A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I don’t know if it’s my return to being allowed to treat myself to frivolous things once again, or just normal (forgotten) behaviour for me but I’m walking around like The Cat out of Red Dwarf at the minute. “This is mine; that’s mine [etc.]”…

I am the human equivalent of Pepe Le Pew, desperate to lay claim to most things I see!

Here’s what I’ve been lusting after this week, and considering I’m still lusting after half the stuff from LAST WEEK’s list – this could get messy.

01: YSL Teint Eclat (£28) – I STILL haven’t tried it!  On paper, it sounds like it might be perfect for my dehydrated, winter skin.  But I just haven’t gotten close enough to a counter in the last fortnight to colour-match. It’s my mission this week. (nice mission huh?)

02: Linea Softs Blanket Stitch Oversized Scarf In Blue (£6.75) -Is it certifiable scarf-weather yet?  Maybe not quite but I might make an exception while this one is at such a lovely, lovely price!

03: Topshop Hooded Clasp Coat (£85) – Meh, about £20/£30 overpriced but if you’re like me and don’t own a pair of curvy hips, a skirted coat is flippinamazing at making you look more hourglass-y.

04: Dior Grand Bal Collection nail polish in Diva Diorific (£20) – I’ll admit it, I only want it for the packaging.  I can totally tie some gold thread around it and upcycle it to Christmas tree ornament next year yes?  Which means that in girly budgeting terms, I can justify the price-tag.  Almost.

05: Silver Spoon Ring but Tangs and Tines (£13.95) – Silver plated vintage cutlery turned jewellery?  Where do I sign up?!

06: Fly London Black Mol Boots (£135 but £94 on amazon!) – I wish my current boots were up for replacing but alas, I had the heel reinforced last January and they’re still going strong.  I should be happy, I know I should – but gosh, I want THESE ONES *stamps well-heeled boot*

What have you been hankering after?

To honour the opening of one of the world’s greatest Tennis Grand Slam Tournaments, I’m dedicating this afternoon’s post to Wimbledon!

Tickets for The Championships are notoriously tricky to come by coupled with the fact that we’re more likely to see Murray win in straight sets than make it there in time to nab a decent spot on Henman Hill.

So let’s bring the atmosphere of Wimbledon to us with a few fragrances to get you in the mood for your centre court appearance!

1. Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Toit EDT 100ml – £77.00

This elegant bottle from Paris fashion house Hermès is the 4th fragrance from their garden-inspired series.  Literally translating to “A garden on the roof”, it pays homage to the roof-garden situated atop the Hermès’ HQ building in Paris!  One of the more instantly familiar notes within the jus is the freshly cut green grass synonymous with Wimbledon as one of the few remaining great grass courts!

Hermès Un Jardin Sur Le Toit is available to buy online from uk.hermes.com

2. Eau de Lacoste Blanc EDT 100ml – £39.99 *

Pre-match nerves abound and the air crackles with tension as tight as strings on rackets!  If you could only snoop backstage to taste the atmosphere you’d get more than a hint of the cool, fresh notes waiting within this offering by Lacoste.  Simply titled ‘Blanc’ it evokes the spirit of the iconic L.12.12 polo shirt which translated to girl-speak means that lush, clean… crisp scent you’d get from nuzzling your nose in Federer’s freshly-ironed match-whites with just a hint of the iconic champion left behind.

Eau de Lacoste Blanc EDT 100ml is available to buy online from www.theperfumeshop.com

3. DIOR Miss Dior Chérie EDP 50ml – £59.50 *

It wouldn’t be Wimbledon with the event’s signature snack of strawberries and cream!  Like the sun with no moon, sausages sans mash… it just wouldn’t be the same without it.  Dior’s Miss Dior Chérie has some serious strawberry credentials that strike like a punnet of Kent’s finest with a backhand of caramelized sugar.  If anything can help remind the on-court grunters that they are indeed laydees, this would be the flirty scent for the job.  It’s unashamedly girly, fruity and pink!

DIOR Miss Dior Chérie Eau de Parfum is available to buy online from www.theperfumeshop.com

4. La Prairie Midnight Rain EDP 50ml – £74.00

I don’t need to tell you what this one reminds me of?  Clue: it’s not Cliff Richard.  La Prairie Midnight Rain is another fruity floral but with some serious “ooh la la” leanings.  While Miss Dior Cherie will render you the juiciest filly in the stand, Midnight Rain will have you tearing up the turf at the after party!  Opening with some tropical top notes the fragrance dries down to a sensuous musky finish, it’s not a sexydirty scent but it’s not alltogether innocent either.  One thing’s for sure… it wouldn’t let rain stop play!

La Prairie Midnight Rain is available to buy online from www.escentual.com

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Who’s gonna win the men’s final this year and what fragrance are you wearing today?

* press sample

You may remind yourself frequently that for reasons beyond your control, it just wasn’t meant to be… but still, late at night as you find yourself in that transitional world between wakefulness and sleep, your mind wanders.  The imagery remains as fresh today as it was nearly 24 months ago, the longing sometimes even stronger.

