A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Have you ever tried epilating? Well, now Rae has — and she just loves her new Emjoi Emagine!

Vote NOW on what Makeup Series you’d like to see next on Betty Girl Makeup. Poll closes Friday, August 6th @ 11:59pm.

Jellyminx shows a summery golden pink look and features a surprise guest!

Kim Porter swatches products from the MAC In The Groove Collection to show you what it looks like on NC50 skin.

Krasey Beauty has exclusive swatches of the new Make Up For Ever Lab Shine Collection.

Rachel’s been trying out new mineral makeup from Lily Lolo over at Queen of Turquoise.

Hot Beauty Health shares a list of the top 10 virtual hairstyle and makeover sites to try out a new look!

Musicalhouses makes Illamasqua’s Beg blush wearable in her latest FOTD.

Find out everything about Summer 2010 makeup trends in the Makeup4All on-line beauty magazine.

Joeybunny over at the PinkSith blog tells us what worked and what didn’t during her testing of Raw Minerals Makeup and Brushes.

Jolie Laide Girl gets all hot and bothered playing with the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

Check out what makes Guerlain’s Meteorites Perles primer so special on Beauty Addict.

Fed up of struggling to access your new makeup? Yeah… Lipglossiping is, too!

Christelle from Beauty Crazed learns that multiple X’s are not always inappropriate… sometimes they mean mascara!

I Heart Cosmetics has become totally obsessed with the Clarisonic.

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Retrodiva is giving away the brand new Sampar’s Good Weekend Kit, a new travel-friendly kit for urban skin survival.

Win an Infiniti by Conair You Curl curling iron from Audrey Dao.

There’s still time to enter the Summer Smooth Skin Giveaway at The Gloss Menagerie!

Got troublesome skin? Enter Hellcandy’s skincare giveaway for the chance to win some B-Liv products!

Do you want a new traincase? CSN stores is giving one Spiced Beauty reader a $40 gift card!

It seems you can’t blink at the moment without seeing cult British brand Illamasqua pop up at a new outlet!  First ASOS and now one of my other favourite beauty sites… BeautyBay!

I would tell you that I’m most excited about this thanks to greater availability blah blah blah.  But in all honesty, I’m hoping for some super sale bargains, and they’re already kicking us off with a top offer:

To celebrate the launch of Illamasqua at BeautyBay.com, they’re giving all customers a free Boosh Nail Polish when they buy any two products from the range.

And as if that weren’t enough…

Illamasqua announced today that they will be opening their first flagship store on Beak street in central London which will include the West End’s first ever school of make-up art.

Exciting stuff!

~ Shampoo: Pantene Pro-V’s new Aqua Light Shampoo FOR THE WIN!  I’m so impressed at a product that simply does what it claims to do.
~ Conditioner: Pantene Pro-V’s new Aqua Light Conditioner – I know, I’m sounding like a broken record… sorry!
~ Styling products: OSiS Mess Up Matt Gum is giving my hair some sweet texture atm without making it look like it’s got a ton of product in it
~ Shower Gel: TAO Rituals T’ai Chi Shower Foam… smells good, and it’s bubbly!
~ Night Cream: PerriconeMD Cold Plasma has been working nicely for me as a night cream during this hot, sticky month.  It’s light and moisturising… but I wouldn’t pay £120 for it… review coming soon!
~ Day Cream: Ponds Light Day Cream
~ Cleanser: NUDE Cleansing Oil followed up with Priori Advanced AHA – Gentle Facial Cleanser
~ Exfoliator: Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask
~ Primer: Shu Uemuera UV Underbase SPF 30
~ Foundation brush: Pout Airbrush
~ Concealer: MUFE HD Concealer
~ Powder: MAC MSF Natural in Medium
~ Blusher: Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Maui
~ Highlighter: None, it’s been too hot and I’ve been too glowy for that malarky!
~ Eyeshadow base: UDPP (as always)
~ Eyeshadows: Shu Uemura IR Beige 800 allover the lid for a brighter, more awake look!
~ Eyeliner: Sleek Kajal in Black
~ Mascara: Boots 17 Wild Curls
~ Lipstick: Guerlain Rouge G in Gabrielle
~ Lipgloss: None

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Have you noticed any stand outs this month?

What might I be talking about?

Gerard Butler has been announced as the new brand spokesman for L’oreal Men Expert!

