A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Looking for a KAPOW! red?  Of course you are.

Of. course. you. are.

Lipstick Queen’s Scarlet Red* is as lusty as they come.  Richly pigmented with a long-lasting formula, it’s not one for the faint-hearted.

Sitting halfway between a matte and a satin finish, I find that once applied, it sticks extremely well… if you have trouble with bold lip colours feathering, you should add this to your “to try” list.  Infact, I think it’s fair to say that this kind of stickability appears to be quite the selling point throughout the Sinner range.

Unfortunately, and probably because of this… it’s not as moisturising as I’d like it to be.  There’s a sacrifice to be made, and although I wouldn’t go quite so far as to call it “drying”, you may not find it as comfortable on the lips as you’d like without a slick of balm underneath and then you’d probably lose the “sticks like sh*t to a blanket” factor that I’ve just bigged up so much.  Bloody cosmetic formulas.

Application is easy enough with or without a lip brush.  In the photo below, I used a brush because any slight wobbles always seem to show up far more in photos than they do in person.  However, the firmer texture will allow you to work some precision lip-lining direct from the bullet if you can’t be doing with any faffing around carrying brushes.

As for the actual shade?  Well, it’s heart-beat inducing.  A red that I’d say leans slightly toward the cooler side of the spectrum without being a full-bodied blue red.  It should suit most skintones as I think it’s one of those reds that will somehow allow your own natural colouring to impact on how it looks in the context of a full-face.  What I love most about the colour though is its brightness.  Scarlet Red delivers a vivid slash of colour and brightens my complexion thanks to its clarity and clean hue.

Lipstick Queen Sinner Scarlet Red is priced at £18, available instore and online at uk.spacenk.com

* press sample

When we first moved into our new flat, I was all about painting chevrons on a feature wall and incorporating some graphic loveliness into our interior design.  Of course, it being our first home, we ended up taking more inspiration from the sale corner at Ikea than the distant reaches of my imagination.

This beautiful limited-edition set* from BareMinerals features New York designer Jonathon Adler’s signature aesthetic, I think we should all just take a moment to enjoy its prettiness.

There, doesn’t that feel better?

The Limited Edition Jonathan Adler for BareMinerals set contains an Original SPF15 Foundation in luxury size, a Handy Buki Brush, and collectible box.

The set is a Selfridges exclusive, available on counter and online now, priced at £50.00

* press sample

1. Jenny from Beauty And The Biryani is looking lovely in Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate lipstick in shade 01

2. Rachel from Rachel tbeauty is resplendent in Lancome’s L’absolu Rouge, shade #132 Caprica

3. Adrianna from Agent Coulson Lives does her country proud(!) in MAC Ruffian Red

4. Kadian from Ace Your Face rocks a budget beauty in the form of Maybelline’s Colour Sensational in Red Revival

5. Cassie from Shimmer Dreamz pulls of the classic red lip and liner look with the help of Clinique’s High Impact lipstick in Red-y To Wear.

If you want to submit your red lip look, email me a photo of your lovely selves with the following info:

Your name:
Lip shade name:
Link to blog (if applicable):

Are you wearing a red lip today?  Tell me about it in the comments below!

We wear makeup for many different reasons. Some of us like to experiment with colour, some of us like to improve upon our natural beauty *cough*, and some of us enjoy piling on everything we own just because we can.

At the moment, I’m somewhere between number two and a facefull of slap. Whenever I’m sick (is she still going on about that?), my skin is the first place it shows and the last place it recovers. Flaky, blotchy, purple under the eyes, and spots a-plenty are the order of the day. Which is exactly what one needs when you already feel like shit, of course.

Whilst I’d love to tweak my skincare routine to improve my natural radiance and rebalance my complexion from the inside out… I’d also like to be able to sprout a pair of wings and crap on the EDL headquarters from a great height. Sadly, neither are happening any time soon, and so instead, I turn to my makeup routine for the answers and pray that it won’t fail me.

