Favourites of 2011

I have been mulling over my standout products from the year that has gone by - 2011. I hope everyone had a great New Year's eve!

Skin care wise, I mourn the one cruelly taken from shelves worldwide: Nivea Fluid. This had been my standby, my trusty cheap n' effective stalwart moisturiser. The closest I can find now is La Roche Posay Effaclar K, which seems promising so far - although I am now on a Clinique routine, so I'll be interested to see how that compares. But enough pessimism; let this post be one for rejoicing! [Ed- might have let a few disgruntled comments in at the end.]

The best skincare find is my Origins £35 eye cream.



I blogged about this earlier and can now say decisively that it has managed to cure some of the fine lines. Hurrah! I would prefer it to be around the £20 mark, but I think it is worth it. I'm currently testing a Clinique one, but I have set the bar so high, I'm already considering my Origins backup...

Another excellent skincare item is Clinique's All About Lips (12ml, £16.)
It is unlike other lip balms, as in fact there is nothing oily or even emollient about it - in fact it actually seems rather odd putting a standard thick white cream on your lips. But - it sinks in and smoothes chapped lips ever so delicately. I believe it has fruit acids and gently exfoliates as it soothes. And, it really does allow your lipstick to adhere better too.

Hair-wise, the absolute godsend has been those Innova Repair capsules.

My hairdresser was amazed to see me come in with growing, healthy hair. Often she has sent me packing, refusing to dye my hair because it is so weak. (I wash and blow-dry my hair mercilessly using powerful salon-grade supplies without the technical know-how.) I have blogged about this great product here.

Now onto the makeup! My surprise find is Michael Todd. I bought these simply because they were on sale, yet they have become firm favourites that I reach for everyday. The concealer (I use shade Cornsilk) is one of the best I have ever tried.


I wish I had bought the entire stock load! Excellent lasting power, coverage, and I even like the pot packaging as it screws tight enough to keep the product fresh. It also contains vitamins A and E. You get a lot of product in there (10g) and it is lasting very well, despite such regular use. I also love Bone lipstick, a pale pinked nude which blanks my pigmented lips prior to another colour, or delivers a flattering nude 'mod' lip.

It is a lot like MAC Fleshpot but somewhat peachier, almost a cross between Myth and Fleshpot (pinker than Myth) but the texture is far superior and less drying. Also, I love the short stubby retro 80s packaging! (So out of date that it's trendy!) Besides, 'Fleshpot' reminds me of serial murderers who become cannibals along the 'continuum of violence'.

MAC Stone lip liner is also worth the hype.

You can use a good ashy brown eyebrow pencil to achieve the same effect. However, I have yet to find a good ashy brown in drugstore version (more on that in a moment) so you may as well just get this one. Just very daintily draw along the outskirts of your lip line: it does work to give the illusion of plumper lips! - Thanks Nicola Pixiwoo!

I have Louise Young to thank for recommending Kryolan TV Paint stick in shade 'AL', an ashy greyed brown that in the same way, perfectly mimics natural shadow and allows me to somewhat soften Le Nose.


My MUD Book (reviewed here) has helped me perfect a technique (drawing a narrowing triangle.) The book does caution though, that nothing can be done to help a profile. Oh well, it's a start.

After recklessly assuming gel liners are all created equal, nothing could be further from the truth. MAC Blacktrack is simply the original and best.

Even Blitz and Glitz, a more interesting and less dramatic black fluidline from MAC, does not last quite so long and essentially lacks the resolute refusal to smudge.

Similarly key to defying the rules of makeup fading, Stila Beach Tint has been a great find.

I apply it under my blusher and it acts as a magnet to keep my rosy cheeks - rosy. There is after all, nothing worse than being confronted by your sallow faced reflection, is there?

Youngblood Liquid Mineral Foundation has been a pleasure to use.
When my skin is looking its best, I adore the light coverage this gives and the faith I have that it acts as skin care with all its infused sea minerals. I use shade Pebble and although a little yellow, it does not oxidise, so I can control it with a little pink-toned powder (MAC Pretty Baby.)

