A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Blueberries.

Not only are they Leila’s favourite fruit but they make amazing muffins and considering that of ALL fresh fruits, the humble Blueberry has the highest antioxidant capacity. You’d be doing yourself a massive favour by devouring as many as you can get away with before you run out of ways to kid yourself.

image source

For the sake of our skins, I thought I’d share the blueberry muffin recipe I went overboard on last weekend.  It’s quick, easy and very, very moreish.  Oh yeah, and healthy.  Honest.

This recipe makes 6 GIANT (coffee shop style) muffins… because I don’t do things by halves.  If you want a great silicone muffin tin, I really recommend these.  If you want one of those mini-muffin tins, get. off. my. blog.

250g (2 cups) plain flour
150g (3/4 cup) sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (beaten)
180ml (3/4 cup) milk
115g (1/2 cup) melted butter
150g (1 cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen

1. Pop your muffin liners in your tin and pre-set your oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan oven).

2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and combine the dry ingredients well.

3. In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and melted butter.

4. Pour the combined wet ingredients into the combined dry ingredients, stirring only until all flour is combined.  Do not over-mix.

5. Add the blueberries, again, stirring just until incorporated.

6. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake the muffins for 35 minutes or until golden.  Test that they’re done by inserting a toothpick or similar into the center (it should come out clean).

7. Nom.

Cheaper than face cream.

Butter London’s Founding Creative Director, Nonie Creme was on a flying trip to the UK earlier in the month and I was excited to get the opportunity to see her for a chat about the upcoming Fall collection and preview the shades…

Frequently looking to the catwalks for nail inspiration, Butter London’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collection is no exception.

Nonie Creme says of her new collection:

“My inspiration was a variation on jewel tones.  Imagine taking a traditional jewel tone palette, then moving each shade about two notes to the left, this means a garnet instead of a ruby, a dirty teal instead of a sapphire and an olive or patina gold instead of a brassy or yellow tone.”

The Limited Edition shade No More Waity, Katie finds itself in the main lineup and I’m very pleased to see Knees Up (one of my enduring BL faves) put in a reappearance.  Wallis, Bluey and Toff are all-new shades for the season.

Wallis

Inspiration: In honour of the Saucy Yank who ran away with the King’s heart.
Detail: A tarnished, metallic, olive gold, as mysterious and regal as its namesake.

Bluey

Inspiration: Vintage British slang for a pornographic film.  Ah, the good ‘ol days.
Detail: A slightly metallic dark peacock blue, perfect for fashionable birds.

Toff

Inspiration: A slightly derogartory name for a member of the British upperclass.
Details: A darker, dustier, brownish variation on rose pink.  Stop to smell them.  The roses, not the toffs.

No More Waity, Katie

Inspiration: One day my prince will come, and I will wrap him around my tiny, sparkling finger.
Detail: A soft griege littered with lilac glitter for the perfect marriage of fashion and fun.

Knees Up

Inspiration: A smashing metallic red for getting smashed in.
Detail: Brit slang for a drunken party.

Butter London A/W 2011 will be available instore at Harvey Nichols and online at The Powder Rooms.  Priced £12.00

What do you think of the new collection?  Any must-haves, disappointments or “mehs”?  Stay tuned later in the week for my interview with Nonie!

First launched by the model extraordinaire into the UK in 1997, the brand described as being for “Women with Skin of Color” are introducing a new mineral liquid foundation to its range of base products.  The range already consists of powder and cream bases, so a liquid option just in time for Summer completes the set nicely.

IMAN Luxury Radiance Liquid Makeup Enriched with Minerals (£23.95) offers a sheer-to-medium coverage and comes in 8 shades.

According to the IMAN Cosmetics website, the shade range begins at around a MAC NC35/44 so as you might expect, none of these shades are intended to come close to catering for a woman of clearlynocolouratall like me but I’m sure there’ll be useful swatches-a-plenty appearing soon on WOC-friendly blogs for you to feast your eyes upon!

I’ll focus on some other stuff from the brand that caught my eye…

The Eye-Con Kit… a cute enough set but has the line’s packaging seen an update since the 90s?