This isn’t a tutorial as such, I’m no bleedin’ make up artist after all… but I thought I’d go into some real depth about the products that I’m using to work, what is basically, a skin miracle at the moment.

First things first, skin prep. If your skin is suffering, you can’t ignore this step in the routine. It’s imperative that you give your makeup the best possible base upon which to sit. It may be that you’re fighting an oil-slick or something akin to moon craters, or perhaps like me… you’re battling dryness of epic proportions. Take an extra five-minutes to target these concerns before you even go near your face with foundation, the finished result will be worth the effort.

Starting with a cleansed, exfoliated, and moisturised face… I deal with the dryness that has been causing my foundation to cling in patches. Upon Caroline‘s advice, I’m treating my skin to a moisture sandwich of oil and cream, first with an Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss (£62.00) capsule which delivers an antioxidant-rich hydration boost in the form of moringa oil, followed immediately by a generous layer of La Roche Posay’s Nutritic Intense Riche* (£14.00)

And then I wait. A couple of minutes later, I can tell where I need additional hydration, so I work a little more of the LRP into the skin, avoiding the areas that are prone to midday oiliness. That done, I move onto the one product that generally replaces “primer” for me during the colder months.

Maqpro Makeup Mixer (from £8.00) is a makeup artist’s trick taught to me by the wonderful Kenneth Soh who recommended it to me a couple of years ago as a great base for mineral products on drier skins. It’s a tip that continues to save me whenever my skin is behaving badly. Not only is it a wonderful mixer for sheering out heavier foundations, it also does wonders for improving how a product applies over, and sits ontop of dry skin without compromising the moisture levels underneath.

At this point, I use a brush to apply the Maqpro but I don’t work it fully into the skin, preferring instead to dot the product allover with the brush and only lightly blend. This way, it combines easily and increases the glide of the next layer of product.

Before even contemplating foundation, I still want to improve the radiance levels of my skin. A lot of the time, I reach for a liquid illumintor that I can apply allover and then “tone down” with foundation. I’ve been trying something a little different recently in the form of this rather splendid Lyster Cream Bronzer* (£36.00) from Swedish brand Manasi Makeup.

The pot contains far more product (55g) than I could ever see myself using and as such, I do wish they offered a smaller-size for less money but I can’t deny that the product itself is beautiful. Free from mineral oils and parabens, it delivers something inbetween a bronzer and a luminizer that works very nicely against my pale skintone. If you’re blessed with naturally great skin, I could see something like this being your one-pot wonder for sunkissed, healthy-looking skin without fear of looking orange or overdone.

I tap my brush lightly on the top (you don’t need much) and work the bronzer all over my skin using a circular motion, it blends nicely… but even more beautifully with my layer of Maqpro beneath it.

Finally, it’s time for foundation! At the moment, I’m alternating between my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in shade 4.5 (£34.50) and my beloved tube of Clinique Supermoisture Makeup* (£19.35) which is a better option for when I don’t have the time to do this kind of skin prep. If I am using the Clinique, I skip the Maqpro in this next step as it’s an exceptionally moisture-rich foundation on its own merit.

When I’m using anything other than the Clinique, I reach again for the Maqpro (as shown below). One blob of each and using the same face brush as I’ve been using all along, I give the products a little mix on the back of my hand before working into my skin lightly.

I never apply foundation heavily or in more than one layer when my skin is playing up because it doesn’t matter how much preparation or effort I put into the application, after a few hours… my foundation will clump over the dehydrated patches if it’s too heavy. Which is why, I always reach for concealer as the last step despite usually being a bit of a concealer-phobe when my skin is less fussy.

Bare Minerals SPF 20 Correcting Concealer* (£21.00) is the perfect choice for dry skin-types thanks to a light texture and a lot of slip. It’s very creamy and offers a good amount of coverage, making it a great choice when your aim is to keep your layers as thin as possible. The final step is a little precision highlighting with something like the iconic YSL Touche Eclat (£25.00).

