tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77501552441813023772024-03-23T03:16:14.468-07:00oogle makeupGailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.comBlogger227125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-47433640180693892482023-12-04T05:32:00.000-08:002023-12-04T05:44:54.840-08:00Estée Lauder blockbuster set 2023 Review<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONhw9knNQEWNkSkX3Czlw1XGbXmMVRScpj2nQ-8d8oqy69YsIdb3yjoh_ZHpzVXFRO6_Hi1M17mrapA39IaZmQQpOLFOLz1EKXJjwqZS2q8k2RVw9bOfF3PSWjkKfspeCU6ewtToX4rbPEgbE72TbByW2fzlIf61Godi3Iq9Vdf05LQnOR8soR965jcg/s750/899C4EED-8503-4651-B5A0-BE35AF57BF32.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="750" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjONhw9knNQEWNkSkX3Czlw1XGbXmMVRScpj2nQ-8d8oqy69YsIdb3yjoh_ZHpzVXFRO6_Hi1M17mrapA39IaZmQQpOLFOLz1EKXJjwqZS2q8k2RVw9bOfF3PSWjkKfspeCU6ewtToX4rbPEgbE72TbByW2fzlIf61Godi3Iq9Vdf05LQnOR8soR965jcg/s320/899C4EED-8503-4651-B5A0-BE35AF57BF32.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times;">Every year, Estée Lauder famously brings out a blockbuster set. Perfect for breaking up and filling Christmas stockings, these are eagerly anticipated by many. This year, the box is rather different because it has fewer makeup items and sample sizes, instead they've decided on several full size skincare items and a few makeup items. As usual, the box is worth much more than you pay for it. In Black Fridays past, you were able to buy the box alone. This year it was the usual routine of having to spend a minimum amount and then buy the box for £85 but you got 20% off the qualifying purchases.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">I bought a lip balm set and a lipliner to qualify. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">The skincare items are</span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">Advanced Night Repair 30ml (everyone’s fave)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">New Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée with 15 Amino Acids 75ml, deluxe travel size (good for travel, never tried before but looks good)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Creme moisturiser 15ml. (Sample size - giving it away)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">1 x Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme Synchronized Multi-Recovery 15ml, full-size (not tried but looks good)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">1 x Gentle Eye Makeup Remover 100ml, full-size. (This one is made in China which horrified me. But I’m sure it’s a good one. My favourite is Lancôme but this will be useful or given as a gift)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">The rest is makeup…</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"> </span><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;">1 x Limited Edition Eye Shadow Palette in CELESTIAL GLAM, deluxe travel size (.24 oz./7g) Includes 6 shades</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is very powdery with a lot of kickup and aside from the pink shade, they are very meh very boring. The compact is cute but very cheap looking and wouldn’t make a very impressive gift. Looks very much like a GWP. They used to have gold casing etc. A step down.</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpa3BZwIP2OsZfNrcUJ0kTU5WmsYICh_TMCQ9CE31fYGMzQ2pn26W7xfoBkqwGNwaG6ZIbz2eUGShm5YoBps-DjaPSm-gDIQ1ioVReFLKGkTd0dHdMUYAyviQN4Mg7KHVUQxI262KFTgItvQC4JHm8v47g13sHnjh8ALW3dDLPcQ2hhv0giFjHCagnc4/s3840/FEA6EADC-702C-4B0A-9020-710301BEF371.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="3840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghpa3BZwIP2OsZfNrcUJ0kTU5WmsYICh_TMCQ9CE31fYGMzQ2pn26W7xfoBkqwGNwaG6ZIbz2eUGShm5YoBps-DjaPSm-gDIQ1ioVReFLKGkTd0dHdMUYAyviQN4Mg7KHVUQxI262KFTgItvQC4JHm8v47g13sHnjh8ALW3dDLPcQ2hhv0giFjHCagnc4/s320/FEA6EADC-702C-4B0A-9020-710301BEF371.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">2 x Limited Edition Lipsticks, full-size in Starlet Red (A vibrant red with a warm undertone and creme finish) and Saturn Reign (A blue-hued pink with a cool undertone and creme finish.)</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">These are a moisturising formula and somewhere along the line Estée Lauder has lost that fruity scent and gone for a more vanilla scent (I like that) but again, both these shades are meh. I was excited for the pink to be a bit like MAC Candy Yum Yum but it’s more sedate. It’s not as fun on the lips as it looks like it would be in the tube. Both lipsticks are creamy and a bit sheer until built up. The red is very bold and not great on me but they’re both safe shades. And they have wonderful engraving (but the casing again is a bit cheap and GWP) however overall I think they would make good gifts.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH7IuIUlfoLThjEYAktbzC7zdUs61NkHvNYOCNqmRCttag2y77fzYbwWoiqaKcUPoi2v0WRcc8n8L-duNvo6d7dyoC9PYYo7sFfZwEGj2pw08BTE-f-0dh3VRhZdAlgrGE0wgqVG9Jr0ybzVKc0bM3SFyyFtNLnmFMMVHMqyq2_5fUlaUaE7rcA1VS4I/s3520/B819E22D-5DF3-4485-AAC5-5DEC83F645E0.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3520" data-original-width="3520" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXH7IuIUlfoLThjEYAktbzC7zdUs61NkHvNYOCNqmRCttag2y77fzYbwWoiqaKcUPoi2v0WRcc8n8L-duNvo6d7dyoC9PYYo7sFfZwEGj2pw08BTE-f-0dh3VRhZdAlgrGE0wgqVG9Jr0ybzVKc0bM3SFyyFtNLnmFMMVHMqyq2_5fUlaUaE7rcA1VS4I/w320-h320/B819E22D-5DF3-4485-AAC5-5DEC83F645E0.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">2 x Limited Edition Lip Glosses, deluxe travel size in Divine Plum (A deep wine with a creme shine finish.) and Ruby Quartz (A rich red with a creme shine finish. These will be gifted as I am not a gloss fan. They would make cute gifts.</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">1 x Double Wear 24H Stay-in-Place Lip Liner, full-size in 07 Red</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">This is a great liner and I’m a huge fan of Estée Lauder lipliners but for me it’s a bit too red and warm. When wearing red I prefer the more pink MAC Cherry liner. The pencil is the exact same shade as the lipstick. I tried it with the pink lipstick and it wasn’t bad but really the pink is left orphaned. I wore the pink with a pink liner I already had.</span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">1 x Sumptuous Extreme Lash Multiplying Volumizing Mascara, full-size. </span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;">Again, Lancôme is my go-to for mascara, but I have used this one before and it’s very good and I’ll definitely use it. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: times;">There was no blusher or highlighter palette this year, much to many an outrage.</span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: times;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Then the train case - huge and a bit tacky and I will be giving it away but it’s fun and very Christmassy.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: times;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Overall it’s definitely worth the £85 spend. Supposedly it’s worth £411! I would only say if you’re a fellow makeup fiend, you’ll already own all of these shades. Aside from the red lipstick, none of it is Christmas themed which is a safe move but a bit disappointing as I love sparkle around this time of year.</span></span></p><p><span style="color: #333333; font-family: times;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Some eye looks and lip looks:</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wG9-7dCreCNZsiZz1tvHfoE4OEhqDNRzEStVw4JcgE15cCVsQ09khiVqXou29mdqZzvA09vSQgIjmJopsQFOo3SHWBHKt1j4ITgnrAdgNAnWyw9r2jIDKlQBM4x7FSqxZTJktuxHXFGtXeopUYxTPxs-6v_MYOGOfYOFWZgEShy29UpqpJEmt6WKBpk/s3840/CCFAA75C-9A19-4483-89AC-887846CD91D1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="3840" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6wG9-7dCreCNZsiZz1tvHfoE4OEhqDNRzEStVw4JcgE15cCVsQ09khiVqXou29mdqZzvA09vSQgIjmJopsQFOo3SHWBHKt1j4ITgnrAdgNAnWyw9r2jIDKlQBM4x7FSqxZTJktuxHXFGtXeopUYxTPxs-6v_MYOGOfYOFWZgEShy29UpqpJEmt6WKBpk/s320/CCFAA75C-9A19-4483-89AC-887846CD91D1.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="caret-color: rgb(51, 51, 51); color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-61136642178069978172023-12-03T15:04:00.000-08:002023-12-03T15:10:57.618-08:00The Cult of Beauty: Exhibition review<p>There has always been a fine line between beauty as an enchanting glimpse into the heavenly, and beauty as a self obsessed and devilish vanity. Particularly as a woman, this balance is precarious if not doomed.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHoN0SJcLWAvPtjeYrSNXqc0Vrzbt-KgM58LA5oCYAqqWiHLCZyhahUsqG_XnQQIkR1hCvd33N5uxk9WlF_JHx2Xl667gfrZ8hS2vjf-EX2lhgAPAz4BUMkIzsk7rJ0Zp9xs1UcL1gF2mFg5EVeABzDDqptjj4nevf7jddo9qC4OafvcfecOxOpP3F9k/s4032/69CEEBA5-8D56-4A3C-AC67-EB04345491DF.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaHoN0SJcLWAvPtjeYrSNXqc0Vrzbt-KgM58LA5oCYAqqWiHLCZyhahUsqG_XnQQIkR1hCvd33N5uxk9WlF_JHx2Xl667gfrZ8hS2vjf-EX2lhgAPAz4BUMkIzsk7rJ0Zp9xs1UcL1gF2mFg5EVeABzDDqptjj4nevf7jddo9qC4OafvcfecOxOpP3F9k/s320/69CEEBA5-8D56-4A3C-AC67-EB04345491DF.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Death and the devil attack two women who are looking in a hand-held mirror</i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">David Funck, </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">printed late 1600s,</span></i></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Germany</i></span></p></div><p>The exhibition begins with the usual suspects: a reproduction of the Nefertiti bust, reproductions of reclining Roman sculptures - including the sleeping hermaphrodite (a sensuous mattress later added by Bernini) and moves on to <i>vanitas</i> with the inevitable cartoons mocking such obsessions with attaining worldly beauty. The way the exhibition is set out is quite haphazard and patchy, with some sections absolutely captivating and some leaving you cold.</p><p>Overall I really enjoyed it although it didn’t have the most linear direction and it doesn’t speculate as to the future of beauty. It ends with a sombre look at beauty today. Which naturally is: obsessive selfies and a bland state of endless copycat looks on social media. There was an excellent section discussing how mirrors were originally made from copper and then bronze for instance: The ancient Egyptian mirror they had on show, gave a hazy approximation of one’s reflection. It was strange to look into a mirror like that. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4NFpEKazhTLM5YGFTRJeIHUAGpXbqOdJIaddK03QhieydcU8-15lLTde8AQyRrzCEAxGCFZTIhkc4bAvBo9tHcJr_rcfAQEGh1iQSFo8Pppv7WmtLPlo8bp7uC5bAcKLHBJ5OERY-2s3ysYOSpW43D6MxQVS-Kynl39CRJOyN8k244-kxdNe6Qzz_Pk/s4032/09E8B613-6855-4439-9CA5-D67A3C819307.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI4NFpEKazhTLM5YGFTRJeIHUAGpXbqOdJIaddK03QhieydcU8-15lLTde8AQyRrzCEAxGCFZTIhkc4bAvBo9tHcJr_rcfAQEGh1iQSFo8Pppv7WmtLPlo8bp7uC5bAcKLHBJ5OERY-2s3ysYOSpW43D6MxQVS-Kynl39CRJOyN8k244-kxdNe6Qzz_Pk/s320/09E8B613-6855-4439-9CA5-D67A3C819307.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh3LYJXRj0W24yMKFE8n2uTY1I4g_NK631Crkv20ggGfGMKmEXyXX9S78Po72o1Ljznar_4upEwfnM6zEoOH53Opqw78JKteg1I_sF7zHjYUfDQmdrkvGR5JxAC7NczZm9TLeOW6AKiCnj70HeOmVlzz8sjbwVHbsiD9_xOpJKuBBXn582PTzcilNDG8/s4032/F8D171CA-B8B3-480D-9876-0C06F66FDF1F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihh3LYJXRj0W24yMKFE8n2uTY1I4g_NK631Crkv20ggGfGMKmEXyXX9S78Po72o1Ljznar_4upEwfnM6zEoOH53Opqw78JKteg1I_sF7zHjYUfDQmdrkvGR5JxAC7NczZm9TLeOW6AKiCnj70HeOmVlzz8sjbwVHbsiD9_xOpJKuBBXn582PTzcilNDG8/s320/F8D171CA-B8B3-480D-9876-0C06F66FDF1F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Ancient Egyptian bronze mirror</i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Unknown maker</i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>800-100 BCE, Egypt</i></span></p><p>To know that in ancient times, your audience and the way people looked at you was your mirror; you would never truly see yourself aside from this blurry image. And this they positioned alongside - well who else? - Kim Kardashian and her ‘ironic’ book of selfies, “Selfish.” They could have then built on this notion of how far we’ve come from near blindness of one’s physicality to this omnipresent ability to take selfies and be filmed every time we emerge, to perhaps wonder what the future will be. Perhaps a time when we can see ourselves in 3D not 2D, perhaps even talk or interact with ourselves to the point that future beings would wonder, how did people in the olden days bear to only know themselves as 2D images? But, nothing is said about future projections. And nothing is said about how beauty is connected to health. Instead the exhibition focuses on attempts to attain beauty via makeup, ointments, fashion, medicine, or tools.</p><p>Not that this is not a fascinating angle. The highlights for me were: a section recreating beauty recipes aka “Renaissance goos” from the 1500s (apparently often made by Jewish women immigrants who had been expelled from Spain in 1492.) There was an accompanying video showing the recipes being followed and the resulting creams. I would be tempted to buy a jar! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0vO__ePoQB86Oydz5cjZJeect3jXYY5pxw_7KqMrQkPfoDyIUTDUU38uWIbNMKqpgAD7eadnHMP52S0AEzUp2j2a2iIVxdQ4Fi8ogS2QhJR8bwnGAAZuVntdXA2UBAmLov3TfOlnC263VtQfvqxDUyDpcWlHmUiSmiUNc3BYTrdhw3bZdoV4vqVmB2g/s4032/8446A407-1007-4199-9CDE-52E416187E48.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0vO__ePoQB86Oydz5cjZJeect3jXYY5pxw_7KqMrQkPfoDyIUTDUU38uWIbNMKqpgAD7eadnHMP52S0AEzUp2j2a2iIVxdQ4Fi8ogS2QhJR8bwnGAAZuVntdXA2UBAmLov3TfOlnC263VtQfvqxDUyDpcWlHmUiSmiUNc3BYTrdhw3bZdoV4vqVmB2g/s320/8446A407-1007-4199-9CDE-52E416187E48.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Ivory mortar and pestle, carved with cherubs, alchemy scenes and a snake</i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Unknown maker</i></span></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>1501-1700, Europe</i></span></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKlFuv3GnGg5g2HKQA6FtxIdUrcFH4NScmuZYZdp3dnFjxj59GpnlF9ZL5SAVX6_8je2iKtLCX3bNlCSXfNRkm-M0tB-kdTCQqB9piYl5URFQ3s9diunk7kSG6afXNINz2y6CbB0WSB1G2YAgbt8nguyl682M9rE-MvBrNnpaIGZxgdlcEjIyp8DhiQQ/s4032/E9637D20-44C7-40B7-92DB-8D0D92F2F06D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIKlFuv3GnGg5g2HKQA6FtxIdUrcFH4NScmuZYZdp3dnFjxj59GpnlF9ZL5SAVX6_8je2iKtLCX3bNlCSXfNRkm-M0tB-kdTCQqB9piYl5URFQ3s9diunk7kSG6afXNINz2y6CbB0WSB1G2YAgbt8nguyl682M9rE-MvBrNnpaIGZxgdlcEjIyp8DhiQQ/s320/E9637D20-44C7-40B7-92DB-8D0D92F2F06D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Then, a life size Barbie which was both startling and sad. It was so wholly unrealistic and served as ultimate proof that Barbie really always was unattainable beauty which could never occur in real human life. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS_C8i5TUELInwwYh-Nc-BxBz0uAMXVDcM-90U21T6nl8MvDiFPGocAnAWwtGCt8_1CrzuwGH_T5x2YREq3U1MJAqHZwsyXiyjfYQXo2Odyz4xG8q_g9ZOU5Kq4YMKqHiqGDneKTsyOs01odKGG0XmFF_dUcQz6FGeXo01dIqieIYG_b4PF3at-jcvic/s4032/0F561E01-0D5E-4619-92F9-4F1BB6E41BF6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS_C8i5TUELInwwYh-Nc-BxBz0uAMXVDcM-90U21T6nl8MvDiFPGocAnAWwtGCt8_1CrzuwGH_T5x2YREq3U1MJAqHZwsyXiyjfYQXo2Odyz4xG8q_g9ZOU5Kq4YMKqHiqGDneKTsyOs01odKGG0XmFF_dUcQz6FGeXo01dIqieIYG_b4PF3at-jcvic/s320/0F561E01-0D5E-4619-92F9-4F1BB6E41BF6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Lifesize Barbie and Oriol</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Adel Rootstein Ltd.</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>2009, Germany</i></span></p><p>The section on beauty spots and corsets and the accompanying Georgian satirical cartoons were expected but no less amusing for it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzGPVK4At-R79CJFUp-VH-c5VuTKSwyzp0wrz4hrbWBiPbeeIr1oOc4uf8LtxjR7zWOksu7yCr7pv_sG_P3ZInaTJ9ObpWB00Ex7Cjv2EZ2yua_81H7nnhtDgisF5TCOvya5-CgDBtLeIUnS4AMIJ35eTvk9ZF5d8gIt2GcoP1-YNT5Q_ODVaYD8ALDM/s4032/6B1D7840-C066-46FA-9667-17D2E48D4064.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCzGPVK4At-R79CJFUp-VH-c5VuTKSwyzp0wrz4hrbWBiPbeeIr1oOc4uf8LtxjR7zWOksu7yCr7pv_sG_P3ZInaTJ9ObpWB00Ex7Cjv2EZ2yua_81H7nnhtDgisF5TCOvya5-CgDBtLeIUnS4AMIJ35eTvk9ZF5d8gIt2GcoP1-YNT5Q_ODVaYD8ALDM/s320/6B1D7840-C066-46FA-9667-17D2E48D4064.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-UDEVNlh8nAe3ffhv-usBBGuv3bOLaxB6jeuTncYDA3SoyPl_DKYj3f1exGWyVtxVEjHDG_mBQVmq3z4K6U4_SKsWHprHn5gWrSE-4WrBUlxD-ncNoUhsFU5uFND2fa9EIuQMnGxMhNmOHgaS6_4DPMfZw1Y7ZcOrnyPbQ8hZZKpGi-fgXdyPgs58oY/s4032/6FCE4F66-D045-4C6A-BD4A-BC8403F56BBA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-UDEVNlh8nAe3ffhv-usBBGuv3bOLaxB6jeuTncYDA3SoyPl_DKYj3f1exGWyVtxVEjHDG_mBQVmq3z4K6U4_SKsWHprHn5gWrSE-4WrBUlxD-ncNoUhsFU5uFND2fa9EIuQMnGxMhNmOHgaS6_4DPMfZw1Y7ZcOrnyPbQ8hZZKpGi-fgXdyPgs58oY/s320/6FCE4F66-D045-4C6A-BD4A-BC8403F56BBA.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A dandy being laced into a tight corset by two servants</span></i></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1819, England Thomas Tegg</span></i></p></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt804s2o_q34amflq-6t_ltNCYBnxNVTUle7w-VPhU-cMC_S0OcXFk15Rsp7K992Ps1RMzViJrI7tErQGkXiblMx_PAUtx3xlKzYWmBX2mnyLr32Z4gZ-JFGQmwUE_apG6V5D1R9W4X1ZngTIX2smUy0MNRrXAjPg2zJR9UaO-tSawQcgR5zhMOlbyPAU/s4032/A3F9C948-A7DD-45EE-B481-1EB12C98AF06.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt804s2o_q34amflq-6t_ltNCYBnxNVTUle7w-VPhU-cMC_S0OcXFk15Rsp7K992Ps1RMzViJrI7tErQGkXiblMx_PAUtx3xlKzYWmBX2mnyLr32Z4gZ-JFGQmwUE_apG6V5D1R9W4X1ZngTIX2smUy0MNRrXAjPg2zJR9UaO-tSawQcgR5zhMOlbyPAU/s320/A3F9C948-A7DD-45EE-B481-1EB12C98AF06.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>A young woman greeted by a brothel keeper with prominent beauty patches</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>A Harlot's Progress series</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>William Hogarth</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>1732, England</i></span></p><p>And the section on trans although not really about beauty anymore, in fact to count in within beauty seemed to trivialise it I thought. But nonetheless quite powerful. A somewhat gory couple of jars hold a breast each. The accompanying plaque quote their original owner, E-J Scott. “<i><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">In this photo, you can see me holding up a jar of my own chest tissue. In front of the photo, you can see the same artefact. A cis-gaze will inevitably try to piece the body and the person back together. But this optical exercise defies resolution: I have curated my gender with intentionality. My intention is that your inspection does not interrupt my self-reflection.”