A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Launching in February are a duo of bright hair chalks from The Body Shop…. perhaps not the usual release you’d expect from the British brand but an interesting one nonetheless!  The chalks promise to provide bright, temporary colour and wash out easily with a spot of shampoo.  The two shades available, Tickle Me Pink and Falling For Blue look brilliantly bright in their pots but need do take a little effort to transfer this brilliance onto the hair.

The Body Shop recommend that blondes use the pink, whilst brunettes might like to opt for the blue… but where’s the fun in that?  Colour for all I say!  Blondes shouldn’t have any problems rocking both shades and Leila loved the blue… especially when I did her a hidden streak that she could wear to school this week.  On darker hair, you may find it beneficial to dampen the strand before applying, this will ramp up the intensity of the colour.

You do need to get your fingers dirty during application as the best method is to place a finger or thumb over the hair to trap it in place on-top of the chalk before sliding the pot down the strand.  You can also twist the piece of hair before applying to create a brighter effect.  Once you’ve finished, spritz a little hairspray on the coloured strands to lock the shading in place.

The Body Shop Hair Chalks will retail at £5.00 each and will be available instore and online at thebodyshop.co.uk

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You see, what the magazines don’t tell you is that every woman should own a blood-red eyeliner.  Ever since the day I got creative with an eyeshadow, owning a red liquid eyeliner has been high up on my list of life’s priorities.  I’ve scoured high and low for the perfect shade… and I’m yet to find it.  I thought I may have struck lucky with my latest purchase, Clio’s Kill Blood Eyeliner but alas, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Let me show it to you anyway, just incase it’s your next purchase.

The eyeliner comes simply packaged in a cardboard box and the lid clicks off to reveal a firm, felt-tip style nib.  The nib is sharply tapered to allow you to draw a thin, precise line or indeed, you can angle the pen as you draw for a thicker, heavier sweep.

Pigmentation is fair but if you want a truly opaque burgundy red, you’ll need to wait a couple of minutes and go-over your initial line to strengthen the depth of colour.  I find this to be the case with many coloured eyeliners, even the browns… so it’s not a huge surprise.

One thing that is a little bit of a bore is the bleeding that I get from this eyeliner.  It’s not as bad as I’ve experienced with some liquid eyeliners in the past, but unless I gently hold the skin taut across the eyelid, I don’t get the sharpest of edges.  This wouldn’t be a problem except that I need to allow the eye area to relax in order to achieve even flicks, so I’m having to go back with a dampened cotton bud to tidy-up each time.

Longevity is pretty good, with wear appearing on the flicks by the end of the day.  The line across the lid stayed pretty solid but it does benefit from a bit of primer if you’re applying it over a bare eyelid.

All in all, and for the price I paid… the Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is fine.  It just doesn’t match up with the high hopes I had for it, but to be fair, expectations can be a bugger to live up to.

Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is priced at around £8.70 and available to buy online from eBay.co.uk (where you can also pick up a black and brown version)

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Oh, I can’t take it any longer! It’s so dreary! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Summer’s biggest fan… but c’mon, give a girl a break! I’ve got some gorgeous, suede boots that I haven’t been able to wear for about two-months thanks to my lack of initiative in getting them scotchgarded**

Not only that but I had to wade through a field of mud picking Leila up from school yesterday after the wind had uprooted a monster tree onto the path and to add insult to injury, the workmen chopping it into teeny, tiny pieces weren’t even hot.  No 3pm Diet Coke break for any of us Mums, just a bloody quagmire to wade through.

So I’m taking it upon myself to Spring things up a bit with this cheerful little number from Butter London.  Molly Coddled is from last Spring’s “Sweetie Shop” collection and has the perfect amount of chalkiness to keep it looking fresh without pushing into starkness territory.

The more astute, or simply fashion-aware among us may also be getting seal-clappy about the fact that this lavender orchid would work nicely with the current Pantone Color of the Year.  If you give a shit about that sort of thing.

The formula is superb on this one with no patchiness or streaking like you’d often get with pastels.  I definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re feeling a little Spring-resistant like me today.

Butter London Molly Coddled is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online from www.powderrooms.com

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** 1st world problems

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED!

WINNER IS: “IZABELLA” (COMMENT #96045) – WINNER HAS BEEN EMAILED!

