A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Looking for some on-trend nail polishes to srpuce up your collection?

Then look no further!

Win these new Boots No7 Nail Polishes in must-have shades Beanie and Beautifully Black.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply “like” the Lipglossiping Facebook page and I’ll select a winner at random.

Open to my lovely international readers as always, winner will be chosen on the 20th May.

When I saw the Butter London Jelly Collection on sale at ASOS, I made a dive for my handbag and had my order confirmation sat in my inbox in record time!

The trio of polishes were a Spring 2010 release.  3 shimmery sheer jelly shades that promise some layering gorgeousness.  They didn’t disappoint.

The image shows 2 coats of each applied over a black base.

Stroppy transforms into a blackened purple sparkle fest that reminds me of a vampier version of NARS Purple Rain.

Twee completely changes the hue to a slightly dusky purple with a more subtle sparkle.

Chuffed glitters all over the place… just beautful.

I can’t pick a favourite from the three, I thought I’d be able to… but they’re each quite different and totally mesmerizing in their own right.  I can’t wait to try these over other shades… they apply like a dream, dry smoothly and rapidly with a glossy finish (no top coats in the above image).

You can also wear these shades sheer if you prefer, Kelly over at Vampy Varnish has some great nail swatches to show how they look applied alone.  They’re a great option for sprucing up a tired looking manicure when you simply can’t be arsed to redo the whole lot… patch up any chips, grab one of these… 2 coats… brand new mani!

Tempted?  If so… grab ’em while they’re still a fiver each – free delivery at ASOS! *siren/temptress dance*

By Terry is a brand guaranteed to get me drooling in SpaceNK.   As my eyes turn misty and everything goes a little bit fuzzy round the edges, I feel Mr. L’s grip on my wrist (and debit card) tighten.

It’s a battle of nerves usually interrupted by a certain small one’s well-timed “Mama, mama” resulting in me looking over my shoulder just in time to see Leila tugging at an elaborately positioned display of Chantecaille compacts.  It’s at that point everything goes a bit slo-mo as I make a Herculean effort to stop expensive things crashing down to the floor.

I leave the store at this point looking embarrassed and empty-handed.  It’s a family conspiracy, well rehearsed.

It’s not happening again.  Not now my eyes have feasted on the By Terry Graphic Wave collection…

Now, when eyeshadows start from £22… I have to show a certain degree of restraint.  Last time I stopped at the Le Métier de Beauté counter in Liberty before Christmas, I came away with more than I bargained for.  Not to mention the burden of guilt the size of a small country that spent a few days resting on my shoulders.

My game plan in situations such as this is simple.  Don’t swatch.

Swatching is deadly no?  It always makes me laugh at counters when the SAs give me the side-eye for swatching… Bitch, shut up… I’m doing YOU a favour.  Trust me.

Anyway… I digress.

This Graphic Wave collection…

I’ve got my eye on that Ligne Blackstar, the bluey one… Ocean Spirit.  Forgetting for a moment that it sounds like a naff yacht docked in Monaco… *wait, that’s probably the point*… ain’t it purrty?

And check this out:

A deep sea green that perfectly accentuates the blackness of the eye pupil or highlights blue green eyes

Blue green eyes? Oh rly? Made. for. me.

It’s £28.  If I say that quick enough, I think it sounds a lot like 28 pence.

Check out Grace’s great swatches of one of the shadows and *drool* the eyeliner!

Come join me in a bit of delusion… anything there that captures your attention for Summer?

I received this at a press day in the Medium shade which was too dark for me, but a willing guest reviewer came to my rescue!  She’s tried it… and here’s what she has to say about it!

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I’d like to thank Charlotte for allowing me to be her first guest reviewer!  I hope the experience doesn’t scar her for life, and I hope some of you will find this review helpful.

This is my first experience with the Bare Escentuals bareMinerals range.  They have an excellent track record judging by other reviews, so I was excited to get my hands on this product and try it for myself.

What it claims

The literature that accompanies the product states that the natural mineral sunscreen provides the ultimate sun protection without the heavy, greasy finish.  The micronised Titanium Dioxide mineral instantly shields against UVA/AVB rays to help prevent premature skin ageing and sun damage, is weightless, breathable, non-greasy and won’t clog pores.  It contains vitamins, Aloe Vera extract and antioxidants to promote healthier-looking skin.  It increases sun protection when used under or over your bareMinerals SPF15 foundation.

Presentation

The bottom of the bottle is clear to indicate the colour of the product, and in this case I am using the medium skin tones.  There is 4g/0.14 oz of product.

