Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Lipstick & Nail Lacquer Review: Marilyn And Evelyn

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Joan Collins is synonymous with glamour. She harks back to a time when movie stars would never leave the house without their hair and makeup being done, and certainly not in sweatpants. This glamour is evident in every aspect of her new makeup range, Timeless Beauty. The packaging is classic and sophisticated and many of the colours are full on glamour. We previously reviewed her Helene lipstick and nail polish. This time we went for some pink shades.

Evelyn is a hot pink coral shade which makes a statement and Marilyn is an easy-to-wear pink shade: perfect for daytime. The lipstick is creamy and hydrating. Impressively, it lasts for hours without the need to reapply. The amazing lipstick is like skincare and brilliant lipstick all rolled into one. Moisturising, vibrant and long lasting: what more could you want?

The Nail Lacquer is great, it is also long lasting and high quality. Just two coats gives a great, shiny, opaque look. It goes on smooth and lasts a long time. Impressive.

The lipstick costs £18 and the nail polish is £12.50 at www.QVCuk.com and http://www.joancollinsbeauty.com

Joan Collins Timeless Beauty Helene Red Lipstick & Nail Lacquer Review

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I have always thought that glamour was underrated. I don’t like that a lot of people don’t tend to make much of an effort when it comes to glamour anymore, or being well dressed. Men and women alike. In the spirit of full disclosure, I can count myself amongst them sometimes. Too often in fact. Joan Collins has always been glamourous and while leaving the house everyday with a full face of makeup is too much of an effort, she really does inspire me to try harder.

She has launched a new beauty range, Timeless Beauty. It is all very impressive. The range has a lot of gorgeous stuff in it. The PR person sent us Lipstick & Nail lacquer in Helene to review. This is what Joan says:

“Lipstick is, to me, the Queen of cosmetics. It brings a hit of distinctive colour that lifts the face even when wearing no other make up. Lip colour itself can be a statement, can say something about the wearer and how the world sees them. I named my lipsticks after characters I have played as they reflect some aspect of the character’s persona.”

The lipstick is gorgeous, great packaging which just screams glamour. The colour is a luscious red cream with a hint of blue undertones. I never usually wear red lipstick. My lips are too big and don’t need anymore attention drawn to them, but this is beautiful. It is long lasting and also hydrates. In fact, it was tested and shown to improve hydration levels in the lips after 30 days.

Joan’s Tip: Look perfectly groomed by matching up lip and nail colour.

Next up was the nail lacquer, also in Helene. A matching red. Joan said:

“I don’t feel dressed without nail lacquer. It’s as essential to me as lipstick. I love the style of this bottle, elegant and practical with a long tapered cap that’s easy to hold, and, helps balance the brush when applying. The ribbing improves grip and ease of opening and closing.The colours are my personal favourites and I wear them all switching one to the other to reflect my mood, the effect I want to make, or simply to compliment my outfit.”

This is the same beautiful colour. The packaging is just gloriously stunning and glamorous. The nail lacquer is easy to apply. It is a smooth, self levelling colour that covers imperfections and leaves nails looking sleek and chic.

I love these and Joan’s Timeless beauty range. It brings a rather wonderful touch of glamour to life. Which makes it worth making that extra effort for after all. I may become more like Joan yet.

 

 

October’s Health & Beauty Picks

Here is our October Health & Beauty Round Up. Our Top Picks This Month.

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Kale Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser (£16.50) is the latest skin saviour from Nourish. This truly multi-tasking treatment is a cleanser, mask and facial – all in one. Brilliant for busy women. 81% Organic and it really works. It even has the two ingredients of the moment in Kale and Argan Oil.

Created by Dr Pauline Hili, the pioneer in results-driven bioactive formulations, this latest addition to the Kale & Argan Treatment Collection renews and mattifies the skin, leaving it looking rejuvenated and healthy.81% organic and Soil Association certified. A ‘turbo natural’ 3 in 1 treatment: cleanser, mask, enzymatic facial

 

Kale Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser launched exclusively in Debenhams nationwide, also available from nourishskinrange.com, liv.co.uk, feelunique.com, Planet Organic, and other premium health stores, e-railers and pharmacies nationwide. Truly brilliant stuff. 

