Clarins Beauty Flash Balm

Yesterday my post was all about radiance achieved with Hocus Focus from Soap & Glory today the theme continues. If you prefer to look bright and radiant without a hint of shimmer then today's post is for you.

I absolutely love Clarins Beauty Flash Balm.This is a truly fantastic product and one that is going to be added to my Beauty Essentials page. As such an iconic product I quite simply had to try it to see what all the fuss was about. Yes, I am now a convert.

Beauty Flash Balm claims - To brighten and tighten. Suitable for ALL skin types.

To use - Apply after cleansing and toning ( you can use with a moisturiser but you don't have to) using a pea size amount apply a thin layer to your face without massaging in. Apply makeup immediately. Beauty Flash Balm can also be used as a facial mask 2 or 3 times a week.

This product comes in a squeezable tube, easy to get the right amount out.

In this picture the bottom half of my hand has Beauty Flash Balm applied

Apparently when you use this product you will literally feel it tighten your features..I am going to admit I have used this quite a few times now, with and without moisturiser to see if it makes a difference and I have yet to get that tightening feeling ..most unusual. However, my appearance does look like I have had a mini facelift, and I look wide awake, whether it is because I expect to look great I don't know, I just look in the mirror and feel that I do!

Beauty Flash Balm is considered to be an amazing primer and is used and rated by many make up artists. When I use it my skin feels silky soft on application, the effect really is instant brilliance and a more radiant appearance. It doesn't hide pores but it provides an excellent, smooth and long lasting base for makeup, keeping it in place for hours.

I wouldn't use this every day (it is quite expensive) but I used it when I was feeling under the weather recently and was complimented on how well I looked! I use this particularly when I feel like my skin is dull and I need a boost. I think Beauty Flash Balm works really well as a day product as opposed to Hocus Focus which I prefer to use in the evenings.

I cannot rave about this product enough and can definitely recommend this as a must have in your make-up bag.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm - Price can vary from £20-£27 depending on outlet so it is worth shopping around.

Have you tried Beauty Flash Balm?

Soap & Glory Hocus Focus

Soap & Glory Hocus Focus appealed to me as it is described as - An Instant Visual Flaw Softening Lotion - and a product that does that is well worth trying in my book...

The claims - An INSTANT visual flaw-softening lotion with long-wearing LIGHTSCRAMBLE™ lumisphere technology that mixes mica light-diffusing powders with high-tech encapsulated soft focus pearls and leaves the wearer looking ‘candle lit’ and ready to glow!

Its specially blended luxury skin smoothing emollient complex gives a beautiful silky sensual feel and sheer look to the skin, whilst helping to lock moisture in too. It softens, smoothes and illuminates the skin, just where you need a little soft focus.

My thoughts

I love the container that Hocus Focus comes in, a pump action bottle so not messy at all. It smells pleasant and adds extra softness to the skin. I have used it 3 ways and each way it works just great. I have used it as a highlighter on my cheek bones and I have found that it makes a superb highlighter. I have mixed it with my moisturiser for radiance and my foundation for the famous candlelit glow!

Before Hocus Focus

Hocus Focus is a nice fluid consistency, easy to blend in and pearly in colour.

Hocus Focus applied,  you can see the tiny illuminating particles.

The results are exactly what it says on the packaging - flawless, dewy, soft looking skin with a fabulous glow. I especially love to use this in the evening. I cannot get enough of it to be honest!

Just a word of warning, don't be tempted to use too much otherwise you will end up looking over illuminated!

Soap & Glory Hocus Focus costs £12.26 for 30ml.


Have you tried Hocus Focus ?

What I use on my 'baby'

I know I have quite a few 'mummy' and mummy to be readers so today I thought I would share with you what I have used pretty much since Aaron (now almost 3) was born for his bathtimes. For the first few weeks I used nothing but water..as time went on and bath time became more of a routine I was looking for something that smelt nice but cared for my little boy,  I spotted this in my local Waitrose store....

