A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

If cat-shaped lipsticks aren’t really your thing, Paul & Joe have also released three new (and rather lovely) limited edition face colour shades for Autumn/Winter and as always… P&J know exactly how to do the pretty.

They Say:

Blended with several varieties of champagne gold frost, each face colour has an individual overtone and translucent sparkle creating a  truly sublime radiant glow.

How perfect does the champagne frost sound for the upcoming party season?

Paul & Joe Face Colours are priced at £15 each and available instore from Fenwicks and Harrods.  Alternatively you can buy online from Zuneta and HQHair.

From Lip Butters to Body Butters, Body Scrubs to Shower Foams… Body America’s range of bathroom goodies will be hitting the mainstream when they land in the new House of Fraser Apothecary from the middle of this month onwards.

A little birdy also told me that the Body America Body Butters come from the same creator as the much-loved Body Shop Body Butters… interesting…

But this becomes even more interesting when I tell you that a 200ml jar of Body America Body Butter will set you back a trifling £8 compared to £12.50 for The Body Shop equivalent.  Now you’re talking!

The entire range is described as 72% organic and comes enriched with certified organic Aloe Vera juice to naurally soothe and protect the skin.  The lineup is available in four flavours:

~ Vermont Va Va Voom: Green Apple, Maple and Blueberry
~ New York Cheesecake with an Edge: Vanilla and Strawberry
~ Toast to the Coast: Ocean and Grapeseed
~ Southern Belle: Peach and Mango

I fully intend to make a beeline for the Vermont Va Va Voom range…. Maple?  Oh god yes.  Now if only it came with pancakes too…

Like a moth to the proverbial flame, I found myself in my local backwater Boots yesterday afternoon and they had just put out their latest delivery of BarryM.

Being the dedicated beauty blogger that I am *cough* and remembering that some of you are struggling to source this for yourselves, I thought I’d pick up two of the new Instant Nail Effects Nail Paints for a quick giveaway!

And when I say quick, I mean QUICK!

Answer this question in the comments below:

Which polish would you choose as a base coat underneath the BarryM Instant Nail Effects?

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RULES
~ Two winners (winning 1 polish each) will be picked at random early next week
~ Giveaway closes at 11.59pm this Sunday (you have 48hrs – ish)
~ Open worldwide

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Good luck!

I’m a total lip liner eschewer.  I love that word… eschewer… makes me think of nuts.

It just seems like one of those extra steps that quite frankly, I could do without.  Same as applying my lipstick with a brush.  I have a beautiful NARS lip brush that NEVER gets used.  I just don’t see the necessity?

I was killing 10 minutes last night before I had to be somewhere and my fingers alighted on a Laura Mercier lip pencil in Petunia.  I think I bought it off a blog sale or stole it or something.  I certainly wouldn’t have paid PROPER money for a lip liner… heaven forbid!

So anyway… yeah… I had a go at lining my lips.  I usually go a bit wonky around the cupid’s bow, but this time I was pretty spot on.

Then I filled my lips in with it like wot we is supposed to do..

Finally, I dabbed some Revlon Colorburst in Soft Rose ontop and it looked pretty decent.  Sharp, defined… dare I say it… sexy.

But more importantly?

GOD THAT LIPSTICK LASTED!

I came home 4 hours later and it looked amazing still!  It had obviously faded a little but the undercoat of liner really gave the illusion of picture-perfect lips.  And the best bit?  My lips didn’t suffer any extra dryness from adding this step.

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But now I need your help please ladies (I’m a drain, I know).  Are most lip liners created equal?  I’m still not converted enough to drop lots of money on them but I want a stash to play with and I want it QUICK!

What are your favourite budget liners?  I’m thinking maybe NYX?

Please educate me!!

You do?

Well take your lovely selves over to HQ Hair to enter their exclusive competition!

HQ Hair are giving away a stack of goodies to celebrate the launch of the new Burlesque collection which has surely been one of the most well-received O.P.I collections to date?

