A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…Eye Revival Roll On (£5.40).

Bearing more than just a passing similarity to Garnier’s Eye Roll On, Tesco’s Derma Intensive Eye Revival is enriched with many of the same ingredients as it’s pricier alternative.

• Caffeine Extract – Helps to improve the skins elasticity under the eye.
• Horse Chestnut Extract – Encourages the skin to stimulate the blood microcirculation under and around the eye.
• Hyaluronic acid – Is a wonderful moisturiser that helps the skin to rehydrate, essential for mature skin.

Great for keeping in the fridge during the Summer!  Yeah… I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about keeping my products in the fridge *blush*.  And even more amazing… I’ve just checked on the Tesco website… and it’s only flippin’ half price at the moment!

£2.76? – Bargain!

Sometimes… you come across something a little bit special in the nail polish world.

Surreal Violet from the upcoming Estee Lauder Pure Color Collection is a little bit special.

I’ll admit, I’m biased.  I love me a bit of greige… I also love me a bit of dirty purple… combining the 2 tips me over the edge.

But then… THEN… throw in a generous amount of amber shimmer that sparkles like fireflies when sunlight hits it, and you’ve got me foaming at the mouth.  2 coats to achieve opacity, the sample I received glides on beautifully with no problems to note.  I finished with a quick-dry top coat to really enhance the shimmer contained within.

Surreal Violet is a limited edition shade from the upcoming Estee Lauder Pure Color collection by Tom Pecheux which is due to be released in the UK in August.

The polish will retail at £12/€17 and frankly, you need it.

Elizabeth Arden’s famous 8hr franchise has taken a new turn for the Summer.

Introducing Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for the Face (£22).  Boasting a potent SPF50 and a combination of both chemical and mineral sunscreens to offer intense sun protection.

I was given a sample to put to the test and wanted to share my thoughts with you.

When I first heard that Elizabeth Arden’s 8hr franchise would be introducing a suncream, my reaction wasn’t positive.

If you’re familiar with the original cream, you’ll know that it’s thickly textured, medicinal smelling and very, very heavy.  I own and use the Eight Hour Skin Protectant Cream for a very specific purpose.  After I’ve had a cold, it clears up those horrible nose flakes like nothing else.  But using it daily?  All-over my face?  No freaking way.

When I first squeezed the tube… my doubts were semi-justified… the original scent is still there, and it’s pretty full-on.  I’d say the scent is about 2/3rds of the strength of the original cream… but it’s unmistakeable.  If you’re not a fan of the medicinal scent… don’t even entertain the thought of buying this.

Otherwise, let me tell you that this is actually one of the lightest-feeling suncreams I’ve ever used.  As a general rule, the higher the SPF, the heavier the cream.  In that respect, this stuff is pretty awesome.  It sinks right in, leaving no visible ashiness or even that greasy feeling that suncreams often leave behind.

The scent takes a good 15 minutes to fade, but once it has I’m thoroughly enjoying all the other benefits of a quality sun protectant.  I am torn…  I’m really not a fan of the smell, but it’s a fabulous facial suncream that doesn’t interfere with further makeup application.

Available from Boots instore or online.

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As a very quick follow up to my poll earlier in the week.  30% of you aren’t replacing your sunscreen often enough according to current guidelines.

…over at Beauty Expert, they’re giving us UK ladies the chance to live like the SATC girls with an ‘Ultimate Pampering Break’ for you and 3 friends.

It’s a prize worth nearly £2,000!

Click the image to be taken to the competition page.  Good luck if you enter!

WAH Nails are offering the ultimate world cup accessory (other than having Ronaldo on your arm). Actually, scratch that… does anyone ACTUALLY fancy Ronaldo? He’s far too high maintenance and no-chin for me.

I digress…

World Cup Nails…. yeah baby!

You can sport one (or more) of all 32 participating team’s designs on your tips and show your other half that you TOTALLY are supporting their love for all things football.

Head to WAH Nails in the Topshop basement (Oxford Street, London) to partake in a little world cup nail artistry.

The designs are available from the 11th June – 11h July, Flag designs from £30 and 10% off your home countries flag if you can show proof of your birthplace with a passport!
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Which design would you choose? I know it’s terribly unpatriotic (esp being an 80s child)… but I’m digging the Greek & Argentine flags!

No, not literally… get your hands off!

