A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I don’t get excited by shoes (yeah, I know – freakozoid)… so this is probably the closest I’m gonna come to getting excited by a Jimmy Choo debut.

Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo is set to enter the perfume market next January as the brand’s first foray into the beauty world.

I’m bowled over by the beautiful bottle which co-founder Tamara Mellon stated has been inspired by Murano glass (there’s worse things to be inspired by right?)  It’s elegant, shapely and there’s not a stiletto-shaped flacon in sight.  Amen.

But enough of how it looks… how’s it gonna smell?!

The fragrance is being described as a a fruity chypre with notes of exotic tiger orchid, sweet toffee and Indonesian patchouli.  That sounds right up my street… feminine but with a little more sophistication than your average floral.  Sweet toffee?  One for the gourmand-fragrance lovers?… i.e. me, as long as it’s not too sweet.

Regardless, I’m sure that Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo is destined to be a Valentine’s Day sellout.

Jimmy Choo Eau de parfum is set to retail at £39 (40 ml), £49 (60 ml), and £68 (100 ml).  Available from Harrods, Selfridges and selected Jimmy Choo boutiques.

The Christmas gifts are coming in thick and fast now that we’re approaching November at a blistering pace.  The latest are a pairing of festive gifts from NARS.

Kicking off with the Crazy Heart Set which contains 5 medium-sized lip glosses and features the shades:

Easy Lover (Ultra Sheer Hot Pink),
Babe (Sheer Orange Red)
Orgasm (Sheer Warm Pink with Golden Shimmer)
Turkish Delight (Pink Sorbet)
Misbehave (Sheer Cherry Red with Gold Shimmer)

Prices at £35 and available from November 1st exclusively at Selfridges.

Love ’em or hate ’em… NARS multiples tend to divide opinion… personally I’m a fan and so I should be considering I own 5 of them now – though none of these ones… *lightbulb flick*

The shades included in the Sweet Disposition Set are:

Orgasm (Peachy Pink with Shimmer)
Luxor (Iridescent Pink)
Malibu (Pinkish Brown)

Priced at £32 and availabile from November 1st exclusively at Selfridges.

.

A couple of rather lovely sets no?  I’m a little disappointed that there’s no Holiday palette to get our teeth stuck into this year but at least that’s one less thing on the old wishlist.  Are either of these catching your attention?

I thought I’d do a quick post with some of the Halloween looks and tutorials that have been inspiring me!

I don’t have any plans that would warrant recreating any of these amazing looks (and I don’t want to traumatise L for life), but my goodness aren’t these girls fabulous?

Do you have any plans to makeup for Halloween?

It’s a double NOTD today!

I received a couple of Models Own new nail polish shades the other week and finally got a chance to wear them last weekend.  I was a bit dubious about Vintage Pink when I spied it in the bottle… it’s kinda…. fud.

It’s something my Nan would have worn… had she worn nail polish.  That makes sense in my head.

What I’m trying to say is… throw in a couple of mint imperials, a plastic rain-proof headscarf, a shopping bag that doubles up as a trolley and a pint of guiness and you’ve got this nail polish.  Everytime I look at my nails, I need to double check the mirror to assess the length of my crowsfeet.

I’m not feeling it.

However, application was fabulous… which is just as well really ‘cos old ladies get the shakes.

Moving on…

Models Own Prussian Blue is more my cuppa tea.  It’s a bright royal blue that lends itself really well to a bit of mattification (is that a word?).  It’s a nice shade for the winter and compliments my cool tones well.

Both polishes were done in two coats and I’m not sure if the formula has been re-jigged since I last tried a Models Own polish back in the Spring… but these applied really nicely and far less thickly than I expected based on previous experiences.

I didn’t keep Vintage Pink on much longer than it took to go for a ride round the block on my mobility scooter, but wear was great on the matte!  It wasn’t until the 3rd day that I began to notice a bit of tip wear… I’m just not used to mattes lasting that well, are you?

The 11 new shades are shown above…

Any of them taking your fancy?

Models Own polishes can be purchased online or in Boots stores nationwide, priced at £5 each.

The ever-popular LUSH Christmas gifts are back for the Winter… ranging from the accessible Secret Santas right up to those lustworthy hat boxes!

