A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Superdrug, in dog years… let’s be honest, you’re dead.

The big Five Oh.  1964-….

It’s not a number to be sniffed at, especially in the kind of financial times that have proven too much for even the greatest of high-street institutions *cough* Woolworths pick n’ mix *cough*.

You must be doing something right.  And infact, I know you are… because even with the ridiculous amount of shopping opportunities available to me when I wander through town, I always pop in for a look at your best budget beauty, your splendiforous own-brand hair colourants, and fridges that burst at the seams with Appletiser.  I hope I’ve still got half of what it takes to remain relevant when I reach my half-century!

In honour of this milestone, a host of the world’s favourite beauty brands have created some rather special limited-edition Superdrug products for the birthday celebrations.  You may be noticing a bit of a colour theme going on, I’ll give you a clue… it ain’t blue.

The products available range from fragrance to cosmetics, skin-care to everyday essentials and include favourites such as: Astral’s iconic multipurpose moisturiser (£3.89), Lipcote (£3.69), BarryM Nail Paint (£3.99), Cacharel Amor Amor (£35), and Cocoa Brown One Hour Dark Tan (£6.99).

Alongside this barrage of pink produce, the celebrations take a more comprehensive turn with lots of instore and online promotions, including some nifty 50% off deals, and various Facebook/Twitter promotions.

They’ve even released a video on YouTube to showcase the changing face of the must-have party look over the past half-century:

If you want to wish the brand a happy twoscore and ten, simply use the hashtag #superdrug50 on to join in the celebrations on Twitter. 

And don’t forget to check out the Superdrug website for a chance to win a hamper packed full of exclusive Superdrug 50th Birthday products!

Very, very tentatively am I moving into some proper Spring nail colours.  I know it’s like, April already and most of you are being all fashion-forward with your neons but me, well… I’m just a bit of a 21st century yokel.  You’ll have to let me bump along with the times at my own slow pace.

Deborah Lippmann’s Daytripper is the perfect example of my favourite. shade. ever. (other than taupe).  It’s what I like to call “Guava”, a softer version of coral… a version of coral that’s more forgiving to my pasty, pale pink skintone.  It doesn’t scream, it just siren-songs you into a gentle Summery submission.

Aside from the obvious fanaticism I have over the shade “guava”, this version of the shade on my fingertips sings even more temptingly thanks to it’s super-glassy finish.  That’s no top-coat on display there folks, this one is so shiny, you’ll have no need to carry a mirror around with you.  The above photo shows three coats because I hate a VNL (visible nail line).  If you don’t mind a little sheerness in your polish, this one has that pretty semi-translucent hard boiled sweet thing going on after two coats.  Me, I just like all out opacity.

Application is good, wear is good… and to be honest, so it should be from the premium brand.  I think I like their cremes even better than their notorious glitters!

Deborah Lippmann Daytripper retails at £16.00 for 15ml and is available to buy online from harrods.com and lookfantastic.com (where shipping is also gratis).

* press sample

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In a horrible twist of fate, I ending up buying my much-longed-for Tefal Actifry approximately one week before the price on Amazon finally dropped back down to its current reasonable level.  I’d been waiting since the start of January for the prices to return to some semblance of reality and three months later, they were still higher than they had been since last August.  Considering I’d spent just £90 on the damn thing when I’d bought one for my Mum and Dad pre-Christmas, I just couldn’t bring myself to spend over £130 on the exact same machine just a couple of months later.

And so, fate transpired that I ended up buying a second-hand model from Gumtree, £70.  It wasn’t the 1.2kg model that I’d been hankering after but the smaller 1kg.  I now hate my unfortunate timing and throw the damn thing dirty looks whenever I pass by the kitchen.  Having said that, I made some delicious cauliflower “rice” in it last weekend, a very useful low-carb alternative to the real thing!

Why the low-carb alternative?

Well, I’ve only got 4-weeks of pregnancy left and this time around, it’s been trying at times.  The initial sickness was something I’d managed to escape when I was carrying Leila but this time, it hit me like a ton of bricks.  Throw in another run-in with the dreaded PCOS-induced gestational diabetes and I can’t say that I’ve enjoyed this pregnancy as much as my first.

Having said that, nothing will replace the feeling of those little bumps and knocks from the inside out… and enjoying the knowledge that there’s no bond in the world quite like that between an unborn baby and its Mum.  I will dearly miss that intimacy (my baby, all mine!) when he’s out.

So, back to the low carb thing…

As pregnancy progresses, the effects of borderline gestational diabetes tend to become more severe.  Back when I was 22-weeks my insulin deposits could easily cope with a handful of chips and a couple of spoonfuls of rice but now, as I enter my 35th week, I’m not so lucky.  Even the most unrefined of carbs can cause my blood sugars to spike to unhealthy levels.  Time to call on the cauliflower!