I’ve never claimed to be a makeup artist nor hold any aspirations to cultivating a talent in this field.  I simply don’t have it in me.  Whether it’s cosmetics or clothes… I often struggle to merge individual pieces into a successful ensemble.  Or at least, one that does anything justice.

I’ve been handswatching and ‘playing’ with this beautiful Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia palette that was in my goodie bag of pieces from the upcoming Tom Pecheux Autumn collection (releasing in August).  It’s a daring choice of shades for a palette… it’s strong and needs to be worn with confidence.  I can do that, but I’d love a little bit of peer guidance to point me in the right direction.

So, the palette consists of 5 shades:

~ Matte Black
~ Shimmering Navy
~ Shimmering Teal
~ Metallic Grey/Taupe
~ Sheer White with Teal Sparkles (best for layering to add irridescence)

How would you put together a look with this palette?  Would you use all the shades at once? or just a few at a time.  I think I’m struggling with incorporating those two strong blues in one look.  Can it be done?  How would you attempt it?

Elemis, who were recently voted “Best British Brand” at the prestigious UK CEW awards are marking a special occasion with a rather special release.

Celebrating their 20th year, one of their most celebrated products has undergone a transformation!

From the 31st May until the 27th June, you can purchase a supersized 100ml pot of Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for £99.  Taking into consideration that a 50ml pot retails at £75 and if I do my maths correctly… that makes a saving of £51!

Now, I’m not gonna pretend this is the “bargain du jour”, some skincare is just pricey, and Elemis’ Pro Collagen Marine Cream most definitely falls into the luxe range.

It’s been a product that I haven’t been without since I first got a sample from the Elemis counter last year… infact, I think I posted about it.  Yes, I did!  I’ve never actually reviewed PCMC other than to declare random love for it occasionally (I will put that right soon!).  Anti-Ageing skincare reviews are HARD, I think they’re so personal and more often than not based on how a product makes you feel rather than any immediate effects.

By the way, Elemis are hustlers with their generous sampling policy!  That 15ml sample I innocently picked up last Summer has cost me a bleedin’ fortune since!

You can buy the Limited Edition 100ml Pro Collagen Marine Cream online from their website at TimetoSpa or from your nearest Elemis counter or Spa.  But only until the end of the month!

Further to this post earlier in the week…

…I’ve been boiling potatoes, brewing coffee, stewing tea, microwaving rice, milking cows and pureeing cucumbers.

I’ve locked myself away and treated myself to your wonderful concoctions both day and night.  Proper pampering.

I’ve used up all my little eye patches and I thought you might want to see the results of your combined efforts.

Read the rest of this entry »

…Bargain hunters may not want to miss this quick public service announcement!

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Liz Earle’s cult Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and for one day only you can purchase Cleanse & Polish for the original launch price of £9.50, saving over 25% off today’s retail price of £13!

“Quick, tell me how!” I hear you ask…

You can purchase it at this special price online through the Liz Earle website on Tuesday 15th June.  Set your alarms!

We all know we need to wear it, we all have our favourite brand(s) and we all know that we need to reapply it throughout the day…

…but how often do you replace your bottle of sunscreen?

I go through about two bottles a year, so I replace them as and when I finish them.  Though, this hasn’t always been the case.  In my early twenties, I’d use a sunscreen dug out from the back of a cupboard quite happily… only pausing to give it a quick sniff!

So tell me, how often do you replace your sunscreen?

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While I’m asking… does anyone else keep their sunscreen in the fridge in the Summer?

…Behind the travel-sized bottle of shampoo that I keep forgetting to take with me when I go swimming lurks something a little more unusual…

Lemon toothpaste.  So wrong, it’s very, very right.

The Sicilian Lemon sample I received is zesty without being sharp and there’s a bizarre (though welcome) twang of Lockets in there aswell!  No, really!

Whilst it’s not to everyone’s taste (is it Mr L?)… I like it!

Dawood & Tanner tooth cleansers, (the first of it’s kind to be designed exclusively by practicing dentists!) are available in 4 tempting flavours: Sicillian Lemon (love!), Garden Mint (didn’t like this one!), English Peppermint and Brazilian Lime (next on my list!)

Available in Boots and priced at £3.99 for 100ml.

What’s the kinkiest thing in your bathroom cab… scratch that, I don’t wanna know.

They say that tattoos are addictive… I don’t have any of those but I’m here to tell you that you can add hair-removal and Foxes Coconut Crinkles to the list of things that “Lipglossiping got herself addicted to” in 2010.

