IMATS London 2011

"The Show" is back! The London IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) takes place once again, in just over 2 months time. Nick Dudman, make up effects designer on the Harry Potter films will be headlining the 2011 show, while other guest speakers include Make Up For Ever's Dany Sanz (very cool lady) and You Tuber Lauren Luke (I'd rather listen/watch Pixiwoo personally) at the two day event.

The usual suspects MUFE, MAC Pro, Ben Nye, Crown Brushes as well as a host of other cosmetic and tool lines will be parading their wares, in some cases offering generous discounts, in an attempt to grab your attention - and money! Check out my posts here and here from this year's show to give you a taster of what to expect.

Expect some new changes to the show next year. After heeding the advice and complaints from attendees that came thick and fast after this year's ticket fiasco, the organisers have done well to implement a new time-saving ticketing system. 

Instead of staff searching for and ticking names off never-ending lists, now if you purchase your ticket in advance, all you have to do is take your e-ticket confirmation, along with photo ID. Your barcoded e-ticket will then be scanned, and you'll be given a wristband to enter - and you're in! This new system was launched at the Sydney show which took place in September, and I assume it worked well enough for it to remain in place. It's good to know feedback was taken seriously and action was taken quickly.

They've also created a brand new Make Up Artist Pro Card, for professional artists to get into the show during pro-only time slots. I think this a great idea which I'm sure those working in the industry will embrace. Click here to view the application form and and the list of requirements

This is the UK trade show to attend if you want to learn new techniques, discover new products and play to your hearts content with new products without experiencing the pushy sales techniques often loathed in department store beauty halls.

Date: January 29 & 30 2010

Location: Alexandra Palace, London

Ticket Prices

Current exhibitor list - subject to change

So who's going next year? Have you been before? Or have you had enough and would rather stay in bed that freezing January weekend instead?

Review: Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream

Winter's here and my skin needs all the nourishment it can get to fend off the harsh elements. One of the body moisturisers I've been using regularly is Liz Earle's Superskin Body Cream and I think the time has come to share my thoughts on it.

First of all - great packaging. I love the large plastic tube it comes in, which makes the moisturiser easy to dispense and carry around if needed. The consistency is just right, not too thick, certainly not watery thin and it absorbs easily.

It's rich and extremely moisturising thanks to the mixture of shea butter, rosehip and cranberry seed oil that it contains. In fact, I really like the oils in this formula as they really contribute to keeping the skin moisturised after application so there's no fear of dry skin creeping up on you three hours later which is what I've experienced with other body moisturisers in the past. This will be great for mature skins and those with extra dry skin.`

However it's not all fun and games here as there are two things I'm not too keen on. First of all, the smell. I find the lavender (I'm not a lavender fan - at all) and neroli a little overbearing. However my OH really likes it, so proof yet again that everybody's palette is different and that my opinion shouldn't dissuade you from checking it out and making up your own mind. Personally, I'd have just preferred a more neutral scent.

Secondly, the price. A full size 200ml tube costs £27.50 and the only other option available is 50ml which costs £12.50 and is far too small. I don't purchase travel size items so 50ml is no good for me. I genuinely think this is a great moisturiser, but I'm reluctant to pay almost £30 for it. Thank goodness for Ebay, eh?

It's a shame as this is one of my favourite Liz Earle products, a great body moisturiser that keeps my skin feeling soft and supple.

How much is it? £27.50 (200ml tube)

Where can I buy it from? £27.50

Edward Bess - Compact Rouge

A few months ago I attended the UK launch for Edward Bess' make up line hosted by Zuneta.com, which until recently had only been available exclusively in New York's Bergdorf Goodman - pretty impressive for a line that launched in 2006.

Not one to beat around the bush, as always I'm gonna give my honest opinion. I thought the build up to the launch was incredibly hyped, so I was left feeling rather disappointed when I finally saw the collection in person. The products l viewed were nice, but dare I say rather ordinary. I don't think the products high price tags are justifiable, but I 'get' that it's been marketed as a high end brand from day one and will appeal to somebody, somewhere.

