A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I don’t care what the newspapers are saying, put down those pastel shades ‘cos it ain’t Spring yet!  Until I see a daffodil or tulip with my own eyes, we’re still firmly in the depths of Winter as far as I’m concerned.  I have an odd love/hate relationship with pastels anyway so I’m not gonna be grumbling about a couple more months of Winter trends.

Talking Winter trends, here’s a lovely top-coat from Butter London.  It’s all holographic n’ stuff.

In the photo above, I sponged the top coat over the tips… graduating the density on the way down toward the cuticle, it’s much easier than it sounds; You just need a high-density makeup sponge (you can pick up bags of them in Poundland/99p shops) before simply stippling the glitter over your existing polish.  I can’t even tell you how much easier it is doing it this way than trying to graduate the polish smoothly with a brush.

The above swatch doesn’t pick up the holographic sparkle too well, you really need to be a little out-of-focus to appreciate the fairy light-esque quality of this polish, so if you could all just go cross-eyed for a moment, that would be great.  Failing that, here’s an instagram which shows off the sparkle a little better.

As with all glitters, removal isn’t the highlight of my day, but the particles aren’t too chunky and to be fair, didn’t pose enough of a problem to send me reaching for the tin-foil.

Butter London Stardust Overcoat is available to buy online from powderrooms.com, priced at £11.95

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January needs a bit of radiance.  As I sit here typing, the sky is battleship grey and the rain is coming down in the most persistent of fashions.  The heating is on and I’m nursing the dregs of my cuppa like my life depended on it.  Radiance is something that is sorely missing from my life right now.

I love a good highlighting product, but in particular, I’ve always been drawn to the clicky-clicky pen types that dispense their glow onto a precision brush.  The most well-known of these is undoubtedly YSL’s infamous Touche Eclat, a product that has topped the bestselling lists for over two decades.

The Body Shop’s Lightening Touch Universal Radiance is a “one-shade-suits-all” radiance product that should not be confused for a concealer.  In fact, the brand does a rather impressive range of similarly-packaged concealing products in a variety of skin-loving shades.  This one however, is pure highlighter.

A few twists of the base will prime the pen and allow the product to flow into the brush tip.  The first thing you’ll notice is the shade, a pearly pink that glistens with reflective particles.  In my opinion, this isn’t quite as universal as promised.  Undoubtedly more suited to skin tones with a rosy undertone, those with darker or olive bases would benefit from something with a warmer, less silvery hue.

The texture is fluid, light and blends beautifully with the fingertips.  You can work it into the skin for a sheerer finish or aim for a gentler touch to create a more prominent highlight.  Perfect for use across the brow bones, cheekbones, and cupid’s bow, the precision brush delivers pinpoint accuracy to ensure you don’t end up looking like a disco ball.

I raided my collection of highlighters to dig out some comparisons which you can see below.  Most interesting to note is how completely different The Body Shop Lightening Touch Universal Radiance is from YSL’s Touch Eclat Radiant Touch which delivers a more subtle and less sparkly luminosity to the skin.  Closest in appearance is Benefit’s High Beam and Givenchy’s (discontinued) Mister Bright.

An interesting point to note though is that Benefit’s offering delivers 13ml of product for £19.50 compared to The Body Shop’s offering of 3ml for £14.00 – I’m just not entirely convinced that the convenience of a pen delivery system is worth an extra £3 per ml!

The Body Shop Lightening Touch Universal Radiance is priced at £14.00 and available to buy in store and online from thebodyshop.co.uk

* press sample

I don’t get excited about hair products.  They’re not my forte, my cup of tea… they‘re just not my bag (baby).  I view them in the same way that I do many bathroomy-type toiletries, something to be chucked in the trolley while doing my weekly shop.  The truth is, you’ll rarely find me scouring online beauty emporiums for styling products and high-end shampoos.  I’d rather spend my money on lipstick.

Which is why LUSH have surprised me with this bottle of shampoo.

