Estée Lauder Pleasures Ad Campaign 2011

Estée Lauder Beautiful Ad Campaign 2011

Estée Lauder Idealist Ad Campaign 2011

Estée Lauder Sensuous Nude Ad Campaign 2011

Glow with sun protection

I hope everyone uses sunscreen when they're outside. As nice as the sun feels on our skin, it can do serious long-term damage. I don't want (premature) wrinkles. I definitely do not want skin cancer.

SPF 15 is obviously not enough for serious sunbathing but I like to think it's fine for my kind of weekends. My favourite is Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Sun Supreme for Body.

"Special ingredients help guard against the appearance of sun spots and other visible signs of sun damage--even helping prevent patchiness. Sun Supreme formulas allow a natural tan that's incredibly even-toned, golden and radiant."

It is very smooth and has a light, pleasant fragrance. I like it because it contains tiny golden particles that reflect the sunlight, making the skin 'glow'!

For my face I'm currently using Sun Supreme SPF 15. I've only just opened it but I bought it last summer (it's my second jar). It looks like there is a newer one on the market now with SPF 30 - even better, I say, because I use this as a daytime moisturiser only in summer.

Golden sparkles!

I also have the Sun Supreme Rescue Serum but I'm not really convinced it's necessary. (Tell me if you are!)

When it comes to skincare I do like to use Estée Lauder products and I think the Sun Supreme series is one of the best and certainly one of the most interesting.

What are your favourite summer skincare products?

Mascara trial and error

Do you buy department store or drugstore products? I tend to only buy higher end stuff but when it comes to mascaras I do like to try different things. Years ago as a student I loved 2000 Calorie mascara by Max Factor. At the moment I love False Lash Effect. I think their mascaras are still some of the best.

I also used to have a favourite from Rimmel that had a comb brush (I can't remember what it was called, though). I've also quite liked Bourjois. 

I've hated all the Maybelline mascaras, though, including the famous Great Lash. I've tried a lot of the L'Oréal ones, too, but when I discovered that they really sting when they get in the eyes (I cried wearing one), I chucked them all out. 

Here are the mascaras I currently have in my drawer - only two are drugstore at the moment.

From left to right:

Max Factor False Lash Effect

L'Oréal Voluminous

Estée Lauder TurboLash

Chanel Exceptionnel

MAC Prep and Prime

MAC Pro Lash

MAC Zoom Lash

MAC Studio Fix Lash

MAC Dazzle Lash

MAC Fibre Rich Lash

Diorshow Black Out

Bobbi Brown Everything / Lash Glamour

Bobbi Brown Party

Max Factor's False Lash Effect has a plastic brush that I like. It lengthens and defines very well, with absolutely no clumping. I prefer it to L'Oréal's Voluminous, which I find clumpy. I had to try it, though, because a friend of mine swears by this.

Estée Lauder's Turbolash is battery operated so it kept on moving around as I photographed this! It's EL's best mascara but it's only okaaaay (because the others are all crap). The vibrating wand doesn't do anything a normal wand wouldn't do. If I had to buy another vibrating mascara I would go for Lancôme, as they generally do much better mascaras.

Exceptionnel de Chanel has an 'innovative six-sided application brush' that is part plastic comb and part normal brush. This means you have to rotate the brush as you apply it and this can be a bit tricky. I wasn't impressed at first but the more I use it, the more I like it. Here is a close up of the brush:

Of the MAC mascaras:
Prep and Prime doesn't really count because it's only a primer and a crap one, too (hate the corkscrew wand), but to be fair I'm not a fan of primers (you can always still see the white).
Pro Lash defines and separates. It's nothing special but good, if that makes sense. The brush is an odd shape, though.
Zoom Lash really combs your lashes, it feels a lot harder than most other brushes, and it's quick - it's not a mascara that you can re-apply and layer. I like it.
Studio Fix Lash is one of the newer ones from MAC. I like it because it has a plastic brush, which usually works well on me. It's a lot like the Max Factor False Lash Effect.
Dazzle Lash has a brush that is way too small, I find, so I only use it on my lower lashes.
Fibre Rich Lash is my least favourite.

Diorshow Blackout has a huge brush and it's for volume, volume, volume. A bit too much for my liking.

The two-in-one from Bobbi Brown was a limited edition from ages ago (yeah I still have it and it's still fine!) but they are sold separately in their permanent line.
Everything is quite good, it's supposed to do everything (volume, length, definition), hence the name, but as with anything Bobbi, it's understated. You'll never get the same kind of volume as with the Dior one.
Lash Glamour is waterproof and has a corkscrew brush that I don't like at all.
Party mascara is their newest one and it's supposed to add incredible volume... but still not like the Dior one. I don't really see a huge difference between this and Everything but maybe that's just me.

Today I used Exceptionnel de Chanel, added Max Factor's False Lash Effect over it, and applied MAC's Dazzle Lash to the lower lashes.

Mascara is one of those things that you just have to try yourself. What one person likes could be the worst mascara you've ever tried...

What's your favourite?

