A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m a total sucker for a bit of leopard print, much to my mother’s amusement.  Or is it disgust… sometimes it’s hard to tell.

Batiste have introduced a new scent to their legendary lineup… we all know that some of the Batiste ‘fragrances’ pong more than others *cough* Blush *cough* but I’m intrigued to try this new one described as: A feminine and daring Oriental aroma with top notes of cocoa, a floral heart and sensual vanilla, musk and wood base notes.

Batiste has become a bit of a staple in my haircare routine since the beginning of the Summer.  I seem to have developed a sorry case of the greasies (thanks hormones) and this stuff stops me from having to wash my hair every morning.  Does that make me a bit of a grot?  Whatever, bet you do it too.  Do you have a favourite Batiste scent?

Batiste Dry Shampoo in WILD is exclusive to Boots and priced at £2.99 for 200ml

Says me.  And if anyone wants to argue with that, I’ll roll up my fairy sleeves and throw all the manky, strawberry-flavoured Quality Streets at you from up there on my perch branch.

If you want to have a look at some of the lovely Christmas ideas I selected for BuyaPowa’s Christmas Gift Guide, click through the link above to have a squizz.  Because I’m not super-human, I can’t link you to the OPI Muppettes Mini Pack that sold out exceedingly quickly last night on the BuyaPowa website.  Sorry about that… but I can give you an early Christmas present and let you in on a teeny little secret…

Are you listening?  No, I mean… are you really, REALLY listening?

BuyaPowa will be going live with a co-buy toward the end of the week – it’s only gonna BLEEDIN’ be Urban Decay’s Naked Palette innit!!!  The world of co-buying is fast and furious so if you want to get a heads up when it goes live, I suggest you click through to BuyaPowa and add your email address next to the photo of the UD Naked Palette to get notification of when the sale goes live.

Don’t say I never give you nuffink *sprinkles Quality Streets*

How late am I on this trend?  I’m like your Gran when she discovered the button for the interwebz.

OK, well I’m not really late… but I’ve only just got around to photographing a mani with the Boots 17 Magnetized Nail Polishes.  I’ve decided that my favourite way to wear them is with a matte top coat which decreases their lasting power by about five years… but I dunno, they just suit the whole matte finish thing quite well.

I get some real inconsistencies with these magnetic polishes, one hand will often come out perfect… or even just three fingers in a row.  Then I completely get a dud one, despite not doing anything different.  Does anyone else experience that?  So frustrating!

Also… as an aside, I’ve been re-organizing my nail polish collection, which, let me tell you, is far less fun than it sounds.  I originally had them arranged by colour but I’ve changed it to brand and it’s made me realise that Essie is a very under-represented brand in my stash.  Better get myself in check and start nail-blog hopping to find some gems to lust after!

Boots 17 Magnetized Nail Polish in Grey is priced at £5.99 and available online or instore at Boots.

The U.S. have always been big on their Christmas ad extravaganzas but historically, in the UK… the only way we could tell that it was Christmas in ad-land was when we heard the opening words…  “It’s a magical place, we’re on our way there…” Extra points if you can guess the ad.

Today, things have changed and some of my favourite ads of recent years have been the Christmas specials from companies including John Lewis, M&S, Sainsburys (maybe not Iceland though eh?)

Some of the cutest in recent years have come from Boots and this year’s is no exception.  I was treated to a sneak preview on Tuesday night and it gave me that teeny little thrill down the back of the neck that reminds you CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!

You can experience the same thrill TONIGHT when The Girls go undercover in an attempt to put Christmas on the map in a big way.  The brand new Boots Christmas 2011 ad will be debuting at 8.15pm with a sixty second slot on ITV and Channel 4 during Emmerdale and Beeny’s Restoration Nightmares.  My Dad fancies Beeny.  Sorry, not relevant.

Anyway, my lips have been sealed shut and I’m not allowed to reveal more about the ad but it is a Christmas cutie… don’t tell anyone I’ve shown you the still, I may have to kill you.  Or The Girls may have to kill me, either way, it wouldn’t be very Christmas-sy.

In the spirit of all things horribly commercial (geddit?), what are your favourite Christmas Ads?

