A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I first heard of Aurifere when I saw their stand at IMATS back in January…

…I was on the hunt for a Shu Uemura foundation brush dupe at a bargain price, when my eyes alighted on this domed goat-hair blush brush (Series 150) from Aurifere (£11.99).  It has a slight taper and I umm-ed and ahh-ed that it could be a possible match.

But before I could make the purchase, I got sidetracked by this:

Aurifere’s Series 480 blending brush in squirrel (£8.99).  Soft doesn’t even begin to describe this brush.

It has a beautifully sharp taper that gets right into the socket line for precise blending with complete control.  I find that unless I’m very careful, my MAC 217 can spread the shadow a little too far above and below the crease for me.  I’m not hugely aufait with MAC brushes, but I’m thinking that the MAC equivalent to the Aurifere 480 would be a 224 (tapered blending brush).

I paid around £9 for the Aurifere blending brush and I’m absolutely delighted with it, though I have been lamenting not picking up the 150 ever since!

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Fast forward a couple of months and you may have noticed from my top photo that I do now have the Aurifere 150 in my grubby little hands!  Shall I tell you how?

Aurifere have opened a web store!

Hot off the press, the store only opened last week and I was their first customer – yay me! Desperate much?

Whilst making my order, I also added another blending brush to my collection:

The Aurifere Series 490 (£9.59) is a goat-hair blending brush which is nicely packed but definitely scratchier than my 480 or MAC 217.  What I do love about it though is it’s ‘springiness’.  That’s a terrible way to describe it… but it blends out harsh lines effortlessly when I hold it near the end of the shaft and do windscreen wiper motions across my socket line… something I appreciate because I kinda suck at doing those little blending circles with my 217.  How crap was that testimonial?  Way to make myself sound like I have no clue about makeup application… but I hope at least some of you appreciate what I’m trying to say!

My package also contained the Aurifere Sablinsky Series 330, a synthetic brush that is amazing for cream shadows like my Benefit creaseless creams.  Total bargain at £6.69!

I am so happy to have given Aurifere a try, I simply haven’t been disappointed with anything I’ve bought so far.

I want to give the Series 150 (blush brush) a full try before passing judgement, but so far I’m liking it ok as a foundation brush, but I’m freaking loving it as a blush brush.

I emailed Aurifere and asked if they’d consider passing along a discount code for my readers and they obliged!

I have 30 codes available (single use only).  If you try one and it appears to have expired, come back and give another one a go!

Enter one of the following codes at checkout to get 5% off your order (I may have ‘accidently’ already used that first one, sorry ;)) and remember all items have free delivery:

I just treated myself to a Series 180 Racoon Powder Brush. Vex has one, and it’s softer than Leila’s bum. FACT.

Have you heard of Aurifere?  Used any of their brushes?  Let me know if you make an order and tell me what you get, I’m hopelessly nosey.

Check out my first homemade palette!

Ignore the 3 on the right, I totally cheated and shoved 3 MAC pans in there for the photo whilst my last 3 pigments were drying.

The palette is mostly made up from The She Space pigments, I find that one full size pigment fills a pan fairly nicely.  I’ve also sneaked in a BarryM Dazzle Dust and a few Elemental Beauty shadows too!

What ya reckon?  Any of you ladies press your own loose eye shadows?  Any interest in a pictorial on my pigment pressing methods?

Summer is usually all about the brights… and so perhaps, for once… naturals are the brave choice.

Introducing Guerlain’s Summer 2010 Collection:

Ombre Éclat 4 Shades  – OMBRE PERLÉES (LE) – £36.00 / €50.78

A monochrome palette of natural hues – 4 subtle shades with a touch of iridescence: Beige, satin pink, taupe and smoky brown all housed in a frosted silver case, embossed with the Guerlain logo.  A limited edition palette makes for an elegant addition to the collection.

KissKiss Baby – Limited Edition Nourishing Lip Balms – £20.00 / €27.88

Cherry Summer & Coral Sunset

I adore the formula of these Guerlain KissKiss Baby Balms made with wild mango butter and Luffa oil and those tints are just too perfect for Summer.

