A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You may have noticed that I’m not a prolific MAC buyer… it’s not some conscious decision to avoid MAC, I just don’t have access to the brand in Southampton.  My nearest MAC store is a good 45 minute drive away and so I generally only pick up bits and bobs when I’m in London.

Last time I was in the MAC store in Covent Garden, I was enjoying the company of Katie from My Lips But Better and she pointed out this MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder to me.  Well, actually… she kinda dragged me to the pot and insisted that I HAD to play with it.  It was love at first touch… a liquid/powder/uber cool thing?  Get. In. My. Bag.

I used the tip of a pen to pop some holes through the sticker covering the sifter but it doesn’t actually work that well as the powder is reluctant to dispense without a lot of tapping.  I think you’d be better off peeling back about a quarter of the sticker and snipping the excess.

So, what is this Magically Cool Liquid Powder thing all about anyway?  I’ll let MAC explain…

An alchemical fusion that charms water droplets into a loose powder while remaining over 50 percent H2O.

This feather-light silky powder goes on with the refreshing impact of an ocean mist.
What’s more, this magical melange contains just enough optical blurring via its light-diffusing pigments to render skin’s surface into line-softened, natural luminosity.

How magical is that?

Magical indeed… I’ve swatched it heavily below so you can see the shade.

I bought the palest shade of the three available, Truth & Light.  At the time of purchasing, I thought I was buying it as a highlighter… but I’m delighted to be able to wear it as a setting powder.  I think of it in the same way I think of my Guerlain Metorites.  A light dusting for an added dimension of luminosity.

A significant difference with the MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder though is in its longevity.  The swatch above needed to be washed off, rubbing with my hand wouldn’t budge it!  This makes for an excellent setting powder but some tricky application issues.

I initially applied this with a normal powder brush and it transferred way too much product to my face.  If you apply too much, it balls up and will not blend, not to mention it sits there caked on your face looking pretty awful.  I’ve since started using my Sonia Kashuk stippling brush which deposits the perfect amount of product and delivers a wonderful cooling sensation!

Horrible photo but hopefully you can make out a bit of sheen (NO SPARKLE!) where the light hits my cheeks.

I’m really pleased with my purchase, one of my favourites MAC buys in a very long time!

MAC Magically Cool Liquid Powder is available on counter and online priced at £23.50 for 28g of product.

Seeing as I’m embarking on the sun protection series, it would be remiss of me not to mention that throughout the month of June, Cover FX will be making donations to Skcin, The Karen Clifford Skin Cancer Charity in the UK.

But we can get them to donate MOAR!  Check it out…

If you’re looking for new Summer skin protection and like the look of their wares… Cover FX will rightly donate more on purchases of Cover FX SkinTint FX (SPF 30) and Cover FX BritePrep FX (SPF 50).

And here’s something we can all do to get them coughing up with no spends on our behalf…

Click “Like” on the Cover FX Facebook Page to ensure a 25¢ donation to skin cancer research.

Cover FX products are available from select Harvey Nichols, Harveynichols.com, House Of Fraser and houseoffraser.co.uk.  You can follow their efforts via the #saveface hash tag on Twitter.

I know you shouldn’t love something for the packaging.  It’s shallow, meaningless and downright silly.  But I do love these SpaRitual polishes in particular for their packaging.  The rubberised handles with built-in grips, curvacious bottles that kinda remind me of ancient urns or something.

Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things but I guess it’s those little touches to a brand that set them apart from the rest.  That and the fact that these aren’t shatter top coats right? 😉

Pebble is a beautiful grey with just a hint of brown.  Not enough to make it a taupe… but enough to warm it up a touch.  The above swatch shows three coats but you could get away with two thicker coats as the coverage is more than acceptable as was the application.

L-R: Native Rock, Sacred Sands, Pebble, Moss, Driftwood, Twig

It’s a very laid-back Summer offering with no brights in sight but the Driftwood and Moss look particularly interesting.

I was also sent Native Rock from the new collection which I’ll show you later in the week. Are any of the shades from the new Summer collection catching your eye?

SpaRitual nail polishes (£8.50) are available to purchase directly from the SpaRitual website and spas/salons.

With the pitiful summer we’ve been experiencing so far, we could do with some extra help in the body-beautiful department and I may have just the thing!

Dove Spa are offering a tan-tastic deal on a St. Tropez spray tan.  You have until the 9th July to try the treatment for just £10 (normal RRP £25).

