A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Ok, I’m finishing up with the review of the bits that I was sent last month.  Click here to read my other posts on the brand.  I’m battling a bit of a backlog at the minute thanks to the frustrations of losing the site over Christmas.  Bear with me!

Milky Lips in 602 (£4.44) is a pale cool-toned pink gloss that does what it says on the tin!

It’s a bit “Barbie” for me but I can imagine it being a hit among a younger crowd.  It’s tacky and long-lasting but prone to sinking into the furrows in your lips as these milky type glosses and pale lipsticks tend to do.

Moving on…

The Eyeshadow Trio Dancing Queen in 803 (£4.24) whilst nicely pigmented is frosty as hell.  It’s just too much for me though I was impressed at the texture which was a lot softer than I would have expected considering the amount of glitter these shades hold.  Fall-out is an issue when using these so be prepared to deal with it!

The darkest charcoal/blue shade in the trio is particularly nice but like I said, it’s all a bit too sparkly for me I’m afraid.

On with the next product…

I was VERY pleased with the Paese Pen Liner (£6.08) which I’ve been using daily ever since I received it.  So far (in over a month), it hasn’t dried out at all.  It could do with a little more pigment… as it stands, you do need to go over any lines you draw twice to get a solid, opaque finish.  So why am I holding it in such high esteem?

I love pen liners, I find them the quickest, easiest way to accomplish a simple black line along my upper lashline.  You can’t beat gel for pigmentation but I’m pretty cack-handed and keep falling back on these felt-tip type pens when I don’t have all day to get a perfect line.  The tip on this is a cracker.  Not even remotely scratchy and with a fine point that allows for a nice thin ‘flick’.  There’s a bit of bounce in the tip and it never skips as I draw along my lashline.  It’s solid and dependable… something I want in my eyeliner.

And finally…

Paese Blusher in 25 (£3.32) didn’t do anything to impress I’m afraid.  It’s a nice enough peachy/rose shade with a lovely, soft texture but it’s dusty as hell.  A real shame because it also happens to contain one of the nicest and most delicate shimmers I’ve ever seen in what is essentially a drugstore blush.

It’s very pigmented and a little goes a long way but if you take more than a couple of swipes during blending you’ll notice that you start to blend the blush into oblivion and will be left wondering where the hell it went.  One of those blush on, blush off blushers!

Final Thoughts on Paese Cosmetics

I have some concerns about the website which has those horrible block swatches that don’t give a great indication of the shades available.  There seems to be some mis-labelling amongst the categories and it all seems a bit like a work-in-progress rather than a finished consumer-ready website though I can’t emphasise enough how refreshing it is to see such reasonable shipping charges within the UK!

It’s a brand worth exploring with some little gems hidden among the standard less-impressive drugstore-esque fare.  In particular, I’d recommend the eyeliner and primer as well as the nail polish.  These are the products that I would personally re-purchase.

Are you planning to give Paese Cosmetics a try?

Paese Cosmetics is a Polish cosmetics brand new to the UK market.  Currently only available online from http://paesecosmetics.com, the brand encompasses a wide selection of products from primers through to nail polishes and most things inbetween.

Paese Cosmetics’ price point aligns it with the drugstore market, infact… slightly cheaper.  A foundation will set you back just under £10.

I was sent some samples to put to the test, read on for images and my thoughts on the base products I received.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is a wordy one, consider yourselves pre-warned!

I spent last Thursday evening in a mild state of panic at the thought of what I might be letting myself in for…

I’d booked myself in for an “HD Brows” treatment at a local salon… I’ve been wanting one of these since I first heard about them a couple of months ago and I’d finally bitten the bullet.

But why the panic?  Well… it wasn’t real panic, more… slight anxiety.  I’ve never done anything to my brows other than (over)pluck them myself.  No waxing, threading… nada.  Was the beautician going to point and laugh, gasp in horror, back out of the room slowly or a combination of all three?

Let’s remind ourselves of my eyebrows in their normal state shall we?

There’s worse brows out there, I know… but mine could definitely benefit from a little help.

The treatment involves 7 steps, which creator Nilam Patel and her team claim will help you achieve the perfect brow.  Sign me up!

