A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

The historic town of Grasse in the South-Eastern corner of France is widely considered as the world’s capital of perfumery. The area enjoys a climate ripe for growing and harvesting flowers and it’s reported that over twenty-seven tonnes of jasmine alone are harvested in Grasse annually!  The town is also home to many of the world’s oldest perfumeries and most of the industries most famous “noses” have trained there at some point in their career.

L’Occitane have recently released a collection of fragrances that pay tribute to the area’s rich history of “scentsory” creation and the set* that I’m reviewing today offers a generous insight into each of the new offerings in 7.5ml form.  You should note that this addition of miniatures is a limited release and according to the L’Occitane website, there are only a few left available to purchase.

Each fragrance is contained in individual, fully-resealable bottles.  I mention this because I shall never purchase another L’Artisan Parfumeur set whose miniatures evaporate their ridiculous packaging within weeks.  Take your time enjoying these… at £28 for a total of 30ml, you’re getting good value that will give you plenty of opportunity to discover your favourite(s).

The lady behind the collection, Karine Dubreuil, has created for L’Occitane before and is fully in-tune with the brand’s ethos and love for natural extracts.

I immediately recognised myself in this clear, pure style of authenticity associated with L’OCCITANE.  This vow of sincerity is captured in their fragrances, which expresses the beauty of nature in all its transparency. – Karine Dubreuil

The collection plays around with the idea of capturing a pair of players in the fragrance world and weaving their simplicity into something a little more meaningful.  Whether a chance encounter, or destined to be together… the ingredients are chosen and combined expertly under Karine’s care.

Jasmine & Bergamote

Bergamot discreetly lights up the scent and continues to retain a lingering presence. Contrasts blend with ambivalence as jasmine reveals all its facets. To convey this ambiguity, at least two types of jasmine would be needed: a jasmine from Grasse and a jasmine from Egypt. The balance fluctuates between petals and leaves, freshness and sensuality, day and night.

Top notes: mandarin orange, BERGAMOT
Heart notes: JASMINE, lemon leaves
Base notes: sandalwood, cedar

Magnolia & Mure

Between flower and fruit, the magnolia essence provides the prelude to wild and slightly musky blackberry notes. Present throughout the fragrance, blackberry gives a tenderness to the woody structure. Its velvety seeds soften the solemnity of patchouli. Over time, the fragrance asserts its chypre character.

Top notes: bergamot, BLACKBERRY
Heart notes: MAGNOLIA, rose
Base notes: patchouli, moss

Vanille & Narcisse

Discreet at first, the scent of narcissus swells to reveal a bouquet of white flowers and spicy heart accords. Finally, rich and radiant vanilla borrows the wilder, untamed notes of narcissus that give it spirit.

Top notes: blackcurrant, bergamot
Heart notes: NARCISSUS, gardenia
Base notes: VANILLA, tonka bean

Thé Vert & Bigarade

This great classic from L’OCCITANE joins La Collection de Grasse. Refreshing, essential and aimed at both men and women, it has a thirst-quenching effect from the very first contact, when sparkling citrus notes burst forth in an accord of sweet and bitter orange. Hints of green tea, yerba mate and hay give a reassuring touch before drying down into an aromatic trail.

Top notes: orange, BITTER ORANGE
Heart notes: GREEN TEA, yerba mate
Base notes: cedar, thyme, musk

From the collection, Thé Vert & Bigarade is my pick of the bunch.  An uplifting citrus without any of the prickliness that one might usually associate with the genre.  It’s both refreshing and warming with a hint of the oriental that softens the edges of the bitter orange and evokes a feeling of comfort and well-being.  In all honesty, there’s not an awful lot more to it than that… there’s no great complexity or layer upon layer of twists and turns to excite your senses.  Thé Vert & Bigarade simply displays a beautiful pairing of notes that were clearly meant to be together.

There’s a fantastic interview with the perfumer Karine Dubreuil which I’ve embedded below, it explains more about the inspiration behind the collection and gives a little insight into the region and it’s rich wealth of fragrant history.

The Petit Grasse Fragrance Collection is available to buy instore and online at uk.loccitane.com, priced at £28 for the boxed selection (3oml total)

* press sample

I’m a massive Graze Box fan.  Like a child on Christmas morning, I skip toward the front door when I hear the postman coming every alternate Friday.  *Plop!* as the box hits the doormat, *Squee!* as I grab it in my hot little hands and run off to uncover my weekend treats!

