Don’t ever tell Mr MizzWorthy I told you this (he might get smug), but sometimes its good to be proved wrong.

My first foray into Laura Mercier makeup at the recent Selfridges beauty night
was somewhat hackle raising, and I was so riled about that, that I took against the foundation I bought, and slapped it on fully expecting (and maybe a teeny tiny bit hopeing?) that it would be yet another let down to be consigned to the dusty realms of my “expensive mistake” face product drawer along with MAC studio sculpt and NARS powder foundation (which should just be sold as a pressed powder in my humblest of opinons…)

Anyway, I had to eat major humble pie when I realised that the foundation is actually really rather good and I like it lots goddamnit! The wannabe undercover journalist in me started thinking that maybe I should take the MUA up on her offer to teach me “how to do my makeup properly”, so I waited until the “Trafford Centre Urge” came over me, and hotfooted it down to Selfridges, where the same MUA was on counter, and as luck would have it, the beauty hall was extremely quiet for once…

Firstly the MUA actually remembered me from the beauty event – a good start!
She also seemed to be happy to spend time taking me through an entire face routine “lesson” from cleansing and prepping the skin, to creating a base and doing (natural) eyes/lips/cheeks. She was very chatty and friendly throughout, and far less insistent that if I bought product A I therefore HAD to get brush B to apply it etc etc. I even commented that I wasn’t really happy using the sponges she sold me with the foundation as application took too long so I was using my fingers instead, and she didn’t get pushy over that either – just advised me that if it worked for me then it was the right thing…

I asked to be shown how to create a natural “work suitable look” as I can easily whip up a night-time or dramatic look, but have less of a knack with understated looks. She started off by taking me through a cleansing routine and prepping the skin, followed by applying a moisturising primer. She then applied the foundation I’d picked up the other day with her trusty sponge (she did this lightening fast by the way – possibly practice makes perfect with a sponge then!?), and applied secret concealer to the undereye area and showed me how to use the secret camouflage kit to conceal a few blemishes. She then took me through the “LM” Method of powdering – ie using a powder puff to “press” loose transluscent powder into the foundation rather than swirling a brush over it (which effectively just dusts the fine hairs on your face, and can streak foundation). This is not a new technique to me – I was shown how to press-set with a brush by the lovely Illamasqua MUA’s and it works an absolute treat…

She then applied a very natural shade of Second Skin blusher in, Winter Bloom a shade I’d never have chosen in a million years, but I was genuinely surprised by how lovely it looked on – Just a really natural hint of colour on the cheeks with zero drama but maximum effect. Again, not a mention of having to buy any special brushes – a very positive thing in my eyes.

When it came to eye makeup, I played dumb and made out I didn’t even know how to hold a makeup brush (OK, I’m exaggerating, but you get my point…). I was walked through a basic eye shadow layout and shown which colours would make the most of my eye colour, with the MUA doing one eye and me doing the other. Ok, so I didn’t learn anything new, but she was really patient and helpful, and managed to make me feel comfortable tightlining the upper lash line etc in front of her.We finished off with a slick of moisturising lipstick in a rosewood shade…

I was then added to the customer database so she could let me know about up and coming events etc – and furthermore there was ZERO pressure to buy any of the products what-so-ever – I mean seriously, I would have felt entirely comfortable walking away with nothing.

Although obviously I didn’t…

I picked up the blusher and the Camouflage pot (a mini version of the secret camouflage concealer duo and secret brightening powder)

So my thoughts – I liked the look she/we created – perfect for work etc, and like I say, the MUA seemed a lot nicer and more approachable this time around – I’d happily go back again.

If you are a fan of natural looks done well, and you fancy a change from Bobbi Brown etc, Laura Mercier is well worth checking out – the products are very good quality, and it seems if you catch the MUA’s at quiet times you get a much more enjoyable service/experience. I’ll obviously post my thoughts on the concealer and blusher after I’ve given them a decent test…

So, anyone else had any exeriences with Laura Mercier – good or bad? We the public need to know!

MizzWorthy xxx

As you know a few weeks back a few of us were invited to a fab event thrown by Clarins in Selfridges London, where amongst other things we were all given a skin analysis and sent some products to test out – you can read about the event here.

