A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I picked these Sue Moxley Famous bits up in Superdrug sometime this Summer, I’ve forgotten exactly when – sorry!

The eyeshadows were on offer because the range is being updated… the shimmer brick thing was full price… £7  I think.  It hardly breaks the bank, but the packaging isn’t exactly enticing is it?  Tack-tastic.  Thank god it’s being updated.

The eyeshadows aren’t my cup of tea at all.

They’re very frosty and have that slight oily feeling that reminds me of the Superdrug MUA ones.  The colours aren’t too bad.. but the frosty over-shimmer kills it for me.  This is coming from someone who doesn’t mind shimmer!

The Shimmer Brick in Pink (which has obviously been inspired by a certain Bobbi Brown version) accentuates my pores in a way that the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks just don’t do.  The brown tone in this also creates a unnatural shade for my skintone when swirled together.

Finally, to add insult to injury… a great chunk of product broke away from the pan a couple of days later.  I don’t have a picture of how it looked after it crumbled… but flicking back through my shots from before I started using it, I came across the potential culprit.

If you’re browsing in store and want to pick one up.  Make sure that the edges are fully intact.  Along that top edge is where mine broke away.

Overall, not a very positive experience with the brand.

Going back through some of my old photo folders I was surprised to notice that I hadn’t blogged about one of my favourite foundations ever!

I love light foundations that feel comfortable on the skin and MUFE’s Face & Body Liquid Make Up fits that criteria beautifully.  Yes, it’s sheer and will not cover blemishes – but it evens out my skintone nicely and lasts all day.  Being waterproof, it’s pretty fabulous for warm climates too.

In my humble and completely non-expert opinion, the key to falling in love with this foundation is in the way you apply it.

I layer it.

It takes a little longer, but I adore the finish that I can achieve if I take some time and care with my application.

Starting with a thin layer all over, I give the jelly-like water-based formula a couple of minues to dry.  Once set, I apply another layer… this time focusing on the centre of my face.  This is the layer that evens out the redness in my skin… not completely, but enough to keep my tone looking more uniform yet still natural.

If I have blemishes, then before applying anything… I’ll conceal them.

The formula takes a little getting used to… it’s very wet and jelly like.  Before dispensing, you need to give the bottle a thorough shake to mix the formula and when tipping beware that you can dislodge a big jellified blob onto the back of your hand if you’re not cautious!

Make Up For Ever’s Face & Body Liquid Make Up isn’t an inexpensive choice, but it’s certainly cheaper (especially for the quantity in the bottle) than most high end alternatives.

Available in the UK from Guru Makeup Emporium and PAM Makeup, 50ml will set you back around £25-£27.

As an aside, Shade #36 is the MOST perfect match for my skintone (especially in winter).  Though, ironically… it wouldn’t matter if it were a shade or two off because it’s such a forgiving sheer formula.  Why can’t I find this shade in other foundations huh?

Have you tried MUFE’s Face & Body Liquid Make Up?  What are your favourite MUFE products?  I wish we had greater availability in the UK… I can’t understand why a national chain haven’t picked the brand up already *sigh*.

Dark, grungy and all about texture… Topshop’s new Autumn/Winter makeup range, Heavy Duty… is set to launch at the end of the month.  From ultra-wet looking glossy lips through to slept-in smoky eyes the new collection is a far cry from the high-street store’s Summer offerings.

LIP MARKER: A felt tip pen applicator for long lasting gorgeously bitten looking lips. So efficient; use an oil based cleanser to ensure full removal.  Shade: Ultimate

GLOSS: The perfect formula for creating heavy lacquered lips that look dipped in paint.  Choose from three deep sultry tones for a full on wash of colour.  Shades: Volt, Gloom and Undertone.

KOHL DUST: A revolutionary formula that crumbles and smudges to create the perfect smokey eye.  Perfect for both top and lower lid, inside and out, the 3D effect is the first of it’s kind.  Shade: Ash.

EYE PALETTE: Two beautiful and complementary shades encased in a mirrored palette.  Build them up wet and watch the diamond like formula reveal a deep and dramatic finish.  Palette Shades: Thunder and Greyscale.

CREAM LINERS: With four unique and fashion forward shades to choose from use as a liner, a wash or build up for an intense injection of colour.  Applicator included.  Shades: Facet, Steely, Etch, Ravine.

CRAYON: The ultimate pigmented kohl presented in a chubby crayon for buildable coverage.  A choice of two dark and sultry shades that easily smudge for a dramatic and smokey effect.  Shades: Graphite and Burnish.

MASCARA: High drama lashes in an instant.  Lifts, lengthens and defines for buildable volume, perfect for this season’s heavier lash.  Shade: Carbon.

