A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This past week has been an absolute horror for trying to get some blog photos taken, I’ve had to push a table directly in-front of a huge window in an attempt to capture at least, some light. Apologies if the photos seem a little grainier than usual, that’s me whacking the ISO up higher than I would want to. But anyway…

I told you about Bare Minerals new range of concealers a couple of weeks ago, and featured one of those brightening under-eye type pens that add luminosity to the more shadowy areas of the face. I also told you how, on me, it didn’t make a difference… thanks, in part, to not actually having too much in the way of under-eye discoloration and shadows. Yay me!

However, what I lack in the way of under-eye circles, I totally make up for in redness. Across my cheeks and my nose. It’s not full-blown rosacea or anything as serious as that, I just like vodka too much. I’m kidding!! In my case, it’s just the curse of a celtic complexion and general diffused capilliarires under the surface of the skin. Nothing a bit of makeup doesn’t tone down… but will Bare Mineral’s latest correcting concealer do the job?

I’m gonna get the comparison out of the way… texture-wish, it’s similar to Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer, there’s a lot of slip in that there compact.  This makes it super-easy to apply with your fingers or a brush without dragging across your skin – perfect for under the eyes.  Another similarity is in the level of coverage, this provides very good, almost full coverage where it’s needed most and a little goes a long way.

It’s all good so far!

Colour-wise, this is Light 01, which is indeed pretty pale and cool-toned, the pink has a touch of peach to it in my opinion… bringing some great colour-correcting tones to the table.  Peach is great for concealing that bluish-grey hue that under-eye areas can often present.

You can see in the photo below that coverage is indeed, pretty impressive.  It all but cancels out the redness and gives me a more even complexion upon which I can apply my foundation.  Indeed, by the time my foundation had warmed upon my skin, there was literally no redness left.  My only negative with the Bare Minerals SPF20 Correcting Concealer is that despite its emollient texture, it clung a little to some flakes on my nose… flakes that I wouldn’t have even noticed before putting the product over them.  This is not a good thing, clearly.

Having said that, I think that I’m going to persevere and try some different application/prepping techniques.  The coverage is too good (whilst feeling so light) not to put some real effort into getting the very best from this product.  I can’t say how it would fare on oilier skin tones, but I would definitely recommend setting it after application if you are prone to watching your makeup slide off your face by lunchtime.

Bare Minerals SPF20 Correcting Concealer is available now, online and on counter – priced at £21 for 2g.

* press sample

Aveda have launched the Passion Flower Collection, a limited-edition, petal-inspired makeup collection comprising: three nourish-mint smoothing lip colours, three nourish-mint rehydrating lip glazes, two nourish-mint lip liners, and six petal essence single eye colours.

The shades pack a greater punch than you would expect from the botanically-based formulas, and ultimately deliver a pleasant surprise when it comes to the end result.

I’ve been wearing one of the three nourish-mint smoothing lip colours which promises to smooth the appearance of fine lines and increase moisture.  Sounds good to me…

In the bullet, Rare Orchid is a dark, blackened plum/cherry shade, I’d class it as equidistant between red and plum… but in the swatch and on my unpigmented lips, the plum is far more apparent, with more than just a nod to some violet-infusion which delivers a seasonal, vampy look.

The texture is not quite balmy but definitely softer than the average lipstick, pigmentation is buildable and I went all out for the swatch photo, you won’t build more colour than this – but I doubt you’d need to.

The packaging… is not to my tastes.  I don’t care if it’s environmentally-friendly… well, I do – but c’mon, does it have to be so bloody ugly?  The shades and pigmentation blow my preconceptions out of the water so it’s a shame that the packaging didn’t do the same.  I know it’s not a biggie, but it’s something that detracts from the overall look and feel of the product, for me.