</span></i></p><p><i></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnoEe_uoSflBafMwRKMoc05fGlRE1L93ZPhGVQ0iM2-yvgAeq8I-xRsGIPELOelIZaHQaLIG2xlOaPtpZt2Dbxb5n5xIlWis1N-ZD5zTmim74QYmAud1fVVBunhecybjlCeYu2tcOwcV3_jBPPdf50HL_lVyDEy9B132ePgs4_E2vB3FbjZlVkgINVq8/s4032/49A9CCC7-675E-4C1A-BB83-1D2279004153.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnoEe_uoSflBafMwRKMoc05fGlRE1L93ZPhGVQ0iM2-yvgAeq8I-xRsGIPELOelIZaHQaLIG2xlOaPtpZt2Dbxb5n5xIlWis1N-ZD5zTmim74QYmAud1fVVBunhecybjlCeYu2tcOwcV3_jBPPdf50HL_lVyDEy9B132ePgs4_E2vB3FbjZlVkgINVq8/s320/49A9CCC7-675E-4C1A-BB83-1D2279004153.jpeg" width="240" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1sn1ehLT67jNU5Bu0SQVFV_l_4IgkIQk-_DXdiAd9boK87CyS9LcG9cBtJdK3zMc3uo0lqy5-bHA0le2jap_g4x1OD-SuKU68Lh7QfIehPWp05x_t7hrVro-gADFVHlNp3u6vhyphenhyphenQGm4MqinWSgBsM88UWIuvpS5lWLDz6PxC8aSTxhvoIoAKIbEn_Do/s4032/C477CBBF-743C-4D59-BFD8-01F712C01D4F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1sn1ehLT67jNU5Bu0SQVFV_l_4IgkIQk-_DXdiAd9boK87CyS9LcG9cBtJdK3zMc3uo0lqy5-bHA0le2jap_g4x1OD-SuKU68Lh7QfIehPWp05x_t7hrVro-gADFVHlNp3u6vhyphenhyphenQGm4MqinWSgBsM88UWIuvpS5lWLDz6PxC8aSTxhvoIoAKIbEn_Do/s320/C477CBBF-743C-4D59-BFD8-01F712C01D4F.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></i><p><br /></p>This section also had some seemingly innocuous items collected by trans individuals. Handwritten notes about what the objects meant to them and how they had helped them to change their outer body to match their true selves. It was then followed by some modern art installations which made very banal and hackneyed points about how hard it is to be yourself (or whatever a sculpture made out of your mum’s old photos and nighties is meant to conjure up.) <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLavVCaxZbKypN7Ody2xIKJeggCordt8_EZNnM5C0r3D5frUstwutJ4wQE27BMmr6XpmNWMVhbg5vtI5MeiK4YPP7PKbpsiG_4RPZhNxWxyqREfjMXd0y_0eUJX25uQmI8nWbRzG3q9pSJNBDsfgYoBDJAyMHlrCB0x8pKPKTz6NRH9WJhoT02_jW8t78/s4032/9A6FD74D-F702-43E4-A06C-3624E53F2148.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLavVCaxZbKypN7Ody2xIKJeggCordt8_EZNnM5C0r3D5frUstwutJ4wQE27BMmr6XpmNWMVhbg5vtI5MeiK4YPP7PKbpsiG_4RPZhNxWxyqREfjMXd0y_0eUJX25uQmI8nWbRzG3q9pSJNBDsfgYoBDJAyMHlrCB0x8pKPKTz6NRH9WJhoT02_jW8t78/s320/9A6FD74D-F702-43E4-A06C-3624E53F2148.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />And then some flashing videos of tik tok etc beauty looks all merging into one being with no individuality whatsoever. Well we knew that too and these hardly need their own section. <p></p><p>All in all though I found it very interesting and I liked the commentary on L’Oréal’s master stroke marketing line “Because I’m worth it!” Guilt tripping women into thinking if they don’t buy it then they’re admitting they’re not worth it. Genius. And this line is still used today. That’s sobering. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisO-SkGLRt6DufVSGBN7_pjA7IlNrKdRROrJKejJTK2TWW3s6mCH4coZb4b9uICPinZ91nyBfJVqsi10Mj86Tm034nspBj5imijIFIkJfEOUwABadQZYplrpivk8g1XeVByc_j9MIyp_sDm431oMmHP-W4T7rYQ1mKGjLgIo4dG-O2YzK66XUCC0dl914/s4032/87D94371-7A0C-4A71-B483-67B36A074690.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisO-SkGLRt6DufVSGBN7_pjA7IlNrKdRROrJKejJTK2TWW3s6mCH4coZb4b9uICPinZ91nyBfJVqsi10Mj86Tm034nspBj5imijIFIkJfEOUwABadQZYplrpivk8g1XeVByc_j9MIyp_sDm431oMmHP-W4T7rYQ1mKGjLgIo4dG-O2YzK66XUCC0dl914/s320/87D94371-7A0C-4A71-B483-67B36A074690.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Men also feature and are also mocked, to a lesser extent. Their position is as the nasty voice abusing and mocking women through the ages. This via cruel cartoons, or cataloguing and awarding women’s beauty rankings. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlRF-Dk5GDdIjzjvEy6u3h4E0FUfdhdWxO0lwkg54rQEJ_BRF7c4JYkne5qc4c7-pVj7MhFWDW8_ZYy7tvPyD5yy0pM2GaCNYHHNqyt_vNqpUG0rc2IBHKBnBXQ27vJ0ifDeYeQz9WmJy9PC9Pwv_-FvBVISzazJRJ_TjCXImsDzNIjq5Jj4q3GtOla4/s4032/C660FD79-203E-41C5-9235-EA1DA6C56BD9.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlRF-Dk5GDdIjzjvEy6u3h4E0FUfdhdWxO0lwkg54rQEJ_BRF7c4JYkne5qc4c7-pVj7MhFWDW8_ZYy7tvPyD5yy0pM2GaCNYHHNqyt_vNqpUG0rc2IBHKBnBXQ27vJ0ifDeYeQz9WmJy9PC9Pwv_-FvBVISzazJRJ_TjCXImsDzNIjq5Jj4q3GtOla4/s320/C660FD79-203E-41C5-9235-EA1DA6C56BD9.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hogarth again.<span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">Wigs classified in a parody of the orders of ancient </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">Greek and Roman architecture</span></span></i></div>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> William Hogarth</span></i></p>
<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> 1761, England</span></i></p><p>But, beauty is not just about pleasing others, it is also about the joy of lavishing oneself. And, at times this came across. The ancient Egyptian beauty products in the shape of a turtle, a woman, or a fish, exhibited alongside a 20th Century items such as a British airways compact (lent by Lisa Eldridge of course - who else has such fine trinkets!) </p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw9PF9py5ya8n1-baWDAsm4mC1On9r-rRD41yvG_zv0UhItAOJ9NlwNV30VnGgQiY95dFScjE9vHrwEn5IfO1ppMywh7SzOrQzR83usdXS5Pw5L1_6fcLhS1dKQ0sMJPnlR6vb3tbzT-TfH0yVCuM6_BTCWWw3HZflkAQysGBp6pmLfj5Au9qwZ1Zp7k/s4032/B69F0ABB-FE6C-4D1D-B06A-30FBC2EF400A.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQw9PF9py5ya8n1-baWDAsm4mC1On9r-rRD41yvG_zv0UhItAOJ9NlwNV30VnGgQiY95dFScjE9vHrwEn5IfO1ppMywh7SzOrQzR83usdXS5Pw5L1_6fcLhS1dKQ0sMJPnlR6vb3tbzT-TfH0yVCuM6_BTCWWw3HZflkAQysGBp6pmLfj5Au9qwZ1Zp7k/s320/B69F0ABB-FE6C-4D1D-B06A-30FBC2EF400A.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-9hZ2UaGYygiPjQHLGEmEE0jN2vheye6EAcyADrrquNyPUXY-t1uz2dHxykPSTT4BTEqJJXTIjJstfpXq1dLAb7irsK6SG1NED5JAMQo0uEki0SJE8lVwi1asa1HIjdERxzaIhrsZgCq6CSkk3Qt-Hd9rd9mePuEdMtyltcQK-pAMGblWXp-uim8hlQ/s4032/DFD45AC2-0D8C-4F7E-99E8-49DBB161352E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh-9hZ2UaGYygiPjQHLGEmEE0jN2vheye6EAcyADrrquNyPUXY-t1uz2dHxykPSTT4BTEqJJXTIjJstfpXq1dLAb7irsK6SG1NED5JAMQo0uEki0SJE8lVwi1asa1HIjdERxzaIhrsZgCq6CSkk3Qt-Hd9rd9mePuEdMtyltcQK-pAMGblWXp-uim8hlQ/s320/DFD45AC2-0D8C-4F7E-99E8-49DBB161352E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>The section on ethnic beauty was promising but too self consciously done. And putting Rihanna’s makeup in there felt a little gratuitous. She is not above straightening her hair and capitulating to society’s expectations. I don’t believe even if her collection has the most shades, that it was the first to welcome dark shades for the masses. It felt as if the last few sections of the exhibition moved away from a joyful celebration of adornment and took a more watchful approach. The shadow of cancel culture loomed at times.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Tb0a15fZ5GYyiML8nCQmpnMxDyZN2CjFzix2TBT9VJtWN60NL9xfzSJ1uaeLkgS7bqAvvzghsFm4mY7yfKGEjCwsQgDSfy_oSFA3YaX-tntZ9EC8S_96_9m-mbFU4ZlgBdGAwr6_famqh3R9UegfoT7Oc5idYlbIc_GJZ_qWTdvCjUKUleLn-h87xJ4/s4032/2D7C8DE2-04E6-4F3A-B038-67B55AB4291F.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6Tb0a15fZ5GYyiML8nCQmpnMxDyZN2CjFzix2TBT9VJtWN60NL9xfzSJ1uaeLkgS7bqAvvzghsFm4mY7yfKGEjCwsQgDSfy_oSFA3YaX-tntZ9EC8S_96_9m-mbFU4ZlgBdGAwr6_famqh3R9UegfoT7Oc5idYlbIc_GJZ_qWTdvCjUKUleLn-h87xJ4/s320/2D7C8DE2-04E6-4F3A-B038-67B55AB4291F.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Book of Fair Women, German photographer E.O. Hoppé 1810</span></i></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX9dnHVGYcRs27KzhRBveva-k5B3GPRQ9uzh8lVSibs1ie2pRLEm7pWC2ubdxXb-13dLe85L_Ae-aNGfdA_FXosBmpqH4IlNQKASgzWWAHMa-zvP3S8EJbqhlIsqXluzAwarGxjSu1kPE36QM3ayDDSVOgzXH4lVKjOG-ksSZc0_VQFfzEHPYizQohfk/s4032/4D56040A-F177-4D5B-8A6D-2260CE3F10DB.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRX9dnHVGYcRs27KzhRBveva-k5B3GPRQ9uzh8lVSibs1ie2pRLEm7pWC2ubdxXb-13dLe85L_Ae-aNGfdA_FXosBmpqH4IlNQKASgzWWAHMa-zvP3S8EJbqhlIsqXluzAwarGxjSu1kPE36QM3ayDDSVOgzXH4lVKjOG-ksSZc0_VQFfzEHPYizQohfk/s320/4D56040A-F177-4D5B-8A6D-2260CE3F10DB.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5TAE5zTdxQ6RswXBczPVOilJBEvyIDhfX1pgVD5Zv2ISjflooxzkv09Jmra_AA6Nwn-8ehcp3hDoC0dIs3K0K4G2dFx8T6MtrLtecdMznU9JJYP8bYHWFCZDBhf4zJHiwt97eOfOGm3icZlKY7F276WCrCZRJJax2qMwK-jZANBGRr94mETyHbj5ns/s4032/80867BA9-C892-4590-AC04-1E5872145A20.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2r5TAE5zTdxQ6RswXBczPVOilJBEvyIDhfX1pgVD5Zv2ISjflooxzkv09Jmra_AA6Nwn-8ehcp3hDoC0dIs3K0K4G2dFx8T6MtrLtecdMznU9JJYP8bYHWFCZDBhf4zJHiwt97eOfOGm3icZlKY7F276WCrCZRJJax2qMwK-jZANBGRr94mETyHbj5ns/s320/80867BA9-C892-4590-AC04-1E5872145A20.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Josephine Baker in banana skirt , 1930s</i></span></p><p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_yDhP6BXPJdUPz3rCm618su7nUKhcDw44C_I7grRV20i95p7G3bHSw8cDpomxx6uYWLBF6wOqEEymbOiakm1gOB66GitP3GYB3r-t6IeN2qwo3N1cjwwl3GPBvlGqJ8CJQTWYJxsggCEOas4Hgpua3jHWbV61TwL7HXq7ZB-VN9hHRhRb599-ZEsK0M/s4032/220417F5-78E4-4353-82E2-BF5A95F9F256.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA_yDhP6BXPJdUPz3rCm618su7nUKhcDw44C_I7grRV20i95p7G3bHSw8cDpomxx6uYWLBF6wOqEEymbOiakm1gOB66GitP3GYB3r-t6IeN2qwo3N1cjwwl3GPBvlGqJ8CJQTWYJxsggCEOas4Hgpua3jHWbV61TwL7HXq7ZB-VN9hHRhRb599-ZEsK0M/s320/220417F5-78E4-4353-82E2-BF5A95F9F256.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqzwFghxKgQnIw6d3z8jdqo0hToVbjKhtISRMlGdEdwpfLQXiwxZivccQQmzokLhyphenhyphenC30sYu12qzy77wM2C2sexqQs-veF1MTzJnV4nI-5aV2Lftpy7NGzQt4BEKVo2F_jlMDTfOaFHvcSvT7E87Aovnr6Jm45p50maNRI2Pqf-i86_mmfr6p04PiI7Ic/s4032/A98C7859-354F-40BB-A7F7-96ABACE18FA1.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqzwFghxKgQnIw6d3z8jdqo0hToVbjKhtISRMlGdEdwpfLQXiwxZivccQQmzokLhyphenhyphenC30sYu12qzy77wM2C2sexqQs-veF1MTzJnV4nI-5aV2Lftpy7NGzQt4BEKVo2F_jlMDTfOaFHvcSvT7E87Aovnr6Jm45p50maNRI2Pqf-i86_mmfr6p04PiI7Ic/s320/A98C7859-354F-40BB-A7F7-96ABACE18FA1.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiGP3Me2nwLgKzzMjLAVAcQp157VWanV4hoov1JJJ6lcBsApZrFK5YXNqU8PXxSF_CXOTEFYK4vcDLebI7dd2NLTFzo9tLIxmJWON1Kt7KLkIM6OMdNh7R7AKh8RlEsFY7FRJVHSQ1wjon_tl3Vh_OJ2RuGA83ixDx3-gZoGZfJA-9NVDBMRC_v7AN8M/s4032/C1399AD8-2C85-429A-92DA-814551D65F05.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXiGP3Me2nwLgKzzMjLAVAcQp157VWanV4hoov1JJJ6lcBsApZrFK5YXNqU8PXxSF_CXOTEFYK4vcDLebI7dd2NLTFzo9tLIxmJWON1Kt7KLkIM6OMdNh7R7AKh8RlEsFY7FRJVHSQ1wjon_tl3Vh_OJ2RuGA83ixDx3-gZoGZfJA-9NVDBMRC_v7AN8M/s320/C1399AD8-2C85-429A-92DA-814551D65F05.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU5mH21pTR1x_qEmRQJZWEZxe4ncvos3ub8OeQuPVk1L_1PDAOhbCoz-jXgo6xLMfbHC9H7tiFhPwMAW5hOcRxezp8QvXvIy_dzAm4NBgQTxg1Eb5EelF9w5jeY_ASZ2p-Qu3DVMV9dsGN5CBh11ZuuX5i5Lt2E4oU14ptwE7GOJchFLb0lFsO2YkpRI/s4032/D3C88DFD-D387-4DC6-A873-C3A2ED34B337.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoU5mH21pTR1x_qEmRQJZWEZxe4ncvos3ub8OeQuPVk1L_1PDAOhbCoz-jXgo6xLMfbHC9H7tiFhPwMAW5hOcRxezp8QvXvIy_dzAm4NBgQTxg1Eb5EelF9w5jeY_ASZ2p-Qu3DVMV9dsGN5CBh11ZuuX5i5Lt2E4oU14ptwE7GOJchFLb0lFsO2YkpRI/s320/D3C88DFD-D387-4DC6-A873-C3A2ED34B337.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>The final section left the exhibition on a flat note. Plastic surgery epitomised by a harrowing photograph of a young woman being inspected before getting new breasts, and a despondent vision of chasing beauty being something shameful and to be struggled against.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwBuLepez7w0jclG2pZLlzYi9KPvenVesV7N6QAE-bNEUQSTimdMjqppzWnSD_IWOdqKIeIeQq5J6_hTBjq_FMvr8T0F3ZDU4GSmIBSRUJLF4EmMcGell8QbSACQArHN8VSNVgi-kbXnt1jkQtNf5_VBdt4H4dz5mYpYgUAG6siJnSAMUgtFGXABaZbI/s4032/0F0A9A26-A709-45FC-A290-37D677B81C28.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiwBuLepez7w0jclG2pZLlzYi9KPvenVesV7N6QAE-bNEUQSTimdMjqppzWnSD_IWOdqKIeIeQq5J6_hTBjq_FMvr8T0F3ZDU4GSmIBSRUJLF4EmMcGell8QbSACQArHN8VSNVgi-kbXnt1jkQtNf5_VBdt4H4dz5mYpYgUAG6siJnSAMUgtFGXABaZbI/s320/0F0A9A26-A709-45FC-A290-37D677B81C28.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><p>However the fascinating sections were brilliant… so for that reason I would still give this a solid 4/5</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeexUYNHuF-KdXbIYVoXK9zJ1yUNZGpM7CdRK6_YPCYk8TXfd7Y3tTa_rZGXSmEodKoGtyElVDXBeUcTUOr5irkiWolPslhjR2g7-8ad-hYF-s8M5jLEyxIcTNO-BhoaZKyLZuExPNIHJZlFSl5F_00XyMDB0Is5VNvnD8GrMagF7FQ_GdR8gZzEqy8yU/s4032/2215347E-FCB9-4016-A6DB-60D7A6C8A065.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeexUYNHuF-KdXbIYVoXK9zJ1yUNZGpM7CdRK6_YPCYk8TXfd7Y3tTa_rZGXSmEodKoGtyElVDXBeUcTUOr5irkiWolPslhjR2g7-8ad-hYF-s8M5jLEyxIcTNO-BhoaZKyLZuExPNIHJZlFSl5F_00XyMDB0Is5VNvnD8GrMagF7FQ_GdR8gZzEqy8yU/s320/2215347E-FCB9-4016-A6DB-60D7A6C8A065.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSs2xHGh3it5DoThy2i3vYf4n5EYpUQg8yU-iAHMGWvtshl7wjd5HLQAQ57BMKG6hC29nicV3rlvUIQlDNk8Z9bW9YPb7xcMOgXRRwPzbYn-t_240ZOBaGARiKzxYXxI1louZ4OzaNcIAAYG9sIQsnQ7xFJZ0_XB5_AlB9uxBx5I2ark8CFgxQWXdghw/s4032/73393940-FE8A-4316-85C8-A314715C3A30.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbSs2xHGh3it5DoThy2i3vYf4n5EYpUQg8yU-iAHMGWvtshl7wjd5HLQAQ57BMKG6hC29nicV3rlvUIQlDNk8Z9bW9YPb7xcMOgXRRwPzbYn-t_240ZOBaGARiKzxYXxI1louZ4OzaNcIAAYG9sIQsnQ7xFJZ0_XB5_AlB9uxBx5I2ark8CFgxQWXdghw/s320/73393940-FE8A-4316-85C8-A314715C3A30.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQagWLk2t28tA2wYrP4H0HpgvKxM6KAO91wFNDq1jnnkW7EIGfWTgXARaF9tgoPjCm6kOGmEMEWlzaYzlfkz4yt8lG0CRJX_oDPWDuXD6Vf9GNcSLZqUARa08dw6PoXrTapRcSvEpOkNENC4zwff3Ze_xWuyyOIdc3QtBDanhD2PRfrTc8cZ1YkiNPgFE/s4032/E5138355-BCDE-4C5C-8042-3E2A9DDD0206.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQagWLk2t28tA2wYrP4H0HpgvKxM6KAO91wFNDq1jnnkW7EIGfWTgXARaF9tgoPjCm6kOGmEMEWlzaYzlfkz4yt8lG0CRJX_oDPWDuXD6Vf9GNcSLZqUARa08dw6PoXrTapRcSvEpOkNENC4zwff3Ze_xWuyyOIdc3QtBDanhD2PRfrTc8cZ1YkiNPgFE/s320/E5138355-BCDE-4C5C-8042-3E2A9DDD0206.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The <span>Cult of Beauty<i> </i>26 October 2023 – 28 April 2024 </span><span>- Wellcome Collection</span></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-10291649020487565582023-11-08T14:50:00.009-08:002023-12-01T10:29:09.939-08:00Guerlain Fierce Glow Meteorites: REVIEW!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNMQ5U1i0sEel4rHcXVJ2UQT8OKzdWyu9m8vQXNtsA9UfNm6w574NcXNJRYcMtR27mGi7Lueo485RC_1X_zhhTEud2uFszwjISFRyWplgAqHRJLYG6hOHXXdcEFeV2T6e-IoeBc_NelnKTpjEpb-miAZnoaaB0kOa7HXISCFEtjRyhSRwUKCzBF4NuUg/s4032/3540B711-5976-4963-9F54-5E381712C6CC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNMQ5U1i0sEel4rHcXVJ2UQT8OKzdWyu9m8vQXNtsA9UfNm6w574NcXNJRYcMtR27mGi7Lueo485RC_1X_zhhTEud2uFszwjISFRyWplgAqHRJLYG6hOHXXdcEFeV2T6e-IoeBc_NelnKTpjEpb-miAZnoaaB0kOa7HXISCFEtjRyhSRwUKCzBF4NuUg/s320/3540B711-5976-4963-9F54-5E381712C6CC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br />I haven’t seen many reviews for this new Guerlain Meteorites offering so I thought I’d briefly share my findings. The shade is 02 Light but I have had the standard 02 light and I currently still have the pressed version, and this Fierce Glow seems for starters more shimmery, and also more warm toned. Guerlain have now reformulated to be talc free but this is my first talc free version. I was hoping it would be the same, and it is. The only difference is they seem softer and have much more dust up. The scent (heavenly) and the finish (may I say heavenly again?) is still its hallmark.<p></p><p>One Meteorites will certainly last you a year at the very least and that’s with daily use. Personally I have never finished one but I collect them. I think everyone should treat themselves to at least one. It’s retro, decadent, a pleasure to look at and a pleasure to use. Plus, I do think it does something! Perhaps merely the glow and satisfaction of gilding yourself in something so indulgent and ‘useless’ but I think it’s more. I think it gives the skin a genuine glow and it melds all your previous steps together. If you’ve never bought yourself one, you could do worse than start with Fierce Glow! Adnittedly it’s a couple of grams less and a couple of pennies more than their standard line up, but I think the LE ones are more fun and have more of that delectable glow. It’s a shame the plush puff is a thing of the past and we have this horrid sponge but I knew that would be the case (sigh.)</p><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTT7pwl2Tl6sAWfUuj-JlienZ1nkBELSnfVLRdMGArodZ92unRK4JMrdZfi_aRLsaYxBt8_GvLW68grO0bMe8kJn4sZo7Pen024ppZWtjMxWRHTDGxOfVfl4oSy-Q6n3zaAnp6KWbYczqHu4uK_MY6f3DfLi61en06bCVeeluCApzrOsOy1nO1YP92vzY/s4032/452E5CA5-1D2A-42A8-BF7B-161C8A3905B6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTT7pwl2Tl6sAWfUuj-JlienZ1nkBELSnfVLRdMGArodZ92unRK4JMrdZfi_aRLsaYxBt8_GvLW68grO0bMe8kJn4sZo7Pen024ppZWtjMxWRHTDGxOfVfl4oSy-Q6n3zaAnp6KWbYczqHu4uK_MY6f3DfLi61en06bCVeeluCApzrOsOy1nO1YP92vzY/s320/452E5CA5-1D2A-42A8-BF7B-161C8A3905B6.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61KpKOJ_0fUU42YH6J2iNCWYq0jTB-OtnW_0ct0W38rEHaJnvrsux1KcUJ9rZIQr36MzO2p1wXE-rhepUQK8UK_p7CRioUzyhKigz2nHbAd1hBHnBkTaUOTYk1b5FQebJedUteRtxKQb1xbb-msimdOIXZF6OFirMVhw1mNq0Ri2j3UGSRjYrd0ID3g0/s4032/FAA3E45A-CE34-4FF9-B4B4-CE189A51738E.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61KpKOJ_0fUU42YH6J2iNCWYq0jTB-OtnW_0ct0W38rEHaJnvrsux1KcUJ9rZIQr36MzO2p1wXE-rhepUQK8UK_p7CRioUzyhKigz2nHbAd1hBHnBkTaUOTYk1b5FQebJedUteRtxKQb1xbb-msimdOIXZF6OFirMVhw1mNq0Ri2j3UGSRjYrd0ID3g0/s320/FAA3E45A-CE34-4FF9-B4B4-CE189A51738E.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYAtnHx4NoWEytJAiCgmuSptQwBjBlxn035lRy5e8i6wmx7LB0Q3SK4IraQhPjz2A71_W7ALH14YqtGcPhIQ4DSNPXjB14xeKSSImSTIthUAhM21hKwNcBfFl_uktylepHdpA3wpfSCfYYZCs7qXwjDYZDoiYurz2bxDLDRMpe751xMKEaYh16JTVDAU/s4032/8BD60021-7536-4C1B-9EC4-51EB06B6AF10.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYAtnHx4NoWEytJAiCgmuSptQwBjBlxn035lRy5e8i6wmx7LB0Q3SK4IraQhPjz2A71_W7ALH14YqtGcPhIQ4DSNPXjB14xeKSSImSTIthUAhM21hKwNcBfFl_uktylepHdpA3wpfSCfYYZCs7qXwjDYZDoiYurz2bxDLDRMpe751xMKEaYh16JTVDAU/s320/8BD60021-7536-4C1B-9EC4-51EB06B6AF10.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p><br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-19101300186736072652023-09-21T15:03:00.007-07:002023-09-21T15:07:17.962-07:00Crown to Couture exhibition: REVIEW!