A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m not really down with surfing jargon but I have totally watched Point Break as many times as the next girl, perhaps even more… sometimes in slow-motion too.

hang ten (verb American) – to ride a surfboard (at near-optimum speed or full stretch) with the toes of both feet hooked over the front. From the jargon of American surfers since the early 1960s. The phrase is sometimes used figuratively to mean something like ‘go full-tilt on a risky course.

China Glaze’s Hang Ten Toes might not make me think of Keanu Reeves or Patrick Swayze (rip) but it does make me think of long Summer days and sand between my toes.

Hang Ten Toes* is a superbly vibrant, hot pink with a silvery shimmer that gives the polish some blue flashes in the right light.  It’s a more wearable neon pink than some, though still impressively bright.  The formula was good, a little thick – as with the whole collection so far, it needs a small amount of care and attention to prevent pooling at the cuticles.  That’s the price CG have decided we should pay for impressive opacity in only two coats this time around.

China Glaze Hang Ten Toes is available to buy instore from Sallys or online at BeautyBay.com, priced from £6.95

* press sample

Orange You Hot? Well, you are indeed warmer than a slice of Kingsmill, toasted on the defrost setting.  I’m not really damning this polish with faint praise… it’s pretty bright, but to be honest… it’s still totally wearable for everyone.  I realise this is probably a good thing… but I do like my neons to just occassionally, set my retinas alight.

Orange You Hot is an orange, nay tangerine shimmer.  The shimmer adds a dose of brightness that can’t help but inject a bit of wotsit (cheetos)-flavoured sunshine into the proceedings.  Mr. L hates it… which means that I, of course, have to love it more than I really do just to piss him off.

China Glaze Orange You Hot is available to buy instore from Sallys or online at RadiantBabe-Beauty, priced from £6.75

* press sample

Laugh?  I nearly cried when I got a press release instructing me on how I could transition my Summer look into something more suitable for Autumn/Winter.  I mean, really?  WE HAVEN’T EVEN HAD SUMMER.  Not that this is the fault of Bobbi Brown, to be fair.  I’m sure that she (of sueded nudes and creamy ivories) has absolutely no influence on our climatic shitness.  I nearly wrote ‘climactic’ then… sorry, freudian slip.

Here, let’s distract ourselves from the views out the window by looking at some pretty pretties instead.

I must admit, the Desert Spring Collection does bridge the gap between happiness (summer) and misery (winter) quite nicely.

You’ve got a bit of Turquoise Nail Polish to remind you of those halcyon, balmy days WE NEVER HAD and the Long-Wear Cream Shadow in Blue Moon shouldn’t smudge too easily as we sob the makeup OFF OUR FACES.  Finally, the Creamy Colour for Lips and Cheeks looks suitably frost-bitten for when it’s still DARK IN THE MORNING and you’re scraping the ice off your car with your credit card ‘cos you’ve lost the scraper and the de-icer in the can has frozen solid.

Yeah, it looks quite promising.

I’m lusting after the eye palette (always the palettes Bobbi!), the blush/bronzer duo and the vampier polish of the duo.  The collection is set to launch next month online at BobbiBrown.co.uk and across counters nationwide.

Got any early favourites?

I love blue nails, yet rarely wear them myself.  I don’t know why that is… perhaps the fear of smurf fingers after removal (though I’m frequently advised that a smear of vaseline over your fingertips avoids the problem), or is it simply the primitive-ness of the hue? Perhaps I’m just scared it might make me look like Michael Howard’s lovechild (afterall, there is “something of the night” about me).

China Glaze Ride The Waves doesn’t really conjour up images of riding any kind of waves, it feels more traditionally maritime blue in a Royal Navy kinda way than all surfy n’ stuff.  Although most definitely a primary blue, the finish is all squishy and jelly-like to give some oomph to its character.  Unlike some of the other brights in the Summer Neons Collection, this one isn’t actually all that bright – though it does create an impact.  Application was fine but worth bearing in mind that it will prove to be a little sheer because of the jelly finish (the above photo shows three coats).

