A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Have you been lemming the new mineralize shadows from MAC’s In The Groove collection but can’t quite stretch to £15 a piece?

I’d like to tell you to get theeselves down to The Body Shop to check out their new Baked Eye Colours.  But at £9.50 a piece, they’re no bargain alternative.

Here’s a swatchfest on the samples I received from The Body Shop.

It’s a picture-intensive post, so if you wanna check out more swatches from The Body Shops new Baked Eye Colour range…. read on…  (W = Applied Wet, D = Applied Dry)

Read the rest of this entry »

… don’t forget to flick over to Sky Channel 640 today to check out today’s QVC TSV (Today’s Special Value).

All this for £39.96!

Contents:

• 1 x Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser Tube (100ml)
• 1 x Instant Boost Skin Tonic Spritzer (30ml)
• 1 x Skin Repair Moisturiser (50ml) – choose from Dry/Sensitive, Light or Normal/Combination
• 1 x Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion (150ml)
• 1 x Daily Eye Repair (5ml)
• 1 x Energising Body Wash (100ml)
• 1 x Energising Body Scrub (50ml)
• 1 x Foot Scrub (100ml)
• 1 x Foot Repair Moisturiser (30ml)
• 1 x Sheer Pink Lip Shimmer (5g)
• 2 x muslin cloths

It’s beauty month at QVC so I’m looking forward to finding out what other TSV’s they have up their sleeves!

What’s been some of your favourite QVC Beauty bargains over the years?

My first foray into the infamous world of BB Creams!

What are BB Creams?

BB Cream stands for Blemish Balm Cream and is a very popular base product in Asia.  Korean companies in particular offer a wide-range of BB Creams to suit many different skin types.  They fill the gap in the market between cosmetics and skincare… a product designed to give flawless coverage whilst benefiting the health of your skin in one (or many) ways.

I first heard of BB Creams when I went to South Korea a few years ago, I had absolutely no idea what they were or did until I arrived back in the UK and started blog reading.

BB Creams at the minimum, offer moisturisation and coverage, with many more offering SPF, Whitening Properties and Anti-Aging to name but a few.  They’re big business in Asia and have been slowly but steadily making a splash amongst makeup aficionados worldwide.

So, why has it taken me so long to try one?  Ultimately… convenience.  You have to head to eBay or online stores that specialise in Asian cosmetics.  Then you have to work out which BB Cream you fancy trying and frankly, there are so many available… it all gets a bit confusing.

I took the plunge and settled for South Korean brand Skin Food.

Skin Food Gingko Green BB Cream #1 (50g) to be exact.

Here’s what they say about it:

A multi-function product for skin care and makeup.  Containing gingko leaf and green tea extracts rich in lecithin and vitamin B, it protects sensitive skin and improves skin tone.  Use when you want to achieve a bright, radiant skin tone.

It’s a little warmer than my skintone but ultimately blends to a decent match.  Colour matching seems to be one of the biggest issues with BB Creams and it’s always worth googling for a swatch to get an idea of how it might suit you.

The texture is truly rather lovely.  Thick but not so thick that it’s hard to spread.  There’s still enough slip to the product to stop it dragging across your face as you spread it.  Coverage is medium… it tones down my redness quite well and evens out my skintone.  Blemishes are not covered and concealer is necessary.  It really does feel like I’m wearing something different to my usual foundations… far more natural feeling on the skin.

Ultimately, this would be all you need if you’re blessed with great skin.  Oily skins will probably want something a little more matte.  I’m pleased I bought it, do I want to try more?  Oh yes….

I think I may have developed a dangerous new addiction.

Are you a fan of BB Creams?  Let me know some of your favourites!

Like it’s not TOTALLY obvious from the snap below.

QVC HQ!

I was tempted to slip my shoes off at the entrance before entering the temple of home shopping, but that would have looked kinda uncool right?

Walking round, it was interesting to hear more about the channel that’s been beaming beauty products (and more) into our homes for the past 17 years.

This is just a teaser post really, I’ll tell you more about behind the scenes at QVC over the weekend, but I’m back in the big smoke today ‘cos a little birdy told me that there might be an exciting MAC collection getting it’s first airing?… and I’m all over it!

I need to get my hands on more of these!  Especially Night Life and Hit That… but, they’re discontinued.  I’m stalking eBay… and I’m on a mission.

For now, I have this one to show you…

Rimmel Play Fast in Street Wear got picked up for obvious greige-y type reasons.  Please ignore the art stamp on my ring finger.  It’s where I got accosted at The Clothes Show by some bloke who didn’t know what he was doing and ruined my manicure with a shoddily applied topcoat and distinct lack of charm.  Dick.

