Beauty Blog

Celebrity beauty fad alert

December 6th, 2010
Ever wonder what happens when you leave your face cream out for the best part of two and a half thousand years …. Egyptian Magic of course.
Not sure where this came from or how this one has surfaced but the latest cream said to be doing the rounds amongst the world of A list celebrities is none other than a cream based on a formula from over two and a half thousand years ago.
Said to have been used since ancient times Egyptian Magic is a mix of olive oil, beeswax, honey, royal jelly and pollen is now more likely to be found on celebs like Kate Hudson, Madonna and Emily Blunt than on  Egyptian queens who were said to swear by the remedy.
At £32.99 from revital.co.uk you don’t need to have a regal budget to pick up some and as the natural ingredients help to minimise scars, burns, stretch marks and combat against signs of ageing we figure we might put a pot on the Christmas wish list just for the fun of it.
Whether this latest celebrity beauty fad will mean a revival in other ancient beauty remedies remains to be seen, but if this catches on we can expect to see a raft of milk baths (Cleopatra), poultices made of dogs toes ( to cure male baldness ) or body butter made from cats fat ( lice removal ) to be coming to a beauty counter near you !

magic

Ever wonder what happens when you leave your face cream out for the best part of two and a half thousand years …. Egyptian Magic of course.

Not sure where this came from or how this one has surfaced but the latest cream said to be doing the rounds amongst the world of A list celebrities is none other than a cream based on a formula from over two and a half thousand years ago.

Said to have been used since in ancient times ( though not in a plastic tub ), Egyptian Magic is a mix of olive oil, beeswax, honey, royal jelly and pollen is now more likely to be found on celebs like Kate Hudson, Madonna and Emily Blunt than on the Egyptian queens who were said to swear by the remedy.

At £32.99 from revital.co.uk you don’t need to have a regal budget to pick up some and as the natural ingredients help to minimise scars, burns, stretch marks and combat against signs of ageing we figure we might put a pot on the Christmas wish list just for the fun of it.

Whether this latest celebrity beauty fad will mean a revival in other ancient beauty remedies remains to be seen, but if this catches on we can expect to see a raft of milk baths (Cleopatra), poultices made of dogs toes ( to cure male baldness ) or body butter made from cats fat ( lice removal ) to be coming to a beauty counter near you !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty news, Beauty trends, Body creams, Celebrity beauty, Face creams |

Favourite finds for a fiver … Jergens natural hand cream

October 5th, 2010
Every now and again L’Onglex will come across the odd bit and bob that sort of makes us go ‘ooohhh thats nice’ and even more so if the very nice thing in question also happens to be a very nice thing that’s also very purse friendly.
So it is then that we tip our proverbial beauty hat to Jergens hand cream. Having come by this a few days ago we are somewhat impressed by the fact that this not only soothes and moisturises with a mix of jojoba and seed oils but also comes in at a very purse friendly €4.99.
Obviously we don’t want to bore you to death with a debate on the merits of everything in the tub but essentially it’s 96% natural ingredients which we think is actually quite good for less than a fiver …. I mean … what can you get for less than a fiver which is actually any good, or works, or smells nice, or doesn’t bring your skin out in a blotchy rash …. answers on a postcard please. This we like !

Jergens_hand_cream

Every now and again L’Onglex will come across the odd bit and bob that sort of makes us go ‘ooohhh thats nice’ and even more so if the very nice thing in question also happens to be a very nice thing that’s also very purse friendly.

So it is then that we tip our proverbial beauty hat to Jergens hand cream. Having come by this a few days ago we are somewhat impressed by the fact that this not only soothes and moisturises with a mix of jojoba and seed oils but also comes in at a more than reasonable €4.99.

Obviously we don’t want to bore you to death with a debate on the merits of everything in the tub but essentially the ingredients are 96% natural which we think is actually quite good for less than a fiver.

In fact, we think that’s very good for less than a fiver …. I mean … what can you get for less than a fiver which is actually any good, or works, or smells nice, or doesn’t bring your skin out in a nasty blotchy rash …. answers on a postcard please.

