A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

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  Currently hot topic across the UK blogosphere, we’re about 3 years out of date on this one.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?

Well, I wasn’t gonna get sucked into the hype.  Oh no, not me!  But then I thought “oooh just one little look to see what everyone’s going on about… *swoon*, *thud*, *kerching*”

Sucker.

Priced at £24.50, I believe this makes the Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense in #3 Purpura, the most expensive single eyeshadow I own, roundly beating my Le Metier de Beaute spangly silver that I bought on impulse and have barely worn to this day.

So first things first, is it worth that horrendous price tag?  Of course it’s not… but like my Tom Ford lippies, the numbers that ring up on the till matter less once I’ve fallen head over heels.  All that matters is finding ways to justify why I require at least one more from the range.  Sucker.

The Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Intense range of 12 shades incorporate multi-faceted pigment with impressive colour payoff and a rich, creamy formula.

I initially approached the counter with Lust Red in mind after seeing Temptalia’s swatch of the blackened-red shade… but a quick check at the alternatives available had me lusting after something a little lighter for Summer.  Don’t worry Lust Red… I’m coming back for you in the Autumn!

Purpura, #3 is a beautifully blended mix of purples and gold that combine to create a violet-toned charcoal that dances with a golden glimmer.

I wouldn’t class this as sheer when applied dry but it’s definitely more ‘buildable’ (that’s a diplomatic way of putting it!) than some of the other, more intense shades.  This is actually one of the reasons I purchased it as it felt “airier” and more befitting for hot days when a ‘made up’ face just looks a little too much.

The three swatches above show Purpura applied dry, ontop of primer (Urban Decay original) and with a damp brush.  There’s not a great deal of difference between using a primer or simply applying it with a dampened brush so I’d imagine the question of preference will come down to longevity.

As for longevity, well I don’t have any opinion on that yet seeing as I only bought this yesterday.  All reports sound good so I’m looking forward to decent wear from this really, rather expensive but ultimately flippin’ gorgeous eyeshadow.

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense eyeshadow in #3 Purpura is priced at £23.50 and available to buy on counter if you can find stock.  As of yesterday (31/5), Selfridges in London was out but Harvey Nichols came up trumps!

What do you think?  Like or no-like?

Do you know the last time I did a mascara review?  No, me neither… but it’s been a hella long time.  I used to do at least one a month but I ended up disillusioning myself seeing such little overall difference between the various tubes available.

One Mascara that I’ve always meant to pick up and try is the Max Factor False Lash Effect which I know often gets loads of praise from MUA circles.  I umm’ed and ahh’ed in Boots over whether to go for the original or this new spangly looking purple one.  I lived up to my girly stereotype and went for the spangly one.

See?  Spangly.

How about more important things though, like brush… formula… ability to falsify lashes?

They say:

False Lash Effect Fusion combines Max Factor’s biggest ever volumising brush with its latest lengthening formula to create thicker and longer lashes. For those girls who want an extreme lash look, they’ve come to the right place.

I say, the chunky brush is pretty nice… but I imagine that for those with short lashes it could be a nightmare.  I always have difficulty trying to detect whether the bristles are indeed bristles, plastic or rubber… these feel like stumpy old-style bristles to me but I could be wrong.  It’s been known to happen!

The formula is pretty good.  I hate thin formulas that practically drip off the brush (I’m looking at you Bourjois 1001 cils) but I equally dislike mascaras that last about 3 weeks before drying up.  This is middle of the road.

Are the results middle of the road too?  See for yourselves…

I see a good amount of volume and I love how the Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion has emphasised my lashline so heavily but I’m not seeing the length I was hoping for from this mascara.

I’m gonna try combining it with my favourite length-boosting mascara… who knows, I may stumble upon the ‘ultimate’ pairing!

You can currently purchase Max Factor False Lash Effect Fusion for a very reasonable £8.99 (saving £3 off the original price) at Boots.

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Have you tried Max Factor’s False Lash Effect Fusion Mascara yet?  How about the original?