Now, that’s quite a lot of product but use my “how-to” as a guide rather than a manual. The principles are simple and you’ll already have certain products in your collection that you know you can substitute…

1. Make a real effort to get your skin in the best condition possible before you go near it with colour.
2. Work in thin, lightweight layers.
3. Add additional moisture or “slip” as you go.
4. Now isn’t the time for powder, keep things creamy.
5. If you’re nervous about being too heavy-handed with illuminator or bronzer, apply it before your foundation.
6. Leave concealer until the last possible moment, you’ll end up using less product as a result.

How’s your skin behaving at the moment and what trickery are you employing to get the best from your complexion?

* press sample

I live in a little town on the South coast which is currently being inundated with politicians and media types thanks to a certain hotly-contended by-election taking place next week.  It’s become a bit of a silly hoo-haa and supplies are running rather low as I daren’t visit the supermarket out of genuine fear that Dave Cameron or Boris Johnson might pop up over the meat counter to canvass my opinion.  A frightening thought.

Infact, my sister-in-law was enjoying a quiet lunch in a local-to-her-school pub the other day when half of the BBC descended en-masse.  I’m just pleased that I elected to conduct my vote via the postal system and can barricade myself indoors until the circus has left town.

Which brings me rather nicely to today’s review of an intriguing product from Lipstick Queen…

Honest Politician is a shade from the brand’s Oxymoron Matte Gloss range.  Matte?  Gloss?  How can it be…  Well, the clue is in the title.  An oxymoron, it most definitely is.  Housed in a cheap-looking acrylic compact, Honest Politician is a neutral-based stain that can be applied to both the lips and the cheeks.  To all intents and purposes, it feels like a gloss during application yet dries to a (somewhat) matte finish once on the skin.

The formula is quite dry and since I’ve been recovering from being quite poorly over the last 10 days, neither my skin nor my lips are in the best condition to do it justice.  Both lips and skin need to be flake-free and my lips are in a state thanks to my complete disregard of doing anything to prevent dehydration.

As such, the FOTD below shows me wearing Honest Politician over a slathering of Lanolips.  You’ll have to Google Image search for a lip swatch of the product on bare lips, it does have a slightly less glossy finish than my FOTD would suggest.

Shade-wise, I’d describe Honest Politician as being a pinky mauve-brown, rendering it thoroughly useful in an arsenal of office-appropriate tones.  It’s not the most exciting product in the world and I can’t bring myself to raise my heart-rate much beyond that of a brisk walk over it… but if I were in the market for a work-horse lip/cheek combo that I could hit pan on again and again, Honest Politician should not be ignored.

Worn on the cheeks, I found it a little difficult to blend without reaching for my foundation brush (which still had a little product on it).  I tried with my fingers and it was hard work.  Frustrating but testament to the fact that it isn’t going anywhere once you’ve got it applied.  Again, a work-horse.  Worn below on the lips and cheeks.

Lipstick Queen Honest Politician is available to buy online and instore from SpaceNK, priced at £20

* press sample

I picked up Kevyn Aucoin’s lustful Blood Roses on L’s recommendation early last year, almost a full 12-months ago and I’m ashamed to admit that I’m only just blogging about it now.  This happens more than I’d like, often to the point where I just throw my hands up and declare “well, there’s no point blogging about it now!”

Still, in this case, it really is better late than never… thanks to SpaceNK – you can now find Kevyn Aucoin products in the UK with much less stress than the first time I tried to get hold of this lipstick.

Kevyn Aucoin’s Blood Roses falls into that once-upon-a-time unlikely genre of an incredibly creamy vamp. Haven’t lipstick formulas improved 100-fold over the past five years? It’s nothing short of miraculous. That being said, you need a steady hand or a lip brush to achieve precision with this one.

Alternatively, you could own a pair of full lips and give the bullet a gentle smoosh around for a post-modern, ironic take on how to wear the perfect lipstick, imperfectly.  Sadly, that kind of irony is wasted on my face, it just makes me look like a bit of an unfotunate.  For this one, I’ll stick to the tried-and-tested lipstick and liner look.

