A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

In addition to my lovely Inglot Eyeshadow palette, I picked up a couple of lipsticks when I checked out the Inglot Store in Westfield a month ago…

The packaging is sleek… I love it, the outer cardboard box is more than a little reminiscent of MAC but the tubes themselves feel much sturdier.  They’re heavyweight metallic cases that would easily stand up to the rigours of being in my handbag.

I grabbed a pair of fairly nude shades…

#192 is a pink-toned nude with a touch of frost

#264 is a more flesh-toned nude with no frost.

You can see from the swatches, both lipsticks have a creamy, smooth texture with a slight shine.  Good for my poor dry lips as these don’t accentuate all the grooves and furrows that our recent plunging temperatures have created.

Here’s what they look like on:

#192 – Pink toned nude

#264 – Flesh toned nude

Apologies for the face photos, my only excuse is that it’s 2am…

Inglot Lipsticks retail at £7 each… tell me I don’t need any more please, ‘cos my arse is making buttons to get back there for some brights.

I’m gonna break this into 3 lots over the next few days, or else I’ll be on random.org for the next 7hrs.

Here’s my advent giveaway winners for December 1st – December 8th (inclusive):

1st: Kenzie (Paper Soap & Hair Velcro)

2nd: rijaH (Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in Dime)

3rd: Beautyjunkielondon (Nailene/Nulon combo)

4th: Isa (L’oreal Lash Architect Mascara)

5th: Lizzard (Urban Decay Ink for Eyes in Loaded)

6th: EmilyPaige (Dazzle Dust & Bath Oil) Barr

7th: Redtiger21 (Shiseido Eye Shadow Duo)

8th: Janice (Collection 2000 Eyeshadow & BarryM Lip Gloss)

Yay winners! Do the happy dance! And then email me your deets so I can get your prize in the post to you.

If I don’t hear from you in a week, I’ll try and find your email in the myriad of comments and if I still don’t hear from you after that, your prize will go to someone else.

Congrats!

I was pissed at the snow and the miserable post-Christmas aura surrounding January.

In a two fingered salute, I daubed the most obnoxious summery colour I could find on my tips.  I said tips.

HJ Manicure in Blonde.

I was worried I’d look like I smoked 60-a-day or at the very least had a kinky penchant for bananas, but thankfully this shade just misses looking horrendous.  It’s not the most suitable shade for my skintone, but remember… I’m being aesthetically antagonistic in my shade selection.  And as a bonus, it makes the inlaws wonder what their son ever saw in me.

I even received a few compliments wearing this.  To be fair, one was from the checkout girl in Wilkinsons who didn’t look a day over 11 and a half and the other was from the lady who served me a sausage roll in Greggs, but let’s be honest, a compliment is a compliment.

Again, I’m loving HJ Manicure’s formula.  Yellows are the problem children of the nail polish world and one of the reasons I chose this shade was to put the brand to the test on their formula.  It coped admirably.  My only complaint was with opacity.  This was 4 coats, and you could still faintly make out the tips… If it’d had been fully opaque in 4 coats, I would have been satisified.  As it is, it’s a slight issue for me.  Thankfully, each coat was a smooth quick-drier.

Most yellows appear to be cremes, this is a shimmer… it has a slight sparkle to it that would make it such a great choice for the summer.  Longevity is fabulous, no chipping and minimal tip wear despite not adding a top coat.

Are you a fan of the brights?

HJ Manicure shades can be bought online from their website in 5ml (£3.50) and 15ml (£8.50) sizes with free P&P on every order.

Love it or hate it, Rose-scented products tend to polarise opinion… I’m in the love-it camp, I find it a comforting smell in a Granny kinda way.

I’m talking Granny in a cool Lily of the Valley sense.  NOT Granny in a mint imperials wrapped in tissue discovered in the bottom of a musty-smelling handbag sense.  I hope we’re clear on that?

Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil promises to protect skin from free-radicals whilst moisturising and promoting inner balance and harmony.

