A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…for at least a little while.

I need a holiday, what say you?  Come and see me in the tropics!

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What’s in a name?

I’m curious ladies… which of these would you be happy to call taupe?

All of ’em? None of ’em?

Adj. 1. taupe – of something having a dusky brownish grey color

These are a few of my favourite shadows… individually I refer to them as taupes, but seeing them together like this makes me realise just how un taupe-ish some of them are.

Infact, only about three of them qualify for me.

Which ones would you classify as taupe?

And don’t say “does it really matter… they’re all brown” or I’ll insist you burn your makeup collection as penance.

EDIT: You guys sure care about taupe more than I thought you would!

#1 is Fyrinnae Species 8472
#2 is NYX Sparkle Cedar
#3 is NYX Dune
#4 is Fyrinnae Maneki Neko
#5 is a Body Shop shadow (#32 I think)
#6 I think I swatched #10 twice which would explain why I can’t remember it!
#7 is MAC Satin Taupe
#8 can’t remember, sorry!
#9 is MUA (superdrug £1) Eye Dust No5
#10 is BarryM Mushroom

I’m in agreement with most of you. The truest taupe’s (to my eye) are #3, 9 and 5.  The others are far too plummy or bronzey.

I’d heard that Berry Ice Cream was a hard colour to track down, so I was really delighted to be able to waltz into my local Superdrug and whisk this and Mushroom off the shelves without any problems at all!  And I only paid a fiver for both!

Berry Ice Cream is a bright lilac pastel.  It’s not pastelly enough to be soft and floaty (if that makes sense!).  It has a bit o brightness to it that would endear it to most skintones.  Sometimes, lilacs can make darker skintones look kinda dead… zombie hands.  I can’t imagine you’d have the same issues with this one, it has enough punch to it!

Application was fair… 3 coats to cover any imperfections or patches from a small amount of cuticle drag.  Dried speedily and as with most BarryM shades I’ve tried, it has an impressive glossy finish.

Many people have issues with BarryM polishes chipping on them, but I never do… so although I can safely state that in 2 full days of wear I had no chipping, that doesn’t necessarily mean much.

If you’re looking for a colour to take you from Spring into Summer… this is a great choice.  However, I’m totally lagging in the ‘what’s hot’ stakes so this shade is probably already SO LAST SEASON.

Whatever bitches, I was rocking an Autumn colour last weekend… my fingers transcend fashion.

BarryM Nail polishes are still on a 2 for £5 offer in Superdrug, so get ’em while they’re hot! (or not).

~ Mz. More from The Glamorous Gleam is taking you To The Beach with a sneak peek at the latest collection from MAC.

~ Who knew that baby shampoo could be dangerous? Betty Girl Makeup tells you how it could be hazardous to your skin!

~ Sarah from I Heart Cosmetics is ready and prepared for some sun with her too favourite facial sunscreens.

~ Curious as to which products Louise from MakeupLoveer is using right now? Find out here!

~ Swatch-o-rama! The Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are finally landing on UK shores… Lipglossiping has them sussed and swatched!

~ Beautywoome.com unearths the the best dry shampoos on the market.

~ Jen at beautyjunkielondon gets a sneak preview of the new Autumn/Winter range from Boots No7.

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed checks out drugstore concealers.

~ The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose.

~ Phyrra tells you all about her Holy Grail eyeshadow product, Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy.

~ Sophie shows off and reviews the Sleek Kajals, with swatches.

~ Madame B Fatale interviews the Boss of Gloss winner, Cathy Mason.

~ Louise has a chat with celebrity hairdresser Andrew Collinge and reveals photos of her 80’s hair shame.

~ The Pink Sith is smitten with BECCA Lip & Cheek Creme in Tuberose!

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~ Flying of on your holidays? Enter Lipgloss86’s giveaway to win some Lee Stafford haircare.

~ Ever wanted to check out Annabelle Cosmetics? theNotice is hosting a giveaway of their new Mineral line, and you get an extra entry just for being… not Canadian?!

I received the press release for Urban Decay‘s new tinted moisturiser range that’ll be hitting our shores soon and it’s got me thinking…

Do you swap your base product for something lighter in the Summer?

I have a couple of tinted moisturisers on the go throughout the year, but I tend to reach for them more often in the Summer.

I don’t feel that my skin is clear enough (I get redness) to completely rely on a tinted moisturiser, so I tend to use a concealer brush to blend a little foundation over my nose and cheeks.  I’m also not a huge fan of the ‘shine’ that tinted moisturiser always brings to my face.  I need a top notch setting powder to hand with a couple of touch-ups throughout the day.

I do love the lighter feeling though… Oh, why must everything be a compromise?

Urban Defense from Urban Decay will be hitting shelves in Debenhams and Boots soon, priced at £17 for 50ml and could hopefully put the compromising to an end!

Do you opt for tinted moisturisers in the Summer or are you a hardcore full-coverage addict?

…introducing, My Pet Fat.

My Pet Fat is an anatomically correct visual motivational tool to encourage weight loss.

