A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I generally balk at the prospect of paying more than £8 for a high street/drug store product, but I had seen/read a few reviews of the new L’oreal Studio Secrets Smoothing Resurfacing Primer and was too excited by the “resurfacing” claims not to at least check it out.

My skin isn’t too bad and I’m generally fairly content with it… however, improvements can always be made right? and the thought of poreless, mattified smooth skin was one temptation too far.  So, I left Superdrug clutching my little 15ml pot of miracles whilst trying not to growl too loudly at the £12.99 receipt sat in the bottom of the bag.

Please excuse the stock image, I’ve still got the sniffles and the thought of digging out my camera feels far too energetic!

The consistency reminds me of a slightly less fluffy Maybelline Dream Mousse product, it’s a pale pink colour and a little goes quite a long way as it spreads smoothly and easily across the skin.  It feels quite heavy thanks to the silicones, although this feeling does fade after a little while you’ll be pleased to hear.  After application, my skin feels very velvety and soft – but unfortunately, that feeling fades aswell.

L’oreal say:

Inspired by professional make-up, this primer masks wrinkles and uneven textures in the skin, making the complexion incredibly smooth with a velvety touch. Skin feels soft as if resurfaced.

The high elastomer content in the Smoothing Primer means that it has a beautifully smooth texture and is incredibly effective at disguising wrinkles and pores. The combination of soft, light powders gives a matte look and a silky finish.

Bold claims huh?

Well, this is where I stop talking and let you decide.  I’ve uploaded a picture… a great big massive ugly close up picture.  Here are my pores and wrinkles for all the world to see.  I’ve primed half my face with this product before applying my foundation whilst the other half has the foundation applied on bare skin.

Please excuse the wild hair and slightly goofy bug-eyed expression – my camera’s wide angle lens is not the most flattering (but great for pinpoint focusing accuracy on those pores!)

Click the image to make it SUPER-SIZED! (if you dare)

Are you back? Do you need therapy?

So what do you think?  Is there a discernible difference?  If there is… is it worth £12.99 of your money?

Personally, I don’t think I’ll bother repurchasing.

Tell me what you think!

So, after reading this kind comment from Ceona on my last FOTD post:

I love this palette and the way you’ve used it. So tempted to get one myself. I’m not sure about that blue though, how would you use it with the other colours? I am stuck in a brown/bronze/gold eyeshadow rut.

I realised that I too was mostly stuck in a bronze/gold shadow rut… but I’m loving it and don’t wanna leave, especially now Autumn is drawing near with all it’s bronzey shades! So, instead I thought I’d spice it up a little by using the blue in the palette foiled (wet) as a liner.

I *think* it works, although I’d probably use the same gold on the lower lashline as I did on the lids next time.

Used:

Kryolan Shades Palette in Santiago

Hope the shadows aren’t too distracting, I did this quite late at night and had to use my (bounced) flash to light my face.

Happy roast dinner day! (although I’ve got baked potato, so I dunno why I’m getting all excited..)

Before being gifted some of these Color Sensational lippies at the recent Maybelline event, I’d heard about this range from other bloggers on t’internet and had rushed out to purchase #112 Ambre Rose.

My experiences with this “lippie du jour” had been really good. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did (I thought the same about GOSH Darling too). Aside from the simple prettiness of the shade, I found it to be non-drying, easy to apply, nicely pigmented and carrying a gorgeous vanilla scent. Longevity is average for a high-street brand and I’m not ashamed to reapply in public thanks to the pretty case.

Now onto some swatches of just a few of the 26 available shades.

Out of the 7:

#730 (Golden Brown) and #420 (Coral Pop) are not flattering to my cool skintone.

#125 (Shimmer Pink) is beautiful, but a little too shimmery for me.

#148 (Summer Pink) is a little too bright for me to wear comfortably.

which leaves…

#112 (Ambre Rose), #165 (Pink Hurricane) & #240 (Galactic Mauve) as stand out shades for me.  These would really compliment any cool toned ladies out there.

I do wanna say though, #420 (Coral Pop) is a stonking shade for warmer skintones… I’m particularly grumpy about the fact that it doesn’t suit me very well.