Clarins were very generous and gave us full sized products to try so we could really see how well the products work.

I personally found the skincare analysis with one of the consultants really helpful – I learned that your skin type can change with the seasons, age etc. I was told I have combination skin, which was dehydrated.

As you can see I was sent a range of products – cleanser, toner, moisturiser, night cream, eye cream and a face scrub, as well as cult beauty product Beauty Flash Balm.

The range as a whole worked well for me, and there were some definite stand out products I really liked…
Cleanser – Foaming Cleanser with Tamarind and Purifying Micro-Pearls (Combination or oily skin). This costs £15 for 125 mls. Despite using this twice a day, there is a LOT left in the tube – I’d expect a tube to last 4-6 months. Its a very fresh smelling creamy feeling cleanser which rinses easily and is not over drying on the skin. It also contains quite large “Micro-Pearls”. These don’t so much scrub the skin (they are too big for that), but more give it a gentle daily “polish”, which feels really nice. This will not remove eye makeup – a separate remover would be needed for that, although it seemed to remove face makeup effectively. If you were wearing a particularly full cover/heavy foundation, you might need to remove with a stronger cleanser first.

Toner – Toning Lotion with Iris (Combination or oily skin). This is £15 for 200mls. Again clean smelling and it does a good job of freshening the skin. This does also appear to remove any grime left on the skin after cleansing, which is good – it preps the skin well for moisturiser and doesn’t leave it feeling tight. I’d expect a bottle to last around 3-4 months with twice a day use. I personally like to tone, as I don’t feel like my skin is properly “clean” if I don’t… I know a lot of people skip this step though without any skin related disasters ensuing!

Face Scrub - Gentle Exfoliating Refiner This is an expensive product at £21.51 for 50mls, which is quite a smal tube, however you really do only need to use a small amount – I’d expect this tube to last me about 4 months with use once or twice per week. The grains in the scrub are very fine, so this really gets into the nooks and crannies and clears out the pores well – I’d liken this in texture to the Body Shop Vitamin C skin re-finisher, however the grains in this are even finer. It does seem to make a difference to the pores on my nose – they appear clearer for a couple of days after using the scrub. A great product, just a shame you don’t get more for your money.

Moisturiser – Hydraquench Lotion with SPF15
This is made for normal to combination skin or for hot climates, and is £30 for 50mls. I was sent this as the Hydraquench range is meant to solve issues of dehydration in the skin – in other words, you only need to use this until the skin regains its hydration levels. 1 pump of this was plently for my whole face – you can tell when you don’t need to use it as it starts to feel too heavy on the skin. This took a couple of weeks before I noticed it was starting to feel too much. I still use this if I do a face mask or scrub, just to top up the moisture levels in my skin. I’d say the Hydraquench range is well worth looking into if you have dry skin. The lotion itself smells fresh, with a bit of a marine scent, but it doesn’t last for long on the skin. It comes in a pump and is therefore really hygienic to use and it travels well too

Night Cream – Multi-Active Night Lotion. The Multi-active range is aimed at those of us in our thirties who are seeking to hold at bay the first signs of aging for as long as possible (sob…). In the past whenever I’ve used a night cream, I’ve always found them really thick and heavy feeling – and while that is kind of the point because your skin does all its regenerating and restoring at night, I don’t want to be applying something that feels like it leaves my skin all congested. This one feels very very light, more like a serum in texture and feel – it sinks straight into the skin and is quickly absorbed. It leaves no trace of any greasy feeling on my skin at all. My skin feels softer in the morning and I look like I have slept well, even if I haven’t. I really real
ly love this product – its pricey at £40 for 50mls, which I’d expect to last for 3-4 months. I personally think it’s worth this price, and its made me want to look into other products from the range in the future. Definite stand out.