LUSH Rehab shampoo describes itself as a “restorative and repairing” shampoo with extracts of pineapple, papaya, and olive oil to moisturise and “take your hair back to its healthiest, glossiest state”.  You wouldn’t know any of this without reading up on it because frankly, it doesn’t feel or smell like a traditional “SOS-type” shampoo.

My hair is dry but not brittle and to be fair, is in better condition since swapping my permanent hair colours for semi-permanent almost a year ago… but still, it could never be described as soft or silky.  Introduce my hair to a hairdryer and I’m finished within three-minutes, whereas on the rare occasion that I style Leila’s… I get killer arm ache long before her hair shows any signs of drying.

I also suffer from an itchy scalp.  It comes and it goes, focusing upon the change of seasons but it lurks nonetheless, waiting to flare up in great crusts of scalp-soreness.

I’ve been using the LUSH Rehab Shampoo for around two months now, washing my hair every other day and I’ve been impressed with the noticeable improvement in both scalp-sensitivity and the general condition of my hair which feels more balanced: less oily at the roots and more nourished at the ends.  The improvement has creeped up on me, I wouldn’t say that it was an overnight miracle but more a realisation that my hair and scalp simply hasn’t been this good for a long time.

My only caveat against this glowing review are those pesky pregnancy hormones that may well be skewing the results, but in all honesty, my skin is a hot mess at the moment, so I’d imagine my scalp to react in the same way.

The strong lavender-scent may be off-putting to some… it’s certainly not my favourite and wasn’t what I was expecting.  It can be a little too bracing in the mornings but I’ll happily take the aroma hit while it’s still working its magic on my locks.  The shampoo lathers really well with only a very small amount (the texture is thin and runny) so although it’s marked up at a price-point I can only just about stomach, I appreciate that a 250g bottle will actually last me a minimum of three-months before it needs replacing (I’ve got at least 1/3 left in the above bottle after two-months use).

LUSH Rehab Shampoo is priced from £5.25 for 100g and is available to buy in store and online at lush.co.uk

Is it purple? Is it blue? Neither, this is AUBERGINE bitch!  Well, kinda…

It also happens to be a one-coat wonder, unless you’re ridiculously meticulous and couldn’t possibly leave it at that.  Me?  I left it at that.  The finish is smooth and glossy and application harks back to some of Butter London’s best from a couple of years back.  When you’re dealing with bold colours, you really appreciate a faultless application and this can unquestionably be described as an easy-to-work-with polish.

Butter London Bramble was released as part of the Holiday 2013 Illusionists collection alongside a trio of top-coats and I’ll be blogging it again, combined with one of the top coats from the set: Stardust, which gives a wondrous, galaxy-esque finish.

I’m loving these chic darker shades at the moment, especially on shorter nails, what colours are you loving at the minute?

Butter London Bramble is available to buy online from powderrooms.com, priced at £11.95

There’s a certain flatness to this time of year that engulfs all that’s gone before.  The “party season” is nothing but a distant memory of too much Prosecco and too many mince pies and all that’s left behind is the depressing knowledge that it will take far longer to shift the Christmas podge than it took to gain it.  If you’re really lucky (like me), you’ll also be haunted by the thought of your tax return that needs to be filed imminently and a daily mirror reminder of how much your skin detests the combination of pregnancy hormones being wreaked upon it.

I’m dry.  Drier than a teetotaler at an AA meeting.  Sitting here now, I can run my fingers over my face and feel the rough patches… I yearn for the warmth of some Summer sun on my skin and despite my half-hearted efforts at making adjustments to my daily skin care routine, the hormones are winning.

Elemis have recently launched four new Radiance Collections to target particular post-Christmas skin concerns which are ingenious in a neatly-packaged, do-the-hard-work-for-you kinda way.  I’m hoping that one of these releases in particular will go some way to improve the current bleak outlook for my skin, no prizes for guessing that my collection of choice is: Rehydrating.

