A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Hafsa Issa-Salwe is a 20-something International Business student from London.  She counts the feel of a good body lotion, the glitter of an eyeshadow and the smell of a Lush bath bomb as one of life’s little delights.  The following article is a guest submission, you can read more from Hafsa at Muslimah Beauty.

I have a tonne of make-up and even though I’m in possession of an unhealthy amount of it, it’s quite easy for me to get bored of it all so I love switching things up a little and experiment with what I already have than to buy something else.  Add a squirt of illuminator to your foundation and you’ll get a gorgeous slow, foundation plus blush equals cheek and lip tint, a dab of Vaseline to your bronzer and you’ve got a gel-like bronzer, mix an eye pigment with some water to create eyeliner and you can create a cream shadow with a hint of lotion.

Liquid Blush

Daniel Sandler was a genius when he created his infamous Watercolour Blush.  I’d never used a liquid blush before and I was quite sceptical to use one for fear of it just looking wrong once applied but, I was proven wrong and now I consider liquid blush and I the best of friends!

Powder blush can look too aging on a person, can highlight dry skin and is just downright boring at times whereas liquid and cream blushes make it seem like you’re glowing within and they’re the perfect texture for all you ladies with dry skin.

To mix up my own liquid blush I’ll squeeze a pea sized amount of moisturiser that’s not too thick and creamy as it’ll be quite hard to spread and blend otherwise. Once you’ve mixed the lotion and blush together, you’ve got yourself a very pigmented blush and it’ll set so it won’t budge for ages.

Gel Bronzer

When my beloved MAC Bronzing Powder crumbled to pieces on my holiday in Egypt, I was in the middle of Cairo without a clue of the nearest MAC so I just improvised and created myself a gel bronzer with the help of some Vaseline and the rest is history.

Depending on how dark you want to go, add less or more of the bronzer.  For general reference, it should always be two parts Vaseline to one part bronzer.  For added shimmer if your bronzer isn’t already shimmery, add a liquid illuminator like NARS’ Laguna and you’ll be glowing like you’ve spent two weeks in Barbados instead of grey old Britain!

Other ideas include:

~ Mixing together a little moisturiser, primer and foundation for a long lasting, matte/dewy (this’ll depend on the primer you’re using) for tinted moisturiser.

~ To get a great gel liner, Vaseline and black eyeshadow will do the trick.

~ Go crazy with spring’s colourful eyes trend and swirl together the brightest eyeshadow you have with the tiniest amount of water to make the shadows pop. I love this trick because it leaves the shadow super easy to blend, so this one is ideal for beginners.

~ For a nod to the S/S 2012 marine trend, mix gold glitter into loose silver eyeshadow and swoop across your lids for a gorgeous iridescent finish.

~ Lipbalms on top of lipsticks, and lipsticks on top of lipbalms! Or you could go arts and crafts by melting down a lip moisturiser with a little lipstick for your own homemade tinted lipbalm.

So girls, have fun with the contents of your cosmetics bag by playing with textures to get the most from your make up.

X

Hafsa from Muslimah Beauty

If you would like to submit a non-commercial post to be considered for inclusion on Lipglossiping.com, please email for more details.

Jen is from London and works in PR/Social Media.  She’s a bonafide beauty junkie with a self-confessed “mild” shopping problem!  The following article is a guest submission, you can read more from Jen at A Beauty Junkie in London.

Hello!  Jen from A beauty junkie in London here!  Whilst Charlotte is away on her holidays (not that I’m jealous at all) I’m doing a little guest post for you!

Here’s a little look at the new Khol & Contour Shadow and Light Pencils* from Bourjois.  These pencils each include a light and dark liner shade that compliment each other.  The light shade in each of the pencils has a metallic sheen to it whilst the darker one is matte.

Bourjois Khol & Contour Shadow and Light Pencils

Natural Light

With Flash

Shade wise, the dark shades are all consistently pigmented and feel creamy when used.  Of all of them, the navy blue is the weakest in colour pay off.  The paler shades on the other hard really vary, of course as they are the paler shades the colour pay off naturally contrasts with the darker ones… but when looked at alongside each other the ‘dragee’ shade (the one with the blue) is a bit lame.  So overall, the marine/dragee shade is my least favourite.

