A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Changes are afoot in the iconic shopping destination that is Liberty of London, the beauty hall has undergone a huge revamp and now boasts double the floorspace!

This will hopefully mark the end of shoe-horning my frame into impossible angles whilst trying to take a peek at the latest OPI & Essie shades.  I hate that little polish alcove with a passion.

An additional benefit to having all that extra space means more brands, perhaps most noteworthy is the introduction of U.S. brand Hourglass Cosmetics (Modesty Brown has some pics of the counter here) to the store’s portfolio!  Long-lusted after and previously available only online in the UK, it will be a treat to letch muse over the counter and have a close-up look!

Other new introductions to the beauty hall include Trish McEvoy, Bobbi Brown, Chantecaille, Dermalogica, Colbert MD, Decleor, Aromatherapy Associates and Sachajuan (phew!).  The store will also be expanding its rather fragrant ranges from Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Byredo and Malin + Goetz.

Have you checked out the newly renovated space at Liberty yet?

Following my pledge to suffocate the makeup snob in me that threatens to overwhelm, I spent a little while swatching at the Maybelline stand in my local Tesco the other evening.  OK, I swatched at all of them, I’m a quick healer.  Infact, I was gone for so long (just popping out for a pint of milk dear!) that Mr. L looked slightly white-faced when I returned home after 10pm having forgotten to take my phone.  Oops.

I thought I’d share some photos of my favourite purchase of the evening, Maybelline’s Eye Studio Mono Eye Shadow in Silken Taupe (£4.09)…

Alright, so it’s not exactly the Show Orchid of the eyeshadow world.  It’s taupe.  But damnit, I like my taupes… and I like them a lot.  Wanna know how much?  Well… here’s some potential dupes I pulled out…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Wait… there’s more…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Last one, I promise…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

The moral of this post of boring eyeshadows is…

a).  Go and buy Maybelline’s Silken Taupe right now.

b). Count your neutral shades and work out just how many millenia it will take to use them up.

c). If you want to borrow a taupe, you’ll have to ask elsewhere… I don’t seem to have very many, must rectify this.

.

* estee lauder’s tempting mocha was a pr sample

With celebrity fragrances reaching saturation point a couple of years ago, it’s not really surprising that 2010 saw a decline in both sales and new releases.  With anything so inextricably tied to fleeting popularity and snapshots of pop culture, it’s inevitable that these releases would be churned out rinse, wash, repeat style until we all got sick of smelling like a mixture of fruit, white flowers and vanilla.

Except, there’s always room for a latecomer to the party right?  Especially when it comes from a brand as big as Brand Kardashian.  The self-titled fragrance was actually released in the U.S. last year but saw it’s UK launch on Wednesday when hoardes of fans descended on Debenhams, Oxford Street for the chance to purchase a bottle and if lucky, catch a glance of Kim herself.

Floral top notes of mandarin, honeysuckle and orange blossom reflect Kim’s captivating nature; while at the heart, pink jasmine, tuberose, sensual spices and lush gardenia evoke her femininity. The last impression of tonka bean, jacaranda wood, vanilla orchid, sexy musk and creamy sandalwood add warmth to represent Kim’s softer side.

I haven’t had an opportunity to sniff it yet, so will try and spritz while in London today.  I’m expecting it to be all about the tuberose and anticipating bold things!

It’s worth pointing out that the Kim Kardashian 100ml Eau de Parfum is currently available at CheapSmells.com for £27.85, a sizeable saving when compared to the Debenhams online price of £40.00

Well, I’ve tried one and you still ain’t gonna convince me that I need scented nail polish.  Infact, if anything… the scent gave me a low-grade headache.  Me no like and I sniffed my fingers.  Once.  It made me feel like a pervert.

Scent-aside, Revlon’s Peach Smoothie is an adorable colour.  I can’t decide whether it makes me want to snuggle in a cable knitted jumper or go lick an ice-cream.  It transcends seasons with its peach loveliness.  Depending on your skintone you may also find this making a good nude shade.

