A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOSH?  Close… but no cigar.

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

So… finally… how about a price comparison?

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

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

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

ETA:

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

No one celebrates the end of October more beautifully than the people of Mexico.

“Day of the Dead” or “Día de los Muertos” as it’s known locally is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed on and allows the living to remember them in their own way.

The costumes and festivities involved in this celebration have inspired LUSH to release their Halloween goodies themed around the Mexican holiday.

1. CALAVERA Bath Ballistic (£2.95)

Calavera means skull in Spanish, so drop this ballistic into your tub and watch as it explodes with bright, vibrant colour and dances around your tub.  The fragrance is a blend of lime oil and Mexican marigold petals – both of which play a huge part in traditional Mexican cooking and celebrations. One of our new version ballistics with bubble bar mixed in with it, it leaves a trail of skin softening bubbles as it dances about the water, interweaving different colours together in a celebration of the after life.

2. CALACAS shower jellies (£2.95)

Calacas is skeleton in Spanish, so these colourful jellies are designed to represent dancing skulls – another iconic image of the Day of the Dead celebrations. There are four to choose from: in red, green, yellow or orange and each one is scented with the same uplifting, invigorating scent of lime and neroli. These wibbly wobbly jellies are also infused with aloe vera gel, to soften and soothe the skin. Especially good frozen, they make for a great bracing, sharp shock in the morning – great if you’ve overdone it with the tequila the night before!

3. LADY CATRINA soap (£2.95 for 100g)

A spectacular hat-shaped soap decorated with bright, neon flowers. Lady Catrina was an etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada that he made in the early Twentieth Century to parody that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else. Since then, Lady Catrina has become an iconic image for the Day of the Dead celebrations … And she wore big, colourful hats! The same fragrance as Calavera ballistic, it’s fresh, zesty and uplifting.

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Anything among the new Day of the Dead themed bathroom goodies that capture your attention?

I’m not a fan of LUSH shower jellies (too tricky to chase with soapy hands!!) and I have far too many bars of LUSH soap to get through as it is… but I’ll definitely be indulging in a Calavera Bath Ballistic – I love that the new ones bubble!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That different coloured core is cute right?

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

Hand swatches…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

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

From Lip Butters to Body Butters, Body Scrubs to Shower Foams… Body America’s range of bathroom goodies will be hitting the mainstream when they land in the new House of Fraser Apothecary from the middle of this month onwards.

A little birdy also told me that the Body America Body Butters come from the same creator as the much-loved Body Shop Body Butters… interesting…

But this becomes even more interesting when I tell you that a 200ml jar of Body America Body Butter will set you back a trifling £8 compared to £12.50 for The Body Shop equivalent.  Now you’re talking!

The entire range is described as 72% organic and comes enriched with certified organic Aloe Vera juice to naurally soothe and protect the skin.  The lineup is available in four flavours:

~ Vermont Va Va Voom: Green Apple, Maple and Blueberry
~ New York Cheesecake with an Edge: Vanilla and Strawberry
~ Toast to the Coast: Ocean and Grapeseed
~ Southern Belle: Peach and Mango

I fully intend to make a beeline for the Vermont Va Va Voom range…. Maple?  Oh god yes.  Now if only it came with pancakes too…

I scoured high and I scoured low for this little bottle of Barry M Instant Nail Effects… it’s seemingly harder to acquire than the proverbial gold dust.

When I first saw it on Yinka’s blog… I didn’t think I was gonna like it.  I like NEAT nails and I’m not hugely into nail art.  Not really… I just like polished tips that add a bit of interest.  Instant Nail Effects looks haphazard… indeed it is.  It’s messy, it’s random…

But I kinda like it!

What I didn’t like was that I slapped a glossy top coat over it.  Next time I’m gonna keep the crackle matte.

Is this a new idea?  Nooooooooo…. these crackle polishes have been around for years, but as far as I’m aware – it’s the first time it’s been brought to the UK high street (correct me if I’m wrong!).

Wanna know how it’s done?  Watch the official BarryM tutorial video on how to make the Instant Nail Effects work for you here.

Do you like the effect?  I think the general consensus is that it works best over bold, pale colours… think bright pastels!

If you can source it on the high street, Boots are currently offering two BarryM polishes (including this one) for £5, otherwise you can purchase online from the BarryM website for £3.95 a piece.