Application and formula-wise, they’re consistently good.  If you want a lippie on a budget that you can tote around in your handbag for touch ups on the go, I recommend this line with complete conviction.

I haven’t tried any of the ‘stronger’ shades like #530 (Fatal Red) or #315 (Rich Plum) so I can’t comment on things like bleeding into the lip line, but if these 7 are indicative of the rest of the lineup, I can happily state that wear seems to be nice and even.

I’ll be hunting down a few more shades (especially whilst the 3for2 is still on at Boots) – #108 Pink Pearl (can’t find it and it isn’t even in stock on Boots.com), #132 Sweet Pink, #245 Magic Mauve (possibly) & #605 Precious Beige. 

There’s also a few US only shades that I’m scouring eBay for.

I wasn’t a massive fan of Maybelline’s other new release Pulse Perfection Mascara (although if you are, grab a £1.50 off coupon here) so I’m delighted to be able to enthuse about these!

Available from Boots, Superdrug et al and currently priced at £6.84ea.

I’m a lazy girl.. I hate reapplying lipsticks, so I do have a fondness for long-lasting lip colours.

I picked these glosses up in Superdrug a few weeks ago after falling in love with the shades whilst noseying through the Sleek stand.

Purity (on the left) and Christobell (on the right)

Purity is a lovely creamy dusky nude shade on my lips, whilst Christobell is a pale silvery pink with lots of shimmer.

Sleek say:

…Wonderlast Duo Lipgloss will equip you with a long lasting high gloss pout, allowing you to face the battles of the day without the endless need for reapplication. A lustrous, hydrating and long-lasting lip gloss. Available in 8 shades…

The idea behind this gloss is not a new one… Revlon released a version earlier this year (Colorstay Liquid Lipstick – which I’m a fan of), Maybelline does one (Superstay Lip Color) and even GOSH had one called Everlasting Lips (not sure if that’s still available).

Anyway, how do these glosses stand up to their claims?

First up, we have “Purity”:

Purity, with and without the gloss topcoat.

Well, firstly.. the shade is true to the tube and it applied smoothly.  However, I could instantly feel my lips reacting to the drying lipcolour.  Even with the gloss attempting to disguise the furrows… the drying effects are still visible.

I LOVE the clear gloss topcoat though, it’s smooth almost creamy and completely non-sticky – great stuff!

Moving on to “Christobell”…

Sorry… Did someone just post a picture of a cat’s bumhole?

Erm… check that out!  Way to age my lips by about 30 years, thanks Sleek!  The gloss does do quite a good job of disguising this though.  I’ll just have to walk around with a constant smile on my face to stretch out that skin.

One problem though… one BIG problem…

WTF is that? 5 minutes later… I felt my lips becoming “gritty” and this is what greeted me in the mirror.  Attractive no?  Just gonna go see if my husband fancies a snog…

This shade has done this before for me, I’m not sure if it’s an application issue or if I’ve got an odd tube.  I *think* it’s when I apply more than one coat of the colour.  But you HAVE to if you want to achieve anything near the intensity it looks in the tube as this shade is quite sheer.

As for longevity, it’s not bad.. but it’s not the best.  Revlon Liquid Lipstick wins that one for me (although also drying).  I would say that these Wonderlast Duo Lipglosses last an average of 3 hours on me before fading.  They also fade a little unevenly, so you may find yourself scrubbing away at your lips with the back of your hand well before the 3hrs are up.

Removal can be tricky (as with all of these types of product) But I overcome this by using my fingertip with a slick of cleansing oil or some other dual-phase makeup remover.

I’m disappointed that I’m not happier with these lipglosses, at a price of £3.91 each they’re an absolute steal and I’ve already declared my adoration for the 2 shades above.

However cat bum lips simply won’t do and if we lived in the U.S. I’d demand my money back for Sleek being so cheeky as to claim they’re “hydrating”.

I *may* repurchase Purity for the shade and to use the gloss coat ontop of other lipsticks but Christobell is a total no-no for me.

[starreview tpl=14]

Another new release for Autumn/Winter 2009 is Urban Decay’s new Ink For Eyes, a highly pigmented cream liner available in 6 different colours for the party season!