It’s a little sheer and needs 3 full coats to avoid a VNL but I’ll forgive that because it’s a quick-dryer.  It contains a very pretty gold sparkle which isn’t quite as prominent as I would like.

Revlon Scented Nail Enamels are priced at £6.49 and available from Boots.com

* pr sample

I was recently introduced to a new salon-brand: Mii Cosmetics, who carry an astonishingly wide range of products.  The range is divided cleanly into two sections: Mineral and, well… non-mineral.  The mineral lineup is packaged in black boxes to clearly distinguish from the rest which you’ll find housed in white packaging.

From the bits that I’ve had the opportunity to play with, the bases in particular stand out as something special,  I can see one of them becoming a bit of a hero product for the brand, it’s not like anything I’ve come across before.

I’ll tell you more about that one a little later in the week… I know, I’m teasing… sorry.

I’ll begin with the straight-up, no-messing mineral foundation: Irresistible Face Base (£21), a loose mineral foundation powder with a sifter.  It comes in 7 shades and naturally, I’m showing you 01 Precious Porcelain.

Mii Cosmetics Perfect Mineral Brush (£28.95) also shown.

For an 01, it’s actually a little dark.  It matches me well enough but if you’re paler than a NW15 you might struggle with this.  I swatched it alongside my Bare Minerals foundation in fair and it was a good shade darker.  I find the Bare Minerals a little too light for me in the Summer months so, selfishly… this pleases me.

Swatched heavily on my hand, it looks a little warm but to my eye it’s pretty neutral once you take away the pink bias in my skin.  You should be able to make out the sheen in the swatch… less sparkly than my Bare Minerals but a little more glowy.  It also feels more finely milled than the Bare Minerals, which I have to admit, surprised me.

Having said that, it does offer less coverage.  A personal preference but I’m not skin-confident enough to wear this alone over bare skin.  However, combined with one of the other Mii Cosmetics bases (the one I’ll be showing you later in the week!), the pairing delivers flawless but dewy, natural looking skin.  My favourite kind.

A promising start!

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

* pr sample

In the four years since I first fell in love with makeup, I’ve become a snob.  Caused by a simple case of exposure, or should that be overexposure to brands.  Without wanting to sound like someone you’d like to stab in the kidney, I’m in the fortunate position where brands sometimes send me products to try for free but I can honestly say that in spite of this… I’ve never spent so much money on makeup and beauty products in my life.

Three years ago, I would have considered a MAC eyeshadow a luxury purchase and when all is said and done, at £11.50 for a bit of coloured powder in a pot.  It is.  Of course, it’s all relative really… I don’t earn more than I did three years ago but my priorities have changed and beauty hits the top spot for those hobby spends nowadays.

So back to this makeup snobbery.  It’s like a slow rot.  I almost find it hard to believe nowadays that I’m going to find the quality I’m looking for in a drugstore purchase.  That my now ‘more discerning’ tastes (I know, hit me) won’t be catered for on the high street.  Bull.  Shit.  I just might need to look a little harder… and I’d completely forgotten the excitement to be had in uncovering awesome gems for little monies (until last night!)

Now, that’s not to say I’m going to turn my back on my high end purchases (heaven forbid!)… I’m still a sucker for a bit of luxe packaging and that superficial (and it is!) thrill of owning something horribly covetable.  I just hereby promise to spend a little bit of time having a play in Superdrug again, I genuinely forgot how much fun it was to be LEFT. ALONE. to swatch!

Do you think “snobbery” is a natural progression for hobbies that become more consuming?  Have your purchasing habits changed much over the last few months/years?

~ Madame B Fatale tests a fun gimmicky product with some not so amazing results.

~ Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone, and slip into summer? Then be sure to check out this melon and teal makeup look over at theNotice – you won’t be disappointed!

~ Phyrra gives you her take on the Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Sticks.

~ AOYV shares her tryst with Inglot eyeshadows and shares with fellow Canadians how to access this fabulous brand.

~ Pammy Blogs Beauty finds a new “Holy Grail” product with MAC’s Prep & Prime Vibrancy Eye Primer.

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed is already thinking about fall – but she can’t help it, it’s Chanel! Come check out the Illusions d’Ombres De Chanel fall collection and you’ll understand why she’s so weak!

