Giveaway data and what your dream products tell me...NARS Orgasm to be given away!

 

The giveaway entries are revealing. (See giveaway in sidebar to the right). I expected some cosmetic savvy responses and I've learned a thing or two about current trends.

Discerning readers have identified the following as desirable/aspirational brands/products (not a comprehensive list):

• Urban Decay - but of course!
• Tom Ford fragrance
• Chanel (and why not?)
• argan oil (it is an interesting product and I'd never heard of it until I went to Marrakesh - goats in trees eating olives and passing the stones which are then ground to oil, who knew?)
• MAC - not entirely unexpected
• Laura Mercier - I'm a Laura virgin myself!
• YSL Touche Eclat (this I have had and it was OK but not THAT brilliant)
• Creme de la Mer (out of my league)
• La Prairie - I tried Silver Rain and I loved it but
• Kiehl - also good stuff by all accounts
• Rodial - Rodial?
• OCC Lip Tars got a mention - please, if you love your lips then do get some
• Deborah Lippmann polish - you can add me to the list of the love-lorn
• Clarins 230 - when was that last onsale and can someone show a bottle of it, please

Now I'd never heard of Rodial. Thought it was maybe shoes? No.

This is what Rodial has to say about the product pictured above.

Forever pushing boundaries, Rodial have gone one step further and present glamoxy snake serum.

Glamoxy snake serum helps relax expression lines with a unique combination of snake venom-like peptides and oxygen. The revolutionary oxygenated, viper-inspired serum contains syn-ake; a neuro peptide that mimics the effects of the Temple Viper's potent venom to instantly lift the face, freeze muscles and plump fine lines and wrinkles.

This a truly innovative and ground breaking addition to the glamtox skincare range, the question is 'How far will you go to look younger?'

-25ml

Benefits:

• Encourages cell respiration to fill and plump the skin, whilst adding instant radiance.
• Instant 3D plumping effect, and redensifys and moisturises the complexion.
• Helps fade fine lines and imperfections and corrects skin tone.
• Provides powerful antioxidant protection.

Any spelling errors are not mine btw. Guess the price? For 25ml. Well, I'm not telling. And I'm sorry to disappoint you but it's not going to be included in the giveaway box. Not even half a solitary ml. Because a miserable little 5ml (think a medicine spoon) would cost £25. So half a ml would be £2.50. And if you sneezed then...

We do need someone to review this though. Anyone got it? Or perhaps they have used it and become so young they are now a mere embryo and cannot therefore write.

Synthetic snake venom? Count me in. 

Jenni

Celebrity jeans fell down! Shock horror!

Coz this is the evil twinning of Barbara Daly Denim and Barielle Falling Star.

This is Barbara Daly Denim from Tesco.  It's a horrid steely blue.

(Oh, and it was pointed out to me that it was the Greeks who came up with ba ba ba barbarians. True true.)

Oo, thought I when in the shop, this is very like Barielle Falling Star. This is why I am a rubbish nail blogger. Because that is a garbage observation.

See the microscopic coral glitter in the BD? The BD is more sheer (no, be honest, watery) than I'd like so I got out a tiddly make-up sponge on a stick and did a bit of a sponge gradient. Which is harder than you'd think because the Barielle dried on the nail almost at once. I need to work on that because it would be a good look when done well with different colours.

Any tips on sponge manis? Leanne of Do Not Refreeze is an expert on this as I recall. See what I mean?

http://www.donotrefreeze.com/

Jenni

Blue and green should never be seen...

I think that's the commonly-held view.

Illamasqua Prism over Jessica Victorian Crush with a blob to disguise the little blips where the tape didn't lie flat.

 

It's an OK mani. The tip-wear on the Jessica wasn't great though...Or maybe it was the fault of the Illamasqua. How'm I to know..May just be that I'm not being thorough about wrapping the tips these days.

Very impressed by these stick-on stones from 2true. They don't half adhere! I topcoat them of course  but they don't dislodge easily and I don't shield my hands/nails much in terms of protecting the stones from wear so I'm very pleased with their tenacity. ALSO they are a reasonable size. I bought oodles of little ones in dinky-winky bottles but I can't find a way to handle them so they're of no use. Boo.

Jenni

 

2true Fast Dry Shade 6

It's not going to set the world on fire colour-wise. Hence the FlorMar layering. But it does glide on beautifully. OPI do a trillion shades like this but the OPI quality is unequivocally no better than this modest self-effacing product.


These polishe are like liquid plastic or something. The consistency is superb. I've only one more 2true to review. Boo hoo. Next step is to try the squat bottles. But they have a lot to live up to. Problemo.

