For a limited time only, Illamasqua are offering a makeup amnesty!
Pop along to any one of the following counters between the 17th – 31st July:
Selfridges Oxford Street, Trafford Centre, Birmingham Bullring, Fenwick Newcastle, BT2 Grafton Street Dublin, Debenhams Glasgow, Belfast or Cardiff (phew!) and simply take your old makeup with you.
You can exchange any old tatty bits of used make-up for a rather fabulous 25% discount on the entire Illamasqua range.
I’ve admitted to being a bit clueless when it comes to fragrances but having said that, I love to smell good and there’s nothing quite like placing a brand new pristine bottle of beautifully packaged perfume on your dressing table.
My family has one of those family folklores going on… apparently, my Aunt was bought a large bottle of Jean Patou’s Joy in the early 1960s as a gift from a very rich Jordanian in-law. A ‘welcome to the family’ gift if you will. It was hugely expensive, more because of the bottle than the scent I believe but my mother describes it as being many, many months wages.
My Aunt didn’t like it much… and over the following months used it to freshen the toilet bowl in the bathroom!
I wonder if she at least kept the bottle?
I guess the moral of the story is never to spend more than £7.64 on a bottle of perfume for my Aunt.
Personally, I’ve never spent more than £80 on a bottle, it’s not a hard and fast rule that I’ve introduced… I just try to be sensible and avoid the counters where I might be tempted to part with more than that. Frankly, I’m a good girl and 98.7% of the time I live within my means.
Admittedly, there is one ‘name’ that consistently tempts me. Initials A.G. and it all started with a pair of perfumes created for her daughters. No prizes for guessing, but do any of you fragrance heads know the perfumes I’m talking about?
Anyway…
I thought I’d introduce you to some new scents that have landed in my email inbox this week:
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Dior’s new Hypnotic PoisionEau Sensuelle.
This, I am hugely excited about. If you’ve read this, you’ll understand why! Will this new incarnation of Hypnotic Poison be enough to make me fall in love again? Due to be released in September priced around £48 for 50ml.
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Sisley Eau du Soir is previewing this month with two very limited ediiton bottles simply named “Black and White” inspired by Anish Kapoor’s exhibition at The Royal Academy. The fragrance includes notes of fresh mandarin, grapefruit and patchouli with deep pepper, oakmoss, musk and amber.
Priced at £162 each. They can be previewed instore at Selfridges from today.
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Fronting Calvin Klein’s new fragrance Beauty is German actress Diane Kruger. It’s already set to be a favourite this Christmas with that beautifully elegant bottle. Those with a nose for fragrances expect this to be a big hit with more mature consumers. Available from the 25th August at Debenhams..
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Lastly, Armani Privé Oud Royale is a Selfridges exclusive. Heavily influenced by the powerful, earthy scents of Arabian oils it will be available instore and online from the 18th July priced at £175.
I’m on a little self-imposed no buy… it’s not time-limited, it’s more ‘sale’ limited. I’ve splurged over the last few weeks. First in the Harrods Beauty Hall (whoop, whoop sales!), then at MAC (bloody In The Groove) and then courtesy of some lovely Shu Uemura on Goss’ blog. Yeah, I’ve been a little too tempted recently… and that doesn’t even include a few online shops and 1 or 2 sneaky counter stops.
So, what’s the best cure for a woman with shopaholic tendencies?
A great big internet-wide Summer Sale of course!!!
Nnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhh.
That’s the sound of me physically restraining my fingers from whipping out the debit card.
Seeing as I’m not allowing myself to physically “checkout” the various things in my basket, I’m putting them here instead… it’s therapy.
Here’s my top buys from the various Beauty Sales around at the moment.
1. The only thing that tempts me on HQHair at the moment is this Urban Decay Preen Palette marked down to £12 from £18 – That’s £2 a shadow, not even including the 24/7 pencil! You gotta love beauty spending justification maths right? 😉
2. Second up is an item from one of my favourite beauty sites BeautyBay.com, they mostly have awesome sales and I’m not disappointed this time round. Becca eye shadows with a 70% saving? I’ll have Chintz, Jacquard and Shantung please… no one wants the white one.
