A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…with a neat video showcasing three very different looks created around three very different lipsticks from the Chanel Rouge Coco range.

Which look is your favourite?

…only a teeny haul!

It was 3 for £12… and there were 3 further colours I was tempted by, but I’m not convinced of the quality so held off splurging further until I’d given these a try!

L-R: Mouse, Peacock, Factory Grey.

I wore Peacock to the Sleek event, and whilst I love the colour… I wasn’t too enamoured of the formula which was a bit gloopy.

I would have a NOTD for you but I fractured 2 of my nails whilst bowling (of course) so have given them all a much needed prune instead!

Have you tried the American Apparel polishes yet?

Put down the broccoli and head for the Beauty Aisle ‘cos there’s a new brand in town!

Dirty Works is exclusive to Sainsbury’s and incorporates a range of body scrubs, body butters and bath products to leave you feeling pampered but not penniless!

The comparison to Soap & Glory has to be made though right?  Is this an even more budget-friendly option?

I was sent a little trio of goodies called “Get Set Go” Mini Luxuries which includes:

Bare Necessity Body Lotion
Buff Your Stuff Body Scrub
All of a Lather Body Wash

I’m a little over the whole kitsch packaging thing now that it’s been done to death… but I can see it still appealing to many and this set in particular would make a great little gift set for a bathing belle.

Each product in the set is 100ml, so considering it’s mini… is pretty darn generous!  The products are all quite highly-scented… I smell cocoa butters, fruity scents and vanilla.

They’re not the most luxurious products I’ve used, but they do what they say on the tin and they do it well.

Most products seem to be priced around the £5 mark, check them out next time you’re doing the weekly shop!

Long, long overdue is a review of my Deep Skincare – Rewarding Facial Mask.  You may remember I reviewed their Splendid Smooth Legs balm a couple of months ago when they sent me a couple of products for review consideration and I meanly laughed at their product names.

Well, I’m gonna do it again… Rewarding Facial Mask? *snort*  Someone’s gone through the dictionary looking for adjecives ending in -ing and added them to each product name.

If you were to order from Deep Skincare, you could choose from…

Balancing Toner, Uplifting Serum, Sanitizing Face Mask, Smoothing Scrub, Embracing Day and Night Cream, Empowering Rinse, Revitalizing Peel, Penetrating Balsam, Tenderizing Srcub… and so on…  don’t believe me? Go see for yourself.

Anyway, enough scorn for one day… what’s the stuff like?

It’s rather lovely.  You can usually tell the quality of a product just by using your senses and this one is no exception.  It smells heavenly, feels luxurious and looks creamy and substantial.  I stopped short of tasting it, but if the rest of the senses are anything to go by… I’d be expecting white truffles.

It applies and spreads easily onto my skin without glooping up like some face masks tend to do.  It feels more like a heavy, heavy cream than some of the usual more sticky masks that I’ve used in the past.   Once applied, it feels cooling on the skin with the slightest of tingles.  Not painful or irritated tingle… just cooling.  The scent is gorgeous.  It’s a kaolin clay based mask with the added benefits of aloe vera, sesame and almonds.

I leave the mask on for around 15 minutes and watch as it transforms from a white cream into a transparent veil.   Washing it off with lukewarm water leaves my skin feeling softer and somewhat firmer.  I haven’t noticed any other long-term benefits from using this product but as a quick pick-me-up, it’s fabulous.

Rewarding Facial Mask is available from the Deep Skincare website and is priced at £13

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.

So… about a month ago, I ordered some Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush samples online… unfortunately, they took flippin’ ages to turn up and by the time they did, all but one of them had dried out.  Thanks Royal Mail – so. not. cool.

I chose the 6 shades shown above and paid £2.95 for p&p, this sample offer is only available within the UK but it’s a great way to get an idea of which shades would best suit your skintone.

Anyway, when they arrived… I used my Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic to revive them which worked an absolute treat!  I thought I’d share some swatches so you can get a better idea of how they look applied.