There will always be a missing piece to the puzzle, never adequtely filled no matter how many attempts we may make to replace it.  We could spend thousands of pounds and travel far and wide to discover a suitable sucessor.  But the question remains… “What if?”

You didn’t think I was talking about a *man* did you?  Pfft.

I didn’t pick either palette up (and I love them both) when they were available because there was simply TOO much from Dior Holiday that had made my wishlist.  I bit my lip as I told myself they were too expensive when I’d already Xmas hauled, a classic angel/devil shoulder combination.  On this occasion, I should have let the devil win.

And so it will remain for now, Dior Jazz Club palettes… the ones that got away.

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Do you have a sorry tale to tell of the Limited Edition item(s) you still wish you’d splurged on?

workhorse: noun. Something, such as a machine, that performs dependably under heavy or prolonged use.

Dior’s One Couleur Eyeshadow in Trendy Taupe is one of my go-to shades for deepening the crease.  It works well paired with anything I’ve matched it up to and blends without too much argument or swearing (from me).

Other than that… well, in all honesty, it’s completely un-exciting.  But I wouldn’t be without it.

The pigmentation is light but buildable which means that I don’t end up with “WOAH! PANDA EYES” whenever I attempt anything smoky.

Dior’s One Couleur Eyeshadow in Trendy Taupe is priced at £19.50 (ouch) and available online from House Of Fraser.  I can’t remember if it’s limited edition but I didn’t see it online at Boots.

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Anyone else suffer from the dreaded black eye effect when attempting to go smoky?

I was on the lookout for a true peach blush but I couldn’t decide whether I wanted matte or shimmer…. I do love my shimmers but it’s mattes that consistently give me the best results on my skin.

I was walking round John Lewis a couple of weeks ago checking out all the peaches at ALL the counters (I don’t do brand discrimination when I’m on a hunt) and my eyes alighted on this little number:

I don’t actually own a Dior blush… so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I find Dior can sometimes be a little hit and miss in terms of texture and pigment but on my pale skin, a slightly less pigmented blush can work just as well if not better.

I took the plunge!

Check it out!  Matte on the left, shimmer on the right – you CAN have your cake and eat it too!

The shimmer side is very finely milled and adds a touch of glow to the long-lasting and overall matte appearance.  It’s a great combination for shimmer/matte fence-sitters like me!  The strange thing about this blush is that although it looks scarily peach in the pan (I did have a little wobble after buying it because of this)… it actually ends up looking pretty pinky/peach on my cheeks.  Which in fairness, is probably for the best.

(A terrible patchy swatch, I’m sorry… it looks quite ruddy here.  I’ll do a FOTD when bruises have gone)

I only need to pull my brush across the surface once to pick up enough product and I do notice a little bit of excess powder lift on the pan (what’s the term for that? – when you have to blow on the pan after to get rid of the excess powder?) but it applies smoothly and blends nicely.  I really don’t have any complaints about this blush at all.  Apart from perhaps the price… but I didn’t go to the Dior counter expecting to get a Sleek bargain now did I?

I paid £27.50 for this and am truly delighted to have done so… more DiorBlush! More!

Available online and on counter, do you ladies have any other shades that you’d recommend a hopeless addict?

It’s been quite a year for luxury lipsticks!

Only just recovering from the Chanel Rouge Cocos and the Tom Ford purse breakers, we’re now faced with the new collection on the block… and it’s a biggie!

Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care (£22) is a new collection of 32 (yes, 32!) mouth-watering shades.  Each shade has been inspired by (and named after) a vintage Dior Haute Couture dress.  Check out those two beauties in the background!

The range has been grouped into three colour families to make navigating through the line a little easier.  Red to Coral, Pink to Lilac and Beige to Brown, there’s a shade to suit every taste and skintone (if not budget!).

The Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care collection also promises to plump your lips both in the short and long term using some fancy schmancy hyaluronic technology.  I can’t wait to see the rest of the line up, though I’m already totally drawn to the nude there *swoon*.

If you want to get your hands on one (or seven) of these babies, you need to take your lipstick-loving selves to Selfridges who hold the worldwide exclusive on the range.  Available from yesterday (28th July), these are sure to be hugely in demand throughout August!

2 eyes, 83 eyelashes (or thereabouts) and 2 mascaras.

On one eye, I’ve applied £21.50 worth of mascara (DiorShow Iconic)

On the other eye… £5.99 worth of mascara (Boots 17 Wild Curls)

There’s undoubtedly a difference, and the expensive mascara (on the left as you look at it) has done it’s job well.

But is the difference really worth £15.51?

Hand on heart, for me… I think it’s worth it.  My husband thinks I’m a sucker.

What do you think?

That’s it… that’s all that I have left of my current favourite fragrance after decanting myself a small amount and giving the rest to a friend.

Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint reminds me of Summer.  It makes me think of cottage gardens and fresh linen catching the breeze on the washing line.

But Mr L doesn’t like it and in all fairness, he has to smell me 24/7 and it’s a scent that truly bothers him.