Eye Cream – “Special”Eye Contour Balm – softens fine lines for dry skin. Designed for the first signs of ageing – this claims to soften fine lines, and also contains reflective pigments to give skin a more even appearance. This is another stand out product for me – I have used Clarins eye creams before and had equal success with them while I was younger – I used the eye contour balm in my 20′s and did notice it made a difference, and I can say the same for this one – it worked really well for me. It won’t shift dark circles as it’s not designed for that, but I’ve noticed an improvement in the fine lines around my eyes. The area looks more hydrated and fresher, which makes this a winner in my eyes – it costs £23.49 for 20mls. You need a tiny amount each time you use it and it sinks in easily without leaving a greasy feeling on the skin. Love this one.

Beauty Flash Balm – £25 for 50ml.
Can you believe this cult product has been around for 20 years! (God this post is making me feel old!) I used to swear by this in my late teens and early twenties for a post-hangover skin pick-me-up. Then I went to uni, and could no longer afford the £25 price tag (50mls). I suppose I also started to rely more on the power of a decent concealer and foundation for perking up the skin. My mum used to top me up every couple of years with a tube and me and my sister both continue to love it. A tube lasts about 5-6 months. This is not a product I use every single day, just when my skin needs a pick-me-up – probably once or twice a week.

It can be used a few different ways. I personally like to smooth on a very thin layer – ie not rubbed completely in, but rather left on the skin and left to settle in. It can also be used as an overnight treatment when applied a bit more thickly to the skin and slept in. Basically the product brightens and hydrates the skin, leaving it feeling soft and looking well rested. Perfect for a hangover…. so perfect in fact that it didn’t take long for drugstores to produce a dupe – one of which can be found in the Superdrug Natural High Range.

The Clarins original has a soft, comforting yet still clean smell.

So there you go – well done if you have made it to the end of the post – hope this has been useful!
Any recommendations for products in the range are always welcome too!

MizzWorthy xxx

In the run up to the big Barry M bloggers bash next week, I was very pleased to be asked by Barry M to try out their new bronzer – the Natural Dazzle compact. Barry M describe this product as comparable to NARS bronzer in laguna.

As a pale girl, I often steer clear of bronzer as anything with even a hint of an orange undertone gives me that scary overdone “try-hard” look, which is definately best avoided. I tend to use bronzer sparingly as a contour product rather than a full on all over hit of colour. I also wanted to give the product a thorough test before reviewing the product, and I’ve now been using this for around a week.

So here they are;

NARS Laguna bronzer on the left retails for £21 for 8g, while Barry M Natural Dazzle is a much more credit crunch friendly £9.50 for 12g. As you can see, the packaging is very similar in terms of size and style, a definate bonus in my book!

On the left we have NARS laguna, and on the right Barry M Natural Dazzle. As you can see there is a definate difference in undertone, with Barry M having a more plummy tone to it, whereas side by side, Laguna does seem to have a more golden, and dare I suggest orange-ish tone?

The products swatched side by side – Right=Laguna; Left=Barry M

I then did one side of may face with each bronzer so you can have a little look as to how they compare! Yes I did look rather eccentric sporting this look – the lengths I will go to for beauty lol!

Above we have the Barry M side. Below the NARS side…

I have to say I am very impressed with the Barry M product. Before doing this experiment I heard a lot of other bloggers and youtubers talking about laguna making them look “dirty” – and to be honest I now kinda see what they mean. The Barry M bronzer is really well pigmented and easy to blend, while the plummy undertone produces a natural sunkissed look.

I also love the fact that the Barry M product is matte – this makes it much easier to use as a contour shade, producing a natural glow which doesn’t rely on shimmer. In comparison, I actually felt that the NARS bronzer looked slightly orange and dirty. This was a huge surprise to me as I have always been a fan of laguna…

I have also been using the bronzer through the week as a multipurpose product, as I don’t really have a lot of time on some days to get ready for work. The high pigmentation in the Barry M product makes it perfect for using to create a neutral everyday smoky eye look, and as it is layered up, more of the plumminess comes through, which adds a nice dimension to the look.

All in all – Barry M Natural Dazzle gets two massive thumbs up from me!

What do you think?

I’m sure that many of us makeup/skincare junkies have often daydreamed about various roles in the beauty industry… The life of a beauty journalist, for example, is definately appealing!

A couple of days ago I guest blogged on the fab BritishBeautyBlogger.blogspot.com all about swap sites…

I’d now like to thank Jane from the blog for doing the same for me and writing this insight into her world as a beauty journo!