My technician began by asking me how dark I wanted to go.  I had a little wobble at this point… in my head, I was picturing Katie Price’s unflatteringly dark brows (they actually use Katie Price as a marketing tool, which nearly put me off the whole idea).

I ended up expressing that I wanted a good, dark brown that stopped short of harsh but that would negate the need for brow powder if I was feeling lazy.

It would have been helpful if she’d had some kind of colour/depth chart available.  It’s very hard to describe something like that without visual aids.  I was also expecting my technician to ask me some questions about how I wanted my brows shaped… but she didn’t!  I only realised this mid-treatment as she was waxing away.  My heart skipped a beat as I thought “Christ!  She could be doing anything up there!”  I scanned the room for Hello Kitty eyebrow stencils… thankfully there were none to be seen.

After we’d come to a vague agreement on how dark I wanted to go, my technician began tinting my brows.  While the dye developed, we talked about how popular the treatment was becoming.  Between the HD Brow, Eyelash Extensions and Shellac nails that she offers – her books are full in the run up to Xmas!  We are a vain lot aren’t we?!

She wiped off the excess and left my field of vision for a moment… I jumped a little when I felt her apply warm wax to my arch… I wasn’t expecting that!  Prior warning would have been good!  The waxing didn’t hurt at all… I was expecting it to be a little ‘ouchie’… but no, I’d happily go so far as to call it painless.

Compared to the other hair removal methods that my technician performed on me… waxing seemed to be the one she spent most time doing.  She waxed under my arches, at the ends of the brows and between the brows.  Threading was reserved for the top line of the brows only and tweezing just in a couple of places at the very end (this seemed to be done for precision).

She commented that my brows were particularly difficult to shape thanks to their curliness!  Eek!  She said that I would need a good, strong brow gel and spoolie to keep them in alignment… so if anyone has any recommendations, let me know!

Once my technician appeared happy with the shape, she gave my brows a wipe before trimming them and then reaching for a brow palette.  30 seconds later and we were done!  She passed me a mirror and I had a look…

I could see that they were a really good shape and looking far fuller than when I went in… someone had transplanted Brooke Shields eyebrows onto my face!  I wasn’t delighted about the fact that the dye was still so apparent… it meant that I’d have to spend the rest of the afternoon in town with comedy brows.

If this is standard practice, I don’t see the point in the 7th step of treatment… if brows are really dark from the tint residue still being on them, the last thing you want is to add to it by powdering them in with the palette!

I sat in Cafe Nero, sipping my black coffee with eyebrows that matched.  I’m talking this (though obviously perfectly shaped and two of them!)  Mr. L was sniggering into his tea and Leila kept eyeing me suspiciously through the crumbs of her Pain au Raisin.  I just kept my head down and plotted my revenge on the pair of them.

I was advised not to wash the area until the next day… this was to give the tint the optimum time it needed to ‘take’.  I was a little concerned that I might make them too dark by doing this but I’m a good, obedient girl and followed her advice… taking care to avoid the area when washing my face for bed.

Wanna see how they turned out?

I’m really pleased with them!

Is it worth the £25 I paid?  Yes!  And no…

I need to find out how much it costs to get them threaded and tinted locally… as if done well, this would produce the same result without the catchy “HD Brows” moniker.

Maintenance (according to my therapist) is needed once a month.  There’s no way I’d pay £25 a month on my eyebrows.  Not a chance.

So who would I recommend this HD Brow treatment for?  I’d recommend it for people like me… people who don’t already have a perfect shape that they’re maintaining and who wouldn’t normally leave the house without filling in and darkening their brows.  It’s a really good way to instantly transform your eyebrows and get yourself put on the right path for future maintenance.

If you have a big night out or an event you need to look great for… go for it.  It’s a convenient, all-in-one option.

I won’t be parted from my brushes.  It doesn’t matter if I’m only leaving home for a single night, I can’t make do with powder puffs and spongey applicators now that I’m used to brushes.

Which can be a bit of a problem when I’m travelling to far flung exotic lands (Bournemouth, London, Darlo).

I took one of my MAC 217s away with me the last time I travelled to London and damn near killed the poor thing.  Flapping about in my makeup bag, it returned home looking like Leila had painted the walls with it and it’s so far resisting my best efforts to coax it back into shape.