The first thing you need to do is grate your cauliflower to produce a grain-like texture or alternatively blitz the florets (a handful at a time) in a food processor.

Once the cauliflower has been blitzed, dump it in the bowl of the Tefal Actifry and add a generous tablespoonful of oil.  If you want to add some extra flavour, feel free to experiment with a little spice.  For my Bratwurst & Cauliflower Rice mash-up, I concocted a moroccan-inspired combination that comprised:

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Turn on the Tefal Actifry and set the timer for around 25-minutes.  Do keep an eye on it though as you’ll need to re-incorporate any “rice” grains that rise up the side of the bowl as it cooks.  I just use a silicone spatula to push them back down.

After 25-minutes, feel free to add some extras.  I threw in a handful of frozen peas, some pre-cooked Bratwurst, and a broken-up plain omelette that I’d cooked on the hob after frying the Bratwurst.  The last 10-minutes in the Actifry ensured that the flavours combined beautifully as the paddle turned and incorporated the spices and oils.

Using the Tefal Actifry meant that the cauliflower took on a fried-rice texture and the spices delivered some real flavour to an otherwise bland, low-carb alternative.

The Tefal Actifry (1.2kg model) is currently available on Amazon.co.uk for £109.99 which is the lowest it’s been since early December.  It’s even cheaper than the smaller 1kg model!  If you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know I’ve been on Actifry “price-watch” all year.  I’m fuming!

Do you own a Tefal Actifry?  What’s your favourite thing to cook in it?

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When I first read about the innovative formulation of these delightful new blushers from Clinique, I was naturally a little sceptical.  I mean, most new releases nowadays claim to go beyond the realms of technology in a quest to deliver cosmetics that are like nothing you’ve ever used before.  That’s standard industry bullshit and we all know it.

The thing is though, I actually do believe that Estée Lauder Companies, Inc may indeed have robbed some faraway land of their makeup pixies…

First of all, Estee Lauder come out with the most brilliantly formulated lipsticks I’ve tried in a while, now swiftly followed by Clinique’s rather wondrous new Cheek Pops.  But what exactly is so marvellous about them?  Read on and I’ll tell you…

To begin with, they look bloody incredible, don’t they?  The fine detail in the gerbera daisy design is exquisite.  Completely frivolous and by-the-by, of course… but when has such kerb appeal ever been a bad thing?

The powder texture has an unusual quality… most definitely a powder in formula but in application?  Much more like a cream or gel finish.  It’s translucent and utterly buildable.  Pale girls rejoice, the Clinique team have created a wonderful balance between ethereal and pigmentation.

The depth of colour that you apply to your cheeks is very controllable.  I suffer from the horrors of one swipe with the brush often being too much once applied to my face, for these…. I can comfortably layer on a single swipe and then return to the pan for a second dusting over the apple of my cheek.  It’s a rare joy.

Even the swatches above show the rather lovely translucent nature of the pigmentation, they’re sheer but not lacking in oomph.  You can visually appreciate the quality and luminosity of the skin below the swatch which gives a far more natural and realistic blush effect once on the cheeks than most powder blushers can even dream of achieving.

The four shades available range from the candy-inspired to the more natural warmth.  My personal favourite is the cool-toned and punchy Plum Pop which carries a subtle river of silver iridescence.  Lasting power on these varies a little… the brighter shades generally offer a bit more of a stain-effect that is still present in the evening, while the more subtle and neutral Ginger Pop has disappeared from my cheeks by bedtime.

Clinique’s Cheek Pops are priced at £16.50 and available to purchase now on counter and online from clinique.co.uk

* press sample

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Question of the Week: What color do you have on your nails right now?

Answer: My nails are completely bare right now… they’ve gotten so dry recently that I’ve been forced to grin and bear a little bit of nail rehab in the form of much cuticle-moisturising and TLC.  I’d like to say that it’s helping to solve the problem… but I fear that it might take nothing short of a blowtorch to fix my poorly talons.

Gouldylox Reviews – Don’t let your taxes stress you out. Figure out how to de-stress and enter to win $100 from Coupons.com.

Lipglossiping – explores the promise that you can banish grey roots in minutes with the help of a Josh Wood Blending Wand. But do magic wands really exist?

My Beauty Bunny – Spring is here and if you want to smell like an expensive, exotic bouquet of flowers – we’ve got the perfect giveaway! Click here to enter to win a bottle of Journey by Harvey Prince Perfume.

Nouveau Cheap – Want a taste of Summer 2014? The new Maybelline Bleached Neons Collection for Summer 2014 has arrived (Color Tattoos, Color Elixirs, Master Glaze Blush Sticks and more).

Pink Sith – Did you know that 99.99% of the population suffers from Blush Color Blindness? See if you are part of the 0.01% by taking this simple test with the Lise Watier Imagine Blush for Spring!

