A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Sometimes, only good can come from being very bad.

£24 bad to be precise… but we’ll keep that between us ok?

The lovely Jessica from OutInAPout made me buy this.  I’d also like to blame her for the other shade I picked up aswell but I think that might be pushing my luck a bit.

I look quite washed out in the picture below as it was taken before bed and most of my makeup had long since faded… I had just re-applied the lipstick to take a piccie before heading off to wash my face!

The most Christmassy red on the planet.  Possibly.  On me, it wears like a real jewel-toned red… ruby-esque but without the pink undertones.  Not hugely blue either, which surprised me.

Dragon is stark against my pale skin, it’s not a shade that I’ll be able to wear without drawing attention to my lips which means that they need to be in tip top condition to get away with it!  Despite the liquid lipstick formula of the Chanel Rouge Allure Laques, I don’t find this to be too drying… at least not compared to the high street versions I’ve tried in the past.

It transfers like a bitch mind… I’ve stained about 7 cups already today.  Whatever, I’m not washing up.

Wear is great, mostly thanks to it’s incredible pigmentation rather than formula as it does fade a little faster in the centre for me.  It’s not the most high maintenance lipstick I’ve ever worn… but it’s not effortless either.  Through a work day, I’d need 2 touch ups… that’s not really bad for a red is it?

Application however, was incredibly foolproof.  A few strokes of lipliner for insurance and I was able to apply straight from the wand – marvellously easy!

I love both of the ones that I picked up and want to try more of the Rouge Allure Laque range now… any other recs for me ladies?

Browsing the Sephora website late at night is a dangerous pastime.

I’ve talked before about how Too Faced is a brand that tends to skim under my radar… it’s all rather cutesy and whilst I have nothing against cutesy per se… I just never feel quite so inclined to pay good money for ‘cutesy’ as I do for ‘sleek’.  Catch 22, I mean I might adore it all right?

I think I may finally be forced to indulge this coming Spring (or whenever the hell the UK imports this stuff).

I’ve admired the Too Faced Shadow Collections from afar and I think this might be the one that gives me the shove I need to purchase.

Too Faced Romantic Eye Collection – quite possibly the worst stock image ever.  If you go onto Sephora you can use that fancy zoomy picture feature to get a better idea of what the actual shadows look like.  A top down view would have been nice though.

I’m a sucker for purples and cool toned taupes.  In the Summer, I’m a sucker for copper… but Winter/Spring it’s all about these cool-toned shades.  I’m also excited to be so delighted by ANYTHING makeup-wise in the Spring.  Usually it’s all too pastelly/corally for me.

Another Too Faced release that’s got my interest piqued is this little Glitter Glue number…

Is a brand finally jumping on the Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy bandwagon?

They Say: This colorless cream formula is designed to grab and hold loose glitters, pigments, and shimmers so they won’t come off until you take them off.

I’m not sure when we’re getting this in the UK or how much it will retail at but I’ll guess… around £11 (the same as the original primer).  Roughly the same quantity of Pixie Epoxy is cheaper (despite international shipping) but that won’t stop me from comparing especially as the availability of the Fyrinnae website seems to be conspiring against me recently.

Either of these two products making you stop in your tracks?

A lazy girl’s ‘just before Xmas’ scheduled post… I’ve eaten so much Gujarati mix tonight and drunk so many cans of Asda own Diet Coke that I’m actually too bloated to blog.  Medical fact.

So have some random picture of random crap that I sometimes remember to take when I’m not photographing my makeup.  It is Wednesday after all.

Also… the Xmas ones were taken in 2007… or pre-child as I like to call those years. I’m not organised enough this year… heck, I only got the Christmas tree up yesterday.

I know, lame.  Forgive me… I need to roll myself to bed.

A galactic explosion of coloured glitter pieces in a glossy black base.  It’s a lovely polish apart from one failing… even after two top coats, the finish was still gritty.  It didn’t bother me hugely but I would have prefered to have a lovely non-bumpy surface.

