Beauty Blog

Bingo wings begone

March 31st, 2011
Not a day goes by at L’Onglex HQ without our eye being caught by the latest ‘must have’ beauty cream which promises virtually impossible results for quite a lot of money !
Being the sort we are these miracle creams seem to get us every time and having tried everything from cellulite busting bum creams to the lotions that promise a face lift we are getting quite excited by todays discovery – Arm Sculpt.
Promising to banish bingo wings and perfectly sculpt the arms without the slightest change in diet or any need for exersise, Arm Sculpt claims to break down the fat cells, smooth skin and improve tone and elastcicity !
Without having tried the miricle cream perhaps you may forgive our cynicism but if it does prove to be as successful as the back of pack would lead us to believe then don’t expect to see this stuff on shelves for long.
With bikini season fast approching and constant images of lithe, sensual arms being fed to us in the glossies perfect arms will certainly be on our list of things to do. Although we suspect that a few hours in the gym might yield better results, €59 would be a small price to pay if this works ?
bingo_wings

Not a day goes by at L’Onglex HQ without our eye being caught by the latest ‘must have’ beauty cream which promises virtually impossible results for quite a lot of money !

Being the sort we are these miracle creams seem to get us every time and having tried everything from cellulite busting bum creams to the lotions that promise a face lift we are getting quite excited by todays discovery – Radial Arm Sculpt.

Promising to banish bingo wings and perfectly sculpt the arms without the slightest change in diet or any need for exersise, Arm Sculpt claims to break down the fat cells, smooth skin and improve tone and elastcicity !

Without having tried the miricle cream perhaps you may forgive our cynicism but if it does prove to be as successful as the back of pack would lead us to believe then don’t expect to see this stuff on shelves for long.

With bikini season fast approching and constant images of lithe, sensual arms being fed to us in the glossies perfect arms will certainly be on our list of things to do. Although we suspect that a few hours in the gym might yield better results, €59 would be a small price to pay if this works ?

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Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty news |

It’s time for Varnish Vixen ….

March 29th, 2011
Seems ages since we did a blog of the week and we’d forgotten all about it until we came across the fabulous VarnishVixen. In love with the fab nail trends therein and generally enlivened by the cut of Varnish Vixens gib we became more than curious as to who was behind the site and what makes them tick. A few emails later we put the following questions to Varnish Vixen and jewelry fanatic Rory ===== and this is what we discovered ….
What’s in your make-up bag?
Hmmm.  The only make-up I carry with me is lip gloss and lipstick. Right now I’m carrying NARS Gypsy and NARS Dolce Vita as I couldn’t decide if I wanted a bold or subtle lip this morning !
Who’s your make-up muse?
I read a lot of beauty blogs and they all kind of make it into my brain. Sarah B. from Them Pretty Colors got me interested in lipstick and Helen from Just Nice Things started my love for NARS eyeshadow duos.
Do you have a favorite beauty trend this season?
I like the coral look and just bought a coral lipstick and blush. I think I need to wait for something like a tan to be able to pull it off properly though.
Where’s your favorite place to shop for a beauty fix?
I like one stop shopping so Sephora is perfect for me!
When it comes to beauty buys do you prefer the bargains or are you more high end?
Umm, I guess I’m more high end, but I mix it up.  Right now I have a lot of NARS products, but I use drugstore eyeliner and mascara. I also don’t like spending lots of money on brushes so I get my brushes from CVS or the like.
What’s your all time must have beauty buy?
I love highlighter. Right now I switch between NARS Albatross and LORAC Oli-free highlighter.
What’s on your beauty wish list?
NARS Earth Angel and I’m saving up for the T3 Mane Tamer flat iron. I hope it’s actually capable of straightening damp hair!
What’s been your biggest beauty disaster to date?
My skin has a lot of red pigmentation in it. I was really self conscious about it when I was younger and didn’t know a lot about make-up at the time.  One day I snuck into my mom’s make-up bag and stole some light brown eyeshadow. I rubbed it all over my face and went to school. I thought I looked fine until my friends started giving me weird looks!

blog_otw

Seems ages since we did a blog of the week and we’d forgotten all about it until we came across the fabulous VarnishVixen. In love with the fab nail trends therein and generally enlivened by the cut of Varnish Vixen’s gib we became more than curious as to who was behind the site and what makes them tick. A few emails later we put the following questions to Varnish Vixen and jewelry fanatic Rory and this is what we discovered ….