Ahh a miracle… wouldn’t that be nice?  Let’s bottle some little miracles, tint them the same colour as our skintones and then buff ’em all over our face in the morning when we’re looking a bit ropey.  Et voila, we go from Linda La Hughes to Linda Lusardi in under 50 seconds.

Pop!  There goes that bubble…

a).  Only about half of you will know who Linda Lusardi is and I should really set my sights a little higher than page 3.

b).  I’m not sure I believe in miracles and if I did, I wouldn’t find them in a bottle (unless it was 70% proof).

and

c).  Shut up and review the damn foundation already.

Lancome Teint Miracle is the company’s newest base which has, they say, been 10 years in the making.  It comes backed with some pretty flowery statements.  Stuff like…

Lancome decrypts the inner light of perfect skin and recreates it.

To that, I simply raise an eyebrow and say…

O Rly?

Teint Miracle is a medium/full coverage foundation that somehow manages to defy the laws of physics by retaining a light, fluid texture that blends as easily as my MAC F&B whilst offering coverage to almost rival something as potent as Estee Lauder Double Wear.  The more I think about how it could possibly achieve this, the more respect I gain for those 10 years in development.

I need to take a moment to marvel at the packaging because it’s not only rather attractive but also functional.  The pump is see-through which stops the “how many more pumps ’till it all comes out in a rush” guessing game we all know so well and for me, one full pump covers my face pretty much perfectly.  Your mileage may vary!

Lancome Teint Miracle in 010 Beige Porcelaine (the lightest shade) is a good match for my complexion.  I would class it as fairly neutral, neither leaning too much toward pink or yellow in the spectrum.  The formula also contains a light pearlessence, not Cullen-esque in the slightest but there is a sheen that almost makes the foundation look a shade too light for me when I first apply.  This fades as the foundation sets before becoming imperceptible but leaving behind a subtle glow.

The glow doesn’t look at all greasy or shiny until after the foundation has worn in for many hours but if you fear the glow, I’d suggest looking for something that offers a fully matte finish.  Me?  I embrace any and every glow I can get my hands on and this is one of the better ones out there.

Excuse the nightie and the early morning “oh God, it’s another day” expression.

Before is on the left if you hadn’t already sussed that.

The Lancome Teint Miracle gives me great coverage over my redness and veiny bits without looking too heavy and I’m really happy that it still allows my natural skin texture to peek through.  I really dislike medium/full coverage foundations when they make it abundantly clear on my face that they are indeed medium/full coverage foundations.

If you have any larger blemishes (like I did on the side of my nose) you’ll still need concealer to disguise the blighters.

As for longevity, I achieved good all-day wear from this foundation albeit with a bit of slippage on the nose toward the end of the day.  If  you have particularly oily skin you will need to powder at lunchtime.

My only bugbear with this rather lovely product is transfer.  For some reason, I have issues when I wear this.  Dab my nose on a tissue?  More foundation on tissue than nose.  This is obviously a problem and one that I’m not used to experiencing, if anyone has any ideas… let me know!

I’d also like to point out that I prefer to apply this with a brush.  Sponges are a no, no… even when damp my beauty blender likes to EAT this foundation.  Oh also, I think that if you already have a primer you’re in love with… you probably need to try this foundation ASAP.  I tried it over MAC Prep+Prime and it made an already smooth finish, incredible.  And I don’t even really like Prep+Prime!

Hope that wasn’t too indepth… I do totally advise a little trip to your local Lancome counter to see if they’ll colour match you or part with a sample so you can try for yourself.  I may not be one for miracles but Lancome Teint Miracle does come pretty close!

Lancome Teint Miracle SPF15 Foundation is available to buy instore or online priced at £26.00

* press sample

And so my MUFE Aqua Cream collection grows because I wasn’t able to help myself when I saw a swatch of Aqua Cream #19 and couldn’t stop thinking about it for weeks afterward!

MUFE Aqua Cream in #19 is a blue-toned purple with an almost electric quality.  Like most Aqua Creams, it can be a bit tough to blend and I’d recommend applying it more as a base than an independent eyeshadow.  Unless you got the skillz of course.  And if you have?  Come show me how to do it!

