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.

I promised you a post on BB creams and in all honesty, what I know about BB creams can probably be written on the back of one.  In other words, not an awful lot.

However, one thing I do know is that they’ve been around for a lot longer than you might think.  Currently hot topic across the UK blogosphere, we’re about 3 years out of date on this one.  Here’s the post that introduced me to them back in 2008: The lovely Muse talks about BB Creams…

Since then, I’ve been gathering snippets here and there from other Asian cosmetics aficiandos like Rowena, Kathi and ParisB (just a small selection of amazing blogs with an Asian beauty focus) and dipping my toe in the proverbial waters.

The biggest complaint lodged against the Asian BB Cream market is the lack of colour variation and this still holds true 3 years down the line… for medium toned or paler skins, it’s not too bad.  Darker skintones (with the exception of one or two products) are pretty much ignored in this genre.

Speaking from a personal point of view, my pale pink skin isn’t as bothered by the oft-disliked ‘beige/grey’ tones found within many of these creams.  Infact, I find that they cancel out my redness better than any other foundation or concealer I’ve tried but I can absolutely appreciate why they don’t look as good on olive or yellow-toned skintones.

The below image shows them swatched on my inner wrist where the skin is considerably more milk-bottle than my face.  The texture of the three varies considerably.  I’m going to do a speed review on each…

Therapia ECO Feel BB Cream

This one has the heaviest texture, it’s quite hard to spread and drags a little unless my skin is well moisturised underneath.  The colour is good, though a tiny bit too dark for me.  Skin-loving properties are based around whitening and calming irritated skin with Apricot Oil and Aloe Vera Gel.

Coverage is medium, it conceals redness nicely but blemishes will need extra work.  I don’t find that this builds very well, more than one layer and it starts to look caked on.  It’s unscented and has an SPF rating of SPF25 PA++

I would recommend this for normal/combo skins.

Skin Food Gingko Green BB Cream

The lightest in texture of the three I currently have in rotation.  Best for drier skins, this leaves behind a medium coverage and a dewy finish. If you’re oily, you will probably hate this with a passion.

It’s delicately scented and promises to be filled with ‘beauty enhancing’ ingredients like lecithin and Vit B to moisturise and nourish.  Sadly, this one contains no SPF.

The colour is less ‘beige’ (read grey) than the other two and will be better suited to warmer skintones (though it is still very light).

Shills Super Magic BB Cream

My favourite and the one I’ve been reaching for recently is this offering from Taiwanese brand, Shills.  With the highest SPF rating of SPF50 PA+++, it’s been doing a good job of keeping my skin protected in the sun.  It promises to aid with whitening, wrinkles(!) and general skin improvement.

It’s the palest of the three and the most suited to a cooler, pink skin tone.  It covers my redness phenomenally well and is mid-way between the other two in terms of spreadability.  Again, this one is delicately scented which may put you off.  It glides on over a moisturised face but if you’re combo-skinned, you may not want to add that extra dewiness as this is pretty moisturising on its own.

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As you can see, these ones all come from the Asian marketplace but I’ll be interested to see how the bigger brands currently throwing themselves on the bandwagon will interpret the ‘genre’ for the Western market.  I buy all my BB Creams on eBay but please be aware that there are fakes.  Infact, I’m not certain that all my purchases are genuine (though I’ve thankfully had no adverse reactions) so do all your usual eBay homework, check ratings… compare products to stock images etc and if in doubt, ask questions!

Have you tried BB Creams?  Want to?

I can sometimes be a bit slow on the old review lark… I get excited about a new product and throw myself into full-on playing, sniffing, painting, daubing and general testing but it has come to my attention that I’m not a conveyer belt of product analysis.

Like every other human being on this planet.  I’m fallible and I didn’t see this one coming.  Well, I kinda did because I gushed about it to a friend 6 weeks ago.  She had also tried it but didn’t like it and her impressions made me doubt my gut instincts, so I cooled my passions a little and tried to inject a touch of devils advocate into the situation.  Receiving gratis products to play with and review is undoubtedly completely awesome but with it comes a degree of responsibility in not wanting to let anyone down by being anything other than ‘spot on’ with my reviews.

With that in mind, I’d been mulling over the results I wasn’t sure I was seeing… at odds with the simple truth that I loved how the product applied/felt/moisturised etc.  But then I saw a before/after photo that wasn’t even relevant to the product I’m talking about and my doubts were blown sky high.

