A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I was generously invited backstage on opening day at London Fashion Week with Benefit Cosmetics who were sponsoring the makeup for the Jean-Pierre Braganza show.

I’ll be doing a separate post this week on the makeup the models wore down the runway to complement his SS/12 collection but I wanted to share some backstage shots showing just how much effort and how many people go into making these fashion spectaculars run smoothly.

Remember, this is just hair and makeup.

Makeup Artist Alex Byrne (and is that Benefit Hoola I see?)

How many hair stylists does it take to… *insert punchline here*

don’t forget the nails!

Backstage is hot, cramped, riotous and full of tension.  It’s not a place for shrinking violets and if you want to spectate, you need to be aware of your surroundings so you can get out of the way, quickly.  All eyes are keenly trained on the clock, instructions are given and taken without questioning and there’s a tangible sense of working together to get a million different jobs done.

3 o’ clock.  It’s show time.

Come back tomorrow to see how makeup artist Alex Byrne interpreted a look to complement Jean-Pierre Braganza’s graphical Spring/Summer collection.

Life is taken too seriously and Bootie  Babe Cosmetics are clearly here to remedy that problem.

President and CEO Mark O’Hara wanted to create a humorous, bold and unique beauty product to stand out from the competition and thus, twelve bootie-shaped nail polish bottles were born.

The shades are priced at $9 each and include the enticingly titled: Hella Baloo, Purp Slurp, Mean Tangerine, Lilac Lunatic and Slinky Pinky.

EDIT: Bootie Babe Cosmetics will ship orders internationally, prices are as stated on the website.

There’s no getting around the fact that our mutual addiction to all things ‘beautiful’ is an expensive one.  In an industry driven by fashion, technology and innovation, there will always be new products vying for space on our wishlists but never enough money to tick them all off.

The concept of group-buying has been growing in popularity over the last couple of years and there are many websites out there that offer deals on the basis that they will be supplying a single offer to a group collective at a lower than RRP price. Many of the beauty-related deals focus on experiences rather than material goods: haircuts, spa treatments and manicures (fishy or otherwise) and I’ve enjoyed many of the above at a lower price thanks to these websites.

BuyaPowa.com is a brand new site that enables shoppers like you and me to engage in ‘collective-buying’ and demand the same bulk-buy discounts that retailers enjoy. On initial inspection, these ‘co-buys’ appear to operate from the same starting-point as the other group-buying websites.  But there are some important differences…

1. The final price of any product drops as more people join the ‘co-buys’ and the person who brings the most people into any given co-buy receives their product for free.  A genuine opportunity to drive prices down with the help of those social-networking tools we all spend too much time on.

2. Alternative group-buying deals are generally focused on regional areas served by a particular salon or establishment but because BuyaPowa.com is product-centric, they offer deals to a national audience.

3. BuyaPowa.com have integrated a system into the site that encourages users to submit their requests for products they would like to purchase through a BuyaPowa.com ‘co-buy’.  This request is visible to other members who can join in and offer support for your submission. If enough people give your request a virtual thumbs up, BuyaPowa will set the wheels in motion towards getting a co-buy together.

It’s this 3rd difference that really has me interested in the BuyaPowa.com concept and is what sets them apart from other group-buying websites.  Something that utilises a community’s shared opinion and buying power in a unique and more importantly, useful way strikes a chord with me and is what I want to focus on in the remainder of this post.

Watch this short video for more information on how the BuyaPowa.com concept works

For a current example of a beauty ‘co-buy’, they’ve got a Burts Bees one live right now which is on its way to finishing at a discount of up to 53%.

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Of course, it would be quite easy for them to go ahead and buy up a bunch of discontinued stock at a low price and flog it on like other online beauty discounters. Infact, I’ve quizzed them on how realistic it would be for them to approach high-end beauty brands and their response showed me that this is precisely the kind of feat they’re trying to achieve.  Of course, they can’t guarantee that every brand will be interested in our requests but to achieve this kind of shopping revolution, they’re going to need our help to convince the brands that WE would buy from them in this way.

Infact, can you imagine how cool this could be for the beauty community online?  Example…

Brand X releases uber new ‘multiple’ at £30 and within hours, some brilliant reader/blogger/you-tuber/twitterer has set up a request on BuyaPowa nagging them to provide a ‘co-buy’.  We all pile in (thanks to the power of social media) and within 24 hours the request receives enough support to elevate it to the attention of BuyaPowa who then approach Brand X to request 100 ‘uber multiples’ before passing on their retailer discount to us.  Get in!

BuyaPowa.com would like to hear our opinions and would love if you could answer one, two or all three of the below questions.

1). What type of proucts would YOU like to buy this way for less?