As you can see, they’re pretty pigmented!  A little definitely goes a very long way.

Here they are applied, hopefully it’ll give you a better idea of how they look once blended… I’ve also included the official colour descriptions for clarity.

Life – A delicate, fresh pink shade as fresh as the bloom on a baby’s cheek. Wonderfully sheer with delicate highlights of shimmery pink make this perfect for any woman, any skin tone.

Flush – You will look naturally flushed with this Watercolour. The ultimate, timeless shade that will knock years off you. Used on lips it will give you that bitten lip shade that Hollywood ‘A’ listers love. Great for fair to medium skin tones.

Hail Mary – A peachy, delicate and shimmery shade ideal for fair to light skin tones.

Cherub – Our Number One Best Seller. A delicate sheer, pastel pink that’s perfect for fair to medium skin tones that want the daintiest, youthful flush of colour.

Truth – A barely there nude, peach shade with flattering highlights of peach and silver to brighten very fair skins. Perfect for fair to medium skin toned ladies that get high colour. This shade won’t make you look hot and bothered. In fact, it will help disguise hot flushes.

Gentle – Think Uptown beige mixed with some pretty peach and you’ve got this classy shade down to a tee. This expensive-looking, sheer, nude shade makes a face look Chic and chiselled. Perfect for fair to medium skin tones.

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What can I say about the product?  Well, not much more really… I wouldn’t like to review them as is because by the time I’d received them… the formula had obviously been heavily affected by transit.  First impressions are good though and I hope the colour swatches are useful to anyone in the market for a new blush obsession.

I think my favourites are Life, Cherub and Truth… though Truth perhaps looks a little too warm against my skintone.

Have you tried these?  I know they’re having a bit of a resurgence in popularity at the moment.  I first heard about them a couple of years ago thanks to a Cosmetic-Candy haul and they’ve been on my “should try this sometime” list ever since!

Channelesque is a discontinued China Glaze shade… it’s still available on eBay at the standard price so I thought I’d it share anyway.

It’s a dusky mauve with more than just a hint of grey.  Quite frankly, it’s gorgeous and one of my favourite China Glaze shades.  I *would* liken it to Sephora by OPI’s Metro Chic… but as I don’t have it to compare, I won’t 😉

My bottle is getting a bit old now and could do with thinning… despite this, application was still pretty dreamy.  Two coats to achieve a solid, glossy finish.

For those of you hatin’ on my beloved taupes 😉  Is this a bit less concrete for ya?! x

The problem with being a total beauty nut is that I find myself noticing flaws in my appearance that I’m sure wouldn’t really bother the average woman my age.

My mother has always suffered with hyperpigmentation and dark spots but she’s also about 3/4 foundation shades darker than me, so I’ve always assumed that it’s not something I would have to worry about as a paler skinned lady.

Well, maybe it’s NOT something I should worry about, heaven knows there’s enough “stuff” queueing up ready to be worried about in our day to day lives anyway… but regardless, I have noticed in recent months that my skin tone is looking less even.  I’ve always suffered from broken capilliaries on my cheeks and nose… but I’m also noticing a couple of little patches that I initially dismissed as new freckles.

Freckles all of a sudden? At 28? What… I think I’m Lindsay Lohan or something?  I guess it just sounds better than sun damage right?

Anyway, I’ve read lots about the Paul and Joe Whitening Serum that seems to get decent reviews for it’s ability to fade dark spots and even out skin tone… but my interest has been piqued by this new release from Clinique.

Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector claims to hold the power to even skin tone with results equal to a leading prescription ingredient.  Not only that but…

…this “damage eraser” is gentle and non-irritating and ideal for skins that cannot tolerate other skin brightening treatments.

It goes on to baffle me with science but regardless, if you’ve got skin that’s prone to a little bit of redness… you’ll know that the last thing you wanna do is slap product on that’s gonna accentuate that… a false economy right?

