A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Mooching around Covent Garden last week (as you do!) I stumbled across the Bare Escentuals boutique (the only one of it’s kind in the UK) and practically squealed at it’s boutiquey cuteness and revolving tester tables!  I wish I had a picture to show you… but if you ever find yourself at a loose end whilst down Neal Street, check it out… I could have spent many, many hours in there swatching all the pretty shadows.  Truly surrounded by pigment…. a swatchers paradise.

It also helped that the MUAs in there were completely approachable and at one point swatching with me and rediscovering shades they liked and disliked themselves in an attempt to find a potential alernative for an OOS shade I wanted to pick up.

Anyway, I was looking for a more summery lid colour… but as a neutral-loving fiend I wanted to be able to combine it with my boring beloved array of taupes and mauves in my collection.

I discovered this…

Bare Escentuals Heart is a wonderfully blended concoction or rose/mauve/pink/bronze… it’s dusky without being flat and colourful whilst still remaining neutral.

Being a ‘glimmer’ it’s pretty darn sparkly but despite this, still works surprisingly well as a crease colour.  I do love these minerals for their blendability and this is no exception.  At £13 for a small pot, they’re not cheap… but a little really goes a very long way.  I barely have to touch my brush to the sifter to pick up enough colour for both eyes.

I also fell in love with two other shades whilst browsing… Queen Phyllis makes the most beautiful highlight and Grace is simply one of the most beautfiful minerals I’ve ever swatched… I was proper “woahhhh… that’s purdy” whilst playing with the testers… so I was gutted to discover that Grace was out of stock when I tried to buy it!

Have you checked out the Bare Escentuals boutique?  What are your favourite BE shades?

I got sent some Rouge Bunny Rouge goodies to try and I attempt a monochromatic FOTD with them!

Click the logo to go read the post and comment (if you can be bothered, it is Sunday after all!)

Pro Makeup Brushes are one of the UK’s leading suppliers of makeup brushes.  They offer wholesale, customisation and supply to brands such as Elizabeth Arden and The Green People.

and they kindly sent me a few from their range to trial and report back on.

I would call their selection of 16 tools fairly exhaustive for your average makeup user.  The price is low/mid range.  Brushes start from £5 and work their way up to £15.

The white goat hair brushes feel fairly soft, pliable and densely packed.  There’s a faint whiff of wet dog about them which is common with the more budget friendly natural hair brushes.  This is accentuated when I give them a wash but as they dry, the smell fades once again.  Similarly, the other sable brushes are soft and densely packed.

The brushes arrived with this rather fabulous booklet which describes itself as an ‘educational booklet for makeup application’ and it’s really rather fab!  It manages to cover all the basics in plain and simple English.  Definitely a worthwhile inclusion and great for novices.

Onto the brushes…

#14 Blush Brush – £13

Though described as a blusher brush, the hair is cut with a slight angle so it’s perfect to use for contouring those cheekbones aswell.  It’s a lovely brush, densely packed, soft enough not to scratch and well cut.  Unfortunately, that’s where my praise ends.  This sheds like a mofo.

Amount collected from running my fingers through the brush after 2 washes… this amount of shedding is kinda unacceptable from a £13 brush.  I pick white hairs off my face every time I use it.

#1 Round Ended Concealer Brush – £6.50

I’ve never used a long haired concealer brush like this before… but it works fantastically well at applying concealer under the eyes and around the nose…. all those little crevices are covered quickly and smoothly with this brush.  I didn’t expect much from this unassuming little tool, but it’s made it’s way into daily use for me.

#2 Fine Angled Brush – £6.00

A nicely made brush that picks up brow powder well.  I wouldn’t use this for gel liners as the hairs are a little too bushy for precision lining.  This has replaced my usual GOSH brow brush simply because it seems to work the powder through my brows more evenly.