The above two photos show IMAN’s hero bronzing product Afterglow which I can totally vouch is pretty much flippin’ stunning.  See how those shades would easily work on all skintones?  I was impressed with the subtle shimmer, delicate colour and soft texture.  A beautiful bronzer indeed and one that I would definitely consider picking up.

Four shimmering liquid eyeliners available from the brand’s Luxury Liquid Eyeliner range in Platinum, Sapphire, Onyx and Copper.  The pigmentation was good and as you can see, the colours are stunning.

See that bottom shadow?  I had a mild stroke when I saw its taupey goodness looking at me.  Wicked is a shadow from their Luxury Eye Defining Powder range.  I experienced virtually no fall out with this loose shadow and it glided on nicely pigmented.  I wasn’t so keen on the lighter, golden shade swatched above which packed a lot less pigment by comparison.

Luxury Lip Shimmers – I didn’t inspect these close up but judging by those swatches on Yinka’s hand… they pack a decent punch of colour!

Now, at the moment… the IMAN Cosmetics range isn’t the easiest to come across.  Infact, unless you live in London… you’re gonna struggle to access it until it makes its way online.  Current stockists can be found by visiting the find-a-store page on the website.

If anyone took the time to analyse my blog, there would be a few words that showed up regularly. Like, really regularly.

Cake, Leila, Lipstick and Lazy.

Infact, (given an extra 7 hours in the day) I could write a blog about lazy.  Though such dedication to detailing my idleness would defeat the purpose of the exercise somewhat.

So, instead… I’ll show you my lazy bank-holiday FOTD.

All you can really see is the mascara right?  Well… I’d like to tell you that I carefully engineered it to look that way.  Yano, the not-natural, natural look?

Infact, I really didn’t…  This was my FOTD for my Mum’s 70th Birthday on Sunday.  A special occasion.  This… my ‘special occasion’ face.  My makeup is weeping from my loss of mojo and complete lack of inspiration.

Here’s my list of products…

Face

Shills Super Magic BB Cream

Guerlain Meteorites in Mythic

Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Maui (as a blush)

Eyes

Avon Supershock Gel Eyeliner in Black (tightlined on the upper lid)

Max Factor Lash Extension Effect (2 coats)

Joe Blasco Ultra Base in Ultra Fair to conceal

Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Laque in #76 Ming

Lovely products but look… 7 products for a ‘special’ FOTD?  That’s lazy.  I’ve confused ‘whee, this a great opportunity to PLAY with your face!’ with ‘make yourself look presentable but ultimately dull’.

I think that I’m just not used to having the time to do things like that and so when I do get the opportunity… I don’t know what the hell to do with it!

Would you be kind enough to inspire me with some of your favourite bloggy peeps who do awesome makeup please?  This boring old cow needs some cosmetically-charged awesomeness to get her through the week.

You may remind yourself frequently that for reasons beyond your control, it just wasn’t meant to be… but still, late at night as you find yourself in that transitional world between wakefulness and sleep, your mind wanders.  The imagery remains as fresh today as it was nearly 24 months ago, the longing sometimes even stronger.

There will always be a missing piece to the puzzle, never adequtely filled no matter how many attempts we may make to replace it.  We could spend thousands of pounds and travel far and wide to discover a suitable sucessor.  But the question remains… “What if?”

You didn’t think I was talking about a *man* did you?  Pfft.

I didn’t pick either palette up (and I love them both) when they were available because there was simply TOO much from Dior Holiday that had made my wishlist.  I bit my lip as I told myself they were too expensive when I’d already Xmas hauled, a classic angel/devil shoulder combination.  On this occasion, I should have let the devil win.

And so it will remain for now, Dior Jazz Club palettes… the ones that got away.

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Do you have a sorry tale to tell of the Limited Edition item(s) you still wish you’d splurged on?

An oldie because my nails haven’t been this long for nearly a year but they do show off this gorgeous shade quite well (even if I do vainly say so myself!)

Butter London Scoundrel is a muted, warm lilac which sits nicely against cool skin tones like mine.  It’s one of my favourites from the brand and applies well without issues.

Look out next week because I’ve got a special interview with Butter London’s Founding Creative Director Nonie Creme and some Autumn/Winter 2011 previews for you!