Here’s what LUSH have in store for us this Christmas…

1. Secret Santa (£5.00) – Snowcake star soap and Satsumo Santa bath ballistic.

2. Best Wishes (£9.95) – Bearded Lady bubble bar, Satsumo Santa bath ballistic, So White bath ballistic.

3. Chillin’ With My Gnomies (£6.50) – Snow Globe soap and Whoosh shower jelly.

4. Christmas Cracker (£6.50) – Cinders and The Boogg bath ballistics.

5. Christmas Allsorts (£9.95) – Satsumo Santa, The Boogg and Lil’ Lush Pud bath ballistics.

6. Have A Sweet Christmas (£5.95) – Candy Cane bubble bar and Godmother soap.

7. Snow Fairy (£9.95) – Snow Fairy shower gel; Angel’s Delight soap star; Shimmy Shimmy massage bar.

8. Matryoska (£9.95) –  So White soap, So White bath ballistic and Cinders bath ballistic.

9. Winter Warmer (£7.50) – Glogg shower gel and Mandarin’s Tea Party soap (50g).

1. Christmas Present (£13.95) – Christmas Eve bubble bar, Winter Bath ballistic, Fizz Banger ballistic, Mandarin’s Tea Party soap.

2. Christmas Candy Box (£19.95) – Snow Fairy shower gel; Candy Cane bubble bar; Rock Star soap; Honey I Washed the Kids soap; Bubblegum lip scrub; Snow Fairy tinted lip balm.

3. Christmas Tweets (£14.50) – Snowcake soap, Vanilla Fountain bath ballistic, Lil’ Lush Pud bath ballistic, Smitten hand cream (45g).

4. Gingerbread House (£13.95) – Gingerbread House Bubble Bar, Cinders Bath Ballistic, Candy Cane Bubble Bar, Lil Lush Pud ballistic.

5. Happy Christmas (£19.95) – Christmas Eve bubble bar; Sexy Peel soap; Mandarin’s Tea Party soap; Dragon’s
Egg bath ballistic; Butterball bath ballistic; Cinders bath ballistic.

6. Christmas Star (£19.95) – Lil’ Lush Pud; Winter Bath; Butterball; Cinders; So White; and Mrs Whippy bath ballistics.

7. The First Snow (£19.95) – Snow Globe Soap; Ice Blue soap; Too Drunk emotibomb; Once a Year massage bar, Iced Wine shower jelly and Glogg shower gel.

1. Christmas Wishes (£24.95) – Sexy Peel and Mandarin’s Tea Part soaps, mini Sugar Scrub, The Olive Branch and Glogg shower gels, Buffy body conditioner, New shampoo bar.

2. Winter Wonderland (£49.95) – Sugar Plum Fairy sugar scrub, Glogg shower gel (100g), Snow Globe soap, Porridge soap, Turkish Delight shower smoothie, Iced Wine shower jelly, Once a Year massage bar, Double Choc tinted lip balm, Rub Rub Rub shower scrub (100g), Aqua Mirabilis body butter, Vanilla Dee-lite body lotion, Lip Dip lip scrub, Too Drunk emotibomb.

3. Stardust (£24.95) – Twilight bath ballistic, Lip Dip lip scrub, Sugar Plum Fairy sugar scrub, Iced Wine shower jelly, Angel’s Delight soap, Candy Cane bubble bar, Snow Fairy shower gel.

4. Bathtime Favourites (£24.95) – Lil’ Lush Pud, Cinders, So White, Winter Bath, Butterball, Lil’ Big Blue, Lil’ Avobath, Lil’ Honey Bee and Lil’ Sex Bomb bath ballistics.

5. 12 Days of Christmas (£34.95) – The Boogg bath ballistic, Winter Bath bath ballistic, Satsumo Santa bath
ballistic,  Cinders  bath  ballistic,  So  White  bath  ballistic,  Bearded  Lady  bubble  bar,
Gingerbread  House  bubble  bar,  Candy  Cane  bubble  bar,  Christmas  Eve  bubble  bar,
Mandarin’s Tea Party soap, Snow Globe soap, Glogg shower gel.

6. Winter Garden (£29.95) – Vanilla in the Mist soap, Mandarin’s Tea Party soap, Snowcake soap, Maple Taffy lip balm, Once a Year massage bar, King of Skin body butter, Sugar Plum Fairy sugar scrub, The Olive Branch shower gel.

