A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

New from Aerin Beauty this season is their Essentials Collection*, primarily featuring a weighty compact filled with a kaleidoscope of colour.

The Kaleidolight Palette (£40) is essentially a Spring bronzer, offering the kind of skin boost and colour-correction that delivers on Spring’s more subtle promises.  This is the Spring bronzer for those of us who tend to shy away from bronzing, it adds a boost where Winter has stripped the skin of its luster, an inbetween complexion solution for these tricky months ahead.

At first glance, the six shades housed within the impressive gilt exterior lean toward the cooler side of the spectrum… I think the inclusion of a skintone-correcting lilac skews my overall impression, as this is definitely a warm-toned bronzer once all shades are swirled together and applied.  It is best suited to those with fair to medium skintones, overall a buildable formula that applies smoothly and blends beautifully on the skin.

If you prefer, you can… of course, use each shade independently.  The palette is generously-sized and the pans aren’t crowded together, allowing for decent pickup with a smaller-sized blusher brush.  If you were to use the palette more precisely in this manner, you have everything included from colour-correction to contour to blush.

I’ve swatched each shade below, as they apply straight out of the palette… you can see that pigmentation-wise, you’re getting a fair amount of colour payoff with only a couple of swipes from each pan.  The bronzing shades complement each other well and I’ve been using a duo-fibre brush to apply to my cheeks, ensuring a lighter hand.  Overall, the palette delivers mostly colour and warmth with a subtle radiance.

The Rose Balm Lipstick in Whisper (£25) is another new addition to the line, promising a balm-like texture with medium coverage colour.  Whisper is an ultra-pale pink with the slightest hint of shimmer, more noticeable in the bullet than on the lips.  I’m not a fan of the texture, which feels somehow heavier than it should and a little “claggy” over the drier areas of the lip.

I’ve included a FOTD below which displays the products worn (please excuse my badger grey streak in my fringe!), I’ve limited use of the palette to the cheeks so that you can visualise the bronzing effect of the shades when swirled together.

The Aerin Essentials Collection is available to buy online now from esteelauder.co.uk and harrods.com

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You may or may not remember that a few months ago, I bought a couple of wigs.  Infact, you probably shouldn’t remember this, I only mentioned it in passing and if you do happen to have some kind of superhuman power of recall, then quite frankly, I’d be a bit concerned about you.

Anyway, when my wigs arrived, I tried one on and didn’t really like it.  I mean, I loved the wig… the colour was so intensely rich and chocolatey brown with a hint of caramel, just delicious.  But on me?  It looked exceptionally daft.  It was curly and needed to be longer in order to not look immensely wiggy on my fat head.  I was immediately disheartened by it and so, when the other wig arrived… I didn’t actually get round to trying it on (a fool and her money etc. etc.).

Well you know what’s coming don’t you?

Boredom has struck this week in the most tedious of ways and so I did what I used to love doing in this situation, I went and had a play in my beauty cupboard.  Instead of dragging out the coloured eye liners, my hands happened upon the untried wig, cue some excitement and grappling for a bunch of kirby grips.

What do you think?  It’s not too bad is it?  I reckon that on bad fringe days it could see me right?!

It’s synthetic but doesn’t have too much shine to it… nothing that a bit of dry shampoo won’t tame.  Best of all, it was ridiculously cheap, much cheaper than the other one I bought and didn’t like.  Here’s a link to the one I purchased (although I bought from a different seller months ago), the picture in the auction makes it look far more highlighted and caramelly than it is in real life but dudes, it’s like £7.00 – for a play around with a new hairdo, it’s brilliant.

Can you tell how much weight I’ve put on?  You don’t need to be (too) kind… since I found out I was pregnant almost 4-months ago, I’ve used it as carte blanche to just eat all. the. things.  I had secretly hoped that having such revolting morning (afternoon, and evening) sickness would have kept the balance somewhat more fairly but no… that would be too much to ask for wouldn’t it?

Talking of babies, which I promise not to do too often, Leila’s latest name suggestions for her little brother/sister include: Marmalade, Margaret, Humphrey, and Zod.  No, I don’t think we’ll be entrusting her with the job either.

Back to the FOTD…

I was thinking about some of the “safe” colours that are always the first to sell out when a new collection appears.  When I was in my teens, it was always the “browns” that would be in short supply, except, that I’ve never really had much of a love affair with brown browns, generally favouring greys and taupes when it comes to getting my neutral fix.