It’s a simple email entry system… they just wanna know your favourite nail polish colour.

I’ve entered… so actually, sod off – move along, nothing to see here.

I scoured high and I scoured low for this little bottle of Barry M Instant Nail Effects… it’s seemingly harder to acquire than the proverbial gold dust.

When I first saw it on Yinka’s blog… I didn’t think I was gonna like it.  I like NEAT nails and I’m not hugely into nail art.  Not really… I just like polished tips that add a bit of interest.  Instant Nail Effects looks haphazard… indeed it is.  It’s messy, it’s random…

But I kinda like it!

What I didn’t like was that I slapped a glossy top coat over it.  Next time I’m gonna keep the crackle matte.

Is this a new idea?  Nooooooooo…. these crackle polishes have been around for years, but as far as I’m aware – it’s the first time it’s been brought to the UK high street (correct me if I’m wrong!).

Wanna know how it’s done?  Watch the official BarryM tutorial video on how to make the Instant Nail Effects work for you here.

Do you like the effect?  I think the general consensus is that it works best over bold, pale colours… think bright pastels!

If you can source it on the high street, Boots are currently offering two BarryM polishes (including this one) for £5, otherwise you can purchase online from the BarryM website for £3.95 a piece.

When my lips are in good enough shape for matte lipsticks, there’s one that I reach for over and over again.

It’s pink… but not too pink.  It’s girly, but not prissy.

It’s MAC Please Me!

I find it bright enough to be interesting without being one of those MAC shades that make me feel a bit myspace profile picture-y?  You know the ones I mean…. pink plaid, st. germain, snob etc.  Some people can wear those shades really well… me?  I just look OLD in them.

Having said that, I’m having a bit of a MAC revival at the minute… especially with the lippies.  I have a few on my shopping list including Sweetie, Faux and Milan Mode.

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?  The ones that you reach for over and over for everyday wear?

The one saving grace that enables me to keep my spends in check at the Le Metier counter is the fact that it’s a little tucked away at Liberty.

Um… not anymore.

Now available at Selfridges, Le Metier de Beaute is bringing it to the big time.

Anyone else up for walking through Selfies beauty hall with our eyes closed from now on?  Infact… perhaps that’s a technique I could well do with adopting ANYWAY.

I’ve hit the shops a few times in recent weeks in a bid to cheer myself up – I’ve been a total grump lately.  Mr. L says that extra-marital affairs are out so I took comfort in the warm arms of the high street instead.

Here’s what I’ve been indulging in recently…

I repurchased Max Factor Second Skin Foundation (£12.99) today.  It’s become an everyday staple… I wouldn’t reach for it on a night out or when I need flawless skin, but for daily wear… it’s a keeper.  Doesn’t let me down and evens out my skintone without looking heavily made-up.

Last week, I took a risk on Benefit’s Boi-ing “industrial strength” Concealer (£16.50) and whilst it’s ‘ok’… it’s not wow-ing me.  I find it quite dry and hard to blend… plus it emphasises any dry skin around my nose.  Coverage is indeed good and lasting power impressive.  I think perhaps I would have been better buying this at the start of summer rather than the prelude to Winter.

I can’t stop myself from heading for the makeup aisle whenever I’m in Asda… it’s those George nail polishes (£1.00)!  And right now, they’re back on at £1 each.  I originally picked up 2 to go towards this year’s Advent Giveaway (yeah, I’m a big spender) but I liked one of them so much, I picked it up for me too!  It’s a glass flecked orange that enchanted me in the bottle.  Very Hallowe’eny!

Talking of nail polishes, I grabbed the last bottle of Barry M’s new Instant Nail Effects (£2.95) this afternoon.  Superdrug was out of stock, but Boots came up trumps!  On my way home, I stopped off at Sallys and raided their reduced section for O.P.Is.  Only one caught my eye… infact, more than anything… it was the name.  “You’re a Doll!” (£3.50) – too cute.

