A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I haven’t really explored the B. range at Superdrug since its launch, to be honest… I just can’t say that any of the brand’s releases have inspired me to make the trip further-afield to a better-stocked Superdrug.  I saw a press release for their new B. Vibrant Lip & Cheek Colours, and for one moment… I thought I might well be converted by the look of these chubby lip crayons.  But was I?

Along with one of the new B. Vibrant Lip & Cheek Colours in Fandango* – a hot pink, I was sent the new B. Sculpted Contour Kit in shade Dark*.  I’ll start with the Lip & Cheek Colour first…

It’s packaged in a traditional, crayon-style format with a twist mechanism to raise and lower the waxy nib, perfect if like me, you hate having to sharpen anything!  It feels well-made and the colour glides over the lips effortlessly.

Perhaps a little too effortlessly, you see… it feels quite greasy and to achieve anything like the kind of vibrancy I was expecting, you need to layer up.  More layers = more grease.  It’s not a great combination.  I wasn’t expecting a matte formula but there’s just something about the way this feels that doesn’t appeal to me.  It’s not sticky and it’s not overly heavy, it’s just… not quite there.

Once I’ve built up the pigment to a medium-high finish (the swatch above shows about 5 swipes with the crayon), I tend to grab a tissue to blot.  That’s the only way I can enjoy wearing this shade on my lips.  To be fair, this doesn’t take down the pigment too much and possibly increases overall wear time but I just wanted something more instantly vibrant from a product that calls itself… vibrant.

As for my cheeks?  Perhaps the multi-use function of this product has something to do with why the formula feels the way it does… but you know about my distaste for sharing my lip products with my face and if I saw someone smearing their lip crayon around on their cheeks after I’d just watched them apply it to their mouth, I might be forced to spit on a tissue for them.

The B. Vibrant Lip & Cheek Colours come in five shades, ranging from a soft pink through to a rather striking mandarin.  I’ve only tried the one shade and would be interested to hear your thoughts on the others!

The other new release from the brand is a Sculpted Contour Kit that is available to buy in light, medium, and dark.  This is the “dark” shade choice.  The kit is split into two pans containing just over a total of 10g of product.

The powder, the contouring side of the pan feels finely-milled with a nice, soft texture and a good amount of pigment pay-off.  The cream highlight shade is an oddity.  When I first saw it in the pan, I angled it under the light, expecting to see some mica particles glimmer back at me.  But no, either mine is defective or it’s just a translucent white cream.  Much like a thin, theatrical greasepaint.  On my skin, it doesn’t do an awful lot other than look… greasy.

Once blended, it reminds me of putting a slightly more-refined version of vaseline on the high points of my face… there’s nothing wrong with this, women have been using vaseline as a highlighting trick for years, it just wasn’t quite what I anticipated.  It’s best applied at the end of your makeup routine, otherwise any setting powder that you apply will ruin the effect.

All in all, I’m not excited or enthused about these two releases from the budget high-street brand.  In 2014, I expect better formulas for the not unsubstantial RRP price tags of these products.

B. Vibrant Lip & Cheek Colour in Fandango is priced at £7.99 but currently a third off at £5.32 for a limited time.  B. Sculpted Contour Kit in Dark is priced at £11.99 but currently a third off at £6.99 for a limited time.  Available to buy instore at Superdrug and online at superdrug.com

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I’m not doing any Valentine’s gift guides this year because, quite frankly, I can’t even come up with a single gift for my lovely husband, let alone a heartfelt collection that you lot could choose from.

A Twitter friend suggested that I just need to look down to find his gift, I assumed that she was talking about my baby bump rather than my vagina, but either way… after 10yrs of marriage and one snotty five-year old, I don’t think either suggestion will raise more than a sarcastic eyebrow.

However, the one Valentine’s-related release that has made my blood pump a little faster is this beautiful collection of sultry reds from Illamasqua.  If you’ve been reading Lipglossiping for more than a few seconds, you’ll already know about my love affair with red lipstick.  I only own the one from Illa’s range (Sangers), so to see the ridiculously feisty Maneater in my parcel evoked a couple of mid-air heel clicks.

