A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

BuyEyelashes.co.uk got in touch with me a little while ago to tell me about one of their newest brands, Baci.  Known more traditionally for their lingerie(!), Baci also offer a range of very inexpensive eyelashes starting from only £2.00 a pair.

I wore a set in yesterday’s FOTD and a few of you picked up on them so I thought I’d strike while the iron was hot and pop a post up today talking about them in a little more detail.

The ones I wore in yesterday’s post were #660 – they’re the ones in the foreground of the picture above.  They’re pretty substantial and have a thick band that definitely needs loosening up before application.  I’m STILL pretty rubbish at applying false eyelashes and tend to favour midi-lashes just to add some flutter to the outer lashes.

I didn’t use the glue that these come with because it seemed pretty wimpy to be honest but the lashes themselves are very good for £2.00 a pair.  Sure, they’re quite synthetic, a little heavy on the eyes and they certainly wouldn’t be my ‘good’ lashes but these Bacis have a great curl, nice definition and just fine for the odd night out.

These particular ones also seem pretty indestructible (something I wasn’t expecting), I would definitely be able to get a couple of wears from the #660s!

Baci Lashes are priced from £2.00 and available to buy online from BuyEyelashes.co.uk in a variety of styles.

* press sample

I’ve posted about the packaging and I’ve posted individual close ups of the eyeshadows alongside their official descriptions.  This post will document the swatches from the new Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection* alongside my thoughts on each eyeshadow.

Midnight Rodeo is as Anitacska has been warning me, the love-child of MC/MCRA.  A beautiful base colour, spoiled by chunky glitter that will be ALL over your face in minutes if you’re not very careful about tapping off as much glitter as possible.  Urgh.

Tainted is a disappointment to me too.  A slightly amped up lilac yet it looks more dirty mauvey in the pan, less… prissy and simply more exciting!  Still, the texture is nice, the gold shimmer is a pretty touch and it could well be a grower.  No glitter.

Deeper is a ridiculously well-pigmented shade of awesomeness.  Copper with a firey gold sparkle (not glitter), it’s like a big beasty teddy bear and will make a fantastic liner on green eyes.  It looks a touch ‘grainy’ in my swatch (like Mignight Rodeo) – it’s not… that’s my bad.

Midnight 15 is a velvet-smooth, pale silver taupe.  A great inner corner highlight or an allover wash to brighten the area.  It has some (not too many) silver glitter particles.

Junkshow is a shocking pink with violet flashes.  Smooth shimmer with no glitter, I can see this one getting a lot of use on days when I’m feeling a little brave!

M.I.A is one of the most buttery eye shadows I’ve ever swatched.  It’s a deep chocolate shimmer with no glitter.  Hugely versatile.

Vanilla, the obvious highlighter is a smooth pale gold.  No glitter.

Omen is a violet with strong blue flashes.  Clearly, it’s stunning and builds up with great intensity though you’ll find a dupe (albeit a more greasy version) for a £1 in MUA’s eyeshadows.  Glitter free.

Ace is a graphite that is a good shade lighter than my swatch suggests (sorry).  A nice alternative to black for darkening the crease colour with a good texture.  No glitter.

Flow is a beautiful, neutral lid shade.  A shimmery peach that doesn’t pull too warm for cool skin tones.  Very pretty if not hugely exciting.  No glitter.

Evidence is a cracking midnight blue with some great vivid flashes.  It benefits from some building up and has a slightly hard texture.  No glitter.

Blackout, it’s matte black.  Move along.

Chase almost looks foiled right?  Another ridiculously buttery eyeshadow with a high-metallic finish.  Very pretty and glitter-free.

Deep End is a beautiful green/blue mix that leans slightly more green to my eye.  It’s a pretty shimmer with impressive pigmentation.  No glitter.

Half Truth is a smoky purple with multi-coloured shimmer.  Probably the most unique shade in the palette and my favourite!  Tres jolie!

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My top 5 shades:  Half Truth, Deeper, Chase, Evidence, M.I.A

The Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection is available to buy online at Debenhams.com, priced at £39.00

Have your favourites changed now you’ve seen the swatches?

