A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

As promised earlier, here are some swatches from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. These have been swatched using a brush over primer.

Firstly a reminder of the shades in the pan.

Rollover the above image to reveal the shade names. Also check out some swatches on a darker skintone courtesy of VexInTheCity.

Come back this lunchtime for a quick comparison between the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette and the original Urban Decay Naked Palette where I share my thoughts on whether you really need this one in your collection or not.

*press sample

EDIT: The Naked 2 Palette will be released in the UK on 9th January 2012, priced at £36 and available from instore and online from Debenhams before rolling out to House of Fraser from February 6th.

Yes, the rumours are true and the worst-kept secret is finally out. Urban Decay are releasing a follow-up to the best-selling Naked Palette and Urban Decay’s Naked 2 Palette will be heading to the UK very soon.

Unlike its predecessor, the UD Naked2 palette* is housed in a tin – an instant packaging love as a more robust, portable alternative to the velvety-cardboard containing the original. Also worth mentioning is the mirror which stretches the length of the entire lid and the double-ended eyeshadow brush which offers both a laydown and blending option.

Swatches coming up later today…

* press sample

EDIT: The Naked 2 Palette will be released in the UK on 9th January 2012, priced at £36 and available from instore and online from Debenhams before rolling out to House of Fraser from February 6th.

I’m currently sharing my Christmas pearls of wisdom over on the Jurlique website.  If you click through, you’ll find an indecently large picture of me (cringe), my top Jurlique gift set for Christmas and a mini-essay on the Joy of Giving.

Now, how ’bout that Joy of Giving?  Well, it gives me unadulterated joy to offer you the chance to win another Jurlique gift set, this time the Loveable Skin Lavender Essentials Set, worth £29!

The set contains: Lavender Hand Cream, 125ml & Love Balm, 15ml – everything you need to keep your hands and cuticles in tip-top condition this winter!

Want to win Jurlique Loveable Skin Lavender Essentials gift set, worth £29?!

You do?  Excellent!  Get this question right and you’ll be in with a chance of winning…

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In which year was Jurlique founded?

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T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all correct entries.
3. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
4. One entry per email address please.
5. Competition closes on Tuesday 6th December 2011 at 23.59 GMT.
6. Winner will be notified within 5 days of the close of the competition.

My hair is prone to breakage, and thanks to my PCOS – there isn’t as much of it as I would like which means that I have to be very careful when detangling my hair not to end up with more on the brush than on my head.  I currently use my Tangle Teezer on wet hair and my Mason Pearson on dry hair.

I attended the launch of a new product from internationally acclaimed hairdresser Michel Mercier, a new detangling hair brush available in three varieties, each suited to a different hair type.  To choose the right brush for your hair, you simply need to check which colour you’re picking up:  Pink = Fine Hair, Green = Normal Hair, Blue = Thick or Afro Hair.  The difference between the three varieties lies in the flexibility of the bristles used.  The coarser the hair type, the more rigid the bristles need to be in order to combat the tangles.

The brush is made up of a patented system which involves placing 428 bristles (who wants to count ’em?) positioned at different heights across the surface with a unique geometric distribution which helps to disperse the pressure placed on hair during brushing.

But does it work, and is it better than the Tangle Teezer?

Michel Mercier Detangling Brush*

I found that it works very well for detangling my hair, especially when my hair was dry but the efficiency came at a cost.  The Mercier Brush gave me more discomfort during use than the Tangle Teezer.  However, it really couldn’t be faulted for it’s rapid detangling properties… I often find that the Tangle Teezer misses tangles on the underside of my hair thanks to its very flexible bristles – the Mercier’s bristles are stronger, I think this will prove very popular for those with thick hair.

Sadly, I experienced more breakage with this one than my Tangle Teezer, probably just because it was more effective and gave me more discomfort but I’d rather have to section my hair to detangle than lose it on the brush.

Tangle Teezer

I was also hoping for better things from the Michel Mercier design.  The Tangle Teezer is notorious for flying out of unsuspecting hands thanks to the rubbish grip it offers.  At first glance, you’d think that the Michel Mercier solves this with the inclusion of a chunky handle but sadly, the handle has quite a strong taper which means that it doesn’t feel as secure as I would have liked.

Overall it’s a real mixed bag.  If my hair were stronger and thicker, I’d probably prefer it to my Tangle Teezer but as things stand, it’s back to my Tangle Teezer/Mason Pearson combination for the time being.

The Michel Mercier Detangling Brush is priced at £14.95, and available from www.michelmercier.co.uk and selected salons

* press sample

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You’ll be forgiven for not having heard of Brenda Anvari, by all accounts she’s a bit of a Devonian secret – serving up beauty treatments in her Exter Salon.  But as with all secrets, you can’t keep them forever and her beauty range is heading East!