What is it about cutely packaged boxes that suddenly makes the interior of Holland & Barrett look sexy.  There is nothing sexy about Holland & Barrett… or Julian Graves for that matter, probably why they went bust.

Are you one of the few remaining people on Earth who doesn’t know what a Graze box is?  Allow me to enlighten you…

Thai Crackers with Sweet Chilli Sauce | Biscuit with Compote | Florentine Mix | Popcorn

You pay a fee of £3.89 and for your monies, you receive a wee cardboard box delivered to your door, or office… you know, if you have one.  The box contains a selection of four tasty treats, supposedly healthy (usually somewhere inbetween healthy and fattening), definitely moreish.  You can log on to the website at Graze.com and tell them what you like/don’t like… even rating the previous box so that future selections are customised to your taste.  Back in the day, they used to include fresh fruit and other lovely bits in their boxes but what with Royal Mail being shit and letting the fruit ferment… they had to stop all that.

There are a billion offers around for you to try your first Graze box for free, mostly because subscribers get given codes to refer friends and earn themselves money off future boxes.  Here, have mine: 616XG25D for a free box*.

They’re also now doing Breakfast boxes containing four portions of suped-up porridge… usually with things like dried fruit and nuts added, plus a drizzle of honey.  Yum.  Again, ZXRP1YM will get you into the top-secret (not really) Breakfast Club and award you your first box for free*.

…BUT YOU’RE NOT GONNA WANT TO USE THEM!

Because look, I done did my very own Graze Box.  A DIY Graze Box!  And it cost not THREE POUNDS AND EIGHTY-NINE PENCE.  Oh no, it cost a mere £1.67** and contains lots more goodies!

Garibaldi Biscuits | Mini Flapjack | Breadsticks, Cheese & Chutney

Meringue and Yoghurt-coated Strawberries | Florentine Mix | Roasted Chickpeas & Wasabi Peanuts

My favourite thing from my delivered Graze boxes has always been the Florentine mix of pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and dark chocolate buttons so I knew that I wanted to replicate this in my own version (bottom middle).  Infact, this worked out as the most expensive pot (56p), which might have something to do with the fact that I used Montezuma’s Giant Dark Chocolate Buttons (om nom nom).

Garibaldi biscuits (top left) are a much-neglected biccie in my opinion!  On Weight Watchers, you can have three for 3PP… plus they’re pretty inedible without a cuppa but perfect for dunking, making them a brilliant mid-afternoon, tea-break snack.

I wanted an even spread of sweet vs. savoury, so also included a mini-flapjack bite from Asda bakery (top middle)… now I just need to resist the temptation not to polish the rest of them off!

Leila’s passion for breadsticks got me thinking about their potential for grazing on (geddit?), so I picked up some mini wholewheat breadsticks, a jar of tomato chutney, and a Babybel Light (top right).  It’s like a cheese and pickle sarnie in skinny form… um, sort of.

The bottom left selection is another for my sweet tooth.  It features a broken meringue nest and yoghurt-covered dried strawberry pieces!

Finally, I included a pot with a comination of dry-roasted chickpeas and wasabi peanuts (bottom right).  So spicy, so good!

Obviously the initial outlay to make your own Graze boxes is something to think about… but as an ongoing thing, this box worked out at £1.67 for the lot.  As far as quantities go… my Florentine mix weighs in 40g, only 1g less than the Graze version… but do you know the really cool thing?  Mine is 5PP… theirs is 6PP!

Would you make your own Graze box?  What would you put in it?

* both codes are affiliated, I get £1 off my next box if you use them (I think).  Please don’t use them because now I have a cupboard-full of seeds and dried fruit to use up!

** ignoring the £5845893 I spent on tiny, tiny boxes

The 1970s were responsible for many a wonder. Star Wars, the MRI scan, the first black model on cover of a major fashion mag, the Krankies…

Oh.

Wee Jimmy Krankie aside though, let’s face it… the 70s were something to celebrate. Unless you had a box of FAB ice lollies in the freezer during one of the decade’s infamous rolling power cuts. But forgetting all the political shenanigans of the time, what about the D.I.S.C.O? The glitz and glamour of the real Boogie Wonderland?