I received 3 of the latest shades to try out and share my thoughts with you.

They Say:

It’s everything you want in a cream eyeliner! More precise than a pencil, more forgiving than a liquid, this super-smooth formula offers more control, play time, and buildable coverage than your average liner.

What’s our secret ingredient? Nylon 12! This high-tech polymer decreases drag for flawless application (no skips or smears), while softening and absorbing excess oil. Color glides easily and stays true all day long. And, the formula is paraben-free!

Let’s have a look at these lovely new offerings then…

Very pretty no?

From left to right: Loaded (Deep Green), Demolition (Rich Brown), Binge (Midnight Blue)

One of the first things that struck me is the brush included with each liner.  It’s really rather decent! See for yourselves:

You can achieve good precision with the brush end and the smudger is as good as anything I own to create a smokier look.

Here’s a swatch of the brown.. check out that pigmentation!

The top line shows 2 swipes of the liner whilst the bottom line is 1 swipe and then smudged out using the smudger tip.

The product applies smoothly with absolutely no drag on the eyelid I’m pleased to report.  There’s nothing worse than a product which is too hard and drags on the delicate skin… my pet hate for any liner!

Here, I’ve lined the top and bottom lashlines fairly heavily (for a night-time look) and I’ve smoked out the lower for a more sultry effect.

This is where the product excels… I LOVE this liner for a smokier/smudgier ‘rock chick’ look.  It also works well as a cream eyeshadow when smudged gently over the upper lid… it blends beautifully.

If you’re a fan of these kind of liners… then I don’t see how these could fail to please!  Beautifully packaged with a decent brush and useful mirror, whilst the product itself is nicely pigmented and very soft, creamy and easy to apply.

My only gripe with the Urban Decay Ink For Eyes is the same gripe I have with a lot of cream liners.  Transfer.

This doesn’t set too well.  I’d recommend a touch of translucent powder or eyeshadow in a similar shade to limit transfer on your mobile lids (especially if you have hooded eyelids like me).  Having said that, once smudged out a bit… I had no problems with further smudging or transfer on the lower lashline.

Colour-wise, I’m really tempted by the eggplant shade (Empire) for some gorgeous smoky Autumnal looks, which shade is your favourite?

Available from the usual Urban Decay stockists and priced at £14 each.

Synonymous with the brand (and highly regarded) is Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion, so I was excited to get the chance to test and review some of their latest primers.

Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion is a new release to coincide with their Autumn/Winter collection…

They say:

Prepare your lips for the day ahead. Our invisible primer lays a silky foundation for your favorite lipstick or gloss. Color is truer, applies smoother, lasts longer, and will not fade or feather. The easy-glide formula feels velvety-soft, without the drying feeling often associated with long-lasting lip color.

The formula includes SPF 15 (yay!) and moisturizing Vitamins A, C and E for a primer that protects and perfects. And, our pretty roll-up tube and slanted bullet make for precise, easy application.

It’s a concealer coloured unassuming little product decked out in Urban Decay’s trademark pretty purple packaging.  All very nice, but does it actually do anything?

Let’s put it to the test!

First of all, let me introduce you to my bare lips.  I make no apologies for the total lack of makeup… it’s a Sunday and I couldn’t be bothered.

You’ll notice that I have a very full bottom lip (and not much top lip unfortunately).  This really causes quite a problem for me with lipsticks, especially pale ones.  The inner part of my bottom lip is highly pigmented in comparison to the rest of the lip (see the redder bit?).  Lipsticks simply don’t stick to that part of my lip which isn’t too much of a problem if the shade is dark enough… but if I’m wearing a nude or pale lip, you can spot where the lipstick hasn’t applied properly from a mile away.

I also have dry lips and some deep creases which I put down to a 20-a-day cigarette habit that lasted nearly 15 years.

The only lip primers I’ve ever tried in the past have been those plumping stinging ones, so I was interested to put Urban Decay’s Lip Primer Potion to the ultimate test!

Firstly…

I applied a lip scrub (I keep thinking Dr. Evil when I look at this picture).  I use a minty sugar based scrub from Earthen Glow Minerals.

