A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

With many of us investing so much effort and time in our “online” lives, it’s no wonder that we’re protective of our internet personas.  Just as in “real life”, it’s important to maintain and develop an online identity, especially when we lack the same in-person contact that we enjoy in our daily, family lives.

When you have a blog, you create a brand… a reflection of your identity and the “self” that you present to others on the internet.  It’s something that must be nurtured and cared-for, is just as fluid as your “real” self and under just as much, if not more, scrutiny.

Vigilance is an important part of protecting your identity online.  For example, I’m aware of another blogger who uses the term “lipglossiping” as a verb and a means of identifying with her blog and her brand.  This means that in Google searches, the term will include search results that link a reader to her website, directing traffic away from mine.  It’s not the most dastardly case of identity theft you’ll ever come across but it’s not entirely innocent either.

If I were so inclined, I could trademark the term “lipglossiping” and instruct my solicitor to send a stream of cease and desist letters.  It’s a costly but valid way of protecting an online identity.

But what about your “real-life you”?  How do you protect that when your identity falls into the wrong hands, one with more sinister intentions?

It can be extremely distressing, not to mention time-consuming… clawing back and unravelling the threads of this very personal crime.  Identity theft is sadly an all too common side-effect of internet use and in many cases, you’ll know nothing about it until it’s too late to stop it.

That’s where the People’s ID Bot Project can help.  Powered by Experian, the Facebook Page serves to alert its community of the latest security news and breaches, learning and growing from the marvels of (safe) social-sharing.  Users post about their own experiences of identity fraud while case-studies, infographics, and other word-spreading tools help fight the battle against online scammers.  It also serves as a feedback portal for the latest tool in identity protection: the IdentityProtect ID Bot.

Whether you fall foul of an internet virus, a security breach in one of your favourite websites, or even just find yourself sharing a little too much about yourself online, the IdentityProtect ID Bot works to scan the web in real time, alerting you instantly if your personal information is at risk of being illegally shared, stolen or sold online.

Whether it’s phone numbers, addresses, bank details or even usernames… IdentityProtect can monitor the lot, all you need to do is tell it what to search for and you’ll be instantly protected.  Isn’t that clever?

If you’d like to put to put IdentityProtect ID Bot to the test, I have 10 codes available for a FREE one-year subscription (worth £47.88) to the IdentityProtect ID Bot.  I will allocate these codes on a first-come-first-served basis.  If you would like a code, please leave a comment below or contact me via email.

* this is a sponsored post

I don’t know if this is an unusual blogger trait, I’m willing to bet that it isn’t.  But I have a confessionary secret stash and it’s not of makeup.

Oh no, it’s far sadder than that… it’s a secret stash of photographs of makeup.  You see, the thing about us hard-boiled bloggers is that we often struggle to physically open and use makeup before we’ve documented it for prosperity.  I’ve bought some true beauties in the past that have sat for months, untouched… pristine… my fingers aching to prise open the casing and daub the contents over my face.  But I’ve resisted.  All because I haven’t gotten around to photographing it for the blog.

And so today, I’m delving into my stash of photographs for an oldie-but-goodie.  The other problem with hoarding makeup (and photographs of makeup) is that by the time you get around to blogging about them, they’re often discontinued.

But in today’s case… this may be no bad thing, because it also means…

BARGAIN.  When was the last time you saw an Edward Bess eyeshadow for £6.99 inc. postage?  Let me tell you, as happy as I am for your bank account… I’m crying for mine.

Edward Bess Ultra Luminous Eye Shadow in Storm is a silvery taupe.  I like to call them “ghostly” taupes and they’re my favourite kind!

A pretty neutral with a shot of ethereal silver flashing through its veins.  It applies as smoothly as you’d expect from the premium U.S. brand and works beautifully as an allover one-shade choice for fraught Monday mornings.

Where did I spot this bargain of bargains?  Well, on the ‘bay of course!  Don’t feel too sorry for me paying full whack, I’ve spotted that the same seller also has another EB shadow that I’ve got my eye on, I may yet make it up to myself!

Are you happy to buy discontinued products from eBay (with a bit of homework) or are you too scared of fakes and fungal infections from out of date cosmetics?

