A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You know what you really want to deal with when you’re coping with a session of glitter nail polish removal?  Nothing.  You want to deal with absolutely nothing other than an effortless removal process.

You know you’re unlikely to get it though right?  I mean, glitter polish removal is well-known for trying the patience of even the most saintly among us.  But what you don’t expect is to get cut to ribbons* in the process.

The NPW Nail Polish Remover Tub is one of those “dip and twist” removal jobbies with a sponge inside that scours off your nail polish in just a couple of twists.  And remove it, it does.  I have no qualms about the quality of the product or its efficacy at actually removing polish, but the packaging… OH GOD, the packaging!

Now, I don’t have the slenderest of fingers but neither are they banana-esque.  The NPW pot, however, has clearly been designed to accommodate the pinky fingers of 4-year olds.

You only need to glance at the stock image here to see how you might encounter a problem with this product.  As you twist your finger in an attempt to remove the polish, do not, under any circumstances allow your finger to flex… should your knuckle bend, you’ll be treated to the kind of plastic cut that a sheet of razor-sharp paper would be proud of.

Having said that, it’s achievable to remove the polish from all eight of your fingers without needing a first aid kit.  It’s the thumbs that you can kiss goodbye.

You see, by their very nature… thumbs are kinda stubby… they just don’t benefit from the same slender length that their brother’s and sister’s enjoy.  To remove the polish from your thumbs, you need to get that sensitive bit of skin between the thumb and the index finger perilously close to the knife-like edge of the pot.  You can see where this is going can’t you?

Now, just like a paper-cut… it may not look like much but this bastard stings.

It stings even more when you manage to replicate the damn thing on the other hand, because then… not only is your skin slashed, but your pride irreparably damaged as you marvel at your complete idiocy for managing to do it twice.

That is, until you give the pot to your Mum to remove her nail polish and she manages to cut herself too.  Vindicated.

NPW, sort your shit out.

* minor exaggeration

** press sample

They say that old age doesn’t come on its own but I’d like to add pregnancy to that adage.  I mean, apart from stating the bloody obvious, seeing as you’re growing another whole person, it really doesn’t come without its “side-effects”.  I haven’t had a proper pooh in almost five months and my skin, hair, and nails have had all moisture sucked from them, it’s like I’m spawning a human dehumidifier, set to high.

Instead of a normal moisturiser, the only thing stopping my skin from flaking off in great sheets is a twice-daily slathering of the sunburn-soothing Biafine, left on as a mask overnight.  Even then, I still have to prime with a moisturising primer before a drop of foundation can touch my skin.  As for my lips, well I’m out of Lanolips at the moment and none of my alternatives are cutting the mustard.  It’s a drastic step but until I replace my overnight lip saviour, I’ve had to stand down the lipstick army in favour of… *spit*… lipgloss.

If you’re a regular reader, you may know about my distaste for the sticky stuff but I have to concede that it does have its merits.

Aveda’s Rehydrating Lip Glaze doesn’t go down the ordinary gloss route.  Yes, it’s kinda sticky… yes, it feels a little thick on the lips at first but… with this shade at least, you get some decent bang for your buck.  This innocuous tube of colour packs one hell of a pigmented punch and keeps my lips from puckering up into a dehydrated mess.

Winterberry is a purple-toned plum with a deep, vampy hue and colour that builds quickly from the very first swipe.  You can apply and blot without losing too much pigment if, like me, you’re not a fan of how glosses/glazes feel on the lips.

Priced at £16.00, Winterberry offers a little splurge that won’t break the bank for a slightly more unusual lip colour this season and is very much in keeping with Pantone’s 2014 Colour of the Year – Radiant Orchid.  Despite the minty aroma, the plumping effect is gentle and understated (though appreciated considering the vampy lip-thinning shade).

Are you reaching for more lip-friendly offerings as the mercury plummets?

Aveda Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze is priced at £16.00 and available on counter and online from aveda.co.uk

* press sample

Like sparkle?  Like Instagram?

If so, keep reading because I’ve got a great flash giveaway happening over on my Instagram page.