What else…

Also whilst I was in Boots today, I took advantage of the return of the £5 off No7/R&M vouchers and picked up something I’d missed out on last time!  Everyone was raving about the deal where you could purchase No7’s new Exceptional Definition (£12.00) mascara and get a lovely Autumnal eye palette (at top of picture) for free.  Using the voucher meant that I only had to hand over £7 for both!  Bargain!  I need a new mascara like I need hole in the head but… um… shhhhhh.

I also sneaked in John Lewis over the weekend and emerged clutching Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow in Safari (£19.50).  I don’t know how it happened… I was just browsing the concession (officer) when all of a sudden I found myself merrily handing over a crisp £20 note and sobbing at the pitiful change I shoved back in my purse.

Lastly, I scored MACs discontinued Penny Shadestick from the CCO last time I was in – which was ages ago… but I’ve only just found it in the bottom of a bag *blush*.

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What have you been buying recently?

What might I be talking about?

Brushing your teeth!  We all do it, well… at least I hope we do… some of us even remember to do it more than once a day – special gold star for us!

But it’s kinda boring isn’t it?  Dental hygiene… hell, I’m bored writing about it and I’m only 3 (very short) paragraphs in.

So without further ado, let me show you some lovely things to make your routine a little bit more interesting!

1. Tiens Herbal Toothpaste (£6.80)

If you like quirky things from the Asian market, you might like Tiens Tianshi toothpaste!  It’s packed full of less conventional ingredients including nullipore, honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum plant extracts whilst still maintaining a recognisable minty flavour.  It’s pretty foamy too so makes your teeth feel squeaky clean!

2. Bumblebee Toothbrush Holder (£2.90)

Too cute, I have three of these… I think you can get ladybirds too!  Stick ’em to the tiles and they grip your (manual) toothbrushes tightly ’till you reach for them.  They stop that age old problem of water pooling in the bottom of toothbrush cups and going all manky.  Plus they look cute!

3. Koziol Kai Dental Floss Dispenser (£16.00)

Not cheap and Mr. L would kill me if I came home with one now I’ve told him how much they are… but who doesn’t want a pirahna with razor sharp teeth in their bathroom right? RIGHT?

4. Endekay Plaque Disclosing Tablets (£1.95)

I’m not the only one that remembers these things from the school dentist am I?  My Mum used to buy me a pack a week before I was due to go sit in her little portacabin in the playground.  I used to use them religiously up until the morning of the fateful appointment to make sure that I had the least amount of plaque possible.  Oh, the shame!

It was either that or walk round school with tell tale red splotches all over my teeth that showed I was a lazy arse tooth brusher!

And yes, I do still buy a pack occassionally *blush*

5. Wisdom Individual Compact Toothbrush (£1.99)

I’m fussy about toothbrushes!  I don’t own an electric one for no other reason than I’ve never looked into getting one.  I also refuse to spend over £3 on a manual which I know I’m gonna replace next month… these Wisdom Individual Toothbrushes come in some lovely designs with nice compact heads for ma petite ‘gob’ and they’re cheap!

What more do you want?

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Do you reside in the dark ages with a manual toothbrush like me or are you a proud owner of one of those all-singing, all-dancing mega pulse action vibrating doo-dahs (we’re still talking toothbrushes right?).

My first ever eyeshadow was an Avon Color Trends lilac shade in a green case… I ground that thing down to the pan and then when I went to repurchase, couldn’t find the sucker!  I still have the occasional search on eBay for it for sentimental value, but have long forgotten it’s name 🙁

Anyway, I was invited to have a look at Avon’s new Winter cosmetics collection which goes by the name Luxe Lace… is it just me or is the name just a touch naff?  Fortunately, that’s where any naffness ends because the collection itself is really rather nice.