Everything else was pretty spot on with this little number.  Very nice!

Eyeko Cosmic Nail Polish is available to buy online from PowderRooms priced at £3.50

Here’s some of your gorgeous selves rocking a festive red lip look!

1. Check out Julie from TheBeautyHooligan who’s totally rocking Revlon Colorburst in True Red!

2. Katie from MyLipsButBetter is looking very lovely in NYX Snow White.

3. Sara from Sarasarebel is making me whimper with jealousy in a red that I want but can’t have.  MAC Port Red to be precise *swoon*.

4. And another lovely Sara!  Who is looking fabulously festive in Rimmel’s Red Fever – thanks lovely!

5. Last but not least, Krystal is showing us her favourite drugstore red: Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick in Wine With Everything.

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For someone who’s scared of bronzers… I own a few.  I’ve also ditched many more.  The ones that I’ve kept work for me, though not without effort.  This isn’t a fault of the products… it’s my unconfidence with application and with wear.

The ones that I’m showing you are my current favourites based on their tone.  With my (admittedly) untrained eye… they all complement cool-toned skin.  I should also point out that I’m not talking bronzer for contouring – these are all the products I use to mostly just warm up my complexion and give it a sunkissed look.

Swatched in the same order from left to right (note that swatches are to show tone, not intensity… some are VERY heavily swatched):

1. Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder in Maui (£23.50)

Is it a blush, is it a bronzer?  Well… it looks a bit like a blush but if Bobbi says it’s a bronzer, who the hell am I to argue?  Maui is a warm pink shimmer that’s shot through with golden sparkle.  It’s an incredibly easy-to-use bronzer because it never looks muddy and on the rare ocassion that I actually do catch a bit of genuine sunlight… it’s much closer to how my skin would naturally colour than the more traditional golden browns available.

2. NARS Blush in Douceur L.E. (£19.50)*

Being a limited edition item <–ignore, am stoopid – it’s not Limited Edition!  I wasn’t going to include this one.  But it’s still available online at HQHair… so I figured it couldn’t hurt?  Now… this is a blush (if I’m not gonna argue with Bobbi, I’m certainly gonna agree with Francois!) but on my skintone, this matte blush works very nicely as a light pink/brown bronzer.  Although it looks dark in the pan, it’s the 2nd sheerest that I’m showing you.  Even I can’t mess this one up.  Just perfect.

3. Becca Pressed Shimmer Powder in Princess (£30)

Again, not a bronzer per se, Becca’s PSP in Princess is just lovely.  It’s shimmery but not AT ALL glittery… it’s very well behaved and grown up about things.  Smooth in texture, it imparts a subtle sun-kissed glow to my cheeks that is never overcooked.  Pricey, but worth it.

4. Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Rumour (£16)

If there were one black sheep in the set, this would be it (being Illamasqua, it had to be the naughty one didn’t it?)  The tone is perfect – devoid of any orange… and being so matte, it makes the best contour shade I own.  The problem is, that’s not saying a lot because it’s the ‘only’ contour shade I own.  I find Rumour a little hard to work with due to it’s heavy pigmentation and it can end up looking a bit muddy.  I want to love it and I feel that it’s my inexperience that stops me rather than the product itself.  Any tips for this one ladies?

5.Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder in Blondes (£31.50)

Finally, a classic.  The sheerest of the lot (and the most expensive!)  Blondes is the lightest of the three shimmery bronzer options from Guerlain.  I also own the lightest in the matte version but reach for this one more often.  I would defy anyone to overdo this… it’s a must-have for pale skintones.

Other honourable mentions: Bobbi Brown Antigua, Bobbi Brown Bali Brown, The Body Shop Warm Glow, Guerlain Terracotta 01 (matte)

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I know that all my bronzers are at the higher-end of the price spectrum… but experience has shown me that if I want to rid myself of orange-toned monstrosities, this is where I have to look.  Please do comment and let me know if things have improved in that respect on the high street because I’ll be one of the first out the door to go check out a bargain alternative!

