A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…this year are two great homegrown brands.  Both The Body Shop and LUSH have commissioned their own festive videos for interwebz consumption.

If you haven’t seen them already, you can check out their festive video offerings below:

But which is your favourite Christmas video?

In the words of Harry Hill’s TV Burp… The Body Shop vs. Lush?  FIGHT!

Five names have been drawn at random and I’m pleased to announce the lucky winners who will each receive a set of The Body Shop Originals products are….

1). Rose

2). Konni

3). Nicola Abbott

4). Viv

5). Suzanne

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Congratulations ladies, I’ll be getting in touch this evening to get your details so that I can have the prizes sent out to you ASAP.  Also, don’t forget that The Body Shop are running their own Originals competition which closes tomorrow!

Thanks for taking part everyone!

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The Lipglossiping annual Advent giveaway is starting this Wednesday!!

Be there, or miss out!

It’s FRIDAY!!!!  And if you ain’t spending the day pleading with MAC to sell you a lipstick, then you’re probably doing more important things like working… or picking your toes.

But stop what you’re doing right now!  Come and enter my giveaway…

I have sets of 6 Body Shop Originals products to give away to FIVE lucky readers… the image above is just me messing about in photoshop… I dunno what ones you’ll be getting, consider it a retro pick n’ mix!

To enter my giveaway, simply leave a comment and let me know… which is your favourite Body Shop Originals product?

Have a flippin’ lovely weekend chicas!

To celebrate the re-introduction of some long-lost favourites, The Body Shop are asking YOU to ‘Create an Original’.

If you could bottle a scent, what would it be?

Share the story behind your original scent and you could win the chance of turning that scent into a limited edition shower gel and get whisked off to the Body Shop’s ultra cool laboratory for three nights to watch your scent enter development!

Ice Blue Shampoo is still my total favourite from The Originals line up… but honourable mentions simply MUST go to the Fuzzy Peach and Dewberry scents.

If you want a crack at the competition, get a move on!  They’re accepting entries up until the 30th November.  Simply enter through the website here.

Stay tuned, ‘cos I’ve got a lovely Body Shop Originals Giveaway for FIVE lucky readers tomorrow!

Being charitable isn’t always glamourous and I think we could probably all be more generous of spirit at times but it’s often hard to find causes that resonate.

I’ll be the first to put my hands up and admit that I could be more giving over the course of the year.  There’s only really two charities that I support all year round and I need the push that their newsletters bring to remind me to do so.  Which is why Christmastime gives me a focus to broaden my horizons and learn about the other good causes out there.

It may be a cliche… but for me, Christmas is all about children… which is why I want to introduce you to a very specfic cause that has a beautifully clear and heart-warming aim.

British skincare brand This Works have joined forces with London-based charity Kids Company to release two products that promote a very worthy cause.

The aim?

To provide 2000 Christmas Dinners for vulnerable children who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day.

I’ve heard that the Kids Company Christmas Event is a sight to behold… games, activities, Christmas dinners and at the end of a long, fun-filled day.. a beautifully wrapped present for each child to take home with them!

Christmas should be magical regardless of your age and it’s events like these that give one hell of a boost, not only to the kids but also to the families that can watch their babies enjoy themselves and just. be. children.

So what are the products?

Perfect Hands – £18

“Perfect Hands is a deeply hydrating natural hand cream blended with Rose oil, Mimosa and Musk Mallow for smooth and young looking hands.  It contains powerful natural actives such as Larch extract which tightens and firms the skin while anti-aging Hyaluronic acid locks moisture in.  Rape Seed extract also helps to reduce the appearance of dark spots on the skin.”

Wish – £14

“Wish is the perfect hand-bag accessory with three mini skincare solutions for beautiful skin.

· The 100% natural multi-purpose Super Lips (10g) with Monoi Oil to hydrate the lips
· Soothing Tired Eye Serum (5ml) with Arnica to eliminate dark circles and Cucumber and Aloe Vera to soothe
· A refreshing facial spray, Quick Spritz (5ml) with Rosewood Oil to keep you cool on the go.”