I also found that the texture of the lighter shade was a little crumbly, with the tip of the pencil breaking off of when I went to swatch them – because of this I’d definitely swatch them before first use as you don’t’ really want it going in your eye.

The two stand out colour pairings are the khaki and the champagne gold and the brown and the ‘caramel’ purely on the strength of the pigment and how the colour combinations are safe and neutral – but still slightly more unusual. If I was to choose one, I’d go with the khaki/champagne!

* press samples

If you would like to submit a non-commercial post to be considered for inclusion on Lipglossiping.com, please email for more details.

Cigdem is a 22 year old Journalism graduate from London with an obsession for all things fashion and beauty!  The following article is a guest submission, you can read more from Cigdem at It’s Cigdem.

I think I speak for most women when I say that my mission to find the perfect red lipstick is never over. Unlike 10 years ago, we’re now so spoilt for choice it can be a little overwhelming – there are just so many brands selling so many different shades of red!

Miners Lip Colour in Seduction is probably the lipstick with the lowest price point, as it retails at only £3.99, but (thankfully) that’s where the ‘cheapness’ ends.

Seduction is described as ‘a velvety smooth deep red’, and that’s exactly what it is. The colour is the perfect shade for creating a ‘sexy’ pout, as it has hints of blue undertones – so I wouldn’t recommend this if you want to create a bright, retro red lip. I think it’s a good colour if you want to create an edgy, almost gothic look.

Applying it in different way can certainly alter the colour. I found that it was slightly too dark for me when I applied the lipstick straight from the bullet, but with a lip brush (as in the photo) the colour blended in with the pink tones in my lip, creating a colour that looked much better.

I wore this lipstick for about 5 hours and the colour did not wear off at all. It lasted through cups of tea and only came off because I wiped it off with a wipe, and by the end of the day my lips still felt smooth, meaning the long lasting colour didn’t try my lips out.

This lipstick definitely ticks a lot the boxes: it provides strong, long lasting colour, which doesn’t dry out over time. Is it my perfect red lipstick? I’m going to say no, only because I feel like I could find a shade of red that would suit my colouring much better. But apart from the colour, Miners Lip Colour is definitely great value for money!

Miners Lip Colour in Seduction is available online from www.minerscosmetics.co.uk and throughout selected pharmacies for £3.99 (online postage is £1.99).

If you would like to submit a non-commercial post to be considered for inclusion on Lipglossiping.com, please email for more details.

One of my biggest passions after makeup and photography is geography.  I’m an avid consumer of guide books, atlases, and street maps.  I buy an A-Z of nearly every UK town I visit, bought Leila her first globe last year and can spend literally hours poring over google maps.  Despite never having lived there, I can navigate London as well as a native and will always rate exploring a city above lazing on a beach.  I’m crazy about culture (nothing too high-brow mind!), buildings and places.  I geocache in my spare time and go on guided walks in my local area just so that I can see it through the eyes of a tourist.  How many cool points have I lost?

Without getting all cultural about it, and heaven forbid – stereotypical, I’ve been trying to think of how where we live affects our lives from a beauty perspective.  I couldn’t come up with too much in the way of trends without reverting to cultural stereotypes but then I got to thinking about the kinds of products that certain areas of the world seem to produce very, very well.

When I think of skincare, I often think firstly of France with it’s Parisian skincare, therapies and more classic approaches to anti-aging.  Moving across the globe to Australia and it becomes more about the natural approach with tea tree oils, aromatherapy and herbalism.  Heading north to Asia and it’s all about sun protection and masks to promote collagen, a mixture of hi-tech science with traditional ingredients.  Tanning?  Go on… guess.  Brazil!

I would look to the Middle East and India for insights into promoting healthy hair, with natural oils and remedies coming top of the list.  South Asia for treatments… massages, exfoliations, all that body-beautiful stuff.  The U.S.?  Probably surgical cosmetic procedures!

The world really is our oyster when it comes to picking and choosing products, techniques and knowledge.

