A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Acqua Di Parma’s Iris Nobile was my first encounter with a high-end perfume and also, my first experience of the brand.  It was love at first sniff after a kindly lady working on the counters at House of Fraser saw me looking with an air of confuzzlement at the range before offering me a tester strip and a spritz.  She explained that it was her favourite from the line, that she hadn’t been working there very long and was still familiarising herself with the range.  That chink of vulnerability was all I needed to feel less of a fragrance-idiot and gave me enough confidence to ask her if she’d mind sharing what she knew, knowing that I was less likely to be overwhelmed with a barrage of information that my under-developed beauty brain would be unable to cope with.

I actually ended up walking away with a bottle of Colonia, because it was summertime and I knew that Mr. L would enjoy wearing it aswell.  Iris Nobile, henceforth became known (to me) as the one that got away.

Roll on a couple of summers and I discover that Acqua di Parma have released a flanker for the original Iris Nobile, Iris Nobile Sublime – well, as if the first one wasn’t sublime enough…

Iris Nobile Sublime takes up where the original left off, oozing refinement and class from the moment you lift the bottle from the packaging.  Despite the promise of mandarin and Italian bergamot, to me, it opens with a resolute hit of warm florals actually quite unlike the fresh, almost icy openings I remember from Prada’s Infusion d’Iris and Narciso Rodriguez’s Essence in Color – two iris scents that I appreciate but cannot quite fall in love with.  Iris Nobile Sublime is simply more inviting, more enticing and more sensual from the off.

Iris Nobile Sublime is an unashamedly feminine affair, brimming with smarts and confidence but elegantly keeping it on the down-low because, after all, no-one likes a show off.  She asserts no blousiness or arrogance, just a seemingly everlasting sense of suave, balance and harmony.  Iris Nobile Sublime is not a rollercoaster of a scent, you’ll know whether you’ll love it or leave it from your first impression, and be sure to trust in those impressions because this is a sure cert for many who have outgrown their love affairs with the candy popsicle scents of youth and are looking for a true signature scent.

As to the question that I asked myself when I first heard about the launch… “How does this differ from the original Iris Nobile?”  I still haven’t been able to answer it to my satisfaction… I also haven’t been able to get to a counter to remind myself of the original but if my instincts and memory serve me correctly, I’m feeling more femininity and powder from this one, a little less woods and musk and perhaps a little more respectful deference to the pretty purple floral itself.  My favourite fragrance release of the year so far.

Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile Sublime EdP is available to buy now on counter and online at John Lewis, priced at £82 for 75ml – it’s also currently available online at Escentual.com, priced at a slightly less painful £73.80 for 75ml.

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So, with the adult testing done and dusted… Lush’s new FUN bars had yet to inspire a huge amount of whooping, or any of the sort of revelry you’d expect from something billed as, well… so. much. FUN.

It was time to get serious and put these curious blobs to the ultimate test.

Leila is pretty hard to please: “But this is BORINGGGG!” being her most used expression this week.  I could practically see the little green bar sweating in its biodegradeable wrapper, readying itself for the ultimate small-child test.  We broke off about a quarter of the packet and Leila looked at it expectantly.

The wetter it gets, the squishier it gets… the squishier it gets, the more bubbles it releases… the more bubbles it releases, the greener the water gets… and so on…

Leila even washed her hair with it, but only after I’d reassured her that it wasn’t going to make her hair go green.  Much. (it didn’t really make her hair go green, the picture below is of me telling her that her hair is green – bad Mum!)

All in all, she had more fun with it than us adults but she’s a total Lushie anyway (favourites being: The Godmother soap, Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment, Karma Bath Melt, and The Comforter).  I was surprised to see that there was still almost half of what we’d broken off remaining, despite Leila having given it a total pummeling – I’d describe these as longer-lasting bubble bars although the scents aren’t quite as full-on (possibly a good thing?!)

Not that this appeared to bother my little bathing belle.  Or, demonic-looking diva as the photo below TOTALLY proves.  Talking of divas…she has already lined up the remaining bars in the order that she’s planning on using them over the coming weeks.

LUSH Fun?  Well… she thought so!

LUSH FUN is available to buy instore and online at lush.co.uk, priced at £5.00 per bar (you should be able to get around 4/5 baths per bar) and 10p from each sale of FUN goes to help children affected by the Fukushima disaster.