China Glaze Ride the Waves is available to buy instore from Sallys or online at RadiantBabe-Beauty, priced from £6.75

* press sample

I’ve been wearing a lot of kohl lately, reaching over my usual liquid liners in favour of a smudgier, more deconstructed look than normal.  This Summer, Clarins have released one of the most-beautiful-to-hold kohl liners that I’ve ever used.  The Clarins Kohl Kajal promises a soft, creamy texture that’s both deeply-pigmented and delivers a long-lasting formula.

I know that there are many different methods of applying kohl kajal and I tend to hold the larger-than-normal nib horizontally, running it along the lower waterline back and forth to build pigmentation before squeezing my eyes shut and hoping for a good amount of transfer to the top lashline!  I’ve never really been able to simultaneously run the nib along both upper and lower lashlines.  At least, not without my eyes watering.

The beauty of kohl is that its softness really delivers product into the base of the lashes, making them appear thicker and giving your eyes greater definition.  The Clarin’s version allows great manouverability with the application thanks to the cleverly designed packaging, you can tell I’m digging the packaging right?

It’s not all good stuff though as this doesn’t deliver enough pigmentation to make me delirious with joy.  Although quickly buildable, if you do the transfer method of application like me, you’ll be squinting like nobody’s business in an attempt to increase the depth of colour.  This does make it more suitable for work-appropriate looks but I do like a bit of inky blackness from my kohls!

The formula smudges easily (in a good way) but resists migration down my face admirably despite the warmer weekend weather.  I wouldn’t say that it ever fully “set” on my eyes (I was able to go back in and blend out further an hour later) but it remained on my waterline for a good few hours and between my lashes for the entire day.  It’s perhaps the perfect solution if you’re looking for a subtler version of the Indian kohl pencils.

Clarins Kohl Kajal is available to buy on counter and online at Clarins.com, priced at £15.00

* press sample

I thought I’d start swatching the China Glaze Summer Neons collection with my favourite (at least from just looking at the bottles): Pink Plumeria*.  It’s a bright coral which definitely leans more towards the pink side of the spectrum, making it an excellent choice for those of us who might usually struggle with the warmth in traditional coral shades.  Pink Plumeria, to my eye at least, carries a really subtle duochrome – I’m not sure if this is intended, or is simply a result of the golden shimmer packed within.

You can see on the nail tips, there’s definitely more golden tones than toward the base of the nail bed.  The formula on this one was ok… a bit prone to pooling, so definitely paint this one on in thinner strokes.  This is going to be such a lovely pedicure shade too, I’m feeling the love for this one!

China Glaze Pink Plumeria is available to buy instore from Sallys or online at RadiantBabe-Beauty, priced from £6.75

* press sample

…but most of the time, I take the photos – write the post, upload the photos, think “job done”, click preview and then wonder why the hell I bothered.  Today is one of those days.

I would blame the camera, the lighting, the mis-calibration of your monitor… but the truth is, my face absorbs colour.  Unless of course, I wear a shade from one of my Sleek palettes which seem to encourage my chemistry to saturate the colour to the max, turning me into some kind of deformed caricature of myself.

Grumbles aside, and seeing as this was intended to be a FOTD post, I’d better get on and list the products just as I would for any other FOTD post… who cares if you can’t actually see them right?

Face

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #2
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW15
Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX03

Cheeks

Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer*

Eyes

Trish McEvoy Glaze Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz
Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara
Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black*

Lips

Clinique Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange*

I’m liking the MAC Studio Fix more than I thought.  It’s a little drying and perhaps a touch too matte for me but I mix in some Fluid Sheer to give it a boost of luminescence and I’m quite enjoying it.  The Kevyn Aucoin SSE is starting to work for me now that I’m using it to conceal rather than as a fuller-coverage foundation – though I am still determined to work out how to get full-face coverage from it.  I received the Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer last year and it’s a sheerer formula which is quite forgiving despite my pale skintone, it has a subtle sparkle and is quite buildable.  I’m not the best at applying/blending bronzer though… consider me still a bit of a bronzer noob.