This we like !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty heroes, Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Body creams, Budget beauty buys |

Home made hand cream … it’s Monday Mary Make and Do

September 27th, 2010
home_made_hand_creamHome made hand cream … it’s Mary Make and Do
Question: What’s hot one minute, cold the next, then dry, then wet, then really wet ?
Answer: Autumn !
Not wishing to drag out the subject too much we’ve been looking for a recipe for a hand cream that might just prevent that weird and rather itchy feeling you get in your hands at this time of year. Nothing too strong, nothing too weak and something to protect and moisturise.
Enter Mary Make and Do for Monday by way of a homemade hand cream which does all of the above and will also store well for the colder months. Having tried similar recipes before this one should work quite nicely when it comes to avoiding the dreaded ‘flake’ and as it’s as cheap as chips it shouldn’t break the bank.
Here’s what you’ll need …
For this creation you’ll need….
4 Table spoons of Beeswax
2 Table spoons of  Shea  butter
8 Table spoons of Evening Primrose Oil
10 drops of Lavender essential oil
Here’s how it’s done ….
Place an empty bowl inside a saucepan of boiling water making sure the water doesn’t come over the sides. Then place the Beeswax and Shea butter inside the bowl and allow to melt. Once the mixture looks clear and translucent add the evening primrose oil and then the essential oils and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Once the mixture has been stirred remove the bowl and mixture from the pan and pop the liquid into a jar until it hardens …eh volia….nourishing hand cream in a flash!

home_made_hand_cream

Question: What’s hot one minute, cold the next, then dry, then wet, then really wet ?

Answer: Autumn !

Not wishing to drag out the subject too much we’ve been looking for a recipe for a hand cream that might just prevent that weird and rather itchy feeling you get in your hands at this time of year. Nothing too strong, nothing too weak and something to protect and moisturise.

Enter Mary Make and Do for Monday by way of a homemade hand cream which does all of the above and will also store well for the colder months. Having tried similar recipes before this one should work quite nicely when it comes to avoiding the dreaded ‘flake’ and as it’s as cheap as chips it shouldn’t break the bank.

Here’s what you’ll need …

4 Table spoons of Beeswax

2 Table spoons of  Shea  butter

8 Table spoons of Evening Primrose Oil

10 drops of Lavender essential oil

Here’s how it’s done ….

Place an empty bowl inside a saucepan of boiling water making sure the water doesn’t come over the sides. Then place the Beeswax and Shea butter inside the bowl and allow to melt. Once the mixture looks clear and translucent add the evening primrose oil and then the essential oils and mix with a wooden spoon until smooth. Once the mixture has been stirred remove the bowl and mixture from the pan and pop the liquid into a jar until it hardens …eh volia….nourishing hand cream in a flash!

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty treatments, Body creams, DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Skincare |

Worth buying a bike for

September 24th, 2010
If there’s one thing L’Onglex isn’t particularly well suited to it’s the gym. It’s not that we’ve haven’t joined but after a few cold nights and a few breaded mozzarella sticks and X-Factor re-runs too many we get to the point where we just say enough is enough and stop going, and then once we get out of the habit going back is impossible as the guilt factor is just too much to deal with.
Casting around for an alternative we’ve tried Boot Camp (too naff ), jogging ( sore nipples ) and walking ( too dull ). Just as we are about to give up the ghost completely and finally sink away into couch potato oblivion comes the news that Lush have created a range of cosmetics called the Cyclists Repair Kit which far from containing various forms of glue, rubber and oil does in fact come chock full of pampering products worth getting on your bike for.
With an Aromaco deodorant for freshness, a King of the mods hair gel for downhill racing and Mini-Wiccy massage bar to take away the pain of having flashed your pants to fellow road users anyone coming to L’Onglex’s house for tea will shortly be greeted by the sight of a barely used bike in the hallway – yes, we know we wont really take up cycling …. but you can’t expect us to buy the kit without some aspect of exercise guilt !

lush_cyclists_repair_kit

If there’s one thing L’Onglex isn’t particularly well suited to it’s the gym. It’s not that we’ve haven’t joined but after a few cold nights and a few breaded mozzarella sticks and X-Factor re-runs too many we get to the point where we just say enough is enough and stop going, and then once we get out of the habit going back is impossible as the guilt factor is just too much to deal with.