Then I generously applied the primer all over my lips… Look! The red bit isn’t quite so noticeable! It created a nice even base without giving concealer lips!

Applying Revlon Matte Lipstick in Pink Pout, a lovely shade that I’ve barely worn because of my uneven pigmentation problem.  I found that the primer helped smooth the application of this matte which drags more than most lipsticks.

Finished! Apologies for looking so smug here… not quite sure why that is…

Final thoughts:

I’m very pleased to have discovered this product!  It offers a solution to my uneven pigmentation problem and that is the one thing I really hoped it would solve.  I’m not convinced that my lipstick lasted longer than usual… but it definitely faded evenly instead of leaving a ring around the edge of my lips as per usual.

Unfortunately, I found the actual primer itself quite hard to apply, a little bit draggy.  I also didn’t feel that it was very moisturising on my dry lips which was one of the promises made.  I did try the primer again with a waxy lip balm underneath and that definitely eased the dryness.. but worked against the whole priming effect so obviously not a very good solution!  I shall try a more cream-like lip moisturiser (think Body Shop) and see if that helps at all.

Would I purchase this?  Yes.  I’ve never found anything that evens out my lip pigmentation so EFFECTIVELY without completely drying my lips out or wearing off rapidly (concealer).  For me at least, this is a product that will change how I wear lipstick.  I will have far more confidence in pale lips without reapplying constantly and trying to grind the colour into a uniform application.  That’s a HUGE breakthrough for me!

Now… Urban Decay, listen up… please could you squeeze a little more moisturiser into it for old scabby-lipped ladies like me?

Available from the usual Urban Decay stockists and priced at £10

I received this to try a couple of weeks ago and thought it was high time I shared my thoughts on one of the newest lash primers to hit the UK market: Urban Decay’s Eyelash Primer Potion

They say:

Wave this magic wand before your favorite mascara for lashes that appear thicker, longer and stronger… right before your very eyes. Tiny fibers band together, cling to every lash, and construct towers of Babel… reaching for heavenly lashes. Just apply Eyelash Primer Potion, then apply your favorite mascara as usual. Your lashes will look fake, but the magic is real.

Our protein-rich and paraben-free formula conditions, fortifies, and thickens lashes with Silk Protein, Panthenol, and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein.

As always from Urban Decay we’re treated to some pretty packaging… call me a sucker, I can’t help it – curb appeal counts!

You can see the little fibres clinging to the brush.  If you’ve experienced sensitivity with fibre mascaras in the past you may want to exercise some caution with this primer.  I had no sensitivity problems.

One set of lashes bare and one coated with the primer… is this what I’m gonna look like in 40 years?

Ta-da!  This is one coat of mascara on each set of lashes.  The Primer’d lashes are the ones on your right (like you need telling).  So, does Urban Decay’s new Eyelash Primer make a difference for me? Um yeah!

The effect is possibly a little clumpy for my personal taste, so next time I would definitely comb them through after applying… it’s also quite a heavy product, so if you curl your lashes, you may find this weighs them down.  I was pleased to note that the eyelashes with the primer on didn’t feel any more brittle or ‘crunchy’ than the other side.

I can’t easily test the claims of lash fortifying and thickening… but they sound like bonus qualities I’d want my lash primer to have.

Priced at £10 and available from the usual Urban Decay stockists.

When I got up this morning, I was determined to brave this adventurous (for me) lipgloss, so here we go!

You can probably tell that this is a sheer application.  It’s applied over the top of Illamasqua Sheer Lipgloss in Lily-Rose.

It’s consistency is sticky, but not as sticky as MAC’s lipglasses.  Longevity is good, it hasn’t faded much at all throughout the day so far.

Galactic is a really lovely item to have in your kit, glamour in a tube!

[starreview tpl=14]

Continuing with my mascara series (check out the others by clicking here)…

I actually don’t know too much about L’oreal Lash Architect Mascara… I bought blind, not being aware of the general consensus on this one.

Lovely, sleek black packaging with a nice tapered wand handle.  Sounds silly to place such emphasis on packaging… but it really does have nice ‘curb appeal’.

This is the ‘Carbon Gloss’ variety, which is deemed to be L’oreals ‘glossiest blackest mascara yet’.