The eyes were the most disappointing aspect of today’s look.  The Trish McEvoy shadow I bought for my palette, although a beautiful colour didn’t create much impact – which to be honest, is fair enough – it is intended to be a sheer wash of beautiful rosy taupe… nothing too dramatic, it’s my fault for not bothering with a contour.  I’m sitting on the fence when it comes to the MUFE Smoky Lash mascara, I know that many of you swear by it and although it’s certainly quite impressive at creating some drama, I feel that it’s a little prone to clumping and I don’t like the way it makes my lashes feel.  Finally, the Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black seemed to look more ‘dramatic plum’ on my waterline… perhaps it’s those sleepless nights finally showing through!

The one component of today’s FOTD that I thought I’d be indifferent about (sheer lip colours – “meh”), I ended up really liking.  The Clinique Chubby Stick is such a nice formula to wear and for me to reach for it, well… perhaps I was feeling more ‘subtle’ than I was letting-on!  You won’t see a huge amount of colour with this range but the Oversized Orange gives my lips a nice polish and a hint of warmth.

What’s your favourite product that you’re sporting today?

* indicates press samples

Do I feel a faint glow of warmth on the back of my neck?  Could it be that Summer is attempting to at least play a bit part in our lives this year?  I won’t hold my breath to be honest, so while I can see a bit of blue inbetween the clouds, I’m gonna make the most of it.

There’s no better way of injecting some summer lovin’ into your routine than with skittle-licious nails in the shape of China Glaze’s Summer Neons collection*.

Twelve shades of super-vibrant colour in that Summer-staple neon formula.  Have we seen these before?  Probably – but those hot corals never fail to make me smile, no matter how many times they come around.  Individual finger swatches coming soon!

* press sample

OH HAI MOST PRETTY POLISH IN THE WORLD.  WHERE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE?

You know, it’s funny.  The nail polish community online have been crying out for moar holos, moar party glitters, and moar duochromes from the industry leaders for a few years now.  We haven’t really seen anything significant come from these requests and so something very interesting has happened… the rule of the indie/franken brigade is now upon us!  You might still be looking to OPI, China Glaze, Zoya et al to see where the polish trends are heading, and if so… you’re looking in the wrong place.

Get. on. Etsy.

I picked up this Darling Diva Polish in Space Beetle a few weeks ago and it’s the most beautiful colour-shifting holographic that I own.  Ok, it might be the only one, whatever – I don’t have a 9359435 billion nail polishes (well, not quite).

Ain’t she beautiful?  Trust me, she’s even better in sunlight.

I know that she’s been compared to Dollish Polish’s Toxic Avenger… of which, I know very little about – so I’m just going to take this polish on its own merits and tell you why you need to go and buy it.  I don’t think it’s going to be a tough job to be honest.

Space Beetle is a linear holographic-slash-duochrome that’s absolutely packed with prismatic bounty.  The highlights flash the most delightful candyfloss pink which is what makes this so unique.  The swatches show the polish applied over a bare nail, two coats – both of which, applied faultlessly.

I haven’t tried layering it yet, but I can’t wait – I’m curious to see what effect those pink flashes have on a variety of base colours.

Darling Diva Polish Space Beetle (£7.86) is available to buy online from the Darling Diva Polish Etsy shop which ships internationally.  I have my beady eye on Ceylon next (I’m a sucker for a Periwinkle!)

You may remember this post about the brush guards that I use whenever I clean my brushes, it allows them to dry and retain their shape perfectly.  In the comments, Ellie told us about the el-cheapo version you could pick up on eBay for just ninety-nine pennies!  A couple of my original brush guards were showing some wear on the edges so I picked up a couple of rolls and waited patiently for them to arrive from the far East.

I thought I’d do a quick comparison… this isn’t particularly in-depth but I thought it might be useful to demonstrate the major differences between the available tools.

The most obvious difference is in the rigidity of the material used to construct the brush guards.  The eBay equivalent is much softer, more pliable and to be honest, less substantial.  The ‘official’ brush guards are firmer and more rigid with a stronger construction.  If you imagine a rope… the stronger rope will be weaved of more strands – this is pretty much what’s happening here.  Think of it as the ‘official’ version of The Brush Guard being triple-ply loo roll as opposed to the single-ply eBay alternative!