At £37.50 for 30ml, it’s not an inexpensive solution… but in general, these type of whitening/brightening products seem to offer good visible results when you compare them to anti-wrinkle creams.  The Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector is available from today on counters nationwide.  I’m interested, but I’ll be keeping my eyes open for some reviews before putting my hands in my pocket.

Have you tried whitening creams before?  What do you think?

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*

Get free standard delivery with no minimum spend over at Avon today only.

I love free delivery offers, they probably tempt me more than any other despite not always being the most ‘saving’.  I guess it’s ‘cos you can make a small order, sometimes just to trial a brand… and not get that ‘stung’ feeling when you get to checkout… £6.95 for the product, £3.95 shipping? *closes window*.  We all know that feeling right?

Anyway, go fill yer boots at Avon, voucher code AVONUK Expires midnight tonight!

I was hot… so I bullied Mr. L into getting the fans out of the loft yesterday.  I subsequently spent the night shivering under my duvet but of course, I was too stubborn to turn the damn thing off.

Summer IS a-coming….

There are 2 camps when it comes to Summer foundation… those that want lightweight, breathable cover and those that want their usual good coverage, but with added staying power in warmer weather.

It’s with the 2nd group in mind that I’m reviewing Clarins new Everlasting Foundation.  The clue is in the name… longevity.  Clarins promises 15hrs of impeccable coverage with this product.  15hrs?  That’s enough time to fly halfway round the world!

Let me start by saying that (in my albeit fairly limited experience) I quite like Clarins’ base products… I’m nearing the end of a bottle of their Truly Matte foundation that I cracked open last Summer, the shade wasn’t quite right for me but it did pretty much what it said on the tin.  This Everlasting Foundation promises a flawless matte finish but with that extra insurance factor of lasting through a full day of wear.

Well let’s see if it lives up to it’s claims shall we?

Packaging is beautiful…. a heavyweight frosted glass bottle containing 30ml of product.  The info on the back states that the product is allergy tested and non comedogenic which should make it a fab non-pore clogging option for ‘glowing’ skin.  Ladies don’t sweat remember?

Clarins sent me shade 104 (Cream) for review consideration, it’s a pretty good match… perhaps half a shade too dark, but it blends into my natural skintone well and I thankfully don’t have to blend the product down to my backside to avoid tide marks.

The coverage is indeed matte and I’d call it medium to full… not quite as full-on as say Estee Lauder’s Double Wear, but definitely heading in that direction.  If you want sheer to medium, this isn’t for you.  The product applies beautifully with either a brush or a sponge (I always test things with my beauty blender now too!).  I’m also loving using this with my fingers, the heat from my hands really makes this product melt into my skin… I’m anal about blobby coverage though so I’ve still been finishing off with an allover buff (flat top kabuki) after applying!

Have a close up pic, as always… click to enlarge (barf!)

The one personal downfall I had with this foundation is that I’m a touch too dry skinned for it.  I’m combo normal/dry at the moment (though definitely get oilier in the summer) and I felt that this accentuated my dry patches on my nose.  You may be able to see this in the enlarged image.  Now, whilst this is an issue for me… you oilier ladies should be bouncing in your seats, Clarins Everlasting foundation really kept the shine at bay for many hours thanks to it’s oil-free formula.

But what about it’s claims of Everlasting…um…ness?

Here’s a freshly applied/9 hours later comparison.  No cheating, not even a flick of powder during the day, oh and this was on the hottest day of the year so far…

Now, bear in mind I don’t have very oily skin… but 9 hours is impressive!  To be fair, it didn’t last much longer than this… about another hour before I was properly itching to reach for some powder or something to touch up with!  The coverage on my nose was the first to disappear which is stupid seeing as I’ve just gone on about how I’ve got dry bits there… but I seem to be oily down the bridge with dry bits elsewhere *rolls eyes*.

15hrs? Not quite… but more than long enough to see you through a day at work.  A quick touch up from your favourite powder foundation over the bits that need it and I reckon you’d be set for an evening out aswell.

Clarins Everlasting Foundation (£23) is available from counters nationwide or online at Clarins

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?