A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Space NK are celebrating the arrival of Spring with a 2-day promotion.  They’ll be offering complementary skincare consultations, makeup lessons, expert demonstrations and mini pampering sessions instore this week.

If that weren’t enough, spend over £60 instore and you’ll receive one of their ‘ultimate’ goodie bags.

The event will be taking place this week on Friday 26th March & Saturday 27th March at Space NK stores nationwide.

Like most ladies, I don’t get a huge amount of time to dedicate to my makeup in the mornings.  I get to spend 10-15 minutes max before I need to get fixed on the day ahead.

I thought I’d share with you my 5 minute face for the mornings when I’m even more pressed for time.  These are the products I reach for time and time again to help me get the most polished look in the shortest time possible.

1. MAC 180 Flat Top Buffer Brush, I think this is a discontinued brush now but I saw it in my local CCO not that long ago.  I use this brush for a full coverage application of mineral foundation, it is densely packed and always gives a beautiful even finish.

2. Bare Minerals Mineral Foundation in Fairly Light.  I’m not hugely brand loyal when it comes to mineral foundation.  I like Bare Escentuals, Elemental Beauty and Cory Cosmetics for a full coverage finish in the least amount of time.  I find all 3 brands offer a well milled product that looks natural whilst still covering well.  I reach for minerals when I’m in a rush because it literally takes me less than 30 seconds to apply a full face of foundation using them.

3. Once my foundation is on I’ll add a touch of liquid highlighter.  I rotate what I’m using, some days I’ll use the NARS Orgasm Illuminator or my Illamasqua Halcyon, at the moment I’m using up my Shu Uemura Base Control in Silver.  I just apply with my fingers and blend.

4. Bourjois Lilas D’or is a blush I reach for when I’m in a hurry because it’s impossible to screw up.  It gives a beautiful pink/peach flush with gold shimmer.  I always keep an old toothbrush with my makeup brushes to give the top a quick sweep as it tends to harden unless in continuous use.

5. Aurifere Blush Brush #150.  This is a new acquisition, but I can already tell I’m gonna reach for this above any of my other blush brushes.  I love the taper and it’s pretty darn soft for goat hair.  A beautiful densely packed brush that places a perfect amount of product just where I want it.  A full review of my recent order should be up tomorrow.

6. Benefit Creaseless Cream in R.S.V.P.  This is a peachy shimmery shade that I sweep over the entire eyelid, right up to and just beyond the socket line.  Again, it’s just a foolproof product that negates the need for eye primer.  Lasts all day and just gives a polished look.

7. Sonia Kashuk Large Eyeshadow Brush.  I bought this before Space NK dropped the SK brushes from their inventory.  I reach for it when I want to sweep colour or blend without the need for too much precision.  It’s a great brush for time-pressed gals.

8. The Body Shop Eye Colour #37 Pink Champagne.  This is a beautiful shimmery shade that’s half pink/half taupe and works well blended through the socket line for subtle shading without looking like an obvious ‘crease colour’.  I reach for this shade often.

9. This is a Paula’s Choice Precision Shadow Brush that I picked up from eBay US a couple of years ago.  It’s a densely packed small crease brush that I use to place shadows precisely but quickly into the socket line before using a fluffier brush to blend the colour out.

10. PURE Kajal Eyeliner in Unforgetable Black.  When PURE started to desert the shelves of Boots, I rushed down to my local to buy a backup.  Whilst I’ll always reach for my GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliners when I need unwavering longevity, I grab these super-soft kajals for a quick sweep across the upper waterline when I’m in a hurry.  I then press my eyes closed for a couple of seconds to transfer the line to my lower lashline.

11. YSL Singulier Mascara in Black.  It gives me beautiful dark lashes with one coat, and that’s all I’ve got time for!

12. INGLOT Slim Gel Lipstick in #61.  A well pigmented pink/mauve that goes on smoothly and needs no lip liner faffery. (I hereby declare “faffery” a real word).