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When a company bodly declares their latest product as FUN.  Well, it had better be hadn’t it?

LUSH’s latest invention announces itself with the promise that this multi-tasking bar of playdough-esque sudsy stuff will bring a new dimension to bath-times, hand-washing times, and even washing-your-bike times.  You see, FUN is marketed as multi-tasking to the max – it’s basically the perfect present for bath-dodging sculptors everywhere.

I don’t have a bath-dodging sculptor in the house – it’s all I can do to keep both Mr. L and Leila out of the bathroom.  Infact, we have a self-administered timer system for baths and showers lest we prunify ourselves to death with the sheer amount of skin/water contact.

FUN comes in a range of FIVE colours, each offering a different scent to enhance the bathtime experience (descriptions below taken from the website):

Pink: Jam packed with the fruity, candy smells of childhood.
Red: Mandarin and orange essential oils will make you think of sunny orange groves and freshly squeezed juice. Brings a bit of summer sun to your bath and play time.
Blue: Relax and feel ready for sleep when you wash with this mix of lavender, Moroccan chamomile and chamomile blue essential oils. The perfect bedtime bath.
Green: A citrus burst of tangy lime and lemon essential oils will wake you up, keep you feeling fresh and focused and help you play for hours.
Yellow: Creamy vanilla tones evoke thoughts of seaside ice creams, granny’s baking and home comforts.

I set Mr. L the task of deciding whether Lush’s latest invention really was as fun as it ought to be…. let’s see how he did shall we?

“It keeps crumbling”, he grumbled as he tried to mould it into the Eiffel Tower.

“Baby steps.” I advised, “Try for something a little less ambitious…”

… to be honest, I think he could have tried a bit bloody harder.

We agreed that on the FUN scale, it scored a not overly impressive 6 but it did smell pretty delicious.  Ultimately, it was more fun than brushing your teeth but not as fun as eating a Boost bar (we had to eat a Boost bar just to check – we’re nothing if not scientific about these things).

We haven’t tried FUN wet yet… but we have a very willing (and slightly curious) test applicant at our disposal – but more on that tomorrow.

LUSH FUN is avaialable online and instore now, priced at £5.00 per bar – 10p from each sale of FUN goes to help children affected by the Fukushima disaster.

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Most people dream in black and white.  I dream in red holographic.  Or, at least… I dream OF red holographic.

This isn’t a bad attempt at it, but it’s doesn’t quite cut the mustard in the same way as Glitter Gal’s incarnation of red rainbows.  The holographic is there but it’s very sparse and subtle.  That’s not to say that this isn’t a very pretty red polish with a hint of holo, because that’s precisely what it is.

I bought this one a couple of months ago and sadly I’ve only gotten round to swatching it now that the weather is too overcast, dingy and downright depressing to get any holo effect to show up – but, you get the idea.

Catherine Arley polishes are best gotten hold of via an eBay search, they’re pretty inexpensive.

Morning!

Hope you’re reading this from the comfort of your beds, I intend to still be fully tucked up when this post goes live – probably with one eye on Franny’s Feet, Mike the Knight or whatever else is showing on TinyPop that will grant us an extra half hour in bed in the morning.  Sweet, sweet children’s T.V.  Once that’s over and done with I’ll be heading to my parent’s house to eat my Dad’s birthday cake celebrate my Dad’s birthday.  Possibly with a little trip to the supermarket on the way back.  Not the most exciting of Saturdays is it?

Whatever you’re doing today, I thought I’d give you a little heads up to a rather tasty free delivery offer that’s gone live over at Illamasqua.com.

The deal lasts until Monday morning and is valid on both domestic and international orders with NO MINIMUM SPEND.

If you’re interested in checking out some of my favourite (and not so well liked) Illamasqua goodies, click here for an archive of Illamasqua-inspired posts.   Also worth checking out is the Illamasqua Perfect Pout bundle; The Retractable Lip Brush, any colour in Medium Pencil and any colour in Lipstick for the price of just £38.00, originally £47.50.

What are your plans for the weekend?