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend party people! xx

I was in London on Tuesday with Mr. L and made him go for coffees whilst we were en route to Regents Park to smell the roses (quite literally).  I had good reasons for these diversionary tactics.  I wanted to have a nosey at the QVC press day to check out the beauty goodies coming this coming Autumn/Winter!

I snapped the things that caught my eye…

NEW Smashbox 5-in-1 Beauty Balm and Waterproof Shadow Liner Pencils in Bronze and Shimmering Plum.

A selection of OPI Shatter Coats – not new but they looked too pretty lined up like that!

Some Louise Galvin potential hair disaster saviours on their way to QVC

I did a little intake of breath when I saw this Laura Geller Baked Eye Accent.  Use wet or dry, stunning blue!

I’m itching for a sniff of one of acclaimed florist Jane Packer’s scents but I had my hands full of camera!  Adore the attention to floral detail with the packaging on these bottles.

Shiseido Benefiance!  The luxe Japanese brand is returning to QVC this Autumn!

I’ll always stop to ogle a bit of Elemis!  I particularly liked the variety on offer in this upcoming set.

Anything in that small selection piquing your interests too?

I’ve got a special treat to kick off the weekend because one of you is going to win this gorgeous Esme Jewellery Perfume Pendant adorned with Swarovski crystals!

Hanging from a 30″ silver chain it manages to remain delicate and feminine whilst still proudly proclaiming itself as the statement piece of jewellery it is!

Inside each Esme pendant sits a refillable roll-on perfume pod, ideal for discreet top-ups on evenings out.  Unsure?  See how it works.

If you’d like to win your own Perfume Pendant from Esme Jewellery, just answer one simple question…

The Esme Perfume Pendants are available in how many designs?

(click here to find the answer)

Error: Contact form not found.

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T&C
1. Entry open worldwide by email only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all entries that provide an answer to the question.
3. One entry per email address.
4. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
5. Competition closes on Monday 6th June 2011 at 23.59.
6. Winner will be notified by email within 5 days of the close of the competition.
7. No email addresses will be stored once the competition has closed and will only be used to contact the winner.

There’s not long left if you wanted to stock up on this Impulse/BarryM offer…

Don’t know what I’m talking about?

For a limited period, Impulse have joined forces with BarryM to combine three of their best-selling scents with three lipgloss shades!  Touted as a handbag essential, the body fragrance/lipgloss duos are selling for the quite remarkable price of £3.00 each.

Your choices are…

Very Pink which comes complete with a sumptuous strawberry scented and flavoured pale pink lip gloss.

Into Glamour which comes with a velvety vanilla clear lip gloss.

Tease completes the collection with a nude lip gloss in a delicious caramel flavour.

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve been the target audience for Impulse but I can recommend the nude BarryM lipgloss which is one of my favourites for toning down a bright lip (and that’s coming from a lipgloss hater!).

Available from Superdrug and Tesco until the 6th June, priced at £3.00 per duo.

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Have you picked up a set yet?  Great for storing up as stocking fillers!

I’m not a tutorial blogger, I don’t have the skills to teach anyone much about anything but I thought a few photos and a quick rundown of my experience with the Colorsport 30 Day Mascara might be useful to any scaredy-cats out there who are nervous about home tinting!

The kit contains enough product for ‘upto’ 16 applications but I found that I had lots left over when I used the amount suggested by the instructions.  Your mileage may vary!

I think this would make a great Summer holiday purchase to darken those lashes before you hit the pool.  No running mascara worries, how cool would that be?!

Here’s a shot of the products I assembled before attempting to dye my eyebrows with the kit.  I was feeling a little apprehensive and wanted to have everything to hand incase I panicked and wanted to wipe everything off halfway through!

Cotton Buds for application on my eyebrows.

Lanolips to protect the skin around my eyebrows from being dyed too!  You could replace the Lanolips with something less expensive like Vaseline or a heavy moisturiser (I would next time but had neither of those to hand!)

Oil Free Makeup Remover, I used my Bioderma Crealine.

Mascara Spoolie or an old mascara wand to run through my brows midway through the tint process.

