A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You know, for all the chemical exfoliators in the world, there’s still nothing quite like giving your face a good scrub. But can you actually do that past the age of 25 without feeling guilty that you’re being too harsh on your delicate skin?

Well, yes. Yes you can.

INA Crystals White Gold Glow Face Wash is an SLES-free facial cleanser that combines a rich, nourishing formula with the scrubby goodness of ground loofah and liquid crystal. The finely-ground loofah provides the perfect amount of scrubbiness without feeling scratchy or harsh against my skin.

The proof is in the post-washing glow that looks back at me in the mirror without a hint of increased redness across my sensitive areas.

Having so far waxed lyrical about the pleasures of the White Gold Glow Face Wash, I have to say that I wish it posessed a more luxurious scent.  I know many, many women can’t use highly-scented products. But, if I’m spending £23 on a face wash, I want that all-encompasing end-of-the-day relaxing experience when I take my makeup off. And for me, a big part of that is a damn-good aroma – I’d describe the scent as… earthy.

You can’t please all of the people all of the time.

That aside, the blend of sweet almond, basil, fennel, juniper berry, and carrot oils make for a nourishing experience that complements the exfoliation process and provides a longer-term moisture boost for my combination/dry skin.

Heartily recommended.

Aqua (Water), Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultane, Luffa Cylindrica Fruit, Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Disodium Cocoamphoacetate, Parfum (Fragrance), Sal (Himalayan Crystal Salt), Sodium Chloride, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sucrose Cocoate, Betaine, Phenoxyethanol, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Limonene

INA Crystals White Gold Glow Face Wash is available online at Zuneta.com, priced at £23 for 100ml

* press sample

Question of the Week: – Your three favorite haircare lines, name them…

Answer: – I don’t go that crazy for hair products and I’m really not very brand-loyal, but taking a peek in my bathroom cabinet reveals a lot of: Pantene/Osmo (for deep conditioning masques and colour care), The Body Shop for shampoo (Banana and Ice Blue Shampoo – how retro!), and Batiste for styling (dry shampoo ftw!) – I suppose they’re my essentials.

Lipglossiping – offers a juicy insight into the latest Jo Malone fragrance launch: Blackberry & Bay. Cream scones and tea with that?

Nouveau Cheap – My favorite makeup brush cleaner isn’t really a makeup brush cleaner at all (well, technically speaking).

Prime Beauty – loves what WEN Cleansing Conditioner does for her hair but not her wallet, so she’s found an affordable alternative in her latest Splurge vs. Steal!

Phyrra – is ready to battle again in Makeup Wars – Favorite Fall Nail Polish. See the best nail polish for Fall!

we heart this – has partnered with Sephora this week to bring you the colors of the season; Blackest Black, Nouveau Purple and Crimson Velvet. Check out these red lip picks for the prettiest pout around.

Beauty Junkies Unite – Get Amber’s official breakdown of the new READY Foundation SPF 20, a solid mineral foundation from bareMinerals!

Clumps of Mascara – has found the world’s most interesting eyeshadow quad. It’s quite reminiscent of alien aircraft!

Gouldylox Reviews – This lash curler actually fits the shape of my eye, perfectly. I didn’t know what I was missing by settling for my Shu.

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Lipglossiping – My favourite post of the week comes in the form of this little number from A Touch of Blusher who has me craving the new Paul & Joe collection like a reformed smoker at a Marlboro convention.

What are your top THREE haircare lines?

Most of you will be familiar with the premium beauty range from makeup artist Terry de Gunzburg, the SpaceNK staple has had the blogging world in fits of rapture in recent years over beautiful, pink-tinted pots of Baume de Rose and the radiance-boosting Eclat de Teint.

Now, what will the fragrance world make of the brand’s foray into the world of perfume?

Launching on the 16th September are five new fragrances that, sticking to time-honoured tradition have been formulated in Grasse, a place synonymous as the spiritual home of French haute-parfumerie.  The By Terry creator asserts that neither time nor money have been spared in the creation of these scents, which ultimately exist to “reflect the designer’s passion”.

