Smashbox
O-Plump
£20.00 (now £18.00) for 10ml
http://www.debenhams.com/
They say “O-PLUMP is the first intuitive lip plumper that goes on clear and then reacts with your personal chemistry to turn lips your own custom shade of pink, while instantly plumping to perfection.”
I say: I’ve tried many-a lip-plumping formula in my years, so I approached this one dubiously. It had the familiar tingling sensation but I found the results to be more pronounced than with previous experiments. In terms of O-Plump turning your lips ‘your own custom shade of pink’, I can say that my lips were coloured in a flattering shade. I’m not convinced that this shade varies very much from person-to-person. Apparently it reacts with water molecules. A very scientific experiment in Islington’s Breakfast Club saw my friend and I smearing it on the plastic table cloth to see what it would do. It went on clear and turned pink. Not sure what that really proves though because (I think) plastic also contains water molecules.
Hmm. Either way, the most plumping plumping-lipgloss I have used for sometime. It feels silky, not sticky, which is always a bonus.
Skin Wisdom
Instant Benefits Eye Roll On
£7.00
Tesco 0800 505 555
They say “The new Instant Benefits Eye Roll On instantly refreshes weary eyes and reduces the appearance of puffiness and dark circles.”
I say: A refreshing start to the day. After using my creamy wash-off cleanser, I follow with my moisturizer then this. The roller makes application easy and, most importantly, doesn’t drag the delicate skin around my eyes. This is a good one for young skin (if you’re in your twenties) but I’d recommend something with anti-ageing ingredients for older skins.
Benefit
They’re Real Mascara
£18.50 per 85g
http://www.benefitcosmetics.co.uk/
They say “This bodacious breakthrough lengthens, volumizes & curls lashes for a spectacular “out-to-here” look! The long-wearing, jet black formula doesn’t smudge, budge or dry out so your luscious lashes last all day.”
I say: Brilliant mascara. It lengthens and plumps enough to make me consider replacing my old faithful Dior Blackout. The end of the brush is rounded (bit like the popular Givenchy wand) meaning you can capture the little lashes at the edges of your eyes which tend to escape a coating. As usual, with Benefit, I love the packaging. It seems the bold claims on the box (94%
saw dramatic length & volume* 90% saw base-to-tip curl* 94% saw visible lift* 100% saw long-wearing results* Results observed in a consumer panel survey) are substantiated.
Smashbox
High Definition Healthy FX Foundation
£28.50 (now £25.65) for 30ml
http://www.debenhams.com/
They say “An oil-free, weightless formula packed with anti-aging, revitalizing, and firming ingredients that work overtime to provide cellular nutrition for skin.”
I say: As soon as I used this, I knew I was onto a winner. Normally, I’m pretty loyal to Bobbi Brown’s foundations but this one gives such a smooth, silky finish that I could well be turned. Even though stress has made my skin pretty dire, a decent slick of this creamy formula in the morning definitely makes the best of a bad situation. It feels lightweight and gives a glowy, healthy-looking finish. I’ll buy this again (especially as it’s on sale at the moment!)
Ren
Tonic Moisture Mist
£18.00 for 50ml
http://www.renskincare.co.uk/
They say “A cooling and hydrating facial spray that revives and tones the complexion.”
I say: Love this. You know when it gets to 3pm in the office and you need a coffee/tea/massive Haribo fix? You’ll start looking forward to a good spritz of this lovely-smelling spray. It’s particularly enjoyable for spraying colleagues with. As well as having a bottle permanently attached to my desk, I will also be taking a bottle on the plane whenever I travel – it will be perfect for mid-flight skin revival. My only criticism is that the spray could be a tad finer (but this wouldn't stop me buying it again).
Laura Mercier
Laura Mercier Nude Lip Glacé (I trialed ‘Bare Pink’, pictured and ‘Bare Naked’)
£18.50 for 4.5g
http://www.lauramercier.com/
They say “Laura Mercier Lip Glacé is a high-shine, perfectly pigmented lip gloss with rich, long-lasting colour and brilliant shine that creates the appearance of fuller lips.”
I say: Bare Baby and Bare Naked are part of Laura Mercier’s new Nude Lip Glacé collection. I have been alternating between the two since I got them – I love both shades! I think my favourite is the slightly pinkier Bare Baby for its sixties baby doll appeal. Bare Naked is a tad chalkier in colour but would work a treat to blank out lips against a grey/brown smoky eye. Laura Mercier lip glosses are wonderfully shiny and give a really good finish. Unlike YSL’s lip glosses, Laura Mercier ones smell and taste okay too, not like pencil shavings. Bonus.
Avon
SuperShock Eyeshadow Pencil
£7.00
http://www.avonshop.co.uk/
They say “Blending easily to leave a beautiful shimmering finish, these dual-ended pencils have a creamy formula which is perfect for shading.”
I say: As I have abnormally greasy eyelids, I thought I’d better leave this one to my friend Tara to test. The golden/brown tone looked brilliant with her blonde hair and tanned skin and she said she found it really easy to use. Her only criticism was that she thought the paler shade was a bit hard and dragged a tad when she applied it. Not wanting to miss out, I had a go as well. I found the paler shade perfect for highlighting the brow bone and inner corners on my eye and, surprisingly, the warm brown colour faired extremely well on my shiny lids, staying put for far longer than I had expected. A nice compromise between cream and shadow formulas.
SuperShock Eyeshadow Pencil
£7.00
http://www.avonshop.co.uk/
They say “Blending easily to leave a beautiful shimmering finish, these dual-ended pencils have a creamy formula which is perfect for shading.”
I say: As I have abnormally greasy eyelids, I thought I’d better leave this one to my friend Tara to test. The golden/brown tone looked brilliant with her blonde hair and tanned skin and she said she found it really easy to use. Her only criticism was that she thought the paler shade was a bit hard and dragged a tad when she applied it. Not wanting to miss out, I had a go as well. I found the paler shade perfect for highlighting the brow bone and inner corners on my eye and, surprisingly, the warm brown colour faired extremely well on my shiny lids, staying put for far longer than I had expected. A nice compromise between cream and shadow formulas.
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