Overall I found the collection pretty dull and far too 'safe' for my liking mainly consisting of nudes and pinks which can be duped ten times over and then some. I suspect this is why it's taken me well over 4 months to compose my thoughts on it.

My favourite products from the line were the Compact Rouge blushes (no surprise there), which are available in three shades:

After Sunset - Warm bronzey rose

Love Affair - Watermelon pink

Island Rose - Hot flush

How all three blushers will look worn on the cheeks, swatched on MAC NC50 skin

If (a big if) I ever end up buying anything from this line, it will be one (maybe two) of these. They apply so smoothly and transform into a super silky finish despite being a cream blush - actually, they're almost gel like. I was really impressed by the finish which is fantastic quality - and I should think so too, given the price of them! There's no trace of that sticky tackiness which is often associated with cream blushes. Bess has the formula for these on lock and I truly thought these were a beautiful product.

You only need a small amount to make an impact on the cheek (or lips - they're multi purpose) so they'd last you months. However they ARE expensive, priced at £30 each. I love blusher, but even I'm not prepared to hand over that kind of money for it. I'd be happy to snap these up on sale - or even better, be presented with them as a gift (well Christmas IS coming up!) but I'm reluctant to pay full whack for them.

Vex in the City readers can use an exclusive 15% discount code at zuneta.com. Just enter VEXZUNETA at checkout.

Click here to start shopping at Zuneta.com for Christmas beauty treats from a wide range of brands such as Becca, Rouge Bunny Rouge, Korres, Esssie and of course Edward Bess! Be sure to check out their Christmas Gift Shop too.

My discount code is valid until Dec 31st 2010.

Feel Good...Feel Better with Designer Beauty Cases at Feelunique.com

Feelunique.com are currently stocking designer beauty cases exclusively designed by Zandra Rhodes, PPQ, William Tempest and Olivia Rubin.

Priced at just £9.99 these would make an ideal, affordable gift option for any beauty loving friends you have for Christmas. Failing that, just treat yourself instead! My personal faves are the cream case by Olivia Rubin and the sky blue offering from William Tempest.

These limited edition stylish, designer beauty cases are being sold in association with Look Good... Feel Better, a cancer charity that benefits through proceeds from each £9.99 sale.

 Approximate Dimensions:

Length: 16.5cm
Width: 12cm
Height: 6cm

Look Good...Feel Better offers free skincare and make-up workshops through a network of hospitals and cancer support centres nationwide, to help women manage the visible side effects of cancer treatments so they can look and feel like their 'normal' selves. Patients are given a gift bag filled with donated cosmetic products and taken through a specially designed 12-step skincare and make up regime by volunteer beauty consultants.

If you purchase a case, Feel Good knowing that you're helping a very needy cause. Find them on Feelunique.com - which if you didn't already know, offers free WORLDWIDE postage and packing.

Illamasqua Nail Quills

As soon as I laid eyes on these, I began to coo "Coool" at my laptop screen. Illamasqua have taken nail art to the extreme with their new, limited edition Nail Quills.

Designed to be worn on either thumb and looking remarkably like claws, Illasmasqua Nail Quills come in matte black with a silver tip, are presented in a classic gift box complete with nail tabs and glue and offer a unique alternative to the 'false nail'. 

However priced at £35, I expected a full set to be available, not just two made to fit the thumbs. For that reason, I don't think they're value for money - I want all ten fingers to sport a Quill fore that price thank you! I think they're a cool idea, but you're crazy if you think I'm forking out £35 for two! 

Hasn't Rihanna been papped wearing something similar on her nails in recent months or is that a figment of my over-active imagination?

Check out the demo video, showing their creator Mike Pocock apply them to a willing volunteer:

The limited edition Nail Quills are exclusive to Illamasqua.com and the flagship store at 20 Beak Street, Soho, London at the end of November.

Are Nail Quills something you can envisage yourself wearing?