#12 Large Eyeshadow Brush – £10

Another disappointment.  I was hoping for a reasonable MAC #239 dupe, but the quality falls way short.  Most noticeably, the ferrule on this particular brush is loose.  I can hold the brush at the end of the handle… give it a gentle shake and watch the whole thing rattle.  Perhaps connected to the loose ferrule… but despite gentle washing, I can’t get the brush to hold it’s original shape… it’s now a splayed mess.  I’ve obviously received a faulty brush, but have to review on what I find.  The goat hairs however are pretty soft and non-scratchy.

#11 Mascara Brush – £5.00

Again, I’m going to have to raise an eyebrow at the quality of a brush that arrives like this.  You can see in the photo how some of the fibres are straggly.  I’ve since cut them with a pair of nail scissors to avoid poking myself in the eyeball.

Aside from this… it’s a useful tool and is designed well.  It does a good job at separating the lashes once mascara has been applied.  It’s an extra step to the routine and one I wouldn’t normally take… but I can’t deny that it’s worth the effort for special occasions.

.

Overall, Pro Makeup Brushes offer a good range of products at a reasonable price but I’m disappointed with the overall quality of the samples I received.  The sable brushes were mostly of good quality, but I’m afraid that I can’t recommend the goat hair brushes based on my experiences with them.

Ok, so I have another video update on the way…. it needs a little bit of editing and I’m totally new to this video lark so still learning how to do all that stuff! I’m happy to overshare… but not look like a total moron, hence the need for editing.

I thought I’d give an impromptu update on the test patch I had at the sk:n clinic today in preparation for my course of laser hair removal. More of what actually happened during the consultation will be revealed in the vid, but as of a quarter to one in the morning following my consultation and test patch, I just wanna say…

Owwie! (please excuse the hint of boob-age)

The technician lady/laser thingy operator said that the redness (and any swelling) usually fades after an hour or so… but this is still going strong 12 hours later. It feels hot to the touch and slightly stingy but not too bad. I’m guessing it’s laser burn.

You can see that the hairs in that area *blush* are unshaved and I think this is the cause. She said that it’s best if I shave on the morning of treatment as the skin can suffer from burning if there’s much hair above the actual skin surface.

The lady was very nice and explained everything very well… but I kinda wish I’d known about this before hand. Or that they had disposable razors onsite that they could have offered me to quickly remove the surface hair and avoid this discomfort. I’ve been applying Aloe Vera like it’s going out of business ever since.

Tell me this isn’t the most forced smile you’ve seen all week:

I’m not her biggest fan… I don’t have any reasoning behind this other than an overwhelming urge to put my foot through the screen when I see her on the telly.  How does she and that grinning text-pest husband of hers get so much work anyway?  One of life’s mysteries…

Talking of work…

La Daly is doing rather nicely for herself with her beauty range at M&S though no?

M&S Daly Illuminating Face Balm is a cream highlighter that some people seem to use in a truly scary way… I quote from the M&S website…

An amazing product. I use this all over my face and simply add blusher.  It makes the face dewy, not shiny.  Absolutely beautiful over a suntan…..this and a bit of mascara and lip gloss…..the business!! PLEASE do NOT discontunue M&S!

Holy shit disco features! Do not use this ALL OVER YOUR FACE.

This stuff is kinda greasy… I wouldn’t describe it as a creme-to-powder formula, but it is totally effective at adding shimmer…

See it’s silvery-grey?  Not the most flattering cheek highlight shade in my opinion… perhaps if it were slightly more opalescent…  I will say though that it’s a dream to blend because it is that bit more slippy than my other cream highlighters.

I use this on my cupids bow, the tip of my chin and browbone.  I literally pat my finger once onto the surface of the pan to pick up enough product.  Staying power isn’t great… probably because of the greasiness but it’s so easy to apply that I need to give it extra kudos for that alone.

M&S Daly Illuminating Face Balm is priced at £9.50 and available instore or online.

I’ve already declared my preference for shopping solo before… it’s a control thing.

My tastes are probably different to yours and I don’t wanna spend 20 minutes pretending to like that green eyeshadow you’ve gone all misty-eyed for.

