A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

When I heard about Paul & Joe’s new Creamy Matte Foundation, my first thought was to get all indignant about a brand releasing a winter formula that ticks all the right boxes, only to ruin it by making it matte and unsuitable for dry skins that need the cream formula most of all!

Like most, my skin is at it’s most parched in the Winter and although it’s only October, I’ve already written “Dr. Hauschka Rose Day cream” in my iPhone’s shopping list to remember to repurchase this winter skin saviour when I’m next in London.

Beautifully presented as always, the Paul & Joe Creamy Matte Foundation boasts SPF20 PA++ and a range of 8 shades to suit a variety of skintones.  £28 will provide you with a standard 30ml of product that claims…

…this light and air whipped‐formula leaves skin looking completely flawless with a dreamy matte finish for absolute perfection.  With a unique balance of semi‐matte and shimmer this unique moisturizing foundation available in an array of eight shades, promises a divine lustrous glow, sure to steam up your winter!

High up in the list of active ingredients are a bunch of silicones which give the foundation a velvety feel on the skin whilst preventing oil from breaking through the surface of the product for as long as possible.  There’s also a few fruit oils thrown in for good measure and the product does have a pleasing slightly fruity scent… but that may be more to do with the parfum than the natural ingredients.  Either way, I’ve experienced no sensitivity problems with this product I’m pleased to report.

Have I told you how much I adore P&J’s presentation?  Oh I have?  Oh… ok then…

But seriously, who doesn’t love a product that blatantly looks this adorable?  The heavyweight frosted glass jar comes with a little spatula to help you remove product hygienically.  However, I can’t say it’s the most travel-friendly object!

I opted for shade #20 (Fresh) which promised to be: A light pink that gives a radiant complexion. To my eye, it’s not that light.  It is the palest cool-toned shade in the range and I have to blend this carefully down my jawline.  I would suggest that any pale types opt for either 00 Alabaster or 10 Ivory, or even better… use it as an excuse to have a mooch around Fenwicks on a lunchtime and get matched!

Thankfully, it is a dream to blend… I mostly just warm it on the back of my hand with my fingers and apply with the tools I was born with (fingers, not toes).  The amount of coverage simply amazed me.

Here’s a before/after:

Look at that! Skin PERFECTION! (well, very nearly!)

Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation is a beautiful new contender for the winter foundation market.  It looks great, stays on my normal/dry skin for most of the day with just a minor powder touch up needed on my nose at lunchtime and it gives a full-on flawless finish.

As for it’s “moisturising properties”?  I’m yet to discover any.  I don’t find it as drying as most matte or long-lasting foundations and it doesn’t seem to cling to any dry patches at all… but I wouldn’t describe it as moisturising.

The other thing about it?  It’s not mask-like.  I love my Illamasqua Rich Liquid foundation for the evening… but would never venture out in the day wearing it.  It’s just too opaque.  This somehow lets my natural skin and tone remain clear whilst hiding a multitude of other sins!

Overall, I would particularly recommend Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation for those of you with normal/combination oily skin.  If you suffer from an oily t-zone but dry cheeks, be sure to moisturise any dry areas before applying and you should get great skin all day long with this foundation.

Paul & Joe have really been impressing me recently, I can’t wait to see what they have for Spring!

Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation is priced at £28 for 30ml and available instore at Fenwicks & Harrods or alternatively online at BeautyBay.

I was on the lookout for a true peach blush but I couldn’t decide whether I wanted matte or shimmer…. I do love my shimmers but it’s mattes that consistently give me the best results on my skin.

I was walking round John Lewis a couple of weeks ago checking out all the peaches at ALL the counters (I don’t do brand discrimination when I’m on a hunt) and my eyes alighted on this little number:

I don’t actually own a Dior blush… so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I find Dior can sometimes be a little hit and miss in terms of texture and pigment but on my pale skin, a slightly less pigmented blush can work just as well if not better.

I took the plunge!

Check it out!  Matte on the left, shimmer on the right – you CAN have your cake and eat it too!