The new I’m The One Collection* contains a total of four passionate pieces from the British makeup line.  Including:

NEW! Intense Lipgloss in Touch (£14.50) – Infused with fine shimmer particles, this plush gloss will add depth and fullness to your lips.

NEW! Colouring Pencil in Feisty (£14.00) – A creamy addition to your lip collection, use our Feisty pencil to create a precise and alluring red lip.

Lipstick in Maneater (£16.50) – An intense, full coverage formula, apply this lipstick to bare lips for a long-lasting pop of colour.

Nail Varnish in Throb (£14.50) – Apply two coats of this glossy blood red shade for an elegant, classic manicure.

From left to right: Feisty Colouring Pencil  |  Maneater Lipstick  |  Touch Intense Lipgloss

Of all the items in the collection, I have to say that I fell in love with the least likely offering.

Feisty, the brand new lip pencil is one of the most pigmented-yet-creamy red lip-liners I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.  With a deep, long-lasting pigment… you usually have to compromise on the texture and a dry, unyielding lip pencil is something that many of us will be familiar with.  No such compromises are necessary here, it’s an absolute dream.

I’ll leave you with a couple of extremely pose-y FOTDs featuring the new Feisty Colouring Pencil and Maneater Lipstick.

If you fancy the chance at winning some hand-picked pieces from the new collection, you have until the 15th February to brush off your Social Media skillz and tweet @illamasqua a Red Lipstick Selfie, using the hashtag #ImTheOne – good luck!!

The Illamasqua I’m The One Collection is available to buy on counter and online now at illamasqua.com, priced at £50.00

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You see, what the magazines don’t tell you is that every woman should own a blood-red eyeliner.  Ever since the day I got creative with an eyeshadow, owning a red liquid eyeliner has been high up on my list of life’s priorities.  I’ve scoured high and low for the perfect shade… and I’m yet to find it.  I thought I may have struck lucky with my latest purchase, Clio’s Kill Blood Eyeliner but alas, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Let me show it to you anyway, just incase it’s your next purchase.

The eyeliner comes simply packaged in a cardboard box and the lid clicks off to reveal a firm, felt-tip style nib.  The nib is sharply tapered to allow you to draw a thin, precise line or indeed, you can angle the pen as you draw for a thicker, heavier sweep.

Pigmentation is fair but if you want a truly opaque burgundy red, you’ll need to wait a couple of minutes and go-over your initial line to strengthen the depth of colour.  I find this to be the case with many coloured eyeliners, even the browns… so it’s not a huge surprise.

One thing that is a little bit of a bore is the bleeding that I get from this eyeliner.  It’s not as bad as I’ve experienced with some liquid eyeliners in the past, but unless I gently hold the skin taut across the eyelid, I don’t get the sharpest of edges.  This wouldn’t be a problem except that I need to allow the eye area to relax in order to achieve even flicks, so I’m having to go back with a dampened cotton bud to tidy-up each time.

Longevity is pretty good, with wear appearing on the flicks by the end of the day.  The line across the lid stayed pretty solid but it does benefit from a bit of primer if you’re applying it over a bare eyelid.

All in all, and for the price I paid… the Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is fine.  It just doesn’t match up with the high hopes I had for it, but to be fair, expectations can be a bugger to live up to.

Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is priced at around £8.70 and available to buy online from eBay.co.uk (where you can also pick up a black and brown version)

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I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  Said the beauty blogger from 2009 until now.  In my defence though, I probably wouldn’t be that bothered about these were it not for one teeny tiny little detail that I just can’t ignore.

They give me plumpity lips, where no plumpity lips exist.

Tropical Pink (on the left) Coral Tulip (on the right)

You see, it’s the shine that does it.  Shinier than a penny that’s been sitting in Cillit Bang for a month.