Where do some of your biggest associations come from?  Which countries or regions do you align with your beauty routine?

Apologies for the shitty quality, this was an impromptu idea after packing up my skincare/makeup for my holiday.  I’ve uploaded two videos – one to show what skincare I’ve packed to take away, and one for makeup.

* please assume that all products shown in the video are press samples, the clocks have just gone forward and I don’t have time to make a full list of what is and what isn’t!

Halloween-mad Liloo is passionate about makeup and its effectiveness at allowing people to feel more confident.  The following article is a guest submission, you can read more of Liloo’s writing at Le Petit Jardin de Liloo.

To complement the recent release of their Foils Collection, BeautyUK have launched The Gemstone Collection*, a stunning selection of six pastel polish shades with a difference: a smooth and glittery finish.

If you’re new to the brand, Beauty UK is a British brand of affordable makeup, mainly sold in Superdrug but usually shoved at the back of the shop.  Why is this so?  I really don’t know.  A crying shame for the brand in my opinion, as their nail polishes offer impressive coverage in a minimal amount of coats and are a doddle to apply.  The new Gemstone polishes are no exception to the rule.  In honour of the semi-precious stones where BeautyUK took their inspiration, the Gemstone Posh Polishes are donning a fancy cap for the occasion, reminiscent of Nails Inc. polishes but at a much more budget friendly price of £3.49 each.

They say: Inspired by precious gemstones, these metallized pastels combine subtle hues with a light shimmer and superb coverage to bring a touch of class to any look.  Treat yourself to a bit of posh in any of the six shades – Amethyst (lilac), Sunstone (blush), Topaz (taupe), Silmaril (gold), Elfstone (green) and Moonstone (blue).

The brunette in me had to try the amethyst shade first as I like to think that purple shades really make my brown eyes stand out.

Application for the gemstone polishes was even easier than normal thanks to their forgiving pastel nature. I was able to apply my polish even more sloppily than normal without feeling too self conscious.  All my photos show two coats but I could have gotten away with one.  Drying time was a little slower than usual, but nothing as slow as Boots No.7 Sultry Sands and Golden Palms which have to be the slowest-to-dry polishes known to mankind.

These are Moonstone and Elfstone:

At first glance, the golden shades Silmaril, Topaz and Sandstone will look very similar in their bottles. Wear them all on one hand on a bright sunny day and you’ll be able to marvel at their subtle nuances.

Don’t ask me to choose a favourite. At the beginning, my heart was set amethyst, but looking at the photos again, I just want to wear topaz and sunstone as the same time, in a muted ‘ombre’ kind of manicure.

If you’re fussy about your polishes and want something ultra wearable, subtle but eye catching simultaneously, shimmery/glittery but without the removal nightmare of traditional glitter polishes, pastel shades evocative of the Spring season, *and* inexpensive, the gemstone collection might just well be for you.

*Disclosure: Polishes were sent for review purposes

If you would like to submit a non-commercial post to be considered for inclusion on Lipglossiping.com, please email for more details.

Well, sort of.  No, I am!  Kind of.  I’ve been included in a special supplement for the April issue of ELLE UK in association with LG who are promoting their new Prada phone.  I’ve been featured alongside some brilliant bloggers which is very lovely indeed!

You can click the image to view a larger version.  That’s an instruction, not a suggestion by the way 😉

So what did I do next?  I weighed up my options… I thought about buying up all the copies in my local newsagents, approaching the till with it open on the right page before lying my face on the counter, parallel with my photo.  That would have been fun.

Or, I could have taken a few copies with me to Leila’s dance class and walked down the row, accidentally ‘dropping’ one directly infront of each parent.

No, I’ll tell you what I did.  I showed my Mum.  She was cooking dinner and didn’t have her glasses on – so I read it out to her.

“…Once the preserve of geeks and tech nerds, these days the best blogs showcase talent that sees their creators feted (I had to ask her what that meant) both online and off.  Further proof, if it were needed, that cream always rises to the top.”  I look up, with a happy tear in my eye…

“So does scum.” says the woman who gave birth to me.