Of her new collection, Terry says:

It has taken me ten years to achieve this collection of ‘personified’ scents. I had to progress slowly in order to learn and understand about essences that felt right, which was a humbling yet enriching experience. I had to ignore the dos and don’ts imposed by trends or by a commercial brief. Free from any restrictions, I have followed my instinct to create pure, original and extravagantly high-quality fragrances.

The new collection comprises the following five fragrances (I’ve included the descriptions from the press release):

PARTIS PRIS

Parti Pris delivers its ‘Haute Féminité’ in seconds. Instantly recognisable, the tuberose is exquisite and compelling, revealing its power of seduction in a precious floral bouquet. The sweet, absolute orange blossom melts into the richness of the absolute Turkish rose together with a hint of an exceptional ylang ylang, created exclusively by the Maison Robertet. At the base, a surprising vintage accord through smoked vetiver and sandalwood together with Vanilla and Tolu balm. Incense, Turkish tobacco absolute, rockrose and labdanum echo ancient perfume accords.

The resulting scent is the aura of chicness swathed in silk.

RÊVE OPULENT

Restrained when it comes to extractions and other distillations, the gardenia gives little away.

A tenacious floral ensemble, with Egyptian jasmin and Indian Sambac jasmin together with essence of rose and its absolute, a touch of orange blossom, a trail of ylang ylang and a hint of Sri Lanka cinnamon become a dream of gardenia.

LUMIÈRE D’ÉPICES

Vibrant and sparkling, the fragrance opens a refreshing symphony of citrus notes. The bitterness of grapefruit, the blood orange zest and bergamot: awakening the heart, fresh as jasmine water, it is contagiously chic. With facets of roses and orange blossoms, it seems oxygenated, like fresh air. Indian sambac jasmine, with honeyed tones gives warmth together with orange blossom absolute, spices and dry woods. Muscat, clove and cedarwood bring this contemporary composition to life.

A distinctively elegant fragrance with a luminously vibrant bouquet

OMBRE MERCURE

Noble, powdery, feminine and rare, the scent unveils all the facets of a delicious woody iris. Formulated with the purest iris ‘butter’, this olfactive treat flirts furtively with a few petals of rose, ylang ylang and jasmine. This subtle blending gives it softness with the darkness of the patchouli forming the spine of this fragrant composition.

Intense, powerful and purring on the skin just like a feline, it reveals camphor-like vapours and a carnal instinct recalling mythical blends of the perfume world.

Vanilla, with a base of spicy benzoin, the iris in fusion with the patchouli reveals more femininity. This blend with accents of violet, reminiscent of loose powder, red lipstick and of the classic chypre blends, is especially designed for the passionate characters.

FLAGRANT DÉLICE

Thrillingly tempting, Flagrant Délice is infused with almond milk and sun-ripened fig. An alluring combination of modern materials with natural ingredients create a rich blend.

Instantly, the bitter almond essence gives a carnal hint with notes of bergamot and mandarin giving balance. In the heart, Mediterranean fig, with vegetal and milky accents enriched with red currants melting in tonka beans and white musk creates an enveloping magnetism.

Priced from £68, the Terry de Gunzburg Haute Parfumerie collection is available exclusively from Harrods from the 16th September 2012

I missed the Sigma brush hype a couple of years ago, because I was fixated instead on building a collection of Trish McEvoy brushes.  Nowadays, I’m skinter than a skint thing and I’ve come to the realistic conclusion that I’d be a moron not to reign my makeup budget in a little a lot.  I don’t drink, I don’t smoke and I don’t have any major hobbies that consume my monies so whilst I’m still totally commited to being buried with my makeup collection, I’m more open to the idea of not making myself destitute at the same time.

The Sigma range (some of them) have been renowned for offering great quality at a slightly lower price point and in particular, I was looking for a multi-tasking brush.  Step in the Sigma F84 Angled Top Kabuki Brush with its densely-packed head and stubby handle, I’ve found what I was looking for.

Creams, liquids and powders all work flawlessly with this brush which buffs the product firmly but gently onto the face.  The synthetic fibres withstand daily usage and wash like a dream, even if they do take a little longer than I’d like to dry.