Check here for Dove Spa locations (they’re not just in London!) and you can give them a ring on 0844 875 1575 to book an appointment.

This is unexplored territory for me… white.  It’s one of those nail shades that suddenly become “bang on trend” and throw everyone into a fizz of polarised opinions on how great/terrible it looks!

Butter London’s Cream Tea isn’t a pure, stark white.  As the name might suggest, it’s a slightly creamy white that would work nicely for the tips in French manicures were it not so sheer.  The above shows three coats and there’s still a certain veil-like quality to the finish.

I’m on the fence… I think it’s one of those shades you appreciate more freely on someone else’s fingers than your own.

Butter London Cream Tea is available online from Powder Rooms priced at £11.95

What say you?  Do you ever wear white or off-white polishes?

The lucky winner of the delightful Esme Perfume Pendant is….

*insert dramatic X-Factor style pause here*

Ann Grey

Congratulations Ann, please get in touch with your postal details so I can get this little beaut whisked off to you ASAP.

I’ve got another giveaway coming up next Monday so stay tuned!

NOTE: I’m breaking the sun protection series into small chunks because I can only take so many -enzones before I want to pull my eyes out.  If it seems a little disjointed, bear with me.  Making a series like this coherent may prove to be my biggest challenge!  I hope you find it useful.

Talking about sun protection is such a minefield and I’m certainly no expert, infact I’m not in any legitimate place to be talking to you or posting about the topic.  So why am I?

Well, for all the science and controversy that surrounds the subject… as a consumer, I just want to know one thing.

Which easy-to-wear sun protection should I buy to give me the best UVA/UVB protection without risk of potential harm from its formulation?

It’s not much to ask is it?  So why am I still searching?

photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

Let’s break the question into its three key segments to ensure we’re on the same page before continuing with the series.  What I’m essentially looking for is…

1). Sun protection that wears like a dream.  For the majority, this means: A lightweight formula that applies like an invisible veil alongside other products I use and causes no skin irritations, breakouts or dryness.

2). The best UVA/UVB protection available that will protect my skin both from burning, sun sensitivity and cancers but also prevent premature aging.

3). NO risk of interaction with my hormones, winding up those pesky free radicals and preferably doesn’t penetrate the skin at all.

C’mon… we can put man on the moon but we can’t create a simple answer to an ideal sun protection?

Coming up next, Sun Protection 101: Part 2 – What we’ve got…

I’ve just received word of something tres exciting to interrupt a boring Monday!

Debenhams have announced today that they’ll be slashing the VAT on over 300 beauty products from lines including: Guerlain, Benefit, Elemis, Lancome, YSL, Clinique and Clarins until the 31st July 2011.

Sara Stern, Director of Beauty at Debenhams said: “Whether customers are holidaying abroad or staycationing this year, we wanted to give everyone a kick start to summer.  Our duty free cuts across a fabulous range of the nation’s favourite beauty products have done exactly that, saving shoppers money on everyday essentials and a top name treats”.

Can I get a whoop whoop?!

The new cream shadow range from Bare Escentuals had me foaming at the mouth when I saw swatches of them over on Temptalia earlier this month.  I’m a cream eyeshadow fan, there’s nothing like them for a quick application and depending on the brand and packaging, you can often get away with just using your fingers to blend.  A lazy girl’s dream.

Six shades will be available in the UK from August 1st, with one particualarly special looking duo-chrome (Urban Nature) that is bound to set many hearts-a-racing.

• Urban Nature – duochrome khaki/purple
• Racing Green – vivid forest green
• Sundance – metallic peach which leans toward gold
• Bronzed Twig – the ubiquitous bronze
• Gunmetal – pewter grey
• Chroma Violet – purple with silver shimmer

I’ve been playing with the shade Chroma Violet for almost a week and have a few thoughts about the formula, longevity and price.

Let’s get the (very small) elephant in the room out of the way first.  Size.  These things are tiny.  I’ve photographed a MAC Paint alongside for reference.  Considering the UK are receiving them priced at £16 a pop, we’re not getting a whole lot of product for a considerable amount of money.

A Chanel Ombre D’eau costs £3.60 per ml.  A Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadow will set you back £5.33 per ml.  Value for money?  Frankly, I would like to see more product for the price.