With this in mind, Bare Escentuals have released a set of brushes that I was sent to try…

A magnetic brush collection with carry case!  Great!  Another cosmetic ‘innovation’… can you see my eyes rolling?

Except… this is actually useful.  But does it work in practice?

I’ll shut up for a minute and let you see the brush collection properly…

Read the rest of this entry »

I’m a sucker for cream blush.  Complete and utter sucker.  I love the dewy finish they tend to give and feel more confident in my application and blending than I do with powders.

Which led me to this little purchase…

Blushed Rose #3 is described as a brown pink… it’s definitely a little more brown than pink to my eye.  I think I’d describe it as a pink brown. I know, I know… I’m totally splitting hairs but that description just seems to fit better!

Not very pink is it?

I’ll be honest… I was really dubious about how this would work.  Multi-tasking products are up against it at the best of times.  They promise a lot and often deliver very little , I wasn’t sure how a lip product could successfully double as a cheek product and vice versa.

Still not very pink.

Well… my verdict on Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks?  It’s… ok.

It doesn’t rock my world and it’s not the innovation I was looking for.

I find it a little drying on my lips and a touch too sticky on my cheeks.  Not horrendously so (in either case) but it’s not faultless.  I also feel that once blended, it’s a touch too sheer as a blush.

At £16.50 I do feel that it’s fairly good value… but it’s just not for me.

Have any products disappointed you recently?

Growing up, I was a shower freak and would be one of those annoying people that come out with the (much overused) line about not wanting to soak in my own dirt.

Nowadays?  I’m a bathing convert.  In the Summer, it’s still a rare occurence… but now the nights are becoming cooler, I can appreciate the enjoyment that wallowing for an indecently long period of time in a tub of hot water brings.  Especially if I lock the bathroom door first so no-one tries to come in for a crap and ruin my zen.

I don’t know about you but… for me, part of the enjoyment of bathing is the whole ritual that sits alongside.  And a true simple pleasure is using a new bath oil/ballistic/melt/whatever for the first time.  I always love the idea of lighting candles but mostly am a bit slovenly for all that.

My latest indulgence (and at £18 it is a little bit of an indulgence) is my India Hicks Island Night Milky Bath from Crabtree & Evelyn.

India Hicks is the designer grand-daughter of the late Earl Louis Mountbatten, who is well known round these here parts and buried just up the road.  I don’t know why that’s relevant… it’s really not…I’m doing that bloody automatic writing again.

I use just a capful and it fragrances the water nicely.  It’s a tropical scent… but not like I’ve just poured a can of Lilt in the tub.  It’s soft and delicate… like I’m bathing with my window open and the scent of jasmine is being carried in on a warm breeze.  Slap me, I’m sounding pretentious.  But that’s the only way I can describe it.  It’s not a BIG floral, it’s just evocative.

It leaves my skin feeling soft (but not soft enough to forego moisturiser) and Mr. L says that he can still smell it on my skin when I use an unscented moisturiser afterward.  At £18 for 250ml, I’d quite like it to clean the bath and re-grout the tiles too but it makes for a lovely ‘special’ treat when the day has been a little too much to bear.

India Hicks Island Night Milky Bath is priced at £18 and available online and instore at Crabtree & Evelyn.

What are your favourite bath-time indulgences?

When I went to London a few weeks ago, I was on a mission.  I wanted to buy something that I couldn’t get from any of my local stores and I wanted it to be something from a brand that I wasn’t hugely familliar with.

I asked on Twitter and received a suggestion for the Shiseido Accentuating Color Sticks…. cream blushes?  I was all over it.  Like an embarrassing rash.

I’m a sucker for cream blushes, particularly when they’re in stick form like this… the only problem that lay ahead of me now was shade selection.

Three shades had caught my eye and I was truly torn.

Peach Flush, Rosy Flush and Champagne Flush.

Peach Flush looked quite… well… peachy to my eye and I’m always a little fearful of anything warm-toned but I know that when I get the shade right…. peach can really brighten up my complexion and play down the redness in my cheeks.

