A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

So, the other day/week/month…. whenever it was (they’re blurring)… I told you about the new Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliners that I’d had a look at during the Avon Christmas collex launch.   I also told you about not being able to remove them with plain ol’ soap and water which resulted in me looking a bit grubby while I was on an overnighter in London.

I thought I’d compare it a little more closely to some of the other eyeliners I have in my stash that are generally well-regarded throughout the blogging community… so without further ado…

It’s got that fancy-schmancy luxe lace packaging going on… I’ve noticed that these eyeliners have currently disappeared from the website, so I’m guessing that’s ‘cos they’re about to be relaunched in the new packaging for Xmas.

Not retractable or any of that jazz, just your standard-looking eye pencil!

The black is VERY black.  Pigmented to the max and easily the softest eye pencil I own.  I barely need to touch this to my eyelid to create a defined and solid line.  Can you say impressive?  As with most soft/glidey eyeliners, it does mean that this needs more frequent sharpening than it’s counterparts… but your poor sensitive eyelids will thank you for the drag-free application.

Here’s 4 of some of the most highly regarded pencil eyeliners available.  I think you might be able to clearly pick out which packs the biggest punch in terms of pigmentation no?  The above artistic squiggles show one swipe each.

How about lasting power?  I swiped MULTIPLE times over my entire hand with a wet wipe…

Urban Decay… as much as I love you… you fail.

GOSH?  Close… but no cigar.

MUFE performed slightly better than Avon in the longwear test (conducted whilst I was wearing something that looked nothing like an official lab coat – probably my pyjamas) but the pigmentation just wasn’t there to begin with.

So… finally… how about a price comparison?

MUFE – £11.50
Avon – £6.00
GOSH – £4.99
Urban Decay – £11.50

There are a few other factors to take into consideration.  Of all ranges, Avon has the least shades available… I think there are only around 3 or 4, so great coloured eyeliners will still have to be sought elsewhere…

…But if you’re looking for a fabulously pigmented, long-lasting black eyeliner that won’t break the bank.  Better make friends with your local Avon lady (or yano, do the modern thang and head here).

ETA:

I received a sample of the Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Silver as a few of you requested swatches… here are the pictures.  I really do recommend these liners without hesitation.

This is an absolutely AMAZING Nails Inc. deal!

For TODAY ONLY, you can save £85 by purchasing a set of 10 Nails Inc. polishes for only £25.

I know they occasionally have some nice deals like this…. but usually with a few dubious shades that no-one wants thrown in… not this time!

Those are 10 flippin’ lovely shades and I don’t know about you but I’d be glad to wear each of them!

Also, look at the cute box they come in… what a great Christmas present they’d make for someone special… but I’m not sure I’d be able to keep my hands off them!

Shades include:

Berkeley Square – dark grey
Eagle Street – dusky nude
Duchess Street – vibrant purple
The Vale – deep plum
Eden Grove – vibrant real
Montrose Place – iridescent hot pink
Buckingham Street – hot pink glitter
Dean Street – pillar box red
Maple Street – metallic brown
Shelton Street – gold glitter

What do you think ladies?  Are you as tempted as I am?  I’m really cursing my little eBay polish haul from last night now… my fingers are hovering and I’m wavering… God knows, I don’t need more polishes in my life but I’m not sure I can resist!

Talk me down!

** You may also want to take a quick look here before ordering if you decide to go for it – it worked when I tested it late last night**

No one celebrates the end of October more beautifully than the people of Mexico.

“Day of the Dead” or “Día de los Muertos” as it’s known locally is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed on and allows the living to remember them in their own way.

The costumes and festivities involved in this celebration have inspired LUSH to release their Halloween goodies themed around the Mexican holiday.

1. CALAVERA Bath Ballistic (£2.95)

Calavera means skull in Spanish, so drop this ballistic into your tub and watch as it explodes with bright, vibrant colour and dances around your tub.  The fragrance is a blend of lime oil and Mexican marigold petals – both of which play a huge part in traditional Mexican cooking and celebrations. One of our new version ballistics with bubble bar mixed in with it, it leaves a trail of skin softening bubbles as it dances about the water, interweaving different colours together in a celebration of the after life.