Look, ain’t she purdy?

Lasting power is more than adequate on my lids, without any primers I get around 7/8hrs before creasing… the more heavy handed I am with it, the faster the product heads for my creases.

I particularly enjoy pairing this one up with NARS Ashes to Ashes eyeshadow, creating a KILLER violet-taupe from the combo.

MUFE Aqua Creams are available to buy online from Guru Makeup Emporium and PAM priced ar around £16.75

Do you own any MUFE Aqua Creams?

… get in my basket.  Well, maybe not ‘cos I’m pretty skint this month but I am genuinely having a hard time trying to decide what to get.  I’m not sold on the palette (pretty though it is) but I am a-hankering after either the beach tint in Guava or those powder blushes….

If you’ve got a spare 15 minutes, make yourself a cup of tea and have a look as the MUA runs us through the products in the collection courtesy of Zuneta’s great video.

Talking of BECCA, I currently can’t get enough of the BECCA Creme Blush in Hyacinth I bought earlier this year. It gives a fresh, dewy finish with a powder-dry formula once set.  Effortless “finger makeup” as I like to call it.  Boy am I getting lazy in my old age or what?

I suggest you check out Makeup4all for some great product shots from the new collection and ModestyBrown who has an awesome interview with BECCA’s founder Rebecca Morrice Williams.

Have you got your sights set on any new collections at the moment?  Spill the beans!

Bare Minerals have added a new shade to their popular High Shine Eye Color range just in time for Summer!

Rose Gold* is (as the name suggests) a pinked bronze that looks pretty damn awesome combined with a pair of green eyes (if I do say so myself!)

The pigment contains enough warmth to pop the green tones in my eyes whilst keeping the overall feel of the shadow to that of a more wearable neutral.

The applicator sadly still suffers from my original complaints against it and whilst lovely, I’m not making any claims that the shade is particularly undupable.   However, the formula is remarkably creamy and blends out beautifully with my fingers for a super-quick stroke of colour.

Bare Minerals High Shine Eye Color in Rose Gold will be available on counter and online from June priced at £15.

* Press Sample

I don’t generally get enough time in the mornings to do much in the way of eyeshadow so I often rely on a slick of liner and a bold lipstick and to be honest, that suits me fine!  Seeing LondonMakeupGirl rock a gorgeous flick the other day inspired me to make the effort and extend my liner past the ‘comfort zone’!

I was also keen to wear my new Revlon Strawberry Suede lipstick that I picked up from eBay after hearing Lisa Eldridge extol its virtues… shame Revlon discontinued it, it’s pretty fabulous!

Products Used:

Face
Lancome Teint Miracle in 010
Inglot Cream Concealer in 32
NARS Multiple Tint in Beverly Hills

Eyes
NARS Ondine
Stargazer Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Rimmel Volume Flash x10
Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Lips
Revlon Strawberry Suede Matte Lipstick

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What are you wearing today?

A gaggle of geese, a school of fish, a colony of ants… a… a… a.. nest of NARS?

Whatever you want to call it, here are some of my favourite NARS blushes in all their shamefully dirty glory (I really should give these a wipe over!).

Considering I’m such a cool-toned chick, you might be able to tell I have a fondness for peachy cheeks (no sniggering at the back).  I just find that with a light touch, it warms up my complexion and looks more natural and less doll-like than the pinks.

My latest acquisitions (you may be able to spot them from the fact that they’re less dusty!) are Gilda and Mata Hari.  I picked up Gilda from the ASOS/Groupon super deal, ahhh… I want another one of those!

Anyway, there’s no real reason to this post other than for me to have an excuse to play with my NARS blushes.  Sorry, indulge me!  Here have some swatches…

Douceur – A neutral matte shade that has enough pink in it to be a delightful option for cool-toned skin.  Swatched heavily here, I’d call it a must-own simply because (with a light hand) it will add a touch of colour to your cheeks without clashing.

Mata Hari – This always feels like a proper wintery rose shade.  Another matte, it’s heavily pigmented and a touch powdery.  I haven’t worked out how to make this work flawlessly for me but I want to persevere!