When I made my first online Yves Rocher order a couple of weeks ago, they were offering a couple of free gifts and one of them was this mascara: Sexy Pulp, which to be honest makes me think more about Jarvis Cocker busting a Common People move than anything mascara-related.  And yes, I am not ashamed to admit that I had a soft spot for Jarvis growing up… go listen to Babies/Pink Glove/She’s A Lady and tell me they aren’t some of the best tunes of the 90s!

But less about my taste in music and back to the makeup…

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp mascara has one of those brushes that curves inward in the middle.  I don’t think I’ve ever used one before and they do work quite efficiently, mimicking the natural curve of the lashes to ensure that you can achieve an even distribution of product across the lash-line without bending your arms into awkward angles.

The formula is neither too wet nor too dry but the packaging doesn’t provide much in the way of a seal when you slide the brush in/out of the tube so I don’t expect the formula to remain wet for very long.  The mascara is nicely rich in pigment and has an elastic quality to it that lengthened my lashes considerably, stretching them out to their full reach without weighing them down.

Two coats are shown above.  I didn’t experience any flaking or smudging and removal was easy enough with some warm water and my usual cleanser.  Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara doesn’t blow me away but it’s better than I expected from a free gift, no complaints here!

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Mascara is available to buy online, currently priced at £8.45 (but do look around for free gift codes!)

BareMinerals have launched some new “retouching” products to their lineup of mineral-based cosmetics.  One of their latest introductions to the range is their Stroke of Light Eye Brightener which, to put it simply, is supposed to work in the same way as something like the legendary YSL Touche Eclat – it’s not a traditional concealer folks, it’s a brightener.  And years of disappointment (Y U NO CONCEAL?!) has led me to understand the importance this subtle nuance makes.

The Stroke of Light Eye Brighteners are available in 4 shades ranging from the very lightest – which I have here, through to a level 4… described as “luminous dark”, whether or not that’s dark enough to cover the full spectrum of skin-tones, I don’t know.  The packaging is a doe-foot style applicator in a simple tube – I always appreciate being able to see how much product I have left in the tube, so the unfussy design works for me.

The shade is a lovely match for my skintone and the formula feels very light indeed, with a lot of slip and a sheer consistency.  Don’t expect this thing to conceal darkness, blemishes, pigmentation or actually, anything at all.  You’ll be disappointed.  This is simply supposed to work as a luminosity-giver, delivering light into the shaded areas of your face that could do with ‘perking up’.  The main area, where most people use this type of brightener is under the eyes.  You apply directly from the doe-foot and then blend gently with your finger, ring-fingers are best – they apply less pressure and are less likely to blend the product into oblivion.

There’s not a huge amount of difference is there?  Infact, I’m struggling to see any.  Perhaps it’s because the photos were taken in such a well lit room (my dungeon was out of operation), perhaps it’s because I’m perfect and need no additional eye-brightening (unlikely), or perhaps the product simply doesn’t achieve anything.  The jury is out.  What I will say though is that for an under-eye product, it’s beautifully textured.  It sat on my skin without creasing or seeping into my fine lines and I feel that it gave the area some additional hydration.  Whether it’s supposed to actually do that, I’m not sure – but it felt almost skincare-y (totally a word) as opposed to makeup-y (also a word) when used in that delicate area.

BareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener is priced at £22 and available on counter and online from bareminerals.co.uk

What say you?  Eye Brighteners… do they work for you or are they simply a case of the Emperor’s new pants?

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** I should point out that, in fairness, I don’t see a hella lot of difference with any eye-brightening products.

I don’t know if I’m just naturally stupid or if it’s developed with age but I only realised this week that prunes… you know those wrinkly things that your Nan used to serve you with custard to keep you regular, are in fact, plums.  Dried plums.  Did you know this?!  Why didn’t anyone TELL me?  I mean… I never thought there were such things as prune trees but I didn’t make the connection either!

Anyway, huge tangent aside…

Clarins have released a new mascara for Autumn, and in their infinite wisdom, have decided not to call in Prune mascara.  No Sir!  This is Plum mascara – see how that sounds so much better?

Clarins Instant Definition mascara in Intense Plum is a hit of purple-y goodness that stays natural looking, there’s no electric violet lash injections going on here.  This is a mascara that won’t limit your choice of eyeshadow when you wear it and works nicely to jazz things up a little bit in the eye makeup department.

