A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I love new foundations, there’s nothing like peering at a shiny, unopened tube of foundation and just allowing yourself to imagine for a few minutes that this will be the one.  The one that never makes you want to stray to another.  The one that makes you look well-rested, flawless and smoother than a baby’s bottom.

This ain’t the one.  But it does come pretty darn close.

MyFace Cosmetics MyMix Foundation in Fair 01 is a brilliant colour match for my skintone, lucky that, seeing as it’s the lightest they do.  Although the packaging isn’t very pretty, it’s incredibly useful as I discovered trying to pack my travel makeup bag last weekend.  I didn’t have much room, I was only away for a single evening and wanted to be able to fit everything into a large handbag (clothes and all).  This thin tube happily slipped into a gap and for that, my shoulders were very grateful.

The texture is thin, but not watery.  Light, but still substantial enough to feel like you’re applying product.

It’s not for people who want to cover severe blemishes and breakouts (I guess we’re supposed to use concealer for that anyway), and I wouldn’t describe this as a ‘going out’ foundation but this does make the most perfect daytime foundation.  The foundation you want to not let you down under scrutiny, stand in some bright light and you’re not going to be shamed by this clinging to every fine hair on your face.  It’s not going to highlight any little dry patches and it won’t sit in your pores.  It won’t give you full coverage either.  MyMix Foundation is potent enough on my skin to give it a gloss over that lies somewhere inbetween a tinted moisturiser and a medium-cover foundation.  It disguises blotchiness, tones down redness (but doesn’t eliminate it) and gently smoothes over dodgy skin texture without hiding it completely.

On a good skin day, this will make you look flawless.  On a rubbish skin day, you will need some extra work and on an average Monday morning, you’ll be so pleased with how effortlessly this blends and makes you look human again, you’ll be singing its praises till lunchtime.

So, why is it not my Holy Grail?  Well, partially, I don’t think I really want to give anything that status because what if the next best thing is lurking just around the corner?  But mostly, I’d just love a tiny hint more coverage from it.  Not too much because that would probably ruin the magic.  Just a hair.

Oh, I forgot to mention that this stuff lasts really well on my combination skin too, a bit of slip on the nose by lunchtime but massively admirable for what is, after all, a ‘drugstore’ foundation.  If your skin is prone to oiliness, you may need to combine with a primer to get the best results.

Let me finish with some more photos, I’ve been a bit wordy!

What do you think?  Have you tried the MyFace Cosmetics MyMix Foundation and does it offer enough coverage for you?

MyFace Cosmetics MyMix Foundation is priced at £12.99 and available instore and online at Boots.com

What is it?

Vegan nail brand, SpaRitual have released a Cancer Awareness Collection of nail polishes comprising three absolutely beautiful pink shades.  Knowledge, Strength and Clarity sparkle, shimmer and shine in the best ways possible: A holographic pink glitter, a solid pink glitter and a pink foil with golden shimmer.  Amazing.

How much is it?

The shades are priced at £8.50 each

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

20% of all proceeds from the sale of these three shades will be donated to CancerSchmancer, a U.S. based charity focused on supporting early cancer detection.

How do I get it?

SpaRitual’s In Pink collection is available to buy online in the UK from sparitual.co.uk

~ Phyrra disseminates this month’s Independent Spotlight about the darkly delightful Distorria and Detrivore Cosmetics!

~ Love all things Urban Decay? Check out their 15th anniversary palette, at Krasey Beauty!

~ Excited for October 31st? Musicalhouses shows you her Halloween cobweb nails and her Halloween red and black eye look!

~ Do you have all you need to complete your fall nail wardrobe? Polish Insomniac breaks down the FingerPaints Fall Fashionista Collection.

~ A beauty junkie in London shares what’s in her travel make-up bag.

~ The Beauty Spot goes for a very untraditional Disney inspired look!

~ Mehak from Peachesandblush has over fifty MAC lipsticks swatched on her blog. Which one do you love?

~ Benefit Cosmetics is launching a false lash range, and Addicted to Beauty can’t decide which of the 9 styles she likes most.

~ Jonesing to buy loads of new makeup without the wallet to back up your wants? Gouldylox suggests checking out this 27 piece kit that is actually worth it.

~ Miss Beauty Nerd discovers three new lip balms almost good enough to eat (as her kitten will attest)!

~ Looking for silicone-free hair products? Tracy at Beauty Reflections finds a great silicone-free hair serum, PHYTO Phytokératine Serum!

~ Sherrie from Mirror, Mirror On The Wall Reviews Elemis’s New Melting Cleansing Gel.