7. All The Best (£29.95) – Each Peach massage bar, Dream Cream body lotion, Karma and Snowcake soaps, The Olive Branch shower gel, Christmas Eve bubble bar, Cinders and Avobath ballistics.

1. All I Want for Christmas (£64.95) – Cinders, Satsumo Santa, So White, Lil’ Lush Pud, The Boogg and Winter Bath
ballistics, Candy Cane, Christmas Eve, Bearded Lady and Gingerbread House bubble bars, Mandarin’s Tea Party, Snowcake, Angel’s Delight and Snow Globe soaps, Maple Taffy lip balm, Lip Dip lip scrub, Sugar Plum Fairy sugar scrub, Snow Fairy tinted lip balm, Glogg and Snow Fairy shower gels, Iced Wine shower jelly and Once a Year massage bar.

2. Wonderful Christmas Time (£99.50) – Maple Taffy lip balm, Karma soap, Winter bath ballistic, The Boogg, Cinders and Butterball bath ballistics, Christmas Eve, Pop in the Bath and Dorethy bubble bars, Iced Wine shower  jelly, Glogg shower gel, 9-5 cleanser, Sweet Lip  lip scrub, Figs and Leaves soap,  Brimstone  scrub,  Aqua  Mirabilis  body  butter,  New  shampoo  bar,  Ultrabalm, Ceridwen’s Cauldron bath melt, Crème Anglaise body lotion (100g), Each Peach massage bar,  Grass  shower  gel  (100g),  Orange  Blossom  solid  fragrance,  Celestial  moisturiser (sample tin).

3. Merry Christmas Darling (£89.95) – Once a Year massage bar, Soft Coeur massage bar, Massage bar  tin,
Amandopondo bubble bar, Sex Bomb bath ballistic, It Started with a Kiss tinted lip balm, Sex in the Shower emotibomb, Joy of Jelly shower  jelly, Godiva shampoo bar, shampoo bar tin, MMM  luxury bath melt, Lip Sip lip scrub, Angel’s Delight soap, Candy Cane bubble bar,  Silky Underwear dusting powder, French Kiss bubble bar, Keep it Fluffy ballistic, Flying Fox shower gel, Lust solid  fragrance, Sugar Babe sugar scrub, Sultana of Soap, Sexy Peel soap, Honey Trap lip balm, Smitten hand cream (in a pump), Mrs Whippy bath ballistic.

.

Phew!  I need a rest after all that… and strangely enough… I’m hankering after a LUSH bath.  Which of those gift sets has your name on it?

The beauty blogosphere has been rumbling with news of a collaboration between slick nail art gurus WAH Nails and high-street favourites… polish maestro’s Models Own!

As originally reported by ElleUK last month, the pairing is set to bring nail art to the UK High Street in the shape of some new Nail Art pens!

It’s a marriage made in heaven if it means that we can recreate fabulous designs like these in the comfort of our own homes:

image credit: WAH Nails

Now, if only the pairing could come up with a way to bottle the talent needed to mastermind designs like the above… that WOULD be a bestseller.

Can we have some WAH/Models Own nail art tutorials thrown in too please?  PLEASE?

What do you think of this collaboration?  Hit or Flop?

(a.k.a – I’ve missed my camera)

High five – it’s a makeup amnesty!  Anyone fancy trying a new mascara?

How about a lovely deluxe sample of one of Clinique’s top-selling products?

Clinique are offering us this rather brilliant opportunity to take in one of our crappy old mascaras and exchange it at the counter for a deluxe sample of one of these alternatives!

You can choose between:

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

The offer is valid from 29th October – 16th November exclusively in Boots and only while stocks last.

Absolutely no purchase is necessary but stop rummaging through your sister’s/mother’s/mate’s makeup drawers ‘cos it’s only one per client.  I SAW you!

I haven’t tried the High Impact (volumising) one yet, so will be hot-footing it down my nearest Boots/Clinique counter to give it a go.

If you want to see how the High Lengths (lengthening) looked on my lashes, click here for my review and some before/after shots.

Will you be ditching an old mascara and trading up for this offer?

I wanna know… which mascara will you be swapping and which of Clinique’s will you be choosing to replace it?

I was sent these a couple of months ago but only got the chance to photograph and review E.L.F’s NARS Albatross dupe – Gotta Glow before my camera kicked the bucket.