The formula is on the dry side – something I favour in a mascara for giving greater control during application and quicker va-va-voom results but these drier formulas do sometimes last a little less time before hardening in the tube – although the neck seal on this one does feel pretty tight.  The wand is interesting, quite rigid and small – making it great for stubby lashes with an even narrower tip to tickle even the tiniest of corner lashes with colour.

Overall, the results are pretty.  There is clumping on the second coat, but I don’t mind defining the above as pretty clumping.  I have enough lashes in the lash-line for a little bit of clumping to work for the effect rather than against it but if you crave total separation and flutter… you might not like.  I felt that this one gave me Bambi lashes that looked really nice from a distance of more than 3 foot – any closer and I was a little bit aware of da clump.  The colour was a nice touch that didn’t overpower but gave an added interest.  No problems with longevity/flaking/smudging etc. etc.

Clarins Instant Definition Mascara in Intense Plum is priced at £20.00 – it’s a Limited Edition release for Autumn and is unlikely to be available for much longer.

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When it comes to BB Creams, I remain unconvinced of their reinterpretations within the Western market.  In the past year, I’ve experienced attempts ranging from uninspiring tinted moisturisers with little skin protection to re-badged HD foundation to glow-givers with great SPF that wouldn’t cover a tea stain on a teabag.  I’ve found that in the majority of cases, I’ve ended up reviewing them on the basis of their efforts as a foundation which probably says a lot about how much they’ve achieved when it comes down to the skin benefits side of the equation.  Not a lot.

The first thing I really noticed when I applied Yves Rocher’s Peau Parfaite 6in1 BB Cream was the instant boost of hydration.  I mean, I actually looked down at my fingers to check that it was indeed a tinted cream and not just a moisturiser, thinking that perhaps, I’d misread the box.  But no, looking back up at me, were indeed, skin-coloured fingertips with skin-coloured gloop all over them.

The Yves Rocher incarnation of BB Cream loveliness comes in only two shades and the lightest version, imaginatively named light is a spot-on match for a NW15/20 skin-tone.  It’s extremely pink-toned which I have almost no doubt will cause problems for pale ladies with yellow or olive-toned skins.  For the rest of us, it makes a nice change.

Now, before you get all excited – as I did – as far as I’m concerned, the Yves Rocher Peau Parfaite BB Cream is an immediate BB Cream fail on account of having absolutely no sun-protection rating.  None, nada.  The skincare benefits listed are also pretty vague… as you can see for yourself…

It’s very easy to say revives, restores, smooths and unifies without actually saying much at all in terms that can be tangibly judged.

But just because I’m writing it off as a BB Cream, that’s not to say that I’m writing it off completely… my skin felt very comfortable whilst wearing it throughout the day, it caused no aggravations or flakiness and I was pleased with how my skin looked everytime I looked in the mirror.  My nose did need blotting a couple of times throughout the day but I always experience that whenever I wear a moisturising base, which is what I believe this to be and where, I feel, its greatest strength lies.

I do have to laugh at the packaging which claims that from a satisfaction test on 26 women, 85% thought that their skin was visibly more beautiful.  Basically, that’s a bit of a crap claim isn’t it?  Talk about damning oneself with faint praise.

A perfect skin-tone match though eh what?

I’m aware that a lot of my foundation before/afters aren’t the most mind-blowing examples of WOAH, WHAT A DIFFERENCE!  But that’s probably because I favour (and get more excited about) base products that give a natural, flawless finish rather than a mask-like one.  I probably wouldn’t be happy with my nose redness completely obliterated, what can I say… it matches my eyes!

Yves Rocher Peau Parfaite BB Creme is currently priced at £9 (usual price £18) and is available to buy online at YvesRocher.co.uk – please do a quick google search for discount/free gift codes before buying – my latest order came with a lovely bounty of freebies after spending over a certain amount.

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Oh, my lovely fellow beauty addicts… oh, I think you’re going to like this lipstick.  It’s my first “non-wimpy” red of the season and I won’t lie to you, I felt like it wore me FAR better than I could wear it.  This baby needs taming ‘cos she’s wild and a little bit scary – even for someone like me who is finally fairly confident with braving a bold lip in public.