The shimmer side is very finely milled and adds a touch of glow to the long-lasting and overall matte appearance.  It’s a great combination for shimmer/matte fence-sitters like me!  The strange thing about this blush is that although it looks scarily peach in the pan (I did have a little wobble after buying it because of this)… it actually ends up looking pretty pinky/peach on my cheeks.  Which in fairness, is probably for the best.

(A terrible patchy swatch, I’m sorry… it looks quite ruddy here.  I’ll do a FOTD when bruises have gone)

I only need to pull my brush across the surface once to pick up enough product and I do notice a little bit of excess powder lift on the pan (what’s the term for that? – when you have to blow on the pan after to get rid of the excess powder?) but it applies smoothly and blends nicely.  I really don’t have any complaints about this blush at all.  Apart from perhaps the price… but I didn’t go to the Dior counter expecting to get a Sleek bargain now did I?

I paid £27.50 for this and am truly delighted to have done so… more DiorBlush! More!

Available online and on counter, do you ladies have any other shades that you’d recommend a hopeless addict?

I am a bit partial to these lovely bag charms that brands are indulging us with at the moment.  First Clinique and now luxe British fashion house Burberry…

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Latest addition to the Burberry Beauty collection.

Limited edition Burberry Beauty Lip Charm takes inspiration from the Burberry Beauty and Burberry.

Accessories collections featuring iconic Burberry gun metal check casing and trench-coloured outer packaging.

Lip gloss within available in Nude Beige taken from the signature Burberry Beauty colour palette.

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It’s on counter this month in Harrods, priced at an eye-wateringly indulgent £69

A dead camera has meant that I haven’t been able to get a review up on the Illamasqua goodies I was sent from the Art of Darkness Collection until now… apologies that I’m so late with this.

I was sent the Powdered Metal in Ether from the recent Art of Darkness collection and am sharing some pics and quick thoughts on it with you today.

(I was also sent the new nail polish in Scarab).

The product comes in a large mineral powder-esque tub and includes an application sponge for decolletage (booby) application.

I do like Illamasqua’s simple, sleek and stylish packaging.  I can always find their products quickly in my collection thanks to the unique bevelled edges and glossy blacks.  Lovely.

The sifter dispenses quite a substantial amount thanks to the large holes.  The powder is extremely soft and finely milled… a product you most definitely wouldn’t want to sneeze in the general direction of!  You’d be seeing sparkles for months!

Ether is a pale yellow/gold shimmering highlighter.  It’s packed with sparkle that’s refined and non-chunky.

The yellow tone doesn’t show up on my skin or alter the colour of my base at all once blended.  It’s incredibly subtle and just gives a warmer rather than cooler highlight.  I tried my hardest to capture an image of the actual sparkle once blended and failed pretty miserably.

The above image was taken as the sun was setting… hence the super warm tone to my skin.  Can you make out the sparkles?

So what do I think of Illamasqua’s Powdered Metal in Ether?  **rambly stream of consciousness alert**

I think it’s an extremely versatile product but I’m just not sure how often I would reach for it.  Out of sheer laziness, if something’s gonna sparkle… I prefer it to be in a more controllable pressed form.  I’m not giving Ether enough credit by admitting this though because in truth, I think it might be more beautiful than my NARS Albatross (of which I’m a huge fan).  So that’s saying something.

And then I start thinking about the benefits to providing the powdered metal in this form…

I could add a small amount directly into my foundation to create a softly luminous base.  Heck, I could even mix some into my body lotion…

I could mix a little directly into my sealing gel for an allover wash of eye colour, I could even dip a lip brush into it to glam up my lipstick.  The possibilities are generally far greater with a loose powdered product.

At £22 for 15g of product compared to £19.50 for 4.8g of NARS Albatross… Ether is ticking all the right boxes in all the right places.

I’m thinking that perhaps I should lose the lazy approach.

I’m gonna try some of the options I listed above and will attempt a FOTD with the foundation option.  It probably won’t show up… but I’ll give it a go!

