You Little Beauty Clinique Take the Day Off Eye Remover Stick £16

I have been keeping this little beauty a secret for months but now it’s time to share…

It may as well be Halloween every day for me due to the fact that my eye make-up smudges and heads south by lunchtime (sadly, I have very oily eyelids even with a eye primer on) and I can look like an extra on the set of The Walking Dead.

I’ve never been a fan of Clinique products (I’ve always gone with my little adage that ‘French is best’ when it comes to skincare) but as soon as the press starting writing about this little beauty in the Summer, I popped the launch date into my diary and waited patiently for the day to arrive.  

Clinique already had their Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm which is a solid balm that transforms into an oil and dissolves stubborn make-up (with sunscreen) picking it up like a magnet.  Anyway, I had heard of this Balm but never thought much of it as it was ‘Clinique’ but seeing as this new launch was a Stick, it caught my attention as now it was small and discreet enough to carry around in my make-up bag.  Who wants to carry a tub of cleanser or a bottle of make-up remover sloshing around in their bags along with a pack of cotton wool pads?

Take the Day Off is packaged in a silver, twist up stick, resembling a lipstick. It did take
me a while to find the ingredients for this product as they are not listed on Clinique’s website and I sadly threw the box away which would have listed them on there so I hope the information I found on this Remover Stick is correct. The balm contains emollients and antioxidants and is hydrating on the skin. It does contain the preservative Phenoxyethanol which can be irritating on skin so avoid if you suffer from sensitivity.

At lunchtime, I can quickly check for smudging underneath my eyes and if I’m looking like iZombie’s Liv Moore, I glide the Stick onto the debris and then remove with a cotton bud and ‘puff!’, like a stake through the heart of a vampire, the eye shadow mess has been erased. No need for water as the balm doesn’t leave an oily residue and feels very comfortable on the skin. It is also great in the mornings if you have the remnants of yesterday's make-up on still.  It's quick and easy – perfect for on-the-go gals - I love it (and no Fright Night during the day!). 

You Little Beauty Nip + Fab Viper Venom Extreme Night Fix £20

I absolutely adore this night time product.  I think I will be buying this forever.  The smell is divine, the consistency is fabulous (like a thick gel-serum) and it leaves my skin smooth, soft and supple.  I admit, I do look forward to bedtime!

Nip + Fab is the baby sister of the skincare giant Rodial.  The founder has come up with some unique products that target specific concerns and I’ve bought three different products already and they are just fabulous and they do deliver.

Now Viper does not contain real snake venom but it has been replicated from the Temple Viper in order to relax wrinkles. 

Viper also contains retinol, a form of Vitamin A which, in skincare, helps to increase cell turnover, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, effects collagen in a good way (the skin uses retinol when it produces collagen) hence a generous dollop of plumping going on.  Retinol is also great for reducing pigmentation.  Seeing as the skin repairs itself at night, upon waking, one should have a lovely youthful glow.

The third important ingredient is hyaluronic acid which hydrates and plumps.

If you love this Viper face cream, there is always the Viper Venom Body Serum too.  It is as just as wonderful.

Once bitten, forever smitten….

Look out for regular half price deals at Boots and Superdrug.

You Little Beauty - Primark/Penneys

Primark PS Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayon £2

Oh my goodness.  Let me get straight down to it.  To me, my PS Velvet Matte crayon (in Wine.  How apt!) is as good as my MAC Velvetese crayon.

The funny thing is I’ve never liked the sickly sweet smell of MAC lippies but their Crayons don’t have this smell but the Primark’s Crayon does.          

              

Not much more to say really, except try one.  What you want from lip colour is for it to be hydrating, have good colour payoff and be long-lasting… PS Velvet is all that, exactly like the Velvetese.  I only have to touch up the once too, after my lunch.

 MAC left, PS right

I love crayons and I think I will be phasing out my lipstick bullets going forward as these little beauties are great; a lipliner, base and lipstick in one.

So there you go.  If you want a treat and grab a bargain, get yourself down to your nearest Primark/Penneys and save £16!

When Kat Met Sally

You Little Beauty – Kat von D Herself

Thank God I asked a friend of mine to help me get the coveted wristband that allows you to meet the most fabulous artist in the world, Kat von D as without that, we would still be stuck in the massive snake of a queue at Debenhams, Oxford Street.

