A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You may have noticed that things are looking a bit wonky around here.  Ad placements a bit skewed, links appearing and disappearing?  Well, that’s because Mr. L is working tirelessly on a site redesign and I’m hoping to go live with it later in the week!

I’m a little bit excited (understatement) because I’ve wanted the site to be more navigable for a long time.  There’s so many posts now and a lot of them never see the light of day thanks to a rubbish category nav system.  Hopefully, this will soon be improved, though if you’re like me, it might take some getting used to.

I hate it when websites change, I’m used to clicking on certain buttons to achieve certain things and when I get the rug pulled from under me, I’m not a happy bunny.  I hope you like the changes and get used to them quickly!

Also, I’m attempting a FAQ page… and this is where you come in.  Do you have any burning questions? About the site? Blogging?  Would it be useful to know things like my shade matches in foundation?

Anyway, if you have a question – I’d love for you to take a minute to pop it in the form below and hit send, it’s all completely anonymous (which I’ll probably regret!)

Thank you, I appreciate it (unless you just took the opportunity to mean ;))

When the new site goes live, please let me know if you notice any problems or bugs and I’ll get my whip out.

UK ladies, you don’t have long left to enter to win a fabulous prize…

WIN A £100 URBAN RETREAT VOUCHER PLUS A PAMPER HAMPER!

Head over to the secret page on Beautique that’s been reserved for Lipglossiping readers and answer one simple question.

Get your skates on and don’t forget that aswell as London, there’s an Urban Retreat in Manchester too!  Northern ladies – you’re not left out.  Good luck lovelies!

Have no real use for your retinas?  Good… read on then…

Eyeko Punk Polish is a searingly obvious fluoro-pink!  If you want people to comment on your tips (I said tips), opt for a shade as blisteringly bright as this one!

As a mega Clash fan, I’m a little partial to the shade that proclaims on its website: “Pink is the only true rock n roll colour” Paul Simonon.

It’s quite thick and needs speedy work to get it to apply nicely… but if you can persevere with the less-than-perfect application, the results are worth it!

Two coats to achieve opacity and perfectly fine wear make this a great Summer choice.  Do combine with a top coat for a glossy finish though, as with most neon or near-neon shades, this has a tendency to dry a little matte.

Eyeko Punk Polish is available to buy online from Eyeko or at the original (pre price-hike price) from PowderRooms.

Brand loyalty is a funny old thing.  Personally, I don’t think I’m brand loyal so much as product-loyal but I can definitely name a couple of brands that seem to attract super-fans.

Liz Earle is the one that always initially springs to mind.  Their supporters go crazy for the brand, the products, the shows… infact, both the brands that I had in mind when considering this post present on QVC.  Coincidence?

When I went to the Isle of Wight last year to attend Liz Earle’s 15th Anniversary Event… it opened my eyes.  I didn’t realise that us women could be so passionate about a brand.  Beauty in general?  Yes.  But a single brand?  A company?  A business?  I was left bemused by the (literally hordes of) women doing their utmost to maintain a sense of middle-class decorum while simultaneously clambering to get close to ANYONE at the event who looked like they were representing the brand.  It was the politest scrum I’ve ever been in!

Of course, it helps that at the head of this company… is Liz Earle.  Instantly likable on screen, she always appears effortlessly chic, calm and collected.  When she opens her mouth, she’s eloquent, charismatic… engaging and most of all, appears interested in what others have to say.  Yes, I’ll admit – I’m under her spell too.  Infact, I won’t name names… but I was in the company of a perfectly intelligent blogger (kinda) who’s words as we left the room in which we’d been introduced to Liz went something along the lines of… “OMG… I want a mummy Liz.  Do you think I can get her to adopt me?”  Of course, it was said in jest… and incited a riotous giggle amongst a group of women who are old enough to know better but it showed the Liz effect in full force!

I suppose that the phenomena could be attributed directly to the products.  If you find the solution to a skincare problem that’s plagued you for years within your Cleanse & Polish, your interest in everything the brand releases is going to be piqued.  And in all honesty, as superficial as we’re told all this beauty nonsense is… it runs deep for many of us.

