Meaningful Beauty

Woohoo! This is a truly exciting occasion! I’ve been wanting to try Meaningful Beauty out for such a long time but could never be bothered trying to ship it out from the states. But now it’s in the UK and I’m so excited! When I got home this afternoon the box was waiting for me on my doorstep! I only ordered it the other night so the shipping was super prompt.

The packaging is so pretty. It comes with a leaflet inside on all the products you’ve just been sent, Cindy’s philosophy on skincare and a little about Dr Sebagh.
Yes, I clearly got ahead of myself and didn’t mention that Meaningful Beauty is a line of products put together by Cindy Crawford and Dr Sebagh. Cindy has been a client of Dr Sebagh’s since her early modelling days. *Turns green with envy* If these products are going to help me look anywhere near as good as Cindy then I’m sold!
I have used Dr Sebagh’s products in the past. They are pretty brilliant. However, they’re very very pricey (mine were very generous freebies) and I found that they were designed for a more mature skin type in mind.
Meaningful Beauty is amazingly affordable! The postage is a little steep at £5.95 but if they’re amazing then I’ll be ok with it. I got a 30 day supply of the treatments and it set me back £29.99. Not bad, eh!?

The kit includes cleanser, day cream, night cream, eye cream and a face mask. As a bonus you also get a décolleté and night cream and a facial serum. Cindy’s theory is that you need to “remember your future” when it comes to your skincare regime. I love that idea!
You get automatically entered into the Meaningful Beauty Club as well. It’s a lot like the Proactive system. Unless you email and ask to be taken out of the club you will be sent a replenished collection of products for your bathroom cabinet on a regular basis. I know quite a lot of uber-career gals that would totally benefit from that kind of service! For me, I’m not going to stay a member just because I’m too fickle when it comes to trying out every single new item that sounds fab when it comes out!
Watch this space in 30 days time when I let you know how my try out of the products went!
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

NOTD – OPI Malaga Wine

It’s so gloomy, grey and wet outside. I need a drink and a sunny holiday STAT!
Well, that’s not going to happen in the world of this little unemployed MUA so the next best thing is pretty nails. The name is what clinched my decision just now when I was giving my talons a turbo charged polish before running out the door for a dinner date with the boyf.
This is a lovely cream shade that’s really easy to wear as far as reds go. I have OPI Start to Finish on as a top coat to give it some extra gloss. As much as I love the new trend for matt varnishes and the like, nothing cheers a girl up like a creamy red nail with a great gloss coat. I’m feeling tres Dita Von Teese. Well, as far as my nails are concerned anyways. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll encrust myself with rhinestones and splash about in the tub with a pair of Loubitons on my feet. A girl can dream, can’t she?
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

All The Stress With None Of The Smell

I am having a very stressful week. And it’s only Wednesday! I just can’t kick the jetlag from my trip back home to Australia and New Zealand, my decorator is giving me headaches beyond belief having done loads of stuff the wrong way and over charging me for it while I was away plus I’m on the job hunt! *Sips tea. Pretends it’s something stronger.*
With all of that I’m also hell bent on starting the year (the Chinese New Year, that is) by going all out on my resolutions. I’ve been sticking to my Slimming World menu and doing my Tracey Anderson workout dvd’s like a fiend.
Ordinarily this would be where I tell you I’m finding I need to take 500 showers a day and I’m spritzing fragrance like a bat out of hell. Ha! Not so! (I love it when I manage to be unpredictable!) The day I got home from Sydney I received some of the new Sure Natural Mineral deodorants to try. Yay yay yay! I’d had a demi-fail with the Garnier one that left my black top looking like my armpits needed a good dose of Head And Shoulders shampoo so I was looking forward to trying something else out.
I have been using these for almost a week now and it’s pretty safe to say that I’ll repurchase when these run out. (unless, of course, there is some new and marvellous deodorant on the market that promises to change my life) I haven’t smelt a bad smell once and I’ve not been soggy at all! Well, I get fairly soggy during my workout, but I didn’t pong so that’s ok! I even just had my decorator over for a face to face confrontation and a couple of less-than-friendly follow emails and I still feel cool as a cucumber! I do wish I had some Rescue Remedy on hand to calm my nerves but my personal hygiene is intact!
I’ve tried both the spray and the roll on formulas. I like to keep a roll on at my boyf’s house (just because I don’t have loads of room to keep things there) and I keep the spray at home for every day use. Both have held up equally well and neither have left a trace of a white mark on my black clothes so I’m thrilled. I highly recommend these! Did I mention that even the smell is quite nice? Well, it is!
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