He says: “I’m excited to be working with L’Oréal Paris.  I have always liked the quality and innovation of their products.”

“With his charisma, confidence and modern style, Gerard Butler perfectly embodies the spirit of the Men Expert line.  A talented actor, he has enjoyed a string of successes on the silver screen and is renowned for his professionalism. Gerard is just so easy to relate to – his charmingly authentic, natural air will win him the respect of consumers, who can’t help seeing themselves in the actor.  I am delighted to welcome Gerard as a L’Oréal Paris Spokesperson!” says Vianney Derville, International General Manager of L’Oréal Paris.

Suddenly, the Men Expert range has become a whole lot more interesting no? *fans self*

Good choice? Or yano… in other words… would you?

If you do one thing today, do this.  Please.

It would be wonderful if you could take a moment to sign this petition to the UK Government.  It asks for a first name, surname and that’s it.  It will literally take you less than 20 seconds to click through and sign.

It’s a bitter pill to swallow, but the simple fact is that children are trafficked and exploited daily within the UK.

ECPAT say:

While trafficking for sexual exploitation remains the most common form of child trafficking in the UK, children are also trafficked to the country for other types of abuse including labour exploitation, forced participation in criminal activities, forced marriage, illegal adoption and domestic servitude. Even children who are not trafficked for the explicit purpose of sexual exploitation are vulnerable to rape and sexual abuse because of the dangerous and hidden circumstances in which they are kept.

The petition calls for greater care and protection for child victims of trafficking by ensuring every child is provided with a guardian to look after them.  Over half of all children that are put under local authority care whilst their cases are investigated go missing.  These vulnerable children are in dire need of protection and your signature is a significant way to make a difference.

The Body Shop have released a Soft Hands Kind Heart Hand Cream priced at £3.50.  Released in association with ECPAT UK, £2.36 from each purchase is donated directly to ECPAT to help fund their campaigns and projects.

For more information on ECPAT and their campaigns, log on to their website and check out their facebook page or twitter.

It’s been quite a year for luxury lipsticks!

Only just recovering from the Chanel Rouge Cocos and the Tom Ford purse breakers, we’re now faced with the new collection on the block… and it’s a biggie!

Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care (£22) is a new collection of 32 (yes, 32!) mouth-watering shades.  Each shade has been inspired by (and named after) a vintage Dior Haute Couture dress.  Check out those two beauties in the background!

The range has been grouped into three colour families to make navigating through the line a little easier.  Red to Coral, Pink to Lilac and Beige to Brown, there’s a shade to suit every taste and skintone (if not budget!).

The Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care collection also promises to plump your lips both in the short and long term using some fancy schmancy hyaluronic technology.  I can’t wait to see the rest of the line up, though I’m already totally drawn to the nude there *swoon*.

If you want to get your hands on one (or seven) of these babies, you need to take your lipstick-loving selves to Selfridges who hold the worldwide exclusive on the range.  Available from yesterday (28th July), these are sure to be hugely in demand throughout August!

The frankly amazing Marina over at Makeup4all has only gone and done it again!

Makeup4all’s wonderful Summer issue is now available for your viewing pleasure…

I can’t even begin to comprehend the amount of work this lady puts in to creating these wonderful beauty issues.  When her email landed in my inbox announcing the release, I actually let out a little squeal of excitement.

Please go and check it out and show her some love… you won’t regret it, it’s a fabulous lunchtime read!

Barbara Daly has some caaaaa-ute mini nail polishes (7ml) available in Tesco at the moment.  I’m wearing the shade Sunset which is a glorious pink-toned red.

It’s one of those shades that make your nails look like colourful little smarties and I’m definitely going to check out the other shades whilst they’re on 3for2.  (Currently £3 a piece)

The formula of Sunset is easily one of the best I’ve used.  Yes, it’s that good.  2 coats for a truly perfect finish the brush is well made, the polish glides on my nails and with a slick of top coat gives the most beautifully glossy yet creamy finish.

Not only that… but the above photo was taken on the third day of wear.  Erm… where’s the tip wear?

I just hope the other shades live up to my now hugely inflated expectations!

The new face of Pantene Pro-V has been announced as presenter and former model Cat Deeley.

