A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Firstly, a HUGE thank you to the wonderful Louise for tweeting me to tell me that the now Limited Edition (in the UK) Urban Decay Naked Palette was once again in stock online at Debenhams.com

But did you know that it’s also in their sale?!!

Not only that… but if you use the code PX9P on checkout, you’ll get an extra 10% off the sale price AND free delivery!

This ain’t gonna be in stock for long and I couldn’t tell you how many more opportunities there will be to get your hands on it.

I’d really appreciate an RT on this post if you’re on Twitter and you get a miute (button at the top of the post)

So pleased to finally get one, let me know if you nab one too!

Stepping away from the dark-side for a wee while, Illamasqua have brought their own version of Spring/Summer to the table.  And as you might imagine, all is not quite as it seems…

The 17-piece collection comprises of pastels, neutrals and vivid neons… but with a few curveballs thrown in for good measure!  Let’s have some piccies…

The campaign imagery depicts a surreal, unpredictable world inspired by a natural world that is retaliating against the mankind that has distorted it.  Those feelings are demonstrated by shades that conflict, revel in their hybrid nature and tease with now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t pearl and glister.

6 New Cream Pigments (£17.00) that promise to be more crease-resistant than Illamasqua’s current cream eyeshadows and suitable for use all over the body.

Mould (Grape) / Hollow (Toffee) / Delirium – EU Only (Rose Taupe) / Bedaub (Mint) / Emerge – EU Only (Peach) / Dab (Lilac)

Thanks for lending me your swatching arm Rowena!

Did you spot those lip colours in the top row of the last picture?

Not ashamed to admit they might be my favourite thing about this collection.  Well, one of my favourite things… here’s my personal picks from the Illamasqua Toxic Nature Collection:

Torture and Divine are the new Illamasqua Sheer Lipglosses (£13.00) for this collection.  Just beautiful for Summer.

Dab and Delirium are my picks from the new Cream Pigment range… lovely, wearable shades.

Atomic is a hot non-hooker pink lipstick (£15.50) that I was excited to receive in my event bag… I’ll bring you a proper lip swatch v. soon.  The other lipstick, Flare is a vivid matte orange, canyousayontrend?

and for the nail polishes… Bacterium was going down a storm with nearly everyone.  The metallic putty shade flashes with pearlescent blue to give it an edge and Radium is just retina-searingly awesome!

Swatches of my picks of the collection…

Now, one thing that WOULD have also made my pick were it not for the fact that I DIDN’T NOTICE IT in it’s unassuming black housing is this little marvel…

Illamasqua’s NEW Precision Ink (£17.00) in Glister is a skin-toned (obv depending on whose skin!) liner packed full of purple/pink glitter pigment (v. finely milled) that’s bears more than a passing resemblance to their Static Pure Pigment that was such a hit in 2009.

The thing about this liner is that unlike most… to my eye, it gets better with age!  The more rubbed-down and worn it becomes, the more that beautiful pigment shows through… glistening… just like its namesake!

Let’s finish off with some nails…

Here’s The Claw (£35.00).  The Toxic Claw!

Terrible camera angle there which I appreciate means you can’t see the tips!  The Toxic Claw is a play on the original nail quill by Mike Pocock that involves making it look more animalistic and… well… claw-like!

And the nail polishes (£13.50)…

Big thanks to Janaka for being such an excellent hand model!

5 new polishes, 5 fingers!  Woot to Helen too for lending her fingers in the name of beauty!

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Illamasqua Toxic Nature will be launching online from the 10th March and instore from the 17th March.

For the chance to win your favourites from the range, register at Illamasqua.com and join the waiting list for your desired Toxic Nature shades.  3 winners will be sent all of the items from this wishlist!

Is there anything there that tempts you?

I do love reading about the things that people pick up in their lunch breaks, so hope mine is somewhat interesting too!  This wasn’t a lunch break… more of a ‘coffee’ break with the lovely Ally.

Since getting my Clarisonic, I’ve turned into a bit of a cleansing freak and there’s nothing I like more now than experimenting with all manner of different cleansers in conjunction with the gadget!  Honestly?  I don’t know how I didn’t get the crap beaten out of me at school.

Not only that, but despite having found a total JOY in the new Elemis Melting Cleanser, I *still* can’t resist picking up these ‘just incase’.  This is my problem though… by the time I’ve finished experimenting to see if I can find a cheaper alternative, I will have spent what it costs to go and by the Elemis twice over!  Please tell me I’m not alone in that kind of nonsense!

So after that rambling… what did I get?

