An education in exfoliation plus some arts and crafts fun with St Ives

To celebrate the relaunch of their iconic Apricot Facial Scrub, St Ives invited a select group of bloggers to the Hospital Club last week for an evening of informative beauty advice and some arty fun too.

It was basically like a grown-up bloggers crèche. On arrival at the beautiful Forest Room (check out that wicked woody wallpaper) Helen and I were offered a delicious martini cocktail, apricot flavoured of course, and we mingled with fellow bloggers as we nibbled on canapés including dried apricots filled with cream cheese – are you noticing a theme emerging here?

For the first educational portion of the evening we sat down along with Lauren of The Beauty Habit blog to listen to Pedro Mendez, a Technical Manager from St Ives parent company Unilever, who was well versed in all thing exfoliant. Pedro demonstrated the power of St Ives Apricot Scrub by using a little electronic tool to measure the moisture levels on the back of Lauren’s hand. Needless to say, after a gentle scrubbing with a dollop of the apricot good stuff Lauren’s skin had vastly improved in both texture and moistness. Pedro explained (in his adorable Spanish accent) that St Ives scrubs use apricot, walnut and ground corn as their all-important exfoliating ingredients.

Next, Emine Ali Rushton, Beauty Director at Psychologies magazine, gave a fascinating talk about the history of exfoliation. Check this out: crocodile dung, camel urine and nightingale droppings have all been used as exfoliants throughout the ages. Pretty gross, right? I think I’m gonna stick to apricots and walnuts myself.

Finally, we were given the chance to get arty – and a bit competitive. We were presented with a wig block (you know, one of those polystyrene heads they keep wigs on) and told to paint it in a way that we thought represented natural beauty. Despite being totally on brand, with a delicate sunset-coloured floral motif that included actual apricots and everything, we didn’t win the incredible chocolate and marzipan apricot tree sculpture. Clearly, we were robbed. Just kidding, the wig block winner was totally deserved.

The new look St Ives scrubs come in three varieties: invigorating, blemish fighting, and renew and firm, available now at all the usual places. Visit the St Ives Facebook page.

Check out all my photos from the event in the gallery below. Click on the images to enlarge.

Is it a Bong? Is it a Sex Toy? Why, no, its the new MTherapy Beauty Pod!

Last week Katie and myself were invited to road test a new, innovative skincare system being launched by MTherapy, at the Savoy Hotel. Despite our initial reservations when we were confronted with what appeared to be something usually hidden in the back room of Coco De Mer, The ‘Beauty Pod’ as it is known, actually wasn’t as terrifying once it was explained.  

Publicised as the first of its kind, this at home device aims to ‘harness steam power to propel moisture, essential oils and compounds directly in to the skin’.  Now, you may be like me and that kind of beauty guff goes in one lug hole and out the other, so it was great to see this modern-day beauty Dalek first hand.

For the sake of our (soon to be) award-winning journalism, Katie was kind enough to let me submit photos for this article whilst she was literally having hot steam blown on her face.  The small strange-looking egg type objects you can see below are known as ‘podlets’ which  contain all the magic ingredients which the Pod then blows on to your face…Just imagine a futuristic take on the age-old boiling water and flannel over your face in the sink malarkey and you can get the idea of what we were dealing with here.  Although Katie agreed she did instantly feel refreshed, with 4 ‘podlets’ retailing at £60 and the Pod itself at £269, it is definitely more of an investment than a new flannel.  But what a talking piece it could make at your next party!

The MTherapy Beauty Pod and podlets are exclusively distributed through www.mymtherapy.com.

Fun and frolics at the Batiste Dry Shampoo launch

Last Wednesday me, Katie and our good friend Olivia (from tellusfashion.com) were lucky enough to attend a very plush affair hosted by Batiste Dry Shampoo.  To celebrate the launch of ‘Lace’, the latest edition to the ever-growing dry shampoo range, we were treated to a variety of girly treatments; think grown-up slumber party style, with mandatory champagne!