What are some of your favourite bronzers?

* denotes PR sample.

I was given this by PR a few months ago and from first use, I wanted to jump on here and exclaim my love for it… but I didn’t.  I’ve spent good money on glass nail files before, fallen in love with them and then watched them become ineffective after a month or so.

Leighton Denny’s Crystal Nail File is different.  It’s made from lead crystal that’s been treated to create a filing surface that is literally guaranteed to last a lifetime (the guarantee is in the box!).

This is the 135mm ‘model’ that comes in an aluminium case and I really recommend getting one that comes protected like this.  Whilst the filing surface should last indefinitely, they’re still delicate tools and prone to breakage if dropped or carried around in handbags.

I finally felt the push to bite the bullet and upload this review for one particular reason…

I developed a horizontal split in my thumbnail after dropping something very heavy on it a month ago… it reaches very nearly halfway across the nail bed and I’ve been nursing it in the hope that I can keep the nail intact until it grows out.  With a fragile nail like this, I didn’t think I would be able to go near it with a nail file… but I was wrong.  The Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File is so gentle that I can carry on like nothing has happened.

The file glides, it never catches… it turns the nail to dust right before my eyes and I’d liken it to a hot knife slicing through butter.  It’s like kryptonite to the ragged edges of my nails.

At £12, it’s one of those purchases that you wouldn’t appreciate until you started using it.  I wouldn’t be without mine and when Leila got hold of it a couple of days ago, I panicked… turning into a jump negotiator as she waved the crystal wand around in her chubby little hands (perilously close to the table edge).

“Come to Mama lovely… want a chocolate?  No… don’t swing your arms baby… one more step… *grab*”

I’m completely in love with this Crystal Nail File and would happily rate it as a beauty must-have.

Leighton Denny’s Small Crystal Nail File is available online and instore at Boots (priced at an even more bargainous £11!)

What do you use to file your nails?

First and foremost… this ain’t my find!  The delightful Virtues of Beauty told me to try this out when I asked for some brow gel recommendations on Twitter.

I hate the normal Great Lash mascara.  Hate. It.  This stuff though?  It’s good!  Especially for the money (I paid £2.99 on eBay).

I’ve been using it to hold my CURLY (yes, curly – thanks gene pool) eyebrows in place now that I’ve finally decided that I should pay them more attention.  There’s not a huge amount to say about this product except that it works.

The bristles do a good job of combing through and coating the hairs.  I’m not keen on how long this stuff takes to dry and for that reason, it means that I have to make using this… the very last step in my makeup routine.  I’d say that it takes a good 3/4 minutes to dry fully.  Until then, you have wet brows.

Once it has dried… it thankfully doesn’t leave my eyebrows crusty.  Just sets them nicely in place and stops me looking like Dennis Healy‘s lovechild.

What do you use to keep your brows in place?

Today is your last opportunity to head over to BeautyBloggers.org and bid on some wonderful items that have been donated by bloggers and brands to support Doctors Without Borders (or Médecins Sans Frontières as we would know it in this country).

As an added incentive, International shipping is free on every item!

~ Amy Antoinette reviews Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation and Concealer.

~ See a sneak peak at the Nicole by OPI liquid metals collection, and a nail of the day!

~ Dare to wear red lips this holiday season? Check out Katie’s picks ranging from sheer to bold on My Lips But Better.

~ Do you love rock n’ roll? Find out what product Cindy at Prime Beauty uses to channel her inner Rocker Chick. Soft Rockers, don’t fret; there’s a look for you as well!

~ Shela at Confessions of a Beauty Guru is going cuckoo for Korean lip products!