Ombre Éclat – 1 Shade – £19.00 / €28.89

Top – Bottom:

~ L’INSTANT D’UN BAISER (PEARLY PINK)
~ L’INSTANT D’UNE CARESSE (SMOKY BEIGE)
~ L’INSTANT D’UN RÊVE (SMOKY BROWN)
~ L’INSTANT D’UNE EMOTION (PEARLY VERDIGRIS)

Four new pearl shades have been added to the Ombre Eclat – 1 Shade line.  I’m loving the look of the Pearly Pink and Smoky Beige.

Guerlain’s Summer 2010 Collection is more about luminosity than colour, it’s about reflecting the light that Summer brings and reflecting radiance and elegance.  Personally?  I’ve already made room in my collection for that Cherry Summer KissKiss Baby balm.

Available on counters nationwide from the 5th June 2010

What say you?  Too subtle for Summer or understated elegance?

I’ve got a treat for you this afternoon, stop that multi-tasking and give me your full attention, like NAO!

Remember a few weeks ago, I enlisted your help in devising some questions for a lovely Benefit counter manager and MUA who had agreed to be put under the spotlight?

Well, the lovely lady was game and rightly impressed with your levels of scrutiny!

Read on to learn a little bit more about working for one of the world’s most popular cosmetic houses.  Her brutal honesty is quite the eye-opener…

Q: Does Benefit have a specific policy on sampling (i.e. only with purchase etc..) or is it left to the discretion of the counter staff?
A: The rules are that Benebabes are only allowed to sample certain skincare products (Honey Scrub, Dear John, Do It Daily) to purchasing customers who are willing to put their details on file and commit to a further appointment.  It is *very* rare that Benefit sample makeup.

Q: Working on counter, do you develop a radar for sample hunters?  How do you deal with them?
A: If people are after samples, the trick is to get them to sit down and try the product whilst at the counter.  Half the time, they end up buying the full size product anyway.  If people come up asking for samples and wont sit down, then they are told that Benefit doesn’t do sampling.

Q: Can you share your tips on how to get the best from Benefit Eye Bright?
A: Eye Bright is a lovely product, to get the most out of it, use it on the inner corner of the eye in a < shape and smudge slightly.  It works wonders at opening up the eye.  It can be used on the waterline to combat any red-eye, but be sure to apply before mascara or you’ll end up with funny looking lashes!

Q: What’s your favourite Benefit product?
A: Browzings, definitely.  The wax keeps brows in place, and the powder fills in any gaps, giving you a really defined brow without looking ‘drawn on’.

Q: What’s your favourite non-Benefit product?
A: Oh gosh……..there’s hundreds!!  Staples in my makeup bag are; NARS super orgasm blush, Bobbi Brown gel liner in graphite shimmer, Dolce&Gabbana lipstick in Nude and Bare Minerals foundation in medium beige.

Q: Do you agree with the opinion that Benefit’s shade range is a bit limited?  Are there any particular products that work very well on WOC?
A: Theres an inside joke that Benefit only cater to three types of people……Chinese, White and Sunbed Lovers.  They havent quite ‘got’ that darker skinned women wear makeup too.  The foundations (Some Kinda Gorgeous Deep, Playstick and Hello Flawless) all have a slight orange tinge which never ever ever works on black skin.  Yet we’re still expected to put them on during a makeup session…..and they wonder why these customers never return!

Q: Benefit MUAs are notorious for being forthright in their sales tactics.  Is this something that is encouraged during training and do you think it secures more sales?
A: There is something called the Magic Formula, which every Benebabe has to stick to with every customer.  It goes like this;
~ Traffic Stop – This is how we snare customers.
~ Sit n Spritz – Spray customer with a Crescent Row fragrance to create a ‘Benebubble’.
~ Demonstrate – We show 6 products in this stage, doing half the face first, giving product knowledge. during the 2nd half we get product and fragrance feedback.
~ Commit/Continue – Get commitment from the customer that they want to purchase at least one thing, once we have that commitment, we continue with 2 more products……and again and again til they say STOP!
~ Close – Show a body product to the customer, try to force that on them too.
~ Celebrity File – Get customer to put their details on file, create customer loyalty.
~ Sample/Appointment – Book your customer in for 4 weeks time (preferably just after payday) to try out a new ‘look’ and send her on her merry way with a sample of skincare.