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Herpatch Serum is brilliant for cold sores. Many of us get these annoying and painful things when we are run down. Herpatch has an instant effect and treats every stage of the cold sore. It also protects and conceals. It is brand new and unique. It helps along the healing process in as little as two days. It also forms an invisible film to stop the virus spreading. It costs £7.99 from Boots and boots.com

 

We were very impressed with ColdZyme, which is the first clinically proven product to be developed with the unique Trypsin enzyme (found in deep sea cod) which works to counteract infection and trap the cold virus in the mouth and throat before it has chance to take hold.

While most other cold remedy products only help reduce the symptoms of a cold (at best – since only very few of those have any documented effect), the ColdZyme Mouth Spray is acting on the cause of the disease itself. The spray is suitable for adults and children from 4 years+. One bottle of ColdZyme® 20ml is enough to treat three common cold episodes and ColdZyme® One Cold 7ml is enough to treat one cold.

ColdZyme® 20ml £15.99 and ColdZyme® One Cold 7ml £9.99 will be available from Boots stores nationwide and www.boots.com from beginning September 2014

HOW THE ColdZyme® SPRAY WORKS

The scientific breakthrough has led to the global patent protection of trypsin from artic deep sea cod and its use as an active ingredient and ColdZyme® is the first over-the-counter, preventative cold treatment to use the enzyme. The easy to use oral spray targets the mouth and throat where the cold virus takes hold and multiplies. It works by coating mucous membranes, creating a protective enzyme barrier that acts on the cold virus, trapping them and disabling their ability to bind to human cells where they would normally start to cause typical cold symptoms. The spray will also help to shorten the duration and severity of symptoms when used during the early stages of an existing cold.

 

BRYT Remove is water-based and fragrance free. We were very impressed with this makeup remover. It removed everything and is great for sensitive skin. This hard-working cleansing solution whisks away all traces of make-up, including the most stubborn eye make-up, while respecting the delicate eye zone, thanks to the inclusion of nourishing Olive and Almond oils.

In keeping with the range, BRYT Remove also features the innovative Advanced Phytoscience System (APS), which includes pure Aloe Vera, healing Allantoin and rich ‘super-antioxidants’ extracted from organic Australian wild-harvested plums Kakadu, Burdekin and Illawarra – these super-fruits contain up to five times more antioxidant power than blueberries. Aloe in its purest form soothes and calms the, while nature-mimicking Allantoin will heal and treat the BRYT Remove Eyes & Make-up, £10.50 for 100ml

BRYT Skincare is available at Sparks Yard, Arundel; Food for Thought, Guildford and online at www.brytskincare.co.uk, www.myfabulouscollection.com. Selected products will also be available from 110 Waitrose branches nationwide

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Purepotions has a wonderful tea tree rescue salve. This is brilliant for spots, bites, fungal conditions and cold sores. It is cooling and natural. Keep one in your bag at all times. £4.65 for 15ml from www.purepotions.com

 

We are always sick of waiting for our nails to dry. It takes ages and they inevitably smudge. Which is why we jumped to try The Ultimate Fix. It high-speed nail polish fixer that creates amazing The Ultimate Fix is “ecstasy for nails”. Does it work? We think so.

“I couldn’t live without The Ultimate Fix as it halves drying time, helps polish last and smells great. It’s a ‘mani must have’” – Stephanie Staunton, Celebrity Manicurist and Brand Ambassador. Stephanie’s clients include Helena Bonham Carter, Scarlett Johansson, Leona Lewis and Mila Kunis.

Beauty Narcotix’s The Ultimate Fix was also endorsed by UK Top Beauty Blogger Fiona Klonarides’ 2014 The Beauty Shortlist Awards, who made the fix a Finalist in the ‘Best Nail Product’ Category.

The Ultimate Fix is available at Selfridges London (Beauty Workshop Ground Floor)Urban Outfitters (Oxford Street), www.BeautyNarcotix.com and www.sallyexpress.co.uk.

The Ultimate Fix (50ml) will treat approximately 12 manicures or pedicures, and retails at £9.50. It is also available in 200ml size, treating approximately 50 manicures and pedicures, and retails at £17.