By now, you probably know I’m rabbiting on about the eye cream I mentioned on Friday.  A couple of you pointed out that you could detect a visible difference and in a world of disappointing anti-aging products that claim to offer the world, a visible difference (even slight) is a little beacon in the night.

Skinceuticals A.G.E Eye Complex* gives a pretty understated impression when it comes to kerb appeal.  Even more so when you consider the price tag of £78.00.  I’ve paid more for an eye cream precisely once in my life and after finishing the pot, I chided myself and said I’d never do it again.  Well, never say never…

The simply styled packaging contains 15ml of product that promises to diminish dark circles, puffiness and effects of glycation.  I don’t really understand what glycation is other than at the base level of it causing premature signs of aging because of degrading body tissue… but this product claims in the long term to reduce the effects of this glycation and in the short term, help mask the appearance of dark circles and puffiness.  Still with me?  Have a read of what they say…

…Immediately, optical diffusers improve radiance and minimize the appearance of dark circles and capillaries. Within four to twelve weeks, a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides improves lymphatic drainage and eliminates accumulated hemoglobin’s colored degradation end-products to dramatically improve dark circles and puffiness.

By twelve weeks and beyond, blueberry extract interrupts the formation of advanced glycation end-products (A.G.E.) and Proxylane restores water and nutrient content to the dermal epidermal junction (D.E.J.) to increase skin elasticity and thickness for dramatic improvement of wrinkles and crow’s feet.

Well now that I’ve managed to baffle myself with the science-y bits… let me tell you the things that I do understand about this eye cream.

It’s intensely hydrating without being heavy or too rich and I haven’t experienced any problems with milia since using this.  I began testing it at a time when I was very dry under my eyes, scaly dry even.  The Skinceuticals cream took charge immediately and within a matter of days my skin was back to normal.

Within a couple of weeks, I felt that the shadow around the edge of my eye socket had a lifted a little but I wasn’t 100% sure if I was imagining it.  As for fine lines or crepiness?  Well, I didn’t notice any differences at all.

This is the same impression I was left with after 8 or so weeks.  Amazingly hydrating, beautiful to apply, cooling on the eye area and simply lovely.  But a £78 spend demands a bit more than that for me.  My demands were coming closer to being met the other day when I was editing a before/after for my UD Lush Lash post.  Here it is again…

To my mind, my eyes look less puffy and the fine lines seem shallower (particularly the one on the right) in the 2nd photo.  OK, it’s not groundbreaking… it hasn’t erased all imperfections or tightened up any droopiness on my eyelids.  Neither is this a hugely scientific experiment but I’m TOTALLY feeling vindicated in an “Oooh I knew I liked this product for a reason!” kinda way.

I’ve been using SkinCeuticals A.G.E Eye Complex for around 11 weeks (once a day) and I estimate that I’ll be finishing my pot in around another 8 weeks.  I’m currently undecided about a repurchase.  If it were £30/40 cheaper, I’d be on it like a recovering alcoholic on a Lambrini.  But let’s wait and see what another 8 weeks bring… if it makes my undereyes smoother than a baby’s bum, I’ll be sure to let you know about it!

Skinceuticals A.G.E Eye Complex is priced at £78 and available to buy online from BeautyExpert.

* Press Sample

What’s the most you’ve ever paid for an eye cream (and was it worth it?)

How’s that for a post title you don’t want to see on a Monday morning?  Woke you up a bit though right?

I’ve been receiving queries as to how the hair removal thing is going and I thought that it was high time for another update.  Have you had your first, second and third coffees of the day yet?  I’m not really sure where to begin…

It was 3 days after Christmas when I found myself in the changing rooms at House of Fraser.  I thought I saw a spot developing along my jaw line so peered into the mirror for a closer look and got more than I bargained for when I noticed 4 long, dark but fine hairs sprouting from my neck near my ear lobe.

Gutted doesn’t really begin to describe it.  I left the changing rooms feeling deflated, ugly and most of all ashamed that I hadn’t noticed them before now… floods of insecurity washing over me as I wondered how many people might have noticed them without telling me.

Mr. L tried to assure me that he hadn’t seen them before and perhaps they’d regrown overnight (bless him).  I’d done the best I could to prepare myself for this outcome, I’d even told myself that it was practically inevitable but it still didn’t help dampen the overwhelming disappointment that I was facing the possibility of hitting a snake instead of a ladder and finding myself back at square one.