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Some “gift with purchases” are predictable but useful.  Some GWPs make you wonder why the marketers bothered, and some… well, some make you tear down to your local counter Roadrunner stylee (meep meep!), leaving nothing but a trail of dust behind you.

I think it’s fair to say that the latest GWP – available when you buy any 60ml Jimmy Choo fragrance this month – very much falls into the latter category.  Please, let me present, the Limited Edition Luxury Jimmy Choo Shoe Case.

Now, you may not own a pair of fancy Jimmy Choos to put in said shoe case, let’s face it… you wouldn’t be alone!  But what else could you put inside?  Your collection of favourite fragrances?  How about employing it as a memory box for your most precious photos?  It’s roomy and solidly-constructed enough for a thousand uses.

Know someone who’s getting hitched this year?  Do they need somewhere to store their princessy shoes?  The possibilities are endless.  Failing all of this, you could just use it to hide your secret stockpile of Cadbury’s Twirl and Wispa bars.  Don’t try and pretend it’s just me that has one of those…

This delightful GWP is available in selected department stores nationwide, with a purchase of any Jimmy Choo 60ml fragrance, while stocks last.

If you want a hot tip on which fragrance to pick, check out my review of the Jimmy Choo Flash EdP

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I’ve just been reading about the upcoming Elemis TSV (Today’s Special Value) which will be available to purchase exclusively on QVC this Sunday from midnight.  It’s a little on the expensive side for a TSV and sadly it doesn’t look like it will be available with an Easy Pay option, but it does offer an astonishingly huge saving on the RRP, along with some truly-targeted skincare.

This Sunday’s Elemis QVC TSV will give viewers a choice between the following two purchase options for the 5 Piece Anti-Ageing Collection…

The first offering is the Pro-Collagen option which includes 4 full size products and 1 “special” size product.

• Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser 150ml
• Gentle Rose Exfoliator 50ml
• Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 50ml
• Pro-Collagen Marine Cream 30ml
• Pro-Collagen Advanced Treatment 15ml
• (all five products are worth £148.50)

Alternatively… and perhaps better suited to more mature skin-types…

…is the second collection, the Pro-Intense option which includes 5 full-size products.

• Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser 150ml
• Gentle Rose Exfoliator 50ml
• Pro-Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm 50ml
• Pro-Intense Lift Effect Day Lotion 30ml
• Pro-Intense Eye and Lip Contour Cream 15ml
• (all five products are worth £199.50)

Both sets will be available at the special price of £62.00 on the day.

For more information, you can check this video out on the collection(s) which will tell you a little more about the products included…

Do you partake in a bit of TSV excitement?  Does this one capture your imagination or is £62 without an Easy Pay option a little too much of a stretch bearing in mind that we’re only one pay-day post Christmas!

Watch the Elemis on QVC on Sunday 16^th February – Midnight, 1am, 4am, 7am, 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, 8pm & 11pm on Sky Digital Channel 640, Freeview Channel 16, Virgin Channel 740 and Freesat Channel 800.  Alternatively, you can watch online at www.qvcuk.com/elemis

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Had I not spent the day trying to find a quiet little hole to climb into, I would have blogged this within seconds of it landing in my inbox this afternoon.

But as things stood, what with Leila trying to cough up her knee-caps all night, I didn’t get much sleep.  Excuse my tardiness, infact I should be in bed now, catching up on my beauty sleep… but I couldn’t bring myself to leave this unblogged any longer… because ladies, Crabtree & Evelyn are presenting us with an offer that will send us scrabbling for an unloved tube or pot of hand-cream!  On your marks, get set…

…GO!

It’s only a mother-funking Hand Cream Amnesty!  Who doesn’t love a beauty amnesty?  Don’t know what one is?  Let me give you a little insight…

Basically, take any old hand cream (not a C&E one, that would be stoopid!) into your nearest Crabtree & Evelyn store before the 12th March and – while stocks last – a kindly sales assistant will swap your surrendered hand cream for a free Crabtree & Evelyn 25g Hand Therapy worth £5.00!  That’s all there is to it but do check out the T&C in the image above just incase.

Do you have any half-empty hand-creams that you’re willing to part with?  I know I do!