It’s still January, the MET office have just issued yet another weather warning for the South and South East of England. I think it mentions the word rain, why are we not entirely surprised?  Have you been paid yet?  I haven’t… although I did finally get around to filing my pesky tax returns with more than the usual 24hrs to spare… maybe I’m getting more organised in my old age?

I spent last weekend clicking through holiday websites and drooling over far-off climes on Pinterest.  I think this means that I’m long overdue a little getaway, no?  Problem being that next month I’ll need a doctor’s note to allow me to fly… and ain’t no-one got time for that.  Plus, Mr. L is convinced that were we to jump on a plane for a last-minute escape to somewhere gorgeous, the baby will use this as a cue to put in an early arrival and we’ll all be stranded.  Ah, ever the optimist.

With all this in mind, and the fact that it’s a bloody horrible Wednesday anyway.  Here, have a little treat from me to you.

The prize includes three fabulous products, from three fabulous brands and is worth over £75!  If these three don’t inject your days with some get-up-and-glow, then there’s no hope for you!

Urban Decay Baked Bronzer in Baked (worth £22)
New CID i-glow Compact Shimmer Powder in Sirocco (worth £24)
Arbonne Sheer Glow Highlighter (worth £31)

To be in with a chance of winning this treat, all you need to do is leave a comment telling me your secret to achieving a good glow!  It may be naughty, it may be nice… but let’s send January off with a bang and welcome a more illuminating February!

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 29th January 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 5th February 2014
3. Winner will receive 1x Urban Decay Baked Bronzer in Baked, 1x New CID Cosmetics i-glow in Sirocco and 1x Arbonne Sheer Glow Highlighter. No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. One winner will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

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I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  Said the beauty blogger from 2009 until now.  In my defence though, I probably wouldn’t be that bothered about these were it not for one teeny tiny little detail that I just can’t ignore.

They give me plumpity lips, where no plumpity lips exist.

Tropical Pink (on the left) Coral Tulip (on the right)

You see, it’s the shine that does it.  Shinier than a penny that’s been sitting in Cillit Bang for a month.

It’s not a frost… don’t mistake the sophisticated glimmer for something that the 80s called for (and wanted back).  This is far more sophisticated, understated, and gorgeous than a frost-monster of a lipstick could ever be.

I’ve got two shades for swatching today and in all honesty, despite the difference in undertone… they’re not a million miles away from one other.

Tropical Pink is the cooler toned of the two and reads a little brighter on my lips, the texture is soft and easy to apply but not especially lightweight.  I suppose the best way to describe its texture would be to call it a little “balmy” in feel, with the signature fruity Clarin’s lipstick scent.

Coral Tulip is the warmer of the two shades, sheer enough to warm up my complexion without looking garish.  Surprisingly, it’s my favourite of the two and has pretty much established itself as a holy grail lip product for me over the past week.

Why?  It solves that “pulled-together, goes with every other piece of makeup you own” lipstick demand that every girl should have the solution for.  It’s low maintenance and simply perfect.

I get around 4-hours of wear from these before the inevitable fade which leaves behind a scattering of microglitter (non-gritty).  Even when the colour is gone, the impression of fullness remains and because of this… I am completely, totally and utterly smitten.

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Sheer Shine Lipsticks are priced at £18 each and will be available on counter and online at clarins.co.uk next month.

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Well, colour me confused.  The Avon Gel Finish Nailwear range has been getting rave reviews across the pond since its introduction over there a couple of months ago.  Not only for its far-reaching shade range that spans a variety of different finishes aswell as colours, but for its impressive wear time.

The coming-soon-to-the-UK range of 24-shades promises a gel like shine and intense colour, delivered in just one coat… a salon finish at home, and no need for a top-coat.  That’s a lot of promises for a small bottle of polish… I was sent a small selection from the new range to see if it lived up to my expectation… and I’m sorry to say, that so far, it’s fallen short.

The shade range however, is indeed impressive… but then again, so is Avon’s current Nailwear Pro+ enamel, of which I count myself a fan.  So for me, this range really has to deliver on and above an already fairly high benchmark.