3. Another BeautyBay.com temptress is this Paul & Joe lipstick in 20. I initially though, “Oh… it’s one of them dark, grungy colours that no one really wants”, but it’s called Milk Chocolate… and I reckon it’s probably a nice sheer cocoa. Probably.
4. BeautyExpert only had one thing I’d take a flutter on… (get it!) – Every girl needs a pair of Shu Uemura feather lashes right? RIGHT? This pretty pair can be yours for a very reasonable £13.50…. again, I say… NnnnGGGGHHHH!
5. ASOS, YOU BASTARDS! Oh my god… I’ve been checking your sale pages for weeks and now I’m on a nooooooooo-buy, you go and update! Check this out! Everyone wanted a bit of Illamasqua Jo’Mina Nail Polish right? Well, now it’s on sale at nearly half price! Well… nearly…
oh… Baptiste is also up there… *bites knuckle and sobs*
6. Also reduced on ASOS… By Lauren Luke… £10 off each palette. My Vintage Glam was the one that caught my eye back when they were released. £25 was a teeny bit too steep for me… £15? Rip your arm off.
So there’s my virtual shopping list… I’m so freakingly dreadfully tempted by the ASOS stuff… even some of the BarryM lippies are up there for £2.50 each. I may console myself with one of those instead. Or you may be seeing a slightly larger haul post next week. Stay tuned.
I can love a shampoo for weeks… even months, then of all a sudden… it turns to shit and makes my hair feel lank or (more often in my case) starts to make my scalp scab up (nice).
And what about lipsticks? Please tell me that this doesn’t just happen to me…
I have a lipstick that I’ve loved for many months now. It’s a NYX. Paris to be exact. Loved it. Swore by it.
Put it on yesterday and have completely stopped feeling it. Shame that, ‘cos I’ve got 2 backups.
As far as I’m aware… the formula hasn’t changed, it smells fine and applies as smoothly as ever but just doesn’t seem to suit me anymore. It must be me… it must be?
But is this why I have very few (if any) true Holy Grail products? Am I just too flighty for that kind of commitment?
Do any of you experience this? If so, what products have you noticed this with?
Did you know that you can subscribe to Lipglossiping.com by entering your email address in that little box over there…. no, not *there*, THERE! On the right! —————————->
Wait, let me bring it closer…
Voila!
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Lipglossiping.com is updated multiple times a day depending on how chatty I feel and how much caffeine I’ve consumed, it’s a fine balance of work vs. skiving and I’ve got it down to a fine art.
If you subscribe by email, you receive one email a day from me. I try to time it during your mid-afternoon slump. I’d like to include cookies and narcotics but unfortunately your workplace doesn’t like that very much so instead you’ll find a convenient way to catch up on my latest ramblings and photos.
Try it, you might like it! And if you don’t, you can always click ‘unsubscribe’ and go back to your usual method of blog stalking. Not that I’m calling you a stalker… though, it takes one to know one right?
Hmmm… that makes this post sound far more dramatic and exciting than it actually is.
Perhaps if myself and VexintheCity hadn’t been gently chaperoned to the exit when it was time to go home, I’d have had the opportunity to ‘lose myself’ and run around QVC HQ in a style akin to Mission Impossible… camera flailing… whilst being chased by 3 burly security guards and papping Dale, (the ‘Housewive’s Choice’) secretly devouring all the biscuits in the QVC kitchen.
Not that it wasn’t exciting or interesting… It was! But the one thing that struck me above all else was simply how quiet and relaxed the place was. Now, I know we arrived after ‘home time’ for most, so the offices were understandably peaceful… but the live studios were also incredibly relaxed, almost serene.
Anyway, let’s have a look around…
The offices… where all the model booking, show planning, product organising and general adminy stuff takes place.
The prep room! Like a well-oiled machine… all the trolleys get stacked with products relevant to the show they’re destined to appear in. This is the beauty trolley for that evening’s 10 o’clock airing. I spy Decleor, Nails Inc, Bare Escentuals and other lovely things.
The prep Kitchen! They were showcasing utensils and a range of cookware. Gotta have some food to put in ’em right? It was HOT in there, but the gorgeous foodie aromas that were wafting down the corridor were immense!