Well, Benefit are bringing it back thanks to a collaboration with eminent fashion designer, Matthew Williamson.. himself, a child of the 70s. Ladies and… (probably) ladies, I present to you The Rich is Back!*

Of the kit, Matthew Williamson says:

“This is high-octane glam makeup for dressing up to look fabulous & dance the night away!”

Well, not really… is it? I mean, it’s a nice-enough kit… and probably far more sellable as it is than if it were high-octane glam makeup but c’mon Matthew Williamson… in what world would you describe a bunch of neutrals livened up with a teal… a sheer pink lipgloss and nude blush “high-octane”.

It’s not. It’s not really very 70s night-time glamour at all. But then, you’re not really Donna Summer either are you?

So perhaps we should just be thankful that this kit is a bit more wearable than the looks the girls would have been rocking down at Studio 54. Let’s see what you get for your money….

Perhaps, infact… the most glam thing about this set is the packaging itself which can be repurposed as a jewellery case once you take away the makeup tray. I do love brands that do clever stuffs like that, talk about upcycling!

As for the contents, well you get:

• eyeshadow palette 4 x 0.8g Net wt.
• they’re real! mascara, 4.0g Net wt.
• gimme fever cheek powder with brush. 2.0g Net wt.
• lip gloss in inferno 6.5 mL / 0.22 US fl. oz

The eyeshadows are pretty sparkly, as one might expect from a kit dedicated to this era. The champagne shade (Disco Dust) is a really wearable highlight that doesn’t attract any attention in an unflattering way… it simply adds a touch of luminosity rather than any ageing frostiness. Solid Gold is a regular gold, a little sheerer than many but infused with some delicate sparkle that makes this a nice shade to wear all over the lid anytime of the day. Get Down Brown is a bolder choice considering the sheerness of the other shades, this one packs a lot more pigment. Finally, Feel So Teal although lovely to look at does that crappy thing of blending out to grey like many other teals.

Pretty they are, high-octane… they ain’t.

Alongside the eyeshadow selection, you also get a mini They’re Real! mascara… you don’t need to be reminded of my love for this product, but incase you do – the seach box is up there! ^^^

The lipgloss in shade Inferno… is more of a match-strike really. A pretty sheer red infused with plenty of non-gritty glitter but “inferno” might be pusing the trade description act somewhat. Texture of the gloss is nice, non sticky and long-lasting. Trust me, that’s a real compliment coming from this bonafide lipgloss hater.

The final product included in the kit is a Gimme Fever cheek powder with a brush. I’m not sure why they included a brush when there’s no eyeshadow applicators but include one they did. Gimme Fever is probably my favourite item in the kit, it’s a buildable blush-cum-highlighter that will suit a variety of skintones thanks to its neutral tone. On medium and darker skins this will sing as a cheek highlight and for lighter skintones like mine, it will show some of that pigment as a nude blush (again, with sparkle).

I wore it very lightly in my FOTD as I wanted to contour instead and use Gimme Fever to reflect the light.

Here’s how the kit looks when all the products are used together… who says you need to fear the seventies? Embrace the decade!

All in all, it’s a nice kit. I’d say that the packaging belies the contents… it’s a little schizophrenic. Infact, considering the daytime makeup trend in the 70s was pretty understated, I’d say that the light, natural-looking aesthetic (with added sparkle) fits really well within the era. It just doesn’t quite fit with the disco-esque, glammed up sexy night-time packaging and leaves me a little confused as to the designer’s intentions and whether he actually saw the contents of the kit before bestowing those wickedly vibrant prints on the casing.

If you want to get your hands on this one, be quick… it’s a limited edition.

Benefit The Rich is Back Kit is priced at £26.50 and is available to buy instore and online at debenhams.com

* press sample

You can say that again! Well, unless you’re me and managed a stonking D at A Level French, and then… you probably can’t say that again.  You see I was top of the class in French all the way through “big” school, got a nice shiny A* in my GCSEs and then discovered that things were about to get serious at college.

All those verbs, tenses, and other stuff that I was pretty rubbish at meant that having a good vocabulary could only get me so far.  I still (genuinely) wake from nightmares about not having done my coursework, fifteen years later!

