A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Your make up that is!

I have my makeup stored beside my computer… I never have to leave this desk if I don’t want.  L.A.Z.Y.

But… this comes at a price.  My mirror is too small and a bit far away, I’m forever squinting and grabbing the mirror from one of my NARS duos or blushes instead whilst trying to apply liner or blend my eyeshadow.

My bathroom has NO room for storage, so although the light is good… I’d have to drag each product in there piece by piece in the mornings.

I dream of something like this…

Seriously beautiful no?  *chin on hand*

Where do you apply your makeup?

Look Good…Feel Better is a charity set up to provide free support and workshops for female cancer patients who want to look and feel more like their ‘normal’ selves during a difficult period of their lives.  Workshops are hosted by volunteer beauty consultants and women leave the two hour sessions smiling, uplifted, with new skills and a fresh feeling of confdence.

Over the last 4 years, Selfridges has partnered with Beauty Editors and Brands to hold a special event in aid of this wonderful charity and this year promises to be the best yet!  Over 20 prestigious beauty brands with over 20 top Beauty Editors from leading titles including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Hello and Marie Claire, will be offering one-to-one advice and the best beauty hints and tips.

This year the event will take place on the 23rd September at Selfridges Beauty Hall, Oxford Street, London from 11am – 5pm.

Not only will there be information on beauty advice, top tips, secrets and trends but also fantastic mini make-overs and a complimentary gift bag, generously donated by participating companies.

Tickets cost £20 with all proceeds donated to Look Good…Feel Better,  Book now for the rare opportunity to pick the brain of a beauty industry expert!  To book your ticket call Selfridges hotline on 0800 138 8140

Anyone recognise this funky nail brush?

I freaking love it!  It’s mega wide (well it is pretty much 2 brushes in one right?) and I can do my pinky finger in one stroke!

Hmmm… I’ve just noticed that if you look closely you can SEE who’s brush it is… pop quiz fail.

What are your favourite polish brushes?

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As I look through my collection of cosmetics, I see the same names appear over and over…

and over again…

NARS, MAC, Shu Uemura for the high end stuff.

Bourjois, NYX and GOSH for the high street.

I’m a creature of habit it seems.  It’s not that I don’t love to expermient… a beauty blogger is nothing if not adventurous and as I’ve said from the very beginning… this has never been a quest to find my holy grail items.  If I stopped looking and being tempted by new products, the fun would be gone for me.

However, in a beauty world that promises you the Earth… I tend to fall back on brands that deliver time and time again.  Brands that perform well for my particular needs.

So I’ve started to think about the brands that I haven’t taken the time to explore and get a feel for…

For me, it would have to be:

Laura Mercier, Lancome, Bobbi Brown (though I’m just starting to) and Giorgio Armani (high end)

Max Factor, Milani, Too Faced and Prestige (high street)

I’m curious to see if we get much repetition in brand names…

Which brands remain relatively unexplored territory for you (both high end and high street)?

The word on the mean streets of Southampton is that I’m guest blogging over on Zuneta today!

Fancy a bit of makeup nostalgia from your teens oh 90s children?

http://www.zuneta.com/blog/?p=1634

Head on over there and don’t forget to leave a comment, I wanna know if you were a coffee shimmer cool chick or a heather shimmer honey!

To all of you who commented on and contributed to my SLS-Free post.

I’ll be honest, my head is spinning a little from all the recommendations, advice and suggestions – but I’ve learnt more from you lot in one day than I had in a week of googling.

It just goes to show how much brands underestimate their consumers, ‘cos you lot are flippin’ savvy!

I’ve made a start and swapped my usual products for the new Body Shop Rainforest Moisture range and I’ve got many new suggestions in standby.  The wonderful Jessica from OutInaPout has convinced me to keep a ‘scalp diary’ (how glamourous!) so I can track the progress (if indeed I experience any!).

I’m going to go back through the comments over the weekend ‘cos there’s loads of things I want to reply to!  But you know I’m rubbish, so most importantly… I wanted to make sure that I expressed a big thanks on here.

You lot really are the best.

Lipglossiping reader and new blogger Jessica took the SK:N Clinic up on their recent offer of a £1 Skin Assessment (with the £1 being donated to The British Skin Foundation).

Her experiences (both good and bad) make for interesting reading…

CLICK HERE TO READ JESSICA’S THOUGHTS ON THE OFFER

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It’s a simple fact that the savvier we become, the harder we are to please.  We crave knowledge and I know from my past experiences… if I don’t learn something new from a ‘specialist’ then it doesn’t matter if I’ve spent £1 or £100, I will leave the session feeling unimpressed.  The same goes for one-on-ones at makeup counters, with skin specialists or even at hair salons.  I want their expertise and I want their knowledge.

The curse of the canny consumer.

Not saying that this is necessarily what happened in this case… but I wonder why companies hold these kind of promotions if they have little interest in engaging their customer in anything other than a barrage of sales techniques.  A bad brand encounter is a bad encounter, regardless of how much you’ve paid to experience it.

Having said that, it’s always good to attend these kind of sessions with an objective in mind.  What is it that you’re hoping to achieve from your one on one?  If you can accomplish that and create a positive brand experience – everyone’s happy.

What do you think of these kind of promotions?  Do you go along expecting the hard sell or are you always hopeful for a softly, softly approach?

Is it true that you get what you pay for?

Mid August… the kids are still off school (don’t we all know it?!) and for many of us, the Summer is just starting to wind down.  We’ve already indulged in some Autumn/Winter makeup collections and gladiator sandals just don’t seem that appealing anymore.

Here’s some of the products that have made my Summer more enjoyable and at times, bearable!

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Liz Earle Foot Spritzer – £7

Instant relief for hot, tired feet.  Simply spritz all over to cool and refresh.  I actually spray on my legs aswell, the cooling sensation is undeniable though the menthol is a touch overpowering for some.