Well, there’s currently a rather tempting 3for2 across skincare lines in Boots at the moment so that’s where I indulged!  I picked up the Boots Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm (£6.63) after reading the on-site reviews.

I also grabbed a nifty looking Boots Botanics Organic Nourishing Eye Makeup Remover (£3.99) (US link – I can’t find it on the UK site!) and the much revered Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation in Opal (£14.30) which I’m hoping to use as a redness concealer.

One last stop near the haircare and I grabbed the new Batiste dry shampoo for brown hair.  I’m not sure if this is reformulated or just repackaged from this one.  I’m secretly hoping this can will get me through those days where it takes you longer than it should to realise that you seriously should go buy some more hair dye.  Like now.

I’m in London today and I’ll be doing my best to avoid ‘popping’ into Boots for another look before the offer ends.  Honest!

What have you been hauling recently?

My last attempt at nail wraps (using Rebel Nails) wasn’t exactly a fail but I really struggled with how they felt on my nails… continuously ‘catching’ them on things despite careful filing and I wondered if these wraps from Nail Rock would be any different!

Check out the cute polka dots!

The first thing I noticed is that these are much thicker than the Rebel Nails wraps which are more foil-like.  These feel more like vinyl stickers!  Initially, I thought it was a bad thing… until it came to application.

The Nail Rock wraps were much easier to apply than Rebel Nails and less prone to random creasing.  This meant that they simply looked more professionally applied once I’d finished.

I still had to trim each ‘nail’ down by a substantial amount to make them fit my narrow nail beds but this wasn’t really a problem.

Due to the thickness of the wraps, I found them a little trickier to ‘warm up’ with my hairdryer… it just seemed to take longer to get the heat to have much effect on the adhesive and I risked scorching my fingertips a few times.

Once on and filed, well they looked pretty amazing (even if I do say so myself!).

Wanna see?

Cute huh?!

But what about the wear?  Well… unfortunately, I experienced the same problems as ever with nail wraps.  They just irritate the crap out of me.  Having a 21 month old means that you’re forever picking things up, putting things down, playing catch, picking crumbs out of hair… etc… etc…

Nail Wraps clearly aren’t for me or my lifestyle.  Despite careful filing to round off the edges, they snag and catch.  It doesn’t hurt but it does risk ‘lifting’ the free edge of the wrap.  I lasted about a day with these on before I had to remove them.

Perfect for a night out?  Most definitely… but for longer wear?  I’m out.

Nail Rock wraps are available to buy online in a variety of styles, priced at around £6.65 a pack*

* you get 24 wraps per pack (for people with 12 fingers obviously) so you can get two manicures from one pack.

…any good for the super-pale/super-pink?

That’s the question I was asking after watching a Pixiwoo video that mentioned this Estee Lauder tinted moisturiser.

Available in a ‘one-size-fits-all’ option, I found it hard to believe that it would work on my cool skin-tone without tango-ing me.

A tube of this will set you back £32 thanks to a recent price increase but the purse hit is softened if you consider this product to be your foundation, moisturiser, sun protection and anti-ageing solution all-in-one. Plus you get a generous 50ml of product and you only need a v. small amount to get full coverage.

That’s all well and good… if it fulfils those multiple criteria. Well does it?

Firstly… let me get the fun stuff out of the way. The application.

It dispenses from the tube a rather unattractive grey blob with a slightly grainy texture, not rough enough to exfoliate… but not as smooth as a cream. As you rub the product into your skin… the magic happens! The product transforms from this insipid putty grey colour into a warm tan before the texture sinks in completely and you’re left with only the colour remaining.

I took some shots of the ‘transformation’ in progress… you need to click the picture below to enlarge it and see the results.

As a moisturiser… It’s not *quite* moisturising enough for me at the moment but I think it would be fine for normal/combo skin. In the Summer, it’ll probably work well for me – but for now, I still need to apply a moisturising base before I dot this on top.

As an anti-ageing solution… Well, it’s all there on paper. If you’re a fan of Estee Lauder’s original DayWear, this incarnation promises to deliver “all the advanced protection benefits of DayWear“. I haven’t been using this long enough to give any conclusions as an anti-ageing product.

As a sunscreen… I usually go for SPF30 as a minimum. I also don’t subscribe to the belief that a moisturiser/foundation with built-in SPF is enough protection for an average day unless I’m only going to be spending a couple of minutes outdoors! So, in a nutshell… no.

On the plus side, there’s no Avobenzone in this to conflict with alternative sunscreens you may want to apply.

It’s not looking very good though is it?