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It’s not often you can find a reduction on the legendary lash-extending Lilash and Librow, so hold on to your mascara wands because the UK’s only authorised stockist is having a flash sale on ’em today!

Log onto Powder Rooms between 10am – 12pm this morning (yes, you’ve only got two hours folks!) to get your hands on a tube at 20% off the RRP.  If you’re taking advantage, you’ll need to use the code “blackfriday” at checkout to claim the discount.

If you’re not sure what Lilash can do for you, check out this great review from Bubblegarm.

So, did any of you spendy lot save some pennies last week with Organic Surge’s extravaganza of a sale?  I just thought I’d pop a little PSA up for those of you who missed it… because I logged on last night, and the sale is still live!  According to the brand’s Twitter account, it was supposed to finish last Friday… with most products now out of stock.  Except, they’re not… and it hasn’t!

So my dearest beauty beans, consider this your last chance to stock up on some seriously lovely goodies at up to 75% off.

01: Million Dollar Brown Sugar Body Polish (£32, now £8)

02: Gentle Cleansing Lotion (£5.99, now £1.50)

03: Daily Care Face Wash (£5.49, now £2.74)

04: Super Rich Body Butter (£22.50, now £11.25)

05: Million Dollar Anywhere Balm (£22.50, now £11.25)

06: Super Smooth Salt Scrub (£32, now £8)

I don’t know about you but it’s hard not to see the potential of stocking up not only your own bathroom cabinet but the pressie box for all of those last-minute “oh shite, I forgot to buy her a present!” moments.  Not that we ever have those, I’m just sayin’.

The lovely Fee at MakeupSavvy also reports on a free delivery code (NEWDEL) to make those bargains even more tempting… I haven’t tried it but the comments suggest that it works without a glitch.

Did you splash out on the sale yet?  Fancy a last ditch attempt at bagging the bargains?

If you’ve been layering on the mascara, coat after coat (after coat, after coat) in the quest for lashes that sweep the floor.  Stop it.  You look like you’ve got spiders frantically trying to escape from your eyeballs.  I’ve even known girls who wait for their mascara to fully dry before adding more coats.  A surefire way to achieve lashes crispier than a KFC chicken wing.

Powder Rooms will be holding a Lilash/LiBrow Flash Sale tomorrow, Friday 7th June between 2-3PM BST.  This much-heralded wonder serum is known for strengthening, fortifying and boosting your lash power to the max.  But don’t take my word for it… check out Muhsine’s great post here with some impressive before/after pictures.

LiLash and LiBrow can be tricky to get hold outside of the U.S. and Powder Rooms is the UK’s only authorized online stockist, ensuring that you get fresh stock that won’t cost you a bomb in customs duty!

It takes around 3 months to see the full results from a course of LiLash, though some have reported dramatic effects after only 3/4 weeks.  If you’re interested in receiving 15% off the standard price, be sure to log on to Powder Rooms tomorrow between 2-3PM BST (ships worldwide) and make a rare saving on this cult product with the all important code: lashflash

It’s May and the dreaded spring clean is upon us.  Out with the old, in with the new.  Not worn it in the past 12 months?  Add it to the charity shop bag.  Easy!

Unless you’re a bit of a recovering packrat like me.  Since moving into the flat I’ve forced myself to pare down the amount of hoarding I like to usually do and I’m a far more organised lady than I ever used to be.  That being said, I’m still far better at the shopping side of things than I am at the minimizing and Lancôme’s latest collaboration with British designer Jenny Packham has got my fingers itching to reach for my purse.

The 2013 limited edition Jenny Packham for Lancôme cosmetics bag has been inspired by an iconic polka dot print from the Jenny Packham SS13 collection, straight from the catwalk into your handbag.  The bag – which is available in either pink or white – contains a selection of luxury travel-sized Lancôme products including: 1 x Galatéis Douceur 50ml, 1 x Tonique Douceur 50ml, 1 x Bi-Facil 30ml, 1 x Hypnôse Mascara 2ml, and 1 x L’Absolu Rouge 1.65ml.

Not only is the design eye-catching and effortlessly chic, it should also be pretty good at disguising mascara splodges, genius!  Of the design, Jenny had this to say:

I am delighted to be collaborating with Lancôme once again. For 2013, I wanted to create a design that is fresh and stylish, with references straight from the catwalk. With its bold print and gold accessories, it has a very modern feel.