I have really enjoyed my Guerlain eye shadow palette.
Yes it seemed a crime to wreck its beautiful almost jewellery-like design, but the colours do not disappoint: it was worth defacing. The orange is pure and rich; the browns are both very classic; the navy is a subtle inky shade which works with the brown or with the orange. I like that this doesn't waste time on a highlighter (we all have a million of those bland shades) and instead offers you the option of a brown smokey eye or an adventurous orange and blue eye, or a mixture thereof.

I went away over Christmas and took my Trish McEvoy Emergency Eye card (I always wonder what a 'normal person' would make of it if they saw the palette and only caught sight of the name. "What hideous trauma is this that needs an emergency card at all times?? Oh, I see.") The card holds a fantastic and readily available eyebrow shade, perfect for my brows, 'Natural eye definer/ Brow shaper'. I would use it daily but far simpler to pencil them in; I have taken to using Estee Lauder's Automatic brow Duo, a refillable eyebrow pencil in 'Soft Brown'. My Clarins favourite is Chatain, but I've had trouble finding it - so this is a great replacement and very recommended.


I took my Bare Minerals Bare Escentuals brush kit on a long weekend and wondered if I would miss any of my brushes...

The stunning gold sparkle never fails to cheer one's day, and the brushes themselves were all I needed. The Kabuki brush is a particular favourite. Soft, durable, and well designed for easy and neat application.

Illamasqua's Theatre of the Nameless was a collection brimming over with excellent items. (I reviewed this here.) My favourites are the pigments in Berber and Beguile, and the precision ink liner in Havoc. Havoc is a very striking aubergine shade with just the right depth. It stays shiny and deep for hours; I like to wear it alone so it really stands out. What I love about both Beguile pigment and Havoc liner, is that they look very natural and prim: Beguile makes a very usable every day highlighter as the glitter is so very fine - but in the light - it glimmers lurid green! Havoc looks like any black liner, until you notice it is in fact red blooded! I just love that subversion of a classic.


Probably the overall 2011 winner is .... L'Oreal 4D mascara.
(I reviewed this here.) I have a feeling this may actually be my main mascara from now on. It never smudges, and it is buildable and deep black. I highly recommend it, and I usually hate drugstore mascaras for one reason or another.

So just a final word on some disappointments...

Guerlain Black Frida - nothing special and not worth the price. Their Parure de Nuit highlighter this year also was a step down from their brilliant Serie Noire blusher. Their Terra Inca Sublime radiant powder was also a let down for me, as it was way too golden and warm - so unflattering. Chanel nail polish in Black Pearl chipped almost the instant it was applied. MAC creme d'nude has such a legion of fans, yet on me it is very underwhelming and sheer. Rimmel Nude Delight was too orange for a nude, and the smell was the furthest thing from 'delight'.

But, all in all, another great makeup year! Let's hope 2012 holds some good makeup treats.


...Please share your makeup finds and fails below?

BEST of the Christmas gift sets!

Well it's now December, so about time for the round-up of the very most tempting beauty gift ideas...

As always beauty enthusiasts are spoilt for choice. The best thing is, often these limited edition sets offer great value and mean you can try a range of products in one fell swoop.

I have recently reviewed one of Bare Escentuals' holiday sets, Brush With Fame brush set (£39.) It comes in a spectacular gold bag, with 5 short handled gold brushes: Full Coverage Kabuki Brush, Buffing Eye Brush, Long Tapered Crease Defining Brush, Soft Focus Tapered Liner Brush, and Soft Sweep Cheek Brush. They have two other sets: a £14 set, Flawless and Fearless, which contains a mini Flawless mascara and a mini Pretty Amazing Lip colour -


And, the best set ever, for £49, you get 9 pieces... And Away We Glow is next on my hitlist and I'll be picking it up this week for just under £40 thanks to the Fenwicks/Daily Telegraph evening. It has, Prime Time Primer Shadow in Dove Gray (a perfect taupe shade); Eyecolor in a shimmering moonlight sparkle shade (highlight shade for eyes); New "Round the Clock™ Waterproof Eyeliner in Midnight smoothes on creamy waterproof, long-wearing color loaded with antioxidant vitamin E for a sleek, stay-put line in the perfect midnight black shade"; Turn On Multi-Tasking Highlighter (amazing face highlighter!) "adds a touch of brightness and definition to cheeks, eyes and lips"; New Luxury Blusher "adds a pop of warm coral color to cheeks"; Flawless Definition Mascara in black; New Pretty Amazing™ Lipgloss in Flair (a lovely peachy nude.) And, a Wet/Dry Shadow Brush and Contour Blush Brush.