£1.80 from each Helping Hands product sold will go towards Kids Company

You can buy This Works Helping Hands sets online from http://www.thisworks.com/home/helping-hands

Do you try to buy gifts that ‘give back’ at Christmastime?

Did you know that today, October 18th… marks the UK’s first Anti-Slavery Day?

I had the opportunity to put a few questions to Hannah Pearce from ECPAT (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes) to talk about why slavery is still an issue, what needs to be changed and how we go about making those changes.

How is slavery an issue in the UK today?

We were really pleased that the government decided, in part as a result of ECPAT UK’s lobbying, to introduce a national Anti-Slavery Day earlier this year.  The UK’s first ever Anti-Slavery Day will be marked on 18th October 2010.

Whilst slavery was officially abolished almost 200 hundred years ago a modern version of slavery exists in the form of child trafficking.  ECPAT UK is part of a global network of organisations campaigning against child trafficking.  ECPAT UK has carried out research over recent years which has found that children are trafficked to the UK from a wide range of countries.  These are children who have faced appalling experiences of exploitation; children who have been trafficked for sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, cannabis cultivation, forced criminal activities and benefit fraud.

It’s both sad and shocking to understand this, what would be the single most important thing the government could do to help?

Our campaign with the Body Shop is calling on the government to introduce a system of guardianship to be introduced for all trafficked children.  Children who have been trafficked do not have anyone to look after them and make decisions on their behalf as a parent would do.  Although many professionals can be involved in the care of a child who has been trafficked no one person has parental responsibility. We believe there are substantial gaps in the system of support for trafficked children who need guidance through the welfare, legal, asylum and immigration processes.  A guardian would ensure that these children receive the support they need.

What is it about The Body Shop (other than their High Street positioning) that ECPAT feels makes them the company to help with this campaign?

Anita Roddick was a truly inspirational woman and her commitment to social justice lives on in the Body Shop. Before she died she had decided that the Body Shop would launch a campaign against child trafficking and she made contact with ECPAT to discuss how we might be able to work together.

From ECPAT’s point of view we are really delighted to be working with a company that is renowned for its social values, and the campaign has given us an amazing opportunity to bring the issue of child trafficking into high streets not only across the UK, but across the world.

The Body Shop have been running an online petition to stop the sex trafficking of young people, how many signatures do you currently have and what’s the next step with this?

Hundreds of thousands of people across the UK have already signed the petition either in Body Shop stores or on the website, which is absolutely fantastic.  We will continue to collect signatures until next March.  Then later in 2011 we will be presenting, what we hope will be one of the biggest petitions ever collected, to the Prime Minister.  We will be asking the Prime Minister to acknowledged the massive groundswell of support for trafficked children by asking him to take action and introduce a system of guardianship.

Sounds great, how can we help?

It would be brilliant if you could sign the petition and even better if you could ask ten friends to sign the petition as well.  You can sign the petition in Body Shop stores or by going to the campaign website www.thebodyshop.com/stop

As well as supporting our campaign by signing the petition you can buy the special campaign hand cream, Soft hands, Kind heart.  The hand cream costs £3.50 and all the profits (£2.36 per bottle) are donated to ECPAT.

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Special thanks to Hannah for taking the time to help us understand more about a subject that should be frontpage news today and every day until it’s an issue no longer plaguing our society.

Come on ladies, no matter where you are in the world… if you haven’t signed the petition – please do it now, to mark Anti-Slavery Day.  It will only take a minute of your time.

Click the button below to select your country and SIGN!

It was the the Body Shop Summer Baked to Last bronzers that caught my eye in store before anything else when they were released at the start of the Summer.  They have that whole MAC MSF thing going on don’t they?  We were introduced to them more closely at a blogger event in the Summer…

Priced At £14 each, one could easily argue that they are aimed at the same kind of market as MAC.  So let’s see how they shape up shall we?

