SCENT... ALWAYS THE SAME

Fragrance holds a special place in my heart.

My first ever perfume, Baby Doll (Limited Edition, with glitter) was brought for me as a gift by Mother, when I was 12 years old. Since then I have only had two other perfumes, a short (and I mean very short) stint with Lacoste 'A Touch of Pink' (since has under gone a name change I believe), and then I found my soul mate... Yves Saint Laurant CINEMA.

I have been through about 5 bottles of CINEMA. You could confidently call it my signature scent. It has an incredible power over people, everyone comments on it, I have one male friend who is infatuated with it...

It does as Jean-Paul Gauliter says a fragrance should do, it is "Something to make you want to eat the person in front of you when you smell!"

CINEMA contains notes of: clementine, mimosa, cyclamen, white peony, jasmin, amaryllis; on a base of amber, white musks, bourbon vanilla.

It is the vanilla which won my heart, and continues to wow it...

I have one in stock on my dresser waiting for the inevitable end of my current bottle...

My scent is always the same...

But I like it that way.

THIS IS FRIENDSHIP, FRIENDSHIP IS BEAUTY

"A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words."

Because I haven't been the best friend of late. Last night made me realise how much I LOVE you two. How much you are a part of who I am, you are the ones who make my life beautiful.



Friends = Beauty

You both know the song in my heart, and I hope that I know yours.

xxx

MAKING BEAUTY SLEEP JUST THAT

I recently wrote this for the lovely girls at Beauty Bible. Thought I might as well share it, so we can all sleep easy...

We here at Beauty Bible live at a hundred miles an hour, trying to fit as many beauty launches, investigations into new products, and giving you as many beauty tips as we can every day so sleep is oh-so important, and with the JOHNSON’S® DREAMY SKIN™ range, our ‘beauty sleep’ is really that.
Our favourite product?

We all know about the calming benefits of having a long hot bath and JOHNSON’S® have bottled that feeling in the form of JOHNSON’S® DREAMY SKIN™ creamy bath. So pamper yourself, and let the luxurious fragrance, blended with Moonflower aroma indulge your senses as you prepare for your restful night time slumber.

We also love: JOHNSON’S® DREAMY SKIN™ body wash - it has a rich velvety soft formula, which helps enhance the skin's natural renewal process, so you awaken to more beautiful looking soft skin. It is enriched with Moonflower aroma, a fragrance known for its relaxing properties when used as part of a regular routine which has been proven to help you sleep better.

We finish off our evening routine with JOHNSON’S® DREAMY SKIN™ body cream or lotion. Finally a cream that not only works to renew the skin, but helps us sleep! With the Moonflower aroma and its loving, soft, velvety texture, you will be drifting away in no time, and awakening to beautiful soft renewed and well rested skin

WORRY: THE MAKING OF LINES

I have made a lot of worry lines in the past few days. Today I am deepening them. I am tossing up in my mind one of the biggest decisions of my life.
It is nothing really, but it could be the end of something big, and the beginning of something bigger, or the beginning of a fall.
I don't want to get hurt. I like knowing what is happening. I like control in my life. I could throw all of that away with one bold move. But if I chose to I could make the move work in my favour. I could be what I want to be. I could write my own story rather than follow the rule book of someone else.
I want to write my own story.
I want to make my own way.
I want to make the bold move.

But I am scared.
I am making worry lines instead.

I WANT BLACK LIPSTICK OR AT LEAST I THINK I DO

The black lipstick trend is sticking around. It is still being seen on the runway and on girls at beauty counters. I fell in love with it when visiting Kirks the other day, and seeing one of the Chanel girls wearing it... she looked so beautiful.

I am unsure about pure black... but definitely dark.

MAC have a black lippy coming out in October... I have my eyes on it.

PINK... YES PLEASE, I WANT TO BE A GIRL TODAY

Pink pink pink pink pink... New favourite colour, something I never ever thought would happen. Femininity reigns supreme as we know this Spring (read Happily Ever After on http://sartoriallysublime.blogspot.com/), and I am attempting to embrace it despite my love of black.

Today I have pink nails - Suzi and the Lifeguard from OPI (DELICIOUS!), and I have been wearing one of the new Baby Bloom Liquid Lip Balms from M.A.C (Pink Tinge) - these are amazing, they offer your lips the tender love and care of a lip balm, but the gloss and sheer colour of a gloss! Yes please! I have been wearing it all day at work, and my lips feel and look amazing!

