A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Lash lines.  Is it just me, or are they getting a little bit silly?  I’m all for a bit o’ flutter but what is with the false lash ALL OF THE TIME trend that I’m seeing everywhere?  It genuinely catches me by surprise when I’m in the supermarket, rooting around for my loyalty card, only to look up at and be greeted by a pair of ridicu-lashes courtesy of the cashier.  Nothing else, just lashes… the face is completely obscured by a pair that look like they’ve come straight out of Priscilla’s desert.

It’s about finding balance.  Sure, I don’t want “au naturel” lashes, if I did… I’d go and buy Maybelline Great Lash and maybe after seven coats I’d have something that resembled me not wearing any mascara.  I want volume, definition and a bit of lengthening.  Curl is always an added bonus.

Guerlain Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara

Guerlain have released a new mascara: Cils d’Enfer… or “lashes from hell” as the literal translation suggests.  Not quite sure where they’re going with that one but thankfully Cils d’Enfer* produces rather lovely, non-hellish lashes.  The packaging is interesting, when I first picked it up, I expected it to feel much weightier… it looks chunkier than it is.  Perhaps I’m so used to my gorgeous Guerlain lipsticks that I expected something similar in feel.

A standard-looking brush with fibre bristles

The brush is your standard old-skool bristle affair, the brand have focused the majority of effort into perfecting the formula of this mascara, the press release states:

The secret is in the combined action of three remarkable polymers.  The first one wraps the lashes in extremely adherent oils, coating and thickening the lashes.  The second one, made with supple waxes, acts like a conditioner, softening the lashes so you can sculpt them into just the right shape and style.  The last one forms a thin film, coating the lashes to trap the wax and set the amazing curve.

Va Va Voom lashes (on the right obv!)

The formula glides through my lashes nicely and does indeed coat them evenly with the minimum of effort on my part.  The above photo shows one coat, I did go back in for more but you need to be careful about clumping as this one definitely leans more toward the dramatic rather than the natural look.  I think that with the aid of a metal lash comb, you could achieve some serious party lashes from this product.  For me?  One coat is plenty.

I appreciate the inky black pigment and the fact that it doesn’t leave little splodges attached to the tips of my lashes.  It also dries rapidly, ensuring that only the most of violent of mid-application sneezes will catch me out.  I don’t have terribly watery eyes but didn’t experience any longevity issues, transfer or flaking… and you would think not, Guerlain’s Cils d’Enfer is priced at £22.00 – a premium price, for a premium product.

Guerlain Cils d’Enfer is available on counter now in two shades, 01 Noir and 02 Violet.

* press sample

Do you know what I can’t get enough of? Glitter. I know, I know… it’s not Christmas anymore and I’m not telling you anything new but seriously, I am rebelling against my 30s like you wouldn’t believe and in the classiest way possible (if I do say so myself!)

I may be a little too old to rock glitter eyeliner, I’ve never been one for glitter lashes and my rapidly-dilating pores are in danger of swallowing any glitter that comes in contact with them but you can still enjoy a subtle glitter infusion without creating a “wrong season!” scene.

All you need is some cosmetic-grade glitter, my favourites are by Victorian Disco Cosmetics (Tac Nuke is lush) and your favourite cream eyeshadow. Create your base look, it doesn’t need to be complicated, I often only do one shade across the lid and blended up into the crease. Once you’re happy with how that looks (don’t give it too much time to set), take a synthetic flat brush (like a concealer brush) and pat some of the glitter over the top. Not too much, you don’t want solid glitter, just enough to catch the light as you turn your head.

I much prefer this to using shimmery shadows (think Sleek/MUA) which I’m starting to discover can look quite ageing now that I’m on the other side of 30. This way, I get the best of both worlds!

Don’t give up on glitter ladies, it makes the world a better place.

Wine is totally the new red. Or has it always been red?  Either way, in terms of the shade that’s been taking over my collection this winter, I’m definitely leaning more toward the merlot than the pillar-box.

