A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’ve been wearing a lot of kohl lately, reaching over my usual liquid liners in favour of a smudgier, more deconstructed look than normal.  This Summer, Clarins have released one of the most-beautiful-to-hold kohl liners that I’ve ever used.  The Clarins Kohl Kajal promises a soft, creamy texture that’s both deeply-pigmented and delivers a long-lasting formula.

I know that there are many different methods of applying kohl kajal and I tend to hold the larger-than-normal nib horizontally, running it along the lower waterline back and forth to build pigmentation before squeezing my eyes shut and hoping for a good amount of transfer to the top lashline!  I’ve never really been able to simultaneously run the nib along both upper and lower lashlines.  At least, not without my eyes watering.

The beauty of kohl is that its softness really delivers product into the base of the lashes, making them appear thicker and giving your eyes greater definition.  The Clarin’s version allows great manouverability with the application thanks to the cleverly designed packaging, you can tell I’m digging the packaging right?

It’s not all good stuff though as this doesn’t deliver enough pigmentation to make me delirious with joy.  Although quickly buildable, if you do the transfer method of application like me, you’ll be squinting like nobody’s business in an attempt to increase the depth of colour.  This does make it more suitable for work-appropriate looks but I do like a bit of inky blackness from my kohls!

The formula smudges easily (in a good way) but resists migration down my face admirably despite the warmer weekend weather.  I wouldn’t say that it ever fully “set” on my eyes (I was able to go back in and blend out further an hour later) but it remained on my waterline for a good few hours and between my lashes for the entire day.  It’s perhaps the perfect solution if you’re looking for a subtler version of the Indian kohl pencils.

Clarins Kohl Kajal is available to buy on counter and online at Clarins.com, priced at £15.00

* press sample

I first came acros the Ginvera brand about 5 years ago after they’d released their Marvel Gel onto the UK scene and were exhibiting at The Vitality Show, I remember being so thoroughly intrigued by the idea of Asian beauty products, and I supposed it contributed to the interest that led me (a couple of years later) to discovering beauty blogs such as A Touch of Blusher and Cosmetic Candy.

Following on from their blackhead-busting Marvel Gel is this, the Singaporean brand’s BB Cream.  It comes in a single shade, designed to suit all skintones <insert raised eyebrow here. and leave it there>.  It promises a fine-textured finish with SPF30 PA++ sun protection, good concealing strength and all day hydration from ingredients including: green tea, ginseng, chinese angelica and hyaluronic acid.

It’s priced at around £20 for 25ml, making it ml for ml, one of the more expensive BB Creams that I’ve tried to date.  The packaging is simple and unfussy, it doesn’t present more luxury than the other BB Creams that I’ve owned in the past.  Whilst I’m on the subject of the packaging, mine does that horribly frustrating thing of continuing to dispense product long after you’ve stopped squeezing, I need to hurry to pop the lid back on to avoid wastage which isn’t always easy when you’ve got a blob of newly-squeezed BB Cream on your fingertips/back of hand.

Packaging issue aside, the texture is really quite sublime.  True to its word, it feels lightweight and finely-textured.  Many Asian BB Creams are quite thick and take considerable rubbing-in to even out the finish, this one glides on and blends effortlessly.

The shade is about 1 shade darker than my summer skintone, I’d say that it’s a NW20/25 as a rough estimate… this is obviously NOT suitable for all skintones, if you’re darker than an NW30, you’ll struggle.  I’m currently inbetween an NW15/20 and you’ll be able to see a little later how well it fared once blended on my pale skin.  As for the tone, it has the signature grey-ish cast that I personally love in a BB Cream for disguising my redness but I felt that although this faded somewhat after warming up on my skin, those with warmer skintones probably won’t appreciate the ashiness.

As an all-in-one solution, it didn’t fully work for me.  I still needed to prime my skin with additional moisturiser to keep any dry bits feeling comfortable, though it certainly didn’t contribute to any additional dryness.  I also felt that the Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream lasted well on the more oily areas of my skin with minimal migration and good longevity.  Coverage was also impressive, though any spots would still need additional concealing.

Overall, I was happy with how it performed but for the (slightly higher than average) price tag, I’d prefer additional refinement and for it to be more compatible with my personal skin needs.  If you’re a normal/combination, mid-toned girl who wants something with medium coverage and no-fuss application, I highly recommend that you check it out.  The broad spectrum SPF30 may well make this a fabulous choice for your Summer holidays this year.