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTauLQGLF-KmV14ek_KvLX5wfDdIeulh7PkYipz8XwBIcdEzCqybn-tyHLZou7HF1cJWmNvhG6ZJaG6dJe_cxKe35JsOegwzi854_H2PteYXeSUSrYpeHJc59iJizCFz7B71WoqzAcbCG33PlZ8n7EkuEQAC1yDHrPj1Yx1W-GES4jWw5auywO4nQofg/s4032/44FE1DC8-C461-4B30-851E-9A27B5A76C26.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqTauLQGLF-KmV14ek_KvLX5wfDdIeulh7PkYipz8XwBIcdEzCqybn-tyHLZou7HF1cJWmNvhG6ZJaG6dJe_cxKe35JsOegwzi854_H2PteYXeSUSrYpeHJc59iJizCFz7B71WoqzAcbCG33PlZ8n7EkuEQAC1yDHrPj1Yx1W-GES4jWw5auywO4nQofg/s320/44FE1DC8-C461-4B30-851E-9A27B5A76C26.jpeg" width="240" /></a></p><p>Compared to similar fashion exhibitions at say the Victoria & Albert museum, this exhibition at Kensington Palace is rather pallid. The premise is that just like in Georgian times, when people received a Royal invitation, the Met gala is a crucial and life changing opportunity to dress your best and thereby change the direction of your life. Kim Kardashian’s Skims proudly exhibited alongside intricate lace undergarments as proof of how similar today and the Georgian times were. Pat McGrath’s beauty set up sat opposite a silver wear beauty table. A video of Kendall Jenner in a see through Givenchy gown based on an Audrey Hepburn dress, and the actual dress, and a dress actually worn by Audrey Hepburn. And in the same display, the oldest Georgian court outfit in existence.</p><p>It’s certainly interesting and perhaps it is meant to imply the Met Gala is just as glamorous as these Georgian affairs and we now have our own supposed equivalent to the Met Gala, Vogue world, and something or other has happened with Edward Enninful stepping down and so Anna Wintour is reigning supreme, or some such; I don’t quite follow them as in my mind Vogue is not the publication it once was and I recommend <i>Vogue covers: on Fashion’s Front Page </i>(<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vogue-Covers-Fashions-Front-Page/dp/1408702134/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?crid=5GHNGO19EIDG&keywords=vogue+cover+book&qid=1695332441&sprefix=vogie+cover+book%2Caps%2C74&sr=8-2" target="_blank">link</a>) to see how artistic and creative it once was… though I do still love and collect all the <i>Vogue On… </i>books series on designers; anyhow aside from that initial parallel there was not much more substance to the argument and not much of a story arc leading to any cogent theory as to any historical or social echoes etc.</p><p>There was a bit about all the modern attempts to politicise fashion with some unsubtle toile print pastiche depicting capitalism (irony is never acknowledged by celebrities and that’s what makes them so endearing. Or something.) And some attempt to imply somehow all this indulgence is going to be set within a sustainability narrative (insert same point about irony) and of course lots of gold and sequins. Naturally it was a treat to see these items but I would have liked more direction and a sense that the items were telling a unified story which made me really <i>think</i>.</p><p>The impression I left with is that Georgians were very catty and opportunistic and shallow but they also had a great sense of fun and humour and a level of self awareness. I wasn’t convinced the modern day counterparts could make the same claim.</p><p>My rating:</p><p>6/10</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZESlGPmysWXZMDNH17dXfOmgK47ch1lA8RAlgrOIBVbLB-lflomrvbaeQFVRdfqxn0ATAXDVz_wT8sCvfGrecr-v8kQe2IAym0Yza0LEAKdbG7vj0nr9TD5SCuAj-4Kcpt1_-L6GeydFtdSDgulacuOtrPsy4wLHDBb0-DFcZ3vXo5CleGP6CGMO_A1Y/s4032/8F7A6C6F-83BA-4FF6-8669-5ECB64B369BC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZESlGPmysWXZMDNH17dXfOmgK47ch1lA8RAlgrOIBVbLB-lflomrvbaeQFVRdfqxn0ATAXDVz_wT8sCvfGrecr-v8kQe2IAym0Yza0LEAKdbG7vj0nr9TD5SCuAj-4Kcpt1_-L6GeydFtdSDgulacuOtrPsy4wLHDBb0-DFcZ3vXo5CleGP6CGMO_A1Y/s320/8F7A6C6F-83BA-4FF6-8669-5ECB64B369BC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6mLwRTEXJh0CbY5lB21QO6yAm_ykFVHcsBxCIPCvWQz5FvUKfgXW5nvfCjTw7NtPlhrLVlTzCci-0_tWlIOSEZKFqF2MWG6-imANkIPkPrpGBTCcu2VtntRkTfSkTARpWalIl8ggFJFRUu7GhxJ0ccIX_VCIMc4djasZaehiWxST29o_X7hQ8ZGFA98/s4032/45672ABD-D31E-4E20-ACCE-60CD778E4165.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6mLwRTEXJh0CbY5lB21QO6yAm_ykFVHcsBxCIPCvWQz5FvUKfgXW5nvfCjTw7NtPlhrLVlTzCci-0_tWlIOSEZKFqF2MWG6-imANkIPkPrpGBTCcu2VtntRkTfSkTARpWalIl8ggFJFRUu7GhxJ0ccIX_VCIMc4djasZaehiWxST29o_X7hQ8ZGFA98/s320/45672ABD-D31E-4E20-ACCE-60CD778E4165.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi619YnxPLLq_3au_0gXpA-dQOQ0KY5xir4ufA5rkmPMi7pQtjilsBWBV2X_G2kssts-uoCc1Zlm3_XefwhLR7ZyNhCVYtEUlgwElHYIXwIakX0TiwsEqXOPmPYbMUi9z7KZoo5zJNUGZspTc3uhppc2uMQN-8fZ0HEFspBehBqYj6yVMd6OeaYVTBJw/s4032/42B71E8B-E302-4EBA-B9C9-087FB96D63A6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi619YnxPLLq_3au_0gXpA-dQOQ0KY5xir4ufA5rkmPMi7pQtjilsBWBV2X_G2kssts-uoCc1Zlm3_XefwhLR7ZyNhCVYtEUlgwElHYIXwIakX0TiwsEqXOPmPYbMUi9z7KZoo5zJNUGZspTc3uhppc2uMQN-8fZ0HEFspBehBqYj6yVMd6OeaYVTBJw/s320/42B71E8B-E302-4EBA-B9C9-087FB96D63A6.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6hsR0LzqbhgOCfCbqA7WP75q-W73pClz9byLihMz-K-AgfPzMdJ1Lcsj83WmXXM2uIHpM0wxniFsMIWCJ_mbSTmpe17fDuGpgwARGji0BCdXgCfk9W0R2Yj-PJvyAN0ISMZRvepAxbXLxszdNSb9kWMed4J_T6HwYAsniRIqqog4nOlvhrigRyhA6iQ/s4032/D276ACCA-21F4-4904-8C86-902A4F6C685D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM6hsR0LzqbhgOCfCbqA7WP75q-W73pClz9byLihMz-K-AgfPzMdJ1Lcsj83WmXXM2uIHpM0wxniFsMIWCJ_mbSTmpe17fDuGpgwARGji0BCdXgCfk9W0R2Yj-PJvyAN0ISMZRvepAxbXLxszdNSb9kWMed4J_T6HwYAsniRIqqog4nOlvhrigRyhA6iQ/s320/D276ACCA-21F4-4904-8C86-902A4F6C685D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpbkMAan3Yp2ZE--X61AdAIBMaS9dEBZUUqODfywa69-v1R7ddy_4SiUh4x8UwSjtFhWtlRhC-xCDjKnGDmabC21LTMMxjdp2StyrYMbOj1R4V27viUwnG5f0ZV1QvikylVQDz_QdrDdw3ojEQXw7ttHyMpGLffl6KqYDG7wcXXH4akxNL-hGMwxSV_4/s4032/FE800FAB-32FD-4466-AF8C-864CABD2EFED.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpbkMAan3Yp2ZE--X61AdAIBMaS9dEBZUUqODfywa69-v1R7ddy_4SiUh4x8UwSjtFhWtlRhC-xCDjKnGDmabC21LTMMxjdp2StyrYMbOj1R4V27viUwnG5f0ZV1QvikylVQDz_QdrDdw3ojEQXw7ttHyMpGLffl6KqYDG7wcXXH4akxNL-hGMwxSV_4/s320/FE800FAB-32FD-4466-AF8C-864CABD2EFED.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUdaVoQl3mZvMbeYPOMZUnTvXsgMpYOHbctN4j-PAdyxClxLD3q6eWDVgE_d7Rfppw9jg5KfGg8iYnUrBcEHxq7kXaMN6VWeiNMieZA9_wlH4dPNGu6cp5bhSnJVW3KOgEf-Q_m5khG7B054WRD3VVEopJFr3peTA4gdv85rEHk61MuUTYOSlVdNevEA/s4032/FFD15BFC-B215-4E2F-803C-EF4029BBF564.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUdaVoQl3mZvMbeYPOMZUnTvXsgMpYOHbctN4j-PAdyxClxLD3q6eWDVgE_d7Rfppw9jg5KfGg8iYnUrBcEHxq7kXaMN6VWeiNMieZA9_wlH4dPNGu6cp5bhSnJVW3KOgEf-Q_m5khG7B054WRD3VVEopJFr3peTA4gdv85rEHk61MuUTYOSlVdNevEA/s320/FFD15BFC-B215-4E2F-803C-EF4029BBF564.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-10697907459886704182023-07-25T16:49:00.009-07:002023-08-20T16:12:28.609-07:00Barbie the movie - REVIEW! (spoilers)<p>*Possible spoilers* Although it's hard to say that for a formulaic and predictable plot device which relies on the tried and true <span>The Lion the Wit</span>c<span>h </span>and the Wardrobe or The Wizard of Oz type affair - i.e. a portal fantasy with a quest like narrative - in this instance if one is being generous one could suggest this is a reversal: transposing oneself from a fantasy into a reality... so perhaps echoes of Ariel from The Little Mermaid especially at the ending, would be more apt. </p><p>But whereas Ariel has immense complexity of character, Barbie is a two dimensional sweet bimbo and that's what's ultimately so disappointing. I'd read about how outraged right wing stiffs in America had lambasted the film and how (male) critics had complained that “the patriarchy” was used repeatedly and unironically. This only encouraged me to see it and see how Barbie, a feminist icon, for yes that is what I see her as, would undo the most misogynist notion of all: that her beautiful blonde, hair coiffed heavy makeup tight clothed and high heeled persona, doesn't in any way indicate that this woman is not also a highly intelligent and thinking individual and not simply an object for the delectation of men.</p><p>Instead, we see a film purporting to dismantle these notions yet in effect entrenching them further. This I find more harmful than an overtly derogatory film. Especially when aimed at a young mind. For instance, Barbie is horrified at getting cellulite and flat feet. Apparently a joke - but is it actually? I mean, aside from one token overweight Barbie, who happens to be the most authoritative and bossy, and no overweight men and just one token dweeb who is the only unattractive male in a sea of attractive Kens, are they not hoisted by their own petard? The fact that at the end she has to forsake pink and heels and instead adopt a brown earthy get up replete with Arizona Birkenstocks was to me the final capitulation to the patriarchy and its strict dichotomy. Clever and to be taken seriously = no pink and no heels! Humble yourself and don’t play on overt symbols of femininity if you want us to respect you and not treat you like meat. That was the message I got and I also didn’t like (and as a teen I suspect I’d have hated it even more…) the way that at the beginning we are submerged into this fun and fluff - for make no mistake, the choreography, the set, the costumes and the makeup are all A+, but then suddenly we are being given a hectoring sermon. It’s not even that I disagreed with any of it as I didn’t, but it was clear that the film was contradicting itself. That old adage: <i>show don’t tell</i>. And what it was showing wasn't aligning at all. In fact was I missing something or was the final 'joke' about Barbie's first act of emancipation going to her gynecologist, a reference to her now becoming a real life sexual being and casting her as a fully functional sex symbol now, not merely a doll or a fantasy. Certainly viewed via a male gaze this is what would be understood by this crescendo.</p><p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJTVs9FnTTgwKTPJ__3Y0MTPnahUBMkIsQggMDgSGr4PhPLLuJ8sSJuZ9SXNDNXYmZ3qVI1xGa42m_abeUJp3yOqQUFTYXEznqnKKSj0gHODtjcAQMUwWA4wRtT0Kuumw-ECvYRvxp_9qgrs5DMNaBA3EGSbW5fNyQq86OOKPDFuxMgf0xwc8v5cP3c/s1318/frumpbarb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1318" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDJTVs9FnTTgwKTPJ__3Y0MTPnahUBMkIsQggMDgSGr4PhPLLuJ8sSJuZ9SXNDNXYmZ3qVI1xGa42m_abeUJp3yOqQUFTYXEznqnKKSj0gHODtjcAQMUwWA4wRtT0Kuumw-ECvYRvxp_9qgrs5DMNaBA3EGSbW5fNyQq86OOKPDFuxMgf0xwc8v5cP3c/s320/frumpbarb.jpg" width="219" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>There were so many points which could have been made. I liked hearing about the history of Barbie and the political reflection one can see through the decades. Indeed arguably the most interesting part of the film was the end credits when a roll call of past Barbies was presented. There was not enough about the sadness of Ken; yes this undermines the doctrine but young male suicide is a leading cause of death and it's only recently that attempts to get men to show feelings and talk about it have been made. The unrequited love angle was also a chance to make Barbie asexual or lesbian. Yes it was hinted at, but if you're going to be criticised as “woke”which the director knew was inevitable, why not be bold about it?</p><p>It was an interesting idea that finding the little girl who was playing with her, in fact led to a grown up mother. But it also highlighted how flawed the premise was. Unless they were implying only an adult level of sadness can penetrate into the er, membrane. As I can personally attest that as a little girl (one of my formative memories dare I admit) I once went to my room and tumbled out all my accumulated pound coins from endless weeks of saving up, and also tore off all the heads of my beloved Barbies. This demonstration for me represented the truest rendition of hopelessness and grief. I'm fairly sure that my experience was echoed many times through various miserable little girls from the 50s and to the present day, so I'm not sure why it was only now heard by Barbie. But flimsy pretext to one side, it was a surprise that this seemed to suggest a little girl could be an adult. More on the theme of how an adult might get comfort from a childhood toy may have opened up themes which weren't covered. </p><p>The myth of sisterhood and how women are often the first enemy of feminism was touched upon but not expanded and the film again said one thing but presented another. After all, during Nazi times when women were given awards for having lots of babies and were encouraged to throw out all notions of feminism and revert to being a housewife and mother, female support for Hitler was sky high. And when looking at patriarchal religion and oppression of women, in particular how they are to dress and behave, you will often find no more enthusiastic proponent than the woman herself. Many women even aside from religious brainwashing, allow themselves to think of men controlling them as simply being seen as being 'prized' rather than controlled. The idea that Barbieland was just as divisive as the real world was not elucidated. The notion that pretending that competition and gender and all sorts of other perceived advantages don't exist wasn't debated. Instead we have an insipid conclusion.</p><p>Barbie is likeable, but she and all the other Barbies are very simple and change their minds at the merest suggestion. The aforementioned lecture which changes their mind, one can't help feeling all it would take is one more lecture, this time from a Ken, and they'd agree with that too. The Kens weren't even given this much, they were simply hammy jokes and the unrequited love element which could have humanised them instead was just sketched in and not taken seriously as a theme. </p><p>The biggest problem is that they didn't take the chance for any commentary on social media and fake filters and how that may have originated or alternatively have been avoided if playing with Barbies was still the main pastime of youngsters - who let's face it, are far more likely to be looking at an interactive screen than playing endlessly with a plastic doll. But ultimately this has to be a Mattel advert, and maybe they didn't want to go down that route! </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkCNHvrtkss6RoYTSVa-E6LvebA9BhyoGmwzucVNAokhgprn8Py0AeisNN1m0JVcMWok0-H2opDEqCK3ZUSx_dK-c0vViHLJbqBr83h5MB9wmnwi5-gMUveIisZ3T_Fd8K_CDjUwwiKYFiC89BOspIbeq8kN-oebrQlBUFqu9rFvKRVI4MO0ZkP7lQ-M/s1027/birkbarb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1027" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNkCNHvrtkss6RoYTSVa-E6LvebA9BhyoGmwzucVNAokhgprn8Py0AeisNN1m0JVcMWok0-H2opDEqCK3ZUSx_dK-c0vViHLJbqBr83h5MB9wmnwi5-gMUveIisZ3T_Fd8K_CDjUwwiKYFiC89BOspIbeq8kN-oebrQlBUFqu9rFvKRVI4MO0ZkP7lQ-M/s320/birkbarb.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><p>I will not forgive them for making Barbie apologise for being a fashion icon. Chanel and Birkenstock are strange bedfellows yet these are the brands we saw. Ultimately one was the past and one the future. I would have preferred if Barbie had at least combined the two and become a maverick hybrid thereof. Instead she had to pick one. And in an echo of the 'weird Barbie' who forces her to pick the Birkenstock, here too, there isn't a real choice, or indeed a real point. </p><p>Maybe we'll be seeing an 'ordinary Barbie' as promised, a brown jacketed Birkenstock sandal one. But if you don't look like Margot Robbie, will the outfit still work... because it would if it were a pink dress. A pink dress lets everyone shine. We all wore pink at the cinema. A frumpy outfit, well it's a lot harder to look good in that if you're not 'ordinary Barbie'. In fact it's probably the easiest way to get someone to feel inadequate. That is, the opposite of empowered.</p><br /><p></p><p>Overall a disappointment 6/10 <br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-7117629184543828672023-07-06T09:42:00.013-07:002023-07-09T15:20:18.099-07:00Age old Question of Ageing women in Beauty<p>Ageing in women has always been the last bastion of prejudice. Perhaps as in the Klimptian way (if I may use such a term) - there are only three stages one is permitted. A child still connected to its young thin and beautiful mother, then there's the aforementioned beautiful mother, dutifully loving and cradling the child with wispy gauze encircling her limbs; aside and apart from them stands or rather hunches, a shameful grey figure with gnarly veined feet and wiry hair which she obediently and carefully uses to hide her no doubt horrible and wrinkled visage. Her bloated belly and sagging breasts are however still affronting our vision but the radiance and confidence of the younger two figures seem fairly safe in their (let's use that term again) Klimptian blue bubble aura whilst the old woman is in her red bubble aura, albeit her ashamed head accidentally bows and intrudes into the blue one as if foreshadowing some inevitable threat which indeed is clear. The message is: you'll be me! And then what! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu-5WawnIbxkB28701hEMdEPWk-oTkIR0-yzBt9OJrV6-wxdDpkcvnDA03vxdNd6fs-fUecHAQfbV--O5BW2jHgUJ1ddI2trgHnB2u-xGV2SraJOOvD7OxYQpGD_DSCGPZJedIsnTtmhf5_LPPJ_FMamyhW-577vhLKMjnqBCekUNAILYs9XJlAYimsA/s602/three-ages-of-woman-by-gustav-klimtTTT.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="602" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQu-5WawnIbxkB28701hEMdEPWk-oTkIR0-yzBt9OJrV6-wxdDpkcvnDA03vxdNd6fs-fUecHAQfbV--O5BW2jHgUJ1ddI2trgHnB2u-xGV2SraJOOvD7OxYQpGD_DSCGPZJedIsnTtmhf5_LPPJ_FMamyhW-577vhLKMjnqBCekUNAILYs9XJlAYimsA/s320/three-ages-of-woman-by-gustav-klimtTTT.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>Klimt is actually one of my favourite artists so I am not attempting to prove my youth credentials by way of "cancelling" him for being misogynist. Particularly when this vision is still the same as ever and any attempt to correct it is met with anger at it in fact entrenching it. I am referring to the response of Sports Illustrated featuring a suspiciously smooth and glowing octogenarian, Martha Stewart:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRee3MZKb1I1TfKdLxc4sqlMIOpIuSiLd8NcIpppv1iolBvP7B_Q0Vml0iOb3zS_EcF-hsieN-N1VKejQULPLlT8GYUefXdA6lToosp9hGy-j0gAguFoPHFqLiT58yp_IyVKQeoVs3pkODv98Qgdyw2hOCIgcI5MwJY19pM9ByNo29LcVsZzA05bAC_ck/s1350/1M.