A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

~ Over at theNotice, Rae talks about a new Burt’s Bees lip balm… and how it reminds her of an old Lip Smacker!

~ Maggie shares this Foxy dupe of Too Faced’s Sexpresso and Peachfuzz duo over at The Polka-Dotted Apple.

~ Kim Porter talks about a miracle moisturizer that’s also a makeup primer, remover, and more!

~ Vesna from Beauty addict blog discovered one of her blushes is fake, so read this post to find out how to spot a fake Benefit Coralista!

~ Head over to Beautifully Glossy to discover a lip balm that GlossQueen thinks is an essential.

~ Glitter Geek is obsessed with everything sparkly, and she puts a glistening spin on the summer smoky eye.

~ Need some wedding makeup ideas? Check out Audrey Dao’s wedding looks!

~ Pop over to melovemakeup for swatches and thoughts on the New Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks!

~ Get the only 10 tips you’ll ever need for a fool-proof fake tan on beautywoome.com.

~ Champagne, French macarons and make up…Hellcandy spends an indulgent afternoon with Terry De Gunzburg, founder of By Terry.

~ Vex in the City takes a look at Mai Couture’s Blush Papier – blush with a difference!

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed discovers the joy that is cream blushes!

~ Eyelining Obsession thinks you shouldn’t have to spend a fortune on great eye brushes.

~ You can wear nudes too! Spiced Beauty shows off MAC Lovin’ it Lipstick with lip swatches.

~ Jen from A Beauty Junkie in London has been feeling all posh whilst checking out Estee Lauder’s new Pure Colour Shadow.

~ Retrodiva splurges a bit with Chanel’s Coco Rouge and Red Shine Glossamer. Find out if she thinks it’s worth it!

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Want to win a $100 gift voucher for all your skincare needs. Head over to Yinnie’s blog to check out the details!

I’m having a bizarre relationship with this nail polish from the Urban Decay Summer of Love nail set… When I first saw Hashbury, I was a little bit in awe.  In the bottle, it looks ah-mazing.  Cadbury purple with masses of micro-shimmer…

Then I swatched it on one nail and couldn’t have been more disappointed.  It was watery, sheer and jelly-like.  It still is two of those things.  After 3 coats, I can get a pretty opaque finish, though it still looks more jelly than cream.  Nothing wrong with a jelly, but if you’re anticipating a nice opaque purple shimmer…. the effect is lessened with a jelly-ish finish.  I like it more than I did, but still not as much as that initial WOW factor.

Final verdict – Could have, should have been great but isn’t.

I know I’m being a tad harsh, it’s still a rather lovely purple… and although the formula is terribly thin, 3 coats isn’t bad and it has the most beautiful high gloss finish.

Anyway, I’m all up in the air about this shade… I can’t decide.  What do you ladies think?

Check out my other swatches from the collection:

Aquarius
Woodstock
The Whole Kit
Psychedelic Sister
Magic Bus

It’s the WEEKEND!

What I done did this week… in pictures of course!

Far too much cucumber in my Pimms, I tasted more salad than gin.  And that’s never a good thing!

“I hope Mummy’s not hungry… Oh look, there’s her lunch!”

Pretty colours!

Oh, something makeup related DID slip in there afterall!

Am I being political? Nahhhh it’s just a car bonnet (hood).

An altogether different kinda bonnet!

Down at the docks.

I wanna take a quick opportunity to emphasise another big THANK YOU for the ‘feel better soon’ messages that you left me earlier in the week on here, twitter and over email.  It means such a lot to me.

Anyway,

What have you ladies been getting up to this week and do you have any plans for the weekend?  It promises to be another fine one!

Cowshed have teamed up with Astley Clarke to give newsletter subscribers the opportunity to win a £1000 manicure.

A £1000 manicure?  That sounds like a hell of a lot of O.P.I to me…. except it’s a bit more special than that…

Click the image below to be taken to the registration/entry page:

To complement the winner’s luxury manicure, they’ll also be given £1000 to spend on a sparkler of their choice… chosen in the comfort of Astley Clarke’s luxurious London showroom.

I’ve already fallen in love with this Niobe Black Diamond eternity ring… so if you’d all kindly NOT enter, that’d be great thanks.

I appreciate a beautifully kept semi-pristine makeup collection.  I understand that cosmetics are completely functional objects with shelf lives and shades that fall in and out of fashion over time, but hell… when you look at something like this:

Surely… that’s not meant to ACTUALLY be used…  At least… on some level, you know what I’m trying to say right?

