Tarte Lock and Roll Eyeshadow Duo

RRP: $28.00 for 2 (normal stock), or $30.00 for 1 as part of the "We Wish You Health" travel set (ltd edition)

no. of shades available: 3 (gunmetal/bronze; rosegold/gunmetal; green/bronze) under normal stock, 1 as part of the ltd edition pack (slate)

--Brand availability--
This brand is mainly available in the US and Canada. However, if you're in the UK or mainland Europe, don't despair - www.beauty.com and www.amazon.com both stock Tarte Cosmetics and seem pretty good at shipping worldwide.

--What does the promo say?--
"Say goodbye to cream shadows that crease & smudge! We’ve brought you one of our favourite makeup artist tricks for creaseproof cream shadow—two simple steps in one little wand:
Step 1: Brush a sheer wash of the Vitamin E-enriched cream shadow on lids—wait about 10 seconds for it to dry.
Step 2: Tap roller ball to activate product, then roll the matching loose shadow directly on top-- the binding agents in the cream shadow will lock with the powder, creating a crease-free, budgeproof finish. Add a coat of mascara and you’re ready to roll!"

--Packaging--
A cool-looking, travel-friendly, oh-so-dinky stick with the cream shadow coming off one end and the powder coming off the other end, in packaging similar to Max Factor's Lipfinity. It's plain, but in a slightly edgy but not-trying-too-hard type way. Each end is easy to release and then screw back into place, and there is no leakage.

--Application--
They have really thought about this. I was certainly impressed. I started off with the cream shadow, as I was on a train when I was applying it and I was thinking that the powder might go everywhere. However, I was totally wrong: as the name of the product suggests, the powder shadow works on a rollerball mechanism, precisely avoiding this problem. And while the cream shadow has an open top end, with a brush for application à la lipgloss country, this wasn't a messy affair either. It's all very neat and tidy, and while the "cream" shadow more closely resembles a liquid liner, this is just me being pernickety and it's hardly a negative as it opens up tremendous possibilities to vary the application of the product. The cream is also easy to apply, particularly if you compare it to other liquid liners, to which it is undeniably similar. I would recommend applying the powder shadow first as it's rather paler than the cream shadow, and be patient with the former, too, as the rollerball can take a moment to get going.

--Texture--
The powder is quite fine, with its cream/liquid brother being slightly heavier. Both are smooth and non-irritating.

--Appearance--
The powder is very subtle and shimmery indeed, so not good if you're after a bolder effect. However, if that is what you're after then the cream shadow is for you: it can be bold and jazzy just as easily as it can be a silvery glow. Just blend appropriately to get the desired effects.

--Longevity--
Pretty awesome - while the powder shadow faded and creased slightly, it performed very well without a primer and even after I slept for a couple of hours while wearing both shadows, both survived pretty perfectly (woohoo, no panda eyes for me!).

--Value for money--
Hmm. I looked this up just now and I'm teetering between saying the price is reasonable vs saying it's more money than it's worth. Probably the closest brand comparison in terms of packaging, price and everything else is Benefit, and for the quality of the products and the environmentally friendly bonus of the brand, I'd say on balance that Tarte is better and that I would go for it over Benefit - particularly if it has something to rival Benefit's eye primer, Lemon Aid. Best be quick if you want to get your mitts on that limited edition pack, though (which, for your interest, contains a mini face primer, a mini Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara, one mini Lock and Roll, and one mini Inside Out vitamin-infused lipgloss).

perfect partners
Tarte Eyeliner, $18
Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes! Mascara, $18
Tarte Rest Assured Brightening Wand, $22

Urban Decay Special Sauce

RRP: £3.95/€5.49/$7.88 for 15ml

no. of available variants: 3 (glow, glisten and matte)

--What does the promo say?--
"It is a mixer for your make-up when you're in the mood for a foundation with a luminous rosy finish. Mix a little Special Sauce with your Liquid Surreal Skin and all of a sudden you have a whole new foundation. Smooth it on alone for the look of radiant health on a bare face."

--Packaging--
A petite squeezy plastic bottle. It's transparent so that you can see the off-white lotion glistening in the bottle, with product information written on the bottle in gold. The Urban Decay logo is chunky and modern, yet simple, and is contrasted by the dainty font that's used to write "special sauce" in lower-case letters. The font colour is matched by the screw-top plastic lid, but contrasted by the silver box in which it arrives.

--Application--
Unscrew the bottle, squeeze a little into your fingers, and either mix into your foundation before applying, or apply to your face alone.

--Texture--
Slightly too runny for my liking, but otherwise fine. It's smooth, not at all lumpy, and with no big particles of glitter.

