A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I was so excited by the idea that Escentual.com were introducing sampler sets yesterday that I immediately jumped on Twitter to whoop!  What’s so cool about it?  Well, I do a ton of online shopping… and there ain’t many UK retailers will let you buy sample sets of ANYTHING, let alone posh fragrances and skincare!

Usually, I buy frag samples from LuckyScent.com in the U.S. (who are aweseome btw) but already I’m being hugely tempted by the COSTUME NATIONAL sampler set on Escentual.com.  If I’m honest, the La Roche Posay one is also drawing me in… have you seen how much of the range they’ve squeezed in to that set?

I’m rubbish at asking for samples when I buy stuff and this takes the lucky dip aspect out of the equation when ordering online.  I’m really delighted to see Escentual.com fulfill a niche like this in the U.K and hope they keep on top of updating, restocking and encouraging great brands to allow themselves to be sampled in this way.  There’s nothing like being given the opportunity to discover something marvellous at a lower price point.

You can view the sample sets available by visiting escentual.com/try

Are you keen to see sample sachets and vials used in this way or do you worry that once companies realise that money is to be made from them, you’ll see less and freebies tucked into your order?

Changes are afoot in the iconic shopping destination that is Liberty of London, the beauty hall has undergone a huge revamp and now boasts double the floorspace!

This will hopefully mark the end of shoe-horning my frame into impossible angles whilst trying to take a peek at the latest OPI & Essie shades.  I hate that little polish alcove with a passion.

An additional benefit to having all that extra space means more brands, perhaps most noteworthy is the introduction of U.S. brand Hourglass Cosmetics (Modesty Brown has some pics of the counter here) to the store’s portfolio!  Long-lusted after and previously available only online in the UK, it will be a treat to letch muse over the counter and have a close-up look!

Other new introductions to the beauty hall include Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, Chantecaille, Dermalogica, Colbert MD, Decleor, Aromatherapy Associates and Sachajuan (phew!).  The store will also be expanding its rather fragrant ranges from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Byredo and Malin + Goetz.

Have you checked out the newly renovated space at Liberty yet?

In the four years since I first fell in love with makeup, I’ve become a snob.  Caused by a simple case of exposure, or should that be overexposure to brands.  Without wanting to sound like someone you’d like to stab in the kidney, I’m in the fortunate position where brands sometimes send me products to try for free but I can honestly say that in spite of this… I’ve never spent so much money on makeup and beauty products in my life.

Three years ago, I would have considered a MAC eyeshadow a luxury purchase and when all is said and done, at £11.50 for a bit of coloured powder in a pot.  It is.  Of course, it’s all relative really… I don’t earn more than I did three years ago but my priorities have changed and beauty hits the top spot for those hobby spends nowadays.

So back to this makeup snobbery.  It’s like a slow rot.  I almost find it hard to believe nowadays that I’m going to find the quality I’m looking for in a drugstore purchase.  That my now ‘more discerning’ tastes (I know, hit me) won’t be catered for on the high street.  Bull.  Shit.  I just might need to look a little harder… and I’d completely forgotten the excitement to be had in uncovering awesome gems for little monies (until last night!)

Now, that’s not to say I’m going to turn my back on my high end purchases (heaven forbid!)… I’m still a sucker for a bit of luxe packaging and that superficial (and it is!) thrill of owning something horribly covetable.  I just hereby promise to spend a little bit of time having a play in Superdrug again, I genuinely forgot how much fun it was to be LEFT. ALONE. to swatch!

Do you think “snobbery” is a natural progression for hobbies that become more consuming?  Have your purchasing habits changed much over the last few months/years?

Have you ever read the Malcolm Gladwell book?

I first read Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking back in 2007 and as a notorious over-thinker of everything… the book, which places value on the snap reactions and decisions we make everyday, struck a chord with me.

I’m the type of person who over-analyzes every word that leaves my mouth to the extreme where I regularly decide it would be preferable to say nothing at all.  Then I go on to listen to everyone around me spew the same words I was so desperate to contain… coming from them, they never sound as ridiculous as I imagined they would leaving my mouth.

Over-thinking, in some cases can be a debilitating condition though that’s not to say I find it preferable to watch people shoot their mouths off… it’s all about striking a balance right?

So nowadays I try to put more trust in my first impressions, initial instincts and have faith that although a little wariness is good, so is realising the potential merits of this “rapid cognition”.

Nowhere is this more apparent than when I’m taking photos… once I learnt a bit more about the processes behind the technical aspects, I struggled with wanting to create perfection.  It’s taken until today to learn that some of my favourite shots are the ones that took absolutely no thought at all.

Blink.  ‘Cos I’ll miss it when she’s taller and loves her friends more than her Mum.

Hope you’re having a great Thursday you beauty-loving bunch x

You may remind yourself frequently that for reasons beyond your control, it just wasn’t meant to be… but still, late at night as you find yourself in that transitional world between wakefulness and sleep, your mind wanders.  The imagery remains as fresh today as it was nearly 24 months ago, the longing sometimes even stronger.

