A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

God. Have I told you how much I love foundation? Oh, I have?! Well, the thing is… I really love foundation. I love the idea of being able to smooth over the blemishes, teeny veins and discolouration with what is, effectively, a new skin.

If I were a character in a horror-filled b-movie, I’d like to be the skin harvester and I’d go around, stealing people’s faces… no, please don’t leave. I’m only joking. Sort of.

So that I don’t have to go around harvesting other people’s faces, Benefit have launched a new beauty kit that will appeal to all foundation-lovers out there.  How To Look The Best At Everything claims to contain everything we need to achieve that sought-after flawless complexion.

Let’s take a closer look….

The kit is available in three skin shades: Light, Medium and Deep and is packaged in squee cute Benefit stylee, taking obvious inspiration from the series of similarly titled books.  Despite the housing being cardboard, it stands up pretty well to mild misuse… it’s not gonna crumble anytime soon, unless you put it in the washing machine or something phenomenally stupid like that.  In which case, you deserve whatever soggy mess awaits you.

Beneath the ‘front cover’ sits an assortment of Benefit’s face products… providing you ‘get on’ with the products inside, this is a brilliant thing to take away on holidays/dirty weekends and the like.  Do people even still have dirty weekends?  I feel like I’ve just stepped out of the 80s with that expression!

So, from left to right, we have:

The POREfessional primer (7.5ml) |  Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow in “Cheers to Me” Champagne foundation (7ml) | Boi-ing 01 & 02 concealer (1.5g each) | “Hello Flawless!” “Me, Vain?” Champagne powder (4g).

I’ve been doing my sums and based on the quantities of product you receive inside the kit, compared to the full-size prices…. the kit is worth approximately £44.22 on product value alone.

Which is pretty awesome considering that Benefit (who are not well-known for their bargainous prices) are asking only £24.50 for the entire set.

It’s a great starting point for anyone unfamilliar with the Benefit base makeup line and would be a lovely present for most teens *cough* and older makeup-loving ladies to open on Christmas morning.

Benefit’s How To Look The Best At Everything kit* is available to buy now online and on counter nationwide, priced at £24.50

* press sample

For 48hrs only, get 25% off at Cult Beauty with the discount code FLASH25. Perfect for those organised Christmas shoppers out there (I know you’re out there!)

Code valid until midnight on Monday.

* Discount exludes Escentric Molecules and Moroccanoil

If you’re tired of being the pumpkin at Halloween parties, it’s time to act with a little more refinement and finesse. Throw out the polyester costumes and build a new look from the face down.

Face Lace have some new designs available which may well fit the bill and get your brain working overtime in a bid to shake things up a bit in the costume department.

I’ve enlisted the help of three brilliant bloggers (@RobynHeartsSlap, @MsBudgetBeauty, and @TheBlackPearlB, each of whom will create a FOTD using one of three Eye Laces that I’ve posted out to them. You’ve already seen how they look on my ugly mug so I thought I’d get someone else to hopefully inspire!

I don’t know about you, but I’m excited to see what they come up with!

Stay tuned….

Q: Why did the elephant paint his toenails red?

A: So he could hide in a cherry tree!

No, I didn’t break into a smile either.

Daft jokes aside, if you’ve always been looking for an elephant-coloured nail polish, your search is over. Elephant walk is an odd blue/grey shade that does indeed remind me of Dumbo.  The silver shimmer clearly seen in the bottle, is distinctly lacking once on the nails, which is a shame because I could really imagine it making a difference.

As things stand, it’s a nice two-coater but ends up reminding me of a poor-relation to something like Butter London’s Lady Muck.  Sigh, I wanted that shimmer in it!

Nevermind, at least you heard a really shit joke today.

China Glaze Elephant Walk is available to buy instore at Sallys or online at BeautyBay.com, priced at £6.95

Tell me a really bad joke!

I’m bubbling over with love (geddit?) for the product development team at NEOM who have managed to inject actual bubbles into an sls-free bath foam formula.  Which, by rights, shouldn’t have much in the way of foam to write home about.

Did I mention that it smells heavenly too?

NEOM Organics new Tranquility Bath Foam delivers a sudsy hit of relaxation with plenty of (albeit not massively long-lasting) bubble-age.  By the time I was reaching for a towel, there was not a bubble left in sight, which Mr. L said was “rubbish”.  I happen to disagree because there’s nothing I hate more (except for spiders) than having to karate chop/swipe bubbles off my legs as I’m about to step out of the bath.  Also, the final head dunk for Leila… her hair is washed, I don’t want it bubbled up again!

But I digress…

If your skin is sensitive to the usual bubble bath offerings on the market, you’d be wise to take a look at the bubbling sls-free alternative that is Tranquility Bath Foam by NEOM Organics.  Available online, priced at £20.00 for 200mls.  You can just about get away with half a capful per bath, which will probably bring the price down to around 60-70p a bath.

