A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Further to this post earlier in the week…

…I’ve been boiling potatoes, brewing coffee, stewing tea, microwaving rice, milking cows and pureeing cucumbers.

I’ve locked myself away and treated myself to your wonderful concoctions both day and night.  Proper pampering.

I’ve used up all my little eye patches and I thought you might want to see the results of your combined efforts.

Read the rest of this entry »

…Bargain hunters may not want to miss this quick public service announcement!

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Liz Earle’s cult Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and for one day only you can purchase Cleanse & Polish for the original launch price of £9.50, saving over 25% off today’s retail price of £13!

“Quick, tell me how!” I hear you ask…

You can purchase it at this special price online through the Liz Earle website on Tuesday 15th June.  Set your alarms!

We all know we need to wear it, we all have our favourite brand(s) and we all know that we need to reapply it throughout the day…

…but how often do you replace your bottle of sunscreen?

I go through about two bottles a year, so I replace them as and when I finish them.  Though, this hasn’t always been the case.  In my early twenties, I’d use a sunscreen dug out from the back of a cupboard quite happily… only pausing to give it a quick sniff!

So tell me, how often do you replace your sunscreen?

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While I’m asking… does anyone else keep their sunscreen in the fridge in the Summer?

…Behind the travel-sized bottle of shampoo that I keep forgetting to take with me when I go swimming lurks something a little more unusual…

Lemon toothpaste.  So wrong, it’s very, very right.

The Sicilian Lemon sample I received is zesty without being sharp and there’s a bizarre (though welcome) twang of Lockets in there aswell!  No, really!

Whilst it’s not to everyone’s taste (is it Mr L?)… I like it!

Dawood & Tanner tooth cleansers, (the first of it’s kind to be designed exclusively by practicing dentists!) are available in 4 tempting flavours: Sicillian Lemon (love!), Garden Mint (didn’t like this one!), English Peppermint and Brazilian Lime (next on my list!)

Available in Boots and priced at £3.99 for 100ml.

What’s the kinkiest thing in your bathroom cab… scratch that, I don’t wanna know.

They say that tattoos are addictive… I don’t have any of those but I’m here to tell you that you can add hair-removal and Foxes Coconut Crinkles to the list of things that “Lipglossiping got herself addicted to” in 2010.

The question is, will I have a single hair left on my body come Christmas?  Will I get carried away with it’s fabulosity and start chasing the neighbour’s Persian moggy round the block once I’m done with Mr. L’s hairy back?

The Boots Smooth Skin by iPulse IPL System arrived last week for me to try and report back on, and being the hairy Mary that I am… I honestly couldn’t think of a better candidate.

Until I read this:

I was all of an “OHMYGOD, I CAN’T USE IT!”  I may even have squeezed out a couple of tears…  and then a few more for the benefit of Mr. L (who missed them the first time round) after he looked up from Micro Mart to determine whether the wailing was coming from me or the baby.

After some email to-ing and fro-ing with the people behind the device, I learned that they’re actually in the process RIGHT NOW of updating the UK manual for the machine.  Infact, here it is in black and white from the rep:

…I have managed to get you the most up to date info on the suitability of Boots Smooth Skin for PCOS sufferers.

As you know, in the UK manual, it states that Boots Smooth Skin is not suitable for PCOS sufferers.

We are in the process of updating the UK manual with Boots to give a better explanation of the considerations when using Smooth Skin with PCOS.  We know many PCOS sufferers have found good results with Smooth Skin and some have posted their positive reviews on boots.com.

As you will know, in essence, PCOS is related to a hormonal imbalance.  Hormone changes may cause dormant hair stem cells to grow into new hair follicles.  So it is likely to take longer to be hair-free and require you to top up.

But we also know and understand what a huge comfort it is to PCOS sufferers not to have the extra hair that the condition causes to be so visible…

…We want to do the right thing by our consumers, and while we go through the final rounds of approvals with Boots we would love to give you the chance to get ahead of the UK change.

So there you go.  You heard it here first (maybe).

In all honesty as a PCOS lady, this device wouldn’t be my first stop for hair removal.  Not for my face anyway, which is precisely why I don’t already own one.

I’ve looked at this particular device many times in the past (it’s one of the few that claim PERMANENT results) and I’ve never been confident enough in it’s claims to go to Boots and lay my debit card down on the counter.   I think it’s important that you know this, and that I tell you why.

