A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I freaking LOVE getting things through the post… letters, makeup, postcards, ebay purchases, those little sachets that Nivea sometimes send out, even the occasional dog poo if it’s from an admirer…

…but sanitary wear?

Let me introduce you to Trinkets.

They Say:

In our lifetime as a woman, we will experience around 500 periods and use around 11 thousand tampons! That’s a lot of tampons and a lot of hassle! So, sit back and relax as Trinket Women deliver a precious gift direct to your door each month. Cotton, sophisticated and feminine, we believe Trinkets tampons will make you feel good about your period. Period!

“Yay! I’m so excited my box of Trinkets has landed on my doormat, now I know my period is imminent!  I can’t believe how GOOD I feel about the impending 5 days of inconvenience, grumpiness and occassional pain!  Hoorah!”

Sarcasm aside… I actually think it’s kind of a nifty idea…

More times than I’d like to admit, I’ve gone to the bathroom cabinet only to discover an empty, unreplaced box of tampons.  This results in much pleading with Mr. L to go do the “corner shop shuffle” in a fake moustache and sunglasses, only for him to come back with the wrong stuff.

You can choose to have your Trinkets tampons delivered every 3, 4 or 5 weeks.  You also select type and absorbency requirements and with prices starting from £2.29 for a box of 16 with the option to cancel at any time, they’re not taking the mick.

If you want to give it a go, take advantage of the offer the people at Trinkets have put together for my readers.  Enter code T1045 on the website to get a 2nd pack for free.  I’ve just ordered 2 boxes for £2.29 delivered, that’s cheaper than I can get them from Boots.

It’s a great deal with no STRINGS attached and the code will be available for a limited PERIOD only.  God damn I’m funny.

What do you think of the idea?  Useful or folly?

It’s Monday morning and I’m feeling gloomy…

Cheer me up, I wanna talk about the classic red lip.

I struggle.  I have too much pink in my skintone and am forever clashing.  Failing that, I catch sight of myself walking past an office window and suddenly realise that the Hamburgler is probably after my Big Macs.

Can you pull off a great red lip?  Do you even like red lips?

Tell me about your favourite reds… your greatest disappointments, your greatest triumphs!

Leila has my mother’s hair.  It’s blonde, fine and very very floaty.  It kinda skims the top of her head, resting about an inch above the scalp in thick swathes of unstylable defiance.  If I brush it around the shape of her crown, it springs back…. floating, floating… always floating.

Of course, it’s beautiful… and I love it.  It’s getting long now and I lie with her twirling it gently around my fingers whilst she simultaneously grabs handfuls of mine, a look of frantic curiosity on her face.

I could deploy the old tried and tested method of spitting on my hands before swiping my palms over her barnet… but really… that’s just disgusting isn’t it?  She may be small and kinda stupid but that’s no justification for styling her with gob.

Enter Original Sprout, who make an entire line of Children’s styling saviours from Curl Calmer to Styling Balm.  I’ve got my eye on the Children’s Hair Gel.

They say:

Loved by Babies & Up, our Ultra Clean & Light Baby Hair Gel is made of nourishing emollients & gentle botanicals, smoothing frizzies, taming flyaways & supporting curls softly. Thermal Protectants keeps hair safe from styling & enviromental aggressors.

There’ll be no “styling aggressors” in this nursery *puts the straighteners down* but this has gotta be better than spit right?

And just ’cause this is about the only day in the year I can like TOTALLY get away with it:

I’m a certified skincare fan, but Mr. L hates anything remotely greasy.  Infact, he doesn’t really understand the concept of ‘moisturising’ or why he would ever need to do it.  Machismo aside, that doesn’t stop me getting him to moisturise my back for me when I get out of the shower.  I’m lazy and it’s always nicer if someone else does it don’t you think?

Aveeno sent me a few bits a while ago, and after giving them my unadulterated attention (not easy to do when you buy as many products as me), I’m back to let you know how they performed for me.

I’ll start with the Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil.

Not quite an oil and not quite a cream means that it has a hella confusing name!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pumped the lid.  It is a very light, runny cream with a bakewell almondy smell.  I’m not sold on the scent, it’s not offensive in any way… it’s just a bit biscuity for me.

Aveeno say:

• Combines the concentrated goodness of naturally active colloidal Oatmeal and sweet almond oil.
• Provides the benefit of an oil with the convenience of a cream.
• Helps to maintain the skin’s natural moisture level and prevent dry skin.
• Skin is left looking and feeling soft, smooth and healthy without a greasy after feel.

