GOSH Darling: lipstick love

I'm not the first to rave about this lipstick but I had to write a quick post to express my love for my latest lipstick purchase.

GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick in 'Darling' is a beautiful, creamy nude lipstick that slicks on easily and leaves lips feeling soft and moisturised and almost like wearing a balm rather than a lipstick. The colour does look a little like it should be a concealer rather than a lipstick but when applied it creates a pretty nude with just a hint of pink that is really flattering.

For anyone else who is a bit of a lipstick-a-phobe, like me, nude lip colours are the perfect way to ease your way in gently. The nude is subtle enough not to draw too much attention or comment - if you feel uncomfortable about a dramatic change if your not a regular lipstick wearer. Nude lipstick great for getting used to wearing it without looking too dramatic, although as the nude lipstick look is so lovely I may never truly graduate to the dramatic lip look...

Quick sorry post!

Quick post/apology for the lack of frequency of posts on 'A Beauty Junkie in London' at the moment. Having just been away for a couple of weeks I am now faced with moving house and the Internet connection may take a couple of weeks to get installed so the posts may be a little sporadic. Please bear with me and normal service will be resumed ASAP :)

WARNING: this post may shock

Fellow beauty junkies, please make sure you are sitting down before you read this post as I have a confession to make regarding a recent MAC purchase.

Recently I bought four items of MAC make-up. No, this is not the shocking factor. What may shock is that these are the only MAC make-up I own. I know, I know, how can I call myself a beauty junkie and only now be buying MAC?!

Before I get carried away with make-up guilt - this isn't my first MAC purchase - I did buy a foundation that I used up completely a few years ago, but since then I have never quite gone as far as to actually purchase more. To be very honest a large part of this is because I find the staff at MAC counters intimidating so even when I have gone to a counter full of intentions to buy I have often changed my mind at the last moment. Of course, the other factor has been the cost.

But having bitten the bullet and bought a few bits I have my eye on I am totally converted. The cost is intimidating, but 100% worth it. This will not be shocking news to any MAC converts, who are already well aware of the benefits of the quality. But if you have, like me, thought it was a bit too expensive and not convinced it was worth the expense- it really is.

The bits I bought are some simple, 'staple' items:

• Studio Sculpt Concealer (NW15)
• Mineralise Skin Finish Natural (Light)
• 2x Eyeshadow (Satin Taupe and Naked Lunch)

My main rave is about the pigmentation and the staying power of the eye shadows- beautiful colours that truly last all day. This may have been my first MAC purchase in a long time, but I doubt it will be the last.

Return from holiday: beauty round up

Phew, FINALLY I have chance to sit down and catch up with a bit of blogging. It feels like forever since I last wrote, but I have a decent 'excuse', I was away on holiday for a couple of weeks PLUS I am getting ready to move house soon so all is a bit hectic- to say the least.


To get back into the flow of beauty blogging I thought I would do a round-up of some of the products I took away- the loves and the hates:

Holiday beauty loves:

Simple Sun Care SPF 15 - Really liked this, as it managed that magic trick of protecting my skin, without leaving it feeling greasy.

RoC Minesol Anti-Shine Emulsion SPF 30 (£14.95 for 50ml) - another fab sun cream, really good protection without the greasy shine (a summer skin pet-hate) Perfect for sun-protection year-round.

Clinique Superbalanced Powder Makeup SPF 15 Mineral Rich Formula - Love the light formula of this powder with the clever 'fresh ground' dispenser so you can have the benefits of loose powder without the mess. Kept shine at bay, without feeling heavy- gorgeous!

Holiday beauty hates:

No7 Intense Volume Waterproof Mascara - Normally I swear by getting my eyelashes tinted before holiday but with all the rushing around I ran out of time so resorted to waterproof mascara. Initially impressed with the lengthening, separating, dark lashes this mascara delivered but unfortunately the 'waterproof' element seemed to be missing- it just didn't withstand any sort of water. Great mascara shame about the lack of waterproof-ness, which was why I bought it.