* press sample

The new Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection* offers fifteen new shades, that’s one for each year they’ve been around.  Fifteen years huh?  I wonder when they launched the brand to the UK market?  I can probably remember back to around 2005/6 but don’t quote me on that… as I think I’ve said before, it was their nail polishes that used to catch my attention back then.

Anyway, 15 years… 15 new shades.  Let’s take a closer look at them.

Midnight Rodeo (medium metallic brown w/silver and gold glitter)

Tainted (pale matte purple with golden shimmer)

Deeper (deep shimmery golden brown)

Midnight 15 (oyster pearl w/silver glitter)

Junkshow (bright pink w/fuchsia shift)

M.I.A. (soft shimmery dark brown)

Vanilla (shimmery white gold)

Omen (shimmery metallic bright purple w/blue shift)

Ace (dark gunmetal shimmer)

Flow (soft peach shimmer)

Evidence (deep metallic blue)

Blackout (darkest, most saturated black)

Chase (metallic bright bronze)

Deep End (bright teal shimmer)

Half Truth (shimmery smoky purple)

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As far as the range of shades go, I think Urban Decay have taken a good line with this palette.  They seem to have placed a focus on the usable, a term which shouldn’t be confused with neutral.

However it may suffer from being a little non-commital, I’ve already heard grumbles from neutral-lovers saying that it reminds them too much of the Naked Palette (I guess there’s only so many variations of Bronze out there) whilst the brights fans may feel a little ignored with this release.

I’ve also read a couple of grumbles that there are no mattes in this palette which I have to agree is a real shame as Urban Decay have released some incredible and under-rated matte shades over the years.

Before swatching (my opinion may change!), the initial stand-out beauties for me are: Tainted, Midnight 15, Ace, Evidence and Half Truth.  I hope they don’t disappoint.

Swatches tomorrow but in the mean-time… Best shade there?  How about the worst?

The Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection is available to buy online at Debenhams.com, priced at £39.00

* press sample

Well, it’s reached our shores… the Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection* has arrived in the UK and is currently available online at Debenhams on a limited edition run.

Released in celebration of Urban Decay’s 15th Anniversary, the eyeshadow collection features 15 never-seen-before full size shades.  These aren’t re-releases of older shades in palette form, you’ll find no MCRA in this palette.

It’s gonna get a bit picture heavy…

demonstrating the reflective finish, not flipping a ‘V’ – promise!

You can’t really hold an Urban Decay palette in your hands without having some thoughts on the way it’s been presented.  The 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection waves goodbye to the cardboard packaging of old in favour of plastic.  It’s better than it sounds, I promise!  The high shine finish, jewelled UD logo and beautiful filigree edging ensures that this is one hunk of plastic that is definitely dressing-table worthy.

Invert the lid and you’ll find a large mirror that stretches from corner to corner.  Lift the platform that the eyeshadows rest upon and you’ll find a ‘velvet’ lined (shallow) compartment below which will give some extra life to the packaging even after the shadows have long been used or even depotted.

Is any of this necessary?  Of course not and I hope the addition of things like the ‘secret’ compartment didn’t bump the price, especially when the packaging of the relatively austere Naked Palette had been so well received.  However, with an extra three shadows on the Naked Palette and only a £4 difference (the price of the NP has risen), it doesn’t seem too out of line from a pricing point of view.

Tomorrow I’ll be focusing on the eye shadows and on Wednesday, those all important swatches.

The Urban Decay 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection is available to buy online at Debenhams.com, priced at £39.00

So, come on lovely people… you never hold back opinions on the UD Palettes.  First impressions?

oh… and here’s a bonus picture for the OCD among us… FINGERPRINTS! *throws arms up and acts like world is ending*

* press sample

Estee Lauder’s Autumn 2011 collection goes by the name Modern Mercury and includes three limited edition Pure Color Liquid Eyeliners in a trio of metallic shades.

I’ve got one of the three shades here to show you: Graphite.  A sparkling charcoal with multi-coloured shimmer that makes such a lovely change from black.  I’m already a big fan of charcoal eyeliner, it provides a softer look that still carries a bit of impact.  Infact, I’m wearing my Lord & Berry in this post on another item from the Modern Mercury collection!