Prime Beauty – is ditching her black, gray and brown winter wardrobe for the brights shades of summer. Bring On The Brights!

Phyrra – loves the new Too Faced A La Mode Eyes Palette! She shares 5 tutorials with it, plus a review.

we heart this – has got a MEGA giveaway for perfume lovers; win $308 in BPAL perfume oils!

EauMG – Whoo! We survived winter! Victoria does a quick re-cap of her most worn perfumes of Winter 13/14. Now bring on the spring perfumes!

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Gouldylox Reviews I love blogs from other countries and Viola’s Killer Colours blog (Sweden) has been one of my favorite for years. I love her photos, her style and her writing. Sure, I can’t buy many of the products she writes about, but I definitely get some amazing ideas!

When trying a beauty product for the first time, I try to remain open-minded.  When a product has been hyped by the beauty community, it’s easy to have certain far-reaching expectations the first time you try it.

However, in the case of the new Josh Wood Blending Wand*, my expectations were lower than low.

Reviews for this product, which is sold exclusively at Marks & Spencer are generally pretty dire on the M&S website, frighteningly so to be honest.  I try to avoid reviews before approaching a product that I’m going to blog about but I was frankly unsure about the best methods for applying the goop inside the wand (the instructions aren’t in plain sight), and so I found myself Googling in advance.

Before I get down to the nitty-gritty, let me explain what – in my opinion – this product from acclaimed colourist Josh Wood is, and perhaps more importantly… isn’t.

The Josh Wood Blending Wand is a temporary solution to a common problem.  The problem being visible roots between hair colouring.  Perhaps you go to a salon for a professional experience every couple of months, or perhaps you box-dye it at home.  Either way, you’ll be familliar with the annoying inbetween stage… inbetween salon appointments, or inbetween finding time to redo your roots at home.

What it isn’t however, is a replacement for a regular hair-dye.  This also isn’t a replacement for a permanent root touch-up kit.  In my novice experience, it takes less than 15-minutes from start to finish to turn the unsightly into the respectable when it comes to your hairline.

The somewhat limited instructions are located under the label on the back of the wand.  It makes the application process sound a little less involved than it actually is.  First things first, I absolutely recommend that you don’t try to use the Blending Wand without a little mixing bowl to hand.  The “goop” inside literally drips out when you prime the product and you risk making a mess unless you dispense into a bowl first.

I applied the Josh Wood Blending Wand directly onto dry hair.  Let’s be honest… if I wanted to faff around with wetting my hair first, I’d just go down the root touch-up kit.  I wanted something that I could use during those emergency moments of god-awful clarity when you catch sight of yourself in the mirror whilst getting ready to go out.  If it couldn’t fulfil that role… I wasn’t particularly interested.

To use, I pumped the button on the side of the wand a couple of times to prime it.  This allows the product to dispense into the brush… or more conveniently, into the bowl you’ve sourced.  Load the brush with the colour and gently apply the product to your roots.

For me, the key to achieving a good finish without making my hair sticky, or staining my scalp is to use a light hand.  You don’t need half a gallon of product on the brush for it to be effective.  Use a little at a time and don’t be afraid to work the brush across the “grain” of your hair aswell as in the root-to-tip direction.  Doing this with an almost-dry brush and working it through the strands cross-ways works well for me.

At this point, your roots should be damp but not saturated.  If you use too much product, you’re going to be left with a sticky-residue once you’ve blow-dried.  The product will not magically disappear into the ether just because you’ve blasted it with a hairdryer.  Use a light hand and apply more if needed.  I also recommend using your fingers to lightly distribute the product across your roots whilst drying, in a similar way to rubbing in dry shampoo.  Remember to wash your hands immediately afterward to avoid stained fingertips.

Because of my preconceptions after reading the reviews, I can’t quite put into words how impressed (relieved?) I was when I saw the results.  The colour blended well with my own and I only had a tiny bit of scalp staining where I’d been too heavy-handed at the temple.  My hair did feel heavier after application, especially around the fringe but it wasn’t sticky and didn’t need immediate washing, though I did wash it before bed that night as I was worried about staining my pillowcase.  The results have lasted well after two hair-washes, I don’t expect it to last much more than three or four at a push.

All in all, as a quick-fix solution for disguising roots in under 15-minutes, I can’t fault it.  If you try it and don’t get the results you were hoping for, take a look at your application method because you might need to adjust the quantity of product you’re using.  Considering just how bad my roots were, I really didn’t need to use a lot of product to get my finished result.  I should get many, many more uses from this magic little Blending Wand.

The Josh Wood Blending Wand, priced at £12.50, comes in 4 shades and is available exclusively instore and online from Marks and Spencer.

* press sample

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