I love pink... wow, I am progressing. A real beauty girl now.

OH BOBBI I LOVE YOU

After my recent purchase of the Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick, and falling head over heels for it, I headed back to the Bobbi counter in search of a product which could be used with the stick for a full coverage... and oh my, the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation is even better than the stick.

Bobbi describe it as:
"A truly modern foundation that offers invisible, weightless coverage that looks like skin, not makeup. This long-wearing formula evens tone, minimizes the appearance of pores, conceals imperfections, and offers broad spectrum UV protection. Its hydrating technology leaves skin feeling cushioned, comfortable, and clean. Ideal for all skin types."

All of this is true. It is a WATER based foundation, it feels so light on my skin but looks amazing, and a little goes a long way for an everyday finish but it can be easily built up for a fuller coverage for a night out, which leaves skin looking dewy and lovely!

Due to my red cheeks I apply the Foundation Stick to them, over the top of the Skin Foundation. I tell you this Stick is a god-send, it is always in my handbag for easy touch ups on the run.

Seriously, I have fallen in love with Bobbi Brown's Foundations...

Oh Bobbi I love you.

SUNDAY SHOPPING... NEW PRODUCTS I AM TRYING

I don't know what it is about Sundays, but more often than not I buy new makeup on Sundays and yesterday was no exception.

OPI: Suzi and the Lifeguard, fulfilling my desire for a pink for Spring.
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, I have become addicted to Bobbi... it is so nice on my skin.

and some new products to try from Lush;

A Dusting Powder, for rubbing on the skin after moisturising, or simply for added softness and shine. And you can put a small amount into greasy in need of a wash hair, for a clean soft look (not an excuse to not wash.. more a backup for when time is not on your side).

A solid deodorant, I have always been a spray deodorant girl, but with all the dodgy ingredients, the aluminium etc, I thought I might as well give an all natural product a try...

Will keep you posted with how they all work out! Oh by the way, Aveeno Ultra Calming really does reduce redness, it is a godsend!

BEST BEAUTY BUY... EVER!

My gorgeous flatmate introduced me to this product. The Home Brand Cotton Tips, Cosmetic Buds from Woolworths, are exceptional and sooooo cheap!

They retail for $1.99 (when not on special!), and are fantastically designed. A flat end, useful for eye-make up removal or touch ups, and a pointy end which is perfect for cleaning up any excess nail polish on cuticles, and for tidying up undereye makeup. But there uses are endless, and they are so cheap.

They are the best beauty buy ever, I make a trip to Woolworth's simply for them. Every girl should own them!

SPRING = COLOUR

Spring is on its way and this year it brings with it bright colours, bold prints, and beautiful florals. It is going to be a season where feminitity reigns supreme, so that means flawless skin, rosy cheeks, colour on those eyelids, and nails are no longer black, but colourful and chic.




My wish lish for Spring:

• OPI Kiss on the Chic



• Bobbi Brown Sheer Color Cheek Tint in Sheer Mauve
  
  
  
• YSL Tresor D'Afrique Palette Colour in for eyes

Oh, and a gorgeous floral headband!

BUDGET CONSCIOUS LADY WINSOME - HOME HAIR DYE

I have been wanting to get my hair dyed for a while now. I miss the rich, dark, luscious shine which comes with freshly dyed hair. But being a humble student, I was struggling to justify the price. My hairdresser and beauty consciousness friends advised me that due to my naturally dark brown locks, using a box hair dye would be fine.

Despite this I was terrified. But the results are perfect! (Well almost, I stupidly asked my boyfriend to apply the dye... ended up on my forehead and all over my ears! Don't worry it was easily removed with some toner.)

I used a the box dye of a well known brand, and it was not the cheapest one on the shelf, but it was still a hell of a lot cheaper than a salon dye job! And the results are as good!

So in these 'times' (the R word everyone is bandying about), if you are brunette and want a colour refresh without spending a good chunk of your wages, then go box.

It is so easy, but Lady Winsome suggests getting a girlfriend to help out, not your boyfriend, just for peace of mind.

And always do a 48 HOUR patch test!! It is not worth risking it!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Chocolate Cupcakes with Almond Icing

made by Lady Winsome herself

THE JOYS OF BAKING

I am writing this as chocolate cupcakes are baking... mmmm....

Since I was a child I have got so much pleasure out of baking. It is not only a chance to be oh so feminine, but you get to reap the rewards, both the delicious results and the mass of compliments you get from everyone who gets to share them.