--Appearance--
The 'Glow' shade at least has a pink sheen to it, which helps to balance out the glitter and make the lotion appear more natural. On the skin, it gives a healthy glow with just a hint of glitter for night - presumably the 'Matte' shade doesn't have this. On the skin, it mixes very well with foundation, but I wouldn't recommend using it alone unless you have extremely good skin already.

--Longevity--
Good - it sits on the skin well, whether worn alone or as a foundation additive. It fulfils the product brief and does what is intended.

--Value for money--
Extremely good - for such a fashionable and respected brand, the price is reasonable, particularly given the amount you need to use each time. It's a product I am proud to put with my other facial highlighters, right next to my Sephora equivalent of Benefit's High Beam.

Clinique Glosswear For Lips

RRP: £10 for 7.3g
no. of shades available: 26

--What does the promo say?--
"Waterproof gloss that leaves lips looking and feeling moist with sheer, glossy colour. Also protects lips against environmental agressors with SPF 8 and antioxidants such as Vitamin E. Sponge-tip wand applicator provides an easy and clean application. Sheer glossy formula glides on lips for a shiny finish. Apply to lips, alone or over lipstick."

--Packaging--
A transparent hard plastic tube with all the Clinique logos and information written on it in silver block capitals, and a slender silver screw-top lid with sponge brush attached. A very nice size that's easy to fit in your handbag.

--Application--
While Clinique says you can apply this over lipstick as well as wearing it alone, I don't know that I'd recommend it myself as I think the gloss colours alone are strong enough. Still, your call. Unscrew the lid, pull out the lid/sponge brush, wipe any excess on the tube opening, and apply to your lips as often as desired.

--Appearance--
Shiny rather than shimmery, without making you look like a human disco ball. The available colours are also on the whole very natural, with the exception of a few crazier shades, so there's something there for every purpose.

--Texture/Consistency--
Slightly thicker than most other glosses, without being sticky. On the lips it feels luxurious and smooth - something to make you feel slightly special.

--Scent--
I'd say that it smells slightly waxier than most other glosses, and this is obvious when you open the tube, but on the lips the smell wears off quickly and is undetectable.

--Taste--
None.

--Longevity--
Pretty good - it withstands cups of tea and the stresses of the working day pretty well, and doesn't need to be reapplied as much as other lip glosses.

--Value for money--
Not the most expensive or the cheapest gloss on the market, but its various positive qualities make it worth the price, and I'd probably choose it over Estee Lauder's or Helena Rubinstein's glosses. It even contains conditioning agents and sunscreen, and is waterproof. Top.

Dior J'Adore

RRP: £34.10 for 50ml @ www.strawberrynet.com

--What does the promo say?--
"Joyful and radiant, the eau de toilette exhibits a sparkling new freshness while retaining the J'adore olfactory signature. It may have a strong family resemblance, but also has its own identity: the reworked proportions of the floral bouquet give it an ultra-feminine touch. The new transparent bottle for the eau de toilette is now taller and slimmer. A spiral ring of gold, the symbolic colour of the legendary J'adore fragrance and a sign of excellence, wraps around the precious amphora. In this new version, the subtle gold reflections of the fragrance are mirrored in the crystal glow of of the pearl-shaped stopper. Also available in 100ml."

--Packaging--
A simple but beautiful bottle, with a gold aura to it. The golden spring is unusual and distinctive while not being too fussy, and all in all this is a very attractive bottle to have on your dressing table.

--Application--
Remove the pearline stopper and just spray wherever desired.

--Scent--
I thought this was a little too citrusy and even perhaps slightly bitter-smelling when I first sprayed it on, but as it dried the smell became far more beautiful - floral, yet modern. Sadly, it was also quite weak - while on the upside it doesn't mean the people around you will choke on an overly strong scent, on the downside it means that in order for anyone to smell it they'd have to get very close to you (perhaps this is the point?).

--Longevity--
Not great at all - a shame given how lovely the scent is.

--Value for money--
The fragrance fades very fast and needs to be topped up every few hours - a shame when you consider how much you pay for a bottle. For that sort of price you really do expect a bit more mileage from a product. I personally prefer perfumes that last a little longer (Cacharel and J-Lo spring to mind as excellent examples that are cheaper than J'adore as well!), and I wouldn't consider buying this unless Dior could get their act together and make the fragrance a little more long-lasting.