I took delivery of her festively-themed Cranberry, Orange & Cinnamon Candle a few weeks ago.  Priced at just £12.95, it’s presented beautifully and would make a deceivingly inexpensive present for a loved one this Christmas.  Nicely weighted with elegant styling and great appeal.  When you put your nose to the unlit wax, you’re greeted with a good hit of sharpness from the Cranberry, flanked by the zesty Orange.

It burns cleanly with a good, even melt across the surface.  The scent is strong, not overpowering but I do have to extinguish the flame after about 15 minutes.  For me, it’s a little too enveloping to be able to sit in it whilst in full burn for longer than that.  Ultimately, I guess this is a good thing in terms of value for money but if you’ve a very sensitive nose, this may make it a little too strong for you.

My favourite way to use this candle is to light it when I first get up in the morning and am busy buzzing around, then 20 minutes or so later – the main rooms downstairs are nicely scented and I extinguish the flame before enjoying the scent left behind for a good hour or so after.

I struggle to pick up much spice or woodiness in this candle, to my nose – it’s more about the fruit which is a bit of a shame and my other sadness is that postage is phenomenally expensive on the Brenda Anvari website simply because everything is courier’ed via CityLink.  One of the better courier services but those kind of prices are always off-putting unless you’re making a big order.

Brenda Anvari products are available to buy online at Visage House – prices range from £4.95 – £24.95

* press sample

I picked this Estee Lauder blush up recently from the lovely Perilously Pale‘s blog sale and fell immediately in love with it once it dropped through my letterbox.

As a very pink-skinned thing, I used to be scared of anything that was warmer toned.  I still struggle to wear peach tones on my eyes and lips, but as a hint of blush?  Peach tends to look the most natural against my skin and is my favourite for toning down the redness that already exists in that area.

Estee Lauder Peach Nuance is a gradiated blush that swirls together to create a very pretty flush.  I would assume this shade will suit most skin colours.  If you’re bothered enough, I’m sure you could be selective about applying the peach segment/pink segment individually but I just use the entire gradiant swirled as one.

The blush has a matte finish with a silky texture that applies evenly and blends effortlessly.  It builds pigmentation quickly on my pale skin but if you’re a heavy-handed type – you’d probably get on well with this as it’s hard to overdo with just a single swipe.

Priced at £24.00, the Estee Lauder Signature Silky Powder Blush range looks to have some very pretty shades that I have added to my ‘must go and obsess over at the counter’ list.  It’s a long list.

Do you favour pink cheeks or peachy cheeks?!

It strikes me that there’s a certain amount of appreciation for baked goods amongst beauty fans.  Cookies, cupcakes, muffins, cake-mix licked straight from the bowl… we’re just not fussy.  Perhaps it’s because we’re so finely attuned to appreciating the finer luxuries in life, or maybe we’re just a little big piggy – whatever the reason – I’m pretty sure you’re gonna get as excited as I have about today’s Christmas Gifting pick.

Let’s have a look at what we’ve got here…

~ A reusable and very practical cookie tin in which we can hide our multiple stashes of Fox’s Crinkle Crunch.  Don’t look at me like that.

~ A full-size tube of Hand Food™ hand cream which I blogged about back in June (and like very much)

~ A full-size maple-scented The Breakfast Scrub sugar body smoother.  Maple scented… excuse me while I make noises that a doughnut-spying Homer would be proud of hearing.

~ Finally, a squee-cute APRON!!!  OMG!!!  A Soap & Glory apron!

There is nothing about this gift set that I dislike and if Mr. L is reading this… (a.) please can you logon and change our Tesco delivery time to an evening slot and (b.) buy me this, kthanksbai.

The Soap & Glory Yum at Heart Christmas Gift Set is priced at a very reasonable (imo) £16 and available instore and online at Boots.  You should also know that this is included in the current 3for2 offer.

Do you suffer from an incurably sweet tooth too?

Sometimes I get a gut feeling about something and I can’t always pin it down and explain it to myself in a way that helps me unravel and make sense of it. This is one of those times.

The new Burberry Body ad (which premiered the other day on ITV1) features a very beautiful Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and a fitting, delicately-orchestrated track by The Feeling but… it’s leaving me a little conflicted.

Wanna see?

It’s beautiful isn’t it? The back-lighting, the photography, the way the material from the coat moves around her naked form.  But, I don’t actually feel anything other than a bit of a perv after watching it.