The ingredients list (for those who can make sense of it!): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbedensis Leaf Extract, Lycium Chinensis (Lycii Berry) Extract, Ranunculus Ficaria Root Extract, Silica.  Iron oxides, Ultramarines, Bismuth Oxychloride.

The orange and white bottle has a pop-off lid which exposes the brush in the top of the bottle.  The bottom of the bottle is turned to extend the brush, and clicks locked ready for use.  To start the flow of the product, invert the bottle and tap downwards onto your skin until the powder appears.  Then, in a circular motion, you buff the product lightly into your skin.  To close, you turn the bottom of the bottle, the brush retreats back into the bottle and it clicks locked.

So what do I think of it?

I must point out at this stage that my skin is in no flush of early youth.  I will be hitting the big four-oh this year and I am dreading it.  My skin has been well used and has what I like to describe as having all the signs of enjoying a full and happy life.  Having lived in South Africa for 20 years and perhaps not being as religious as I should have been with sunscreen in my teens, I have pigmentation marks that I now regret not preventing and am now kicking myself about. My skin tone is an NC25/30 depending on how much sun exposure I’ve had.

I have a combination skin type, very oily T zone and parchment dry cheek areas.  I’ve had various expeditions into the mineral foundation world, some a lot more successful than others.  My main complaint is that some mineral foundations oxidise on my T zone, leaving an appealing orangey caked effect, whilst my poor cheeks are left looking like powdered parchment, regardless of how much moisturiser I applied beforehand.

The brush extending and retracting back into the bottle is a good idea as the bristles are kept neat and are less likely to splay.  The brush is very soft and kind on the skin, not scratchy at all which is a definite requirement if it’s going anywhere near the sensitive eye area.  It’s a good size too, I thought it would be a lot smaller.  The product didn’t need a lot of encouragement to start the flow, but certainly didn’t flood all over the place either.

The powder itself is pleasantly soft and silky, very finely milled and not at all chalky.  I applied it to my cleansed, toned and moisturised face (after allowing enough time for the moisturiser to soak in completely), using a circular buffing motion.

I felt that my pigmentation marks were a lot less noticeable, and that my skin tone was evened out and looked smoother without being chalky.  I asked Dear Husband what his thoughts were, and he said my skin certainly looked a lot softer and smoother compared to without any product.  The powder didn’t settle into the industrial strength concealer I need to cover my dark under eye circles, and my cheeks didn’t look powdery either.  A good result so far.

I applied my usual mineral foundation on top  to see how it would cope and whether I would look like an explosion in a powder factory, but I only needed to apply a light dusting as the bareMinerals had already done quite a good job by itself.  I would be quite happy to use it on its own to be honest.

As your neck and upper chest area has as much exposure to sun damage as your face, this product can be used all over these areas to offer the same level of protection.

During the day, my T zone had started reminding me that it was indeed my cross to bear in life, but I wasn’t left with any orangey slippage.  Touching up during the day was an easy process because the brush and product were all in one and didn’t take up too much space in my make-up bag.

I think this is an ideal holiday product as it is essentially a foundation and SPF30 all in one.  When I go on holiday, I don’t take a liquid foundation as I want something light which lets my skin breathe,  but I do worry that my mineral foundation might not be enough to protect my skin.  Many facial sunscreens are greasy and cause breakouts around my chin, but as this is a powder product I felt for me it was the ideal solution.

At the price (£25) it would be quite a layout for me and would be considerably more than I would usually pay, but is probably worthwhile as your skin has to last you a lifetime and is worth the expense.

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Thanks so much to Ali for guest reviewing for me!  I think she did a fab job (and I’m hugely jealous of her flippin’ perfect teeth and smile!) – More opportunities for guest reviews coming up soon.

I have an embarrassing confession to make.

I’m addicted to lip tingling products.  No, really.  I’ve always liked ’em, I don’t care if they actually plump or not… it’s the tingle that turns me on.

But just recently (about 4 days ago) it’s kinda gotten out of hand.  I picked up a Burts Bees Lip Balm and I just can’t put. it. down.

Is it doing much moisturising? Yeah, it’s alright… not as good as my beloved Lanolips, but it’s got that tingling and cooling thing going on thanks to the peppermint oil…

I’ve just looked and I’ve gone through a quarter of the tube this week, please can someone come prise it out of my fingers before I end up looking like this:

Thanks!

Boots No7 Summer 2010 collection will be hitting counters nationwide next month I believe and here’s what it should look like!