To this end, I decided to embrace the season and go all out BROWN for a FOTD.  As always, I didn’t use 438 products… I’m just too lazy for that kind of dedication to the cause.  For colour, I grabbed at my Laura Mercier Bonne Mine palette which I knew would sort me out for eyes and cheeks, my Estee Lauder Blackened Cocoa* eye pencil, an almost-dried-out Estee Lauder Sumptuous Color mascara in, and my trusty Urban Decay Naked 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil in Naked.

Thanks to the brush-free application, the look took only a few minutes to complete and gives a good amount of warmth and definition without looking massively made up, especially once the lips begin to fade a little.  The nature of the cream products mean that as the day goes on, the makeup wears gently and softens further, I’m no longer afraid of a little bit of creasing!

Brown still isn’t one of my favourite shades to wear, but I do love how it looks much less “try hard” than when I do a full face of makeup with a palette of greys.  There’s something much more informal about smudging earthy colours across the canvas, and there’s a lot to be said for that.

What colours are you favouring at the moment and are there any popular shades that you just don’t reach for?

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I love wearing warm colours on my cool skintone.  They impart a sense of vitality and freshness that I just don’t get from my more traditional cool-toned favourites.  It can be tricky to paint a “cool” face with “warm” colours and unless you’re also blessed with plenty of freckles and red hair, there can be an immediate juxtaposition between face and hair/face and makeup.  I must admit that I generally only go for a warm face when I’m having a good skin day (which I wasn’t!).  The creamier my complexion (read: less ruddy), the more success I have with painting a warmer canvas.

When I first started wearing makeup, I adored all warm-toned eyeshadows… gold being the pinnacle of that adoration.  Infact, I still have so many beautiful gilded shades that just don’t see much love because as I’ve gotten older, the redness in my complexion has increased and I’m less concerned about making my blue/green eyes “pop” against the shadow and more concerned about not looking like I have a drinking problem.

I find that nowadays, if I do go for a wamer look, I tend to stick to soft peaches (never apricot), guavas, and rose-gold.  Anything that has a slightly pink base is a winner… it can be shot through with a ton of golden sparkle just so long as it has that complimentary base.  Orange and brown-toned golds rarely wear well though I love a good champagne-gold (think NARS Albatross/MAC Femme-Fi).

I’m completely in love with Boots No7 Stay Perfect Foundation* (I’m shade Calico – link) at the moment.  I’m a late-comer to this one and assumed that it would be too drying on my combo/dry and dehydrated skin… most things that claim any kind of longevity, usually are.  I find that aslong as I’m well-moisturised (which I always am anyway), I can wear this one without exacerbating any flakiness.  I haven’t tried it in the Winter yet… but I’ve been wearing this around 70% of the time since mid-June and it delivers a confidence-boosting super-smooth look if I wear it with a primer underneath. I didn’t wear a primer in the photos below because it was ridiculously hot yesterday and I just wasn’t up for all those layers!

One of the reasons that I’m loving it (and it seems like the faintest of praise) is down to the simple fact that the pump dispenses exactly the perfect amount.  Do not underestimate the power that getting the right amount of coverage can have.  Although I love my lovely Bourjois Healthy Mix, it dispenses far too much and I always have to physically restrain myself from applying the entire pump’s worth.  I’ll try to remember to do a before/after foundation and primer routine with the Stay Perfect soon because it really has been one of those rare “ohhhh SKIN LOOKS GOOOOOOD!” revelations.

Other products included in the FOTD run with the rose-gold theme…

Dainty Doll Cream Blusher 002 – link (or try NARS Deep Throat or Sleek Rose Gold)
MAC Rubenesque Paint Pot – link (or try Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold or Benefit Slippin’ n’ Dippin’)
Laqa & Co Fairyblood Lip Pencil* – link (or try MUA Shade 7 or Avon Ultra Colour Rich Lipstick in Sparkling Warm Rose)
Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon* – discontinued (any black liner will do)
No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara – link (any mascara will do)

Also…. only six products, check me out being all minimalist n’ stuff!  Or that other word for it… lazy.

Are you a Rose Gold fan?

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That’s it… stick a fork in me, I’m done. Infact, I’m overcooked. I’ve been par-boiled, roasted, reheated, and now I’m nothing but soggy leftovers. I know that in roughly 16 weeks, you’ll find me moaning about the cold… perhaps even the snow that global warming is sure to rain down on us again, but I don’t care. I’ve had enough. How is a girl even supposed to contemplate makeup in this heat?