I’ve only ever ‘collected’ a couple of pieces of makeup and when I have … I’ve bought two.  One for using and one for collecting.  I’d never buy something just to collect it I don’t think, I mean… I would have to want to wear it enough to want to collect it in the first place.

So, quick poll!

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I want to know about some of the pieces you’ve collected and if you think collecting makeup is an absurdity, tell me why – my bank balance will thank you later.

…Strawberry!

I was sent an Arbonne lipstick in shade, Strawberry (£16).  It’s an “almost red” that would suit ladies who fear a completely bold red lip, i.e. me.

The texture is smooth and it feels light on the lips.  I’ve been wearing this applied quite sheerly and blotted with my finger to create a softer matte stain-like finish and as a result, longevity has been impressive.  Applied more heavily, you can achieve a glossier effect, but the flipside is a more noticeably dehydrated lip.

It’s a fun shade for the summer, a pink-ed red that suits it’s name perfectly.

Excuse the silliness, I was being too lazy to go and pose in my usual spot properly!

Visit www.arbonneinternational.co.uk or call Customer Services on 0800 977 5721 to locate your nearest consultant and purchase products.

What reds are you favouring for the Summer?

Another from the Urban Decay Summer of Love nail kit (£17.50)

Magic Bus is a hot, firey orange creme.

3 coats… but for such a vibrant, bright colour… I’m a little disappointed that I can still make out my nail line… I think it could do with being a touch more opaque.  Despite this, in all other aspects… the formula was pleasing and easy to use.  Drying time was average and tip wear/chipping minimal.

A true summer shade that my fingernails will see again before Autumn descends.

Check out my other swatches from the collection:

Aquarius
Woodstock
The Whole Kit
Psychedelic Sister

No, really…

Unboxed Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Nectar and Rose for £16 each with free postage?

I’ll take both thanks.

Rose

Nectar

Let me know if you indulge, who needs boxes anyway?

LUSH Tea Tree Water Popular Toner

No, no, no… not that kind of popular…

1 : of or relating to the general public
2 : suitable to the majority: as a : adapted to or indicative of the understanding and taste of the majority b : suited to the means of the majority : inexpensive
3 : frequently encountered or widely accepted
4 : commonly liked or approved

This is my second bottle, I have a toner addiction.  It sits nicely alongside my million other addictions, I’m allowed though… I gave up smoking 2 years ago, these pale into insignificance by comparison.  I’d quite like to give up my food addiction though… am I going off on a tangent again?

Where was I?  (About 150 words in, without having said anything useful)

Ok…. LUSH Tea Tree Water… the popular toner…

I find this one particularly refreshing on warm days, the tea tree water is a beautifully cooling astringent that isn’t too harsh for my skin.  I’m not THAT oily, so don’t really have much call for astringent and was initially concerned that this could be a little drying… it isn’t.  It’s just refreshing.

Last summer, I kept one of these in my glove compartment in the car and whipped it out often on long journeys for a quick spritz.  That’s it really, it’s not mega-exciting… but it’s something that I’ve seen fit to repurchase, a summer essential if you like.

I do appreciate a short ingredient list… would appreciate it even more without the Methylparaben, but I don’t really know enough about the paraben controversy done to hold any kind of educated opinion.

I paid £3.25 for a 100g bottle.

What have you picked up from LUSH recently?

It’s subtle… can you see it?

It’s one of my favourites! I think I’d probably prefer to call this a luminizer than a highlighter, because with a fairly light hand this is perfect for wearing allover the face.  Yes, really.

Quite an unappetising shade in the pot, Cashmere Stockings is a mineral powder that I like to use as a finisher on days when I’m not wearing much colour on my face.  It lifts my complexion without making it sparkly or even shimmery.  To be fair to the product, it deserves a post of it’s own… not just lumped in under the ‘highlight’ category… it’s a little marvel.

Having said that, let’s not get carried away… Cashmere Stockings won’t do anything to cover blemishes, or even out your skintone (unless you’re blessed with already incredible skin) but for me… it softens my pores and adds a satin sheen.  I guess that’s it… maybe it’s no miracle afterall.  Just a good dose of silica and mica in a perfectly mixed ratio.  But it works beautifully for me over a good foundation base.

The physically small container it comes in is a pain in the arse… no chance of fitting a decent sized powder brush or kabuki in there, so I have to tap the product into another lid before picking it up on my brush.  A minor irritation, but an annoyance nonetheless.

