A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

OK… bit of a sensationalist title… apologies, but I’m thinking of the google keyword search!

A reader requested a list of the CCS/CCO outlets in the UK as she was struggling to find the information on Google.

Here are the ones that I know of… if you know of any others, please let me know so I can update the list!

1). Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth Harbour
2). Bicester Village, Oxon
3). Designer Outlet, York
4). Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port
5). Designer Outlet, Swindon
6). Junction One, Antrim

What is a CCS/CCO?

If you’re not sure what it is, let me explain…  CCS/CCO stands for Cosmetics Company Store/Outlet.

They sells discounted Estee Lauder owned company’s cosmetics… which includes brands such as: MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown and Origins… I would imagine there’s probably a shed-load of Prescriptives in the outlets at the moment aswell.

The discount is generally in the region of 30% and often includes discontinued or hard to find products (including past MAC collections).

Stock changes frequently, so if you see something you like… buy it.  It probably won’t be there next week.

If you’re looking for something in particular, it’s worth googling for the phone number of the store you’re planning to visit.  Give them a ring and check to see if it’s in stock to avoid disappointment.

Sounds good, why isn’t there one in London?

Dunno…

But… if you’re in London, your nearest would be either Bicester or Gunwharf Quays.

Gunwharf Quays is my local and boasts a train station right outside (Porsmouth Harbour).  You can purchase a megatrain ticket from London Waterloo which costs around £12 for a return and takes just over an hour and half journey time.

I’m biased… but Gunwharf Quays makes for a fabulous day out, especially in the Summer… if your other half isn’t interested in the discount shopping, Portsmouth’s historic dockyard is worth checking out next door.  Just make sure he leaves his wallet for you to look after ok?

Tiny picture… sorry… it’s a makeup bag.

But not just any makeup bag…. oh no…

The Refresh Make-up Chiller is an ingeneous way to keep your cosmetics cool when the temperature rises.

This handy little pouch with a pocket for a mini-ice pack is the ideal way to protect your cosmetic essentials when you’re hot in the city or relaxing by the pool.

Large enough to hold your daily essentials, but small enough for your handbag, the Refresh Make-up Chiller takes the heat out of looking your best in the sun!

Um. Ok then.

I purchased this in my local CCO last year and it’s a valuable addition to my highlighter collection!

A great product to take on my travels as a multi-use powder/highlighter.  The shimmer side is smooth and I particularly enjoy applying this highlighter with a dampened brush for a smoother sheen.

Applied dry, it’s quite a golden sheen which means that on my cool skintone I prefer to use this one in the evening as it’s a touch too obvious for daytime wear.

If you can get your hands on it, I recommend!

This week I’m talking about Colour Theory…

I actually have no idea what I’m talking about… click the Zuneta logo to go see if I got it right or made myself look like a dumbass.

With bananas that like to masquerade as fingers, I’m not particularly adept at the whole false eyelash thing.  The number of times I’ve attempted to falsify my lashes can be counted on one hand.

I need to practice and improve my technique because a well-chosen pair of lashes can make a huge difference to an overall look…

…not well chosen.

It was with interest then that I read an eye health warning from The Eyecare Trust.

“Failing to follow a good hygiene routine when wearing false lashes puts you at risk of suffering irritation and nasty eye infections such as conjunctivitis and bacterial keratitis.”

Iain Anderson, Chairman of the Eyecare Trust continues: “Common symptoms of these eye infections include: red, sore or gritty eyes; a watery discharge; sensitivity to the light; headaches; blurred vision and in severe cases, reduced visual acuity.”

Whoulda thunk it?

Here are The Eyecare Trust‘s top tips for using false lashes safely.

1. Wash your hands before applying fake lashes
2. Use a good quality adhesive
3. Never stick them to your own lashes (always glue them to the eyelid and following the manufacturer’s instructions)
4. Never wear more than one pair at once
5. Clean them thoroughly before reuse
6. Throw them away at the first sign of wear and tear (most lashes have a lifespan of around four wears)
7. Store them in a clean / dry case
8. Never share your lashes with anyone else
9. Don’t stick jewels or other embellishments onto the lashes
10. Always remove them before you go to bed.

Do you adhere to the guidelines?

This week, whilst up in London I was in a well known and respected beauty hall buying Leila her first Mason Pearson hairbrush.  This beauty hall is small, cramped and slightly unusual as the tills are randomly dotted around the department without the usual till/counter setup.

I picked up the hairbrush and approached two sales assistants who were stood at the till nearest to me.  Hovering with the hairbrush in my hand I waited for them to finish their conversation and notice me standing there.

They didn’t.

I wasn’t in a rush… so I waited quite happily until a few minutes had passed and frankly I started to feel a bit silly.  I began dropping increasingly obvious hints that I was indeed on the same planet as them.

2 minutes later, I faux coughed and got noticed.

“You can pay for that here” said SA1 whilst SA2 turned and busied herself for a moment.  I smile and extend my arm to hand her the hairbrush… but before it’s left my grip, SA1 has signalled SA2 for her attention and they’re gabbing again leaving me with my hand outstretched waiting for someone to take the damn brush off me.