What’s in your make-up bag?

Hmmm.  The only make-up I carry with me is lip gloss and lipstick. Right now I’m carrying NARS Gypsy and NARS Dolce Vita as I couldn’t decide if I wanted a bold or subtle lip this morning !

Who’s your make-up muse?

I read a lot of beauty blogs and they all kind of make it into my brain. Sarah B. from Them Pretty Colors got me interested in lipstick and Helen from Just Nice Things started my love for NARS eyeshadow duos.

Do you have a favorite beauty trend this season?

I like the coral look and just bought a coral lipstick and blush. I think I need to wait for something like a tan to be able to pull it off properly though.

Where’s your favorite place to shop for a beauty fix?

I like one stop shopping so Sephora is perfect for me!

When it comes to beauty buys do you prefer the bargains or are you more high end?

Umm, I guess I’m more high end, but I mix it up.  Right now I have a lot of NARS products, but I use drugstore eyeliner and mascara. I also don’t like spending lots of money on brushes so I get my brushes from CVS or the like.

What’s your all time must have beauty buy?

I love highlighter. Right now I switch between NARS Albatross and LORAC Oli-free highlighter.

What’s on your beauty wish list?

NARS Earth Angel and I’m saving up for the T3 Mane Tamer flat iron. I hope it’s actually capable of straightening damp hair!

What’s been your biggest beauty disaster to date?

My skin has a lot of red pigmentation in it. I was really self conscious about it when I was younger and didn’t know a lot about make-up at the time.  One day I snuck into my mom’s make-up bag and stole some light brown eyeshadow. I rubbed it all over my face and went to school. I thought I looked fine until my friends started giving me weird looks!

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Posted in Beauty news |

MAC hits the beach

March 22nd, 2011
Now that the sub-tropical majesté of an Irish April is very nearly ours we thought it might be high time L’Onglex ditched the winter face and headed for the beach.
Whilst it might be a bit too early for lilo’s, ice-cream and fish and chips, MAC’s Surf Baby Collection might just provide us with the excuse to start summer a bit early. Pitch perfect if you intend on following this seasons neon trends the new range comes with lip glass, blushes, eyeshadow, eye pencils and a rather bright line in nail lacquer.
Aside from the fact it’s MAC and shiny and gorgeous and new, L’Onglex is also loving the names. Bust Out lipstick, Surf the Ocean pigment stack and Short Shorts eyeshadow! Although we will probably end up shelling out for the lot when the time comes,  our stand-out piece so far has to be the My Paradise Coral blusher with champagne and gold flowers for some subtle summer highlighting –  swoon !

mac_beach

Now that the sub-tropical majesté of an Irish April is very nearly ours we thought it might be high time L’Onglex ditched the winter face and headed for the beach.

Whilst it might be a bit too early for lilo’s, ice-cream and fish and chips, MAC’s Surf Baby Collection might just provide us with the excuse to start summer a bit early. Pitch perfect if you intend on following this seasons neon trends the new range comes with lip glass, blushes, eyeshadow, eye pencils and a rather bright line in nail lacquer.

Aside from the fact it’s MAC and shiny and gorgeous and new, L’Onglex is also loving the names. Bust Out lipstick, Surf the Ocean pigment stack and Short Shorts eyeshadow!

Although we will probably end up shelling out for the lot when the time comes,  our stand-out piece so far has to be the My Paradise Coral blusher with champagne and gold flowers, perfect for some not so subtle summer highlighting –  swoon !