But just because I’m not the world’s best French communicator doesn’t mean that I can’t hold my own in a Super U! Le fromage, le vin, et le pain au chocolat!  I can sweep a French supermarket faster than Dale Winton in a beauty parlour.

My last attempt at clearing the shelves whilst on holiday was particularly fruitful and I came away with plenty of goodies, one of which was this bottle of makeup remover which I picked up from Monoprix.  Mixa appears to be your standard high-street brand with a bias toward sensitive and delicate skins.  The brand has an entire range of baby products and Leila is currently working her way through their hair and body wash as I type.  The brand have been around since 1924, obviously a French staple… so I can’t help wondering why I haven’t heard of this rather fabulous makeup remover before?!

Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante is, to all intents and purposes, a micellar cleansing water, similar to the legendary Bioderma Crealine.  Both cleansers leave no trace of their use behind, no greasiness, residue or anything left on the skin that would make you think you’d used anything other than water to cleanse.

Unlike the Bioderma, this one may not be universally suitable for everyone with sensitive skin or eyes.  It contains a perfume and has a faint rose scent… something which I love and hasn’t caused me any irritation (remember the Mixa is formulated to suit sensitive, reactive skin) but it’s an important difference to note.

As for the performance, it’s on a par with Bioderma… perhaps even better.  You see, I buy the Bioderma because I sorta assumed it was the best of the best.  But it’s quite possibly not.  Make up artists swear by the stuff, stockpile it like it’s going out of fashion… and we (as normal beauty lovers) want in on that action!  But, our needs really aren’t the same, are they?  Professional makeup artists need a product that will do a sterling job on all their models, and while its performance is in-arguably awesome, I think its merits as a suit-all cleanser override everything else.

I put the two cleansers to a side-by-side test.

Both cleansers actually did a brilliant job at removing a combination of cream eyeshadow, mascara (non-waterproof), and tight-lined eyeliner… but to my eye, one fared slightly better than the other… just a wee bit… can you see a difference between the two eyes?

As you view the picture, I used Bioderma Crealine on the right eye (my left), and the Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante on the left eye (my right).  I think that the Mixa outperformed the Bioderma at removing the eyeliner from the lash-line.

Neither product caused any irritation to my eye and neither left any residue behind.

The clincher for me is the fact that the Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante costs around 4.50 € for 200ml (but comes in duo packs for 6.50 €) whereas the Bioderma Crealine costs 8.00 € for 250ml or 12.00 € for 500ml.  Of course, you have to think about availability and the fact that Bioderma is now readily available in the UK makes this a less appealing swap.  However, I’ve already instructed my parents to stock up on the Mixa for me when they return from France in the Autumn.

Who needs boxes of cheap wine when I can get them to bring back bottle upon bottle of makeup-remover? Err…

Mixa Expert Peau Sensible Eau Nettoyante Apaisante… bloody brilliant if you can get your hands on it!

So, did any of you spendy lot save some pennies last week with Organic Surge’s extravaganza of a sale?  I just thought I’d pop a little PSA up for those of you who missed it… because I logged on last night, and the sale is still live!  According to the brand’s Twitter account, it was supposed to finish last Friday… with most products now out of stock.  Except, they’re not… and it hasn’t!

So my dearest beauty beans, consider this your last chance to stock up on some seriously lovely goodies at up to 75% off.

01: Million Dollar Brown Sugar Body Polish (£32, now £8)

02: Gentle Cleansing Lotion (£5.99, now £1.50)

03: Daily Care Face Wash (£5.49, now £2.74)

04: Super Rich Body Butter (£22.50, now £11.25)

05: Million Dollar Anywhere Balm (£22.50, now £11.25)

06: Super Smooth Salt Scrub (£32, now £8)

I don’t know about you but it’s hard not to see the potential of stocking up not only your own bathroom cabinet but the pressie box for all of those last-minute “oh shite, I forgot to buy her a present!” moments.  Not that we ever have those, I’m just sayin’.

The lovely Fee at MakeupSavvy also reports on a free delivery code (NEWDEL) to make those bargains even more tempting… I haven’t tried it but the comments suggest that it works without a glitch.