Every single shade that I was sent needed more than a single coat to achieve opacity.  Infact, they all needed a total of three coats for full-on no translucent patches coverage.  Which flagrantly laughs in the face of their one-coat claims, no?  Bad enough you say… but listen, because the formula is thicker than most… not in an unworkable way, quite the opposite actually as it flows nicely onto the nail.  So what’s the problem?  Well, the problem is, that this ain’t no speed-dry polish and when you’re testing claims that a nail polish needs no top-coat, you’re in for a damn long wait until you can pull your knickers up when you’re piling three coats of thickly-formulated polish onto your fingertips.

I painted my nails at around 9pm.  At 11.30pm, I took myself off to bed… my nails felt completely dry to the touch but they weren’t.  Ok, so I didn’t wake up with duvet marks but they had lost A LOT of the shine, as if the surface had been lightly buffed by premature contact with bedsheets etc.  I just don’t have 3hrs to hang around waiting for my nails to completely dry.  You can probably see that there is barely any shine on my nails in the photo below.

In addition to this, look at the tip wear I’m starting to get (without a top-coat, remember how it says it doesn’t need one?) after a period of no more than 17-hours!  Now, all of the issues I’ve encountered can (probably) be solved with the addition of a quick-dry top coat.

But then, I just don’t see why I’d need this range when there’s a brilliant Nailwear Pro+ range already fortified with acrylic gel for strength, which doesn’t make any claims that it doesn’t (for me at least) live up to.  I’m going to work my way through the rest of the shades with a proper wear-test and if I’m forced to eat my words, I promise I’ll be back to provide a further update!

Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamels are due to launch in April, priced at £7 for 12ml.

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If you didn’t pluck your eyebrows to death in the 90s, consider yourselves lucky.

You see, this is the problem with following trends and fashions… you take one look at Kate Moss’ skinny brows and think “right, better get to it!” and before you know it, Cara Delevigne walks into town and you’re left trying to superglue carpet offcuts to your forehead.

Thankfully, my brow story was fairly recoverable… I overplucked for sure, but not to the extent that there was no coming back.  It taught me a lesson though, I binned my magnifying mirror.  Those things are evil for tweezer-happy types, nobody needs to see their pores in that much detail anyway, not ever and if you’re going to proclaim near-blindness without them, for Pete’s sake… get a professional to do the job for you instead!

If, for you, there’s no return from those Pammy Anderson brow days you might be interested in a new brow technique that’s currently storming the salons.  Originally invented for cancer patients and alopecia sufferers, Faceframe 3D Eyebrows does for brows what eyelash extensions did for stubby peepers.

Like lash extensions, the Faceframe 3D Eyebrows last for a couple of weeks, and cost around £30 for a full length natural brow and £15 for infills (depending on individual salon prices).  The treatment takes around 45-60 minutes to complete for full brows and 15-30 minutes for a partial brow.  They’re the perfect inbetween solution for anyone a bit scared of going down the permanent makeup route.

The synthetic strands of mink are adhered to the eyebrow line using a skin-safe glue, they’re waterproof and moisture-proof, so are especially worth a look for anyone jetting off on low-maintenance holiday or attending an important event and wanting to look their best.

Would you consider something like this for a big event or even as a longer-term solution or does your brow pencil work just fine for you?

For a list of approved salons offering 3D Faceframe Eyebrows, check out the website at www.faceframe3deyebrows.co.uk or give the company a shout on twitter for more information.

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You know the mosquito in Bugs Life?  The one who should know better and despite his mate’s warnings, flies toward the deadly bug zapper with those immortal (final) words: “I can’t help it, it’s so beautiful!”

That’s me that is.

You see, I didn’t get on with the Lime Crime Velvetines that I bought.  I appreciated their pigment, their glorious matteness, and the lovely packaging but the wear.  Oh. God, the hideously ugly wear that left me with the kind of ring of death that sends a shiver down the spines of XBox owners everywhere.

Well, I saw the pretty matte lip lacquers from MUA and flew toward them anyway.

My Superdrug was pretty low on stock and the only one I fancied (they didn’t have the red) was this hot pink, called Funk.  To all intents and purposes, these are decent dupes in terms of pigmentation and texture for the Lime Crime Velvetine ones I own… I really can’t see any reason to pay the extra monies for the Lime Crime ones.

With that revelation outta the way, I still don’t like how they wear on me.  They’re fine for about 35-40 minutes but then it all gets rather ugly.

During application, you still have to be careful not to slap your lips together until the lacquer has been given a moment to dry and I’d also recommend to apply lightly, going back for another coat if necessary.  While the lip lacquer remains in situ, I’d agree with the smudge-proof statement which makes it a great choice for a high-impact, albeit high-maintenance night out.