It’s a standard bristle brush, with a relatively small head when compared to the big boys (Bad Gal et al.)  To my eye, the brush narrows slightly in the middle, but I’m not sure if this is a design feature (a la sexy curves) or just a flaw in the manufacturing process.  Anyone else have one to compare?

The formula is nice and non-gloopy on the wand which is an absolute must for me.  There’s nothing worse than trying to battle huge globs of mascara off the wand and back into the tube.  Yes, I know some people just wipe the wands with tissue… what you think I have money to burn?  You should see me trying to shoehorn the excess back down that narrow tube… Just call me ‘Arkwright’ (please don’t all be too young to know Open All Hours)

It applies evenly and builds up nicely with no clumping at all (which I find can be a problem with L’oreal mascaras).

This is after 2 coats.  Some nice length and some volumising.  I honestly don’t think that this formula is THAT black, I have others in my arsenal far darker than this one.  Surprising considering this is the USP of this particular mascara.  I think that it’s clear that the real strength in this mascara lies within it’s defining properties a.k.a The False Lash Effect.  My lashes are really separated and each one is individually emphasised.  I really like this mascara, the look is fairly natural which makes for a great day time product.  For the evenings, I’d love something which provides this much definition with a little more va va voom!

[starreview tpl=14]

I don’t know about Face Stockholm, but I was intrigued when I saw these in the sale at HQHair and couldn’t resist adding them to my basket.

These were a wee bit of an impulse buy for me… a cream blush (shade Tokyo) and a silver highlighter (shade Glamour).

Hmmm… not really sure what to make of them!  The cream blush has a nice consistency and blends smoothly, but the colour is a litle warm and brown toned for me – I just can’t see it working.  Future blog sale material perhaps.

The silver highlighter reminds me a little of Illamasqua’s new liquid metal Phenomena so at least I’m on trend for once… it’s pretty… only thing is, what the hell do I do with it? 

Damn my “see a bargain, snap it up” mentality!

Any ideas of how I might rock the silver?  Perhaps try it as a cream eyeliner? I’d need to get it to spread very finely for it to work for me as a highlighter I think.

I am very lazy with my makeup application.  I rarely apply more than one colour to my eyelids. I never bother with things like lip liners (despite owning many).  I rarely contour (it scares me) and most of the time I can’t be arsed with highlighting either.

And I call myself a makeup fanatic? *hangs head in shame*

This week, I will endeavour to make more of an effort.  What’s the point of having all these lovely products if I don’t use them?  So, amongst other makeup resolutions, this week I will be ditching my taupe-y eyeshadows and may even attempt blue again *eek*

I also have a confession… I don’t own a blending brush.  There, I said it.  Disown me if you like – just don’t tell me that you could ‘like, totally already tell from your FOTD shots’ or I might have to find a dark corner to sob in.

look, my skillz are awesum!

Anyway, I know that the pinnacle of blending brushes involves the MAC 32174893 *bleh, I can’t remember numbers* – I know what one I’m talking about.  However, funds aren’t gonna stretch this month… so please recommend me a relative cheapie that I could cut my teeth on.  I’ve heard some good things about a Boots No7 one and also a Revlon one I think?

I treated myself to these 2 much talked about lippies a couple of days ago. 

Nude Attitude is quite warm and tan, I can imagine that it would look awesome on medium/olive skin.  However, it does absolutely nothing for my cool toned complexion unfortunately.

Pink Pout on the other hand is quite a nice choice for me… It’s a very cool toned pink with a hint of lavender.  Both shades are matte (as you would expect from the name of the line!)  They’re quite easy to apply considering their texture… but aren’t particularly forgiving if your lips are at all dry.  I would definitely pair this up with a good coat of lip balm underneath.

Pink Pout is looking a little warmer in the swatch above than it does in person,  the shot was taken early evening as the sun was going down.  Ha! shows how ridiculously pale and ‘blue’ my skintone must be if this is warm!

I shall include Pink Pout in my next FOTD in the hope it gives a truer impression.  As for Nude Attitude, I’m not keeping it.  £5 inc. postage (within UK) if anyone wants it?

Are you loving the Mattes range?  What are your favourite shades?