A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

As a simple lady (in more ways than one), I’m just not interested in painting my eyes with a rainbow of colours anymore.  It makes me feel conspicuous, something that I don’t enjoy being at the best of times.  Whilst I may be getting past the whole idea of using makeup as a way to be creative, I don’t think I’ll ever get over its abilities to make me look more refreshed, and leave me feeling more confident in my own appearance.

Truth be told, nowadays… I rarely stray from wearing anything other than a highlighting shade across my eyelids.  I need something that puts luminosity into a part of my face that is often the first to express just how little sleep I’ve gotten in recent weeks.  I know that many of you will be the same as me, “boring” though it is…

I thought I’d share my favourite luminosity-delivering eye shadows for a quick morning post… these are the ones that I use in constant rotation… whichever is closest to hand, I’m happy to use that morning.

Top row, left to right: MAC Vanilla Pigment, MAC Femme Fi, MAC Phloof!

Bottom row, left to right: Becca Vicuna, The Body Shop Colour Crush 101, Shu Uemura IR Beige 800

I rarely feel makeup guilts about purchasing a highlighting shade, which is silly… because six, used in rotation, is more than enough for anyone.  However, I know that as part of my daily staple, I’ll get through them… eventually.  In a pinch, most of them can also be used as a skin highlighter across the cheekbones, I do this particularly with The Body Shop Colour Crush 101 eyeshadow when I can’t find my NARS Albatross.

Of the six, MAC’s Vanilla Pigment delivers the most intense light-reflection, it’s wonderful for the inner corner but my skin is a little too mature to wear this as an under-the-browbone highlighter, it makes me feel like I’m in drag to be honest… not really a good thing, when err… you’re not actually in drag.  I do love this one as an allover lid colour, I just make sure to blend it well and combine with some black liquid liner for a simple-but-polished look.

If you were to push me, I’d probably call out MAC’s discontinued Femme-Fi as my ultimate favourite.  It just has such a lovely quality that never looks chalky or stark across the lids, sometimes the cooler-toned, more frosty Phloof! can look a little too highlightery across the lids.  Whenever I spot Femme-Fi in someone’s blog sale, I always succumb to the purchase.

Becca’s Vicuna is also a beautiful one-shade option, I probably reach for it the least out of the six just because it’s in a cream format… but when I get my head around working outside the box, I’m always pleased with the result.

Finally, the discontinued Shu Uemura IR Beige 800 and The Body Shop Colour Crush 101* are really similar to each other in tone.  The Shu Uemura is a little more refined in texture, but once both are blended, you’d be hard-pushed to notice a difference between them.  These are both perfect for the inner corner but when worn across the lid, I try to combine them with a more golden-toned crease colour as opposed to my usual taupe.

What are your favourite luminosity-delivering eye shadows?

* press sample

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Launching in February are a duo of bright hair chalks from The Body Shop…. perhaps not the usual release you’d expect from the British brand but an interesting one nonetheless!  The chalks promise to provide bright, temporary colour and wash out easily with a spot of shampoo.  The two shades available, Tickle Me Pink and Falling For Blue look brilliantly bright in their pots but need do take a little effort to transfer this brilliance onto the hair.

The Body Shop recommend that blondes use the pink, whilst brunettes might like to opt for the blue… but where’s the fun in that?  Colour for all I say!  Blondes shouldn’t have any problems rocking both shades and Leila loved the blue… especially when I did her a hidden streak that she could wear to school this week.  On darker hair, you may find it beneficial to dampen the strand before applying, this will ramp up the intensity of the colour.

You do need to get your fingers dirty during application as the best method is to place a finger or thumb over the hair to trap it in place on-top of the chalk before sliding the pot down the strand.  You can also twist the piece of hair before applying to create a brighter effect.  Once you’ve finished, spritz a little hairspray on the coloured strands to lock the shading in place.

The Body Shop Hair Chalks will retail at £5.00 each and will be available instore and online at thebodyshop.co.uk

* press sample

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I don’t know about you, but I woke up this morning with a distinct “Hello Monday morning, I’ve been expecting you…” kinda feeling.  Maybe it’s because today is officially the “bluest day of the year”… maybe it’s because I’m dragging my heels over doing the last bit of my tax return and you know… tick-tock.  Or maybe it’s just because I looked out of the window and saw a sheet of ice about an inch-thick covering the car just before the realisation that I forgot to buy de-icer this weekend.