2. CALACAS shower jellies (£2.95)

Calacas is skeleton in Spanish, so these colourful jellies are designed to represent dancing skulls – another iconic image of the Day of the Dead celebrations. There are four to choose from: in red, green, yellow or orange and each one is scented with the same uplifting, invigorating scent of lime and neroli. These wibbly wobbly jellies are also infused with aloe vera gel, to soften and soothe the skin. Especially good frozen, they make for a great bracing, sharp shock in the morning – great if you’ve overdone it with the tequila the night before!

3. LADY CATRINA soap (£2.95 for 100g)

A spectacular hat-shaped soap decorated with bright, neon flowers. Lady Catrina was an etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada that he made in the early Twentieth Century to parody that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else. Since then, Lady Catrina has become an iconic image for the Day of the Dead celebrations … And she wore big, colourful hats! The same fragrance as Calavera ballistic, it’s fresh, zesty and uplifting.

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Anything among the new Day of the Dead themed bathroom goodies that capture your attention?

I’m not a fan of LUSH shower jellies (too tricky to chase with soapy hands!!) and I have far too many bars of LUSH soap to get through as it is… but I’ll definitely be indulging in a Calavera Bath Ballistic – I love that the new ones bubble!

I’m bringing out the cheesy post titles!

I was recently sent a bottle of Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly Angel Touch Lotion… awww, doesn’t that name just make you want to bring up your lunch?

Apparently, this is America’s #1 fragrance (according to Victoria’s Secret of course) but I have to say, it is rather lovely.

With long-lasting notes of vanilla, freesia and white musk, there’s nothing extraordinary to be found here – but my husband adores the way it makes my skin smell and that’s good enough for me if it means I get a back-cwtch in bed before sleep.

The lotion itself is light and non-greasy.  It glides on smoothly and sinks in almost instantly leaving absolutely no residue or stickiness behind.  You could literally apply this minutes before bed without having to peel yourself off the bed sheets every time you want to turn over.

It leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised though I’d suggest that it may not be rich enough for more dry-skinned types.

If you’re a fan, the Dream Angels Heavenly scent can be found in many Victoria’s Secret products, I just with the same could be said for locating the brand in the UK.

They’ve recently announced that they’ll be opening a flagship store in London in 2012, but quite frankly… that’s just not quick enough is it?

Until then, we’ll have to make the most of the Victoria’s Secret counters available when flying out of Heathrow.  You can pick up a variety of the VS Beauty line from the World Duty Free stores located at the airport.

Are you a Victoria’s Secret fan?  What are your favourite products from the brand?

Steady yourselves ladies… this is a sparkler…

I received a bottle of Glitter Gal Cosmetics Marine Blue holo nail polish via R8Beauty (check them out on Facebook if you haven’t already) and when I first pulled it out of the envelope, I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.  I was right.

The holo effect is so wonderfully intense that it can even be easily detected without direct sunlight.  The formula was a touch thin and took three coats to achieve a fully opaque finish – I wouldn’t normally mind this at all, but as the bottle is only 9mls and I can see myself working through it quite quickly.

I’ve had SO many compliments on my nails and even got a “WOW!” from an SA in Superdrug yesterday!

The finish is smooth and doesn’t *really* need a topcoat though the addition of one does amp up the shine a touch, so if you can be bothered, I’d recommend.  The brush, although stumpy, didn’t give me any application issues and wear has been perfectly adequate.

Glitter Gal Cosmetics are an Aussie brand and there are currently no UK stockists.  You can purchase the Glitter Gal Nail Polishes online priced from AUD$9.95 each.  Sadly, when I added a few polishes to my basket, I was quoted a prohibitive AUD$25 for shipping.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a UK stockist soon.