Rimmel’s Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in #107 has been a blogger favourite for a couple of months now, the colour is fabulous… the formula not quite so amazing but acceptable for the price I guess.  I think that you can always tell a slightly draggy lipstick by looking at the tip of a used bullet.  You can usually see lip streaks and a little bit of graininess in the wax, see below…

I’m not sure that I’d repurchase any more from the range, they’re just a little bit too much like hard work on the lips.  The best way I can describe the formula is thus: you paint on a swipe across the bottom lip, smush your lips together and the line doesn’t budge… there’s just no glide at all.  You have to paint the whole lip, from the bullet… being extra careful around the lip-line.  This also means that it sticks pretty well but when it does fade, it does so unflatteringly, leaving a very prominent outer ring.

I know that there are a heap of raves all over the web… but I honestly feel that Rimmel could do better on the formula, it’s very “5 years ago”.  Mmattes don’t need to feel like mattes anymore, that’s one thing that 2012 has taught me.

Shame it didn’t teach me to stop buying lipsticks.

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte Lipstick #107 is priced at £5.49 and available to buy instore and online from Boots.com

If you’re looking for some mega bright lipsticks to blow away those wintery cobwebs without too much in the way of spends (let’s face it, it’s a miserable skinty mcskinty January), look no further than Miss Sporty.  Oh yay, brand of inexpensive-but-beautiful duochromes!  Infact, it was buying the duochromes that led me back to my local stand in Boots (or is it Superdrug? or both?!) for another look at what was on offer.

I skimmed over the foundations, for I am a foundation snob.  I meh’ed over the mascaras… contemplated a new liquid liner but eventually settled on the Perfect Colour Lipsticks.  Of course.  Not that this wasn’t the most completely predictable route that I would take.  God, I love lipstick.

I went for the brights, just because… you know… I could.  I mean, they’re £2.59 each… not an ounce of guilt was felt.

I Love and Malaga, the most obnoxious shades I could find.  Lovely.

They pack the kind of pigment you’d expect from some of MACs hallowed shades without saying “Here, have great colour in exchange for a shitty shitty texture”.  That’s not to say the texture is mind-blowingly awesome but it’s not draggy like the bright BarryM lipsticks can be and it’s not moisture-sucking.

My only issue with these lipsticks is that they smell a bit like a rancid Jolly Rancher.  Obviously disguising something that must smell even more revolting.  It’s a good thing I can’t sniff my lips.

Neither of these shades are the most flattering on me but they’re flippin’ fun are they not?  Malaga is a really great casual red that looks lovely (much nicer than the lip swatch) when pressed onto the lips and then smooshed around, paying no attention to things like a sharp lip-line.

What do you think?  Will you be checking them out the next time you’re in town?

Miss Sporty Perfect Colour Lipsticks in Malaga and I Love are priced at £2.59 each and available instore and online from Boots.com and Superdrug.com

I can’t remember on whose blog it was that I first saw Dark Cherry from the Clarins Rouge Prodige lineup of lipsticks but it spoke to me.  It’s one of those lipsticks that hits the perfect balance between a number of shades to create “the ultimate” lust-have.  I actually don’t think it’s a very “cherry” shade despite Clarins telling me that it so is.  It seems to contain the magic amount of brown to create a neutral vampy lip that leans neither to cool nor too warm.

I’m aware that I’m not making much sense… but to be honest, I bought this lipstick based on shade alone and I am genuinely struggling to put into words just why I felt that I had to own it.  All I can say is, I’m pleased that I do.

Yeah, I nicked the bullet.  BIG SOB.  *applies lipstick*.  Over it already.

Said it before, say it again – Clarins do yum-yum packaging that’s kinda old-lady without being remotely old-lady.  Still not making sense.  The thing is, it’s all weighty and shiny… the gold is straight out of Nana’s handbag and yet, let’s face it… Nana’s wouldn’t have all those bevelled edges and tasty angles.  The formula is consistent with the other Rouge Prodige lipsticks I own, a tiny bit draggy until it warms up (which it does quickly), intensely scented (fig I believe?), and lasts very nicely thanks to a grippy-grippy formula.

You can see that it applies lighter on the lips than it looks in the tube, and really suits (if I do say so myself) my cool-toned colouring.