Infact, as I write that last paragraph, I’m beginning to feel a little shame-faced and hypocritical.  I may not be evangelical about Cleanse & Polish (I don’t get the hype) but there is a certain product that I will forever hold in the highest regard and as such, it’s had a knock-on effect to the rest of this particular Antipodean brand.  My fangirl self even gets annoyed when I hear of other people not loving their products as much as I do!  Common sense?  Where did you disappear to?!

In analysing my own feelings for this brand, I can stem my cheerleading from the moment one of their products worked wonders on an issue that was troubling me in a way that did go deeper than the superficial.  In solving the physical issue it also removed a weight from my shoulders.

Oh dear… I’ve just thought of another brand that encourages my inner rah-rah girl.  Sigh, there goes my delusions of being even just a tiny bit cool.

Perhaps, before scoffing at what I perceive as other people’s foibles… I should remind myself that we all have a fangirl inside of us just waiting for that miracle product to bring her out, pom-poms flailing.

.

Which brands do you think attract super-fans?  Do YOU have the potential to be a fangirl?

I’m subscribed to KGBDeal updates and this one landed in my email inbox yesterday…

You can choose one of these eyeshadow kits for £16.99 (p&p inc. in the price).  I have a couple of Bellapierre single eyeshadows already but have never tried the makeup base (which appears to be a cross between a pigment mattifier and primer) or any of the brushes.

So what do you get for £16.99?

Kit Includes:
• 3 Shimmer Powders (2.35g)
• 1 Make Up Base (8.5g)
• 1 Liner Brush
• 1 Oval Eye Shadow Brush

On the Bellapierre website, the kit ordinarily retails for £39.99 which is a saving of 63% over the original price.

The colour choices are as follows:

I’m struggling to choose between the browns, blues or purples but definitely leaning toward the purples at the moment.  If you decide to plump for the deal, it’s available for the next 6 days only.

I thought it might be useful to include a swatch (dry, no primer) of the Bellapierre shadows that I own, so for your viewing pleasure: Jadoo and Celebration

.

Will you be taking advantage of the KGBDeals/Bellapierre offer?

~ Miss Beauty Nerd dishes on Asia’s hottest and most coveted product – BB Creams!!

~ Jellyminx shares a Jessie J inspired makeup tutorial.

~ K from Beautifully Addicted To gives us a look at ELF Mineral Glosses.

~ Anita over at Pleasureflush sorts through her stash of mascaras to find out which ones are keepers and which ones are heading for the bin!

~ Fee at Makeup Savvy takes on this year’s Spring/Summer key fashion trends with a series of inspired nail art tutorials!

~ Phyrra’s Indie Spotlight for March is Epically Epic Soap Co. Learn all about Allison!

~ Getting downright Dirty with LUSH makes for one very clean-smelling Lipglossiping!

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed swatches spring blushes and tries to decide between Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent!

~ Ooh, shatter! Musicalhouses shows you an awesome black and silver shatter NOTD with Barry M Instant Nail Effects!

~ Krasey Beauty hobnobs with makeup royalty, and learns of new beauty releases, while she’s at it!

~ Beauty’s Bad Habit shares her favourite eyeshadow bases and primers for vivid, ‘life proof’ eye make-up that lasts.

~ Checked outELF’s black bottles yet? Queen of Turquoise has!

~ Welcome to your new addiction – Alyson reviews the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams at The Gloss Menagerie.

~ Tracy at Beauty Reflections gets a 70s makeup vibe with Rimmel Glam’eyes Quad Eye Shadow that fits right in with the 70s fashion trend!

~ The Pink Sith won’t be able to kill your lemming for this new Armani Beauty Eyes To Kill Intense Silk Eyeshadow in # 4 Pulp Fiction.

~ Who said neutrals can’t be dramatic, Madame B Fatale shows you how!

~ Kimberly takes the Dare To Wear Charity Challenge: For Japan Are you up for the challenge?

~ Hop in the car for a roadtrip with My Lips But Better and OPI’s Fall 2011 collection, Touring America.

~ Are you a Kate or a Vanessa? You’ll find the answer at Musing on Beauty, by comparing Chanel Rouge Coco Shine and Dior Addict lipsticks.

~ The Chantecaille Sea Turtle palette came swimming into Cindy’s life, see if she thinks it’s worth the $79 price tag.