Simple Sun Care After Sun - I took two tubes of this away with me, one normal moisturising one and another 'tan enhancing' one. Despite loving the suncream, I really didn't like the after sun as found the moisturising version too light and the tan enhancing one didn't do anything to enhance my tan.

The Holiday Preparation: Part 2

OK, next part of my holiday preparation was getting my hair in tip-top condition so it was ready to brave the ravages of hot sun, chlorine and sea water. To do this I have used a series of deep conditioners on a daily basis and for the past week I have used 'Mashooq Deep Penetrating Oil Treatment' for an extra boost.

I have used a few conditioning oils on my hair before, from Vo5 Hot Oil to simply Olive Oil to add moisture and leave hair sleek and smooth. The Mashooq Oil is pretty much along the same lines as the Vo5, although there is no need to warm it.

The application is a little messy, having to pour the oil into a boil and then attempt to apply to hair in sections. I would strongly recommend doing this in the bath or shower (without running water) just to avoid spatters of hair oil all over.

Once applied, you leave to penetrate hair for 10-20 mins, with a plastic cap on for extra effect (and to prevent mess). Before re-entering the bath or shower to rinse and shampoo, as normal.

Once dried, hair feels amazing- soft, smooth and no fly aways in sight. The oil doesn't have any noticeable smell, which is a bit of a shame as it would be a much more pleasant pampering experience if the oil smelt as good as it makes the hair feel. A 100ml bottle only gives 2 applications, at £6.99 it's not the cheapest hair conditioner, but if you want results this one does deliver.

The Holiday Preparation: Part 1

I'm off on holiday soon and whilst the packing may be last-minute, the preparation has been going on for weeks. I had all the best intentions of being a dedicated gym-bunny in the lead-up to holiday in order to shift a few pounds and tone up a little for a boost of bikini-confidence, but sadly life got in the way an the gym has fallen by the wayside. But, in the place of the gym I have been trialing a number of beauty goodies- some of which offer a quick fix, some of which are slightly more long-term.



So of course I wouldn't be doing all this and not blogging about it, here is installment number one with more to come:


The Cellulite Treatment: Karin Herzog Dynamic Duo

I was sent the Dynamic Duo to test about a month ago, which was perfect timing to start using it in the run up to my holiday. The Dynamic Duo includes two lotions: 'Silhouette' and 'Tonus B12'.

Rather than try to explain it myself (I am no scientist after all), below is the explanation from the KH website:

Silhouette: Formulated to act locally on the parts of the body which are most liable to deposits and massing of fat. Using a patented formula this cream disperses adipose tissue by forcing Oxygen gas deep into the tissues, blasting away toxins that block the capillaries, causing uneven bumpy skin.

Tonus B12: As well as being essential for the correct formation of our red blood cells for the construction of DNA and for the vitality and longevity of every cell in our body, vitamin B12 is also the major vitamin responsible for the correct digestion of food and is crucial in aiding the body in the conversion of carbohydrates and fats into energy.

OK, so basically what it claims is that when used together the two lotions create a magic cellulite-cure. The case study on the website is admittedly impressive, but this can be any number of thing,- good airbrushing, excellent marketing, general consumer bluffing.... I wanted to test it for myself to see if it really was all it is cracked up to be.

The application is pretty simple, just rub on one cream into to areas you want to treat, followed by the other. The guide suggests not rubbing in the Silhouette too much as it will naturally be absorbed by the skin and rubbing means more ends up on your palms than the lumpy bits.

First impressions were OK, skin felt soft and smooth but orange peel skin was still there. It was after about a week of use I started to feel like I was seeing an improvement, skin felt smoother and the couple of deeper bumps that were constantly visible started to become less noticeable.

I have continued use on a daily basis (give or take a couple that I skipped) and I can 100% see an improvement. This doesn't mean that all traces of the dreaded C-word have vanished, but I would be confident to say that they have gone from being noticeable at all times, to only noticeable when compressed (legs crossed, sitting down- you know what I mean).