Another thing that I’m sure many won’t be keen on is the taste and scent of the lipstick.  In a word, mint.  It’s a little tingly upon application – there goes those fine lines it promises to smooth – and the taste does linger on your lips for a while.  I actually really like it, but I think opinion would be quite divided and it’s definitely something you need to be aware of before walking away from your nearest Aveda salon clutching it in your hot little hands.

The Passion Flower Collection is available in Aveda salons, spas, stores and on www.aveda.co.uk now, the Rare Orchid Smoothing Lip Colour is priced at £12.50

* press sample

I first visited Prague about 7 years ago, my brother had just bought an apartment in the city and was keen to show us around the areas he’d fallen in love with.  It didn’t take long to catch the bug and before the 4-days were up, I was already planning a return visit.

Three visits later and I’m still as firmly in love with the place as I was back the first time round.  Having said that, even in the short space of seven years, a lot has changed and it feels far more tourist-orientated than it did back in 2005… it’s also a little more expensive but thankfully, charm still oozes from every back-street, pivnice, and cobbled alleyway.

Pick up any tourist guide and you’ll be directed to the most popular sights: The Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, Charles Bridge, and the Castle.  But Prague is so much more than that and if you stick to these major attractions alone, you will miss the hidden gems that make the city so magical!  Here are a few of my favourite things to do in Prague.

Drink.

Well you don’t go to a country and not immerse yourself in the local culture do you?! They say that the Czechs drink more beer than any one else in the world, and when you compare both the price and the taste to the stuff we get in this country, you can see why.  I’m not exaggerating when I say that it’s generally cheaper to buy a glass of beer than a bottle of water.  In the tourist areas, you can expect to pay anything up to 50/60 CZK (£2.00) for half a litre but if you step just a little off the beaten track, you shouldn’t pay any more than 35CZK (£1.20).  It becomes a bit of a challenge finding the best-looking drinking spot for your money, and if they serve authentic Czech food as well?  Even better!

There are many varieties when it comes to beer in Prague and all of them far less gassy and more drinkable than ours: Gambrinus, Pilsner Urquell, Krusovice, Kozel, Budvar, and Staropramen are the ones you’re most likely to come across but if you’re a real beer buff, there are microbreweries to be found allover the city offering their own unique blends. My favourite? Well it changes every time I visit – I suggest you give them all a chance 😉  Na zdraví!

Walk.

Yeah, yeah, the trams are cute but I’m a firm believer that you can only begin to understand a city once you’ve walked across it.  Prague is very walkable, if a little hilly in places!  Cobbles are everywhere so don’t even attempt it in a pair of ballet flats, your feet will not thank you.  If you’ve got an iPhone, download a walking guide and give it a go, this one isn’t too bad, particularly as you can add your own tour to the itinerary, it’s also cheaper than a guide book!  You don’t get these kind of views just from sitting on a tram guys!

I’m happy to admit that I sometimes need a little motivation to pull on my walking boots and drag myself away from the shops.  If you’ve got a camera, start a little project to capture the city’s beauty in less conventional ways.  A city like Prague offers a wealth of quirks, some of you may be aware of my door fetish!  Capture the spires, the gargoyles, statues, or the graffiti (there’s lots!) – do whatever you need to do to keep on walking, it’s the easiest but most rewarding way to get a feel for the city.

Explore the lesser-known delights of Petrin.

Once you’ve done the Charles Bridge, the Astronomical Clock and the Castle… don’t just assume you’ve done it all.  My favourite things to do in Prague are none of those – infact, I get people rage in the built up areas (Y U WALK AT 0MPH!!!)  Intolerance is my forte.  Seriously though, for a little taste – here are some of my favourite places to visit in just one small part of Prague, high up on a hill… an area known as Petrin, the green lung of the city:

1. Grab the furnicular to the top of Petrin (appreciating the view on the way up) and head for the Petrin Tower.  It’s a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower and is well worth the climb!  You can reward yourself with an ice-cream when you get back down but beware – if you are unfit, take your time on the ascent.  I power-walked it and literally couldn’t move for about three days afterward!  The best view is from halfway up, so if you are feeling a little lazy – take solace in the knowledge that the very top of the tower smells of B.O., has scratched perspex for windows and isn’t “open” like the first level – you could skip it… but then you don’t get the satisfaction of knowing you climbed all the way up!