It’s not a frost… don’t mistake the sophisticated glimmer for something that the 80s called for (and wanted back).  This is far more sophisticated, understated, and gorgeous than a frost-monster of a lipstick could ever be.

I’ve got two shades for swatching today and in all honesty, despite the difference in undertone… they’re not a million miles away from one other.

Tropical Pink is the cooler toned of the two and reads a little brighter on my lips, the texture is soft and easy to apply but not especially lightweight.  I suppose the best way to describe its texture would be to call it a little “balmy” in feel, with the signature fruity Clarin’s lipstick scent.

Coral Tulip is the warmer of the two shades, sheer enough to warm up my complexion without looking garish.  Surprisingly, it’s my favourite of the two and has pretty much established itself as a holy grail lip product for me over the past week.

Why?  It solves that “pulled-together, goes with every other piece of makeup you own” lipstick demand that every girl should have the solution for.  It’s low maintenance and simply perfect.

I get around 4-hours of wear from these before the inevitable fade which leaves behind a scattering of microglitter (non-gritty).  Even when the colour is gone, the impression of fullness remains and because of this… I am completely, totally and utterly smitten.

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Sheer Shine Lipsticks are priced at £18 each and will be available on counter and online at clarins.co.uk next month.

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If you didn’t pluck your eyebrows to death in the 90s, consider yourselves lucky.

You see, this is the problem with following trends and fashions… you take one look at Kate Moss’ skinny brows and think “right, better get to it!” and before you know it, Cara Delevigne walks into town and you’re left trying to superglue carpet offcuts to your forehead.

Thankfully, my brow story was fairly recoverable… I overplucked for sure, but not to the extent that there was no coming back.  It taught me a lesson though, I binned my magnifying mirror.  Those things are evil for tweezer-happy types, nobody needs to see their pores in that much detail anyway, not ever and if you’re going to proclaim near-blindness without them, for Pete’s sake… get a professional to do the job for you instead!

If, for you, there’s no return from those Pammy Anderson brow days you might be interested in a new brow technique that’s currently storming the salons.  Originally invented for cancer patients and alopecia sufferers, Faceframe 3D Eyebrows does for brows what eyelash extensions did for stubby peepers.

Like lash extensions, the Faceframe 3D Eyebrows last for a couple of weeks, and cost around £30 for a full length natural brow and £15 for infills (depending on individual salon prices).  The treatment takes around 45-60 minutes to complete for full brows and 15-30 minutes for a partial brow.  They’re the perfect inbetween solution for anyone a bit scared of going down the permanent makeup route.

The synthetic strands of mink are adhered to the eyebrow line using a skin-safe glue, they’re waterproof and moisture-proof, so are especially worth a look for anyone jetting off on low-maintenance holiday or attending an important event and wanting to look their best.

Would you consider something like this for a big event or even as a longer-term solution or does your brow pencil work just fine for you?

For a list of approved salons offering 3D Faceframe Eyebrows, check out the website at www.faceframe3deyebrows.co.uk or give the company a shout on twitter for more information.

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You know the mosquito in Bugs Life?  The one who should know better and despite his mate’s warnings, flies toward the deadly bug zapper with those immortal (final) words: “I can’t help it, it’s so beautiful!”

That’s me that is.

You see, I didn’t get on with the Lime Crime Velvetines that I bought.  I appreciated their pigment, their glorious matteness, and the lovely packaging but the wear.  Oh. God, the hideously ugly wear that left me with the kind of ring of death that sends a shiver down the spines of XBox owners everywhere.

Well, I saw the pretty matte lip lacquers from MUA and flew toward them anyway.

My Superdrug was pretty low on stock and the only one I fancied (they didn’t have the red) was this hot pink, called Funk.  To all intents and purposes, these are decent dupes in terms of pigmentation and texture for the Lime Crime Velvetine ones I own… I really can’t see any reason to pay the extra monies for the Lime Crime ones.

With that revelation outta the way, I still don’t like how they wear on me.  They’re fine for about 35-40 minutes but then it all gets rather ugly.