But first let me tell you about her, she’s a new girl and needs an introduction…

To complement their current lipstick range of Lip Mists and Lip Covers, Burberry Beauty have launched a range of Lip Velvets.  Matte in look but not in texture is the best way I can describe the new formula – admittedly, I have only tried one but if the range is as consistent as it ought to be, you should experience a deeply pigmented finish with minimal gloss and a completely NON-drying formula.

NON-drying?  Yes, completely.

Now, my lips are in good condition – I have no flakes, no peels… I don’t need to exfoliate them in the shower with my flannel and I don’t need to reapply lip balm 100x a day to keep them comfortable (thanks Lanolips).  I pretty much have the most ideal lip condition for someone who wants to wear a matte lip.  Stop throwing things at me.

I’m not saying this to be conceited, I’m giving you a benchmark that says, just because my lips are super comfortable with this formula, it doesn’t mean yours will be.  And I’m sorry I have to provide that caveat in this instance, because frankly, I’d like to sing the praises of the new Burberry Lip Velvets from the rooftops with absolutely no caveat whatsoever… but it would be remiss of me not to mention that I have wonderwoman lips right now.

The shade I have here is #310, Military Red.  And it is BOLD.  To my eye, there is the tiniest amount of warmth to it that doesn’t register enough to label this an orange-toned red but is enough to give it leanings toward the warm side of neutral.  The packaging is the same magnetic affair as the rest of the Burberry lipstick range but with a marked difference, matte casing = no more fingerprints ha!  Still sleek, still sexy… just a little more practical with it.

The other thing you need to know about the colour of this one is that it’s bright.  Very bright.  In the lip swatches below, I have applied this straight from the bullet with no lipliner but you do need to take care to be precise because any major wobbles will be instantly noticeable on a shade this vivid.  While the bullet is still in pristine condition, I had no problems with achieving sharp lines – I dream to be able to wear a “mussed-up” red, beautifully deconstructed and carefree.  Alas, whenever I smudge the edges to soften the look in an attempt to make it less formal, I look like I’ve been punched in the mouth, repeatedly.

Although Military Red is indeed, a matte finish lipstick – there’s (hopefully) no sign of old lady lips going on, because frankly, at 31 – I should be starting to think about more forgiving textures – but I’ll cross that bridge when people start pointing.

The formula has really impressed me, longevity was completely within what I’d expect from a high-end brand and a matte formula.  The lipstick wore down evenly throughout the day, only giving up to a darker edge after my evening meal but a few lip smacks infront of a mirror pulled enough colour back in to the centre to dismiss this as an issue.  I didn’t reapply once throughout the day and I didn’t feel that I needed to.  Of course, after 12 hours there was nowhere the same kind of vividness on display but a firm stain ensured that my lips didn’t pale into insignificance despite the late hour.

Burberry Beauty’s Lip Velvets are priced at £23 a-piece and available on counter and online at Harrods in a range of 12 shades.  Bright Poppy is on my Winter hit-list the next time I get a chance to make it into London!

Would you wear a shade this bright?

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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?

In the most outrageous flirtation with alliteration that I’ve witnessed since I submitted my year 10 English coursework, Clinique have released a new line of Chubby Sticks, and this time… they’re intense.  Chubby Chunkiest Chili (oh, come on!) is one of 8 new shades to feature in the lineup of pigment-packed lip colours and it looks something like this…

You should know by now that while I feel there’s a time and a place for sheerer lip coverings, my heart lies with lip products that deliver COLOUR aswell as polish.  Well, I’m pleased to report that Chunkiest Chili does indeed deliver a bold brick-toned red to my unpigmented pout whilst managing to retain most of the glossy, slightly balmy finish of the original Chubby Sticks.

You’ve got to love a lip stick that doesn’t need sharpening… twist up, twist down.  No compromise on usability.

The swatch looks promising…

Ta-da!  Proper colour!  From a Chubby Stick!  *listens for angels*  Seriously though, if you’re a big fan of the Chubby Stick formula, ease-of-use… whatever but feel that they’ve been too sheer and balmy for you *puts hands up*, this is your answer, right here.

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense is available in 8 shades: Curviest Caramel, Chunkiest Chili, Heftiest Hibiscus, Mightiest Maraschino, Plushest Punch, Roomiest Rose, Broadest Berry, and Grandest Grape priced at £16 each.

The only problem is, you’re gonna have to wait until mid-November to get your hands on them!  Cool those heels ladies!

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