Plus.. home baking has to be good for the skin right, I mean the treats we make are a multitude time better than processed ones. We know exactly what we put in, no colours or additives (well maybe colours in the icing....), but still must be way less sugar and fat!

So go bake... especially with cupcakes so in vogue at the moment.

Feminine, Fashionable and Functional.

They smell so good...

AIRBRUSH ME

Flawless.

Faultless.

Smooth.

To die for.

Magazines constantly give us airbrushed images, making the beautiful even more incredible. Airbrushed skin is something I think every woman has dreamed about. And finally, there is a product which can give you just that.

Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse Foundation.

This foundation has a flawless and glowing finish, it really does give the impression of airbrushed skin. It glides over pores and fine lines rather than sinking into them and creating creases. This is one liquid foundation that is easy to apply, and lasts exceptionally well. It has a coverage which defies how light it feels on your skin.

I use this foundation when I want full coverage, first putting Bobbi Brown on my cheeks, then a light layer of airbrushing every where else.

Now is it not only models who have the power of airbrushing... so grab hold and take flight.

Air brush yourself to new heights.

BAT THOSE LASHES

We all want lush long and beautiful eyelashes. While some of us are lucky enough to be born with long lashes (my boyfriend is one of those people - I am so jealous!), many of us are less well endowed. In fact, I have barely any eyelashes. Lengthening mascara is a god send.

My two favourite mascaras of the moment are:

Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara (really natural looking, and the rubber brush makes it so easy to apply with no clumping. It makes lashes twice as long!)

AND

L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara (which makes your tubes on your lashes - it builds false eyelashes!!! It is amazing. It is a two stage process - a primer and then the mascara top coat.

Sometimes when I want really really long lashes, I prime with L'Oreal, and then use Max Factor. Combined it should really make them four times as long... I don't know if it does quite that, but they look of so impressive! And I can bat my lashes and win people over.

A good fluttering always makes things go my way!

NOT TO PRIME IS A CRIME!

That's the slogan on the back of my primer, and the more I use it the more I realise the truth of the statement.
Primer is a reasonably new beauty product, but it has become a must for any self-respecting woman. Primers as the name suggests prepare the skin for the application of makeup. They create a protective base, making a smooth and perfect canvas for makeup. This means your makeup glides on effortlessly and lasts longer.

Primers are really good for oily or combination skin as they control excess shine, and absorb oil, so your foundation won't rub off, or slide right off your face. I have combination skin and primer is my best friend.

Primers are like your normal moisturiser - but with added silicone. It is recommended that you have as little number of products as possible under your makeup to stop it sliding off - so either use your primer in place of your moisturiser, or apply your moisturiser half an hour before you prime and do your makeup. (I do the later, as having combination skin I need to moisturise the dry areas first.)

Apply foundation directly after applying your primer before it sets so it is glued on in a sense!

I use Napoleon Perdis Auto Pilot Pre-Foundation Primer, a little goes a long way, and it smells oh so good, like cloves (I reckon), plus it has antioxidants: chamomile, yarrow extract and pure vitamin E, to help strengthen and smooth skin's texture. It is so nice, and my makeup still looks flawless at 2am.

BEAUTY IN DISTRESS IS MUCH THE MOST AFFECTING BEAUTY

Edmund Burke wrote 'A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful' in 1757. This little gem comes from it;


"The cause of beauty... where it is highest, in the female sex, almost always carries with it an idea of weakness and imperfection. Women are very sensible for this; for which reason, they learn to lisp, to totter in their walk, to counterfiet weakness, and even sickness. In all this they are guided by nature.

Beauty in distress is much the most affecting beauty.

Blushing has little less power; and modesty in general, which is a tacit allowance of imperfection, is itself considered as an amiable quality, and certainly heightens every other that is so."

No wonder we all love a nice blush... it has a power over men, and of course looks oh so winsomely. So innocently charming...

I want a new blush...

(Picture source: Oyster Magazine)

BEAUTY IDOL... MIRANDA KERR

Miranda Kerr:

Quite possibly the most beautiful woman in the world.

She can be oh so hot, but oh so winsome too.

Maybe the fact that she doesn't drink a drop of alcohol helps, if only we all had that much restraint.

LADY WINSOME'S GUIDE TO DEALING WITH EARLY GREY HAIRED INTRUDERS

The premature arrival of grey hair doesn't have to be the end of great locks...