Already being a dry shampoo fanatic (I carry an emergency can of Batiste’s ‘a hint of colour’ at all times darling) this was an event I wasn’t going to pass up on.  With the venue being decked out with manicure stations, a photo shoot area, a make-up room AND a mini hair salon, it was every girl’s dream. Oh and did I mention the insane cakes on offer topped off with edible mini Batiste cans?!  Katie made a bee line to get her hair ‘did’ (and no, she didn’t choose this look for herself!) while myself and Olivia received incredible manicures.  And don’t you just love Olivia’s nail polish colour?  An unusual mix between grey and purple…grurple perhaps?

We were even lucky enough to receive amazing goodie bags, obviously with a courtesy can of ‘Lace’!  Being dubbed as the ‘grown-up’ of the range, ‘Lace’ takes inspiration from vintage embroidery and romantic elegance (two massive recurrent trends at the moment, for which we are still thanking Kate Middleton’s wedding dress a year on!).  Oh and yes before you ask, it smells DIVINE.  Lace, and the rest of the Batiste collection, is available from Superdrug and Boots stores nationwide for £2.99.  With a price tag that appealing, no wonder they have been going strong for the last 30 years.  So whether you need a refresh in-between washes, or do what I do and use it volume too, why not give ‘Lace’ a test run?

I thought I just liked grey nail varnish, but apparently I’m a product of the recession

Recently I’ve really got back into nail varnish.

When I say got back into it I mean that after several years of only lacquering up with bright red polish probably once a year, I suddenly find myself wanting to wear it all the time. I found an old purple Nails inc shade that I love and picked up a Rimmel dark grey (it’s a new one called Man Overboard) from the freebies box at the Press Association where I’m doing work experience at the moment and all of a sudden I find myself reapplying on a daily basis.

It got me thinking, is this purely a personal thing – I happened to find a couple of shades I like? Or I am part of one of those trends supposedly brought on by the recession, like that claim that lipstick sales go up, while hemlines drop, when the stock market is in peril? I had also noticed a lot more creative nail art around, like HelloGiggles.com’s adorable nails of the day feature which always pops up in my Facebook feed with intricate nail illustrations and cutesy cartoons.

I got my answer by way of a New York Times article that I saw on the Business of Fashion daily digest (a mailing list you should definitely be signed up to) yesterday. The article said that department store nail polish sales in the US rose by 67% in 2011 and that shades and patterns beyond the usual pinks and reds are become more popular – things like cracked polish effects, multicoloured French manicures, shiny metallics and all kinds of glitter. The theory goes that with when our shopping budgets are under threat we look for cheaper ways to get a quick aesthetic fix. With nail varnish, you can try out something novel and get an instant, fashionable fingertip transformation for less than a fiver. It’s more noticeable than, say, a new mascara or foundation, but if it doesn’t elicit the compliments you were expecting, don’t worry, you can get rid just as fast. Contrast that with an £80 dress that you might not like once you get it home from the shop and the appeal is obvious. It’s low risk, high return. Actually, isn’t that the perfect equation for stock market success too?

So is it just me or are you trying out different nail colours and patterns recently? Would you go as far as Angry Bird nail art? What are you favourites? Leave me a comment with your recommendations.

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Emma, who won the online part of our beauty giveaway – the other winner was Jess, at the Tweet Up. Emma sent us this photo when she received her bag full of makeup, shampoos, shower gels, perfume, face creams and other smellies and sent us this message:

Wowza, so many goodies. How many other fashion blogs would give away their beauty samples? I’m most excited about the anti-ageing products! Thanks Style & Then Some.”

You’re welcome Emma! Look out for more giveaways coming soon.

My Christmas Wish List | Katie

As if you didn’t need another reminder that you haven’t got all your Christmas shopping done yet (well I know I haven’t), in the run up to Christmas us five members of team Style & Then Some will each be telling you what gifts we hope to find Father Christmas (or Mum, Littlewoods would have you believe) has deposited in our stockings. Obviously we’ve all been VERY good girls this year and the big, fat, bearded guy will definitely have our names will down on the Nice list.