Inner balance? Harmony? Please excuse my whilst I attempt to mainline about 5 litres of the stuff directly into my veins… I’m on the final day of my inlaws visit.  I love them really… but… well, yano…

Oils are my thang, I’m a lazy git when it comes to body moisturising… and oils just seem easier to me than creams.  I apply them after turning off the shower taps whilst my skin is still damp.

Doing it this way, means I can be quick and messy and get the chore over with.  I also like to screw with Mr. L and leave an oily residue in the bath.  It’s like banana skins x700 billion.  *claps hands with glee*

I also find them to be great value for money.  Body Oils are generally more expensive than creams and lotions, but a little goes a very long way and a single bottle will easily last me 6 months of daily use.

I especially like the sound of this one ‘cos you can slather it on your face too… god I’m such a sloth.  I’m sussing myself out as I type this…  I want an all-over oil that I can apply in about 5 secs flat from top to toe without moving from the warmth of the bathroom don’t I?  Well.. step forward Weleda!

And this… ladies and um ladies, is why I’m announcing Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil a bonafide January Essential (for lazy flakey-skinned bitches).

Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil is available from LoveLula.com and priced at £18.95 for 100ml

Are you a body oil fan?

The gothic whimsy of the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie is inspiring both audiences and brands alike.

It has now been confirmed that Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland palette will be released on the 22nd of February online in the UK at Debenhams.com, followed by an instore release on the 28th February.  It has also been confirmed that the UK price of the palette will be £28.

Interesting news hot from The States is that after much speculation, Urban Decay have thankfully released a name check for the renamed Alice-inspired shades.  So keep reading to see how many colours may be duplicates in your collection.

The Shades…

Underland – Flash
Alice – Painkiller
Oraculum – Baked
Queen – Last Call
Chessur – Chopper
White Rabbit – Polyester Bride
Wonderland – Maui Wowie
Curiouser – Grifter
Muchness – X
Mushroom – Mushroom
Midnight Tea Party – Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (dear god..)
Vorpal – S&M
Absolem – Homegrown
Drink Me. Eat Me – Sin
Mad Hatter – Twice Baked
Jabberwocky – Oil Slick

Because I’m such a geek dedicated to the cause, I’ve been googling Urban Decay’s back catalogue and can tell you what you would duplicate if you already own…

Ammo – Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper, Maui Wowie, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin (7 dupes)
Sustainable – Grifter, Twice Baked, MCRA, Flash, Oil Slick (5 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol II – Mushroom, Twice Baked, MCRA, Homegrown (4 dupes)
Skull – MCRA, Grifter, Chopper, Twice Baked (4 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol I – Last Call, Grifter, Baked (3 dupes)
Get Baked – Twice Baked, Baked (2 dupes)
Show Pony – Flash, Painkiller (2 dupes)
Wallpaper – Last Call, Chopper (2 dupes)
Arsenal – MCRA (1 dupe)
Face Case – Polyester Bride (1 dupe)
Foreshadow – Oil Slick (1 dupe)
Deluxe Shadow Box – No Dupes (0 dupes)

Have I missed any out? Probably…

Hopefully this is useful to you lovely lot, it means that this palette promises me 7 brand new shades to add to my collection.

I’m not too disappointed with that and that adorable packaging is cute enough that I would have probably talked myself into owning this purely as a “collector’s piece” anyway (or at least until Mr. L snatched the debit card out of my hand).

What say you?

How many of those shades do you already own?

Nothing screams “I got a tattoo in the late 90s” like a tattooed arm or ankle band.

Chanel’s latest must-have accessory was recently showcased on the Paris runway and it’s just as well the 90s are back in fashion, ‘cos check these babies out!

“Les Trompe L’œil de Chanel”, a set of 55 individual tattoos priced at an eye-watering £49 will be available on the Selfridges Chanel counter from 1st March.

I think I’ll stick to the ones you get free with bubblegum… or if I really must indulge, there must be 101 purse-friendly alternatives out there.

What say you? Fabulousness or Folly?

Cosmetifique is a newly launched iPhone app that promises to analyse the ‘quality’ of your cosmetics.  You enter the ingredients one by one and you can get an overall view of the “toxicity” of your makeup.

