September 5, 2010
In case you weren’t aware, I love making lists to plan and organise my life. So I am writing myself a little list of beauty products that I want to check out this spring/summer. I am also a terrible impulse buyer (something you should also know about me) so the likelyhood of me sticking to this list is not that great but what the heck I’m going to do it anyway.
Bath + Body Works Shower Gel & Body Lotion in “Pearberry” – Unsurprisingly I’m sure, I’ve already ordered this. (In fact, it was my first order through
HopShopGo – the new international parcel forwarding service set up by Pay Pal!) I visited Bath + Body works while in the US and nearly had a heart attack at how exciting and cheap it all was. My favourite scent by far is the Warm Vanilla Sugar, but I’m keen to try something else – and this Pearberry scent sounds delicious and rather summery!
Givenchy Le Prisme Blush Blooming in “Blooming Fuchsias” – I’m sure I don’t need to explain this one too much – look how bright and colourful it looks! And with a name like blooming fuchscias, it seems like a perfect match for spring. Also, I am a sucker for everything that Givenchy produces – especially in their cosmetic range.
Kevin.Murphy Hair Resort” –
‘Hair Resort has compactly packed a sexy, summer holiday in a jar!’ Um, yes please! I have tried samples of this in the past and really liked it. It gives a really nice beachy wave without making hair horrible and crunchy like some products can (and do).
Posted in spring/summer, want! |
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August 21, 2010
Time now for our eighth and final in a series of Winter Beauty Essential guest posts. This time we hear from Katerina – makeup artist extraordinaire from
Adore Beauty! (you may remember Katerina from her set of “
Eyeshadow Bible” guest posts here at The Belle Lumiere!)
Winter for me, means the three R’s: relax, recuperate and renew. There’s nothing more appealing to me than staying indoors with a great big cup of tea, a good book and a rich face mask slathered on. As weather become’s cooler, my skin, body and hair definitely require a little more TLC.
SKIN – Although my skin is best described as combination to oily, I am quite often dehydrated. Especially in Winter when my skin is subject to freezing cold air and then harsh heating quite abruptly. Nothing cures this dehydration quite like a nice layer of Ultraceuticals Ultra Moisturiser Cream. It goes on beautifully under makeup, and if I’m feeling that extra bit dry, I’ll pop a little extra on before bed. Hello supple skin!
BODY – L’Occitane Shea Ultra Rich Body Cream is literally my little slice of heaven. This gorgeously thick cream feels amazing to apply, and
even works on uber-dry spots like my elbows knees and heels. One of my favourite things about it is the fact that it doesn’t have that greasy finish most thick creams tend to have.
HAIR – Ojon Restorative Hair Treatment – Ok this treatment is hardcore. And I need it because I am married to my GHD. I apply a generous amount to my locks and slap on a shower cap. The longer you leave this treatment on the better, so I’ll curl up with a book or a well loved DVD while I let this little beauty work it’s magic. After a good shampoo and condition, my hair is shiny and bouncy and completely restored. Love it.
TRADITION – Every year as soon as it starts getting awfully cold, my best friend and I will put a hair mask in, chuck on some wooly ugg boots and have toasted sandwiches and Earl Grey tea while we watch Love Actually. It’s not glamourous by any means, but it’s out initiation for Winter!
Posted in autumn/winter, guest blog |
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August 9, 2010
What is great about this product…
I am absolutely in love with this product. I know that seems dramatic, but yeah, I am. It’s a moisturising cream that I initially only used at night, but I’ve started using it in the daytime too because it’s super light and feels really nice under my foundation. It feels silky smooth and sinks into skin really quickly – which is great for morning application if you’re constantly running late, like me. The cream has no smell at all which is a plus for me when facial skincare is concerned. The
Sheer Transformation Cream is oil free – which is definitely a bonus for those like me who suffer from oily skin and need to use oil control products. I’m predicting that this moisturiser will be a godsend for me in summer! The product promises to
“help fade skin discolorations, such as freckles, age spots and sun damage, without the use of chemicals.” I’m not sure about these results as I’ve not been using the product consistantly enough to tell if any fading has occured, but if the long term effects are as amazing as the Invigorating Night Gel, than I’m definitely adding this product to my Beauty Cupboard list ASAP.