OCC Lip Tar - What I thought

Last night we had a pre-wedding party as everyone had landed in New Zealand for the big day on Sunday. As I had been helping my Mum out all day getting all the last minute bits and pieces together, I was completely unprepared when the guests started arriving! My two step sisters and I hid in the upstairs bathroom and quickly got ready together. There was no time to mess around so I threw my hair up, whacked on an Avon base (mentioned in my January Faves) and thought a neutral eye with black liner and a red lip would be the quickest way to look as glam as possible. WIth 25 people to entertain all night that I hadn't seen mostly for around six years I thought I need to bring in the big guns as far as a lasting red lip colour. Enter OCC Lip Tar.

I've heard so so so much about these and everyone says how they last forever once you've put it on. The red is a truly divine red colour and it was perfect for the look I was trying to achieve.

The whole process was completely mad. I was trying to unscrew the lid of the Lip Tar and locate a lip brush with one hand whilst getting hair driers, etc for my sisters with the other hand. As a result, quite a lot of product glooped out of the top. Drats. Then I discovered that it can be a very messy product. You only need the tiniest bit and if you get too much it starts to swim around on the lips making it hard to get consistent coverage and sharp edges.

It took me ages to stop getting it on my teeth every time I laughed or smiled. It was such a relief when it finally dried out! You could tell which glass was mine all night as it does transfer onto anything. It was good fun to go around kissing boys on the cheek though! They all looked like part of a Lulu Guinness toaster! It gives perfect kiss marks! It definitely lasts longer than a regular lipstick but I wouldn't call it infallible. We started around 8pm and when I went to bed around 2am there was that classic red lip syndrome happening where I had the outline of my lips still red but the rest had faded off. In saying that, I didn't touch up my make up once all night.

I think I have some more work to do on mastering these Lip Tars but all in all I think they live up to the hype.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Super Late January Faves

I can't believe how late this post is! To add insult to injury I don't even have a video to go with it! I'm in New Zealand at the moment without any internet or phone access so getting a post up has been completely impossible. Trust me, I am dying to get back to the regular schedule!!!

So, the faves list for January. It's quite surprising!!!

I have discovered that I really quite like Avon products!!! Who knew??? I did a little order around Christmas time just to see what it was all about and have been loving it! I have the overnight foot treatment. I'm totally wishing I'd packed it in my suitcase for this trip! I love the eyeshadow sticks for an eye primer. The girl at Laura Mercier in Selfrdiges had to try three times to get my eye make up off the day I used it as a base under my No 7 Illuminator! Last night at a pre-wedding party I used the cream to powder foundation compact. Wow. My skin looked flawless. I had buffed it in using my flat topped Sonia Kashuk brush and the result was amazing. I was in a real rush as people had turned up and I still had wet hair. I just threw my face on and it was perfection.

The No 7 Spring/Summer 2010 limited edition highlighter and lipsticks have been a staple for me during January. I know it's a bit early to be using them but I'm bored of all the rain and snow and cold so I'm just making up like it's spring already. I figure if I act like the sun is out, it will get here already. From what I've heard my theory isn't going that well. It's been snowing in London while I've been away hasn't it???