I’d like to show you the other two that were released at the same time as Gotta Glow.  I hope the pictures and swatches are useful.

Fuchsia Fusion is a glitter bomb of a blush.  A slightly muted raspberry rose shade with silver chunky sparkles.  Texture is a bit hard but the pan gives up a lot of powder when you pass the brush over the top.  I personally wouldn’t bring this blush within 10 yards of my face until I’ve tapped off at least some of the glitter.

Pink Passion is my preference of the two.  A proper dolly pink matte blush that feels chalky but soft.  Pigmentation is impressive for the price and you could do far worse than this blush for double the money.

If only that glitter in Fuchsia Fusion were a little finer, I’d be giving a double thumbs up.

Both blushes are priced at £3.50 and available online from the ELF website.

When I was in London last week I was on the hunt for some of the new Accessorize Illusion nail polishes… you know, the duochrome ones.  Sadly, I only found one solitary polish and I nearly had to beat someone up to get my hands on it first.  It’s ok, I only broke a couple of her fingers… she can always paint the other hand.

It was totally worth it though right?  Look at those gorgeous purple/green/amber flashes! *dies*

Please excuse my death-warmed up hands… we were having double glazing fitted and the house was an ice-box sans windows.  My hands were ready to drop right off.

What d’ya think?

That is a bloody gorgeous duochrome to feed our inner 8 year old’s craving for something PURRRRRRDY right?

Application isn’t too shabby but it did need a good 3 coats and a healthy splodge of quick dry top coat for optimum shininess.  Wear has been good… no chips, just some minor tip wear.  Removal was a bit of a pain thanks to the glittery bits but othing too soul destroying.

My niece came over yesterday and the first thing I did was thrust my nails in her face and demand to know if she’d ever seen anything like so completely amazing?  She looked at me in the way only a 7 year old can when embarrassed by someone old enough to know better.

But she agreed, it was pretty cool.

Priced at £4 each for 10ml… Accessorize Nail Polishes are available instore (though I can only ever find a couple – usually by the tills), online (full selection) and I believe they’re coming to/are already in Superdrug?  Or did I imagine that bit…

Anyway, the moral of the story is… go and hunt them down, even if it means maiming your fellow shoppers in the process.

Halloween must be a busy time for false lash manufacturers right?  If you’re dressing up for the occasion, you ain’t nothing without a pair of falsies to flash at passers by.  Stop sniggering.  Don’t be dirty.

Ardell have released 6 new pairs of false lashes to mark the spooky holiday… introducing Fright Night Lashes!

1. Spider Woman Lash Set
2. Dark Angel Lash Set
3. Cleopatra Lash Set
4. Fairy Wings Lash Set
5. Enchantress Lash Set
6. Pixie Dust Lash Set

They retail at £6.99 each and are available exclusively from Clinton Cards, Birthdays and Pure Party stores.  The sets are reusable if handled with care.  I think I want the Dark Angel set… I like the little flicky bit, but… I’m notoriously BAD with false lashes.

Do you dress up for Halloween, what are your plans this year?

I promised some decent swatches of some of the goodies that my beautiful friend Julia sent me from her home country, the Philippines!  Is there anything more exciting than surprise swap parcels from far away destinations?  Errr NO!

By the way… check out the backdrop, same location but finally entered the 21st Century and got ourselves some of that new-fangled double-glazing stuff – here’s hoping this Winter will feel warmer than the last!

Ok, so back to the 4U2 I-Pro Professional Eye Make-Up Palette in Contemporary (what a mouthful!)…

Nicely packaged in a sturdy plastic housing that feels secure and substantial… it opens to reveal a large, clear and distortion-free mirror and 8 vibrant, shimmering eyehadow shades.

The shades all lean toward the pastel, so this will make a perfect choice for some fresh, Spring looks.  All pans have a texture like butter with a colour payoff that matches our own Sleek Makeup offerings.  The difference being that I don’t get the same amount of fall-out with these shades as I do with the Sleek eyeshadows.

And some swatches (on bare skin)…

Aren’t they lovely?

Colour me jealous… I want this brand to be accessible in the UK!  Who says we get all the best stuff? *sulk*

I believe (after conversion) that this retails at around £13 a palette?  You get about 2.5g of product per pan which works out at around £1.60 per eyeshadow.  I do love an economical purchase!

Are you currently lusting after anything from foreign shores?  Spill the beans!