The Ginvera Green Tea Nude Cover BB Cream is available to purchase online from Janiro.co.uk and instore at Harvey Nichols, priced at £20.00

* press sample

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve brought home a new foundation, only for the cold light of day to reveal a complete shade mismatch.  If you’re contemplating your next foundation purchase, you may also want to contemplate giving Findation a try.  Findation is a new website (still currently in the beta stage), whose aim is to match you with your perfect shade across the entire range of foundations on the market.

Ambitious?  Of course, but makeup lovers everywhere know the worth of something that offers such a useful resource, Temptalia’s incredible Foundation Matrix has been helping women across the internet find suitable base-matches for a while now.

In order to grow an accurate and responsive database, the Findation website needs your help.  Simply log on and enter all the foundation matches that you know (don’t guess!) are a good match for your skintone, this will help develop the algorithm that will be used to (hopefully) eventually be able to give the user an accurate match across ALL foundations just by them entering in their current foundation shade.  Clever huh?

You can follow Findation on Twitter (@findation) and Facebook to receive updates about when the website concludes its beta testing stage – in the meantime, spread the word!

Do you struggle to find a match for your skintone?

I thought I’d start swatching the China Glaze Summer Neons collection with my favourite (at least from just looking at the bottles): Pink Plumeria*.  It’s a bright coral which definitely leans more towards the pink side of the spectrum, making it an excellent choice for those of us who might usually struggle with the warmth in traditional coral shades.  Pink Plumeria, to my eye at least, carries a really subtle duochrome – I’m not sure if this is intended, or is simply a result of the golden shimmer packed within.

You can see on the nail tips, there’s definitely more golden tones than toward the base of the nail bed.  The formula on this one was ok… a bit prone to pooling, so definitely paint this one on in thinner strokes.  This is going to be such a lovely pedicure shade too, I’m feeling the love for this one!

China Glaze Pink Plumeria is available to buy instore from Sallys or online at RadiantBabe-Beauty, priced from £6.75

* press sample

Question of the Week: – What’s your current favorite hand cream?

Answer:- Hand Cream is one of those boring but necessary items if you abuse your cuticles as much as I do.  My favourite hasn’t changed over the past twelve or so months and I’m still loving the All for Eve Hand Cream by Urban Retreat. It’s rich but non-greasy and does the job without making me sell a kidney to pay for it.  I wouldn’t usually link to Ocado (oh, the glamour!) but a google search revealed that’s it’s currently on sale there for £4.50, that’s 40% off if you happen to be doing your food shop online this weekend!

On with the links!  Check out the last entry for a new Lipstick League feature, the choice of which (I’m honoured to say) fell to me this week!

Lipglossiping – finds her new ‘darling’ in the form of Darling Diva’s Space Beetle Nail Polish.

Nouveau Cheap – Can a $1 eyeshadow from the dollar store really deliver bold color and pigmentation…even without primer? Come find out!

Pink Sith – has pretty pink nails of steel thanks to the peptide infused nail lacquers from Dermelect Cosmeceuticals.

Prime Beauty – says all tinted moistuizers are NOT created equal. Keep from having a makeup meltdown this summer with  NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30.

Vampy Varnish – Kinda digs the new Benefit Ultra Plush Glosses.

we heart this – Are you one of the many that have pondered whether RevitaLash really works? See for yourself with the we heart this review complete with Before and After Photographs!

Beauty Junkies Unite – Did you know that Benefit is launching 6 new ULTRA PLUSH lip glosses next month that correspond with their famous box o’ blushes? See the review, swatches, and comparisons of CORALista, Dallas, and Sugarbomb!

Clumps of Mascara – is giving away an epilator. Brace yourself for this one, gals…

EauMG – It’s officially summer! And if you’re looking for a new summer fragrance to add to your wardrobe, you may be interested in this one by Atelier Cologne.

Gouldylox Reviews – discovers the Good, the Bad and the Wet. Or really, just the good and the wet.

Guest Post of the Week, as chosen by Lipglossiping – Drivel about Frivol: My Minimalism: Looks

Have a great weekend everyone!

…but most of the time, I take the photos – write the post, upload the photos, think “job done”, click preview and then wonder why the hell I bothered.  Today is one of those days.

I would blame the camera, the lighting, the mis-calibration of your monitor… but the truth is, my face absorbs colour.  Unless of course, I wear a shade from one of my Sleek palettes which seem to encourage my chemistry to saturate the colour to the max, turning me into some kind of deformed caricature of myself.