Yes it is quite expensive (around £7.99) compared to other products on the market, but I have always been happy to spend a little extra on my little one. He was such a sicky baby because he had Reflux that I didn't spend the pennies on his outfits!

This is my favourite wash as it smells wonderful with a light scent of sweet orange, lemon and and coconut oil and leaves his hair smelling just gorgeous and his skin super soft. It is a 2 in 1 product so cleans the hair as well as the body. Many times I have got the product in his eyes as he is such a wriggler and not once has he  cried because of it. This wash is not hugely lathering but if you rub it between your hands you can blow bubbles to entertain the little one and make them laugh.

Burt's Bees Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash doesn't have any SLS or Parabens in it and is 98.03% natural - one of the main reasons I picked it up.

I can highly recommended this product.

Have you tried this ? What do you use on your little one(s)?

A Tale Of Two Lipsticks

Once upon a time I used to be a huge fan of Estee Lauder lipsticks (I still am, I am currently coverting Bitten Fig from the new range by Tom Pecheux) and one of my favourites was a shade called Caffe Latte,a long lasting and moisturising lipstick.. as the years passed, I moved away from lipsticks and a passion for glosses ignited and I forget all about this lipstick until one day..

Last year I was invited to a press day where I was introduced to a new makeup brand in the UK, Cult GD and on a table were all the products, including lipstick.

I was drawn to a particular shade SWEET LIPS and immediately thought - oooh that looks lovely and tried it on my hand. I loved it.Once at home I tried it on and sadly found that it didn't suit me after all.

When I had a big clear out of my make-up I came across quite a few old lipsticks and picked up one from Estee Lauder - Caffe Latte, tried it on and sadly found it no longer suited me..but it did remind me of Sweet Lips

Click for a closer look

Top swatch is Sweet Lips, bottom is Caffe Latte

Both are shimmery with tiny flecks, Sweet Lips is ever so slightly pinky/peachier and more pigmented than the Caffe Latte which is slightly browner and more sheer. Actually the difference is really quite slight in real life, and when on the lips hard to tell the difference at all. I put one on my top lip and the other on the bottom and had to really get close to the mirror!

The bad news - Estee Lauder has discontinued Caffe Latte. The good news is that if you liked this shade you will probably like Cult GD's Sweet Lips as an equivalent long lasting and moisturising lipstick.

Sweet Lips from Cult GD costs £8.90

Jo Malone launches Tea Fragrance Blends Collection

You all know I love my Jo Malone perfume - English Pear and Freesia so it will not come as any surprise to you that I am really excited to learn about their latest perfumes launch...

Tea Fragrance Blends Collection

This is a limited edition collection inspired by the quintessentially British tradition of High Tea. This sounds like it was developed for me in mind :-)

Available in five fragrances and just as there’s a tea to suit every taste and disposition, there’s a Tea Cologne for every style and mood. Every scent is a contemporary classic, fusing understated luxury with an air of English eccentricity. And of course, just like our idiosyncrasies of taking tea, the Tea Fragrance Blends perfectly lend themselves to being personalised with Jo Malone’s unique philosophy of Fragrance Combining™.  In true British style, the collection allows you to combine your Tea Fragrance Blend, with a dash of Sweet Lemon or a splash of Sweet Milk. 

Assam & Grapefruit Cologne 

Invigorating and upbeat, Assam & Grapefruit captures the qualities of that first cup of morning tea. 

Refreshing grapefruit and herbaceous Assam are blended with undertones of warm patchouli, spicy 

cardamom and almond. 

  

Fragrance Combining Suggestion  

Add a creamy richness with a splash of Sweet Milk to deepen and sweeten the scent of black tea.

Earl Grey & Cucumber Cologne 

A playful twist on the British tradition of high tea, cucumber sandwiches served with Earl Grey, distilled 

into a modern, intriguing scent.  Fresh and fruity bergamot is cooled with cucumber and warmed with a base of beeswax, vanilla and musk.