 

Everyone could do with a bit of help sometimes and vegans and vegetarians may find it harder than meat eaters to achieve a balanced diet. We reviewed Sublingual Vitamin B12 and Korean Ginseng from Veganicity. Veganicity.com has a range of supplements is 100% Vegan Society registered, which means that not only do they meet very strict criteria regarding the complete absence of animal products or derivatives, but are also 100% ethically produced. They have a lot of different vitamins on their website.

Korean Ginseng gives you energy from nature. Vegan Korean Ginseng, naturally containing ginsenosides, to normalise the body, maintain a healthy immune system and keep stamina levels.

Vegan Vitamin B12 in a Blackcurrant methylcobalamin sublingual form, to help body development, boost physical and mental alertness, maintain a healthy nervous system and keep many other essential processes going. Both help give natural energy over the Christmas period. 

 

Got a tattoo? One of the first all-natural, water-based creams has just launched in the UK. It is great stuff and really works if you have a tattoo that needs some TLC.

Formulated to help reduce irritation, heal soft tissue damage and hydrate recently tattooed skin, the lightweight creamy gel, from makers – Pig Fat Pomades – sinks into the skin instantly and leaves a non-oily finish for all new ink owners.

The natural blend of antioxidants includes Borage Seed Oil, an anti-inflammatory; Arnica Montana Flower Extract, which has long been used to treat bruising, soft tissue damage and the shock of impact (like a tattoo) and Jojoba Oil which gives thecream its soothing and moisturising properties. As a water-based product, which hasn’t been tested on animals, it won’t stick to clothes, won’t trap heat and won’t drain colour.

Paul Johnson, Pig Fat Pomades founder, said: “When a friend of mine had a gorgeous tattoo done, he spent a lot of money on a cream which was full of chemicals, yet was little more than a moisturiser with some grape seed oil. I knew it would be possible to make something more effective, more natural and more affordable – so we got to work.”

Tattoo Cream is currently available at www.thegroomingclinic.com and www.menareuseless.com and at selected tattoo studios. The RRP is £10.95 (58g)

 

What do you think?

 

 

Frost Summer Beauty Special

Summer is a different beast when it comes to beauty. Hot, humid or just plain cold and freezing. The British summer throws everything at you. It is the time of year when Brits have to leave the house with sunglasses and an umbrella in their bag. You just never know. Winter beauty products don’t really work for summer, they are too thick, heavy and creamy usually. Makeup has to be revised so it doesn’t end up slipping off the face when the temperature goes up. So we have done a lot of reviewing to bring you some excellent summer beauty picks. Read on and let us know what you think, and add your own recommendations below.

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These Gosh Forever Metallic Eyeshadow Sticks are getting a review all of their own, but until then I will just have to recommend them here. They are waterproof, look amazing on and come in a variety of amazing colours. I love them beyond words. Available from Superdrug.

 

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These Swimmable products from Cargo are amazing. The above is a waterproof eye pencil and a waterproof eye shadow stick. Both work and both give great colour. Highly recommended.

 

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Yves Rocher Ultra Long-Lasting Cream Eyeshadow in Cuivre

This is amazing stuff, especially for a cream eyeshadow. It looks like a lip gloss but is actually a budge proof, crease-proof, waterproof eyeshadow that lasts and looks great on. Creamy and comfortable, it goes on in a uniform layer and blends easily. Flawless and long-lasting make-up.

2 shades, £14 at www.yves-rocher.co.uk

 

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Anovia’s ‘Love the Tan’ Leg Spray. Amazing, perfecting, natural leg spray. Covers imperfections and is water resistant. Just washes off. It looks great on and covers well. Perfect for when you bring out the summer dresses. These are a brand new product to Anovia’s ‘Love the Tan’ range and launched at the end of last month. Get your hands on some.

 

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I love a facial spray in summer and this Rose Otto Hydrating Facial Toner from Therapi Honey Skincare smells amazing and is nourishing. It is made with 83% organic ingredients and 5% of profits go to support bee conservation. This tones and revitalises skin whilst leaving it feeling moisturised. It uses honey which they say is nature’s miracle moisturiser. Very good stuff and we loved the Orange Blossom Honey Gel Cleanser and Orange Blossom Honey Moisturiser too. Both were excellent and left skin looking amazing. I am also obsessed with orange blossom at the moment, which obviously helps!