Love the name of this cheeky little number!  Butter London’s Frilly Knickers is a definite contender for a super-cool Christmas polish.  It’s a low maintenance sparkler with more bling than your Christmas lights.

Please excuse my yellow nails (yuk).  Over bare nails, it doesn’t look that incredible, although it’s still a pretty touch for those that prefer a sheer sparkle.  However…

Layer a single coat over a black or dark base and you’re cooking on turbo-powered gas!  A multi-hued, multi-faceted gem of a polish that magically saves shitty manicures with a single stroke.

I heart my Frilly Knickers.

Butter London Frilly Knickers is priced at £11.95 and available online from Powder Rooms.

Last month saw the launch of a new highlighter from Benefit, a brand that have enjoyed great success in the past with their highlighting products that mimic how light and shadow play across the face.

Unlike liquid products like the brand’s previous highlighting options: Highbeam and Moonbeam, Watt’s Up! is a twist-up cream highlighting stick in the style of a NARS Multiple.

Packaged to be reminiscent of a light bulb, it’s cute, kitsch and all the things you’d expect from a brand like Benefit.  One end houses the product… the other, a sponge designed for blending.  Something, which in my opinion is a bit of a waste of time.

I find that the sponge does more to rub the product off than it does to blend it.  You’ll be fine just using your fingertips to get a smooth application though I do appreciate it’s existence as it could well come in handy in my makeup bag put to some other use!

On initial application, the product gives quite a warm champagne glow with a lot of reflection but once blended, it softens to a more natural, neutral hue that will flatter most skintones.  The cream has a lovely amount of slip and glides over my skin which ensures that it’s foundation friendly and blends seamlessly with whatever base I’ve already applied.

Once applied, it sets quite quickly to a powder finish and didn’t slide around on my normal/dry skin or slip during the day, oilier skins may struggle with this depending on how you usually fare with cream-to-powder formulas.

Once blended (the above photo shows unblended), I find the overall effect fairly subtle compared to some of the more pearlescent products that I’ve used in the past and I would happily wear this during both the day and for going out.

At £24.50, I think it’s quite pricey for what it is but I can’t actually find too much fault with the product – I would just like to see it about £6 cheaper.

Benefit Watt’s Up! is available to buy online or on counter from Benefit Cosmetics.

Following on from last week’s FrontCover set, this week’s Star Gift of the Week at Boots is a Ted Baker Make It Big Vanity Case, picture below:

Until Thursday, 3rd November – the set will be priced at only £19 (regularly £40) and includes:

Butterfly Wings Body Wash (250ml)
Butterfly Wings Body Lotion (200ml)
Butterfly Wings Body Spray (150ml)
Butterfly Wings Body Scrub (300ml)
Origami Bath Foam (250ml)
Origami Body Souffle (300ml)
Origami Body Spray (150ml)

For a closer look at the actual case… you can watch the short video below:

Ted Baker Make It Big Vanity Case is available online and instore at Boots priced at £19.00, though be aware that the GotW’s usually sell out online fairly rapidly.

Just a quick PSA to let you know that Blistex are giving away 1000 of their new Lip Brilliance daily care lip balms.  If your lips are starting to feel the effects of the colder weather, you could do worse things than popping on over to the Blistex Facebook page this lunchtime.

You also stand the chance of winning some Topshop vouchers but…. meh.  Am I the only one who has never bought anything other than makeup from Topshop?  Don’t say yes…

No, my nails aren’t this long anymore – this was back in the day when I hadn’t abused them to within a millimetre of their poor, peeling lives.  Although looking at that length now, I think I’ve gone off it a bit… funny how our tastes change constantly isn’t it?

My tastes haven’t changed for Butter London’s beautiful Artful Dodger though.  When I was a little girl, I distinctly remember wanting to be the Artful Dodger… it’s not that I had a penchant for petty theft, I just thought it was a cool name.  Still do.

Artful Dodger is a super-pretty blue that feels a little different to my other squillion blues in my blue drawer.  Yes, I have a blue drawer.  What of it?  It manages to feel light, airy, a little frosty but somehow calming and mediterranean at the same time.  Plus, the beautiful BL cream formula is a dream to apply, something that of course, always helps.