With a lipstick this full-bodied, it’s probably worth mentioning that any excrutiatingly pale chicks out there will look even more wan with a layer of Blood Roses.  Not necessarily a bad thing you understand, but you may want to consider a little contour, bronzing, or all of the above if you prefer to avoid the consumptive look.  Me?  Well, I quite like it.

For such depth of colour, the formula feels light and does a stellar job at resisting the bleed without the addition of a liner.  I usually wear this in a casual setting, I don’t mind the odd touch-up or grabbing a tissue part way through the afternoon to replace my lip colour.  If I were considering this shade for an evening out, I’d probably make more of an effort to bullet-proof it for longlasting wear.

This is a lovely video about the relaunch of Blood Roses, which incidentally, was Kevyn’s favourite shade.  Is there any better reason to treat yourself to this lipstick?  I think not.

Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Color in Blood Roses is available to buy instore at SpaceNK, and online at SpaceNK and miseBeauty.com priced from £27.00

Please tell me that you had to read my title twice!  Childishness aside, I thought I’d share a recent purchase with you.

Just as with foundation, I love the promise of a new eyeliner.  You may have noticed that I’m not a gel liner kinda girl, which was tricky in the old days because when I first started blogging, it was ALL about the gel liner.  Oh lord how I tried to make them work for me, I bought brush after brush… slanted ones, angled ones, thin ones, push ones… and liner after liner… but for the life of me, gel liner is something I am just never going to love.

This was a frankly devastating situation because I wanted a flick.  I wanted ALL OF THE FLICKS.  And you can’t do that with kohl, well… not unless your name is Charlotte Tilbury, and I’m only halfway there with the name thing.

“What about liquid liner?” I hear you ask…

Well, up until the time I started blogging… I hadn’t even heard of gel liner.  All my friends used kohl or liquid and I couldn’t. bloody. do. liquid either could I?  The closest I could get to achieving the semblance of a straight line was with the Ruby & Millie i-writers (remember them?), but even then… I couldn’t do it consistently.

I wish I could tell you that I’m about to share the secret of the liquid eyeliner.  I’m not.  All I know is that my unevenly hooded eyelids make the task trickier than it ought to be, which explains why despite copying exactly how my peers applied their liners, my flicks would always be wonky.  All I can say is: don’t give up.  Find the tool that you feel gives you the most control (even if you aren’t quite there yet) and keep practicing.  For me, it’s always been felt-tip shaped liners.

Massive introduction over, the POP Ink Outliner Eyeliner is a pretty brilliant felt-tip shaped eyeliner which you should try if you struggle with your flicks.

Let me tell you about it…

This liquid liner is a chunky affair, built like a giant kids crayon with a stubby length and chubby girth (“girth” *beavis laugh*).  You can see that the nib is also super-sized, rendering it useless if you want super-fine lines but marvellous for those of us who want to rock a more dramatic look.  The felt tip is quite firm but soft enough to give a little flexibility at the tip without sacrificing any control.

With a light stroke, you can achieve a fine line but it does take a little patience.

I’ve only been using this for around a month, but it doesn’t show any signs of drying out.  Infact, the closure “click” is very strong and it takes a bit of effort to pull the lid off – it gives the impression that they’ve paid attention to preventing it from dehydrating too rapidly – something which can be a real problem with this kind of eyeliner.

The formula is inky black and dries quickly.  It promises to be water-resistant although I feel that it sometimes fades quicker than I’d like, especially as I’m one of those awkward people who cry when they laugh.  It doesn’t even have to be that funny.  I don’t have watery eyes at any other time, life’s a bitch.

The swatch above shows two single swipes, one using just the tip and the other, showing a firmer press at a 45 degree angle.  The beauty of this eyeliner for novice application is partially thanks to the fact that you don’t have to repeat your lines, one pass and the pigmentation has reached its full potential.  It also cleans up very nicely with the tip of a cotton bud should you make any mistakes.