2. Get a sense of size at the Strahov Stadium.  The Strahov Stadium is probably the biggest thing you’ve never heard of. That would be because it is the biggest stadium. In the world. Seating 250,000 people and holding 8 full-size football pitches, it’s a behemoth of an arena, nowadays only used to host the occasional concert. Its dilapidated state only adds to its Soviet-esque “charm” and it was indeed, used as a bit of a regime showpiece for mass gymnastic displays watched by millions of spectators during the country’s communist era. Worth a peek before it falls into complete disrepair.

 3. Get a sense of proportion at the Museum of Miniatures.  A great “distraction” not far from Petrin and the Strahov Monastery is the Museum of Miniatures. A two-room display, featuring some wonderful tiny masterpieces including The Lords Prayer written on a human hair and even a flea wearing golden horseshoes! To appreciate the finer details in all these mini-marvels, microscopes are set up along the display cabinets. Entrance is only around £2/£3 each and although it won’t keep you entertained for hours, it’s one of those places that will instill a sense of childhood wonder and plenty of “how did they do that?!”

4. See the stars at Stefanik’s Observatory.  Sitting atop of Petrin stands Stefanik’s Observatory and its two publicly-accessible telescopes. If you want to be charmed by Saturn’s rings, faraway nebulas, and the brightest stars in the sky, it’s well worth forking out the minuscule entrance fee (around £2) for an expert opinion and a close-up view. If you can’t make it up there at night, the observatory also offers daytime observations of the sun and its solar flares and hotter-than-hot sun spots. One of the most-underrated activities in the whole of the city.

5. Get historical with The Hunger Wall and The Memorial to the Victims of Communism.  Looking up at the hill from the impressive Most Legii (bridge of The Legions), you’ll see a stone wall running up the side of the hill. This is the Hunger Wall, over 1200 metres long and built in the 1300s to add to the defences of the nearby castle. The construction of the wall provided a livelihood for the city’s poor, thus earning itself its name. At the base of the wall, and indeed, the base of the hill – is a memorial commemorating the victims of the communist era, and featuring seven bronze figures in various stages of human decay. It’s a poignant reminder of those who were impacted by the regime. If you’re feeling up to walking back down the hill, this is a good place to finish your journey!

This is just a tiny, tiny, look at some of my favourite things that Prague has to offer… I haven’t talked about the shopping, food, or indeed anywhere else other than a very small part of the city. It’s not my usual posting and I’m all too aware that it might be horribly boring – but as I instagrammed my way around the city last month, I received some questions and requests for a little guide – so hopefully this was, at least, semi-interesting in parts.

Don’t worry, I won’t be doing it for all my holiday destinations and I’m not about to branch out into travel blogging(!) but Prague captures my heart, and is the one place in the world I could see myself living, other than in the UK. Part two coming when I get around to it!

Have you been to Prague?

When I was growing up, I’m pretty sure that smelling like a stripper wasn’t one of my greatest desires in life. Having said that, there are strippers… and then there are strippers.  And if you are going to smell like a stripper*, well… there’s only one you want to smell like isn’t there?  Dita von Teese – not content with a cosmetic line – has also been making waves in the fragrance world since the launch of her debut scent: Dita Von Teese Eau de Parfum back in May.

Visually, it’s perfect isn’t it?  It’s got the Hollywood glamour thing going on, with a little (ok, a lot) of noir thrown in… accents of quirk and more than just a passing nod to vintage styling makes for a bottle that gels beautifully with Dita’s image in the media.  And the tassle?  Ohhhhhh… the tassle!