Long-handled, slender and well-designed with a flexible, soft nib for drawing precision lines, the Graphite liquid liner ticks most of the boxes.  I prefer this design to spindly brushes or chunky nibs as I find they offer the greatest compromise between control and precision.

The inky formula is well pigmented and opaque within two strokes.  It dries very quickly to a smudge-proof, water-proof finish providing a metallic gleam that manages to avoid the ‘wet-look’.

It’s all great so far huh?  Except, there is one problem… it flakes.  You’ll get to around 90% satisfaction before this bothers you but really?  It shouldn’t flake at all and it’s a bugbear for me.  It won’t stop me wearing it but it will stop me wearing it with complete confidence.  The above photo was taken about 5 hours into my day and you can see that it’s holding up pretty well but there is evidence of some flaking going on… a few specks around my eyes and a little caught in my eyelashes.

You can’t see in the above photo but the top edge of the line is no longer perfect, this is the first area to show signs of wear.  I’m being pernickity (as always) but when I’m reviewing an eyeliner that costs £19.00 – it’s only right that I am.

How about some comparisons?  I dug around in my eyeliner drawer (it’s only a little drawer, I’m not completely mad) and pulled out a few that seemed fairly close (ok, the last one is MILES off!):

1.  Barry M Metallic Liquid Eyeliner #1
2.  Chantecaille Luminous Eye Liner in Pianissimo
3.  Estee Lauder Pure Color Liquid Eyeliner in Graphite
4.  Lord & Berry Liquid Eyeliner in Slate
5.  Chantecaille Luminous Eye Liner in Allegro
6.  NARS Liquid Eyeliner in Bullitt

Most of these are now discontinued but luckily, the one that bears the closest resemblance isn’t!  Again, it’s Barry M that’s coming up to be the nearest in terms of shade duping so if you’re on a budget, check it out!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Liquid Eyeliner in Graphite (£19.00) is available on counter now and online at Estee Lauder.

Do you wear grey eyeliner?  What’s your favourite?

I was sure I’d already blogged about my Guerlain Météorites Perles?  I mean, there aren’t many items I use so frequently but this is one of the ones I reach for almost every morning.

And for one, it’s a pure joy just to reach for… look…

I bought the shade 01 Teint Rosé back in March when I had a coupon code for StrawberryNet.  I’d been lusting after them forever but money-off was the final push I needed to take the plunge!

The metal tin houses 100s? (I’m not counting them) of little powder balls in a variety of lilac, green, pink, yellow and white shades that promise to colour-correct and impart a healthy glow.  It also smells like a giant parma violet.

I use this in conjunction with my Trish McEvoy powder brush #5 to swirl before lightly buffing over my face.  My personal preference is to use this when I’ve finished applying my makeup… it gives a very light covering so I consider it my ‘finishing’ powder.  To my eye, it adds luminosity and a slight soft-focus finish.  You might be interested to hear that the other product I use (when I’m not using this) is ELF’s HD Powder.  Eclectic.

Guerlain Météorites occasionally comes under accusations of being a bit “Emperors New Clothes” but all I can say about it is that it’s one of my very few Holy Grail items and will last me for (literally) many years, making its hefty price tag seem a little more justifiable.

Do you use Guerlain Météorites?  Love it?  Think it’s massively over-rated?

Estee Lauder’s Autumn 2011 collection goes by the name Modern Mercury and features three limited edition matte lipsticks that are perfect for bold-textured lips as the longer nights begin to draw in.

I have one of the three shades: Fuchsia Velvet (£18.50), a hot, hawt pink with violet/blue leanings.  It’s as matte as they come and with a depth of pigmentation that will beat most lipsticks into the ground.  Have a look:

please excuse the blotchy “just been threaded” eyebrow area

The texture is creamy but not too heavy on slip, I recommend a lip brush to apply (my favourite is by Lancome) such bold shades.  If you don’t like such a harsh line you can always soften it a little once it’s on there but I think this formula really benefits from being ‘worked’ into the lip a little with a good brush.

As a matte, it is a touch drying… it doesn’t suck my lips of moisture like some but it does feel a little uncomfortable after a couple of hours.  The flip-side to this is that it stays put.  Like, seriously.  I applied, blotted, applied and it saw me through an entire morning and a good amount of the afternoon.  This would make an excellent choice for evenings out or special occasions (I’m considering wearing it to Saturday’s wedding).