Casting around for an alternative we’ve tried Boot Camp (too naff ), jogging ( sore nipples ) and walking ( too dull ). Just as we are about to give up the ghost completely and finally sink away into couch potato oblivion comes the news that Lush have created a range of cosmetics called the Cyclists Repair Kit. Far from containing various forms of glue, rubber and oil it does in fact come chock full of pampering products worth getting on your bike for.

With an Aromaco deodorant for freshness, a King of the Mods hair gel for downhill racing and Mini-Wiccy massage bar to take away the pain of having flashed your pants to fellow road users. Anyone coming to L’Onglex’s house will shortly be greeted by the sight of a barely used bike in the hallway – yes, we know we wont really take up cycling …. but you can’t expect us to buy the kit and not cycle home at least once !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty news, Beauty treatments, Body creams, Lush |

Yes, Yes, Yes to Carrots

August 25th, 2010
Yes, Yes, Yes to Carrots
It’s been a while since we’ve featured any carrot related goodies here on the blog but the arrival of a not so small package containing the new Yes to Carrots Body Butter landed on the L’Onglex beauty desk this very morning and has been causing much by way of excitement.
Obviously we started off oohhing at the rich blend of carrot seed oil and that led to some aaahhhing at the sweet potato and Dead Sea Mud and by the time we had gotten round to noticing that it’s paraben free our excitement had died down a little.
Naturally, when someone asks you to say yes to carrots we at L’Onglex have never actually declined but after smothering it on for the best part of half an hour we did began to get quite philosophical about the whole thing and that was when the really difficult questions began …..
How much carrots is too much carrots ?
If offered a scoop of Yes to Carrots Body Butter at a party or other social event, how big a scoop could we take without being considered rude ?
In France, is Yes to Carrots actually called Yes to Carrots or is it called something like Qui de Carottes ?
Answers on a postcard please !

yes_to_carrots_body_butter

It’s been a while since we’ve featured any carrot related goodies here on the blog but the arrival of a package containing the new Yes to Carrots Body Butter landed on the L’Onglex beauty desk this very morning and has been causing much by way of excitement.

Obviously we started off with some oohhing at the rich blend of carrot seed oil and that led to some aaahhhing at the sweet potato bit and the part with the Dead Sea Mud was also quite exciting yet by the time we had gotten round to noticing that the body butter is paraben free our excitement had died down a little.

Naturally, when someone asks us to say yes to carrots we at L’Onglex have never actually refused and whilst it always makes us quite happy, after smothering the goodness on for what seemed like an age, we then found ourselves becoming quite philosophical about the whole subject.

Obviously asking difficult questions at any time of the day is to be avoided but once we started we just couldn’t stop and at some point it occurred to us that far from being a straightforward Yes, the question of Yes to Carrots had become a moral maze, a can of worms and a thorny issue.

To illustrate, if anyone can answer the questions below in a satisfactory manner we will send them a pack in the post forthwith ….

How much carrots is too much carrots ?

Has anyone ever said No to Yes to Carrots ?

If offered a scoop of Body Butter at a social event, family wedding or foreign embassy reception – how big a scoop can be taken without causing offence to the host ?

and finally ….

When in France, should Yes to Carrots actually be called Yes to Carrots or is it to be called something like ‘Qui de Carottes’ ?

Answers on a postcard please !