13. Lanolips Lip Ointment in Rose.  A small amount of this slicked over the centre of my bottom lip and ‘smooshed’  up to the top lip is all I use in the way of gloss at the moment.  It’s non-sticky and beautifully moisturising.  Goes lovely with my INGLOT Slim Gel too!

Have just realised that my number idiocy has struck again…. I’ve labelled #5 twice in the first photo *eye roll*.  Can’t be bothered to change it – so let me quickly mention #5 (the other one).

5. Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist.  I never wear mineral foundation without a quick spritz of this on top.  It eliminates any hint of powdery dryness that minerals can sometimes leave behind.

This was taken at the end of the day with a quick re-application of my lip products for the photo.  Please excuse the frizz and weary look!

What are some of your foolproof 5 minute face products?

~ Over at theNotice, Rae shares an amazingly pigmented bright blue eye — done with shadows from the drugstore!

~ This week, Louise gets an (almost!) exclusive look at a Lancome mascara that has them queuing down the aisles in Harrods, and promises better lashes in a month.

~ Yinnie Dances with the fairies with her fairy inspired EOTD.

~ Phyrra dishes with Britton from Haus of Gloi for this month’s Indie Spotlight at Fresco Phyrra.

~ Blaq Vixen Beauty decides to treat her skin to a Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Regimen!

~ Retrodiva checks out three new innovative drugstore foundations. See which ones she would recommend!

~ Krasey Beauty takes a trip across the pond to bring you complete swatches and a review of MAC’s newest, Give Me Liberty of London.

~ Looking for a great cream eyeliner that won’t break the bank? Lipglossiping may have just the thing…

~ Sophie from melovemakeup talks about how much she loves Trilogy’s Everything Balm.

~ TheLipPrint adds a little more Allure to her life with Chanel.

~ Michelle at Lipstick Rules laments her Liberty of London lipstick purchases… but then finds a way to make it work!

~ Check out the swatches of Yummy Mummy by butter LONDON at Makeup4All.

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed falls in love with the 10 year anniverary editions of Lancôme Juicy Tubes!

~ Follow Jellyminx’s step-by-step tutorial for a pinky-coral look for Spring.

~ Over at Music and Make Up, Jo celebrates her birthday with a purple smokey eye courtesy of MAC’s Violet Pigment.

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~ Beautywoome has a giveaway with Europe’s coolest new beauty brand. Win 1 of 10 Ellis Faas Ellis Red lipsticks.

~ Audrey Dao is giving away $89 worth of Napolean Perdis makeup as part of her 1 year blog anniversary.

~ Mz More at The Glamorous Gleam is having a giveaway in honor of her 200+ Followers. Check out the goodies galore!

~ Cindy from Prime Beauty gives you the Golden Ticket to win a Bliss “Best of Bliss Set”.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s Link Love! See you soon 🙂

Check out my first homemade palette!

Ignore the 3 on the right, I totally cheated and shoved 3 MAC pans in there for the photo whilst my last 3 pigments were drying.

The palette is mostly made up from The She Space pigments, I find that one full size pigment fills a pan fairly nicely.  I’ve also sneaked in a BarryM Dazzle Dust and a few Elemental Beauty shadows too!

What ya reckon?  Any of you ladies press your own loose eye shadows?  Any interest in a pictorial on my pigment pressing methods?

Summer is usually all about the brights… and so perhaps, for once… naturals are the brave choice.

Introducing Guerlain’s Summer 2010 Collection:

Ombre Éclat 4 Shades  – OMBRE PERLÉES (LE) – £36.00 / €50.78

A monochrome palette of natural hues – 4 subtle shades with a touch of iridescence: Beige, satin pink, taupe and smoky brown all housed in a frosted silver case, embossed with the Guerlain logo.  A limited edition palette makes for an elegant addition to the collection.

KissKiss Baby – Limited Edition Nourishing Lip Balms – £20.00 / €27.88

Cherry Summer & Coral Sunset

I adore the formula of these Guerlain KissKiss Baby Balms made with wild mango butter and Luffa oil and those tints are just too perfect for Summer.

