A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

As a global brand marketed to the masses, Pantene have never been known to rest on their laurels.  To remain competitive, uber-brands such as Pantene who dominate their markets in this way simply have to stay ontop of the latest technologies and even more than that, often be the first to implement them.

The downside to this, from a consumer point of view is that TOO MUCH CHOICE can be a bad thing.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stood in-front of the haircare shelves in my local supermarket, taking far too long to decide which shampoo to buy and I know that most of us (unless you’re majorly brand loyal) face this same dilemma each time we shop.  I mean, ok… it’s one of those 1st world ‘problems’ that isn’t really a problem but in such a competitive market-place, these little things can make a big difference to consumers.

Pantene have relaunched, re-branded…. all that “re” stuff that doesn’t really matter too much to us unless we’re interested by the marketing side of things.  What they’ve actually done, in terms that I can get my head around is have a little re-jig.  And it looks something like this…

Still looks a bit excessive right?  It’s not!

Here are three choices, you can only pick one.  Is your hair?

Fine
Normal to Thick
Coloured/Highlighted (if your hair is coloured, choose this option regardless of the texture)

OK, got one?  Well, that’s all you need to know to shop the entire range easily and with confidence because Pantene have divided all of their products into these three categories which should in theory, make choosing the right product for your hair type, simple.

Gone should be the days of working out that “volumising” shampoos should be used for fine hair, “protecting” for coloured and “smoothing” for thicker hair types.  The industry loves a good buzz word and the above examples are some of the less “out-there” descriptions of what a hair product is supposed to achieve.  With the relaunch, stick to that initial question and you’ll be sure to choose a product designed with your hair type in mind.

As part of the relaunch, the brand are also introducing new formulas and ingredients, one of which involves a breakthrough ingredient for dry, frizzy hair-types called AM Triquat-76.  This patented whatsit (insert scientific word there) aids silicones to deposit themselves evenly across the hair shaft, thus smoothing the cuticle more effectively with less weigh-down than before and offering better protection from styling.

So, there you have it – the new look Pantene and the reasons behind all these changes.  To read more about the relaunch and what it means for your favourite products, click through to the Pantene site.

 Which hair type are you?

I’m slowly getting back into the swing of wearing bolder lipsticks and rapidly falling in love with my Kevyn Aucoin purchases whilst I’m at it!  Enchantaberry is a wearable berry shade that never looks overdone.  It’s perfect if you’re a little shy of vampy Autumn/Winter shades but would still like to experiment.

My favourite thing about these KA lipsticks though, is the formula.  They seem to somehow dry to a powder finish without being drying, at least for me – and I don’t have particularly amazing lips. I usually have to bring my Lanolips into nightly use when I bring out the red lipstick but not so with the Kevyn Aucoin lippies that I’ve been wearing recently.

Just like Dantique, which I featured previously, Enchantaberry appears to be darker in the tube than when applied.  It has a silky texture and can be blotted to a “just bitten” stain if you so wish.  I prefer to wear it full-on, it’s not too dark or vampy, as you can see…

Out of all the berries(!), I say this one has a raspberry edge, it’s another big thumbs up for a wearable red from makeup master Kevyn Aucoin.

Kevyn Aucoin Enchantaberry is currently available at a bargain price of £4.99 on eBay, alternatively you can purchase online from www.misebeauty.com, priced at £20.

It’s finally November and the Christmas Countdown has officially begun. It won’t be long now before you’re unable get through a work-day without hearing a rendition of “Fairytale of New York”, either on the radio or from a tone-deaf colleague. Give it another few weeks and you’ll be adding “Stop the Cavalry” to the list of songs you never want to hear again — and don’t even get me started on Mariah.

Let’s face it, Christmas is a curious time of year — the very mention of it can fill a soul with both excitement and dread, for with it comes the greatest of expectations. I don’t know about you but I’ve already started planning my gift-giving. I have an iPhone app that lets me list recipients in groups, ranking them by importance and value. I can tick off the various stages of the deed from the moment I’ve decided on the gift, through to purchasing the gift, wrapping the gift and finally, delivering the gift. The shame.

I’m both a wonderful and terrible gift-giver, I take immense joy and satisfaction from tailoring friends’ and family’s gifts perfectly. I deliberate over the ideal present to suit an individual’s personality and meticulously shop to be sure that I also score the best bargains available. This is something that can’t be entered into lightly — it takes careful consideration, planning, and stealthy research. The joy of giving is something that I take very seriously indeed.

I sound great right? You’d want to receive a present from me, wouldn’t you? Well, actually no, no you probably wouldn’t. You see, the flip-side to all this wonderful giving is that the poor recipient has to live up to my expectations in the same way that I want my gift to exceed theirs. If I so much as detect a hint of indifference or ungratefulness toward the fruits of my labour… well, let’s just say, I’d make an awesome Mafioso, horse’s head or no horse’s head.