MizzWorthy and BeautyJunkieLondon have got sneak peeks of the collection, so go check them out!

I’m definitely gonna be checking out the silvery looking nail polish, the eye shadow quad and the bronzer.  I really like the look of the shadow quad, gold and silver are a lovely pairing to spice up those two neutrals.  I’m still useless with bronzers, always look like I’ve gone and rubbed my face on the garden.

The rest I probably won’t bother with… gloss in a pot?  Hate getting anything under my nails…  down with pots.  The other nail colour looks a bit of a snore too no?

Anything take your fancy?

I talked this morning (briefly) about Guava shades… I love ’em and there ain’t enough of them about.  It’s a fabulous shade for a whole variety of skintones and is about as close to coral as I can get before I hit ORANGE!

It reminded me that I hadn’t shown you 2 of my favourite blushers for Summer yet!

These are Bare Escentuals mineral blushes in shades: Promise (guava pink) and Giddy Pink (um pink, pink).

10 points for correctly guessing my nail colour by the way…

Check out the ingredients… hooray for minerals, Boo for Bismuth Oxychloride (replace the damn component with something less irritating to sensitive skins already…)

Both blushes are fairly sheer and build up beautifully.  I tend to use duo fibre brushes to apply most blushers because it just means I never screw it up and walk out the door looking like Bozo.  It takes about 3 sweeps to build up to a natural looking colour with these products.

Promise… see?  Guava.

This is a gorgeous, gorgeous blush.  It’s a matte colour base which has then been liberally sprinkled with golden sparkles, the shade stops short of coral and is simply a stunner for summer.  I had a hard time pinning this shade down… I think it’s discontinued now, but I found it on eBay (at a great price too!).

Giddy Pink is in the current line up of Bare Escentuals products and one that I received at a press day.  It’s a shimmery pink which gives that wonderful glowy illusion that catches the light when you turn your cheek.  It’s pink without being dolly pink… a natural flush.

The problem with all minerals like this?  They suck to travel with.  I can’t be arsed taping over the holes before going anywhere so always end up with about 95% of the product in the sifter by the time I’ve reached my destination.

Hmm… I wonder if they’re pressable… anyone ever tried?  I’m not sure I’m willing to be guinea pig, I love these too much to risk ruining them!

Promise looks matte in my swatch… there is sparkle in there, just no shimmer.  Both are swatched heavily to build up a true impression of the colour.

They last well on my skin and I’m positively addicted to them.  At least until the next addiction comes along right?

The £5 off No7 and R&M Boots till spits are making an appearance again!

Get the the voucher instore from Wednesday 21st April until Tuesday 18th May.  The voucher will remain valid until Sunday 23rd May.

It’s less than a month since the last set of vouchers expired!  Boots must know a good marketing strategy when they see one!

If you’re not sure what to spend your voucher on, there are some ideas in this post:

How Do You Spend Yours?

Feel free to add some more ideas if you spot any great buys!

I found it, I found it!

I thought I’d add a swatch to my collection of Creaseless Cream swatches… you can find the rest here.

Flatter Me is described as a ‘Toasted Mauve’… which basically means it’s a strange mix of mauve, taupe and brown.  It’s quite, quite beautiful.

As with the other Creaseless Creams, this is budgeproof on my eyelids.  More, more.. I must have more!  I think I’m going after Stiletto or Pre Nup next!

Do you like this one or are they all a bit too neutral for you?

I picked up two Besame lipsticks a couple of weeks ago from a discounter on eBay and managed to get both for around £12.

They’re the older style lipsticks with the retro shaped tips that help you get a beautifully sharp line.  I believe they’ve since reformulated.

The packaging is just beautiful.  Twirling the case between your fingers actually feels like you’re holding something special… even Mr. L wanted to have a look (and that NEVER happens!)

These little lippies are teeny tiny… 1.8g compared to a 3g MAC lipstick and the casing is about 2/3of the height.  But look how beautiful they are!

I picked up two pinks.  Exotic Pink (a bright true hot pink) and Portrait Pink (a subdued ‘nuder’ pink).

Exotic Pink is densely pigmented and absolutely rich with colour.  You can see from my swatch… it’s very opaque and glides on beautifully.

Portrait Pink is sheerer, but still builds to an opaque glossy finish with a bit of work.

I adore both of these lipsticks and I’m really happy to add them to my collection.  They’re not the most moisturising lipsticks I’ve worn, but staying power is great and both shades are completely adorable.

Are you a Besame fan?