Whatever the reason, I feel that it’s my mission in life (today, at least) to spread a little joy.

And what could be more joyful than the opportunity to win a brilliant brush set from The Body Shop?  Nothing!  You see, these brushes are a makeup bag staple for any ladies getting serious about makeup.  I cut my teeth on The Body Shop brushes… their softy-synthetic loveliness is gentle on the face and kind to the bunnies.  They’re well-cut, solidly constructed, hard-wearing, and give a beautifully-polished finish day after day.

To make buying a little easier, the UK brand has recently released a trio of Brush Collections (Essential, Expert, and Ultimate) which take the effort out of trying to decide which brushes to add to your arsenal and today, I’m giving away one set of The Expert Brush Collection.

The set includes:

Eyeshadow Brush
Lipstick & Concealer Brush
Blusher Brush
Foundation Brush
Face & Body Brush

Basically everything you’d need to create a full face of beautifully-applied makeup!  The set retails at £30 online, but is worth a staggering £58 were you to buy each brush individually!

To enter the competition and stand a chance at getting your hands on the brush set, simply leave a comment below, telling me a silly joke.  Go on, let’s have a bit of cheer among the misery of Blue Monday!

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 20th January 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 27th January 2014
3. Winners will receive 1x The Body Shop Expert Brush Collection (worth £30). No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. One winner will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

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

News of The Body Shop’s latest launch is like well-tuned music to my ears.  I’m a sucker for anything that promises an instant fix in less time than it takes to watch a movie and their NEW single-shot face mask sachets will turn you into a movie-watching, zit-busting multitasker of EPIC proportions!

There are four different varieties of mask available in the range, here’s a quick guide to give you an idea of which might be the best choice for your current skin needs:

Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask

“Bring skin back to its optimum moisture levels with intensely hydrating Vitamin E.  Bursting with antioxidants this cushioning moisture cream protects and rejuvenates, leaving skin feeling soft and smooth. “

This is an overnight leave-on mask, great for when your skin is feeling dehydrated or in need of some extra TLC, personally… I’d use this in conjunction with any one of the cleansing masks.

Vitamin C Microdermabrasion Mask

“Filled with fine micro particles and crushed garnet stones, this zesty Vitamin C mask gently and effectively removes impurities and dead skin cells, providing deep exfoliation. It improves skin texture and tone, revealing a brighter, balanced, more radiant complexion.”

Great for combination and congested skin-types, perfect to use a couple of days before an event or big night out.  As it’s an exfoliator, I wouldn’t use this one more than once a week at most.

Tea Tree Face Mask

“This antibacterial, deep cleansing clay mask smoothes and refreshes the skin by absorbing excess oil.  It gives an instantly cooling, soothing sensation whilst leaving skin clear and squeaky clean.”

A good choice for oily skin types.  If you’re wary that it might be too much for your skin, limit its use to a dab on any blemishes you have and save the rest to give your back/shoulders a deep cleanse!

Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask

“Draw out impurities and rebalance the skin’s natural ph levels with this mattifying clay mould mask. Packed with the purifying properties of naturally sourced seaweed, it cleanses deeply, controlling excess oil, leaving skin oil and shine free.”

Who doesn’t love a good sea monster-esque clay mask?  These are my favourite to tackle congestion and blackheads across my t-zone.  Again, I’d use an overnight moisturising mask after treatment to restore hydration on my dry skin and limit its use to once a week.

All masks are single-use sachets containing a 6ml volume, making it a great and inexpensive way to mix-and-match treatments for an at-home pampering session.

Priced at £1.50 each and available in store and online at bodyshop.co.uk

* the seaweed ionic clay mask appears to be temporarily unavailable online

** The Body Shop are currently offering 40% off and free delivery when you spend £5 online with code EXTRATREAT

*** In other news, TBS are discontinuing the Sweet Lemon range, I’m so sad!

Wanna see some pretty swatches?  OF COURSE YOU DO.

The Body Shop have updated their colour collection with an impressively inclusive range of eyeshadows.  Their new Colour Crush Eyeshadow promises intensely pigmented, pearlescent or matt eyeshadow (dependant on colour) with a silky-soft texture .

