Archive for the Cosmetics Ala Carte Category

Cosmetics à la Carte MOT & The Vitality Show!

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Today was a pretty busy day in terms of make-up and blogging things, I had an appointment with Cosmetics à la Carte in the afternoon for them to give me a Make-up MOT which includes tailor making a foundation for me from their ‘made to measure’ range, while also having tickets for The Vitality Show (courtesy of the very generous and thoughtful Bourjois) which I went to later on in the afternoon. For those that have been living under a rock the last few days; The Vitality Show is a 4 day event held at Earls Court showcasing a staggering array of health, beauty and fitness brands. Obviously I wasn’t interested in the health and fitness, but the make-up and beauty section were certainly worth a visit! I was told there were discounts to be had and I wanted them all!

Cosmetics à la Carte

I’m not sure how it has only been in the last few months that I have discovered Cosmetics à la Carte because they are fast becoming one of my favourite brands! I initially came across the brand at this event a month or so ago and fell in love with their products right then and there, so obviously I jumped at the chance to visit their Knightsbridge store and get a Make-up MOT when they sent me an invite!

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Make-up MOT products used on me

A Make-up MOT consists of getting your entire face made up using Cosmetics à la Carte products and also having a foundation tailor made for you, much like prescriptives used to do. The foundation I opted for was Skin Tint, a full coverage dewy finish foundation, and my particular made to measure formula consisted of Olive, Gold and Honey. All shades that can be bought individually from the regular Skin Tint foundation shade range. It was a pretty perfect match for my skin.

Sorry these pics are a bit wack!

The make-up I had done was quite fresh and soft, nothing too harsh. The products I was most impressed with was the Skin Tint foundation and the Secret Light Concealer, which is an eyeshadow base and concealer for the eyes. I actually ended up purchasing this concealer (in Cinnamon, the shade used on me) as I loved the colour it gave me as an eyeshadow base, but it does look pretty dark as an under eye concealer so not sure how practical it’ll be for that. Having said that, my eyes don’t look shadowy or dark where it was used so maybe this is the right colour for me?

The Secret Light Concealer in Cinnamon, £20.

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I got a sample of my made to measure Skin Tint foundation (alongside a sample of their Rose Dew Primer) and I have to say since wearing it all day I love it. I LOVE the coverage and finish of it, it’s exactly what I’ve always wanted in a foundation and even now, a good 8 hours after wear the make-up is flawless! The only problem is to re-order my made to measure shade would cost me (and you!) £45 for a 30ml bottle. Hmmm… quite expensive. I am considering checking out the regular shades in the same range and finding a decent-ish match for my skin as the regular shades are only £35 and there are 12 shades to choose from.

The foundation shades that make your ‘Made to Measure’ foundation!

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To book your own Make-up MOT at Cosmetics à la Carte, call 0207 235 0596.

 

The Vitality Show

This is my first time at The Vitality Show and I really didn’t know what to expect. I was short of time as I didn’t want to leave the minute it shut as that would be when everyone else would be leaving, which would mean a nightmare to get home on rubbish British public transport, so I decided I was only going to check out the Beauty section and leave before closing. I say ‘only’, but the beauty section in itself is massive.

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There were lots of bargains to be had, Benefit were offering a 15% discount on all their products as well as free gift when you bought 2 (or was it 3?) products but their section was RAMMMMED so I couldn’t even get a look in.

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I popped into Bourjois to say hello to the lovely press girls who sent me my ticket, and they were offering great deals and makeovers galore. I was tempted to have a little extra make-up put on me but there were queues and I was on a tight schedule, remember!

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I found Jelly Pong Pong (hooray, I love Jelly Pong Pong) and sorry folks, but they had the best deal in the house. They were selling these goody bags filled with £52 worth of Jelly Pong Pong products for only £5! And the products weren’t rubbish colours you’d never use, I actually think had I been asked to choose any shades from the entire collection for myself these could easily have been them!

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They were also offering 50% off of whatever that had displayed at their stalls. Again, I was tempted to buy everything but nothing really jumped out at me and I have waaay too much make-up as it is.

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On the way out I saw this stall that were selling these brushes for oh so cheap by a brand called Crown Brush. I think their deal is you can bulk buy their brushes and get your make or logo or whatever put on them, so they’re like your company brushes! Admittedly I didn’t think the brushes were that great but I did pick up this metal eye lash comb for £4 (ever since celebrity Make-up Artist Caroline Barnes used one on me at the Max Factor Lash Extensions event I’ve decided my plastic one is just not good enough) and an eye liner brush for £2.

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And that was all my shopping and bits!

I had a great day, and left feeling I got the best and didn’t waste money on things I’d never use, I should be stricter with myself more often! I will do another post on the Jelly Pong Pong goody bag and my Cosmetics  à la Carte concealer so keep an eye out for that!

