A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

The one saving grace that enables me to keep my spends in check at the Le Metier counter is the fact that it’s a little tucked away at Liberty.

Um… not anymore.

Now available at Selfridges, Le Metier de Beaute is bringing it to the big time.

Anyone else up for walking through Selfies beauty hall with our eyes closed from now on?  Infact… perhaps that’s a technique I could well do with adopting ANYWAY.

I’ve hit the shops a few times in recent weeks in a bid to cheer myself up – I’ve been a total grump lately.  Mr. L says that extra-marital affairs are out so I took comfort in the warm arms of the high street instead.

Here’s what I’ve been indulging in recently…

I repurchased Max Factor Second Skin Foundation (£12.99) today.  It’s become an everyday staple… I wouldn’t reach for it on a night out or when I need flawless skin, but for daily wear… it’s a keeper.  Doesn’t let me down and evens out my skintone without looking heavily made-up.

Last week, I took a risk on Benefit’s Boi-ing “industrial strength” Concealer (£16.50) and whilst it’s ‘ok’… it’s not wow-ing me.  I find it quite dry and hard to blend… plus it emphasises any dry skin around my nose.  Coverage is indeed good and lasting power impressive.  I think perhaps I would have been better buying this at the start of summer rather than the prelude to Winter.

I can’t stop myself from heading for the makeup aisle whenever I’m in Asda… it’s those George nail polishes (£1.00)!  And right now, they’re back on at £1 each.  I originally picked up 2 to go towards this year’s Advent Giveaway (yeah, I’m a big spender) but I liked one of them so much, I picked it up for me too!  It’s a glass flecked orange that enchanted me in the bottle.  Very Hallowe’eny!

Talking of nail polishes, I grabbed the last bottle of Barry M’s new Instant Nail Effects (£2.95) this afternoon.  Superdrug was out of stock, but Boots came up trumps!  On my way home, I stopped off at Sallys and raided their reduced section for O.P.Is.  Only one caught my eye… infact, more than anything… it was the name.  “You’re a Doll!” (£3.50) – too cute.

What else…

Also whilst I was in Boots today, I took advantage of the return of the £5 off No7/R&M vouchers and picked up something I’d missed out on last time!  Everyone was raving about the deal where you could purchase No7’s new Exceptional Definition (£12.00) mascara and get a lovely Autumnal eye palette (at top of picture) for free.  Using the voucher meant that I only had to hand over £7 for both!  Bargain!  I need a new mascara like I need hole in the head but… um… shhhhhh.

I also sneaked in John Lewis over the weekend and emerged clutching Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow in Safari (£19.50).  I don’t know how it happened… I was just browsing the concession (officer) when all of a sudden I found myself merrily handing over a crisp £20 note and sobbing at the pitiful change I shoved back in my purse.

Lastly, I scored MACs discontinued Penny Shadestick from the CCO last time I was in – which was ages ago… but I’ve only just found it in the bottom of a bag *blush*.

.

What have you been buying recently?

What might I be talking about?

Brushing your teeth!  We all do it, well… at least I hope we do… some of us even remember to do it more than once a day – special gold star for us!

But it’s kinda boring isn’t it?  Dental hygiene… hell, I’m bored writing about it and I’m only 3 (very short) paragraphs in.

So without further ado, let me show you some lovely things to make your routine a little bit more interesting!

1. Tiens Herbal Toothpaste (£6.80)

If you like quirky things from the Asian market, you might like Tiens Tianshi toothpaste!  It’s packed full of less conventional ingredients including nullipore, honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum plant extracts whilst still maintaining a recognisable minty flavour.  It’s pretty foamy too so makes your teeth feel squeaky clean!

2. Bumblebee Toothbrush Holder (£2.90)

Too cute, I have three of these… I think you can get ladybirds too!  Stick ’em to the tiles and they grip your (manual) toothbrushes tightly ’till you reach for them.  They stop that age old problem of water pooling in the bottom of toothbrush cups and going all manky.  Plus they look cute!

3. Koziol Kai Dental Floss Dispenser (£16.00)

Not cheap and Mr. L would kill me if I came home with one now I’ve told him how much they are… but who doesn’t want a pirahna with razor sharp teeth in their bathroom right? RIGHT?