Why Cat? A spokesperson from Pantene said; “Cat Deeley is the ultimate Pantene Pro-V girl, she has natural beauty, and healthy looking, gorgeous hair. Her genuine likeability and infectious charisma have led to her being adored in the UK and now also the US. For us she was the obvious choice to lead the Make A Swisssh movement behind this campaign.”

Excited about her new role Cat said: “Has your hair ever felt so good you can’t help but swish it? – you know  that elusive ‘swish’, when hair moves perfectly. It’s that beautiful, healthy looking, enviable hair that we all want – that’s what you get with new Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light.” Cat Deeley

Her work with the brand will kick off with Cat as the face and hair of the new Aqua Light Make a Swisssh campaign launching on the 1^st August.

I know loads of you have been using the new Aqualight range for a little while now, still enjoying it?

I’ve been absolutely loving the shampoo this week.  My mother in law’s shower is genuinely the worst in Britain.  It doesn’t shower me… it dribbles on me.  I normally have to stand under this dribble for around 10 minutes until I’m left with no residue.  The new Pantene Aqua Light shampoo is rinsing away effortlessly in about 30 seconds!

Simple things please simple minds.

With the new Edward Bess range firmly settled into it’s new UK home at Zuneta, I thought it was time to bring you some product shots from the launch I attended a few weeks ago.

A busy swatch table at the launch.  Makeup, check.  Cameras, check.  Tissues, check.

Edward Bess Blush Imperiale (£36) – L,R – Soft Orchid, Desert Bloom, Moroccan Rose

Edward Bess Blush Imperiale swatches – L,R – Soft Orchid, Desert Bloom, Moroccan Rose

Edward Bess Eyeshadow Trios (£44) – L,R – Island Escape, Soft Smoke

Edward Bess Lip Wardrobe (£310)

Edward Bess Compact Rouge (£30) L,R – After Sunset, Love Affair, Island Rose.

The Compact Rouge pots are something rather special… smooth, silky and pigmented.  My heart has been stolen by more products than I can afford.  To be blunt, this is an expensive range.  For me, it’s an aspirational range.  The packaging is plain but sleek with quality casings… some will admire it’s simplicity, others may regard it as lacking in personality.

Edward Bess Midnight Sun Set (£136)

Before seeing the products in person, I was particularly keen to check out the Daydream bronzer and it didn’t disappoint.  Soft, creamy and natural – even on my pink hard-to-please skintone.

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow (£22) – L,R – Intimate, Escape, Dusk, Mystery.

I was surprised by how much I fell in love with the Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Intimate.  I don’t do greens… but this khaki is something quite special.  Texture wise, I slightly favour the Rouge Bunny Rouge formula which blows me away… but I’m smitten by Intimate and Dusk and am in the process of working out how many excuses I can invent to part with the £44 needed to purchase.

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I will definitely be purchasing the Ultra Luminous Eyeshadow in Intimate.  I aspire to own the Daydream bronzer… but not until I finish the equally lovely Guerlain Teracotta Light Sheer Bronzer in Blondes.  I will also spend the next few months lusting after a compact rouge… but knowing that I would only use it as a cream blusher, I know that I can spend less and fall in love with other cream blushers to the same degree.

This is a line for women who want to enhance with quality cosmetics.  Subtle enhancement with luxury products is (for me) the epitome of what I want to see in my makeup bag.  If you’re looking for a compact collection of beautiful products to achieve subtle but effective enhancements, Edward Bess is worth exploring further.

I don’t get much time to spend on my ‘beauty’ routine, not half as much as I’d like… so any product that promises to multi-task captures my attention quickly!

Davines Authentic Nourishing Oil (£29.20/140ml) is designed to be used on face, hair and body.  A truly multi-tasking masterpiece?  Formulated with 100% natural ingredients, these include organic Carthame Oil, Jojoba, Sunflower and Sesame oils.

They say:

After a shower, while your skin is still wet, massage on your body, face and décolleté. (For additional moisturising power, add a few drops to your face and body cream at night, when your skin is repairing itself).  Smooth a few drops through the ends of the hair to get rid of split ends and don’t forget your hands – they must be protected against the external aggressors.  Massage your hands and cuticles daily.

I already use a body oil which I apply to damp skin – but I’m a total sucker for oils and I can’t stop adding to my collection.  At £29.20, the Davines Authentic Nourishing Oil is a little more than I’d like to pay… although 140ml would last a very long time.

What are your favourite multi-tasking products?