visual vagenda

from those controversial vagenda girls,

some fantastic food for thought

for feminists everywhere

http://vagendamag.blogspot.co.uk/#!/2012/05/is-it-any-wonder.html

a week in the life

happy face days:

a beauty blogger event with St Ives and Handpicked Media

new erasable gel-ink pens from Muji

the summer-veg & moroccan chicken curry at Leon

an inspiring incentive in the heart of London's W1: the Carnaby Book Exchange

and my new cherry-laced nails, c/o the monthly Revlon Nail Bar

video killed the fairy tale

I love a wee rifle through t'internet's glory-box

today, coming across a wonderful tutorial from lovely Lisa Eldridge

teaching thee how to nail that pared-down Parisian tonal-look

as embodied by Clémence Poésy

this is the beginning of a beautiful virtual friendship...

http://www.lisaeldridge.com/video/21912/soft-tonal-look-clemence-poesy/

where the heart is

pretty things in new, and temporary, packaging

with real illustrative flare, Inner Me, makes me want to swallow it

while my favourite home scenting brand, NEOM, introduces a combo

I cannot get enough of INSPIRATION: violet, chamomile and cedarwood

in the preview pots. thankfully, the smell is final cut:

dreamy, smoky, decadent, luxurious,

an immediate, new, favourite

glitter thumb

Paul & Joe's latest chunky glitter polish goes on like a flash of mermaid scales - irregular, iridescent & irresistible.

#149 Tuesday's Skin

A war of the worlds commenced this morning, with the ol' bleary eyes and crabby complexion.

Oft, things are beyond salvation... but even more often, thank goodness, they're not.

Nuxe Masque Frais Hydratant around the eyes. There are lots of other light flower-cream masks like this on the market (Sisley, Clarins, Decleor), and this one did nothing more miraculous than effectively soften, soothe and hydrate tight & puffy undereyes. For this, I thank it. Had it felt cooler perhaps, it would've fared even better.

Zelens Transformer Instant Renewal Mask everywhere else - and, this really impressed. It took down redness from a couple of extractions, it smoothed admirably, and gave skin a very even colour and glow, without (as far as I can remember from the press release) actually exfoliating. It feels and looks very similar to the Yllume Brightening Cleanser - that silky pearlescent texture that can feel a bit 'fake' and shampoo-like - BUT it goes on more creamily than that, and the results did rather stagger me. I've tried the Zelens Cleanser and was not particularly impressed - in fact, it left parts of my skin dry, others over-stimulated, and eventually spotty, so hadn't had particularly high hopes here. Well, I swallow the words.

Buffed away in a steamy shower, cold water rinse, a good tonic wipe with Antonia Burrell's Forest Dew, then layering of Radical Skincare's cream and serum (also pictured).

I do wish this stuff wasn't so expensive (am not looking forward to the repeat purchase), but I will continue to use it. Skin has absolutely regained more youthful, ahem, vigour, since I introduced it to the routine 2 months ago. And I've not had the usual very dry/too oily see-saw I usually get as the seasons change (despite both formulas being 'rich' - the cream, in particular, is very emollient (but absorbs beautifully).

Finally, that amazing Eclat Matissme by Givenchy, which I have to say, has pretty much whipped every former foundation-paramour of mine. The even but seamless (and undetectable) coverage it delivers, is remarkably consistent. Very very fond of this one.

Less fond, however, of (accidentally) snapping my PJ-d and make-up-less self in the bathroom mirror. Hey Ho.

By Miss Malcontent

#148 Back to Work Face

Gah to the ghastly gastroenteritis. It's been 12 years, but as law of old sod would have it, it hit me in my partying prime, on Thursday night, just before the world let it's hair down (and waistbands out) in time for Easter. It has not been a pretty 4 days, but am determined to soldier on into work tomorrow, certain my cadaverish complexion will give me away at the door. My eyes are a not looking good (they're on the, ahem, large and googly side), and when not fed well (sleep, good air, fresh food), can look pretty damn scary. Lined up aside the sink awaiting possible morning trial are:

Repechage Biolight Miracle Mask

Biologique Recherce P50 Lotion

(A sample of the as-yet-unlaunched) Zelens Active Brightening Mask

Sophyto Super Skin Concentrate

Tonight, skin was gently and well fed with LiveActive Oil Cleansing Balm (a new favourite range, made in tiny batches near the Isle of Skye: products with impressive potency, and beautiful ingredients); Antonia Burrell Pure Therapy Facial Serum and Radical Skincare Restorative Moisture.

Healing guts are being fed with The Organic Pharmacy DETOX capsules (2 a night gently and harmlessly eradicates waste/toxins); probiotics; and come a sunnier day, I'll be trialing Austrian digestive health clinic, Viva Mayr's line of inimitable supplements: Base Alkaline Powder and Magnesium Citrate - which, when taken together, are guaranteed to do a damn good job of (not unpleasantly) purging the pipes.

I'm certainly not glad that I got struck down, but hey, it's saved me 4 days of sugar... which, given this (unusual) month's track record, might well be why I was so susceptible to getting sick in the first place...

Lessons learned. Tomorrow is a new day.

(With the results of those morning skincare trials posted on Tuesday)...

By Miss Malcontent