A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’ve been having a strange relationship with the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation over the past month.  To begin with, I loved it… then the snow came, my skin became drier and this love affair turned into a horror story.  But now… it’s coming good again.  Let me start at the beginning.

I bought this online from the YSL site just before Christmas and was more excited about this purchase than almost any other throughout the year.  All the reviews I’d read had described its ability to deliver a luminous, sheer finish that dry skintypes would adore.  Most reviewers marked it down a little on lasting power, but that didn’t bother me.  All in all, I figured that I’d found my perfect foundation.

I ordered BR10 the lightest “pink” shade, untested because there seemed to be a jump between the lightest and second lightest shades, in my mind, I was erring on the side of caution.  It’s actually a little too pale for me, I should have gone for the next shade up.  It looks ok in the before/after photo at the bottom of the post but it can look a little ghostly unless I work it in to the skin carefully, it just think it has the potential to look much better tone-wise, were it a hair darker.

So what’s right with it and what’s wrong with it?

Well firstly, it’s extremely faithful to its Touch Eclat concealer counterpart.  It does indeed add only a little coverage but a lot of luminosity, it’s actually quite an unusual formula for a foundation in this regard.  It doesn’t cover redness exceptionally well, neither does it cover blemishes (although it combines beautifully with concealer).  Despite this, it delivers a very natural uniformity across the face and it’s honestly quite hard for me to put my finger on just how it achieves this.  It’s one of those foundations that anyone with a normal skintype should adore, but the further away your skin is from the “normal”, the more problems I suspect you’ll encounter.

When I first started using the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation, my skin was dry but not problematic, I kept it well-exfoliated and well-moisturised.  As January progressed, my skin became drier still, I developed the kind of dryness that forms patches where the texture would be markedly different… not quite flaky, but heading in that direction and boy, did this foundation show it.

The particularly odd and redeeming feature about this foundation however is in its ability to adapt and melt into your skin.  Without fail, each time I applied it… things would improve after around 15 minutes.  I hypothesised that perhaps I was missing a trick and should be using the warmth from my fingers to apply it and achieve a better initial result, but no… it still grumbled terribly about my dry patches, only to look remarkably less rubbish quarter of an hour later.

So really, this foundation is still a bit of an enigma to me.  I don’t mind that it doesn’t hold up so well down the bridge of my nose as the day progresses, although I’d imagine that oilier skintypes will be exceptionally bothered by this.  And I don’t mind that it doesn’t fully cover my redness on the sides of my nose and cheeks because a touch of loose powder and/or concealer really brings the coverage up to par.

I love the luminosity that it delivers, how lightweight it feels on my skin, and the way it melts into my skintone as time progresses, almost as if it’s self-adjusting.  I really hope that I love it even more when the weather warms up but I’m concerned that my shade mismatch will be the nail in the coffin for this bottle.

If you have a fairly normal skintype and you’re looking for a foundation that is a genuine “my skin but better” affair but with more refinement and coverage than a tinted moisturiser, you should be running to your local YSL counter.  Anyone else, please beg, steal or borrow a sample before splurging.  Also, make sure you ask the SA to shade match you, there are an amazing 22 shades from which you can choose.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Clycerin, Dimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexyl-Glycerin, Parfum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipropylene Glycol, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, {+/- May Contain: CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77163 / Bismuth Oxychloride], (F.I.L. B50106/2)

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation is available on counter and online, priced at £28 for 30ml

* I keep meaning to do some arm swatches of my current foundations with their shade names, just so you can see the shades I’m using at the moment… there may not be much in the way of words to accompany, but if I’ve reviewed it, I’ll link.  Sound useful?

Following on from Saturday’s “I want a perm!” declaration, I thought I’d let you know what prompted this revelation. I used a styling wand! And not just any old styling wand but one that is generally considered a bit of a posh styling wand, the Cloud Nine version.

It’s a bit of a chunky beast with a large tapered barrel and a heavy-duty, solid handle.