Check me out, I done a panoramamama! What a geek! (Click the picture to see it LARGE)
This is one of the studios (I forget which number – there’s 6 in total I think). QVC headquarters and studios will be relocating in the next couple of years to Chiswick. Their current location was never supposed to be permanent, though they’ve been there 17 yrs now!
The building they’re in wasn’t designed to house studios. Natural light floods in from the atrium above and needs to be blacked out and checked before they go live each time, which obviously isn’t ideal.
Oh, oh, oh! We got to stand behind the cameras whilst a show was going out live! Mobile phones OFF and super quiet creeping about was the order of the day. At one point, I had to physically restrain VexintheCity who admitted an overwhelming urge to run infront of the camera waving her arms about like some day-release. I would have TOTALLY pretended not to know her.
As I said earlier, the studios were really quiet…. even the live ones. Imagine it… big room, two presenters, 1 floor manager (have I made that job title up?) and 1 camera man. That’s it. Eerie! It was pure QVC cheese too… I loved it. Jilly Halliday was demonstrating some funky *cough* clothing, whilst Dale Franklin was asserting his charm over the nation’s ladies, encouraging us to part with our cash for some of the latest and greatest jewellery on display. Flippin’ fabulous!
Control Room/Production-y bit…. Like the bridge of the Starship Enterprise! Lots of buttons…. wanted to dive forward and press a couple. Accidentally slip and sit on about 20 at once, you know the score. I behaved myself.
This lady was watching Dale do the jewellery presentation… she was nice. Are you still with me? Hello? Hellooo?
After all that tour excitement, we retired upstairs to where Bare Escentuals had set up a little room to give us a sneak preview of their new (to the UK) matte foundation. I’d had the pleasure of meeting their national makeup artist SJ previously but it was good to see her work her magic again.
Bare Escentuals Matte is due for release on QVC on the 10th July… we were given a sample, but I’ve already got a pot (in a better colour match) that I scored in a blog sale a month ago. I promise to review it before it releases over here (tick tock). It’s a great alternative for those among us who like the idea of mineral makeup but dislike the dewy finish that minerals tend to give. I predict it’s gonna be a big seller throughout the Summer.
SJ getting to work on the beautiful Keren who’s currently guest blogging for Lindsey at Beauty Mecca.
And the finished result. Subtle but flawless.
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It was a fabulously fun evening and a real change from the norm for me. I hope you enjoyed a little sneak peek behind the scenes. Don’t forget, it’s beauty month at QVC… there’s lots of tempting TSVs coming up and check out the Bare Escentuals big Matte launch day on the 10th July.
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For more info on what you can expect from QVC’s Beauty Month, watch this video with Alison Young below:
It’s Friday… the weekend is here! Let’s have a discussion and compare notes…
How long do you spend preening, pampering and generally grooming yourself?
My answer, in absolute honesty would be…. as long as I can get away with.
I love it. As long as I’m not too tired, I love to cleanse my skin, pluck my brows, apply my makeup, give myself quick masks, paint my nails…. I take great pleasure and comfort in the whole ‘beautification’ thing.
The one exception to this is my hair. I’m hair-lazy. Infact, it was only last week I turned up to a blogger event and realised that I’d forgotten to brush my hair that morning. Thankfully it was ponytailed and no-one noticed. I think…
I guess I generally spend about 45 minutes to an hour a day… longer at the weekends when I get more chance to properly play with makeup for blog posts etc.
How long do you spend each day on making yourself beautiful/presentable/human? (delete as appropriate). Would you like to have time to spend longer?
…totally random, unorganised and perhaps just a touch lame.
But I’m having a good makeup week. Does anyone else go through periods of delight in discovering and more importantly re-discovering fabulous products?
Here’s my fabulous products of the week:
1. Smashbox Muse Palette – just the prettiest selection of soft, wearable shades housed in a (sturdy) cardboard casing. I’ll do a proper review on the palette next week ‘cos I’ve spotted it on sale and a few swatches may be useful.
2. Max Factor Second Skin Foundation – Wonderful if you’ve got skin that doesn’t need too much concealing. This foundation seems to give me an overall more even appearance without blanking out my natural skin texture. It feels light and fluid for the summer, but lasts a really decent length of time for a high street foundation. Big thumbs up this week!