I know that sex sells and it sells to both men and women regardless of sexual orientation but this is a strip-tease, with added come-hither eyes to the viewer (that’s me) and whilst I don’t object to the content of the ad – I’m just failing to see the relevance as the camera pans to her nethers.  Infact, the only real connection my mind makes (as the bottle spins around provocatively) is that RHW is contemplating using it for something a bit inappropriate and I’m not entirely sure that this is what Burberry are trying to convey.

Perhaps I’m overthinking things and shouldn’t delve beyond the classic “if I buy your product, I’ll get a body like RHW” hook but in fairness, it’s Burberry’s fault because they’ve taken a bit of subtle “sex sells” and turned it into “if Harrods did Spearmint Rhino”.

What do you think of the new Burberry Body ad?

Morning!

Just a quick PSA to let you know that you have until the end of Saturday to pick up your Clinique Bonus Time gift with purchase (GWP) which is currently an exclusive at House of Fraser.

All you need to do to claim your treat is purchase two Clinique products (one to be skincare), so if you need a topup of your Dramatically Different or your High Impact is running dry, now’s the time to stock up!

The set includes:

Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief  |  Sparkle Skin Exfoliating Cream  |  Take the Day Off Makeup Remover for Lids, Lashes and Lips  |  Exclusive Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quad  |  High Impact Mascara in Black  |  Long Last Lipstick in Bamboo Pink  |  Cosmetic Bag

I don’t need to tell you frugalistas that this would make a lovely little Xmas pressie for someone, so if you’re a Clinique fan, don’t let the offer slip through your fingers.

Do you ever indulge in Bonus Time treats?

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If the Met Office is to be believed, we’re ‘in for it’ (technical description) this Winter, I hope so anyway… I’ve just bought some bargain sledges in anticipation of blizzard-y snow and icicle snots.

There are thankfully a billion things to make up for the fact that we’ll only achieve around 6 hours of sunshine from now until February — Pringles, Quality Streets, and Christmas episodes of Eastenders would feature heavily on my list, but another thing that melts my frozen heart are the Winter fragrances that I can splash on with abandon.

Here are my TOP FIVE Winter Perfumes to ward off the big chill…

1. L’Artisan Parfumeur: Tea for Two EdT (£78.00)

Black tea, honey and an aromatic smokiness that encourages deep, long sniffs with your nose buried in your sleeve.  Most of my perfumes are unisex because I’m developing expensive tastes and I find it much easier to justify my purchases when I remind Mr. L that we can *both* use them.  It’s not true of course, as I hide them behind my scarves in my wardrobe.

Tea for Two also contains a ginger note which doesn’t present itself very well on my skin.  I consider Tea for Two to be a less-sweet, slightly less boozy version of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille.  Longevity is grand on this one but it wears close to my skin – all the better for sniffing yourself with.

2. La Prairie: Life Threads Gold EdP (£74.00 – currently £59.95 at Cheap Smells) *

La Prairie’s Life Threads Gold is a force to be reckoned with thanks to its retro leanings and powerful floriental heart.  If you like people to smell you before they see you, this one could have your name written all over it.  Notes include (are you ready?): Plum, clove, tangerine, pepper, cinnamon, corriander, rose, lily of the valley, ylang ylang, vanilla, musk, golden myrrh and precious woods.

It’s as unapologetic as it is striking – go big or go home.  Perfect for the cold weather.

I implore you to go sniff this one out – as a girly/womanly type fragrance, it’s hard to beat.  I cut my teeth on Hypnotic Poison and it harks back to all I loved about that fragrance, but this one feels like it’s for grown ups.

3. Fendi: Fan di Fendi EdP (£39.50) *

The majority of my Winter fragrant love affairs evoke a smoke, leather and amber accord that carries me away to warmer, more exotic climes.  Fan di Fendi is a kitten by comparison, rendering it very work-appropriate whilst still containing a hint to my usual leanings.

The leather base is apparent though not rough-and-ready, as if struggling to make up its mind between dominatrix and classy handbag lady.  I detect a twist of the Mediterannean thanks to a freshness from some fruity notes which include tangerine.  Silage is decent, particularly when those initial top fruity/floral notes present but it quickly calms down into a calmer experience.

4. Bottega Veneta: Bottega Veneta EdP (£42.00) *

Elegance and sophistication with a clean, smooth leather that evokes the joy of sniffing luxury leather accessories.  And so it should, coming from Bottega Veneta — purveyors of luxury handbags.  A quiet soul of a scent, work appropriate without losing the edge that sets it apart from the competition.

The leather is gentle, almost suede-like with an initial hit of citrus to remind you of its Italian heart.  It’s most similar to the Fendi but with an altogether more sophisticated personality.  It doesn’t try hard, it doesn’t have to — it’s like that girl you know who manages to ooze grace without even knowing it.