POP Ink Outliner Eyeliner is priced at £10.00, and is available to buy online at www.asos.com and popbeauty.co.uk

How are your flicks?

I took the pictures for this review before Christmas, in-case you’re wondering why my hair has changed colour again.  I’ve decided to review this now because I’m at the stage where I need to decide whether or not I’ll be repurchasing a tube, usually my reviews help me justify or dismiss potential repurchases and I’ve been umm-ing and ahh-ing ove this one!

The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer has been a global phenomenon since the brand launched over 15 years ago, it’s a product that has satisfied the niche between barely-there and light coverage although personally, I’ve always viewed it as a sheer foundation rather than a tinted moisturiser.  So popular has it proven over the years, that it’s now available in four incarnations: the original tinted moisturizer, an oil-free version, an illuminating version, and most recently… a creme compact.

It promises a healthy “no makeup, makeup look”, which to be fair, is precisely what it delivers.  If you’re blessed with a reasonable complexion and don’t like the feeling of heavy foundation on your skin, you may have already fallen under this product’s spell.

I’ve always loved the fuss-free packaging that belies its £33.00 price tag.  It says nothing about luxury yet everything about practicality and this tube has certainly seen better days after being thrown around inside weekend bags, handbags, and suitcases.  There’s no pump to fail and no wide neck to dispense too much product, it just works as it should.  You can tell that this has been borne from the brain of a working makeup artist.

Laura Mercier prides herself and her brand on a flawless skin approach, and boasts that this is their speciality.  Indeed, some of the brand’s most cult products focus precisely on skin-perfecting.  Refreshing, it’s not too often that a brand can actually live up to claims like this.

I’ve already discussed the coverage, which I’d describe as that of a light foundation.  For my dry skin, the original formula works well for me… I can’t imagine really needing an extra luminosity that might be provided by the newer illuminating version of the tinted moisturiser and I’d rather not risk losing any wear time.  If you have oily skin, I’d definitely suggest checking out the oil-free version as an alternative to the original as this one certainly doesn’t mattify in any way and you may find yourself blotting fairly often.

My preferred way to apply this is either with my fingers, or if I have a little more time… a dampened sponge.  I usually break out my Beauty Blender for the job and enjoy the total control and buildability I get from this method.  You can see in the before/after below… the Nude shade is slightly too warm for my winter skintone but as this is something I tend to use in the Summer (it also contains a broad spectrum SPF20), you’ll have to trust that the tonal difference is much less noticeable once the sun has put in a few weeks appearance.

Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer lasts well enough throughout the day not to cause me any grumbles but does need setting with a translucent powder in warmer weather.  It’s a truly natural finish product with a little bit of a skin crutch for those of us with unevenness.  It won’t cover blemishes on its own, and neither is it expected to.

Active Ingredients: Avobenzone (2.0%), Octinoxate (7.5%).
Other Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Peg-40 Castor Oil, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cyclomethicone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hexyl Laurate, Emu Oil (Dromiceius Oil), Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Peg-15 Cocamine, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Methylparaben, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Ascorbate, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben. May Contain (+/-): Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Ci 77491, Ci 77492, Ci 77499 (Iron Oxides), Ci 77019 (Mica).

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is available to buy on counter or online at uk.spacenk.com and urbanretreat.co.uk

As for whether I’ll repurchase?  Honestly, it’s probably a little too early in the year to consider it and I’m so tempted by her Creme Smooth foundation that I’ll probably leave it for now.

Are you a fan of the classic Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer?

I’ve been having a strange relationship with the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation over the past month.  To begin with, I loved it… then the snow came, my skin became drier and this love affair turned into a horror story.  But now… it’s coming good again.  Let me start at the beginning.

I bought this online from the YSL site just before Christmas and was more excited about this purchase than almost any other throughout the year.  All the reviews I’d read had described its ability to deliver a luminous, sheer finish that dry skintypes would adore.  Most reviewers marked it down a little on lasting power, but that didn’t bother me.  All in all, I figured that I’d found my perfect foundation.