Did you splash out on the sale yet?  Fancy a last ditch attempt at bagging the bargains?

“Ugh, it’s too hot to cook!” says me.

“Hungry!” says everyone in the flat who doesn’t have to contemplate entering the kitchen.

The thought of even putting the oven on makes me wanna stick my head in it whilst I’m there. I’ve got all the windows open (curtains closed of course) and this has afforded me a little insight into the UK’s problem with inbreeding. The mercury rises above 25 degrees and everyone outside feels the need to raise their voices because sound doesn’t travel well through heated airwaves?

I’ve had: “Does your MUVVER know you’re buying WEED?!” shouted down the road… not once, but four times (just in-case we didn’t all hear this revelation the first time round). Followed up with what sounded like the ice-cream van having a seizure over and over and over. It’s always the same around here when the sun comes out, Mr Marucci circles these lanes like a vulture, he just won’t stop until we’ve all got fucking ice-cream headaches. And that’s without consuming a single 99er. You know the tune? We’ve always told Leila that if they play the music, it means they’ve run out of ice-cream.

I’m grumpy. Can you tell? But I’m also hungry… and I need to go to the gym later (hardcore gym bunny now). Hence, I need to eat. Without much effort… here’s what I’m making tonight.

The cast of characters include:

2 Warburtons Squareish Wraps
1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
1/2 an onion, sliced
handful of frozen peppers (I always buy frozen, who can afford fresh?)
2 mushrooms, sliced
1tbsp tomato puree
2tsp chipotle paste
1tbsp natural yoghurt
1tsp olive oil
salad-y stuff

Make up your side salad first, this cooks fiercely and quickly – you don’t wanna be mucking about trying to slice tomatoes while the pan behind you is on fire.

Heat a tsp of olive oil in a frying pan and add the vegetables, stir-frying quickly over a high heat until well-softened.

Add the tomato puree and chipotle paste, return to the heat and combine everything evenly before adding the ready-cooked shredded chicken to warm through.

Remove from the heat and spoon over a tablespoonful of natural yoghurt for a touch of creaminess.

Divide into two portions and spoon into your wrap. Serve with your side salad and enjoy!

How simple is that? Probably too bloody simple to bother with a blog post about it but it was either this or order something from Dominos, which we know wouldn’t be Weight Watchers friendly! As far as the points go, this came in at a truly wonderful 7 Pro Points. Leaving plenty of points for a refreshing gin and tonic (or seven) later.

If you like Mexican flavours, a jar of chipotle paste should be a permanent staple in your fridge…. you get all that wonderful smokey Mexican flavour without the heat… and let’s face it, who needs anymore of that today?

Let me know if you try this one out! What do you cook on days when you just wanna declare the kitchen a dead-zone?

Question of the Week – If money and availability were no object, what’s the one beauty item you’d want more than anything?

Answer: – Easy! I’ve got my eye on the new Complexion Corrector from Omorovicza which promises to deliver a priming base with luminosity and radiance, and SPF all for only £82 *gulp*.  Still would.

Beauty Junkies Unite – Check out Amber’s favorites from this summer’s MAC Tropical Taboo Collection!

Gouldylox Reviews – Mr. Lox really loves this product and I can’t disagree!

Lipglossiping – shares five of her favourite head-turning pink lipsticks for Summer. Get your lips looked at!

My Beauty Bunny – Stuck in a makeup rut? We’ve all been there. So we’re encouraging you to step outside your comfort zone and Play With Color This Summer. You never know – you just might find a new favorite!

Nouveau Cheap – These diamond-shaped lipsticks from Avon aren’t just a novelty. Come see why they’re all kinds of awesome.

Pink Sith – Has listed her Top 5 favorite Summer Lippies just in time for…um…well…summer.

Prime Beauty – invites you into her shower (so to speak) to see her Top 10 beauty products for smelling good and getting silky skin and shiny hair!

we heart this – The only thing worse than a sweaty face is losing your brows because of it! Want to make sure they won’t budge? MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow is the answer.

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Beauty Junkies Unite – I thought this pool water manicure by The Polish Playground was pretty cool!

How about you?  If money and availability were no object, what’s the one beauty item you’d want more than anything?

Yeah, catchy title… I worked for ages (15 seconds) on that one, it shows doesn’t it?