Regardless of whether there’s any substance to my opinion, as someone with a “proper” problem with excess hair, I knew that I was always going to opt for something that I perceive to be stronger.  I want FULL ON peeow peeow laser beams blasting my face yano?  I want someone with a clipboard to be operating a machine that takes up at least 10sq foot of floor space and puts a minor dent in the national grid everytime it’s fired up.

I won’t be using this on my face or my chest.  I don’t want it to interfere with the results that I may or may not get from the SK:N treatment that I’m currently undergoing.

Instead, you get to see my gorgeous hairy pins.  You lucked out.  Don’t worry though… I’m not showing them today, your appetite is safe for now.

Check out this instead:

It’s all very neat and compact… slotting into it’s own little vanity case that has been discretely designed without the words LASER HAIR REMOVAL emblazoned all over it.  In other words, you can totally leave the IPL stuff behind and take the case on a dirty weekend filled with furry handcuffs and the like.  Or if you’re me, Minstrels.

So, the plan is to do one leg.  Just the one.  Don’t worry, I’m still gonna shave the other one… but I think that doing it this way will leave me under no illusions by the end of 12 weeks whether I’m actually seeing concrete results from the Boots Smooth Skin.  I’m also going to pin down Mr. L (he really does have a hairy back and this is the only home IPL system suitable for men) – he’s gonna. love. it.

Much, much later on… god knows if you’ll still be here with me or even care, but I’ll put phase two of the hair-blasting attack into action.  I’ll use the Boots Smooth Skin on my face to maintain whatever results I achieve from my SK:N treatment once it’s finished.

For the purposes of the trial and for you ladies with PCOS, I wish I could do that bit NOW – but bad timing forces my hand and I simply can’t.  It’s pretty common for hirsute women with a hormonal imbalance to need extra professional laser sessions.  Sometimes as many as a couple of times a year to maintain completely smooth skin.  I’ve made peace with that, but for me… that would mean £220 for each topup session.  The Boots Smooth Skin currently retails at £274.99.  It makes economical sense for me to purchase one of these for maintenance and I would (despite my cautious attitude towards it’s claims) be confident enough in the device’s abilities to lay down my cash in an effort to maintain an area that’s already been treated.

Anyway, I’ll introduce you to the more technical aspects of the machine next week when I’m confident that my tan has completely faded (you can’t use the device on fake-tanned skin).

*glances up* Jesus, I can’t half go on.

Put down the hammer, I don’t need any shelves straightening…. it’s these things I need help with:

Twenty neat little eye sheet masks (£1.50) that I picked up from Muji the other week!

Tell me, what can I soak ’em in to make me look 10 years younger?  I also have some of the face size ones too… all suggestions welcome!

The only thing I can think of is boiling up some green tea and letting it cool… there must be some other great DIY concoctions for sheet masks and the like?  I’ve done a quick Google, but I’m mostly finding thicker, gloopier type mask recipes.

Any of you wizards got any cool ideas?

Taking advantage of Barielle‘s current ‘buy one get one free’ offer, I find myself the new owner of four new Barielle shades.  I should have behaved and gone for two… but I even had a hard time narrowing it down to four.

I chose two shades from the Spring Wildflowers Collection (which was WILDLY late to arrive in the UK) and two from the High Steppin’ Summer collection.

I’m being a bit of a kid in a sweet shop, because I still have a couple left from the Urban Decay Summer of Love set to show you, but I simply couldn’t resist cracking open June Bug (£8) first.  After all, I’ve been desperately desiring it for the last 5 months.

I’m delighted and annoyed with it all at the same time.

I mean, once applied… I love it and I’m very pleased that I bought it… It’s like nothing else that I own.  But my God I turned the air blue during application.

Gloop, gloop, gloop.  This polish is thick.

It spread like marmite on my nails and with the addition of the glitter gave me a horrible satin bumpy finish that needed two coats of quick dry to stop me from reaching for the nail varnish remover.

However, once all is said and done… it’s one of those polishes that ends up looking far neater and more uniform than you would have thought possible during application.

The glitter is subtle and it mixes in beautifully with the shimmer that is present in the muted baby-blue base.  Mr. L couldn’t detect the fuchsia glitter from a distance of 4 foot until the sun caught my nails and it gave a litte sparkle.

