A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…with this wonderfully inventive “All I Want For Christmas” Advent Calender which has launched exclusively at Selfridges.

They say: Comprising 24 windows behind which lie miniature versions of the beauty industry’s most heralded products, the advent calendar is the ultimate gift for any beauty product lover!

Designed by L’Oreal, it features some of the company’s most well-known brands… let’s see what’s actually included shall we?  Though don’t look if you don’t want your surprise spoiled!

GIORGIO ARMANI EYES TO KILL MASCARA
Longer looking lashes, 2ml 0.06 FL.OZ

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID MASTER PRIMER
Base Lissante Perfection, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

GIORGIO ARMANI FLUID SHEER
Fluid Embellisseur, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

EMPORIO ARMANI DIAMOND
Eau de Parfum†, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

KIEHL’S CRÈME DE CORPS
The Original Rich Nourishing Cream, 30ml 1.0 FL.OZ

KIEHL’S ULTRA FACIAL CREAM
“Greenland First Ascent” 24-Hour, Everyday Hydrating
Formula with Extracts of Glacial Glycoproteins and Desert Plants, 7ml 0.25 FL. OZ

KIEHL’S ULTIMATE STRENGTH HAND SALVE
All-day care for severely dry, active hands, 30ml 1.0 FL.OZ

LANCÔME BI-FACIL
Non Oily – Instant Cleanser – Sensitive Eyes, 30ml 1.0 FL. OZ

LANCÔME GÉNIFIQUE
Youth Activating Concentrate
Lancôme have created Génifique to help reveal your skin’s youthful appearance
7ml 0.1 FL. OZ

LANCÔME HYDRA ZEN NEURO CALM™
Soothing moisturising cream SPF 15, 15ml 0.5 FL. OZ

LANCÔME COLOR FOCUS PALETTE 302 ROUND MIDNIGHT
Mini Palette 2 Shades, 1.6g 0.05 OZ

LANCÔME MINI JUICY TUBE FRAISE 17
Ultra Shiny Hydrating Lipgloss, 7ml 0.23 FL. OZ

LANCÔME TRÉSOR IN LOVE
Eau de Parfum†, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

LANCÔME RÉNERGIE LIFT VOLUMETRY
Volumetric Lifting and Shaping Cream, Firming – Anti-wrinkle – SPF 15, 15ml 0.5 FL. OZ

LANCÔME L’ABSOLU ROUGE ßx 06
Advanced Replenishing AND Reshaping Lipcolour, 1.42g 0.05 OZ

LANCÔME MIRACLE
Eau de Parfum†, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

LANCÔME HYPNÔSE PRECIOUS CELLS MASCARA
Magnified Volume Cream Mascara, Lash by Lash Volume, 2ml 0.06 FL. OZ

P&C STELLA McCARTNEY STELLA
Eau de Parfum†, 5ml 0.1 FL.OZ

P&C VIKTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB
Eau de Parfum†, 7ml 0.25 FL.OZ

SHU UEMURA SKIN PURIFIER
Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O, 20ml 0.67 FL.OZ

YSL MASCARA VOLUME EFFECT FAUX CILS
Luxurious Mascara, for a False Lash Effect, 3ml 0.1 FL.OZ

YSL OPIUM
Eau de Toilette†, 7.5ml 0.25 FL.OZ

YSL PARISIENNE
Eau de Parfum†, 7.5ml 0.25 FL.OZ

YSL ROUGE PURE SHINE LIPSTICK 10
Sheer Lipstick SPF 15, 1.2g 0.03 OZ

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Is there a woman in the world who *wouldn’t* like to find that hanging in the hall on December 1st?  Doubt it.

Priced at £60 and available from Selfridges.

For those of us with husbands/partners/family of the not so generous variety *raises hand*, don’t forget that you will be able to indulge again in this year’s Lipglossiping Annual Beauty Advent Giveaway instead… it’s becoming quite the tradition!

Two giveaways ending at the same time nearly gave me a headache!

Approximately 380 entries later, the 2 winners of my 72hr BarryM Dusky Mauve Nail Paint giveaway are…

~ Ylva
~ Jessica Allison

Congratulations ladies, I shall be in touch to request your postal details very soon!

A slightly less manic 38 entries later, the winner of my (just under) 24hr Britain’s Next Top Model Live tickets for this weekend is…

~ Udita Patel

Well done! You don’t need to do anything, I’ll get those sent to the address you specified in your entry tomorrow.

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Phew! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m all giveaway-ed out for now? 😉

The giveaway closes tonight… so make sure you enter now or forever paint your nails with inferior Chanel Paradoxal dupes! 😉

Click to view the giveaway details.

I just wasn’t expecting to like it… but strangely, I do!

Bumster from Butter London’s Autumn/Winter collection is one of those ugly colours that you either love or hate.

It’s one of the two McQueen-inspired shades in the collection, named for the designer’s famously low slung trouser creation that shocked the fashion world at the time. Not a natural nail shade choice for the more conservative among us, it sits oddly against my skintone. However, I simply love how creamy it looks, opaque in only two coats and perfect for the camel trend we’re currently experiencing.