There will always be a missing piece to the puzzle, never adequtely filled no matter how many attempts we may make to replace it.  We could spend thousands of pounds and travel far and wide to discover a suitable sucessor.  But the question remains… “What if?”

You didn’t think I was talking about a *man* did you?  Pfft.

I didn’t pick either palette up (and I love them both) when they were available because there was simply TOO much from Dior Holiday that had made my wishlist.  I bit my lip as I told myself they were too expensive when I’d already Xmas hauled, a classic angel/devil shoulder combination.  On this occasion, I should have let the devil win.

And so it will remain for now, Dior Jazz Club palettes… the ones that got away.

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Do you have a sorry tale to tell of the Limited Edition item(s) you still wish you’d splurged on?

I’m a sun-protection devotee, not just for the products but also the theories and chemistry behind the idea of protecting yourself from sun exposure.  Throw in some tales of vitamin D deficiency and I can be hooked for hours.  Do I understand it all?  I wish… but choosing a reliable, safe sunscreen is probably one of the best favours you can do for your skin.  It’s worth the effort!

I’m the proud owner of around 2sq metres of sun-sensitive, freckled skin that turns pink at the merest hint of a sun ray and my (un)healthy interest in these products began a couple of years ago with the discovery of some of the fine sun protection products available to the Asian market.

I have a real fear of sunburn.  As a 9 year old, I was left bandaged across the back and shoulders, with daily visits to the hospital for blister-draining after a particularly nasty case of sunburn.  I own a slightly bizarre photo of me taken as an 11 year old… lying in bed, red as a beetroot mid-hallucination thanks to sunstroke.

Infact, nearly every holiday snap shows those tell tale burn lines on my bare shoulders.  It was a recurring theme throughout my childhood, teens and even early twenties until I realised that I simply couldn’t get away with exposing my skin to the sun in the same way my friends could.

I make my poor parents sound neglectful… they weren’t at all.  Who wanted to be the fat kid swimming in an oversize t-shirt and hat whilst your olive-skinned mates frolicked around in bikinis?  Not me!  Those sun defences bit the dust as soon as I was out of eyeline and we just didn’t understand the importance of re-applying SPF regularly back in those days.

For the month of June, Lipglossiping.com is going to putting an emphasis on sun protection.  I want to learn more about the different chemicals/mineral options available and what they mean in laymans terms.  I want to fully understand all this UVA/UVB stuff and look beneath the obvious differences between an SPF15 and an SPF50+.  I wanna discuss some of the options currently available on the market and whether or not they’re up to the job.

I want to discover some of the easiest-to-wear sunscreens that don’t work against my makeup or skin type and I want to finally decide for myself whether the convenience of easily-absorbed sunscreen is outweighed by the potential health risks associated with chemical protection.

Phew!  I hope you don’t mind coming along for the ride?!

Forget your usual beauty awards that announce crap like roll-on foundations as being the best thing since airbrushing or Maybelline’s ‘no lash’ (you know the one) as the greatest mascara since falsies were invented.

The CEW (UK) Awards are the real deal and deserve the respect they’re granted within the industry.

Here are the winners for 2011…

Best New Bath and Body Product: Mass Market
Sanctuary Ultra Rich Body Butter (£10.20)

Best New Haircare/Styling/Colouring Product: Mass Market
Batiste Dry Shampoo Fresh (£2.25)

Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product: Mass Market
Dr. Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum (£12.29)

Best New Skincare Treatment Product: Mass Market
Lanolips 101 Ointment (£11.00)

Best New Make-up Product: Mass Market
Rapidlash Eyelash Enhancing Serum (£40.84)

Best Classic Beauty Product: Mass Market
Bio-Oil (from £5.45)

Best New Men’s Grooming Product: Mass Market
Nivea For Men Q10 Revitalising Gel (£10.99)

Best New Brand: Mass Market
JOINT WINNERS: Lanolips & Dr. Organic

Best New Bath and Body Product: Prestige Market
Balance Me Rose Otto Body Wash (£12.25)

Best New Haircare/Styling Product: Prestige Market
Liz Earle Naturally Active Haircare Botanical Shine Shampoo (£7.65)

Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product: Prestige Market
Clarins Multi Active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream (£38.00)

Best New Skincare Treatment Product: Prestige Market
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex (£35.00)

Best New Make-up Product – Face: Prestige Market
NARS Orgasm Illuminator (£21.50)

Best New Make-up Product Eyes or Lips: Prestige Market
Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Creme Lip Colour (£21.50)

Best Classic Beauty Product: Prestige Market
Eve Lom Cleanser (from £30.00)

Best New Woman’s Fragrance: Prestige Market
Chloe – Love, Chloe (from £38.50)

Best New Men’s Fragrance: Prestige Market
Chanel – Bleu de Chanel Eau de Toilette (from £42.89)

Best New Men’s Grooming Product: Prestige Market
Shiseido For Men Skin Empowering Cream (£85.00)

Best New Brand: Prestige Market
Emma Hardie Amazing Face (from £10)

Best New Certified Organic Skincare Product: Mass or Prestige Market
Balance Me Super Oil With Juniper and Bergamot (£20.00)