Having said that, I’m not a fan of atomisers… they’re cute n’ all but they’re just not very practical are they?  Add in the fact that they contribute to quicker evaporation of the contents inside and they’re a bit of a nuisance.  Just make sure that you don’t throw away the regular “cap” that comes with the perfume for easy transporting and you should be alright.  Still… nuisance.

As for the perfume itself, well… it’s everything I imagined a DvT perfume to smell like.  It’s a well-rounded, smoky floral with a nose-nuzzling quality that emerges beautifully once the scent has had time to warm up on the skin.  The fragrance carries itself with poise and elegance, feeling well-suited to an evening of seduction, perhaps a little too dark to wear to the in-laws.  Although having said that, the combination is gentle… never brash nor loud and although it lingers, it remains close to the skin.

Top: peonies, bergamot, and bourbon pepper

Heart: Bulgarian rose, tiaré, and jasmine

Base: patchouli, musk, Gaiac wood, and sandalwood

Dita von Teese eau de parfum is avaialble nationwide at Boots, priced from £18 – easily the best “celeb” scent you’ll smell this year.

* sorry, burlesque artist

** press sample

When it comes to skincare, it can occasionally feel like I’m chasing my tail, fixing one problem only to be faced with another… but if there’s one aspect of looking after my face that I seem to have gotten the hang of, it’s caring for my lips.  This time of year reminds me of the miserable winters I used to spend with constantly sore and painful lips.  If I wasn’t licking at them like a dog attempting to heal its wounds, I was picking… or even worse, peeling.

Lip condition can deteriorate rapidly, we put the central heating on on Sunday for the first time (we didn’t make it to November!) and last night, lying in bed, I could feel that tell-tale tingle around the edges of my lipline.  It’s time to up my game and put my winter plan of action into… well… action!  Without further ado, here are my hints and tips for winter lips!

I shower in the evenings, and the first step in my annual plan for luscious winter lips involves the most basic of cosmetic tools, the washcloth (£3 for 10).  Whilst I’m waiting for my hair conditioner to turn my locks into mermaid-hair, I grab my hot flannel and gently rub back and forth across my lips.  Be gentle mind, you’re not trying to remove a wine-stain!  Doing this every day will soften any flakes that are ready to come away whilst encouraging blood flow and regeneration.

Once I’ve left the shower, my first port of call is to reach for my moisturisers and my lips don’t get left out here.  My night-time ritual (and I do this everyday) is to apply a layer of Lanolips 101 (£11) before bed – this rich, lanolin-based balm provides the best barrier for locking in moisture through the night.  When I wake up in the morning, it’s still there and my lips are plumpity soft underneath – this stuff has been a lifesaver for me over the last couple of years.

During the day, I opt for something a little lighter in texture, which brings me on to Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm (£7.25).  Whilst not as nourishing as the Lanolips, the formula is more comfortable to wear during the day and the added SPF is a bonus.  It’s a compromise that I’m really happy with for now – plus the flavours are lush!  I reapply this over the top of my lipstick whenever I feel that my lips need it.

Talking of lipstick, it can be tricky to provide your favourite shades with a great base and The Body Shop’s Lipscuff (£8) is a cult classic for priming your pout in preparation for every shade.  Swipe the bullet over your lips in the morning, massage in the formula with your fingertip and wipe the excess away with a tissue (or the back of your hand if you’re a bit of a grot like me).  The Lipscuff leaves just enough coconut oil behind to provide moisture without slip and the exfoliating granules ensure that your lipstick won’t emphasise any dry bits.