My Nude mini kit was my favourite thing during January. It is all finished now but I'm addicted. The mini tubes last around two weeks. I've fallen in love with the oil cleanser and the Miracle Mask. Wow!!! As Get Lippie said, my skin really did glow when I was using the products. My skintone was a lot more even and everything was just super healthy. I love how light everything was, the smells were terrific and it was fun to carry all the little tubes around in my handbag when I was staying at the boyfs' house, etc. The Miracle Mask has been helping me to look fresh after my long haul flight, fighting off jet lag and generally not getting enough sleep. I cannot go to the wedding tomorrow without another Miracle Mask!!!

Z-Palettes are my final fave for January. I suspect these will be a Holy Grail item for me for 2010. They're life changing. It's so liberating having all my little make up pieces in palettes where everything is not only organised but easy to see and it looks pretty! Yay! What else could a girl ask for?

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentines Day and I can't wait to be back in Blighty so I can talk to you on Twitter, hear your comments on my posts and put some new videos up!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Elemis Gentle Rose Exfoliator

Hi,

I was given a deluxe sample of this to try out. I brought it with me on my travels Down Under thinking it was a nice size to have in my luggage. This has been savingmy life over here! My complexion really took a beating from the long haul flight and all the air conditioning I've been sitting in. I've also got a nice cold to top it all off.

I have used this twice in the past week. If I see my skin looking a little ragged I give it a gentle scrub and it instantly looks revitalised and healthy again. The rose fragrance isn't overpowering at all. It's incredibly faint and subtle This also isn't one of those scrubs that will take off the top layer of skin. It's incredibly fine and gentle. You hardly feel the "scrub" at all. It's exactly what I've needed. I've been wishing I was all wrapped up in cotton wool the last few days!

I'm soooooo going to buy a proper size of this one! If it can perform such miracles on my flight raveged face, imagine what it can do when I'm back home and on my normal routine with better sleep, etc! I can't wait to see the results!

If you want to pick a tube up for yourself, check out this link.

Kisses,

Rebecca

Russian Doll Look

Hi,

I was playing around yesterday with some looks I haven't done in ages. I found my old college notebook and came across this look that I used to think was so cute and pretty.



For the eyes I used my Neutrals Palette and the specific shades are shown in the video. For my cheeks I layered Peony and Poppy Stila Convertible Colours before I powdered my face over with a light layer of Shu Uemura Translucent Powder. I then put on my powder blush which was a combination of Joy from Chantecaille and a red-toned eyeshadow from Nars that I no longer know the name of. Right before the look was completed I gave my cheeks another quick hit of Stila Convertible Colour in Poppy and highlighted using another mystery-named Nars Creme Gold Eyeshadow. I also used a MAC eyeliner that you can't get anymore. It's a cake eyeliner that had the most terrific black pigment to it. You could also try Blacktrack from MAC or Kryolan's Waterproof Cake Eyeliner. I didn't line my lips. That wasn't the look I was going for. I mixed Nars Jungle Red and MAC Pink Bow lipsticks to get the pink toned red I wanted and put it straight on my lips with a lip brush before softening the lines with a clean, square tipped brush.

To keep everything looking really polished, I took my foundation brush over the outside edges of my brow and the outer corners of my lips before giving it a quick powder and highlighting my brow with some Grand Entrance eyeshadow from MAC.

I really hope you like this look and I'll try to bring you more while I'm over in here in Sydney and when I'm in New Zealand.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Tannoy Announcement for Clare

Clare, Clare, could Clare please get in touch with main reception (lesalondebeaute@gmail.com)? I've not been able to find your contact details from the giveaway entry and you were picked as the winner. I'm still in Oz but I really want to get your details so I can post your goodies asap.

