A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

The Art Deco signature Paloma styling on the packaging is doing it for me alone.  But throw in bejewelled lashes (that in fairness, I would probably only ever gaze upon), a red lipstick, black liner and a smoky eye set?  I’m liking the look of the collection very much indeed!

The two limited edition items from the collection are unsurprisingly, the palette and the eyelashes.  The lipstick and liner can be found in Shu Uemura’s current core collection (albeit in different packaging).

~ Paloma for Shu Uemura limited edition Swarovski encrusted false eyelashes – £55 (ouch)
~ Rouge Unlimited lipstick in 190 – £19.50
~ Black Gel Eyeliner – £19.50
~ Limited Edition Paloma Faith make up palette – £57

Paloma says… “I’m inspired by the queens of tragedy – Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Judy Garland.   Then throw a bit of Nick Cave, Etta James and PJ Harvey into the mix, add all my influences from avant garde cinema and you start to come close. My visual style is fancy dress as I never grew out of dressing up boxes! My early performances were David Lynch meets William Blake at the circus. Welcome to my world….”

The collection is available throughout February, exclusive to Selfridges, London.

Butter London say: Straight from the Fashion Week runways, the butter LONDON Spring/Summer 2011 Collection was inspired by the many colourful “impressionist” style prints that graced catwalks from New York to Paris. Designed by Founding Creative Director Nonie Creme, the new collection is reminiscent of Monet’s palettes, with the inclusion of an opal overcoat that lends ethereal beauty to any shade.

BLAGGER
Colour: Striking cobalt blue.
Definition: A person with a silver tongue; a charlatan.

HEN PARTY
Colour: Sheer opal lacquer that is neutral and stunning alone and on-trend as an edgy overcoat on top of any shade.
Definition: British term for a bachelorette party.

LADY MUCK
Colour: Powdery periwinkle blue, slightly on the grey side and infused with pearl pigment for a soft, sexy sheen.
Definition: A term for an arrogant, conceited woman; a snob.

DOSH
Colour: A molten apple green shot through with metallic gold.
Definition: British slang for money or cash. “Can have a bit of dosh, love?”

TEDDY GIRL
Colour: A pale retro bubblegum pink, featured on the catwalk of a top Brit designer for S/S 2011.
Definition: “Teddy Boys & Girls” was a youth culture movement in Britain typified by teens fighting, drinking, shagging, and fighting some more.

The collection launches around the 1st March and will be available to purchase online from ThePowderRooms and instore at Harvey Nichols.

We all know how it feels to find a fabulous holy grail piece of cosmetic wizardry.  That one lipstick that makes your teeth look whiter, your face fresher and your eyes sparkle.  And then it goes and gets discontinued.

You throw yourself on the mercy of eBay, watching as auction after auction fizzles out whilst you sob at your keyboard bemoaning your crappy sniping skillz.

Let me tell you about Cosmetics a la Carte’s “My Colour” service.  At £47, it’s not inexpensive… but to many, it’s proved invaluable.

The premise is simple.  Take them a sample of your discontinued/hard-to-find gem and they’ll make a virtually indistinguishable match for you.  The process happens instore and your guidance is most welcome… think it’s a little too dark?  Let them know!

Once you’re happy with the colour match, you can expect a package through your door just a couple of days later containing a doppelganger for your long-lost holy grail product.

The possibilities for this kind of service aren’t limited to colour-matching.  Perhaps you have a favourite lipstick… but hate the texture?  Perhaps you want the colour re-created in a gloss form?  No problem!

Now, part of the beauty for Cosmetics a la Carte is that not only have they provided the initial service, but the chances are that the lazy among us are likely to come back for re-orders.

At £47 for the “my colour” service… you’d have to really love that product but I think it’d make a rather awesome gift for a mother or grandmother who has kept a sentimental stub of their favourite ‘rouge’ or ‘lippie’ from days gone by!

The Cosmetics a la Carte store is located in swanky Knightsbridge, a stones throw from Harrods, Christian Louboutin, Annick Goutal and Dior.  So the simple fact is that you may not have any money left to spend by the time you walk through the door.  However, next time you’re in the area – pop in for a nose around.  It’s a little cosmetic haven!

COSMETICS A LA CARTE, 19b Motcomb Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1 – Tel: 020 7235 0596

To celebrate the release of No Strings Attached, at cinemas February 25, Paul Mitchell has teamed up with Paramount Pictures UK to offer you the chance to win a trip to Los Angeles!