I ordered BR10 the lightest “pink” shade, untested because there seemed to be a jump between the lightest and second lightest shades, in my mind, I was erring on the side of caution.  It’s actually a little too pale for me, I should have gone for the next shade up.  It looks ok in the before/after photo at the bottom of the post but it can look a little ghostly unless I work it in to the skin carefully, it just think it has the potential to look much better tone-wise, were it a hair darker.

So what’s right with it and what’s wrong with it?

Well firstly, it’s extremely faithful to its Touch Eclat concealer counterpart.  It does indeed add only a little coverage but a lot of luminosity, it’s actually quite an unusual formula for a foundation in this regard.  It doesn’t cover redness exceptionally well, neither does it cover blemishes (although it combines beautifully with concealer).  Despite this, it delivers a very natural uniformity across the face and it’s honestly quite hard for me to put my finger on just how it achieves this.  It’s one of those foundations that anyone with a normal skintype should adore, but the further away your skin is from the “normal”, the more problems I suspect you’ll encounter.

When I first started using the YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation, my skin was dry but not problematic, I kept it well-exfoliated and well-moisturised.  As January progressed, my skin became drier still, I developed the kind of dryness that forms patches where the texture would be markedly different… not quite flaky, but heading in that direction and boy, did this foundation show it.

The particularly odd and redeeming feature about this foundation however is in its ability to adapt and melt into your skin.  Without fail, each time I applied it… things would improve after around 15 minutes.  I hypothesised that perhaps I was missing a trick and should be using the warmth from my fingers to apply it and achieve a better initial result, but no… it still grumbled terribly about my dry patches, only to look remarkably less rubbish quarter of an hour later.

So really, this foundation is still a bit of an enigma to me.  I don’t mind that it doesn’t hold up so well down the bridge of my nose as the day progresses, although I’d imagine that oilier skintypes will be exceptionally bothered by this.  And I don’t mind that it doesn’t fully cover my redness on the sides of my nose and cheeks because a touch of loose powder and/or concealer really brings the coverage up to par.

I love the luminosity that it delivers, how lightweight it feels on my skin, and the way it melts into my skintone as time progresses, almost as if it’s self-adjusting.  I really hope that I love it even more when the weather warms up but I’m concerned that my shade mismatch will be the nail in the coffin for this bottle.

If you have a fairly normal skintype and you’re looking for a foundation that is a genuine “my skin but better” affair but with more refinement and coverage than a tinted moisturiser, you should be running to your local YSL counter.  Anyone else, please beg, steal or borrow a sample before splurging.  Also, make sure you ask the SA to shade match you, there are an amazing 22 shades from which you can choose.

Ingredients: Aqua/Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Clycerin, Dimethicone, Peg-10 Dimethicone, Sorbitol, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Polyglycerin-3 Crosspolymer, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexyl-Glycerin, Parfum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dipropylene Glycol, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, {+/- May Contain: CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77499 / Iron Oxides, CI 77163 / Bismuth Oxychloride], (F.I.L. B50106/2)

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation is available on counter and online, priced at £28 for 30ml

* I keep meaning to do some arm swatches of my current foundations with their shade names, just so you can see the shades I’m using at the moment… there may not be much in the way of words to accompany, but if I’ve reviewed it, I’ll link.  Sound useful?

If I had a penny for every attempt I’ve ever made at making my beauty collection look both pretty and organised, I’d have at least eight pence.  I’ve given up trying because the two aspects of beauty storage appear to be mutually exclusive and I prefer knowing where everything is as opposed to getting stabby every morning while I look for an eyeliner.

Having said that, I know that many of you adore the pretty things in life and in all honesty, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything more pretty than this…

OK, so it’s a cake stand (a very lovely cake stand) but can’t you just see it filled with bathroom beauties/nail polishes and the like?  It measures 43cm tall and contains three generously proportioned-yet-space saving baskets.  If I’m honest, the styling totally doesn’t fit with my decor even though I’m hugely tempted to get it as a fruit bowl.