The best lip balms: My current top three

I cannot live without lip balm. I just can't concentrate on anything when my lips are dry.

This is why I have a lip balm on the bedside table, one in the kitchen and another one by the computer. And many more in handbags, coat pockets and drawers.

But not just any old lip balm will do! They have to be soft and creamy. I don't like having to scrape stuff out with my fingernail (like Bobbi Brown's).

Here are my top three:

1. By Terry's Baume de Rose SPF 15
It does smell of roses but it's not strong. At least I don't notice it. Which is lucky because I hate lipsticks or lip glosses that smell sweet.

Fab stuff. My absolute favourite.

But as pretty as the packaging is, it's heavy and not handbag- or travel-friendly.

2. Estée Lauder's Re-Nutriv Sun Supreme Lip Balm SPF 15
This is part of the expensive, anti-ageing Re-Nutriv series. It has small shimmer particles in it, which you're not really likely to notice unless you're out in the sun.

For carrying around in a handbag, this is the best because the packaging is small, slim and plastic.

3. Kiehl's Lip Balm #1 SPF 4
I used to think this was expensive but it's the cheapest of my top three now. Sun protection is a bit low in comparison with the other two (this one is SPF 4 only, the others are SPF 15).

I have a feeling that my top three selection will change, though, once I get my hands on Dior's crème de rose lip balm...  

Mini haul: Laura Mercier and Clinique

I would describe my skin type as normal most of the time; not particularly sensitive, nor too dry or too oily. I have relatively good skin - I get spots only on rare occasions. My t-zone tends to get a bit shiny but if I use skincare for combination skin, it's usually not enough and my skin feels tight.

Lately I have really been struggling with oiliness on my forehead, though. To be honest I have always regarded skincare and make-up rather separately, and not really considered: skincare + makeup = effect?

Well, I think it's time to change that. Since my day cream ran out, I've been using one moisturiser for day and night: Resilience Lift Extreme for dry skin from Estée Lauder. This is my first jar of the stuff and I like it. It smells wonderful (passion fruit) and is anti-ageing, which is reassuring. It has SPF 15, which is important for during the day. It's fine to use at night as well because the sun protection isn't activated unless you go out.

But I think it's too rich as a day cream, for me at least. It doesn't matter which foundation or powder I use, my forehead starts to shine after just two hours!

So I went out and got Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. I'm planning on using this oil-free gel only on my forehead.

I'm still looking for the perfect loose powder, as well, so I got two. Both are from Laura Mercier: Mineral Finishing Powder in #1 and Loose Setting Powder in Translucent.

I used to have the loose setting powder and liked it so this is a repeat purchase. I'm going to give it another try.

The mineral finishing powder is new to me and there are so many positive reviews out there, I had to get it!

As any effective experiment should be conducted, I will only test one variable at a time! So I shall be starting with the mineral powder first.

Favourite hand creams

I have only recently become interested in higher end hand creams. At least, I never used to fuss over them. I used Neutrogena a lot and mainly stuck to the cheaper products. Not anymore.

1. My current favourite is by L'Occitane. I like the small tubes (30ml) and keep them in my handbag. It doesn't take up much space and it's really light; but what's better is that with use, it flattens out and takes up even less space. (Some tubes are one-size only and keep their shape, even when there's nothing left inside. They then become too bulky and I get rid of them as soon as possible.)

I suppose if I had to find something I didn't like about these, it would have to be the screw-on caps. They are so small that I often drop them and that can be annoying.

L'Occitane often does limited edition hand creams so look out for those.

2. Another favourite is the Mani Pedi by Estée Lauder. This is to use at home because you get quite a lot (200ml) for your money. The packaging is nowhere near as nice and the product itself is not as creamy as the L'Occitane stuff so it doesn't feel ultra moisturising. But it's fine for during the day, when you're going to be washing your hands soon afterwards again anyway. I prefer that to having greasy hands. It's also scent free.

3. Another good one that I've tried is Dior's HydrAction hand creme. It comes in a sleek packaging (75ml) that's good for keeping in the handbag and whipping out in front of others (it's Dior, after all). I remember it had a nice fragrance and it was moisturising but not greasy. The thing I mentioned before about certain tubes not shrinking... well, this is an example of that. The Dior packaging stays as it is all the way through to the end. But I would repurchase. In fact, I like it better than EL's Mani Pedi; only the cost factor, in comparison, is a slight issue.

Others:

Estée Lauder's Re-Nutriv Intensive Lifting hand cream - this is way too pricey. It's supposed to work magic, like reduce dark spots, but seeing as I don't have any yet, it's a waste of money.

Biotherm - you can also get this in a travel-friendly size. I would say that it's good and smells nice. But it wasn't anything special. I won't be getting this again.

Molton Brown - I'm not counting this as a favourite, I only wanted to mention it because I've use it. You can get a matching hand wash (for your guest bathroom), which is a nice touch. But the hand cream is only so-so. It's definitely not greasy but it could be creamier, for my liking. Make sure you get the one you like the smell of because it can be overpowering.