As well as the LA ‘biggie’, you can also win a host of other prizes daily for the whole of February!

Prizes range from Ipod Nanos, to Amazon Kindles to Paul Mitchell goodies!

To enter, click here and fill in your details.

A NOTD from December, back when my nails were shorter… does anyone else always feel the grass is greener?  Whenever my nails are short… I crave long, finger-elongating talons.  And when they’re long, I feel all witchy-poo and want neat, sweetie-esque nails!

I’m never happy!

L’Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium* in Sorbet is a very pretty raspberry red with a hint of gold.  The metallic finish promises long-wear of up to 7 days.  I haven’t found it particularly long-lasting from the two nail outings I’ve given it so far.  I get around 3 days from it before tip wear begins to be noticeable enough to ensure a swift removal.

I’m most impressed with the brush though… a slightly-flattened brush which delivers wide, easy strokes.  A definite winner.

L’Oreal Resist & Shine Titanium in Sorbet is priced at around £6 and available at most L’Oreal stockists including Boots.

*Press Sample

This here post be ALL about the pictures…

The Packaging…

Read the rest of this entry »

Touted as a ‘true’ red, I can’t decide if I agree?!  One minute I think it’s a teeny bit orange-red and the next… leaning toward the blue.  Perhaps that is the mark of a true red?

Oh, I don’t know… these reds, they start to confuse me after a little while!

Sangers is matte, very matte and a little hard textured.  I’ve been warming it up on the back of my hand before applying as the brush drags across my lips otherwise.

It’s bold and it’s beautiful and somewhat unforgiving on dry lips.  But it lasts like a trooper with practically no transfer at all.  Not even a speck on my wine glass (ok, cracked mug – I was trying to sound sophisticated).

I bought it last week from the store on Beak Street and it’s another red that I’m pleased to call mine own.  I will wear it often but ensure that my lips get extra TLC before and after.

Sangers is priced at £15.50 and available in the flagship store, Selfridges and online.

Models Own have announced their new Spring/Summer nail collection which will include some rather exclusive (read: hard to get hold of) shades!

Nyla Nude is only available at River Island and Orange Sherbet is available exclusively on line.  Glad I don’t want either of those then!

I was able to try Bloo Boo back late last year and have been sitting on the swatch picture in anticipation of it’s inclusion in the Spring/Summer set… Bloo Boo is really rather lovely and non-chalky for a pastel blue.

Quite stark though!

Priced at £5 each and available in Boots, online and it seems… River Island (well, one of them).

Are any of the new shades capturing your attention?

Is it just me or are we seeing a bit of a theme emerging? 😉

First up…

Hot.  Hotty Hot Hot.

Blush – Scandalous (£4.29)
Pout Polish – Scandal (£4.29)
NAILED – Geisha’s Seal (£3.89)

Due to be released exclusively to Superdrug on February 14th.

All For Eve and all for a very good cause indeed.

All For Eve have joined forces with London florist OnlyRoses in time for Valentine’s Day.  Above is the “ultimate in red” package.  Priced at £90, it includes a dozen red roses, an award winning lipstick from celebrity make-up artist Daniel Sandler, the Sophy Robson Nail Polish and the clutch bag essential of a Swarovski Crystal Nail File.

Orders are being taken online at allforeve.co.uk and www.only-roses.com from 27th January with 100% of All For Eve’s net profits going directly to The Eve Appeal.

If you haven’t seen or read about this collection 100 times already then you truly are in love and should stop snogging your beau before your lips drop off.  C’mon, the makeup’s this-a-way!

Illamasqua Throb is their nod to the season of lurve and the cheekily-named pieces reflect this.  I picked up the lipstick in Sangers last week and can’t wait to give the true red it’s first outing!

Nail Polish – Load, Scorn, Throb (£13.50)

Lipstick – Sangers (£15.50)

Intense Lipgloss – Succubus (£13.00)

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Any of those take your fancy?  They’re less maintenance than a fella!

Cult Beauty Pop-Up Store!

From today until Monday 31st January, Cult Beauty is launching a pop-up shop exclusively in that beauty mecca otherwise known as Selfridges!

image shamefully purloined, half-inched from CultBeauty.co.uk

You’ll be able to lay your hands on hard-to-find brands such as Face Atelier, Ginvera, MV Organics and Rahua; as well as benefit from a whole host of beauty advice from industry experts.