Your cheapest budget polishes?

Jenni

Jessica Victorian Crush - whatever that is...

Another sludge-green I simply had to have. And only got courtesy of ABOP and her RAOK.

http://anotherbottleofpolish.blogspot.com/search/label/jessica

Dear sweetie took note that I had admired this and just sent me a bottle! I had won a fab Diamond Cosmetics collection from her last year so she had my address already! Is she not a total sweetheart? She is also brilliant with her replies to comments. 

The Jessica in this pic is the darker shade btw.

Name a fave blogger!

Jenni

This A-Z tag-thing that's doing the rounds...

Not me (the hairy one or indeed the one in her flimsies). But this IS the style of bra I wear (see U for Underwear)....And this is an orang-utan from Chester Zoo (Z for Zoo).

A. Age:55

B. Bed size:Double. But my OH has her room too. And she has a double as well. Own rooms. The ONLY way to go. I like to be able to stretch and wriggle and read and have the light on and then off and then on again...Who wants to have to be considerate in bed?

C. Chore you hate: Cleaning and tidying. Hence our cleaner.

D. Day:????

E. Essential start to your day:Breakfast! The clue is in the name.

F. Favourite colour:Black. But I'm still fat even so...

G. Gold or Silver:Silver.But I don't know why.

H. Height:Five two on a tall day.

I. Instruments:Piano. Church organ. Taught myself clarinet. Recorder. Soprano and treble. Voice.
J.Job:Teacher 

K. Kids:2 adult daughters plus a grandson and another grandchild due end of July 

L. Live:Midlands/Worcestershire

M. Mum’s name:Barbara - amazing etymology - the Romans thought foreigners went 'ba ba ba ba ba' (a bit like rhubarb rhubarb, yeah?) so they called foreigners 'barbari' = barbarians

N. Nicknames:none that I know of

O. Overnight hospital stays:bovine TB aged 4, 2 C-sections, plastic surgery on ears, maybe more, one forgets

P. Pet peeve:noisy eaters....... mastication *shudders*

Q. Quote from a film:n/a - not a great film-buff

R. Right or left handed: right

S. Siblings:an older half-brother but he's a "secret"

T. Time you wake up:probably 7 but I can easily go back to sleep/read/sleep until 11 (see B for bed)

U. Underwear:how very dare you, OK, bra from Bravissimo (Panache Tango) and knickers from Marks mostly

V. Vegetables you dislike:sweetcorn (too sweet and sickly and it smells)

W. What makes you run late:I do try not to, I hate unpunctuality - maybe that's a pet peeve!

X. X-Rays you’ve had:plenty, plenty - teachers have to prove they don't have TB, broken arm, loads I should think...

Y. Yummy food you make:you jest - cook for me, please

Z. Zoo:Chester? Last went ages ago with a group of kids from school. One little "dear" threw something at an orang-utan who promptly threw it right back at him. A better shot than the lad too. How I laughed!

Huitres de la Garonne

Oysters. Apparently. According to the OH who lived for a year or so in Les Landes as a tot and has a better command of French than I and some local knowledge. I was thinking more lizard or snake but what do I know?

The serendipitous accident that arose from the meeting of Utopia, GOSH Rainbow, FlorMar 02, Barry M black crackle and then FlorMar again.

You can see the huge gap which gives the game away in terms of how long I have had this polish on my nails....

Quite like this one.

Jenni

To tan or not to tan?

Nubar Tan Me

 

Over Models Own Nayla Nude.

The big pustule (or rhinestone, if you prefer) on the ring finger is from a pack of 2true Crystal Couture.

The OH gets kinda fed up with endless mani changes so I have to eke out my manis by adding stuff to existing manis that are quick to do and quick to dry. Then there's the blogging time and the taking of photos. I can't devote all the quiet time I might like to doing this.

Next thing I need is nail tape. That looks to satisfy my criteria for ease and speed. But I'm on a no-buy. How to reconcile the conflict? *sighs*

So I may easily have to make an initial coat of paint last 5-6 days without getting too massively bored of the whole farrago.

What's your boredom threshold?

Jenni

A Utopian Rainbow

i.e. Models Own Utopia + GOSH Rainbow mattified with Boots 17.

I am completely gaga for this combo of flakies + matte.
Good thing I have a back-up of Rainbow as I haven't seen it in Superdrug for a while.
I also have Nubar 2010 though so I should be OK for a while.

What are your essential back-up polishes?

Jenni

GIVEAWAY

The "It'sNOTaGLOSSYbox" giveaway. Except that it IS a GlossyBox. As in the pink cardboard-thing. But the contents are....well, read on.