Butter London Artful Dodger is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online at PowderRooms.

Let’s face it, we’re closer to the festive season than most of us would like to admit.  Have you made any preparations for the big day yet?  No?!

Well, Boots have devised a cunning plan to get us filling up those Christmas stockings quicker than you can devour the mince pies you were supposed to leave out for the main man himself.  They’re called Star Gifts and include a series of fabulous one-off offers every week during the Christmas shopping period.  And by Christmas shopping period, I mean NOW.

Not only that, but Boots are getting all social with their Twelve Gifts of Christmas campaign.  Once a week from now until Boxing Day, they’ll will be selecting one lucky blogger to receive the Star Gift of the week.  In turn, that blogger will pay it forward by nominating another blogger to receive the same Star Gift.  It’s like a paper-chain of beauty booty!

Seeing as I’m the lucky recipient of this week’s Star Gift from Frontcover pictured above, I’d better tell you a bit about it!

Frontcover are well known for their fantastic releases this time of year and this one doesn’t disappoint.  A one-stop make-up collection for eyes, lips and cheeks which includes hints and tips from Frontcover make-up artist, Leanne Shaw, and all the tools needed to create many different looks for the festive season.

The Frontcover Style Queen Colour Set includes:

~ 6 lip glosses
~ 7 dome baked powder eyeshadows
~ 6 pressed powder eyeshadows
~ 2 fine-line baked powder cheek domes
~ Double ended mascara/sealer
~ 2 iridescent pigments
~ Shadowline
~ 6 make-up brushes
~ Mini lash curler
~ Double pencil sharpener
~ A mirror in the lid

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For this week only, the set can be snapped up for just £17.00!

(usual price £35.00)

What’s the catch?  You’ve only got TODAY left to buy it!

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And now for the extra fun bit…

I’m paying it forward and nominating…. my good friend, Cosmetic Candy to receive this week’s Star Gift on me.  Nepotism rules OK.

Keep your eyes peeled because somewhere across the blogosphere, Father Christmas (ok, Boots PR) will be pointing the finger of fortune at another lucky soul to help them count down to Christmas with next week’s ‘Star Gift’ of the week!

Who could it be?  WHAT could it be?!

What is it?

This exclusive bareMinerals lipgloss in Pink Prosecco is a unique preservative-free formula, infused with the natural scent of vanilla and chock-full of vitamins, botanicals and of course, dazzling, vibrant colour.

How much is it?

£14

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

£5 from each sale will go directly to Look Good Feel Better, during the month of October.

How do I get it?

Bare Escentuals Boutiques; Select department stores, spa & salons and online retailers nationwide in October 2011

Yesterday, I talked about the behind-the-scenes atmosphere at Jean-Pierre Braganza’s SS/12 show which took place last Friday at the BFC Show Space in Somerset House.

Today, I want to focus on the look that makeup artist Alex Byrne created with Benefit Cosmetics to complement the designer’s graphical, almost art-deco tailoring.  She wanted a strong look that remained feminine, working with and not against the strength of Braganza’s designs.

are those new brushes I spy?

Alex in deep concentration (where did I put that brush?!)  Faces were kept light with Benefit’s Boi-ing Concealer where needed and a light layer of You Rebel Tinted Moisturiser mixed with Porefessional.

Loose fishtail plaits from the Toni&Guy team accompany the structured styling of the SS/12 collection

Eyes were kept neutral with Benefit Creaseless Cream in Birthday Suit, Browzings in Light and many, many coats of They’re Real mascara as an alternative to false lashes.

Some gentle contouring with Hoola Bronzer

BrowZings to define the top edge of the brow

ChaChaTint painted heavily onto the top of the cheekbone…

…and blended out with Coralista Powder Blush, the picture-perfect slices of cheek colour mimic the graphical edges in Braganza’s designs.

Benefit’s latest release Watt’s Up was used to highlight and define the top edge of the cheekbones…

…and a sneak peek of the new product in question.

Full Finish Lipstick in Mod Squad completes the look.

Jean-Pierre Braganza looking pleased with the entire team’s efforts immediately after the show

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Thanks to Benefit Cosmetics for letting me have a sneak peek to see what goes on behind the flashbulbs at London Fashion Week!