However, this doesn’t make the eBay Brush Guards any less useful when it comes to keeping the brush hairs in shape.  Look, same brush…

You can see that both guards encourage the brush to keep its naturally domed taper, thus allowing it to dry retaining a good shape.  The biggest drawback to the eBay version is that I simply haven’t been able to use them on any eye brushes with as much success and that includes brushes like the MAC 217 – there’s too much stretch in the mesh to conform to a smaller brush tip and hold the bristles as tightly as I’d like.

As for travel?  Well, the official version would be my recommendation.  The eBay guards are simply too pliable and don’t afford the rigidity needed to protect the brushes when they’re bumping up against one another.  To try and demonstrate what I mean, I pressed my fingertip against the brush tip on a MAC 217… I tried to apply the same amount of pressure to the brush head and you can see the difference between the amount of movement exercised on the delicate hairs.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for something to simply cover, lightly protect and shape your larger brushes after washing and aren’t looking for something to protect your brushes whilst travelling – go for the eBay brush guards.  At 99p for a roll of mesh you’ll be sitting pretty with neatly domed powder brushes at the ready!  If you need something more substantial or struggle to keep your eye brushes in good shape, you should stump up the extra pennies and go for the official versions of The Brush Guard.

It may look like a super low-tech solution to protecting your brushes, but not all brush guards are built equally!

I purchased my eBay brush guards, rather unsurprisingly, on eBay (99p) and my official ones from Cocktail Cosmetics (£5 per pack).

You’re gonna have to excuse the late-night point & shoot pictures, these were taken at around 11pm and I’d just dragged my tired bum through the door after spending an evening at Selfridges enjoying an Armani masterclass with Cesar Santos, one of Armani’s International Face Designers.  I’d already managed to eat my lipstick and gloss off whilst on the train home, so what remains in the photo below is a five-hour old base which my dry skin instantly fell in love with (Luminous Silk 4.5), some phenomenal mascara (Eyes to Kill (VexInTheCity, you were right)), and one of the new Eyes To Kill eyeshadows (#24 – RougeDeluxe has more info on them here).

There was also a blush (blushing fabric #1) which the camera has failed to capture.  I’m sad that I ate the lipstick off, it was probably the best warm pink I’ve ever worn for not looking clashy against my skin.  Don’t comment on my brows, I would say that I’m “growing them out” or something bloggery like that, but I’m not… I’m just too idle to phone my threading lady and my fringe does a great job at hiding them.  Usually.

How about that mascara huh?

Cesar Santos usually resides on the Giorgio Armani counter at Harvey Nichols, London.  You need to track down this man, seriously.  He’s ridiculously easy to talk to, completely non-judgemental when admitting your makeup crimes, and did not put a single foot wrong when selecting shades that complemented both my skintone AND my hair.  Basically, if ever there were a case for human cloning (especially if we could turn them into our makeup minions)… Cesar is it.

I shall be blogging more about the evening soon!

I know!  Right?!

But before you get all excited (as I did when I read about this), the offer is only available to new Boots Treat Street customers.  So, if like me, you’re already justifying your eBay addiction by reminding yourself that you earn Boots points with every purchase courtesy of Treat Street, this deal doesn’t have your name written on it.  The bastards.

However…

If you’re new to the world of Boots Treat Street, there isn’t a better time to sign up.  Except for that time when I signed up and got £15 in Boots points (kerr-ching) via a Living Social deal.  Sorry, you’ve missed that boat and no-one likes a gloater.

So, what’s this Treat Street malarkey all about then?  Well, to put it simply… it’s the Boots Advantage Card system extended to other stores (but only online).  For example, you can’t walk in to Dixons brandishing your Boots card but you can click through to the Dixons website VIA the Boots Treat Street website and subsequently earn Boots points on any purchases.  Clear as mud?  Good.

As much as I hate installing crap on my computer, I must admit that the Boots Treat Street browser toolbar comes in quite handy.  It pops up whenever I’m on a website that participates in the scheme and reminds me to “log myself in” to the system before making my purchase, thus securing my Boots Advantage Card Points from the deal.

If you haven’t shopped via the Boots Treat Street website before, you’ll be wanting this code: WELCOME500 and these instructions on what to do next.

Happy points collecting!  Do you use Treat Street?  Tempted to sign up?