What is not so great about this product…
As with the Invigorating Night Gel, I can see the price tag of $97 AUD for 50g of product to be quite off putting. But that is honestly the only flaw I could find with this product. I can see myself becoming obsessed with the Ole range, and it’s not going to be easy on my credit card!
My Rating: 7.5/10
Posted in product review, skincare |
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August 2, 2010
Prior to receiving a little care package from
Adore Beauty containing products by
Ole Henriksen I have to admit I knew next to nothing about the brand. Having said that, I can honestly say that I am now totally obsessed with this brand, and have a to-buy list of products as long as my arm. The
Invigorating Night Gel has well and truly cemented it’s place on my Holy Grail beauty product MUST HAVE list. Yep, caps lock. It’s that good!
What is great about this product…
I have always been rather cynical about night serums. I often find that at night they can feel really nice and seem to work well but in the morning (even after continual usage) I’m not really sure if they are making any sort of difference with my skin. The Invigorating Night Gel gave me results within the first week. Now, I’m not claiming that this is a miracle product because obviously there are a lot of factors that are to be taken into account when it comes to the state of your skin – but I have used this serum for quite a while now, in good skin times and bad, and it’s always shown me great results. I have large pores and am prone to breakouts along my jawline, and this serum has helped me with both of these problems. I’ve also found that my skintone seems to be a lot more even and my redness has diminished quite a bit when I use the gel for a few nights in a row. I have slightly sensitive skin, and although the gel contains fruit acids, my skin has never reacted to it in a negative way. I really love the packaging of the product too, and how brightly coloured the whole Ole Henriksen range seems to be. I will definitely repurchase this product when I run out!
What is not so great about this product…
I do have to admit, the smell is not all that appealing to me. It’s a citrusy sort of smell, but is not very nice. The smell does not linger on my skin after use though, which is always a good thing. The only other thing I can see being an issue for some people is the price. The Invigorating Night Gel retails for $99.50 AUD for 50ml of product. I know that seems like a lot, but on the plus side – a little of this product goes a long way, so you won’t be using it up very fast & should get your money’s worth.
The Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Gel and other items from the range are available for purchase online at Adore Beauty. (note: My birthday is in November. Please feel free to buy me any of the 100 things I have on my wish list from this range. Thanks.)
Posted in product review, skincare |
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July 15, 2010
I’ve received quite a few exciting packages lately, so I thought I would lump a few of them into the one post to save time (and effort). First of all, some goodies from
Adore Beauty,
Olay &
The Book Depository.
I didn’t realise that
The Book Depository split their orders into different packages for shipping, but I don’t mind so much because the 3rd book I ordered (1984 by George Orwell) is a replacement copy and I’m in no rush to read it again as I have about 15 new books waiting to be started. I am excited to get stuck into my new arrivals – On the Beach & A Dog’s Heart. I also received 2
Ole Henriksen products (invigorating night gel & sheer transformation) from Adore Beauty to trial & review and I am absolutely in love with this brand now. I can’t wait to try out some other products from the range! The third item in this picture is a tube of the
Olay total effects 7-in-1 anti aging cream which actually came with a little gift, which I will get to in a minute…
I also received a little sample pack from Australian sensuality boutique for women, “
Hapsari“. If you’re yet to check this company out, please do so now! (please remember, as it is a sensuality boutique, the website is probably rated MA+ as it has some adult material there. nothing graphic, but consider yourself warned)
Last but certainly not least was this amazing digital photo frame sent to me by
Olay Total Effects to help celebrate their 10th birthday! It absolutely perfect for the bedroom as it’s white and blends in perfectly with the decor. I was so excited to open this up! Please stay tuned because we have some exciting Olay Total Effects birthday presents to give away to readers soon!
Posted in shopping diary |
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July 10, 2010
I was recently send the
Clarins Hand And Nail Treatment Cream to trial and review. I didn’t think at the time that it would be good enough to push the La Source Hand Therapy cream off of my “Holy Grail” product list, but you know what? It has…
What is great about this product…
Where to start… The smell of the hand cream is quite similar to a lot of the Clarins product range that I’ve used previously. I really love the scent but always find it quite hard to describe. It’s a sweet, creamy sort of fragrance that lingers for quite a while after applying the product to your skin. The cream itself is thick, but sinks into the skin very quickly without leaving any sort of oily residue. (I’ve found it to be a great cream to use at work because of this – I can jump straight back on the computer keyboard after applying without having to worry about making a mess of the keys) As it is a hand & nail treatment cream, it is also supposed to strengthen nails. I haven’t really noticed much of a difference with my nails, but I had no real issues there to start with, so I’m not sure what change I should be looking for. I have been using this hand cream daily for a few weeks now, and my hands feel so soft and smooth. The product promises to moisturise and promote smooth, supple hands and I believe it does just that! I will definitely be re-purchasing once my tube runs out.