And the best bit?  It’s currently only £8.95 (reduced from £23.95!) in the sale at DotComGiftShop.

Oh… go on then!

Do you know what I like in a lipstick?  90% pigment.  Precisely what you get from the lipstick that I’m showing you today.

In the Lipstick Queen core lineup, the brand delivers two major formulations, Saint and Sinner.  Saint offers wearable shades, optimum moisture and 10% pigment.  Sinner presents all colour no filler, a formula that grabs you by the balls and says, “Hey, if you don’t wear me… you ain’t got none.” Oh, and 90% pigment.

You see, it’s not that I don’t like sheer lipsticks, it’s just that if I go to the trouble of wearing one, I do like to be able to see it from 400 paces.

Housed in devilish red and black card-backed packaging, the lipstick appears quite unassuming in the tube.  Sure the colour is there but we all know that appearances can be deceptive and that it’s hit or miss as to whether what you see in the bullet translates to the lips.

The Lipstick Queen Sinner line endows a what-you-see-is-what-you- get philosophy… take Bright Rose* for example….

and on the lips…

No shimmer, no gloss, just pure almost-matte colour that belies its creamy formula. The beauty of this formula is that you don’t need to grind the bullet into your lips or apply coat after coat to achieve head-turning pigmentation, it’s just there from the start. Sure, it’s not the most moisturising lipstick in the world but I certainly wouldn’t class it as a lip-cracker, I own (literally) a hundred lipsticks that are less comfortable to wear, it’s just not hydrating than this one.

Longevity is good, around 4/5 hours before it needs a little touch up, sooner if you eat… fade can be a little unflattering, as with most bright lipsticks and is worth keeping in mind.  A beautiful lipstick from an inspiring lipstick designer.

Lipstick Queen Sinner in Bright Rose is available instore and online at SpaceNK, £18.00

* press sample

Not another wine lipstick I hear you say!

Well sorry chaps, my infatuation is far from over.  Not only that but today brings another Clarins offering, similar but (at the same time) quite, quite different from the Clarins Rouge Prodige that I showed you last week.

Unlike the Rouge Prodige, the colour of this one when applied is as you would expect from looking at the bullet, there are no shade surprises here.  The new range of Rouge Eclat lipsticks offer what Clarins claim to be their first age-defying formula that boosts collagen and protects against dehydration.

From reading the blurb, you’d expect to find a super-glossy lipstick with a slippery formula and incredibly light texture, not so.  I found this Rouge Eclat to offer more substance, a firm texture and a pigmented finish.  There’s enough slip to keep it feeling comfortable but no more than is strictly necessary.  Something which affords the lipstick greater longevity, in other words… you’re not sacrificing a long-lasting lipstick for greater hydration.

The packaging is frankly, a bit of a disappointment. It reminds me of Bourjois Sweet Kiss in terms of styling but without the nifty opening mechanism.  Basically, it’s not up to Clarins’ usual luxe standards, too much acrylic and not enough gold.  When you do something so well Clarins, keep doing it!

The scent is the same across the line of lippies, quite pronounced… fruity, I’ve always called it fig… Clarins call it blackberry & liquorice(!) so never trust a fragrance review from me ever again.

#107 Red Wine* leans to the cooler side of the spectrum with a distinctly mauve edge, it’s quite a vampy choice for Spring but looks beautiful when patted onto the lips more lightly than in the swatch above.

Overall, the Rouge Eclat lineup fills a niche within the brand’s current range but I was less impressed with the packaging and I wasn’t entirely sold on this shade.  Emma from Escentual has done some great arm swatches of the range and I have to say, #05 Pink Berry and #08 Coral Pink look like cracking shades for Spring.

Clarins Rouge Eclat #107 Red Wine is available to buy on counter, priced at £18.50 and online from escentual.com, priced at £14.80

* press sample