Ombre Éclat – 1 Shade – £19.00 / €28.89

Top – Bottom:

~ L’INSTANT D’UN BAISER (PEARLY PINK)
~ L’INSTANT D’UNE CARESSE (SMOKY BEIGE)
~ L’INSTANT D’UN RÊVE (SMOKY BROWN)
~ L’INSTANT D’UNE EMOTION (PEARLY VERDIGRIS)

Four new pearl shades have been added to the Ombre Eclat – 1 Shade line.  I’m loving the look of the Pearly Pink and Smoky Beige.

Guerlain’s Summer 2010 Collection is more about luminosity than colour, it’s about reflecting the light that Summer brings and reflecting radiance and elegance.  Personally?  I’ve already made room in my collection for that Cherry Summer KissKiss Baby balm.

Available on counters nationwide from the 5th June 2010

What say you?  Too subtle for Summer or understated elegance?

We all bemoan an eyeliner that lasts for approximately 30 minutes on the lash line, but how far would you go to ensure your makeup remained perfect throughout the day?

Following my ‘brow post’ a few weeks ago that documented my overplucked and undefined eyebrows, I started thinking more about the various options available to us in the way of permanent make up and I discovered a lady called Tracie Giles.

Tracie Giles is a certified expert in her field of permanent makeup, and one of the many treatments offered by Tracie Giles Inernational is something called Ultra Lift Eyebrows.

Tracie describes her Ultra Lift Eyebrows treatment…

The Ultra Lift technique is one I’ve developed as a response to client demand and is exclusive to Tracie Giles. The difference begins with extremely careful planning. Your new look brows are designed sympathetically to your face, to give the most flattering and natural appearance. Then, the impression of individual eyebrow hairs are interspersed among your natural hairs to reshape, balance and harmonise your brows in a way that can literally transform your face.  This technique is done under extreme magnification and is highly skilled and specialised.

The treatment usually takes around 1-2 hours (conducted over 2 sessions) and the effects last around 18 months on average before requiring a top up as the pigment begins to fade.  Permanent makeup has come a long way in recent years with many advancements in both technology and technique.  Finally gone are those tell-tale strangely auburn inks!  Thankfully replaced by custom blended mineral pigments and a “hair by hair” approach.

It’s certainly not a cheap option with prices starting from around £495 for a full brow, but it sure as hell would beat sharpening that eyebrow pencil every day.

What do you ladies think?  Is permanent makeup something you would consider?  Indeed, have you ever had any permanent makeup treatments yourself?

I’ve got a treat for you this afternoon, stop that multi-tasking and give me your full attention, like NAO!

Remember a few weeks ago, I enlisted your help in devising some questions for a lovely Benefit counter manager and MUA who had agreed to be put under the spotlight?

Well, the lovely lady was game and rightly impressed with your levels of scrutiny!

Read on to learn a little bit more about working for one of the world’s most popular cosmetic houses.  Her brutal honesty is quite the eye-opener…

Q: Does Benefit have a specific policy on sampling (i.e. only with purchase etc..) or is it left to the discretion of the counter staff?
A: The rules are that Benebabes are only allowed to sample certain skincare products (Honey Scrub, Dear John, Do It Daily) to purchasing customers who are willing to put their details on file and commit to a further appointment.  It is *very* rare that Benefit sample makeup.

Q: Working on counter, do you develop a radar for sample hunters?  How do you deal with them?
A: If people are after samples, the trick is to get them to sit down and try the product whilst at the counter.  Half the time, they end up buying the full size product anyway.  If people come up asking for samples and wont sit down, then they are told that Benefit doesn’t do sampling.

Q: Can you share your tips on how to get the best from Benefit Eye Bright?
A: Eye Bright is a lovely product, to get the most out of it, use it on the inner corner of the eye in a < shape and smudge slightly.  It works wonders at opening up the eye.  It can be used on the waterline to combat any red-eye, but be sure to apply before mascara or you’ll end up with funny looking lashes!