What d'you mean by that?
I take my GlossyBox er...box and fill it with little goodies. More than 5! Extra eco-green points to ME for reusing the box.

What goodies?
It's a surprise. Just like the contents of the GB itself are a surprise. I'm not telling you. BUT it does include NARS Orgasm 30ml. I confess to having had a couple of blobs from it but it's essentially full as I only got it on Wednesday and haven't used it every day.

OK, so what do I have to do?
You have to be a follower and tell me your email address and roughly where in the world you are e.g. Romania or Ruislip. Then you have to tell me in the comments box what 5 (probably expensive) products in the whole world you'd like to try one day. Hair, skincare, lippie, anything! Well, not rhino horn obviously. And I'm not sending you a kitten. And ultimately the winner will get more than 5 items in the box. Will have to see how much I can stuff in there.

Any other entries I can get myself?
Well, you could always blog or tweet about it but A) I won't check and B) I won't check. So it's just the comment-y thing.

Any restrictions?
Yes, EU only this time, I'm afraid. This may turn out to be a heavy box so I'm worried about P&P. Actually I don't know offhand all the countries in the EU so I'll say Europe.

Anything else?

• You can always just tell me your 5 product list even if you're far, far away and can't win. Just for our mutual amusement.
• The winner will be selected by random.org
• Closes June 14th.

Jenni
All clear?

In the nude....

Models Own Nayla Nude to be precise

 

I saw this on a blog somewhere/somewhen and really craved it. Got it in a 3-pastel set from asos. £12. Good value.

• 2/3 coats. I wasn't being very careful. It's not a brilliant formula but it's OK. A bit gloopy.
• It reminds me of MAC Brown Bag. Can anyone comment authoritatively on that? I've always hankered after that but I'm kinda anti-MAC without knowing exactly why...
• I like it a lot. Whilst sometimes not liking it. Which is good. One likes to be entertained.
• Will go down as one of my beloved fuglies with Misa Hot Couture and so forth.
• Finally - who has this natural skin-tone? Nude? In which country? Or indeed on which planet? Maybe I don't know enough people...

Jenni

What would a perfect world be like?

Models Own Utopia

Because, without looking it up, that's what I suppose Utopia to be. Perfect world.
I have wanted this polish longtime.

• It is pastel and it is a bit streaky. 3 coats for sure. You have to get a lot of polish on the brush. Easy it's not. Not by any stretch.
• But the colour is unusual. I have over 1000 polishes now and it's unique in my stash.
• Luckily I lemmed it and I love it.
• Is it pink, lavender, lilac? Don't know.
• The photo makes my hands look lobster but that's not the case irl.

You know any dupes for this?

Jenni

GlossyBox - orgasm!

01 NARS Orgasm. 30ml
02 The proper lippie - not a mini
03 A little (4ml) phial of cleanser - looks very serious and clinical
04 Hair product
05 Body lotion 50ml

• The box is majorly pretty/good quality.
• It is opened by pulling at a tear-strip. MUCH MUCH better than loads of tape.
• The contents have to be worth 10 squid of anyone's marine molluscs.

A resounding 100% satisfaction.

Jenni

Grossly misleading IMO.....RMK

OK, I mattified it and added glitter to the middle finger and threw some GOSH Rainbow over a bunch of nails BUT BUT BUT BUT...see that word on the label? Yeah? Holographic.

Yes, and I'm the love child of Barbara Windsor and Stephen Hawking.

It is pink with blue shimmer is what it is. I got this from asos as it was much reduced and I like to have a representative polish from as many brands as I can. Good or bad. This isn't bad but it isn't effin' holographic. 

Any tales of products which you consider badly mis-described? Also your best most holo-y holo?

Jenni

Matte flakies are better than shiny flakies..

Well, that's what I think. I put GOSH Rainbow over the 2true to disguise the bubbles. Then I put matte over one nail just to see the effect.

Eureka! Glossy shine distracts from the flakies. Matte enhances them. QED.

This is a post-industrial sci-fi alienation counter-culture mani.

Do you agree with the matt flakies proposition?

Jenni

2true Fast Dry Shade 9

This is unfair in a way because the bubbling is due entirely to me using the wrong product as topcoat. It mucked up my other hand too which sports a different polish. Totally my fault.

Big sorry to 2true because this is another great polish - 2 coats and you're done. The accent nail is Pop Beauty Twinkle which is a bottle of liquid joy.

Is anyone else suffering dry skin at the moment? I think I may have been neglecting my hand-care regime but maybe it's... sunspots! Or...........something in the water? Any ideas?


