Paul & Joe Beaute

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a workshop with Paul & Joe’s International Make-Up Artist, Craig-Ryan French.  Annoyingly, I took the phrase “fashionably late” to the extreme and eventually arrived about half an hour before the workshop finished (I wasn’t expecting the drive to take over two hours!!) so I missed a lot of the demonstration, but I did manage to have a chat with Craig-Ryan before I left.

Craig-Ryan is amazing at what he does and clearly knows make-up inside out.  I asked him the one question I’ve always wanted to ask a top pro, which was “How do I wear pink blush?”.  If you remember, a while ago I posted about how my love for all things pink obviously includes make-up, yet I struggle to find a shade of pure pink blush that really suits me.  Craig-Ryan immediately said that whilst he thought there were pinks that would suit me (he tried one on me whilst we were chatting), he knew that there were better shades for me and he suggested the Paul & Joe Face Colour in Tango.  Interestingly, the shade Tango falls into the same colour bracket as Mac’s Mocha which is probably the most flattering blush I own, so it makes sense that Tango would work well for me too.  During the event, Craig-Ryan demonstrated various techniques for application including blush.  I’m a bit blush obsessed so it was great to get an idea of how the pros apply what I find a tricky product to master.  Craig-Ryan started the application kind of half way up the cheek bone and worked the colour downwards and outwards which created a really natural effect.  The benefit of this application technique is that you can get away with applying quite a bit of blush and yet it still looks completely natural.  It’s safe to say it’s a technique I’ve adopted and it definitely works.

Anyway! On to the products.  In my goody bag there were three main products which I’ll show you now.  I think there were different products in each of the goody bags which I think is a great way to do goody bags as it means that the blogosphere isn’t flooded with the same product review over and over again, and we all get a chance to try something different.  In my bag there were two make-up items and one skincare item.  As is usually the case with such things, I was most excited about the skincare item which I’ll start with:

Moisture Lotion

As I said, this was the product that piqued my curiosity immediately as I do love a bit of skincare.  I’m not normally fussed about packaging but there’s something so regal about this bottle that I immediately couldn’t wait to find it a place on my dressing table (my dressing table is a bit of a project at the moment which I’ll no doubt post about soon!) and to me there’s something almost Ancient Greece about the way it looks.  That’s a bit of an odd thing to say about a bottle of lotion but hopefully you can see what I mean!

The Moisture Lotion is a bit unusual and difficult to place into a specific skincare category as it’s a moisturising toner.  If I had to compare it to anything I’d say it’s purpose is along the same lines as the Shiseido Softeners, but this is definitely a very different product.  It’s a milky, gel-like lotion that you apply with a cotton pad as you would a toner and you’re left with skin that feels nourished and moisturised without any residue or grease.

For dry skins, this is the perfect pre-product for moisturiser as it’ll stop your skin immediately drinking-up the cream and slow the absorption rate, therefore making it great for morning make-up application.  However, for oily/combination/problem skins like mine this is a dream come true as it’s moisturising yet so light that it works beautifully as a surrogate moisturiser, giving my skin enough of a moisture boost without flooding it.  I also like to use this after I use a treatment mask for spots as it counteracts the dryness.  I’ve used this on my eyes without irritation and it’s become a regular feature in my daily routine.  £22 from Beauty Bay.

Creamy Cheek Powder in 01

Apologies for the cat hair in the close up on the blush pan; I dropped it mid-picture taking.  Not only is the packaging for this ridiculously cute, but the product really delivers on it’s name.  Calling it a Creamy Cheek Powder is spot on as it’s creamy and blendable, yet dries to a powder finish.  This is a great product for those who want the convenience of a cream blusher without the dewiness that often comes with cream colours.  The shade is a flattering, blue/pink that is very natural against my pale skin and the colour payoff is sheer but buildable.  During the very brief spell of sunshine we had recently (at least I think we did but there’s every chance I imagined it….) I started to wind down heavy make-up in favour of a lighter finish and used this as a daily blusher.  As I usually need to use powder to set my make-up during the colder months (like now!) I think this is a little too powdery for me, but it’s ideal for skins like mine when we can get away with lighter foundation as this lasts really well and bridges the gap between powder and cream blushes.   £18 from Beauty Bay, although it’s worth noting that they don’t seem to have 01 in stock.

Lip Gloss G in 001

The particular shade I have is called Love Potion and I really love that name!  Whilst this shade is a beautiful and very wearable, summery pink, it contains quite a bit of shimmer and I’m just not someone who can get away with shimmer on my lips (I swear it’s an age thing as I remember wearing full-on glitter on my lips ten a few years ago on nights out) without feeling like I’m too blimin’ old for it.

The texture of this lip gloss is lovely; it’s very creamy without being sticky and doesn’t feel tacky at all.  I love the colour and the texture and at a push I could wear this on a night out, but I think it would be unlikely considering my issue with anything shimmery on the lips.  Obviously this is a matter of personal choice though, so if you don’t mind a bit of shimmer then these are glosses that are definitely worth checking out.  £15 at Beauty Bay.

This was my first introduction the Paul & Joe.  I’ve been familiar with the brand for a while and admired their packaging – mainly because they seem to be big fans of cats which makes them winners in my eyes – so I was really pleased to have the opportunity to explore the brand further.  I’m most impressed with their skincare and will definitely be looking into what else there is on offer.

It’s worth noting that Beauty Bay currently have a clearance on selected Paul & Joe items, so if you fancy saving a few pennies whilst checking out the brand then now’s the time.

Disclosure:  All items mentioned were received for free at the Paul & Joe Beaute event.