Face Lace, creators of beautifully-crafted, ready-to-wear makeup designs have produced a stunning crystallized mask in time for Christmas.  Crystallised Beauroque (worth £25.79) is a one-of-a-kind extravagance that will ensure you turn all the heads at your Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.  Not only that, but as a limited edition piece of only 150, you can be sure that you won’t be playing matchy-matchy with any of the other partygoers.

Want to win it?

Simply upload an Instagram photo of something sparkly: nails, baubles, fairy lights – the possibilities are endless this time of year – and tag the photo with #facelacesparkle so that I can find it on Instagram.

You have until this Sunday at 23.59 (GMT) to take part and the competition is open worldwide.  Entrants must be over 13 and one winner will be chosen at random.

Come on ladies, get snapping!!

If you’ve been into a TKMaxx store recently, you might have spotted some lovely goodies from Sue Devitt.  I was alerted to the discount store’s recent haul of premium cosmetics by the lovely Wordbird on Twitter who only had to mention the eye pencils to have me running to my nearest store.  If you don’t know about the Australian brand (and the makeup artist behind the name), let me quickly tell you a little bit about it.

The brainchild of international makeup artist Sue Devitt, her brand was born from her love and experiences of travelling around the world.  You may recognise many of the shade names as global locations (particularly some lesser-known Australian ones!) that she has visited throughout her career.  The line was based around an idea to bring together the benefits of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals alongside a colour palette of cosmetics.  In the UK, the brand was sold in Fenwick, and Harvey Nichols but alas folded earlier this year.

My TKMaxx “splurge” came to a total of £15

Sue Devitt Intensifier Eye Pencils (£1.99 ea)

Esna Eyeshadow and Vanuatu Blush (£1.99 ea)

Sue Devitt Seaweed Gel Based Liquid Foundation in Tanami (£3.00)

I’ve only really had a quick play with the pencils which are creamy and richly pigmented.  They move about fairly easily and the chubby format dictates a slightly more lived-in look but I’m loving using them as all-over eye colours and smudged under the lower lashline for a more informal wear.

The foundation has a ton of slip and feels lightweight on the skin, you can see that the shade Tanami is more my Summer colour so I’d suggest it as a good match for a NW20.  It delivers a sheer finish but doesn’t feel too drying on my parched skin.

The eyeshadow and blush, I’ve yet to wear but both feel finely-milled with a decent pigment and a soft, almost creamy (powdery) application.

Have you spotted the Sue Devitt range at TKMaxx?  Picked up any bargains?

Whether you’re the kind of girl who revels in a red, takes comfort in a faithful skin-toned nude, or paints the town pink… you’ll recognise the transformative power of a great lipstick.  It’s the one item in a girl’s makeup arsenal that can take a look from zero-to-hero in a second with the minimum of fuss.

However, geting down to the serious business of choosing the perfect lipstick is always a subject up for great discussion!  The choice of shade, texture, and finish can be somewhat overwhelming when confronted with a bewildering array of counters at your local beauty hall.

Japanese beauty brand Shu Uemura were responsible for one of my first high-end lipstick purchases when I fell in love with a perfect pinky-nude that paired beautifully with a smoky eye.  I relished finally finding a range that offered more than just the standardised option of slug-toned nudes, they offered true nudes for all skin-tones!

Never content with resting on their laurels the cult brand have re-launched their entire Rouge Unlimited line of lipsticks and you’re practically guaranteed to find your perfect match among the impressive 44 new shades available.  The new range incorporates some cutting-edge technology to ensure the smoothest of applications whilst delivering head-turning pigment.  The brand promise to achieve all of this without the usual compromise on comfort thanks to an active moisture-locking cream plus lip care which will help protect and nourish your lips.

The behind-the-scenes video above is not only beautifully shot but gives a good insight into the new range’s transformative ability, also… can you say cheekbones much? *swoon*.