Having said that, Chroma Violet is beautiful.  It’s a stunning purple that doesn’t move an inch on my lids once set.  I can blend the edges with my fingers easily and it doesn’t do that thing of sheering out too much leaving only sparkle.  It’s a pretty awesome cream shadow with a punch of pigment.  Very awesome infact.  Very expensive (no, I’m not letting that go), but truly high quality.

I’ve also worn this as a priming base for an intense smokey eye.  A wash all over with Maybelline’s Cosmic Black blended in the crease and pulled down into the purple.  It was one of the least fussy but most effective smokey eyes I’ve done and it lasted through both a swim and a night out in London!

It’s because of the quality that I know I’ll take myself to the boutique in Covent Garden next time I’m in London to buy the gunmetal shade… I feel a little hypocritical moaning about the price of these when I’m still considering picking up another Armani ETKI and they don’t even last on my lids!

The Bare Escentuals Prime Time Primer Shadows will be available on counter from August 1st priced at £16 each.

Do you stretch the budget if something ticks all the right boxes?

* PR Sample

I mentioned this new Mii Cosmetics base last week as something a li’l special.  I’ve been wearing it solidly since then in an effort to pin down exactly what it is that makes it stand out for me…

I mean look at it…

It’s a bit too dark and a bit too peachy.  It comes in a big plunge pot and heaven knows, I hate getting product under my finger nails.

This is the lightest of 5 shades, 01 Gentle Glow and you get 25g of product for your pennies.  If you’re paler than a NW15 – I would be hesitant to recommend it at all.  Yes, it’s sheer and has the potential to blend without too much bother but really… the colour may well limit your enjoyment of this product.  And that’s a shame, because this is an awesome base.

Mii Cosmetics Illuminating Face Base (£25.20) is for drier skin types and in my humble opinion, you won’t appreciate this product if you’re oily… it’s incredibly luminizing without sheen or glitter, imparting moisture and dewiness as if by magic.

I suffer the kind of dryness that concentrates itself in tiny flakes around my nose and eyebrows, I occasionally get scaly patches under my eyes and when things are out of control in the winter, a general dullness to the overall appearance of my skin.  I don’t have anything as bad as that at the moment… but I know how it feels on my skin in comparison to other products I’ve used and I’m going to love this when the weather turns cooler.

It’s sheer… more like a tinted moisturizer, don’t expect blemish coverage but it will dampen mild redness and uneven skintones nicely.  It’s very creamy and my preferred method of application is with my fingers because I can literally feel the product melting and gliding more smoothly as it heats up from the warmth.  Once on, I bounce my (dry) beauty blender over my skin to remove any excess (something I do with most foundations that I use my fingers to apply) and set with a finishing powder.

For extra coverage, I wait a few minutes (it feels quite ‘wet’ when you first apply) before going back in with a light dusting of mineral foundation.

Want to see a direct before/after comparison?  I didn’t finish off with any additional powder because I thought you might like to see the coverage…

I would love, LOVE Mii to create something with the same formula but with slightly heavier coverage and in a tube.  I would literally sell Leila’s Granny (sorry Mum) for that product.  As it stands… I’m still hugely enamoured.  It’s dewy, fairly long-lasting (about 8hrs with a little slip on my nose) and doesn’t grumble when I slap other face products over it to get better coverage.

Here’s a shot showing the base combined with finishing powder (MAC Magically Cool <3)…

If you already have awesome normal or normal/dry skin and you’re looking for sheer, summer coverage… do see if you can discover Mii Cosmetics Illuminating Face Base.  I really don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Mii Cosmetics are sold exclusively in Spas/Salons, call 0845 217 1360 to find your nearest.

* PR sample

Let’s have a ’round the blogosphere’ love in…

Tell us what’s in your purse right now…

That means handbag right?

Mine contains: a billion tissues, my purse (what do you call a purse if your handbag is a purse?), 2 lipsticks (burberry and rimmel), MAC MSF Natural, BE Flawless Face brush, NARS Torrid Blush, compact camera, 7p in loose change, half empty bottle of water, bunch o’ receipts, mobile phone, car keys, tangle teezer, blue inhaler, leila-sized hair clips and my travalo perfume atomiser.  Boring stuff really!

we heart this – takes a look at MAC’s Beauty Balm. If you’re the right candidate, you may just have an HG on your hands…

Beauty Junkies Unite – Amber test drives the new COVERGIRL NatureLuxe Mousse Mascara to see if it’s worth picking up on your next drugstore beauty adventure!

Clumps of Mascara – has a guest editor show us lovely swatches of the MAC Surf Baby collection. See any must haves?