 

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Organic Surge is perfect for summer. There products are fresh, smell amazing and are usually fruity and light. We reviewed three of their products starting with:

Organic Surge Moisturising Tropical Bergamot Shower Gel

I could sniff this all day long. It smells great and summery. It really cleanses skin and leaves it feeling soft. It is sweet orange and bergamot essential oils. Very refreshing and like all Organic Surge products is free from SLS, parabens, synthetic fragrances and colourants.

Organic Surge Gardeners Hand Cream With Lime, Basil & Rosemary

This (again) smells amazing. Just divine. It drys fast and is not sticky. Protects hands, soothes red skin and nut butter and seed oils work to resist ingrained dirt. Can use with or without gloves. Perfect for the green fingered.

Organic Surge Super-Intensive Daily Moisturiser

This great moisturiser leaves skin looking radiant and really hydrates. It also works on sensitive skin. Has cocoa butter, shea butter and glycerine with green tea and camomile. Love it.

 

From www.idealworld.tv

 

lilyloloblusherpinkreview lilyloloblusherreview lilyloloreviewI absolutely love this Lily Lolo Burst Your Bubble Pressed Blush. It is a gorgeous dark pink colour. It is velvety soft, kind to your skin and highly pigmented. It gives a sheer natural flush or a brighter pop of colour to your cheeks if you layer it on. Their blusher brush is amazingly soft and perfectly angled. I can’t live without it now. It is perfect for contouring.

It contains anti-ageing Sea Holly extract and Argan Oil, as well as moisturising Jojoba Oil, it also has a natural anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial protection. Fragrance and talc free. Packaged in a lovely mirrored compact perfect for on the go and travel. Available from the 27th June 2014. Blusher £9.99. Blusher Brush £7.99.

Available in 6 beautiful shades.

Shade names –

Coming Up Roses

Just Peachy

Tickled Pink

Tawnylicious

Burst Your Bubble

In The Pink

Available from www.lilylolo.co.uk

 

Last but not least…

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FaceB4 Anti-Bacterial Face Wash and FaceB4 Anti-Bacterial Serum

FaceB4 joined Superdrug as a stockist for Superdrug’s 50th birthday, they even repackaged in celebration. Now that is a love-in. FaceB4 Anti-Bacterial Face Wash is the UK’s most effective face wash. FaceB4 is clinically proven to clear skin, reduce redness and prevent future blemishes. It says the antibacterial face wash clears skin in just four days and it isn’t lying. This stuff really works and used along with the vitamin enriched serum really calms skin. The serum gives a matte look and the face wash is a combined cleanser and toner. We’re impressed and will continue to use. Good stuff.

From Superdrug (obviously)

 

What are your summer picks?

 

 

 

Glō Minerals Ocean Eyeshadow Review | Beauty

This week I have been wearing bright blue eyeshadow. So far, so 80’s. The blue eyeshadow I have been wearing is glō minerals Ocean eyeshadow. A beautiful, happy, bright Bluey-green. It is not possible to wear it and not be in a good mood. The eye shadow is very high quality and glides on. Established in 2002, glō minerals use only pure pharmaceutical grade minerals and anti-oxidants chosen by dermatologists. Even more amazingly they provide complete sun protection using titanium and zinc oxide glō minerals are paraben, dye and perfume free. They also have a powerful antioxidant blend of Vitamins A,C,E and green tea extract – this blend provides nutrients that are vital for maintaining the health of your skin while protecting it from further damage.

Did people think it was weird that I was wearing blue eyeshadow to BAFTA, the theatre and even the Raindance Film Festival opening? No, they loved it. I got a brilliant reaction from people and will continue to wear it.

 

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I love this make up brand. Women put hundreds of chemicals on their face everyday, because of this, I believe we should be careful what make up we use, make sure it has no parabans and not too many ingredients. Glo Minerals is an excellent brand that works on two levels: quality in their products and healthiness in their sun protection and lack of nasty chemicals. Mineral make up is huge now and rightly so. We love glō minerals.

We will be reviewing glō minerals siren lipsticks soon too. Watch out for it.

Handpicked Media London Fashion Week Suite SS14 | Fashion

The Handpicked Media London Fashion Week suite was as amazing as ever. As well as lots of lovely people I also got pampered and checked out some great brands.