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="1036" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRee3MZKb1I1TfKdLxc4sqlMIOpIuSiLd8NcIpppv1iolBvP7B_Q0Vml0iOb3zS_EcF-hsieN-N1VKejQULPLlT8GYUefXdA6lToosp9hGy-j0gAguFoPHFqLiT58yp_IyVKQeoVs3pkODv98Qgdyw2hOCIgcI5MwJY19pM9ByNo29LcVsZzA05bAC_ck/s320/1M.webp" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p>In interviews she graciously concedes that she 'had a light spray tan, something she'd never done', a bit like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner insisting they are horrified and bewildered by plastic surgery. We can speculate and we can, er, use our eyes, but it's true, we are not owed any explanation and I don't know why people think we are. I think it's safe to accept that if we all had unbridled funds, we too could give mother nature a good fight back. I don't know much about Martha Stewart but reading her interview (NYT) it's clear that this fight isn't only about the external, it's also about not being that hunched and apologetic grey figure accidentally seeping into a young world and contaminating it. When asked if she stood by her joke that she was waiting for friends to die so she can get a chance at their husbands, she drily replies: "I don’t take it back. But, well … the husbands do tend to go first. And, really, I prefer younger men."</p><p>Of course Sports Illustrated had the previous year already featured another older candidate in her bathing suit, though by comparison a sprightly 69 years old. Maye Musk. However she has short hair which immediately acts as a bulwark against suggestions of impersonating a young fertile (that word had to come up sooner or later) blonde. Her hair is short and white and her demeanor is dignified and without the girlish tousled locks and languid pose. Foliage acts as a slight apology attempting to contain this aberration of nature.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7LC1pMfyvyJX349GvWYutqMGMUqo2IpFiOPIm0E8P_ebvYeUYYwjnW27cZfWVwbBjgdE1hbuhYv9bvUCoLjkHFatF1CWoyMPMtJ4o2aqWBIt4oLOvzF3vk0lsvq4sQ76iLHDvP0fT4kaU7Wjb8Znr7c9zGlbI7aq4oQ4z0710Y0sNU2D3P7fDWzhrnw/s391/2m.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz7LC1pMfyvyJX349GvWYutqMGMUqo2IpFiOPIm0E8P_ebvYeUYYwjnW27cZfWVwbBjgdE1hbuhYv9bvUCoLjkHFatF1CWoyMPMtJ4o2aqWBIt4oLOvzF3vk0lsvq4sQ76iLHDvP0fT4kaU7Wjb8Znr7c9zGlbI7aq4oQ4z0710Y0sNU2D3P7fDWzhrnw/s320/2m.webp" width="246" /></a> <br /></div><p></p><p>Madonna has become the poster child (so to speak) for women who refuse to accept ageing and in their silly insistence merely look ridiculous and push back feminism. I disagree. In the 50s, actresses, take Marilyn Monroe, were initially given the ingenue roles but by the time of her death at 36 it was only mother roles and she had changed her wardrobe completely. Well if advances in science mean this can be reversed then surely that's to be welcomed, not treated with anger. Now clearly, some people's inherent facial bone structure, or the time they start surgery (hint- the younger the better) or the surgeon they choose and various other factors, determines how pleasing it is to our eyes and judgment. So if the issue is that us mere mortals caught within a cost of living crisis can't do it then that's a different argument. But if Madonna wants to not see wrinkles then that's her decision. The backlash she gets is very cruel - and mocking a woman for being defiant is very misogynist, just like calling women who speak up and complain, Karens. It's a way to put women back in their correct bubble aura and get them to hide their ugly old faces. And the cancel format itself is very medieval and depressing. Once you make a mistake, that mistake will never be forgiven. The identity boxes and pronouns are similarly very strict. Women within this dogmatic logic are also contained and mocked. It's sad that the trend is not towards a more pliant route of people expressing themselves with a freedom to change at will and not because of their age or gender. Perhaps Sports Illustrated, an unlikely champion, will be at the helm of such a change. To my mind, I'd rather see women looking confident in their swimsuits than clunky makeup campaigns trying to sell products or using face creams called 'menopause cream'. Those are an insult to one's intelligence and a bait and switch rather than an attempt to change an ingrained pattern.</p><p><br /></p>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-85824190912722728952020-06-06T13:56:00.000-07:002020-06-06T19:14:11.920-07:00Face (of) the day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today’s post relates to the anxiety of lockdown, the amplified feeling of helplessness and isolation, which, in many ways, manifested itself as we were confronted with the racist US police brutality. I recently watched the BBC 1987 documentary<a href="https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20z7qm" target="_blank"> Fouteen Days in May </a> (link to watch online if you don’t have BBC iplayer) and even though this took place over 30 years ago, the statistics about black men being convicted vs white men, and the way the colour of their skin seems to dictate their fate, haven’t changed much if at all: it’s truly harrowing. It is tragic to realise that prisons and death row inmates are still dominated by a black demographic. The inmate was being filmed by the BBC and thought that the fact he was being filmed might save him. “Do you know something I don’t?” he helplessly asked his young British lawyer. Alas, a camera might record but it can’t stop the reality. I personally find the death penalty shockingly barbaric: even when guilty, many of these criminals endured horrific upbringings and social inequality. (Read <span style="caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #111111;">Guilty by Reason of Insanity: A Psychiatrist Explores the Minds of Killers</span><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #202124;"> by Dorothy Otnow Lewis). In a country where criminals are treated like dangerous animals to be put down it is hardly surprising that brute force is used when apprehending them. Indeed it seems clear that this tactic was well rehearsed, it just had never resulted in a death before. Perhaps even the fact that there was an audience, made the police even more vindictive. One can only speculate and aim for this video evidence to act as a catalyst for real change.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); caret-color: rgb(17, 17, 17); color: #202124;">All this takes place in the shadow of an invisible and impartial enemy... although even the virus seems to disproportionally kill BAME (black Asian minority ethnic) groups. The claustrophobia and anger at helpless governments who simply cannot protect its citizens from a disease which is unpredictable and unpreventable by any means other than forcing us all to cower from within secluded homes. The anger from businesses who are forced to therefore shut down and the trickle down effect which means people’s futures are in jeopardy. Especially young people who are cruelly denied times in their life which they’ll never recover: the liberty of university life and the opportunities waiting for them once they graduate, or school children denied the simple joy of growing up in a rowdy schoolroom joshing about with their friends... the list goes on. I can’t help but wonder if the protests are to some, a chance to recreate a social communal gathering, especially if music acts are to take place and celebrities are to attend and give talks. Now doesn’t seem the time to encourage mass gatherings and the inevitable looting is a side effect of releasing all the pent up frustration and rushing into angry demonstration. I noticed a Facebook advert for a London protest advises attendees to self isolate for two weeks afterwards but surely many of them live in shared homes and in practise this invites inevitable exposure for people who would otherwise be sheltered from risk. Regardless of the merits or I should say <i>necessity</i> of visible protest at this abhorrent crime, </span></span><span style="color: #202124; font-family: inherit;">I think encouraging mass gatherings whilst a virus is still a real threat, is wrong. I also think that the trouble with these “trending” social issues is that it gets a lot of traction and then is all but forgotten and the lessons are not learned. The killing of George Floyd is but the latest in a terrible list of black victims.</span><br />
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And onto beauty; beauty brands are expected to proclaim how upset they are and how much money they will be donating. I think this is misguided in the sense that it commercialises tragedy and pivots a serious issue into a marketing ground. Nonetheless the money is vital and of value but the abuse met out to celebrities and brands who don’t publicly speak out, seems also a kind of prejudicial witch-hunt. People should be able to not have the pressure of their skin colour used against them. But I know that when you are from an ethnic minority you are treated as an Other and whether you want to or not, you do stand as a cipher. So the pressure to be an example is very real and cannot be thrown off. Blackout Tuesday was a noble aim to mute social media and educate oneself on the history of black suffering and prejudice. Prejudice goes both ways and often there is racism within racism such as rap lyrics praising pale black women as ‘redbone’ etc and black celebrities using filters to lighten their skin to this more ‘desirable’ caramel tone or change their features and hair and so on. The racism is not simply coming from white supremacists. Within beauty however there is the added spectre of how foundation shades and even lipsticks are named. What, indeed, does “nude” mean?<br />
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I think broadly shades are named in a neutral way, shades like Estée Lauder shell, Bone, nutmeg, etc all seem fine to me... but there will be a shift I suspect, a hyper awareness of what shade names invoke. I think beauty naming in general needs reassessing because aside from the eye rolling crude sexual double entendres, the drug and addiction type names are also unnecessary and degrading. That doesn’t mean names have to be numbers or boring but it does mean we don’t need to perpetuate makeup as a weakness or a call for sexual attention and (male) approval.<br />
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Blackout Tuesday had the ironic effect of being a time to in fact engage more with social media, the black square taking on something of a smug badge of honour, and again, those brands or individuals not using it being vilified for not joining in and thus the logic went aligning themselves with right wing racists. The way of press-ganging individuals to join the cult of vitriol doesn’t seem the way to progress. It seems that it would bring about a short term burst and then the fashion of political protest fizzles down and it’s onto the next trendy cause to capture the zeitgeist. Racism or more broadly I would say prejudice is a relic from the past which one assumes is eradicated but it isn’t. The need to think of oneself as having an Other to persecute, is irresistible, and shows no signs of abating.</div>
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Martin Luther King (yes, who else can one quote at these times?) famously said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” We like to think of our favourite brands whom we shop from, as friends. We want to see them publicly standing against racism and putting ‘our’ money into this cause. We get angry when they don’t. But anger is at the root of where things go wrong. Violence even in the name of virtue can’t be right... Then again, sometimes the only way to be noticed is to be violent. Kind calm demonstrations probably wouldn’t make the headlines; burning down buildings, does. This is not something to be vindicated by but it is the truth. In a time when there are so many brands - unlike 30 years ago one might say - we can and do boycott which makeup brands get our money. But if a brand makes a truly wonderful inimitable product, how many would still boycott them. Much like a beautiful piece of art painted by a known abusive husband (too many famous artists to list here as examples) would we not still enjoy the art as separate from its creators? Is hounding them until they proclaim their agreement not rather hollow? But as the public’s outrage over Dominic Cummings shows, no it isn’t hollow: we want these individuals in power to be brought down and humbled - even if they do so under duress. Maybe, especially so. We feel cheated if they can happily go about as they were, unpunished.<br />
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The point of all this is to say that, as hackneyed as it is, Ghandi’s quote to be the change you wish to see in the world, is the only truth. Making it a norm to be kind and give people the chance to show who they are without our prejudice forcing an identity onto them, it’s hard but we must try. And possibly more importantly, to love <i>ourselves</i> without self hatred and resentment, as this often leads us seek an Other to project all our own insecurities into as a therapeutic release/ scapegoat.<br />
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Sometimes the most tiny self care routines are enough to make us feel better and more able to face the world and feel valued. That is why even in lockdown I think it’s crucial to still eat healthily (well of course a few extra treats are understandable...) exercise and still do your hair and makeup and nails, if it brings you joy. My face of the day isn’t what it is when I know I’ll be seen and judged, but it is still a face of the day even if all I do is a trip to the shop or a socially distanced catch up. It’s:</div>
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Thebalm balm shelter - comes in extra light and goes to extra dark. My shade is “lighter than light” (I see no issues with the shade names; “light” and “dark” should have no connotations in either direction.) Anyway, this gives skin an even canvas and it has SPF 18. All sunscreens break me out but thankfully, not this. It’s therefore my daily face sunscreen too. Eyebrows - brows are so important. I like to use the Morphe e29 angled brush and spoolie with some brown eyeshadow (usually MAC or Sleek) and I like to sometimes use eyeshadow but generally if I skip eye makeup I will then always use a lip and cheek colour. I like Lipstick Queen lipstick which I then dab into cheeks. <br />
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Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-70522127748358549132020-05-27T08:53:00.002-07:002020-05-27T08:53:30.107-07:00Lockdown pick-me-up treatsIf, like me, you've been enjoying a little online hauling... Here are some treats which truly did pick me up and which I recommend thoroughly. They're not all beauty related, either!<br />
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1. I bought myself a milk frother right at the start of the lockdown. My lavazza coffee machine does do froth, but it was never like a coffee shop cappuccino and from researching I discovered many coffee connoisseurs rely on a separate milk frother. Anyway this one was fairly cheap, but it does a fantastic job. It can do ice coffees too! Very much a pick me up. And coffee is my only vice. 😇<br />
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2. Victoria's Secret hauling. It's not the finest quality, and I hate screaming logos, but I really like the cut of most of my Victoria's Secret and PINK clothes. I've been living in PINK cropped tees and I like their joggers too. It is possible to find discreet logo items. (Usually they have low ratings because "you can barely see the logo!") The PINK Ultimate leggings are my workout go-to. Onto the teddy - No, sadly I don't plan to wear it as a true Playboy homage nude or with bra showing; I will wear it with a vest (cami) underneath or perhaps a jacket on top. I like that it's simultaneously demure and provocative. I like to confuse people. I did try it on and it made me think wistfully and hopefully of nights out in the future.<br />
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3. Lipstick Queen lipstick in Frog Prince. I got this from Look Fantastic. I am a huge fan of Lipstick Queen especially the balm-type 'transforming' shades. My favourite is Morning Sunshine, but the irresistibly fitting paradox of a green lipstick for these strange times, meant I had to get the classic Frog Prince. I remember an old Barry M green lipstick which changed into a garish scary pink on most people. It was almost as frightful a shade as if it had applied green, to be frank. This Frog Prince however is a forest green which changes into a mauveish pink. It's nothing unique or exciting once on, and I would probably never have looked at it if it was that mauvish pink in the bullet. It's definitely universally flattering and it leaves lips with a nice stain. (My favourite thing about these lipsticks.) I enjoy just taking it out and seeing its green body against the pink shell. The name and outer packaging are very clever, I really enjoy Poppy King's wit and vision.<br />
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4. Guerlain Terracotta Nude Glow Powder, in Universal. Guerlain's original Terracotta bronzers have something moisturising in them which literally make my skin look better and act as skincare when my skin is dry and flaky. I always wished they'd make a skin tone version with the same effect. And now, they have! Boo it's limited edition, but it's here if you can find it (I got mine from Harrods but it's out of stock there, and everywhere, except Guerlain directly now.) I fought so hard and managed to resist the new Brazilian Fizz Meteorites. Maybe I'll cave at some point (it's still available, again only at Guerlain directly) but I have barely used the Perles de Satin ones so paying £46 for the tin, wellll I won't lie, it's still tempting, but I had to be "sensible". This Nude terracotta though, was non-negotiable. It's £38 which is a bit much. But Harrods have some MAC on sale so I bought a few MAC items to feel overall I'd got a good deal. (Does anyone else buy more to justify spending too much? 🤔) Anyhow it's worth every penny now that I've tried the powder, I've only tried it once but it's just as I hoped: Just as it looks in the promo images. And it would work indeed on any skin tone as it's an effect not a colour. If I manage to go away this summer I will definitely buy a backup at Duty Free. The meteorites pearls make skin <i>look</i> better, but this Terracotta Nude Glow powder actually conditions the skin - the pearls are just an illusion. So it's best described as a less shimmery version of wet look highlighters, in the direction of the effect of MAC extra dimension skin finishes etc. It makes skin look young and dewy on contact.<br />