I thought I’d compare it to some of my other hot pinks (I like hot pinks).

1.  Estee Lauder Fuchsia Velvet
2.  Tom Ford Pure Pink
3.  Illamasqua Atomic
4.  Benefit Pillow Talk
5.  Barry M #145
6.  MUFE Rouge Artist Intense #36

If you’re on a budget, you’ll be pleased to hear that the BarryM is the closest alternative available to Estee Lauder’s Fuchsia Velvet but on my lips, the BarryM leans a little more cherry.

Estee Lauder Modern Mercury Collection is available to buy on counter and online now.

* press sample

I picked this up at the start of the week from the Inglot store in Westfield.  I was impressed with the super-fluid texture that I knew would combine nicely with my foundation.  I tend to use liquid highlighters to give a boost of radiance to my foundations rather than as ‘spot’ highlighters.

There are a few colour options available, I didn’t take not of exactly how many… but something like 6?  I chose the pale gold which looks remarkably yellow.  Infact, truth be told… I didn’t choose it.  The SA told me I should choose it over the two that I was contemplating (a white/silver and a rose gold).  I was unsure because this really is pale GOLD gold.  She argued that it would tone down the pink-tones in my skin for a more even complexion.

Yeah, that sold it.

I’ve been mixing a single pump into my foundation before applying and I really like it.  It’s not glittery but gives a nice amount of radiance to my complexion.  I also agree that I’d been steered toward a good colour choice… it doesn’t give me a more neutral-toned complexion but it compliments what is already there without exacerbating the pink undertone.

I can’t find my receipt but I think it was around £11, a bargain compared to similar products like the Armani Fluid Sheers (love those too).

Do you mix highlighter in with your foundation?

A few of you eagle-eyed ladies have spotted that I’ve been wearing a particularly impressive mascara over the last few days.  Nothing sneaks past you eh?

Well, now I’ve put it through its paces, I’m happy to reveal that it’s the NEW Benefit They’re Real! Mascara* which is due out for release at the end of August.

From the moment I had a sneak peek at the wand, I knew this mascara would suit my lashes.  My lashes are not very dark and quite fine but there’s plenty of them and they have a good, natural curl.  I need a smooth mascara that offers tip base-to-tip coverage and doesn’t clump to achieve maximum results.  I’m not too fussed about curl but it needs to stay put so I don’t get transfer to my droopy upper lids.

This is a killer mascara in all the best ways possible.

The brush is similar to the Boots No7 Exceptional Definition (another fav) mascara with the little trebuchet on the end but the formula is more impressive and long-wearing.  I don’t get any flakes or transfer with They’re Real! but it is a bit of a pain to remove.  I wouldn’t even attempt it without an good makeup remover or oil-based cleanser.

Now for the most important bit… what point is a post on a mascara without some before/afters huh?

Please tell me I DON’T need to point out which eye has the mascara on!

I’ve also added this photo below from the end of the day so you can see how long-wearing it is.  No flakes, no droop… just as good as new.

I’m having a good week of discovering must-haves!

Now, if you can’t wait until the end of August for the nationwide release… Benefit are having a 1 Day Flash Sale on the 6th August where you’ll be able to get your hands on it before anyone else.  See below for details and where to buy.

Benefit They’re Real! Mascara has the thumbs up from me and will be released nationwide from the 27th August priced at £18.50

* press sample

OK, I’m nearly done with “the best lipstick that ever graced makeup counters anywhere” but as promised, here’s a FOTD showing the Burberry Lip Cover Lipstick in Claret worn in a more casual way.

This is how I favour it… not that I don’t like it worn as a full-on red lipstick but I’m delighted to have something that I can blot onto my lips and achieve a good 6 hours of wear from with it come out still looking pretty pristine the other side.

The camera hasn’t picked it up but there is a sprinkling of silver sparkle throughout the lipstick and it’s more apparent after blotting, perhaps because the actual act of blotting mattifies the colour base.  Whatever the reason, the sparkle shines through in an understated way.

