Jack & Hill: A Beauty Blog - make-up, cosmetics, perfume, and the substance of style

Chanel Inimitable

  Sky-Long Lashes 
  Originally uploaded by
♥ Lin Pernille Photography.

Guest contributor Helena Handbasket contributes the first in a series: The Mascara Trials of Helena Handbasket...

Two essentials for trying any mascara:

Tweezerman Iashcomb--the best in the universe

Eye-makeup-remover-filled Q-tips. A few brands make these, such as Modelco and Bloom. If you are less lazy than I you can use regular Q-tips (also known as cotton buds in Commonwealth countries) dipped in remover, mild lotion, or even plain water for non-waterproof formulas.

Chanel Inimitable

BRUSH--Closely spaced, flexible rubbery bristles. Identical to Max Factor's Lash Perfection/Masterpiece.

FORMULA--Barely wet

APPLICATION--Oh so easy! The flexible bristles allow you to apply right near the root of the lash without that infuriating eyelid smear. Not a clump in sight.

LOOK--Sexy and fluttery. Look elsewhere for volume, but otherwise this is worth paying Chanel prices for.

WEAR---Fantastic.

PACKAGING/PRICE Chanel black and gold with white lettering. Excessively priced of course, but absolutely worth it.

DermaQuest Skin Therapy

I am scared to mention this, in case I jinx the very agreeable circumstances in which I now find myself, but: My skin has been giving me a LOT less trouble in the last week or so. This also happens to coincide with when I started using some DermaQuest Acne Management products. I don't know if one week of use is enough time for products to make such a significant difference, but so far, I'm pretty pleased.

(I should also note that, as much as my skin stresses me out, a lot of people compliment me on it and claim not to see what I perceive to be hideous blemishes. Let's just say that I know things could be a lot worse, but it doesn't always feel that way.)

I've been cleansing morning and evening with the DermaQuest Beta Hydroxy Cleanser, followed by Nature's Cure Pore-Perfecting Papaya Toner, the DermaQuest DermaClear serum, then either Chanel Fluide Énergisant Multi-Protection Hale Progressif SPF 15 (in the morning),  Nature's Cure Acne-Repairing Papaya Moisturizer (at night), or Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (if a flare-up seems to be on the horizon). All of the products except the DermaQuest are ones I've been using in various rotations for the last few months, and I've never noticed the sort of marked improvement that I have recently. Long may my good fortune continue.

NOTE: All of the products mentioned in this post, except for the Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel (which I bought myself), were freebies sent to me by the PRs for DermaQuest, Chanel, and Nature's Cure.

Chanel Glossimer

  Chanel Glossimer in Sarong 
  Originally uploaded by dynamist.

With eyes this strong, I shy away from my usual dark pink/red lips, for fear of looking like a deluded Barbie wannabe.

Today, that meant Chanel Glossimer in a very subtle, natural shade called Flirt Sarong. (Full disclosure: This gloss was a freebie from Chanel, one of many I received last week.)

Although I said I'm over gloss, the Glossimer range has me re-thinking that, as it's nowhere near as sticky as Lancome Juicy Tubes, MAC Lipglass, and all the other pretenders to the glassy lips throne. My hair hasn't stuck to my lips even once! Part of this is due to the fact that Glossimer just isn't as sticky - which means you also don't reach the dizzying heights of lacquer-like finish that you do with the likes of Lipglass. (This doesn't matter much to me, since I'm not living in 1983 or modelling for a Pulp album cover.) It is also partly due to my discovery of the fact that - hold on to your hats - hair spray can help keep hair off the face. It's true, it's true!)

In addition to Sarong, I'm also loving Summer Plum (the darkest in the Chanel summer color collection, though even it is still very natural, not even bordering on actual darkness), Seashell, and Sundress.

Something in me wants to hate these, because their subtlety really does border on the boring. The sad fact is, though, that you can wear the hell out of them with any colors you put on the rest of your face. (Pair them with different liners to mix up your own brilliant shade.) That, and the fact that the texture is actually wearable, means that these will see a lot of action in my life. In the end, this is the real test of whether or not a product is worth owning. As I noted in a previous post, I have seventeen makeup bags, spread over two continents, which are full of cosmetics that don't meet this criteria.

Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheers: Quickie Review

Upon arriving at home this morning from Heathrow airport, fresh off a plane from San Francisco, I applied some Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheer within moments of walking through my front door. Thanks to scumbag terrorists, I'd just been on a nine hour flight with no lip balm, and the situation was perilous. (At SFO's duty free shop, I'd massaged some Chanel Hydra Serum into my face and Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Moisture Cream under my eyes before boarding my flight. This is not something I'd normally do, but desperate times do indeed call for desperate measures. For what it's worth, the Chanel serum gave me a nearly imperceptible red rash.)

I like the way the Tarte 24/7 Lip Sheer feels - smooth and (briefly) tingly, but not messy or irritating. It has an SPF of 15, too, so protects as well as moisturises. Even better, the Champagne Brunch shade is absolutely perfect. I was thinking, "Wow, it's the 'your lips, only better' thing," to myself, then looked at the box and saw that those are the words Tarte uses to describe that shade, too. Snap. I'm pale, but I suspect this shade would look the hotness with bronzed summer skin, warm and glittery gold shadow, and coral stained cheeks.