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Posted in Beauty news, Beauty trends, Brow pencils and liners, Eyeshadow and mascaras, MAC, Nail polish |

Things we loved this week: Violet Diva by Estee Lauder

March 14th, 2011
Things we loved this week: Violet Diva by Estee Lauder
When it comes to polishing our pinkies we’ve always been partial to a bit of purple. Thus it was that a recent trip to the Holy Grail that is the Brown Thomas Beauty Hall resulted in this rather impulsive purchase which goes by the moniker of Estee Lauder’s Vilot Diva !
As pastels look set to be huge this summer we must admit that we did justify the €20 by telling ourselves it was all in the name of research. Being the nail junkies we are we normally wait a while before we post on the blog but as we rather liked this we thought we’d just get some pics up and have done with it !
So, although things got off to a slightly sticky start (we didn’t let our base dry for quite long enough) once we got into our stride we found the formula to be pretty good. Light but plenty of pigment and a pretty decent brush as well.
On the downside it’s becoming pretty popular in these parts so flashing our nails rather than the bottle is probably the best way to keep hold of it !

violet_diva

When it comes to polishing our pinkies we’ve always been partial to a bit of purple. Thus it was that a recent trip to the holy grail that is the Brown Thomas Beauty Hall resulted in this rather impulsive purchase which goes by the moniker of Estee Lauder’s Vilot Diva !

violet_diva2As pastels look set to be huge this summer we must admit that we did justify the €20 by telling ourselves it was all in the name of research. Being the nail junkies we are we normally wait a while before we post on the blog but as we rather liked this we thought we’d just get some pics up and have done with it …

So, although things got off to a slightly sticky start (we didn’t let our base dry for quite long enough) once we got into our stride we found the formula to be pretty good. Light but plenty of pigment and a pretty decent brush as well.

On the downside it’s becoming pretty popular in these parts so flashing our nails and not the bottle is probably the best way to keep hold of it !

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Posted in Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Beauty trends, Estee Lauder, Manicures, Nail polish, Nail swatches |

Things we loved this week: New palettes by Bobbi Brown

March 9th, 2011
We at l’onglex have been busy putting the feelers out for the latest spring collections and our latest find is wrapped in a rather cute printed zippy case and goes by the moniker of Peony and Python and is by Bobbi Brown.
Designed by Amy Smilovic of Tibi the six catwalk ready shades are compacted inside and include this seasons pastel purples, some rather dashing greys, a nude and a darker shade for contouring. On the finish, the shadows are a mix of sheer and matt which makes them perfect for creating light natural looks for day and more intense shading for evening wear.
Quality wise the shadows are well pigmented which makes them a dream to blend and having worn them in and fluttered around there has been a welcome absence of colour falling around our eyes. Also noticeable by their absence are those nasty sponge applicators, in place of which come two rather nifty brushes which although not perfect, do a pretty decent job if you happen to find yourself on the hop !
One thing we did find a little hard to manage however was the zipper which is a bit sticky at times, not sure if the pack comes with some WD40 but we may have to look into it should we decide to decide to put this in our ‘keeper’ pile.
The Peony and Python palette landed on Bobbi Counters on March 1st and can be yours for €45.

bobbi_brown

We at L’Onglex have been busy putting the feelers out for the latest spring collections and our latest find is wrapped in a rather cute printed zippy case and goes by the moniker of Peony and Python and is by Bobbi Brown.

Designed by Amy Smilovic of Tibi the six catwalk ready shades are compacted inside and include this seasons pastel purples, some rather dashing greys, a nude and a darker shade for contouring. On the finish, the shadows are a mix of sheer and matt which makes them perfect for creating light natural looks for day and more intense shading for evening wear.