Jenni

Lilac ombre with beauty uk

This goes:
Little finger Lilac
Ring - Lilac plus a coat of FlorMar (OK, this makes it too blue, I know)
Middle - Soft Lilac
Index and thumb - Cotton Candy

It works alright conceptually but what I can assure you is that the beauty uk polishes continue to be great successes. 2 or 3 coats and you're done. Very pleased with the quality. Days were that cheap polish was sh!t quality. Those days seem long-gone. If you can buy it in a reputable shop then that's your guarantee that it's good stuff.

The apparent crustiness on my fingers is where I went overboard with base coat. Oops.


BIG APOLOGIES

• I'm not keeping up well with comments

• I'm not fulfilling all my promises to mention people when I said I would

*smacks hand and vows to do better*

Jenni (What kind of things do you beat yourself up about and how do you make amends/improve?) 

Orly Galaxy Girl - OPI This Little Piggy

OK, so it isn't really anything like Galaxy Girl unless you're partially sighted or have imbibed far, far too freely of the juice of the vine. But it's nice.

The darkest 2true shade from the Fast Dry range plus an OPI topping after a coupla days of wear.

I'm having to layer to bring some variety into my life as I'm on a no-buy.

News tomorrow about:
a blog award
the identity of my mysterious Jessica benefactress

IF you were on a no-buy what would you currently be craving? Hell, what ARE you currently craving?

Jen

Barbara Daly oil-free foundation in Ivory

 

This is AFTER.

This was the 'before'.

• See the difference? Not bad, huh?
• Around a fiver. Reduced at the moment.
• Has a silly spatula-like applicator like you get in a little tub of ice-cream at the pictures. What's that all about? Barking.
• I apply it/dab it on with a sponge. I apply all foundation with a sponge. Don't like icky fingers.
• It didn't cover the yukky spot but it evened out the rubbish skin-tone.

Pity you have to go to Tesco to get it! Horrid, big shop.

Jenni

Chanel Mimosa it isn't - Zest by Barbara Daly it is...

And jolly good it is too. I added a FlorMar coat to most fingers because it is a yellow and it's not completely streak-free and that's what I do these days. £3 for a small bottle but that's actually reasonable because it is a funky colour. I know it's not a Mimosa dupe btw. Heck, it may not even be yellow!

Compare this to Illamasqua Rare which drove me to the point of abject despair and this is a total win. It's only very slightly streaky and it's glossy. The photo is a Day 3 pic so the wear is very good. It doesn't give me lobster mitts so you can conclude I am well chuffed with this.

Anybody have much truck with Barbara Daly? It means I have to go into Tesco (hate Tesco) but that is sometimes unavoidable.

Jenni

beauty uk Sage Green - a new fave!

A coupla quid. That's all. For a polish that, to my astonishment, was virtually perfect in 1 coat. I did 2 though. And there's a bit of layering on the index. Just because...

Enough with the facts! Now for the hyperbole.  How gorgeous is this green? On a scale from Beatrice's hat to Pippa Middleton's @rse this polish is well up there with the @rse. Right up there. Keeping company with queens. Within a whisker (well, a stray pubic hair) of the throne.

(Kind of OPI Shrek. Only darker.)

 

FYI I got this before beginning my no-buy. So far it's only http://nail-newbie.blogspot.com/ Nail Newbie and I in the club - stop sniggering - but others are welcome.

I think it's day 5 of no-buying and I'm staying stroooooong. I even parked in John Lewis car park today and DID NOT GO IN THE SHOP!

OK, so the rest of you are still happily purchasing. Me? Envious? Ha! But do you drip-buy or do you splurge?

Jenni

IsaDora 123 Apricot + I'm OFFICIALLY on a no-buy

It's the only IsaDora I have. Got it from http://www.xtras-online.co.uk/cosmetics/nails/. This a great company. I had a discount code but I forgot to apply it at checkout so I emailed them and they just gave me the discount right away. No bother. Tres cool. Very good peeps to do business with.

Anyhows... this is very sheer but works frightfully well as a layering polish. Goes a bit duochrome-y. I think they are probably quality polishes. If only I were not on a no-buy I might find out by buying some more.

Soooooo this is like Slimming World or something. Not that I've ever been but I flippin' well ought to. I need your support in encouraging me to get a grip and not buy more polish. It's turned a bit too OCD for my (well, the wife's) liking and I now find I have to buy a polish a day or I feel bereft. Not good. I don't like the anxious feeling of 'Where's my next nail polish coming from' so it has to stop.

This has worn well btw.

I believe I'm the only current member of the NBC (no-buy club) but feel free to join. Membership is currently on special offer.