There are still 2 days left of the 4 day Vitality Show event so if you fancy going visit www.thevitalityshow.co.uk.

Lx

 

Cosmetics ála Carte Lip Gloss in Bubblegum and Peach

After an event a few weeks back where I gushed over the Cosmetics ála Carte display, I was thoughtfully sent some goodies of the products I tried at the time. As soon as I opened this package I was incredibly excited as straight away I could see an array of brights and colours in perfect hues of pinks ands oranges – so me!

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This post is going to focus mainly on the lipglosses but I have also quickly swatched the blushers so you can check them out for yourself before I get round to reviewing them. Both lipglosses and blushers are the newly released neon shades; the blushers are ‘Flush Blush’ and come in Peach (the orange) and Bubblegum (the pink!), and the lipglosses are simply called ‘Lip Gloss’ and come in shades of the same name.

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(L-R) Bubblegum and Peach; lip gloss above, flush blushes below.

Initially I was really excited about the Flush Blushes but on closer inspection I noticed they were mousse blushers, not cream like I had expected. I was really hoping they’d be dewy finish (as I thought they were cream) but I’ve since briefly tried them out and they’re not that matte so I guess there is still a possibility that I will get on really well with them – plus, the shade choice alone makes them a partial winner in my eyes! Perfect for summer!

Now onto the glosses..

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Interestingly, Cosmetics ála Carte Lipglosses state on their tubes that they are ‘Sheer colour and shine. Apply liberally’. I guess if you applied one coat it could be a pretty wash of shiney colour, but I chose to use about two to three coats and managed to achieve an outstanding amount of pigment! I was so impressed. I fell immediately in love with them, they had just the right amount of colour pay off without being too gloopy or sticky with their superior gloss formulation.

Cosmetics ála Carte Lip Gloss in Peach

I’m wearing the Flush Blush in Bubblegum in these pics, too!

Cosmetics ála Carte Lip Gloss in Bubblegum

I’m not sure if the camera picks up how ‘wow’ these are, but they seriously come out bright and strongly pigmented!

I’ve been wearing the Peach all day (and all day yesterday!) and I genuinely think I have possibly found my holy grail lipgloss! The lasting power is brilliant, a good 4 hours, possibly more without eating or drinking (or smoking, etc, not that I smoke), and once it does wear off, it doesn’t do that horrible thing where your lips are left feeling bitty with pigment still stained on some parts and then completely bare on others. It faded beautifully leaving a pink, even, nourished stain.

I reapplied in total 3 times for a full days/nights wear, and I guess if you were out and about and wanted the colour to appear fresher and stronger you’d apply it more often, but for me this was fine. Out of the two, Peach is probably my favourite as Bubblegum is a little too neon and the tone is a little harder to wear – it is definitely more a statement lip and I will be still wearing it, especially for Summer.

As I mentioned above, I do believe these are my ‘Holy Grail’ lipglosses – Yes, a massive statement, I know! Considering I don’t really even like lipglosses anymore because they are often so gross and tacky on the lips and tooo sticky, Cosmetic ála Carte ones have proved to be without a doubt the exception! Pigment – outstanding. Comfort – outstanding. Formula – perfect. However, I must add that at £18 a pop these are definitely verging on the pricier side of glosses, you’re paying for the good quality, and in all honesty I’m not sure how long a tube of this is gonna last me. However if you’ve got the cash and like the shades, I would definitely make the investment. Especially in these gorgeous neon colours!

You can pick up Cosmetics ála Carte from www.cosmeticsalacarte.com.

Lx

 

New skin care brands to have a gander at!

There was a brilliant event I went to yesterday hosted by a PR company who wanted to offer bloggers a chance to familiarise themselves with their [predominantly skin care] brands better. It was an amazing opportunity for us to discover new brands, and best of all, to meet the creators behind them!

Elizabeth’s Daughter
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This range is 95% natural and a great alternative for those who do have problem skin and want something gentle, effective and free of fragrances and chemicals. Woman of all ages can use this, especially if most other products irritate their skin, but generally it is aimed for younger skin – it’s aimed for mothers buying their daughters skin care that is natural and kind.

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Elizabeth, founder of Elizabeths’s Daughter

Elizabeth’s Daughter really appealed to me as I suffer from Eczema, and always have done. People do comment that I have good skin, but that is because I work really hard in looking after it. My skin is the sensitivest of the sensitive, and there are many products that people rave about that I simply can’t use. Such as Elizabeth Ardens 8 Hour Cream. I’m allergic to that. HOWEVER, Elizabeth’s Daughter have actually bought out an alternative to that product (Soothing and Glossing Balm) without the known allergens which I’m hoping I can actually use (woo hoo!). Elizabeth’s Daughter also have an Intensive Moisturiser which is supposed to be fantastic for dry, Eczema prone skin. Luckily we were given one of these in the goody bag!

