A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I know you shouldn’t love something for the packaging.  It’s shallow, meaningless and downright silly.  But I do love these SpaRitual polishes in particular for their packaging.  The rubberised handles with built-in grips, curvacious bottles that kinda remind me of ancient urns or something.

Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but I guess it’s those little touches to a brand that set them apart from the rest.  That and the fact that these aren’t shatter top coats right? 😉

Pebble is a beautiful grey with just a hint of brown.  Not enough to make it a taupe… but enough to warm it up a touch.  The above swatch shows three coats but you could get away with two thicker coats as the coverage is more than acceptable as was the application.

L-R: Native Rock, Sacred Sands, Pebble, Moss, Driftwood, Twig

It’s a very laid-back Summer offering with no brights in sight but the Driftwood and Moss look particularly interesting.

I was also sent Native Rock from the new collection which I’ll show you later in the week. Are any of the shades from the new Summer collection catching your eye?

SpaRitual nail polishes (£8.50) are available to purchase directly from the SpaRitual website and spas/salons.

This is unexplored territory for me… white.  It’s one of those nail shades that suddenly become “bang on trend” and throw everyone into a fizz of polarised opinions on how great/terrible it looks!

Butter London’s Cream Tea isn’t a pure, stark white.  As the name might suggest, it’s a slightly creamy white that would work nicely for the tips in French manicures were it not so sheer.  The above shows three coats and there’s still a certain veil-like quality to the finish.

I’m on the fence… I think it’s one of those shades you appreciate more freely on someone else’s fingers than your own.

Butter London Cream Tea is available online from Powder Rooms priced at £11.95

What say you?  Do you ever wear white or off-white polishes?

The new cream shadow range from Bare Escentuals had me foaming at the mouth when I saw swatches of them over on Temptalia earlier this month.  I’m a cream eyeshadow fan, there’s nothing like them for a quick application and depending on the brand and packaging, you can often get away with just using your fingers to blend.  A lazy girl’s dream.

Six shades will be available in the UK from August 1st, with one particualarly special looking duo-chrome (Urban Nature) that is bound to set many hearts-a-racing.

• Urban Nature – duochrome khaki/purple
• Racing Green – vivid forest green
• Sundance – metallic peach which leans toward gold
• Bronzed Twig – the ubiquitous bronze
• Gunmetal – pewter grey
• Chroma Violet – purple with silver shimmer

I’ve been playing with the shade Chroma Violet for almost a week and have a few thoughts about the formula, longevity and price.

Let’s get the (very small) elephant in the room out of the way first.  Size.  These things are tiny.  I’ve photographed a MAC Paint alongside for reference.  Considering the UK are receiving them priced at £16 a pop, we’re not getting a whole lot of product for a considerable amount of money.

A Chanel Ombre D’eau costs £3.60 per ml.  A Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadow will set you back £5.33 per ml.  Value for money?  Frankly, I would like to see more product for the price.

Having said that, Chroma Violet is beautiful.  It’s a stunning purple that doesn’t move an inch on my lids once set.  I can blend the edges with my fingers easily and it doesn’t do that thing of sheering out too much leaving only sparkle.  It’s a pretty awesome cream shadow with a punch of pigment.  Very awesome infact.  Very expensive (no, I’m not letting that go), but truly high quality.

I’ve also worn this as a priming base for an intense smokey eye.  A wash all over with Maybelline’s Cosmic Black blended in the crease and pulled down into the purple.  It was one of the least fussy but most effective smokey eyes I’ve done and it lasted through both a swim and a night out in London!

It’s because of the quality that I know I’ll take myself to the boutique in Covent Garden next time I’m in London to buy the gunmetal shade… I feel a little hypocritical moaning about the price of these when I’m still considering picking up another Armani ETKI and they don’t even last on my lids!

The Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows will be available on counter from August 1st priced at £16 each.

Do you stretch the budget if something ticks all the right boxes?

* PR Sample

I mentioned this new Mii Cosmetics base last week as something a li’l special.  I’ve been wearing it solidly since then in an effort to pin down exactly what it is that makes it stand out for me…

I mean look at it…

It’s a bit too dark and a bit too peachy.  It comes in a big plunge pot and heaven knows, I hate getting product under my finger nails.

This is the lightest of 5 shades, 01 Gentle Glow and you get 25g of product for your pennies.  If you’re paler than a NW15 – I would be hesitant to recommend it at all.  Yes, it’s sheer and has the potential to blend without too much bother but really… the colour may well limit your enjoyment of this product.  And that’s a shame, because this is an awesome base.

Mii Cosmetics Illuminating Face Base (£25.20) is for drier skin types and in my humble opinion, you won’t appreciate this product if you’re oily… it’s incredibly luminizing without sheen or glitter, imparting moisture and dewiness as if by magic.

