A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Tesco’s Xmas Press Day is one of my favourites and is the only one I’ll be managing to get to this year…. something which gives me ultimate sad-face.  You’ll see why if you read this post.  Nonetheless, if I was going to be able to attend just the one, Mr. T really knows how to drag the festive spirit out of me.

The beady-eyed amongst you would have spotted a wide range of Christmas beauty goodies on display (that’s if you managed to scroll past the Christmas dessert table).  Let’s face it, Christmas is still ages away, so I’m not going to go into major details but the standout selections at Tesco this Christmas include:

New range of hair styling tools called T-H-X (Total Hair Experts) offering: curling tong, hair dryer, styling wand, digital straightener, volumising hair dryer, hot air styler, wave tong, and more.

Some great-looking affordable gift sets from the Extracts range

A new Steam Cream tin for Christmas!

Very sparkly hair accessories

and my favourite…

Kings & Queens is coming to Tesco!

I got a bit excited about the last one, you know, what with K&Q being my favourite bodycare range, ever.  I usually buy it online… and was doing cartwheels at the thought of being able to pick up my favourite shower gels along with my shopping… until I found out that it’ll only be sold on Tesco Direct.  Pop goes that bubble.  Sigh.  Still, at least I can get it delivered to store for free.

Anything in the above Yuletide selection taking your fancy?

This little polish spoke to me a couple of weeks ago when I was in my local Tesco (ok, not local – I especially went the extra 3 miles so I could visit one with a beauty aisle) picking up some baby wipes.  It’s a slightly odd colour no?  A bizarre mish-mash of khaki, nude and gold with a delicate multi-coloured shimmer.

It spoke to me.  It said, “Buy me.  You know that you shouldn’t because you already have a billion sitting unswatched, but you know you want to.  Put down the Harissa Paste (what do you need that for anyway) and buy me instead.”

Coincidentally, the Harissa Paste was £2.99 (what do I need that for anyway?) and this little polish from Barbara Daly was £3.00 – fair swapsies.

As much as I like it, it’s a four-coater – which sucks when the bottle is only 7ml but I think it’s still worth the punt.  Swap it for something less tasty though, like Domestos.

Barbara Daly Nail Polish is available instore at Tesco, priced at £3 a bottle.  I think it’s currently on a 3for2 aswell.

Want the latest nail trends without the price tags?  Tesco have released their Spring/Summer shades, and all for a recession-busting 99p a-piece!

Which one is your favourite and will any be landing in your shopping trolley this weekend?

Of course you do, ‘cos after all – between the turkey, stuffing, crackers, mince pies, pringles, pigs in blankets, Quality Street, KP Nuts, trifle… sorry, where was I?  Oh yeah, between all that festive food fare, Mr. T is gonna be raking it in from us – time to get a little something back!

Log on to the Tesco Your Beauty Facebook page and take their new beauty seasonal survey which focuses on our ever-changing skincare needs now that Winter is upon us.

There’s 2500 free beauty products up for grabs, so plenty for all – at least until it gets posted on MoneySavingExpert that is!

Talking of turkeys, don’t forget to sweep your moisturisers down your necks and decolletage… Wha’? I’m just sayin!

Another supermarket, another vintage-inspired bodycare range… all I can say is, these must sell really well!  Sainsbury’s have Dirty Works, Asda have Ella & Rose and now Tesco have jumped on-board with the new Along Came Betty!

These ranges all look a bit samey (I guess that’s the point) but I can totally see the appeal for those who can’t afford to fill their S&G addictions and I bet Grandmas are forever picking them up for younger, female members of the family!

The lineup features a range of body and skincare products inspired by 1950s screen stars and beauty icons. It includes:

~ So Much Bubble Skin Softening Bath Soak (£3.99)
~ To the Skin and Beyond Ultra Rich Body Butter (£4.00)
~ Hey Sugar Sugar Easily Spreadable Body Scrub (£5.99)
~ Clean Around the Clock Soft Skin Shower Wash (£2.99)
~ It’s a Skin Thing Ultra Light Body Butter (£3.99)
~ Say you Scrub me Scrubby Skin Polish (£3.99)
~ The Big Scrub Mitt (£2.00)

Along Came Betty will be selling at 1/3 off from 16.11 to 06.12 and also available on 3for2 from 7.12 to 03.01 January making it ideal for stocking stuffers and hamper builders alike!

If I listen carefully enough, I can hear whoops of joy from 1000s of women south of Watford.  You see, we haven’t had easy access to the inexpensive, uber-tan St. Moriz.  Alas, we’re not deserving enough of B&M Stores, Home Bargains or TJ Hughes.  Infact, when the fake tanner took the beauty blogging world by storm a couple of years ago I remember scouring the aisles of my local TK Maxx for months trying to source a bottle!

Well, we can stop feeling excluded because Mr. T is bringing St. Moriz to the masses.

From the 3rd August, you’ll be able to nab a bottle along with your weekly shop and until the end of the month, it’s on introductory offer:

St. Moriz Self Tanning Mousse Medium (Introductory price of £3.99 – RRP £4.99) until 30th August 2011

St. Moriz Self Tanning Mousse Dark (Introductory price of £3.99 – RRP £4.99) until 30th August 2011

St. Moriz Self Tanning Lotion (Introductory price of £3.99 – RRP £4.99) until 30th August 2011

Not only that but when you buy any St. Moriz product you will receive a 75ml Tan Maximising Body Exfoliating Polish, absolutely free*.