Torrid – A bit scared of this when I bought it but it’s gorgeous.  A proper peach with sparkles!  Used with a light hand I can make this work nicely against my colouring but I do need to double check in different lighting before venturing outdoors (just in case I’ve tangoed myself!)

Gilda –  It’s a gorgeous shade but I haven’t got the application of this one down yet.  Perhaps it’s just a bit too warm and matte for me, either way… it’s another one I want to learn to love.

Deep Throat – My favourite NARS blush.  It’s a pinker, more pigmented version of Orgasm with silvery sparkles compared to the dusting of gold that runs through the big O.  It’s a perfect peachy pink and one that I will repurchase forever more.

Orgasm – The cult favourite is also a hit with me!  Warmer than Deep Throat and a little sparklier, I often pair this one with other blushes (particularly mattes) to give a more 3D appearance.

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Do you own any NARS blushes?  Which are your favourites?

I know a few of you have been keen to hear about how I fared with my trial of Urban Decay’s Lush Lash System*.  I started the trial back in February and finished up the tube a few weeks ago.

The system promises lashes that are…

– 25% longer and thicker in 2 weeks
– 40% longer in 4 weeks
– 63% longer in 6 weeks

Sadly, I didn’t experience anything as impressive as those results.  Infact, I’m not really sure I experienced anything much at all.  See what you think (the top image shows the BEFORE, the bottom image is AFTER using the system for 8 weeks).

I think I see more fullness to my lashline… but no increase in length.  Or at least, nothing worth shouting about.  (On a side note, damn… I think I’m in love with my eye cream LOL!)

As a peptide-based lash growth system, it works on the premise of protecting the lashes you already have and strengthening new ones coming through, thereby increasing their life cycle.  This is probably why I’m seeing a slight increase in volume as the lashes that would have normally fallen out are still clinging on thanks to the fortification.

At £28 it’s an affordable alternative to the more expensive systems out there which include the likes of M2Beauté, LiLash and Revitalash but I can’t help but wonder if sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.

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Urban Decay Lush Lash is priced at £28 and available to buy online from BeautyBay, LookFantastic and HQHair

* PR Sample

When a product gets over 200 5* reviews on Amazon, I can’t help but take notice.  Which is how I ended up buying one of these Travalo perfume atomisers last Christmas to put in a care parcel for my sister in Oz.  I haven’t actually *sent* this parcel yet, infact… I’m looking at it with overwhelming guilt as I type this. Note to self: send the damn parcel already, it has creme eggs and a packet of twiglets with her name on ’em!

I’m tangenting…

Anyway, I was contacted by Travalo’s PR last month who wondered if I’d heard of the atomiser… “Yes!” says I, irrelevantly explaining what a completely awful sister I was.  Once I’d stopped rambling, they deduced that I hadn’t actually tried it for myself and kindly offered to send me one.

Behold.  The Travalo.  (and a nearly empty bottle of Hypnotic Poison).

The premise is simple.  We don’t want to carry big bottles of breakable perfumes around with us in our handbags and we *definitely* don’t want to pack them in our suitcases to take on hols but we still want to smell incredible right?

Old fashioned perfume atomisers involved fiddly things like funnels and swearing under your breath as you poured half your bottle of EDT over yourself, the kitchen counter and the cat before managing to eke maybe half a drop into the atomiser vessel.

Travalo uses a pump action to draw the juice from the original bottle into the atomiser chamber without a single drop going to waste.  Or that’s how it works in theory at least… look…

You just pop the nozzle off your favourite perfume and press the base of the Travalo onto the exposed, erm, errr, stump?  I’m sure that’s not the technical word.

It totally reminds me of watching my mum refill her BIC lighters in the 80s.  But again, with less swearing.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about pumping the Travalo up and down on the stump of the perfume bottle.  And it doesn’t even remotely make me think of sex either.

You get about 50 spritzes from a full Travalo which should be plenty for a week in the Sun.  I like that the atomiser has a decent nozzle too… it doesn’t dribble fragrance pathetically or force me to make do with my most hated of dispensers… the roller ball.