I’m a huge fan of the “old” Body Shop eyeshadow range but have always disliked their “baked” (domed) eyeshadow releases.  The brand used to do some amazing taupes in the old silver-potted range and I was rather disappointed to see that this new incarnation of colour is rather lacking in that department.  I was pretty confident that the texture would still be as tasty as it always was (and it is) but I’m gonna need to see MOAR shades before I get super-excited over this new range I’m afraid!

Anyway, let’s get on with some swatches shall we?

All of the above shadows fall into their “pearlescent” finish, and each one is pretty well-pigmented, you wouldn’t need more instant payoff from an eyeshadow.  I can’t comment on the matte range as I haven’t tried.

Golden Girl is a must-have, not only because it makes a great lid-brightener for a neutral eye regardless of your colouring, but it’s also a pretty awesome NARS Albatross dupe for those on a budget.  Multi-functional eyeshadow FTW no?

I’ve worn a few of these over the past couple of weeks and my only caveat is that you do need to wear them with a primer.  The silky-texture is very forgiving on dry/mature eyelids but without primer, they migrate into the crease quite quickly.  The flipside to this is that you’d be hard-pressed to find easier blending from a high-street eyeshadow.

The Body Shop Colour Crush Eyeshadows are priced at £7.00 each and available instore and online at www.thebodyshop.co.uk

* press sample

I received a press release yesterday announcing the upcoming launch of a new BB cream to the UK market from The Body Shop.  Vitamin E Cool BB Cream is set to hit the stands next Tuesday (26th March) and promises to deliver light coverage in a moisture-rich formula.

The BB Cream will expand upon the bestselling Vitamin E range (a range of which, I’m personally a big fan – toner anyone?) and is enriched with wheatgerm oil, one of nature’s richest sources of Vitamin E.  It can’t actually find any other skincare benefits from this one, and with no sun-protection or other anti-aging technology included… it’s not really a BB Cream is it now?  HAI TINTED MOISTURISER!

Launching 26th March – £10.00

Perhaps most interestingly, The Body Shop have dared to release this new BB Cream in only one shade, classing it as a one-shade-fits-all product.  In reality, this can only mean one thing, coverage will be extremely, extremely light.

From a personal point of view (screw you guys), I’m particularly interested in this release because, if you’re a long-term follower, you may remember that my favourite Summer foundation trick is to use a light, moisturising liquid/cream base with just a hint of colour before applying mineral powder foundation ontop to adjust my coverage level until I’m happy with the finish.

Could this be my new favourite thing?  I AM EXCITE!

Will you be trying it?

The Body Shop Vitamin E Cool BB Cream launches next week, priced at a purse-cheering £10.00, available in-store or online at www.thebodyshop.co.uk

This year, The Body Shop are focusing their campaign efforts on supporting the UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust.  The partnership will see the two organisations working together to improve the lives of young people dealing with cancer age 13 to 24.  Fundraising is, as ever, an important part of the campaign but the partnership will also deliver a range of activities for young people with cancer including make-up workshops in the charity’s specialist cancer units across the UK, and work experience opportunities in The Body Shop® stores.

Simon Davies, CEO of Teenage Cancer Trust says:

“There are strong parallels between our two organisations and we’re looking forward to an exciting year ahead. Cancer and cancer treatment can impact appearance in many difficult ways, including losing hair, dramatically changing weight,  scarring, problems with sight or balance or even losing limbs. We know how hard these issues are for young people to cope with. Our vision is a future where young people’s lives don’t stop because they have cancer, and we want every young person with cancer to have access to our specialist care no matter where they live. The Body Shop’s support will be a powerful force for helping us achieve this.”

From April, customers at The Body Shop stores nationwide will also be given the opportunity to get involved by making a 10p donation at the end of their purchase and in total, The Body Shop aims to raise £250,000 for Teenage Cancer Trust  through a number of fundraising activities throughout the year.

The first of these activities will see The Body Shop release their first charity single!  Beauty With Heart, written and performed by British singer/songwriter Leddra Chapman is available to download now and all proceeds from sales of the single will go to Teenage Cancer Trust.