2). Are there any specific beauty products you love that are over-priced and particularly ripe for bulk-buy discounting?

3). Do you own any products which you now realise you could have bought for less if only something like this had previously been available?

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* this is a sponsored post

I have no idea what the new fragrance by Bottega Veneta smells like — though leathery floral chypre sounds promising — but it’s this short film by director Christian Weber that really gives me the chills.

They say

This film, The Scent, is an intense and compelling visual journey which tells the story of the fragrance.

I say

Slow start, promising middle and a cracking, action-packed finish that would make Bruce Willis proud.  Move over Claudia Winkleman, I’m chasing your Film 2011 gig.

Seriously though, does anyone else a little shiver watching this?

With London Fashion Week just a week away, everyone’s going catwalk-crazy, but for us beauty-lovers, we’re more drawn to the latest winged liner shapes and nail trends than the cut of the cloth.

The PR gang at Benefit are offering ONE lucky beauty fan the chance to rub shoulders with the industry elite with a ticket to London Fashion Week where they’ll be able to join the Benefit team and *cough* me *cough* (booby prize) to watch the Jean Pierre Braganza show live!

Click to like their facebook page and follow the instructions to enter!  Good luck!

There’s nothing like an el-cheapo nail polish to quench that insatiable itch to buy something.  I was walking round town last week and felt the need to scratch.  Still recovering from the new lens purchase (it may be some time), I dived into Superdrug for something that wouldn’t break the bank and emerged triumphant with this little beauty…

…BeautyUK to be precise.  Voodoo – No. 55 (£1.99) is an absolute cracking shade for Autumn, a deep russet with a playful shimmer that glows in the right light.  Two coats to achieve opacity, I did get a tiny bit of bubbling on one nail which made me a little more careful with the application than I might normally be.

After admiring my manicure for half a day, I decided, beautiful though it is, I wanted moar Autumn.  I dug out my Inglot Flakie #205 and slapped on a coat…

Now we’re talking!  I see toffee apples, fallen leaves, crisp afternoons and misty mornings.  Brrr… c’mon Autumn, I’m ready for you!

Are you ready for Autumn?  Digging out your vampier shades yet?

Back when Justin Bieber was nothing but a twinkle in his Grandfather’s eye, Biba was turning heads as an iconic 70s London store bringing fashion to the high street as the Top Shop of its day. The label is currently enjoying its 2nd relaunch and doing rather well, so much so, that the House of Fraser owned brand is on the cusp of relaunching Biba’s iconic makeup line with a beautiful capsule collection.

Biba Face Palette (34.00)

Six luxurious eyeshadows, a rich oyster pearl highlighter and dewy pink blusher to create alluring and sensuous looks-perfect from dawn unto dusk.

Biba Lipgloss Ring (£15.00)

This chunky cocktail ring will draw admiring glances with its nod to the iconic Biba logo. The lid slides to one side to reveal a shimmery pink gloss for the perfect pout! It can also be used to adorn your bag as a charm.

Biba Baked Eyeshadow Palette (£26.00)

Velvety soft mineral eyeshadows in opulent shades of molten metal and precious jewels. Use a dampened brush for intense long wearing colour.

Biba Luscious Lashes Duo (£18.00)

Biba lashes are sure to make a statement. Two pairs – one show stopping evening pair and one for a more natural day look will ensure that you are never overlooked.

Biba Lip Palette (£24.00)

Luscious and indulgent lip colours in five luxurious shades. Custom blend the lip colour for a unique style all of your own.

Biba Nail Polish Trio (£21.00)

Nail polish is the ultimate finishing touch to any look and these three stand-out shades will add a little something to every outfit.

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So there we have it, the re-launch of Biba Makeup. Not, as Barbara Hulanicki would have it, I’m almost positive of that. The collection most obviously strays from the affordable ethos that the original Biba held so close to its heart but I can’t deny that I’m loving the look of that nail polish trio and the baked eye palette for its Biba aesthetics and shade choices.

I was lucky enough to have been sent the lashes from the capsule collection and have passed them on to madame Lash Queen (Liloo) who has promised to give them an outing for us in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Biba Beauty launches exclusively in House of Fraser from the 1st October 2011.

Will you be checking out the return of Biba Beauty?

bareMinerals will be touring the country this September in their rather cute skincare van!

Celebrating the nationwide launch of bareMinerals skincare, the brand are inviting you to look out for the van and stop by for a closer look at the products and enjoy to a free RDA Organic Smoothie on them!

I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help but have a giggle at the tour van.  It’s not exactly glamourous is it?  Beep Beep!