Eyeko: Fat Balms

Until recently I've been a stranger to the cosmetics that Eyeko sell. If I'm entirely honest Eyeko doesn't even come in the top 15 brands that initially come to mind when I want to purchase make up. I've always had the misconception that they didn't produce anything suitable for my skin tone - with the exception of their nail polishes

I was pleasantly surprised to find that their multi-purpose Fat Balms which come in a variety of scents are actually better than I thought they'd be. These blush sticks offer a sheer wash of colour that aren't sticky (certainly not to the extent I imagined them to be) and are a decent option to the traditional powder blush. I also don't mind the sweet, sugary scents as I got used to them after a few applications.

Alternatively they also act as a tinted lip balm when applied to the lips too, and don't leave your lips stripped of moisture - always a bonus!

I've worn these a few times and they're okay. They didn't last ALL day on me, instead fading considerably by 3pm but I don't mind reapplying them once. Three dabs on each cheek leave enough colour and I find them easy to blend. For the price you can't complain and I actually prefer them to Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tints which are quite greasy in comparison - and also not multi-purpose.

Available in six scents, Strawberry, Raspberry, Toffee, Minty, Cherry and Frosting you can find these in Superdrug and powderrooms for £6 a pop.

Check them out on the Eyeko site here

Can't Live Without You ...Hugo Boss Deep Red.

We all have that special fragrance that embodies a thousand memories, which transports you back in time, that makes you turn with a sudden jolt when somebody walks past wearing it, that you repurchase over and over again. Ok, you get my drift.

Hugo Boss Deep Red is the scent that has that hold over me. I will never tire of this perfume - ever. My love affair with it started about 7 years ago, and as soon as I ran out I repurchased it straight away. It was love at first sniff and holds so many happy memories for me.

Launched in 2001, Hugo Boss Deep Red oozes sex appeal. It makes me feel sultry, confident and fiery whenever I wear it. The perfect evening fragrance, but I wear this during the day too as I just can't get enough of it. Warm and sensual, but not so heavy that it totally leaves you gasping for breath, Hugo Boss Deep Red is a gorgeous mix of vanilla orchid, freesia and fruity notes as well as spicy amber-esque notes. It easily lasts all day on me and I've received endless compliments over the years whenever I've worn it.

Go and smell it if you're not familiar with it. My written words do it no justice whatsoever.

What's the one fragrance you can't live without?

£83,000 for a Bottle of Nail Polish?! Yes, it's Models Own Gold Rush.

Models Own launched its Gold Rush nail polish with an accompanying price tag of a whopping £83,000! Currently being showcased at pricey jewellers Frost of London and hailed the world's most expensive nail polish, Gold Rush is being made strictly to order - just as well as I can't see it 'rushing' (pun intended) off the shelves for that price, no matter how pretty it looks.

So what's so special abut this nail polish to warrant its absurd price tag? Model own say:

 At £83,000, Gold Rush is no ordinary nail polish.  When painted on the nails it looks like gold leaf – it glistens and glimmers and actually sparkles as if it contains tiny diamonds, yet is absolutely smooth to the touch.  The exquisite gold lid is hand-crafted from a solid ingot of yellow gold, and weighs nearly 4 ounces. A total of 1,118 diamonds have been precisely inset weighing over 14 carats of 'collection' VVS quality and colours D, E and F.  Long lasting and easy to apply, the weight of the gold and diamond encrusted lid makes nail painting a doddle – even after a few glasses of Cristal.

Hmm applies like Gold Leaf eh? Dare I suggest that you check out Rococo Gold Leaf

Laquer for the same effect, minus the diamonds which is available from Space NK? International readers can also check out Sephora's Only Gold For Me topcoat

For those of us (that'll be 99.9% of those reading this blog post then), who don't have a spare £83,000 to waste spend on this golden nugget, Models Own will be releasing Gold Rush Ready to Wear in Boots on February 23rd 2011 for a more believable £5.

Needless to say that even if I did have the money, it certainly wouldn't be going on a diamond encrusted nail polish bottle! How about you?