~ Vesna from Beauty addict blog has a thing for Inglot products lately! Her favorite Inglot item at the moment is definitely 420P eyeshadow so check out what she loves about it so much!

~ Beautywoome just reviewed the best airbrush tan EVER.

~ Not having a good day (like Tracy, at Beauty Reflections)? See how the Sephora Flashy Liner helped her to face the day!

~ Want a fancy perfume but hate the price? Jeweled Thumb finds something similar to a popular and expensive Juicy Couture one. Best part? It’s $10!

~ Beauty’s Bad Habit shares her five favourite make-up finds for under £5 because everyone loves a bargain!

~ Need a sheer foundation for summer? Check out My Lips But Better’s comparison chart for Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua vs. Clinique Moisture Surge. Which will be the winner?

~ Hair prone to frizz? With the weather in the UK always indecisive it’s good to find something that can control that frizz. Has LaaLaa over at Dolce Vanity found that with Sedu Anti Frizz Polishing Treatment?

~ MAC’s Big Bounce Shadows got a bad rap, but Kajal Couture shows you how to make them work.

~ Looking for a new curling iron? Sophie tries and tests the Remington Pearl Conical Wand!

~ Don’t have the budget for the Mac Big Bounce shadows? Jo checks out Rimmels 8 hour colour mousse and is very impressed!

~ Nicoletta’s Beauty Space tries out some of her favourite Sleek True Color lipsticks.

I don’t do French Manicures.  I love how they look all polished and pretty but they’re a pain in the proverbial backside for someone as OCD as me to get right.

Having said that, I spent a couple of hours attempting one whilst rotting my brain watching Living +1 the other day.  It was in aid for a guest post on another site that never went ahead and rather than waste my hard work, here it is!

Apologies if it’s a bit “teaching your grandmother to suck eggs”, the brief was to share French Manicure tips and this is the best but least yawn-inducing one I know!

After many years, it’s time to accept that some things will remain forever out of reach. Those Boyzone tour tickets, a bit-part in Friends and that pair of Clarks Magic Steps.  Up until a few years ago I’d have swapped all of ’em for the ability to give myself a pretty French Manicure!

I’d attempted it before with those fiddly sticker guides but they always wound up stuck to everything except my nails and if I did manage to attach one, it was wonky.

When I first discovered that professionals painted the tips ‘freehand’, I was filled with both a mixture of admiration and disappointment as I realised that I’d never own a steady-enough hand for that kind of artistry. But then I learned the secret…

Paint the ‘smile line’ (that’s the proper expression for the tip) with a white polish of your choice, trying to follow the natural line the best you can… then (and here’s the clever bit), cheat!

Take an old lip or eyeliner brush dipped in some nail polish remover and making tiny circular strokes, craft the perfect crescent! The remover will dissolve those tell-tale wobbles that give away your amateur skills! Who says cheats never prosper?

How’s your French Manicure skillz?  Do you bother with them?

I first fell in love with Tisserand’s Muscle Ease Bath Oil nearly two years ago and it’s been a continual repurchase ever since.

As far as I’m concerned, the Muscle Ease Bath Oil is the ultimate for the price.  In the past, I’ve paid nearly 4x that for half the quantity and although not disappointed with my purchase, it wasn’t 4x as gorgeous… a simple example of not being able to ignore the economics.

I knew they’d be nothing to dislike about the Muscle Ease Body Massage Oil… I mean, a). it’s an oil and b). it’s in one of my favourite spicy scents ever… what’s not to like?  I was right and it is indeed awesome.

Energy Revive is also amazingly potent but I’m not a fan of the scent blend which I find a little too ‘kitchen fresh’ if that makes sense… I like citrus but this doesn’t hit the right notes for my taste.

Also, I’ve not been using these as massage oils… which is a bit naughty because I was sent these to review and if I don’t use them as massage oils, how can I review them as such?  Well… I can’t.  Because Mr. L attempted a massage on me and I wanted to divorce him before 5 minutes had passed.  Irritating, diggy knuckles, wouldn’tstoptalking.