“Love my job? I really, truly do! A life long make up fan, it’s more than a pleasure to write about a subject I’m passionate about. But, it’s not quite the glamour filled existence you might imagine. Often, I sit surrounded by products, not really knowing where to start! On first impression, getting ‘free’ beauty products every day seems like a dream come true, but I’ve had to give over an entire room in my house to holding every cream, lotion, potion and lipstick in the world (that’s how it feels!). Behind the stuffed envelopes of course is the expectation of the people who sent them (PR’s usually) that I’ll be able to feature them in the press.

I write sporadically for Metro, occasionally for the Sunday Mirror and am beauty editor for an online magazine called Beautyandthedirt, as well as brand-sourcing (looking for new and unusual brands), writing features and running a blog for a well known beauty retail site. I also write fashion newsletters and web copy. I used to write regularly for The Independent, The Daily Mail and The Daily Express, but as I’ve started to do more on-line writing, some things have had to go. The competition in the current climate for freelance writers is so tough that I’m happy to be happy with what I have, if you understand!

So, really the products aren’t ‘gifts’ and come with a weight of responsibility. In general, I have a good relationship with PRs but I’ll receive between 50 and 80 emails a day asking me to feature their client’s products. That’s on top of phone calls, meet-ups and the dreaded post bag! So, it can be quite difficult to stay fascinated about the latest and greatest.

Going to launches is a must to learn about new products and have current information – often I’ll know about new beauty items hitting the shelves months before they actually do. Launches are a bit daunting; often I won’t know anybody – you’d be surprised at how many times nobody even speaks to me! Trays of canapés are standard, but if you tuck in, that will be the very moment that someone does actually speak – and I’ve got a mouth stuffed with mini-bagel! So despite the enormous amount of delicious food available, I’ll often leave absolutely starving! The other types of launches are presentations by the formulators, manufacturers and PRs and they are so dull it is almost unbearable; like going to a college lecture, I guess.

There are many, many upsides to being a beauty writer; I’ve made some great friends – other writers, PR’s and sometimes even the brand owners, too. I get to go to some amazing venues, and occasionally get out of the country on a press trip, and of course, have access to the every single beauty product I ever fancy trying. My skin veers from being flawless to flippin’ awful because I’m trying so many different things, and no matter how much I love a product, I always have to move on so I can genuinely give other things a go. I’ve stuck through thick and thin though with one particular balm cleanser (Saaf) and won’t be moved to swap to another come what may!

What I love about running my own blog is that I can say what I like; in magazines and newspapers, you always have to consider the advertisers who won’t like to see a negative comment or poor rating on their products – if they’re big spenders with an advertising budget, the papers won’t want to risk that relationship. So, even if I think a product is truly dire, I can very rarely say so. The way round that is, of course, to say nothing about it all. Editors are a law unto themselves, and can hack to pieces a feature I’ve spent days writing – even slashing the best comments (a rather drunk celebrity hairdresser once really let loose and character assassinated some real A listers – I thought it was a coup – the editor slashed the lot!).

In the same vein as the advertising, I also know that if I rubbish a brand or a product, the person who’ll get the backlash is the PR – and that could be someone I’ve worked with for years. Tricky, indeed. Ultimately, the upsides easily outweigh the downs and I still wake up thinking I’m lucky to do something I love.”

www.BritishBeautyBlogger.blogspot.com

Hope you enjoyed reading this – I know I did! Thanks again Jane!

MizzWorthy xxx

I posted this haul yesterday on youtube, however I was asked by Kelly (Happy1234) to post some pics on here too due to her having problems with the sound on her computer…

I visited my Illamasqua counter on Friday and picked up another haul from the “Sirens” collection…

I picked up a set (exclusive to Selfridges) containing false lashes, two nail varnishes, lip gloss and “Solstice” liquid metal.

“Solstice” is an amazing product, which can be used on eyes/lips/face to add a beautiful golden glaze, and can be made as sheer or strong as you want… The lipgloss is a beautiful shade, a pale cool peachy pink shade shot throught with a subtle gold sheen.