During application, you still have to be careful not to slap your lips together until the lacquer has been given a moment to dry and I’d also recommend to apply lightly, going back for another coat if necessary.  While the lip lacquer remains in situ, I’d agree with the smudge-proof statement which makes it a great choice for a high-impact, albeit high-maintenance night out.

I’ll leave you with a (currently rather rare) FOTD of me wearing it, you can see how the matte texture looks on my lips.  It’s not too unflattering but bear in mind that my lips are back in good condition after a Lanolip repurchase!

Ultimately, I won’t be purchasing any of the other shades available despite the short-lived temptation, if you see me edging towards the MUA counter, someone please slap me with some bug spray.  I just can’t deal with the effort required to keep these looking good for longer than 10-minutes.

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in Funk is priced at £3.00 and available to buy instore at Superdrug and online from muacosmetics.co.uk

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As I’ve gotten older, I’ve made friends with products that promise sheerer coverage.  As a younger makeup-addict, I definitely went all out on their fuller-finish, matte counterparts that obliterated every blemish with a single swipe, they were my makeup nirvana.  The sad fact of the matter is, that on younger skin, you can get away with it… but as you get older, you need to find products that rest more lightly against your skin.  Products that reflect the light and even out your complexion without sinking into pores, fine lines, and *whispers* wrinkles.

Clarins latest release promises to do just this.  The Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is available in three shades: 01 Rose, 02 Champagne, 03 Peach… each of which promise a light texture and effortless glide over the skin.

Don’t think of this as a typical base product.  It’s not a foundation, neither is it a primer… I like to think of it more as a little touch of skin S.O.S which would come into its own on a morning after the night before.  It contains pigments that will help reflect light and luminosity back from the skin surface, giving the impression of a more well-rested complexion and also contains moisture-boosting Katafray to help balance the skin’s natural hydration levels.

My skin is unlikely to ever be good enough to wear this alone, but I would happily combine it with a light foundation base to further even out the redness and tone without overloading my pores with product.  The 30ml pump tube delivers the product efficiently and without wastage, always a plus point in my opinion.

My only caveat is shade selection.  As you can see, the shade (03 Peach) that I have is too dark and shade-impacting for my complexion.  As sheer as it is, it gives me an overall warmth that isn’t flattering.  You may still need a little assistance from a Clarins expert on counter who will help ensure that you walk away with the shade that benefits your skin-tone the most.

As far as the texture goes, the base shows a lot of promise.  You can apply allover the face or simply buff it into the areas that need some extra radiance, I’ve also tried mixing it into my foundation and the formula takes to this well without balling up on the skin or grumbling about such an injustice!

I’m going to leave you with a link to ReallyRee’s before/after photos that demonstrate better than I am able, how the product actually looks when worn on the face.

Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is priced at £26.00 and is available on counter and online now.

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In all my years of makeup-hustling, I’ve never once gotten used to the idea of applying cream blush with my fingers.  On paper, how hard could it be?  Dap, dap, rub, rub, rub.  A child could do it…

Except, that my blush-fearing soul has the tendency to rub a little too hard and I always – not occasionally – but ALWAYS end up blending the colour away to nothingness.  My fear of being clowned by a blush knows no bounds, my uber-ghostly complexion simply won’t allow for mistakes and after lots of experimenting, I usually revert back to my “safe” blushers.

Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blushes are particularly kind to blush-fearing souls like me.  When you usually read a statement like that, you can scan between the lines for the word “sheer” and discover it, but not in this case.  It’s not that these blushes are for wimpy types, it’s more than they have a magical ability to blend themselves.

“Oh, hang on!  Let’s not carried away here… blend themselves?  Are we talking revolutionary-style, robotic blushes with superhuman capabilities?”

Err, not quite… it’s just that they’re so damn blendy, it feels as though they’re doing more of the work than you are.  These new blushes, due on counter next month, are incredibly lightweight and enriched with floral waxes from rose, mimosa, jojoba, and sunflower to help create a flawless application over even the most dehydrated of skin-types.