Kicking off, here are 10 treats that would make me a happy girl on Christmas morning. As you will see they, for the most part, can be categorised as either clothes, books, or beauty.

I love how sleek and subtly sexy this variation on the LBD is. The ASOS Bodycon Dress in Cutwork Lattice seems to be getting reduced by the day. It started at £45 and is now just £27. Praying it doesn’t sell out so that I can get myself one after Christmas if Santa doesn’t come through.

Admittedly, I already own four Heattech tops from Uniqlo, but they are SO useful that I really don’t think I could ever have too many. Women’s HEATTECH Crew Neck T-Shirt, £9.90.

I’ve wanted a tux jacket for ages. I think white is that bit more daring than black, but still classic enough to last for ages. ASOS PETITE Exclusive Tuxedo Blazer, £55.

Everybody says Caitlin Moran’s How To Be A Woman, a kind of modern day guide to feminism, is brilliant.

I’ve been meaning to read Garbiel Garcia Marquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude for about a hundred years (boom boom) because people who know what I like say I will love it. And if Penguin say it’s a modern classic, who am I to argue?

As a iPhone devotee (well, until I was given a Nokia Lumia) I’m fascinated by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography is the only biography authorised by the man himself, apparently, and it was released just after his death.

I don’t understand why people buy expensive mascara, because whenever you see videos of famous make up artists they’re so often using a tube of the classic green and pink-packaged Maybelline Great Lash Mascara, which is only £5.19 at Boots.

I was given some Groomed Face Scrub Smooth Off at a press event in August and promptly handed it over to my boyfriend. But I’ve kind of regretted that because every time I use it at his house I remember how good it is – it smells so fresh and leaves my skin feeling decidedly smoother. I can hardly believe it’s only £1.50 from Asda.

Yves Saint Laurent ‘Elle’ perfume has been my signature scent ever since it was released in 2007. I’m almost at the end of my huge 90ml bottle and ready for a refill.

How amazing is this? I think Sophie Caldecott will like it. The Nordicware Gingerbread House Cake Tin produces a perfectly shaped gingerbread house ready for you to decorate just as expertly as in the picture below. Only thing is, it costs £37. Bit much for a cake tin if you ask me!

What do you think of my Christmas wish list? Anything you’ll be adding to yours, or ideas you’ll be stealing for others people’s gifts?

Ooh you sexy little plumper | 3 top pout-enhancing products

Big lips are big business. They are not only something every girl wants, but what every guy wants to be on, it seems. With some of the world’s most desirable ladies on the planet blessed with naturally bee-stung lips, such as Angelina Jolie and Julia Roberts, it has left us mere mortals wanting the ‘power plump’ for ourselves. And while the surgery-induced ‘trout pout,’ as seen on Pete Burns and Leslie Ash, has served as a modern-day warning sign of what happens when it doesn’t go quite right, many of us are still on a quest to find a successful alternative.

That’s why safer options in the form of lip plumps, glosses, glazes and undercoats can be found in almost every beauty brand. And being no Lana Del Rey myself, I have tried an exceptional amount of them. Here is my low down on the best three.

1. Benefit’s Lip Plump. That’s a slightly deceiving name – this acts as more of a ‘filler’ and levels out the grooves on your lips to give a more fuller looking pout. Good if you’re sporting lipstick over the top, but due to its beige colour, you may look like you are wearing your foundation on your mouth if left bare. At £14.50, you probably need to know what you are doing with this to get maximum effect, or risk looking like Jodie Marsh.

2.  Soap & Glory’s Sexy Mother Pucker. Not only is the packaging with this product ahhh-maaaz-ing, for £10 this is a true bargain that will last for ages as you only need a little at a time. Clear in colour, you can wear it nude or over a lip colour. A word of warning though; applying this plumper will leave you with a sensation similar to getting your hot on at Nandos.