Thank God

Hot off the 6.32am train from Nottingham, we got to Debo's at 9.20am yesterday and joined one long queue but we quickly realised we were waiting in line with people who hadn’t got the wristbands (they had to buy a product at the counter to get one).  So we joined another shorter queue where, once inside, I was asked my name and then the wristband was placed on me – I could hear the angels singing.  Then we joined the longest queue ever, the ‘if you have your wristband queue’.  We were in this line of KvD fans for about 4 hours.  Oddly it didn’t feel like it as the staff were constantly bringing round soya lattes (which I didn't drink else I would've going to the loo every five minutes), lipsticks, bags, biscuits, bottles of water and temporary tattoos (surprise, surprise). 

Emailed my parents to say I had gotten another tattoo...

Seeing as we now had hours ahead of us, I had time to think about what on earth am I going to say to this woman who I have absolutely adored and respected since 2007.  Like most people, I first saw Kat on Miami Ink (she was so much better than the boys) and then on her own show, LA Ink.  Her tattoo work is amazing but I really felt that she and I were on the same page.  I share her values and her beliefs and this is how I connected with her (she is a fellow Piscean after all – her birthday 5 days after mine!).  So today was a big deal for me.

By 1pm, I was finally inside Debenhams but I was freezing cold and I was shaking - I think this was nerves by this point as I was only ten mins away from her.  One of her make-up artists asked if I wanted a touch-up and I asked did I need one?  He said my nose was shiny so I said do it and he dutifully dusted with powder.  God, I did not want my shiny nose to greet Kat.  Thankfully, my KvD long-lasting lipstick in Outlaw had survived the 4 hour wait (I applied it after a coffee at St Pancreas station) so I didn’t have to worry about that.  No problem if I had required a touch-up though as the staff were happily applying her lippies to all the patient queuing fans. 

OK, now this was happening, this was the part where it was all very quick.  I turned the corner and there she was… so tiny was she!  One of her staff asked me if I was excited and I said I was sooooo nervous.  "Oh noooooo!", she cried.  I quickly replied that it was due to excitement and her face relaxed.  I didn't want to be carted off by Security at this stage. 

 I am so close to her!  Next, its my turn.

The meet and greet was so militarily timed that it completely threw me off.  They take your phone, you have to stand in a certain spot and then they move you two centimetres every three seconds and this goes on until you’re so near the people who are having their photo with the inked Goddess herself that my adrenaline went into overdrive.  I’m too close, I thought, my space and their's is being compromised.  Without realising, I am now staring in the face of Kat von D with her arms outstretched towards me.  KAT VON D!!!!  Her make-up looked amazing by the way – I thought I’m going to have to buy the Shade and Light palette…  Anyway, back to reality, I think we stared at each other for far too long and she realised how nervous I was and gave me the biggest hug of my life.  Then, quickly we had to have the photos taken and I had planned just to say “I tweeted you last year and you tweeted me back!”  But me being the female version of Hugh Grant (on a good day) said “Hi Kat, my hands are really cold, sorry!”  She had bare arms and I didn't want to shock her with my cold hands!  Of course, she didn’t mind at all. 

(Sympathy) Hug 1

Because it was all going so fast and really I didn’t have time to say anything else, I had a little tantrum with my arms and blurted, “But I had so much I wanted to say and its all gone out of my head!”  Again, her arms stretched out and she said “Awwwww, come here,” and I was nestled against her again.  Yes, that was lovely but it wasn’t my finest hour and I wish I had just been less star-struck and not a babbling idiot.  Hopefully she won’t remember me -  haha!

(Sympathy) Hug 2 - Lucky me!

My life is complete

Due to all the queuing, I was desperate for a pee (I didn’t leave the queue I was in to go to the loo so I was busting 5 hours later) so after going to the ladies room, we went to the counter as I had planned to buy her mascara and Shade and Light palette but I saw the counter queue was now snaking out of the building and onto Oxford Street! I thought, no way are we queuing again so we left to meet our London friends and to be honest, I needed a stiff drink...