Thanks so so so so so much to everyone that entered! Next giveaway will be for 50 followers so feel free to pester your friends to follow the blog and subscribe to the YouTube channel if you fancy putting your hat in the ring to win some pretty things!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

PS, Clare has a pink Z-Palette, two Yaby shadows and some Bourjois eyeliners coming her way. x

John Frieda Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo and Conditioner

Hi,

A while back I mentioned how I wasn't loving what my Tommy Guns Volumising Conditioner was doing for my hair and asked for some suggestions on what to try next. Quite a few people mentioned how much they love John Frieda and their PR people were kind enough to send me the Brunette Liquid Shine Illuminating Shampoo and Conditioner.

My initial reaction was "ooh la la"! The shampoo is completely clear! How fun! Then the conditioner is laced with shimmering particles! It's goegeously luminescent. Things like that make shower time so much fun for me. I get a kick every time I use it.

I really really really wanted to give a glowing review on these and recommend them to everyone whole heartedly. Unfortunately I just didn't get along with them. I'm so diasppointed. The novelty of the clear shampoo and pretty conditioner is great, but the condition it left my hair in wasn't ideal. The smell of the conditioner really isn't my thing. I have no idea what the smell is, but it's something that I really don't like. The products have also left my hair looking really dehydrated and out of condition. Seeing as I don't colour my hair and it tends to be pretty glossy without too much effort, this was cause for a little concern. I have also not been using my blow dryer on it lately and even that didn't help it to look any less dry. I should keep in mind that the weather has been pretty bad lately and any moisture has been completely sucked out of skin and hair shaft, but I do wear a lovely cashmere hat to keep my head warm and my hair a little more protected.

I'm so sorry, I just wouldn't recommend this. If you've been using it and you're loving it, please let me know!!!

If you want to give this a try for yourself, then check out this link

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

IMATS - Sunday!!!!

Hi,

As it's just gone 6am in Sydney and I'm clearly going to suffer from some serious jet lag after only managing five hours sleep, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to give you my final IMATS installment!

After the frenzy of shopping, oohing, ahhing, cupcake eating and general fun of Saturday, I had quite a low key Sunday at IMATS. Afterall, I was there all on my own.

I got there just after 10am and did a quick lap to see if there was anything I had missed at the stands the day before. I hadn't really so I went and had a relaxing cup of tea before I went to the first of the speakers for the day.

First up I watched Anabel Vargas create a gorgeous fantasy/beauty look inspired by water whilst talking about how using the right brushes makes a difference when working on Macro Photography. I loved every second of this demonstration and she was an absolute doll. It was the perfect way to ease myself into the day. The best tip I took away from her session was to use a magnifying glass to check a makeup before you let the client go. It helps to make sure everything is blended perfectly and all eyelashes are perfectly separated, etc.

It was from there that I headed over to the Main Stage to watch Alexsandra Byrne talk about how to polish your makeup work. OMG! First of all, the line was sooo long! Second, the room was super dark so it was hard to see what you were writing down! Thirdly, I sat behind a girl that thought it was cool to tease her incredibly curly hair so she was several inches taller than usual. ARGH! It was so worth it though. I felt like I was back in school as she had so much to run through and was just throwing information at us like we only had seconds to live! For me, the greatest part of the talk was her theory on facial architecture. That is going to change the way I do peoples' make up in such a big way! I'm so excited about the next person I get to attack with my make up brushes! (ha ha! it's my Mum ofr her wedding next week!!!) Alexsandra has worked with some of the industry's most amazing people and shared all of her insider tips. WOW! I'm lost for words when it comes to the beautiful work that she does.

I was then straight back up the stairs from the Main Stage and back down again to watch Eve Pearl do a bridal demo. I managed to get a seat in the same row as the girl with the tower of curly hair but did find myself behind a very tall man. Thank goodness for the big screen!!! Eve is a hilarious and super sweet woman! She had us laughing all through her demo. What I loved was how down to earth she was. From starting by showing us the actual kit she would take on a job (Katy M I have a pic of the tiny set bag EP carries with her for all her make up jobs!), how she sets up her table and general tips on how to get ahead as a working artist. I have to admit that my style is very different from Eve's but it was amazing to watch her work and refreshing to see someone so successful be so down to earth. Did you know that Eve Pearl is responsible for SuBo's make over??? WOWSA!!!!