Lips shrivelled up in the cold?  I’m just joking… we’ll leave the shrivelling up thing for men to deal with.  But if you do need a little extra plumping – particularly lovely for when you’re rocking a nude lip – I still swear by the original (and the best), Du Wop Lip Venom (£11.85) – it’s delightfully tingly (IT’S BURNING, IT’S BURNING!) and leaves my top lip almost matching the stature of my bottom lip, almost.  Thanks for the genetic un-eveness parents…

Finally, you literally shouldn’t leave the house without a little bit of lip highlighting.  Don’t know where to do it?  I stick to the cupids bow, using a subtle highlighter like YSL’s Touche Eclat (£25) which makes for quick and easy blendability.  If you’re wanting to go for a full-on pout, you can also add a highlight along the centre edge of the lower lip line to give the illusion of fuller, more lifted lips.  The Touche Eclat is subtle enough for daytime but if you’re wanting to highlight for a “going out” look, choose a highlighter with a little more shimmer for added wow-factor.

What are your favourite products for keeping your lips soft and full in the colder weather?

When your skintone is resolutely adhering to its own fish-belly chic agenda, a girl has no choice but to combat the anaemic look with a touch of bronzer.  Well, she does have a choice… but unless she’s Anne Hathaway/Nicole Kidman/Julianne Moore, there’s always the risk of looking more pilsbury than palesbury without it.

Finding my perfect bronzer shade has been a journey of epic, I repeat, epic proportions.  I mean, let’s face it – I’m 31 and can only now feel confident enough to say that I have found something that could even be considered to come under the hallowe’d Holy Grail tag.

Laura Geller’s Air Whipped Bronzer (still a name in beauty that doesn’t get much UK blog love) has me turning myself inside out with glee over its slightly cool undertones that warm me up without creosoting my complexion.  Throw in a formula that would please even the most die-hard of Soleil Tan de Chanel fans and you’ve got the perfect bronzing combination for pale pink types.

The packaging is kinda ugly but I can vouch for its effectiveness in keeping the cream contents suitably hydrated and whippy.  Pigment is impressive but buildable and the texture really is so very light and blendable, providing you don’t leave it long enough to set.  And set it does, steadfastly – you get about 20 seconds before it dries down, so blend quickly and efficiently once you’ve sheered the product out.

The matte formula makes Laura Geller’s Air Whipped Bronzer an absolutely perfect contour shade and I usually buff this in to my imaginary cheek hollows before using whats left on the brush down the edges of my nose and at my temples.  My favourite tool to pair with this is a stippling brush, which I find gives me greater flexibility and a lighter touch.

An alternative use for this bronzer would be to mix a little into your daily moisturiser for an all-over glow, I think this would work pretty well thanks to the airy texture and gentle colour.  Now that I’ve fallen so deeply for this product, I’d love to see a shimmer version too!  Just for those days when a little bit of sparkle ain’t no bad thing!

Sadly, the Laura Geller Air Whipped Bronzer is not easily available within the UK.  Your best bet is to head on to the QVC website or hit up eBay to find a source – LG is one brand that I sincerely wish I could find in a bricks and mortar store, I’d love to play with all those baked goodies!

Laura Geller Air Whipped Bronzer is priced at £26 and available to buy online at QVC.co.uk

Do you have a favourite contour shade that you can’t live without?

I don’t have the easiest scalp in the world to please. It’s dry, much like my hair and this time of year is when it’s at its worst.  When the central-heating kicks in and the temperature drops a few degrees further, I know that I’m gonna be scratching like a hooker on pay day.  You know I’m still talking about my scalp…. right?  Just so we’re clear.

LUSH have recently released some new products into their haircare range and one of them is this interesting pot o’ banana-scented goop, going by the name of Blousey.  It’s aimed at people with coloured hair, those with locks that are susceptible to damage, dryness, and fading from frequent exposure to the chemicals found in hair colouring products.  That would describe the needs of my hair pretty well and I was keen to see if it would improve the general condition of my hair whilst preventing the dreaded colour-fade.

I don’t like any products destined for the shower to be housed in pots, I find the packaging an irritation.  Locating the driest spot in the shower, twisting open the lid and scooping out the correct amount of product?  Fine, but then… you’ve got product in one hand, the pot in the other, the lid clamped between your chin and neck – how the hell do you get the lid back on?!  All of this while you’ve got Niagara falls thundering on your back and you’re trying to stop about 7 litres of water per second from contaminating your product.  Just put in a damn bottle already.