You know, I’ve turned partially feral because of it don’t you?

Aside from a daily splash about in the shower, I’ve haven’t done a single thing in the way of beautifying.  The curse of the self-employed.  My roots are greyer than the sky will be when these thunderstorms finally take their toll, my leg hairs are trailing the floor behind me and I’m ashamed to admit that my toenails are most certainly NOT sandal-ready right now.  I’m going to a spa on Friday for a wee bit of pampering and I will have to force myself into some semblance of action before then if I don’t want to frighten all the punters away.

Infact, since returning from holiday last week, the only place I’ve been to is Iceland (the shop, not the country).  It made sense… I’m hot, they have freezers… and I knew that no-one gives a shit about sandal-ready toes in there, most of their patrons have webbed feet anyway.

Clockwise from top-left: Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Bali Brown, YSL Babydoll Mascara*, Paul & Joe #23 Eyeshadow, Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, DHC Sun Block SPF25, Korres Face Primer, Boots Seventeen Lip Crayon in Bold*, Ilamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Gaze

Eight products, that’s not bad for a hardened makeup addict like me is it?  I couldn’t manage a single more installment on my face anyway… the more you apply, the more there is to slide off right?

I’m playing a game of using up products that should have been finished a while ago… I’m not entirely sure how old my Korres Face Primer is but I know it’s been discontinued… the same goes for the Sun Block which thankfully, only has a couple of squeezes left in it.

In this weather, I can’t get enough of those Seventeen Lip Crayons, they strike the perfect pigment balance between the original Clinique chubby stick formula and the more pigmented version.  Also, while I’m updating on products I’ve previously reviewed… it’s worth mentioning that the YSL Babydoll Mascara has yet to dry out in the tube, it’s a miracle!

Anyway, put all those products together and you get a FOTD that looks something like this:

I look mega-posey in a “How you doin’?” kinda way but honestly… I just wasn’t feeling the FOTD thing infront of the window while the sun beat down, altering my DNA structure from within and giving me rapid-onset heatstroke.  In other words, this was the best of a very bad selection.

Do you bother with makeup when it’s this hot?  I gotta cover that lush’s nose somehow!

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Pow pow purple! Coming from Boots No7, I didn’t expect *quite* so much pigment in these little pans. The No7 Stay Perfect Quad Eyeshadow Palette (£10.50) delivers a real punch of colour from all four of its shades which blend effortlessly across the eyelid thanks to a soft, almost creamy texture.

If anything, the vibrant purple in the palette* does overshadow the more subtle shades contained, and on my hooded lids turned the taupe (that I’d placed in the crease) a lot more violet than I’d intended once I’d worn it in for an hour… but as a huge purple fan, I can live with this.  In the inner-corners, I used the pinky-violet shade and on the upper lashline, the deep purple powder (as an eyeliner).

I suppose if I take away my love for that single purple shade… the palette as a whole probably doesn’t work too well.  I’m here describing my placement of all four shades in the palette but the subtleties of them are completely bowled over by the gorgeous bottom left pan.  You need to find a way to either quieten that one shade down (I think I’d perhaps use it only along the lower lash line next time) or give it up to an all-out purple fest.

I completed the look with a sweep of Dainty Doll powder blush in 002 My Girl, and Urban Decay Iconic Lipstick in Naked (one of my favourite ever nudes, now sadly discontinued).

What’s your favourite purple eyeshadow?

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It’s been a while since I’ve pulled MAC Speed Dial out from the lipstick drawer but there’s something so damn irresistible about pink lipsticks and Spring-time.  Looking back through my archives, I notice that I always start wearing the pinks at this time of year, and I tend to go more “nude” (har har) in the Summer-time.  I’m such a sheep for trends.

One of my favourite things about MAC Speed Dial is that it’s a beautifully clean-looking pink.  Bright without being in your face… a little cool-toned without being blue.  As is typical of most MAC lipsticks, I don’t find this to be the best formula in the world.  The cremesheen finish is slightly claggy on the lips if you build it up, feeling quite thick and heavy from the first application… staying power is good for around 2hrs, without eating.  I’m just not a massive MAC lipstick fan I guess.