Q: In your experience working for Benefit, does a position as counter MUA offer good opportunities for an aspiring MUA or do career progressions and promotions generally head more towards managerial and sales roles within the company?
A: If you are a young girl who loves makeup, Benefit would be a good choice for you.  If you are trained in Makeup Artistry at all, this job/brand is not for you in the slightest.  You will be trained to forget all prior knowledge and do things the Benefit Way.  If you dare to do freelance makeup outside of work, you will be crucified……..as I have been on several occasions.  Trust me, its not pretty.  As for promotions……they’re incredibly rare unless you continually hit all sales targets and even then, you can only really progress to a trainer.  Look out for them in store from time to time, they have the general manner of an ADHD kid who’s been given orange smarties.

Q: What do you think is Benefit’s most universally flattering product? (and you’re not allowed to answer eyeshadows apparently!)
A: Moon Beam.  A pinky-gold liquid highlighter which can be used neat or mixed with foundation to give a dewy look to the skin.

Q: What’s the thing you love most about your job, and the thing you like the least?
A: The free makeup, obviously!!  And i love the excited girls who come in for prom makeup, its a chance to step away from the traditional formula and do things my way.  The thing I like the least?  Traffic Stopping.  If people want, they will come….and if they come, I can work my magic and make them want even more.  They do not need to be harassed whilst looking for bedlinen/underwear/handbags.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: I wish I knew…….

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Well there you go!  What do you think?

I think that the next time I’m accosted by a BeneBabe I’m gonna sit myself down, enjoy the BeneBubble and hide my purse in my knickers.

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If you enjoyed the frankness and good humour, please leave my lovely secret BeneBabe a comment of thanks for taking the time out of her busy day to answer our questions.

Looking for an amazing holo with more sparkle than should be legal?

Look no further…

Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm is an awesome display of holographic loveliness set in a dark charcoal base.  Think OPI My Private Jet but kick the holo up a notch and lower the price by about £5.

Application was fabulous, 2 coats will work very well, but I did three for a flawless finish.  Despite being full of sparkle, the polish is smooth to the touch and has a beautiful glossy finish without need for a top coat.  If this weren’t enough, longevity is a little bit mind blowing.  I’m on the 5th day and I have barely noticeable tip wear.

Seriously, just buy this polish.

Diamond Cosmetics Chainmail Charm is available in the UK from FlashyNails and will set you back a measly £3.00

A few months ago (read 5… yeah, I’m slacking), I started trialling Mavala’s Double Lash that I’d picked up in an effort to improve the condition of my eye lashes which had been breaking and looking a little sparse ever since giving birth to my daughter.

Anyway, how did I get on?

Here’s how my lashes looked back in October:

…and here they were when I finished the trial at the end of December:

I applied Mavala Double Lash every night as directed for around 10 weeks.

They say:

Eye lashes are an essential element of face beauty. Double Lash contains proteins which strengthen, cover and protect the lashes allowing them to become healthy, long and resistant.

It is the natural active ingredients in Double Lash which stimulate growth of the lashes giving them a lovely luxuriant and silky appearance.

I think I see a teeny bit of difference if you use my eyelid crease as a benchmark.  I felt on occasion that my lashes were longer and thicker (particularly when I was wearing mascara) but I just wasn’t convinced that I couldn’t attribute at least some of those feelings to plain wishful thinking.  Unless there’s a significant difference with things like this, I think it’s pretty tricky to judge.

