Thursday 20 May 2010

Laduree vs. Paul



Whilst shopping in Central London last week I passed a Paul French bakery and spotted a tier of macaroons in the window. I couldn't resist and after some thought I decided on a large pistachio macaroon.

Tucked away in a signature paper bag lay my tasty treat. I saved it until I got home only to discover that an oily stain had transferred on to the bag which rang alarm bells to me. Eagerly, I took a bite expecting the usual soft, creamy texture I was used to when devouring Laduree macaroons.

Unfortunately, this was not the case. The texture was smooth and creamy to some extent but it was rather oily too which explained the stain on the paper bag. I simply couldn't enjoy this treat although I really tried. 

Results? Laduree 1 - Paul's 0!!

More than Marvellous



Ok guys, I cannot apologise enough for the lack of posts lately!! I have a fully charged 'Duracell Bunny' son who is hilariously charismatic but equally exhausting.

Anyway with that said, this post is about the new Kiehls Marvellous Mineral Mascara that was recently launched in London at the beginning of this month.

I have been gradually trying to change all the products I use to those that are not harmful to the skin, so when I heard about Kiehls new mascara which claimed to be 'paraben-free', I almost couldn't believe my luck!

I didn't even have to wait until the official launch date, because it was made available a few days earlier - an advantage exclusive to Selfridges customers. Of course, I didn't even give it a second thought and immediately purchased two - one for my sister and a treat for me which came to a total of £30.00.

The wand has a soft tug-free brush that delivers fine, clump-free coats of mascara with each application and contains ingredients such as Acacia, which thickens lashes.

The shade of the product is a really deep, dark black which is something that I particularly look for in a mascara. It also enhances my lashes naturally and the tug-free brush does exactly what it is supposed to without any clumping.

What I do find is that the mascara isn't waterproof and although I haven't yet experienced any problems such as smudging, I would prefer it nonetheless. One thing my sister mentioned was that the brush held on to a little too much mascara and she didn't want to waste any product by wiping the brush on a tissue. Apart from that she seemed to be fond of it too.

Overall, its a good product and pretty good value for money, considering its paraben-free claim. I'd buy it again but would still prefer it to be waterproof.

The picture below shows my lashes before and after use of the mascara. Judge for yourself and feel free to give me feedback on how marvellous your lashes look with this product.