…mypetfat is highly endorsed and used as a weight loss educator and motivator by instructors, coaches, trainers, nutritionists, nurses and doctors everyday. Whether you need to lose a little bit of weight, a lot of weight, or maintain your weight, mypetfat will help you be much more mindful of what you’re eating, and even help motivate you to get up off the couch and move.

As grossed out as I am, I totally “get” it…

Picture the scene…

It’s mid-morning and thus far, the day’s been a slowwww one.  Sipping at your freshly brewed cup of tea, you catch sight of the packet of custard creams sat on Julia’s desk conveniently just across the office from yours.   Instead of wheeling your (fat) arse across the empty room, pull the (travel sized) blob of fat out from your desk drawer and give it a wobble.  Perhaps even give your own a bit of a wobble at the same time.  Bet those biscuits lose at least some of their appeal.

Prices for your very own lump of lard start from $19.95.

Sadly, extortionate international shipping charges means that I won’t be giving you the skinny (totally intended that) on how well it motivates anytime soon.

This is the most horrific video and after watching it, I very nearly stuck to just still images for this post (and you’ll probably wish I had).  I was blatantly traumatised enough by the whole experience to think that filming a video in direct sunlight without a scrap of makeup on was a FABULOUS idea!  Perhaps the laser fried my brain aswell as my follicles?

Oh god… Don’t judge me bitches.

Ok, enough of all that…

So here’s an image showing the area around my chin and neck later on the same evening after my first full treatment at the sk:n laser hair removal clinic.

It was pretty much as sore as it looks.  Itchy too…  Bear in mind that my skin was completely clear when I woke that morning… so this is all from the laser.  I spent most of that evening with a wet muslin cloth pressed to the area to take the heat out of it.

Having known other women who have undergone the treatment, I honestly didn’t expect to develop such a strong reaction and seeing it in all it’s gory glory on here makes me feel a little bit better about being a touch wimpy during my first session.  Put it this way… if flinching were an Olympic sport, I’d have been high on that podium saluting the flag.

My cousin reminded me yesterday that I was the only one in the family group (as a child) who managed to get sunburned severely enough to need A&E treatment whilst on holiday in Devon.  In October.  I’m so pleased that my Sk:n therapist agreed it would be wise to turn the laser down for me!

I had a rough time that first night and didn’t sleep well.  The itching was driving me insane and I don’t know HOW I managed to keep my nails away from my skin.  The next morning, I woke up looking like I’d done a few rounds with Mike Tyson.

It’s not that easy to see here, but my upper lip was really swollen.  When I pressed my lips together, my top lip completely overhung my bottom and it was tricky to talk without sounding silly.

It wasn’t painful though, the best way I can describe it is thus… yano when you get a blister on your foot and you press lightly?  It feels slightly numb and cushion-y?  That was how my lower face felt.  Admittedly, not the most pleasant sensation.

You can see that the redness had subsided by the 2nd day, but the swelling is also apparent around the jawline.  Frankly, I felt pretty hideous.  I didn’t want to wear makeup, despite having been assured that I could if I wanted to… I just wanted to hide in the house, preferably under the bed.

.

So, those last two photos were from the day before yesterday (Wednesday) and it’s getting better as each day passes.  Today (Friday) the whole area is back to being flesh-coloured and the swelling has completely disappeared.  The treated area is still covered with bumps where each dark hair-containing follicle has been zapped, but these are camouflageable with a bit of concealer and patience.  I’ve also still got a bruise coloured tache as in the 2nd photo, but it’s fading.

It’s been a tough few days since my first full treatment on Tuesday.  Tougher than I imagined it would be.  I honestly expected to go in and emerge 30 minutes later with some redness that would subside within a few hours.

.

Back then, I was the only 9yr old getting her blisters popped in A&E and again… I find myself being the exception rather than the rule.  Whilst it’s beginning to look like I’m not your average ‘reactor’ to the treatment, I think that my experience is perhaps even more useful as a result.

It’s hard to underestimate just how DIFFERENT we all are and I’m starting to understand why there just can’t be any guarantees with something as personal as laser hair removal.  I’m also secretly hoping that this extra dose of irritation means that those bastard hair follicles are taking an extra battering and admitting defeat under the awesomeness of the laser.  Pee-ow, pee-ow!

Stay tuned…

The other evening, after painting my nails in Essie’s Wrapped im Rubies… it ddn’t take me long to decide that it was a dull, dull colour…

…but I’ve changed my mind.  It’s not dull, it’s just not Summery.

Application was a teeny bit awkward, it seemed to remain sheer in certain places on the nail and I experienced a tiny bit of bubbling on my thumb.  To be fair though, I was in more of a hurry than usual… so it could well be down to my application skills (or lack of them on this occassion).

I’m on my 2nd full day of wear and tip wear is barely noticeable.  I did dent one nail despite my quick dry top coat, so it seems to be a slow dryer… deffo crack open the seche or alternative.  Essie Wrapped in Rubies is a beautiful bronzed-red with flecks of gold from the Winter 2007 collection… perfect for Autumn.

Shame it’s May!

This time of year (especially with the mini heatwave we had yesterday) it’s tricky to decide which season we’re currently enjoying!