The four collections: Rehydrating, Balancing, Resurfacing, and Illuminating each come packaged in a mesh wash-bag and offer a minimum of 40% savings over purchasing each item individually.  It’s a great way to kick start your New Year skin care routine in the direction that it’s demanding without completely breaking the bank.   There’s nothing overly-complicated or particularly fancy about these collections, but they’re a good way to take stock of current cleansing routines and shift them up a gear to target particular concerns.

The Rehydrating Collection (for dry and mature skin types) contains: Rehydrating Rosepetal Cleanser 200ml (full size), Rehydrating Ginseng Toner 200ml (full size), and Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 15ml.

The Balancing Collection (for normal/combination skin types) contains: Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser 200ml (full size), Balancing Lavender Toner 200ml (full size), and Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 15ml.

The Resurfacing Collection (for skin types in need of post-Xmas detox) contains: Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash 200ml (full size), Soothing Apricot Toner 200ml (full size), and Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 15ml.

The Illuminating Collection (for dry and mature skin types) contains: Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser 150ml (full size), Soothing Apricot Toner 200ml (full size), and Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 15ml.

How is your skin faring after the excesses of Christmas?

The collections range in price between £30 and £35 and are available to buy on counter and online from timetospa.co.uk, while stocks last.

* press sample

When I first reviewed the L’Oreal Color Infallible range a couple of years back, I was impressed with the amount of pigment these little pots delivered.  They were obviously hot on the heels of Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense/Chanel Illusion D’Ombre high-end releases and presented an inexpensive way to jump on the is-it-cream-or-is-it-powder bandwagon.

My only issue with them back then was with their staying power as I found them sliding around on my lids after a few hours, both with or without a primed base.

However, I’m a sucker for my purples and the limited edition Metallic Lilac release had been haunting me ever since I saw swatches a while back.  Still not quite enthused enough to hot-foot it down to Boots (how many purples does one woman actually need?) I held off until I was reminded of its existence during a late-night eBay browse.

The particular beauty of this shade for me lies in its irridescence.  It has a delicate sparkle that remains on your lids without too much migration and injects the area with reflected light… something that I’m particularly partial to when I drag my sorry bones out of bed in time for the school run.

The flashes of pink in the powder prevent the shade from being too icy, and there’s a subtle greyed-out quality that will appeal to those of us who don’t want our eyeshadows to scream too loudly at passers-by.

I use a flat brush to apply this to the center of my primed lid before buffing out the edges for a softer finish.  I’m wearing it today on the lower lashline, a little heavier than I would across the lid and it adds a look-twice amount of colour without being over the top.  Longevity still isn’t the greatest on the lids for me but I’m a little more lenient nowadays, less demanding of staying power in my old age… perhaps I just don’t need all-day-long wear anymore.

That being said, I still get around 5 hours with a primer, so it’s not too bad.  I also should point out that I do believe that I’m in the minority with grumbling about wear issues with this range of eyeshadow.  Most bloggers tend to find that this gives great all-day wear with a primed base.

You can pick the L’Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Metallic Lilac up on eBay from £2.25 with free postage.  Or you can go to Subway and buy a bacon sub with a drink for £2.00 – I won’t hold it against you if you choose the bacon, there’s no easy answer to this one.

I know that I’m not alone in announcing a mild disappointment with the post-Xmas beauty sales, I usually clean up and feel the inevitable spending guilts for weeks afterwards.  This year, not so much.  Infact, in my quest to add some new blood to my beauty cabinet, I’ve all but failed.

All but…

Thank God for Fragrance Direct and their bounty of Becca goodies that have seen me through this extremely dry patch.

There are still many Becca products available on the website, infact… most of the items that I purchased on Boxing Day are still available so I’ll just get some pictures up with their corresponding swatches in an effort to siren-song you into some lemmings.  Do we still use that word?  Oh, I’m so 2008.

my haul

Becca Sheer Stick Foundation (sherbet), Becca Radiance Primer, Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Becca sheer stick foundation in Sherbet

Swatch of Becca Sheer Stick Foundation in Sherbet

Swatch of Becca Radiance Primer

Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Swatch of Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Becca Eye Tint Water Resistant Colour in Vicuna

Swatch of Becca Eye Tint Water Resistant Colour in Vicuna

Becca Professional Polishing Brush 57

Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina

Swatch of Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina

The Becca stock on the Fragrance Direct website starts from around £2.99 and whilst I haven’t had long enough to provide defnitive reviews of everything, I’d really recommend picking up some of the Sheer Tint Lip Colours and a Luminous Skin Colour as a matter of urgency!