MAC and Nicki Minaj Pink Friday 4 Lipstick

Ahhh all of a sudden Nicki Minaj's obsession with 'Barbie Pink' has become crystal clear. The 'rapper' has only gone and bagged herself an exclusive contract with MAC Cosmetics, which will see the launch of a limited edition pink lipstick, bearing the same name as her debut album, Pink Friday. 

Nicki's album cover

The bright fuchsia lipstick is rumoured to come in a satin finish and be a mixture of Nicki’s must-have MAC lipstick, Pink Nouveau (Satin), and MAC Girl About Town (Amplified Creme). It's being released on Friday 26th November and will only be available to purchase on Fridays - four consecutive Fridays, so the last day to grab this will be on Friday December 17th.

I'm a big fan of some of the make up looks and bright colours Nicki Minaj wears and to be honest, I can't think of any other black woman in mainstream media who can rock a pink lip like Nicki does. In fact I think she'd do well to be the face of an entire MAC collection, as rapper Eve was for C-Shock back in 2007.

C'mon MAC, you know it makes sense! I'm not bowled over by Nicki's rapping skills, but she can bring it in terms of make up and any collection based on her make up faves would sell like hot cakes!

I'm not sure if this is being released in the UK, so U.S ladies, are you gonna grab one?

ETA: I woke up this morning to a press release in my inbox, confirming that the lipstick WILL be available in the UK on the same consecutive Fridays ONLINE at Selfridges.co.uk and maccosmetics.co.uk

Do NOT get me started ...Chanel cotton wool pads

First of all the House of Chanel can be forgiven if they think I have a personal vendetta against them. Far from it as I'd love to find a 2.55 under the Christmas tree this year (a girl can dream). However if you insist on producing nonsensical products, then I will take it upon myself to comment on them. 

My last rant was aimed at their tacky, faux tatoos which I thought were a complete waste of time and money intended for those who have nothing better to do with that paper gracing the queens head in their wallets.

Until last week I had no idea that this Summer, they had produced limited edition cotton wool pads embossed with their infamous interlocking C's logo, for sale in the U.S. 

Erm why?!

Like many, I like designer bags and shoes but I'm not one of those people who'll pay over the odds for mundane everyday items just because a brand has slapped its name or logo all over it.

WHO in the name of Bronze Universal is going to hand over $20 (approx £13) a time for 100 pads. I don't know about you but I go through cotton wool pads, like I do clean knickers! I use them daily and I'd go through 100 pads in no time. Apparently Chanel le Coton (you have to laugh at the attempt to make cotton wool sound glamorous), will change the way you look at cotton wool pads (I doubt it), as the 3 layer pads are made with selected cotton flowers from Australia and Egypt, which are so delicate they can only be picked by hand *yawn*. Ok then. Le Coton where have you been all my life?! Not.

Chanel le Coton *side eye*

Personally, my favourite cotton pads are the large double sided ones I regularly purchase from Tesco. I'm surprised Chanel haven't claimed their pads contain collagen plumping properties.I guess that's the next limited edition version in the pipeline.

I can't get my head around their latest effort to fleece more money from the dumb and dumbers of the world who either can't afford something substantial from Chanel so will make do with this nonsense or are so shallow, they delusionally associate some sort of status with owning Chanel cotton wool pads. Even if I was stupid enough to spend £13 on cotton pads I wouldn't even WANT to use them to wipe my make up off my face, I'd frame them! After all they ARE Chanel, why would I want to throw them in the BIN?!

So what next Chanel? It has to be toilet paper right? Fake tattoos, cotton wool ..yeah it's gotta be toilet paper. What a load of sh*t!

The Beauty of Makeup - Sam Fine Is Coming To Blighty!

Yeah so I'm a bit late with this post, but hey I've been (and still am) very B.U.S.Y at the moment.

Make up artist extraordinaire and artist to the stars, Sam Fine, will be gracing UK shores and hosting two exclusive make up events on Dec 3rd and 4th for the very first time.