Quality wise the shadows are well pigmented which makes them a dream to blend and having worn them in and fluttered around there has been a welcome absence of colour falling around our eyes. Also noticeable by their absence are those nasty sponge applicators, in place of which come two rather nifty brushes which although not perfect, do a pretty decent job if you happen to find yourself on the hop !

One thing we did find a little hard to manage however was the zipper which is a bit sticky at times, not sure if the pack comes with some WD40 but we may have to look into it should we decide to decide to put this in our ‘keeper’ pile.

The Peony and Python palette landed on Bobbi Counters on March 1st and can be yours for €45.

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Posted in Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Bobbi Brown |

Daniel Craig as we’ve never seen him before

March 8th, 2011
OK … so the walks a bit clunky and the manly frame does bulk the shoulders up but all in all we don’t think Daniel Craig makes for such a bad looking woman.
Obviously it goes without saying that we prefer him with a six pack and those uber tight swimming trunks but we are also impressed at the erstwhile 007’s ability to dress as one of us.
In case your wondering about the why’s and the wheres the video in question (  xxxxxxxx  ) the voice in question is that of Dame Judt Dench and was produced as a viral to highlight International Women’s Day.
Celebrated every year on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is used as a forum to campaign on a range of gender and equality issues and celebrate the achievements of women all over the world in making the planet a more equal and fair place in which to live.
Since we can’t fault the cause and we can’t fault Mr Craig, all that’s left to do is think of who’ll be in drag to publicise the event  next year …… L’Onglex’s money is firmly on Enda Kenny !
<strong><a href=”javascript:popUp(’http://vkm2.com/vid_master/sixty.html’)”><span style=”color: #654f72;”>Which you can watch by clicking here</span></a></strong>
<a href=”javascript:popUp(’http://vkm2.com/vid_master/sixty.html’)”></a>

craig

OK … so the walks a bit clunky and the manly frame does bulk the shoulders up but all in all we don’t think Daniel Craig makes for such a bad looking woman.

Obviously it goes without saying that we prefer him with a six pack and those uber tight swimming trunks but we are also impressed at the erstwhile 007’s ability to dress as one of us.

In case your wondering about the why’s and the wheres, the video in question ( which you can watch by clicking here ) was produced as a viral to highlight International Women’s Day and the voice is none other than Dame Judy Dench.

Celebrated every year on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is used as a forum to campaign on a range of gender and equality issues and celebrate the achievements of women all over the world in making the planet a more equal and fair place in which to live.

Since we can’t fault the cause and we can’t fault Mr Craig, all that’s left to do is think of who’ll be in drag to publicise the event  next year …… L’Onglex’s money is firmly on Enda Kenny !

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Posted in Beauty news, Videos |

Now hands that do dishes really can be soft as soft as your face

March 4th, 2011
Now hands that do dishes really can be soft as soft as your face!
If you’ve ever had the sinking feeling that doing the washing up is something of a drag for your hands news reaches the L’Onglex beauty desk that the folks at Fairy have had something of a Eureka moment.
Yup, after years of telling us that our hands can be as soft as our face they’ve had something of a Eureka moment and henceforth will be producing a version with the skin softening benefits of Olay.
Having surveyed the kitchen sink habits of no less than 3000 of us they discovered that a dish or two here or there can age our hands by as much as 7 whole years and in a response to questioning 51% of those surveyed expressed the opinion that they were conscious of the appearance of our hands.
In the age of equality we’re not sure whether any men took part in the survey ( we are sure they did !! ) but if the figures are true then we predict the new formulas of Aloe & Cucumber, Silk & Orchid, Almond and Peach & Mandarin will be a raging success. Erin O’Connor to be the face of a 50’s themed campaign.
Although washing the dishes doesn’t quite sit well with our absolute devotion to not chipping our nails we do at least like the idea of teaming beauty and household chores. Should the concept prove to be a success we eagerly await the invention of an oven cleaner that doubles as an exfoliator and the Hoover that blow dries our hair !

olay_fairy

If you’ve ever had the sinking feeling that doing the washing up is something of a drag for your hands news reaches the L’Onglex beauty desk that the folks at Fairy have had something of a Eureka moment.