Best New Self Tan or Suncare Product: Mass or Prestige Market
Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Sun Defence for Face SPF50 (£15.00)

Best British Brand: Mass or Prestige Market
Liz Earle Naturally Active Skincare

Best New Hand or Nail Product: Mass or Prestige Market
All for Eve Swarovski Crystal Nail File (£12.95)

Best Iconic Beauty Product: Mass or Prestige Market
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (£25.00)

Predictably, I’m delighted to see Lanolips do so well (both as a product and a brand) but a few other personal favs include the Liz Earle Naturally Active Haircare Botanical Shine Shampoo and Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream Sun Defence for Face SPF50 – both of which have been previously reviewed on the blog if you’re interested in discovering what (I think) makes them so good!

Keep an eye out for the finalist and winner seals on the products, shelves and websites to discover the CEW favs!

You can also read more about CEW and the awards by clicking through to this Superdrug page which goes into greater details about the processes behind the esteemed recommendations.

Did any of your favourites make the cut?

It may not have escaped your attention (astute lot that you are) that Lipglossiping.com has been suffering from some loading and slowness issues.  Infact, it’s been pretty poor since that initial long downtime back in December/January.

I kept thinking that perhaps it would get better and accepting temporary solutions to save myself the hassle and anxieties that moving webhosts brings.  But it’s time to face the simple truth that it’s getting worse, not better.

I’ve now signed up to a new hosting company based in the UK and am currently migrating all files and databases over to the new service.  Hopefully you won’t experience any changes in uptime while this is happening (heck, it can’t get much worse can it?) but if the site does disappear for a day or two, at least you’ll know why.

I hope that this is the last time I’ll have to do this for a long while… I’ll be biting my nails that I don’t lose anything in the big move.

Thanks for your patience, I know it’s been a pain in the arse.

Perhaps a bit deep for a Tuesday morning but I was thinking last night about how I used to use and wear makeup.  From that first lilac eyeshadow through to the morning of my wedding, I wanted makeup to turn me into some dramatic adaptation of myself.  Infact, barely even myself… I wanted it to work miracles and turn me into a fairytale version of that reflection I saw in the mirror.

I vividly remember the excitement before my bridal makeup trial and being so hugely disappointed afterward that I’d agreed to pay some chick £70 to make me look like myself, but with lipgloss.  Not that she was bad at her job, she was pretty good… but it was my first experience at letting someone else loose on my face and God only knows what I really expected or wanted from that poor makeup artist.

Nowadays, I’m pretty horrified if after applying my makeup I look like anything other than what I’d normally see in the mirror.  Infact, I’d take it as a sure-fire sign that I’d well and truly overdone it!

I think it goes to show that my formative years were spent poring over too many before/after makeovers from between the pages of Just Seventeen magazine.  Makeup can have a dramatic affect on your appearance… but I wonder what age I was when I realised that I didn’t want it to make me look like someone else anymore.

Or maybe… I’ve just settled for second best?

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Do you wear your makeup like a (beautifully applied) mask or just to dampen your flaws and accentuate your best bits?

My beautiful little girl Leila turns two today.  I’m sorry I don’t have a ‘normal’ post lined up for today but I spent all weekend going OTT organising her birthday party and I’m pooped!

I’m also sorry for another Leila post but if this blog stays in the internet ether for however many years, I’d love her to be able to look back one day and know that despite all the makeup related chatter, she was always my number one girl.

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I spent 10 minutes yesterday evening telling Leila all about when she was born.  I told her how the first thing she did when she emerged was look for something, anything to stick in her gob.  Just like her Mum.

I told her how we spent the first 3 months of her life trying and failing to smooth the frown from her temples and I told her how I wanted to spend the rest of my life whispering “I Love You” into her ear until I knew for certain that she’d never, ever forget.

Leila, I don’t half love you stinky bum.  Happy birthday big girl!

We all like to flap our gums about beauty, some of us more than others *cough* and for once, someone is interested in what we have to say!

The Instyle team are descending upon the Selfridges Beauty Hall today to invite customers to share their best beauty tips and advice for collation and inclusion in a special September issue!

If you can’t make it to the Oxford Street store today, head on over to the facebook page that’s been set up for the task and leave your pearls of wisdom on the wall (in lipstick of course!)

You all know that I’m a touch brow-obsessed, so here’s my advice (that I wish I’d given to my younger self!)

Never underestimate the impact that well-shaped eyebrows have on your appearance. If unsure, seek professional advice from your salon and try to resist the urge to overpluck!

If you have a snippet to share, come back and let me know which gem is yours in the comments!

With a health, lifestyle, fashion, and beauty event that promises to be twice as big as last years, you Scottish ladies are in for a treat!

This year’s Girls’ Day Out Show in conjunction with No.1 Magazine is taking place from Friday 6th May to Sunday 8th May at the SECC in Glasgow so if you’re at a bit of a loose end this weekend, get your ticket booked today, they’re only £12 each!

Here’s a video showing some of last year’s highlights…

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Will you be attending this year’s show?