So yeah, incase you haven’t already deduced… this is my lipstick du jour.  My objet d’art *insert more poncy faux frenchness here*.  Check out this post if you want to see the shade swatched in full pigmentation.

You can purchase Burberry lipsticks at Harrods if you’re nearby but I also discovered last night that the Burberry website is offering free-freaking-delivery at the moment, which is also pretty awesome.  The lipsticks are £22 each.

Lip stains are generally pretty cack aren’t they?  That Max Factor Lipfinity one?  Cack with a capital C, it tastes revolting too.  The Revlon Just Bitten version is only mildly more tolerable but horrendously drying on my lips.

And so, it was with a certain amount of “here we go again…” that I took this Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm* away with me after a recent blogger event.  My previous experiences were definitely playing heavily on my mind.

The Smashbox stain is a dual-ended affair with a liquid-dispensing felt tip on one end and a stick of balm on the other.  The shade is Sangria, a bold wine-red… as you may have guessed from the name.

The felt tip is the best I’ve used… it’s non-scratchy and dispenses an even amount of stain across the surface of my lips regardless of the angles I’m using to apply.  These would probably go down really well in outer space for that reason alone.

The other end offers a chunk of barely-coloured balm designed to match the stain in a hydrating formula.

Some lip stains that I’ve used have had the tendency to be wishy-washy, needing many coats to build up the colour.  Not so here… the Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm in Sangria (I haven’t tried the other shades) is bold.  Very bold.  Vampy bold even.

Unfortunately, it all starts to go a bit wrong from here.

Once applied, I liked it a lot… infact I decided that I loved it.  2 hours in and the colour was holding fast without my lips being painfully dehydrated as a result.  I had even decided that I would look past the £21.50 price tag for something that was such a WIN at being awesomely long-lasting and beautifully powerful.

Then suddenly at around the 4hr mark, things went awry and the colour slipped VERY quickly.  I should also point out that I hadn’t eaten anything (just sipped at the usual 56 cups of tea over the course of the morning).

This is how it looked when I first applied it.  Lovely innit?  I was full of “OMG, I <3 Smashbox” at the time this photo was taken.

Problem is that when this thing fades, it fades UGLY.  Mr. L was adamant that I was bleeding from the mouth.

It was looking not so hot after 4 hours but I left it another hour before taking the photo.  I don’t want a lip colour that’s gonna scare the crap out of people around me.  I don’t need that kind of hassle in my life and I don’t want people stopping me in the street asking if I need a paramedic.

On the plus side, the Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm does not feather, isn’t horrendously drying and looks amaze when first applied.  If you can remain no more than 4ft from a mirror at all times when wearing it for re-application checks, you’re gonna be in heaven.  Me?  I’m a bit scared of it.

Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain and Colour Seal Balm is available in 6 shades and is priced at £21.50 from Debenhams.

* press sample

I was at an event last night that showcased some of Laura Mercier’s A/W collection and upcoming releases.  I have to say that although the A/W didn’t do much to whet my appetite, these little sticks of dynamite colour certainly got my attention focused.

The Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Colours will be released next month across counters nationwide in a total of eight shades though only 4 were available to view last night so bear with me while I show you these for now.  They’re reminiscent of the MAC Shadesticks, if you’re familiar with those… you’ll recognise the concept.  It’s simple: a cream shadow/liner in twist-up crayon form.  The formula feels soft (unlike some of the MAC Shadesticks) and is incredibly pigmented.  The swatches shown below are maximum two/three passes against my skin.

from left to right: smoke, steel, amethyst & cocoa

They set after about 20 seconds into what is claimed to be a creaseproof, smudgeproof finish.  I did indeed have trouble removing the swatch of the darkest shade and needed the help of some heavy-duty scrubbing and a baby wipe to do the job.  I haven’t tried these on my eyes so can’t offer any opinions on longevity or blendability but I’m totally flagging them up as something to look out for, the colours on display were quite beautiful.

The complete shade range will include:

♦ Plum
♦ Amethyst
♦ Steel
♦ Sapphire
♦ Smoke
♦ Jungle
♦ Khaki
♦ Cocoa

They’ll retail at £20.50 a piece and can be used alone, over primer or under shadow to create a host of versatile looks.

Will you be interested in checking these out next month?