~ theNotice: a beauty blog just turned four – and Rae’s hosting four colour-coded week-long giveaways to celebrate. Check out this week’s nude giveaway to win five tubes of her favourite lipstick formula!

~ Anita is celebrating 200,000 pageviews by giving away a gorgeous Laura Geller blush over at Pleasureflush!

I know, I know… I should save it for next week right?  But I have a week of baking ahead of me and if I do that, I’ll have forgotten about the Apple Pie that I made this evening.  I love Apple Pie but it’s strictly off limits for me at the moment.  Poor Mr L had a particularly nasty dentist encounter on Thursday so I thought I’d cheer him up with his absolute favouritest treat in the world.

First of all, I need to tell you.  Forget about the pastry, it’s not even mine.  My Mum brought me back some ready-made French pastry rolls in the Summer and they’ve been sitting in the freezer ever since.  Yes, they were puff – I know, I’ve broken about a billion Apple Pie rules already but I don’t like waste and I couldn’t be bothered to make my own tough, not-very-nice shortcrust at gone 11pm at night.

Anyway, if you can’t be bothered either, you can buy ready rolled pastry sheets too, shortcrust or puff.  Don’t let anyone judge you.

Anyway, do you want to know the secret to making awesome pies?  It’s this.  An enamel plate.  All my pies are made on these things – apple, meat, cheese and potato… you name it, it’s been made on an enamel plate.  They cost around £2.00 and my favourite ones are made by a company called Gelert.  You need one, trust me – no more soggy bottoms.

Anyway, the Apple Pie you see in that there picture up there, goes a little something like this.

1.  Preheat your (fan) oven to 170 degrees celsius

2. Peel and core the apples before dicing them into 1/2″ square cubes.

3. Over a low heat, gently stew the apples, sugar, ginger and sultanas until the apples are just tender and you’ve created a rich, thick syrup from the sugar.  Combine well.

4. Grease and flour your pie plate to prevent sticking and lay down your first sheet of pastry into the plate, pressing gently with your knuckle to ensure there are no gaps between the plate and your pie base.

5.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apple mixture into your pie plate, you won’t want to use all the syrup.

6. Gently lay your top pastry sheet over the plate and fold the edges of the top pastry layer under the bottom layer and press gently into the plate edge to seal.  If you don’t like a thick crust, you can trim the edges before doing this.

7. Poke a few air vents into the top of the pie with a fork and sprinkle with sugar before placing in the oven and baking for around 40 minutes.

Enjoy!

What is it?

The GREAT LIPS, GREAT CAUSE KEY RING features a heart-shaped ribbon charm, Clinique “C” charm and three mini Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 glosses in best selling Clearly Pink, Air Kiss and Cabana Crush.

How much is it?

It’s priced at £15.00

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

From every purchase made in the UK, £2 will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

How do I get it?

Currently available from Clinique counters at Boots while stocks last.

My little girl Leila loves watching me polish my nails, she loves lining up my bottles along the carpet… organising them by shape, colour and height.  She makes me nail polish trains and loves nothing better than picking out my next shade.  With that in mind, you can imagine the ridiculous amount of delight on her face when I presented her with her own set of nail polishes*.  No?

Well, here’s an idea…

I’ve never painted Leila’s nails before.  Aside from the politics about whether or not children should wear cosmetics, I’ve just never felt comfortable applying solvents to those tiny little fingers.  Hell, all I need to do is look at my own peeling, yellow nails to discover more than one supporting reason why I’m keeping my polishes locked in my cabinet when I’m not around.

But Little BU make nail polish especially for little fingers with a non-toxic, water-based, solvent-free formula.  The brainchild of Patricia Dente Haimes, a former New York beauty publicist — these formulas have spent a long time in careful development and are now ready to be unveiled to the world.

I’ve tried a water-based polish before but I found it an utter pain to apply.  Streaky, watery and sheer to the point of frustration.  In Little BU’s case, I can confirm that both the shades Emma (red) and Sofia (dark purple) are opaque in a single coat and when you’re trying to paint a moving target, that comes in very handy.

Kyra (luminescent silver) wasn’t quite so successful, mostly because Leila decided she didn’t like it and wasn’t going to afford me even thirty seconds of the patience needed to apply it, but I could tell that it was sheerer than the other two shades.  Over on the right in the above photo is the top coat.  It’s not an absolute necessity if you’re just having afternoon play but I do recommend it for sealing the colour to the nails so it doesn’t wash off too easily in soapy water.

Leila has already requested that I might like to buy her Olivia (soft blue) and Riley (bubblegum pink) and I’m sure I can stretch to those for her Christmas stocking but until then she’s rocking red toenails, just like her Mum.