The angled brush head makes light work of facial contours and allows me to work the product into every nook and cranny.  Not that my face has nooks and crannies just yet, but you know what I mean.  I also love the chunky handle which gives me maximum control over direction and pressure.

I’ve recently begun using it to apply my cream blushes, and it works great for that too – allowing me to really blend out the edges to give a polished finish.

The only problem I’ve encountered with the brush is that it basically has too many uses and I’m gonna need more than one.  Which kinda defeats my money-saving attitude somewhat no?

The Sigma f84 is available to buy online in the UK from Cocktail Cosmetics, priced at £14.95

If you’re looking to stock up on the classic Liz Earle cleanser – you know, the one that’s gathered a veritable army of fans since its launch 17 years ago – you might want to take a gander at the special edition which goes live on the website today.  Combining the original tried-and-tested formula with the aromatics of rose and lavender essential oils, it promises a relaxing cleansing experience.

This is all well and good, unless you’re anything like me, because by the time you drag your sorry self to the bathroom in search of a flannel, your main priority (other than emerging with a clean face) is not to fall asleep at the sink and drown yourself.

For the more alert among us, this could be just the thing to switch brain from day to night mode.  Or you could reach for it in the mornings and then BLAME the cleanser for everything you do wrong that day.  “Sorry, sorry!  Didn’t see your thumb there…. it’s this new cleanser, it’s the most relaxing thing ever and I keep accidentally washing my face with it in the mornings!”.  That would totally work for almost everything.

£2.00 from every product purchased will be donated to youth charity, The Princes Trust which aims to help provide support to young people looking for work, education and training.

The Liz Earle Rose and Lavender Special Edition Cleanse & Polish is available in a larger-than-usual 150ml pump and is priced at £19.75, available from today at Liz Earle Stores, the Customer Centre on  
01983 813913, lizearle.com, John Lewis, and on QVC

Today’s NOTD features a new shade from the China Glaze On Safari collection, it’s an unusual one for me to pick out to wear… warm-toned nudes are not my cup of tea, even though this one does actually look quite like a cup of tea.

Look.

Or as my ma would call it, “gnats piss”.

Ok, it’s not really very tea-like after all is it?  I got carried away with that one.  Still, it’s a pretty edgy choice for my tastes and I kinda like it.

The formula was good, better than CG’s summer offerings which were all-at-once watery and thick – this one applies smoothly with a good amount of pigmentation that provided full opacity in just two coats.

China Glaze Kalahari Kiss is available to buy instore at Sallys and online at BeautyBay.com, priced at £6.95

What do you make of the shade?  Would you wear it?

* press sample

Did you guess the mystery Vaseline flavour?  Well, most of us bloggers were spot-on with the scent, if not quite the name (the popular guess was “Pink Champagne”) but now I come to think about it, isn’t there extremely strict laws about calling something ‘champagne’ unless it actually is champagne from er, Champagne?

Anyway, what’s in a name?  A tin of goop that smells like sparkling booziness by any other name would still smell like a tin of sparkling booziness!  Or something.  Sorry Mr. Shakespeare.

While I’ve got your attention… you may remember my attempts at bettering the Vaseline tin for Pink Bubbly?  Well, I only bleedin’ went and won a weekend trip to Paris with £500 spending money didn’t I? *closes eyes tight and sprints on the spot*.

And not only that, but I get to offer the same prize package to one of YOU LOVELY LOT too!  Don’t worry, you don’t have to share the trip with me, I won’t cramp your style.

I’ll get back to you with further details on that just as soon as I have them.  But, yano, squeeee!

The Limited Edition Vaseline Lip Therapy Pink Bubbly tins go on sale today, exclusively at Selfridges priced at £3.49 while stocks last before rolling out nationwide at Boots and Superdrug.

Right, better go and put the lottery on then.

I don’t usually post information straight from press releases unless I find something to capture my imagnation and I think it’s safe to say, what with me being a tad red-lip obsessed and all, that not one two three four five but six new (and reformulated) red lip shades from Chanel was enough to turn my head!

So, you want to know more about these reds?