***

~ Did you hear? BarryM may come to Canada!! To celebrate Spiced Beauty is giving away a huge 5-piece prize pack.

~ Want to win 2 NARS blushes + other goodies? All you have to do is be a follower of StealMyHeartLovee’s blog for a chance to win.

~ Music and Makeup has been going for 2 years! Jo celebrates with a giveaway of some of her favourite products.

~ theNotice is giving away a ridiculously glittery Honeycat Cosmetics lipgloss. Whether you’re a cat lover or a glitter girl, you *need* to check it out!

“He loves me, He loves me not…” is a rhyme that many of us will remember from the days when Summer holidays seemed to stretch an eternity and the biggest worry we had was whether or not we’d be able to sneak a jammie dodger from the biscuit tin before bed.

Of course, that particular rhyme meant very little unless we were clutching a fistful of daisies in our hands (we needed more than one incase we got the dreaded “he loves me not”).

Yardley LONDON, one of England’s oldest fragrance houses, re-launched last September with reformulated and repackaged products in a bid to re-energise the brand.  I would imagine that re-launching a brand so quintessentially English, with 240 years of history is not an easy task.  Obviously they need to stay true to their heritage and their loyal customers but in 2011, they clearly need to look to enhance the image of the brand in the eyes of the younger generations aswell.

Enter the Royal English Daisy Collection…

Perfume house Yardley LONDON have introduced the new fragrance collection to coincide with the imminent Royal Wedding.  Based around the perceived fragrance of daisies (the flowers have no actual fragrance), the limited edition range comprises of three products.

Royal English Daisy Eau de Toilette 50ml (£9.99)
Royal English Daisy Body Spray 75ml (£2.49)
Royal English Daisy Moisturising Body Lotion 250ml (£5.95)

Daisies have long been a favorite of many, as they represent loyal love and innocence. They have the ability to bring a smile to a face or brighten a room like a golden ray of sunshine.

Yardley London’s Royal English Daisy is an elegant dewy fresh, green floral fragrance, reminiscent of flower filled meadows in the spring sunshine. It opens with a burst of energetic top notes in the form of fresh green leaves and apple, combined with a heart of hyacinth and white rose, enhanced with warm base notes of sandalwood and musk.

It seems fitting to me that the brand who (are in possession of 2 Royal warrants), be the ones to commemorate and combine this Royal extravaganza with the classic British daisy.

The fragrance itself, was inspired by the future princess, Miss Catherine Middleton.  Yardley London wanted to create a new youthful, light and fun fragrance and they believe that they’ve successfully encapsluated her beauty, energetic and fun-loving character within the scent.

I find the fragrance in all three products to be light, airy and most definitely spring-like.  Not intoxicating enough for warm Summer evenings but perfect to spritz on in the mornings.  It reminds me of cool linens and long grasses… it’s sharp at first, the EDT… alcohol-heavy… but the dry down removes the acidity and what remains is crisp apple and white flowers.  It’s fresh, floral and a bit fruity.

My particular favourite from the range has to be the Moisturising Body Lotion, though I’d personally describe it as a light lotion.  It contains the same gentle scent that manages to linger on my skin for a surprising length of time.  It absorbs quickly, leaving behind softened skin that also feels slightly cooled.  For me, this product is going to be a Summer essential.  I’ve enquired about whether or not Yardley London have any plans to introduce the body lotion formula to their other scents.  No plans at the moment, but my goodness they must!

The range is available to purchase now from Boots, Lloyds Chemists and online.  Be sure to go and give it a sniff while it’s still available to buy, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you discover from this re-invigorated, heritage brand.  I certainly was.

…and what, in all honesty is prettier than this?

Estée Lauder Radiant Bloom  – RRP £95.00

and this…

Estée Lauder Precious Bluebirds – RRP £250.00

and most definitely this…

Estée Lauder White Linen Jewelled Sea Turtle, RRP: £320.00

Every year since 1963, Estée Lauder has introduced a collection of limited-edition solid perfume and powder compacts. These delicate pieces enjoy a worldwide following among collectors with their intricate and ornate designs. Nothing speaks to Estēe Lauder’s great legacy like these treasured collectables.

These exquisite miniature designs are available to collect and cherish. Each enamel and sparkling crystal compact is filled with either Lucidity Translucent Pressed Powder or a classic Estée Lauder Solid Perfume.