The Jenny Packham for Lancôme cosmetics bag is available exclusively at Harvey Nichols from 18th May 2013, and nationwide from 1st June.  To qualify for this GWP, simply purchase two Lancôme products (one to be skincare) from your nearest Lancôme counter while stocks last.

Remember when we used to have to get dressed to go and do our shopping?  What a bore!  Thanks to the power of the interwebz and smartphones, we don’t even need to get out of bed!

How supremely lazy is that?  Bliss.

Bank Holidays are ripe for online discounts.  Companies know that they’re more likely to have a captive audience, so I thought I’d compile a little post including some of the best weekend beauty offers on the web.

Powder Rooms are offering 20% off all products (exc. sale items and Lilash) until Wednesday with the code may2013

Cult Beauty are offering free internation shipping with the promotion code MAYSHIP

Superdrug are offering free delivery all weekend until Tuesday, no code required.

Daniel Sandler are offering 20% off for registered shoppers until the end of Monday with the discount code BANKHOLIDAY20

Get 40% off (almost) everything at Dr. Lewinns this weekend, amazing!

Murad are having a Spring sale with 20% off everything. Quote SPRINGSALE at checkout.

Get an easy 15% off Bliss and Remede this weekend with code BWBANKHOL

Finally, grab a cool 35% off at The Body Shop this weekend with the code HOLIDAY

A massive thank you to Tsunimee who helped me compile this post.  Also to BareFacedChic for the Daniel Sandler heads up!

If you know of any more beauty discounts this weekend, feel free to leave the details below!

Go forth and shop!  Oh, and have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend beauty lovers.  The weather is set to treat us kindly (for once)!

I may not be the internet’s biggest fan of the Rimmel Lasting Finish “Kate” lipsticks… but don’t let my thoughts stand in the way of a good bargain, hell… I might even give them another try myself at this price.

What price?  Well, they’re priced at £5.49 each in Boots and Superdrug, so…

How does £1.99-a-piece sound?

Unhelpfully, there’s not much going on in the way of swatches but that’s nothing a good Google can’t fix.  Here are links to a few of them, via one of my fav lip-swatcherers: beautyswatch1, beautyswatch2, beautyswatch.

Are any of these catching your eye?  I can’t help but admit that I’m tempted by “04”, not that I should be… what with it finally being Spring n’all.

European ladies can also join in the fun with fairly-priced international shipping.  Who said Sundays are boring?

Rimmel Lasting Finish “Kate” Lipsticks are currently priced at £1.99 each, online from Fragrance Direct.  Tempted?

* don’t forget that Fragrance Direct also have the rather brilliantly-priced Dainty Doll leftovers up for grabs too (go for the blushers, gooo for the blushers!!)

Among an ever-increasing tide of Mother’s Day press releases, I spotted one subject line milliseconds after deleting (itchy trigger finger) that had me scrambling through the email bin to retrieve it.

Child-friendly nail polish brand Little BU will be holding an Easter sale extravaganza and all nail polishes will be reduced to a ridiculous £5 each.

Horrendous news for my wallet, with Leila’s 4th birthday coming up and four recently released shades to put a twinkle in her eye.  I can see myself having to sacrifice one of my Helmer drawers for her stash in the future, though I was hoping we’d hit teenage years first.

Incase you’re unfamilliar with the brand, Little BU offer non-toxic, water-based, and odourless nail polish formulas that wash away with a bit of soap and water.  For increased longevity, you can apply their special top-coat to seal the colour for extra wear.

Here’s Leila showing just how prepared she is to follow in her Mum’s footsteps.  Heaven help her.

Little BU in Sofia

If you have birthday gifts to buy throughout the year or stockings to fill at Christmas, I suggest you make a head-start and hide them away.  There’s nothing like a little prepared-ness in the face of a good sale.

Little BU in Olivia

The Little BU Easter Sale begins online at www.iluvlittlebu.com on the 18th March (date for the diary) and will run right through until Easter Sunday.  All polishes will be reduced from the regular price of £9.95 to £5.00 each.