Regardless of what your birth certificate says, Christmas is the one time of year we can wear an unadulterated amount of glitter on our nails and not feel even slightly embarrassed of ourselves.
Avon Nailwear Pro in Violetta Sparkle is a festively-themed combination of purple and gold – it also conveys flashes of red when under the right lighting – but it’s mostly about the gold.
Application was fine and the above shows three coats. I found the brush a touch long and thick but what you sacrifice in precision, you make up for in speed of application. It also dried quickly despite the three coats. It’s a hair grainy thanks to the glitter but a single coat of topper smoothes that out nicely and gives a needed boost to the shine that really brings out the sparkle within.
I’ve only had this on for two days, but so far no chips and considering the vampy colour, only very minimal tip wear (the above photo was taken just now).
Currently priced at only £3.00 on the Avon website, it’s making me want to explore the other sparkly shades in the Nailwear Pro Sparkle & Shine lineup!
I’m quite crafty when it comes to Christmas Gifting, not crafty as in sellotape, pieces of felt and glitter pens — crafty as in, Wily Coyote. Hence my latest find…
Skin So Soft Soft and Sensual Replenishing Hand Cream 75ml,
Naturals Lime Blossom and Verbena Shine Drops 50ml,
Planet Spa Mediterranean Olive Oil Hydrating Face Mask 75ml,
Naturals Strawberry & Guava Refreshing Shower Gel 200ml,
Naturals Strawberry & Guava Room & Linen Spray 125ml,
Soft Pink Bubble Bath 500ml,
Skin So Soft Soft and Sensual Replenishing Body Lotion 250ml,
Foot Works Heel Softening Cream 75ml.
Now, this would make a nice(ish) present just by itself (you know I’d prefer Burberry)… but my idea would be to split it. Keep the bits that I know will get used up quickly in our household and fashion the rest into ‘themed’ gift ideas.
Example: My Mum’s Xmas stocking is themed on Winter Skin and from this kit, I’d include: Skin So Soft Hand Cream, Planet Spa Face Mask, and Foot Works Heel Softening Cream. Those items will go nicely with some of the bits I’ve already bought her.
You could also theme a “Spa Night In” with some, if not most, of these items and throw in some slippers and a hot chocolate kit to complete an impressive and thoughtful ensemble.
Me? I’d be stealing the basket and extra wrappings which include: a wire basket, tissue paper, a sheet of cellophane, and a ribbon to use on another (dareIsayit) posher pressie.
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Do you get crafty or indeed crafty when it comes to Christmas pressies?
Remember I told you about this TSV last week? Well – it’s gone live today and the remaining set details and price have been revealed!
Contents (details pulled from the QVC website):
1 x Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (30ml) – award-winning moisturiser helps to actively reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles whilst hydrating your skin
1 x Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser (150ml) – formulated to deeply cleanse your skin, gently dissolving make-up and daily grime to a radiant, youthful-looking complexion
1 x Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream (100ml) – luxuriously rich hand cream quickly absorbs to instantly hydrate hands and condition your nails. Only available at QVC
1 x Frangipani Monoi Body Oil (100ml) – super-hydrating oil designed to leave your skin feeling silky soft and beautifully fragranced. It can be used as a massage oil and a hair treatment
1 x Tranquil Touch Bath Elixir (300ml) – enriched with cocoa butter, patchouli, cedarwood and vetivert to leave your skin felling soft and delicately scented
1 x navy patent wash bag – 26.5cm x 17.5cm x 8cm (10.3″ x 6.8″ x 3.1″)
And the price?
£39.96on Easy Pay! (4 interest-free installments) – representing a massive saving off the original combined RRP for these products.
I’ve snapped one up but I’m gonna be a bit devious and split them into individual Christmas gifts. However, this plan has ultimately left me umming and ahh-ing over whether or not to nab another one for myself, I don’t need it but it’s the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser and Monoi Body Oil that’s pushing me close to the edge! Perhaps I’ll just have to come to the conclusion that I don’t know anybody who would like those two for Christmas. Delusional much?
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Are you buying this set today? And if so, is it for yourself or someone else?