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5. Pat McGrath Subversive palette - this hasn't arrived yet, but it's 40% off from her site. Free shipping to UK too, so it was impossible to resist. I am planning to depot them though as the case looks rather 'geometry set' to me and I don't like all that plastic.<br />
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6. Skincare - as I said last post, this is a perfect time to get a skin care regime going. I'm doing well using retinoid gel and various masks and moisturisers as detailed already. I'm happy with everything except that I am still on the hunt for a sunscreen which doesn't make my skin break out. It's a very frustrating and so far fruitless endeavour. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know? So far I have tried Paula's choice, Shiseido BB in the bottle and in the compact, La Roche Posay, and Cerave... All bad for me.<br />
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Hoping everyone is doing well. Shops will be open IRL soon but it's quite addictive to just have everything ordered and delivered. It will feel strange browsing again I suppose. The age of testers will be over as we know it, I wonder if they'll have to start giving out samples which previously SAs were so militantly against doing. From seeing how it is in US, every beauty item will be individually cellophane wrapped. Clothes once tried on will then have to undergo quarantine. It's hard to tell how it'll all look. If one must queue to get in due to shopper limitations, I dare say that alone will ensure online shopping still prevails. I guess shops will have to entice customers with 'in-store only' promotions.
Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-13630879639247408702020-05-04T16:08:00.001-07:002020-05-04T16:36:04.356-07:00How to stay happy in lockdown It's a sad fact that, as in medieval times, the only way for us to battle this virus is to cower away from it. Most of us are still in lockdown and even amongst those given the green light to rejoin society, many are understandably reticent.<br />
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Now is the time to do things you couldn't normally do. For instance, solitary reading and drawing, meditation, stretching, or even introspective thinking about issues that you normally brush under the carpet. Making plans for how life will change once you emerge with newly discovered gratitude for life.<br />
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Talking to friends and family over social media etc can sometimes make you feel even more lonely, or dare I suggest, even more bored.<br />
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With skincare and beauty at the forefront of this blog, naturally my tips will be along the more superficial side of things. But if you can't indulge when you're hidden away and forced into solitude, then when will you?<br />
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1. Have you ever tried Retin A or Tazorac? The real stuff? If you haven't - or if you have and you found the flaking just wasn't worth it, now is the time to flake away. Don't worry the flaking won't show on Zoom. This is the perfect opportunity to get your skin conditioned to using it. Studies show that skin improvement can happen within just two weeks.<br />
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2. Learn a skill that could save you hundreds of pounds... I'm talking about manicures, pedicures, even hair dying and hair cutting. You might just find that it's not that impossible. But start on very easy and subtle stuff, no drastic bleaching and bobbing. Hairdressers are terrified that this will be our awakening. The revolution might just start now. Spending £280 on new hair is hard to stomach. Then again, be warned, if you mess up, that will seem a bargain. So just go for a similar tone or even just a colour wash in wash out...<br />
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3. Make like celebrities and dye your hair a fun colour you'd never normally do! If you still have work meetings you can tie it up (only do the ends.) No one will know! You can go blue or pink - those seem to be the couleurs du jour. You will need to bleach the ends or even the whole head depending on the look you want or if you don't already have highlights that need retouching. And if it's a patchy bleach job, it's fine because the fashion colour will cover it up or even add to its cool appeal. If you choose blue though, dilute it with white conditioner because that does stain whereas pink washes out pretty easily. Unless you'll be moving on to an all over brown once the fun and frolics get old, in that case, you can go any colour.<br />
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4. If you're cohabiting with unpleasant people, the lockdown can be unbearable. Of course if it's physical abuse you must look into a safe refuge, nothing is worth living in fear and trauma. If it's less severe or exclusively emotional abuse, now could be the time for you to deal with it head-on. Confront the abuser and let them know you have seen through them and they can't hurt you anymore. See them for the cheap nasty bully that they are, and treat their words as worthless. With time on your hands you may find you are finally able to recognise that they are awful people who simply don't deserve your tears. ThIs goes for people in your life generally, that now that you have the luxury of time, you can get around to cutting out of your life once and for all. They in turn will be shocked and very distressed to see that their scapegoat isn't playing ball anymore, it might even prompt them to change their ways. Probably not, but it will take their power away. If escaping them is too impossible, at least you can figure out how to mitigate their poison.<br />
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5. Get healthy. Boring, yes. But imagine how it'll feel. Most people will emerge 2 stone heavier, you will be 2 stone lighter! You will prove you used the time alone to work on your self discipline in a time when eating really is the only valuable entertainment.<br />
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6. As long as you can afford to, treat yourself to something you've been wanting a while. It's not a necessity but it's helping the economy back on its feet so you'll be doing your bit! Skincare or a new outfit, anything that will make you feel elevated again.<br />
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7. A morning ritual and an evening ritual. For me it's the Aveda brush I blogged about recently, that starts my morning off. And in the evening, I mix a dollop of moisturiser with a pea sized amount of Tazoratene.<br />
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The main thing is to not let yourself descend into horrible habits because that will wear away at your self worth and leads to a dangerous cycle which once begun is hard to reverse. It's tempting to exist merely for others, to decide, no one will see me so what's the point? But that is when you begin to see your value in and of itself.<br />
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Take care of yourself, love yourself, and keep safe. This could be a once in a lifetime gift of guilt-free time. Take the chance to indulge whims and to take care of your own needs. Wishing you all well!<br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-87389236432289549902020-04-17T16:06:00.002-07:002020-04-17T16:06:36.961-07:00Aveda Tulasara dry facial brush: REVIEW!In these trying times, something professing to channel yogic energy into your beauty routine, is most welcome. Tulasara means “moving towards balance” in Sanskrit. As Aveda explain:<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbf8f6; caret-color: rgb(57, 39, 32); color: #392720; font-family: MetaWebPro; font-size: 14px;">The first step in your </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(57, 39, 32); color: #392720; font-family: MetaWebPro; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">radiant awakening ritual</span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbf8f6; caret-color: rgb(57, 39, 32); color: #392720; font-family: MetaWebPro; font-size: 14px;">, dry brushing is a gentle exfoliating technique from Ayurveda, the ancient Indian art of wellness, called </span><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(57, 39, 32); color: #392720; font-family: MetaWebPro; font-size: 14px;">gharsana</i><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; background-color: #fbf8f6; caret-color: rgb(57, 39, 32); color: #392720; font-family: MetaWebPro; font-size: 14px;">. </span><br />
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<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">gently exfoliates dry, dull cells from skin's surface</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">ultra-soft nylon bristles formed in rounded peaks help massage and lift away dull surface cells</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">exfoliation helps support natural cellular turnover</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">promotes smooth, soft skin</li>
<li style="box-sizing: border-box; list-style: disc; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">helps prepare skin to take in nourishing <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">tulasāra</span></li>
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My skin has changed into skin I never thought I’d have (sigh.) All my life my skin was dewy and I had an oily T Zone. Now it’s dry on my forehead and chin. I have flaking and visible pores. It doesn’t seem so long ago that I pressed my face against the mirror and congratulated myself, “I’m poreless!” Ah, memories. I bought all manner of exfoliants and scrubs but nothing helped. The only thing which did finally stop the dryness was only using a toner (Paula’s Choice replenishing toner) and moisturiser (I used up various samples I had lying around, in particular I liked, but not sure I’d buy, Emma Hardie Midas Touch revitalising cream.) Additionally I really hate to admit this, but not wearing makeup has let my skin get less dry too. But this brush truly does seem to help! (Gasp)</div>
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At £27 (in my defence I used a gift card) this was a bit of a gamble. I wondered, how different could this brush be to let’s say, using a scratchy brush such as the abrasive Guerlain terracotta or Météorites brush (!) But somehow this brush does seem to make my skin rosy and therefore apparently does help with blood circulation and who knows, maybe lymphatic drainage and any other benefit accredited to an ancient ritualistic system.</div>
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What I can say regardless, is that using this for a minute or so, in a circular motion, and then using my new favourite oil patted in (Antipodes Blessing serum - a light oil as heavy oils still do not suit me) has given me a calming start to my day, which also seems to be helping my skin look better and less dry. I was sure this would be a “silly buy” but in fact I’m very impressed. </div>
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By the way I am also trying to take this time to improve my yoga moves. My brother lives nearby and allows me to use his garden, he doesn’t use it at all, so I amble over there and use it for my allocated exercise time. That way I don’t have to deal with my own neighbours snooping and I can practise unimpeded. If it weren’t for my workouts and yoga I think I’d be getting quite depressed. And I’ve found an Indian guru called Sadhguru - he has a huge following so you might know him already. He’s been doing daily YouTube videos whilst this virus is on. He has some very profound and uplifting wisdom and a great sense of humour too. I fast forward the chanting so don’t let that intimidate you as it did for me. I listen to him as I drift off to sleep.</div>
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I really can see that Indian philosophy is very inspiring - I like that they put equal emphasis on the mind and on the body. If you read a lot and are very learned, you can die early because your body will let you down. Conversely if you just focus on your body and face, you forget that your mind is the true precious and irreplaceable part of you and makes you, you.</div>
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Anyway here’s the brush and I give it a definite thumbs UP! Let me know if you have tried it, in the comments below :)</div>
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Aveda Tulasara dry facial brush</div>
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Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-51051639302766333722020-03-24T09:18:00.001-07:002020-03-24T09:39:04.455-07:0010 Current beauty Faves... in the time of covid-19I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe in these earth-shattering times. Panic and fear, suspicion and condemnation are the order of the day. I've been horrified at the selfishness: can anyone find me a punnet of eggs?! As the weather warms up and it looks outwardly like the onset of an uplifting Spring, the reality is that we don't know what dark dread awaits... Those in power seem to know little more than we do, with mixed messages and a lack of conviction. This is the time when we were looking forward to our holidays (all cancelled now) but we here find ourselves humbled by nature. This disease has united most of the world with its horror. Our social media is for many now the only comfort, and with that, there is some beauty. For like all traumas, good can be gleaned too. This is not an 'Other's" problem, it is us all. And although a vapid interest in beauty and display might have been stymied, it has yet some relevance. For many with hectic lives, this forced enclosure and pause may even bring much-needed rest; for the planet and its pollution too. Beauty and self-care as ever has a therapeutic and life affirming power.
So that being said the rest of this post will be frivolous ;)<br />
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I have been trying to keep up with my exercise regime - not the same as a gym but not impossible (find me on instagram @ooglemakeup)and I have let my hair rest from its punishing blow dries. My hope is I will emerge from this with long, healthy hair... a distant memory. Beauty-wise this is a perfect time to use products and feel better. These are my favourites and I may return to Youtube to showcase them properly.<br />
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1. Feelunique recently brought out (now sold-out) beauty bag, and I bought it on a whim. Within the bag was a miraculous tincture, Antipodes Blessing
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Usually my skin hates oil. But this indeed somehow is a 'light' oil. It smells divine, it's white jasmine, but to me it seems like bubblegum but in a natural way (it reminds me of candy floss grapes if anyone has tried that variety). And somehow, perhaps the marshmallow extract, it makes my skin very pale and even-toned, almost on impact. I also love mixing it in with my Estee Lauder doublewear. Doublewear has been my faithful unwavering stand-by for a very long time; I wouldn't hear a bad word against it. And yet now my skin is changing (gasp of horror)and I find myself finally understanding the "paint" criticism. Nonetheless, a drop of this and it's perfect once again.<br />
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2. Another New Zealand skincare brand! They must know a few tricks. This time the brand revolves around bees. Bees Brilliance Instant Hydra Firming Shot. Again, the smell is delicious. This smell is a very ancient atavistic scent. It recalls an ancient High Temple Priestess to me... it is a sweet milk and honey and perhaps cooking apples. It's a very rich smell but smells natural, not chemical. It's very moisturising but hasn't broken me out as it's not heavy. I like to mix it with my retin A gel at night. I found this again on a whim, at TK Maxx, but it is available at Holland and Barrett and isn't too expensive. I think it may be the Squalene in it that makes it so good, but it also has similar antioxidants to the Blessing serum.
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I also bought the Bees Brilliance Beauty Elixir Mist and it is everything I wished MAC's Fix+ was! It doesn't have the horrible (for me) Castor oil in it and instead has only a plethora of antioxidants and a soft light honey scent. It has a great fine mist too.
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3. Nourish Nutritious Peptide Serum. A serum made in UK. I tried their moisturiser but it broke me out. This, however, is oil free and helps my dehydrated skin. It reminds me of the Caudelie Vinosource serum, which I love but I go through it way too quickly. This seems to last longer but has the same very light and quenching consistency. It uses apple acid exfoliating so it reminds me of Juice Beauty Apple peel which is another marvellous product.
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4. Botanical Lab has quite a few really good products! Their tumeric mask and their hydrating mask are so good. In fact the hydrating mask reminds me of Clinique's moisture quench line. It isn't oil free but it isn't heavy, and it imparts a wonderful glow to my skin. But the true wonder is their Clay & Sulfur Drying Lotion. Spot? What spot? I sometimes apply this and then I go back to look at my face and I wonder, did I imagine that it was a spot! That is how potent this is. I think the best I have ever tried is Origins spot remover, but this is almost or perhaps even equally as good.