I suffer the kind of dryness that concentrates itself in tiny flakes around my nose and eyebrows, I occasionally get scaly patches under my eyes and when things are out of control in the winter, a general dullness to the overall appearance of my skin.  I don’t have anything as bad as that at the moment… but I know how it feels on my skin in comparison to other products I’ve used and I’m going to love this when the weather turns cooler.

It’s sheer… more like a tinted moisturizer, don’t expect blemish coverage but it will dampen mild redness and uneven skintones nicely.  It’s very creamy and my preferred method of application is with my fingers because I can literally feel the product melting and gliding more smoothly as it heats up from the warmth.  Once on, I bounce my (dry) beauty blender over my skin to remove any excess (something I do with most foundations that I use my fingers to apply) and set with a finishing powder.

For extra coverage, I wait a few minutes (it feels quite ‘wet’ when you first apply) before going back in with a light dusting of mineral foundation.

Want to see a direct before/after comparison?  I didn’t finish off with any additional powder because I thought you might like to see the coverage…

I would love, LOVE Mii to create something with the same formula but with slightly heavier coverage and in a tube.  I would literally sell Leila’s Granny (sorry Mum) for that product.  As it stands… I’m still hugely enamoured.  It’s dewy, fairly long-lasting (about 8hrs with a little slip on my nose) and doesn’t grumble when I slap other face products over it to get better coverage.

Here’s a shot showing the base combined with finishing powder (MAC Magically Cool <3)…

If you already have awesome normal or normal/dry skin and you’re looking for sheer, summer coverage… do see if you can discover Mii Cosmetics Illuminating Face Base.  I really don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Mii Cosmetics are sold exclusively in Spas/Salons, call 0845 217 1360 to find your nearest.

* PR sample

Whilst in London last week, I trotted along to Gielly Green, a boutique hair and beauty salon located just off Baker Street hopeful that Shai Greenburg, co-founder and creative director would be the man to inject some life into my tired hair.

I’m finally past that awful ‘growing out’ stage and to get it there, I’d been dodging regular haircuts left, right and centre since Christmas.  I know you’re not supposed to but we all know how tempting it is to eschew the snip in favour of growing length more quickly!

It also doesn’t help that in general, I’m not the biggest fan of going to hair salons.  I’m not massively precious about my locks but I detest (in order of distaste):

1. Salon small-talk (going anywhere nice this Summer?)

2. Being made to feel like a reprobate for colouring my hair at home.

3. Having to coax recommendations out of nervous stylists about what they think I should do re: styling.  I’m paying them for their expertise right?  If a full fringe will make me look like a git, I want them to tell me!

Better tell you about Gielly Green then…

The salon is a chilled-out space with brown and cream accents, seating you could drift off in and one of the most comfortable hair-washing experiences (electric chairs sweetie!) I’ve ever had.

Prior to washing, Shai asked me to take my hair down from the bun I’d scraped it in and I momentarily panicked that he would admonish me for failing to remember to brush my hair that morning.  Passing no judgement (at least none that I could see), Shai felt my hair’s texture before recommending which products should be used for the wash.  It was a good example of the personalisation I felt was key to the salon experience.

Once seated at the workstation, I explained to Shai that I didn’t want to lose too much length because I like to wear my hair up but that my two main objectives were to restore health and incorporate some ‘kind’ of style without going too heavy on the layers.

Then came the dreaded moment as he lifted my slightly pathetic 4-stranded side fringe between his fingers.  I braced myself for the question that I still didn’t have the answer to…

“This fringe, it’s not really doing anything…” he said before continuing…

“Shall we make it a little thicker, more substantial?  I don’t want to go too thick, your hair is quite fine… but a little more depth would suit your face shape.”

“err yes, ok” I nodded.  OMG, that was easy – he *actually* considered what would suit both my hair AND face shape.  I heard birds singing and harps playing in the distance.

It made me bold… I pushed him a little on the thick fringe question.  Here stood a man, a professional who had just proven he had the cajones to TELL me, the customer what he would recommend.  I couldn’t resist…

“I do like the look of a heavy, straight fringe though…”

He smiled a little wryly but not unkindly, like he knew I was being mischievous and gently motioned how far back he felt he’d have to cut the hair for the thickness of fringe I desired, explaining that I would lose a lot of volume in the process but was happy to do so if I wanted.  I quickly dispelled the thick fringe idea and settled back into the chair like a good girl, finally confident that I had a considered answer to a question that had plagued me for months.

Shai is quick, his scissors moved over my hair in a blur… he doesn’t talk much, if at all when he’s working.  It was momentarily awkward as I wondered whether I should initiate a conversation before giving in to the silence and simply enjoying watching him work.