4. Endekay Plaque Disclosing Tablets (£1.95)

I’m not the only one that remembers these things from the school dentist am I?  My Mum used to buy me a pack a week before I was due to go sit in her little portacabin in the playground.  I used to use them religiously up until the morning of the fateful appointment to make sure that I had the least amount of plaque possible.  Oh, the shame!

It was either that or walk round school with tell tale red splotches all over my teeth that showed I was a lazy arse tooth brusher!

And yes, I do still buy a pack occassionally *blush*

5. Wisdom Individual Compact Toothbrush (£1.99)

I’m fussy about toothbrushes!  I don’t own an electric one for no other reason than I’ve never looked into getting one.  I also refuse to spend over £3 on a manual which I know I’m gonna replace next month… these Wisdom Individual Toothbrushes come in some lovely designs with nice compact heads for ma petite ‘gob’ and they’re cheap!

What more do you want?

.

Do you reside in the dark ages with a manual toothbrush like me or are you a proud owner of one of those all-singing, all-dancing mega pulse action vibrating doo-dahs (we’re still talking toothbrushes right?).

My first ever eyeshadow was an Avon Color Trends lilac shade in a green case… I ground that thing down to the pan and then when I went to repurchase, couldn’t find the sucker!  I still have the occasional search on eBay for it for sentimental value, but have long forgotten it’s name 🙁

Anyway, I was invited to have a look at Avon’s new Winter cosmetics collection which goes by the name Luxe Lace… is it just me or is the name just a touch naff?  Fortunately, that’s where any naffness ends because the collection itself is really rather nice.

Let’s have a look at what we can expect…

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quads (£8.00)

The Chanel-esque eyeshadow palettes offer 4 complementing shades that are suitable for both day or night depending on how you combine them.  The picture above shows the purple palette (Lace Electric) and the other (which I got in my goody bag) is a slightly more eclectic mix of champagnge/pinky-beige/green and blue (Lace Hues)  I shall swatch it v. soon!

In the photo, Lace Hues is hiding snugly behind Lace Electric.  Fail.

Luxe Lace Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick (£7.00)

Three new shades are due to be introduced from the end of October.  Instant Mocha, Frostiest Mauve and Pout will be priced at £7 each and promise to offer hydrating colour.  I found them to be hugely wearable in terms of pigmentation.  Not particularly long-lasting, but easy to apply and non-drying.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Mascara (£8.00)

I’m not a huge fan of Avon’s SuperShock Mascara though I know it’s very well-received. On me, it transfers and leaves little black spots just under my brows if I even remotely show any sign of getting a little ‘glowy’!  I love the big brush and the slightly dry formula… but there’s nothing worse than looking in the mirror and noticing funny black splotches undermining your appearance!

For the Winter Collection, SuperShock has been given a cute packaging makeover to bring it in line with it’s lacy counterparts.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens (£6.00)

For me, the most impressive product in the collection.  These SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens completely blew me away.  Pigmented like you wouldn’t believe… creamier than a tub of Ben and Jerrys and long lasting?  Oh my…

I met up with a journalist the next day who’d attended the same event and we were both still wearing our swatches on the back of our hands despite showering and secondary scrubbing in an attempt to remove them!

Two shades: Black and Silver, perfect for the party season.  If you only get one thing from this collection, make it these!

.

The new collection will be available to order online or from your Avon rep from the 28th October.

I’ll be back with swatches of the Black Eyeliner, Lace Hues palette and Pout lipstick as soon as I can get accurate shots!

Strictly Come Dancing on Stars with Ice Factors in the Jungle makeup I can handle.  Especially when I got the opportunity to play and wasn’t completely horrified by the actual quality.  Plus they’d made the most of all the sequins, glitterballs, cutely packaged bits and bobs… it has that tack-tastic quality that you want from a Strictly Come Dancing makeup line.

This?

I’m not so sure.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”They Say” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”b0c4de”]Become the ultimate diva with this new show-stopping collection of Glee inspired cosmetics. The dazzling selection of nail colours, eye shadows, lip glosses and lip balms offers Glee fans the chance to create their own personal ‘Gleekover’.[/stextbox]

I’ll be honest… I’ve never watched Glee, but surely if you were going to capitalise on the whole Glee phenomena with a little sideline in makeup… you could put a bit more effort into it?