Grumbles aside, and seeing as this was intended to be a FOTD post, I’d better get on and list the products just as I would for any other FOTD post… who cares if you can’t actually see them right?

Face

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #2
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW15
Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX03

Cheeks

Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer*

Eyes

Trish McEvoy Glaze Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz
Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara
Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black*

Lips

Clinique Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange*

I’m liking the MAC Studio Fix more than I thought.  It’s a little drying and perhaps a touch too matte for me but I mix in some Fluid Sheer to give it a boost of luminescence and I’m quite enjoying it.  The Kevyn Aucoin SSE is starting to work for me now that I’m using it to conceal rather than as a fuller-coverage foundation – though I am still determined to work out how to get full-face coverage from it.  I received the Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer last year and it’s a sheerer formula which is quite forgiving despite my pale skintone, it has a subtle sparkle and is quite buildable.  I’m not the best at applying/blending bronzer though… consider me still a bit of a bronzer noob.

The eyes were the most disappointing aspect of today’s look.  The Trish McEvoy shadow I bought for my palette, although a beautiful colour didn’t create much impact – which to be honest, is fair enough – it is intended to be a sheer wash of beautiful rosy taupe… nothing too dramatic, it’s my fault for not bothering with a contour.  I’m sitting on the fence when it comes to the MUFE Smoky Lash mascara, I know that many of you swear by it and although it’s certainly quite impressive at creating some drama, I feel that it’s a little prone to clumping and I don’t like the way it makes my lashes feel.  Finally, the Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black seemed to look more ‘dramatic plum’ on my waterline… perhaps it’s those sleepless nights finally showing through!

The one component of today’s FOTD that I thought I’d be indifferent about (sheer lip colours – “meh”), I ended up really liking.  The Clinique Chubby Stick is such a nice formula to wear and for me to reach for it, well… perhaps I was feeling more ‘subtle’ than I was letting-on!  You won’t see a huge amount of colour with this range but the Oversized Orange gives my lips a nice polish and a hint of warmth.

What’s your favourite product that you’re sporting today?

* indicates press samples

Do I feel a faint glow of warmth on the back of my neck?  Could it be that Summer is attempting to at least play a bit part in our lives this year?  I won’t hold my breath to be honest, so while I can see a bit of blue inbetween the clouds, I’m gonna make the most of it.

There’s no better way of injecting some summer lovin’ into your routine than with skittle-licious nails in the shape of China Glaze’s Summer Neons collection*.

Twelve shades of super-vibrant colour in that Summer-staple neon formula.  Have we seen these before?  Probably – but those hot corals never fail to make me smile, no matter how many times they come around.  Individual finger swatches coming soon!

* press sample

… this cracking Elemis deal pops up from FeelUnique.com

Priced at £75 – the set includes eight full-sized Elemis products (and not the stuff off the back of the shelf that no-one else wants either!):

Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 50ml
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash 200ml
Elemis Exotic Cream Moisturising Mask 50ml
Elemis Exotic Frangipani Monoi Moisture Melt 100ml
Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel 50ml
Elemis Sp@Home Skin Nourishing Milk Bath 400ml
Elemis Sp@Home Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream 100ml

and just so that you can get away with the purchase….

Elemis Men Anti-Ageing Time Defence Wrinkle Delay 50ml

I’ve never seen quite such a value-for-money deal on the British brand, though obviously, the £75 outlay is still considerable.  However, if you’re looking to give your skincare routine a major overhaul for the Summer, this has your name written all over it.  I’d personally recommend applying (and sleeping in) the moisturising mask directly after removing the Papaye Enzyme Peel – I do this twice a week and it’s keeping my normally dry skin both well-exfoliated and moisturised.

I’d imagine stocks on this one to be pretty limited.

Elemis FeelUnique.com Exclusive Hero Collection, priced at £75.00 with a £300+ value from FeelUnique.com

Do you remember the times when men used to stick “go faster” stripes on their cars in an attempt to make them look less like Ford Cortinas and more like racing super-engines?  Those were the (halcyon) days: no seatbelts (more fatalities), no power steering (more achy arms), and no moulded bumpers (remember when the metal ones used to fall off?!)

So, what happened?  Well… technology inevitably improved and manufacturers kept up with the times.  Men, on the other hand?  They still love a Ferrari key fob to complement their Honda Civic, and if you look closely, the stripes have just been replaced by LED running lights, the flashiest of alloys, and a stainless steel gearstick knob.

