Green eyed, but no monster

When it comes to mascara, I’ll all about function. I don’t care what the packaging looks like. I don’t care if it was made at twilight by naked Italian men off the coast of Napoli. I don’t even care if it comes with cult status and a list of awards as long as your arm. I want the longest, most fluttery gorgeous lashes possible, with no smudges or flakes, at a reasonable price. Since becoming a mum, I am also much more aware of my impact on the environment but a ‘green’ label alone isn’t enough to make me switch. Picky? Heck yes! And with so many options out there, why shouldn’t we be?

Over the past month I have been trialling three different mascaras, all of them given to me either for PR purposes or in a goody bag. The first, Lancôme Hypnôse Drama is gorgeous, of course. When I wear it, my lashes look really long and thick all day, and the colour stays put. The only downside is the $50 plus price tag, which I’m not sure is justified for a mascara.

The second was the ubiquitous green and pink Maybelline Great Lash, and though it was easy to use and comes at a great price, it didn’t give me a ‘wow factor’. If you like yours natural and understated, this is the mascara for you. Me, I’m more tarantula than daddy long legs.

Lastly is Living Nature Thickening Mascara in Jet Black. At $39 it is at the top end of what I would normally spend, but if you are comfortable in that price bracket then I say go for it! Made with rich, nourishing Manuka honey and pure Holloysite clay, which naturally adds texture and thickness, after two coats (I put one on before brushing my teeth then another afterwards so it had time to dry) this mascara made my lashes fat and fluttery all day. I also love that it smells of lavender, and that I’m not only supporting a kiwi company, I’m choosing a company that is positively impacting the environment. Visit the Living Nature website to find out more.

I’ve also spoken to Louise at Living Nature, and she’s working on the naked Italian men for 2012. I’ll bet…

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The one essential for beautiful skin

Drawing by Leonardo da Vinci

On Thursday I had the pleasure of an in-depth skin consultation with Linda Jackson of the Face Place in Albany, for an article I am researching on Cosmeceuticals (if you're wondering what I mean by cosmeceutical here is a great article written by Milly Nolan of Mindfood.com). I had dozens of similar experiences in my 10 years of beauty marketing so I usually leave feeling a little hohum.


With Linda, I had not one but two lightbulb moments. First of all, I asked her what the most important thing is to use on your skin (assuming she would say 'moisturiser'). Her response was 'vitamin A because it is essential to the nucleus of every skin cell. If you don't do anything else to your skin, at least use vitamin A in some form, but get professional advice first to avoid reactions.'  Vitamin C and other antioxidants came in second and third, followed by moisturiser (she even said it is better to be slightly under-hydrated than under-treated with vitamin A) and last of all, cleansing. Apparently, we all cleanse far too often and should only do it once a day at most, in the evening, to remove makeup and the grime of the day. That's it.


The second 'ding' was that she talked about my home care routine for 50 out of the 60 minutes of our appointment, only mentioning her treatment recommendations at the very end. When I commented on this, she was quick to emphasise that home care is 70% of beautiful skin, and if clients aren't prepared to invest in that, there is little point prescribing a lengthy and potentially pricey treatment plan. It was refreshing to hear such an unapologetic (and logical!) approach to home care, which is so often an afterthought at beauty salons.


How about you, beaunz belles? Have you used vitamin A on your skin? Did you notice a difference?


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It just looks like good skin

Lately I have been complimented on my skin and its 'healthy glow'. At first I was perplexed because as you will know from Sunday's post I have been suffering the ill-effects of sleepless nights for over a week now and am most certainly not emanating anything healthy. As I put on my face this morning, it dawned on me that it's not my skin at all, it's this understated little highlighter I've been using from Lancôme.

When I bought it 6 months ago I almost instantly forgot about it, which is very unlike me as I usually embrace new makeup products with the excitement of Christmas morning. It wasn't until I was looking for something to replace my Bobbi Brown shimmer brick, which had shattered and crumbled in the hands of my toddler (who consequently glistened like a Christmas decoration for days) that I rediscovered Eclat Miracle.

To the naked eye, it has none of that greigey opalescent sheen you often get from highlighters, instead it just disappears into your skin and somehow glows like a lightbulb. I only use a tiny dot, warmed between my fingers and then dabbed around my eye socket, across the bridge of my nose and above my cupids bow. 


I can't remember how much I paid for it, but at this rate my cost per use must be mere cents and it's so lovely to have a product that doesn't look like a product, it just looks like good skin.

How about you, Beaunz belles? What are your secret miracle products?

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