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5. A dupe a dupe! I had been using Indeed Labs Vitamin C24 but I recently decided to test out Inkey list Vitamin C serum. Both are in a silicone base, which isn't my preference and I do feel it clogs my skin a bit. But the results are undeniable, and it does make for a decent primer too. So I'm now on to this £7.99 one which seems identical. This one has 30% vitamin C rather than 22%. But it has fewer ingredients so time will tell if it lacks the punch I've seen with Indeed labs. I've tried the Inkey List Q10 serum and loved it but the inkey little bottle only lasted a few uses before it was empty. So that one was a false economy. However I'd be keen to investigate the rest of the range. The Ordinary has had a few misses for me; this brand seems more along my path.
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6. Paula's Choice Advanced Replenishing Toner. I hoarded a few bottles of this when I heard it was being reformulated. Well, she insisted it would be the same. But <i>we</i> know that new packaging, let alone those ominous words 'new and improved' mean the death-knell for our beloved product. However on close inspection it seems only the further down ingredients have changed. The consistency is the same (milky and enriching, almost like a moisturiser) but there is an unpleasant smell now whereas before it was odourless. I always think this step can be replaced, it seems such a simple and dupeable toner. And yet after years of using it I haven't found anything - and when I do go without it, my skin isn't the same. For now, this still seems the same A+ toner. The famously lauded BHA exfoliant is also well deserving of its praise, but I think Corsx glycolic exfoliant is almost the same, so for me I'm not entirely convinced her exfoliants are all that unique. This though, seems irreplaceable...
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7. Makeup at last! The fun stuff. Highlighters - is there anything better? For me the best highlighters are those with glycerine and squalene. The so-called 'gel hybrids'. In fact I'm convinced these are quasi skincare because they can actually seem to moisturise the skin? But maybe I'm getting carried away. But the love for a gleaming glowing complexion is not going away any time soon. My latest acquisition is courtesy of TK Maxx again! £29.99 (still <a href="https://www.tkmaxx.com/uk/en/women/beauty/make-up+nails/make-up/highlighter-in-modern-mercury-7.5g/p/42036458?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIoMeqkq-z6AIVyYjVCh1VPwbfEAQYBSABEgJ8SfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds">in stock</a>) This was a product I hesitated about, and then it was gone. Estee Lauder Modern Mercury, as brought back by Victoria Beckham. The leathery case is very nice, but it's the product inside which is the best. A rosy tan but very easy to wear sheer so it would work for all skin tones.
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I used to love a matte velvety skin, but those days are gone and now my skin is getting drier I use highlighters lightly all over, and then more heavily on the high points. MAC has some brilliant ones but Guerlain and Estee Lauder have my heart. Guerlain were as far as I know, the very first (mainstream at least) brand to present this miraculous formula. I still cherish my Cruel Gardenia. Meteorites balls, although not the same formula, have an uncanny ability to draw a veil over the skin. They last forever, are addictively collectible, and any time I catch sight of my reflection when wearing these, I congratulate myself on how well my skincare regime must be doing. Sadly it washes off, but when it's on it lasts all day and it convincingly mimics a bloom of health. I'm still bitter I missed out on the carousel balls, so when I saw this pinkish version I leapt to it.
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For its imprinting, I'm also going to include Burberry's highlighter in 01 even though it's only 5g of product. It makes skin look angelic. It reminds me of the Guerlain christmas Globe balls they brought out, the one with the star shaped balls. If you didn't get it you missed out - but here is a very good (if I'm honest, even better) version:
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8. Lipstick Queen. My new favourite lipstick brand, on a par with Guerlain Rouge G in my opinion. The founder is an interesting character and I like how she draws inspiration from various themes. Not all of the lipsticks are equally as good, but I have a few that are delectable. They feel like a lip balm and leave a very nice stain behind which is very youthful; they also seem to make lips look plumper just like Rouge G does. My pick would be Eden because I think the case just elevates it. But I also like Natural Sinner (not truly natural in the expected sense, as it's very pigmented, but it is a gorgeous shade). The surprise hit is Black Lace Rabbit, which has allowed me to wear lipsticks which had been relegated to the dismissed pile. Suddenly vapid shades become vampy shades, too-pale nudes become raspberry mauveish nudes. And it's very moisturising so it even helps to make drying lipsticks wearable.
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9. Morphe x James Charles mini eye brush set. I lucked out when I found this in Boots Tottenham Court Road for £15! I'm not subscribed to James Charles and don't know much about him. My expectations were low. I reasoned, at least the brush tubby will be useful. Granted, the quality isn't quite 'premium', but it's not like an 'own brand' brush range, either. It's in fact way better than I expected - and seeing how they were gathered makes me respect James Charles, because I can tell he is a discerning artist. In truth, the nose brush is worth it alone! I'm not sure I'd spend £59, but I hear it's often on offer and can sometimes be found for £30 on the Morphe site, and for that it's a very recommended buy. It's a really fun present. Even for £59 it would be a great gift I just personally don't think I'd spend that on Morphe brushes as I'd choose to go the premium brushes route if I was spending over £30. My favourites are the nose brush, the tapered mini blending brush, the detail liner brush, and the flat concealer brush.
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10. Thebalm. I've found a few very good items from this range... I'm not sure how I feel about their designs, some can be a little cringe worthy. But I've been enjoying Schwing liner (I did say...) and sometimes if I want an even finer line, I'll apply it using the Morphe detail liner brush.
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I also really love the Give Crease a Chance (cringe again) brush. I only like the flat side, it reminds me of my very first ever brush purchase which was the now extinct Prescriptives flat eyeshadow brush. It's a very firm yet fluffy brush, and until this thebalm one, I'd never found anything to compare. The blender side isn't good, but that makes it less worrisome to stick it crushed into my brush holder rather than the burden of having to store it horizontally.
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So those are my top ten keeping me upbeat. I would love to hear your faves and any survival tips for these testing times.<br />
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By all accounts, this disease was created as a direct result of animal cruelty. I hope it brings awareness to the plight of endangered species, and pressure on those who keep animals in horrifying conditions.<br />
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Keep home and stay healthy, we will beat this. Wishing you and your families a healthy mind body and spirit,<br />
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Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-90675795677744827382020-02-16T12:18:00.001-08:002020-03-03T13:43:58.943-08:00Love Island - reality TV takes another victim<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I don't know much about Caroline Flack but she was famous enough that one didn't need to watch any of her shows to know exactly who she was. She always seemed the archetypal "fun loving gal" who took all the "flak" that came her way. She seemed supremely confident and able to take merciless bullying. I don't think I can remember a more vicious campaign than when she enjoyed the attentions of a 17 year old Harry Styles and she was 31. I remember that I didn't think it was ideal, but I also remember being impressed by her nonchalance, and it making me rethink my judgmental attitude. It was the hysterical One Direction fans who ended up being the most unseemly in that scenario, and not Caroline Flack. It reminds me of a dog programme I once watched where the owner of the dog tugged mercilessly on the lead and stopped her dog from chasing female dogs, insisting, "He doesn't like it, he thinks it's dirty." The dog trainer gently explained to her, maybe that's your opinion, let him go and we'll see. Said dog delightedly ran off and had a wonderful time, ahem, socialising. But I'm not talking about men being dogs right now...<br />
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Personally I don't watch any of those bear baiting TV programmes, all the poverty porn and exploitative shows which pit people against other people and become a deliberate popularity/ beauty contest. I've never watched a single episode of Love Island but I imagine I've got the gist of it. People being voted on and manipulated and undermined. I read that Caroline Flack once gently squeezed on a contestant's hand as a warning to her when she was gushing about her match, and he'd not been quite so kind. That to me is such a heartbreakingly kind gesture, as I suspect that many hosts would relish the amusement this juxtaposition would have brought, and not impeded it. I know she was effectively sacked and replaced. Perhaps it would have been honourable to refuse the position or at least publicly question whether it was right to sack someone, to draw attention to and support this supposedly treasured colleague. "No man is an island", as the ever quotable John Donne wrote. And as the Love Island title ironically reminds us. Yet to me it has always seemed that you can only ever rely on yourself, and people will always let you down; You can always rely on others' hypocrisy and lack of self awareness, so it helps if you expect little more.<br />
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After a suicide there is inevitable gushing through the sluices: trite assurances, etc. An unfortunate other effect is that whether intentional or not, these celebrities are often role models, and these actions normalise suicide at a general level. Caroline Flack herself was paradoxically writing a self- help book and I wouldn't be surprised if it was published posthumously. If you could meet and see the reality of authors of most self-help books, you'd probably put the book down rather hastily. Her instagram post addressing mental health, with admonishing words as she relates her interlocutor's complaint that she is being "draining", will haunt whoever that was, forever. Yet the truth of the matter is that everyone gets depressed and upset, and it <i>can be</i> draining and tiring hearing someone talking at length about feelings which are not unique and indeed may be all too familiar to us all. That is not to say that talking isn't the remedy, but maybe it should be a professional - because friends and family will be honest enough to exclaim, that's enough, you're draining me now. Supporting can take its toll on the caregiver and that's not fair either. Being depressed you often feel isolated and unique and that inadvertently translates as selfish, because you do forget that the person helping you might be getting upset. But then, that is when suicide seems a way to stop being this "burden". There is no middle ground and I suppose the elusive middle ground is where the cure is. The trouble is finding a good professional in a sea of quacks...<br />
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That is where social media masquerades as a tonic, as it's an 'echo chamber' of like-minded individuals who tell you what you're seeking to hear. The trouble is, it only takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel. The same way it's an echo chamber for what you want to hear, it can also be an echo chamber of your darkest fears: as one nasty comment which echoes what you secretly believe, is the one you'll take as the truth. But the diatribe about social media being toxic, and reality TV being toxic, is futile when the horse has bolted. Getting likes and followers is a natural pleasure and addiction, it can't be artificially stopped, even if all the social media platforms scrap 'likes', there will always be a way to measure success and popularity, and that public declaration of worthiness
will always be chased and aspired to.<br />
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Caroline Flack was dating someone with whom she had a row, and this was the beginning of all the trauma. Police were called and although he later retracted his complaint, the CPS (Crime Prosecution Service) wished to press ahead. I suppose this is a matter of principle to help those who are intimidated by an abusive partner, but clearly it was misapplied in this circumstance, as has been widely condemned. But the people using the CPS as a scapegoat are wrong, because clearly it is the TV network and the culture therein, which cracked open her whole world. To have her bosses drop her and to know that (as she knew from experience) the press were about to have a field day with endless lurid details about her love life and her aggressiveness, was just too much stress. She'd endured it before but it seems this time she wasn't ready. If her bosses had stood by her and publicly defended her character (the way they are doing now that it's too late) it might have made all the difference.<br />
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Her boyfriend was younger than her and apparently cheated on her; I don't know the details but she was a woman in her late 30s who felt young and effervescent;it must have been jarring to have the subtext of criticism - inevitable even in today's enlightened times - of not being a settled down wife, and of being a party girl. An undercurrent of hostility that a woman past her 20s should have a young man in his 20s, and live as if she too were as young and fresh as her contestants on all these shows, all of which of course would never accept a woman like her, young spirited but ultimately, now a 40 year old. To be the host of a programme which tacitly draws attention to her ageing by its very nature: a superficial and carnal beauty contest, must have been sobering at the very least. Ageing as a woman, or as a gay man where similar <span class="st">fetishisisation</span> of youth is chronic, and especially as a celebrity, is challenging in most circumstances. A betrayal like that would undermine any hopes of turning this challenge into an irrelevance.<br />
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Depression and misery will always be familiar to everyone, platitudes rarely help. It is those who never feel sad who are the unique ones and should feel alone, not the ones sobbing and feeling alone...<br />
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It can't be denied that these shows are causing harm. Censorship never works though (it would become an online series instead) but at least one hopes they will radically change the format. Reality TV is not the problem but the forced competitive framing is wrong and more than unhealthy, it's lethal. Love Island has had 2 suicides already, continuing it was already quite insulting, but now surely it has to go, at least in name. I remember thinking, 'jamais deux sans trois' but when I saw this death flash up on ' breaking news', I intially assumed it must be a car crash or similar. It was a shock. People are not elastic and they will break one day, you have to always be mindful of that. Because once someone is dead, either from stress or from suicide, they won't hear your comforting words. In Caroline Flack's case, she must have known there would be this wave of support, but she knew just as well that in the parallel world, were she to have lived and had the trial, the vitriol would have come just as thick and fast. She decided, maybe even for her family's sake, that an outpouring of (sometimes hypocritical) support, was better than the alternative.<br />
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When upset one must construct one's own strength from within. External support can buckle. I exercise and go out of my way to do my makeup extra nicely and wear something good and I remind myself that no one has the privilege of being able to tear me down. I have tried not to allow myself to get too invested into social media. As Anais Nin wrote, <span class="st">“I am only responsible for my own heart, you offered yours up for the smashing my darling. Only a fool would give out such a vital organ”. On social media you are vulnerable, uploading a selfie that you think is good, and wait to see what approval rating it gets; that can't be right... But if you put up a photo that you know looks good because you know that that night you had admiring glances and compliments, you'd felt great... well, then putting it up and not getting likes, is really fairly irrelevant because you've had the real experience, and this photo is nothing more than a memento. In that sense, social media is perfectly harmless. Until it becomes its own actual world, and then every reaction or lack thereof, becomes truly damaging to one's ego. But as a vessel, social media is not the one to fault.</span><br />
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<span class="st">To bring this post back to makeup, as this is a makeup blog, I will be candid enough to admit that were it not for makeup I probably wouldn't be able to psychologically emerge most days. Not that makeup is a crutch, that is not it, as that implies vulnerability and sounds misogynistic and reductive, even accusatory. No, what I am suggesting is makeup as defiance - that makeup is empowering and can be a reminder, You've got this, and you will not be torn down today -<i> not in that lipstick!</i></span><br />
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<span class="st">Sometimes it is the most implausibe and seemingly banal things, which get you through your worst times.</span><br />
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<span class="st">For anyone suffering, Please call the Samaritans. I do sometimes wonder (as I did above, regarding authors of self-help books) <i>who</i> exactly is drawn to these volunteer roles. My cynical side thinks they are narcissists who take perverse joy listening to salacious stories of gloom. But I know that this lack of faith in the goodness of others is something I have to work on. So I do acknowledge that if you need support, these people are trained, and being able to talk to someone is something that even fame and money doesn't necessarily grant you. So talk to someone, possibly not friends and family. Realise that if you get through this, there may be joy ahead; don't deprive yourself of that chance.</span><br />
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<span class="st">PS After having clarified that social media can be a force for good too... and what's more, I'll add lets not blame filters either... So erm, if you would like to follow me you can find me on instagram under @ooglemakeup - Please comment on a post so I know you found me from here if you'd like me to follow you back. Also if anyone ever wants to email me for any reason, my contact is on my bio here :) </span><br />
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<span class="st"><i>Wearing Shiseido Ginzo Red, one of my favourite and most joy-giving reds. But really, I have a huge collection of reds so it might not be 'the best' - but right now, I feel like it is... As well as my new found miracle product (review may ensue) Becca undereye brightening corrector in Light:</i></span><span class="st"></span></div>
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<i>And one of my strengthening quotes when I feel down. It's by Noel Coward and from one of my favourite films, Brief Encounter:</i><br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-63934292508824157282018-03-26T15:05:00.003-07:002018-03-26T15:13:02.256-07:00Bare Minerals BarePro Concealer review (shade Fair Cool 01)I am not reckless enough to be a foundation addict - Estee Lauder Doublewear has been my HG for more years than I care to mention - but I am often to be distracted by the launch of a good looking concealer or highlighter. I bought this BareMinerals BarePro 16 Hour concealer the very weekend it launched in the UK (from Debenhams), which has now given me enough time to cast my judgement. They didn't have testers yet, so I played it safe and opted for the lightest shade, Fair Cool 01, (2.5g, £23.) It seemed from looking at the opened products that the next shade down was rather similar - so I don't know if 01 is my optimal shade. These come in a wide range of shades, with different undertones,11 in all, which span from light through to dark. I would expect that any tone can easily find a match. Having said that, I did assume Fair Cool would be more pink rather than yellow, but it is a cool toned yellow if such a thing can exist, and it works well; <br />
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<i> <span style="font-size: x-small;">blended</span></i></div>
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I was in a hurry to get this because LisaLisaD1 on YouTube recommended it, and she is <i>the</i> most knowledgeable beauty guru out there, if you ask me. Lisa tries everything, and is able to compare products so accurately. I appreciate her talent to isolate textures and colours to the most infinitesimal degree. She claimed that this was reminiscent of the<span class="st"> Clé</span> de Peau famed concealer, which I'd always planned to try. I've tried La Mer concealer and was underwhelmed, so I kept putting off spending a wad of cash again. Hence I pounced on this one!<br />
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When I first tried it, I applied it directly from the stick. I'm not familiar with solid concealers, the closest I have come to this is the dearly departed Benefit It Stick, a fairly useful thing to cart around; or Smashbox Look Less Tired, useful to a point, but a terrible let down to me. Mainly due to its absurd glitter packaging, but also it wasn't the best anyway. Both of those are pencils but they are broadly similar in texture to this BarePro concealer. The difference is, BarePro is much softer and smoother so it blends super easily. It also contains many healthy sounding ingredients:<br />