3. And the winner is… Victoria’s Secret Lip Plumper. This little beauty acts as my staple as it smells delish as well as being clear in colour, so you can use it any which way. The only problem is, the only place apart from the USA I have managed to bag it is in Heathrow Airport. Hopefully with the launch of the first UK Victoria’s Secret next year, I won’t have to travel so far to restock.

Do you know of any better lip plumping products? If so, do share!

Clever little products: Skin System Day & Night Cream

Helen and I went to a health and beauty event last week (check out Helen’s photos over here) and got to try a whole load of skincare, makeup, bath and body goodies. Out of the many different products we sampled, the one that I immediately put on my mental shopping list was the Skin System Day and Night Cream, a little pot split down the middle with day cream on one and side and night cream on the other.

Why do I love it so much? Well, firstly, I’m a bit obsessive about efficient packing when it comes to holidays, so this 2-in-1 tub will slot very nicely next to my individual travel size bottles filled with the appropriate number of portions of toiletries according to how many days I’m away (I wish I joking about this, but I genuinely do it). I also like it because recently I’ve been making an effort to moisturise at night too, ever since I read an interview with a model who said she used to turn up at photo shoots in the morning and the make up artist would complain ‘you could have moisturised last night.’ Turns out night cream is especially beneficial if you can’t get enough beauty sleeb. Here you’ve got essential formulas for day and night both easily at hand, with skin conditioners repairing at night and SPF15 protecting during the day. Skin System is actually Asda’s own skincare brand, so it’s definitely in the ‘affordable luxuries’ category at just £2 for 50ml.

ASDA Skin System SPF 15 Day Cream & Night Cream is available to buy online, or you can pick one up next time you’re doing a food shop in your local Asda.

Beauty: Our mini adventure with Asda

Last Thursday Katie and I were treated to a fantastic showcase of all the new bargain beauty potions those chaps at Asda have been cooking up this season.  Now, you might not automatically assume Asda is up there with the likes of Dermalogica and Clarins when it comes to skin care (two of my top recommendations by the way, after YEARS of trial and error) but after being personally introduced to the new ranges that have been developed, as well as having the chance to be treated like princesses for a couple of hours (see our professional make up snaps!) we were mighty impressed by the new beauty products Asda have recently brought out and are currently in the midst of testing all our samples against our usual products.  All in a day’s work!

We also got the chance to meet ’10 Years Younger’ resident hair dresser, Mr Andrew Barton, who took us through his entire new hair care range!   We will let you know our top Asda beauty products from our mini adventure very soon-provided we don’t drown in the bath from all this product testing!

My new favourite lip colour: Une Sheer Lips Balm

The stuff you get in goody bags is rarely blog-worthy, but I’ve made an exception for the brilliant Sheer Lips Balm by Une – a tinted lip balm that actually delivers what it promises.

I’m not a big fan of wearing lipstick during the day. I love a bright red or fuschia every so often for a night out, but for weekdays at work I tend to go with just a slick of lip balm. In search of something slightly more substantial, I actually came up with a my own homemade concoction of Maybelline NY Dream Soft Blush in Plum mixed with a fingerful of good old Vaseline – intended to give moisture but with a hint of colour. But I can now stop my amateur makeup mixology because it turns out such a product already exists. I came across it in the goody bag from the Boutique 10K run that I did a few weeks ago: Une Sheer Lips Balm is a moisturising lip balm that also gives a touch of colour. It comes in eight natural tones and is available on LoveLula.com for £7.99. The balms may look opaque, but the colour is a lot more subtle on application, and it genuinely has a hydrating effect, unlike many lipsticks which promise both moisture and colour but are actually quite dry on the lips.

I had never heard of French beauty brand Une before. According to their website, Une are all about organic ingredients and the majority of their products are certified by the Ecocert label (they also don’t like anyting to stay still, apparently). With an emphasis on natural beauty, the range is definitely worth a look  if you’re a devotee of the ‘barely there’ school of makeup.

Photo courtesy Lovelula.com