30 minutes later and we were done, I had beautifully feminine, soft, flippy hair that looked healthy and shiny!

The layers are perfect, I can still scrape my hair back into a ponytail without the need for hairgrips.  The ends feel lighter, less weighty and my fringe… although still not that Zooey Deschanel dream, is definitely serving more purpose than its first non-commital attempt with my last stylist.  A good, uplifting experience… and best of all, he didn’t mention my dodgy home-colouring once!

Prices start from £45 for a cut and finish with a junior stylist.  You can visit the Gielly Green website for more information, services and even book your appointment online.

* I was invited for a complimentary cut and finish as a guest of the salon

Following my pledge to suffocate the makeup snob in me that threatens to overwhelm, I spent a little while swatching at the Maybelline stand in my local Tesco the other evening.  OK, I swatched at all of them, I’m a quick healer.  Infact, I was gone for so long (just popping out for a pint of milk dear!) that Mr. L looked slightly white-faced when I returned home after 10pm having forgotten to take my phone.  Oops.

I thought I’d share some photos of my favourite purchase of the evening, Maybelline’s Eye Studio Mono Eye Shadow in Silken Taupe (£4.09)…

Alright, so it’s not exactly the Show Orchid of the eyeshadow world.  It’s taupe.  But damnit, I like my taupes… and I like them a lot.  Wanna know how much?  Well… here’s some potential dupes I pulled out…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Wait… there’s more…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Last one, I promise…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

The moral of this post of boring eyeshadows is…

a).  Go and buy Maybelline’s Silken Taupe right now.

b). Count your neutral shades and work out just how many millenia it will take to use them up.

c). If you want to borrow a taupe, you’ll have to ask elsewhere… I don’t seem to have very many, must rectify this.

.

* estee lauder’s tempting mocha was a pr sample

With celebrity fragrances reaching saturation point a couple of years ago, it’s not really surprising that 2010 saw a decline in both sales and new releases.  With anything so inextricably tied to fleeting popularity and snapshots of pop culture, it’s inevitable that these releases would be churned out rinse, wash, repeat style until we all got sick of smelling like a mixture of fruit, white flowers and vanilla.

Except, there’s always room for a latecomer to the party right?  Especially when it comes from a brand as big as Brand Kardashian.  The self-titled fragrance was actually released in the U.S. last year but saw it’s UK launch on Wednesday when hoardes of fans descended on Debenhams, Oxford Street for the chance to purchase a bottle and if lucky, catch a glance of Kim herself.

Floral top notes of mandarin, honeysuckle and orange blossom reflect Kim’s captivating nature; while at the heart, pink jasmine, tuberose, sensual spices and lush gardenia evoke her femininity. The last impression of tonka bean, jacaranda wood, vanilla orchid, sexy musk and creamy sandalwood add warmth to represent Kim’s softer side.

I haven’t had an opportunity to sniff it yet, so will try and spritz while in London today.  I’m expecting it to be all about the tuberose and anticipating bold things!

It’s worth pointing out that the Kim Kardashian 100ml Eau de Parfum is currently available at CheapSmells.com for £27.85, a sizeable saving when compared to the Debenhams online price of £40.00

Well, I’ve tried one and you still ain’t gonna convince me that I need scented nail polish.  Infact, if anything… the scent gave me a low-grade headache.  Me no like and I sniffed my fingers.  Once.  It made me feel like a pervert.

Scent-aside, Revlon’s Peach Smoothie is an adorable colour.  I can’t decide whether it makes me want to snuggle in a cable knitted jumper or go lick an ice-cream.  It transcends seasons with its peach loveliness.  Depending on your skintone you may also find this making a good nude shade.

It’s a little sheer and needs 3 full coats to avoid a VNL but I’ll forgive that because it’s a quick-dryer.  It contains a very pretty gold sparkle which isn’t quite as prominent as I would like.

Revlon Scented Nail Enamels are priced at £6.49 and available from Boots.com

* pr sample

I was recently introduced to a new salon-brand: Mii Cosmetics, who carry an astonishingly wide range of products.  The range is divided cleanly into two sections: Mineral and, well… non-mineral.  The mineral lineup is packaged in black boxes to clearly distinguish from the rest which you’ll find housed in white packaging.

From the bits that I’ve had the opportunity to play with, the bases in particular stand out as something special,  I can see one of them becoming a bit of a hero product for the brand, it’s not like anything I’ve come across before.

I’ll tell you more about that one a little later in the week… I know, I’m teasing… sorry.

I’ll begin with the straight-up, no-messing mineral foundation: Irresistible Face Base (£21), a loose mineral foundation powder with a sifter.  It comes in 7 shades and naturally, I’m showing you 01 Precious Porcelain.

Mii Cosmetics Perfect Mineral Brush (£28.95) also shown.