I didn’t experience any irritation using the product, and it literally took seconds to apply each evening.  But, I guess the crux of the trial can be summed up with this simple observation… I haven’t bothered to repurchase it.

Mavala Double Lash is available online priced from around £8.50

Tell me, do you see any differences?

A quick (quick? who am I kidding, took me ages!)  FOTD showing off a couple of the matte shades from the new Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette:

Marron on the lid and lower lashline
Wafer in the crease
Moto-X on the upper lashline and outer V

gah… hooded lids…

oh well, you can at least see Marron UNDER my eyes right?

Dude, I honestly CAN blend!  The camera has totally washed out wafer which I blended into the socket line to ease the transition between browbone and lid.

I was surprised by how much I’m enjoying playing with some mattes, they’re looking more sophisticated and I feel like they’re blending less ‘muddily’ than shimmer shades.  Am I imagining things oh matte addicts?  I’ve really not worn mattes much before, but I just seem to be creating more polished looks with these than normal (not that you could tell from my photos).

And here’s a brighter EOTD with the Bohemian Palette:

Emperor on the lid
Sanguine in the crease
Moto-X into the socket to darken

Ok, that’s enough badly executed FOTDs from me for at least a year, apologies for any nightmares you may suffer as a result of viewing this post.  Hopefully though, it will help you decide whether or not you’ll be spending your lunchbreak today in Superdrug or Boots 😉

…Or just ‘divine’ according to the packaging.  And yano what?  I think they might be right…

Sleek MakeUP have truly outdone themselves on the design front.  Reminiscent of MAC’s soon to be released (in the UK) Give me Liberty of London collection with it’s whimsical scrolls and monochromatic base design.  Someone in the Sleek MakeUP Art dept. has their fingers very much on the pulse.

When the palette arrived unnanounced from Sleek HQ, I was momentarily thrown by all this new styling!  Ordinarily enclosed in a clear plastic carton, the Sleek MakeUP Bohemian palette finds itself housed in cardboard.  I don’t know if this is a permanent shift in packaging, but it’s one I prefer.  It’s easier to open at the counter to make sure you haven’t managed to pick up the one palette that’s been smashed to smithereens by an over-zealous 9 year old.

The actual palette itself has undergone a bit of a transformation too, no longer a sleek black box I’m undecided on the new look.  It looks a bit cheap, the stark white seems to emphasise it’s overall plastic-ness.  I think if Sleek MakeUP had continued the graphics (or even just the black swirls) from the outer sleeve onto the palette itself, it would have been a knockout.

In fairness though, do we care?  Probably not…

With 12 generously sized eye shadows contained under the lid, the Sleek MakeUP palettes retain their excellent value for money credentials.  Let’s take a closer look at those eye shadows.

Sleek MakeUP Bohemian Palette is billed as being inspired by “antique trinkets, vintage finds” and um… “Sienna Miller”.  Despite this obvious drawback *removes tongue from cheek*, they’ve managed to pull off a fabulous array of strong shades that are sure to pack a punch.  Will I use all of them?  Probably not… but I don’t think I’ve ever used every shade in a Sleek MakeUP i-Divine palette and that hasn’t stopped me buying them thus far.

The Bohemian palette is comprised of 3 shimmers and 9 mattes.  Woah there!  As a shimmer girl, I have to admit to being a little disappointed to see so many mattes…. I mean, go buy the Chaos palette if you want mattes!  Still, I’m nothing if not adventurous (honest!) and do realise that I’m not the only makeup-loving chick in the world… let’s have a closer look…

Oh, but before we do… For the love of God, will someone at Sleek MakeUP please consider naming the i-Divine shadows?  No?  Fine… I hereby christen these shades with some twatty names on your behalf…

Top Row from Left to Right… (S) = Shimmer, (M) = Matte

1. Gilt – Golden Olive (S)
2. Russet – Rust (S)
3. Marron – Maroony Chestnut (M)
4. Calendula (shutup, they’re MY names) – Banana Custard (M)
5. Anaemia (come on MAC, employ me already) – Off-White (M)
6. Neutron – Black (M)