So… NYX Cosmetics. I remember when they were stuff of legends. Cheap lipsticks that glidddded and delivered pure pigment, eye crayons of the like that modern chubby sticks could only dream of!

We risked life and limb (and the bloody Royal Mail import surcharge) to get our hands on the goodies all the way from the U.S. I had a particularly nasty encounter with one supplier, and it took me months to get my money back for a no-show order.

Ahhh, those were the days.  Of total inconvenience.

Well, not anymore… because NYX is about to become more accessible to your average UK makeup-buyer than it ever has before.

From August, NYX Cosmetics will be available to purchase from selected Next stores nationwide… and an even wider range of beauty goodies will be available online, should the instore selection not fulfil your appetite for the U.S. brand.

Just think, no more waiting for American Public holidays to take advantage of sale prices before ordering, no more pacing the floor waiting for the postman, no more crying when you’ve got stung by customs.  GOD, there might even be swatching opportunities?

Hold me ladies, I’m pretty excited by this!  And I’m itching to try the new Matte Lip Cream shades!

NYX Cosmetics will be available instore (selected stores) and online at next.co.uk from August.  Get in!

Just a quickie post to give you a heads up (if you didn’t already see my tweet) about the Love Makeup sale that’s currently ongoing.  There are some real bargains to be had… not those faux 10% off rubbish ones but proper, bonafide, hide-your-purse-before-you-spend-next-month’s-rent extravaganzas.  I was pretty good about it tbh, grabbing a couple of things that I’d wanted for a long time and dipping my toe into waters unknown with a stonking red eyeshadow (I have a weird little “thing” for red eyeshadow).

Anyway, here’s what ended up in my basket, with a couple of swatches thrown in for good measure.  What can I say?  I’m a horrible enabler.

I already own a couple of products from Beaute in the form of one of their Weightless Lip Cremes in Masochist (don’t bother searching, to my shame it’s not been blogged yet) and also the Beauté Liqui-Gel Lip and Cheek Stain in Fluoron which HAS been blogged, and you can read about it here.  To add to my Beaute collection, I picked up the Weightless Lip Creme in Girlina… ever since I saw Bubblegarm modelling it a billion years ago, it’s been on my wishlist.  The other item that has found its way into my lipstick drawer is the Beaute Liqui-Gel Lip and Cheek Stain in Harlot… a rich, blood-red.

I’ve since spoken to Cami on Instagram, who is shamelessly trying to tempt me into going back for the Beaute Liqui-Gel Lip and Cheek Stain in Fever.  I can’t take the pressure!

Going somewhat against my principles, I bought one of the much-lauded Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet… there were too many beautiful swatches on the interne that made me think this could be my ultimate Snow White red… I coudn’t resist the temptation.

And finally, to re-balance the good/evil in this world (you know I’m being overly dramatic again right?), I picked up a stunning, limited edition, sparkly red eyeshadow from Sugarpill.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  Swatches below…

How nice do they all look lined up like that?  I’m in makeup heaven right now.

Anyway, I shall try and do proper reviews in due course… give me a slap if there’s something from the above that you’d really like to see and I’ll keep it out near my PC… if it goes in one of my drawers, chances are… it’s gone FOREVER.  Well, in terms of reviewing promptly!

Have you been tempted into indulging in the Love Makeup sale?  Gotta love a “new makeup buzz”!

Bury me in it.  For long after the blood has ceased to reach my vital organs, Pink Power surely has the might to defibrillate my weary heart back into action and bring me to life again.  Probably.

Ok, so maybe it’s more of a heart-stopping pink than a heart-starting one but either way, you see where I’m coming from with the over-dramatisation of a lipstick.  Basically, it’s a luverly pink with all the rage and sultriness that our Summer has yet to deliver.

It’s not too drying, lasts pretty well through anything except a monsoon (watch out August) or a doughnut (watch out fatty), and has a fairly light texture that belies its price tag.

As for that price tag?  Seventeen Pink Power is a mere snip at only £4.29 from boots.com

What’s your brightest pink and do you fancy owning this one?

A makeup artist once told me that straight men don’t like bold lips. They can feel intimidated by a statement colour and don’t consider these women as “kissable” as their smoky-eyed/nude-lipped counterparts.