Sponsored Post

Only a couple of months old, Cheeky Cosmetics, the sister brand of Cowshed is making waves online with their new range of 21 nail paints and freshly-opened Shoreditch beauty parlour.  Not all about nails, the new parlour also offers a range of other treats including the “Cheeky Blow” (a range of four different blow-dry styles for girls on the go), “Cheeky Paint” (A file and paint with the colour of your choice and 10ml bottle to take home with you!), and a “Cheeky Up Do” (perfect for a night out with a choice of three sophisticated styles).

Today, I’m putting one of their polishes to the test in my own beauty parlour in-front of an episode of I’m A Celebrity (why is Lucy still in there?)

The shade on my tips in the photo is The Feeling’s Neutral, an oh-so-lovely milky mocha that harks back to OPI’s cult classic You Don’t Know Jacques but with a slightly chalkier, softer and more greyed-out edge.

Application is quicker than usual with an ultra-wide brush that can suffer from overloading if you’re not careful.  Coverage is great in two coats and the polish dries rapidly to a glossy, tough finish.

My only complaint about this particular polish lies with the smell, it’s pretty obnoxious but you can take comfort from the fact that Cheeky Cosmetics lists the full ingredients on the website and there’s no sign of the toxic-three anywhere.

Cheeky Nail Paints are priced at £7 each and available to buy online and instore at the Cheeky Parlour

* press sample

If you’re left feeling disappointed by the synthetic aftertaste from your el-cheapo Advent Calendars, never fear… I’ve got something here to perk up your taste-buds.  Some of our favourite stores and brands are running Advent promotions and competitions to get you back into the Christmas spirit, here’s a quick run-down of some of my favourites…

Clinique

Every day from the 2nd – 8th December, the brand will be unveiling a Christmas treat available with online purchases.  I’d love to give you a full run-down of what will be on offer but the bods at Clinique HQ are keeping their secret’s firmly under wraps until the morning of the offer.

They have, however, released a few teasers which include…

Monday 2nd December – The Christmas party must-have
Tuesday 3rd December – All you need is Comfort & Joy this season
Wednesday 4th December – Treats for everyone
Thursday 5th December – All you’ll want for Christmas is this
Friday 6th December – A Happy Friday it shall be
Saturday 7th December – A cracking treat
Sunday 8th December – You’ll wish it could be Christmas everyday

Log on to www.clinique.co.uk each morning to discover the latest treat….

Urban Retreat

If you’re feeling a bit bleary-eyed, you’d better reach for the Optrex.  Your peepers will need to be in top condition to scoop the prizes on offer at Urban Retreat’s Beautique.  Starting today, the company are relaunching their Great Christmas Quest campaign featuring a decadent array of prizes up for grabs!

Simply log-on to the site from 12pm daily this week and begin the treasure hunt, scouring the site for the standout present icon selling for only 1p.  When you find it, add it to your basket and checkout to claim the prize but be quick about it, you’re in a race to be the first to secure the item!

For more information and find out more about the prizes up for grabs, follow the brand on Twitter @URBeautique and keep an eye on the #XMASQUEST hashtag.  You can also find more details online at Urban Retreat.

Escentual.com

The beauty emporium are once again running their ever-popular #EscentualWish promotion on Twitter!  Hooray!  Starting this Thursday and running for one week, the company will be randomly selecting a winner each day on Twitter to receive their most wished-for Escentual product!

If you want to join in with the fun, simply get involved using the hashtag #EscentualWish and follow the brand on Twitter @escentual

Superdrug

For Facebookers everywhere, this one’s for you.  Head on over to the Superdrug fan page and jump on board with the high-street retailer’s 25-day Christmas extravaganza!

Every day from now until Christmas, open the virtual door and discover a new prize up for grabs.  Make sure you enter your details into the prize draw form which resets every night at midnight.  Good luck!

Big Green Smile

Last but not least, natural beauty experts Big Green Smile are running a 12 Days of Christmas promotion featuring a host of beauty bounty from some of the world’s best-loved brands.

To be in with a chance of winning, head on over to Big Green Smile and check out the entry form and T&C for this promotion.

Hope you’re feeling lucky folks!