Illamasqua Powdered Metal in Ether is priced at £22 and available on counter or online

The Estee Lauder holiday collection is upon us and it’s a veritable feast of Christmassy goodness.  Berries and golds take the centre stage in the colour stakes and the line-up oozes Yuletide charm.

On a personal level, I was a touch disappointed not to see two eyeshadow palettes as with the Summer collection (the palette on the left contains lip colour) but that’s the non-gloss fan in me talking.

I’m concentrating on the eye palette today which I was given at the recent press event.  For me, it’s the jewel of the collection.  At first, I thought the shades contained within were a bit ‘off’… although neutral, they’re all rather warm toned and I really wasn’t sure how this would play out against my very cool skin.  I needn’t have worried, they work delightfully well.

Let’s take a closer look at that eye palette shall we?

Packaging is a solid, acrylic housing with gold-coloured lid.  It feels well built, substantial and looks classy on my dressing table!

Read on for closer shots of the shade and swatches…

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I couldn’t resist picking up the Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 01 – Marionette last week in the ASOS sale… it was down from £18 to £11 – steal!

This post is a bit picture heavy… simply because it’s so pretty and I got my new camera and I couldn’t stop snapping.

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…in Burnished Copper.

So pretty… so, so very pretty.

I’ll admit that Laura Mercier is a brand that I’ve never gotten into before now.  I’m always drawn to the sleek packaging and impeccably made up SAs but the line confuses me a little.  It’s all those powders I think… I once asked about the Secret Brightening Powder and left the counter with the impression that I needed to buy about 7 other products before the Secret Brightening Powder would be able to do it’s intended task.

So now, for the sake of my tiny brain… I ignore that whole “secret” part of the counter whenever I stop by for a look.  I’m probably missing out on something great… but don’t tell me that.

So anyway, I hadn’t even noticed these cute little tubes before… but last time I was browsing my eyes alighted on them straightaway!

I already have a particular fondness for creme eyeshadow formulations and was eager to swatch them all.  I was terribly torn between this one (Burnished Copper) and Alloy (Cool Taupe).  I went with Burnished Copper in the end because I knew it would really pull the green in my eyes to the forefront and just seemed more Christmassy (only 10 weeks away – don’t hate me).

You can either squeeze a small amount of product onto your finger tip and apply like that for a sheerer finish or use a brush to build up the colour intensity.  I would recommend using a primer underneath if you have oily lids… longevity lies somewhere between NARS cream shadows (i.e. none) and Benefit’s Creaseless Creams (good).  With a primer, they last a whole lot longer on me.

Ain’t it purdy though?  Metallic but more of a metallic sheen than robot wars.  At £18 each, they ain’t much of a bargain… but I am such a sucker for beautiful shades.

Have you tried the Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colours?

So, the other day/week/month…. whenever it was (they’re blurring)… I told you about the new Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliners that I’d had a look at during the Avon Christmas collex launch.   I also told you about not being able to remove them with plain ol’ soap and water which resulted in me looking a bit grubby while I was on an overnighter in London.

I thought I’d compare it a little more closely to some of the other eyeliners I have in my stash that are generally well-regarded throughout the blogging community… so without further ado…

It’s got that fancy-schmancy luxe lace packaging going on… I’ve noticed that these eyeliners have currently disappeared from the website, so I’m guessing that’s ‘cos they’re about to be relaunched in the new packaging for Xmas.

Not retractable or any of that jazz, just your standard-looking eye pencil!

The black is VERY black.  Pigmented to the max and easily the softest eye pencil I own.  I barely need to touch this to my eyelid to create a defined and solid line.  Can you say impressive?  As with most soft/glidey eyeliners, it does mean that this needs more frequent sharpening than it’s counterparts… but your poor sensitive eyelids will thank you for the drag-free application.

Here’s 4 of some of the most highly regarded pencil eyeliners available.  I think you might be able to clearly pick out which packs the biggest punch in terms of pigmentation no?  The above artistic squiggles show one swipe each.

How about lasting power?  I swiped MULTIPLE times over my entire hand with a wet wipe…

Urban Decay… as much as I love you… you fail.