Although I came away without buying, I can write about her products as I’ve been using them since 2008.  All her make-up has been designed to be long-lasting and my goodness, they are.  My first purchase (cost me a fortune on ebay) was the eye palette in Metal Orchestra – a selection of blues, greys and blacks.  Great colour pay-off.

Metal Orchestra - old packaging

The lipsticks, I felt at first, were quite drying (as can often be the case when make-up is ‘long-lasting’) but the colours are absolutely amazing.  Thankfully, the lipsticks have been re-formulated over the years and are more comfortable than they used to be.  The Everlasting range is fantastic as it doesn’t move – you can kiss and drink in them and they don’t come off.  After eating, you need to reapply but only a dab on the middle of your lips.  Result.  Also great to buy for value are the mini lipstick gift sets.  My US friend generously bought me a gift set of 6 mini lipsticks in a variety of colours.

Free lipstick from Kat in Underage Red

My favourite product of hers though is the Tattoo Liner in Trooper.  My hooded, round eyes look ridiculous with wings, flicks and cat eyes but I do like a top line and I need a liner that has a really thin nib.  With this little beauty, you can go as sharp, precise and creative as you like.  This does the trick and it lasts.  Everyone should own Trooper (£16).

My KvD Collection - studded lipstick, lipstick, tattoo liner, everlasting lip, metal orchestra

I am not into celeb perfumes at all – they all smell the same – have a cheap base note to them but Saint and Sinner doesn’t have that at all.  Gorgeous!  They were discontinued years back but the lady herself has hinted to a 2017 relaunch.  I love both of them but I settled on Saint.  I still have the bottle and l like to have a sniff once in a while.  

Saint Perfume

Another thing I love about Kat’s products is the packaging.  Kat, being the incredible artist that she is, designs all the packaging and names every product herself.  Especially love the studded lipsticks – so me – and the new Shade and Light products and her brushes are in coffin-shaped packaging – beyond cool.

Now Kat has launched in Debenhams, I no longer have to ask my sister or my friends when they are going the States to buy me KvD or do I have to pay extortionate delivery charges that cost more than the products themselves!  It’s so exciting!

It was a fantastic Kat day, one of which I will cherish and big love to my Dan for enduring 13 hours of an excitable me and to my friends that got me my wristband in the first place and made it all possible; Adrianna and Junko.

Next, I am going to have to save up my pennies for a trip to LA to be inked.  I wonder if Kat will recognise me?

www.debenhams.com/beauty/kat-von-d
Prices from £16

Summer Palma Skin

While on me hols, again, I wanted to keep my skincare routine minimal but with enough hydration, so I took with me:

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

Garnier Micellar Water

Eucerin Face Cream SFP50

Origins Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask

Solait Sun Cream SPF50

Soltan Moisturise & Repel Aftersun

1. Cetaphil (£9 for 236ml and £15 for 473ml)

I can't remember which model recently said that she had this little beauty scientifically tested but its supposed to be the best cleanser out there.  It has simply been formulated to be effective, non-irritating and not upsetting the pH balance of the skin and is great for people with specific skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, acne and rosacea. Celebs and pro make-up artists have been singing its praises for years now and (yay) it's gone mainstream and is easily accessible.  It took me ages to give this a go to be honest but I got my hands on some samples and thought they were perfect size for my toiletry bag.

I was surprised to learn that one of the ingredients in Cetaphil was SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulphate - gives products the bubbles) as it doesn't really foam up.  We are repeatedly being told that this little horror is notorious for drying out skin and hair and is therefore ageing.  When checking the ingredient list, I was pleased to see it at the bottom (ingredients are listed with highest quantities at the top) so it is obviously a small amount.  Happy to announce though, I was left with the smoothest, silkiest of skin after use so I will be purchasing a full-size bottle when I am done with my current cream cleanser.   Even though my face isn't sensitive, I do suffer from itchy skin on my legs and this cleanser is great for body too.

2. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (£2 for 125ml and £5 for 400ml)
I took the smaller bottle away with me to get rid of my make-up of an evening.  I do like these micellar waters as they are great to use in a hurry and better for the skin than wipes.  Unfortunately I had to bring my L'Oreal Absolute Eye & Lip Remover as well as its the only product that doesn't make my eyes sting when removing my eye make-up but the Garnier removes everything else efficiently.