Little BU are having a launch party in Harrods on Saturday 15th October from 2pm – 6pm.  It’s set to be a proper knees-up with mini manicures, face painting, colouring in and balloon modelling and what’s more — we’re all invited!  If I can make it into London, I might see you there!

Little BU Nail Polishes are priced at £9.95 each and available online at www.iluvlittlebu.com or instore at Harrods.

* press sample

What is it?

OPI and Lena White have released a new shade in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  OPI Pink of Hearts Pink Shatter Top Coat builds on the already popular shatter lineup with a new, pinked-up shade!

How much is it?

Individual bottles are priced at £10.50 each.

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

£1 from the sale of every bottle will be donated as a contribution to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity for their ongoing research into cancer.

How do I get it?

Available from www.lenawhite.co.uk

I’ve been trying to get my hands on these for an indecently long period of time.  Well, actually that’s a bit unfair… I’ve been trying to get my hands on the PURPLE in this range for an indecently long period of time.  I had some House of Fraser vouchers left over from last Christmas and when I saw the preview of these at a press event earlier this year, fell in love and earmarked the use of said vouchers firmly with the name Shiseido.

Of course, when they were released last month… the purple was nowhere to be seen.  Each time I went to House of Fraser I was told about the shortage coming from Japan and I left the store feeling ever more deflated.  The last time it happened, I decided that I could wait no longer and plumped for the blue instead.  I’m impulsive/stupid like that.

Here she is…

First impressions are based solely on how pigmented this thing is.  I haven’t experienced the kind of WOW factor I got with this since I bought my first Sleek palette.  The second thing that struck was just how complex the shade is, it truly does shimmer with a huge amount of depth and beauty.  Thanks to the cream formula, the jewel tones are wonderfully enhanced and you are left with an impression of something between the deep blue sea and glacier ice.

The cream spreads very smoothly, far smoother than something like the MUFE Cream Shadows, I’ve found that I fare better by tapping the shade onto my eyelid to achieve an even distribution and I’ve been mostly using this as a base upon which I apply my trusty taupe.  It gives an extra dimension to a well-worn colour, I’ll save the full on BLUE look for when I’m feeling a little braver.  Finally, I dot a little gold into the inner corners of my eyes as I feel that it complements the overall look (ooh, get me!)

If the rest of the Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Colors share the same formula merits as this one, I can’t recommend them highly enough.  BL711 doesn’t budge on my slightly oily eyelids (though I do wear shadow ontop) and the pigmentation is out of this world.

Now, if only I could brave it and rock the full on look!

Shiseido Shimmering Cream Eye Color in BL711 is available to buy at Shiseido Counters nationwide and online priced at £20.00

This month’s Cutting Room Floor is a real mish-mash of things that have caught my eye over the last 4 weeks, from salon style to at-home solutions, if you’re into hair… read on…

1. Trevor Sorbie launches “The New Wave”

The New Wave takes the long-lasting abilities of a perm but instead of tight curls, offers a natural-looking wave that will last wash-after-wash, until it grows out.  It’s on my wishlist!

Currently exclusive to the Covent Garden Salon, priced at £180

2. High Gloss Watercolour Treatment

Hair Organics in Notting Hill is one of the few hair salons to maintain a completely organic policy and in support of this, they’ve introduced the new High Gloss Watercolour Treatment, a semi-permanent watercolour that contains absolutely no dye or colour pigments.

Dull hair is transformed with a glossy shine that lasts 6 – 8 weeks and both natural and existing highlights are lifted and enhanced without the damaging effects of dyes and chemicals.

The High Gloss Water Colour Treatment is exclusive to Hair Organics, Notting Hill Salon. Price from £71.00

3. Touch of Silver Ultimate Makeover competition

Touch of Silver, famous for their clever violet-toned brightening shampoos are offering the chance to win the ultimate makeover by one of England’s most sought-after hair stylists Taylor Taylor London and overnight accommodation at the 4* Bloomsbury Hotel London.

Whether you’re grey, white or blonde on top, check out the facebook page for more information and how to enter.

4. Operation Glam Hair Care Range

Songstress, Lulu’s haircare range is targeted at thinning or ultra-fine hair.  I have fine hair thanks to my PCOS and have been putting a few pieces from the lineup to the test*.  My pick is the High Profile Thicken and Lift Spray which has a really light texture but when sprayed into my roots before blow drying, helps give an illusion of both volume and thickness.

Available from Lulus Place with prices starting from £5.75

* press samples

5. The Most Expensive Blow Dry in the World

The skin of white truffle, pure diamond dust and meteorite extracts… not your usual ‘poo and conditioner ingredients.  In celebration of Dutch haircare brand Fuente’s ridiculously decadent collection, Urban Retreat have created The World’s Most Expensive Blowdry.