The Spring/Summer 2011 collection of compacts are available exclusively at the Estée Lauder counters at Harrods from March 2011 for a limited period only.

Now excuse me, I’m off to root around down the back of the sofa.  If I don’t find a spare £320 back there, I may at least find a chocolate button to console myself with.

.

Which one is your favourite?

Welcome to the inaugural post for The Lipstick League! We are a group of beauty bloggers, bound together by the desire to save the world with beauty, one post at a time!

Once a week, each member of The Lipstick League will select a favorite post from their blog and we’ll assemble the links in one tidy weekly post for your reading pleasure.

We’ve gathered together a fantastic group of beauty bloggers whose content spans the world of beauty on topics such as makeup, skin care, nail care, fragrance and beyond!

To add a bit of personality to these posts, we’ll also ask each Lipstick League member to answer a “Question of the Week”, which they will answer on their own post. So be sure to check all the member’s responses!

We hope you enjoy these weekly posts—we are so proud of the group we’ve assembled and we can’t wait to share this great content with you, our readers!

The Question of the Week for this inaugural post is:

If you could only wear one lip product for the rest of all time (gasp!), what would it be?

Oh my, you can’t make me choose just one!  OK, ok… Well, it’s gonna have to be Lanolips in Apple.  I toyed with the idea of the original Lanolips 101 but I’d miss colour too much!  You’re mean!

.

Here are this week’s links…

Beauty Junkies Unite – just can’t get enough of Urban Decay’s Greed Eyeshadow Primer Potion.

Clumps of Mascara – tried brown eyeliner for the first time. It wasn’t what she thought it was.

EauMG – reviews a NEST candle. It’s fragrance will put a smile on your face.

Nouveau Cheap – puts the new Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer to the test. Does it really give you 400% shiner nails in seconds?

Orange to LA – has her first experience with Jill Stuart Cream Eye Shadows, see if these shimmery shadows get you noticed!

Pink Sith – is finally able to get some much needed color on to her pale cheeks thanks to Yves Saint Laurent Creme de Blush # 5. No Pinching required!

Phyrra – discusses foundations, skin undertones & overtones and shows you her naked face!

Vampy Varnish – Zoya ModMattes Collection for Spring 2011 swatches & review.

we heart this – takes a look at the new Hourglass Aura Cheek and Lip Stains. Finally, a stain that you can be happy about!

.

What do you think readers? If YOU could only wear one lip product for the rest of all time (gasp!), what would it be?

See you next week!
~The Lipstick League

Got a picky Mum?  A lady for whom a Superdrug giftset just won’t do?  No, me neither (thank God!) but if you do… here’s some prime picks that might settle the hunger in her belly!

The best Mother’s Day Gifts for between £30 – £50!

1. Liz Earle Botanical Essence™ Eau de parfum No.1* (£40.35)

For our first ever fragrance we’ve used the finest natural botanical ingredients from around the world and the expert skills of a distinguished perfumer from Grasse, France.  We gave him the time to indulge in the age-old art of perfumery, skilfully hand-crafting this complex scent with true passion to create this vibrant, sparkling fragrance translating into warmth and sensuality.  This sensuous fragrance can be worn every day.

Well, let’s just be honest here… it’s Liz Earle meets perfume innit.  If your Mum is like most Mums out there, she’ll fall over herself to rip the carefully chosen wrapping paper off this one.

2. Eve Lom TLC Cream* (£50.00)

This intensive cream gives tender, loving care to dry and very dry skins types and is ideal for more mature complexions.  The most luxurious of all rose oils, Rose Otto of Bulgaria gently softens lines and wrinkles and imparts a delicious aroma.

A very rich cream that is ideal as an overnight treatment for softening and reinvigorating the tightest of skin types.  To put it simply, go to bed with tight, aggravated skin and wake up with supple and hydrated skin.  It’s very thick but warms up well and absorbs effectively through the night.  Mostly?  I love the rose scent.  It’s a comfort cream for poorly skins.

3. Aspinal of London Lipstick Case (£35.00)

Protect your favourite lipstick in style with this lipstick case handmade in gorgeous mock croc calf leather and lined in shimmering grosgrain.  Designed to hold one lipstick, the case closes securely with a popper fastening and even has a small handy mirror.