NAILS: A collection of three intense nail lacquers of contrasting and complementing petrol hues.  Shades: Metallic Khaki, Iridescent Grey, Metallic Blue.

Heavy Duty will be available towards the end of this month instore and online with prices ranging between £6-£10.

Anything catching your attention?

Now, I’m not usually into brand bashing but how about an original idea TheBalm?

A).  Batter Up is a stupid name.

B). Adding the words Creaseless Cream to the title? Oh HAI Benefit…

C). I get that you’re a quirky brand from San Francisco too already…

D). You could have redeemed yourselves by leapfrogging Benefit and going all out on the colour shades…

did you?  DID YOU?

No.

No, you didn’t.

Lame.

Having um said that, I think I’ll still probably try one at some point…. yano, just to satisfy my cream eyeshadow addiction.  Yeah, I’m lame too.

Though… perhaps not if the retail price of £18 (they’re $18 in the US) is to be believed… £18?!  For a TheBalm *insert stupid name* Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow that may or may not be as good as a £14 Benefit Creaseless Cream?  On yer bike.

The new range of lipsticks from French makeup maestro Francois NARS have launched into Selfridges.  Priced at £18 each, the NARS Pure Matte Lipstick range promises intense, stay-true colour.

But that’s not all…

[stextbox id=”alert” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]Defying the traditional challenge of long-wearing lipsticks, it won’t dry out lips.  Rich in antioxidants, including Vitamin E and Acai Oil, Pure Matte nourishes and conditions lips.  Wild Mango Butter’s advanced moisturizing properties work  to repair lips from dryness and scaling, leaving lips feeling supple and soft.[/stextbox]

If that claim is to be believed…. sign me up!

I haven’t tried any of the shades on my lips, but did swatch a couple at a recent press day.

Clockwise from Top Left: Tashkent (Nude Beige), Volga (Deep Aubergine), Terre de Feu (Black Cherry) – incidentally, how great does Terre de Feu look for a vampy Winter lip?, Bangkok (Soft Rose), Tonkin (Cinnamon Plum) and Vesuvio (Full Bodied Red).

Tashkent and Bangkok

Tashkent and Bangkok swatched.

I clearly remember Bangkok (the rose), dragging on the skin of the back of my hand as I swatched, so I’m not sure how that would apply to my lips… though to be fair, the tester could well have dried out a touch after being open for however long.  By contrast, Tashkent glided on without too much friction burn 😉

Are any of these calling to you?  I must admit that Vesuvio and Terre de Feu look like wonderful Wintery options!

Incidentally, how beautifully shot is this promo?

NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks are £18 each and until 1st October are exclusive to Selfridges.

The day that I get my concealer application down to a fine art is the day that I go ALL out on tinted moisturisers.  I love the more natural finish, but hate compromising on coverage.

Arbonne are quite new to me and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the products I’ve tried.  I’ll probably never feel comfortable with the way in which you need to purchase the products through consultants but that’s just because I’m an old fashioned girl who’d much rather be able to pick up her makeup whilst out shopping!

I received a sample of Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser in Fair.  Arbonne offer an impressive 6 shades within their tinted moisturiser range.  I’m used to seeing Light, Medium and Dark… so such a wide selection caught my attention early on.

Packaging is SLEEK!  I know they’ve recently revamped their entire cosmetics line and the dirty pewter finish is lovely!

The texture of the tinted moisturiser is quite fluid… which makes it easy to spread and blend, there’s plenty of slip which makes for quite a fool-proof application.  It’s definitely more like applying a moisturiser than applying a foundation.

It’s a dewy finish that would benefit from a little powder over areas that are prone to shine.  I usually powder my nose, chin and forehead after applying this.  It evens out my skintone nicely but doesn’t provide any coverage for blemishes.  It also doesn’t completely cover redness, but as a tinted moisturiser, it probably isn’t meant to.

It moisturises well (something that most tinted moisturisers actually fail to do!) but the flipside to this is that it leaves my skin feeling slightly tacky to the touch, another reason to set with powder.

At £24 for 50ml, this is high end.  Not as expensive as Laura Mercier’s cult offering or Bobbi Brown’s tinted balm, but more expensive than many high street alternatives including Clinique’s Almost Makeup (which I love for the winter).

Longevity is good, it does slip around my nose by mid-afternoon… but that’s where I’m at my most oily and I don’t use any kind of mattifying products in this area.

Final Verdict – If you’re looking for a sheer tinted moisturiser in a wide variety of shade choices, Arbonne’s Sheer Finish Tinted Moisturiser may be for you.  If you’re prone to oily skin or don’t need so much moisturisation… consider other options first.

I bought this cream concealer from Inglot earlier in the year (around the same time as I picked up the MUFE full cover concealer).  I was hoping to do a comparison, but they’re really quite different.