Clarins Rouge Prodige Dark Cherry Lipstick is available to buy online from www.escentual.com, priced at £14.00 (bargain!)

Invisibility.  Now there’s a superhero trait I wouldn’t mind playing with for a couple of days.  The places you could go, the pranks you could pull, the high-end makeup you could steal… just thinking about it warms my kleptomaniac cockles.  Out of all the paranormal abilities available to supreme beings, I think that it must rank up there in the top 3 alongside x-ray vision (you know you would) and teleportation (Seychelles anyone?)

Seeing as I’m not going to be receiving my superpower anytime soon, I’ll turn my attention to this little pot of marvel (gettit? Marvel? Oh nevermind) instead.  Daniel Sandler’s Invisible Radiance Foundation and Concealer* is, like many superheroes, part of a duo crime-fighting team, fighting the evil that is, a rubbish complexion.  The duo consists of 30g of foundation and 3g of concealer, housed neatly in the lid.

Starting with the foundation, an incredibly light formula which moves around fluidly on the skin.  It’s thinly-textured and remains tacky to the touch for a good 15 minutes or so after application.  The colour match on my skintone for Porcelain (the lightest of four shades) is near-enough spot on, but the coverage is very sheer so I would imagine that the next shade up wouldn’t be too horrendous a mis-match once blended.  Talking of the coverage, I’d liken it to that of a tinted moisturiser but with more “set” once it does eventually dry down.

At no point will this foundation look powdery or cakey, I don’t want to say that it has a gel texture because, well, it doesn’t… but it reminds me of a gel texture in the way that it behaves on the skin.  It’s buildable but I have my doubts that you could ever build it enough to mask discolouration or rosacea, for that, you would need a little help from its skin-perfecting companion…

The concealer is neatly hidden under the flip-top lid of the bottle… cute it is, gimmicky it certainly isn’t.  The dual-packaging works extremely well and makes for perfect portability.  Having said that, I’m not a fan of the spoony-spatula inside the bottle, it doesn’t retrieve enough product and I managed to ping the flexible end, splattering foundation on myself.  I know… I should probably be more careful but I was dip-dipping to get more product and getting impatient!

With the Invisible Radiance Foundation and Concealer, I apply my foundation first… with a dampened brush (as Daniel suggests) before applying a second layer of foundation across my cheeks and nose.  Before this has set, I use the same foundation brush (I favour the paintbrush style with this foundation) to apply my concealer.  I won’t call the finished effect “airbrushed” but it does look naturally-improved rather than foundation-improved and the radiant effect definitely makes my skin look healthier, which is something I’ve never really expected from a foundation.

Overall, I’d say that this duo is perfect for more mature skin, particularly if you’re looking for lighter coverage.  It’s ideal for day-wear but will probably be a little too dewy for me in the heat of the Summer (chance would be a fine thing), although nothing that a dusting of powder over my t-zone won’t resolve.  Longevity is average, good for such a dewy-finish, I’d estimate that I was very happy with how this concealed for around 8 hours.

If you’re sick of seeing your foundation sitting in dilated pores, gathering around fine lines, or giving already dull skin a death-mask appearance – this is one for the shopping list.  My only caveat is whether coverage will be full enough for you, in which case, this product does respond well to a dusting of mineral foundation and you won’t lose too much of the luminosity aslong as you use one with light-reflecting particles.

Daniel Sandler Invisible Radiance Foundation and Concealer in Porcelain is priced at £28 and available to buy online from www.urbanretreat.co.uk

* press sample

** Kleptomania is bad.  Also, don’t do drugs.

If you’re a regular reader of lipglossiping.com, you’ll know that I’m quite fond of the bareMinerals mineral foundations… I generally use them over a tinted moisturiser-esque base to achieve extra coverage without a heavy finish.  I find that the formula melts into my skin like no other powder, despite my dry skintype.  The only real issue I’ve ever had with the bareMinerals foundation is the fact that working with loose powders can be pretty messy.  Of course, there are also benefits: the main one being that you can generally achieve a lighter application when using powders in loose form… however…