Murad have some excellent gift sets out called 'Celebrate You!' which offer a great way to save. My favourite is the Embrace Balance, £39.50 (worth £78.50) - this is pink and silver and contains: Energizing Pomegranate Cleanser 50ml, T Zone PoreRefining Gel 60ml (full size), Energizing Pomegranate Moisturiser SPF 15 30ml,Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask 2x 7.5ml.



There's also Get Glowing, £49.50 (worth £84) - this is green and silver and contains: Renewing Cleansing Cream 45ml, Age Diffusing Serum30ml (full size), Sheer Lustre Day Moisture SPF 15 7.5ml, Hydro DynamicUltimate Moisture 7.5ml.



Finally, Renew Radiance, £59.50 (worth £133) - this is orange and silver and contains: Essential-C Cleanser 45ml, Active Radiance Serum 30ml,Essential-C Day Moisture SPF 30 21ml, Hydro Dynamic Ultimate Moisture 7.5ml.



Origins have various skincare gift sets too, but most tempting is this Harrods exclusive Ginger Essence fragrance. It has been given some extra sparkle this year – the bottle is adorned with a mini crystal Christmas Tree Charm made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS. "Exclusive to Harrods this limited edition bottle makes the perfect stocking filler for a loved one or friend. The Christmas Tree Charm is made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS – the finest crystal elements manufactured by Swarovski and has been designed in an array of festive colours – Red, Green and Gold." This scent sounds fantastic and certainly looks the part. With top notes including Bergamot, Lemon, Lime, Orange and Grapefruit, middle notes including Ginger, Nutmeg, Cardamom, Clove Bud and Coriander and floral notes of Violet Leaves and Jasmine including Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood, this sounds ideal for wearing on a cold Christmas Day. £39 for 100ml.




Next up, probably the most innovative and beautiful of all - trust Jo Malone if you need a gift to make a great impression. I recently received the famous Pomegranate Noir candle... it lives up to the hype!



I have often thought Jo Malone looks oddly intellectual, almost like legal briefs - but that is exactly what makes it so ideal to give to your most sober friend or relative. Having said that. Jo Malone has unveiled an unexpected frivolous side with this brilliant Christmas Cracker (£28) which contains a mini Grapefruit Cologne 9ml, a Lime Basil & Mandarin Body & Hand Wash 15ml and a Pomegranate Noir Body Crème 15ml.



Another great fail-safe choice is the Cologne Collection which contains Grapefruit Cologne, Pomegranate Noir Cologne, Wild Bluebell Cologne, Red Roses Cologne, Vanilla & Anise Cologne (9ml each) £62. These sets also break away from the cream theme by featuring a festive red background.

There's also a Travel candle collection (Pomegranate Noir Travel Candle, Roasted Chestnut Travel Candle, Pine & Eucalyptus Travel Candle, 60g each, £60); a pampering collection (Red Roses Bath Oil 30ml, Pomegranate Noir Scatter Candle 30g, English Pear & Freesia Body Crème 15ml. £38), or the popular Roasted Chestnut candle (400g, £80) - and even a 2.5kg Pine and Eucalyptus candle, £260. Jo Malone candles burn very evenly and really do scent a home - it might be a wise investment!? To check out all the products see this link or check out your local Jo Malone counter.

Another perfume which is worth checking out is Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude. I reviewed it here, but now there is a new Body Veil too. If you visit your local Estee Lauder counter, you can sample the scent via a ver innovative Sensuous Nude Tattoo! Simply press it on to release the scent. The perfume is £34 (30ml) and the Body Veil is £31 (200ml.) You simply peel it off to real a charming heart shape. An excellent idea and a lot more fun than a spritz, right?