5. Parfums d’Empire: Ambre Russe (£84.50)

Perhaps the ultimate in decadence, a king of a fragrance with a boozy, amber accord that transcends all earthly dimensions.  A little goes a long way and will leave those in your company searching the room for the source of this scent that offers up a kindly lesson in “how the hell to smell amazing”.

You can’t read anything about this scent without the mentions of Tsarist Russia and that’s because you can’t wear this scent without being transported to one of those onion-domed churches, incense burning while the blizzard roars outside.  Throw in a booziness that would make vodka-loving Russians (stereotype much?) blush and you’re getting close to the experience that wearing this powerhouse offers.

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What are your favourite scents to get you through the cold Winter ahead?

* press samples

I’ve never waxed in my life.  Well, no that’s not entirely true, there was this one time my Mum did a bikini wax on me while I lay on the table in the conservatory.  It left me bruised, bleeding and I swear more hairy than when she began.  You don’t want or need to know the back-story but let me tell you, it was far from successful.

And so I felt a tingle of fear when the Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll On Kit* dropped through my letterbox last week.  It’s waxing gone high-tech with a self-heating unit that dispenses a film of wax as you roll it over the skin.  In theory, this should eliminate all that messy spreading.  In theory.

I’ve done a short video that shows how you put the kit together and then Mr. L made me do a video of my first proper waxing experience.  I think it’s payback for that little episode of cardboard craftiness the other day (it’s STILL not finished btw!)

The kit is simple to assemble and contains comprehensive instructions.  I’ve demonstrated setting the unit up for use in the video below.

Once plugged in, I waited just over 20 minutes before attempting my first leg wax!  Wanna see how it went?

Overall, my feelings on this device are a bit mixed.

Priced at £29.99 (with refill cartridges costing £9.99 each), I can see this being a good investment for a regular waxer over the cost of say, wax strips.  I did find that although overall, the unit dispensed the wax fairly evenly there were a couple of patches that seemed to skip and get less wax, leaving a few hairs behind that needed a second go to remove.  I’ve since used “ready to use” wax strips on the other leg to achieve a fair comparison and I have to say, the wax strips did a more complete job – but also hurt more and felt like an expensive way to remove hair.

I didn’t compare to the traditional ‘heat the pot in the microwave’ style simply because I’m not interested in that kind of faffing and messiness, I’d rather buy a razor to be honest.  The refills are supposed to last for 4 waxing sessions, making them much more economical than strips but probably still more expensive than the old-style pots.

My final feelings on the Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll On Kit is that although it doesn’t offer the ultimate solution to at-home waxing, it does offer another alternative that could prove popular for regular waxers.

The Veet EasyWax Electrical Roll On Kit is available to order online at Boots.com priced at £29.99.  There are only 300 available during this pre-launch period, so don’t hesitate for too long if you’re planning on snapping one up!

Do you wax?

* press sample

It’s gone a bit giveaway-crazy on Lipglossiping this month and the fun is going to continue as I line up some more great goodies for you lovely lot.

Seeing as I’ve had a couple of queries over Twitter, it’s probably a good time to announce that I won’t be holding the annual Advent Giveaway this year.  I’ve been doing it for the past couple of years now and for me, it’s run its course.  It can be pretty stressful to organise (especially when things go wrong!) and I predict that there will be a million blogs running the same format this year, so hopefully you’ll still get lucky!

But back to today…

I’m currently sharing my Christmas pearls of wisdom over on the Jurlique website.  If you click through, you’ll find an indecently large picture of me (cringe), my top Jurlique gift set for Christmas and a mini-essay on the Joy of Giving.

Now, how ’bout that Joy of Giving?  Well, it gives me unadulterated joy to offer you the chance to win my favourite Jurlique gift set: Rose Essentials, worth £54!

The set contains: Rosewater Balancing Mist 100ml, Rose Hand Cream 125ml and Rose Shower Gel 300ml – it all smells absolutely exquisite!

The Australian skin care company pride themselves on their botanical expertise and natural formulas, so stick around for the rest of the week to see what other goodies I’ll be bringing your way!

Want to win Jurlique Rose Essentials gift set, worth £54?!

You do?  Excellent!  Get this question right and you’ll be in with a chance of winning…

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Jurlique’s Mylor Farm can be found in the hills named for which Australian city?

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T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all correct entries.
3. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
4. One entry per email address please.
5. Competition closes on Tuesday 29th November 2011 at 23.59 GMT.
6. Winner will be notified within 5 days of the close of the competition.