Let’s have a look at what we can expect…

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quads (£8.00)

The Chanel-esque eyeshadow palettes offer 4 complementing shades that are suitable for both day or night depending on how you combine them.  The picture above shows the purple palette (Lace Electric) and the other (which I got in my goody bag) is a slightly more eclectic mix of champagnge/pinky-beige/green and blue (Lace Hues)  I shall swatch it v. soon!

In the photo, Lace Hues is hiding snugly behind Lace Electric.  Fail.

Luxe Lace Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick (£7.00)

Three new shades are due to be introduced from the end of October.  Instant Mocha, Frostiest Mauve and Pout will be priced at £7 each and promise to offer hydrating colour.  I found them to be hugely wearable in terms of pigmentation.  Not particularly long-lasting, but easy to apply and non-drying.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Mascara (£8.00)

I’m not a huge fan of Avon’s SuperShock Mascara though I know it’s very well-received. On me, it transfers and leaves little black spots just under my brows if I even remotely show any sign of getting a little ‘glowy’!  I love the big brush and the slightly dry formula… but there’s nothing worse than looking in the mirror and noticing funny black splotches undermining your appearance!

For the Winter Collection, SuperShock has been given a cute packaging makeover to bring it in line with it’s lacy counterparts.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens (£6.00)

For me, the most impressive product in the collection.  These SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens completely blew me away.  Pigmented like you wouldn’t believe… creamier than a tub of Ben and Jerrys and long lasting?  Oh my…

I met up with a journalist the next day who’d attended the same event and we were both still wearing our swatches on the back of our hands despite showering and secondary scrubbing in an attempt to remove them!

Two shades: Black and Silver, perfect for the party season.  If you only get one thing from this collection, make it these!

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The new collection will be available to order online or from your Avon rep from the 28th October.

I’ll be back with swatches of the Black Eyeliner, Lace Hues palette and Pout lipstick as soon as I can get accurate shots!

Strictly Come Dancing on Stars with Ice Factors in the Jungle makeup I can handle.  Especially when I got the opportunity to play and wasn’t completely horrified by the actual quality.  Plus they’d made the most of all the sequins, glitterballs, cutely packaged bits and bobs… it has that tack-tastic quality that you want from a Strictly Come Dancing makeup line.

This?

I’m not so sure.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”They Say” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”b0c4de”]Become the ultimate diva with this new show-stopping collection of Glee inspired cosmetics. The dazzling selection of nail colours, eye shadows, lip glosses and lip balms offers Glee fans the chance to create their own personal ‘Gleekover’.[/stextbox]

I’ll be honest… I’ve never watched Glee, but surely if you were going to capitalise on the whole Glee phenomena with a little sideline in makeup… you could put a bit more effort into it?

Picture the scene (and bear in mind I have no actual idea how this works.)   So… we’re in the Superdrug/Glee/Wholesale Cosmetics people’s boardroom.  Eating doughnuts… probably.

“Hey guyyyyyys!  How about some Glee Makeup for Christmas?!”

*audible gasp*

“Ah-mazing!”

“But how can we make it Glee makeup as opposed to any old generic cheap crap makeup?  We don’t want our customers to think that we’re taking advantage of an opportunity without putting any real thought into it.”

“Let’s stick some Glee stickers on it!”

*audible gasp*

“Genius! – If it’s good enough for MACs latest collection… it’s good enough for us.”

At least MAC’s stickers were printed in more than one colour.  Cheapskates.  How in the hell is this Glee-inspired makeup?  Once your Gleeky consumer has torn away the cardboard packaging… don’t you think they may be just a teeny bit disappointed with what’s left in the way of Glee-spiration? (ok, I’m stopping with the quips now).

You can go buy your *cough* Glee-inspired makeup which includes *cough* BeautyUK-esque eyeshadow palettes instore at Superdrug now.  With prices starting at £3, I’m not saying they won’t make excellent stocking fillers… but if I find one in mine?  Mr. L won’t have much to be “Gleeful” about.