GOSH?  Close… but no cigar.

MUFE performed slightly better than Avon in the longwear test (conducted whilst I was wearing something that looked nothing like an official lab coat – probably my pyjamas) but the pigmentation just wasn’t there to begin with.

So… finally… how about a price comparison?

MUFE – £11.50
Avon – £6.00
GOSH – £4.99
Urban Decay – £11.50

There are a few other factors to take into consideration.  Of all ranges, Avon has the least shades available… I think there are only around 3 or 4, so great coloured eyeliners will still have to be sought elsewhere…

…But if you’re looking for a fabulously pigmented, long-lasting black eyeliner that won’t break the bank.  Better make friends with your local Avon lady (or yano, do the modern thang and head here).

ETA:

I received a sample of the Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner in Silver as a few of you requested swatches… here are the pictures.  I really do recommend these liners without hesitation.

Let me set the scene…

My makeup is lovely.  I’m very happy with how I’ve scrubbed up this evening… there’s definitely room for improvement, but on the makeup front?  The girl’s done good.

I’m getting into the swing of things and have been at this function for a couple of hours… I’m relaxing and smiling more… joining in with the odd conversation and life is generally pretty sweet.

But hang on, what’s this?

Oh… one too many gin and tonics tells me that I need a loo break.  Off we go!

Oooooh squeee mirrors!  Let me give myself a quick check, make sure my hair’s not gone too wild, lips aren’t too faded….

….

…errrr wtf?

You don’t see it?  Look closer mi amigos…

Check out the nice mascara smudges… I got off lightly, I sometimes develop matching ones on both eyelids.

Seriously though…for  just HOW LONG had I looked like I needed a bloody good wash?  I stand infront of the mirror, my brain working overtime trying to calculate just how many people had clearly done the polite thing of NOT STARING?

Mascara…

You fail me.

.

Do you have a beauty nemesis?

I was going to do one post that encompassed the entire Christmas Collection, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get a colour-accurate tube shot of the lipstick that I received in my goody bag.  So instead, we’ll have to make do with the eye palette that I was sent home with for now.

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Lace Hues is one of two eye palettes that Avon are releasing in special packaging as part of their Luxe Lace collection which is due to hit their online store at the end of the month.

Lace Hues contains four shades.  A shimmering white-gold, a matte neutral pink, a satin grey/green and a shimmering navy.  The packaging is delightful… a glossy black, well-built palette with pink lace embellishments.  It’s sturdy, secure and the large mirror inside is more than adequate for application’s sake.

On first inspection, it was the navy that caught my eye… it has a brighter blue flash to it… a certain interest that the other shades are lacking.

The texture of each shadow is quite hard and colour payoff is sheer but buildable with a bit of work.  I’ve been wearing the matte pink all over the lid with a touch of the grey/green in the socket and lashings of the blue underneath my lower lashline.  It’s a winning combination.  I’m not so fond of the pale gold highlighting shade as the shimmer is a little chunky and apparent for me.

The matte pink in particular has a tendency to kick up a bit of dust when loading up the brush, but the fallout doesn’t seem to transfer to my cheeks.  I know I’m gonna hit pan on that blue before any other colour though.  Isn’t it lovely?

What is the general opinion on Avon’s eyeshadow palettes?  I have to confess… I’ve never tried one before!

As beauty addicts, how many times have we done that huh?  I’ll tell you how many… too bloody many.

Not only that, but let’s not forget that when in the UK, you’ve got more chance of finding genuine MAC on eBay than you have being able to return your purchases… these mistakes can really add up.

So, you can imagine my utter deflation when my NARS #12 Small Domed Eye brush turned up and wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.  I mean, I know that it’s called ‘small’… but I didn’t expect the head to be quite SO small.  My fault entirely.

But then I used it and I fell in love.

The NARS blurb on the website reads… Squirrel hair for definition and for creating depth in the crease of the eye.

I say… If you have hooded eyelids, get this brush.

(excuse the eyeshadow dust – it needs cleaning!)