And yet… I love it and will be repurchasing it in preparation for the Summer once this tube runs out. This goes against everything I’ve just said when you consider that I’m essentially going to pay £32 for what I’ve described as a large tube of tinted moisturiser.

And as lame as this statement is going to sound, I’m loving it because, well… it’s a really, really, really GOOD tinted moisturiser!

Click the picture above to enlarge (you’ll probably need to enlarge to see the subtle shift in skin colour)…

On the far left… sans makeup

In the middle… just a small amount of the Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint warms up my complexion and reduces the redness. I’d be good to go at this stage if I weren’t quite so vanity-driven.

On the right… fully made up (skintone further evened out with a quick buff of Bare Escentuals foundation in Fair)

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I’m a big tinted moisturiser fan and I buy a new one every Summer without fail. I don’t have the most even of skintones, so usually combine with a light buff of mineral foundation to mattify and further cover. Most of all? I love that weightless feeling of those two products combined.

And the Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release* is easily the most weightless of any I’ve tried. It really does sink in to nothingness leaving only the tint behind. And how about the glow? I know that there are many pale ladies who embrace the pale… and if I were milk-bottle porcelain, I would too. But I’m fish-belly pale and look far more polished with the ruddiness toned down. This product does that without the need for faffing about with face tanners.

If you are pale, don’t expect to apply this and not see a difference to your skin tone… you will be noticeably warmed up a shade, but it blends well and is a point in favour rather than against for my needs.

I’m genuinely torn. My head says that £32 is too much to pay for a tinted moisturiser but my heart is already leading my head down to the EL counter and waving my debit card in the face of the SA.

Estee Lauder DayWear Sheer Tint Release is available to buy online or on counter, priced at £32.00

What are your favourite warm weather foundations? Are you a TM girl?

* press sample

After promising myself that I would attempt the next Red Lip with a bit more complementary colour on my eyes instead of a rudimentary streak of liquid liner, I failed.

Revlon Fire & Ice is a re-release of a shade that first saw light of day in 1952… this makes it an absolute perfect option for those wanting to recreate a retro red look!  Fire & Ice has that hint of orange that places it firmly in the 50s.

I’m looking forward to doing the swatch comparisons for the last 7 offerings because this one will contrast nicely to the cool-toned reds that I favour without being in the same ‘orange’ family as shades like Chanel Coromandel.

The formula is creamy and glossy, I tend to apply and blot before slicking on another layer.  Not hugely long-wearing but it fades cleanly.  This is a great shade if you want to dip your toe into warmer reds without going all out.

Plus, at £7.49… it makes for a good budget choice!

Gwen Stefani, Rachel Weisz, Cheryl Cole, Eva Longoria, Scarlett Johansson, Andie MacDowell, Beyonce, Natalie Imbruglia, J-Lo, Gerald Butler, Jane Fonda, Halle Berry, Diane Kruger…

…what do these people have in common?

Let me give you a really subtle clue…

Yep… they’ve all been ‘faces’ for the L’Oreal group and it’s various brand subsidiaries (and there are dozens more!)

The guys at L’Oreal obviously place huge importance on selecting and promoting their celebrity brand ambassadors but I’m curious… what value do YOU place on their endeavours?

Is it MORE relevant nowadays in our celeb-obsessed culture or LESS impactful than it was 20 years ago because we’re so overexposed to these ‘starlets’ anyway?

Do you care and erm… is it “worth it”? *snigger*

If you’re still trying to shake off the signs of overindulgence that Winter has left on your skin, you might find this offer from Liz Earle tempting…

The Clear Skin Kit contains a 50ml Gentle Face Exfoliator, a 75ml Deep Cleansing Mask, a 6ml Spot-On treatment, 2 x sponges, and a white headband.  The kit is available from 14^th February to 23^rd May 2011 for only £20.65 which is a saving of £12.50 on normal prices.

The three products included in the kit are designed to be used as a 3-step plan to help exfoliate, rebalance and treat blemish-prone skin.

I will unashamedly admit that I have a soft spot for Liz Earle press releases because I always learn something new reading them, look…

To avoid seasonal breakouts omega-3 is essential for making the body less inflammatory, so as well as eating oily fish, consider a supplement of fish oils.

Liz Earle recommends taking a probiotic supplement to help normalise the balance of gut bacteria, as two thirds of the body’s immune receptor cells are found in the gut.  With the right diet and skincare great skin is within everyone’s reach this spring.

Chocolate.  That’s anti-inflammatory right?

Do you pay attention to feeding your skin from the inside out?

I never get round to doing “products of the month” posts because there’s inevitably something else that I wanna blog about when the ‘critical’ time is approaching.