But what if your fella takes the bus to work on a Monday morning?  What if he can’t just jump in his S-Class (with its top speed of 155mph), cruising down the motorway trying to avoid the lure of Starbucks at each service station he passes.  What about him huh?  Spare a thought.

Or maybe spare a few pennies instead and indulge his taste for all things automotive with the latest fragrance from Mercedes-Benz.

The company’s first foray into the world of fragrance promises a fresh, yet refined olfactory experience combining: bergamot and mandarin with a heart of violet, an aquatic freshness from the cascalone molecule (think GA’s Acqua di Gio) with spices including bourbon pepper, nutmeg and galbanum, before descending into the tried-and-tested woody base note mix.

This isn’t a review, I haven’t sniffed at the bottle…. consider this a friendly heads up.  For the man who has everything.  Except a driving license.

Available exclusively at Harrods, priced from £48 for 75ml

Heal Gel.  The most visually uninspiring product to land on my desk, ever.  Except – perhaps more than most – as beauty lovers, we should understand that looks can be deceiving, and if my instincts on a product’s efficacy serve me well, this unassuming little jar contains something not unlike a miracle.  Yeah, you heard me.  I don’t mince my words when it comes to my reviews, but you’ll rarely hear me call something out as a skin saviour.

Boring isn’t it?  But when compared to some of the flash self-proclaimed “miracle” creams on the market, this one actually appears to have some potency.

I put a shout out on Twitter to ask for recommendations on products that might help to improve the appearance of my daughter’s scar.  She picked the scab that had healed over a scratch back in February and it had, in return, left her with a slightly red dent on her cheek.  It wasn’t the most noticeable thing in the world, but on her completely flawless canvas – it was a shame.  Thankfully, over time and with generous moisturising with calendula cream – the colour in the scab calmed and returned to match her skin-colouring, the dent however, remained.

I genuinely didn’t think that there would be any topical product that would help this situation, I mean… if there really were something that could ‘plump’ the skin up enough to fill a dent (and do it permanently), that stuff would already be holy grail for every single woman on the planet (and probably cost a bajillion pounds) right?  The good people on Twitter suggested lots of things and home remedies that I’d already tried – the most popular being Bio Oil, something that I’ve used in the past and didn’t personally feel achieved much compared to how lauded it is in the beauty community.

The PR for Heal Gel* asked if I wanted to try a sample of the product which is used to treat post-operative scarring, keloid scars, blemishes and aged scar tissue.  My interest was piqued, on paper – it fits the bill but I was unsure, because it’s one thing testing products out on myself but I don’t feel comfortable trying samples on my daughter.  I googled to find out more about Heal Gel and had a DM from a fellow blogger with much more skincare nouse than me who had seen the tweet and suggested that it might actually work.

Well, it worked.  I think.

I applied a tiny amount directly to the dent, three times a day and within 3 weeks of application, I started to notice that when my daughter turned her head, the light that reflected in the dent was looking more shallow than it had previously.  It’s really hard to quantify a change that, to be quite honest, is minimal.  I have to trust my instincts somewhat that it’s not a placebo effect but both myself and my husband agree that overall, the scarring is looking flatter and can only really be noticed now when she angles her head into the light.

I feel that perhaps this is something that would have happened in good time.  She’s young, has plenty of collagen and good skin elasticity but I also believe that my use of Heal Gel accelerated the natural healing process.  I commented on Twitter that I thought I was seeing good results… but I wasn’t entirely sure about writing a post extolling it’s virtues – I didn’t want anyone to go rushing out to spend their pennies on this stuff based on my reccomendations without something just a little more tangible.  I started to use Heal Gel on my own aged surgery scars, and crossed my fingers.

That was only a week ago, not enough time to notice any difference in the slightest.

So why am I writing my review now?  Well, I got sunburned on Sunday morning, walking around the car-boot sale.  I’d SPF’ed my face to the max and completely ignored my chest, clever no?  Combined with a stiff breeze I really didn’t feel the effects until I sat back in the car and felt the tell-tale stinging sensation that tells me I’ve over-done it.  Bugger.  Until I remembered the Heal Gel sat in my desk at home and I formulated a cunning plan!
I would treat one half of my *cough* burnt bosom *cough* with my usual aftersun solution of Aloe Vera gel and the other, with the Heal Gel.  Within 24 hours, I’d found a good enough reason to trust my initial instincts.  Look!