Warm Glow – £14

Warm Glow is the paler of the two shades and despite it’s name, isn’t actually too warm at all.  A hint of pinkness mixed in with the warmer brown tones keeps this from being too orange.

Well pigmented with a fine shimmer, the above shows a heavy swatch on the inside of my wrist.  You can see that I have to work quite lightly with this bronzer but to be honest… that’s the case for 99.9% of all bronzers I use anyway!

What I really like about this product is that unlike the MAC MSFs I’ve tried in the past, this doesn’t give my face any kind of metallic sheen.  The shimmer adds a glow without being too obvious.  I wouldn’t use this to contour, I prefer to use matte shades for that… but dusted lightly onto the cheeks?  It’s a really nice warm (without being too warm) bronzer.

Love it!

Golden Bronze – £14

A far deeper affair than Warm Glow.  Golden Bronze is clearly more suited to darker skintones or those looking for a more dramatic effect.

I found the texture of Golden Bronze to be a tiny bit harder than Warm Glow, it didn’t swatch quite as smoothly either.  You can see that I would struggle to use this shade as anything other than an eyeshadow but again, it benefits from a lovely sheen that isn’t too obvious.

Overall, I was impressed with both of these samples I was given and it’s not very often that I’ll say that a Body Shop makeup item is worth the asking price.  I ‘get’ why it’s more expensive than other high street offerings… products produced from ethically sourced base ingredients often are.  But judged purely on it’s quality as a cosmetic product?  These are worth the asking price.

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Also, isn’t it soon that The Body Shop start discounting their Summer cosmetics online?  Keep an eye out ladies because I see that the Autumn blushes are out online (and looking flippin’ gorgeous!)

You can purchase the Baked to last Bronzers online or instore priced at £14 each.

I think it’s about time for an update to this post.

It’s been a month and I’ve been sticking to the new routine, using The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare.  Infact, I’ve finished the bottles that I was given at their blogger event in the Summer.

I know it’s taken me a while to review, but not only did my hair need to get used to the new products, I needed to get used to the new routine too.  It’s a big difference going from normal detergents and condtioners and it takes a while to adjust.

So, I’ve been trialling The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture variety which is aimed at dry hair types.  My hair is coloured (frequently) and as a result, a little over-processed and dry.  It needs something that isn’t stripping.

My first impressions of this weren’t positive.  Within the 3rd use, my hair felt like straw.  It was unmanageable and bushy… rough and knotty.  I tried using more conditioner, but didn’t experience any improvements.  I nearly gave up on it completely.

Instead, I tried using it in conjunction with my normal conditioner.  I was worried that by using a normal conditioner, I’d be giving the sls-free shampoo too tough a job to clear my hair of build-up… but for me?  This is working well.

The shampoo takes a little getting used to, it doesn’t lather very well on the hair.  It’s recommended to rub it between your palms to build up a small amount of lather before applying to your hair and this does make a difference.

I simply found that the condtioner didn’t do enough to smooth the hair shaft.  Whilst I’m not in love with either of these products, I would purchase the shampoo again.  It left my hair feeling clean and since getting rid of my scalp issues (thanks Nizoral!) it hasn’t caused any further irritations.

Priced at £4 for 250ml, I think the range is pretty good value for money considering the natural and eco-friendly ingredients, but I’d need to see more moisture from the conditioner before I’d purchase again.

You can buy The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare range online or instore.

If you find yourself a little flush this Autumn, then you may want to check out the new limited edition Tom Ford Black Orchid collection.

Comprising of 3 pieces:

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~ The revamped Black Orchid lipstick (in black casing instead of white)

~ The new Black Orchid Nail Colour – a new venure for the Tom Ford beauty lineup

~ The new Black Orchid Pressed Perfume – the piece that captures my interest… look at that beautifully sexy slimline packaging!

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The new collection will be available in Harvey Nichols from the 4th October 2010 and elsewhere from 1st December 2010.

Price?  An eye-watering £90.  Did you expect anything less?

