A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m a big fan of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, they’re multi-use and an absolute must have for travelling.  Fantastically, they’re Suphate-Free and you can use them for washing, laundry, dish washing, cleaning, shampooing and even toothbrushing!  Although I’m not too sure about that last one…

My favourite use for this little bottle of rose-scented magic has to be cleaning my makeup brushes.  You just need the tiniest amount.  I’ve washed my brushes at least 3 times using the bottle above and it’s barely made any impact at all.

It leaves my brushes feeling soft, clean and conditioned, gets out all the crud and all that remains is a gentle rose-scent.  What more can I ask for?

More varieties?  Well… you can have: Peppermint (nice), Eucalyptus (bleh), Almond (yum), Rose (yay), Baby Mild (boring), Citrus (zesty!), Lavender (bleh) and Tea Tree (meh).   Please excuse the childish running commentary that accompanied the variety listing… sometimes I just can’t help myself.

Oh yes, they don’t test on bunny rabbits either.

INGREDIENTS: Water, Saponified Organic Coconut, Organic Palm and Organic Olive Oils (w/Retained Glycerin), Organic Hemp Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Essential Oils, Citric Acid, Vitamin E

You like?

I purchase mine from EcoHamster ‘cos they offer free delivery and I like hamsters. £4.95 for 236ml.

I first saw this on Cosmetic-Candy back in July (on my brithday infact – it was meant to be!)

I fell in love with the swatch and have been lusting after it since!  Thanks to a well-timed eBay auction, I was finally able to make it mine:

Packaging is lovely!  The product is housed in a very solid frosted glass jar and it comes with a very useable retractable brush.

I found the shade to be well pigmented with some gorgeous (but not overpowering) sparkles.  It’s a very dark teal and would compliment brown eyes beautifully.

The swatch set to a smudge proof finish very quickly, but unfortunately I did experience transfer on my lids.

I was pleased to be able to add it to my collection, it reminds me of my Infinity Liner in Indigo Blue, but with added sparkle!  If only I could get the dreaded lid transfer to stop though 🙁

I paid around £10 including shipping.  Check eBay & AdamBeauty for stock.

L’oreal Lash Architect Carbon Gloss Mascara

Check out my review on it here

Leave a comment to enter.

Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 4th December.  Comments made after this time will not be entered.

Winners will be announced once Advent is over. (i.e. after Christmas)

“Rules” can be found here.

Introducing the Stumpsters!  My new look teeny weeny fingernails!

The fabulous LionLovingTiger brought it to my attention that every cloud has a silver lining and that now was the time to break out those dark vampy shades!  And she was so right!

I thought I’d break out the bottle of Jessica Nails polish I won in in a Twitter giveaway a couple of weeks ago.

I’m loving this polish!  The longevity is ah-mazing! 4 days so far and no tip wear that I can see, although maybe that’s because my ‘tips’ end below my finger pads now that I think of it.. oh well, either way, no chips or flakes or any such nonsense.

It applied like a dream, 1 coat to reach opacity but 2 to tidy it up.  It is a glitter (and boy does it sparkle).  I finished with a coat of Seche Vite (my first ever use – I know, shocking!)  Which completely smoothed the gritty surface that glitters leave behind.  I’m not exactly relishing the thought of removal, but Helen gave me some great tips that I will be putting to good use!

Buy Jessica Nails Polish from TSBeautyShop

I’ve mentioned these maybe once or twice (or 7 or 8 times)…

When I first tried a GOSH Velvet Touch Liner, I was genuinely amazed at how they performed.  They just work.  They’re creamy and smooth to apply.  Once applied they don’t budge from the waterline on me for around 6 hours and if applied along the lower lashline, they don’t move until I remove my makeup that evening.

They come in an amazing array of colours and each pencil will set you back around a fiver.

I realised a few weeks ago, that since buying these I hadn’t reached for any of my other pencils (and eyeliner is kinda my ‘thing’, so I had a few!).  I ended up giving away, selling or binning my eyeliner stash and am now on the wonderful mission of hunting these down in every shade available.