Grumbles aside, the colour just makes me happy.  It brightens up an otherwise boring FOTD and goes nicely with a simple eyeliner flick and tidy brows.

What’s your favourite spring-time pink lipstick?

MAC Speed Dial is priced at £14.00 and available to buy on counter or online at www.maccosmetics.co.uk

I’m currently sitting in the middle of a big pile of steaming pooh, otherwise known as “someone forgot that a child might need a passport to leave the country and there are mere DAYS in which to fix this stupidity”.  I have been rushing around like a blue-assed fly in an attempt to gather photos, counter-signatories, and application forms.  I thankfully have an appointment at the passport office on Wednesday to sort my idiotic mess out.

The fact that I have to drive to Wales in order to do this as I couldn’t get a fast-track appointment in London is making my forehead vein throb a little more rapidly than normal.

It’s to this end that I’m asking you to forgive a FOTD post.  In fairness, it features the eyeshadow quad that I reviewed earlier today, so is at least… relevant.

It’s also pink. purple. purplink.

If I do say so myself, how nice is that lip colour?  I do not wear Bobbi Brown’s Rich Lip Color in Mod Pink anywhere near enough.  It’s blue-toned without going all Minaj-freaky-I’m-not-sixteen-anymore on my face.  If you want a blue-pink that doesn’t make you look like a mental deficient, it’s worth checking out.

The eyes are courtesy of the BareMinerals A List palette I reviewed earlier.  I used the purple shade both in the crease, and as a liner.  The pink is on the lid and the white highlight across the browbone.  I used a smidge of the black in the outer corner.

All products used are shown below.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion  | BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in The A List  |  Guerlain Cils d’Enfer Maxi Lash Mascara  |  Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzer in Antigua  |  Illamasqua Brow Cake in Gaze  |  Bobbi Brown Rich Lip Color in Mod Pink  |  Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in Vanille Clair

You know, the real irony is that I remembered to get her an E111 European Health Insurance Card.  Who remembers shit like that and yet forgets the passport?

*sigh*

* p.s.  Look again at the FOTD!  This unwanted stress has given me grey hair.  Bitch too busy stressin’ to do her roots.

I don’t do pastels, I blend into the background enough without them thankyouverymuch.  I need some contrast in my life, and eyeliner… all of the eyeliner.  I don’t think I like this look but I do like my hair very muchly.  So much infact, that I sort of, kind of, want a loose perm.  But that’s exactly the kind of thing you want just before you get one and then regret it forever.

I’ll have to think on this more seriously.

Ok, so the look is possibly a bit eighties, and not in a cool way.  As a nineties child, it’s pretty hard to think that anything about the eighties can really be considered cool when you were there first hand with the Speak and Spell to prove it.

My problem is that I struggle to think about a makeup look in its entirety, I just wake up and think “I want to wear BLUE EYELINER today (ooh, aren’t I bold!)”.  And then, 20 minutes later, my husband is rushing me out the door and I’m stood there… lip-less thinking “QUICK! What goes with blue, what goes with blue?!?!!”

“PINK!”

And I grab the pinkest lipstick and blush that I can find.

Oh well, at least my skin looks good.

What was the last bold look you attempted?  Did it work out?

** edited to add list of products used

Face: Embryolisse Lait Creme Scintillant (the one with subtle gold sparkles), Ginvera BB Cream, Givenchy Mister Bright, My Face Paradisio Pink Blush

Eyes: Illamasqua Gaze Brow Powder, Yaby PP066 eyeshadow (worn as blue liner), Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner, Guerlain Maxi Lash Mascara

Lips: NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Addis Ababa

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.

When you’ve spent 30 years of your life as a brunette and then decide to go strawberry blonde half by accident, half with intention… you gotta prepare yourself for the consequences. The first issue you’ll face is that everyone you know will hate it, but won’t tell you to your face.  Not because it looks like shit but because it just doesn’t look like the version of YOU that they’re used to.

The second, and more pressing issue is that if you’re fair skinned like me, you’ll look like a blob with no edges when you’re wearing no makeup.  This, I wasn’t expecting.  Frankly, a girl needs contrast, and if she has no contrast, I’m telling you – she needs goods brows, eyeliner, and a bold pair of lips.

Nothing in the below FOTD qualify as such.  I’m still learning, as you can tell.

MAC Hue!  I used to be able to wear you when I was a brunette!  WTF?  Also… cool pinks now appear to be the biggest makeup disaster on my lips/cheeks since I dabbled with an overly thick application of Lipcote.