I mean… “Hey!  Why don’t you come over here instead and examine these 7 different taupes with me whilst I delve into miniscule detail noting all the subtle differences between them”.

See the problem?  I’m not a very compatible or companionable person whilst shopping.  Just leave. me. alone.

So, it’s with interest that I saw Elemis’ latest launch!

By the way… this is supposed to be a graphical representation of Debenhams on Oxford St… I wanna know why there’s only two women in the picture?  There should be at least 50… all foaming at the mouth… pushing, snarling and invading one another’s personal space whilst clutching their little yellow Selfies bags from down the road.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yeah… Elemis… Well, they’ve introduced this thing called a Double SpaPod and it goes something like this…

Launching this May is the world’s first Double Elemis SpaPod.  Now there are two treatment rooms available so you can book in alone or if with a friend you can both stop for advanced facial therapy and total body revival before you continue to shop!

I’m really not sold on this whole “go with a mate” thing but it got more interesting when I read this…

Each treatment is carried out whilst you relax on an Intelligent Massage Chair that measures the length of the spine,  takes your body weight, warms the body and is then  programmed to deliver a customised massage using a variety of techniques, working specifically on any problem areas.

Getting warmer…

And check out the new innovative Smart Glass Technology.  At the flick of a switch, this advanced glass instantly frosts over locking out the hustle and bustle of the beauty hall and cocoons you in its relaxing retreat-like ambiance…

Sold to the lady who wants to play with the switch! *flick, flick, flick*

.

I guess I can see the point with going to a spa-type thing with a mate… but I dunno, if it involves shopping too… I think I’d rather be forced to buy nothing but Constance Carroll for a year than buddy up…

Are you a sociable shopper?  Do you take your girlfriend’s to the loo with you?  Do you want one of those Elemis massage chairs for your front room too?

My first video… eek, no edits!  Video queen I ain’t…

If you have any questions (no matter how silly you think they may be) about professional IPL treatment at a clinic, please ask and I’ll either be able to answer them through my own experiences or find out on your behalf.

If you don’t feel comfortable asking questions in the comment box, feel free to email me privately.

To find out more about the sk:n clinic and the treatments they offer, visit their website here.

EDIT 13/05 20:51:

I wanted to quickly update to say…

Firstly, thank you SO much for being supportive and generous in wishing me the best of luck with the treatment, it’s really appreciated and very good of you.

But I also want to clarify something…

I don’t feel brave and I don’t think you should think me brave either.  Save that for someone who writes openly about something like this without being rewarded with many many pounds worth of free treatments in an attempt to fix it.

Honestly?  I wouldn’t be discussing this on my blog if it weren’t for that fact.  I’m certainly no martyr to the cause of hirsutism!

I seriously contemplated limiting my experiences, review and photographs to my upper lip.  It’s the least ‘freaky’ area to suffer from excess hair and the place where most people would be able to relate.  But the simple fact is that receiving this free treatment puts me in a privileged position.  I’m not a bonafide beauty writer… I’m a lucky girl dedicated to her blog and I think I can suffer a little bit of indignity if it:

a). helps highlight the more embarrassing aspects of excess hair in a sympathetic way.

b). brings a small amount of comfort to even one person who may read this and realise that there’s literally loads of women with the same problems.

c). (if the treatment works) bring hope that there is an effective solution to the problem.

d). (if the treatment doesn’t work) potentially save someone a good deal of money, or encourage them to explore other options first.

Regardless, from now on… if I see any of you checking out my FOTDs with a magnifying glass… you’re off my Christmas Card list FOR GOOD!

During one of my recent Fyrinnae splurges, I picked up their highly-regarded Pixie Epoxy to use with my mineral shadows.

In the tube, it reminds me of when clear mascara goes rank!  I used to buy clear mascara to set my brows, but it always went this cloudy consistency after a couple of months.

Anyway, Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy isn’t supposed to be a primer… it’s a foiling agent.  Nothing to do with espionage and everything to do with making mineral eyeshadows extra purdy!