I tend to use this around my nose and on blemishes.  It’s a little thick to use under the eyes, though I have had some success if I apply with a small fluffy brush.  Coverage is medium/full and I find that it dries quite quickly, so rapid blending is essential to achieve a flawless finish.

Compared to my MUFE, the texture is thin and gives less coverage, it’s easier to blend but doesn’t produce quite the same effective results.

I also find it a little drying.  Having said a few negative things about the Inglot Cream Concealer, it’s only fair to also point out a major positive.  This doesn’t seem to highlight or sink into my pores.  Some concealers leave my pores feeling rather ‘out there’… but this blends in nicely.  It will sink into fine lines around the eyes unless you use a very light hand during application.  I think that perhaps thin layers may be key with this concealer.

Shade #32 is a good slightly pink toned match for my cool pale skin.  I wish I could remember how much I paid for this but I can’t.  If anyone knows how much the Inglot Cream Concealers retail at, holler and I’ll update.

You can buy Inglot in the UK at the Westfield in London and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin.

It’s all about the lips this Autumn as far as Clarins are concerned.

They’ve introduced a new lipstick to their line up!  The long-lasting Rouge Prodige range boasts an impressive 24 shades, I’ve been sent a few to swatch and show you… so here goes…

Sleek is the word I’d use to describe the packaging… look at that cute little ‘C’.  For ‘Charlotte’ innit…

Shades and swatches after the jump!

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I’m starting a new series called The Countdown.  Each month, around this kinda time I’m gonna be having a root about on my desk and in my cabinets to find the top 3 products that I’ve reached for in that particular month.  They may be long since discontinued or they may be new acquisitions.

I love reading people’s favourites lists and I often find hidden gems amongst them, so I hope this will be interesting to you lovely lot!  Today it’s my top 3 blushes of August.

1. Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in M23 Wine – Stupid shade name, I’ve never drunk a wine this shade. If I had, I would be sure to have remembered the belly ache that would have followed!

I’ve been using this matte blush with a very light hand, just a pop on the apples of the cheeks with a loose bristled brush.  EASY to go overboard with this one!

2. Topshop Blush in Butterscotch – If Shu’s Wine is easy to overdo… this is the exact opposite.  It takes quite a bit to get this to show up on me.  I’ve been using my fingers to apply and like the natural effect this cream blush gives.  I’m not sure I’d repurchase because I’d like one with a bit more oomph – but I’ve been reaching for it a lot this month because I’m loving the nude colour.

3. Illamasqua Cream Blush in Laid – A recent purchase, Laid is a cool toned hot pink… again, this one is best reserved for the apples of the cheeks unless you’re going for that 80s look!  Blends like a dream and so quick for a fuss-free pop of colour.  Love it.

What have been your favourite blushers this month?

I ‘created’ (ooh get me!) this FOTD using the new Urban Decay Black Palette before I discovered the beauty of these shadows over Fyrinnae’s Pixie Epoxy.. so this is applied straight onto bare skin.

You may be able to make out the gold sparkles in this close up?

It’s nothing ground breaking, it’s one colour… my favourite from the set (Cobra).  Infact, as FOTD’s go… a one-coloured eyeshadow one is pretty lame, but some of you were asking to see how the shadows looked over unprimed skin and I thought I’d upload this to demonstrate the kind of pigmentation you can expect.

Hope you’re having a good Thursday!

Am I talking about the new Chanel must-have?  Perhaps a little something-something from La Prairie?

NO!

It’s none ofther than Lady Lamb herself, FINALLY making that long journey from Down Under (check out those lips and lashes!)

Basically… what I’m saying is… the time has come!

You can now pre-order your Lanolips online from VictoriaHealth!

If you don’t know what the hell I’m getting so excited about (where have you been?), I first mentioned the brand back in the beginning of March.  If you wanna have a read of my thoughts, click here.

You can also follow Lanolips on Twitter and Facebook.

The soon-to-be-released Black Palette from US eyeshadow maestro’s Urban Decay is an altogether darker affair than the recent Naked set…

The Black Palette includes 6, 1g eyeshadows, 1 mini 24/7 eye pencil in zero and a mini eyeshadow primer potion in new ‘shade’ Eden.  We haven’t seen Eden on these shores before so I was excited to be able to take a look when I received this sample last week.

The packaging is compact.  There’s been complaints about how cumbersome some of Urban Decay’s palettes are and they’ve clearly listened to the fans.  There are no hidden drawers or slots for your car keys.  Barely an inch of wasted space… infact, the included UDPP (Urban Decay Primer Potion) sits seperately from the palette once taken out of the exterior packaging.  The Urban Decay Black Palette is thoroughly portable if you need it to be.

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