Q: What’s your favourite Benefit product?
A: Browzings, definitely.  The wax keeps brows in place, and the powder fills in any gaps, giving you a really defined brow without looking ‘drawn on’.

Q: What’s your favourite non-Benefit product?
A: Oh gosh……..there’s hundreds!!  Staples in my makeup bag are; NARS super orgasm blush, Bobbi Brown gel liner in graphite shimmer, Dolce&Gabbana lipstick in Nude and Bare Minerals foundation in medium beige.

Q: Do you agree with the opinion that Benefit’s shade range is a bit limited?  Are there any particular products that work very well on WOC?
A: Theres an inside joke that Benefit only cater to three types of people……Chinese, White and Sunbed Lovers.  They havent quite ‘got’ that darker skinned women wear makeup too.  The foundations (Some Kinda Gorgeous Deep, Playstick and Hello Flawless) all have a slight orange tinge which never ever ever works on black skin.  Yet we’re still expected to put them on during a makeup session…..and they wonder why these customers never return!

Q: Benefit MUAs are notorious for being forthright in their sales tactics.  Is this something that is encouraged during training and do you think it secures more sales?
A: There is something called the Magic Formula, which every Benebabe has to stick to with every customer.  It goes like this;
~ Traffic Stop – This is how we snare customers.
~ Sit n Spritz – Spray customer with a Crescent Row fragrance to create a ‘Benebubble’.
~ Demonstrate – We show 6 products in this stage, doing half the face first, giving product knowledge. during the 2nd half we get product and fragrance feedback.
~ Commit/Continue – Get commitment from the customer that they want to purchase at least one thing, once we have that commitment, we continue with 2 more products……and again and again til they say STOP!
~ Close – Show a body product to the customer, try to force that on them too.
~ Celebrity File – Get customer to put their details on file, create customer loyalty.
~ Sample/Appointment – Book your customer in for 4 weeks time (preferably just after payday) to try out a new ‘look’ and send her on her merry way with a sample of skincare.

Q: In your experience working for Benefit, does a position as counter MUA offer good opportunities for an aspiring MUA or do career progressions and promotions generally head more towards managerial and sales roles within the company?
A: If you are a young girl who loves makeup, Benefit would be a good choice for you.  If you are trained in Makeup Artistry at all, this job/brand is not for you in the slightest.  You will be trained to forget all prior knowledge and do things the Benefit Way.  If you dare to do freelance makeup outside of work, you will be crucified……..as I have been on several occasions.  Trust me, its not pretty.  As for promotions……they’re incredibly rare unless you continually hit all sales targets and even then, you can only really progress to a trainer.  Look out for them in store from time to time, they have the general manner of an ADHD kid who’s been given orange smarties.

Q: What do you think is Benefit’s most universally flattering product? (and you’re not allowed to answer eyeshadows apparently!)
A: Moon Beam.  A pinky-gold liquid highlighter which can be used neat or mixed with foundation to give a dewy look to the skin.

Q: What’s the thing you love most about your job, and the thing you like the least?
A: The free makeup, obviously!!  And i love the excited girls who come in for prom makeup, its a chance to step away from the traditional formula and do things my way.  The thing I like the least?  Traffic Stopping.  If people want, they will come….and if they come, I can work my magic and make them want even more.  They do not need to be harassed whilst looking for bedlinen/underwear/handbags.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: I wish I knew…….

.

Well there you go!  What do you think?

I think that the next time I’m accosted by a BeneBabe I’m gonna sit myself down, enjoy the BeneBubble and hide my purse in my knickers.

.

If you enjoyed the frankness and good humour, please leave my lovely secret BeneBabe a comment of thanks for taking the time out of her busy day to answer our questions.

Looking for an amazing holo with more sparkle than should be legal?

