A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I bought 4 more NYX Round Lipsticks to add to my collection…

Tea Rose: Medium/Dark Rosey Pink

Strawberry Milk: As the name suggests, very pale milky pink

Thalia: Medium/Dark Nude

Indian Pink: Medium Pink with Gold flashes

Wear on these aren’t fantastic, they don’t last much after a cup of tea, but they’re so easy to  reapply and very well pigmented for the price.

And finally… Nyx Round Lipgloss in Sorbet. Non-sticky, fairly sheer with a subtle hint of sparkle.

I’m really pleased with the lip products… my favourite is Thalia or Tea Rose.  I adore Indian Pink, it’s so unusual but it’s a little warm toned against my skin.  Strawberry Milk is gorgeous too, but I need to find a way to wear it that doesn’t remind me of Magda from There’s Something About Mary.

What are your favourite NYX Round Lipsticks?

Well, the general consensus from the bods paid to know about these things is that lightning really does strike twice.

With this in mind, after my previous experiences trying to get my hands on some NYX products from across the pond you can imagine my slight hesitation when I heard about a Cherry Culture 20% off code a few weeks ago.

I was obviously mainlining a dose of bravado when, with VISA in hand I started gaily adding items to my virtual basket until I was reminded of a). the import tax threshold and b). my overflowing makeup storage in the spare room.

Reluctantly, I pared down my overenthusiastic initial selection to items that (by this time) I’d decided I couldn’t physically live without.

The NYX prices on Cherry Culture aren’t the cheapest out there – but the 20% code sweetened the deal and I was happy that their stock list appeared to be current and up to date.

Fast forward 2 weeks later and my parcel landed on the doormat with a satisfying heavyweight thud, immediately reassuring me of a job haul well done.

Pulling apart the jiffy bag, I was pleased to see that all my items I’d ordered had been wrapped securely for the long journey across the Atlantic.  No casualties this time.

I ordered:

6 NYX Eyeshadows

1 NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil

4 NYX Round Lipsticks

1 NYX Round Lipgloss

See! I told you I was restrained!  It actually barely qualifies for ‘haul’ status!

I’m happy to recommend Cherry Culture as a distributor of NYX products to the UK.  I haven’t had need to make use of their CS team yet, and for me, this is what makes or breaks a company – but I’m pleased with the service so far!

Would an aspiring makeup snob venture into Asda on a Friday night on the hunt for a grey polish she saw whilst doing last weeks food shop? I think not… I’m slipping.

However, I’m pleased I did – because I’ve found a little gem!

This is a lovely pale grey aptly named “Raincloud” that is perhaps just a ‘teeny’ bit blue toned.  Application isn’t the smoothest, it dries VERY quickly… even as you’re applying.  I’d recommend not trying to be too precise with this.  Get a big blob on the brush and attempt to cover the nail in 3/4 strokes max, any more strokes than this and the polish will start dragging.  However, for some strange reason… the formula is *really* forgiving… many times I applied this unevenly and the formula seems to even itself out across the nail.  I also didn’t experience any bubbling as it dried which is a common problem for me with thicker polishes.

Drying time (as I said) is very quick – the above shows 3 coats, and I reckon I had the full manicure done and dry in about 25 minutes.  The finish is high gloss and I’ve had tons of positive comments about the shade.

I wore this mani up to London on Saturday for the Aussie Event and whilst in Space NK both SA’s were coo-ing over my hands… I couldn’t quite tell if they were horrified or delighted when I told them where I’d bought the polish.

The polishes are currently on offer at £1 for a 5ml bottle in Asda… yep, £1.

Here’s my other bargain purchase (picture taken with flash).. I don’t like this one so much, it’s more chalky and could have done with a top coat, but still a great buy if you like blues!

I bought the Kryolan Supra Color to use as a base for my mineral eyeshadows which tend to apply sheerly without a solid base not to mention the fall out if they don’t have something to sitck to!

It’s basically a black grease paint.  Upon opening, it has a clear layer of grease ontop which I ‘patted’ off with a piece of kitchen roll until I got to the black stuff below!

As you can see by the swatch above, it’s a very deep and pigmented black which applies smoothly.  You can use a brush or your finger to apply, I’ve been using a synthetic flat shadow brush to apply which seems to work really well.

I then pat my mineral/loose eyeshadows ontop of a thin layer of the Supra Color.  The shadows stick really well to the Supra Color with minimal fall out and even more impressively, I’ve discovered that I actually do have some blending ability!  It is SO much easier to blend out eyeshadows over this base than it is over UDPP.

Here’s the finished result:

Unfortunately (and as I mentioned yesterday) my eyeshadows start to crease after a mere 3 hours 🙁  UDPP holds them firm for at least 9 hours on me.

The picture below was taken after 3 hours wear:

What a shame huh?

JoBetterDays & GraceLondon both recommend I try it over a little UDPP.  I’m really hopeful that’ll make the difference because my GOD I don’t want to give up my new-found blending abilities!  Imagine… colour that lasts AND looks fantastic!

Not too much to ask… is it?

I wanted to share with you a little discovery I made about a month ago on eBay.  I was checking out some of those 88 palettes from China when I came across a seller with a small range of gel eyeliners priced at around £3.80 each inc. p&p.

I bought one in black along with a long handled flat-top kabuki style brush.

Now, I’ll preface this by saying that I didn’t really hold out much hope that the liner would be any good.  This isn’t the first time I’ve bought gel eyeliners off the Bay, and they are mostly non-setting, non-pigmented greasy affairs as if someone has mixed together a splodge of vaseline and a sprinkling of coal dust.