But don’t let me put you off, I’m sure you’re far more likely to occupy the sane, middle-ground than I am when it comes to treating your loved ones this Christmas. There are many joys to giving the right presents to your loved ones and many giggles that can be had from gifting the wrong ones too! I’m slowly learning that you don’t need to spend big money on flash gifts, I have a brother who loves nothing more than receiving home-baked cinnamon rolls that cost pennies to make and a friend who is always delighted to receive a jar full of I.O.Us in exchange for future baby-sitting sessions.

It’s important not to lose sight of what’s important. You’re not trying to outdo anyone with your splendiferous pressie-wrapping skills, it doesn’t matter if someone else buys Grandma the same pair of fleece-lined slippers, and above all else, people show pleasure in many different ways. Some… less obviously than others. If all else fails, come join the dark-side with me and we’ll just have to keep on practising the art of giving graciously… I’m sure I can find you a space in the Christmas Cosa Nostra.

I’ll be featuring some of my favourite Christmas gifts on the shelves during the run-up to Christmas, stick around… you might just make yourself popular with the most awesomest of pressies!

Artisan jewellery makers Cutey have offered three of you the chance to win a delightful charm bracelet of your choice from the wide selection of handmade pretties available online.

To enter, log on to www.cutey.co.uk, make your virtual selection, then come straight back and tell me (in the comments) which one you’d choose!

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If you can’t wait for the competition to end, Cutey have set up a discount code: LIPGLOSS which will give 30% off all orders for the next 30 days.

Good luck!

T&C
1. Entry open worldwide.
2. Three winners will be picked at random.
3. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
4. Competition closes on Friday 18th November 2011 at 23.59.
5. Winners will be notified within 5 days of the close of the competition.

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve lost some weight over the past year and although I’m still not at my goal weight – or even close (damn my love for bombay mix and kebabs) – I’ve decided to come off the strict regimen that I was previously following and go it alone.

The Background

I’ve always known that my major problem is carbs.  I’m a PCOS girl with insulin resistance.  Long story short, my blood sugars are fine until I eat something carb-o-rific, then they shoot up beyond what would be considered the normal range.  I’ve tried following a traditional diabetic diet in the hopes that it would help but regular blood sugar testing showed that so many of the recommended foods still sent my blood sugar skyward (hello porridge!)

While I was pregnant, I built a food plan based around the things that kept my sugar levels as steady as possible and I ended up weighing an additional stone less once Leila had been born, I was also feeling a lot healthier.  So, it’s to this end that I’ve meal-planned again.  I’ve been on the Cambridge Diet since last August (yes, 2010) and as a result, I’m 4.5 stone (63lbs) lighter but my metabolism is (understandably) shot to pieces.  I’m being realistic about some initial weight gain while my body readjusts and comes out of starvation mode and I’m hoping that regular visits to the gym will help give my metabolism a much needed boost.

I have experienced a lot of negativity when I mention the Cambridge Diet which is why I haven’t talked about it before on the blog.  I will happily hold my hands up and say that it’s not a healthy way to diet, it really isn’t and as with all crash diets, you will pile the weight back on quicker than ever if you go back to your old habits, simply because of the havoc very low calorie diets play on your metabolism.  But, when you flip the coin to the other side, I have complete confidence that without it, I would still be sat here today as I was the day I started, all 16st 7lbs of me.

The Food Plan (click to enlarge)

Things to Note

I’m focusing on the Low GI aspect of things.  I’m not carb counting unless I feel that I absolutely have to, simply because it’s a pain in the arse.  I’m also not being massively aware of calories or fat content.  Again, I’m hoping that the common sense approach of a Low GI diet will automatically mean that I remain fuller for longer on the increased amount of vegetables and wholegrains.  I’m packing my evening meals with a variety of (non-root, except carrots) vegetables – my stew/curry/stirfrys hold enough veg to sink a battleship!

I admit that I will probably have to look at my calorie intake a little more closely once I’ve gotten into the above routine and possibly make some adjustments, the same goes for fats.  But I also know that it’s the little ‘treats’ like bacon and tomatoes on toast on a Sunday or a melted cheese wrap that will keep me on this new regime with more enthusiasm than without it!

You’ll also notice that I’m still going to be supplementing my days with a protein based diet shake/bar.  Mostly this is because I have them left-over and those things are too expensive to waste, but I also tend to eat my lunch whilst doing a hundred other things, so this is a convenient way to stop myself from falling into the trap of reaching for carbs (read bread) as a quick lunch.