2 Comments »

Posted in Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Body creams, Yes To Carrots |

Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign

August 23rd, 2010
Estee Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign
Seems the good folks at Estee Lauder have decided to touch on a subject close to our hearts and have developed a campaign which will see profits on the sales of many of this years lines go toward the  Cancer Clinical Research Trust at St Vincents.
Naturally this means we will have to go out and purchase all the goodies we can get our hands on and it is nice that L’Onglex will be able to help fight breast cancer while at the same time getting hold of some gorgeous goodies.
Brands taking part include Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Creme de la Mer, Donna Karen Cosmetics, Darphin, Origins and of course Estee Lauder.
Our pick has to be the pink Shimmer Brick by Bobbi Brown since €42 will get you five bars of pinky iridescent goodness and all net proceeds on compacts sold during October will go to a very worthy cause. L’Onglex is impressed !

bobbi_brown_shimmer_brick

Seems the good folks at Estee Lauder have decided to touch on a subject close to our hearts and have developed a campaign which will see profits on the sales of many of this years lines go toward the  Cancer Clinical Research Trust at St Vincents.

Naturally this means we will have to go out and purchase all the goodies we can get our hands on and it is nice that L’Onglex will be able to help fight breast cancer while at the same time getting hold of some gorgeous goodies.

Brands taking part include Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Creme de la Mer, Donna Karen Cosmetics, Darphin, Origins and of course Estee Lauder.

Our pick has to be the pink Shimmer Brick by Bobbi Brown since €42 will get you five bars of pinky iridescent goodness and all net proceeds on compacts sold during October will go to a very worthy cause. L’Onglex is impressed !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty news, Blushers and bronzing, Body creams, Clinique, Estee Lauder, L'Onglex loves, Lipsticks and gloss |

12 cent cellulite treatment – It’s Mary Make and Do

August 9th, 2010
Morning peeps …
Those of you who frequent these pages on a regular basis will know that we in these parts are quite taken with the idea of homemade skin care recipes. In view of the fact that there’s still time for a late holiday and that for once our Irish summers are proving to be warm enough to allow a day at the beach to be pretty much geansaí free we thought that this weeks Mary Make and Do might just touch on the subject of cellulite.
Obviously the subject is a touchy one and what works for one of us might not work for the next but what is a recurring theme in every treatment we’ve ever seen is that most treatments involve us parting with significant amounts of our hard earned money.
Thinking that there must be a more frugal alternative to beating the bumps we’ve been looking for a recipe you can make at home that will do the trick but won’t cost a fortune and as luck would have it we came across this coffee body wrap that won’t cost a fortune.
You will need ….
1 pot of freshly brewed coffee
Hand lotion
Cling film
Here’s how it’s done …
Make a pot of coffee and keep the grinds
Mix the grinds with the hand lotion to make a paste
Apply the paste to the bumps and lumps
Wrap the treated areas with cling film and allow the mix to sink in for thirty minutes
Repeat twice weekly for ten weeks for best results
As we’ve only just got this we haven’t done the ten weeks and like all cellulite treatments what works for one will be lost on another. That said, it does contain quite a healthy dose of caffeine which as everyone knows is a pretty good at tightening the skin and waking up those cells so there’s no reason this won’t work. In the event you don’t see the most amazingly spectacular transformation you’ve only actually spent about 12c on the whole thing anyway !
More Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

homemade_cellulite_treatments

Afternoon peeps …

Those of you who frequent these pages on a regular basis will know that we in these parts are quite taken with the idea of homemade skin care recipes.

In view of the fact that there’s still time for a late holiday and that for once our Irish summers are proving to be warm enough to allow a day at the beach to be pretty much geansaí free we thought that this weeks Mary Make and Do might just touch on the subject of cellulite.

Obviously the subject is a touchy one and what works for one of us might not work for the next but what is a recurring theme in every treatment we’ve ever seen is that most treatments involve us parting with significant amounts of our hard earned money.

Thinking that there must be a more frugal alternative to beating the bumps we’ve been looking for a recipe you can make at home that will do the trick but won’t cost a fortune and as luck would have it we came across this coffee body wrap that won’t cost a fortune.

You will need ….