EauMG – EauMG reviews a limited edition Thierry Mugler men’s fragrance just in time for Father’s Day. It’s so good you may just want it for yourself!

Lipglossiping – takes you on a tour around her small but perfectly formed BB Cream collection!

Nouveau Cheap – is in love with NYC’s new Liquid Lipshines and wants to share the love with you. Enter now for a chance to win all ten shades!

Orange to LA – is getting colorful with Bright Eyes For Summer, see her swatches for ways to mix-n-match neutral eye shadows with fun, bright, bold eyeliner!

Pink Sith – Gives you a sneak peak at one of the NEW Chanel Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows being released in late July. And Yes. It’s TAUPE!

Phyrra – takes a trip to Siberia with NARS Sheer Glow foundation.

.

Your turn to tell us what’s in your purse right now?

Whilst in London last week, I trotted along to Gielly Green, a boutique hair and beauty salon located just off Baker Street hopeful that Shai Greenburg, co-founder and creative director would be the man to inject some life into my tired hair.

I’m finally past that awful ‘growing out’ stage and to get it there, I’d been dodging regular haircuts left, right and centre since Christmas.  I know you’re not supposed to but we all know how tempting it is to eschew the snip in favour of growing length more quickly!

It also doesn’t help that in general, I’m not the biggest fan of going to hair salons.  I’m not massively precious about my locks but I detest (in order of distaste):

1. Salon small-talk (going anywhere nice this Summer?)

2. Being made to feel like a reprobate for colouring my hair at home.

3. Having to coax recommendations out of nervous stylists about what they think I should do re: styling.  I’m paying them for their expertise right?  If a full fringe will make me look like a git, I want them to tell me!

Better tell you about Gielly Green then…

The salon is a chilled-out space with brown and cream accents, seating you could drift off in and one of the most comfortable hair-washing experiences (electric chairs sweetie!) I’ve ever had.

Prior to washing, Shai asked me to take my hair down from the bun I’d scraped it in and I momentarily panicked that he would admonish me for failing to remember to brush my hair that morning.  Passing no judgement (at least none that I could see), Shai felt my hair’s texture before recommending which products should be used for the wash.  It was a good example of the personalisation I felt was key to the salon experience.

Once seated at the workstation, I explained to Shai that I didn’t want to lose too much length because I like to wear my hair up but that my two main objectives were to restore health and incorporate some ‘kind’ of style without going too heavy on the layers.

Then came the dreaded moment as he lifted my slightly pathetic 4-stranded side fringe between his fingers.  I braced myself for the question that I still didn’t have the answer to…

“This fringe, it’s not really doing anything…” he said before continuing…

“Shall we make it a little thicker, more substantial?  I don’t want to go too thick, your hair is quite fine… but a little more depth would suit your face shape.”

“err yes, ok” I nodded.  OMG, that was easy – he *actually* considered what would suit both my hair AND face shape.  I heard birds singing and harps playing in the distance.

It made me bold… I pushed him a little on the thick fringe question.  Here stood a man, a professional who had just proven he had the cajones to TELL me, the customer what he would recommend.  I couldn’t resist…

“I do like the look of a heavy, straight fringe though…”

He smiled a little wryly but not unkindly, like he knew I was being mischievous and gently motioned how far back he felt he’d have to cut the hair for the thickness of fringe I desired, explaining that I would lose a lot of volume in the process but was happy to do so if I wanted.  I quickly dispelled the thick fringe idea and settled back into the chair like a good girl, finally confident that I had a considered answer to a question that had plagued me for months.

Shai is quick, his scissors moved over my hair in a blur… he doesn’t talk much, if at all when he’s working.  It was momentarily awkward as I wondered whether I should initiate a conversation before giving in to the silence and simply enjoying watching him work.

30 minutes later and we were done, I had beautifully feminine, soft, flippy hair that looked healthy and shiny!

The layers are perfect, I can still scrape my hair back into a ponytail without the need for hairgrips.  The ends feel lighter, less weighty and my fringe… although still not that Zooey Deschanel dream, is definitely serving more purpose than its first non-commital attempt with my last stylist.  A good, uplifting experience… and best of all, he didn’t mention my dodgy home-colouring once!

Prices start from £45 for a cut and finish with a junior stylist.  You can visit the Gielly Green website for more information, services and even book your appointment online.

* I was invited for a complimentary cut and finish as a guest of the salon