Dark, grungy and all about texture… Topshop’s new Autumn/Winter makeup range, Heavy Duty… is set to launch at the end of the month.  From ultra-wet looking glossy lips through to slept-in smoky eyes the new collection is a far cry from the high-street store’s Summer offerings.

LIP MARKER: A felt tip pen applicator for long lasting gorgeously bitten looking lips. So efficient; use an oil based cleanser to ensure full removal.  Shade: Ultimate

GLOSS: The perfect formula for creating heavy lacquered lips that look dipped in paint.  Choose from three deep sultry tones for a full on wash of colour.  Shades: Volt, Gloom and Undertone.

KOHL DUST: A revolutionary formula that crumbles and smudges to create the perfect smokey eye.  Perfect for both top and lower lid, inside and out, the 3D effect is the first of it’s kind.  Shade: Ash.

EYE PALETTE: Two beautiful and complementary shades encased in a mirrored palette.  Build them up wet and watch the diamond like formula reveal a deep and dramatic finish.  Palette Shades: Thunder and Greyscale.

CREAM LINERS: With four unique and fashion forward shades to choose from use as a liner, a wash or build up for an intense injection of colour.  Applicator included.  Shades: Facet, Steely, Etch, Ravine.

CRAYON: The ultimate pigmented kohl presented in a chubby crayon for buildable coverage.  A choice of two dark and sultry shades that easily smudge for a dramatic and smokey effect.  Shades: Graphite and Burnish.

MASCARA: High drama lashes in an instant.  Lifts, lengthens and defines for buildable volume, perfect for this season’s heavier lash.  Shade: Carbon.

NAILS: A collection of three intense nail lacquers of contrasting and complementing petrol hues.  Shades: Metallic Khaki, Iridescent Grey, Metallic Blue.

Heavy Duty will be available towards the end of this month instore and online with prices ranging between £6-£10.

Anything catching your attention?

Now, I’m not usually into brand bashing but how about an original idea TheBalm?

A).  Batter Up is a stupid name.

B). Adding the words Creaseless Cream to the title? Oh HAI Benefit…

C). I get that you’re a quirky brand from San Francisco too already…

D). You could have redeemed yourselves by leapfrogging Benefit and going all out on the colour shades…

did you?  DID YOU?

No.

No, you didn’t.

Lame.

Having um said that, I think I’ll still probably try one at some point…. yano, just to satisfy my cream eyeshadow addiction.  Yeah, I’m lame too.

Though… perhaps not if the retail price of £18 (they’re $18 in the US) is to be believed… £18?!  For a TheBalm *insert stupid name* Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow that may or may not be as good as a £14 Benefit Creaseless Cream?  On yer bike.

I’m starting a new series called The Countdown.  Each month, around this kinda time I’m gonna be having a root about on my desk and in my cabinets to find the top 3 products that I’ve reached for in that particular month.  They may be long since discontinued or they may be new acquisitions.

I love reading people’s favourites lists and I often find hidden gems amongst them, so I hope this will be interesting to you lovely lot!  Today it’s my top 3 blushes of August.

1. Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in M23 Wine – Stupid shade name, I’ve never drunk a wine this shade. If I had, I would be sure to have remembered the belly ache that would have followed!

I’ve been using this matte blush with a very light hand, just a pop on the apples of the cheeks with a loose bristled brush.  EASY to go overboard with this one!

2. Topshop Blush in Butterscotch – If Shu’s Wine is easy to overdo… this is the exact opposite.  It takes quite a bit to get this to show up on me.  I’ve been using my fingers to apply and like the natural effect this cream blush gives.  I’m not sure I’d repurchase because I’d like one with a bit more oomph – but I’ve been reaching for it a lot this month because I’m loving the nude colour.

3. Illamasqua Cream Blush in Laid – A recent purchase, Laid is a cool toned hot pink… again, this one is best reserved for the apples of the cheeks unless you’re going for that 80s look!  Blends like a dream and so quick for a fuss-free pop of colour.  Love it.

What have been your favourite blushers this month?