INCANDESCENTE (shown above): a flamboyant red with insolent radiance.
COROMANDEL: a luminous and precious orange-red.
PIRATE: an ultimate, slightly bluish red.
PALPITANTE: an exquisite shade of raspberry red.
PASSION (reformulated): a dazzling and absolutely glamorous red.
INIMITABLE: an intense, irresistible red with pearly reflections.

Be still my rapidly-beating heart.  But, where’s Dragon eh?

Of course, it’s not ALL about the reds (though when Chanel release six in one collection, you know you’re gonna be seeing a lot of RED this season), for swatches and more information – may I please point you in the direction of the inimitable Cafe Makeup who can make me drool over a swatch on a piece of paper like no other.  Go on, you know you want a new lip lemming to ease you into Autumn.

Dare you.

Shade from the new Chanel Rouge Allure collection are priced at £25 each and are available to buy online and on counter nationwide.

I don’t have quite the owl fascination that I know many people share but I can’t fail to appreciate a pretty design when I see one and this owl-inspired eyeshadow set is sure to get many of you hooting (groan – sorry).

The eyeshadow palette from the M&S Limited Collection features five neutral shades, and one flash of bold colour in the form of a jewel-toned blue.  All shades are shimmery, but is it a case of style over content when it comes to usability and value for money?  Or should you be owl over it before it flies from the shelves? (sorry, SORRY!)

The packaging is lovely, a substantial cardboard design reminiscent of many popular palettes featuring some extremely cute owl motifs on the front.  There’s no obvious mention of M&S as a brand, the packaging alludes simply to the Limited Collection rather than the shop where you buy your comfiest knickers.

Under the lid sits a generous, distortion-free mirror and six eyeshadow pans, each featuring a cut-out owl design.  These cutouts prove to be a little tricky when it comes to accessing the eyeshadow and I imagine that the sharp edges will begin to look fairly worn shortly after the initial use.  The palette comes complete with a sponge applicator… an actual brush wouldn’t have gone amiss when you have six shades to work from.

The textures are quite hard and sadly, I achieved little to no pigment from the top left shade, which on paper, was easily my favourite.  Taupe anyone?  The other shades deliver better results, some only marginally.  Swatches coming right up…

As previously stated, the top left shade is no bueno – don’t buy the palette because you think you’ve fallen in love with a new pretty taupe, you’ll be disappointed.  The remaining two shades on the top row are also a bit of a let-down.  They’re patchy and unpigmented for such strong colours (the swatch shows two swipes for each) – workable, but they make you graft to get a result.

The bottom row, however, tells a different tale.  All three shadows sitting across the lower half of the palette are quite delightful.  Rich in colour, smooth to apply and softly shimmering without any chunks of glitter.  The highlighter on the bottom right in particular is a very pretty warm champagne which will open up the eye area beautifully.

Ultimately?  Unless you absolutely must have it because you’re batshit crazy about owls, you don’t need this palette.  The shades are infinitely dupable in better formulas on the high street and because of the underwhelming performance of those top three shades, it just doesn’t offer value for money.

If you are a bit of an owl-obsessive, who cares what the shadows are like because let’s face it – you’re probably just going to stroke the box anyway.

M&S Limited Collection Shadow is available to buy instore and online at M&S, priced at £7.50

* press sample

Don’t hit me.  I’m not about to start my Christmas gift lists… but if you are the kind of sick puppy who’s so damn organised that they’ve already budgeted, drawn up initial Christmas lists, and scoured the loft for last year’s leftover Christmas cards, you might quite like this potential gift idea.

From September 16th, Harrods are holding an exclusive event in partnership with Guerlain, featuring renowned calligrapher Paul Antonio.  The above image shows the original Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire bottle, alongside a trio of alternative “little black dresses” which will be featured on limited-edition bottles of the brand’s freshly re-worked fragrance, known as “Ma (my) Petite Robe Noire”.

Simply choose which of the three dresses matches your (or your lucky gift recipient’s) taste in evening wear and have the limited-edition bottle personalised with their name or initials.  The perfect fusion for a fragrance-loving fashionista!