The Illamasqua nail varnishes are really well pigmented and you get “bottle colour” in one coat with most shades. They seem to last well under everyday wear as well!

Sorry the lashes didn’t photograph well her they are as the appear on the website!

I also picked up shimmer creme and two “fat pencils” which are metallic soft blendable pencils which can be used anywhere on the face or body… Here they are with swatches.

Next on the hitlist was a bronzong duo which I bought in the lighter shades (“Glint” – the lighter of the two, and “Writhe” the darker shade.) Both sides have a very subtle shimmer to them, which seems to add a lovely sheen to the face. I am SOOOO pleased I bought this!

Finally, I picked up a powder shadow in the shade “Intense”, a beautiful deep teal blue/green shade, which I think will add a perfect twist to a smoky eye…

I had a little play with my collection this afternnon and came up with a couple of quick looks (Please note – I am not wearing any foundation in the pics so forgive the skin… I’m having a slight breakout issue at the moment!)

Firstly I did a daytime look -

This was really easily achieved using the bronzing duo to sculp and highlight the face a little. I added a little shimmer creme over the brow and cheekbone, a slick of the lipgloss and used the fat pencil in “perverse” to make my eyes a little shimmery.

I then had a play with the other products to make the look slightly more night-time -

Here I smoked up my eyes a little using bronze and teal shades from my large SirensPalette (http://mizzworthy.blogspot.com/2009/04/illamasqua-haul-sirens-collection.html), and added the light gold shade as a brow highlighter. I then very lightly used solstice gold liquid metal on the cheekbone, added a little of the peach blush and a pop of solstice to the inner corner or the eyes. On the lips I used my fat pencil in Wilful (Copper) and topped this off with copper liquid metal (“enrapture”), dabbed a little of the gold shade in the middle of the lips and blotted…

Unfortunately the light was rather rubbish by he time I took these and hence the pictures look a little less bright than they did in real life… but hopefully you get the idea!

Let me know what you think!

MizzWorthy xxx

Hi everyone! Hope you are all well

I finally got paid today, so I unleashed myself on the Trafford Centre to visit my new favourite brand, and went to see the lovely makeup and see the lovely makeup artists at Illamasqua – this is a new British brand. It’s currently available in Selfridges in London and the trafford centre in Manchester at the moment, but over the next few months, the brand is rolling out over the UK, and I was told it’s launching in Newcastle today as well. I am in love with this brand for several reasons – Illamasqua’s roots lie in theatrical Berlin and I love the way the brand completely captures the artistic and dramatic feel of the theatre. This makeup makes me feel special, and at the end of the day, this is what Make up is all about to me – the perfect fusion of art and beauty.

Naturally, with makeup and images this beautiful, I have been doing some serious hauling – this is stuff I’ve bought over the last couple of weeks by the way – my credit card has not had a totally serious bashing!

Illamasqua Pure pigments in “Charm”, which the makeup artists acurately described as “mermaid blue”, and “fervent”, which is a bronze-brown based shade with reflects of blue, green and copper. These can be mixed with any mixing medium, they are highly pigmented and there are some beautiful colours available – They retail for £15 for 1.3g of product.

Pigments with “Underworld” Lipstick. The photograph is good, but really doesn’t do this beautiful lipstick justice. Underworld is a rich true purple frosted shade with blue reflects. This sounds strange, but the reflects give this a beautiful understated glow – I can wear this shade subtley in the day time, or I can really vamp it up for a night time look. I absolutely love this shade! I also find the formulation lasts really well and is not drying on the lips. Lipsticks retail at £14.

Here it is on the lips – this is how I would wear it in the day, and again, I have to say the pic does not do this justice!

I also got a cake eyeliner in “Zeal”, a deep dark green shade, this is a solid cake to which to add a drop of mixing medium (which comes with it)and mix to the depth and consistency you desire – I have been using this as you can see! Liner cake is also available in black, grey, deep blue, purple and a muted brown shade, and the cake and mixing medium cost £16. I also bought an undereye concealer, which I’m so far very impressed with. It stays put really really well and doesn’t crease/shift or gather into those fine lines I’m trying to pretent I dont have… It covers my dark circles well too! Under eye concealer retails for £11.74 for 2.5mls.