Yup, after years of telling us that our hands can be as soft as our face they’ve had something of a Eureka moment and henceforth will be producing a version with the skin softening benefits of Olay.

Having surveyed the kitchen sink habits of no less than 3000 of us they discovered that a dish or two here or there can age our hands by as much as 7 whole years and in a response to questioning 51% of those surveyed expressed the opinion that they were conscious of the appearance of our hands.

In the age of equality we’re not sure whether any men took part in the survey ( we are sure they did !! ) but if the figures are true then we predict the new formulas of Aloe & Cucumber, Silk & Orchid, Almond and Peach & Mandarin will be a raging success especially since Erin O’Connor has been picked to be the face of a 50’s themed campaign.

Although washing the dishes doesn’t quite sit well with our absolute devotion to not chipping our nails at all costs we do at least like the idea of teaming beauty products with household chores. Should the concept prove to be a success we eagerly await the invention of an oven cleaner that doubles as an exfoliator and the Hoover that will blow-dry hair !

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Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty gadgets, Beauty news |

What would Mrs Doyle make of this ?

March 3rd, 2011
If there is one thing we are guilty of at L’Onglex it’s taking a little too long over our tea breaks ….. what with all the different tea options to choose from ( green, ginger or just good old Barrys ) combined with our fondness for chocolate biscuits it’s become something of a daily ritual. Not being the sort to be content with having something and just enjoying it you can imagine our delight at the discovery of the latest Jo Malone fragrance which celebrates all things tea !
The collection features five miniature fragrances all designed around the ritual of tea making. Assam and Grapefruit, Earl Grey and Cucumber and Fresh Mint Leaf are the three main fragrances but there are also accent scents of Sweet Milk and Sweet Lemon that can be added depending to your particular tea tastes.
Our current favorite combination is Assam & Grapefruit with Sweet Milk but we’re the fickle sort so we’ll probably keep chopping and changing for a little while yet. Our only gripe with the collection is that at €42 for 30ml the price tag could well turn our weakness for all things Malone into quite an expensive cuppa !
In other news Jo herself is launching her own line of perfumes that will be separate from the Jo Malone brand that she sold to Estee Lauder in 1999. We haven’t tried any yet but if your a bit of an addict you can get a sneak peek on the link below ….
http://www.joloves.com/#

jo_malone_tea_fragrance

If there is one thing we are guilty of at L’Onglex it’s taking a little too long over our tea breaks ….. what with all the different tea options to choose from ( green, ginger or just good old Barrys ) combined with our fondness for chocolate biscuits it’s become something of a daily ritual. Not being the sort to be content with having something and just enjoying it you can imagine our delight at the discovery of the latest Jo Malone fragrance which celebrates all things tea !

The collection features five miniature fragrances all designed around the ritual of tea making. Assam and Grapefruit, Earl Grey and Cucumber and Fresh Mint Leaf are the three main fragrances but there are also accent scents of Sweet Milk and Sweet Lemon that can be added depending to your particular tea tastes.

Our current favorite combination is Assam & Grapefruit with Sweet Milk but we’re the fickle sort so we’ll probably keep chopping and changing for a little while yet. Our only gripe with the collection is that at €42 for 30ml the price tag could well turn our weakness for all things Malone into quite an expensive cuppa !