Picture the scene (and bear in mind I have no actual idea how this works.)   So… we’re in the Superdrug/Glee/Wholesale Cosmetics people’s boardroom.  Eating doughnuts… probably.

“Hey guyyyyyys!  How about some Glee Makeup for Christmas?!”

*audible gasp*

“Ah-mazing!”

“But how can we make it Glee makeup as opposed to any old generic cheap crap makeup?  We don’t want our customers to think that we’re taking advantage of an opportunity without putting any real thought into it.”

“Let’s stick some Glee stickers on it!”

*audible gasp*

“Genius! – If it’s good enough for MACs latest collection… it’s good enough for us.”

At least MAC’s stickers were printed in more than one colour.  Cheapskates.  How in the hell is this Glee-inspired makeup?  Once your Gleeky consumer has torn away the cardboard packaging… don’t you think they may be just a teeny bit disappointed with what’s left in the way of Glee-spiration? (ok, I’m stopping with the quips now).

You can go buy your *cough* Glee-inspired makeup which includes *cough* BeautyUK-esque eyeshadow palettes instore at Superdrug now.  With prices starting at £3, I’m not saying they won’t make excellent stocking fillers… but if I find one in mine?  Mr. L won’t have much to be “Gleeful” about.

Lastly, doing their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is…

What is it?

Palmer’s cult Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion for dry skin in special pink bottles!

Price

£3.59

Donation

25p from every sale goes to Breast Cancer Care

Availability

High Street chemists and supermarkets

.

Phew!  That concludes my Breast Cancer Awareness Month product showcase, I hope you’ll do your bit and pick up something from one of the many, many brands that are pledging their support to the cause.

I wish I could showcase them all… I didn’t include GHD, Crabtree & Evelyn, Dr. Vranjes… the list goes on.  Take a moment this month to see if you can support a brand who in turn will support a great cause.  It’s a win-win situation!

Happy shopping!

I like these Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzers… they’re lovely for fair skin types who quite like the idea of bronzers but just don’t really know how to make them work.

I own a few…

Antigua, Maui and now Bali Brown.

In hindsight, I should have probably gone one stop paler and plumped for Aruba, but never mind… I like a challenge!

Bali Brown is a golden bronze that stops short of looking dirty on my skintone.  It is a much warmer bronzing shade than I’d normally dare to reach for, but with a light hand it warms up my complexion without looking too bronzy!

It contains a fairly subtle sparkle, so as with my other Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzers.. I wouldn’t use this as a contour shade.  We aren’t even close to disco cheeks territory though… this is safe to use with a little bit of reckless abandon.  A little bit, I said.

I’ve just had a thought… is it ok to wear bronzer in the Winter?  I’m one of those people that need a hint of colour on their cheeks to avoid that “freshly dug up” look.  Will I be commiting some kind of cosmetic faux pas dusting this on my cheeks once the clocks go back?!

I mean… I just freakin’ spent £23.50 on it, so I’m gonna rock it through wind, rain and snow regardless.  I just won’t tell anyone when I’m doing it 😉

Do you bronze regardless of the changing seasons?

I’m so late with this, I mean who cares now right?  We’re all onto the Christmas releases!

I care though!  I cracked this bottle open for my recent jolly up to London and although it didn’t turn as many heads as Essie’s Sew Psyched did… I felt all sophisticated a grown up in this shade!

Please excuse the photo, have finally managed to borrow a point & shoot that doesn’t hate my computer… but, it’s not fabulously colour-accurate.  In real life, Merino Cool is a touch more mauve.

3 coater and a touch slow drying.  I had a duvet imprint on my thumb all weekend despite a quick dry top coat and reasonable length of time before throwing myself in my pit after painting!

This photo has also prompted a nail chop!  Whilst I do love my nails being long… the above is a touch too long for practicality!  The number of times I’ve caught them on something and literally HELD MY BREATH as I glance down expecting to see that I’ve torn one right down to the cuticle… that’s when I know that they’re just not manageable anymore!

Anyway… I haven’t forgotten that I promised a comparison of my mauvey toned greige shades.  I will do one v. soon, I’ve just had another camera knock-back this morning from a company that I wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy (SimplyElectronics).