Jenni

Old lady chair/pub banquette mani

 

Because the Barry M and Boots 17 Matte Top Coat on top of loads of other layered polishes reminds me of this.

 

You do see what I'm driving at, I hope.

Not saying it's attractive but I'd venture "interesting" or "distinctive".

I thought it was called moquette or cut velour or damask or brocade and I had to google all kinds of combinations until I found the picture that matched what was in my noddle. If anyone does know the proper term for this kind of fabric then do pray tell. 

Is this

A fairly cool

B you'd better stay behind after school

Jenni

2true Fast Dry Shade 7

 

2 coats. It really doesn't need 3. It's only because I zoom my camera up to a 2 and then go extra large with the pic that it looks less than opaque. And that makes the poor clean-up so horribly evident. Ho hum.

I now own all 9 of the Fast Dry polishes and like every single one very much. But I've since added some layering to this and got myself something a bit like the Orly Galaxy Girl polish that costs megabucks over here. See that photo on Tuesday.

Must run. A bientot.

Oh, and this is my right hand which has the nails with the worst ridges. The Mavala ridge-filler is a very effective product however. Plus I followed advice and buffed. I feared this would thin my nails but they seem unscathed thus far. It has virtually eradicated the ridges. Phew.

Jenni

2true Fast Dry Shade 5 - I shall call it RED PAINT

For it is indeed shiny, red paint. 2 coats of it. I love this brand with an exceeding great love.

I felt quite sophisticated wearing this - even the other hand was conventional. A vampy brown-red. Most unusual for me. And not entirely comfortable with that.

• How often do you wear red, if at all? 
• Do you like a plain creme red?
• Do you prefer red with a twist?
• What's your favourite and least favourite red?

Jenni

Who do you know who lives in Palmdale, CA?? RAOK

Because this person (yes, the name was on the box but I can't match the name to a blogger - if it is a blogger) sent me this! And I can't just publicise the name for all the world to see, now can I?  The name just doesn't ring a bell.

Victorian Crush - grubby green! hurrah! - and a nail hardener. I love this shade so I'm guessing I've been lusting after it and whingeing and whining (as if!) and someone has taken pity on me.

But whom am I to thank?

So - Palmdale, California. That's the clue.

And a big THANK YOU!

Jenni

"Put down the Barry M blusher 5 and step away from the counter."

"Put down the Barry M blusher 5 and step away from the counter," demanded the Superdrug shop-assistant in a tone loud enough to attract the attention of everyone in the small store.

I"m afraid I can't do that," replied the dainty (in my dreams!) broad demurely.

"Lady, you're making a helluva mistake here." There was a pause.

"Ma'am, I thank you for your concern but this is gonna look great with a tan."

"With a tan, you say? Then in that case what you need is bronzer." Joan has right on her side.

"I don't think so," was the equally determined response. The smile was glacial.

"This is just plain wrong, I'm tellin' ya. You can't do it."

"Watch me....." The plastic card is inserted smoothly and decisively into the slot. "Go ahead. Do it. Do it now."

The assistant opens her mouth as if to speak but then shrugs in resignation. She completes the transaction.

"Why, thank you and have a good day!" The words are heavy with sarcasm as Lauren Bacall sashays triumphantly out of the shop. Her bag swings gracefully at her hip. Joan Crawford slowly turns to the shelves of perfume.  She has nothing more to say. Her expression says it all.....

And "Joan" was absolutely right. This was far too strong a shade for me as a blusher. Very highly pigmented. So I used it as a matte lip colour with optional clear lip gloss.

Do you ever divert products from their original purpose? Blusher to lippie? Eye shadow to blusher? What works well?

Jenni

Magpie jewel-theft tendencies and how not to do a "Givenchy" half-moon

Reflection of a coupla bangles I picked up from my Mum's flat. She knows about it! Or she will when I ask her if it's OK.

There's the gold-plated one which isn't giving me a rash yet. And the other one which looks jolly flashy but is on elastic so I'm guessing it may not be worth quite a king's ransom. But it sparkles very prettily.

And the mani?

It was meant to be a ruffian only the curve on a ruffian goes the other way and I'd forgotten! And if it's a half-moon then the curve isn't sufficiently....curvy. I used tip guides too! Ah, well it comes off tomorrow. I got some beauty uk and some more 2true today so who knows what tomorrow may bring.

• Grown-up browny taupe
• Shrek-ish green
• Red shimmer
• Lilacs
• Vampy

OR my asos haul may arrive and it'll be holo. I can't even remember properly what I ordered.

Who's up for membership of a NO-BUY CLUB?

Jenni