1 pot of freshly brewed coffee

Hand lotion

Cling film

Here’s how it’s done …

Make a pot of coffee and keep the grinds

Mix the grinds with the hand lotion to make a paste

Apply the paste to the bumps and lumps

Wrap the treated areas with cling film and allow the mix to sink in for thirty minutes

Repeat twice weekly for ten weeks for best results

As we’ve only just got this we haven’t done the ten weeks and like all cellulite treatments what works for one will be lost on another. That said, it does contain quite a healthy dose of caffeine which as everyone knows is a pretty good at tightening the skin and waking up those cells so there’s no reason this won’t work.

In the event you don’t see the most amazingly spectacular transformation you’ve only actually spent about 12c on the whole thing anyway – more Mary Make and Do’s coming soon !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty treatments, Body creams, DIY beauty, Mary make and do, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

We love holiday beauty buys!

June 17th, 2010
In case you haven’t noticed it’s very nearly holiday time and for us in these parts that can only really mean one thing … foreign beauty.
You might think the opportunity to travel would be one of culture, the arts, architecture and the opportunity to share in new languages and see something of the world around us but instead of becoming global citizens I’m sorry to have to report that the thing that excites us most about flying off is the opportunity to try yet more beauty products.
As we’re not exactly ready to fly off quite yet we thought we’d share the first of our holiday gifts which is this gorgeous creme one of the girls picked up in Toulouse. Made from the oil of the local Pastel Embelmatic plant we think its just about the fanciest present we’ve had for ages.
Given it’s a local product we can’t divulge the rest of the ingredients as our French isn’t the best but since it smells divine and reputedly cost a fortune we’re sure it’s very good. Have you picked up any beauty gems on your travels ? Leave us a comment below !

Picture 18

In case you haven’t noticed it’s very nearly holiday time and for us in these parts and as far as we’re concerned that can only mean one thing … foreign beauty goodies.

You might think the opportunity to travel would be one to experience culture, arts, architecture, share new languages and see something of the world around us, but then you’d be wrong.

Nope, instead of becoming global citizens I’m sorry to have to report that the thing that excites us most about flying off is the opportunity to try yet more beauty products.

As we’re not exactly ready to fly off quite yet we thought we’d share the first of our holiday gifts which is this gorgeous cream one of the girls picked up in Toulouse. Made from the oil of the local Pastel Embelmatic plant we think its just about the fanciest present we’ve had for ages.

Given it’s a local product we can’t divulge the rest of the ingredients as our French isn’t the best but since it smells divine and reputedly cost a fortune we’re sure it’s very good. Have you picked up any beauty gems on your travels ? Leave us a comment below !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty reviews, Body creams, L'Onglex loves |

We heart Almond Oil!

June 5th, 2010
When it comes to beauty treatments we rarly stray far from those of a foodie variety!
Bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of being nuts about beauty we have of late been casting a curious glance at the benefits of almonds. Obviously, there’s the fact that you eat them which we think is fair enough, but it also seems that smothering yourself in the oil is just about the best thing you can do.
As we at L’Onglex have been trying to get more natural products into our routine we thought we’d give it a go. Here’s what we found.
Hair
Dry and damaged hair is one of the worst excesses of summer sun. Yes, we love floaty dresses and Pimms in the beer garden but frazzled hair and split ends are too much. So, happens almond oil works a treat at protecting and restoring hair at this time of year.  Apply in coin sized drops to the palm, work from the scalp outwards and leave to sit for twenty before a final rinse. Eh volia beautifully conditioned locks protected from the worst ravages of the summer sun !
Face
Seeing our cash swallowed by the black hole that is mosturisers and beauty potions is something we’ve just had to get used to but as substitutes go we haven’t found anything we’d be happy to swap our Lizzie Arden for. On the other hand, Almond Oil is great for night repairs and promotes new skin growth as it’s packed with vitamin E.
Body
After much cajoling and pleading I finally got to try this as a massage oil and if your aches and knots need something calming as much as you’re skin needs something healing it’s perfect. Given dry skin is a real pain in summer and skin tends to flare up at the slightest provocation this Almond Oil is great for soothing away those red raw patches and calming down those areas prone to dryness.