It’s turning out to be a resolutely dodgy Summer but at least we can get our glow on for less than a fiver!

Do you use St. Moriz?  Got any application tips?

* while stocks last

If I could pick only one lip colour to share the rest of eternity with, I would be faced with a decision-making crisis like no other.  I would find it preferable to contemplate chowing down on nothing but beans on toast for the remainder of my days than make an ultimate choice between my pinks, reds and nudes.

Having said that, the first step in the decision-reaching process would be the easiest.  Bold or neutral?  For me, it’s bold all the way.  I adore a bright lip, a pop of colour can work wonders to liven up a dull complexion, lifting weary expressions along the way.  Simply put, a new bright lipstick is one of the quickest, easiest and most affordable pick-me-ups known to (wo)mankind.

Some ladies wear their lip shades with an attitude that allows them to rock any colour they choose but the nervous among us have to be more cautious with our selections.  To play it safe, cooler-toned ladies generally look better in pinks and plums while warmer, olive-toned beauties sparkle in corals and fire-engine reds.  Of course, as with most things in life… rules are there to be broken but it’s always good to know the “rules” first in order to break them with confidence!

My favourite way to wear a bold lip is with good skin (hormones permitting), a slick of eyeliner, a hint of blush and nicely defined brows.  Bright lips can be quite draining so try to remember “fresh” face, not “freshly-dug-up” face when considering your overall look.  The key is to create a balance across the canvas that achieves a harmonious result, easier said than done but work on the basis that less = more and you’re halfway there.

My final consideration in the quest for lip perfection is upkeep.  Bold shades are the Mariah Carey of the lip world, they’re high maintenance and need careful care and attention to avoid a midday meltdown!  For long-lasting lustre, I recommend a liner to avoid bleeding, exfoliation and moisturisation to avoid the colour settling into furrows and the “apply, blot, reapply” technique to fortify dawn-to-dusk colour.  Failing that, just make sure you carry your lippie with you for mid-afternoon top ups!

I’m all about the lipstick but perhaps you’re more of a gloss girl?  The final decision lies with you but don’t forget to share your thoughts!

Tesco Magazine are running their latest campaign, Tesco Your Beauty Awards 2011 where you stand the chance to win lots of lovely beauty bits and if you’re very lucky, a trip to Antigua!

Head over there now and vote on your favourite beauty buys for unleashing the perfect pout!

* this is a sponsored post

Whilst dodging the weekly shop by loitering down the health and beauty aisles, I thought it might be high time to give the Barbara Daly range another once over after being so impressed by the nail polishes.

I was glad I did, because my eyes alighted on these:

Barbara Daly Easy-on-the-Eye Eye Shadow Pens!

I have to draw the comparison to the Ellis Faas eye pens don’t I?  I mean, c’mon… how could I not?

With the Barbara Daly eye shadow pens costing £5.62 in Tesco vs. Ellis Faas’s £22 only stocked at Liberty offering – there’s no prizes for guessing which is gonna win the price/accessibility war but let’s take a look at some of the colours and application shall we?

Let’s face it… these budget versions from Barbara Daly are never gonna win the “which is sexier” battle.  Take a look at the wonderful Witoxicity for an indepth view at the new Ellis Faas Eye Lights pens if you’re unfamiliar with the eyeshadow pen concept.

Pulling off the lid reveals a nylon brush…. pliable and soft with plenty of give (perhaps a little too much give).  The goal is to draw the creme eyeshadow into the chamber and down the middle of the brush head until it emerges onto the tip of the brush.  To do this, you twist the opposite end of the pen which clicks as it rotates and forces the creme up through the bristles… like so…

Out of the four products that I put to the test, each dispensed product accurately and smoothly.  None of this sudden gushing of eyeshadow that the Ellis Faas pens have been known to do.

There’s some beautiful shades in the range, all very wearable both as shadows or eye liners.  I think I saw another shade while I was on holiday too…. I may have imagined it though, a neutral called Hazel?  Anyway… I think you’ll agree, these look pretty pigmented and lovely no?

The cremes glide on (I use the brush pen to apply directly to the eyelid) and blend with my little finger or a separate brush.  Don’t even bother trying to blend these with the built-in brush… it’s only good for creating hard lines, you’ll be turning the air blue before you know it!

Here’s a quick FOTD with Otter as the main focus.  A great shade for bringing out any green lurking in your eyes!  I’m also currently addicted to wearing Airforce as a thick eyeliner (slightly blended along the edge with a smudger brush).

Wear is pretty decent, it sets fully within a couple of minutes and lasts without creasing for about 5 hours when worn with no base.  I know they’re not hugely sexy… I mean, for god’s sake – they have the words “make up” printed on them, but they’ve impressed me!

Check them out next time you’re in Tesco!

Have you tried the Barbara Daly Easy-on-the-Eye pens before?  Which shades are you liking the look of?

Barbara Daly has some caaaaa-ute mini nail polishes (7ml) available in Tesco at the moment.  I’m wearing the shade Sunset which is a glorious pink-toned red.

It’s one of those shades that make your nails look like colourful little smarties and I’m definitely going to check out the other shades whilst they’re on 3for2.  (Currently £3 a piece)

The formula of Sunset is easily one of the best I’ve used.  Yes, it’s that good.  2 coats for a truly perfect finish the brush is well made, the polish glides on my nails and with a slick of top coat gives the most beautifully glossy yet creamy finish.

Not only that… but the above photo was taken on the third day of wear.  Erm… where’s the tip wear?

I just hope the other shades live up to my now hugely inflated expectations!

…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!