I do love reading other people’s picks though so instead of giving up on these type of posts completely I think I’ll just throw random ones out there when the mood takes me instead.  Who needs time restraints anyway?

1.  Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil (£19.50)

This has given my dry, overprocessed hair such a lift these last few weeks.  I don’t know how it compares to the likes of Moroccan Oil which I haven’t tried yet but the Gielly Green Argan Rescue add shine, softness and smooth ends without being too heavy on my fine (but lots of it!) hair.

You can buy the Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil here.

2.  Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel (£19.40)

I received a sample size of this tucked into my last Debenhams order and “uh oh”, ‘cos it’s on the repurchase list!

I’ve been trying to work out a morning skincare routine that suits my combo/dry skin and this has become my morning cleanser of choice.  Normally, I use a ‘cleansing gel’ to remove my makeup but this one is so light that a pea-sized amount cleanses my bare face beautifully.

It has a delicious ‘wake me up’ grapefruit scent and is the only cleansing gel/oil/balm type product I’ve used that makes me feel clean without doing a double cleanse.  Add to that the fact that it’s one of the least drying cleansers I’ve discovered and I’m delighted to start the day with this gem!

Now, I’ve said that… watch me hate it once I purchase the full size.  It’s always the way right?

You can buy the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel here.

3.  Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml (£34.00) *

Now available in a travel-friendly 20ml bottle, Balenciaga Paris is simply exquisite.  I’m not sure how it manages to capture so much in one small bottle.

It opens with a crisp, floral freshness that announces itself with all the fervour that BIG openings bring before mellowing into something quite creamy yet grown-up.

It seems to capture both a lightness and a depth that feels more sensual, darker… naughtier!

My only gripe is that it needs a top-up every 3 hours or so as the fragrance sadly doesn’t last the day… but I guess that’s the benefit of a 20ml bottle!

You can buy Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml here.

4.  Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper Hand Cream (part of a duo set that cost £8.00)

Beautifully citrusy with a hint of spice, this hand cream is light, fast-absorbing and nourishing.  The scent lingers for a short while and will keep you sniffing your hands until it fades!  It’s a great daytime moisturiser that sadly only comes in a 30ml tube.  I think it may be limited edition too…

Oh well, as much as I love it – I guess I’ll have to find something else to replace it.

You can buy Bliss Blood Orange and White Pepper Hand Cream here. (on offer!)

5.  Vicks First Defence (£7.14)

I know this is a bit of a weird one… but I’ve used it twice now at the onset of a cold.  As soon as I get that “drowning feeling” in the back of my throat, I pull this out and use as often as the directions allow me.  Whilst it hasn’t killed or cured the ensuing snuffles, it’s made a real difference to it’s severity.

The last two times I’ve used it, my cold hasn’t progressed into full-blown face ache/streaming nose type horrors as it normally would.  I’ve been able to get on with day-to-day life with a couple of paracetamol and this nasal spray nearby quite happily!

You can buy Vicks First Defence here.

6.  Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist (£12.95) *

Since my run in with the Prai o2 Infusion I reviewed yesterday, my skin has been in dire need of TLC and the Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist has provided this well.  Once made up in the mornings, I obviously can’t moisturise with normal creams and this refreshing spray gives my skin a hydration boost with a couple of squirts throughout the day.

It’s alcohol-free and at 60ml is handbag-friendly.

You can buy Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist here. (Guthy Renker sells products through a ‘membership’ scheme and you may need to cancel your membership if you don’t want automatic product topups every 90 days)

7.  Melvita Eye Contour Gel (£18.00) *

Organic brand Melvita failed to impress me first time round… I tried a particularly stinky oil that I just couldn’t bring myself to use because of it’s… um… aroma.  However, the Melvita Eye Contour Gel is a delight!

Incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing, I’ve finally found an eye cream that I’m happy to wear under my makeup.  I’ve noticed a decrease in puffiness since incorporating this into my routine… not sure it does much for fine lines or dark circles but it feels wonderfully refreshing and lifting for bleary morning peepers!

You can buy Melvita Eye Contour Gel here.

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What are you currently using and loving?

* press sample

Weekends were made for slovenliness – the respite before the manic new week ahead.  I use the time to treat my skin to a bit of makeup-free pampering, I also like to spoil the family with a treat or two…

Yesterday was all about the rhubarb!

Seeing as I’m still on my diet (but getting there slowly!), I had to gaze at the crumble from a distance.  Check out the whipped cream/crumble ratio… that’s how we roll around these here parts.