The tour dates are as follows: (if the van makes it that far…)

12TH SEPTEMBER  •   BRIGHTON, EAST STREET BASTION
13TH SEPTEMBER  •   GUILDFORD, HOUSE OF FRASER GUILDFORD ENTRANCE
14TH SEPTEMBER  •   KINGSTON, MARKET PLACE
15TH SEPTEMBER  •   LONDON 7 DIALS, EARLHAM STREET
16TH SEPTEMBER  •   BIRMINGHAM, ROTUNDA SQUARE
17TH SEPTEMBER  •   MANCHESTER TRAFFORD CENTRE, THE GREAT HALL ENTRANCE

Not the most extensive UK tour I’ve ever seen (sorry Northerners, Welsh and Scots), but if you happen to be nearby, it’s worth a look.  I’m a big fan of the bareMinerals Purifying Facial Cleanser which has replaced Cetaphil as my morning cleanser of choice.

They should have named the van, that van needs a name.  I vote for Barney.

In celebration of the Icelandic ‘wonder’ serum’s 1st birthday, Bioeffect are offering a free travel-sized version of their serum with every full-sized purchase.

Sadly, too rich for my blood (I might change my mind when the fine lines start creeping in properly), the £125 serum contains the revolutionary ingredient, Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF).  A substance which occurs naturally in human skin and has the ability to speed up the rate of cell turnover.

You’ll be hard pushed to find too many negative reviews of this product – trust me, my Mum’s had me searching many-a-time.  I applied for a sample bottle last year and although I’m not quite at the age where I might experience visual results to WOW me, I did notice an impressive boost in general hydration.  So much so, that the ‘crepey’ effect I get down the sides of my nose disappeared completely and the pores in that same are appeared more refined thanks to the improved skin structure.

If it’s so wonderful, why haven’t I bought it?  Well… because it’s £125 and it’s 15ml.  That’s a lot of money for not a lot of product.  If you have a lot of money to spend on not a lot of product.  I thoroughly recommend giving it a go.

Bioeffect EGF Serum is available today only with FREE next day delivery and a free travel-sized version.  If you’ve been contemplating that purchase, now is the time to go for it.

I liked this delicate combo of Beauty UK’s Smokey Lilac with OPI Golden Rainbow on top.  A dusting of holographic sparkle always goes a long way to brightening my day!

Of course, the Beauty UK polish is a bargainous snip at only £2.49 a bottle, though I believe that OPI’s Golden Rainbow might be a little harder to come by I’m sure that the effect can be reproduced with something like Northern Lights Holographic Top Coat.

The above mani shows three coats of the Beauty UK and a single coat of OPI Golden Rainbow.  Pretty!

What are you wearing on your nails today?

Facebook.  Love it or hate it, I may be about to give you a reason to direct your browser toward said “Book of Faces” in a bit of a hurry.

Burberry have announced that their Facebook fans will be able to exclusively sample the new Burberry Body fragrance before it is available to purchase!

With over 7.6 million Facebook followers, the British brand can claim the largest Facebook fan page of any luxury fashion brand and with incentives like this, I’m starting to see why!

Burberry fans will be able to request a sample of the new Burberry Body Fragrance with an app that also features exclusive content.

So, enough of all this blather.  You want the link don’t you?

http://www.facebook.com/burberry

Simply click “request sample”, select your country and fill in your details.  Samples are available while stocks last and may not be available within your country.

What do you think about luxury brands engaging in social media like this?  Does it make them more approachable?  Are you more likely to investigate brands you might otherwise have ignored?

The new fragrance, Burberry Body is set for a nationwide release on the 1st September.

BuyEyelashes.co.uk got in touch with me a little while ago to tell me about one of their newest brands, Baci.  Known more traditionally for their lingerie(!), Baci also offer a range of very inexpensive eyelashes starting from only £2.00 a pair.

I wore a set in yesterday’s FOTD and a few of you picked up on them so I thought I’d strike while the iron was hot and pop a post up today talking about them in a little more detail.

The ones I wore in yesterday’s post were #660 – they’re the ones in the foreground of the picture above.  They’re pretty substantial and have a thick band that definitely needs loosening up before application.  I’m STILL pretty rubbish at applying false eyelashes and tend to favour midi-lashes just to add some flutter to the outer lashes.

I didn’t use the glue that these come with because it seemed pretty wimpy to be honest but the lashes themselves are very good for £2.00 a pair.  Sure, they’re quite synthetic, a little heavy on the eyes and they certainly wouldn’t be my ‘good’ lashes but these Bacis have a great curl, nice definition and just fine for the odd night out.

These particular ones also seem pretty indestructible (something I wasn’t expecting), I would definitely be able to get a couple of wears from the #660s!

Baci Lashes are priced from £2.00 and available to buy online from BuyEyelashes.co.uk in a variety of styles.

* press sample