The shampoo itself is a joy to use.  It’s rich and creamy, both feeling and smelling far more luxurious than your standard supermarket-fare brand of shampoo.  I wasn’t sure whether to put it in my hair or head to the kitchen to make banana bread with it, it’s that authentic in terms of banana-iness.  Delightful, if you like bananas.

LUSH Blousey shampoo didn’t leave my hair feeling as dry as some of the other shampoos I’ve tried from LUSH in the past and I feel that it made my colour quite vibrant post-washing, but it didn’t deliver the level of moisture that I was expecting, considering that this is, after all, its selling point.

Added to which, my scalp got pretty itchy within a fortnight of using it – not that I’m blaming the product for the itch at all, as I’ve said – I’m really prone at this time of year… but for such a supposedly deeply-moisturising product, I was hoping that it might offer a little relief whilst making my hair resemble spun silk and Blousey doesn’t do either.  It’s back to the ketoconazole for me for a week to bring it under control, which is a shame – because that stuff completely slays any colour I have on my hair.

Ultimately, if you like your bananas and a super-creamy hair-washing experience, LUSH Blousey has your name written all over it but if your needs for a deeply-moisturising product run less superficially, you might need to look elsewhere, for both your hair and your scalp’s sake.  Particularly when you take into consideration, the price.

LUSH Blousey is available to buy online at lush.co.uk and instore, priced at £18 for 240g

Do you feel the itch from additional dryness this time of year?

* press sample

Morning!  I’m not quite sure how Saturday managed to fly by so damn quickly but here we are, with a week of half-term (and Halloween!) stretching ahead of us.  Leila hasn’t been settling in to nursery too well and things came to a head this past week so I, for one, will be pleased to give her a week in which to recharge her batteries, gather as many cuddles as she needs and emerge the other side feeling a little more capable of facing all these new challenges, hopefully.

Now, on with the summary of bits and pieces that didn’t fit in to this week’s scheduling!

1.  This video from Eve Lom demonstrating how to use their iconic cleanser… is a bit duh obvious (massage it in, wipe it off) but I really liked the visual demonstration of some of the lymphatic drainage techniques you can easily incorporate into your routine. Check it out below…

2.  U.S. beauty brand Smashbox are taking the UK by storm as they launch into Boots nationwide – even my local store has stock (and that never happens!).  If your nearest store has its finger slipping from the pulse, not to worry – you can still check out the brand’s latest products online at boots.co.uk.  I’m itching to get down to my local store and get a colour match for the Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation.  Hydrating foundation in this weather? Yes please!  What are your favourite Smashbox products?

3.  I had to share this product image from new luxury brand on the block, Mila.  Doesn’t it look beautiful?  Apart from being one letter away from my favourite brand of chocolate, Mila’s fragrances have been two years in development and their debut Scuro scent promises a lovely warm, spicy fragrance, with earthy tones of clove bud, frangiapani, vetiver and moss – the perfect Christmas gift?  Available now from milafragrance.com

4.  Finally, We had a little Halloween party on Friday night.  It involved two under 10s, a never-ending supply of Monster Munch and enough Appletiser to make a 3-year old quite, quite giddy with excitement.  I’m not into trick-or-treating, so instead we watched Scooby Doo and stayed up ’til almost midnight (and paid the price the next day).

There may also have been a pumpkin (or two) involved.

Hope you’ve had a lovely weeked, tell me… what are your plans for the spookiest night of the year?

Congratulations to Clumps of Mascara, Vampy Varnish and Nouveau Cheap for being featured on the new Wet n Wild Cosmetics “Beauty Ambassador Favorites” display, coming soon to a Walgreens near you! (Click the links above for pics of the display.)

Question of the Week: – Can you remember your first lipstick love?