I’ll leave you with a (currently rather rare) FOTD of me wearing it, you can see how the matte texture looks on my lips.  It’s not too unflattering but bear in mind that my lips are back in good condition after a Lanolip repurchase!

Ultimately, I won’t be purchasing any of the other shades available despite the short-lived temptation, if you see me edging towards the MUA counter, someone please slap me with some bug spray.  I just can’t deal with the effort required to keep these looking good for longer than 10-minutes.

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Funk is priced at £3.00 and available to buy instore at Superdrug and online from muacosmetics.co.uk

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Question of the Week: Do you color your hair? If so, do you do it yourself or do you get it professionally colored? If you do it yourself, what are some of your favorite brands?

Answer: I always do it myself, the Superdrug own range of semi-permanents are my favorite, but I tend to go one or two shades lighter than the result I want.  I use their “light brown” shade which gives me a nice ashy, not-too-dark brown result.

My Beauty Bunny – On a diet? No worries! Get your chocolate fix from the new Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette! With a mix of highly-pigmented colors in both matte and shimmer finishes it’s my new fave palette!

Nouveau Cheap – It’s been a while since a drugstore blush has truly rocked my world, but this one is so amazing that I almost want to keep it to myself (but of course I won’t).

Pink Sith – Pantone’s color of the year is a hard to define fuchsia-purple-lavender hybrid. Whatever it is, it’s called Radiant Orchid and you have so many choices for beauty and accessories!

Prime Beauty – Can’t think of a better combination than hot chocolate and makeup and that’s exactly what Too Faced has done in their Haute Chocolate Collection. See which confection you like best!

Phyrra – shares the best from NARS Spring 2014 and the Final Cut Collections.

we heart this – our favorite 13 products of 2013 range in price from $3.99 to $415. We are equal opportunity beauty junkies!

EauMG – The results are in! Announcing the winners of Perfume Pals of EauMG Best of 2013! Thank you to everyone that voted.

Gouldylox Reviews – Wondering if the foundation from Allure’s Blogger of the Year, MaskCara is worthy of the hype? This might work for you, despite not working so well for me.  Find out why!

Lipglossiping – gets up close and personal with Clinique’s new 16 Shades of Beige Collection… but is it as dull as it sounds?!

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by My Beauty Bunny – I love reading and supporting fellow cruelty-free beauty blogs and one of my very favorites is Logical Harmony. Founder Tashina recently cleared up an issue I’ve been pondering as well: Are Products Sold in Airports in China Cruelty Free?

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve made friends with products that promise sheerer coverage.  As a younger makeup-addict, I definitely went all out on their fuller-finish, matte counterparts that obliterated every blemish with a single swipe, they were my makeup nirvana.  The sad fact of the matter is, that on younger skin, you can get away with it… but as you get older, you need to find products that rest more lightly against your skin.  Products that reflect the light and even out your complexion without sinking into pores, fine lines, and *whispers* wrinkles.

Clarins latest release promises to do just this.  The Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is available in three shades: 01 Rose, 02 Champagne, 03 Peach… each of which promise a light texture and effortless glide over the skin.

Don’t think of this as a typical base product.  It’s not a foundation, neither is it a primer… I like to think of it more as a little touch of skin S.O.S which would come into its own on a morning after the night before.  It contains pigments that will help reflect light and luminosity back from the skin surface, giving the impression of a more well-rested complexion and also contains moisture-boosting Katafray to help balance the skin’s natural hydration levels.

My skin is unlikely to ever be good enough to wear this alone, but I would happily combine it with a light foundation base to further even out the redness and tone without overloading my pores with product.  The 30ml pump tube delivers the product efficiently and without wastage, always a plus point in my opinion.

My only caveat is shade selection.  As you can see, the shade (03 Peach) that I have is too dark and shade-impacting for my complexion.  As sheer as it is, it gives me an overall warmth that isn’t flattering.  You may still need a little assistance from a Clarins expert on counter who will help ensure that you walk away with the shade that benefits your skin-tone the most.

As far as the texture goes, the base shows a lot of promise.  You can apply allover the face or simply buff it into the areas that need some extra radiance, I’ve also tried mixing it into my foundation and the formula takes to this well without balling up on the skin or grumbling about such an injustice!