Rosy Flush was the one I was drawn to naturally… but my only caveat was that it was really quite bright… almost dolly pink rather than a true rose colour.  Less natural looking, but lovely for the Winter nonetheless.

Lastly, Champagne Flush… one of those beautiful shimmering highlighter shades that give that “lit from within” look.  Just a hint of pink pearl…. very lovely, but did I want another highlighter?

I went with Rosy Flush.  I handed over my card, paid my monies and went on my way not entirely sure I’d made the right decision.  Infact, I got as far as the Clinique counter and changed my mind.

Sheepishly, I went back and asked if I could change for a different shade and the counter staff couldn’t have been more accommodating… even going so far as to not treat me like a nuisance… I KNOW!  In SELFRIDGES?  Ah. Mazing.

Wanna know which one I got?

Peach Flush!  Aren’t I brave?

And I love it…

I’m so pleased I changed my mind and went for the less safe option.  The Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick is a sheer cream to powder formula that doesn’t look at all greasyand I find it easier to blend than the NARS multiples (which although I love, I find a bit… tough going?).

Peach Flush really does give me a naturally warm flush and wears beautifully under NARS Orgasm and Deep Throat for a slightly bolder look.  It has a very subtle shimmer that isn’t too apparent once on the cheeks.

I take a little colour from the stick onto my finger tips and apply that way…. although tempting, I wouldn’t recommend applying straight from the tube.  Stripe-o-rama.

The only downside to the Shiseido Accentuating Color Stick is in it’s lasting power… I get about 4 hours wear from it before it disappears.  If I need it to last all day, then I wear it underneath a complementing powder blush.

Of course, now that I’ve bought Peach Flush… I’m desperate to get my hands on Rosy and Champagne too.

Shiseido Accentuating Color Sticks are available from counters nationwide priced at £26 each.

I made my first Haus of Gloi order a few weeks ago after a gentle nudge (ok, shove) from the lovely LondonMUGirl.  I’d first heard about HoG earlier this year after Fyrinnae’s chemist had tweeted about the company… but after a quick look at the Etsy store, I had decided that I really didn’t need more soapy goodness.

I was wrong.

I made a small order to begin with.  2 sample 2oz/56g pots of HoG wares in their limited edition Halloween scents.

The packaging is adorable and the thought, artistry and love that clearly goes into those labels really pleases me.  Haus of Gloi is a small, independent business… a husband and wife team dedicated to producing 100% vegan products and feeling-evoking fragrances.

Pumpkin Queen Pumpkin Butter – 2oz ($4.50):

The Haus of Gloi pumpkin butters are heavier than their normal body emulsions, which for the cold winter ahead… is perfect.  Pumpkin Queen is described as gentle hay pillows, pumpkin, ripe peaches dusted with clove and nutmeg, dried summer herbs, and lastly, a lovely crown of amber. The first thing I can smell are the peaches, but it’s a really juicy, non-synthetic scent backed by a spicier pumpkin undertone that smells freshly baked.  It’s a gourmand scent for sure.  Some may find it a little too sweet, cloying… I love it.  I love it so much, I’ve just bought the perfume oil.

The butter is rich and silky… it sinks into my skin in under a minute and leaves me feeling soft to the touch.  I love this formulation and I’m very sad that these richer products are limited.  The most inspiring thing about this product though?  Longevity.  I have never applied a body butter with a fragrance that literally and truly lingers until bedtime.  I wish I had stockpiled this body butter.

Samhain Soft Bubbling Scrub – 2oz ($3.50):

I find the scent of this a little too subtle, it’s actually quite hard for me to detect.  As an ex-smoker, I made Mr. L have a sniff (incase it was my deadened sense of smell) but no, he affirms that in the scrub, it’s a very light scent.  Described as rustling leaves, chilled winds … Freshly turned earth, wet leaves, and a cool herb laden wind carrying spectres and spooks! I desperately wanted to evoke all those things… but I’m just getting a light herbal scent that I can’t quite place.

The scrub formula however, is lovely.  It melts (but not too quickly) on my skin as I massage and produces a gentle lather that cleans effectively whilst rinsing away nicely.  I’ve since been back to the site to order a full-size bubbling scrub in a different scent.