I love a good rusty orange, and before you jump on the it’s too Autumnal thing (I saw you making me feel completely off-trend with Minger!), I’m sticking two fingers up at trends.  Well, that and the fact that I bought this last Autumn.  Busted.

I see brushstrokes, does that make this a frost?  Does anyone else struggle a little bit telling the difference between all the various finishes?  I’m gonna call this a frost.  Go on, you can correct me if I’m wrong – I’m wearing my big girl’s pants.  I’m always wearing big girl’s pants 🙁

Desert Dune is a great shade for Autumn Spring, it’s rich… velvety and a looks non too shabby on a pale skintone.  Application with this one was trouble-free, with a few coats covering the nail bed to a good opacity.

LA Colours is available to buy in BeautyBase in both of London’s Westfields.  I picked this up from Whiteleys Shopping Centre on Queensway last time I was in London.  I think it was 99p?  I might have made that up.

What is your favourite LA Colors shade?

Apologies for the shitty quality, this was an impromptu idea after packing up my skincare/makeup for my holiday.  I’ve uploaded two videos – one to show what skincare that I’ve packed to take away, and one for makeup.

* please assume that all products shown in the video are press samples, the clocks have just gone forward and I don’t have time to make a full list of what is and what isn’t!

Today, I’m heading off to Devon for a week… hoping for continued sunshine and plenty of excuses for ice cream. We’re going to the classic English riviera that is Torquay before a couple of nights on the Northern edge of the county near Barnstaple.

photo credit: Mark Robinson

I usually plan my holidays with military precision (before letting it all go awry by the end of the first day) but I haven’t had time to do anything in advance of this one. I have no idea where we’ll go or what we’ll do. To be honest, that makes the control freak in me feel a little bit… antsy. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears!

So far, all I plan on doing is pretending that I’m in a Famous Five book (I’m probably more Anne than George). I’m going to talk about “coves” a lot, eat many, many cream teas and hopefully take some photos to make me proud. If I remember my camera.

photo credit: Mark Robinson

I’m very excited, all recent holidays have involved more hectic breaks in London and whilst I’ll never get bored of exploring the city, it can get a little bit tiring with Leila in tow (for both of us).  We’ll have the car this week, and I’m literally sitting here grinning with excitement at the thought of all the sea air, beautiful views and unexplored terrain!  I bought a family English Heritage membership last month, hoping to be able to visit a bazillion castles but I’ve just found out that most of them don’t open until April 1st.  Guess the joke’s on me!

Whatever you’re doing this week, have a lovely one!  I’ve got some brilliant guest bloggers coming on board to delight and entertain you and I’ve managed to schedule a couple of posts in myself aswell.

See you soon! x

Not the first time I’ve featured this polish but I gave it another airing recently and fell in love all over again…

Haha, look at my chunky placement – crapiologist alert.  These DL glitters are so good for disguising a tired manicure…. with just a single coat you can totally move the attention away from raggedy cuticles and tip wear and onto the sparklez!

Deborah Lippmann Today was a Fairytale* is available to buy online and instore at House of Fraser, priced at *gulp* £18.00

What’s your favourite Deborah Lippmann glitter?

* press sample

I cherish those precious moments in the day when I can lock myself in the bathroom and jump under a hot shower, pretending that the sound of the water blocks out all outside interference.  Let’s face it, we all love our bathroom indulgences and I’m not talking about quilted loo roll.  The one downside to indulging in this way, is the price.  It’s tough times and I don’t know about you, but some of the first luxuries to hit the chopping block when I’m financially challenged are bathroom toiletries.

Well, here’s one luxury from Elemis that you can reacquaint yourselves with for a limited time only…

Get 2for1 on a selection of shower products, choosing from: Elemis Skin Nourishing Shower Cream Duo, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Shower Cream Duo or Wild Lavender Hand And Body Wash Duo.  My money’s on the Frangipani… trust me, it smells divine.  If you’re feeling particularly savvy, buy one for yourself and keep the other as a gift for someone special – it’s never too early to get those Christmas boxes in order.  Unless you start on Boxing Day, ‘cos that would be kinda cuckoo.

Do you have a favourite from the products on offer in this deal?