7. Wafer (It SO is, right?) – Pale Tan (M)
8. Sanguine – Raspberry meets Cranberry (S)
9. Clover – Bright Grassy Green (M)
10. Overdyed – Indigo Denim (M)
11. Emperor – Purple (M)
12. Moto-X (yeah, I’m bored of shade naming now) – Dirt Brown (M)

And the swatches…

Bar Clover and Calendula… I think I’m happy to wear the rest of the shades, which is more than I thought when I first looked at the palette.  My only other ‘not sure’ was Wafer which actually works fabulously in the crease to blend out a more vibrant shade.

The pigmentation of the mattes is (as expected) not as strong as the shimmers, but they’re easily buildable without looking chalky and the above swatches show no more than 3 swipes (2 in most cases).

I’ve given Sleek a hard time recently on Lipglossiping.com…. from Eye Dusts that spill to liquid liners that flake, I’ve been disappointed with the quality of some of the brand’s recent offerings.  So it’s just as well they’ve come along and hit this one out of the ballpark.

Sleek MakeUP i-Divine Bohemian Palette is Limited Edition and will be available from Wednesday 17th March at some Superdrug stores (not my local – boo!) and online at Sleek MakeUP priced at £4.99.

International ladies, please note that Sleek MakeUP now accept online orders and offer international postage.

I’m a certified skincare fan, but Mr. L hates anything remotely greasy.  Infact, he doesn’t really understand the concept of ‘moisturising’ or why he would ever need to do it.  Machismo aside, that doesn’t stop me getting him to moisturise my back for me when I get out of the shower.  I’m lazy and it’s always nicer if someone else does it don’t you think?

Aveeno sent me a few bits a while ago, and after giving them my unadulterated attention (not easy to do when you buy as many products as me), I’m back to let you know how they performed for me.

I’ll start with the Aveeno Moisturising Creamy Oil.

Not quite an oil and not quite a cream means that it has a hella confusing name!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first pumped the lid.  It is a very light, runny cream with a bakewell almondy smell.  I’m not sold on the scent, it’s not offensive in any way… it’s just a bit biscuity for me.

Aveeno say:

• Combines the concentrated goodness of naturally active colloidal Oatmeal and sweet almond oil.
• Provides the benefit of an oil with the convenience of a cream.
• Helps to maintain the skin’s natural moisture level and prevent dry skin.
• Skin is left looking and feeling soft, smooth and healthy without a greasy after feel.

I adored the texture of Aveeno’s Moisturising Creamy Oil, it glides onto the skin with no dragging and I can instantly feel it relieving any tight patches (I suffer from small areas of eczema).  Unfortunately, the cream isn’t rich enough for the effect to last the whole day on me, so if you’re very dry-skinned, I’d look for something a little heavier.

If you have normal skin, I’d whole-heartedly recommend this body moisturiser.  Especially for the Summer and morning applications.  It’s light and absorbs quickly leaving a slight sheen on the skin.  A definite good buy and one that I will be repurchasing.

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Next up is the Skin Relief Moisturising Lotion with Shea Butter 200ml

Shea butter based, it applies thickly and more heavily than the creamy oil.  I’m not a fan of the tube packaging, I seem to consistently dispense too much product.  However, I believe that if you buy the 300ml version of this one, it comes in a pump bottle like Aveeno’s Moisturising Creamy Oil.

My skin feels slightly tacky to the touch after using this and it takes a good 5-10 minutes for absorption to be fully effective.  There’s no doubt in my mind that this lotion is far more penetrating in it’s skin relief than the creamy oil, but it’s not as “light and carefree” to use.  I wouldn’t use this after a shower before getting dressed in the morning… but I have been using it happily before bed where I don’t mind my skin feeling a little tacky.

As for skin benefits, combined use of these 2 products means that I’ve banished my dry scaly bits!  My skin is now Summer ready, so bring on the sunshine (and fake tan).

The Aveeno range is currently £2 off at Superdrug and a 1/3 off at Sainsburys.