The complementary calligraphy sessions will be available only on the following dates:

Friday 21st September: 16.00 – 20.00
Saturday 22nd September: 14.30 – 18.30
Sunday 23rd September: 14.30 – 18.30
Friday 28th September: 16.00 – 20.00
Saturday 29th September: 14.30 – 18.30

If you’d like to read my review of Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire, please click through to this page to hear my thoughts on the fragrance.

Over the last couple of months, I’ve come to rely on a handful of products to see me through the times when the majority of my makeup and skincare have been inaccessible, buried deep in the depths of a cardboard box.  A mis-labeled cardboard box as it happens.  I didn’t take much time over thinking about which cosmetics I’d like to keep close by me during the moving process.  To be honest, I thought that I would have everything unpacked within the week.  Naive.

If I’d thought more about which products I was going to keep available, I probably wouldn’t have chosen this one.  I assumed that it would be far too sheer for me, too much like an insipid lipgloss.

I was wrong.

Pixi Succulent Lip Twin in Poppy, as it turns out, is a rather wearable red that doubles-up as both a lip and cheek product.  It packs a decent amount of pigment whilst remaining a long-way from being an in your face red.  The Lip Twin comprises a squeezy tube of sheer-to-medium pigmented ‘goop’, suspended in a jojoba oil-infused formula that doesn’t feel sticky.  You could wear the ‘gloss’ part alone, adding just a hint of colour to your lips – but I prefer to use the balm initially to amp-up the pigmentation.

When it comes to cheek application, I actually prefer to use the ‘gloss’ part on my cheeks, the balm delivers a little too much pigmentation for my fair skin.

The trouble with a great red lipstick will always lie with the upkeep, the most difficult colour to maintain and once it starts looking bad, it lookds *really* bad.  The Pixi Succulent Lip Twin in Poppy Red makes a great multi-tasking casual red to tote around in your handbag, making on-the-go maintenance a doddle, which is just as well because longevity (at around 2/3 hours) isn’t its strong point.

Pixi Succulent Lip Twin in Poppy Red is available to buy online at pixibeauty.co.uk, priced at £12.00

* press sample

Question of the Week: – What compelled you to start a beauty blog?

Answer : – I was 8 months pregnant when I started Lipglossiping.com, basically desperate to find someone, anyone to talk to about frivolity.  Due to pregnancy complications, I hadn’t been able to get ‘out and about’, taking photographs as I once would have done for my old blog and putting all my makeup on (well, not ALL of it – but you know…), taking a photo, blogging it, and then taking it off again seemed like a fabulous way to spend my last few weeks of pregnancy.  But then I got a bit addicted to it.

Gouldylox Reviews – I shouldn’t be surprised by how much I’m enjoying Makeup Geek’s eyeshadows, but I can’t get enough of the subtle pop of color in the form of mythical creatures

Lipglossiping – muses over iconic British store Liberty’s foray into the world of bodycare.

Nouveau Cheap – is no longer an Inglot virgin! She finally broke down and purchased some eyeshadows, but did they actually live up to the hype? Come find out.

Pink Sith – manages to work five Eric Carmen songs into her review of the Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Eyeshadow # 27. That’s gotta be some kind of record.

Prime Beauty – takes a look at the new permanent lip collection from Laura Mercier.  Smooth Créme Lip Colour debuts with 18 natural, semi-lustrous shades!

Phyrra – says OCC Nylon Lip Tar is very flattering on her. She compares it to several other bright lipsticks.

we heart this – the coverage of a lipstick, the feel of the balm, the fabulosity of none other; we’ve got swatches of all 16 Too Faced La Crème Lip Creams.

Beauty Junkies Unite – Become enamoured with the worldly colors from the MAC Styleseeker Collection after this review & swatches!

Clumps of Mascara – loves teddy bears. But she loves Too Faced’s Teddy Bear Hair Professional Brush Set even more. These are soem beautifully durable makeup brushes!

EauMG – Read Victoria’s B-A-N-A-N-A-S review of LUSH Ladyboy EDP!

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Gouldylox – My favorite blog right now is Hair Romance, the Australia-based hair blog about falling in love with your hair. Christina not only tells you which products are working, but shows you with beautiful photography exactly how to re-create them on your own.

If you blog, what inspired you to start?