Have you ever ‘purged’ your stash in such a way?  Now… if only I could do the same for mascaras…

GOSH Velvet Touch Eye Liners are priced at £5 each and are available from Superdrug (instore & online).  Don’t forget, there’s a Superdrug 3for2 promotion going on at the moment aswell!

Something to keep those winter hands and nails in tiptop condition!

Nailene Acrylic Strong Top Coat & Nulon Hand Treatment Scrub.

Leave a comment to enter.

Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 3rd December.  Comments made after this time will not be entered.

Winners will be announced once Advent is over. (i.e. after Christmas)

“Rules” can be found here.

…to buy a Heat magazine… *does shoulder shimmy*

So, I wanna check out the big Westfield Shooping Centre (Inglots anyone?), drink some cocktails, maybe hit Selfridges, ooh I definitely want to find a Boots that has a Dior Counter (can any Londoners help me out with that one?), have another Eggnog Latte and eat some KFC (classy).

I’m staying over-night Thursday and will be leaving Leila in charge of Mr. L for the first time.  Nervewracking, but I’m sure he’ll behave himself.

I’m at a bit of a loose end on Friday afternoon, so if anyone wants to meet for a coffee, shout at me on Twitter!

My Advent Giveaway will be ongoing as long as my post scheduler behaves itself.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that the Dior Holiday Palette is still available!

Quick update…

I’ve had word from Lauren at 1000heads that the prizes will be revealed early next week.

Sorry for the delay, I’m sure you’re as impatient as I am!

I can’t wait to reveal which of my 6 beautiful entrants has been declared the most deserving winner! Woo!

Here’s that FOTD I promised showing the GOSH Smoky Eyes Palette I was sent.

Remember the one?

No, sorry not that one… I meant this one…

*alright, stop bitching about their crap stock imagery already*

Anyway, I was semi pleased that it wasn’t hugely pigmented as I find the Sleek MakeUP Graphite palette so hard to work with.  Although I was unsure if I would get much payoff from that light grey (2nd from right) at all…

And I was right! (which makes a change).

I do really like this for a non-overpowering smoky eye.  It feels more grown up, more genteel and sophisticated than the Sleek Graphite Palette.  Unfortunately, I got nothing from that pale grey shade at all.  I applied it in the crease and blended upwards but you just wouldn’t be able to tell.

I hereby class this a “nearly” palette… “nearly” good, but no cigar.

Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil Liner in Dime (Silver)

Leave a comment to enter.

Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 2nd December.  Comments made after this time will not be entered.

Winners will be announced once Advent is over. (i.e. after Christmas)

“Rules” can be found here.

George at Asda I mean…

They must be? How else can they possibly be knocking out such awesome shades for £1.50 a bottle?

This is hmmm… how can I best describe.  A gilded olive?

I hate greens, but this I love.  So if you hate greens too, try it…. seriously – it’s beautiful!

It’s a metallic, so there is some evidence of brush stroke but no more than my higher end metallic polishes and even less than some.

It’s called Superstar and really is something special.

Application and longevity are in line with the rest of the George shades I’ve tried.

Unfortunately, this will go down in history as the “last shade”.  The “last shade” before stump-gate.  No matter, it’s beautiful.

How much loyalty do you show brands when you shop?

I tend to be more loyal to my skincare brands than I do my cosmetic ones.

Why is that?  I’m not sure.. perhaps I’m less inclined to “experiment” and risk upsetting my skin.

Whatever the reason, when I find something that works, I usually become fiercly loyal for a relatively long period and it takes a lot of persuasion to make me change.

As for cosmetics?  I’m as fickle as they come… well… perhaps not…

I’ve recently thrown away all my pencil eyeliners except for my GOSH Cosmetics Velvet Touch ones.  Once I started using these, I didn’t see the point of keeping the rest as my hands simply stopped reaching for them in the morning.

What brands are you loyal to?  And Why?