I own a 10g pot and when/if I ever get to the bottom of it, will happily repurchase a 20g version ($18).  Anyone up to and including a NW/NC 25 would fare quite happily with level one as a shade choice as it’s fairly (but not completely) translucent.

Cashmere Stockings is available to buy online from Heatheresque (formally The She Space).

When I saw the Clinique High Lengths Mascara wand a few months ago…

It gave me a shiver.  And not in a good way.  It looks freakin’ terrifying!  Organic… like it’s gonna whip me or bite me or something slightly kinky.  And I repeat, not in a good way!

Still… yano… I had to buy it anyway *blush*

I generally find Clinique’s packaging a bit fud… am I the only one?  My Mum has skirts with those big floral prints on ’em.

You can see the extent of the curve to the wand… it’s serious… and takes a little bit of positioning to get it to align with my lashes.  Infact, it doesn’t align THAT well at all on me, it’s obviously something that’s going to be hugely dependant on the shape of your lashline…

The green bit is flexible and despite it’s odd curvature, doesn’t cause me any problems taking it out or pushing it back into the tube.  It’s also worth noting that the brush seems to pick up a perfect amount of product each time it appears from the neck of the tube.

Once I’ve got the wand positioned the best I can manage, things get a lot more interesting!

Those spiky little teeth grab my lashes and I can FEEL the pull as I wiggle the wand through from root to tip.  There’s some proper resistance there as I comb the wand through… it’s almost poetic.  The effect is beautiful separation and definition.  I’ve never used a wand that does this so well.

Clinique High Lengths Mascara is a lovely lengthening mascara that (after a couple of run throughs) coats each lash with just the right amount of product and really does allow you to get right to the root of the lash without splodging product allover your eyelid.

We’re not talking false lash effect mascara superstardom here, but it’s a great product for lovely long lashes and one that I’ll happily repurchase.

Clinique High Lengths Mascara is a very reasonable £14.50 (considering high street mascaras are approaching that figure now!).  You can buy online or on counter.

I’m very excited!  We’ve only bloomin’ got Liz Earle guest blogging on Lipglossiping today innit!

It’s an exciting week for everyone at Liz Earle who are currently celebrating the 15th anniversary of their multi-award winning Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser.

Liz agreed to share her tips on how to save some pennies and treat ourselves to a well-deserved uber facial whilst in the comfort of our own pig stys homes.  Read on for her fabulous how-to…

Dear Lipglossiping Friends,

It’s lovely to share with you my personal tips on how to pamper your skin in the comfort of your own home! Plus, if you are looking to curb the expense of a full salon treatment, this technique could be for you.

As summer is approaching, this at home facial is exactly what your skin needs – a fresh, new beginning! Simple, fuss- free and pampering, this facial will leave you with a complexion ready for summer.

Here are the quick and easy steps of what to do:

~ Cleanse
~ Exfoliate
~ Steam
~ Extracts (if any)
~ Tone
~ Mask and rest
~ Moisturise

Cleanse

The cornerstone of fabulous looking skin is cleansing.  Cleansing is integral to achieve a clear complexion by getting rid of daily grime and impurities to keep your skin clean and prevent blemishes.  Look for a gentle cleanser that is free from mineral oil, has a rich and creamy texture and swiftly removes all traces of face and eye make-up.

Apply a small amount of your cleanser of choice to the fingertips of one hand and dot on forehead, cheeks, chin and neck.  Massage the cleanser into your skin in small circular movements – always work down the neck, and up from jaw line to your forehead, going outwards from the centre of the face.  Work around the nostrils to help shift blackheads, especially if you’re spot-prone.

Wash off the cleanser using a pure muslin cloth wrung out in warm water to help gently dislodge dead skin cells and help reveal clean, soft and radiant skin.  Finish by splashing your face with cold water for a final refresh.

Exfoliate

Exfoliating is a vital step to buff away dead skin cells and impurities, in order to reveal fresh radiant skin.  To give yourself the equivalent of a salon treatment at home, you can use a very gentle face exfoliator.  Look for one containing spherical beads such as jojoba and avoid anything with jagged particles such as nut kernels.

Gently massage your exfoliator over your face, neck and décolleté, for one to three minutes, using the whole length of your fingers and working in little circles, out from the centre.  Avoid your eye area.