Thirty One years. That’s how long the BBC’s Children in Need appeal has been raising money for disadvantaged children in the UK. We’re all familiar with the annual BBC televised appeal which never fails to divide the nation into a love/hate camp when it comes to Friday night TV viewing, but the truth is that the vast majority of the money raised actually comes from the donations outside of this, given both before and after the live telethon.
I was contemplating this as I sat on the train to Nottingham on Thursday evening. Well, if I’m thoroughly honest, I was also obsessing over how old I felt knowing that I’d been on this planet for all but one of the years that the appeal has been running. Aside from this though, I was feeling rather excited to be heading up north to take part in the Boots HQ fundraising day, held annually for their employees at HQ.
The first thing that struck me as I walked through the doors to reception (other than, woah BIG) was the noise. “Hang on!”, I thought, “This doesn’t sound like a place of work!” Turns out, I was right. Apart from a couple of grumps glued to their computers (I would tell you which department had the biggest bah-humbug ratio but that would be mean) there was very little work going on at Boots HQ yesterday. Wanna see?
Does this look like work?
Or this? No. Bunch of slackers, It wouldn’t surprise me if I can’t get my hands on my Meal Deal next week ‘cos the Meal Deal team were too busy at the roulette table.
In fairness, all this nonsense and frivolity came at a cost to those taking part who valiantly dug deep and surrendered their pennies for tombolas, raffles, home-made cakes, wii dance-offs, and bingo!
I will neither confirm nor deny the reports that the above table was raided. Not by me of course.
The lesser-spotted Blush Bear – I was tempted to ask her if it was NARS Amour but I thought I might look a bit silly.
It wasn’t long before my partner-in-crime Modesty Brown and I had spotted the “Beauty Salon”, a little setup that included the option to indulge in Nail Rock manicures and Eylure false lash applications. We paid our pennies and jumped in the queue, eager for a little pampering in the home of, well, pampering!
Modesty Brown put together a little video of the nail wraps being applied which I’ve promptly stolen and included below because it shows how quick they were to affix!
All in all, it was a grand old day and I spent the train journey home feeling like a 6 year old who’d overindulged on fun, sweets, and a bit of wonderment. Wiped out!
As we were leaving, I heard the bingo caller announce that in the few short hours he’d been shouting about the two fat ladies, the bingo bits alone had raised well over £1000. Boots have been working alongside BBC Children In Need for the past eight years, and have raised more than £4 million to date. But, I’ll leave you with the super-hero of the day, aside from all that charitable stuff, I dunno how this fella copes when he needs a wee.
For details on how to donate to Children in Need, find more information on the BBC website. Thanks for having me Boots!
Nubar, your duochromes make my world a prettier place. Nubar Wildlife is beautifully named as it twinkles between an earthy brown and foresty green depending on which way the light catches it.
The formula builds nicely after the first coat and the above photo shows that two coats were needed for an opaque finish, really impressive stuff. I did get a teeny chip on my thumbnail after a day, which is unusual for me – but when a polish is as pretty as this one, you can forgive it nearly anything.
You can keep your Models Own Beetle(notveryjuicy)Juice polishes, these Nubars are still where it’s at.
Buy Nubar Wildlife online at BeautyBay.com, priced at a bargainous £5.50
Whenever I look at a Philosopy Christmas Gift Set, it reminds me of exactly how I want my Christmases to look. Sure, it’s a little bit (a lot) twee and there’s enough glitter involved to get your local drag queen banging down your door, but c’mon. It’s CHRISTMAS!!!!! (nearly).
The Philosophy Jolly Jubilee set comprises two items:
Holly Jolly Shampoo, Shower Gel and Bubble Bath (120ml) Crisp Berry Lip Shine (15ml)
This would make a perfect Secret Santa gift with the wrapping already done for you courtesy of a cute red velvet bow and beautifully designed tin in which the products sit. Priced at £16 and available instore and online from John Lewis & Selfridges.
Do you like Philosophy gift sets or are their idealized Christmas scenes a little too much cuteness for you to bear?!
Father Christmas must be feeling particularly generous this year because Elemis have released details of an exceptionally tempting Today’s Special Value (TSV) with QVC this Sunday. Full details are being kept secret but I can reveal that you’ll be sitting on your fingers trying not to pick up the phone and place an order.