Or… even better, you could take advantage of an exclusive 25% discount code for Lipglossiping.com readers….

www.neomorganics.com
Code: lipgloss (enter at checkout)
Discount: 25%
Terms: Can only be used on full price items.  One code per order.
Expires: midnight Monday 1st October

Bubbles… do you need them to enjoy your bath?

Do you know what are stupidly expensive?  GHDs.

Also, everything else that I currently want but cannot afford… like a KitchenAid.

Still, if you are in the market for a new pair of hair straighteners but have been holding out for a better deal, you might be interested in this week’s offerings at BrandAlley.co.uk.  The private sales website will be holding a flash sale on the following discounted GHD goodies at up to 40% off from now until Sunday 30th September.

Starting with (1) the GHD Style and Protect gift set (RRP: £39 / BA Price: £23), (2) GHD Peacock Purple Standard Iron (RRP: £119 / BA Price: £95), (3) GHD Peacock Green Standard Iron (RRP: £119 / BA Price: £95) and finally (4) GHD Scarlett Deluxe Iron (RRP: £149 / BA Price £90).

If you’ve spotted something on your Christmas list, you might want to point your nearest and dearest in the direction of brandalley.co.uk this week.  Now, where can I get 40% off a KitchenAid?

I’ve been dragging my heels when it comes to getting excited for Autumn. Everyone around me has gone chunky-knit/boot-buying crazy while I’ve been trying to eke out one more wear from my floral palazzo trousers before I vacuum pack them away under the bed for the Winter.

But I’m feeling zen about it now. Infact, I feel quite vindicated seeing as Autumn has now clearly arrived with a vengeance this week. Yeah, you go ahead and shiver in your new chunky knit. You brought this on yourself.

It’s not that I hate Autumn… despite my protestations, it is indeed my favourite season too and I am particularly partial to the new collections that the cooler weather brings.  I’m already contemplating vampier lips and more Autumnal blushes.  Infact, here’s five Autumn blushers that I bet you don’t own…

1. Cargo – Tonga: A beautiful, muted matte rose with a hint of mauve

2. Makeup Store – Sugarpink: A soft, dusty pink with a touch of earthiness.

3. Becca Pressed Shimmer Powder – Princess: A muted plum with a hint of bronze, scrumminess.

4. Jane Iredale – Cotton Candy: A sparkly plum with shimmer that flatters without looking too glittery.

5. T. Le Clerc – Brun Voile: A sheer, neutral brown that will go perfectly with everything.

What are your favourite Autumn blushers that don’t get the hype they deserve?

Jekyll and Hyde, Torvill and Dean, egg and chips (my thoughts are never far from food).

Some things are just meant to be together.

Whether it’s a really obvious pairing or something a little more obscure, that moment you hit upon the right combination, you know it immediately.

I wasn’t sure when I first read about the Lucy Annabella Spearmint and Lemongrass candle combination.  I anticipated that both scents intertwined would create something too fresh, too tingly and perhaps a touch too medicinal for a home fragrance.  Oh, how wrong was I?

I can only imagine how tricky it must be to get the balance just right when it comes to fragrance, whether it’s in perfume, bath oils or candles – one addition too many and the entire concept goes down the pan.  There are a million tried and tested home fragrance combinations out there, featuring some of the most popular scents around and this one instantly appeals for not taking the path of least resistance.

Spearmint and Lemongrass, you shall go down in history as the Bonnie and Clyde of fragrance combinations. You’re badass.

The styling and packaging of the Lucy Annabella Organics Candle, however, is not badass.  It’s perfectly presentable – beautifully wrapped in tissue paper and ribbons, housed in a delicately patterned tumbler which will sit demurely wherever you place it.

The 100% soy candle burns cleanly and will last for up to 50 hours, the scent is invigorating but not too refreshing, neither is it ‘kitcheny’ – I light this in my hallway while I’m getting Leila ready for nursery and it perfumes the whole flat (ok, so it’s not a mansion!) within the thirty minutes it takes to get us out the door.

I can still smell it upon my return, even though the flame has obviously been long extinguished.

Candles are one of those frivolous purchases that in today’s tough times, we can frankly do without.  They’re a luxury, not a necessity and I have a couple of brands that operate at a lower price point to the ‘luxe’ big names that I will happily buy for a big treat for myself or a present for others.  Neom for wedding gifts (they look so posh!), Ancienne Ambiance for myself when I’m being naughty (scent divine), and with the exquisite packaging on these (and sub £30 price point) – I’ve found a new general-but-special gift, you know…. mother-in-laws, nans and the special ladies in our lives!

Lucy Annabella Organics Spearmint & Lemongrass Candle is priced at £25 and available to buy online from lucyannabella.com

What is your favourite home scent combination?