I had planned on staying for the Naked Cosmetics demo straight after Eve Pearl had finished. However, I really needed the ladies room, some water and something to eat by that stage! The Main Stage area was a bit hot and stuffy and I really wasn't coping! I did manage to run away, catch a bus to Muswell Hill and meet my lovely boyf for a cup of early grey, a pink cupcake and regail him with my stories whilst flicking through Style magazine. Does life get much better? Nope!

I have to say a HUGE thank you to Make Up Artist Magazine and everyone that brings IMATS to us. I know that this year was their biggest event and that the London show was their busiest yet. Yes, it was busy, it was hard to get to stands, there were long lines to get into the speakers, etc - but for me it was worth it. I LOVED meeting all the girls from Twitter and the blogosphere. For a make up obsessive like me, its the stuff dreams are made of. I'm really hoping I can make it to LA or Sydney again later in the year.

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

A Tale of Woe from Selfridges - Estee Lauder Michael Kors Very Hollywood Collection

Hi,

Estee Lauder has been in my make up wilderness for some time now. They got back on my radar thanks to the Tom Ford collection but they're right, smack bang in my line of sight with the Michael Kors very Hollywood collection. Oh, this is more beautiful than I have words to describe. I went to Selfridges on Monday to go grab some. They had all the testers out and I was completely thrilled! With my flight to Sydney on Wedesday morning and five million things to do before then, I was really happy to get my hands on it!

Disappointment waved over me when the SA told me that the stock hadn't arrived despite being due. She took down my name, number and the list of items I wanted and promised me I needn't panic as I would definitely have my precious goodies before I needed to fly.

Please note my lack of personally taken pictures in this post. There was no phone call. I have none of the items. I couldn't be more upset. (well, I could. But I'm still pretty unhappy) I really wanted these to use on my Mum for her wedding on the 14th. I also worry that by the time I get back to London it's going to be all sold out! Argh! The humanity!

The look is divided up into two, Rodeo Pink and Bel Air Beige. Both are divine and to die for. The packaging just screams chic to the nth degree. Ordinarily I massacre all of my products and depot them like a woman posessed into palettes, etc. This one could escape unharmed though as it's just too pretty to touch.

So I can live vicariously through you, please go and purchase it all, play with it vigorously and then post pics of all your beautiful faces for me to swoon over!?

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

Long Haul Flight Survival

Hi,

I've made it to Sydney from London in one piece! Here are my tips for how I survived (just).

• Spray in loads of leave in conditioner and pull hair back into a slick pony tail. Chic and stylish without trying, comfy and your hair won't dry out. I used Aussie Hair spray in conditioner.
• I covered myself in a citrus flavoured body lotion before heading off to the airport so my skin was hydrated and I didn't smell too awful by the time I landed in Sydney 24 hours later.
• Don't drink any alcohol! I know some people will gasp in horror at this one but it's just going to dehydrate you, make you look old and feeling worse for wear. Drink loads of water, tea with slices of lemon and the occassional apple juice.  
• Every four or five hours I slathered on another layer of my Korres Rose 24 Hour Moisturiser. Obviously I didn't wear a scratch of make up for the liht so my skin could breathe but this was a lifesaver. I had a deluxe sample sized tube to carry on with me, it feels rich without being greasy and the aroma calms you down.
• Don't get on the plane without eye cream and lip conditioner! My trial kit tube of Nude Advanced Eye Complex has kept me from generating any new crows feet and my Body Shop Coconut Lip Butter has kept me from entering the arrivals lounge with a set of lips resembling a tree shedding it's bark.
• People outside the UK will have easy access to Melatonin at their local health food shop. Every 10 hours or so I would pop three, put my eye mask on and try to get some more sleep. My entire game plan for long haul suvival is to do my best to pretend it's not happening.
• Half an hour before we landed I put on some Stila tinted moisturiser, some Stila Convertible Colour in Gerbera on my lips and cheeks, a little grey/beige eyeshadow on my lids and a teensy bit of mascara. I managed to get through looking vaguely fresh and awake! It also gave me something to do while we circled Sydney airport and landed while there was a thunderstorm taking place.