As far as freshness goes, considering that these will be old stock… I haven’t got any complaints.  Even the Eye Tint is showing no signs of oil/pigment separation and everything still smells fresh to me.

Are you going to be taking a look at what’s on offer?

They say that old age doesn’t come on its own but I’d like to add pregnancy to that adage.  I mean, apart from stating the bloody obvious, seeing as you’re growing another whole person, it really doesn’t come without its “side-effects”.  I haven’t had a proper pooh in almost five months and my skin, hair, and nails have had all moisture sucked from them, it’s like I’m spawning a human dehumidifier, set to high.

Instead of a normal moisturiser, the only thing stopping my skin from flaking off in great sheets is a twice-daily slathering of the sunburn-soothing Biafine, left on as a mask overnight.  Even then, I still have to prime with a moisturising primer before a drop of foundation can touch my skin.  As for my lips, well I’m out of Lanolips at the moment and none of my alternatives are cutting the mustard.  It’s a drastic step but until I replace my overnight lip saviour, I’ve had to stand down the lipstick army in favour of… *spit*… lipgloss.

If you’re a regular reader, you may know about my distaste for the sticky stuff but I have to concede that it does have its merits.

Aveda’s Rehydrating Lip Glaze doesn’t go down the ordinary gloss route.  Yes, it’s kinda sticky… yes, it feels a little thick on the lips at first but… with this shade at least, you get some decent bang for your buck.  This innocuous tube of colour packs one hell of a pigmented punch and keeps my lips from puckering up into a dehydrated mess.

Winterberry is a purple-toned plum with a deep, vampy hue and colour that builds quickly from the very first swipe.  You can apply and blot without losing too much pigment if, like me, you’re not a fan of how glosses/glazes feel on the lips.

Priced at £16.00, Winterberry offers a little splurge that won’t break the bank for a slightly more unusual lip colour this season and is very much in keeping with Pantone’s 2014 Colour of the Year – Radiant Orchid.  Despite the minty aroma, the plumping effect is gentle and understated (though appreciated considering the vampy lip-thinning shade).

Are you reaching for more lip-friendly offerings as the mercury plummets?

Aveda Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze is priced at £16.00 and available on counter and online from aveda.co.uk

* press sample

Like sparkle?  Like Instagram?

If so, keep reading because I’ve got a great flash giveaway happening over on my Instagram page.

Face Lace, creators of beautifully-crafted, ready-to-wear makeup designs have produced a stunning crystallized mask in time for Christmas.  Crystallised Beauroque (worth £25.79) is a one-of-a-kind extravagance that will ensure you turn all the heads at your Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.  Not only that, but as a limited edition piece of only 150, you can be sure that you won’t be playing matchy-matchy with any of the other partygoers.

Want to win it?

Simply upload an Instagram photo of something sparkly: nails, baubles, fairy lights – the possibilities are endless this time of year – and tag the photo with #facelacesparkle so that I can find it on Instagram.

You have until this Sunday at 23.59 (GMT) to take part and the competition is open worldwide.  Entrants must be over 13 and one winner will be chosen at random.

Come on ladies, get snapping!!

If you’ve been into a TKMaxx store recently, you might have spotted some lovely goodies from Sue Devitt.  I was alerted to the discount store’s recent haul of premium cosmetics by the lovely Wordbird on Twitter who only had to mention the eye pencils to have me running to my nearest store.  If you don’t know about the Australian brand (and the makeup artist behind the name), let me quickly tell you a little bit about it.