Fragrance Combining Suggestion  

Refresh and uplift by layering with zesty Sweet Lemon.

Fresh Mint Leaf Cologne 

A refreshing tisane of freshly picked mint, translated into a crisp, clear cologne. A blend of mint, basil 

and maté infuses this cologne with a green, leafy clarity, while a warm base is created by the partnership of cedarwood with musk.

Fragrance Combining Suggestion  

Think pretty and fresh by adding a mist of zesty, fruit infused Sweet Lemon.

Sweet Lemon Cologne 

Mirroring the custom of adding a slice of freshly cut lemon or a sprinkle of sugar to a cup of just brewed tea, Sweet Lemon is given a fruity twist with pineapple, peach and fresh green cypress.

Sweet Milk Cologne 

Utterly English, a dash of sweet, creamy milk gives tea a rounded richness. The unique milk accord combines star anise, almond and vanilla to create a warm, comforting scent. Addictively sweet and unexpectedly fresh. 

I am really tempted by these, I love the concept of adding milk or lemon to your 'tea' and cannot wait to visit Jo Malone to try them out 

The Tea Fragrance Blends are available from March 2011 

And I leave you with the words of Jo Malone's Global General Manager Dominic De Vetta -  

"At present celebrating tradition is at the forefront of fashion, hence the English ritual of taking tea feels contemporary again."

The Mineral Powder That Converted Me...

Readers of BeautySwot know that I really struggle to like mineral powder foundation. I admit the results are good (I have tried some really great ones) but I find it far more of a faff than liquid foundation. Loose powders get up my nose, so they soon go by the wayside.

However, I may just have changed my mind with Green People's Pressed Mineral Powder SPF15.

I love this powder and am increasingly reaching for it when I need a quick fix and need to get out of the house in a hurry but don't want to compromise on looking good. The fact that it is pressed means that it doesn't make a huge powdery mess on my clothes, nor does it go up my nose. It covers in seconds (including the redness I have) and looks unbelievably natural and flawless. I have got the 'caramel' shade which is described as for skin with a yellow undertone, it is the perfect shade for me. As an added bonus, I tried it without a primer today, it looked good for hours and no hint of a shiny nose! A great Matte foundation in my opinion.

Green People's Pressed Mineral Powder is certified organic and is suitable for sensitive skin and those prone to acne, eczema, psoriasis or rosacea. Minerals reflect light to minimise fine lines and wrinkles and apparently the foundation does not clog your pores, allowing skin to breathe naturally.

This organic mineral face powder is made without Parabens, Bismuth Oxychloride, Petrochemicals, Phthalates, unnecessary Bulking Agents and Synthetic Colours.

The compacts are made with 100% natural plastic and coloured with earth-friendly, natural colour. I actually find the shape of it quite easy to hold.

I apply the mineral foundation with the Kabuki brush also from the Green People, which is available to purchase separately. This is an eco-friendly, vegan brush made of bamboo, I find it incredibly soft, I think it gives excellent results and can highly recommend it.

I am so pleased with the quality of both items and I am now looking at other products in their make-up range as they are created with the same 'natural' ethos.

Pressed Mineral Powder SPF15 costs £20.45 for 10g 

Kabuki Brush costs £20.45

For more details and information on other shades available visit www.greenpeople.co.uk

Launching Soon - Models Own Pro Range

I love Models Own polish and so am excited about their latest launch Models Own Pro, the professional nail care line with 3-Free Formula, Vitamin E to promote nail growth and UV Filters for a manicure that will not fade (Grow Fast, Fade Slow Technology).  The pro polishes are free from Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP. They will be exclusively available in Boots this month and will cost £8.

I have seen the 54! colours to choose from and already have my eye on quite a few of muted shades, but I think there will be a shade that appeals to everyone, they are gorgeous....

Shade pictured is Yas-Mint