Ironically, one of the reasons we were battling the House of Fraser New Year sales was to get Mr. L a snazzy new electric shaver and that night… he let me use it first.  I was frustrated to be shaving properly again only 2 months after finishing my SK:N laser hair removal sessions but on the plus side, I can totally recommend this shaver for women with facial hair… every silver cloud and all that…

So where does that leave me now?  And what about the iPulse Smooth Skin?

4 months on from Christmas and I’m nowhere near ‘square one’ as feared.  Infact, it’s barely any worse than when I first noticed the regrowth.  I shave every 4 days now and it takes me about 40 seconds to run the rotary shaver over the outer edges of my top lip, neck and jawline.

It’s fine, dark and pliable… not as coarse as stubble but neither is it downy.  I began to write that I felt I had experienced about a 60-65% improvement than before my treatment until Mr. L reminded me that I used to have a freaking beard by tea-time.  True ‘dat.  I’ll upgrade it to a 75-85% improvement.

How about the at-home device?  The iPulse Smooth Skin (use discount code: BSKN55 for £50 off purchase price) that I was supposed to be using every week to maintain my smooth hair-free state?

Well… I just couldn’t keep the routine going… It was an epic chore to use on my face and had me cursing everytime I pulled it out of the box.  Here’s why:

~ The device would get hot quickly and needed frequent cool-down periods during use.
~ It’s very difficult to get all 4 contact points lined up on the skin simultaneously on hard facial angles like jawlines.
~ When you’re working on your face, you need a mirror… which means that all movements are in reverse.
~ You need to pencil over your lipline with a white eyeliner before use.

Add the above up and it was taking me over an hour to do my lower face.

But do I think the iPulse Smooth Skin worked?

Yes, I think it helped.  I still don’t notice any regrowth on the ‘flatter’ areas of my chin/jaw/neck which would be the areas that I was able to ensure were treated by the iPulse.  Can I be sure?  No… but I am sure that the device was a total pain in the backside to use.  I think it’s probably great for people with either limitless patience or lovely, flat, easy-to-reach areas to treat whilst distracting themselves with Eastenders.  But until it remains cooler for longer, it’s not great to use on your face when it’s such a tricky area to treat anyway.

And the SK:N clinic laser sessions? Well… I wouldn’t have enjoyed a hair free Summer last year or still be enjoying an average 80% reduction in facial hair without those sessions, painful though I found them.

I’ve just taken a photo of my chin/neck showing 2 days worth of hair growth, which can be directly compared to last year’s photo from before I commenced treatment.  I really don’t think I have too much to be sad about.

I’m about to take the next step in my quest for that elusive pot of hair-free gold.

I’ve purchased a block of 5 IPL sessions at a local salon (this is a different type to the laser treatment I received at SK:N last year) and I’m looking forward to hopefully commencing them later in the month.  I WILL be hairfree again this Summer and if I’m not?  I’m gonna let it grow and dye it purple.

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If you want to read back through my experiences of laser hair removal, click here to read through my “adventures in laser hair removal” which naturally, makes it sound far more glamourous than it is!

* The iPulse Smooth Skin was a press sample and I was a guest of my local SKN laser clinic

** The iPulse Smooth Skin can currently be purchased for £281.90 online at Boots using £50 off code: BSKN55 at checkout

From their Spring 2011 Collection, this is SpaRitual: Circle of Life

A very bright, blue creme which benefits from a top coat to boost the gloss factor.  Applies beautifully with no nail staining either (woohoo!)

I do wish SpaRitual polishes were a little easier to come by because they makes some beautiful shades.

As it is, you can purchase this online from their website priced at £8.50 for a 15ml bottle.

Hold on to your retinas, this one’s a scorcher!  SpaRitual Knowledge is Power is a stunner.

Not only is it a stunner but I think it has special powers.  I wore this the other day at the gym and even though I was HALFWAY through a 5 minute run, looking down at this shade on my tips cheered me up.  Magic.

Very nearly neon but not quite.  This one needs a top coat to bring back the shine as it does dry semi-matte, something not uncommon with shades as bright as this.

Mr. L hates this shade on me but I love it.  I feel just like Barbie, minus the boobs.  Ok, with the boobs, minus the waist.

If you wanna play Barbie too, you can buy it online from SpaRitual priced at £8.50

I’ve featured vegan, polish brand SpaRitual on the blog before and thought you might like to take a peek at their 2011 Spring Collection, Truth.