It’s a bit “form follows function” in its design and styling but it serves its purpose well without any major faults.  I’ve lumped it about with me in my handbag, given it to L to play with in the back of the car and even let Mr. L have a go at filling it after his curiosity got the better of him.  It has suffered a fair few scratches where the Travalo has bumped up against my car keys so I’d like to see the product come with one of those little drawstring pouches to keep it better protected.

When all is said and done though, it’s solidly achieved what it promises without fuss or palava, providing an affordable solution to a common fragrance dilemma!

Travalo Rapid Pump Fill Perfume Atomiser Bottle is available to buy online from CheapSmells and Amazon, priced from £7.10 with free delivery.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Now, for the giveaway… I have one of these Travalo Atomisers (in PINK!) to give away to a lovely Facebook follower!  If you don’t already following Lipglossiping.com on the book of faces, why not? Oh, you hate facebook?  In that case drop me an email and I’ll enter you anyway.

If you ARE on Facebook, it’d be much easier to go here and click LIKE.  Or alternatively click the ‘like’ button over there on the right somewhere —>

T&C
1. Entry open to worldwide participants by liking the Lipglossiping.com Facebook page.
2. Alternative entry available for Facebook haters by email.
3. One winner will be picked at random from all participants.
4. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this giveaway.
5. Competition closes on Friday 13th May 2011 at 23.59.
6. Winner will be notified through Facebook or email within 5 days of the close of the competition.
7. No email addresses will be stored once the competition has closed and will only be used to contact the winner.

I’m a foundation floozy.  A total sucker too ‘cos I can never resist a new release that promises me the skin of an angel.

I’m currently trialling one that’s almost ticking all the right boxes for me (review coming v. soon!) but in putting this particular product through its paces, it’s made me realise just how demanding my requirements are for the perfect base.

Holy Grail foundation, dude… wherefore art thou?

Infact, not only are my requirements kinda demanding… I’m not sure they’re wholly realistic.  A bit like the images used to sell us the foundations then?  Touche.

My Holy Grail foundation, let’s break it down…

1. Thou shalt give medium coverage

I don’t want heavy coverage from a foundation, I want *even* coverage… it needs to give enough oomph to subdue the redness, dampen down the blotchiness and remove all traces of motley bits.  So, I want a mask… but like an invisible one ok?  Or someone else’s face.

2. Thou shalt not stick to my eyebrows

I have an eyebrow/foundation issue.  Yes, I know the simplest answer would be to keep my foundation the hell away from my eyebrows.  But I like to apply my base in about 15 seconds flat with minimal fuss.  Infact, in an ideal world… I’d like my base to apply itself.  Some foundations spot my eyebrows from a mile away and make a direct beeline so that when I look in the mirror, my face is bare and my eyebrows? Skin coloured.

3. Thou shalt not make me matte

I don’t do matte very well.  I have dry/combo skin… my nose gets oily by lunchtime but I’m ok with that (hello powder), I’m not ok with looking like I’ve been dug up.  Matte makes me look…. lifeless.  I want the glow (not the chip pan glow) but the “oooh la la” satin glow ok?

4. Thou shalt not squat in my pores

I have cheek pores that you could fall into and never escape from.  Some foundations make them appear smoothed over… some foundations install neon signage around each one to ensure they’re visible from the International Space Station.

5. Thou shalt glide on with fingers/brush/sponge/elbows if necessary

I can’t be doing with finickity foundations.  I want my Holy Grail foundation to apply happily with whatever utensil I have at hand.  I already have too many bases that look amazing only when applied with a coral reef sea sponge dampened with virgin water from iceberg B-15A on a Tuesday afternoon.

6. Under no circumstance shalt thou oxidise in my presence

Nothing worse than applying a perfect shade only to discover you’ve been oompah loompah’ed by tea time and your colleagues left wondering if their transition lenses are playing up.

Oh.. and finally?

If you don’t last longer than a chocolate button caught in Leila’s line of sight then it doesn’t matter how good you are at all the other stuff.  You fail.

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What are your foundation pet peeves?  Have you found your Holy Grail base?