I’ve got two shades sat in front of me: Grenadine, on the left in the picture above is a warm pink-coral, and Rosewood is more your skin-friendly neutral rose.

Both pans are generously sized with plenty of room for fingers (or brushes) to get right in there without the need for contortion and each compact comes complete with a mirror.  I’m wearing Grenadine today and I need to tell you about how completely curious it feels to apply…

When you apply a cream blush, you can feel your skin move under your fingers… there’s a resistance against the motion of application.  Using my index and middle fingers together for application here, my finger pads glide over my cheeks and nothing moves underneath.  The application feels bone-dry to the touch, almost as though I’m applying a powder in the oddest of ways, except that when I’m done… there’s no patchiness, just a smooth and even application of colour.

I tell ya, this stuff has been formulated with fairy-pee.  You need to get to a counter and try it yourself, then you’ll all be… “AHHHHH! I can see what she means now!”

Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that you won’t have long to wait…

The new Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blushes arrive on-counter and online in February as part of the new Opalescence Spring collection.  They’ll be available in four shades: 01 Peach, 02 Candy, 03 Grenadine, 04 Rosewood and priced at £18 each. 

Go for a snoop and tell me what you think!

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If you ever had reason to think that beige is boring, think again.  Clinique have recently released a lovely, understated collection of nail polishes that range from the palest skin-suiting shade right up to the darkest.  In addition to these eight new limited-edition nail polishes, there’s also an eye shadow palette featuring another eight complimentary neutrals.

Focusing first on the eyeshadow palette, the limited edition All About Shadow Neutral Territory 2 Palette (£32.00/€39.00) includes an essential wardrobe of work-friendly neutrals, from the softest sparkling white right through to the smokiest dark brown.  The textures are soft and blendable with a creaminess that belies their powder form.

The first five shades in the palette (from left-to-right) contain a very subtle shimmer that reflects a luminosity rather than a glitter but the final three, darker shades, are the ones that will carry your look from day into night, featuring a (slightly) more prominent sparkle.

The palette contains a large mirror and applicator with a sponge tip on one end and a blending brush on the other.  As much as I take issue with sponge tips, I won’t deny that the addition of a brush on the other end does ensure that you can get a decent application without carrying your own arsenal of tools around with you.

One thing that I haven’t mentioned yet is the size of the palette.  As much as I love my Urban Decay Naked Palettes, I find them far too big to offer any kind of portability.  This one is small enough to pop in a handbag with ease.  Most interestingly, despite its minute size, each pan contains more product (gram for gram) than the Naked Palette, although the Naked palette offers a total of twelve pans to Clinique’s eight.

Now, onto the new, limited edition A Different Nail Enamel (£12.00/€16.00) shades…

I’ve got two of the eight shades to show you, so naturally, I swatched one shade on each hand!  The colours that I received are almost similar enough in shade depth to get away without anyone noticing I’m sporting completely different polishes on each hand!

First up is the lighter of the two: Peek A Boo, I See You which is described as a nude peach.  I’m not sure I’d agree with that description… in my experience, peaches tend to be a lot warmer in tone and this one isn’t quite warm enough to qualify in my opinion.  Having said that, for me, this is no bad thing as it complements my pale skin-tone beautifully.  It gives a soft, clean finish that’s effortlessly chic and lengthens my fingers.

Following this is the next tone darker in the collection: Birthday Suit.  It’s a slightly deeper version of the above with just the tiniest hint of a mocha hue.  Both polishes took three coats for a smooth application, but each covered easily without pooling in the cuticles or any other application issues.

What do you think?  Does the collection offer enough interest for you to be tempted or are you of the opinion that beige really is boring?

The Clinique 16 Shades of Beige Collection is available to buy online from clinique.co.uk now.  Alternatively, the collection will roll out across Clinique counters nationwide from the 7th February.  I imagine the eyeshadow palette might sell out pretty quickly though!

