up the atmosphere will be extremely enjoyable! The game is England v Argentina, so it’ll definitely be an exhilarating one – it’s a hugely prestigious occasion with both countries competing for the Coronation Cup. And what does one wear to such an event, I hear you ask?

Good job I’ve put together an outfit – also suitable for any swish summer event you may be attending. Let’s start at the top, shall we, and work our way down?

1. You’ll notice that I’m not wearing a hat. Polo is not Ascot. Nobody wears a hat. Do not wear a hat. I hate to repeat myself, but equally I’d hate for someone to go wearing a hat – it would be as conspicuous as turning up to a wedding wearing a black mantilla and chanting mourning songs. If you want to do something courageous with your hair then be my guest but remember; you’re spending the day outside. Whatever you do has to be easily maintained, so I prefer easy, soft styles that won’t look silly if they suddenly get knocked off-kilter by an enthusiastic gust of wind. I always think that a pony tail is very appropriate, though I draw the line at plaiting it up and finishing it with a ribbon…

2) My makeup here is quite natural-looking but I’ve actually got quite a few layers of it on. I used Dior’s AirFlash CC Primer and then the spray foundation. I find that these last really well for an entire day without slipping or wearing off, but just to be sure I use a very light powder, too – something that doesn’t look flat or dry. I really like Max Factor’s Creme Puff in “Translucent”. I’ve focused on my lips rather than eyes – the bright orange-red shade is Matte Mandarin from Clinique. It does tend to feel a little dry towards the end of the day, so I’d recommend taking a lip balm with you.

acne dress audi polo

3) Now for the main event; the dress. I would tend to favour something very lightweight so that you stay cool and this silk Acne number is almost weightless. The Audi Polo is a very chic and all about understated luxury, so it’s not the place to give your new bandage body-con dress an airing. Think cool and modern and perhaps look for something in a bright colour or with a bold print. And in terms of bared flesh? I’d say that – for this, at least – legs are in, cleavage not so much.

4) I’ve accessorised with gold jewellery as I’m having a bit of a gold jewellery revolution this year. (Unfortunate that my wedding rings don’t match – I may have to spray-paint them!) I think that gold looks great with summer skin but it really depends on your colouring and the outfit, I suppose. With a boldly patterned dress you might not need any jewellery at all, but I think that the large expanses of bright colour here require some accessories to balance things out.

5) Bags are an important consideration when you’re out all day. I think that clutches are a chic way forward – this foldover one from L.K. Bennett has seen me through most of my events this year! But you need to be able to tuck it under your arm to leave your hands free – and it needs to be large enough to hold the essentials. Avoid those tiny boxy clutches that are awkward to grasp – there’s nothing worse than having to cart a silly bag with you as you try to enjoy yourself at an event or a wedding or a garden party. You inevitably end up getting sick of it and leave it in a “safe place” and then promptly forget where that “safe place” was.

tori burch

6) Shoes! Now I’m not normally a big fan of wedges, but for a day spent on the grass? They’re an absolute must. I wore normal high heels the first time and you spend your time sinking into the ground or getting stuck in the gaps in the outdoor decking. There’s also the matter of the great polo tradition of Divot Stomping. Divot Stomping happens at half time; all of the spectators are invited to come onto the field and stomp down the torn up bits of turf that have been kicked up by the horses’ hooves. Let me tell you something: you cannot divot stomp in stilettos. It’s virtually impossible. For my outfit, I’ve chosen a pair of Tori Burch wedges with wooden heels that look very suited to a bit of a stomp. I impressed even myself with the fact that I managed to find some shoes that looked very equestrian – look at that detailing on the top! (Alternative wedge option here – I’ve been busy with my shoe-hunting this week.)

cockapoo puppy

You can find both the shoes and the dress online at The Outnet – I’d also take a pair of sunglasses and, if you have room in your bag, a tiny little bottle of face mist. Make sure you apply a good SPF (I love Anthelios from La Roche-Posay) and drink lots of water between those cocktails!

To book tickets to the Audi Polo 2014 at Guard’s, please click here. You can find out more about the Buddha Bar after-party here.

This post has been sponsored by Audi.

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Uses For Azulene Oil

Azulene Oil

I generally use strip wax on my legs and underarms so I’ve had more little phials of Azulene that comes with Parissa Waxes than I care to mention. But aside from a quick get-the-stickiness-off swipe, I’ve never really considered Azulene oil and what it can be used for and I’ve no idea how this has eluded me all this time because it’s a proper beauty life hack. Parissa Azulene Oil is generally billed to prevent ingrowing hairs, but because Azulene comes from the chamomile flower, it’s got all the soothing nature that you’d expect from Chamomile. So, it can treat razor burn (handy for boys as well), insect bites (it’s also disinfectant and anti-inflammatory) or spots and bumps that are red (don’t use on broken skin). Any skin irritation, really, including emergency (mild) sun-burn relief.

However, the ingredient list is below so if you know you have sensitivities you can avoid this particular oil.

isopropyl mystrate (vegetable source), tocopheryl acetate (vitamin e), azulene (chamomilla recutita extract), menthol crystals

Parissa Azulene is £8.19 HERE and it’s one of those things you should keep in the emergency beauty cupboard. I’m never chucking out those phials again!

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Custom Cover Drops: The Ultimate Customisable Foundation

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops

As promised, a more in-depth study of the Custom Cover Drops from Cover FX. There’s been quite a bit of hype surrounding this little bottle of foundation pigment and I will start by saying that the hype is not unfounded: this is a rather revolutionary makeup product that lives up to its claims. And the claims are – mainly – that this is a highly concentrated pigment (tick) that allows you to customise any product in your beauty regime (tick). That means you can turn pretty much any face-finishing product into a foundation or tinted moisturiser and be in total control of the coverage. Add to a day cream, serum, face oil, SPF, even an eye cream to create a concealer – the more drops you add, the more coverage you get.

ruth crilly foundation review

Let’s take a little look at the way the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops work. My own preference is to mix the drops with my face product (in this case I used my Omorovicza moisturiser), starting with just one drop and adding more if I want to build the coverage. For the purposes of experimentation, I made two different versions in the following photo; a sheer tint (on the right) and a fuller coverage (left side of my face).

ruth crilly foundation review

You can see that the resulting face bases are very different – imagine how many versions of the same shade you could make if you got your different creams and potions involved? Rich, hydrating bases; light, fluid, sheer bases and tinted suncreams that are precisely the right tone for your skin. The possibilities are endless! In the next photo I’ve blended in the fuller coverage version all over:

ruth crilly foundation review

A nice, even finish with excellent coverage. Though – for once – it’s hard to review, because the mix itself is of my own making! In a way, it’s tricky because if the base looks weird, you kind of only have yourself to blame. The drops need to be mixed properly, with a product that’s suitable (regular moisturisers work very well) and you need to make sure you’ve chosen the right shade. Here, I’m wearing N20, but I could probably go a shade in each direction and just about be OK… I do think that it’s the kind of product you might want to try at a counter before you buy – and make sure that you don’t just test the neat pigment, but ask for a bit of primer to mix it in with, and then a bit of moisturiser. Experiment. They’ll be used to it!

Read more foundation reviews…

Cover FX Custom Cover Drops cost £36 from Harvey Nichols. If you want to order online, take a look at BeautyBay too.

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