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Colour

RRP: £13 for 13ml
no. of shades available: 22

--What does the promo say?--
"Le Vernis from Chanel offers a wide colour variety, from the most elegant and classic to the latest and trendiest shades. It is chip-resistant, thanks to an original, state-of-the-art, exclusive-to-Chanel formula, with naturally strengthening and protecting bioceramides. One last reason to adore it? The patented no-spill bottle, with a 'built-in wiper system' - so you apply the perfect amount of this toluene-free polish, with every sweep of the brush."

--Packaging--
Very square, good-looking, modern glass bottle, with a black plastic lid bearing the Chanel logo, which all comes in a black box with white product information on it, and a gold stripe at the bottom. It soon becomes apparent, though, that the black square smoothly-finished lid is just a shell for a ridged, cylindrical lid that's easier to turn and open.

--Application--
All as usual. Open the lid, pull out the brush, wipe on the edge of the opening to avoid excess, and apply at least 2 coats to the nails after a base coat, allowing plenty of time to dry in between.

--Texture--
Smooth, and a little bit watery, but not too bad.

--Appearance--
One coat is not sufficient - two or more are definitely needed. While in the bottle the colour appears definite and vibrant, this doesn't translate well to the nails, which is rather disappointing. It also appears slightly streaky after the first coat has been applied, though the application of a second coat improves this. However, there is a slight shimmer to it, which is nice and subtle.

--Does it do what it promises?--
Not by a million miles. From Chanel's own description, you'd think the nail varnish would last perfectly well on its own, but even with a base coat and a top coat, it couldn't withstand my part-time job, where I am constantly having to remove trays and faff about with keys and thus constantly knocking my nails. Whether it would withstand normal day-to-day business is something different, though the evidence doesn't fare too well on that front either. I applied the varnish on a Thursday while travelling on a train to meet friends. The journey was long and there was plenty of time for all coats of varnish to dry. I had a perfectly normal day on the Friday (i.e. I was not at work or undertaking any kind of activity that was rough on my hands), but then on the Saturday I returned to work. As soon as I undertook any kind of activity using my hands, the nail varnish simply didn't last (and I work in a jeweller's - I'd say there are far more strenuous activities!). Therefore, in my book, this nail varnish in no way does what it says it will.

--Value for money--
I think you've already guessed what I'm going to say here. There are simply far better nail colours out there that last far better than this one does. The only thing got going for it is the texture and the wide range of colours, but these qualities can only redeem this nail colour to a certain extent. I can only recommend that you choose something else for your nails, but don't write off Chanel completely - it quite often comes up trumps.

perfect partners
Chanel Protective Base Coat, £12 for 13ml
Chanel Nail Colour Remover, £8.50 for 50ml
Chanel Rouge Hydrabase Creme Lipstick, £16 (38 shades available)

Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash

RRP: £6 for 100ml

--What does the promo say?--
"A mild oil-free and soap-free foaming cleansing gel. Effectively deep cleanses to clear open pores and rinse away excess oils, make-up, impurities and daily grime. Leaves the skin feeling cleansed, purified and refreshed with a shine-free, matte finish."

--Packaging--
Pretty simple really. Plastic transparent bottle, with a flip-top lid on which the bottle stands. The label is turquoise and unisex, with the product information on it in white, easy-to-read font, and is also sufficiently waterproof that it doesn't peel off in the shower. The flip top lid is easy to open and close, and no gel escapes from it. All in all, pretty functional.

--Application--
Just flip open the lid, squeeze a little into your palms/onto your fingertips, lather up with some water. Rub all over your face (of course avoiding the eye area), and then wash off.

--Appearance--
As with the Murad gel that I tried before, it's a yellowish gel, which isn't especially attractive. However, it leaves no visible residue or staining on the skin. In the shower it lathers well into a white foam.

--Texture--
It's a smooth gel that's just the right consistency - not too runny and not too lumpy.

--Scent--
Smells just like soap - no detectable scent of salt, seaweed or tea-tree like smells.

--How does your skin feel afterwards?--
Smooth and clean and like it's had a really good wash. There is also no stinging or any other kind of irritation.

--Improvement--
While this is no miracle worker, it's certainly very good at keeping the skin balanced and at a consistent level of clarity. It's definitely an everyday staple rather than some sort of wonder product, but the price reflects this and I didn't expect anything more from it, since that is how I always intended to use it.

--Value for money--
It keeps your skin feeling balanced, clean, clear and refreshed, is a day-to-day must have, and all for £6. Hardly the cheapest product on the market, but a long way from being the most expensive too, as well as being from an organisation with a vaguely ethical ethos. Score.

perfect partners
Body Shop Seaweed Clarifying Toner, £6 for 200ml
Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion, £9 for 50ml