The best thing about the product, is that I am happy with the results after a month - and I still have lots of product left. I was a bit concerned that the two tubes would work and then run out really quickly, and at £45 for the pair it is not a cheap product. But having used I do think it is good value for money if you really want to tackle your cellulite.

Only downside is that you do have to use it every day, which can be a bit of a hassle- but to shift cellulite it is well worth it. Plus, you don't have to apply in the morning like I have been doing- you can do so at night if that works better for you.

Recent beauty loves round up

I have been a busy beauty junkie over the past few weeks, testing out all sorts of different products in a desperate attempt to get ready for my holiday, which is fast approaching. I have managed to find a few that I think are really great so thought I would do a bit of a round-up.

The Fake Tan: No7 Sunless Tanning Quick Dry Spray

I did a bit of tweeting about this last weekend before giving it a test. I like this spray because it is really simple to use. The spray is colourless, doesn't smell too offensive, and dries fairly quickly. It is the ideal in easy fake-tanning- no stained sheets, no hovering around waiting to dry. The downside of the tan is that it is pretty subtle- which works for me- but wouldn't have much affect on anyone with non-pale skin.

The Hair Spray: Lee Stafford Climate Control Protection Spray

I have been going through a bit of a curling-phase, using my GHDs to add a bit of bounce and curl to my hair. As my hair is naturally straight I do need a decent spray to keep the curl from dropping out. This spray is fine, doesn't leave my hair crusty, and does keep the curl in all day.

The Make-Up Brush: No7 Foundation Brush

Yep, another No7 product that I think is worth a mention. No7 (fairly) recently launched a selection of make-up brushes with little fan-fare. I had my doubts about the quality before trying them- to the point that I have had the foundation brush and a blusher brush sitting on my 'to test' pile of beauty products for a couple of months, gathering dust. But on Thursday this week I finally broke them out and tested them with my Maybelline Airbrush Foundation and I was completely impressed.

The brushes are soft and fine and don't (yet) malt at all. With foundation on the brush the bristles don't separate, as I have found with other- admittedly cheap- brushes I have tried. As the brushes don't separate the foundation doesn't go all streaky with application, instead blending smoothly and delivering fantastic and smooth results I love it!

The Tinted Sun Cream: Marie-Veronique Organics Creme de Soleil Tinted SPF 30+

I was sent this by the lovely Jo at www.puresha.com, the all-natural, organic, beauty website. I tested it out within minutes of it arriving and immediately loved the natural glow it gave my skin. Lighter than foundation and even some of the tinted moisturisers I have tried- this tinted suncream absorbs and blends easily, leaving skin radiant and protected from the sun. Jo suggests that it looks even better when used over serum- I haven't tried this yet, but plan to take this away with me on holiday as the light formula and sun protection is ideal for the (fingers crossed) hot sun!

Origins review

I wont lie, I'm having a bit of a skin crisis at the moment. My skin seems to have decided to go a little crazy, specifically my chin. My chin has something against me.

Anyway, I find that when my skin decides to go crazy, the best thing to do is exfoliate and use products that are simple and don't irritate my skin. The exfoliation helps shift dead skin, clean out clogged pores and generally brighten and smooth out my skin. Recently I have been swearing by Simple moisturisers- I recently did a review of these- but have also added in Origins Modern Friction to my skin-saving routine.

Origins Modern Friction is a thick creamy exfoliator, packed with really fine exfoliating particles that smells good enough to eat. In fact, as I type I can't stop sniffing the stuff- I love how yummy it smells- like sweet, creamy icing with a hint of something citrus (probably because it contains lemon oil...).

The exfoliator is the perfect balance for a gentle, but effective exfoliator combined with skin soothing aloe to prevent any irritation. I love this scrub and have been using it every morning for the past week in an effort to clear my skin up and get it back on track.