Sugarpill’s Starling is a vibrant blue.  A slightly darker than turquoise base with matching sparkle.

It’s surprisingly wearable for me in small doses! Kudos if you’re brave enough to rock a full look with this, it’s too bright for me to wear most days, but I wear a lot of golds and bronze shades and I’m already loving using this foiled as a liner to create a striking balance.  It’s an awesome spring/summer combination.

For comparison purposes, here’s a swatch of Starling and Alice from the Urban Decay AiW Palette.

Again, applying these Sugarpill Chroma Lusts WET is when it really starts making sense.  Vivid doesn’t even really begin to describe it.  I think you can also appreciate what a beautiful shade Starling is, it’s got a beautiful Mediterranean hue to it that somehow (in my opinion) manages to retain a touch of ‘grown-upness’ about it that Alice/Painkiller doesn’t have.

I’m very pleased with my Sugarpill Cosmetics purchases (see review of Goldilux here) and I’m already eyeing up Hysteric and Magpie as my next acquisitions!

So come on, let me know… have you bought any Sugarpill products yett? If so which ones? And if not, what’s holding you back?

Sugarpill Chroma Lust in Goldilux ($12.00, 5g net weight).

When I first unscrewed the lid, my reaction wasn’t wholly positive.

There’s no sifter, no lttle plastic inner lid… you’re straight into the shadow, which makes for a slightly messier experience than my MAC pigments.

Goldilux is also incredibly sparkly, very glittery.  I was immediately concerned that I was about to be treated to an “all glitter, no pigment” fest…

Goldilux is a true yellow-gold with no visible hints of copper or bronze.  The sparkle is uniformly coloured to match the overall pigment.  Measured in weight, this pot was a little less filled than Starling, but it’s still gonna take me forever-and-a-day to even make a dent.

A couple of comparison swatches:

I chose to compare my Sugarpill Chroma Lusts to a ‘simillar’ shade from the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette simply because it’s a current cosmetic item that I know many of you will now own.  I’m not dupe-hunting, I just thought it would be a good choice for comparison to get an idea of pigmentation.

Honestly?  I’m a touch underwhelmed by how Goldilux looks applied dry.

Before the swatch test, I was totally happy with the pigmentation but compared here to UD Oraculum/Baked, I think I was expecting a little more oomph from the Sugarpill Chroma Lust.  In all fairness though, I also wasn’t expecting just how completely amazing it would look foiled (applied wet).  I think it’s safe to say that in the case of Goldilux, the shadow’s real strength is in it’s foiling.

I’m not going to go into detail on the other aspects of review for an eyeshadow, everything is fine… blendability, longevity over UDPP great (average otherwise).  I will say that I still found it quite easy to blend after foiling which is a plus point, it doesn’ t dry with unblendable harsh edges, a positive point to note.

Very happy with my Sugarpill Goldilux, and I’m blown away by how it looks applied wet.  A liquid metal masterpiece.

Tomorrow… Starling…

I received my VERY exciting Sugarpill Cosmetics order last week, and I wanted to share the beautifully presented packaging with you…

Free with every order, check out the cute decal-type sticker!

The artwork on these boxes is simply beautiful.   It’s abundantly clear that a huge amount of personality has gone into this new cosmetic venture.  Thoroughly charming and there’s no way I’m ditching the packaging to save some space in my makeup drawers!

The base of my two Chroma Lust eyeshadows (Starling and Goldilux)…  I love the adorable little bird and bow on each sticker, cute touches such as these really make me appreciate the efforts involved.  It’s also nice to note the ‘made in California’ blurb and a full list of ingredients.

The lid design has been printed directly onto the plastic and not onto a sticker.

I posted a FOTD last week, and have swatched them alongside some Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland shades to give you a hopefully useful and ‘current’ comparison.

I’ve been struggling a bit with being poorly this week (both me and the baby) so in response to a couple of naggy (but thoroughly lovely) emails.  I’m trying to get the swatch post up for tomorrow!