bareMinerals have obviously come to the conclusion that they’re missing out on a major portion of the beauty-loving public’s coffers with things as they stand.  Over the past year, the brand have introduced many of their beloved products in pressed form.  And you know what?  Most reports have been complimentary.  I’ll hold my hands up and say that I was concerned that by making this shift in what seems like the brand’s USP would result in them dumbing down.  I expected eyeshadow pigments to become less impressive, formulas less… melty.  It appears (and I haven’t tried their eyeshadows myself yet) that I might be wrong.  Christine (from Temptalia), whose opinion I hold in high esteem, regularly includes her bareMineral READY eyeshadow compacts in her “top” lists of products.  And I have to admit, the swatches I’ve seen look plenty pigmented.

But… foundation?

Foundation is where the brand have really garnered legions of fans.  It’s a bold move.  I’m a little bit excited to be honest, I’m praying for the same formula.

It launched yesterday in the UK, time will tell… it’s available to buy online on www.qvcuk.com, currently priced at £20.00

Alright glitter munchers, how’s 2013 treating you so far?  I’m coming to terms with taking down the decorations today (12th night and all that), to be honest… I started to take them down a couple of days ago after Louise told me that taking just a few down each day makes the process less soul-destroying…  Still, let’s all take comfort from the knowledge that it’s only 352 days until Christmas.

Last month (year), I treated myself to a new blusher… at least, I thought it was a blusher because I didn’t pay any attention to anything that I saw or read about it until after I’d bought it.  NARS Satellite of Love was released as part of the Andy Warhol collection a couple of months ago… an odd collection in my opinion, with exceptionally expensive eyeshadow palettes but rather tempting nail polishes.  What did you make of it?

Anyway, the one item that caught my eye immediately… I assumed (on sight) was a blusher.  Infact it’s a highlighter… or Highlighting Blush to give it its official name.

Rather than just review, I thought I’d compare it to my super-beloved highlighter from NARS, the only (powder) one that I really reach for, a product that can transform your look in seconds: NARS Albatross.  Albatross is a cult product in the NARS catalogue and it’s easy to see why.  It imparts a smooth, champagne-gold shimmer that both lifts and illuminates the complexion without dusting your face in glitter or an odd pinky/white highlight.  It’s a wonderful product to use at anytime, night or day – just use a light hand and a loosely packed brush for optimum effect.

NARS Satellite of Love is… different.

Now, don’t be assuming that I don’t like it, because I do… but it’s a completely different animal, and that’s probably for the best because what would be the point of it otherwise?  Satellite of Love is a warm-toned peach/nude/orange shade with gold glitter.  Gold glitter like Super Orgasm glitter, chunky knock-it-off-the-brush-before-that-shit-comes-near-my-face glitter.  Again, not necessarily a bad thing, I own and love Super Orgasm… but you just have to pay deference to its bling.

I treat super-glittery blushes in the same way that I treat McDonald’s hamburgers.  The glitter – like the gherkin/pickle – is optional.  You’re in complete control and the only time any kind of issue arises is when you take your eye off the ball and dive in without paying attention.  When it comes to NARS blushes/highlighters… all you need to do is swirl (gently) and then tap the handle of your brush against your forearm to rid yourself of the chunkiest pieces of glitter.  Infact, it’s far less hassle than removing gherkins from burgers, and you don’t get the nasty surprise of a second hidden pickle in your blusher*.

I am disappointed that Satellite of Love isn’t as nude as I expected it to be, there’s a lot of warmth in that there pan and whilst this is a minus for me… I can only imagine how beautiful this would look highlighting richer-toned girls who suit warmer blush.  Can you imagine?  With all that gold sparkle in the summertime (when the weather is fine)?  Lush.

In the face swatch below, I’ll apologise for the placement – I couldn’t decide whether I wanted to wear it as a bronzer, blusher, or highlighter… so I just sort of put it in a really weird place on my cheeks.  I’ll call it the brunzlighter placement.

NARS Satellite of Love and NARS Albatross are available to buy online from narscosmetics.co.uk priced at £21.00 (and if you could pick me up NARS Dragon Girl VMLP while you’re there? Cheers!)