When I was 17, I bought myself a bottle of Dior’s Hypnotic Poison.  It had just been released and I sampled it in the Duty Free Store on the RoRo ferry to France.  I fell in love with it’s sweet and gentle scent.  Vanilla, almond and sugar… it’s everything a teenage girl would love.  I spent all of my holiday allowance on that one bottle before I’d even got halfway across the English Channel.

Back then, it was new and remained relatively undiscovered for a while.  It was the first perfume I’d ever worn that lasted for hours on my skin, I couldn’t leave the house without being complimented on how lovely I smelt.

I’m now 12 years older.  The oriental and intoxicating scent I used to cherish and adore reminds me a little bit of play-doh.  It’s cloying and childish and admitting this upsets me.

Shall I tell you why?

I met my husband wearing Hypnotic Poison.  I married my husband wearing Hypnotic Poison (along with the matching body lotion) and I gave birth to our child wearing Hypnotic Poison.  Everything about our life has been set against a backdrop of Bitter Almond, Caraway, Vanilla and Caramel.  It’s one of the most comforting scents we know.

The end of a love affair… it’s not tempestuous or exciting.  Like many endings, it’s just sad.

I know I’ll never be without a bottle stashed somewhere in the back of my wardrobe… but I need to find something new, something that will carry me through my 30s and beyond.  What if I fall in love with something else that Mr. L hates?  What if he can’t let go of my signature scent in the way I’m dying to and no other scent compares?

As much as I assert that it’s MY scent, on MY body… it’s not.  It’s ours… and I’m not sure I’d be ready for him to fall out of love with his signature fragrance either.

Perhaps I’m being melodramatic… I usually am.  But of the traditional 5 senses, the sense of smell is a hugely important and often subconscious one.

Do you have a signature scent?  How would you go about finding a new one?

Back in December, I went a little Dior crazy.  I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat… (stop laughing)

Anyway!  I was a woman possessed obsessed with the Dior Cristal Boreal Holiday Collection and when I picked up a few pieces, a couple more shadows from the new One Couleur Extreme range fell into my hot sweaty hands too.

Left to Right on the top row: Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Flash Black, Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Silver Gem (LE), Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Trendy Taupe.

Flash Black: A true black infused with silver sparkle… this is such a great base for a wonderful smoky eye.

Silver Gem (LE) – This is a limited edition silver from the Cristal Boreal Holiday 2009 Collection… this is the shadow that I first swatched on counter that made me loopy for the collection.  It’s a pretty darn opaque silver with a buttery finish.

Trendy Taupe – A teeny bit disappointing because it’s so dark on me, I wanted more of a midtone shade for the lid and this fairly pigmented shade doesn’t quite fit the bill.

The cast of characters… You can see the sparkle of Flash Black (left), the opaqueness of Silver Gem (middle) and the deep tones of Trendy Taupe (right).

I think that concludes my pre-Christmas Dior haul…. now to find a new obsession for Spring/Summer… What’s on your radar?

As part of my Dior haul, I also purchased the Dior Sparkling Liner in the Xmas ’09 LE Shade Sparkling Purple.

I actually had no intentions to pick this up until I swatched it on the stand… oh my.

It’s a beautifully iridescent purple liner with a brush that ensures a precision fine line.  It’s massively pigmented and perfect for winter.

Look at that… it just glows and reminds me of stained glass.  I’ve been pairing this up with grey shadows on my lids and have worn it once or twice on it’s own with lots of black mascara.

I’m so pleased I picked it up!

I think I paid around £20.  Do you wear coloured liners?  Any preferences or tips on shade selection for a chick with grey/green eyes?

A beautiful gun-metal silver/grey metallic with more than a hint of purple.

Applies beautifully with absolutely no brush marks.  Needs a top coat to achieve a great glossy finish, wear has been very good.

It’s a fabulously winter-y shade and my first Dior Polish, I’m very impressed with the quality!

What are some of your fav Dior polishes?

So, you’ve seen the FOTD but not the palette… I got that ordering all arse about face didn’t I?  Although, you couldn’t actually see the shadows in the FOTD anywayyyy… but I digress…

Here she is!

I’m not a fan of these silly velvet pouches… I dunno why, but to me… they cheapen the product.  Makes me think of a tacky ornament that you pick up in the pound shop at Christmas for an Aunty that you don’t like very much.  Yeah, I don’t know how the hell I got from Dior to pound shop tat in one fell swoop either.

The casing on the other hand is pure luxe.  Love that midnight blue… just beautiful!

It’s a very cool toned palette, which suits me perfectly!  I’m loving the combination of totally wearable shades… gawjus!

As you can see from the swatches… this is one heavily pigmented palette.  The shade difference between the silvery taupes are perfect and the purple is a fabulous nod to the festive season.  The finishes are all metallic/shimmer and blend like buttah.

The palette is LE but there was still plenty of stock in the Boots I bought this from last week.  I paid £36 (well, I didn’t ‘cos I used my Advantage Card… but, I woulda done if…. oh you know what I mean!).

Do you like? Is it a bit cool toned for you?