I hope that's helped anyone that has to try survive a long haul flight without the luxury of a sky bed or private jet any time soon!

Kisses,

Rebecca xxx

IMATS London - Saturday!!!

Hi,
What a weekend! I did my best and stayed fairly calm for the most part. I got there for about 9am on the Saturday and immediately met up with Make-Up By Katy for a calming cup of tea before the frenzy began.
So when we got in there we talked about having a system on how to go up and down the isles without missing anything. But then we got diverted by several pretty things and started to get a little over excited. We hit Make Up Artist Provisions for some Z-Palettes and then we wanted some OCC Lip Tars. Then we bumped into Oxford Jasmine and Get Lippie.
Having briefly discussed tactics, different things we’d spied and loved, etc Katy and I went back to the start and tried to work in an orderly fashion. Trust me, this was incredibly difficult! I’m not the most focussed person at the best of times so all the pretty things were amazingly distracting!
The crowds were pretty off putting. It was really hard to actually get to any of the stands and even harder to get a chance to speak to anyone working on them to get some insider info. It was brilliant to see the brands that I’ve been hearing so much about that don’t get a lot (if any) distribution in the UK.
I loved the Yaby eyeshadows and bought a bunch to try out. I haven’t actually done any looks with them yet but swatching them was a dream. So buttery and pigmented! Gorgeous! I’ve already posted about the OCC Lip Tars. I’m really excited about trying them on my lips as well. Swatching them has been so fun and my arms are all stained from playing with them!
It was great to see West Thames College and their students working on the Alice in Wonderland competition. They came first and second! Woohoo!!! West Thames is where I did my BTEC in Media Make Up after doing loads of the short courses at London College of Fashion. I LOVED going to West Thames! I learnt so much there and everyone is so friendly! Randomly, it turns out Katy is friends with one of my classmates that was there! It was so amazing to see her!
At around 2.30 we needed a little break so we adjourned to the cafe for some food, some tea and a few cupcakes I made the night before with Get Lippie, Oxford Jasmine and British Beauty Blogger. I was so happy my cupcakes were a hit! Watch this space for more beauty blogger related cupcake events! I think it could be a big hit!
After hitting the Naked Cosmetics stand for a few pigment stacks we called it a day. I had told my boyfriend that I’d stay till 5pm but I was just too shattered to keep going. It’s exhausting being whipped up into a makeup frenzy!
More soon about my Sunday at IMATS – on my own! :)
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx

OCC Lip Tars from IMATS

Hi,
I got some OCC Lip Tars at IMATS on Saturday. I have to say it quietly as I’m pretty excited about them! I’ve been wanting to try them for ages after all the hype when they were released Stateside.
I didn’t go too crazy with colours. I was trying to be sensible As much as I love the idea of all the lovely brights and primaries and mixing up my own custom made shades, I just don’t do that type of make up these days. I love the shades I did get. I also got the white shade to pale things down super easily when I need to.
Here are the swatches. From left to right they’re Feathered, Grandma, Pageant, Hush, NSFW. I really do have to apologise for my photography skills. I’m terrible and this pic doesn’t show how luscious these really are. The red on the end is stunning and everything is super pigmented and thick.

I don’t know of anyone in the blogosphere that’s been through a full tube of these. Even with everyday use. The girl on the OCC stand at IMATS said the same thing. I think I might try a mix of Hush and Pageant for my Mum’s wedding. I won’t need to think about touching up all day! I swatched them on my hand over the weekend and my skin was stained for ages despite some serious scrubbing with soap!
I’m kind of in love!
Kisses,
Rebecca xxx