What is not so great about this product…
The only real issue I can think of is that I can imagine a few people considering $40 AUD to be quite a high price to pay for a hand cream. Having said that, I have been using the cream non stop and it hasn’t made much of a dent in the amount left in the tube.
The Clarins Hand And Nail Treatment Cream retails for $40 AUD and can be purchased online from Australian beauty store Adore Beauty. The Clarins range is also stocked at leading department stores and some specialist pharmacies.
Posted in body products, product review |
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June 11, 2010
You may remember a little while ago, I posted a
competition offering tickets to visit Fashion Weekend in Sydney. These tickets were offered to The Belle Lumiere by
Essie – one of the supporters of Fashion Weekend. I was unable to attend the event myself, being situated on the other side of the country – but thankfully my friend Maya was able to attend the event on behalf of The Belle Lumiere. Here is her guest blog…
Guest Blog: Fashion Weekend/Essie Nail Bar
From the 3rd till the 7th of May Sydney held its annual and 15th Royal Australian Fashion Week sponsored by Rosemount. The show was an opportunity for Australia’s well known and up-and-coming designers to showcase fashion collections in various categories including men and women’s ready to wear, couture, swimwear, high end street wear and accessories.
The following weekend as the fashion celebration continued throughout Sydney, Royal Australian Fashion Week gave fashionistas the opportunity to buy from some of the designers along with many others at Fashion Weekend. Held in the Royal Hall of Industries at the Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park, the venue was chock full of stalls set up to sell to the general public at heavily discounted prices (which I personally and gratefully took advantage of: HELLO my darling new leather handbag was $490 reduced to $190). Stalls contained racks of clothes, shoes, bags, skin care, nail polish, fragrances and accessories from labels such as The Cassette Society, Shoes of Prey, Billion Dollar Babes, Life With Bird and Meow Girl. Even Nintendo appeared, showing off their hot new DS machine and ever popular Wii Fit console).
One of the other popular stalls of the day belonged to Essie. Created by Essie Weingarten, the cult American nail polish brand has grown from its original 12 shade production into a 300+ nail polish shade, nail treatments, nail accessories, spa products, and lip glosses global company available in over 250,000 salons and spas in 95 countries. Fashion Weekenders were served by two delightful men who outlined that for a small fee you could select one of the many Essie colours [the choice of colour came from either a small mini pack of Essie colours (which I chose - It included a mini Angora Cardi, Midnight Cami, Mink Muffs and Pink Parka) , a colour from the back wall (which included one of each of Essie’s colour range) or a colour/top coat combination], then proceed to the nail bar and have a mini manicure done by one of the Essie nail girls who were there to paint and show you how to wear anyone of Essie’s extensive and fabulous colour range.
Essie was a clear favourite stand of the day, as the constant line of people waiting to get their nails done and the little Essie bags walking around the Fashion Weekend stalls could attest to. I should point out they were a favourite of the crowd and a favourite of mine. I got them to apply the shade ‘Angora Cardi’ on my nails and at the risk of sounding sensationalist; it is the most perfect nail colour in the world. It is long lasting (a big deal for me) and very wearable with most all colours.
I also think Essie should be commended for being a big presence at and contributing to Fashion Weekend. As an offshoot to Australian Fashion Week it’s fantastic to see an international brand supporting Australian fashion!
NOTE: Essie products are available for purchase from Australian online beauty site Adore Beauty.
Posted in guest blog |
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May 31, 2010
Our second guest post regarding beauty experts and their winter beauty essentials comes from Kate – founder of the
amazing Australian online beauty store
Adore Beauty.
Winter Beauty Essentials – Kate from Adore Beauty
Winter for me means three months of fighting dehydrated skin. I love my central heating, but goodness, it really does dry out my face! My three winter must-haves include:
01: Skinceuticals Retexturing Activator – what a godsend. This serum is super hydrating AND exfoliating, so it’s the best for getting rid of winter flakies.