While my heart will always remain true to an undying love for peachy pink, or even better, guava blushes… I won’t deny an eternal hunt for that perfect pop of pink.  For some pale girls, it’s Benefit’s Dandelion… for others, MAC’s Well Dressed.  I’ve been partial to a bit of Cargo’s Catalina in the past but I’ve now fallen head-over-heels for an alternative: MyFace Cosmetics Pink Paradisio (or Paradiso as it’s spelled on the website).

The blusher’s packaging is pretty cumbersome… plus, the whole “look, don’t I remind you of an iPod from 2003?” dates it somewhat, in my opinion.  Having said that, it’s always handy to make space for a mirror and brush for on the go applications.  Except, this brush isn’t very good and picks up far too much product (whilst flinging it about all over the place FALL OUT STYLE).

But the product itself? Oooh, it’s good… so, so good.  A beautiful, slightly warm pink, vivid enough to provide a true ‘pop’ without delivering instant clown cheeks.  If you’re particularly fair, I’d recommend reaching for something like a stippling brush to apply Paradisio Pink with… it does pack a punch but will be kind enough to all pale skintones if treated with a little respect.  I rescued this from my untried pile before going on holiday and whilst the brand are unfortunately no longer available to buy at Boots (which is a real damn shame because I also love the MyMix foundation), you can still purchase online from myfacecosmetics.com or at the new BeautyMART retail space in Harvey Nichols.

MyFace Cosmetics R&B Rouge Blusher in Paradisio Pink is priced at £14.99 – yeah, I’m sure that price has JUMPED from what it used to be *sad face*.

What’s your favourite “pop of pink” blush?

“How much actual wtf-ery can you design into one bottle of fragrance?” thought the bods at Balenciaga one day over a plate of ham and pickle sandwiches.  Wait, wrong country…  chorizo an patatas bravas (not in a sandwich obvs).

That boardroom statement is the only logical explanation I can come up with for the awesomeness that is the packaging for the new Balenciaga fragrance which is patiently awaiting its nationwide release next week.

It’s like the Mad Hatter joined forces with Captain Beefheart, dropping an acid-infused sugar cube in a secret garden before letting rip on the design front.  I love it.  I love how it looks so spiky and unfriendly (not unlike the celebrity fronting the campaign then) and the ensemble left me properly breathless in anticipation and hope that the juice inside would live up to the initial impression.

And it is indeed, somewhat spiky at first sniff.  There’s a sharpness that cuts through the ether and prickles at your nose (not the classic piquante tickle) before mellowing as the “experimental” (no less) rose takes form and softens the edges, bringing to the forefront the flora that the name Florabotanica promises t0 deliver.

The notes declare: mint, carnation, hybrid rose, caladium leaves, amber and vetiver – I don’t detect much straight-up mint, nor amber but they play their roles in helping to chameleonize some of the more traditional florals into something that definitely feels far too modern to simply describe as floral.

Perhaps one of my favourite aspects of Florabotanica is simply in its resilience.  Here is a mainstream fragrance, aimed at a younger market that smells different. It’s void of pinkness and it wears on my skin like a captivating veil with just the perfect amount of sillage to draw attention without commanding it.  It’s perhaps a little Summery for an Autumn release but there’s probably just enough mossiness and strength to ground the fragrance in a cooler climate.

Adore.

Balenciaga Florabotanica (from £40 for 30ml EdP) is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols until the 19th September.  A nationwide launch follows this date. 

* press sample

I don’t really know what it is that I like so much about these rich browns that look like absolutely nothing in the bottle, and tbh, not that spectacular in my swatch… but there’s something so rich, almost decadent about them when the light hits them in a certain way.  They make me feel slightly edgy amongst the yummy mummies in the nursery playground, but not in a “look at me” kinda way, which is, let’s face it – how I like it.

Plus, the shine on this one was a dream… as you can see – super high gloss  in two coats which made my talons look effortlessly polished to within an inch of their badly manicured lives.

Do you like brown nail polishes?

China Glaze Call of the Wild is available to buy online at BeautyBay.com, priced at £6.95

* press sample

Shade-wise, this is the Dita Von Teese of vampy reds.  It’s not hugely unique or as spellbinding as Ms DvT (oh look, that spells “deep vein thrombosis!” *Beavis laugh*) but it is a rather lovely darker red creme that flatters cool skintones very nicely indeed.  If it were a lipstick, I’d probably marry it.

Adventure Red-y (yawn name) isn’t very adventurous but it does offer coverage like the canopy of the Amazonian rainforest, opaque in two coats, it’s an impenetrable fortress for those pesky VNLs.

Good but standard Autumn nail colour fodder.

China Glaze – On Safari Collection: Adventure Red-y is available to buy online at BeautyBay.com, priced at £6.75

* press sample