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Applying it liberally gave a surprisingly chalky effect, and furthermore, it didn't seem to last on my oily skin. I began to regret my purchase and doubt Lisa for the very first time. Well I should never have doubted the master! After watching a tutorial she posted, I saw her use a brush and daintily take just a tad to cover her undereyes. I used the brush recommended by Bare Escentuals, the Bare Escentuals max cover brush (incidentally my favourite concealer brush and highly worth getting) and I realised: this is a concealer where less really is more. It wore much better when used sparingly, and it's densely pigmented so it covers well. The tone neutralises redness and brightens under my eyes too. Although it's only 2.5g, I see that it will last well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYICoH9yknVZJvnmp39TxVq9fNXDet4ZR8jVzxuKwyB6clkP3Q9JebBbzkhlw_mNduAhlPZr_fyyisZon8nrjg_6WqSZYw0gSxD6ELWIOVip6FWT3Lvvl1krRjOnUuZHzk9iTuYqslIsM/s1600/IMG_6496.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYICoH9yknVZJvnmp39TxVq9fNXDet4ZR8jVzxuKwyB6clkP3Q9JebBbzkhlw_mNduAhlPZr_fyyisZon8nrjg_6WqSZYw0gSxD6ELWIOVip6FWT3Lvvl1krRjOnUuZHzk9iTuYqslIsM/s320/IMG_6496.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My favourite concealer is the OG Lancome Effacernes (sadly I hear they messed with a good thing, and the new version is not the same. I still have 2 backups so I can only assume this is true whilst I stay blissfully in denial) and I also love Bobbi Bown Tinted eye brightener, which I'm upset to learn has been or is being discontinued! Why! (luckily I have a backup and after it's gone I will investigate Laura Mercier's similar looking offering which just launched, if it's still going by the time I need it...) I also like, to a lesser extent, the cream pot corrector concealers by Bobbi Brown, and Youngblood concealer. And who could be without some brightening reflective concealers, the king of which has to be YSL Touche Eclat, and a pinker more concealing version is MAC Radiant Rose Prep and Prime Highlighter, another LisaLisaD1 rec. I also like and perhaps should have included, Bare Minerals Stroke of Light, which is similar and better value as you get more product, but I can't help admitting that the MAC one is more pigmented and effective. However in my opinion I'm not sure its slight superiority justifies the amount to cost ratio. I also recommend using Estee Lauder Maximum coverage foundation as a concealer. I've had mine for aeons and it's pretty great albeit with a propensity to get stodgy if you're not careful. So in this convoluted hierarchy I'd say BarePro is third favourite, which considering its two usurpers are essentially discontinued, in some ways makes it First Place. In conclusion, I recommend this - give it a try! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3e5JHyxg7wU17KoG2wpAqu0AnPbSSD9XGnISb0NC8SeGu5mmf4pBx3iMxNxLwWKBz_P7B8NCa_My86-IEMZ7yJWPEnasLDgw4bMnyVu_5IpAAHa4Fsno7PEE44sdBZ1-JBQyI2FD3I/s1600/FullSizeRender_4.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1491" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqf3e5JHyxg7wU17KoG2wpAqu0AnPbSSD9XGnISb0NC8SeGu5mmf4pBx3iMxNxLwWKBz_P7B8NCa_My86-IEMZ7yJWPEnasLDgw4bMnyVu_5IpAAHa4Fsno7PEE44sdBZ1-JBQyI2FD3I/s320/FullSizeRender_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> the concealer shortlist </span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">... Have you tried this concealer? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please let me know your thoughts down below! </span></div>
Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-71831279731226920652017-11-17T07:36:00.000-08:002017-11-17T07:40:39.854-08:00UK CCOs - Cosmetic Company Store (Estee Lauder companies)Did you know we UKers too have CCOs? Well we do! I recently had to be in Portsmouth for the day, and was able to sneak off and hit the outlet shops of Gunwharf Quays. Many Christmas presents were sorted, as they have some great deals. But here, I'll <i>just</i> focus on the spoils to be found in the CCO.<br />
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Before I show you, here is the list as far as research can determine, of the UK Cosmetic Company Stores. Please be aware they do not sell online, so you will not find an associated website; any websites trading under similar names are just aiming to confuse you.<br />
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Bicester Village Oxon<br />
Clarks Village Somerset<br />
Swindon Designer Outlet<br />
Gunwharf Quays Portsmouth<br />
Freeport Braintree Essex<br />
Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet Ellesmere Port<br />
McArthur Glen Outlet Bridgend<br />
York Designer Outlet<br />
Livingstone Designer Outlet near Edinburgh<br />
The Quays Gloucester<br />
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If coming from London, Bicester is nearest at a 40 minute train journey from Marylebone. However Portsmouth has a rich history and is a lovely place to visit, plus my suspicion is that you get better deals. The service in all the shops I went to was first-rate.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gvrNwcuSS_w8xIrOYWd7gOQKRQ7kxsExDFKQBl4PEgyDcOkIxmQwoSFZvbYq91JzsZ6aTRdPuauI2ul7bL09RiQhG3-pIX5HGVVbDgfbvROQ95Ru8U4PYRDbIxqcvx0d8fDsJAOMgOY/s1600/IMG_6057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gvrNwcuSS_w8xIrOYWd7gOQKRQ7kxsExDFKQBl4PEgyDcOkIxmQwoSFZvbYq91JzsZ6aTRdPuauI2ul7bL09RiQhG3-pIX5HGVVbDgfbvROQ95Ru8U4PYRDbIxqcvx0d8fDsJAOMgOY/s320/IMG_6057.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Portsmouth Historic Dockyard</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Get off at Portsmouth Harbour Station (pictured) Spinnaker Tower in background - from this tower you can see across the English Channel on a fine day</span></div>
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Anyway let's get to the CCO now. It is owned by Estee Lauder, so naturally encompasses:<br />
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Estee Lauder, MAC, Smashbox, Aveda, Origins, Tom Ford, Bobbi Brown, Darphin, Aerin, Bumble and Bumble, Clinique, Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Ojon and Glamglow.<br />
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(+Others which are owned by the company but these are the ones I spotted.)<br />
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The nice thing about these stores, and in some ways even better than the discount, is finding gift sets, travel exclusives, asian-aimed skincare which is hard to find in most stores, or limited edition pieces.<br />
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As it was near Christmas (unless this is commonplace) they had many gift-wrapped bundles and I even managed to find a gift-wrapped bundle on 50% off the original CCO price, for just over £12, and it looks like it must have cost me upwards of £40. They even gave me my purchases in an elegant white laminated bag and wrapped it in red tissue paper inside. I got the same high-end treatment (or better) as I would expect in a department store, whilst getting reduced prices. The shop was very neat and testers were clean and available for virtually every piece there. It was a real pleasure to browse and shop, and the staff were helpful and friendly.<br />
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I was very restrained because I'm on an unofficial "low-buy". There comes a time in a makeup addict's life when you do become jaded. At this point I have so much that it's a rare time when I see something that doesn't instantly remind me of at least 3 dupes in my stash. I do buy essentials like mascara and skincare which run out, but the days of amassing collection pieces just to prove "I woz here!" have all but gone. The occasional holiday piece if it's really breathtaking, but the average MAC collection just isn't the milestone it used to be...<br />
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MAC do many more promotions online than they ever did 'in my day', too. There is no doubt that their stranglehold of even just ten years ago, has been slackened by social-media fuelled indie brands. Indeed, MAC are now collaborating with Youtube celebrities at a frenzied rate. I remember when Temptalia did an April Fools spoof post about her collaboration with MAC - Just a year later, it was true. This was 2011, and I would say that's possibly the zenith of when the tide really turned. My point being, that some of these CCO discounts (typically only about £10 saving) can be equalled using a cashback site (I like Topcashback) and buying from sites which are offering gifts or other enticements; just the other day MAC was giving away a limited edition blusher from a random LE collection in 2016 with minimum purchase, which clearly was otherwise destined for a CCO. So in other words, the thrill of a CCO is to be taken in context.<br />
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That being said, it was immense fun to see old collections brought back to life. MAC Trolls and the infamous bright blue and green lipsticks collection which reduced MAC to <a href="https://ooglemakeup.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/national-lipstick-day-mac-free-lipstick.html" target="_blank">literally giving them away </a>were present and correct. A few odd Mariah Carey items and a lone brush set from Nutcracker Sweet. So far so predictable. They also had a large amount from the moribund Estee Edit collection. I fought against my resentment of the cringey names and bought the last "Mega Chorella" soap bar for £12; as far as I can see from ingredients it is identical to the current Estee Lauder Algae soap which is £20.<br />
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But the surprise was to see lots of current products, even Estee Lauder Doublewear was there! - and not just the dark shades as is usually the case. Plus my favourite powder Lucidity. Clinique stalwart skincare items such as Dramatically Different Gel, and some brushes, eg a MAC 239 at around the £15 mark. (I didn't remember paying much more than that and frankly that price seemed high for a CCO to me, but it was still nice to see an iconic MAC brush in a CCO.) There were also gift sets including an Estee Lauder set I bought online a while ago for about £30 and considered a great deal, for about £20 in the CCO. (3 minute makeup bag which I blogged about <a href="https://ooglemakeup.blogspot.co.uk/2016/09/random-haul-and-review-time.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) There were some novelty Glamglow mud masks, and limited edition Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess items, Clinique palettes, Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks. They also had the Estee Lauder Crescent White collection which I always enjoy finding to try out in person. The BB cream and the sunscreen are superb. They sadly didn't have the Origins Spot remover or my favourite Aveda smooth Infusion shampoo (although I did score the smooth infusion mask at half price of CCO price bringing it to a tasty £9) but when shopping at an outlet, obviously it's a place where you have to be adaptable. I would highly recommend a visit and I can personally say that Portsmouth was a really fun day out. Not to mention that if you're a history buff, they have some great museums there too.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Estee Lauder Crescent White</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">...Let me know in the comments if I have missed out any CCO UK locations. And report back with any of your own CCO finds :)</span><br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-1131946901849337222017-11-10T07:15:00.000-08:002017-11-10T07:18:02.658-08:00First Impressions of MAC face set Whisper of Gilt and comparison "dupes"I'm shocked that MAC seems to have manufactured enough of these sets with Whisper of Gilt - either this is most unlike them, or people are not as desperate as one may have supposed. (Sadly, begrudgingly, I do belong to the desperate category, so I can't gloat.) I was dreading the brush, which I assumed would be a cheap and nasty scratchy affair, but actually it's replaced my MUD powder brush and I really like it for powdering and for contouring and even for blusher! So that was an unexpected bonus.<br />
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Now onto the highlighter itself. A lovely lady on Instagram (I hope she doesn't mind me posting her name, krys503) warned me before I got my delivery, that it was neither as "blingy" nor as "peachy" as the original Whisper of Gilt. I forgot to ask which original she was comparing it to, but it made my blood run cold - because the blinginess and the peachiness is exactly why Whisper of Gilt is my favourite ever highlighter. I have Anastasia So Hollywood but that lacks the beguling peachiness. And I have the original MAC Oh Darling (I hear the permanent is different but I can't comment as I've never tested this in person) but Oh Darling, although I have now grown to love it, has a far more brownish copper hint than the Whisper of Gilt peachy hint.<br />
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Here is the swatch which I was sent on Instagram which apparently shows the difference. Original on the left and new release on the right;<br />
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To me though, it was pure pleasure to see the new one which I feel is
still peachy and wonderful. Perhaps time has misted over any supposed
discrepancies, but to me, my worst fear was that Whisper of Gilt had been watered down to being like Anastasia So Hollywood, which, whilst beautiful, is little more than a pale gold highlighter. I'm very fussy, so many "dupes" are to my mind, merely versions on a gold theme.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">MAC new Whisper of Gilt v MAC original Oh Darling</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Oh Darling on left, Whisper of Gilt right. Notice copper v peach undertones</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As above, slightly blended</span></div>
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The only thing which I don't like is that the website has this listed as a "9g" compact whereas in fact it has 7.5g. I emailed MAC but so far they have kept this misleading description, which I think is a little rude. But overall it's a wonderful re-issue, the compact is gorgeous hammered metal effect and the snowflake embossing is irresistible. The bag is dependably tacky but the brush is a great addition, perhaps not for using as a highlight brush but you will find it a useful tool and it's synthetic so hasn't shed. Overall I'm really thrilled with my purchase.</div>
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<span id="goog_811652836"></span><span id="goog_811652837"></span><br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-5219239872500913832017-11-10T06:33:00.004-08:002017-11-10T06:33:38.524-08:00The £1.49 hair miracle oilFor months now, I have struggled. My loyal and faithful hair colourist absconded from duties. She is now a 2 hour trip away, which ultimately became too ridiculous. For some reason it's proving impossible to find a colourist equal to her skills. I am very fussy and a perfectionist, and have been lurching from one poor job to the next.<br />
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I have tried to steer towards chains but I've now had horrible services with HOB and with RUSH and my hair has been suffering. (If anyone has a great hair colourist in London I am keen to hear from you...!?)<br />
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Anyhow, to help matters, I've used Redken anti-snap and also had a couple of Olaplex treatments. But, I must say, this unassuming bottle has proven the cheapest by far, and surprisingly effective! I much prefer it to Moroccanoil as it has no silicones and it's surprisingly non-greasy. It's also been a joy to use on my hands and cuticles. It's in the "ethnic hair" aisle in Superdrug, but I have Caucasian fine hair and it's not been too heavy for me.<br />
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Give it a try, only £1.49 at Superdrug!<br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-68668389440727762472017-10-28T06:35:00.001-07:002017-10-28T06:42:48.079-07:00Guerlain Holiday 2017 thoughts<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other day I was able to take a look at Guerlain's latest holiday offering at House of Fraser. I must say, the sales assistant was very knowledgeable (Jessica) which was most refreshing! We were able to reminisce about past Christmas collections and debate which meteorites were the best ones yet. (a fraught topic which could induce fisticuffs.) Sadly, I came away without the new meteorites. I love the gold opulent house it's in, but the perles themselves are just a touch too glittery for my liking. The lipsticks, whilst wonderful, are red, and as much as I love red lipsticks, they initiate so much cacophony when worn, that I rarely get to use the enormous collection I already have. Terracotta Gold light was similar enough to the erstwhile Sun in the City, which is in fact too gold for me to use.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, this post will only discuss the Guerlain top coat mascara in Gold Light. "Adorn your lashes, eyebrows and hair with precious hints of gold!" Guerlain advises. Incidentally, Guerlain have the best writers, and best images. This year the inspiration comes from an art-deco 1920s jazz age and evokes Americans in Paris. The colour scheme is black and gold. Take a look:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #363636; font-size: 12px;"><i>Gild your eyes with the luxurious GUERLAIN Gold Light Top Coat - Lash, Brow and Hair Mascara, a limited edition mascara that will frame eyes in molten metal.</i></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Inspired by the preciousness of gold, this sumptuous, glimmering top coat will help you to create an endless array of luxurious looks with a bold twist. Its deep golden hue sparkles with intensity, transforming your look in a single stroke.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apply to the tips of your lashes, or through your brows and hair to create add a festive finish to your everyday look.</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I haven't bought this yet, purely because I first wanted to check it didn't smudge or fall out. Although I think it did fade, I loved the dainty fairy lights effect, and it did not flake or fall. It's like a dusting of sparkle over your usual black mascara, and it manages to be gold but not infantile. This is definitely not a 'need', but ironically that's exactly why it's such a must-have. It's imperceptible until you blink or your eyelashes catch the light. It's a snip (for Guerlain) at £20.50, and I've seen it online for £18.45 <a href="https://www.escentual.com/guerlain/guerlainmakeup206/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzumquqST1wIVhQrTCh2VegKBEAQYBCABEgJIjfD_BwE" target="_blank">here </a>(N/A link)</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The only thing I am upset by, is the packaging. It contains less product than, say, Maxi Lash (one of my favourite mascaras) at 4.5g, but why does it have to <i>look</i> like a tester? If ever a mascara deserved to be in an ornate gold tube, it's when it's a gold mascara topper, surely!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small;">No</span><span style="background-color: transparent;">netheless, I will be getting this as I think it's a beautifully done. And I thought it might be easily mimicked by an Urban Decay gold heavy metal liner I had, but that is a glitter and the Guerlain is more of a liquid gilding. I also had a liquid gold body lotion which I thought I could apply with an eyeliner brush, but this too failed to create a convincing gold flash. So: this is a unique product which I highly recommend. These pictures were taken at the end of a long day, but the effect has remained.</span></span></div>
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Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-31872535473870648992017-10-28T04:58:00.000-07:002017-10-28T05:00:06.425-07:00Shampoo review: Wella Elements Renewing<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">After years of using and loving Aveda Smooth Infusion shampoo, it didn't seem quite as incredible as it always had been. It still smelt divine, and I always, always had people deeply inhaling my hair and marvelling at the heavenly scent. But it didn't keep my hair clean for as long. And besides, I was beginning to resent paying hundreds of pounds a year for shampoo. I decided, perhaps I'll take this opportunity to step away from sulphates and parabens. Now, I have no idea what these are, as I'm not a chemist and science can only bamboozle me, but they sound bad... and if I was going to make a dramatic switch then I might as well change the entire approach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">I researched online and found glowing reviews for the Wella Elements Renewing shampoo. This is officially described as: "Sulfate free shampoo that renews the moisture of the hair, preserving and nourishing it from root to tip. Exists in 250 ml and 1000 ml." Naturally, being a greedy sort, I went for the 1000ml. I didn't realise, but for some reason, the bottle has a huge gaping neck, so I had to then buy a separate pump. Anyway, my review will not be a good one...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">This, to me, smells like apple juice concentrate from a carton. Not bad per se, but not good. Perhaps my hair needs sulphates, because this literally doesn't clean my hair! I have never had this before. I have to wash my hair three times with this, as it doesn't lather well. And then, every time I've used it, my hair looks lank and greasy - right away! So disgusting. Perhaps if you have frizzy or curly hair, the way this makes the hair 'piecey' and stick together might be a benefit. But to me, this is utterly dreadful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: large;">Does anyone have any shampoo recs that won't break the bank?</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;"> (Or do I need to shuffle back to Aveda?) Please let me know below!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 12px;">& If anyone wants this please DM me using my contact details!</span>Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-5863390878650851022017-10-28T04:31:00.002-07:002017-10-28T04:31:56.401-07:00MAC Whisper of Gilt is online now (UK)I am simultaneously excited and disappointed in myself - for I have been unable to snub MAC! I, like many, waited and pined for Whisper of Gilt to return as a stand-alone product, unimpinged by an alien half. And here it is, albeit reduced from 9g to 7.5g, in a beautiful frozen glass effect compact. I vowed that by now, there were many Whisper of Gilt clones, and MAC had missed its chance. But the flesh is weak, I have succumbed.<br />
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It's £35 and comes with a rather tacky bag and a synthetic short handled brush. I've heard that MAC are discontinuing their natural hair brushes and will be moving to all synthetic soon; not sure if this is true. Anyway... If you want it, it's online NOW!<br />
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I really hope it's as amazing as I remember... with a wonderful peachy pink flare within... We shall see. I'll update with thoughts.<br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-53309128202620620862017-08-16T06:50:00.000-07:002017-08-16T06:58:08.147-07:00Allure magazine A lure?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes, that's right: my conclusion, having read the 'editor's letter' available online, is that Allure magazine is ironically simply trying to lure in the grey pound. Do they honestly abhor the concept of anti-ageing? If so, why pick Helen Mirren who has had and admitted to having work done? As far as I'm aware, she's had a facelift and no doubt has a regime of peels, fillers, botox. So, she knows how to use them in moderation to avoid us being able to ridicule her for 'chasing youth', and that, presumably, is what is being applauded.<br />
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To me this is a cynical ploy to act as though they are at the forefront of some kind of revolution. I pity anyone who falls for it... No fool like an old fool, eh?<br />