The TSV is set to include:
Elemis’ NEW sp@home Pro-Radiance Hand & Nail Cream, the number one anti-ageing moisturiser Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (30ml), a full size Exotic Frangipani Monoi Body Oil (100ml), full size Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir (200ml)plus one other full size hero Elemis product that will be revealed on the show – all packed in a luxurious high gloss navy make-up bag.
Ooooh, mystery item! Oooh Frangipani Monoi Body Oil! Oooh Pro-Collagen Marine Cream! And a final “Ooooh” for the brand new Hand and Nail Cream that isn’t even being RELEASED properly until next year.
Are you all oooh’ed out yet? I’m getting there.
Seriously though, if you’re looking for an impressive Christmas present for your mum/daughter/sister/best mate/mother in law, this is a very nice-looking set. I’d prefer a snazzier bag to keep it all in but beggars can’t be choosers etc. etc.
So, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. What’s it gonna cost you? Well, the exact price – in true QVC style – will be announced live on air but I *can* tell you that it will be under £40 and offer a guaranteed saving of more than 50% off retail.
OOOOOOOOOOOOHHH!
The airing times on Sunday 20th November are midnight, 1am, 7am, 8am, 9am, 11am, 2pm, 6pm, 8pm and 10pm. QVC is available on Sky Digital channel 640, Freesat channel 800, Freeview channel 16 and Virgin TV channel 740. To order call QVC on 0800 50 40 30 or visit www.qvcuk.com/elemistsv
The Five Piece Tranquil Indulgence Face and Body Collection will also be available to purchase at www.qvcuk.com/elemis (item number 200194) and will be live from 20th November 2011.
Morning Campers! This post is up bright and early, are you?
You have my sympathy. It’s dark outside and it’s flippin’ cold. The kids have probably started whining already, your other half would have most certainly guffed before leaving the bedroom, and I bet you forgot to put your phone on charge last night. Whatever morning mishaps await you, life can truly suck at this time of day.
Well – they say the early bird gets to scoff all the worms (or something like that) and today is going to be a prime example of society’s bias towards those who rise with the lark.
Recognise these nail wraps? Of course you do, I posted about them last month. They’re from Nail Rock and are currently being sold in Boots having been especially created for BBC Children in Need, which is tomorrow – should you need reminding.
I have 25 of these nail wraps to give away right now!
Courtesy of Boots, I’ll be giving these lovely nail wraps to the first 25 people who leave a comment telling me what I should have for breakfast today.
Now come on, don’t leave it too late – a girl’s gotta eat, I wanna see these snapped up quicker than a bowl of Rice Krispies. Only open to UKresidents I’m afraid. If it’s 10pm in your ‘hood, that’s just cheating see?!
On your marks, get set, GO! (You may need to refresh (CTRL+F5) the page to see your comment)
T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. The first 25 eligible commenters will each receive a set of BBC Children in Need Nail Rock Nail Wraps.
3. One entry per person, duplicate entries will be deleted.
4. Winners will be chosen according to how they appear on my screen, my decision is final.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Competition closes when 25 eligible entries have been received.
7. Winners list will be published on-site on Saturday 19th November and I will email all winners shortly after.
8. I have no control over which colour Nail Rock Nail Wraps you receive, please don’t make requests!
I’m a total sucker for a bit of leopard print, much to my mother’s amusement. Or is it disgust… sometimes it’s hard to tell.
Batiste have introduced a new scent to their legendary lineup… we all know that some of the Batiste ‘fragrances’ pong more than others *cough* Blush *cough* but I’m intrigued to try this new one described as: A feminine and daring Oriental aroma with top notes of cocoa, a floral heart and sensual vanilla, musk and wood base notes.
Batiste has become a bit of a staple in my haircare routine since the beginning of the Summer. I seem to have developed a sorry case of the greasies (thanks hormones) and this stuff stops me from having to wash my hair every morning. Does that make me a bit of a grot? Whatever, bet you do it too. Do you have a favourite Batiste scent?