~ Curious about more unconventional skin products? Rachel tells all about Witch Hazel Wonders at Queen of Turquoise.

~ Retrodiva experiments with the Estee Lauder Holiday Collection and likes what she sees.

~ Emma compares two similarly packaged mascaras to see if they really are the same.

~ Got a sticky compact and don’t know what to do? Musicalhouses shows you how to clean up a sticky NARS, Smashbox, or Becca casing!

~ Need holiday makeup look ideas? Check out Audrey Dao’s Holiday Look Book for ideas and tutorials!

~ At theNotice, Rae checks out a Benefit cult favourite — but doesn’t like what she sees.

~ Red lips are hot for Christmas! Lipglossiping trawls through her collection and uses a Red Lip Series as a great excuse to buy more!

~ Daily Polish falls head over heels (but manages not to lose her head!) for Rescue Beauty Lounge’s ‘Catherine H’ from the new Tudor collection.

~ At Pink Sith, Joeybunny introduces you to the Wet n’ Wild Night Elf Palette. See why she’s swooning!

~ Chanukah may be over, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t enjoy this LUSH Fizztival of Lights gift set!

~ Beautywoome has published its Christmas gift guide, because you know you haven’t done your shopping yet.

~ Hellcandy stumbles across her first dupe! Find out which drugstore brand matches the gorgeous fucshia of Nars Funny Face lipstick here.

~ Acquaintance gifting causing you stress? Jeweled Thumb shares her coworker holiday gift guide to put your mind (and wallet) at ease!

~ L from Beautifully Addicted To rediscovers Erase Paste.

~ Kim Porter shares some skincare tips for the cold weather.

~ Take a sneak peak at Dior’s Cannage eyeshadow palette from the upcoming Spring collection over at Pleasureflush!

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~ Jenn over at Spiced Beauty is celebrating her 2 year bloggerversary with a Huge Annabelle Cosmetics giveaway!

~ Phyrra is giving away 5 eye shadows from the Aromaleigh Wonderstruck Collection!

~ Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More loves Revlon’s Perplex Nail Enamel so much that she is giving away four bottles to her readers!

~ Beauty Crazed loves Burberry Beauty and wants to give you a chance to love them too!

Gosh, has it really been nearly a week since I did a Red Lips day?  Time is currently moving far too quickly… that’s what happens when you still have a Christmas tree to put up.

Day 5 is one of Clarins’ new Rouge Prodige long-lasting lipsticks in Fusion Red.  If you don’t like your products to be scented… steer clear of this range as that tell-tale lipstick smell has been heavily masked with a lovely (if a bit strong) scent of fig.

Fusion Red is a glossy creme with a texture that grips.  It has a little less slip during application because of this and takes me longer to apply with a brush than some of the other reds I own but once it’s on, you can wear with the confidence that only a long-lasting lipstick brings.

On me, Fusion Red lasted a good 6 hours before fading but when it did eventually begin to fade, It lost colour in the centre first leaving me that tell tale red ring.  It wasn’t too apparent thanks to filling in with my lip liner but still…

Having said that, I had less teeth transfer issues with Fusion Red than with any other.  Is there anything worse than smiling seductively at yourself in the mirror only to notice that it looks like you’ve been chowing down on a couple of wild gazelles during your lunchbreak?

Clarins Fusion Red (£16) is a good, solid… long-lasting choice that is particularly unfussy but does need to be kept nearby for a quick touch up when it eventually fades.

As requested, here’s a shot showing how Urban Decay’s soon-to-be-released Afterglow Cheek Tint in Quickie (the hot pink one) looks on my skin.

I’ve also applied it to my lips in the above picture.  Excuse the post threading forehead blotchiness.

I don’t like Quickie worn on the lips as much as Greedy which was infinitely more flattering and didn’t pale down my lips so much.

Both cheek tints are sheer but buildable.  To remind yourself about them, read my post on them here.

Hope you’re having a lovely weekend xx