My first ever eyeshadow was an Avon Color Trends lilac shade in a green case… I ground that thing down to the pan and then when I went to repurchase, couldn’t find the sucker!  I still have the occasional search on eBay for it for sentimental value, but have long forgotten it’s name 🙁

Anyway, I was invited to have a look at Avon’s new Winter cosmetics collection which goes by the name Luxe Lace… is it just me or is the name just a touch naff?  Fortunately, that’s where any naffness ends because the collection itself is really rather nice.

Let’s have a look at what we can expect…

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quads (£8.00)

The Chanel-esque eyeshadow palettes offer 4 complementing shades that are suitable for both day or night depending on how you combine them.  The picture above shows the purple palette (Lace Electric) and the other (which I got in my goody bag) is a slightly more eclectic mix of champagnge/pinky-beige/green and blue (Lace Hues)  I shall swatch it v. soon!

In the photo, Lace Hues is hiding snugly behind Lace Electric.  Fail.

Luxe Lace Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick (£7.00)

Three new shades are due to be introduced from the end of October.  Instant Mocha, Frostiest Mauve and Pout will be priced at £7 each and promise to offer hydrating colour.  I found them to be hugely wearable in terms of pigmentation.  Not particularly long-lasting, but easy to apply and non-drying.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Mascara (£8.00)

I’m not a huge fan of Avon’s SuperShock Mascara though I know it’s very well-received. On me, it transfers and leaves little black spots just under my brows if I even remotely show any sign of getting a little ‘glowy’!  I love the big brush and the slightly dry formula… but there’s nothing worse than looking in the mirror and noticing funny black splotches undermining your appearance!

For the Winter Collection, SuperShock has been given a cute packaging makeover to bring it in line with it’s lacy counterparts.

Luxe Lace SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens (£6.00)

For me, the most impressive product in the collection.  These SuperShock Gel Eyeliner Pens completely blew me away.  Pigmented like you wouldn’t believe… creamier than a tub of Ben and Jerrys and long lasting?  Oh my…

I met up with a journalist the next day who’d attended the same event and we were both still wearing our swatches on the back of our hands despite showering and secondary scrubbing in an attempt to remove them!

Two shades: Black and Silver, perfect for the party season.  If you only get one thing from this collection, make it these!

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The new collection will be available to order online or from your Avon rep from the 28th October.

I’ll be back with swatches of the Black Eyeliner, Lace Hues palette and Pout lipstick as soon as I can get accurate shots!

The comparisons have to be made don’t they?  At just £3.50 for the pale gold E.L.F Gotta Glow compared to £19.50 for NARS iconic Albatross highlighting powder… who isn’t hoping for a remarkable dupe?

The NARS on the left.. E.L.F’s Gotta Glow, on the right.

I’m not gonna talk about the differences in packaging.  They’re there… NARS is annoying and icky sticky, E.L.F’s is sleeker but hella cheaper looking.  Do you *really* care?  I don’t.

But what about the product?

E.L.F’s Gotta Glow is slightly more yellow toned in appearance and the gold shimmer is less refined looking in the pan… chunkier.  This is pretty much what I expected.  On close inspection, you can see a visual difference in quality.

The texture?  Again… this lives up to expectations.

NARS Albatross is smooth and very finely milled… there’s no flaking when you brush the surface of the pan and no fall out upon application.  The E.L.F version can’t claim the same.  It’s powdery and there is fall out if you don’t give your brush a tap off before applying.

But how about this?  Please look past the hairy arms… I have enough hair elsewhere on my body to frankly give a crap about hairy forearms.

That’s pretty simillar no?

Take a guess before reading on… which one costs £3.50 and which one costs £19.50?  I’d love for you to tell me if you got it right in the comments…

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Ready to find out?

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Sure?

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Oh ok… Well… E.L.F’s Gotta Glow is on the left and NARS Albatross is on the right.  I think that I can tell the difference between the swatches… the E.L.F one looks slightly less pigmented and a bit ‘chunkier’.  But is that *really* a £16 difference?  Not when you take into consideration that once applied and blended… I truly struggle to tell the difference on my face at all.

Before I get really excited though… there is one point to note that although not an issue for my skintone, may make ALL the difference on someone else.  I see a slight ashiness with the E.L.F incarnation that I’m not seeing with the NARS original.  It’s only noticeable when I swatch on my fingertip… but I’m thinking that on a darker skintone, the E.L.F Gotta Glow may leave a slight white cast along with the golden sheen.

Has anyone tried it with a darker skintone than mine?  How are you finding E.L.F’s new Gotta Glow highlighting powder?