Answer:- Yes! It was a long since discontinued Boots No7 lipstick called Morello Cherry (or something like that), really a bit too vampy for someone so young to wear BUT in my defence, I used to blot it on with my finger rather than go for the full-on vixen effect!

Beauty Junkies Unite – I’m pretty sure you’ll like this set of mini Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blushes in tarte’s new ‘Fantastic Foursome’ Blush Enthusiast Set for the holidays as much as I do!

Clumps of Mascara – is battling stretch marks with her growing baby bump. Is it a waste of time or will these products actually help combat them?

Lipglossiping – is definitely feeling the pull when it comes to Illamasqua’s lipstick in Magnetism!

Gouldylox Reviews – Have you started planning your gift lists already? Check out these lust-worthy gift ideas and stock up before they are gone!

Nouveau Cheap – Do you remember the brand Styli-Style, famous for their long-wear eyeliners? Well they’re back and under new ownership with lots of fun new products, as well as some old favorites.

Pink Sith – Confesses her love for a blush from Rouge Bunny Rouge.

Prime Beauty – takes a look at two highly giftable must-haves from  Tarte’s Holiday Baby It’s Bold Outside.

Phyrra – shows you how to get that perfect glow with Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo.

Vampy Varnish – thinks you are going to love at least half of the new OPI Skyfall Collection for Holiday 2012.

we heart this – We’ve deemed this the best long-wearing lip product we have EVER used. Find out what it is!

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Beauty Junkies Unite – Gel manicures are a little pricey—-but my fave fashionista, Sydne Summer of Sydne Style shows you two cute ways you can extend the life of your costly mani, DIY-style!

Can you remember your first lipstick love?

The idea of a universal lipstick is ultimately, pretty appealing.  Now, I’m not one for gambling, mostly because I’m RUBBISH at it but I would be happy to put a punt on Lipstick Queen Jean Queen and agree with Poppy King that it should suit most ladies, regardless of their colouring.

Who wants to take me up on that bet and where can we get 4 billion lipsticks to test the theory?

The sheer, warm pink  in Jean Queen allows enough of your natural lip colour to reveal itself whilst cancelling out any patchiness or imperfections in your own lips.  It wears very nicely with most other makeup looks and outfits that you feel like pairing it with (hence the name) and also applies with plently of slip.  It’s effortless.  Ok, it’s not the most exciting or groundbreaking thing in the world – but it’s a true workhorse lipstick.

My lips are lacking in pigment and need some kind of lip-covering to avoid that freshly-dug-up look.  For me, Jean Queen provides more of a sheen than much in the way of boom-pow pigment, but what it does offer is polish and completeness to an otherwise unfinished-look.  It’s casual, it’s effortless.  For such a balmy-feeling formula, longevity isn’t too bad either – I can still feel the slip on my lips a few hours into the day and it wears quite comfortably over longer periods without giving any indication that it’s drying out my pout.

Lipstick Queen Jean Queen Lipstick is priced at £15, and available to buy instore and online at spacenk.co.uk

Do you have a favourite MLBB (my lips but better) lipstick?  Tell me about it!

Before I start, I want to give a big shout out to Franky for not only providing the recipe, but also for completely inspiring me to take a chance on something I’d never attempted before.  I can’t tell you how much fun I had making the chutney and filling the flat with the delicious scent of Christmas.  And let’s not forget the intense satisfaction I get from opening the cupboard to check on my little jars of slowly-maturing chutney… something that I find myself doing more often than is strictly necessary!

What can I say?  I am a smitten-kitten for chutney-making… a process which feels almost soulful in its approach.  Jars full of genuine goodness, a whole lot of instinctive-cooking (the best kind), and just a touch of the crafty bits that I usually suck so badly at employing.  Chutney needs a little while to mature, so if you’re thinking of giving it a go for Christmas presents… I’d say get on it this weekend!