6 Spring shades, 6 pretty cremes (do I spy an uber trendy yellow?!)

Knowledge is Power: Hot Pink Creme
Reveal Yourself: Pastel Lilac Creme
Circle of Life: Vibrant Blue Creme
Enlightened Soul: Yellow Creme
Eye of the Beholder: Grassy Green Creme
Face of Destiny: Peach Creme

Are you liking the look of any of these?  I’ve got swatches of Knowledge is Power and Circle of Life coming up soon!

SpaRitual polishes are priced at £8.50 each and available to buy online.

Phew, you don’t wanna be trying to remember the name of this foundation after a few sakes.  But for the record, Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist SPF22 PA++ in PO-10 *cough* is definitely worth remembering.

I first heard of this foundation after Kathi at LotusPalace blogged about it… anything that Kathi calls HG frankly has me running for my debit card, foaming at the mouth.  So I ran for my debit card. I’m not admitting to anything else.

I paid around £15 for this on eBay from AlphaBeautyUK and it arrived within 9 days of ordering.

You get 25g of product in a small glass jar… it’s not particularly fancy, it’s just… functional.

My skin is still recovering from the Winter, dry at the best of times.  I’m still needing to consider foundations that won’t be attracted to dry patches of skin and although creams are usually cited as being the ones to go for, I can’t say that I’ve noticed them being particularly more moisturising in the past.

Perhaps I’ve just been going for the wrong ones!

The most compelling thing about this foundation for me is the almost perfect shade match… it’s possibly a hint lighter than my skintone but once it’s had time to fit (oxidise?), it’s pretty damn spot on.

Although clearly pink-based, I think it has enough peach in it to stop it from turning ruddy… if colour matching to a so-called English Rose complexion is an issue for you, I really recommend giving this a try.

So, how about that moisture then?  Seeing as this is called “moist”… well it’s not bad.  It’s not as moisturising as something like Chanel Vitalumiere but to be honest, I find that too tacky on my skin and a little uncomfortable to wear.  I’d class this as somewhere between that and a normal, satin finish foundation.

I’ve read this described as a medium-coverage foundation but for me at least, this is pretty full-on.  I don’t own many foundations that give a fuller coverage than this.  I’ll probably find this far too heavy for the Summer but I’m fine with it while the seasons are still changing.  Here’s a before/after – prepare yourself, it’s shots like this that remind me why I like makeup and NEED eyeliner.

After is on the right, I’ve applied the Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist with my fingers over a moisturised face.  No concealer.  God I have big ears.  And please excuse the bloodshot eye.  And the lip spot.  And…oh, bugger it.

What do you think?  I think it tones down redness nicely, covers most imperfections adequately and doesn’t accentuate my dry bits.  I think it’s a bit full-on for the Summer and wish I’d discovered it a couple of months ago.  Mostly though, I love the shade which is pretty damn awesome.

Shiseido Integrate Gracy Cream Foundation Moist SPF22 PA++ in PO-10 is available to buy online from eBay (and possibly many other places that I’m not clever enough to translate).

Over the next couple of weeks, retail guru Nicky Kinnaird, founder of Space NK will be making some rare personal appearances in selected stores as part of a beauty event the brand have lined up for interested customers.

The events are taking place on the following dates/locations:

16th March – Marylebone: 10-2pm
17th March – Loughton: 10-2pm
18th March – Kingston: 10-2pm
23rd March – Glasgow: 10-2pm
24th March – George St (Edinburgh): 10-2pm
25th March – Cobham: 10-2pm
31st March – Northcote Rd: 10-2pm

The event costs £60 (redeemable against all purchases).

For your money, you get a 15 minute consultation with Nicky herself on your skincare needs and a 30 minute makeup lesson from a professional.

If this sounds like something you might be interested in, you can find participating store numbers here.

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

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?

Ellis Faas fans will be pleased to hear that one of their favourite brands is now available to buy from Space NK online and in selected stores.

The Dutch brand launched in the UK a year ago exclusively to Liberty and have seen great success and growth on these shores over the past 12 months.

The sleek products, instantly recognised for their quirky packaging and iconic colours (Ellis Red anyone?) have garnered fans globally and I’m interested to see how they fare with the opportunity of a wider UK audience.

Initially, 14 Space NK stores will carry the line though I can’t hide my disappointment when I note that 13 of the 14 stores have London addresses.  The 14th and final store (for now) is in Glasgow… a little bit too far for a day trip methinks.

Here’s hoping for a all-encompassing nationwide roll out following this initial launch!

Prices start from £20 and the range can be viewed online on the Space NK website, here.