Thanks for sticking with me, I can see why proper ‘togs have camera backups now!  Alas, for me… I’m just a dabbler and Mr. L would infact kill me if I even contemplated the word ‘backup’ when talking about cameras.

Crappy Monday everyone! xx

Next up doing their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is…

What is it?

Mama Mio Skincare challenge you to defy gravity with their bust and neck firming Boob Tube cream!

For a lush, juicy décolleté, our anti-oxidant and Omega-rich bust and neck firmer will help you defy gravity and take years off your neck and chest.  With CoQ10, Evening Primrose Oil, Shea Butter, Milk  Thistle, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil, Fenu-greek  Extract,  Dandelion  Root,  Wild  Yam  Extract  and  Saw Palmetto Extract.

Price

£28.50

Donation

Mama Mio will donate £1 for each Boob Tube and limited edition Boob Tube with Magic Shimmer sold at mamamio.com worldwide to Look Good…Feel Better, the cancer support charity that helps women manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment.

Availability

Online at Mamamio.com

Next up doing their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is…

What is it?
RevitaLash® Eyelash Conditioner was developed by an ophthalmologist who was motivated to create a safe cosmetic product to enhance the beauty and attractiveness of women’s natural eyelashes after his wife’s eyelashes were devastated by chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer.

Price
£95.00 for 4.1ml and £66.00 for 2.4ml

Donation
Unspecified portion of all proceeds to benefit breast cancer research initiatives throughout the year, every year.

Availability
Please phone 020 8997 8541 or visit www.skinbrands.co.uk for stockist details.

Next up doing their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is…

What is it?

The Breast Cancer Care Smashbox Smile Brightening lipstick duo from QVC – in luscious pink!

Light up your smile with this Smile Brightening Lipgloss Duo (each 6ml) from Smashbox. Each lipgloss is packed with light-reflecting particles for a gorgeous shimmering pout, as well as specially coloured pigments designed to reveal your brightest smile. It’s also infused with a cool minty flavour that will make you feel fresh and ready for the day or evening ahead.

Price

£13.31

Donation

QVC will donate all net profits to Breast Cancer Care

Availability

Online at QVC throughout October

It was the the Body Shop Summer Baked to Last bronzers that caught my eye in store before anything else when they were released at the start of the Summer.  They have that whole MAC MSF thing going on don’t they?  We were introduced to them more closely at a blogger event in the Summer…

Priced At £14 each, one could easily argue that they are aimed at the same kind of market as MAC.  So let’s see how they shape up shall we?

Warm Glow – £14

Warm Glow is the paler of the two shades and despite it’s name, isn’t actually too warm at all.  A hint of pinkness mixed in with the warmer brown tones keeps this from being too orange.

Well pigmented with a fine shimmer, the above shows a heavy swatch on the inside of my wrist.  You can see that I have to work quite lightly with this bronzer but to be honest… that’s the case for 99.9% of all bronzers I use anyway!

What I really like about this product is that unlike the MAC MSFs I’ve tried in the past, this doesn’t give my face any kind of metallic sheen.  The shimmer adds a glow without being too obvious.  I wouldn’t use this to contour, I prefer to use matte shades for that… but dusted lightly onto the cheeks?  It’s a really nice warm (without being too warm) bronzer.

Love it!

Golden Bronze – £14

A far deeper affair than Warm Glow.  Golden Bronze is clearly more suited to darker skintones or those looking for a more dramatic effect.

I found the texture of Golden Bronze to be a tiny bit harder than Warm Glow, it didn’t swatch quite as smoothly either.  You can see that I would struggle to use this shade as anything other than an eyeshadow but again, it benefits from a lovely sheen that isn’t too obvious.

Overall, I was impressed with both of these samples I was given and it’s not very often that I’ll say that a Body Shop makeup item is worth the asking price.  I ‘get’ why it’s more expensive than other high street offerings… products produced from ethically sourced base ingredients often are.  But judged purely on it’s quality as a cosmetic product?  These are worth the asking price.

.

Also, isn’t it soon that The Body Shop start discounting their Summer cosmetics online?  Keep an eye out ladies because I see that the Autumn blushes are out online (and looking flippin’ gorgeous!)

You can purchase the Baked to last Bronzers online or instore priced at £14 each.