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Whilst delivery to the UK isn’t extortionate, it does make you realise that these are heavy products and as such… you’ll be paying for the pleasure of having them shipped across the Atlantic.  This first order of 2 sample sized jars came to a very reasonable $5.64 for shipping.  My second order with nearly $15 of it going toward shipping costs, made me wince a little.  But as I said, it’s not like these are pigment samples now is it?

Both Halloween limited fragrances above are (mostly) out of stock now on the website, there are a few straggling items left behind… but for Haus of Gloi, it’s onwards and upwards with the introduction of the Yule collection set for the 7th November.  I’ve already purchased a Parkin Pumpkin Butter (and a few other bits and bobs) and I’m going to find it VERY hard to resist the new Eggnoggin, my all-time favourite Xmas scent! (I told you I was a gourmand!).

Bring it on!
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P.S. There are some great blogs out there with reviews of the various scents… check out Phyrra, Le Gothique, ShizzleNizzle for starters!

Something else that caught my eye during the recent Avon event were their range of Glimmerstick Diamond Eye Liners.  Being the magpie that I am, my eyes were drawn to these sparkly creations from 20ft away.

Currently available in a range of 6 colours, I was lured in by the cool tones and made off with the blue and plum shades named: Twilight Sparkle and Sugar Plum respectively.

I do love pencil eyeliners, they’re so versatile and I often use smudged coloured liners as an alternative to eyeshadow on lazy days.  I thought that these might bring a bit of sparkle to the festive season… and I was right!

The texture of the Avon Glimmersticks Diamond Eye Liners is a little hard and they definitely benefit from being warmed up on the back of my hand before applying to the delicate eye area.  Although in stick form, they look hugely glittery… once applied, the effect is somehow sophisticated.  It’s not subtle… but it’s not childish glitterbomb either.

The base colour of the liner holds the sparkle successfully without too much fall out, even after smudging.

Of the two shades that I was given, Twilight Sparkle is the knock out… it’s truly luminous and I’m loving adding a small amount of this under my lower lashes to spice up a bronze eye.  I haven’t applied these along the waterline because I’m not OK with the idea of having glitter so close to my eyeballs but they wear most of the day applied along the lashline.

One issue I have found with these is that the lid is quite hard to remove!  I destroyed the nib of Twilight Sparkle (as you can see in the photo) because I really had to yank at the top to remove… which resulted in a clumsy side swipe and a swift guillotine action!

The Avon Glimmersticks Diamonds Eye Liners are currently half price on the Avon website, priced at £3 each.  An absolute steal, I assure you!

While I’ve got your attention… I’ve updated my original Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner post to include a photo and a swatch of the liner in Silver as per your requests.  You can find the link here (scroll to the bottom for the update).

I was sent these a couple of months ago but only got the chance to photograph and review E.L.F’s NARS Albatross dupe – Gotta Glow before my camera kicked the bucket.

I’d like to show you the other two that were released at the same time as Gotta Glow.  I hope the pictures and swatches are useful.

Fuchsia Fusion is a glitter bomb of a blush.  A slightly muted raspberry rose shade with silver chunky sparkles.  Texture is a bit hard but the pan gives up a lot of powder when you pass the brush over the top.  I personally wouldn’t bring this blush within 10 yards of my face until I’ve tapped off at least some of the glitter.

Pink Passion is my preference of the two.  A proper dolly pink matte blush that feels chalky but soft.  Pigmentation is impressive for the price and you could do far worse than this blush for double the money.

If only that glitter in Fuchsia Fusion were a little finer, I’d be giving a double thumbs up.

Both blushes are priced at £3.50 and available online from the ELF website.

I promised some decent swatches of some of the goodies that my beautiful friend Julia sent me from her home country, the Philippines!  Is there anything more exciting than surprise swap parcels from far away destinations?  Errr NO!

By the way… check out the backdrop, same location but finally entered the 21st Century and got ourselves some of that new-fangled double-glazing stuff – here’s hoping this Winter will feel warmer than the last!

Ok, so back to the 4U2 I-Pro Professional Eye Make-Up Palette in Contemporary (what a mouthful!)…

Nicely packaged in a sturdy plastic housing that feels secure and substantial… it opens to reveal a large, clear and distortion-free mirror and 8 vibrant, shimmering eyehadow shades.