Just as well I don’t give a shit then, isn’t it?

Here are five of my most retina-searingly, beautiful pink lipsticks and you’ll be delighted (or at least, you should be, I engineered it this way!) to hear that they’re all under £20.  As much as I do love my Tom Ford Pure Pink, you can get some raging pigment for much, much less moneh.

01: Boots Seventeen Lasting Fix Lipstick in Pink Power

This is my latest pink acquisition and I’ve been reliably informed that it’s a dupe for MAC’s legendary Girl About town.  I won’t “review” it because I’m posting a FOTD with it later… suffice to say, for under a fiver… it’s a bit of a bargain bright! (£4.29, boots.com)

02: Wet n’ Wild Mega Last Lipstick in Don’t Blink Pink

An eBay purchase from last year, this staggeringly intense pink is almost neon and definitely leans a little warmer than the rest, making it quite an unusual shade.  Most of these bright pinks can often be mistaken for fuchsia, so it’s nice to see one that’s a little bit different.  You can see it in a FOTD, here. (£2.80 not inc. shipping, ebay.co.uk)

03: BarryM Lip Paint in #145 Punky Pink

This is another apparent Girl About Town dupe (what is it with that shade!) though I think it’s a wee bit more cherry-toned, slightly deeper than the MAC offering.  A hair more expensive than the Seventeen lipstick but still under a fiver, you can’t go wrong! (£4.49, barrym.com)

04: BarryM Lip Paint in #146 Dolly Pink

Now, I have to admit… I don’t wear this one a huge amount, mostly because it’s one of those lipsticks that like to wear you.  Dolly Pink is a candy-fest that just about has enough depth to keep it a little more classy (haters gonna hate) than the Nicki Minaj, Gaga, shitty pinks that look like you’ve ground a piece of chalk into your lips.  This is as blue-pink as I can go without looking like a revolting caricature of myself.  I’ve even binned MAC Snob. (£4.49, barrym.com)

05. Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense #36 Satin Fuchsia

The most expensive of the bunch but a truly pretty fuchsia that lasts and lasts.  This MUFE offering is part of a huge range that of lipsticks that make me wish I lived closer to a stockist for some serious swatching.  It’s a very clean, bright pink that whitens the teeth and makes the eyes sparkle.  Not a bad makeover for less than twenty quid. (£16.95, gurumakeupemporium.com)

What do you think of my “do not adjust your set” selection of pink lipsticks?  Am I missing any of your favourites?  Let me know in the comments!

Hair chalks have been steadily gaining in popularity for over a year now… these little sticks o’ colour offer the kind of hair eccentricity that many of us lust after without any of the regrets a trip to the hairdresser might bring!

If you’re new to the idea, the premise for creating some temporary colour effects is pretty simple…

1. Take your freshly styled hair and ready yourself with the colours you want to use.

2. Grab a towel and wrap it around your shoulders to protect your clothes from any fall-out.

3. If your hair is blonde, you may be able to use the chalks on dry hair… if you’re a brunette or red-head, you may need to wet your hair prior to applying.  This will increase the intensity of the colour but may also cause it to temporarily stain the hair shaft.

4. Starting at the tips and working toward the root, massage the chalk into your hair with your fingers.  Some advocate twisting the strands of hair as this increases the texture and grippiness for the chalk to adhere properly.

5. If you want an ombre effect, gradually apply less chalk as you work your way up the hair strand.

6. Seal the colour in (for around 24hrs) with a shot of hair spray.

In the UK, outside of Groupon and the like, this is the first time I’ve seen them go mainstream and the brand bringing them to the table (helpfully in pots rather than messy stick form!) are Fudge Urban.  The hair chalks will be going live (after having been road-tested last weekend at Glastonbury!) with five colours later this week: Festival Pink, Electrik Blue, Pumped-Up Purple, Red Hot Pepper and Iced White.

Still not sure?  Here’s a great video demonstration of how to apply hair chalks (note: these aren’t the Fudge Urban ones in use and skip to about 3mins 50secs to see the demonstration!)

Priced at £5.99 each, they’ll be available instore and online from superdrug.com… do get in touch with @fudgeurban on Twitter if you have any questions.

I foresee a lot more colour on the high-street next week… will you be trying them?