For an 01, it’s actually a little dark.  It matches me well enough but if you’re paler than a NW15 you might struggle with this.  I swatched it alongside my Bare Minerals foundation in fair and it was a good shade darker.  I find the Bare Minerals a little too light for me in the Summer months so, selfishly… this pleases me.

Swatched heavily on my hand, it looks a little warm but to my eye it’s pretty neutral once you take away the pink bias in my skin.  You should be able to make out the sheen in the swatch… less sparkly than my Bare Minerals but a little more glowy.  It also feels more finely milled than the Bare Minerals, which I have to admit, surprised me.

Having said that, it does offer less coverage.  A personal preference but I’m not skin-confident enough to wear this alone over bare skin.  However, combined with one of the other Mii Cosmetics bases (the one I’ll be showing you later in the week!), the pairing delivers flawless but dewy, natural looking skin.  My favourite kind.

A promising start!

Mii Cosmetics are sold exclusively in Spas/Salons, call 0845 217 1360 to find your nearest.

* pr sample

I first fell in love with Tisserand’s Muscle Ease Bath Oil nearly two years ago and it’s been a continual repurchase ever since.

As far as I’m concerned, the Muscle Ease Bath Oil is the ultimate for the price.  In the past, I’ve paid nearly 4x that for half the quantity and although not disappointed with my purchase, it wasn’t 4x as gorgeous… a simple example of not being able to ignore the economics.

I knew they’d be nothing to dislike about the Muscle Ease Body Massage Oil… I mean, a). it’s an oil and b). it’s in one of my favourite spicy scents ever… what’s not to like?  I was right and it is indeed awesome.

Energy Revive is also amazingly potent but I’m not a fan of the scent blend which I find a little too ‘kitchen fresh’ if that makes sense… I like citrus but this doesn’t hit the right notes for my taste.

Also, I’ve not been using these as massage oils… which is a bit naughty because I was sent these to review and if I don’t use them as massage oils, how can I review them as such?  Well… I can’t.  Because Mr. L attempted a massage on me and I wanted to divorce him before 5 minutes had passed.  Irritating, diggy knuckles, wouldn’tstoptalking.

No body product (even when it’s gratis) is worth 7 years of marriage, 11 years of dating and a heartbroken 2 year old, sorry Tisserand.

I have however been using these as body oils both before and after showering.  I slather on some of the Muscle Ease one before jumping in the shower and get a blast of intoxicating ginger, lemongrass and other lovely stuff as the room fills with steam.  Once the taps are off, I spread a little more onto my wet skin to lock in the moisture and spend the rest of the day wanting to lick myself.

So there we have it, a ginormous thumbs up for the Muscle Ease Body Massage Oil, a Jif lemon thrown at the Energy Revive one and a kick up the bum for Mr. L for being a crap masseur.

Tisserand Body Massage Oils are priced at £8.10 each and are available to purchase from some of those funny independent pharmacies, Whole Foods or online at Tisserand.com

* pr sample

You may recall my bitter moans last week about how when presented with a rare opportunity to spend an indecent amount of time playing with makeup, I came up with something that looked no different from my everyday makeup.

So this weekend, I grabbed myself by the balls (cough) and reached for my brightest, scariest palette.

NARS Mediteranee.

Innit gorgeous?  And I’m sure it shouldn’t really work against my skintone… perhaps it doesn’t, but hell… I really love it anyway.

Don’t laugh… this is WAY out of my comfort zone nowadays.

I know I look super-snooty in the ‘looking down’ pics but you can’t see the ORANGE otherwise ‘cos of my hooded lids!

I think I scared Leila a bit. (OMG the CLOWNZ are coming!)

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?

My first Deborah Lippmann glitter polish.  It feels like every iconic DL polish comes with it’s own story firmly entrenched in popular culture.  Glitter in the Air was created by Deborah after she had watched Pink’s performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards (if you search on You Tube you can find it).

The most important thing you should note is that in the above swatch, I have LAYERED the Deborah Lippmann polish over Essie’s Sag Harbor.  The polish on my bare nail is VERY sheer… not a good look over yellow-stained tips.  I wanted you to be able to appreciate the glitter without the distractions from my ugly nails.

So again, I repeat… even with three coats… you will be able to see your own nail beneath Glitter in the Air unless you layer it over another colour.  Got that?  Right.

The overall effect of the mani reminds me of a baby’s birthday party… it’s ethereal, light, delicate and sunny.  A true feel-good polish for the playful amongst you.  It’s limited edition for Spring 2011 and has already disappeared from the website so if you want it?  Better get down to HoF fast!

£16 for 15ml at House of Fraser.  It’s undoubtedly pretty but has a hefty price tag to match.

* press sample