Batiste Dry Shampoo in WILD is exclusive to Boots and priced at £2.99 for 200ml
These refillable perfume atomizers have revolutionised the way I transport and wear fragrance, you can read my review of them here. The only problem I have with mine is that they’re always half full of my latest scent! So I get a bit excited at the prospect of scooping up a spare (or two) when I see them reduced like this.
As well as the black version, Play.com also have the pink one available (though it’s more expensive at £6.99).
Also, at this price, I don’t need to tell you that they’d also make excellent stocking fillers do I? If you missed out on the Cheap Smells £5.50 deal for these back in September, well here’s an even better saving!
Superdrug have been raising the beauty stakes lately. First with their new beauty card, some great new brand exclusives and now a new range of affordable makeup brushes designed for the more makeup-savvy among us.
The Superdrug PRO Make Up Brush range contains eight new brushes in total. Each brush is hand-crafted with 100% natural hair and as you’ve come to expect from Superdrug, all are BUAV approved (bunny friendly).
I have a few of the brushes from the new range and have been putting them to the test over the past week or so. My feelings on each brush vary, so I thought I’d do a quick speed-review of each one. Let’s get started…
PRO: 02 POWDER BRUSH is a fluffy, domed brush with a softness that belies its price tag. I would have liked to see a little more weight to it and there is a tiny hint of scratchiness but nothing that would particularly bother me. It grabs product well and disperses evenly across the face. The fibres are dense but fairly loosely packed ensuring a light but buildable application. I didn’t experience much shedding either or on my face, or when washing. Good stuff. £9.99
PRO: 11 EYE SHADOW BRUSH – WIDE is a nice tool for applying a wash of colour over the lids. Again, it’s not the most densely packed brush which means that you’ll be able to build pigmentation with this effectively but it may end up frustrating you if you like to pack colour on quickly. It also works well to blend harsh lines in a pinch, easily soft enough not to irritate the delicate skin around the eye area. I have quite small lids and did end up wishing that it were a touch smaller. £7.99
PRO: 13 EYE SHADOW BRUSH – ROUND isn’t one of my preferred brushes. It’s nicely shaped with an excellent taper that really allows for some precision work but I just found this one a little too scratchy to use comfortably. A real shame because it has some nice resistance to the fibres that will allow you to get right into the corner of the eye and underneath the lashline with confidence that the head won’t splay. £6.99
PRO: 14 SLANTED EYE LINER BRUSH makes for the 2nd disappointment in the set. I simply find it too large and soft to give enough precision to line my eyes. As I draw the brush across my eyelids, it tries to find its own path of least resistance, buckling under the weight of the drag. Not great. £5.99
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Overall, I think the range is a useful but not outstanding addition to the store. It’s always nice to have more choices where budget brushes are concerned but none of the ones I’ve tried above hold a candle to my favourite ELF Studio brushes.
If you want to check these out for yourselves, you’ll be interested to learn that Superdrug are offering the entire collection at a special introductory price until 22nd November with prices starting from only £3.99 (concealer, lip) and ranging up to £8.49 for the most expensive (foundation, powder).
Have you tried the new Superdrug PRO Make Up Brushes yet?
Says me. And if anyone wants to argue with that, I’ll roll up my fairy sleeves and throw all the manky, strawberry-flavoured Quality Streets at you from up there on my perch branch.
If you want to have a look at some of the lovely Christmas ideas I selected for BuyaPowa’s Christmas Gift Guide, click through the link above to have a squizz. Because I’m not super-human, I can’t link you to the OPI Muppettes Mini Pack that sold out exceedingly quickly last night on the BuyaPowa website. Sorry about that… but I can give you an early Christmas present and let you in on a teeny little secret…
Are you listening? No, I mean… are you really, REALLY listening?
BuyaPowa will be going live with a co-buy toward the end of the week – it’s only gonna BLEEDIN’ be Urban Decay’s Naked Palette innit!!! The world of co-buying is fast and furious so if you want to get a heads up when it goes live, I suggest you click through to BuyaPowa and add your email address next to the photo of the UD Naked Palette to get notification of when the sale goes live.
Don’t say I never give you nuffink *sprinkles Quality Streets*
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