The wand comes complete with a protective sheath that slides over the heated barrel and protects fingers/surfaces from burns and damage when the tool isn’t in use. The Cloud Nine The Wand certainly isn’t for the faint-hearted (or weak-wristed), it quite heavy and takes a little practice to wield comfortably. I don’t mind admitting that it took not one, but two ear burns (matching) before I realised that at least one secret can be found in a simple solution: for the love of God, do not move or angle the tool once it’s cms from your skin, move the hair. MOVE THE HAIR, NOT THE TOOL. Are we clear on this? Good.

The tapered barrel allows for a good amount of volume at the root of the hair, and as you wind the hair toward the tip of the barrel, the curl will become tighter.

The controls are simple and easy to master, the wand gives you complete control over the temperature you’re using, which is great for anyone whose hair frazzles at standard settings. My fine hair generally responds pretty well at low temperatures, so for obvious reasons, I’m relieved that The Wand (like their straighteners) gives me the option to turn down the heat. If you’ve got coarse hair, by all means… crank that baby up.

The Cloud Nine wand also comes complete with a heat-resistant glove, this took away THE FEAR and ensured that I could wind each lock around the barrel right to the tip, there were no straggly straight bits for me! Plus, just having one glove in your possession is total justification for trying out any Michael Jackson impressions that you’ve been secretly stifling over the past 31 years. Not that I did any. Ow!

Cloud Nine are currently campaigning for women to be kinder to their hair by having “off” days. I have plenty of “off” days but after reading the press release, I realised that weren’t thinking along the same lines. According to Cloud Nine, you can treat your hair without compromising on style simply by rethinking your “2nd day” look. An example of this would be curling your hair on day 1, wearing the curls to their full-potential before using day 2 to be kind to your hair, leave the heated tools on the dressing table and simply wearing your hair in a half up/half down style with loose waves (the remainder of day 1’s curls) keeping you looking stylish.

It’s a bit bloody obvious isn’t it… but I get what they’re saying…

So anyway, onto my before and after… here’s my hair in all its uber flat, just washed and dried glory. Boring.

I honestly thought it would take longer to style, I kept asking Mr. L whether I’d missed a chunk at the back because it took me less than 10 minutes to curl and achieve this…

The above photo shows the curls before I’d separated them with my fingers. I was a little haphazard because I wanted to accurately reflect how I’d use the tool.

I’m not the kind of girl who has the patience to part her hair in a thousand different directions, pinning each section up and spritzing with heat defence. I’m the kind of girl who sprays half a bottle of heat defence, brushes it through, before randomly taking sections (that may or may not be completely different sizes) and curls. That’s me. I’m a crapiologist, and this still came out looking good.

So there you have it, I really like this… for one major reason. I could achieve proper curls a couple of times a week without wanting to gauge my eyes out in frustration. I’m not a hair person, I’m rarely happy with my hair but I hate fussing even more. So much so… that I’m already contemplating a one-off perm so that my hair can look like the above without me doing ANYTHING at all. Except, I know that it won’t work out like that and I’ll emerge from the salon looking like little orphan Annie, so as an alternative to not having to do anything at all, the Cloud Nine wand has proven itself to be a genuine solution to achieving great curls with the least amount of fuss, even on low heat.

Now as for that 2nd day hair… well, I could have done half-up/half-down, but that’s how I wore my hair to school, so screw you 2nd day hair. Instead, I cheated and used an old-skool setting lotion. Take that! No waves for me, these curls lasted until I had to wash the buggers out ha!

Cloud Nine’s The Wand is currently £20 off the usual RRP, priced at £99.95 and available to buy online from cloudninehair.com

* press sample

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: monetising a blog is a tough job. Walking the line between speaking your own words with undiluted thoughts and keeping brands happy when you’re building relationships? Not easy. Throw money into the equation and that shit gets harder. Which is why I’ve never and will never accept money to review a product. The sample issue is different, expectations from the start are different and brands are well aware that you may not review a product favourably or even at all just because you received a sample. Bloggers who call in their shopping lists can piss right off though.