Awkwardly I lower my arm and wait whilst SA1 continues her conversation with SA2.

Eventually SA1 reaches out without saying a word or even breaking eye contact with her pal.  I place the hairbrush in her hand all the while thinking “Don’t buy it from here… go on, interrupt and tell them not to bother themselves…” of course, I don’t say a word…

…and so it continues.  I hand over my card in silence… again, waiting with my hand outstretched while SA1 takes an age to contemplate whether or not she can be arsed to put my transaction through.

Eventually I get handed back my card, receipt and the hairbrush in one big handful.

“Could I have a bag please?”

I get passed a bag in the manner you would pass someone a closed book…. so I purposefully make a show of fumbling with my purse, bag, hairbrush and receipt (remember no counters to rest anything on).  I’m pissed at this point and they’re still just freaking chatting.

“You can pay for that here” were the only words that were uttered to me throughout a transaction that took 5 minutes to complete.

Rude.

Did I complain? You bet… poor Mr. L suffered my irritation all the way up Regent Street.

Are you the complaining type or do you suffer in silence like me and then ear-bash your nearest and dearest?  Had any poor beauty hall experiences recently?

So I won’t be replying to emails or approving comments as quickly as usual!

It also means that I won’t be choosing a guest reviewer for the Liz Earle set until Tuesday night now, so I’ll announce on Wednesday who’s been chosen.  Sorry for the delay!

I’m hoping to get a haircut (courtesy of a rather fabulous Wahanda Mob Deal!), dodge the scrums in the beauty hall at Selfridges, maybe head out west for another Inglots visit and go drool in the Shu store at 7 Dials.

Any other recommendations for me?  Beauty or otherwise?

The problem with being a total beauty nut is that I find myself noticing flaws in my appearance that I’m sure wouldn’t really bother the average woman my age.

My mother has always suffered with hyperpigmentation and dark spots but she’s also about 3/4 foundation shades darker than me, so I’ve always assumed that it’s not something I would have to worry about as a paler skinned lady.

Well, maybe it’s NOT something I should worry about, heaven knows there’s enough “stuff” queueing up ready to be worried about in our day to day lives anyway… but regardless, I have noticed in recent months that my skin tone is looking less even.  I’ve always suffered from broken capilliaries on my cheeks and nose… but I’m also noticing a couple of little patches that I initially dismissed as new freckles.

Freckles all of a sudden? At 28? What… I think I’m Lindsay Lohan or something?  I guess it just sounds better than sun damage right?

Anyway, I’ve read lots about the Paul and Joe Whitening Serum that seems to get decent reviews for it’s ability to fade dark spots and even out skin tone… but my interest has been piqued by this new release from Clinique.

Clinique’s Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector claims to hold the power to even skin tone with results equal to a leading prescription ingredient.  Not only that but…

…this “damage eraser” is gentle and non-irritating and ideal for skins that cannot tolerate other skin brightening treatments.

It goes on to baffle me with science but regardless, if you’ve got skin that’s prone to a little bit of redness… you’ll know that the last thing you wanna do is slap product on that’s gonna accentuate that… a false economy right?

At £37.50 for 30ml, it’s not an inexpensive solution… but in general, these type of whitening/brightening products seem to offer good visible results when you compare them to anti-wrinkle creams.  The Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector is available from today on counters nationwide.  I’m interested, but I’ll be keeping my eyes open for some reviews before putting my hands in my pocket.

Have you tried whitening creams before?  What do you think?

By Terry is a brand guaranteed to get me drooling in SpaceNK.   As my eyes turn misty and everything goes a little bit fuzzy round the edges, I feel Mr. L’s grip on my wrist (and debit card) tighten.

It’s a battle of nerves usually interrupted by a certain small one’s well-timed “Mama, mama” resulting in me looking over my shoulder just in time to see Leila tugging at an elaborately positioned display of Chantecaille compacts.  It’s at that point everything goes a bit slo-mo as I make a Herculean effort to stop expensive things crashing down to the floor.

I leave the store at this point looking embarrassed and empty-handed.  It’s a family conspiracy, well rehearsed.

It’s not happening again.  Not now my eyes have feasted on the By Terry Graphic Wave collection…

Now, when eyeshadows start from £22… I have to show a certain degree of restraint.  Last time I stopped at the Le Métier de Beauté counter in Liberty before Christmas, I came away with more than I bargained for.  Not to mention the burden of guilt the size of a small country that spent a few days resting on my shoulders.

My game plan in situations such as this is simple.  Don’t swatch.

Swatching is deadly no?  It always makes me laugh at counters when the SAs give me the side-eye for swatching… Bitch, shut up… I’m doing YOU a favour.  Trust me.

Anyway… I digress.

This Graphic Wave collection…

I’ve got my eye on that Ligne Blackstar, the bluey one… Ocean Spirit.  Forgetting for a moment that it sounds like a naff yacht docked in Monaco… *wait, that’s probably the point*… ain’t it purrty?

And check this out:

A deep sea green that perfectly accentuates the blackness of the eye pupil or highlights blue green eyes

Blue green eyes? Oh rly? Made. for. me.