The NARS #12 Small Domed Eye Brush is incredibly soft.  I find some NARS brushes a little scratchy for their price… but this one is a winner.  It’s densely packed and firm enough to do more than just place the colour.  This little beauty is a master blender to apply defined but soft crease colours.

Hai!  My name’s dopey.

Ignoring my moronic eye-expression (and need for a one-on-one with my tweezers) for a moment… can you see how perfectly the brush fits under that hood?  I don’t have the most hooded eyelids in the world, but they are a pain for muddying colour when the upper part droops onto the lid itself.  If I’m wearing a v. dark crease colour, I need to be precise and I need to focus it in the outer corner and just in the actual crease itself because of that reason.  With this brush I can do this.

Why not just use a pencil brush or a small eye contour brush then?  Because I’m crap at makeup in general and those kinda brushes always encourage me to be too heavy handed.  With the NARS #12 brush, I can do gentle windshield wiper movements along the crease contour (whilst keeping my eyes half open) and achieve a soft, smoky but perfectly defined dark crease.

At £22.00 (for such a teeny little brush) my initial disappointment almost resulted in a mild strop but now?  I’m considering a backup.

Which NARS brushes do you rate most highly?

For Autumn/Winter, L’Oreal have released some new shades to join their Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks lineup.  Titled the “Nude Collection”, the four new shades are (as you would expect) wearable and flattering for most skintones.

Marketed as “having the power of a serum at it’s heart (with) powerful active indredients… …to restore moisture and definition to the lips” and boasting some pretty good ingredients to back up these claims.  Among these ingredients, I was pleased to see Hyaluronic Acid listed and had a quick google on another ingredient “Pro-Xylane”… which appears to have originally been developed by Lancome back in 2006 and is used in many of L’Oreal’s more expensive anti-aging facial products.

On paper, if there’s one thing these lipsticks should achieve… it’s a non-drying formula.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  Yes, it’s useful to be able to see the exact shade of the lipstick by looking through the little window… but these feel cheap.  They’re very lightweight, overwhelmingly plasticky and they damage easily.  I spent an afternoon with one of them in my handbag and as you can see from the below photo, the casing is already starting to show wear and tear (lipstick on the left).

I guess the overall design is pleasing, but the materials used are a let down.

While I’m discussing what I dislike… I’m also going to mention the scent.  For me, it’s not appealing… the lipsticks are quite heavily violet-scented and it just conjures up the old lady lipstick smell.  Something a little fresher or unscented would have been preferable.  Thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger too long once applied, but it’s a point to note.

I was sent two of the new shades shown above by L’Oreal: S106 – Freshly Rosy and S204 Beamy Plum

Of the two, Freshly Rosy is paler and a little frostier whilst Beamy Plum applies creamier whilst still carrying a sheen.

That different coloured core is cute right?

Both apply like a dream.  They’re smooth and glide on with no effort at all.  Pigmentation is best with Beamy Plum but buildable for both lipsticks.  They don’t stick to any dry patches on my lips and neither do they accentuate the furrows and grooves.  So far, so good!

Hand swatches…

For my colouring, I was expecting to prefer Freshly Rosy… but my lips must be more pigmented than I thought as I struggled to cover my natural pigmentation with this shade.  I got there eventually, but it took a few swipes from the tube to do it.

You can see that they’re both completely wearable for fair skin tones and have a glossy appearance.  Despite how moisturising these are, they don’t feel at all sticky or thick on the lips.

In context… (please excuse the pyjamas *blush*)

Beamy Plum is a great choice for those of us who want to indulge in slightly darker lips for A/W but are scared of vamping it up too much.  In other words, if you’re a bit of a wimp like me… you need to try this shade!

The lipsticks lasted fairly well throughout the morning, both could have benefited from a touch up after my mid-morning coffee but neither *really* needed it.  After my soup though?  Forget about it… they were gone!  To be fair, I fully expected this considering how moisturising I found the formula.

Pros: Moisturising Formula, Wearable Shades, Smooth Finish, Easy to Apply

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks are priced at £8.49 each and the Nude Collection will be available from this month onwards.