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Allure seems like one of the more intelligent woman's magazines but it often looks like it's trying too hard. Until they put non airbrushed non operated non hair extension-ed non injected women on the cover, what is their point? And in any event, let's be frank, we want to see beauty, we don't honestly want to buy a magazine with a 'people of Walmart' poster child on the cover. The simple truth of the matter is, since the dawn of time, youth and beauty, are linked. Not inextricably linked, but there is a fact: looking good once you're older than 30, takes effort. Effort may mean just eating better and drinking water and exercising. But it's certainly not the bloom of youth that comes effortlessly from being, well, in the bloom of youth.<br />
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Women over 30 hopefully have the intelligence to know that calling something "anti ageing" doesn't need to considered in the same lexicon of "anti fungal" and "anti virus" and "anti anxiety" as the editor's letter suggests. Buying a cream labelled "anti ageing" doesn't mean you wish you would die young and never age, or that you renounce all wisdom and knowledge accrued with ageing. It means, clearly understood because you're old enough and self aware enough to accept it, that with ageing comes age spots, wrinkles, uneven texture, sagging. Is there any point pretending we want these things?? Is there any point pretending that we don't want to look like we have a fantastic body, fantastic shiny hair, fantastic gleaming even-toned skin? Why create this absurd Emperor's new clothes phenomenon by claiming, after the horse has bolted (a very hasty search of past Allure covers shows that they have never been mindful before - yes, I know, they say they know they were part of the problem...) that suddenly we object to being promised a remedy to these side effects of ageing?<br />
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I believe that magazines aimed at teenagers - and more to the point - online blogs and sites and instagram and social media, are a threat to emotional well being and are dangerous. Because when you're young you're very impressionable and vulnerable.But telling a woman old enough to recognise marketing babble, that she will now no longer have to endure the term "anti ageing" is really pathetic. The magazine is not claiming to actually address the true issue: celebrating ageing in all its undisturbed damage (and it is damage, let's not be coy). They want to have their cake and eat it. They will hoodwink us by saying that they champion age, while putting a woman who's had a face lift and who is posing with an undeniably young tattooed model's arm. Why the need to enhance Mirren with this young arm, why not let the age stand alone or be enhanced, with another aged woman? To put Mirren in this setting makes the cover seem diluted and made more palatable; it seems to signal it as a gimmick and a novelty. In fact, what they ought to be doing is accepting that beauty can and does exist in every age, and there is no point in being touchy about the fact that after 45 you certainly won't have the same, ahem, allure, as someone in the 20 year old bracket. Yes, it's probably linked to fertility. Sad but why be in denial. However, an ageing face can be beautiful and inspiring by virtue of its age, with an erstwhile beauty that still shines through proudly. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Audrey Hepburn. "I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls"</span></div>
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This is not to renounce advances in science, quite the contrary. One is welcome to fight ageing with all one's finances and all one's efforts. The fight will probably be lost - who, seriously, is convinced that these fillers giving an old cheek the same volume as a young one, looks anything other than a blown up old bag? But regardless, the procedures give the patient a sense that she has done all she can and has at least tried to stem the ravages of time... Do not go gentle into that good night...<br />
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So don't treat this fight as anything other than "anti ageing" and don't just lead down to an inevitable sickening platitude or euphemism. If it's because you're ashamed to have a cabinet full of labels screaming "anti ageing", that's one thing, and if it bothered me that much I would put masking tape on it or rip the label off... but I would be no less ashamed if the label said 'plumping and smoothing' than if it said 'anti ageing'. If it's because you genuinely think "anti ageing" is an insult, then why not just stick to a slathering of vaseline when your skin feels tight, and let ageing take its unabated course. By 'plumping' for that plumping cream, you've admitted this is a fight against ageing. You're old enough to accept this without a cynical ploy by a magazine taking payments from these companies and taking photo-shopped images from plastic surgery celebrities who swear on paper that this is down to healthy eating. To force brands to rename creams just to spare your feelings?! How about they say they'll no longer run adverts for anti ageing creams unless the celebrity is actually ageing? Or unless the celebrity is actually ageing without surgical intervention? Hmm well that is a step too far, evidently.<br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-34610388975277039322017-07-28T13:09:00.000-07:002017-07-28T13:13:19.794-07:00National Lipstick Day - MAC free lipstick...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just in case anyone doesn't already celebrate it, this Saturday (i.e. tomorrow, 29th July) is National Lipstick Day. If you live in US or Canada, you can go to any MAC counter or store and pick up a totally free, no purchase necessary, lipstick. The only catch is it'll be handed out blindly (one per person until stocks run out) and it's only from the, one can only assume dismally received, Colour Rocker collection. (Pictured above.) So hopefully it won't be the streaky pale blue one or the streaky pale yellow one ;)<br />
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If you're in UK or Ireland, we still get a "free" lipstick at any MAC counter, but we'll have to stump up £40 minimum spend before we get it. And once again, it's, one can only assume dismally received, 6 specific shades: MAC Red, Captive, Cyber, Stone, Fleshpot, or Media. I already have Fleshpot (that shade name always reminds of Jeffrey Dahmer and makes me feel queasy) and Stone. I really like Stone and I often use it to 'Autumn-ify' bright orange or pink shades so it's actually very useful. I like it alone as well, it's very 'film noir'. I'm not sure it'd tempt me to make a £40 spend - but if there's any staple you get, maybe you ought to pounce now, and grab yourself a treat...<br />
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I just wanted to let people know in case they somehow hadn't heard! Hope this helps :)<br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-85866308159800726222017-07-27T04:39:00.000-07:002017-07-27T05:38:14.040-07:00The Drugstore Chronicles: Duds and DarlingsWho doesn't enjoy a cheap thrill? Well, I say "cheap", but with cynical multi-buys being the only way to get it cheap, it's normally the £10 mark for drugstore makeup... But nonetheless, it's always fun to discover a drugstore favourite. My favourite today has been going strong since 1952! So it's doing something right...<br />
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Now first of all a quick note on the duds. Both were flung mercilessly into the bin; if makeup doesn't "spark joy" it goes in the bin. Firstly, an ugly stick: Collection yellow corrector. I love the Collection lasting concealer in Fair. Personally I only wear it for short outings as I find it does fade and separate. But for a few hours it brightens and conceals. My favourite concealers are Bobbi Brown tinted eye brightener (which someone told me is being discontinued so I may have to buy a few backups!?) and the classic staple, Lancome Effacernes. The Collection yellow corrector was a brilliant idea, but it's a very ashen yellow and needs to be a warmer yellow. It separates and makes foundation on top separate and it literally makes everything it touches go uglier. The second item flung in the bin was the long-awaited to our shores, Maybelline age rewind Brightener. It gives no coverage and goes on patchy, I have no idea how it won so many fans.<br />
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Enough negativity! The anointed one, step forward! It's Revlon Fire and Ice. Of course it is! This is a lipstick I'd had my eye on for ages but never felt I wanted to spend £8 when I had Guerlain Gina for my orange red lipstick needs. But when Colgate toothpaste had the inspired idea to give away lipsticks with toothpaste, I grabbed it. It's exceeded all my expectations. It's creamy and long wearing and it's a real head-turner. It brightens your face, and your mood. I think it's a red that makes you look younger. And it's got that potent touch of blue-red (the promised "ice") which stops it from being Ronald Macdonald and tropical. I line it with a browned red to keep it even more sedate, but for nights out I'd line it with MAC Cherry.<br />
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If you have been on the fence about it, check out the deal if you're in the UK via Boots (N/A link) (<a href="http://www.international.boots.com/colgate-max-white-expert-white-cool-mint-toothpaste-75ml-10197875" target="_blank">http://www.boots.com/colgate-max-white-expert-white-cool-mint-toothpaste-75ml-10197875</a>) and you'll find it for £5.99 - plus you get a toothpaste. This lipstick is better than many of my MAC quality lipsticks as it's only a tiny bit drying, or rather I should say, it's not actively hydrating as my Rouge Gs are. Apparently Rouge Gs are being discontinued! I'm not sure if this is a vicious lie. Gina is a fabulous warm red with a tiny sparkle. But I wouldn't give up Fire and Ice and I don't think they have the same aura. Fire and Ice is more retro in its gloss finish and it has a subversive coldness within the warmth. It's more high maintenance than Rouge G, as it doesn't 'set', but I'm not one who touches or licks their lips so for me it's not a problem. A shade like this defies the whims of fashion, and I'm glad I've got this classic in my collection.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Revlon Fire and Ice swatch </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Applied straight from bullet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Lined with L'oreal Bois de Rose lipliner</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2VEQdGPxdY6aqMmxUt1DxKYZj8FDQq7yJM0Vz_wHUOIYlQKqxD_zfrHPK7W-YUPzFyGs0-HP0TtDcW1Jup2SCUWzSI_5PVULe6lgzbSvdKF4bd-1EaJWGCuRtmNaF58kcI-Y6QAYA6w/s1600/IMG_5469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2VEQdGPxdY6aqMmxUt1DxKYZj8FDQq7yJM0Vz_wHUOIYlQKqxD_zfrHPK7W-YUPzFyGs0-HP0TtDcW1Jup2SCUWzSI_5PVULe6lgzbSvdKF4bd-1EaJWGCuRtmNaF58kcI-Y6QAYA6w/s320/IMG_5469.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">The full face truly retro finished result (excuse the PJ top) </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Please share any drugstore faves <span style="font-size: x-large;">you</span> have?</span> I'm sick of always throwing out 3/4 of my purchases! <br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-18152614705196288022017-06-17T07:39:00.000-07:002017-06-17T07:39:04.358-07:00MAC Whisper of Gilt is coming back! Third time luckyYes! For the third time now, MAC is re-releasing Whisper of Gilt. This will be its fourth outing to date and I do just wish it would be included in the permanent line-up, but for whatever reason, MAC has made it clear that it wants to hold onto the ethereal image of a lost-in-the-mists-of-time perfect highlighter. And adding a snowflake to it has just sealed that reputation. How beautiful???<br />
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The only thing is, it's 7.5g instead of 9g. But, one look at that cracked frozen ice packaging and embossed snowflake - all is forgiven. I sold my Whisper of Gilt, reasoning that Anastasia So Hollywood was a dupe. And reasoning that Guerlain Cruel Gardenia was a superior near-dupe. But the truth is, I've missed it ever since. The reason I loved Whisper of Gilt is that it's gold but it has a slight peach glint to it which makes it melt into the skin. The last incarnation, as part of the Nutcracker collection (and in a miserly segment as a duo) looked more gold than I remembered. I've taken @trendmood's picture and put it alongside the original and beloved, and for now, I can spot that same peachiness that made it so special. Of course, since the heady days of that initial Whisper of Gilt release, there have been so many wonderful highlights which include the same 'wet' finish, so it's a little late and perhaps a pyrrhic victory, but nonetheless, one of the champions is set to return - and I for one will have it in my sights. NB: Judging from the wintry theme it is likely to be the next Christmas/ holiday's collection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkEmN6mdlSHWuyQ3xez3a8xN20sIiz7z6w-SKUaAMeBg8KHhnJT4eGTkAa-IQOaOAYyv32151zwUH-qbgVgM3Si3WOeEey7X-Kl3Ntju69Z-T0-_bBKjlC5ELo8B44iyvGW7JT2se6XQ/s1600/FullSizeRender%252843%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1204" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvkEmN6mdlSHWuyQ3xez3a8xN20sIiz7z6w-SKUaAMeBg8KHhnJT4eGTkAa-IQOaOAYyv32151zwUH-qbgVgM3Si3WOeEey7X-Kl3Ntju69Z-T0-_bBKjlC5ELo8B44iyvGW7JT2se6XQ/s320/FullSizeRender%252843%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-52716401754674589732017-06-17T07:37:00.002-07:002017-06-17T07:37:25.173-07:00The Poundshop Chronicles: Rimmel Kate waterproof gel eyeliner in Emerald<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicxD0Iud6CD2we6VW29AHVDXE3JZBu_nZ_DTcWSuK0ah93kpIkwaT1__1PF9Ty5jJ1WkcbjR5QsNSCuZQ_JdbgzBqLjYfyTAEjsp7TlZ_xRbfhGKFT-aw1zcu2btfxAmy3THSC8kMIPs/s1600/IMG_5247+%2528Small%2529.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhicxD0Iud6CD2we6VW29AHVDXE3JZBu_nZ_DTcWSuK0ah93kpIkwaT1__1PF9Ty5jJ1WkcbjR5QsNSCuZQ_JdbgzBqLjYfyTAEjsp7TlZ_xRbfhGKFT-aw1zcu2btfxAmy3THSC8kMIPs/s320/IMG_5247+%2528Small%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a><br />
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In the olden days, pound shops were a rarity and usually called themselves, rather frustratingly, "pound plus" shops; indeed Poundland (the current giant of pound shops in UK, fondly known as the pand shop) has its own share of £2, £3, £5 and even £10 offerings. However this post will refrain from a discourse on the evolution of pound shops and when a pound shop is no longer a pound shop. Because, here is a beauty product - and it is - in fact, just <i>one shiny pound</i>!<br />
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Previously this happily sold for £6.99, and having now tried it a few times, I honestly would have felt that even at full price it was a good purchase. It's a very Kate Moss colour so it doesn't feel like a cheap celeb cash-in. I've always adored Kate Moss' makeup and the way that she is not afraid of colour, she just wears it on her own terms. Her fashion and makeup choices always look like she is the one in control - all too often a wild colour or outfit can look self-conscious, or worse, like it's wearing you! But never with Kate Moss.<br />
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It's not a bright emerald but rather a smoked out and blackened emerald. Still, it has an unmistakable jewel tone to it and I love it for the summer to wear instead of a black. It's really hard-wearing and even in our current heatwave it has not smeared at all. I've only used it as a liner but I expect it would work well as a base to a smokey eye. (In the picture below you can see all my eyeshadow has pitifully smeared and creased but the liner has stayed as true as it was when first applied.) The brush included looks worthless and was tossed in the bin; I prefer using a Louise Young eyeliner brush. The other negatives are the plastic pot which, although very cute, is rather flimsy and may not keep the gel fresh, and also the fact that this does say "Made in China".<br />
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At the time of writing, my local Poundland had at least 5 still left on the shelf. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be available online. If anyone has any trouble getting one or is overseas, perhaps I can do an extravagant giveaway contest... If I can get any more. Let me know in the comments if you've tried this, or what other finds there are for a pound?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfKyxfs8J1Kl5IJ7vVm26XaduPtf_fEKs9GJI48K__BezkEJvJUEWRnkge4mG4Hsx3ZBNRhDcICmw6mpmzgZEF-v3IzeCGu29sWC466aHqLuKg0OSMRUicglJZz-raaA-p2t6V7Ju8lU/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529+%2528Small%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfKyxfs8J1Kl5IJ7vVm26XaduPtf_fEKs9GJI48K__BezkEJvJUEWRnkge4mG4Hsx3ZBNRhDcICmw6mpmzgZEF-v3IzeCGu29sWC466aHqLuKg0OSMRUicglJZz-raaA-p2t6V7Ju8lU/s320/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529+%2528Small%2529.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49XZG8nWyaNLuylMEd93l7njPAkpUVTdfLS-Qx1IFLkF2N1y_gXjkOGflI_PHqDXp_E1sGTy1LvQVwUjsxG9zG07mOW1f73h9k0ms16mx9MkyEYmjaAj227XSE7zaHeHoaIjzZjLMZmY/s1600/FullSizeRender_1+%2528Small%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49XZG8nWyaNLuylMEd93l7njPAkpUVTdfLS-Qx1IFLkF2N1y_gXjkOGflI_PHqDXp_E1sGTy1LvQVwUjsxG9zG07mOW1f73h9k0ms16mx9MkyEYmjaAj227XSE7zaHeHoaIjzZjLMZmY/s320/FullSizeRender_1+%2528Small%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7750155244181302377.post-76333916822706367862017-03-26T12:41:00.001-07:002017-03-26T13:29:55.944-07:00Lancome Sourcils Gel eyebrow gel: REVIEW!Well it's another Lancome product review! I find myself becoming quite the fan. Lancome is a ubiquitous beauty hall staple, and as such, does get picked on for being "bland". True, their packaging and products don't call for much drama, and when they do try drama (cf. that rose petal highlighter or the big glitter palettes Lisa Eldridge designed) it never convinces. What I like about Lancome is that when they have a good product, it sticks around (no impetuous limited edition games with their staples) and it works. I have always had their effarcernes concealer on hand - and their Bifacil makeup remover, and their eyeliners and lipliners are always reliable too. Previously, indeed, I liked their Crayon poudre for eyebrows, in the shade Taupe. This review is for their latest eyebrow product, a gel pot, called a waterproof gel-cream or by its proper name, "Sourcils Gel". At the same price as their pencils but containing a generous 5g of product, it's a great buy. Let's look at the shade 04 Chatain (French for chestnut). I picked this up going by google images from blog posts, and I'm thrilled with it.<br />
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My favourite product for brows is still probably Billion Dollar Brows powder in Taupe. I find the shade so lovely and I like the soft powder retro look. It's long wearing and creamy and it seems to last in its pot too. Having said that, it's 2g and I've already hit pan twice - there's no denying this Lancome will outlast it. And it's a very similar shade:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgylfk1hVMB6LwJr2d0BhqdPOtDc0TxaNTm2lgU2uduWI3-fA18qgjkgfOIF7PAL8QPBSPC1j97BcZLoDq7rcrK6FGRyPGvF33TXCG64PPFBEQuIayd5h5IzknzHp6pfaaz5B0GRQPfUI/s1600/15.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgylfk1hVMB6LwJr2d0BhqdPOtDc0TxaNTm2lgU2uduWI3-fA18qgjkgfOIF7PAL8QPBSPC1j97BcZLoDq7rcrK6FGRyPGvF33TXCG64PPFBEQuIayd5h5IzknzHp6pfaaz5B0GRQPfUI/s320/15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's got the same minky richness that is so hard to find in a cool brown (they often tend to be greyed or flat yellowed tones, this seems almost mauveish if that can be). The Lancome Chatain is denser/ more concentrated than my Billion Dollar Brows Taupe. Compared to MAC brow gel it's less creamy, but similar in concept. The shade I have in MAC is beautiful, but it's a far more simple and rich darker brown - shade: Deep Dark Brunette.<br />
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I love the MAC one, but for every day I favour a more blonde look overall. As brunettes with highlights know, if you pick a deeper brow you look more brunette, and if you pick a lighter one your highlights stand out more...Such is the science here at Ooglemakeup blog Towers. 🤓<br />
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I also have another much-enjoyed pencil which is more in line with the darker MAC gel, though a softer effect. I believe it's discontinued but it's the Dior sourcils poudre in the shade Sable. (They seem to be renamed...?)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Swatches: Dior powder eyeborw pencil in Sable, Lancome powder eyebrow pencil in Taupe, Billion Dollar Brows powder in Taupe, Lancome Sourcils Gel in 04 Chatain and MAC Deep Dark Brunette brow gel </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG6PKnqGsQbLWXWuZskoBcLPEHOM2kL40lLTqseOCCDeQP9Qy1joAXzChsmsNz4P36kFHWip6Hzob6M-wLh-xSrqHslzk_5L1oWR9SDO-GPy5tIeeSLtYg1HBjWUQ2r_FRg1pFOmUsr8/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVG6PKnqGsQbLWXWuZskoBcLPEHOM2kL40lLTqseOCCDeQP9Qy1joAXzChsmsNz4P36kFHWip6Hzob6M-wLh-xSrqHslzk_5L1oWR9SDO-GPy5tIeeSLtYg1HBjWUQ2r_FRg1pFOmUsr8/s320/11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Swatches as above, with Illamasqua Wolf eyeshadow at top for colour reference</span></div>
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At £19.50 I really think the Lancome gel is a brilliant and worthwhile alternative to powder pencils and powders which do run out fairly quickly with everyday use. I use an angled brush and only need a touch. The best thing about this is the shade which is very soft and natural, yet it adds impact to the brow. It also applies well over both the brow hairs and the skin itself. Sometimes I do think that a dark true brown suits me best as it makes my brown eyes stand out, but in surroundings where most around me don't wear much makeup, I find myself reaching for natural tones and effects instead. One of my favourite eye shadow shades is Wolf by Illamasqua. It has that - yes, wolfy - rich brown. Illamasqua Wolf, Lancome Taupe crayon sourcils poudre and this Sourcils gel in Chatain, all have that true, vivid cool brown that so often isn't translated into makeup properly. One thing which is strange about the Lancome gel and it's even more intense in other shades, is the presence of glitter. One never thinks of it, but brow hairs do have a gloss to them. Anyway, I've not noticed any glitter once it's on, only when I swatch it. I'm sure that if anything, paradoxically, it adds to the natural effect.<br />
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This lasts all day and really is waterproof (workouts, rain, humidity). In fact the only negative is that it's harder to take off than my standard brow powders. A small drawback - more than compensated by its performance.<br />
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Top marks<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">...Have <span style="font-size: x-large;">you</span> tried this? </span><br />
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<br />Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00640390178468446621noreply@blogger.com1