To download the single – priced at just 99p, go to www.fairsharemusic.com

When it comes to skincare, it can occasionally feel like I’m chasing my tail, fixing one problem only to be faced with another… but if there’s one aspect of looking after my face that I seem to have gotten the hang of, it’s caring for my lips.  This time of year reminds me of the miserable winters I used to spend with constantly sore and painful lips.  If I wasn’t licking at them like a dog attempting to heal its wounds, I was picking… or even worse, peeling.

Lip condition can deteriorate rapidly, we put the central heating on on Sunday for the first time (we didn’t make it to November!) and last night, lying in bed, I could feel that tell-tale tingle around the edges of my lipline.  It’s time to up my game and put my winter plan of action into… well… action!  Without further ado, here are my hints and tips for winter lips!

I shower in the evenings, and the first step in my annual plan for luscious winter lips involves the most basic of cosmetic tools, the washcloth (£3 for 10).  Whilst I’m waiting for my hair conditioner to turn my locks into mermaid-hair, I grab my hot flannel and gently rub back and forth across my lips.  Be gentle mind, you’re not trying to remove a wine-stain!  Doing this every day will soften any flakes that are ready to come away whilst encouraging blood flow and regeneration.

Once I’ve left the shower, my first port of call is to reach for my moisturisers and my lips don’t get left out here.  My night-time ritual (and I do this everyday) is to apply a layer of Lanolips 101 (£11) before bed – this rich, lanolin-based balm provides the best barrier for locking in moisture through the night.  When I wake up in the morning, it’s still there and my lips are plumpity soft underneath – this stuff has been a lifesaver for me over the last couple of years.

During the day, I opt for something a little lighter in texture, which brings me on to Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm (£7.25).  Whilst not as nourishing as the Lanolips, the formula is more comfortable to wear during the day and the added SPF is a bonus.  It’s a compromise that I’m really happy with for now – plus the flavours are lush!  I reapply this over the top of my lipstick whenever I feel that my lips need it.

Talking of lipstick, it can be tricky to provide your favourite shades with a great base and The Body Shop’s Lipscuff (£8) is a cult classic for priming your pout in preparation for every shade.  Swipe the bullet over your lips in the morning, massage in the formula with your fingertip and wipe the excess away with a tissue (or the back of your hand if you’re a bit of a grot like me).  The Lipscuff leaves just enough coconut oil behind to provide moisture without slip and the exfoliating granules ensure that your lipstick won’t emphasise any dry bits.

Lips shrivelled up in the cold?  I’m just joking… we’ll leave the shrivelling up thing for men to deal with.  But if you do need a little extra plumping – particularly lovely for when you’re rocking a nude lip – I still swear by the original (and the best), Du Wop Lip Venom (£11.85) – it’s delightfully tingly (IT’S BURNING, IT’S BURNING!) and leaves my top lip almost matching the stature of my bottom lip, almost.  Thanks for the genetic un-eveness parents…

Finally, you literally shouldn’t leave the house without a little bit of lip highlighting.  Don’t know where to do it?  I stick to the cupids bow, using a subtle highlighter like YSL’s Touche Eclat (£25) which makes for quick and easy blendability.  If you’re wanting to go for a full-on pout, you can also add a highlight along the centre edge of the lower lip line to give the illusion of fuller, more lifted lips.  The Touche Eclat is subtle enough for daytime but if you’re wanting to highlight for a “going out” look, choose a highlighter with a little more shimmer for added wow-factor.

What are your favourite products for keeping your lips soft and full in the colder weather?

There was nothing that my teen-self liked better than spending a Saturday afternoon sniffing her way around the carousel of fragrance oils in my local Body Shop.  I used to lose hours in that store, coming away smelling like an odd fuzzy peach/dewberry fruit hybrid.  I can only imagine the Pepé Le Pew-esque trail I must have left in my wake as I wandered up the high street toward Pilot.

This August will see the launch of The Body Shop’s first 100% organic fragrance collection.  The hand-picked, natural extracts have been blended with community fair-trade alcohol under the supervision of fragrance experts and I, for one, am I excited to see if I can relive my youth, turn back the clock, erase some crowsfeet, re-ignite some fond memories when they hit the shelves next month.

The range comprises five new scents, described thus:

Japanese Cherry Blossom: Fruity and floral, with top notes of Fuji apple and Chinese magnolia, alongside real Japanese cherry blossom.