Twitter was a-buzz (a-tweet?) with the news yesterday that Rachel Weisz would become L’Oreal’s new global ambassador… I for one, completely welcome the news and will quite happily admit to a mega girl-crush on the English actress.

Photo Credit: Rachel Weisz for L’Oréal Paris.

I remember her first capturing my attention when she played Tania in Enemy at the Gates.  She alone, managed to make a film starring Jude Law completely bearable.  Quite a feat really.

Rachel’s first campaign with L’Oreal will be the new RevitaLift Anti-wrinkle & firming day cream which will air nationwide on 1st December 2010.

Do you have any girl crushes?  Come on… spill the beans!

I was going to do one post that encompassed the entire Christmas Collection, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get a colour-accurate tube shot of the lipstick that I received in my goody bag.  So instead, we’ll have to make do with the eye palette that I was sent home with for now.

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Lace Hues is one of two eye palettes that Avon are releasing in special packaging as part of their Luxe Lace collection which is due to hit their online store at the end of the month.

Lace Hues contains four shades.  A shimmering white-gold, a matte neutral pink, a satin grey/green and a shimmering navy.  The packaging is delightful… a glossy black, well-built palette with pink lace embellishments.  It’s sturdy, secure and the large mirror inside is more than adequate for application’s sake.

On first inspection, it was the navy that caught my eye… it has a brighter blue flash to it… a certain interest that the other shades are lacking.

The texture of each shadow is quite hard and colour payoff is sheer but buildable with a bit of work.  I’ve been wearing the matte pink all over the lid with a touch of the grey/green in the socket and lashings of the blue underneath my lower lashline.  It’s a winning combination.  I’m not so fond of the pale gold highlighting shade as the shimmer is a little chunky and apparent for me.

The matte pink in particular has a tendency to kick up a bit of dust when loading up the brush, but the fallout doesn’t seem to transfer to my cheeks.  I know I’m gonna hit pan on that blue before any other colour though.  Isn’t it lovely?

What is the general opinion on Avon’s eyeshadow palettes?  I have to confess… I’ve never tried one before!

If you follow me on Twitter, you may be aware that I’m currently following the Cambridge Weight Plan.  I’ve been on it for almost 7 weeks and have lost just over 28lbs so far.

It wouldn’t be everyone’s choice to lose weight so quickly in such an extreme way and indeed, I have my own reservations about the cosmetic side effects that such rapid weight-loss may leave behind.  My biggest concern is keeping my body as toned as possible in an attempt to retain skin elasticity and firmness.

I’m no expert in how to achieve this but anything that claims that it can help me has my full attention.

I first came across Functionalab supplements in Harvey Nichols whilst I was having a look at some Nails Inc. polishes.  The first thing that drew me to the brand was the packaging.  Functionalab has curb appeal by the bucket load!

The brand’s Beauty Doses are presented in rather cute Erlenmeyer Bulbs.  Who knew laboratory glasswear could be so chic?!

The whole look is minimalist and doesn’t strike me as the usual holistic supplement brand.  I’m not only a supplement n00b, I’m also a skeptic.  I’ve written before about how I’m loathe to pay money for supplements that claim to achieve nothing that good old-fashioned diet and exercise can achieve.

That’s good, sensible advice right?  In fact, it’s just the kind my mother would give me.  My mother would raise an eyebrow to the ceiling if she knew how much I was handing over every week to my Cambridge Diet Counsellor.  “You’re paying them £40 a week… to help you diet?!”

“Yes, but they’re helping me do it in a quick, controlled way that I just can’t seem to achieve through normal healthy eating” would be my repsonse.  Regardless, that eyebrow of hers would stay raised.  I guess what I’m saying is… we’re all terribly tempted to take the path of least resistance through life.  Whether or not we should is immaterial… if it’s available to us and we can afford to do it, I’m starting to realise that it’s perhaps better not to judge one another’s choices.

So back to these Functionalab Beauty Doses… what are they and what do they claim to achieve?