Not *quite* as delicious but tasty nonetheless is Lanolips Rhubarb Lip Ointment… a sheer, moisturising balm with a hint of colour and sparkle.

The more I’m getting into wearing strong lip colours, the less use I have for these sheer coloured tubes.  I apply my Lanolips 101 before bed at night anyway so don’t need the daytime moisturisation these provide.  But if you’re more of a natural lip girl, these are definitely worth checking out.

My favourites from the coloured range are: Rhubarb, Apples and Dark Honey but definitely check out Sunshine too if you like warmer colours.

[stextbox id=”alert” caption=”And for the crumble?” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”b0c4de”]

♦ 1 large tin of rhubarb (unless fresh is in season!)
♦ Brown Sugar to taste depending on how tart you like it! (I use about 2 tbsp sprinkled over the rhubarb and 1 over the top of the crumble before baking)
♦ Ready made crumble topping (what? it *is* the weekend!)
♦ 1 tsp of ground cinammon
♦ 1 1/2 tsp of mixed spice

That’s it!

Drain the rhubarb and lay in an ovenproof dish ♦ Add a sprinkle of brown sugar and the spices ♦ Cover with the crumble topping and press down to compact with your fingers (or back of a spoon if you’re a hygiene freak!) ♦ Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar ontop and lightly scratch the surface with a fork to ‘rough’ it up a bit!

Put it in a pre-heated oven (200°c) for 40-45 minutes and pray to the Gods of crispiness that yours comes out with a crunchy top!

Serve with cream or custard… I nearly always use whipping cream just ‘cos that’s how my Nan done did it!

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Lanolips Lip Ointment in Rhubarb with SPF15 is priced at £7.99 and available online from Victoria Health or instore at Boots.

…side effects, that is.

I was sent a tube of Prai’s new o2 Infusion last month which is described as an “innovative formula (which) contains oxygen molecules to help deliver additional oxygen to the surface of the skin, giving lackluster skin a more youthful and a refreshed look”.

I’m in two minds about this product.

For me, it does what it says on the tin.  After using it just one time, my skin did look brighter… the tone seemed more even and gave an impression of (dareisayit) outright perkiness!

But the next day?  My skin was ALL kinds of flakey.

So, I brought my ever-faithful, heavy duty skin oils into play and a week later my skin was back to normal.

Being me though, I couldn’t help but eye up this lovely, neat tube of product every time I stood at the sink washing my face and it wasn’t long before I was slathering it over my skin again, watching it get foamier and foamier as I waited the requisite 2 minutes before rinsing it off.

“Oooh, nice fresh looking skin again!”

Until the next day, when I was back to square one and looking more Mumm-Ra than Yummy-Mummy.  My foundation looked like crap and I was moisturising 3 times a day just to try and inject some life back into my skin.

Third time’s a charm right?  Wrong.

I feel like this…

I experience no sensitivity when using it and no dryness issues immediately afterward.  I moisturise straight after use and in fairness, I suffer from normal/dry skin anyway.

So what do I do… do I recommend?

Well… at under £20 for 40ml it doesn’t break the bank (and a little goes a VERY long way thanks to the foaming action), so I’m happy to recommend under one condition; you have oily skin.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”Ingredients List” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”b0c4de”]Water (Aqua), Methyl Perfluoroisobutyl Ether, Sorbitol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Methyl Perfluorobutyl Ether, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan), Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Gynostemma Pentaphyllum Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Isononyl Isononanoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, Sodium Cocamidopropyl PG-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Sodium PCA, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Mica, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Zingiber Cassumunar Root Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Yellow 5 (CI 19140), Red 40 (CI 16035)[/stextbox]

If you have a propensity toward dry skin?  I would stay away as I think this might just be a tad too harsh for our sensitive souls.

Prai o2 Infusion with Vacuum Technology should be launching on QVC this month, priced at £19.75

* Press Sample

I love store loyalty cards (as my Boots Advantage card will happily testify) and so I was delighted to hear about the new(ish) Space NK scheme that gives something back!

Benefits include:

• Points for every purchase in-store and online
• N.centives. £1 = 1 point, for every 100 points you’ll receive a £5 N.centive (reward).
• New product previews
• Invitations to private events and sales, including two 20% off events
• Access to beauty tips, perks and privileges
• Complimentary product samples
• A special treat on your birthday
• A complimentary subscription to Space NK’s beauty magazine, N.vision
• Dedicated customer care line

I signed myself up a few weeks ago after CityGirlsFashionBox ordered me to do it and am waiting for my card to drop through the door any day now (hurryup hurryup hurryup).

It’s free to sign up so if you’re a Space NK shopper, whatchu waiting for?