I’m going to leave you with a link to ReallyRee’s before/after photos that demonstrate better than I am able, how the product actually looks when worn on the face.

Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is priced at £26.00 and is available on counter and online now.

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We’re familiar with the idea of matching our nails to our outfits, our lipsticks, and even our jewellery… but to our technology?  That’s a new one on me!

It would be fair to say that many of us go through life permanently attached to our smart phones and other gadgetry, you only need to spend five-minutes in a coffee shop to realise just how big a part of our lives our technological devices have become.  Hell, I get the shakes if I haven’t checked my Twitter feed in a few hours… so perhaps it makes sense to pay more attention to ensure that we’re fashionably at one with our smart-phones?!

Nail brand Orly has teamed up with technological giants Samsung to create a range of polishes that perfectly complement the new Galaxy Gear.  The four bespoke shades: Jet Black, Mocha Gray, Oatmeal Beige and Wild Orange will safeguard you against the soon-to-be-common fashion faux-pas of clashing with your smart device!

The shades are a complimentary treat when purchasing the Galaxy Gear from the Samsung Experience Store (in Westfield Stratford).  Failing that, if you’ve fallen in love, they’re currently available online from graftonsbeauty.co.uk priced at £10.25 each, while stocks last.

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I’ve never had aubergine before.  Not once.  I think that’s pretty impressive vegetable-dodging for a 32yr old even if I do say so myself!  You see, I grew up in a family where the person in charge of the cooking hated aubergine… with a (not entirely normal) passion about it.  As a marvellous curry cook, I think my Mum had tried to incorporate things like Aubergine and Okra many-a-time, always with a disappointing result.

Aubergine does have a bit of a reputation too, doesn’t it?  Slimy… bitter… some not-very-tantalising adjectives that make it quite easy to leave the poor vegetable sitting, unloved, on the supermarket shelf.

Well, I got brave and finally had a go with this much-maligned veg.  And you know what?  It turned out pretty good!

You’ll need:

chicken breast steaks (or sliced fillets)
1 aubergine
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tin of chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, diced
1 slice of bread, breadcrumbed
Garlic (4 cloves or dried granules)
1tsp oregano
2Tbsp tomato puree
a few slices of pepperoni or salami
2Tbsp grated parmesan (for topping)
75g grated mature cheddar (for topping)

Fry off your chicken with the tomato puree and a few squirts of Frylight or a little oil.  Don’t overcook as you’ll be putting the breast in the oven, just seal the pieces to release some of the juices and take off the heat.

Start peeling your aubergine.  You don’t have to but mine were about a week old… the older the aubergine, the tougher the skin!

Slice the aubergine thinly, about 1/2cm thick slices, lengthways.  Don’t worry about the flesh discolouring…

Spray a little Frylight into your baking dish and layer the aubergine slices across the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle some garlic granules, salt (if you wish), and oregano over the top of the cut pieces.

Lay the pepperoni across the aubergine – the fat that releases from the meat will soak into the vegetable and amp up the flavour in a big way!  Scatter the chopped onions on top of this.

One of the nicest things about this meal is that (apart from frying off the chicken) it’s a one-pot dish.  Very quick to assemble when you get home from work.  Add the drained chickpeas (I use about half the can here) and rest the chicken pieces over the top.  Don’t skimp on the tomatoey/oily juices from the pan… the aubergine will thank you for all that flavour!  Layer the remaining aubergine slices ontop of the chicken.

Finally, add your tinned tomatoes, the remaining chickpeas, Parmesan, and grated cheddar.  If you like, you can add a splash of balsamic vinegar… whenever I use tinned tomatoes, I can’t help myself!

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to pulverize your slice of bread into crumbs.  Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the cheese and bake in the center of the oven for 1hr, checking occasionally to make sure that the top doesn’t get too brown.

You can serve this with some chunky, fresh bread or be good and have a side salad.  This Chicken & Aubergine Bake really makes for a quite a substantial and very filling meal!

I probably used around 1Tbsp of oil in total.  You could lose the pepperoni and of course, cut down on the cheese if you’re really watching your fat intake (although I don’t think there’s too much in this meal).  For my blood sugars, I’ve found that a little bit of fat combined with some slow-release carbs actually helps prevent a post-meal spike, so I’m not overly concerned.

Do you like aubergine?  How do you eat it?

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