The shades all lean toward the pastel, so this will make a perfect choice for some fresh, Spring looks.  All pans have a texture like butter with a colour payoff that matches our own Sleek Makeup offerings.  The difference being that I don’t get the same amount of fall-out with these shades as I do with the Sleek eyeshadows.

And some swatches (on bare skin)…

Aren’t they lovely?

Colour me jealous… I want this brand to be accessible in the UK!  Who says we get all the best stuff? *sulk*

I believe (after conversion) that this retails at around £13 a palette?  You get about 2.5g of product per pan which works out at around £1.60 per eyeshadow.  I do love an economical purchase!

Are you currently lusting after anything from foreign shores?  Spill the beans!

When I heard about Paul & Joe’s new Creamy Matte Foundation, my first thought was to get all indignant about a brand releasing a winter formula that ticks all the right boxes, only to ruin it by making it matte and unsuitable for dry skins that need the cream formula most of all!

Like most, my skin is at it’s most parched in the Winter and although it’s only October, I’ve already written “Dr. Hauschka Rose Day cream” in my iPhone’s shopping list to remember to repurchase this winter skin saviour when I’m next in London.

Beautifully presented as always, the Paul & Joe Creamy Matte Foundation boasts SPF20 PA++ and a range of 8 shades to suit a variety of skintones.  £28 will provide you with a standard 30ml of product that claims…

…this light and air whipped‐formula leaves skin looking completely flawless with a dreamy matte finish for absolute perfection.  With a unique balance of semi‐matte and shimmer this unique moisturizing foundation available in an array of eight shades, promises a divine lustrous glow, sure to steam up your winter!

High up in the list of active ingredients are a bunch of silicones which give the foundation a velvety feel on the skin whilst preventing oil from breaking through the surface of the product for as long as possible.  There’s also a few fruit oils thrown in for good measure and the product does have a pleasing slightly fruity scent… but that may be more to do with the parfum than the natural ingredients.  Either way, I’ve experienced no sensitivity problems with this product I’m pleased to report.

Have I told you how much I adore P&J’s presentation?  Oh I have?  Oh… ok then…

But seriously, who doesn’t love a product that blatantly looks this adorable?  The heavyweight frosted glass jar comes with a little spatula to help you remove product hygienically.  However, I can’t say it’s the most travel-friendly object!

I opted for shade #20 (Fresh) which promised to be: A light pink that gives a radiant complexion. To my eye, it’s not that light.  It is the palest cool-toned shade in the range and I have to blend this carefully down my jawline.  I would suggest that any pale types opt for either 00 Alabaster or 10 Ivory, or even better… use it as an excuse to have a mooch around Fenwicks on a lunchtime and get matched!

Thankfully, it is a dream to blend… I mostly just warm it on the back of my hand with my fingers and apply with the tools I was born with (fingers, not toes).  The amount of coverage simply amazed me.

Here’s a before/after:

Look at that! Skin PERFECTION! (well, very nearly!)

Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation is a beautiful new contender for the winter foundation market.  It looks great, stays on my normal/dry skin for most of the day with just a minor powder touch up needed on my nose at lunchtime and it gives a full-on flawless finish.

As for it’s “moisturising properties”?  I’m yet to discover any.  I don’t find it as drying as most matte or long-lasting foundations and it doesn’t seem to cling to any dry patches at all… but I wouldn’t describe it as moisturising.

The other thing about it?  It’s not mask-like.  I love my Illamasqua Rich Liquid foundation for the evening… but would never venture out in the day wearing it.  It’s just too opaque.  This somehow lets my natural skin and tone remain clear whilst hiding a multitude of other sins!

Overall, I would particularly recommend Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation for those of you with normal/combination oily skin.  If you suffer from an oily t-zone but dry cheeks, be sure to moisturise any dry areas before applying and you should get great skin all day long with this foundation.

Paul & Joe have really been impressing me recently, I can’t wait to see what they have for Spring!

Paul & Joe’s Creamy Matte Foundation is priced at £28 for 30ml and available instore at Fenwicks & Harrods or alternatively online at BeautyBay.