I adored the texture of Aveeno’s Moisturising Creamy Oil, it glides onto the skin with no dragging and I can instantly feel it relieving any tight patches (I suffer from small areas of eczema).  Unfortunately, the cream isn’t rich enough for the effect to last the whole day on me, so if you’re very dry-skinned, I’d look for something a little heavier.

If you have normal skin, I’d whole-heartedly recommend this body moisturiser.  Especially for the Summer and morning applications.  It’s light and absorbs quickly leaving a slight sheen on the skin.  A definite good buy and one that I will be repurchasing.

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Next up is the Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion with Shea Butter 200ml

Shea butter based, it applies thickly and more heavily than the creamy oil.  I’m not a fan of the tube packaging, I seem to consistently dispense too much product.  However, I believe that if you buy the 300ml version of this one, it comes in a pump bottle like Aveeno’s Moisturising Creamy Oil.

My skin feels slightly tacky to the touch after using this and it takes a good 5-10 minutes for absorption to be fully effective.  There’s no doubt in my mind that this lotion is far more penetrating in it’s skin relief than the creamy oil, but it’s not as “light and carefree” to use.  I wouldn’t use this after a shower before getting dressed in the morning… but I have been using it happily before bed where I don’t mind my skin feeling a little tacky.

As for skin benefits, combined use of these 2 products means that I’ve banished my dry scaly bits!  My skin is now Summer ready, so bring on the sunshine (and fake tan).

The Aveeno range is currently £2 off at Superdrug and a 1/3 off at Sainsburys.

I received this tag from the infinitely beautiful DvoraDivine, I haven’ t done a tag in ages… but a bit of procrastination on a Friday night goes a very long way!

Three names I go by:
1. Charlotte
2. Charlie
3. Charlene… innit.

Three jobs I have had:
1. Office Cleaner
2. Corner Shop Worker
3. Computer Repair Chick

Three places I have lived:
1. Portsmouth, UK
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Southampton, UK

Three favourite drinks:
1. Tea (milk, 2 sweeteners)
2. Diet Coke
3. Gin & Tonic

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Desperate Housewives
2. Ghost Hunters
3. Eastenders

Three places I have been:
1. Seoul, S. Korea
2. Fontenay Le Comte, France
3. Gstaad, Switzerland

Three places I would like to visit:
1. Los Angeles, USA
2. Hong Kong, China
3. New York, USA

Three people who text (or bbm) me regularly:
1. Mr. L
2. Nobody
3. Um… Nobody *sniff*!

Three favorite old TV shows:
1. The Avengers
2. Game On
3. Citizen Smith

Three favorite dishes:
1. Singapore Fried Rice
2. Mushroom Stroganoff
3. Smažený Sýr (heart attack inducing, but too tasty!)

Three makeup/beauty products I cannot live without:
1. Brow Powder
2. Mascara
3. Foundation

Three things I’m looking forward to:
1. World Domination
2. A Long Holiday
3. The Summer

Three people I tag:
1. SilhouetteScreams
2. Nouveau Cheap
3. Rae

Sugarpill’s Starling is a vibrant blue.  A slightly darker than turquoise base with matching sparkle.

It’s surprisingly wearable for me in small doses! Kudos if you’re brave enough to rock a full look with this, it’s too bright for me to wear most days, but I wear a lot of golds and bronze shades and I’m already loving using this foiled as a liner to create a striking balance.  It’s an awesome spring/summer combination.

For comparison purposes, here’s a swatch of Starling and Alice from the Urban Decay AiW Palette.

Again, applying these Sugarpill Chroma Lusts WET is when it really starts making sense.  Vivid doesn’t even really begin to describe it.  I think you can also appreciate what a beautiful shade Starling is, it’s got a beautiful Mediterranean hue to it that somehow (in my opinion) manages to retain a touch of ‘grown-upness’ about it that Alice/Painkiller doesn’t have.

I’m very pleased with my Sugarpill Cosmetics purchases (see review of Goldilux here) and I’m already eyeing up Hysteric and Magpie as my next acquisitions!

So come on, let me know… have you bought any Sugarpill products yett? If so which ones? And if not, what’s holding you back?

Sugarpill Chroma Lust in Goldilux ($12.00, 5g net weight).

When I first unscrewed the lid, my reaction wasn’t wholly positive.

There’s no sifter, no lttle plastic inner lid… you’re straight into the shadow, which makes for a slightly messier experience than my MAC pigments.

Goldilux is also incredibly sparkly, very glittery.  I was immediately concerned that I was about to be treated to an “all glitter, no pigment” fest…

Goldilux is a true yellow-gold with no visible hints of copper or bronze.  The sparkle is uniformly coloured to match the overall pigment.  Measured in weight, this pot was a little less filled than Starling, but it’s still gonna take me forever-and-a-day to even make a dent.