In other news Jo herself is launching her own line of perfumes that will be separate from the Jo Malone brand that she sold to Estee Lauder in 1999. We haven’t tried any yet but if you’re a bit of an addict you can get a sneak peek on the link below ….

http://www.joloves.com/#

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Posted in Beauty news, Perfume |

Things we loved last week: Chanel Black Pearl

March 1st, 2011
Its not often that we get to fawn over designer nail polish here at L’Onglex HQ but when an opportunity arises you can be sure that we’ll milk it!
Enter the latest must have from colour from Chanel and how we managed to beg, borrow and steal ourselves this rather coveted spring colour is anyones guess. What’s probably more surprising is that we’ve had it for two weeks and not shouted about it to anyone who would listen.
Not sure if the rather hurried pictures and our rather hurried application do the shade the justice we think it deserves. The shimmery blue and grey undertones make the polish look different shades of grey depending on the light. If you’re polish obsessed like we are the end result is that you’ll spend ages staring at your nails to see exactly which delectable shade of grey / green they happen to be in any given light ….. which makes us look a bit like barbie …. but who cares ?
A wallet wincing €21 is the damage if you can beg, borrow and steal ( which is how we got ours ) to get some. Take solace in the fact that it works out at only 10c per coat !

chanel-2

Its not often that we get to fawn over designer nail polish here at L’Onglex HQ but when an opportunity arises you can be sure that we’ll milk it!

Enter the latest must have colour from the folks at Chanel and how we managed to beg, borrow and steal ourselves this rather coveted spring colour is anyones guess. What’s probably more surprising is that we’ve had it for two weeks and not shouted about it to anyone which for us is most unusual.

Not sure if the rather hurried pictures and our rather hurried application do the shade the justice we think it so richly deserves but the shimmery blue and grey colours make this polish look completely different depending on the light.

If, like ourselves, you happen to be polish obsessed the end result of the colour differential is that you’ll spend ages staring at your nails to see exactly which delectable shade of grey / green they happen to be at any given time which has the rather nasty side effect of making you look a bit too into yerself !

A wallet wincing €21 is the damage if you can beg, borrow or steal some and if this sounds a bit costly take solace in the fact that it’s …..

i)  If you apply it as much as us it works out at 10c per coat … and …

ii) … gorgeously Chanel !

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Posted in Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Chanel, Manicures, Nail polish, Nail swatches |

Is your face worth €155,000 !

February 25th, 2011
How your face is worth  whopping €155,000 !
Hair, body, make-up …. it all adds up as you probably know, but when we came across a recent survey commissioned by QVC in the UK we nearly fell over.
Seems that by the time we add up the trips to the salon, the treats at the beauty counter and the odd spa visit the bill we’re presented with over the course of our lifetime is a staggering €155,000.
Although we did dismiss the figure out of hand, with the use of some old credit card statements and an abacus L’Onglex can safely say that in our case the figure might not be too wide of the mark.
Now that we’ve accepted the fact that what we spend on cosmetics could by us a house, a Bentley convertible or a rather large wardrobe full of Louboutin’s we are seriously looking at ways to cut down …. but how. I mean it’s all very well being frugal but where exactly would we cut our budget.
Having emptied our beauty bags and sought to cut down several times we’re just going to have to accept that looking our best is an investment in itself ….. I wonder if it would be possible to get a mortgage on our looks …. probably not !

lifetime_cost_of_cosmetics

Hair, body, make-up …. it all adds up as you probably know, but when we came across a recent survey commissioned by QVC in the UK we nearly fell over.

Seems that by the time we add up the trips to the salon, the treats at the beauty counter and the odd spa visit the bill we’re presented with over the course of our lifetime is a staggering €155,000.

Although we did dismiss the figure out of hand, with the use of some old credit card statements and an abacus L’Onglex can safely say that in our case the figure might not be too wide of the mark.

Now that we’ve accepted the fact that what we spend on cosmetics could by us a house, a Bentley convertible or a rather large wardrobe full of Louboutin’s we are seriously looking at ways to cut down …. but how. I mean it’s all very well being frugal but where exactly would we cut our budget ?

Having emptied our beauty bags and sought to cut down several times we’re just going to have to accept that looking our best is an investment in itself ….. I wonder if it would be possible to get a 2nd mortgage on our face  …. probably not !

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Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty news, Budget beauty buys, L'Onglex loves |


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