Exercise

I’m also back at the Gym and currently thinking that I need to hire their personal trainer for a couple of sessions to ensure that I maximise my results in the minimum amount of time.  My (unfit person) routine currently looks like this:

~ 15 minutes treadmill (5 minutes warmup, 5 minutes running, 5 minutes cool-down)
~ 10 minutes rowing machine
~ 10 minutes stair-master
~ 5 minutes various weights

I do this three times a week and I’m not entirely sure this is going to be enough to build my metabolism back up, my major motivation for going.

Is anyone else on a kick to get healthier and drop some pounds?  Looking at what I’ve planned, got any alternative suggestions or tips for me?  Talk to me about your diets peeps!

There’s a new nail brand on the scene and they’re devoted to the classics.

NIYOT are headed up by designer and beauty expert Toyin Badiru who spent many years working as a nail technician in the industry before deciding to go it alone with her own range of 4-free (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP and parabens) nail polishes.

The inaugural three shades from the UK-based company hark back to the classic red, my favourite shade for intstant polish (pardon the pun).

CEO Blood (powerful vampy deep red)
Lost Red (classic but difficult to find pillar box red)
Fire Red (vibrant bright red)

Which red would you go for?

The range is available exclusively online at at www.niyot.com and shades retail at £8 each.

This limited edition Living The Life in Laguna* palette from Stila landed on my desk the other day and once I peeked inside, I knew I had to make it the focus of my makeup that evening.  The darker shades are so rich and Autumnal, I was instantly sold.

The collectible palette is one of a series of five from the US brand.  It’s a little bigger than an iPhone and made of sturdy cardboard.  It contains a (slightly too small) mirror, four eye colours, a cheek colour and a highlighter.

All the eye shades included are shimmery and can be worn both wet or dry.  The cheek shades both contain a fairly subtle shimmer that makes them suitable for both day or evening wear.  I absolutely adore the bottom right shade (of the four eye ones) – a rich, chocolatey brown with copper shimmer, it’s exquisite for green eyes.

Each palette in the Beach Girl series comes with a helpful set of instructions on a possible method of application.  I followed Stila’s instructions to the letter for this palette which created the following look…

I adore this little palette, even more so when I checked the press information and discovered that the price is set at a mere £10.00 – bargain.  If you want some real bang for your buck in an easy-to-wear palette that provides not only a complete ‘look’ but also a range of shades you’ll mix and match time and time again, look no further.

Stila Living The Life in Laguna Beach Girl Palette is priced at £10.00 and available to buy online from BeautyBay.com

* press sample

How late am I on this trend?  I’m like your Gran when she discovered the button for the interwebz.

OK, well I’m not really late… but I’ve only just got around to photographing a mani with the Boots 17 Magnetized Nail Polishes.  I’ve decided that my favourite way to wear them is with a matte top coat which decreases their lasting power by about five years… but I dunno, they just suit the whole matte finish thing quite well.

I get some real inconsistencies with these magnetic polishes, one hand will often come out perfect… or even just three fingers in a row.  Then I completely get a dud one, despite not doing anything different.  Does anyone else experience that?  So frustrating!

Also… as an aside, I’ve been re-organizing my nail polish collection, which, let me tell you, is far less fun than it sounds.  I originally had them arranged by colour but I’ve changed it to brand and it’s made me realise that Essie is a very under-represented brand in my stash.  Better get myself in check and start nail-blog hopping to find some gems to lust after!

Boots 17 Magnetized Nail Polish in Grey is priced at £5.99 and available online or instore at Boots.

Another supermarket, another vintage-inspired bodycare range… all I can say is, these must sell really well!  Sainsbury’s have Dirty Works, Asda have Ella & Rose and now Tesco have jumped on-board with the new Along Came Betty!

These ranges all look a bit samey (I guess that’s the point) but I can totally see the appeal for those who can’t afford to fill their S&G addictions and I bet Grandmas are forever picking them up for younger, female members of the family!

The lineup features a range of body and skincare products inspired by 1950s screen stars and beauty icons. It includes:

~ So Much Bubble Skin Softening Bath Soak (£3.99)
~ To the Skin and Beyond Ultra Rich Body Butter (£4.00)
~ Hey Sugar Sugar Easily Spreadable Body Scrub (£5.99)
~ Clean Around the Clock Soft Skin Shower Wash (£2.99)
~ It’s a Skin Thing Ultra Light Body Butter (£3.99)
~ Say you Scrub me Scrubby Skin Polish (£3.99)
~ The Big Scrub Mitt (£2.00)

Along Came Betty will be selling at 1/3 off from 16.11 to 06.12 and also available on 3for2 from 7.12 to 03.01 January making it ideal for stocking stuffers and hamper builders alike!