Rinse off with warm water.  To remove any last traces, sprinkle toner on cotton-wool pads and sweep them over your face.

Steam

After you have prepped your skin by cleansing and exfoliating, start the steaming process!  Avoid this step, however, if you have very high colour on your cheeks, or rosacea.  You can buy fancy gadgets for the steaming process but I get the best results by steaming my face over a basin of hot water for five minutes.   Here’s how you do it:

~ Fill a bowl with just-boiled water and allow it to cool for a minute or two.

~ Tie back your hair, or use a soft stretchy hair band.

~ You can get skin softened and prepped from plain steam, with nothing added to the water, although adding a few drops of essential oil will help blemish or spot-prone skin.  All pure essential oils are volatile oil compounds and therefore have antiseptic and antibacterial properties.  My favorites for facial steaming are lavender (good for all skin types), rosemary (for oilier skin) and tea tree (highly antibacterial and thus excellent for helping to purify spots and breakouts).  Add three to four drops to the water just before you put your face over it, and swoosh round with a toothbrush handle or similar.  Essential oils are broken down by heat, so drop in at the last moment to retain maximum potency and aroma.

~ With the towel over your head, take six deep slow breaths (through your mouth may be more comfortable). Move your head a little so every part of your face benefits from the cleansing steam.

~ Remove the towel after about five minutes and use it to pat the skin dry.

Extracts

The easiest time to remove any small spots or blackheads is just after steaming when skin is softer.  Apply a small dab of plant oil (i.e. grapeseed or almond) or balm to the affected area.

Wrap both index fingers in a tissue (pull it in half, so you have two thin sheets) and gently press the blemish to unclog the plugs of sebum.  Wipe clean and follow with a sweep of skin tonic.  If the spot is deep, don’t push or poke too hard; it may not be ready to be extracted.

A good tip: good light is essential and if you don’t have 20/20 vision, a magnifying mirror is very useful.

Tone

A toner is essential for closing pores and preparing your skin for your favorite moisturiser, so follow extractions with a sweep of skin toner sprinkled onto a cotton wool pad to cool the skin.  This will help to keep your complexion cool and calm.  Look for an alcohol free toner that will not dry or irritate your skin.

Mask & Rest

Some women don’t usually use a mask, but I believe it’s an essential part of the process to leave skin balanced, calm and clear.  Apply a generous layer of your favorite mask to both face and neck, but avoid the immediate eye area.  Clay-based masks are useful for spot-prone congested skin.  If you have dry skin I recommend using a creamy, oil-based mask as these are more nourishing.

It’s fine to mix and match masks and use a clay-based mask on your T-zone and then a richer, hydrating formula on drier cheeks.  Apply with your fingertips or – a little insider secret – use a blusher brush to paint the mask over your face!

To help you fall into a haven of rest and wake up with eyes that sparkle, dampen two cotton wool pads with an eye lotion.  Look for one that’s gentle, soothing and will revitalize your delicate eye area.  If you have the time, chill the pads in an ice tray for 10 minutes before applying for a refreshing treat.

I encourage you to lie down for 15 to 20 minutes with your feet propped up – raising your ankles above the level of your heart helps circulation.  Once you start feeling re-freshed, remove the eye pads and thoroughly wipe away the mask with a damp muslin cloth, flannel or facial sponge.

Moisturise

Finish your pampering treat by applying a moisturiser.  Dot over your face, neck and décolleté before massaging in.

I recommend you look for a moisturiser containing natural plant oils which will work in harmony with your skin’s natural oils to give it just the right amount of moisturisation, leaving your skin radiant with a healthy-looking glow.

Follow with your selected eye cream.

I hope you’ve found my personal tips helpful and just in time for summer.  If you have any questions regarding this at-home facial treatment, please feel free to ask any questions to Charlotte and the Liz Earle team and I will be happy to answer them.

Best regards,

Liz

…

So there you have it, tips from a bonafide skincare queen!  I’m going to give it a go this weekend, I’m in need of some serious pampering and have my Instant Boost Skin Tonic and Deep Cleansing Mask at the ready!

I never get round to making time to do this kind of thing despite ALWAYS promising myself that I will, so I’m pledging…. right here, right now.  Next week, my skin will GLOW from a proper DIY facial thanks to these tips.  Anyone else gonna make the pledge with me?  And no cheating… you have to do the lot… the steaming and the feet up bit included!

Also, as Liz mentioned… if you have any questions about DIY pampering, please leave a comment below!