MAC have their usual Holiday Sets but I am more taken by the Gareth Pugh collection. The packaging looks so modern and confident, yet still very sleek as opposed to brash. The eyelashes in the collection would be a perfect gift for a confident makeup fan. But otherwise, anything from the range is sure to hit the right note.



I will be keeping a keen eye out for any other Christmas treats, do share below if you have seen any...!

Origins Plantscription Anti-aging eye treatment: REVIEW!

I have been using this since it launched and I must say, it actually seems to be working! I had noticed with some alarm that my crow's feet were getting somewhat visible. Although I do not yet suffer from deep ingrained wrinkles, I did not like seeing the fine lines. I began to religiously apply this morning and night, and I now feel my skin is softer and the lines have plumped out to be vitually invisble. It costs £35 for 15ml so it is more than I would like to spend, but like their witches remedy/dragon tears marvel that is the tiny Spot Remover (have included it in my still accurate HG list here) I feel like now I will be relying on it. The only single reservation I would have is that I'd prefer a squeeze tube, but that is mainly down to the fear that with time and air exposure it might lose its potency...

After using it over a month now, this is what remains:



THE BLURB:

Origins have tested Plantscription Anti-aging eye treatment and claim in 8 weeks, people see clear results -

87% of panelists saw a reduction in the appearance of lines and wrinkles

83% of panelists saw an improvement in the appearance of firmness

83% of panelists saw a reduction in the appearance of under eye cross hatching

83% of panelists saw a reduction in the appearance of under eye troughs

It is formulated with Anogeissus Tree Bark as well as Kombucha (fermented Black Tea) and helps repair the appearance of lines and wrinkles, crepey lids, under eye cross hatching and saggy eye area skin while offering strong collagen-boosting benefits. This potent combination of ingredients helps restore elasticity to the age-hollowed, eye area for more youthful, looking skin.

Kombucha (fermented black tea)

Helps repair the appearance of saggy lids and cross hatching in skin around eye area.

Scutellaria

Helps improve skin tone.

Magnolia

Potent anti-irritant that helps reduce the appearance of dark circles.

ESSENTIAL OILS

Mandarin

Mandarin Orange, with its high Vitamin C content, is native to southeast Asia and the Philippines. It is thought to have descended from oranges that grew in northeast India 3,000 years ago.

Star Anise

Known for its antioxidant benefits, Star Anise is grown almost exclusively in Asia. This star shaped fruit is harvested before ripening, then dried and used as a spice.

Pink Rose

Ancient Romans discovered Pink Rose’s ability to help soothe and calm skin; today it is proven as a topical anti-irritant. It takes approximately 60,000 petals to produce one ounce of its precious oil.

Lavender

Lavender’s use has been documented for over 2,500 years as an herb known for its soothing, relaxing qualities and for being a potent anti-irritant.

Geranium

Native to Cape of Good Hope, South Africa, Geranium oil is known to have anti-irritant properties.

This is packed full of ingredients, I had no idea how complex it was. What I like about it is it is very light and cooling, and I actually feel a tangible 'tightening' as it sets on my skin. Although I didn't take an official 'before' picture, this recent shot from my Illamasqua review made me pause. And here is the current, I think smoothed and softened, 'nude' shot:




...What do you think?

Origins Plantscription Anti aging eye treatment is available from all Origins counters or online at origins.co.uk. (£35 for 15ml.)

GlossyBox: REVIEW!

When I was very young, I remember I was subscribed to a monthly 'Tinkerbell' package; each package would be filled with delightful trinkets and always had a special letter, once it was written backwards and had to be read in the mirror. I loved those, and would hurry downstairs eager to seize my package. "When you grow up you'll dread the post," my father predicted, "It'll all be bills and Inland Revenue." When my subscription was cancelled he consoled me, "It's two fat men behind a desk."