It’s £28.  If I say that quick enough, I think it sounds a lot like 28 pence.

Check out Grace’s great swatches of one of the shadows and *drool* the eyeliner!

Come join me in a bit of delusion… anything there that captures your attention for Summer?

I couldn’t resist posting this press release that landed in my inbox yesterday… check it out…

The London College of Beauty Therapy are undertaking a Guiness World Record on Thursday 13th May and in order to achieve it, they need YOUR help!

They’re hoping to break The Guinness World Record for the highest number of File and Varnishes to be carried out in eight hours!  That means over 2000 files and polishes!

The London College of Beauty Therapy is staging the event to support the charity Wellbeing of Women which funds medical research into all women’s health issues.

Men and Women are invited to come along on the day to receive a free file and varnish (or file and buff) performed by a highly trained therapist.

Speaking about the reasons behind the event, Eileen Cavalier, OBE, Founder and CEO of London College of Beauty Therapy said: “This is a fun way of helping to raise concerns about women’s health issues. Although we plan to carry out at least two thousand nail treatments, a daunting challenge, we are, nevertheless, confident that each recipient will receive an excellent and enjoyable treatment.”

The Guinness World Record File and Varnish event will take place between 11am and 7pm on Thursday May 13th at London College of Beauty Therapy, 47 Great Marlborough Street, London W1. The college is located close to Oxford Circus Underground Station.

If you’d like to volunteer your tips for a good cause, email the bods behind the challenge to book your slot at helpusnailit@lcbt.co.uk

I have an embarrassing confession to make.

I’m addicted to lip tingling products.  No, really.  I’ve always liked ’em, I don’t care if they actually plump or not… it’s the tingle that turns me on.

But just recently (about 4 days ago) it’s kinda gotten out of hand.  I picked up a Burts Bees Lip Balm and I just can’t put. it. down.

Is it doing much moisturising? Yeah, it’s alright… not as good as my beloved Lanolips, but it’s got that tingling and cooling thing going on thanks to the peppermint oil…

I’ve just looked and I’ve gone through a quarter of the tube this week, please can someone come prise it out of my fingers before I end up looking like this:

Thanks!

Lipglossiping.com is a year old today!

12 months ago I was bored and very, very pregnant.  Boredom and pregnancy have a lot to answer for, both have gone on to create little monsters that consume me.

I wish I’d started Lipglossiping back when I had more time to devote to it.  As it is, I sneak a couple of hours in the evening after Miss L has gone to sleep to get the next day’s posts scheduled.  If I had more time, I’d reply to your emails promptly, comment on other people’s blogs instead of just doing a “read and run” and I’d definitely respond to the lovely comments you leave here on mine more often.

That’s my biggest sadness.  If I *ever* don’t respond to something that you were wanting an answer to, please email me… I’m honestly not being ignorant… I’ve just missed it.  Or more likely, filed it away in a “make sure you reply when you’ve finished doing such and such…” and then promptly forgotten to do so.

But anyway…. onto happier things!  At my last stats stalk (ooh about 46 seconds ago – traffic whore? Moi?) Lipglossiping was averaging 33,000 unique and lovely visitors a month.  I don’t have enough fingers to count that high, but it sounds like a lot to me.  I’m not sure where you all came from, but I’m pleased you keep stopping by.

It makes me suddenly aware though that those ugly FOTD’s I uploaded a year ago when it was only me, my husband and my mum who stalked my blog leave me feeling rather naked.  But, as twatty as it sounds… keeping it real is what I want this blog to be all about.  I’m no Make Up Artist, Journalist or Guru.  I’m a girl with a fuck-off passion for making herself look better than the first thing she sees when she looks in the mirror.  I’m a girl who feels intimidated by astonishingly beautiful women (but admires them all the same) and I’m a girl who has a tendency to bore you to death if you don’t share my loves.

Thankfully, most of you do.

I’ve been asked “How do you post so much, don’t you find it a bit of a chore?”

Each day I wake up excited to check my comments and every night before sleep I think about what I’m going to write about the next day.  When the time comes that I no longer feel a buzz of excitement when I hit the ‘schedule’ or ‘publish’ button, that’s the day that I need to stop.  I’m hoping it’s still a long time off yet.

It’s a true privilege to be read and taken notice of, and one that I don’t take for granted.  Brand involvement in the blogging world has gotten heavy (not just in beauty… but most consumer ‘genres’) and it continues to be a volatile environment.  There’s a lot of mistrust, jealousy and false lovey-ness… it’s the flip-side to the opportunity to play with free makeup, make fabulous new blogging friends and eat cupcakes at events.  I focus a lot of energy into walking the tightrope and being as fair and honest as I can.  After all, I know you guys see through a PR puppet quicker than you can spot a fake MAC on eBay.

I had a well-known brand email me a month ago and their email ended:

“Once again thank you (even though sometimes we have to read the reviews through the gaps in our fingers whilst shielding our eyes from the criticism – all constructive of course!).”

Honestly? One of my proudest blogging moments.

Keep coming back chaps, I think I probably need you more than you need me.