As much as I’m drawn to it, I do have to admit that it looks far, far better on my cousin’s olive-toned skin than it does on my pasty pink complexion.

Will that stop me wearing it? Not a chance… I can’t stop checking out my nails!

Butter London Bumster is available to buy online from Powder Rooms, priced at £9.75

…even though you know you should.

Do you have any personal items (no, not THAT personal!) that you just can’t let go no matter how old, battered and bruised?

Here’s mine…

I am as ashamed as I am proud of it.

My beloved 27 year old Mason Pearson Nylon & Bristle hairbrush that my mother bought me when I was just 2 years old.

It’s seen better days.

I’ve dropped it hundreds upon hundreds of times over the years… it’s been submerged in water, raked through various shades of hair dye, cleaned with all kinds of horrifically damaging cleaning fluids and yet still, it soldiers on.

The nylon bristles have split in places and you can clearly see the marks from a temper tantrum I had around age 13 when I threw it against the wall and then sobbed my heart out when I realised I’d chipped the head.

It’s been sung into, used as a back-scratcher and even circum-navigated the globe with me.

Am I ready to part with it? Am I hell.

This is still the brush I reach for in the mornings to weaken the tenacity of the knots that have appeared overnight before reaching for a paddle brush to finish the job.

Leila has just started to use the one that I bought her in May for her 1st Birthday and already she loves it. It’s a little smaller than mine, easier for her tiny hands to grasp. She bashes herself over the head with it more than she manages to pull it through her locks but she loves to find both brushes and pair them together as in the above photo.

I wonder if she’ll still be brushing her hair with it in nearly 30 years time. I hope for my sake that hers won’t show the signs of quite so many teenage tantrums though.

Mason Pearson hairbrushes are available to purchase instore at Liberty or online at HQHair – price varies depending on brush size.

C’mon, give up your secrets… got any beauty related treasures that you just can’t part with?

The Estee Lauder holiday collection is upon us and it’s a veritable feast of Christmassy goodness.  Berries and golds take the centre stage in the colour stakes and the line-up oozes Yuletide charm.

On a personal level, I was a touch disappointed not to see two eyeshadow palettes as with the Summer collection (the palette on the left contains lip colour) but that’s the non-gloss fan in me talking.

I’m concentrating on the eye palette today which I was given at the recent press event.  For me, it’s the jewel of the collection.  At first, I thought the shades contained within were a bit ‘off’… although neutral, they’re all rather warm toned and I really wasn’t sure how this would play out against my very cool skin.  I needn’t have worried, they work delightfully well.

Let’s take a closer look at that eye palette shall we?

Packaging is a solid, acrylic housing with gold-coloured lid.  It feels well built, substantial and looks classy on my dressing table!

Read on for closer shots of the shade and swatches…

Read the rest of this entry »

Britain’s Next Top Model Live promises to be a great event this weekend and I’ve got a pair of tickets worth £36 that I want to give to one of my lucky readers.

Watch the ad below to find out more about BNTM Live.

There will be a whole host of beauty exhibitors in attendance including:  Bobbi Brown, Becca, Rebel Nails, Aurifere, Bourjois, Elemis, Fake Bake and Leighton Denny amongst many others!

The event runs from Friday 22nd October to Sunday 24th October inclusive and is being held at Excel London.

I want to send out a big thankyou to Aurifere who allowed me to pass on these tickets as a prize to my readers.

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So… how do you win?  Simply complete the form below and submit!  Tickets will be posted out to the winner by Special Next Day Delivery, so please enter an address where there will be someone available to sign for them.

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NOTES
* Postal address required to allow me to post the tickets to the winner without delay
* Competition will close at 11.59pm (BST) on the 20th October
* Competition is open to UK entrants only
* Winner will be selected at random from all correct entries
* 1 entry per email address accepted
* Addresses only used to contact the winner and will be deleted once the competition is closed
* My decision is final

There’s just under 2 hours to go before Elizabeth Hurley, spokesmodel for Estee Lauder and The Breast Cancer Awareness campaign will literally turn London’s iconic department store Harrods PINK in an effort to raise awareness for the campaign!

The historic facade will be lit pink at 7pm this evening in support of The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign and to celebrate the Estée Lauder brand’s 50th Anniversary at Harrods.

Also available to purchase this month, the Pink Ribbon Collection 2010:

The collection includes:

The Evelyn Lauder Lip Collection. This divine colour collection contains three shades of Pure Color Lipstick, hand-picked by Evelyn Lauder herself; Tiramisu, Candy and Rubellite.

RRP £25.00

Estée Lauder’s classic Jewelled Pink Ribbon Pin.

RRP £10.00.

The Elizabeth Hurley Lip Collection. This gorgeous lip collection includes two double-ended lipgloss wands, with four gloss shades from the new Pure Color Gloss collection; Nude Rose, Rock Candy, Brazen Berry and Extravagant Pink.

RRP £25.00

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£7.50 from each purchase of The Pink Ribbon Collection in the UK will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation for its research programme at the UK’s Institute of Cancer Research.

Availablie nationwide throughout October, while stocks last.