I’m talking myself round as I’m writing this and casting glances at my fingertips.  I was cross with it as I was trying to work with that 2nd coat that was drying as quickly as I could put it on… but you simply have to forgive a polish that ends up looking as pretty as this does.

That pesky reflection below makes my nail bed look bumpy, it’s not… two layers of top coat sorted that out nicely.

Barielle are still offering BOGOF on their new Spring/Summer collections, but I’m not sure for how much longer.

What do you think?  Do you like it?

Multi-use products often don’t provide the results that they claim.  The innovation is there, but the performance generally isn’t.

Not so with Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector I was sent last month.

Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector is a product clearly designed to fulfill three uses: Anti-feather, Prime and Plump… all housed in a single double ended pen-esque container.

I am terribly dubious about most primers (excluding my beloved UDPP) and it wasn’t too long ago that I tried the new Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion, which went a long way to solving my pigmentation issues but was a drag (literally) to apply and left my lips feeling a little dry.

I expected something similar from this.

One end houses the anti-feather ‘nib’.  A waxy translucent lip liner that creates an impenetrable barrier in the same way you would Vaseline your hairline to stop your hair dye from seeping down towards your eyebrows.  The other end holds a concealer-coloured bullet which claims to ‘prime & plump’.  And it does so nicely.

The primer glides on in comparison to the Urban Decay version… it’s a joy.  The concealer colour that it imparts blanks out the colour from my lips and allows for a neutral base.  I would recommend blotting the primer before applying a lipstick ontop just to remove the excess product but keep the neutral colour base.

It does indeed tingle like a true plumper should and doesn’t leave my lips feeling any dryer than normal.  Infact, I applied the primer to one half of my mouth before using a lipstick… and in all honesty, couldn’t see a massive difference in application BUT the primer’ed half felt far more comfortable 10 minutes later, whilst the non primer’ed side began to feel a little dry and tight.

The photo above shows my lips wearing just the Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector with nothing ontop.  You can see that it blanks out all natural pigmentation successfully.  I would recommend this over the Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion because it is so good at creating a blank canvas without drying.  I’m not convinced it gives me any extra wear from my lipsticks, but the addition of the anti-feather product makes this an extremely useful tool to own.

The Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector is £15 and available from QVC online.

We know how revered Eve Lom’s original cleanser has been over the years, but when I tried it…. honestly? I found it a bit of a faff.

I loved the product, the herbal scent and the way it left my skin feeling baby-soft and perhaps with more practice, I would have gotten quicker, but the last thing I wanna do (when all I wanna do is fall into bed) is stand at the sink for 15 minutes washing my face.

Enter Eve Lom’s new product for Summer…

Morning Time Cleanser, developed on the same principles as the original but with the benefits of a quicker cleanse.  A 2 minute massage and splash off with warm water makes for a highly tempting alternative.

If you’re already an Eve Lom fan, then you may find this a perfect accompaniment to your evening cleanse.  As for me?  It’s sucking me back and tempting me in again.

£35 for 125ml and available from Space NK online and instore from this month.

Arbonne… you won’t find them on the high street, their products are sold through a network of independent consultants… like the old Avon lady/Mary Kay situation, but with a 21st Century twist.

The Swiss brand are particularly well-known for their skincare, with an almost cult fanbase in some countries.  More well-known in the U.S, Arbonne have only been active in the UK for a couple of years.

Now, the products aren’t cheap… and I’ve so far experienced some rather (how can I put it delicately) “full on” interactions with Arbonne consultants over the internet.  They come across a bit ‘motivational video/live your dreams/come join us and be happy!’ for me and I find it off-putting.  It’s a shame that you can’t just bypass the whole independent consultant bit… but it is what it is.

Having said that, I’m rapidly falling for the products I was sent to try, and one in particular…. the Arbonne Nude Lip Polish.

Exactly the same size as a Revlon Super Lustrous lipgloss, 5.9ml is a pretty average quantity.  Sadly, Arbonne’s version will set you back £16.  I did say it wasn’t cheap.  What I didn’t say, is that in the week I’ve been wearing it, it’s quickly become one of the nicest products I’ve ever worn on my lips.