The question is, will I have a single hair left on my body come Christmas?  Will I get carried away with it’s fabulosity and start chasing the neighbour’s Persian moggy round the block once I’m done with Mr. L’s hairy back?

The Boots Smooth Skin by iPulse IPL System arrived last week for me to try and report back on, and being the hairy Mary that I am… I honestly couldn’t think of a better candidate.

Until I read this:

I was all of an “OHMYGOD, I CAN’T USE IT!”  I may even have squeezed out a couple of tears…  and then a few more for the benefit of Mr. L (who missed them the first time round) after he looked up from Micro Mart to determine whether the wailing was coming from me or the baby.

After some email to-ing and fro-ing with the people behind the device, I learned that they’re actually in the process RIGHT NOW of updating the UK manual for the machine.  Infact, here it is in black and white from the rep:

…I have managed to get you the most up to date info on the suitability of Boots Smooth Skin for PCOS sufferers.

As you know, in the UK manual, it states that Boots Smooth Skin is not suitable for PCOS sufferers.

We are in the process of updating the UK manual with Boots to give a better explanation of the considerations when using Smooth Skin with PCOS.  We know many PCOS sufferers have found good results with Smooth Skin and some have posted their positive reviews on boots.com.

As you will know, in essence, PCOS is related to a hormonal imbalance.  Hormone changes may cause dormant hair stem cells to grow into new hair follicles.  So it is likely to take longer to be hair-free and require you to top up.

But we also know and understand what a huge comfort it is to PCOS sufferers not to have the extra hair that the condition causes to be so visible…

…We want to do the right thing by our consumers, and while we go through the final rounds of approvals with Boots we would love to give you the chance to get ahead of the UK change.

So there you go.  You heard it here first (maybe).

In all honesty as a PCOS lady, this device wouldn’t be my first stop for hair removal.  Not for my face anyway, which is precisely why I don’t already own one.

I’ve looked at this particular device many times in the past (it’s one of the few that claim PERMANENT results) and I’ve never been confident enough in it’s claims to go to Boots and lay my debit card down on the counter.   I think it’s important that you know this, and that I tell you why.

Regardless of whether there’s any substance to my opinion, as someone with a “proper” problem with excess hair, I knew that I was always going to opt for something that I perceive to be stronger.  I want FULL ON peeow peeow laser beams blasting my face yano?  I want someone with a clipboard to be operating a machine that takes up at least 10sq foot of floor space and puts a minor dent in the national grid everytime it’s fired up.

I won’t be using this on my face or my chest.  I don’t want it to interfere with the results that I may or may not get from the SK:N treatment that I’m currently undergoing.

Instead, you get to see my gorgeous hairy pins.  You lucked out.  Don’t worry though… I’m not showing them today, your appetite is safe for now.

Check out this instead:

It’s all very neat and compact… slotting into it’s own little vanity case that has been discretely designed without the words LASER HAIR REMOVAL emblazoned all over it.  In other words, you can totally leave the IPL stuff behind and take the case on a dirty weekend filled with furry handcuffs and the like.  Or if you’re me, Minstrels.

So, the plan is to do one leg.  Just the one.  Don’t worry, I’m still gonna shave the other one… but I think that doing it this way will leave me under no illusions by the end of 12 weeks whether I’m actually seeing concrete results from the Boots Smooth Skin.  I’m also going to pin down Mr. L (he really does have a hairy back and this is the only home IPL system suitable for men) – he’s gonna. love. it.

Much, much later on… god knows if you’ll still be here with me or even care, but I’ll put phase two of the hair-blasting attack into action.  I’ll use the Boots Smooth Skin on my face to maintain whatever results I achieve from my SK:N treatment once it’s finished.

For the purposes of the trial and for you ladies with PCOS, I wish I could do that bit NOW – but bad timing forces my hand and I simply can’t.  It’s pretty common for hirsute women with a hormonal imbalance to need extra professional laser sessions.  Sometimes as many as a couple of times a year to maintain completely smooth skin.  I’ve made peace with that, but for me… that would mean £220 for each topup session.  The Boots Smooth Skin currently retails at £274.99.  It makes economical sense for me to purchase one of these for maintenance and I would (despite my cautious attitude towards it’s claims) be confident enough in the device’s abilities to lay down my cash in an effort to maintain an area that’s already been treated.

Anyway, I’ll introduce you to the more technical aspects of the machine next week when I’m confident that my tan has completely faded (you can’t use the device on fake-tanned skin).

*glances up* Jesus, I can’t half go on.