I’m talking about accepting money…

I accept money to feature products, state their existence, bring awareness to brand campaigns and promotions. But to trial a product and report to you on its efficacy? To tell you whether or not I believe you should go and spend your money on a product because it’s fab (regardless of whether or not it is) when I’ve had my pockets lined to do so? That’s something I don’t feel comfortable doing.

On the way up, bloggers took every opportunity to blast magazines for their bias toward advertiser’s products. We promoted the medium of blogging as an impartial, independent and unbiased alternative but just this last week, I’ve received two sponsored post pitches from big brands, both requesting that I review the product they’re interested in promoting. It honestly killed me to turn them down, not least because I probably would like the product anyway (or at least, not dislike it), but frankly because I can’t afford to turn down opportunities like that when this is my main source of income.

The thing that’s prompted me to write this shitty Blog God post (and I kinda hate myself for doing it) is the knowledge that there are bloggers who have already accepted the type of sponsored posts that I’m turning down more frequently, thus giving justification to brands and agencies who are delivering these shitty proposals. It’s not that I want to shame the bloggers or even really question their motives, I just want to say: “You don’t need to accept these opportunities from a brand or agency”.

As bloggers, we need to take a step back and re-evaluate who we are and what we’re doing. Without our readers, we really are nothing when it comes to making any pennies. Our words aren’t read and our pictures aren’t flicked through because we’re so damn aspirational. Our opinions aren’t trusted because we’re experts in our field, hell… those bloggers are few and far between. It’s simply because we’re relatable that we’re valued.

Don’t let brands and agencies who haven’t targeted their campaigns properly, damage what you’ve built. They’re not being sly… they’re not being underhand, but sometimes I think it becomes clear that they still don’t quite get what blogging is about. It’s not about having a million 12 year old You Tube fans or being the coolest kid on Instagram. Or (and now I’m doubting myself), if it is… then I don’t want any part in its future.

It’s about creating pockets of communities online, sharing common interests, and making a connection. That thrill of getting a new comment, the fear when you post something like this… finding a reader who leaves you such a hilarious comment that you think they must be your long-lost twin and you hunt them down on Twitter for lifelong companionship… what?!

If you are wanting to monetise your blog (and you do it carefully, with full disclosure, it’s something to be applauded – doing what you love and getting paid for it? BEST. JOB. EVER.), you think brands won’t want to provide sponsored post opportunities if you don’t review their products? Bullshit. They still want their Facebook competitions linked, their You Tube videos embedded. They want a human voice to give context to their latest campaign, plough through all that Brad Pitt crap that no-one normal thinks is anywhere near as amazing as those who created it do. This is why blogs exist and why they thrive so well alongside magazines and other media.

But you cannot physically accept payment to review a product and then call it “shit” on your blog. And if it is shit? What do you do. Not write about it and still keep the money? Not bloody likely.

If a sponsored post opportunity doesn’t deliver true value to the brand, you, AND your reader – it isn’t worth doing. Make brands and agencies work harder at creating something amazing for this relatively unexplored (commercially) blog medium, paying for reviews is the easy option for them. Not for you and certainly not for your readers. By all means, sell a legitimate service but don’t sell yourselves.

Question of the Week – Is there anything in your beauty arsenal that you like to bring out for springtime (that you don’t use much during the colder months)?

Answer – No. Spring can do one. I hate Spring colours, bring back Autumn/Winter *rolls self in black eyeshadow*.  Plus, it’s still freezing here anyway.

Lipglossiping – brings out the brights with a lip colour so packed with pigment, you’ll be hard pressed not to pout with envy.

Gouldylox Reviews – I’m obsessed with this glorious waffle of creamy goodness.

Nouveau Cheap – Does the beautiful packaging of the new Flower by Drew Barrymore Color Play Créme Eyeshadows match what’s inside? Come see for yourself!