Anything and everything (almost!).  You can purchase supplement solutions to help you lose weight, stay toned (as shown on the left), tan more successfully, encourage skin radiance and balance oily skin and that’s just a few of the available programmes!  There’s even a whole range of anti-aging supplements that promise to “help protect against the visible signs of aging” (we haven’t heard that one before right ladies?!)

Functionalab asked me if I’d like to try their Body Toning supplement programme after hearing me fret on Twitter about whether I’d be able to buy pockets big enough to stuff my excess skin into once I’d finished with this diet.  I was pleased to accept.  I’m hoping that by taking these supplements in conjunction with my newly discovered hatred for jogging 3x a week, OCD body moisturising and general boring scrunches and toning exercises… I may get away with a pair of very tight ‘hold it all in pants’ once  I reach goal weight.

Here comes the tricky part though… how do I review?  How do I judge whether or not the Functionalab Beauty Dose Body Toning supplements have actually done anything?  It’s going to have to involve instinct and finding the answer to the age old question:  Would I personally part with £32 a month until I’m through with this diet to continue on this course of supplements?

I’ll tell you more about the science and ingredients behind the cute packaging and tempting promises in my follow up post.  I have a month’s supply and I’m starting tomorrow.  I’m strangely excited at the prospect of popping these pills with every meal… I feel all space age and futuristic!  Heck, all my meals will come in powdered form next!  Oh wait…

‘Till next time! x

As beauty addicts, how many times have we done that huh?  I’ll tell you how many… too bloody many.

Not only that, but let’s not forget that when in the UK, you’ve got more chance of finding genuine MAC on eBay than you have being able to return your purchases… these mistakes can really add up.

So, you can imagine my utter deflation when my NARS #12 Small Domed Eye brush turned up and wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.  I mean, I know that it’s called ‘small’… but I didn’t expect the head to be quite SO small.  My fault entirely.

But then I used it and I fell in love.

The NARS blurb on the website reads… Squirrel hair for definition and for creating depth in the crease of the eye.

I say… If you have hooded eyelids, get this brush.

(excuse the eyeshadow dust – it needs cleaning!)

The NARS #12 Small Domed Eye Brush is incredibly soft.  I find some NARS brushes a little scratchy for their price… but this one is a winner.  It’s densely packed and firm enough to do more than just place the colour.  This little beauty is a master blender to apply defined but soft crease colours.

Hai!  My name’s dopey.

Ignoring my moronic eye-expression (and need for a one-on-one with my tweezers) for a moment… can you see how perfectly the brush fits under that hood?  I don’t have the most hooded eyelids in the world, but they are a pain for muddying colour when the upper part droops onto the lid itself.  If I’m wearing a v. dark crease colour, I need to be precise and I need to focus it in the outer corner and just in the actual crease itself because of that reason.  With this brush I can do this.

Why not just use a pencil brush or a small eye contour brush then?  Because I’m crap at makeup in general and those kinda brushes always encourage me to be too heavy handed.  With the NARS #12 brush, I can do gentle windshield wiper movements along the crease contour (whilst keeping my eyes half open) and achieve a soft, smoky but perfectly defined dark crease.

At £22.00 (for such a teeny little brush) my initial disappointment almost resulted in a mild strop but now?  I’m considering a backup.

Which NARS brushes do you rate most highly?

Completely inspired by Kellie at BigFashionista, I had a go at applying the BarryM Instant Nail Effects over Models Own 25 Carat Gold to get a more feline interpretation!

Close up… it’s not that leopard print-y, but from 3 feet or further, it works REALLY well!

This stuff really is nail art for the completely unartistic (i.e. me!)

But enough of all this!

Who are my two lucky winners from this weekend’s giveaway?

The gods over at Random.org have spoken… and I’m pleased to announce that…

Elizabeth/Makeuptini

Estelle/StellieStellina

… are the lucky winners, I shall email you this evening for your addresses ladies!

Thanks for entering everyone, with over 180 entries in 48hrs, I can’t tell you how much I wish I could afford to give away more bottles.  Instead, I shall wish you all the bestest week ever xx

This Autumn has been quite eclectic in it’s choice for nail shades… from muted greens through to grey purples and chocolate browns, it’s certainly not been as vamp-heavy as usual.