This post is for all those out there who suffer from a ‘granny patch’ and to reassure those of you who freak out at the sight of a single rogue one. You are still beautiful, young and to be honest you and your hairdresser are probably the only people who notice them.

I was only 18 when I my hairdresser and I found my first grey hairs - unwelcome intruders in my dark brown locks. It meant losing my signature full-fringe in the hopes that growing it out into a longer side fringe would cover the uninvited grey strands. Although, shocked and horrified at the time, today two years on I have learnt to live with and even like my ‘granny patch’, as my hairdresser calls it.

Despite it being a well-known fact of life, everyone’s first grey hairs are frightening and even disturbing. They stand out in the mirror and taunt you; you are getting old.

But when you are not anywhere near 'old' at all (whatever you may consider that age to be), you start to think you are the only girl in the world with grey hair. I certainly felt that way, but thanks to my fabulous hairdresser I was reassured that she saw other ‘sufferers’ all the time, and that I was anything but alone.

THE CAUSE
Grey hair is caused by our hair follicles, which surround each strand of hair. They have a number of pigment cells that produce melanin, which gives the hair its color. Usually these pigment cells continuously produce melanin, but if your body stops generating it, the strand of hair will have very little pigment to paint over its normally transparent hue; so it looks grey, white, or silver. Melanin also provides moisture to the hair strand, so when less is produced, hair tends to grow brittle making grey hairs curly or wiry.

The usual greying age is between 30-50 years, with woman greying later than men in general. However, a lot of it is down to genetics, so most of us will start having grey hairs around the same age that our parents or grandparents first did – an excuse to give Mum a call so you know what to expect. But we are all unique and thus like everything else it varies from person to person.

We have all heard at least one old wives tale about grey hair, like a shock causing someone to ‘go grey’ overnight. There is only one rare disease which causes this so don’t fret. And that one about pulling out one gray hair causes ten to grow in replacement – it’s not true, so if you have the odd one – pluck away.

HOW TO DEAL WITH IT

* Depending on where you are greying, and the extent of it your hair dresser may be able to cut your hair in a way that will hide it.
* Your hairdresser should always be your first port of call - they specialise in dealing with these types of situations, so make an appointment and discuss a plan of action with them that suits your budget. If you can't afford salon treatments all the time, thats ok - they'll be able to give you advice anyway.
* Many home hair colour kits do an excellent job of covering greys. They are effective and kind on the budget - not to mention the fact they make your hair super, super shiny.

* Hot tip: For a night out, pull out your mascara and simply cover the grey hairs - it works a treat (and my hairdresser approves!). Plus, it reminds me of being a little girl in the 90s with a copper hair mascara Mum gave me to wear at parties Ironically now I try to look younger as well as stand out: some things will never change!

HEAVEN FOR MY SENSITIVE RED CHEEKS

I have been using Aveeno Daily Moisturising Body Wash for months now, after being recommended it by a friend with extra-sensitive skin. Being soap free and having only a light natural fragrance, there is nothing to aggravate even the most sensitive skin, plus it is soooo moisturising!

But this week I have started using the 'Ultra Calming' range of skincare products. They claim to reduce redness in as little as a week - that was the comment on the natural packaging which sold me. And three days in... yes, I really do think it is working. My skin feels smooth and is looking flawless, and that red is slowly beginning to fade!
The range comprises of a Foaming Cleanser, a moisturiser with SPF15, and a night cream. They contain Fever Few, a natural calming extract to soothe dry, sensitive, red skin.
Going to bed has never been so luxurious... the Night Cream is heaven on my skin.

THE PRODUCT I HAVE LUSTED AFTER FOR YEARS, BUT NEVER KNEW ABOUT UNTIL THIS WEEK... The Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick

The Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick is not new, but is the most recent addition to my make-up bag. It is the most amazing product - foundation in a stick, making for easy application (put some stripes on your cheeks like war paint then blend), and is an exceptionally convenient little size. It has great coverage, important for me due a huge amount of natural red colour in my cheeks, and looks oh so natural meaning you can simply apply to problem areas. I love.

This has been the product I have been looking for, and lusted after for years. And its mini stick size means I can throw it into my handbag for a night out - no more red cheek break through for me. It is my life-saver.

A WINSOME SMILE

My winsome smile begins today (with a loving base of Lucas Pawpaw Ointment, and Moisture Mist's Antique Amethyst) , as I start as I indeed to continue. A sweet, charming and engaging woman who wins.