,

Fine who has worked on the faces of Halle Berry, Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell to name a few and whose work has graced the covers of Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Essence and Harper's Bazaar will be sharing his tips and tricks in two separate seminars.

The first, a make up master-class takes place on Friday 3rd December and is aimed at make up professionals and trainees. Attendees will leave with an in depth study of application techniques for women of colour, a deeper understanding of celebrity make up, improvements in their own make up application techniques and a certificate signed by Mr Fine. There are only 24 places available. Tickets are priced at £299.

The second will take place on Saturday 4th December and Fine will be sharing his artistry with fans, make up enthusiasts and those who want to learn how to apply flawless make up. Sam will give a step by step demonstration, answer beauty concerns and questions be available for a meet and greet session. Tickets are priced at £75.

Tickets are available at ticketweb.co.uk

 

Fine was chosen as the first African-American spokesperson for Revlon and Covergirl Cosmetics and has enjoyed immense success with his first book, Fine Beauty: Beauty Basics and Beyond for African-American Women. As a follow up to his best-selling book, he then released his first instructional DVD, Fine: The Basics of Beauty in October 2009. The DVD includes three individual makeovers and addresses a number of questions regarding tools, technique and product selection.

 Sam working his magic on supermodel Iman

..and again on Ugly Betty's Vanessa Williams.

I've been meaning to buy both the book and DVD forever and just haven't gotten round to it. I won't be going to the seminar so maybe it's time to finally invest in the book and see if it lives up to the hype.

Any Sam Fine fans out there?

OPI Bring On The Bling and Tease-Y Does It

The two shades which caught my eye from the recent Burlesque Collection from OPI were Bring On The Bling and Teas-Y Does It. I own a few glitter polishes but I tend to shy away from ones which have larger glitter chunks in their formula because I have such difficulty removing them.

Bring On The Bling

Packed with multicoloured glitter, this is a full on party for nails! Great for a night out, it distributes evenly and is ready to rock after two coats. Because of the colour, you don't need to have the steadiest hand to apply it as mistakes are less likely to show up as as they do with darker nail polish shades. However, disappointingly it began to chip by day two and by day three (yesterday) a huge chunk was missing which I attempted to cover by painting over with a new coat, which then resulted in an uneven finish which consequently began to chip away the following day. Argh! Final verdict? Pretty colour, but it's all for show. Oh and it's a pain in the a** to remove too.

Teas-Y Does It

A lovely deep burgundy, filled with discreet, minuscule iridescent purple flecks this hasn't disappointed me. This wears much better than it's golden sibling and fours days later it's still fully intact on my nails (Yes I'm currently walking around with two gold nails and two burgundy. And?) Flattering on all skin tones, this is a glitter polish I won't feel conscious wearing during the day and also in a professional setting such as the workplace. Again two coats are enough for an opaque finish and it gets a gold star for staying power so far. A lovely creation by OPI perfect to wear this Autumn/Winter.

You can buy these polishes and the rest of The Burlesque Collection from lenawhite.co.uk for £9.95 each

Could It Be (Egyptian) Magic?

If you believe the press surrounding this product then this is the answer to all your skincare needs. As well as rejuvenating and repairing the skin, Egyptian Magic, a multi purpose oil based cream, which looks remarkably similar to vaseline, is also meant to heal and minimise the effects of scars, burns, stretch marks, insect bites, rashes and skin conditions. You can even use it as a make up remover!

 

I first heard read about this product on a U.S beauty blog, about a year ago. It's not new, it's been around for a hot minute but when I heard last month that it had officially launched in the UK it aroused my interest again.

In egyptian Magic, the super moisturising benefits of olive oil are combined with the healing powers of bees wax and honey which are full of antioxidants to protect the skin. The other ingredients are royal jelly, bee pollen and bee propolis. All six ingredients are 100% natural which I'm sure will be music to the ears of many.

