Beauty round-up

I'm back and just sneaking in a June post before we officially enter Cover Girl's Birthday Month. I've been kind of busy jet-setting to Monte Carlo and Madrid (for work), moving back to London and settling into my new house. My new favourite pastime is picking Farrow & Ball paint colours and considering what plants I should put in my garden.

Yes, I am officially middle-aged but no less fanatical about beauty. The busier you are, the more you need those products that make you look fabulous in minutes. These are my June hero products.

Origins Smarty Plants. This product is miraculous, I reviewed it back in March. No matter how you look, this will make you look better. I simply adore it.

I also love my Nars Multiple matte blusher. The difference the matte makes is extraordinary. This makes you look healthy and glowing and is the easiest blusher in the world to put on.

I bought this Smashbox eyeliner in New York and I am absolutely heartbroken to tell you they have discontinued this line of eyeliners completely. I have no idea why.

If you find this on eBay in Black Gold, buy it. It's the most flattering colour I've ever worn, it's easy to apply and it lasts all day long. I wear it most days.

This Sephora own brand jumbo eyeliner is also good. It's not as good as Smashbox but it's cheaper and it still pleases me. I have Dark Taupe Shimmer and it's a good day colour.

Sephora now ships to the UK so if you are buying one of the jumbo crayons, bung this in your basket too. It sharpens it beautifully and lots of people complain that normal pencil sharpeners don't work.

The 5 in 1 Living Proof cream still amazes me. Put this in your basket with your Sephora order too.

Finally, a beauty salon just opened up opposite our new house. It's like they knew I was arriving in the 'hood! I now Shellac pretty much all the time, the no chipping together with stronger nails works for me. If you have had a bad experience with removal (lord knows I have) then I must say it's worth looking around and finding someone you trust. My nails have never looked better!

Sephora, Sephora, how I love you

I was in New York last week for work and it was pretty intense. However, the sun was shining and it was lunchtime and there is a huge Sephora opposite the office.

Why is there no Sephora over here? It's just HEAVEN. I was in there for an hour and seriously could have spent the whole afternoon. It's very cleverly designed. Some examples: they have nail bars, themed like Neon, so all the shades of neons from different ranges and you can do your own nails. No charge. They have stands of Top 10 products, for example, top 10 primers, top 10 mascaras, top 10 roll on perfume. This makes you look at a range you may overlook. It's brilliant marketing. The best bit is they leave you alone to play and explore. If you have questions, the assistants are there to help you but they don't hound you.

The main attraction for me was the Marc Jacobs make-up range.

It didn't disappoint. The nail varnish is gorgeous.

The packaging is divine. It's all lovely however I didn't buy anything. I know, you did read that correctly. It's expensive and you can't help feel you are paying for the packaging. Which I know is true of all high-end products but a combination of that and not actually needing anything restrained me.

I did however get a Smashbox eyeliner which I can tell you is fabulous. It's easy to apply, it stays on all day with absolutely no smudging.

I also picked up a Clinique super primer.

I am so disappointed in it. It's a very strange consistency and it's nothing special. I shall try again with it but it's not wowing me.

I am moving to New York at the end of October for six months and I feel that Sephora is going to get the bulk of my salary. They do a loyalty card though...

Lancome primer

A friend told me I had to buy a new miracle product from Lancome.  I quote: "it literally fills in wrinkles and lines on your face."

Hot-footed it I did to the nearest Lancome counter where I managed to buy the wrong product. She was talking about this:

But I managed to buy this. This is because the woman on the Lancome counter was hopeless. Now I hear Lancome are in a bit of trouble and if their staff don't know the products, then I am not surprised.

Anyway, I've been using what I bought because hey, a primer is always useful and I'm not about to waste £25.  It's very much like the Smashbox primer I got last year but not as plasticky. It's pretty good and nice with my new Bobbi Brown foundation over the top (yes, I bought it, nobody is surprised are they?) However, I wouldn't say it's a 'must-have'.

However, I am loving my Bobbi Brown. I went back and bought everything else from my recent makeover. The blusher is great but the foundation is a revelation. It glides on, you hardly need any and it smells truly lovely. The mascara is the only meh product. It's not rocking my world.

Shopping on the plane

And why not? Flicking through the duty-free magazine on the flight is a wonderful way to waste half an hour or so.  I've just come back from New York and I have plenty of beauty news to report but first up is my duty-free splurge.

I got two Smashbox products. First up is the foundation primer. I was seduced by the offer of a free travel sized sample with it. I love travel sized products, anything that has travel sized written on it, I tend to buy. This is a weird product, it feels like plastic on your face. I am not sure what to make of it. My skin is always a bit weird in New York so I shall see how it performs back in London.

I also bought O-Glow - an intuitive cheek colour. I've had my eye on this for a while. It reacts to your skin and gives you a pink glow. Regular readers will know my obsession with blusher. I adore this. It looks like a clear gel, you put a tiny bit on and instantly you look all dewy and healthy. It's wonderful. Recommended.

I also bought an old favourite that I've not used for ages. Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. I still love this, in fact I had forgotten how much I like it. It's a perfect pick me up for jet-lagged skin.