I had my brows done by HD Brows, they looked so good afterwards I didn’t want to wash my face. Ever. I tried on some jackets from Superdry. Their tailoring is amazing and their jackets are such good quality. Superdry also have great Bento Beauty boxes. They have some great products in them and look cool.

I also had my make up done by Martin Carter. The Stila make up artist used some amazing Stila products on me, including the CC Cream which comes out blue, but looks great on. I love Stila and Martin taught me some amazing make up tricks such as; put eyeliner in between the upper lash line for a natural, defined look and to paint mascara on the bottom lashes with a brush rather than applying the mascara directly. I wish I looked how Martin made me look 24/7.

I also had a hot stone massage and a hand massage from The Mandara Spa. I am completely converted to hot stone massage now. My spine and hands were never so happy. I felt completely relaxed and happy. I highly recommend them.

I also had a bra fitting thanks to Freya lingerie. Like most women I found out I was wearing the wrong size. Apparently women think their back is larger than it is, this turned out to be true for me as I thought I was a 34D but am actually a 30DD. I love my Freya Lingerie, below.

I had a relaxing manicure. I always love getting manicures. When my nails look good and are painted just looking at them makes me happy, even if I am having a bad day. WAH nails gave me some great blue polka dot nails. I love them.

Legendary hair dresser Errol Douglas was also doing hair. My fellow bloggers/writers were walking out with amazing hair styles. Unfortunately I had to head off to a show so couldn’t get one myself.

I managed to pick up some products in the suite at One Aldwych Hotel and will be reviewing them in the coming months.

Well done Handpicked Media, see you in six months.

Do you want to try any of the above? Which one?

Stila CC Cream

Stila CC Cream

manicure, wah nails Stila, make up, photo, handpicked media, beauty, beaty blogger, Catherine Balavage, stila make uo Catherine Balavage, wah nails, manicure Catherine Balavage, Superdry bento beauty box Catherine Balavage Catherine Balavage Freya Lingerie

Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick Review

Calvin Klein Delicious Luxury Creme Lipstick in Cosmopolitan.

IMG_3470I must confess that the colour of this lipstick was a bit challenging. I see women wearing bright lipstick all the time and feel a tug of envy. It just looks so fabulous on them. I usually wear nude lipstick. My problem with bright lipstick is that I have a big mouth – no jokes please. At school I was made fun of because of my big lips. Of course now I see them as a plus. I get compliments on them a lot. But I always thought that wearing bright lipstick made them look too big and was just too much of a hassle. Which just goes to show how much I don’t know.

The lipstick looks amazing on. Although my boyfriend has reservations, ‘Jeez, that’s bright. It really doesn’t suit you.” he says. Thanks for that! I persevere anyway.

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I like how the lipstick brightens up my face. I like the colour, it is beautiful. The lipstick is good quality, as you would expect from Calvin Klein. It stays on my face all day and it does not dry my lips out. I get a lot of compliments and even my boyfriend comes around to it.

So am I converted? Completely. I will be brightening up my make up look, and as for the Calvin Klein lipstick, it is a piece of luxury at a completely reasonable price, and an excellent lipstick to boot.

Available from Fragrance Direct and Debenhams.

 

 

 

 

Rimmel Lash Maxxx Mascara | Beauty Review

Catherine BalavageEvery woman knows that all mascara is not created equal. Those in the beauty know will also be aware that the shape of the brush is just as important, if not more important, than the actual mascara.

Catherine Balavage

Rimmel’s Lash Maxxx mascara (in Black Noir 001) has a few things going for it. One: it’s waterproof. Actually waterproof. In my opinion this is the best thing a mascara can be. Two, it has a great brush that can make your lashes really pop. The brush is just a row of bristles. They have the ability to make your lashes really big for a night out, or to make them more subtle but still great for day use. Another thing the brush has going for it is the lack of clumps it creates. it is like an eyelash brush but better.

The packaging says it has a 3X multiplying lash effect. After testing the mascara I would say this is completely true. If not an understatement. Another thing the packaging says is that the micro fine bristles capture and maximize every lash. I agree with this. The brush does justice to lashes and doesn’t look unnatural. I really like it. It get’s the Frost stamp of approval.

You can buy it for a measly £1.99 here.

The ingredients

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