Beauty Philosophy: January 2008

Thursday, 31 January 2008

Vegan Kohl Liner

I have always had a bit of fascination with kohl. Get it right and create a sultry, exotic beauty look but get it wrong and risk looking like a grungey teenager.

On a recent trip to London I visited Lush's "vintage store" in Covent Garden: B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful which specialises in fragrances and vegan makeup. Faced with hundreds of brightly jewelled cases filled with various glitters and powders, I was drawn to a less intimidating looking pot of kohl. It is pure dressing table decoration in its Moroccan inspired wooden pot with wood stick applicator but I was intrigued....

All makeup is vegan in the store (no ingredients derived from animals.. including any lanolin they use and not tested on animals) which makes for an interesting change. The kohl is actually much simpler to use than I anticipated with the stick but, depending on how much you get on the stick, the colour isn't as concentrated as I sometimes would like.

However, its seems to be quite hard to go wrong it is smudgy and soft but doesn't seem to lend itself to the same disasters as many kohl pencils over the years and it *does* remind me of something vaguely more authentic. Did you know in India they wear kohl to ward off the evil eye?

Overall I wear kohl more often now than before, it seems to wear better and not go all crumbly like other makes during the day possibly because of the ingredients and hey! im a sucker for packaging! For the die hard smokey eye fans this wont replace your liquid liners and eye pencils but it is a bit unique and we have to support the companies who try to bring more ethical beauty to the foreground!

Ingredients: Castor Oil, Jojoba Oil, Shea Butter, synthetic beeswax, carnauba wax, synthetic lanolin

Price: £8.50 . Available in store or online

Wednesday, 16 January 2008

Feet Treat!

O.k so the first 'official' post is technically not about a skincare product but they are so pretty I think we can classify them a beauty product of sorts! Introducing one of my favourite Christmas presents this year : the Holistic Silk Therapy slippers. Perhaps they do not seem initially that credible but these are so much more than a slipper (honestly!) .

Described on their website as the brainchild of designer Joanna Weakley who combined her talent and flair for design with her interest in holistic therapies such as aromatherapy and magnetic therapy in these slippers and a whole range of 'holistic silk' products. The slippers are made from brocade and leather and are fair trade. They come in a whole array of pretty colours (I am a proud owner of the fuchsia ones in the picture and there is a more macho black version available for men) with gold faux leather soles making them quite hardwearing. They are also fully flexible and lined with velvet but what really sells them is their removable magnetic insoles.

The insoles are 'textured' (that means with little bumps to you and me) designed to give your feet a mini reflexology massage while magnets are believed to aid circulation and pain relief. As someone whose feet take quite a battering (literally ... i dance ballet!) may I testify that these really are helping me after a long day in pointe shoes or 4 inch heels and all I have to do is put them on! Gone are the days of cartoon slippers where answering your door to unexpected visitors could cause great shame! I carry mine with me everywhere now I never want to take them off they are so pretty and comfortable and I feel assured that I am being kind to my feet too. I want more colours!

Now for the price tag...£65. Yes I know for slippers! Which is why I am glad I got mine as a gift but they really will last you a long time so if you feel like spoiling your neglected feet and splashing out a little you can purchase them on their website, victoriahealth.com or, if you feel like a trip to the Dundrum Centre I believe their Harvey Nichols Branch has started to stock them as well.

Tuesday, 15 January 2008