I’m half proud of my ingenuity at trying to deliver some tangible results with the product, and half mortified that I’ve basically flashed my boobs in my leopard-print cami (don’t try and pretend you didn’t notice the cami) on the fucking internet.  Go me!

I’ll leave you with this thought…  If it takes five leading British plastic and cosmetic surgeons only three years to perfect the formula for Heal Gel.  Why is it taking me longer than thirty years to remember to sun-protect my chest in the first place?  Shameful.

Heal Gel is priced at £33.50 for 30ml and can be purchased online from Victoria Health and Cult Beauty.  It’s also available instore at Liberty.

* press sample

** for an ingredient list and more scientific information than I’m able to provide, click through to either Victoria Health or Cult Beauty for more information, the Heal Gel website is a little sparse at the moment!

OH HAI MOST PRETTY POLISH IN THE WORLD.  WHERE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

You know, it’s funny.  The nail polish community online have been crying out for moar holos, moar party glitters, and moar duochromes from the industry leaders for a few years now.  We haven’t really seen anything significant come from these requests and so something very interesting has happened… the rule of the indie/franken brigade is now upon us!  You might still be looking to OPI, China Glaze, Zoya et al to see where the polish trends are heading, and if so… you’re looking in the wrong place.

Get. on. Etsy.

I picked up this Darling Diva Polish in Space Beetle a few weeks ago and it’s the most beautiful colour-shifting holographic that I own.  Ok, it might be the only one, whatever – I don’t have a 9359435 billion nail polishes (well, not quite).

Ain’t she beautiful?  Trust me, she’s even better in sunlight.

I know that she’s been compared to Dollish Polish’s Toxic Avenger… of which, I know very little about – so I’m just going to take this polish on its own merits and tell you why you need to go and buy it.  I don’t think it’s going to be a tough job to be honest.

Space Beetle is a linear holographic-slash-duochrome that’s absolutely packed with prismatic bounty.  The highlights flash the most delightful candyfloss pink which is what makes this so unique.  The swatches show the polish applied over a bare nail, two coats – both of which, applied faultlessly.

I haven’t tried layering it yet, but I can’t wait – I’m curious to see what effect those pink flashes have on a variety of base colours.

Darling Diva Polish Space Beetle (£7.86) is available to buy online from the Darling Diva Polish Etsy shop which ships internationally.  I have my beady eye on Ceylon next (I’m a sucker for a Periwinkle!)

Question of the Week: – What higher-end product(s) in your beauty arsenal do you consider absolutely splurge-worthy?

Answer:- I’m currently having a love affair with my Chanel Illusion d’Ombre eyeshadows, probably the most perfect cream formula I’ve tried and well worth the splurge over high-street alternatives.  The other thing in my makeup bag that JUMPS out at me is my Guerlain Meteorite Perles – love, love, love for that illuminated-yet-never sparkly skin finish.

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Krasey Beauty – Krasey Beauty waxes poetically, literally, about the new Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow Pencils.

Lipglossiping – gets her tongue in a twist with the pronunciation of a well-known French beauty brand!

Nouveau Cheap – Whether you like your bronzers and highlighters matte or full of sparkle, the latest releases from NYX have got you covered.

Pink Sith – tries out Marc Anthony’s (no that THAT Marc Anthony) Dream Waves Amplifying Collection and she get’s beautiful beachy waves and curls as a result!

Phyrra – brings you the best bright hair from Premiere Beauty.

Vampy Varnish – loves the new LORAC Wild For TANtalizer collection and thinks you will as well!

we heart this – From clear pits to coral tips, see what Glam.com predicts will be the hottest products for summer.

Beauty Junkies Unite – If you’re tired of your eyeshadow creasing or disappearing, then you will not want to miss these long-wearing 12HR waterproof cream eyeshadow pencils that Amber reviewed from Milani Cosmetics!

Clumps of Mascara – reviews Maybelline BB Dream Fresh. This, lovelies, is a ginormous deal since very few BB creams come in shades for women of color. Yay for this one!

EauMG – Victoria reviews a creamy, dreamy white floral perfume by Annick Goutal.

Gouldylox Reviews – Is still learning how to manage her now long hair. This week was a major FAIL. Here’s why.

What higher-end product(s) in your beauty arsenal do you consider absolutely splurge-worthy?