So, is knowledge power?  Or a little (mis)information a dangerous thing?

I’ve downloaded it and will play for a few days before sharing my thoughts.  Do you think much about the ingredients of the cosmetics you wear daily?  Do you know your Methicones from your Sorbitan Sesquioleates?

I received this email in my inbox yesterday and thought it may be of interest to some of my UK ladies.

The blurb:

We’ve got just the thing to lift you out of the January blues and make you feel fabulous – a free Barry M make-up kit! The five-piece set includes an eye pencil, eyeshadow, nail varnish and lipgloss, which all come in a gorgeous pink cosmetics bag, worth £20*!

To get yours, simply collect four of the tokens that will be appearing in Fabulous magazine every week for five weeks from this Sunday (17th January). Then redeem in any of our Superdrug stores between 7-14th February to collect your goodies.

On a mildly related and not very PR friendly note… does anyone else get the urge to kick Ms. Holden up her smug, bony arse?  Just me then…

Happy Saturday to you!

If you’re anything like me, you’re a blogger butterfly.  Nothing I like more with my morning cup of tea than a chocolate digestive good dose of my favourite blogs.

I’m nearing the end of my bi-annual inlaw visit (it’s been 13 days, 7 hrs, 35 minutes and 3 secs… but, who’s counting?) and I’ve got a lot of great posts coming up.  I also haven’t forgotten my advent giveaway winners which I will be posting up when I get home (heaven help the old ladies behind me in the queue at the post office!).

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Back in December, I went a little Dior crazy.  I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat… (stop laughing)

Anyway!  I was a woman possessed obsessed with the Dior Cristal Boreal Holiday Collection and when I picked up a few pieces, a couple more shadows from the new One Couleur Extreme range fell into my hot sweaty hands too.

Left to Right on the top row: Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Flash Black, Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Silver Gem (LE), Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Trendy Taupe.

Flash Black: A true black infused with silver sparkle… this is such a great base for a wonderful smoky eye.

Silver Gem (LE) – This is a limited edition silver from the Cristal Boreal Holiday 2009 Collection… this is the shadow that I first swatched on counter that made me loopy for the collection.  It’s a pretty darn opaque silver with a buttery finish.

Trendy Taupe – A teeny bit disappointing because it’s so dark on me, I wanted more of a midtone shade for the lid and this fairly pigmented shade doesn’t quite fit the bill.

The cast of characters… You can see the sparkle of Flash Black (left), the opaqueness of Silver Gem (middle) and the deep tones of Trendy Taupe (right).

I think that concludes my pre-Christmas Dior haul…. now to find a new obsession for Spring/Summer… What’s on your radar?

…On All Lacquered Up’s fantabulous blog.

I submitted my favourite “mannequin hands” polish and got featured – whoop!  Only other sad bastards will know how exciting this is, so if you don’t ‘get it’ – it’s ok, you’re officially cool.

If you do… I’m sorry, there must be a support group out there for us somewhere right?

One of the most talked about so-called ‘dupes’ is the infamous $5.99 Milani Luminous blush which many say is a dead ringer for the even more infamous $25 NARS Orgasm.

Here’s my take on that theory…

You can immediately see the similarities between them.  In the pan, Orgasm has a little more sparkle, but the shades are a very close match indeed.

On my skin…

I find Milani’s Luminous to be slightly pinker than NARS Orgasm on my skintone, it also swatches a little heavier which was a surprise to me, as I rank NARS blushes up there as among the most pigmented I’ve used.

The Milani only lasts for a couple of hours before fading compared to Orgasm (a.k.a – shit to a blanket).  Once applied to my cheeks, NARS Orgasm has that “Je Ne Sais Quoi”… a slightly ethereal quality that is lacking from the Milani.

Does that relegate the Milani to the dupe bin?  Not at all, I would happily take Luminous on a fortnight holiday with me.  I love it, it’s a fantastic dupe and I’m pleased to own it.  Would I be happy for it to completely replace Orgasm?

No.  On my skin, NARS Orgasm gives me that famed full on post coital flush that Milani Luminous only hints at.