Well, who knew that all these years later, the same thrill could be re-ignited! Imagine, your doorstep is host to a pile of bills... and then THIS:

I was very kindly sent the October and November GlossyBoxes and the very best thing about these is the immaculate presentation - it instantly brightens up your day. The concept is simple, each month you receive 5 samples, enough to try out a product and decide if you'll invest in the full size. Some months (you can check the archive here) feature amazing full size products, other months are heavily dominated by one brand (e.g my October box had 3 out of 5 products Dermalogica samples) but the general idea is that you are paying £12.95 a month for a surprise selection of 5 novel treats. The October box had a bonus 6th item to celebrate 6 months of GlossyBox but sadly this didn't mean they'd add one every month indefinitely! I am confident that in any given month, you will always get your £12.95 value back - and some months hopefully you will get a spectacular windfall. The boxes are sent Tracked, but you don't need to be in to sign for them, so the idea is that it'll be there waiting for you.

So, let's have a look at my October GlossyBox,

And now the November GlossyBox,







The Arbonne FC5 hand cream (£19 for the full size) is incredible stuff. That is a good example of a product I would never have even looked at, because I use any old hand cream and £19 is precious makeup money. But now I must buy it. And there's the rub... (so to speak) these GlossyBoxes, for us makeup and beauty addicts, are DANGEROUS! I also loved the Dermalogica lip complex (the extra product in October GlossyBox) but it's £22.50 for 1.75ml?! So, if I were to hestitate on my own personal subscription, it would be for fear that if I invite all this temptation into my life, it would be inevitable that I succumb. Of course this is where the brands' advantage lies, this is afterall a fantastic marketing strategy. I am sure that is no secret. In fact it's peculiar no one thought of it before - it seems to be taking off now though! The boxes each come with a card detailing your samples, and if you use your phone app it will take you to the brand website. I would suggest that it would be brilliant if these linked up directly to the product, and if there could always be a little discount to make it all the more appealing. There are often some products with a discount (the fantastic Dead Sea Magik Bath Salts is currently on offer with a code for 25% off, there's 15% off Nail Rock Wraps with a code, and 20% off Philip Kingsley with a code) but ideally it would be the standard and part of the incentive to sign up.



But these are minor gripes and all in all I would confidently recommend GlossyBox. I think it should be marketed to husbands as a painless way to get their wives to remember to treat themselves - you know the women who are so flustered that they have forgotten what it feels like to pamper themselves... I think it is a very good gift idea. Talking of husbands and men in general, GlossyBox for Men has just launched this month. It will be quarterly (i.e every 3 months) and will include 7 samples. With metrosexuals now the standard, I think this is a genius idea.

There are various ways to earn points, GlossyDots, once you are a subscriber - e.g, writing reviews or referring a friend. For every friend you refer you'll be awarded 200 GlossyDots, which go towards your 1000 needed to earn yourself a free GlossyBox.

There are subscription bundles available for 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. As a Christmas present, it would be a very nice idea to perk up someone's day every month like that. Check out the GlossyBox website, YouTube, Twitter and blog for all the gloss. (squirm, did I really make that pun.)


...Let me know if you have tried GlossyBox?

Ugly bite of truth

I once mused about Keats' poem which ends, 'Beauty is truth, truth beauty...' I don't know why, but it has always been so perplexing to me, what he meant. In my post I argued perhaps it was the transparency of truth which was beautiful. Or the mastery we feel by the orderliness of knowing what is what and all is in its place. I am old enough to remember the very first series of Big Brother. I hadn't watched a single episode, but for some reason I caught the very last moments of the final. It was Craig (I think? erm, the one who pledged to give it all away to a sick child, anyway.) Watching the moment a 'nobody' becomes a 'somebody' - the 'nobody' cocooned inside a house like a mole, then with a bolt, emerging to a deafening applause; tears, money, fame - who could fail to be moved? Of course as this was the very first series and Big Brother was an unknown concept, this was a genuine evolution which one might argue has been lost since. Reality TV has now become a fixture on our TV schedules, and it is this sense of going on a journey with our protagonist which gives such joy. However, albeit that this concept has long been uncovered and subsequently manipulated, don't let the audience know that! The anger at being duped and taken advantage of is unparalleled, and the very opposite of "truth, beauty."