02: Aesop Geranium Leaf Hydrating Body Treatment – I love using this on damp skin, just after turning off the shower. That way I can moisturise from neck to toe without having to leave the nice steamy shower cubicle.
03: Benefit Benetint – this berry tint on my cheeks gives me that gorgeous snow-bunny flush. Which is handy, because I don’t ski, so there’s no other way of getting it!
My winter tradition is badgering my partner to cook me his famous Cheesy Triangle Hotpot. It’s a delicious thick rich spicy vegetarian casserole, baked in the oven with cheesy triangle scone-like dumplings on top. Trust me, on a chilly Melbourne winter night, it’s the best thing you’ll ever eat. Particularly with a nice glass of Heathcote shiraz!
Posted in autumn/winter, guest blog |
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May 30, 2010
Clarins recently released a new product – the
Everlasting Foundation, a long-lasting foundation that is designed to “stay true” for 15 hours. “The High Fidelity System, an invisible microfilm that ensures even coverage and 15 hours of flawless hold. The Light Optimising complex captures, diffuses and amplifies light. Both ensure a radiant and flawless complexion.” Sounds pretty good, huh. Well I was lucky enough to be sent a bottle for trial and review, so here we go…
What is great about this product…
I will start, as I so often do, with the scent of the product. Clarins products have a history (at least in my opinion) of smelling amazing, and the Everlasting Foundation is no exception. It has a less rosy smell than it’s counterparts, and has a rather distinct fruity “melon” scent. It’s very pleasant, and not overpowering. The foundation is rich and creamy, and gives medium to full coverage – depending on how much product you’re applying. And the foundation lasts. Initially the foundation gives a sort of matte finish, but the natural radiance of your skin tends to blend through. I have combination oily skin, and after applying this foundation in the morning and going about my busy Saturday as per usual, I came home in the evening to see that I still looked quite well put together! My face had a nice “glow” about it (not oily, more of a radiant look), and I still had decent foundation coverage. Also, SPF in foundation is always a bonus.
What is not so great about this product…
If you are super pale faced like me and live in Australia, you will be unhappy to know that at this stage we are not carrying the entire line of foundation shades. Which means that the lightest colours in the line are not available for purchase. I trialled the lightest shade available -’Ivory’ which was probably 1 – 1 1/2 shades too dark for my complexion. This is not unusual in Australia though, for some reason a lot of brands seem to leave the lightest or two lightest shades off of the stock list. Aside from that issue, which is not going to be a problem for everyone – I couldn’t see anything wrong with this product.
The Clarins Everlasting Foundation retails for $65 AUD and can be purchased online from Adore Beauty
Posted in makeup, product review |
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May 25, 2010
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have asked a few of my beauty insider friends to tell me a little bit about their must-have items for surviving the winter months. First up is the absolutely delightful Celeste from
Adore Beauty (who also happens to be my personality-twin!)
Winter Beauty Essentials – Celeste from Adore Beauty
Ahhh, winter. Season of sniffles, red noses, dry hair and flaky skin. Reow. Despite these beauty afflictions, winter is actually my favourite time of year. The key is being prepared and nourishing my skin and hair. Who can say no to that kind of pampering? Gosh, it’s hard sticking to three… but here are my top three picks for staying fresh and lustrous in winter:
01. Aesop Perfect Hydrating Facial Cream: hydrating yet not too rich for my combination skin, this moisturiser is packed with vitamins to ward off dryness and stop skin from looking dull. It keeps my skin soft and battles dehydration, without being oily. A real winner.
02. Alpha-H Liquid Gold Smoothing + Perfecting Mask: this mask hydrates, exfoliates and smoothes the skin, keeping it looking supple and feeling soft. I use it weekly in winter to boost hydration levels and help remove any pesky dry skin.
03. Moroccanoil: after shampooing and conditioning, applying a small amount of Moroccanoil to damp hair will help to protect it from the elements (wind, heating etc). This nourishing oil is suitable for all hair types and adds shine and strength to my locks. It smells delicious – and it shortens styling time. Bonus!
My favourite things about winter are beanies and scarves… and my secret tradition of Friday night footy. I love nothing more than staying in on a Friday night with a blanket, the heater on, the footy on tv and the kettle close by. If Geelong is playing, I even sit on the sofa wearing my vest, Cats beanie and scarf. Please don’t judge.
Posted in autumn/winter, guest blog |
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