3.  Eucerin Sun Face Creme SPF50 (£16 for 50ml)

For daytime, I found myself reapplying this a lot more than what I did last year using Boots Soltan Face SPF50.  However, I didn't burn so that was the main thing. The texture is extremely light for sun protection which is great as who wants a heavy sun cream and it has UVA (protect against ageing), UVB (protection against burning) and some ingredients in there to protect against free radicals and reducing pigmentation spots.

4. Origins Drink Up-Intensive Overnight Mask (£24 for 100ml)

I bought this years ago when I was working for Shiseido in Dublin but I never liked the smell of it so haven't used it that much.  However, I thought it might be a good product to use after a day in the sun.  Ironically but thankfully the peachy smell was still there so it hadn't gone off!   I am so glad I took this little beauty with me.  My skin felt lovely in the mornings; soft, supple and extremely hydrated, this was due to the apricot oil (the peachy smell culprit?) and Japanese seaweed.  Totally recommend this product for holidays in the sun (if you don't mind the peachy pong).  Apply a thin layer and go to sleep.

5.  Superdrug Solait Sun Cream (£5 for 200ml)

Hmmm, was not enamoured with this sun cream.  It was far too runny.  I didn't burn though so it was obviously working its magic but I didn't like it. 

6.  Boots Soltan Moisturise & Repel Aftersun (£4 for 200ml)

OK, having the word 'repel' in the name of the product isn't exactly appealing but I absolutely love this lotion and think I will continue to buy it regardless of whether or not I'm on holiday.  In fact, I am still slathering it on daily and it doesn't interfere with my perfume.  Even the husband commented on how soft the tops of my feet were.  It's an aftersun with insect repellent which smells so good that you think how could it possibly be an insect repellent?  It smells of coconuts to me.  Tee hee, I never got bitten on holiday but husband did - it was the night that he forgot to put some on! 

Summer Sun Palma Make-up

As you know, I'm not a fan of wearing make-up on holiday due to sheer laziness (and my oily skin - everything just slides off) but I thought I would make an effort this year.  I kept it minimal with just five products and I was happy with the results: I wasn't the Wicked Witch of the West ("I'm melting!!!!!"), I felt comfortable all evening and it only took five minutes to do.  Well done Sal!

I'm also quite chuffed that I am still unable to wear my regular foundation due to still having some colour in my skin.  I prefer lightweight BB creams for my hols and I chose to take my trusted favourite Garnier's Original BB Cream.  However, I purchased the Medium shade not realising that I wouldn't be able to use it for the first couple of days as I had no colour - it was way too dark.  So I bought the Garnier BB Skin Perfector Oil Free in Light and mixed it with the Medium.  The first couple of nights, I wore the Light and then mixed the two together to get the right shade.  It was quite exciting squeezing more Medium than Light into the mix towards the end of the holiday. (£10 each).

What I love about Garnier's BB Original is that its lightweight and gives a lovely dewy, healthy finish and it smells fab.  The Light BB was actually from their oil-free range which is surprisingly fluid for a base without any oil in it.  I may have counteracted the effect with the two products - dewy finish of the Original and matt finish of the Oil Free but I was happy with the effect; nice and natural, with reduced shine, radiant skin, my HUGE pores looked better and I had sun protection.

I didn't take my UD eye primer as there was no way I was putting anything on my lids in this heat so next up was filling in my eyebrows with the most fabulous product, the MAC Big Brow Pencil (£16). Super quick, easy to apply and living up to its name, my brows are Big!

Next up was Lancome Definicils (£24) in Black.  I used to love this mascara but I think my lashes have aged and I don't get the same effect as when I was younger but it didn't budge or smudge in the Palma heat so shouldn't grumble.  

I then applied my trusted Body Shop Honey Bronze blush (£8) - lovely coral shade with a hint of a gold glow.  

To finish, I then alternated my lipstick each night with MAC Velvetese Lip Pencil (£18) in Ready to Go (deep brick red) and Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick By Kate Nude Collection (£6) in shade 45 (lovely glossy brown with a hint of burgundy).  What I love about these chunky pencils, they are so easy to apply.  Not very classy but I'd reapply my lippie at the table after the meal without a mirror!