This has supposedly taken the celebrity world by storm with Madonna and Juliette Lewis being named as fans (when when brands realise that the vast majority of consumers don't care if a movie star/singer/*insert non-entity* uses their product and that it won't necessarily influence our decision to purchase it). Although it sounds almost too good to be true (healing third degree burns? Really??), I'd still like to try it out for myself at some point and see what all the fuss is about.

For those of you who've already tapped into the hype that surrounds Egyptian Magic and have had a chance to try it, please let me know what your thoughts are on it. A skincare must have? Or is it best left to float down the River Nile?


You can find it on HQ Hair and Beauty Bay, with prices starting from £24.95 or call Vital Life Direct to order on 0207 720 1441

Win a NARS Makeover Courtesy of HQ Hair

Fancy being prepped and preened by NARS wonder boy David Scheffen (second in command to top do Francois Nars), then shimmy over to HQ Hair where not one, but THREE of you have the chance to win a fab makeover, plus a bagful of NARS goodies to take home with you.

Click to enlarge

Entry's simple, all you have to do is tell them who your beauty icon is ...and why. 

The three lucky winners must be available to attend the HQ Hair and Beauty Store in Central London on Tuesday November 30th.

For all the details, rules and to enter, click here. Good luck!

17 and L'Occitane Winners Announced!

Thank you to everybody who entered my recent giveaways from 17 and L'Occitane. Without further ado, it's time to reveal the lucky ladies who've bagged themselves some beauty loot!

First up, the winners of my 17 Giveaway. The prize is a full set of the Autumn Collection which includes 17 Solo eye shadows and Fast Finish nail polishes.

I asked which eye shadows 17 Make Up Artist Vanessa Guallar used in this video for 'Look Two', and of course the correct answers were 'Violet Rock and Gold Emerald'.

1. Sinead O'Sullivan

2. Karen Cousins

3. Sharon Pikirai

4. Julia Hourican

5. Rhamnousia R

6. Olivia Band

7. Shara Soave

8. Harpreet Bedi

9. Danielle Hallal

10. Louisa Imanene

Next up ..my L'Occitane Divine Immortelle giveaway.

The lucky reader who wins a set of the new Divine Immortelle Eye Treatment & Serum is:

1.Shortiee31

Well done to all the winners - you'll receive an email from me very shortly.

All winners were selected using random.org

If you didn't win, fear not, there will be plenty more giveaways to come on vexinthecity.com

Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir

Like many I'm picky with my fragrances, but every so often I'll take a sniff of a perfume which just makes go "Mmmm" in appreciation.

Estee Lauder's Sensuous Noir is a scent which has drawn that very reaction for me lately. The new sultry equivalent to the original Sensuous perfume, this is an ideal evening scent - although I've been wearing it both day and night and find it works just as well during the day.

Sexy and sophisticated, the notes of baby pepper, vanilla, purple rose and amber to name a few compliment one another perfectly. Despite being a woody scent, I don't find this scent intrusively heavy, instead it lingers softly on the skin and creates the right amount of depth and warmth whilst leaving a trail long after you've disappeared from a room.

I don't need to douse myself in it and two squirts easily last all day on me so you get your money's worth. I definetly prefer it over YSL's Belle D'Opium, which leaves me firmly on the fence. Sensuous Noir is right up my street in comparison. It was love at first sniff!

I was ready to buy the Christmas gift set last week, but unfortunately only the original comes in a gift set this year. Have a squirt next time you're at an Estee Lauder counter and see how you like it. This scent gets a big thumbs up from me and will certainly be purchased once my sample bottle has run out.

How much is it? £32 (30ml), (£43) 50ml

Where can I buy it? Estee Lauder counters, larger Boots stores

'Gift Of The Week' From Boots!

As you know, Boots are offering an amazing bargain each week until Christmas, going live in stores each Friday.

Head down to your local Boots branch now and you'll find the Strictly Fab-u-lous Cosmetics Case from the Strictly Come Dancing make-up range, priced at just £22 (usual price £45), as part of its ‘Gift of the week’ offer.

Crammed full of eye, lip and blush colours which come in an assortment of neutral, bright and vampy hues, the three-tiered iridescent case also comes complete with brushes and applicators to perfectly apply them.  