Also, If you Sign up for the Cult Beauty newsletter, you’ll receive a coupon which will allow you to claim a free Como Shambala Invigorate travel set (showergel and lotion) – redeemable at the pop-up shop.

I’ll be heading along on Saturday after IMATS – might see you there!

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Cosmetics A La Carte Pop Up Parlour!

Cosmetics A La Carte will be launching a pop up parlour at The Peak Spa at the Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel.  The pop-up parlour will offer complimentary ‘Recharge Makeovers’ and handy tips on how to get the perfect complexion every Friday.

The parlour will launch this Friday 28th January and will be open from 10am – 6pm.  Each consultation lasts between 20-30 minutes and Peak Spa, located high above the city on the ninth floor of the Jumeirah Carlton Tower, is open to members and guests.

Spa treatments at The Peak Spa can be booked by calling 0207 858 7300

Last weekend saw VexintheCity and myself wandering the streets of Paris, city of lights and painfully stylish women.  What is it with Parisienne ladies anyway?  Do they teach eyeliner in schools?  I didn’t see a single pair of eyes that hadn’t been expertly rimmed with smudgy black kohl.  It was both refreshing and slightly intimidating.

Here’s some shots from the (very long) day out, starting with the Paris essentials:

A map, we looked at it blankly all day long.

Jaffa Cakes – Don’t attempt the Eurostar at 6.22am without copious amounts of sugar close at hand.

Papped – I swear to God I did not pose for this!  Red lipstick made me feel almost cultured enough to tread the cobbled streets though.

Undeniably Paris!  Napoleon’s rebuild of the great city renders it thoroughly iconic with it’s long, wide Boulevards and grand Avenues!

Ahhh Sephora!  My first ever visit!  This is the one on Champs Élysées, we arrived v. early and as you can see, it wasn’t too busy at all!

Makeup, makeup as far as the eye can see!

Can you believe we sat our bums down on the posh chairs in Ladurée only to be told that we were too early for cake?  Too early… for cake?  So we boycotted all things French and went to McDonalds instead.  No really… we were famished!

As night fell, we indulged in a little of Paris’ notorious cafe culture… I recommend the house Merlot at Café Kléber, though I was a bit squiffy after only two glasses!

As you can probably tell by this photo.

But not this one!  Oooh La la!  Je t’aime La Tour Eiffel!

So what did I buy in the capital of fashion, beauty and all things ladylike?  Not a lot actually.  I’m saving my pennies for this weekend at IMATS but I did pick up a couple of bits…

See?  How restrained was I?

Despite all your fabulous advice and words of temptation, (for which I was immensely grateful and will be relying on when I return later in the year!) I held back and only picked up a Bioderma cleanser (for Mr. L!), a MAC CCB (I know, sacrilege to go to Paris and buy MAC right?) and a Rouge Baiser Lipstick (described as the world’s first ‘kiss-proof’ lipstick!)

Did I do well?  I also played with some MUFE in Sephora and expanded my IMATS wishlist tenfold.  Oops.

I’m not going to wrap this up in my usual 4348390 words incase I somehow lose the point of this post.  Let me simply tell you that I experienced a miracle this morning (yesterday morning by the time you’re reading this!).

I worked a blob of the new Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate through my hair last night after doing the usual shampoo/conditioner routine, left it on for 2/3 minutes and rinsed it out.  I went to bed with wet hair, fully expecting to regret my laziness the next morning and instead woke up to the softest, smoothest hair I can remember having.

The coarseness had completely disappeared and I was able to gather my hair into a smooth ponytail with ends so sleek that I couldn’t stop stroking them.

It’s now 13 hours later and my hair is sadly starting to feel a little more like it’s usual rough self so I’m not sold on Pantene’s claims of long-term effectiveness… still, even a full day of glossy locks has brightened my mood.  Yes, I’m as shallow as that last statment makes me appear.  I don’t care how it works (probably silicones, smoke and mirrors), I just care that it makes my hair (temporarily) very happy.

Pantene Colour Seal Concentrate should be available in your usual Pantene stockists now as part of the Pro-V Colour Protect range, it’s priced at £3.99 and I really recommend that you stop whatever it is you’re doing to go and buy some.