Now it’s time to mix-up the solution…

stop sniggering…

The final mix should look something like the above.  Creamy and non-drippy!

I wiped my brows over with a wash of the non-oily makeup remover, smeared the Lanolips over the surrounding area and then painted the dye over my brow with a cotton bud (q-tip).

2 minutes later and a quick wipe-off with a dampened cotton pad… here’s a before and after shot.  Only the eyebrow on your right has been tinted.

The Results…

Well, it’s subtler than I expected… which I guess is a good thing really.  I’m not keen on the fact that it appears to have warmed up my naturally ashy brows.  The skin underneath the hair that has caught some of the dye and I expect will fade in a couple of days, it’s not hugely noticeable but I will gently exfoliate the skin tomorrow to speed up the fade.

They also have a version in black which I was concerned might be too harsh for me but now I think it could work well with less developing time until I’m more confident in the results.

Other things to note…

The application/mixing wand provided with the kit isn’t up to the job.  It’s not unusable but you will probably end up reaching for something else to use instead.

I experienced no irritation or sensitivity with this product and was careful to conduct a skin sensitivity test 48hrs before use.

Overall…

I’m really enthused by how easy and quick the process was compared to how I imagined it.  Neither was it messy or particularly fiddly… it was quite good fun!

I think it would most benefit people with fair brows and lashes.  On me, the difference wasn’t huge on either my lashes or my brows.  I would recommend the Colorsport 30 Day Mascara Eyelash & Brow Dye Kit but with a caveat about the dark brown being quite warming.

Colorsport 30 day Mascara Eyelash & Brow Dye Kit is available to purchase instore or online from Boots where it is 1/3 off at only £5.44 a pack.  (usual price £8.16)

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Do you tint your eyebrows or lashes at home?

* this is a review of a PR sample

I shouldn’t really run with a post on a late-night whim but I was totally sucked in by the pretty visual in this newsletter mail out from British skincare brand, Oskia.  Look!

The 45 minute facial costs £45 but is fully redeemable against any Oskia products purchased on the day.

I thought it might be of interest to some of you London ladies!

Have you tried any Oskia products?

I’m a sun-protection devotee, not just for the products but also the theories and chemistry behind the idea of protecting yourself from sun exposure.  Throw in some tales of vitamin D deficiency and I can be hooked for hours.  Do I understand it all?  I wish… but choosing a reliable, safe sunscreen is probably one of the best favours you can do for your skin.  It’s worth the effort!

I’m the proud owner of around 2sq metres of sun-sensitive, freckled skin that turns pink at the merest hint of a sun ray and my (un)healthy interest in these products began a couple of years ago with the discovery of some of the fine sun protection products available to the Asian market.

I have a real fear of sunburn.  As a 9 year old, I was left bandaged across the back and shoulders, with daily visits to the hospital for blister-draining after a particularly nasty case of sunburn.  I own a slightly bizarre photo of me taken as an 11 year old… lying in bed, red as a beetroot mid-hallucination thanks to sunstroke.

Infact, nearly every holiday snap shows those tell tale burn lines on my bare shoulders.  It was a recurring theme throughout my childhood, teens and even early twenties until I realised that I simply couldn’t get away with exposing my skin to the sun in the same way my friends could.

I make my poor parents sound neglectful… they weren’t at all.  Who wanted to be the fat kid swimming in an oversize t-shirt and hat whilst your olive-skinned mates frolicked around in bikinis?  Not me!  Those sun defences bit the dust as soon as I was out of eyeline and we just didn’t understand the importance of re-applying SPF regularly back in those days.

For the month of June, Lipglossiping.com is going to putting an emphasis on sun protection.  I want to learn more about the different chemicals/mineral options available and what they mean in laymans terms.  I want to fully understand all this UVA/UVB stuff and look beneath the obvious differences between an SPF15 and an SPF50+.  I wanna discuss some of the options currently available on the market and whether or not they’re up to the job.

I want to discover some of the easiest-to-wear sunscreens that don’t work against my makeup or skin type and I want to finally decide for myself whether the convenience of easily-absorbed sunscreen is outweighed by the potential health risks associated with chemical protection.

Phew!  I hope you don’t mind coming along for the ride?!