No body product (even when it’s gratis) is worth 7 years of marriage, 11 years of dating and a heartbroken 2 year old, sorry Tisserand.

I have however been using these as body oils both before and after showering.  I slather on some of the Muscle Ease one before jumping in the shower and get a blast of intoxicating ginger, lemongrass and other lovely stuff as the room fills with steam.  Once the taps are off, I spread a little more onto my wet skin to lock in the moisture and spend the rest of the day wanting to lick myself.

So there we have it, a ginormous thumbs up for the Muscle Ease Body Massage Oil, a Jif lemon thrown at the Energy Revive one and a kick up the bum for Mr. L for being a crap masseur.

Tisserand Body Massage Oils are priced at £8.10 each and are available to purchase from some of those funny independent pharmacies, Whole Foods or online at Tisserand.com

* pr sample

You may recall my bitter moans last week about how when presented with a rare opportunity to spend an indecent amount of time playing with makeup, I came up with something that looked no different from my everyday makeup.

So this weekend, I grabbed myself by the balls (cough) and reached for my brightest, scariest palette.

NARS Mediteranee.

Innit gorgeous?  And I’m sure it shouldn’t really work against my skintone… perhaps it doesn’t, but hell… I really love it anyway.

Don’t laugh… this is WAY out of my comfort zone nowadays.

I know I look super-snooty in the ‘looking down’ pics but you can’t see the ORANGE otherwise ‘cos of my hooded lids!

I think I scared Leila a bit. (OMG the CLOWNZ are coming!)

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?

My first Deborah Lippmann glitter polish.  It feels like every iconic DL polish comes with it’s own story firmly entrenched in popular culture.  Glitter in the Air was created by Deborah after she had watched Pink’s performance at the 2010 Grammy Awards (if you search on You Tube you can find it).

The most important thing you should note is that in the above swatch, I have LAYERED the Deborah Lippmann polish over Essie’s Sag Harbor.  The polish on my bare nail is VERY sheer… not a good look over yellow-stained tips.  I wanted you to be able to appreciate the glitter without the distractions from my ugly nails.

So again, I repeat… even with three coats… you will be able to see your own nail beneath Glitter in the Air unless you layer it over another colour.  Got that?  Right.

The overall effect of the mani reminds me of a baby’s birthday party… it’s ethereal, light, delicate and sunny.  A true feel-good polish for the playful amongst you.  It’s limited edition for Spring 2011 and has already disappeared from the website so if you want it?  Better get down to HoF fast!

£16 for 15ml at House of Fraser.  It’s undoubtedly pretty but has a hefty price tag to match.

* press sample

It’s Sunday, which in my world means Cake day… I haven’t decided what I’m making this week but seeing as I haven’t yet become bored of my new found love for the kitchen, I know I’m gonna enjoy making it.

Last week we had loads of leftover cherries thanks to Leila deciding that she wasn’t going to like cherries anymore.  Those things are expensive and I couldn’t take watching them slowly grow fur in the fridge.  I googled for some recipes and came across one for a tasty sounding Hungarian Sour Cherry Cake.

Now, I have no idea if my cherries were sour or not, they tasted pretty ropey so I thought they’d probably do.

1 8″ cake tin (greased and floured)

225g unsalted butter (please do use proper butter, I risked it with baking type butter and it had a distinct marg taste)
1⅓ cup caster sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon rum
2½ cups sifted plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sifted icing sugar to decorate

2 cups fresh cherries (take the stones out)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Cream the butter and caster sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs and combine well.

2. Add the vanilla or rum.

3. Fold the flour and baking powder into the wet mixture.

4. Pour the thick batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface.

5. Press the cherries into the batter evenly.  Just keep pushing the cherries further into the mixture until you’ve used them all up.

6. Combine the cinnamon and granulated sugar and sprinkle evenly over the cherries.

7. Place the tin in the lower middle of a preheated 170C oven (fan oven) and bake for 1hr, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.

It needed more cherries… I only had 1 cup.  I ended up spreading the slices with cherry jam.  Decadent!

Have a lovely, restful Sunday!