The treatment utilises the transformative power of Truffle Shampoo and Reconditioner at our relaxing hairwash spa. Clients will enjoy a heavenly hot stone cranial massage, which will work to maximise the ingredients’ efficacy and can also help to promote hair growth. To ensure guests leave the salon looking fabulously groomed and feeling their absolute best, the treatment will be completed with a glossy blowdry by Urban Retreat’s Creative Director Flavian Abbas.  Clients will be gifted with a full sized bottle of Truffle Shampoo and Reconditioner so that the luxury will endure long after they leave the salon.

Available exclusively at Urban Retreat at Harrods (naturally dahling).

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Have you been rocking any new hair news?  I’ve mastered the art of wearing a hair doughnut — I’m so pleased!

I’ve just bought the Chanel Rouge Coco lippie deal from BuyaPowa which offers a potential saving of 26% – it comes in shade #5 (Mademoiselle) which was the shade I tried when the range was first released.

I didn’t love the formula BUT it will make a brilliant Christmas pressie for someone as it comes complete with Chanel gift bag.  Alright, so it’s not Chanel for 50p (boo) but you don’t normally get more than 10% off high end brands like that, so it’s a start.

I had a few queries about authorising payment when I mentioned the Nails Inc deal… so to clarify, you authorise at the payment level at which you buy.  I authorised my Paypal account to release the full price (I was the 2nd to buy) but you will only ever pay the lowest price so if 100 people purchase, you will also benefit from that lowest price point.  Clear as mud?  Good.  Now go get a nice Xmas pressie for your Mum for cheap.

P.S.  I haven’t been incentivised to post about this – other than the thing where if you partake, I’d be mega-chuffed if you’d click my icon to say you heard it from me.  I got a leaderboard beat down on the Nails Inc deal, it was like being picked last for gymnastics ALL OVER AGAIN.

What is it?

This year, Estee Lauder’s Pink Ribbon Collection includes:

The Evelyn Lauder Lip Set.  Featuring a pink clutch and Pure Color Lipstick in Evelyn Wildly Pink.

Perfectionist (CP+) Wrinkle Lifting Serum 50ml with Charms.  A limited edition Perfectionist serum featuring a reusable keychain with charms inscribed with ‘Estée Lauder Breast Cancer Awareness 2011’.

The Elizabeth Hurley Lip Set.  A stylish pink evening bag containing Pure Color Lipstick in Elizabeth Lavish Pink

How much is it?

The Evelyn Lauder Lip Set – £18.50
Perfectionist (CP+) Wrinkle Lifting Serum 50ml with Charms – £63.50
The Elizabeth Hurley Lip Set – £18.50

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

£5.00 from each purchase of The Lip Sets in the UK will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

£10.00 from each purchase of Perfectionist (CP+) Wrinkle Lifting Serum 50ml with Charms in the UK will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

How do I get it?

Available nationwide throughout October, while stocks last.

Three new lip colours have joined the permanent range of Clarins Rouge Prodige lipsticks this Autumn and although they’re new shades for fall, they hark back to the Summer we never had.  Let me tell you why…

Summer 2011 was all about the glossy, sheer look for lips with shades like Chanel’s Boy making the biggest waves across the beauty blogosphere.  Clarin’s Autumn lineup has included three new Rouge Prodige colours* that replicate the sheer, glossy trend but in a more Winter-appropriate formula that’s less balmy and longer-lasting than the Summer offerings.

Rouge Prodige True-Hold Colour & Shine Lipsticks include include the new shades:

#105 Peach Sorbet
#115 Rosy Coral
#123 Creamy Toffee

Here’s a closer look…

The Rouge Prodige formula continues to feel quite different to most other lipsticks.  For a long-wearing texture, it feels moisturising on the lips and fairly tacky, though not in a gloopy, lipgloss way.  These don’t dry my lips at all but you may find the stickiness a little awkward if you’re prefer a matte-r feeling.

Here’s how they look applied and in context with the rest of the face.  You can see here that each shade is fairly transparent with a hint of base colour.  The most pigmented is #105 and I felt that each shade would particularly suit specific skintones: #105 for warmer skins, #115 for cooler skintones and #123 for darker complexions.

The new shades add polish and shine to a made-up face without injecting too much colour.  Balm fans will be delighted to find a longer-lasting alternative to the Summer trends, colour-freaks?  Not so much.

The new Clarins Rouge Prodige shades are available to buy now online at Clarins.com and on counter, priced at £17.00 each.

* press samples