A couple of comparison swatches:

I chose to compare my Sugarpill Chroma Lusts to a ‘simillar’ shade from the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette simply because it’s a current cosmetic item that I know many of you will now own.  I’m not dupe-hunting, I just thought it would be a good choice for comparison to get an idea of pigmentation.

Honestly?  I’m a touch underwhelmed by how Goldilux looks applied dry.

Before the swatch test, I was totally happy with the pigmentation but compared here to UD Oraculum/Baked, I think I was expecting a little more oomph from the Sugarpill Chroma Lust.  In all fairness though, I also wasn’t expecting just how completely amazing it would look foiled (applied wet).  I think it’s safe to say that in the case of Goldilux, the shadow’s real strength is in it’s foiling.

I’m not going to go into detail on the other aspects of review for an eyeshadow, everything is fine… blendability, longevity over UDPP great (average otherwise).  I will say that I still found it quite easy to blend after foiling which is a plus point, it doesn’ t dry with unblendable harsh edges, a positive point to note.

Very happy with my Sugarpill Goldilux, and I’m blown away by how it looks applied wet.  A liquid metal masterpiece.

Tomorrow… Starling…

Dollipops wants to offer my lovely readers a 15% discount off your orders.

I’ve already shared my appreciation for the retro Jackie necklace, but I’m also particularly coveting:

1. Je T’aime (£5.99) – Silver plated chain with frosted heart charm and cute Eiffel tower pendant.

2. Black Leaf (£7.99) – Beautiful leaf hair slide, with sequin and bead detailing.

3. Monochrome Buttons (£3.99) – Set of two cute monochrome button grips.

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To get 15% off all orders online at Dollipops, enter the exclusive code LIPGLOSSIPING at checkout.

I received my VERY exciting Sugarpill Cosmetics order last week, and I wanted to share the beautifully presented packaging with you…

Free with every order, check out the cute decal-type sticker!

The artwork on these boxes is simply beautiful.   It’s abundantly clear that a huge amount of personality has gone into this new cosmetic venture.  Thoroughly charming and there’s no way I’m ditching the packaging to save some space in my makeup drawers!

The base of my two Chroma Lust eyeshadows (Starling and Goldilux)…  I love the adorable little bird and bow on each sticker, cute touches such as these really make me appreciate the efforts involved.  It’s also nice to note the ‘made in California’ blurb and a full list of ingredients.

The lid design has been printed directly onto the plastic and not onto a sticker.

I posted a FOTD last week, and have swatched them alongside some Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland shades to give you a hopefully useful and ‘current’ comparison.

I’ve been struggling a bit with being poorly this week (both me and the baby) so in response to a couple of naggy (but thoroughly lovely) emails.  I’m trying to get the swatch post up for tomorrow!

is…

AlicatAHL

Thanks for offering your self up in the name of beauty!

Please email me your address details and I’ll pop the sample in the post.  Can’t wait to hear your experiences with it!

After reading the article over at the Daily Mail about the self-proclaimed ‘Barbie’ mother who encourages her 16yr old daughter to have Botox injections to mask any premature signs of ageing… I was full of indignations and OMGs like most people who read the article I guess…

But then my focus shifted….

I looked at the first picture of mother and daughter together:

The caption under the photo reads:

“Misguided? Hannah Burge, 16, (left) with her mother Sarah, the ‘Human Barbie’, who injects her with Botox in an effort to prevent future wrinkles”.

Sarah Burge (Hannah’s mother) has had approx £500,000’s worth of cosmetic surgery, currently holding the world record the most cosmetic surgeries.  I studied the picture and took a guess at her age…

I went for 50.

She’s 49.  Well, maybe… ‘cos she was also 49 back when this article was published over a year ago…

So really, I’m more distressed by the fact that this woman has spent half a million pounds on plastic surgery to allay the unfortunate aesthetic effects of aging and to my eyes, she hasn’t got her money’s worth.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m not saying she looks like your ordinary 49/50/51 year old… of course she doesn’t.  But I’m thinking that has more to do with the hair and makeup than anything else.  A less tranny-licious hairdo and replace that ridiculous eye makeup and really… what have you got?  Probably a much more attractive woman actually.

I disagree with her active encouragement of Botox for her 16yr old, but mostly my annoyance is set-aside for her surgeons.  One day, I may consider some um… modifications?  Are they generally this ineffective unless your name’s Demi Moore?

I hate wasing money.  I bought a chicken and stuffing sandwich last week, it didn’t have any stuffing in it…. at least I only wasted £2.19 though eh?

Read the original article here.

Diaries out?