3. NARS Crazed – I can’t believe I had this in my blog sale the other week. Let me just say, it won’t ever be going in another. I’ve FINALLY worked out how to apply it with a light enough hand to stop short of looking like Aunt Sally. It’s taken me a year, but I’ve done it! A lovely rosey flush is now mine.
4. Max Factor Lash Extension Effect – I’ve already reviewed this in the last few days, so I won’t go into detail… but this is making it into daily use for me.
5. Une Cosmetics Multipurpose Brush – I’ve said it before… it’s scratchy… but it’s made me fall in love with my NARS Crazed blush, and for that… I’ll be forever grateful. I simply touch the flat surface to the blush pan… that’s it, no tricks nothing… it just picks up the perfect amount of colour.
6. Clinique Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator in Natural – It looks scary orange in the tube, but blends away to a lovely nude shimmer. I’ve been wearing this all over my face under my foundation and it gives me a nice glow. To be honest, in this weather… I don’t really need any kind of glow product. But regardless, I’ve rediscovered it in my stash and it’s staying in the fabulosity list!
7. MAC Fun & Games – From the discontinued Hello Kitty collection, MAC Fun & Games is a beautiful peach blush that’s sheer enough for my cool-toned skin to wear. Shimmery without being too glittery, it’s a nuder alternative to rosey pink cheeks.
8. Bourjois Khol & Contour Eye Pencil in Brun Design – Soft and deeply pigmented, I’ve been blending this along my lower lashline to give my lashes some extra definition. Lasting power is great (though kinda crummy on the waterline) it’s real strength lies in it’s soft smudginess. Hate a pencil that drags, don’t you?
9. Liz Earle Superskin Concentrate – Last but not least, I’ve been switching out my evening moisturiser a couple of times a week for this lovely oil and I’m noticing that my dry patches are softening up nicely. I hate nothing more than dry flakies that foundation just loves to hunt down and accentuate. Not 100% sure if this is the reason or if the humidity is playing a part… either way, I’m loving the smell and appreciating the feeling that a little facial massage brings during application.
Like it’s not TOTALLY obvious from the snap below.
QVC HQ!
I was tempted to slip my shoes off at the entrance before entering the temple of home shopping, but that would have looked kinda uncool right?
Walking round, it was interesting to hear more about the channel that’s been beaming beauty products (and more) into our homes for the past 17 years.
This is just a teaser post really, I’ll tell you more about behind the scenes at QVC over the weekend, but I’m back in the big smoke today ‘cos a little birdy told me that there might be an exciting MAC collection getting it’s first airing?… and I’m all over it!
When I was in London last Friday… I was travelling up the escalator at Oxford Circus tube station *tsking* at the impatient healthy types that were overtaking me on the left when I noticed the woman in front of me. Or more accurately, I noticed her non-existent skirt.
For a moment I wasn’t quite sure where to look… I mean, seriously… you could see the (baggy) gusset of her tights. I was half tempted to make her aware of this fact but decided to keep schtum for two reasons…
1). She might have been a total exhibitionist and telling her would only have made her day.
2). I didn’t fancy a smack in the gob.
So instead of looking ahead, I kept my eyes down and concentrated on her ankles. I had to give a wry smile when I saw a pair of beige plasters covering the backs of her heels where her shoes had obviously been rubbing.
Priorities ladies… if you’re gonna cover the backs of your ankles you can go one step further and cover up your minges too. I don’t care if it’s sunny… have some class.
Now… what I should have done, was tapped her on the shoulder and told her about these:
Elastoplast Invisible Protection is a new plaster on the market. An innovation in plaster technology if you will… I’m so excited, I might just pee myself.
Ok, let’s face it. It’s not exactly the height of glamour is it? But I go through plasters like nobody’s business (clumsy oaf that I am) and have been known to remove and discard a plaster after half an hour if it’s in a conspicuous position and I’m feeling self-conscious about it’s placement. Don’t try and tell me you haven’t done that too…
Elastoplast Invisible Protection simply promises to be the most invisible a plaster can be. It’s always the simple ideas that work the best no?
Not only that… but Elastoplast are offering you a free sample so you can put their claims to the test yourself.
Elastoplast Invisible Protection plasters are priced at £2.99 and available from all major erm… plaster retailers. What are you waiting for? Go stick I mean stock up!
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