Uh, just because I don’t think you can get these outside the British Isles, I thought it’d be neat to give my international peeps the chance to win one of your own Limited Edition (and highly sought after) Vaseline Creme Brulee tins!  I had to QUEUE in Selfridges to get my hands on these last week, all the sales staff from the regular beauty brands were looking on in total amusement at the throng of people around the Creme Brulee counter LOL!

I have THREE to give away, so c’mon… don’t be shy!

For the chance to win a Limited Edition Vaseline Creme Brulee Lip Therapy Tin, all you have to do is live OUTSIDE of the British Isles and leave a comment telling me…

What’s your favourite dessert and why?

My favourite is invariably something chocolate-y, rich and decadent like a Devil’s Food Cake!  I like to feel my pudding coat my mouth, I wanna taste those calories man!

I’ll pick THREE winners at random next Monday!  Good luck!

I recently received a question from reader Fiona who asked…

Hi, I have hunted out this old post because I have a burning question and I thought you might be able to recommend something?

I use Dandelion, I am SO pale it’s great for me – natural, hard to overdo. However I don’t want the gold shimmer everyday. Is there another blusher that’s a similar colour / shade but matte-r, no shimmer? And if said blusher came in a creme (particularly stick) format I’d be even happier!

Any thoughts/recommendations welcome!

Off the top of my head, I’d say something like No7 Blush Tint in Blossom, though it might be a hint darker… I’m wearing it in this post.  For something a little more luxe, you could try Rouge Bunny Rouge’s Vermeer.

Cosmetics a la Carte also do some wonderful cream blush sticks, it’s definitely worth checking out the website for those.

I also asked on Twitter and got some brilliant recommendations:

“Jane Iredale in Clarity” (@lovelyislovely1)

“Maybelline ones, the mousse. Cannot recall the name” (@mucrazyinsanity)

“I think too faced used to do one called pretty in pink. it was a pale matte cream if I remember rightly, it’s a duo blush though so the shimmery half will be useless” (@GlitteryAllsort)

“the MUFE ones aren’t shimmery” (@eyeheartit)

“Nars Penny Lane?” (@chelseagirl2)

“Illamasqua all the way.. Zip into Beak Street store and you’ll fall In love… You’ll thank me after :-)))) x” (@ZoeWMUA)

“make up forever cream blush thats light pink. Stila has cream blushes” (@BeautyNYC)

“NARS Penny Lane came to mind, but that may be slightly on the dark side?? x” (@TheBeautySpark)

“To be honest I’d find a lipstick in that shade I wanted and use it as cream blush” (@vickinurse)

“penny lane nars, mac posie, sleek do a nice one x” (@gailnoble)

“NARS Penny Lane?” (@reductionista)

Thanks for chipping in everyone and I hope that helps Fiona? If anyone else has a suggestion, please share the wisdom!

Question of the Week: – Is there a part of your beauty routine that you absolutely will not skip, even when pressed for time?

Answer: I struggle to leave the house nowadays without some kind of skin-base.  It doesn’t have to be full-on foundation, a tinted moisturiser will do… it just makes me feel that little bit more confident.  I left the house the other day without mascara and didn’t even notice!!  My husband asked me (cautiously) if I’d done anything ‘weird’ to my eyelashes.  I reached up to touch them and instantly realised – I pressed him into telling me why they looked weird (I enjoy watching him squirm a bit) and he said that they looked like I’d dip-dyed them lighter at the tips!

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Prime Beauty – takes a virtual trip around the globe to Australia.  Join her around the campfire in the Australian bush for a cuppa Billy Tea!

Phyrra – hears all the juicy gossip about Rockeresque Beauty Co. from Issanna!

Vampy Varnish – loves the new Colorburst Lip Butters from Revlon!

we heart this – declares Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash and Kohl Pencil the new dynamic duo. Take that Batman and Robin!

Beauty Junkies Unite – See if Maybelline’s new Great Lash Lots of Lashes Mascara delivers…lots of lashes!

Clumps of Mascara – is a mascara fanatic who is in love with mascara primers. But is Clinique’s Lash Primer really worth your money though?

EauMG – reviews Prada’s newest perfume, Candy.

Gouldylox Reviews – Want to look younger than you do now, in the year 2016? It’s never too late to start taking care of your skin!

Krasey Beauty – No doubt about it, you need to get involved with Illamasqua’s Theatre of the Nameless Collection.

Lipglossiping – lifts the lid on the latest launch from Lanolips. Try saying that without your teeth in!

Nouveau Cheap – has swatches and official info about her newest obsession: Revlon ColorBurst Lip Butters.

Pink Sith – Shares with you her review of Maison Lancôme Gentle and Long Lasting Powder Blusher AND a sociology lesson on the shopping habits of the Aboriginal Makeup Junkie.