I couldn’t resist picking up the Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 01 – Marionette last week in the ASOS sale… it was down from £18 to £11 – steal!

This post is a bit picture heavy… simply because it’s so pretty and I got my new camera and I couldn’t stop snapping.

Read the rest of this entry »

So… last week, I was toying with the idea of a “Round Table” for beauty-related questions and answers and how it would be great for me on a selfish level to have somewhere that I could “shout out” the questions I receive via email when quite frankly I’m not always sure I have the best (or at least… “the only”) answers.

I was originally going to introduce a ‘series’ where one post a week would include the questions that needed answering… but I figured it would be quite limiting for readers who may want to chime in with a question of their own from time to time.

Mr. L suggested that I embed a forum into the site and when I realised that it didn’t have to be some mega-big affair, I decided that I would be game.

The premise is simple (ish).  I haven’t added a forum for chats and stuff… think of it simply as a deposit box for beauty-related queries that we can dip in and out of as and when relevant.

An example of how it might work would be…

If someone comes across one of my old posts on Google and has a question about a stockist for O.P.I polishes in the UK (for example) – rather than post on an old topic and only receive my reply… they can post it on The Round Table (or I can transfer it there myself) and they might benefit from 3 or 4 great suggestions from you fabulous guys.

Does that make sense?  Is it crapola?  You can tell me… I always appreciate your honesty even if it sometimes me sulk for ages a short while.

Anyway, if you wanna check it out or get the ball rolling and leave a question of your own (I’ll probably be ON every question until the novelty wears off ;)) then you can find a link to The Round Table in the top right or click here.

Does everyone know what a GWP stands for?  I only found out about a year ago despite having been a regular owner of them for ooooooooooh about 10 years?  I think infact that I may have been the last person in the world to discover what the acronym actually stood for.  Kinda like that time I discovered my ex was sleeping with someone that wasn’t me.

GWP = Gift with Purchase!

Some brands are pretty famous for their awesome GWPs and many shoppers time their repurchases to coincide with instore events that feature these lovely little extras!  With potential bargainous Christmas pressies in mind, I contacted a few brands to find out what they had to offer for the month of October and was pleasantly surprised to find some not too shabby offerings!

1. Estee Lauder (Exclusive to Boots)

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Contents (choice of shades available)

• Take It Away Long-Wear Makeup Remover Towelettes, 5 sheets in travel size pouch
• Daywear Plus Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme, N/C Skin,15ml
• Advanced Night Repair Syncronized Recovery Complex, 7ml
• Eyeshadow Quad Compact with Applicator
• Pure Color Lipstick
• Double Wear Zero Smudge Lengthening Mascara in Black
• Estee Lauder Pleasures Edp, 4ml
• Purple Patent Cosmetic Bag with cross stitch pattern

Qualifier

Free with any two or more Estée Lauder purchases.

Until

Saturday 23rd October 2010

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2. Help: Clear Skin (online)

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Contents

• Limited Edition Heidi Cannon Purse

Qualifier

Free when you purchase one month’s supply of Help: Clear Skin

Until

While stocks last

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3. Clinique (Exclusive to Debenhams)

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Contents

• Exclusive Learn by Numbers Eye Compact in Neutral, 2.2g
• Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser, 50ml
• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion, 30ml
• High Impact Curling Mascara in Black, 4g
• Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Kissy Fit, 2.3ml

Qualifier

Free with the purchase of two or more Clinique products (one to be skin care)

Until

Saturday 30th October 2010

I was recently introduced to Salon nail brand Precision during a press event and although not a brand I’d encountered before, my eye was immediately drawn to their new collection entitled Glam Rock.

The overall look of the products is sleek with their OPI-esque packaging, heavyweight bottles and even contoured handles!

The Glam Rock collection comprises of 6 darker, slighty industrial shades which all fit in well with the concept.

R01: Glam Metal – warm charcoal base with multi coloured shimmer
R02: U Rock & I Roll – Industrial dark grey creme
R03: VIP Very Important Polish – Berry purple with multi coloured shimmer
R04: The After After Party – Navy with multi coloured shimmer
R05: Rebel Red in You – Black with Red Glitter
R06 : Party Like a Rockstar – Gold with multi coloured shimmer

I’m really late in swatching these… I’ve been looking at them longingly for about a month, but having been without camera means that I’ve got a hell of a lot of catching up to do now!

I’ll leave you with one swatch shot.  Here’s R05: Rebel Red in You…

The red glitter suspended in a black base is not an original concept.  I’m thinking China Glaze Lubu Heels, Eyeko Vampira, Color Club Red Velvet etc.. etc… but it’s a good idea well executed here by Precision.  I have no complaints about quality, infact the bottle and brush are simply divine.

It did require three thin coats to achieve the above finish… but if you’re a little more heavy handed than me, you would be done in two.

What I will say for this collection is that so far I’ve worn two from the six shades I was given and one of them has just easily jumped into my top 20 Winter polishes of all time.  It’s THAT gorgeous.  I’ll get it posted up later in the week.

Precision is available to buy online from their website or Venus Nail & Beauty with bottles priced at around £5.99 each.