Leighton Denny are continuing down this path with a set of colours that don’t appear to adhere to one particular focus.  For some, this is a relief… for me?  I’m just genuinely pleased to see a lovely-looking gunmetal grey put in an overdue appearance this season.

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Indulgence: Classic, scarlet red will be centre stage for AW10 & this shade will suit everyone.

Prim & Proper: Bright, stark nudes compliment dark outfits. This  icy nude shade will help achieve a contemporary look.

Timeless: This sophisticated, feminine coral shade paired with subtle make-up looks will help to soften more extreme winter styles.

Captivated: Bright accent colours are perfect for brightening the winter blues. This electric shade will add drama and accessorise a look.

Embellish Me: An indulgent aubergine  to achieve a glamorous high-end finish.

Graycious: A strong, gunmetal shade is perfect for achieving sultry elegance, as well as trend-led more edgy styles.

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Priced at £11 each, they’re available to buy online from www.leightondennyexpertnails.com

For Autumn/Winter, L’Oreal have released some new shades to join their Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks lineup.  Titled the “Nude Collection”, the four new shades are (as you would expect) wearable and flattering for most skintones.

Marketed as “having the power of a serum at it’s heart (with) powerful active indredients… …to restore moisture and definition to the lips” and boasting some pretty good ingredients to back up these claims.  Among these ingredients, I was pleased to see Hyaluronic Acid listed and had a quick google on another ingredient “Pro-Xylane”… which appears to have originally been developed by Lancome back in 2006 and is used in many of L’Oreal’s more expensive anti-aging facial products.

On paper, if there’s one thing these lipsticks should achieve… it’s a non-drying formula.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  Yes, it’s useful to be able to see the exact shade of the lipstick by looking through the little window… but these feel cheap.  They’re very lightweight, overwhelmingly plasticky and they damage easily.  I spent an afternoon with one of them in my handbag and as you can see from the below photo, the casing is already starting to show wear and tear (lipstick on the left).

I guess the overall design is pleasing, but the materials used are a let down.

While I’m discussing what I dislike… I’m also going to mention the scent.  For me, it’s not appealing… the lipsticks are quite heavily violet-scented and it just conjures up the old lady lipstick smell.  Something a little fresher or unscented would have been preferable.  Thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger too long once applied, but it’s a point to note.

I was sent two of the new shades shown above by L’Oreal: S106 – Freshly Rosy and S204 Beamy Plum

Of the two, Freshly Rosy is paler and a little frostier whilst Beamy Plum applies creamier whilst still carrying a sheen.

That different coloured core is cute right?

Both apply like a dream.  They’re smooth and glide on with no effort at all.  Pigmentation is best with Beamy Plum but buildable for both lipsticks.  They don’t stick to any dry patches on my lips and neither do they accentuate the furrows and grooves.  So far, so good!

Hand swatches…

For my colouring, I was expecting to prefer Freshly Rosy… but my lips must be more pigmented than I thought as I struggled to cover my natural pigmentation with this shade.  I got there eventually, but it took a few swipes from the tube to do it.

You can see that they’re both completely wearable for fair skin tones and have a glossy appearance.  Despite how moisturising these are, they don’t feel at all sticky or thick on the lips.

In context… (please excuse the pyjamas *blush*)

Beamy Plum is a great choice for those of us who want to indulge in slightly darker lips for A/W but are scared of vamping it up too much.  In other words, if you’re a bit of a wimp like me… you need to try this shade!

The lipsticks lasted fairly well throughout the morning, both could have benefited from a touch up after my mid-morning coffee but neither *really* needed it.  After my soup though?  Forget about it… they were gone!  To be fair, I fully expected this considering how moisturising I found the formula.

Pros: Moisturising Formula, Wearable Shades, Smooth Finish, Easy to Apply

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks are priced at £8.49 each and the Nude Collection will be available from this month onwards.