What makeup colours look bad with your hair colour?  Any strawberry-blondes out there got some colour tips for me that work well for them?

My makeup collection is currently languishing, looking slightly-unloved in a 6-drawer Ikea Malm chest with a heap of those little boxy drawer dividers playing referee to stop the lipsticks beating up the mascaras.  It’s anarchy in there.  I miss my beautifully organised Helmers that I could reach into without even leaving my computer chair.  Sure, I guess it’s now all in my bedroom, which makes better sense for morning application – but I do miss play swatching with a random beauty while I’m waiting for my emails to download.

But most of all… I miss the order that I had.  I was in charge, and now it looks as though my collection is the boss once again.

As a result, I’m thinking that perhaps it might be time to have another pare down.  Out with the old and in with the new, ok maybe not in with the new for now – it’s not like I need any more.  Unless, you know… I just have to have something.  I’ve been playing this week with a few bits and bobs that I probably haven’t touched for a year or more – shutup hygiene freaks, I haven’t died from contaminating myself with my own germs yet.

From the picture above, the rediscovered products would be NARS Barbuda – a beautiful (and discontinued) purple-y taupe, MAC Femme-Fi, Bourjois Lilas d’Or Blusher, Clinique Even Better Makeup in 01 Alabaster, and my Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia.  The rest have been in more frequent use over the past 4-6 months anyway.

And here’s the FOTD that resulted…

It’s made me realise that I very, very much still like NARS Barbuda and that I might make the more frequent effort to give my Bourjois blushes a quick scour with a toothbrush (they always go hard and in-penetrable after a bit).

Have you been reacquainting yourself with any lost makeup loves recently?

…but most of the time, I take the photos – write the post, upload the photos, think “job done”, click preview and then wonder why the hell I bothered.  Today is one of those days.

I would blame the camera, the lighting, the mis-calibration of your monitor… but the truth is, my face absorbs colour.  Unless of course, I wear a shade from one of my Sleek palettes which seem to encourage my chemistry to saturate the colour to the max, turning me into some kind of deformed caricature of myself.

Grumbles aside, and seeing as this was intended to be a FOTD post, I’d better get on and list the products just as I would for any other FOTD post… who cares if you can’t actually see them right?

Face

Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer #2
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in NW15
Kevyn Aucoin The Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX03

Cheeks

Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer*

Eyes

Trish McEvoy Glaze Eyeshadow in Rose Quartz
Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara
Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black*

Lips

Clinique Chubby Stick in Oversized Orange*

I’m liking the MAC Studio Fix more than I thought.  It’s a little drying and perhaps a touch too matte for me but I mix in some Fluid Sheer to give it a boost of luminescence and I’m quite enjoying it.  The Kevyn Aucoin SSE is starting to work for me now that I’m using it to conceal rather than as a fuller-coverage foundation – though I am still determined to work out how to get full-face coverage from it.  I received the Trish McEvoy Golden Bronzer last year and it’s a sheerer formula which is quite forgiving despite my pale skintone, it has a subtle sparkle and is quite buildable.  I’m not the best at applying/blending bronzer though… consider me still a bit of a bronzer noob.

The eyes were the most disappointing aspect of today’s look.  The Trish McEvoy shadow I bought for my palette, although a beautiful colour didn’t create much impact – which to be honest, is fair enough – it is intended to be a sheer wash of beautiful rosy taupe… nothing too dramatic, it’s my fault for not bothering with a contour.  I’m sitting on the fence when it comes to the MUFE Smoky Lash mascara, I know that many of you swear by it and although it’s certainly quite impressive at creating some drama, I feel that it’s a little prone to clumping and I don’t like the way it makes my lashes feel.  Finally, the Estee Lauder Intense Kajal Eye Crayon in 01 Dramatic Black seemed to look more ‘dramatic plum’ on my waterline… perhaps it’s those sleepless nights finally showing through!

The one component of today’s FOTD that I thought I’d be indifferent about (sheer lip colours – “meh”), I ended up really liking.  The Clinique Chubby Stick is such a nice formula to wear and for me to reach for it, well… perhaps I was feeling more ‘subtle’ than I was letting-on!  You won’t see a huge amount of colour with this range but the Oversized Orange gives my lips a nice polish and a hint of warmth.

What’s your favourite product that you’re sporting today?

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