Picture 4

Bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of being nuts about beauty we have of late been casting a curious glance at the benefits of almonds. Obviously, there’s the fact that you eat them which we think is fair enough, but it also seems that smothering yourself in the oil is just about the best thing you can do.

As we at L’Onglex have been trying to get more natural products into our routine we thought we’d give it a go. Here’s what we found.

Hair

Dry and damaged hair is one of the worst excesses of summer sun. Yes, we love floaty dresses and Pimms in the beer garden but frazzled hair and split ends are too much. It just so happens almond oil works a treat at protecting and restoring hair at this time of year.  Apply in coin sized drops to the palm, work from the scalp outwards and leave to sit for twenty before a final rinse. Eh volia beautifully conditioned locks protected from the worst ravages of the summer sun !

Face

Seeing our cash swallowed by the black hole that is mosturisers and beauty potions is something we’ve just had to get used to but as substitutes go we haven’t found anything we’d be happy to swap our Lizzie Arden for. On the other hand, Almond Oil is great for night repairs and promotes new skin growth as it’s packed with vitamin E.

Body

After much cajoling and pleading I finally got to try this as a massage oil and if your aches and knots need something calming as much as you’re skin needs something healing it’s perfect. Given dry skin is a real pain in summer and skin tends to flare up at the slightest provocation if you can get an Almond Oil that isn’t too thick it’s great for soothing away those red raw patches and calming down those areas prone to dryness. As it also locks in moisture if we could get the massage on a regular basis we think this would be us sorted !

Leave a comment »

Posted in Anti ageing, Beauty dilemmas, Beauty treatments, Body creams, Hair treatments, Natural Beauty, Skincare |

Baby Carrots anyone?

June 3rd, 2010
Baby Carrots anyone ?
This won’t come as any surprise but when it comes to holiday season L’Onglex is not exactly held in high regard for our abilities to pack lightly. Our holidays always begin with gasps of shock from the people at baggage allowance and we always seem to tip the Ryanair scales to double the alloted amount.
We always start with the bet intentions but being the beauty junkies we are something just snaps in us and sooner rather than later even our best packed suitcases start to resemble the interior of a small pharmacy.
This year we have sworn that things will be different and have taken a solemn oath to pack lightly so we thought we’d feature our latest lightweight find, the Yes To Carrots C Body Essentials Kit. As you know we at L’Onglex always say Yes when it comes to Carrots and the holiday pack is just so cute.
€9.95 gets you the skin goodies including Carrot Rich Shower Gel, Moisturising Cream, C Me Smile Lip Butter, Moisturising Lotion and last but by no means least the Vitamin C Body Butter.
Our only problem now is how to keep our fingers out of the bag until we actually go on holiday. If you think we’re bad at packing you should see how bad we are at self-control.

yes_to_carrots_holiday_packs

This won’t come as any surprise but when it comes to holiday season L’Onglex is not exactly held in high regard for our abilities to pack lightly.

Without fail our holidays always begin with gasps of shock from the people at baggage allowance and we always seem to tip the Ryanair scales to double the alloted amount. If it starts badly, it gets worse, once we’ve been through Duty Free there and back we often find a shipping container does the job for the return leg !

We always start with the best intentions but being the beauty junkies we are something just snaps in us and sooner rather than later even our best packed suitcases start to resemble the interior of a small pharmacy.

This year we have sworn that things will be different and have taken a solemn oath to pack lightly. We thought we’d feature our latest lightweight find, the Yes To Carrots C Body Essentials Kit. As you know we at L’Onglex always say Yes when it comes to Carrots and the holiday pack is just so cute.

€9.95 gets you the skin goodies including Carrot Rich Shower Gel, Moisturising Cream, C Me Smile Lip Butter, Moisturising Lotion and last but by no means least the Vitamin C Body Butter.

Our only problem now is how to keep our fingers out of the bag until we actually go on holiday. If you think we’re bad at packing you should see how bad we are at self-control.

Leave a comment »

Posted in Beauty news, Beauty reviews, Body creams, Face creams, Skincare, Yes To Carrots |


« Older Entries