Do you own either of these blush/highlighters?

* this is all bullshit, I actually LOVE the gherkins in burgers.  I’m the original give-me-all-your-gherkins girl.

There’s nothing like an impulse purchase to get your blood pumping. And this was nothing like an impulse purchase.

I umm’ed and ahh’ed over the Guerlain Rouge G L’Extrait(s) for a good few weeks before taking the plunge. As much as I adore a wonderful red lipstick, I wanted something a bit different to the usual red.

Once I saw a swatch of Orgueil worn by the beautiful Christine from Temptalia, I knew that I’d found my next prey!

The packaging is as beautiful as you’d expect from something in the Guerlain Rouge G range. Sleekly-housed in a heavyweight silver case that works in a similar way to the Rouge G lipstick range, the mirror serves a genuinely useful purpose when it comes to applying product on the go.

The formula is light and the pigment rich. It’s a fairly traditional liquid lipstick with a velvety texture and a softly matte finish once dry.

Longevity is good and transfer fairly minimal, especially if blotted softly a few minutes after applying. I was able to wear this through multiple drinks, and only needed to reapply a little in the centre if the lips after a meal.

As the day wore on, it began to feel slightly less comfortable so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this for those with extremely dry lips – but you probably know to steer clear of liquid lipstick formulas anyway…

The colour is beautiful. It’s rich, sumptuous, and velveteen with a luxurious depth. Vampy without crossing the line into gothic. A winter must-have.

Guerlains Rouge G L’Extrait in Orgueil is available to buy on counter (or cheaper online) at Escentual.com, priced at £26.55

It’s not like you need an excuse to wear red lipstick, but sometimes it’s nice to fall back on the whole “Oh, well… it’s Christmas isn’t it?  It’s practically illegal NOT TO wear red lipstick this time of year” thing…

I don’t know about you but when I started wearing red lipstick as part of my day-to-day look, people (women) were genuinely curious about it and I felt that I had to defend my choice, as if I’d purposefully set out to make myself more conspicuous for a reason via my red lips.  ATTENTION WHORE!  Which is strange, because I’m hugely uncomfortable being the focus participant in any situation.  So cheers Christmas!  You make red lips a-ok.

You know what else makes red lips a-ok?  A kickass red lipstick, that’s what.  And today’s red lip is kicking some serious butt.

Daniel Sandler’s Luxury Matte Lipstick in Red Carpet is my idea of a heaven-sent formula.  It doesn’t have the dryness that I associate with some matte lipsticks *cough* MAC *cough*, thanks to an infusion of hyaluronic acid, yet it retains the essential simplicity that a matte red lip brings to your look.  It’s creamy and applies smoothly without too much slip, ensuring that you can get a neat line straight from the bullet.

Finally, it packs the kind of pigmentation and stickability that gives you confidence that a couple of lip stains on your coffee mug won’t even make a dent in its appearance.  Shade-wise, Red Carpet is a true red that leans neither too orange nor blue, I’d imagine that this teeth-flattering shade will suit most skin-tones as it has enough depth not to look garish.

To hammer home what should be obvious by now, this is one sassy red lipstick that easily makes it into my top ten.  And that my friends – from a horrible hoarder woman with over 50 red lipsticks – is no mean feat.

Daniel Sandler Luxury Matte Lipstick in Red Carpet is available to buy online priced at £13.50 from danielsandler.com

* press sample

Well known for their bold colours, high pigmentation and shimmering shadows, Urban Decay have gone for a softer look this time around with the limited edition Feminine Palette*. If you’ve already read my review on The Fun Palette, you’ll be familliar with the zipped-up case that doubles up as a little clutch bag should you wish to mix makeup and fashion in this way. The packaging is cute as hell, with a metallic purple outer featuring a delicate lace design.

Just as with the other palettes in this limited edition range, the housing is sturdy enough to cope with general wear and tear from daily use. It’s a great portable option for a pared-down selection of eyeshadows. The palette contains six shades that lean towards the softer tones in the spectrum, they’re slightly greyed in comparison to some of Urban Decay’s bolder colours making them a great choice for this style of palette.