Circled Sunday 14th March with a red felt tip? No me neither (who DOES that anyway?)

This is the first Mother’s Day I can join in with over on THAT side of the fence (the baggy fanny brigade* welcomed me last May incase you don’t read my baby bores).

And in honour, I’m doing two gift guides.  One for my Mum and one for me, ‘cos yano…. I totally catch Leila up here at the computer reading my blog when I’m not looking.

But first, here’s a no-nonsense guide to some lovely things that MY mother would be more than happy to receive this Sunday:

1. Ponds Cold Cream Cleanser (£3.99) – A true classic, uniting generations and still finding a place in bathroom cabinets across the world (including my Mums).

2. Tesco Skin Wisdom Microdermabrasion Kit (£10.00) – Ever since microdermabrasion became a bit fashionable a couple of years ago, I’ve caught her looking wistfully at the features on telly.  Good old Tesco offer a slightly more affordable DIY kit.

3. Bourjois Soir de Paris (£16.95) – “Evening in Paris” as it used to be known back in the…um… the… I dunno, dark ages… Anyway, Mum used to wear this and thought it had long been discontinued.  Kudos to the ladies at Bourjois for letting me know it still existed!

4. Schwarzkopf Bonacure Time Restore Night Spray (£10.95) – Formulated for more mature locks.  Mum’s a bit low maintenance with her hair, and this looks like a fuss-free hair treat before bed… spray it on and sleep!

5. Estee Lauder Hydrationist Maximum Moisture Creme (£32) – We’re both fans of Estee Lauder and their latest release promises to be a big hit.  I might buy this for her, but I can’t promise she’ll keep her hands on it for long…

6. Schwarzkopf Bonacure Color Save Silver Shampoo (£8.65) – Mum still retains a good amount of blonde hair, but with strands of silver running through this, would make a great choice to tone down brassiness and keep the silver looking silver instead of grey.

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…and here’s what I wouldn’t mind finding upon waking after my 2pm lie-in and breakfast in bed come Sunday (hint, hint).

1. Clarisonic Plus (£175) – Developed by the same people that do those Sonicare toothbrushes, this litle gadget promises to remove six times more makeup than manual cleansing and reduce the appearance of open pores, fine lines and wrinkles, all whilst improving skin tone too.  We’ll all have one shall we? Who cares if you’re a Mum anyway?

2. Elemis Pro Radiance Cream Cleanser (£27) – I flippin’ love me a bit of Elemis!  A great British luxury brand that knows how to hype a product.  Unfortunately, Elemis doesn’t love my purse too much… but I’m celebrating a guilt-free day right?  Their new Pro Radiance Cream Cleanser is on my wishlist… and if I don’t get it, I’m witholding cuddles for at least 10 minutes.

3. Alter Ego Hairdryer from EGO Professional (£109.99) – ZOMG!  Listen up ladies.  This is what is known as a ‘Sunny’ hairdryer.  Normal hairdryers blast out air and blow your hair all over the shop right?  I mean that’s how they dry… they effectively blow the water molecules off your barnet.  Well… this baby dries your hair using infrared technology to evaporate the water droplets.  Which means no more tangling as you’re drying… and surely less noise too!  In a house with a light sleeping baby, I’m considering this a joint gift!

4. Idole D’Armani (£35) – A beautifully balanced fragrance that’s light without being fluffy.  It’s spicy, floral and sweet all at once and lasts forever on my skin.  This will still be on my wishlist when my birthday comes around if I’m not hugely lucky on Sunday.

5. Buxom Sailor Girls Set by Bare Escentuals (£25) – Not out ’till April, I’m happy to take a raincheck on this adorable set of ‘lip polishes’.  I had a couple of them applied on me a couple of weeks ago at a press day and fell in love, not only with the shades but also the lip-plumping sensation that seemed to last for HOURS!

6. Retro Jackie Necklace from Dollipops (£7.99) – How cute? Strung on a silver-plated chain, I’m sure to get some knowing “we’re almost over the hill” looks of consolidation from passing strangers with this round my neck.  It’s too adorable!

7. Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine Lipstick in Rose Pomponne (£7.99) – I tried the latest addition to the Bourjois Sweet Kiss Shine lineup a couple of weeks ago (Sweet Tangerine) and whilst I adored the old-skool rose-scented formula and moisturising finish, the colour just wasn’t me.  So here’s one that is, take note Leila.

BRING IT ON! *hastily does lots of perfect mummy-type things*

Oh and you may have noticed that my wishlist is about 15 times more expensive than my mother’s… I do assure you, it’s like TOTALLY an accident…

oh wait… I knew I forgot something!

* Hooray for emergency C-Sections!  Every cloud and all that…