It’s semi-sheer… but where most lipglosses aren’t buildable (unless you like 7 inches of gunk stuck to your lips) this somehow is.  I usually apply 2 or 3 layers and in doing so, I achieve a more opaque finish without the product becoming denser and gloopier.  On my lips, it feels like a cross between a lip gloss and a lipstick with a satin gloss finish as opposed to a glassy one.

I guess what I’m saying is… if you don’t generally like lip glosses but kinda wish you did, there’s a very good chance that you’ll love this.

The packaging feels pretty luxe, with a nice weight.  The applicator is your standard doe foot affair, and the colour in the tube is true to life.  It’s also extremely long wearing… 2 cups of tea, 2 4 chocolate digestives and a cheese string later and it’s still holding on!  Oh, and another thing I’ve noticed that I’m really impressed by is Arbonne’s comprehensive website.

I can’t link you directly because it’s (stupidly) built in flash… but if you click through to “lips –> lip polish”, not only do they give you a full ingredient list… but they also state the purpose of each ingredient present in the product.  An extremely worthwhile addition to the website in an age where consumers are so information driven and ingredient conscious.

I love doing heavy eyes, so the Arbonne Lip Polish in Nude is pretty much the perfect accompaniment.  I’m still trying to make peace with the price tag and I guess compared to Beaute’s Weightless Lip Creme (around £20) I’m getting a bargain.

Anyway, wanna see?

You can see the satiny finish and how it’s glossy but without being pornstar full-on sucking on a greasy pork chop… (that’s not a euphamism btw).

I’m also wearing Arbonne’s eyeliner in Plum on my eyes and whilst it’s perfectly lovely… it’s also £15.  There’s no way I’m gonna attempt to justify that when I can buy almost 4 GOSH Velvet Touch eyeliners for the same price.  It’s nice… but it’s not £15 nice yano?

The Nude Lip Polish?  Definitely is.

Arbonne products can be purchased through a consultant and you can find your nearest consultant, here.

Have you tried Arbonne?

Click the image to go to the sale!

They could do with having more on offer in the most impressive 61%-99% savings range, though I like the look of this Urban Decay set containing a super-sized bottle of UDPP amongst other things for £18.50 (usual price £35):

and this Bare Escentuals set for £23 (usual price £37.50, though it’s come to my attention that it was never sold in stores at a markup of £37.50….)

Anything on there catch your eye?  Let me know if you buy anything… I’m incurably nosey!  And let me know of any sales you find… I’m also incurably addicted to spending money 😉

£20.50 makes for an expensive concealer.  It needs to live up to the hype.

I bought the Make Up For Ever Full Cover concealer in shade #1 a few months ago.  I was looking for a great all rounder that I could use under my eyes and to cover blemishes.  On paper at least, this seemed to fit the bill.

It’s fragrance-free, non-comedegenic and suitable for sensitive skin… blah, blah, blah.  All I really care about is this…  Does it cover?  Does it cake?

Yes and No.

There, review done.

Yeah… you wish…

For such a professional brand, I was hoping for a touch more longevity from this concealer.

I apply just the tiniest amount under my eye and it spreads out beautifully without dragging or settling into fine lines.  I set it with a touch of powder and hope for the best.  It gives a beautiful finish.  Though not brightening, it will disguise any obvious dark circles really rather well and a little goes a very long way.

The shade range is marvellous, I usually opt for the lightest, and unfortunately for me…. #1 is a touch too light and gives me a slight ashy look under the eyes, I should have gone for #2 or #3 but for paler gals than me, I know this will be great news!

It covers blemishes nicely, though I find that 2 thin coats works better than one thick one (doesn’t it always?).   This also tones down redness on my nose, though I do occasionally find that it clings to the dry patches there if I’m not well-moisturised enough.

So back to my longevity issue.  This lasts about 4 hours on me… so it sadly doesn’t see me through a working day.

Would I recommend it?  Yes, I think I would… despite the price tag, I think it’s a pretty lovely full coverage concealer that gives great results without looking like you’re using a full coverage concealer.

See how nicely it blends out and how a teeny amount pretty much covered the back of my hand?

You can purchase MUFE Full Cover Camouflage Cream from Guru Makeup Emporium instore or over the phone (0207 731 4646)

Do you own this or any of MUFE’s other concealers?