The brainchild of international makeup artist Sue Devitt, her brand was born from her love and experiences of travelling around the world.  You may recognise many of the shade names as global locations (particularly some lesser-known Australian ones!) that she has visited throughout her career.  The line was based around an idea to bring together the benefits of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals alongside a colour palette of cosmetics.  In the UK, the brand was sold in Fenwick, and Harvey Nichols but alas folded earlier this year.

My TKMaxx “splurge” came to a total of £15

Sue Devitt Intensifier Eye Pencils (£1.99 ea)

Esna Eyeshadow and Vanuatu Blush (£1.99 ea)

Sue Devitt Seaweed Gel Based Liquid Foundation in Tanami (£3.00)

I’ve only really had a quick play with the pencils which are creamy and richly pigmented.  They move about fairly easily and the chubby format dictates a slightly more lived-in look but I’m loving using them as all-over eye colours and smudged under the lower lashline for a more informal wear.

The foundation has a ton of slip and feels lightweight on the skin, you can see that the shade Tanami is more my Summer colour so I’d suggest it as a good match for a NW20.  It delivers a sheer finish but doesn’t feel too drying on my parched skin.

The eyeshadow and blush, I’ve yet to wear but both feel finely-milled with a decent pigment and a soft, almost creamy (powdery) application.

Have you spotted the Sue Devitt range at TKMaxx?  Picked up any bargains?

Whether you’re the kind of girl who revels in a red, takes comfort in a faithful skin-toned nude, or paints the town pink… you’ll recognise the transformative power of a great lipstick.  It’s the one item in a girl’s makeup arsenal that can take a look from zero-to-hero in a second with the minimum of fuss.

However, geting down to the serious business of choosing the perfect lipstick is always a subject up for great discussion!  The choice of shade, texture, and finish can be somewhat overwhelming when confronted with a bewildering array of counters at your local beauty hall.

Japanese beauty brand Shu Uemura were responsible for one of my first high-end lipstick purchases when I fell in love with a perfect pinky-nude that paired beautifully with a smoky eye.  I relished finally finding a range that offered more than just the standardised option of slug-toned nudes, they offered true nudes for all skin-tones!

Never content with resting on their laurels the cult brand have re-launched their entire Rouge Unlimited line of lipsticks and you’re practically guaranteed to find your perfect match among the impressive 44 new shades available.  The new range incorporates some cutting-edge technology to ensure the smoothest of applications whilst delivering head-turning pigment.  The brand promise to achieve all of this without the usual compromise on comfort thanks to an active moisture-locking cream plus lip care which will help protect and nourish your lips.

The behind-the-scenes video above is not only beautifully shot but gives a good insight into the new range’s transformative ability, also… can you say cheekbones much? *swoon*.

Sponsored Post

Only a couple of months old, Cheeky Cosmetics, the sister brand of Cowshed is making waves online with their new range of 21 nail paints and freshly-opened Shoreditch beauty parlour.  Not all about nails, the new parlour also offers a range of other treats including the “Cheeky Blow” (a range of four different blow-dry styles for girls on the go), “Cheeky Paint” (A file and paint with the colour of your choice and 10ml bottle to take home with you!), and a “Cheeky Up Do” (perfect for a night out with a choice of three sophisticated styles).

Today, I’m putting one of their polishes to the test in my own beauty parlour in-front of an episode of I’m A Celebrity (why is Lucy still in there?)

The shade on my tips in the photo is The Feeling’s Neutral, an oh-so-lovely milky mocha that harks back to OPI’s cult classic You Don’t Know Jacques but with a slightly chalkier, softer and more greyed-out edge.

Application is quicker than usual with an ultra-wide brush that can suffer from overloading if you’re not careful.  Coverage is great in two coats and the polish dries rapidly to a glossy, tough finish.

My only complaint about this particular polish lies with the smell, it’s pretty obnoxious but you can take comfort from the fact that Cheeky Cosmetics lists the full ingredients on the website and there’s no sign of the toxic-three anywhere.

Cheeky Nail Paints are priced at £7 each and available to buy online and instore at the Cheeky Parlour

* press sample