Indian Night Jasmine: Spicy and seductive, notes of sandalwood and violet leaf fuse with orange blossom and jasmine from India.

Atlas Mountain Rose: Amber and musk combine with citrus notes, exotic spices and mountain rose extracts from Morocco.

Madagascan Vanilla Flower: An Oriental gourmand delight with notes of amber, frangipani, and vanilla from Madagascar.

Amazonian Wild Lily: Green and fresh with iris, orchid and papaya alongside white lilies from Brazil.

One of my favourite “lighter” day scents (you know I like the heavy stuff!) is a Body Shop one that was a limited edition release last year, so I’m really hoping that the brand will have conjured up something special with this new range.

The new Scents of the World fragrance collection will be available from August.

EAU DE TOILETTE RRP £15.00 50ML

FRAGRANCE MIST RRP £7.00 100ML

BODY LOTION RRP £9.00 200ML

BODY WASH RRP £8.00 200ML

PERFUME OIL RRP £7.00 15ML

Were you a Dewberry, White Musk or Fuzzy Peach kinda girl?

As if an obsession with all things beauty wasn’t enough to contend with, I thought I’d let you in on one of my other little ‘collections’.  Home Fragrance Oils.

I’m actually in recovery as far as these bijou bottles are concerned.  Mr. L has in the past, banned me from entering The Body Shop until I finish a bottle which quite frankly, is probably for the best.

I usually have one of these ‘on the burn’ somewhere in my home, they’re mood-lifting, fun to choose from in the shop and often on sale!  As far as quality goes, some of the scents can be a touch Glade-esque but occasionally, The Body Shop blend a scentsational gem!

I have four particular favourites and unfortunately, none of them are currently available.  The Body Shop’s turnover for these products are pretty rapid and ultimately seasonal.  They’ll sometimes be re-released the following year but if you find one that you fall in love with, my advice is to buy in bulk!

My four biggest favourites from recent years have been…

Hit The Beach: I think this was from 2007/2008 and I returned for backups when I discovered how lovely it was!  I actually find it a bit more floral than oceanic despite the name… it’s light, summery and carries a gorgeous vibe that makes me think of wide open windows, dune flowers and a stiff breeze.

Orange Clove: The Body Shop do the citrus-y scents very nicely and this is my favourite of the bunch.  It’s incredibly festive and indeed was a limited release a few Christmases ago.  It’s sweetness reminds me a little of Orange squash which makes it sound far less impressive than it actually is!  Think sweet oranges with a hint of spice.

Very Vanilla: Is the booziest of the vanilla fragrance oils I’ve purchased from The Body Shop… it’s rich, creamy and decadent.  Perfect for burning on cold evenings.

Line Dried Cotton: Ahh, my first and still one of my absolute favourites.  Nothing smells quite as amazing as getting in a clean bed right?  Well… take the scent of clean sheets and intensify it, you’ll get this.  An amazing fragrance for the Summer and I’m on my last bottle now!

There are others that I love to light up but these are the ones that I will always snap up if I see them pop up on eBay (as long as they’re not extortionate).  I would love them to re-release Line Dried Cotton in its original form…. all the other linen/cotton ones they’ve released since don’t quite do it for me in the same way.

Aside from The Body Shop, I’ve also started burning my Haus of Gloi perfume oils (I sound like an arsonist!) not the most economical way of scenting my home but my God are they deliciously potent!

Candles, wax tarts, oils, reed diffusers… I’m a sucker for a great scent.

.

Are you a fan of home fragrancing?  What are your favourite scents?

…plus a free £5 Love Your Body™ card if you don’t already have one or yours needs renewing!

The offer is only open until midnight tonight, so if you’re partaking… get your skates on!

This offer is an IDEAL opportunity for you to stockpile your favourite products and I’m sorely tempted to buy two to ensure that I’ve got a huge enough supply of Ice Blue Shampoo to see Mr. L through the next 2 years!

What would make it even more amazing would be to combine this offer with their current awesome “buy more save more” offer on shower gels (also available instore).

You could have enough bubbles to fill a hundred bathrooms for less than £25!

Gosh, I love a good bargain me.

Let me know if you buy the deal and tell me what you’re gonna buy, I want some inspiration!