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Elizabeth’s Daughter Intensive Moisturiser

You can buy Elizabeth’s Daughter online from www.elizabethsdaughter.co.uk, or from retail stockists John Lewis (Oxford St, London), Peter Jones (Edinburgh, Bristol & Newcastle) and Harvey Nichols (Dublin, Edinburgh & London).

He-Shi
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An Irish brand that specialise in self tanning products. I only really fake tan my pins during summer for the once in a blue moon I get them out, but I am still well aware of the problems most self tanners are rife with; horrible smell, patchiness, dryness. Yep, I’ve definitely noticed those in the past! However, this brand promises to be the genuine product that is the exception to all those common problems, and whilst I haven’t used it properly, Hilary (the founder), demonstrated it on my arm and it looked gorgeous, smelt lovely and didn’t turn orange (or stain my clothes!)!

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Hilary McMurray, Founder of He-Shi

You can buy He-Shi online from www.he-shi.co.uk or from selected salons and day spas across the country.

Blooming Babe
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A range mostly for the pregnant woman but they do also have some gorgeous sounding skin care products too! Blooming Babe have (as you’d expect) anti-stretch mark oils, tummy masks(!) and so on, but what excited me the most was their oil cleanser (Genie in a Bottle) and Glow Papaya Enzyme Mask – an exfoliator that was in a mask form. You applied it as a mask, let it develop for a certain amount of time, then washed it off. It worked by only removing the dead skin through enzymes alone, so it contained no scrubby bits! This is a fab idea as it meant you weren’t accidently scrubbing healthy skin that many of us probably do unintentially with a regular exfoliator.

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The star products (in my eyes), Genie in a Bottle Rinseable Oil Cleanser and Glow Papaya Enzyme Mask

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Blooming Babe’s Creative team – including founder Elizabeth Horgan Navarro on the left!

You can buy Blooming Babe online from www.beautique.com and www.bloomingbabe.com, or from retail stockists Urban Retreat and Harrods.

Bumble & Bumble, Korres and Tommy Guns
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Yes, we’ve probably all heard of all of these brands already, but it was nice to have a good look at the ranges and in the case of Bumble & Bumble (I so heart Bumble & Bumble), see what new stuff they were coming out with.

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As it happens, Bumble & Bumble are coming out with a new thickening range!

You can buy Bumble & Bumble from retail stockists Space NK.

Cosmetics ála Carte
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I could have spent all day at this display! Although I don’t like to play favourites, especially as all these brands were all equally amazing, obviously I am going to be most excited by the one make-up brand show cased here!

I remember back in make-up school the tutors were always using Cosmetics ála Carte, so I knew they were of good quality. But for some weird and unbeknownst reason I had never ever gotten round to testing them out myself! I have now instantly fallen in love with their little cream blush compacts – the neon bright ones in the picture above! I WANT!

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Hermoine, co-funder of Cosmetic ála Carte, on the left.

They are most famous for their Made-to-Measure foundations (much like Presciptives used to do) and general Made-to-Measure attitude. If you bought a lipstick from them that was discontinued, you have the option for them to re-make you one exactly the same. This does come at a price, but at least it’s good to know that if you do have ‘one’ lipstick that you wear every day, year after year (my mum springs to mind), all is not lost if it suddenly became discontinued.

You can buy Cosmetics ála Carte online from www.cosmeticsalacarte.com, or from their London store Cosmetics A La Carte (19b Motcomb Street, London, SW1).

Purity
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I was briefly introduced to this brand last week at the Superdrug event, but in a nutshell Purity are a brand created by Canadian Banker Paisley Arnold (who now resides in the UK – still a banker!) who wanted everybody to have the option to use good quality, affordable organic skin care. Purity boast a staggering 98% of natural origin ingredients, with 82% of the ingredients processed from organic farming. Most of the products are under a tenner (some even under a fiver!) and are amazing value for money. I’ve been using the cleanser this last week (review to follow soon!) and can vouch that it’s pretty good, so far.

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Paisley Arnold, founder of Purity, on the left.

You can buy Purity exclusively from Superdrug, and online at www.superdrug.com.

I left the event massively inspired with a wealth of knowledge about all these amazing, mostly new to me brands and their equally awe inspiring founders. Most of them had started off as regular cosmetic and skin care savvy consumers, like us, who saw a gap in the market that simply needed to be addressed. I love the ethos of all of them and can’t wait to get cracking into the goody bag – expect a lot of reviews in the next coming months! Let me know if there’s anything/brands you want me to review first.
Lx

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