Mr. L moans when I use it in an enclosed space, though he admits that he finds it preferable to the smell of my feet.

This special edition Summer product is only available until the 5th September, so not long to stock up.

Available online from Liz Earle..

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Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powder – £23.50

I’m in love with both of my Bobbi Brown Illuminating Bronzing Powders (I also bought Maui this Summer).

Sheer with a touch of sparkle, Antigua blows my bronzing fear out of the water. The delicate pink shade sits realistically against my skintone and the buildable nature means that this is one product I won’t over-cook.

Available at counters nationwide or online.

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Mitchum Powder Fresh Roll On Deodorant – £2.79

If you’re looking for something to combat a particularly troublesome Summer issue, then Mitchum never lets me down.

The roll-on, “powder fresh” formula is my particular fav and for me, it really lives up to it’s claims of 48hr protection.

I don’t use this all year round, simply because I try to use something that contains less aluminium when I can get away with it.  But nothing will sway me from this product throughout the sweaty months.

Available from most supermarkets/chemists.

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Caudalie Organic Grape Water – £7

Another instant reliever for sweaty days, the can dispenses a fine mist that cools and refreshes. This was a lifesaver during a BBQ one warm evening after one of my Sk:n Laser Hair Removal sessions.

Extracted from grapes during the harvest the ingredient’s list reads: Grape Fruit Water, Grape Juice and Nitrogen. That’s it. Fabulous!

Available online from LookFantastic

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Tresemme Instant Refresh Dry Shampoo – £4.29

I’ve been reaching for this little can a lot over the last few weeks.  Tresemme’s take on the dry shampoo market is less “powdery” than the high street alternatives.  It dispenses a fine and completely clear mist that seems somehow more controllable than my Batiste.

However, it’s double the price…

I’ll repurchase with pleasure, but only when I find it on special offer.

Available from most supermarkets/chemists

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What products have been making your summer even more pleasurable?.

Just a little something I slaved over last night…

Something I would dearly love to improve is the navigation of this site.  I’ve always been a good girl and ‘tagged’ my posts with relevant info and made sure to pop it in it’s correct category… but I just think it could be better.

And this is my first step…

THE WALL OF NAILS!

Apart from making me realise how many bottles of nail polish I must own (eek), it’s made me realise that I hate any and all kinds of organisation.  I was gonna turn all the photos the right way up… but I got bored.  I was gonna categorise the polishes by colour… but I got bored.  I was gonna… well, you get the idea.

You can hover your mouse over one of the small photos and it will display the shade name.  You can click one of the images and it will take you to the relevant post.  Nifty eh?

Now, I just gotta keep it updated! *ahem*

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I’d REALLY love to hear what you guys think about the site navigation and if you have any bright ideas of how to make it more accessible, I’m all ears!

There were many, many more things I wanted to add to this list… perhaps it will be an ongoing project.  I was sat in the car waiting for Mr. L yesterday making a mental list… I’ve forgotten 90% of them.  Here’s what’s left.

1). Cleanse your face in the morning. This is probably hugely obvious to most of you, but I never did anything more than splash my face with water.  Infact, I thought I was doing my skin a favour by not using product.  Boy, was I wrong… I’m a morning cleanse-convert!

Since using a gentle cream-based cleanser in the mornings my skin has become far less prone to dryness in the middle of the day.  I learned this tip from Jo Givens at the Liz Earle Treatment Rooms in London who recommends using a gentle cleanser both morning and night to remove sweat, dead skin cells and daily grime.  Who knew?  Well… not me obviously.

2). The thrill of the chase is often more exciting than the capture. Tell me about a brand I’ve never heard of… a must have cleansing oil from Guatemala and I’m on it.  I will spend inordinate amounts of money and time to track that baby down.  The harder it is to come by, the better.

Once I’ve landed it?  I usually move onto the next thing pretty sharpish.  Meh.

3). You can kiss goodbye to French Manicures. I haven’t seen my naked nail beds in around 18 months… well only for the length of time it takes to swap out one opaque polish for another.  Despite what started out as a religious and devout use of high quality base coats to prevent staining… my nails are yellower than a canary on a sunny day.

The only way back for these babies is an electric sander.

4). You will notice and develop flaws in your appearance that simply don’t exist to the 90% of the population. Milia? Oh yes… I have a few of those.  Eyelashes sprouting from your tearduct?  Ahem… thanks eyelash growth product *pluck*.  Teeny tiny pigmentation mark near left temple?  Oh Hai!  Let me go in search of 439 different ‘whitening’ products so that I may eradicate you (and then blog about it).

A beauty blogger’s vanity goes a little deeper than most.

5). That one woman really can own and rotate over 50 lipsticks. Why she’d want to?  I’m still not sure… but it’s definitely possible.

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What favourite things have you learnt from reading blogs or keeping your own?

The Aussie hair removal experts Nads are hosting their first ever “sexiest legs” contest and are looking for both male and female entrants!

You must be over 18 and a resident of either the UK, USA, Australia or New Zealand to enter.

Fancy the chance to bag a prize consisting of an American Express gift card containing $150 (£94) as well as a gift basket full of Nad’s goodies?

Head on over to Nads facebook page and upload a photo of your pins before 24th August 2010.

Me?

I’ll enter the second round of the competition… yano, the one for those of us with stumpy, short and hairy legs 😉

I bought a green eyeshadow.  Not just any green eyeshadow, an expensive green eyeshadow.  Not just any expensive green eyeshadow, but a pale green expensive eyeshadow.  With frost.

I tried it on.  It made my eyelids glow.  Glow like they were from 1982.

Sigh.

Have you made any compulsive and slightly ridiculous purchases lately?