E.L.F Gotta Glow is available online and priced at £3.50 – a bargain if ever I saw one.

I think it’s about time for an update to this post.

It’s been a month and I’ve been sticking to the new routine, using The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare.  Infact, I’ve finished the bottles that I was given at their blogger event in the Summer.

I know it’s taken me a while to review, but not only did my hair need to get used to the new products, I needed to get used to the new routine too.  It’s a big difference going from normal detergents and condtioners and it takes a while to adjust.

So, I’ve been trialling The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture variety which is aimed at dry hair types.  My hair is coloured (frequently) and as a result, a little over-processed and dry.  It needs something that isn’t stripping.

My first impressions of this weren’t positive.  Within the 3rd use, my hair felt like straw.  It was unmanageable and bushy… rough and knotty.  I tried using more conditioner, but didn’t experience any improvements.  I nearly gave up on it completely.

Instead, I tried using it in conjunction with my normal conditioner.  I was worried that by using a normal conditioner, I’d be giving the sls-free shampoo too tough a job to clear my hair of build-up… but for me?  This is working well.

The shampoo takes a little getting used to, it doesn’t lather very well on the hair.  It’s recommended to rub it between your palms to build up a small amount of lather before applying to your hair and this does make a difference.

I simply found that the condtioner didn’t do enough to smooth the hair shaft.  Whilst I’m not in love with either of these products, I would purchase the shampoo again.  It left my hair feeling clean and since getting rid of my scalp issues (thanks Nizoral!) it hasn’t caused any further irritations.

Priced at £4 for 250ml, I think the range is pretty good value for money considering the natural and eco-friendly ingredients, but I’d need to see more moisture from the conditioner before I’d purchase again.

You can buy The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare range online or instore.

Another one from before my camera bit the dust…

ELF’s Rosy Raisin is another 3 coater that seems to ‘turn good’ on that final coat.  I had a dodgy brush with this bottle – splayed ends.  There’s a first time for everything and this was the first time for me that the price tag really shone through everything else when it comes to ELF.

Disappointing.

The colour is a great wintery shade for those among us who favour them.  Again, at £1.50 – there’s really only so much moaning about a product I can do.  If I hadn’t had such crapola quality issue with the packaging… I’d be happy to recommend but even at £1.50, a girl needs a brush that’s up to the job right?

My lovely friend Julia sent me a fabulous parcel of goodies from her local drugstores in the Philippines and I have been dying to play with them.

My camera is still MIA (I’m on my 2nd attempt at ordering… why do companies say they have stock when they don’t?) so I was holding off opening and swatching until I could get some decent shots of the products.  But yanowot?  I’ve caved…. I actually just can’t wait any longer.

I grabbed Mr. L’s phone* and snapped…

Several lipsticks, some lovely eyeshadows and a BB cream!  Whoop!

Ever Bilena Extreme lipstick in Ambrosia – the sparkle in this is quite something!

Ever Bilena Matte lipstick (nude shade)

4U2 Gemone eyeshadow palettes in Amethyst and Goldstone

Maybelline 8-in-1 BB Cream

4U2 I-Pro Palette in Contemporary

IZGO La Belle lipsticks

Aren’t they all lovely?  I’m not really sure where to start (though am currently typing this with Goldstone on one eye and Amethyst on the other!).

I hope to do some swatches very soon!

*I was lent a lovely camera from a rather spiffing twitter buddy, but my card reader won’t read SDHC cards!  I’m completely camera-screwed ATM.

Soap.  In all it’s soapy glory.

When my parents make their annual French pilgrimage, Monsavon au lait (made since 1925) is one of the items on the (long) list of shopping requests that I send with them.

Inexpensive (well under 2 Euros a bar) and easy to get hold of over there, Monsavon au lait is simply one of the few soaps that doesn’t dry out my skin.  It’s not flash and it’s not glamourous… but it’s a bathroom essential for me with a comforting, soft scent that lingers on my skin.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”Ingredients” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”778899″]Sodium Tallowate (so not suitable for vegans) – Sodium Cocoate – Sodium Palm Kernelate – Aqua – Glycerin – Parfum – Coconut Acid – Sine Adipe Lac – Sodium Chloeide – Titanium Dioxide – Linalool – Lanolin – Coumarin – etrasofium EDTA – Citronellol – Tetrasodium Etironate.  Equivalent of 1% milk.[/stextbox]

Do you have any favourite soap bars?