All six shades are shimmery and smooth-textured, I could do with a matte in there (as a personal preference) but have been enjoying using these as soft lid shades, more as a wash than building them up to any kind of intensity. Though, as you can appreciate (being from UD), these will build up to full pigmentation very easily if required. Both AC/DC and Hijack in particular employ some extra depth with some pretty irridescence that adds some real sparkle without adding any glitter. I imagine that these two shades in particular would look amazing over a sticky black base for a high-voltage look.

Those of us who have been around a while will remember Urban Decay’s previous Feminine Palette which was released a couple of years ago. While this (re)incarnation contains different actual shades, the feel is very similar with the inclusion of a teal and a purple among the staple neutrals. If you missed out last time, this is definitely worth a look. The palette also comes complete with a lipgloss in Wallflower – a creamy neutral that keeps everything looking pared down and soft.

For a quick demonstration, I recreated a simple look that I’ve been wearing with this palette. I played up to its name and went for a really sheer, see-through interpretation… for which, I needed no primer. I used the shades more as a wash of colour, and find that they blend easily together without muddying. In the image below, I’m wearing Bordello on the lid, AC/DC on the lower lashline, and Hijack along the crease. I skipped lining my upper lashline but took the mascara right into the roots instead to ensure that I gave my lashes as much depth as possible.

Urban Decay The Feminine Palette is priced at £25 and avaialble for a limited time from BeautyBay.com, Debenhams (£22.50 at the time of writing), and House of Fraser.

* press sample

If I concentrate hard enough, I can hear my Nan speaking to me in her sing-song valleys accent.  She’s saying: “There was a little girl, who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.  And when she was good, she was very, very good.  And when she was bad, she was horrid.”  Which is precisely how my skin feels about mineral makeup – on a good day, nothing comes close to looking better and more naturally flawless on my skin.  At other times though, it can look like I’ve dipped my face in a vat of semolina flour… which then slowly cooks in situ, as the day progresses.

I tried NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation, after it was recommended to me as a cross between a mineral foundation and a setting powder. This is good news for me as I often use my mineral foundation as a setting powder… albeit with a very light hand.

Compared to most mineral foundations I’ve tried, I found this to be sheerer… more finely milled, and lighter in texture.  The unglamourous but practical packaging features enough space to hold a sponge between the lid and the sifter should you need a way to avoid spillage during travel.  This extra roominess also means that you’re more likely to keep the powder in the pot whilst picking up product on your brush, and not allover your dressing table.

The foundation is available in four shades, and I was sent the second lightest – which as you can imagine, is a touch too dark for my skintone but thanks to its sheerness, doesn’t cause me much concern.  The foundation is about as genuinely organic as you can get, certified so by the prestigious ECOCERT and promises a hypoallergenic, paraben-free formula which has been approved by AllergyUK as an allergy-friendly product.  Quite interesting when you consider that the label states that the product may contain Bismuth Oxychloride, a known potential irritant and something that many of you have grumbled about in the past.

The quantity shown in the lid is roughly the amount I’ve been using for a full face after applying a light tinted moisturiser as a base.  It’s my favourite way to apply this foundation and both sets my makeup and gives me a little extra coverage in the areas where my base is letting me down.  The combination of the two products as a single base gives me great medium/full coverage with none of the heaviness that I’d get were I using liquid/cream foundation alone.  It’s a real time saver as I don’t have to worry about the finish looking at all caked-on or artificial.

The NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation lacks the pretty sheen that I enjoy from other brands such as Bare Minerals, infact I’d consider this one as fairly mattifying, obviously a bonus for half the population but I prefer my finishing powder to have a little luminosity in these darker months.  I’ve been mixing a liquid luminizer into my moisturiser to solve this problem.

Hopefully the above photo will let you deduce the amount of coverage you can expect from using NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation on bare skin, it’s a sheer-medium finish and as I’ve already mentioned, a matte one.  I’ve been enjoying using a flat top kabuki brush which works the product into the skin and ensures that you get maximum coverage with the least effort.

NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation is priced at £17.75 for 5g and available to buy online from www.natorigin.co.uk

* press sample