With that in mind, check out Miners Spring/Summer nail collection which comprises a bit of both!

A nifty combination of 2 seasons in one collection…

Rio Pink: Not to look out of place on a Brazilian beauty dancing her way down the main strip of Rio Carnival, this shade is perfect for the beach. With a pearlescent finish and bright pink tone Rio Pink is fun, flirty and fashionable – the perfect colour for a beached beauty, along with those who like to dream.

Jaffa: Inspired by bright African colours and prints, Jaffa is a muted orange shade with a pink pearlescent undertone giving an electric look without being over the top. Jaffa is perfect for a sunny adventurous look either adding a bit of sunshine to ware away the April showers or to enhance your beach bronzed tan.

Apricot Blush: Seen on the catwalks from London to New York this is a milky-pink shade with a silver pearlescent base. Apricot Blush is perfect to add a bit of sparkle and make this seasons 70s romance style rock!

Flamingo: Putting the fun back into girly, Flamingo is a gorgeous rosy shade of pink, with a slightly orange undertone – perfect to add a touch of glamour to an everyday feminine look.

Denim Shorts: Following the catwalk trendsetters Jeremy Scott and Giles we have added a blue hue to our nail collection. Denim Shorts is a washed out blue with light pink undertones, a perfect shade for the beach or to brighten up a natural, plain look.

I’m loving the look of all of these with the exception of Jaffa (which is ontop of the blue).  I have a Miners glitter polish that I love, so will have to see if I can hunt these down as stockists seem to be pretty thin on the ground.

Alternatively, retailing at £2.99 each – you can buy online from Miners.co.uk

As previously threatened, I went and picked up the new Bourjois Elastic Mascara yesterday. I ended up going to Superdrug to make the most of the £2 off promotion and ended up paying £6.99 for mine.

I know some of you think it’s daft.. but I kinda love the packaging! I have a billion mascaras, so being able to spot the one I want immediately is always useful. It does look a bit like a toilet brush holder though (well spotted Rhamnousia!)

The brush is one of those spikey bristle affairs… ideal for separation and lengthening, not so good for volume. The emphasis on the Bourjois Elastic Mascara is on lengthening, so I wasn’t surprised to see this brush design.

What I was surprised to see was the amount of product the wand picked up in those reservoirs. Too much. Combine this with quite a wet formula-ed mascara and I knew I was going to have issues with application before I’d even lifted the wand past my nose.

I was right. It actually reminded me a lot of the issues I had with the last Bourjois mascara I bought (1001 Lashes). Admitedly, 1001 Lashes has actually grown to become one of my favourites… but it took 3 months for the formula to dry out enough for me to fall in love.

I love the brush on this Bourjois Elastic mascara. It actually ‘grabs’ my lashes. I can feel the pull as I drag through from root to tip. It keeps hold of them like no other brush I’ve tried. So if that formula thickens up a bit after a couple of months, I could have an winning combination on my hands!

Having said that, once dried… it’s a slightly crusty mascara, this doesn’t really bother me – but I know some of you prefer more flexible and soft finishes. It doesn’t actually *look* crusty… but you can feel the crispiness going on!

The weird handle is actually another thing I love about the Bourjois Elastic Mascara. It makes me more ‘light handed’ with the wand and I find myself applying with fluttery light but sweeping strokes as opposed to my usual ham-fisted, poke yourself in the eye efforts.

Another cool thing about the handle is that you can ‘twizzle’ the wand whilst applying to get maximum coverage. Didn’t think about that did you?! Rolling the wand between my thumb and forefinger feels quite a natural action as I’m pulling the product through the lashes. Unfortunately, the action just encourages this damn formula to clump… I’m still clinging to the hope that with a bit of age, the formula transforms into something amazing.

Definitely lengthening… not volumising or even very defining (I’m blaming the formula).

I’m on the fence with this one.

Something I’m not on the fence about?

This promo image:

Seriously? Just. Sod. Off.

Bourjois, you may be my favourite high street brand… but you hands down win the sucky Photoshop bs eyelash promo image award.

EDITED TO ADD:

The above promotional image shouldn’t be on the website under Elastic Mascara apparently, some kinda mistake as it’s a few years old.. here’s the correct model image!:

Remember this post about the LCBT‘s attempt at a rather fabulous record-breaking attempt?

Well…

THEY DID IT!

The college set a new world record with an incredible 1897 manicures, setting the bar very high for any pretenders to the throne!

They sent many volunteers home happy with their manicures and raised the profile of the Wellbeing of Women charity.

All in all, not a bad day’s work!

… but enquiring minds (mainly mine) need to know…

Do you keep the empty boxes?

Yano… when you rush home clutching your newly purchased bunch of ‘whatever’.  Do you rip the packaging apart, tossing it over your shoulder as you go or do you keep the product boxed for all eternity?

Me? I hog the middle ground.  I have a drawer dedicated to the empty boxes.  I know… Could I actually be any LESS space-saving?  I’m considering getting them all out and at the very least flattening them before putting them back into storage.

Why do I keep the boxes?  I have no idea!

Anyway, tell me…  What do you do with the empty boxes?  If you keep them… how do you store them?