I wanted to touch on two programmes in the light of this: 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians', and 'The Only Way is Essex'. Both place great store in glamour and offset this with the license which gives them carte blanche: a close family and friends consciousness. I have only caught the odd episode of Keeping Up... but I get the impression that if you've seen one, you've seen them all. The pattern seems to be, some minor disaster (invariably relating to looks or object) followed by making up and realising family comes first (as long as said car/ dress/ hair/ event has been restored in the interim.) The Only Way... is more lighthearted - in that for legal reasons, the introduction clarifies, 'Some scenes have been set up purely for your entertainment.' It subsequently amounts to little more than a badly-acted soap at times, but that is its charm. The appeal of these programmes is to watch as 'nobodies', representing us the everyman, transform and develop into famous 'characters'. But with a meritocracy, the bad side is all the more bitter. At least in a caste system one knows one's place and can blame fate; in a meritocracy, jealousy becomes uncontrollable and failing becomes personal. Hence reality TV will always fall in harm's way.

Recently two of the characters from The Only Way... were attacked. The attack happened in the middle of a season, therefore the attackers became a part of the plot. The characters were featured nursing their wounds, and showed their battered backs to magazines, shared their experience in interviews, and went on to hire minders for future outings. Thus the attackers by proxy were able to indulge in some infamy for themselves.

And Keeping Up... has now been unmasked as a potentially very cynical business. Perez Hilton, the ultimate blogger, tweeted that as a gay man the fact that the sanctity of marriage was so callously thrown aside, was an insult to those who were banned from marriage. Kim Kardashian's 72 day marriage, which obviously represented a huge episode and driving theme for many other episodes, looked like nothing more than a charade. Fans who had wept (yes apparently) to think of their Kim finding her prince (yes really) felt violated. The emotions invested were scattered and the 'cast' have now found themselves defending the reality of their reality show. As this article explains, "People can deal with the wedding being over the top, but to do that and get divorced 72 days later, that is hard to swallow in this economy. When people are struggling to pay bills and rent, it doesn't make average people feel much compassion."

In summary, is this a variation of schadenfreude? You can look beautiful and go to great parties, as long as I can have a hand in ripping you down just at the point when you feel invincible. For reputation, even in this media-controlled age, as the Leveson Inquiry is proving, is sacred. The media wield so much power, and every 'reality' TV 'character', even a subject from the news already suffering untold sorrow, is enslaved by it. Reputation cannot easily be bought, and once lost it is impossible to ever fully restore. As the quote goes, "O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial." However, in an age where making a sex-tape is the starting point from which your fame springs, does the quality of your fame/ notoriety matter at all? "I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: you have lost no reputation at all..."

The Happy Birthday that would have been...

It's always tremendously sad when a 'lost' birthday comes around. Today would have been Sophie Lancaster's 25th Birthday. I have already blogged about this horrible attack. I applaud Illamasqua's attachment to the cause, and the ironic belligerence of their message: "Stamp Out Prejudice Hatred and Intolerance Everywhere" (S.O.P.H.I.E) will be a never-ending project, but with enough awareness perhaps it just might work. Find out more about Illamasqua's involvement by watching this film.

You can also win a selection of Sophie-inspired pieces, which if she had still even been in her goth phase, she would have surely loved! You'll get the S.OP.H.I.E black pencil, Pure Pigment in Zeitgeist, Intense Lipgoss in Repulse, Nail Varnish in Unnatural, False Eye Lashes in no. 21, and the S.O.P.H.I.E Wristband (as pictured above.) Click here to enter. Winner will be announced on 28th November.

Murad Hybrids Makeup: Review and Swatches

Murad, one of my favourite skincare lines, has finally now branched into makeup. Starting with primers and undereye concealers, Jeff Murad assured me at a recent launch event that next in the works will be a melanin activating bronzer, various blushers, an acne/oil controlling tinted primer, and a fully developed makeup line.

I have been testing the two available primers for months now so here is my review. The main reason it took so long is that I like to test skincare for longer, just to be sure. These 'Skin Perfecting Primers' currently come in two variations, 'Dewy' finish or ''Matte' finish. They retail at £27 (30ml) and here are some of the claims:

• Minimizes the appearance of pores while balancing oil production
• Adaptive Shade Technology creates a perfect skin tone match
• Improves skin grain by tightening dilated pores
• Soothes and reduces inflammation
• Protects against UV induced free radicals to preserve and improve skin elasticity, firmness and tone.