Ever since reading a recommendation by the lovely MakeupByKaty, I’ve been intrigued by these little pots of shimmering shadows.

Bourjois have always been my favourite high street brand and I knew that as soon as I’d read about them… I was going to be parting with some of my hard earned cash at the very next opportunity!

I picked up three shades for around £6 each:

#31 Molecule D’or – A true gold

#37 Blanc Chrome – Iridescent White with pink reflects

#35 Gris Platine – A dark steel grey

I’m not much of a fan of the applicator, it’s quite tricky to wield and apply with any precision… but it’ll do in a pinch, otherise I recommend swiping some of the product onto the back of your hand before using a brush to transfer onto your eyelids.

The product dries very quickly to a budge-proof finish, so you need to work quickly… I haven’t managed any great successes with using this anywhere other than on the lids for a metallic look.  If I try to blend the shades out into the crease, I find the overall effect to be a bit patchy.  Probably because of that fast drying time the product ends up setting more opaque in the areas I’m slower at reaching.  Does that make sense?

Overall, I do love these… and I have my eye on two more… I can’t remember the names, but one is more chocolate-y and the other is what looks like it would be a lovely beige lid wash (especially if I can sheer it out quickly!).

Have you tried these and do you have a favourite high street brand?

This is SO overdue and I completed it aaaages ago, but just haven’t gotten around to writing up my experiences of my week long Beauty Blender trial.

Beauty Blender trial? I hear you ask…

Well, I set myself the silly little task of using nothing but a Beauty Blender to apply my foundation.  I wasn’t allowed to touch my foundation brushes for a full week.  I wanted to see if the Beauty Blender was anything more than just a passing novelty.

I’ll show you a ‘step by step’ from my first day and how I use the Beauty Blender and I’ll leave you with some observations I made from this daft little exercise.

The cast of characters…. The Beauty Blender and Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

Dispense the usual amount of product onto the back of your hand and wet your Beauty Blender until it swells in size.  Once thoroughly soaked, gently squeeze excess liquid from the sponge until it feels damp, but not wet.

Taking the round end of the blender, “bounce” the sponge into your foundation… coating it in product.

It doesn’t matter if it’s not *that* evenly coated…

Taking the blender, “bounce” the sponge on your face… a constant patting/bouncing type action all over… don’t swipe or circle… just bounce!  To get the foundation into nooks and crannys like the inner corner of your eye socket, use the pointed end of the sponge.

I found the whole process quite slow-going at first…. it took me about 4 days to get my speed up.  The first couple of goes I was a bit “what’s the point… this is taking me double the time a #187 would take”.  But as I persevered, I really started to hone my technique.

The obligatory before/after foundation shot!  (Bourjois Healthy Mix is a great looking foundation btw – although the lightest shade is a touch too dark for me).

Here’s a horrible close up… but it always helps to be able to see the finish properly right?  Click the image to SUPERSIZE MAH FACE!

Please note, this was before powder… shine city!

So there we go, that’s how I use my Beauty Blender… it still takes me a bit longer than a stippling brush so I don’t reach for it if I’m in a hurry.

I do love the finish it gives me… but I think I use a bit more product in the application thanks to the sponge (despite being damp) soaking up a fair amount of foundation.

I need to tell you something though…

I bought Makeup Forever HD foundation at IMATS… and I haven’t liked it at all.  I simply could not see what the fuss was about.  Overrated.

Until I used it in conjunction with the Beauty Blender.  Oh Em Gee.  It’s turned blog sale fodder into a wonderful foundation for me.  I’ve also done a complete 360 on my Clinique Superfit since applying it with the Beauty Blender.

Don’t ask me what the Beauty Blender does that my normal application methods obviously don’t.  I couldn’t tell you.

I also prefer the Beauty Blender over a standard cosmetic sponge, the Beauty Blender is softer, bouncier and just feels far more luxe on my skin.  Don’t bother with those expensive special Beauty Blender cleansers though… I use a bit of Leila’s shampoo and it works great!  Oh and be careful of putting nicks in the sponge when squeezing… it’s delicate!

Back to my original question… could I really throw away all my brushes in favour of the BB?

No… I like having the choice, I like the speed a stippling brush gives me.  But I’ll be forever grateful to the Beauty Blender for making me fall in love with some foundations that I thought I’d wasted nearly £50 on.  It’s already paid for itself twice over.

In the UK, you can purchase the Beauty Blender from Just Beauty Direct, priced at £14.50 each.  I was lucky enough to nab mine from a blog sale woo!