I think would make a great gift for an experimental teen exploring make up. What do you think?

CHRISTMAS TREATS “STRICTLY” FOR THE GIRLS

SAVE MORE THAN 50% - ONE WEEK ONLY AT BOOTS

   Running from 5^th November – 11^th November 2010

Check out this post to see other gift products in the Strictly Come Dancing make up range.

Beauty Blog Link Love - 06.11.10

Krasey Beauty tells a tale of tartan with MAC Cosmetics' Holiday Collection, A Tartan Tale!

Jellyminx puts together a smoky purple look for a night out.

Melissa of Lovely Android is still recovering from extreme cute overload after seeing this new perfume from Happ and Stahns.

Check out Audrey Dao's Lipstick Diary as she takes the 30 lipstick colors in 30 days challenge!

Amy Antoinette writes about her experience with DIY Ombre Hair.

K from Beautifully Addicted To shows her naturally glam wedding makeup in her FOTD!

Sarah from IHeartCosmetics shows off John Frieda's brand new Precision Foam Hair Colour.

Over at Eyelining Obsessions, Claire strays out of her black liner comfort zone with some rather fab ELF Cream eyeliners.

Hot Beauty Health shares an easy way to keep your perfume scent lasting longer.

Phyrra debuts Alima Pure's new LE Holiday Collection, Fairy Tale.

It's a classic product! Lipgloss86 shows some love for Liz Earle.

Musicalhouses shares a pretty darn awesome dupe of Orly Galaxy Girl nail polish!

Want a little bit of Lush luxury? The Lip Print tests out Lush's Creme Anglaise Body Creme for smooth-skin goodness.

Curious about the Clarisonic Plus? Sophie has a in depth review of it on her blog. Check it out!

Jeweled Thumb trials a new mascara which held up to a sweaty workout (and she has proof!)

theNotice shares The Lazy Lady's Guide to the Holidays, an easy-to-use compilation of many of this year's Holiday collections, sets, and exclusives.

Been looking for some decent purples to wear, but can't figure it out? Aijuswhanakno has some beautiful swatches she'd like to show you.

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Always wanted to smell like Kim Kardashian? Here's your chance! Enter the Beauty Crazed Perfumania contest!

Jenn from Spiced Beauty celebrates 600+ followers with a great MAC giveaway!

Vera Wang's Anniversary takes Cindy back to a special memory of gardenia flowers. Enter the Anniversary giveaway on Prime Beauty and make your own special memories.

Kim Porter and Yagolicious are giving away Paint Quads and tickets to the Yagolicious Beauty Affair in December.

On a recent trip to France, Hellcandy picked up three travel sized bottles of the HG cleanser...Bioderma Crealine H20! Click here to enter the giveaway.

The Nail Files: Essie Body Language

Essie Body Language is as unique as they come if you're after something totally different to adorn your nails with this winter. It's not a typical nude polish, a creme finish, it's an off white/beige with a creamy hint of grey - which actually looks pale lavender/grey under certain lights but a veeeery pale grey with a splash of cream under others! Actually it kinda reminds me of clay.

Today, I had no less than four comments all enquiring what I was sporting on my nails. I love the clean, chic sharp look it gives to my nails but I can appreciate that many may and will find this a difficult shade to pull off. At first glance it has a tendency to mirror Tippex!

Two coats generally gives it an opaque finish, although this sometimes looks treaky and so a third may be needed. It goes on smoothly to begin with, but I sometimes experience it dragging at the tips. Such a sharp shade, requires precise application as messy mistakes show up very easily, so bear this in mind if you're in a hurry.

I haven't worn this for ages and to be honest, I think it may be a while before it resurfaces again. This has only been on for two days and has already chipped despite having a topcoat (not Seche Vite) applied. Because of its unique shade, it can look very grubby, very quickly I had to repaint my nails for this blog post. By the time you read this, I'll probably have already taken it off altogether. It's a little too high maintenance for me.