Imagine my suprise when it turned out to be pretty darn decent!

The first photo was taken when it arrived about a month ago… the second a couple of evenings ago.  You can tell I’ve got some use out of it!

It’s a deep dark nicely pigmented black shade with no shimmer or glitter.  Consistency is thin and spreadable (much like MAC fluidline).  So far, so good!

Staying power is actually a little bit TOO good.  This was after several swipes with a wet wipe… I had to resort to cleansing oil in the end.

My only caveat with this gel liner is that whilst it doesn’t budge on the back of my hand… if I apply a thick liner line on my eyelid, I do get a little transfer to the top lid.  However, this is remedied easily with a bit of translucent powder or black eyeshadow.

It’s a rubbish FOTD, but you can clearly see how nicely pigmented this liner is.  Note my hooded eyelid on my left (your right) – that’s where I would experience a bit of transfer if I didn’t set it.  However, that’s quite a thick application of liner for me.  I’ve also used this on the lower lashline and not experienced any smudging whatsoever.

Anyway…. The seller has had a shipment of new colours and I have been assured that they’re the same formula as the black so I have ordered a few different colours which should arrive this week!

After having a little play, I shall let you know how I get on… if it’s favourable, I’ll let you know the name of the seller (if, of course… anyone’s interested).

By the way, the flat top Kabuki was pretty impressive too (very soft, no horrible smell, shed when I washed it – but not too much since)

Love eBay… oh and I still haven’t got an 88 palette… thinking I might get one of the smaller neutral ones instead.  Or maybe I’ll just procrastinate on it forever!

I continue to be pleasantly surprised by the quality of BarryM’s polishes.  I know that some people find them not as long lasting as the likes of Nails Inc and O.P.I (out of curiousity, do YOU pronounce it Oh Pee Eye, or Ohpee?) but I simply get equal wear out of these polishes with a fantasticly smooth formula and I can’t argue with that.

I’m on a bit of a “grey” kick at the moment and picked 2 of these shades up in Boots this week:

This is a real true “concrete” grey which I thought would look hideous on my pale pink toned skin.  I was wrong! That never happens! (no it doesn’t).

The photo makes it look slightly darker than it appears in daylight (picture was taken under flash conditions) – but the tone is true to life.  It’s nice and glossy and I’m really enjoying catching some admiring glances at my fingertips whilst out and about.

I am desperate for BarryM to release some more shades!  Duotones anyone? Do you have a favourite BarryM shade?

BarryM is currently on a 3for2 in Boots and these polishes are priced at £2.89 ea or £2.95 from the BarryM website.

Now, despite fears that I may sound like your Mum… I HAVE to talk to you about sanitary wear, are you sitting comfortably?  Not fidgeting?  Good.  Now listen up.

Exciting news!

Bodyform are launching a new “Campaign for Confidence” and are very understanding of the fact that when us ladies look good, we feel good.  In light of that, they’re treating us to the latest lip gloss in two gorgeous, autumn shades.

Yes, you read that right!

From the 12th October you can snap up a Limited Edition Jemma Kidd Lip Gloss absolutely free with special packs of Bodyform!

The lip glosses come in 2 shades (Orchid & Rose) and are worth £10 each from the Jemma Kidd Makeup School range.

The limited edition packs will be available from the 12th October in all good supermarkets and pharmacies and will no doubt be in high demand so make sure you don’t delay!

Also featuring on these LE packs is some useful information on symptom awareness from The Eve Appeal, a charity working hard to raise funds into research for gynaecological cancers.  Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer death in women in the UK, so greater awareness of all gynaecological cancers should be of interest to every woman.

As if that wasn’t enough… I have a little “bodyform inspired” giveaway coming up, further details of that in the next few days!  Too exciting!

Bounce with me xx

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]

Right now the generous people over at Nails Inc are offering 6 fabulous Nails Inc. products for just £10.  Offer is valid for today only (21/08/2009) so be quick!

The lucky dip includes:

Fast Dry Spray (worth £8)
A treatment top coat / base coat (worth £11)
3 glossy nails inc polishes (worth £31.50)
Cuticle oil (worth £8)

A total saving of £48.50!

Shipping is £3.99 but if you use the MarieClaire code MCNI20 you get 20% off your order.

Whatchu waitin’ for?

The wonderful Sophie @ MeLoveMakeup put me onto these, so I can’t claim any credit for the discovery.  Go check her out and give her some love… she’s had an operation this week and is feeling a little sore.

Primark have dabbled in cosmetics for as long as I’ve been shopping there, usually with very shoddy results (well, what can you expect).

I picked up 6 of these little pots for a grand total of £3.  You get two colours together in one bag and the bags are £1 each.

On closer inspection…

Swatched (without base):

Initially these looked promising, the colour payoff isn’t too shabby and the colours are blatantly rather pretty.  I’d question the longevity as the shadows had practically faded into non-existence with one swipe of a baby wipe.  I definitely wouldn’t bother applying these without a good sticky primer.

Have you tried these or any other ‘Primarni’ cosmetic offerings?  What do you think?

Green, not the best colour choice for me… typically one of my favourites – boo hoo!

I’m still showing the I-Divine Original palette some love…

Face:

Revlon Colorstay in Ivory
Silk Naturals Blush in Climax (Orgasm Dupe)

Eyes:

Sleek I-Divine Original Palette (Green and Gold shades)
Shu Uemura Painting Liner in M Brown
Ruby & Millie Metallic I-Writer in Green
GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Green Grass
Kanebo Kate Enamel Glow Waterproof Mascara in Black

Lips:
Avon Glazewear Lipstick in Pink Kiss (shade now discontinued)