Street Wear is a pale grey/beige which reminds me of Orly’s Country Club Khaki.  It’s a 3 coater and a little gloopy, possibly down to it’s age… I shall try adding a touch of thinner to the bottle before using it again.  It contains a subtle (but beautful) rose gold shimmer that picks up when the sunlight hits it.

Overall, it’s a nice addition to my collection… but ultimately not a must have.  Wear is good but once it sets in, the polish ages quickly and unevenly.

And that, my friends… is that!

My lovely cousin A. is 8 weeks in to her Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer challenge!

Let me refer you lovely people to this post for the background info.

I’m a week early on the photo because she’s on holiday this week… but I thought it was worth taking anyway and my next update will be at the 12 week stage, by which time… results should be fully apparent according to the blurb with the product.

Anyway, enough gassing… have some pics:

Two months in means that she’s halfway through the £89 tube.  It’s on a par price-wise with other lash-enhancing products on the market, but backed by the reputable name of Trish McEvoy.

A. (who hasn’t seen these photos) believes that she’s experienced a change in the volume of her lashes… to her, they feel thicker and more luxurious.  She doesn’t believe that her lashes have grown in length though.

Giddyup lashes!  Week 12 awaits!

What do you ladies reckon judging by the photos?

I liked all the products that I was sent from Stargazer thus far… infact, more than liked.  They’ve impressed me.  Factor in the price for them, and I’m singing their praises from the blogosphere rooftops.

Sadly, the eyeshadows that I was sent fall into the category “More what I expected from a budget brand”.  They’re not terrible, but they’re nothing that I’m gonna get excited about.

I was sent two shades:

Very metallic looking in the pan, the texture instantly reminded me of Superdrug’s MUA… they have that slightly greasy feel to them.  Nothing wrong with that, but it does scream CHEAP!

Decently pigmented, the Arctic Blue shade took a little more building than Copper Fire, both are metallic.

They wear for a few hours before fading… combined with an eye primer, I just about got 7/8 hours from them before creasing. I’m being a little harsh, they’re performing like most budget eyeshadows… and they are budget eyeshadows at £3 each… but I was so impressed by the other products I tried, I think I was hoping for something more exciting from these aswell.

What I will say for them though is that the range is immense!  Over 50 shades of every colour imaginable in single pan form.  You can purchase Stargazer online from their website.

WOAHHHHHHHHH too much blush.

Aside from that, I was really pleased with how this turned out!  I was looking forlornly into my pigment drawer thinking that I don’t use them enough and although it was 6pm in the evening and I had just done my first DIY home facial (courtesy of Liz… yeah, we’re on first name terms innit) I decided to have a little play anyway.  Was that the longest sentence in the blogosphere?  Possibly.

I really need to start using more than 2 eyeshadow shades, I really enjoyed playing!

Products Used:

Face

~ Skin79 Super BB Cream
~ L’Occitane Etoiles des Neiges Illuminator
~ MUFE Full Cover Concealer in Shade 1

Eyes

~ Urban Decay Primer Potion
~ Silk Naturals Vanilla Pigment (all over lid up to brow bone)
~ MAC Melon Pigment (all over mobile lid)
~ MAC Revved-Up Pigment (crease and slightly above)
~ Elemental Beauty Vamp Pigment (outer v and under lower lashline)

~ Bourjois Khol & Contour in Brun Design (smudged on upper lashline then melon pigment reapplied over the top)
~ Benefit Bad Gal Lash Black Mascara

Cheeks

~ Milani Luminous Blush
~ Bobbi Brown ShimmerBrick in Nectar (yeah, I got carried away)

Lips

~ Bourjois Sweet Kiss Naturel Lipstick in 09 Sienne Kiss

Trout Pout. I haz one.

A quick SK:N laser hair removal update… check out my swollen top lip!  I’m impressed… that thing could take over a small country, it’s like the Goodyear blimp!

I don’t generally have much of a top lip as you can see in my FOTDs, so it’s only when you realise this that you can appreciate just how hugely puffed up that top lip is!

Anyway, I had my 2nd facial hair removal session at my local SK:N clinic on Wednesday and I was looking forward to it and dreading it in equal measure.  I’ve already said that I found my first session quite painful but I was hopeful that with a lot of the hair already destroyed, this 2nd session would be easier to bare.  And it was!

It was about 1/4 as painful as the first.  The only bit that had my eyes watering was the upper lip which they thankfully left till last.  The rest?  Completely fine…. just light pinging sensations against the skin.  Nothing to worry about at all!  Relief!