Look no further…

Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm is an awesome display of holographic loveliness set in a dark charcoal base.  Think OPI My Private Jet but kick the holo up a notch and lower the price by about £5.

Application was fabulous, 2 coats will work very well, but I did three for a flawless finish.  Despite being full of sparkle, the polish is smooth to the touch and has a beautiful glossy finish without need for a top coat.  If this weren’t enough, longevity is a little bit mind blowing.  I’m on the 5th day and I have barely noticeable tip wear.

Seriously, just buy this polish.

Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm is available in the UK from FlashyNails and will set you back a measly £3.00

A few months ago (read 5… yeah, I’m slacking), I started trialling Mavala’s Double Lash that I’d picked up in an effort to improve the condition of my eye lashes which had been breaking and looking a little sparse ever since giving birth to my daughter.

Anyway, how did I get on?

Here’s how my lashes looked back in October:

…and here they were when I finished the trial at the end of December:

I applied Mavala Double Lash every night as directed for around 10 weeks.

They say:

Eye lashes are an essential element of face beauty. Double Lash contains proteins which strengthen, cover and protect the lashes allowing them to become healthy, long and resistant.

It is the natural active ingredients in Double Lash which stimulate growth of the lashes giving them a lovely luxuriant and silky appearance.

I think I see a teeny bit of difference if you use my eyelid crease as a benchmark.  I felt on occasion that my lashes were longer and thicker (particularly when I was wearing mascara) but I just wasn’t convinced that I couldn’t attribute at least some of those feelings to plain wishful thinking.  Unless there’s a significant difference with things like this, I think it’s pretty tricky to judge.

I didn’t experience any irritation using the product, and it literally took seconds to apply each evening.  But, I guess the crux of the trial can be summed up with this simple observation… I haven’t bothered to repurchase it.

Mavala Double Lash is available online priced from around £8.50

Tell me, do you see any differences?

A quick (quick? who am I kidding, took me ages!)  FOTD showing off a couple of the matte shades from the new Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette:

Marron on the lid and lower lashline
Wafer in the crease
Moto-X on the upper lashline and outer V

gah… hooded lids…

oh well, you can at least see Marron UNDER my eyes right?

Dude, I honestly CAN blend!  The camera has totally washed out wafer which I blended into the socket line to ease the transition between browbone and lid.

I was surprised by how much I’m enjoying playing with some mattes, they’re looking more sophisticated and I feel like they’re blending less ‘muddily’ than shimmer shades.  Am I imagining things oh matte addicts?  I’ve really not worn mattes much before, but I just seem to be creating more polished looks with these than normal (not that you could tell from my photos).

And here’s a brighter EOTD with the Bohemian Palette:

Emperor on the lid
Sanguine in the crease
Moto-X into the socket to darken

Ok, that’s enough badly executed FOTDs from me for at least a year, apologies for any nightmares you may suffer as a result of viewing this post.  Hopefully though, it will help you decide whether or not you’ll be spending your lunchbreak today in Superdrug or Boots 😉

I never generally use more than 2 or 3 eyeshadows at once, I know lots of ladies manage to create spectacular looks with 5 or 6 shadows all expertly blended across the eye lid.  But I’m pretty cack-handed and can barely stop 2 from muddying together.  That and I just don’t have the time anymore to play, so here’s a very quick smoky eye…

Please excuse the stupid expression, even though I have no excuse.

Face:

~ No7 Essential Moisture Foundation in New Ivory mixed with NARS Orgasm Illuminator

Eyes:

~ eBay Generic Gel Eyeliner used as a cream shadow (Shimmer Skyline) – hard to blend but worth it.
~ Laura Geller Fire/Water Eye Shadow pressed onto lid (water half of the duo)
~ MAC Naval Blue pigment blended (badly) into the crease and above
~ L’oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss Liquid Liner in Black
~ L’oreal Voluminous Mascara in Black

Lips:

~ NARS Cruising Lipstick

I can’t get enough of blue eye shadow at the moment, anyone else going through any shadow phases?