Slick some of this Pixie Epoxy over your eyelid… wait about 30 seconds and apply your mineral eyeshadow as normal.

Fyrinnae advise that you use the teeniest amount you can manage… and for super staying power, apply it ontop of your usual eye primer.

On the left is a mineral eyeshadow applied over bare skin, and on the right… the same eyeshadow applied over a small quantity of Pixie Epoxy.  Look how much more vibrant it is!  The bottom photo is after I did a single heavy-handed smudge in an attempt to dislodge the product.  You can see that the Pixie Epoxy has great staying power.

Available online from Fyrinnae and priced from $1.50 ($7.00 full size)

Have you tried Fyrinnae’s Pixe Epoxy?  How do you make it work best for you?

OK… bit of a sensationalist title… apologies, but I’m thinking of the google keyword search!

A reader requested a list of the CCS/CCO outlets in the UK as she was struggling to find the information on Google.

Here are the ones that I know of… if you know of any others, please let me know so I can update the list!

1). Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
2). Bicester Village, Oxon
3). Designer Outlet, York
4). Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port
5). Designer Outlet, Swindon
6). Junction One, Antrim

What is a CCS/CCO?

If you’re not sure what it is, let me explain…  CCS/CCO stands for Cosmetics Company Store/Outlet.

They sells discounted Estee Lauder owned company’s cosmetics… which includes brands such as: MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Origins… I would imagine there’s probably a shed-load of Prescriptives in the outlets at the moment aswell.

The discount is generally in the region of 30% and often includes discontinued or hard to find products (including past MAC collections).

Stock changes frequently, so if you see something you like… buy it.  It probably won’t be there next week.

If you’re looking for something in particular, it’s worth googling for the phone number of the store you’re planning to visit.  Give them a ring and check to see if it’s in stock to avoid disappointment.

Sounds good, why isn’t there one in London?

Dunno…

But… if you’re in London, your nearest would be either Bicester or Gunwharf Quays.

Gunwharf Quays is my local and boasts a train station right outside (Porsmouth Harbour).  You can purchase a megatrain ticket from London Waterloo which costs around £12 for a return and takes just over an hour and half journey time.

I’m biased… but Gunwharf Quays makes for a fabulous day out, especially in the Summer… if your other half isn’t interested in the discount shopping, Portsmouth’s historic dockyard is worth checking out next door.  Just make sure he leaves his wallet for you to look after ok?

Another mini splurge from last week!  I know you’ve seen these 100 times now, sorry!

I only bought two things from the range though, aren’t I good?

I was tempted by the chunky lip pencils and the LE eyeshadow trio too (gold,blue,red one)… but I resisted!

At £6 each, I think these blushes are brilliant value for money and there are some lovely shades available.

Flush is a warm pink… I would say Guava, but I keep going on about Guava shades… *whispers* Guava.

Butterscotch is a natural neutral shade… it’s warm without being orange… lovely!

This is heavily swatched and unblended.

My favourite thing about these blushes is the finish… they’re cream to powder and they blend soooooooo smoothly.  I’m crap at blending and I can blend these with my eyes closed.  They’re completely forgiving to makeup incompetence.

I really hope that Topshop bring out some more shades in the blushers… is there a cool-toned pink in the range? I don’t remember seeing one and I want one!

If you don’t have a Topshop that stocks the range nearby, you can purchase online. Prices start from £4.

I broke ’em while bowling at the Sleek MakeUP do last week *sniff*

Still, every cloud and all that… it gave me the opportunity to break out a nice nude in an attempt to elongate my fingers.

Essie’s Jazz is just that.  A great nude!  It’s slightly ‘dirty’ toned which I love!  It just gives it an edge.

Formula was fabulous… 2 coats gave plently of coverage and the quick-dry glossy finish meant that I didn’t need to top coat it at all.  A super mani for lazy sods like me!

Do you prefer nude polishes on long or short nails?  I can never decide which looks best!