Just reading Franky’s Christmas Chutney recipe got me in the mood for the holiday season.  The list of ingredients alone had me whistling Jingle Bells before I’d reached the end of her post.  So be warned, I accept no responsibility if you’ve got the Christmas tree up and decorated by the time you reach the bottom of this page.

First things first, you’re gonna need some jars.

You can beg/borrow or steal empty jars from friends and family or you can do what I did and head for the value ranges at the Supermarket.  It’s horribly wasteful and I did feel very guilty knowing that I was buying perfectly good food with the intention of wasting the contents but I don’t intend to make a habit of it now that I’ve caught the chutney-making bug.  I hereby promise to wash and save all my jars in the future.  However, if you’re like me… I don’t mind sharing that the Asda Smart Price Sweet Pickle jars are pretty good for the job – the labels soak off cleanly in a few hours (hot, soapy water a must), they’re not too big AND they’re only 24p each.

From Franky’s recipe below, I was able to fill 7 of them.

You will need:

~ 750g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped small (for me, that equated to around 1kg unpeeled apples)
~ 1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped (I used two small onions)
~ 500g fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen (I used 1x 350g pack of frozen because of the expense)
~ 250g soft pitted dates, each date cut into 3 (I soaked dried dates overnight in boiling water and used around 300g)
zest, pulp and juice of 2 clementines/satsumas (I got bored of “zesting” after 30 seconds, so I liquidized the bastards)
~ 400g caster sugar
~ 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
~ 1 teaspoon ground ginger
~ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
~ 500ml white wine vinegar
~ 2 teaspoons Maldon salt or 1 teaspoon table salt

The jars.  You’ll need to wash and sterilise – this is less daunting than it sounds.  For sterilising, simply arrange the (still wet) jars on a baking tray like this and leave to dry in a 150 degree celsius oven for around 30 minutes.  Don’t do this until you’re almost ready to fill them, they should still be warm when you spoon in the chutney to avoid cracking.  Top tip:  If you have jars with safety (pop up) lids, you can get these to depress by filling the jar, screwing the lid on tightly and then inverting the jar once.  Tip the jar back up the correct way and as it cools, the “button” should slowly invert back to its “safe” position.  Neat huh?

Ok, enough about jars…

Make yourself a big cup of tea and start peeling/chopping.

1. Place the apples, onion, cranberries and dates into a large pan.

2. Zest the citrus fruit over the top, squeeze in the juice and then scrape in the pulp.

3. Add the sugar and all the spices before pouring over the vinegar and sprinkling in the salt.

4. All that remains to be done is to give it a good stir, turn on the heat, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let it bubble, uncovered, for about an hour or until it has become a pulpy mass.

5. Spoon into your warm, prepared jars and seal.

The chutney can be made up to 2 months before using {or giving}. Indeed, the longer it has to ‘mature’, the better. It should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Once opened, store in the fridge and consume within one month.

In terms of cost – each filled jar worked out at under £2 – including all decoration.  Not bad huh?  The more you make, the more cost-effective the process.  I wish I was crafty/savvy/clever enough to make all my own Christmas presents – it gives me so much pleasure… but for now, these are going to make great “topups” for the pressies that I’ve already squirreled away.

What do you think?  Will you give Franky’s recipe a go?

Is it glitter season yet? Is it? Is it?

It is, isn’t it?

The lovely Sirvinya bought me this glitter-tastic Pure Ice nail polish in Cheatin‘ while she was on her travels to the U.S. last year and I’ve used it as a layering polish a couple of times – it looks absolutely beautiful, as I’m sure you can imagine, over both blue and purple shades… injecting that little bit of OHGODGLITTER into any manicure you desire.

The above swatch shows three, fairly thick coats – it’s not the best worn on it’s own and I’ll probably stick to layering with it but I thought you might appreciate a swatch while I’m slowly going through and re-organising my polishes.

Which reminds me, how do you organise yours?  By colour or brand?  Too. indecisive.