Compared to last time’s post-treatment soreness…. I have nothing.  Literally nothing.  After about 12 hours, the redness had completely faded… all that is left are a couple of whiteheads on my upper lip which probably have more to do with slathering on copious amounts of Aloe Vera gel than anything else.  A true 90% improvement in irritation and discomfort over my first session.

Except for the swelling.

The whole lower half of my face has doubled in size again, perhaps even more so than last time.  I look like a Spitting Image character.  I’m assuming this is just the fluid rushing to protect and heal the areas that it feels are under attack… but still, not attractive!

Here’s a post-treatment video just like after the first session, apart from noticing how horrible my bottom teeth are… try to concentrate more on how much less skin irritation I have compared to the previous video.  If it keeps progressing like this, it’s gonna be a doddle!

SK:N After treatment #2 from lipglossiping on Vimeo.

It’s subtle… can you see it?

It’s one of my favourites! I think I’d probably prefer to call this a luminizer than a highlighter, because with a fairly light hand this is perfect for wearing allover the face.  Yes, really.

Quite an unappetising shade in the pot, Cashmere Stockings is a mineral powder that I like to use as a finisher on days when I’m not wearing much colour on my face.  It lifts my complexion without making it sparkly or even shimmery.  To be fair to the product, it deserves a post of it’s own… not just lumped in under the ‘highlight’ category… it’s a little marvel.

Having said that, let’s not get carried away… Cashmere Stockings won’t do anything to cover blemishes, or even out your skintone (unless you’re blessed with already incredible skin) but for me… it softens my pores and adds a satin sheen.  I guess that’s it… maybe it’s no miracle afterall.  Just a good dose of silica and mica in a perfectly mixed ratio.  But it works beautifully for me over a good foundation base.

The physically small container it comes in is a pain in the arse… no chance of fitting a decent sized powder brush or kabuki in there, so I have to tap the product into another lid before picking it up on my brush.  A minor irritation, but an annoyance nonetheless.

I own a 10g pot and when/if I ever get to the bottom of it, will happily repurchase a 20g version ($18).  Anyone up to and including a NW/NC 25 would fare quite happily with level one as a shade choice as it’s fairly (but not completely) translucent.

Cashmere Stockings is available to buy online from Heatheresque (formally The She Space).

…Eye Revival Roll On (£5.40).

Bearing more than just a passing similarity to Garnier’s Eye Roll On, Tesco’s Derma Intensive Eye Revival is enriched with many of the same ingredients as it’s pricier alternative.

• Caffeine Extract – Helps to improve the skins elasticity under the eye.
• Horse Chestnut Extract – Encourages the skin to stimulate the blood microcirculation under and around the eye.
• Hyaluronic acid – Is a wonderful moisturiser that helps the skin to rehydrate, essential for mature skin.

Great for keeping in the fridge during the Summer!  Yeah… I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about keeping my products in the fridge *blush*.  And even more amazing… I’ve just checked on the Tesco website… and it’s only flippin’ half price at the moment!

£2.76? – Bargain!

Indulge me, I rarely do haul posts.  But I’m really loving the things that I picked up this week.  And just look how restrained I was at my local CCO (the MAC).

At the beginning of the week my Stila bits turned up from CheapSmells.. oh! I haven’t included my Stila Topaz Kajal in the photo!  Oh well, I got that too… But anyway, look at that lovely taupe (bottom left).  That’s Stila Cloud, a very cool toned shimmery silver taupe.

I finally took the plunge and ordered a Shu Uemura IR Beige 800 eyeshadow… I was struggling between the IR and ME versions, but felt the ME version swatched a little too pink for me.

I also took advantage of the Barielle BOGOF offer and picked up two colours from the Spring Wildflowers Collection (A Bouquet for Ava & June Bug) and two from the Summer High Steppin’ Collection (Belly Dance & Electric Boogie)

Hmm what else…

Oh, I nabbed Clinique’s (relatively) new High Lengths mascara that I’ve had my eye on for a little while… super funky alienesque brush!

Finally, I was (semi) well-behaved in my local CCO on Friday.  I don’t have a MAC counter near me… so I usually target the MAC stand quite heavily when I raid the Gunwharf CCO.  I picked up: Melon pigment, Blonde MSF and Femme-Fi eyeshadow.  Pat on the back for resisting Moon River from the Grand Duo collection and Flower Mist Dew Beauty Powder from the Ungaro collection.  (Please don’t tell me I NEED those two items in my life… I totally bend to peer pressure!)

What have you bought this week?