Prime Beauty – has a riddle for you. What’s pink and peach, heart shaped and imparts a glowy natural flush? Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush! Get the deets!

Phyrra – brings you a sneak peek of Jesse’s Girl Julie G Gumdrop Nail Polish!

we heart this – If you’re like us, you love a good haul post! And we’ve got one right here – check out Stef’s IMATS haul.

Beauty Junkies Unite – Check out the review & swatches for the five new Maybelline Color Tattoo Metal shades, Amber loves these cream eyeshadows because they’re great multi-taskers!

Clumps of Mascara – reminisces about the good ole’ college days and talks about that time she went to Philadelphia to volunteer for a week.

Inspire me.  Is there anything in your beauty arsenal that you like to bring out for springtime (that you don’t use much during the colder months)?

I don’t do pastels, I blend into the background enough without them thankyouverymuch.  I need some contrast in my life, and eyeliner… all of the eyeliner.  I don’t think I like this look but I do like my hair very muchly.  So much infact, that I sort of, kind of, want a loose perm.  But that’s exactly the kind of thing you want just before you get one and then regret it forever.

I’ll have to think on this more seriously.

Ok, so the look is possibly a bit eighties, and not in a cool way.  As a nineties child, it’s pretty hard to think that anything about the eighties can really be considered cool when you were there first hand with the Speak and Spell to prove it.

My problem is that I struggle to think about a makeup look in its entirety, I just wake up and think “I want to wear BLUE EYELINER today (ooh, aren’t I bold!)”.  And then, 20 minutes later, my husband is rushing me out the door and I’m stood there… lip-less thinking “QUICK! What goes with blue, what goes with blue?!?!!”

“PINK!”

And I grab the pinkest lipstick and blush that I can find.

Oh well, at least my skin looks good.

What was the last bold look you attempted?  Did it work out?

** edited to add list of products used

Face: Embryolisse Lait Creme Scintillant (the one with subtle gold sparkles), Ginvera BB Cream, Givenchy Mister Bright, My Face Paradisio Pink Blush

Eyes: Illamasqua Gaze Brow Powder, Yaby PP066 eyeshadow (worn as blue liner), Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner, Guerlain Maxi Lash Mascara

Lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa

If I had a penny for every attempt I’ve ever made at making my beauty collection look both pretty and organised, I’d have at least eight pence.  I’ve given up trying because the two aspects of beauty storage appear to be mutually exclusive and I prefer knowing where everything is as opposed to getting stabby every morning while I look for an eyeliner.

Having said that, I know that many of you adore the pretty things in life and in all honesty, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything more pretty than this…

OK, so it’s a cake stand (a very lovely cake stand) but can’t you just see it filled with bathroom beauties/nail polishes and the like?  It measures 43cm tall and contains three generously proportioned-yet-space saving baskets.  If I’m honest, the styling totally doesn’t fit with my decor even though I’m hugely tempted to get it as a fruit bowl.

And the best bit?  It’s currently only £8.95 (reduced from £23.95!) in the sale at DotComGiftShop.

Oh… go on then!

It’s been brought to my attention by BeautyPulseLondon that the new B. range at Superdrug offers no base products for darker-skintones.  When Natalie first relayed her disappointment, I thought she must have been mistaken – I haven’t seen the products in person myself and simply assumed that a brand who openly boasts…

We’re here to give every woman the knowledge and tools to feel her most beautiful every day*.

Would never make such a ridiculous oversight.

Despite offering an impressive range of no less than five foundation products, the colour swatch shown above (taken directly from their website, HTML Code: #DCB18E) is as dark as it gets from an extremely limited five shade range.

Think on this….

It’s 2013, you’re a dark-skinned woman living in a multi-cultural society that likes to pat itself on the back for its tolerance of diversity and celebration of multi-ethnicity AND YET… AND. YET.  You can’t buy a foundation from one of the biggest and newest cosmetic lines at one of the UK’s largest high street beauty retailers?

Just how long is this bullshit going to continue?

* taken from their about page here