I would agree, shockingly, with the promise that one shade fits all. At the launch event, it really did seem to work on every skin tone. The coverage is sheer and not designed to be buildable; however if you have virtually flawless skin, this will very visibly even out your skintone (but not conceal any major darkness or redness.) I had the feeling the Matte was fractionally darker and more neutral toned than the possibly lighter and warmer toned Dewy, but perhaps that is due to it being somewhat more dense. I tried one on each side of my face and they both blended in without trace. Both are pleasantly lightweight and very easy to apply. They also lent my face a luminosity.

Sadly I found neither could cope with my natural 'shine.' It did not extend the wear of my foundation, however it did work brilliantly underneath mineral loose foundations to make them adhere better to the skin. With my normal liquid foundations (I'm currently using Youngblood liquid mineral foundation) it did not change the wear, although it did sometimes mean I used less foundation. I am looking forward to the 'Acne and Shine Control' version, as I feel that would probably worst best with my oily skin and benefit me far more. Incidentally, both the Matte and the Dewy versions are oil free, so I had no problems with either, and they blend effortlessly into the skin. Here they are just prior to blending:

above: Matte

above: Dewy

above: L-R Matte, Dewy, Eye Lift Perfector, Eye Lift Illuminator

as above, spread

as above, the dry-down

The other two products are for under eyes. Firstly, the Eye Lift Perfector. (£25) This is the more concealing of the two, but it is very lightweight. The tips on these are anti-bacterial and are soft rubberised feel. They are clearly designed with sensitive eyes in mind. You twist to release product, so be careful not to turn it more than needed.

The claims on this are:

• Increase skin firmness by 50% in 15 minutes
• Minimize the appearance of dark circles

I did find this very comforting first thing in the morning, and refreshing. But, it does not offer enough coverage, so I have had to use it as a layering product. I think for young skin or those who prefer natural looking makeup this will be ideal but for anyone past their teens seeking true coverage this will need to be used more as skincare than as makeup (at least for me.) I am hoping in time it might help lessen my dark shadows so I'll keep you posted...

The final makeup product I have been using is the Eye Lift Illuminator. (£25) This is a very subtle and sheer lilac which I was advised is best used on the outer portion of the eye to lift it and act as a highlighter. Again, this promises to increase skin firmness by 50% in 15 minutes. I have been using it as a highlighter and it's extremely comforting to use in the morning, very cool on the skin and it does give some energy back to my eyes, however I noticed this product does not like to be mixed with any other makeup - as soon as I put my foundation on top, it began flaking. Again, possibly this is best for those who wear less makeup than I do, and prefer a more imperceptible lift.

I am so pleased that one of the most reliable skincare brands are branching into makeup, I always like the thought that my makeup is actively helping my skin. I will continue to incorporate these products into my routine, and especially if they can come up with one with serious shine control!

I have also tested a sample of their new moisturiser, Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate Moisture, £59, (50ml) - "the most hydrating moisturiser Murad has ever offered."

It promises,

• Ultra-concentrated, silky moisturizing cream offers immediate and long lasting hydration providing positively radiant skin
• Avocado, Sunflower and Olive Fruit Oils enhance skin’s ability to retain maximum levels of hydration
• Retinyl Palmitate and Shea Butter improve texture and while restoring natural smoothness and softness
• Collagen Support Complex boosts skin’s resilience and plumps dehydrated skin
• Locks in moisture for 8 hours

Of course, this was far richer than my usual moisturiser, but I used it at night. Despite its oil content I did not feel it was greasy, and actually I rather liked it used very sparingly. I will continue to use this, although I suspect that sadly it will not replace my very favourite, Active Radiance Serum. (£95)

I must finally thank Murad for such a fantastic event, I was treated to a glycolic peel which made my skin instantly a thousand times better! Dr Murad and his son Jeff are wonderful and the brand is one that has truly been crafted from a real knowledge of how skin responds to treatment. If you have never tried Murad I suggest you start with a cleanser, you'll soon be hooked. (My current favourite is the Essential- C Cleanser.)

Murad products are available from Harrods and leading salons and spas nationwide including the May Fair Hotel Spa. For stockists call 0844 472 7050 or visit www.murad.co.uk