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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

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When I first reviewed the L’Oreal Color Infallible range a couple of years back, I was impressed with the amount of pigment these little pots delivered.  They were obviously hot on the heels of Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense/Chanel Illusion D’Ombre high-end releases and presented an inexpensive way to jump on the is-it-cream-or-is-it-powder bandwagon.

My only issue with them back then was with their staying power as I found them sliding around on my lids after a few hours, both with or without a primed base.

However, I’m a sucker for my purples and the limited edition Metallic Lilac release had been haunting me ever since I saw swatches a while back.  Still not quite enthused enough to hot-foot it down to Boots (how many purples does one woman actually need?) I held off until I was reminded of its existence during a late-night eBay browse.

The particular beauty of this shade for me lies in its irridescence.  It has a delicate sparkle that remains on your lids without too much migration and injects the area with reflected light… something that I’m particularly partial to when I drag my sorry bones out of bed in time for the school run.

The flashes of pink in the powder prevent the shade from being too icy, and there’s a subtle greyed-out quality that will appeal to those of us who don’t want our eyeshadows to scream too loudly at passers-by.

I use a flat brush to apply this to the center of my primed lid before buffing out the edges for a softer finish.  I’m wearing it today on the lower lashline, a little heavier than I would across the lid and it adds a look-twice amount of colour without being over the top.  Longevity still isn’t the greatest on the lids for me but I’m a little more lenient nowadays, less demanding of staying power in my old age… perhaps I just don’t need all-day-long wear anymore.

That being said, I still get around 5 hours with a primer, so it’s not too bad.  I also should point out that I do believe that I’m in the minority with grumbling about wear issues with this range of eyeshadow.  Most bloggers tend to find that this gives great all-day wear with a primed base.

You can pick the L’Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Metallic Lilac up on eBay from £2.25 with free postage.  Or you can go to Subway and buy a bacon sub with a drink for £2.00 – I won’t hold it against you if you choose the bacon, there’s no easy answer to this one.

They say that old age doesn’t come on its own but I’d like to add pregnancy to that adage.  I mean, apart from stating the bloody obvious, seeing as you’re growing another whole person, it really doesn’t come without its “side-effects”.  I haven’t had a proper pooh in almost five months and my skin, hair, and nails have had all moisture sucked from them, it’s like I’m spawning a human dehumidifier, set to high.

Instead of a normal moisturiser, the only thing stopping my skin from flaking off in great sheets is a twice-daily slathering of the sunburn-soothing Biafine, left on as a mask overnight.  Even then, I still have to prime with a moisturising primer before a drop of foundation can touch my skin.  As for my lips, well I’m out of Lanolips at the moment and none of my alternatives are cutting the mustard.  It’s a drastic step but until I replace my overnight lip saviour, I’ve had to stand down the lipstick army in favour of… *spit*… lipgloss.

If you’re a regular reader, you may know about my distaste for the sticky stuff but I have to concede that it does have its merits.

Aveda’s Rehydrating Lip Glaze doesn’t go down the ordinary gloss route.  Yes, it’s kinda sticky… yes, it feels a little thick on the lips at first but… with this shade at least, you get some decent bang for your buck.  This innocuous tube of colour packs one hell of a pigmented punch and keeps my lips from puckering up into a dehydrated mess.

Winterberry is a purple-toned plum with a deep, vampy hue and colour that builds quickly from the very first swipe.  You can apply and blot without losing too much pigment if, like me, you’re not a fan of how glosses/glazes feel on the lips.

Priced at £16.00, Winterberry offers a little splurge that won’t break the bank for a slightly more unusual lip colour this season and is very much in keeping with Pantone’s 2014 Colour of the Year – Radiant Orchid.  Despite the minty aroma, the plumping effect is gentle and understated (though appreciated considering the vampy lip-thinning shade).

Are you reaching for more lip-friendly offerings as the mercury plummets?

Aveda Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze is priced at £16.00 and available on counter and online from aveda.co.uk

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