…Or just ‘divine’ according to the packaging.  And yano what?  I think they might be right…

Sleek MakeUP have truly outdone themselves on the design front.  Reminiscent of MAC’s soon to be released (in the UK) Give me Liberty of London collection with it’s whimsical scrolls and monochromatic base design.  Someone in the Sleek MakeUP Art dept. has their fingers very much on the pulse.

When the palette arrived unnanounced from Sleek HQ, I was momentarily thrown by all this new styling!  Ordinarily enclosed in a clear plastic carton, the Sleek MakeUP Bohemian palette finds itself housed in cardboard.  I don’t know if this is a permanent shift in packaging, but it’s one I prefer.  It’s easier to open at the counter to make sure you haven’t managed to pick up the one palette that’s been smashed to smithereens by an over-zealous 9 year old.

The actual palette itself has undergone a bit of a transformation too, no longer a sleek black box I’m undecided on the new look.  It looks a bit cheap, the stark white seems to emphasise it’s overall plastic-ness.  I think if Sleek MakeUP had continued the graphics (or even just the black swirls) from the outer sleeve onto the palette itself, it would have been a knockout.

In fairness though, do we care?  Probably not…

With 12 generously sized eye shadows contained under the lid, the Sleek MakeUP palettes retain their excellent value for money credentials.  Let’s take a closer look at those eye shadows.

Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette is billed as being inspired by “antique trinkets, vintage finds” and um… “Sienna Miller”.  Despite this obvious drawback *removes tongue from cheek*, they’ve managed to pull off a fabulous array of strong shades that are sure to pack a punch.  Will I use all of them?  Probably not… but I don’t think I’ve ever used every shade in a Sleek MakeUP i-Divine palette and that hasn’t stopped me buying them thus far.

The Bohemian palette is comprised of 3 shimmers and 9 mattes.  Woah there!  As a shimmer girl, I have to admit to being a little disappointed to see so many mattes…. I mean, go buy the Chaos palette if you want mattes!  Still, I’m nothing if not adventurous (honest!) and do realise that I’m not the only makeup-loving chick in the world… let’s have a closer look…

Oh, but before we do… For the love of God, will someone at Sleek MakeUP please consider naming the i-Divine shadows?  No?  Fine… I hereby christen these shades with some twatty names on your behalf…

Top Row from Left to Right… (S) = Shimmer, (M) = Matte

1. Gilt – Golden Olive (S)
2. Russet – Rust (S)
3. Marron – Maroony Chestnut (M)
4. Calendula (shutup, they’re MY names) – Banana Custard (M)
5. Anaemia (come on MAC, employ me already) – Off-White (M)
6. Neutron – Black (M)

7. Wafer (It SO is, right?) – Pale Tan (M)
8. Sanguine – Raspberry meets Cranberry (S)
9. Clover – Bright Grassy Green (M)
10. Overdyed – Indigo Denim (M)
11. Emperor – Purple (M)
12. Moto-X (yeah, I’m bored of shade naming now) – Dirt Brown (M)

And the swatches…

Bar Clover and Calendula… I think I’m happy to wear the rest of the shades, which is more than I thought when I first looked at the palette.  My only other ‘not sure’ was Wafer which actually works fabulously in the crease to blend out a more vibrant shade.

The pigmentation of the mattes is (as expected) not as strong as the shimmers, but they’re easily buildable without looking chalky and the above swatches show no more than 3 swipes (2 in most cases).

I’ve given Sleek a hard time recently on Lipglossiping.com…. from Eye Dusts that spill to liquid liners that flake, I’ve been disappointed with the quality of some of the brand’s recent offerings.  So it’s just as well they’ve come along and hit this one out of the ballpark.

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Bohemian Palette is Limited Edition and will be available from Wednesday 17th March at some Superdrug stores (not my local – boo!) and online at Sleek MakeUP priced at £4.99.

International ladies, please note that Sleek MakeUP now accept online orders and offer international postage.