Illamasqua have an amazing range of matte and creme shadows (they do make a few shimmer shades as well) – I purchased a grey cream shade in “Amorous”. This is a pale shade with a muted purple undertone, and gives a beautiful subtle colour. These are great base shadows, and come in a range of bright and basic shades. I also bought powder eye shadows in “Bruised”, a deep plum/burgundy shade, and “Predator” a beautiful passionate pink. The powder shadows are very well pigmented and give really great colour payoff, which can be applied for a subtle pop of colour or built up for full on drama. These all retail for £14, for 2g of product. They can also be mixed with the mixing medium to create intense eyeliners for dramatic looks.

Naturally, to set off my beautiful shadows, I simply HAD to get some dramatic lashes – Illamasqua do some amazing lashes ranging from individual to complete and utter drama, all of which retail for £11 and are reusable.

Finally a couple of beautiful cream blushers – I have to say that I have had issues with MAC blushers in the past in terms of the fact that they dissappear on me after about two hours. This is not true of Illamasquas blushers at all. They are available in powder and cream formulations, and some fabulously dramatic shades are available. I purchased “Dixie”, which is one of those magical shades which seems to suit everyone, and also “Lies”, a paler pink which can be used to give a beautiful sheen of colour to the cheekbone.

The ethos behind this brand is all about exploring and unleashing your alter ego! This has been the inspiration behind the competition which I am going to be launching tomorrow!

Hope you enjoyed!

Love MizzWorthy xxx

xxx

I love high drama, but it has to be contained to one area lol – ie, eyes lips or cheeks, but not all three. I don’t really want to end up looking like a drag queen lol. Unfortunately I often have to go with natural for work though.

Which feature do you play up the most?

Probably my eyes, but I’m planning to play up my cheeks and lips more over the spring and summer. I also think if your skin looks good you can do any colour/look you want!

Which feature do you try to downplay/cover up?

Any bemishes obviously, but I also try to contour and downplay the current roundness of my face due to my weight!

Your favourite makeup brand, if you could pick only ONE to exist?

I’m going to have to go with MAC on this one, not necessarily for the collections and annoying limited edition stuff, but for the sheer choice of colours and number of looks you can achieve, as well as the unique nature of some of the products.

Which product have you re-purchased OVER and OVER again?

YSL Effet Faux Cils Mascara.

Which product would you NEVER repurchase again and why?

Cheap face powder – no matter what brand I try and how light I buy, it always seems to oxidise and turn orage on me!

One beauty treatment you would always PAY to have done?

Gotta be threading for my eyebrows/facial hair. I tried to learn to do it myself and it just didn’t work… Back to the pro’s I go!

One beauty treatment you would NEVER pay to have done?

Can’t think of one really – if I had the money I would probabaly go to the beauty salon more often…

One beauty trick you can share with everyone?

Make sure you have a good foundation, high end or low end, doesn’t matter as long as it makes your skin look and feel great. Once your skin looks good you can carry off any look you want.

Best advice you’ve ever been given regarding beauty and makeup?

Don’t be afraid to experiment, but also don’t be afraid to wipe it off and start again if it looks wrong!

Thanks again Laura!

MizzWorthy xxx

Anyone else feeling slightly over-hyped about the MAC Hello Kitty collection?

I feel like every guru on you tube has covered the collection really well.

Then I saw the fabulous dupe video that Emma/magpie sparkles did, duping the HK look without using any HK products… I’m starting to think I might not be too gutted about not getting much from this collection – maybe it’s suffering slightly from its own hype?

I don’t know what you think, but some of the recent MAC collections have actually been quite disappointing to me. The one I’ve liked the most (The Creme Team collection) was actually the one I expected to like the least. In the meantime, collections that SHOULD have been fabulous (Dame Edna anyone? No thanks!) just were not. The BBR collection had great potential in theory, but in my honest opinion the only things worth buying were the brushes and the MSF’s – evidently others agreed as these are rapidly selling out near me…

Is anyone else feeling like this? Am I actually just turning into a narky old fart lol?

All comments welcome!

MizzWorthy xxx