Squee cute much?  If pink ain’t your *cough* Mum’s thing, it’s available in a host of other colours too!

4. Oskia Renaissance Mask (£48.50)

Designed to increase cell turnover, boost radiance and packed with OSKIA’s trademark blend of beauty-boosting nutrients, this luxuriously-textured exfoliating mask leaves the complexion smoother, more refined and illuminated. Our testing panel thought its natural perfume so delicious they wanted to eat it!

Oskia have a great reputation for their “nutritionally-designed, natural skincare range” which is all about supplying the skin with a ‘diet’ of skincare goodies that include vitamins, minerals, amino acids and glucides.  If your Mum is a lover of oraganic, natural products, then you won’t go far wrong with Oskia who are proud of their ECOCERT credentials.

The Renaissance Mask promises to be a real treat, providing instant results and rinsing tired skin down the plughole to reveal a fresher you!

5. Jimmy Choo Eau de Parfum (£38.50)

Femininity, luxury and style… bottled.  Green top notes give a burst of freshness, a heart of Tiger Orchid lends a creamy seductiveness, and sensual base notes of toffee and Indonesian patchouli. A modern fruity-chypre.

The best things come to those who wait and the base notes contained in the EDP are lovely.  Despite it’s base of toffee, it manages to be sweet without being cloying… they describe it as ‘creamy’ which is pretty much spot-on.  Perhaps a choice for the younger Mums out there *waves arms*.  Jimmy Choo’s inaugural fragrance is proving popular.

6. Davina Peace Citrus Fruits Candle (£36.00)

Each Davina Peace candle is inspired by a long-lasting memory of the brand’s eponymous founder.  Based on the balmy smell of citrus fruits, this candle blends the organic fragrances of Sicilian lemon peel, juicy orange, Italian bergamot and root ginger.  Dedicated to only sourcing organic ingredients where possible, Davina Peace uses only pure natural wax blended with an organic fragrance in her candles.

Nothing is more exquisitely shared between mothers and daughters than memories and Davina Peace pays tribute to the art of remembering with the fragrances she offers throughout her range.  Her Memory No. 2: Citrus Fruits candle is a perfect choice for the warmer Summer months that are hopefully beginning to open up before us!

Exclusively available at Harrods.

.

Hope that gives you a little inspiration for lovely Mums everywhere!

* I have received press samples of these items in the past

I’m reviving my ever-so-slightly neglected Swatch Saturday posts!

These will be filled with images and swatches as opposed to my inane ramblings (woohoo!) and will hopefully showcase some of the products that I use regularly.

So here we go with today’s swatches of an eyeshadow that I’ve been using pretty much non-stop this week.  Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Eyeshadow in Sugar Biscuit.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadow in Sugar Biscuit has a satin finish that shimmers without being metallic.  It is an integral part of my lazy day looks!  A wash of it from lid to browbone will brighten tired looking peepers and give the impression of 8 hours sleep. Kinda.

I usually combine with a taupe in the crease and lots of mascara!

You can see it used in a quick look here.

Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Eyeshadow in Sugar Biscuit is priced at £15.50 and available on counter or online (though currently OOS).

.

What’s your favourite eyeshadow for all-over brightening?

I only own one Julie Hewett product, it’s a lipstick that LondonMUGirl made me buy.  She doesn’t know she made me buy it… it was a blog lemming thing.  Still unforgivable though.

Anyway, the reason I’m mentioning it is because I went to Shepherd’s Bush yesterday to check out the new and improved PAM store.  If you don’t know about PAM, they’re a professional makeup shop that caters to makeup artists and students.  Of course, they’re open to the public too so if there’s anything that catches your eye, you’ll be welcomed in store or on the website to have a closer look.

So, as I was saying…

I own one Julie Hewett lipstick from the Bijou line of sheer lipsticks.  The shade I have is probably the most well-known, Lulu.  It’s a true rosy pink on my unpigmented lips and really not that sheer after all.

Excuse the dust, Lulu is my ‘handbag’ lipstick and I dragged it out of a tissue-stuffed side pocket for the photo!

It’s very glossy, light and non-drying.  It doesn’t last too long but is ideal for touch ups on the go and to give an overall polished look.  Hence it always being in my handbag!

The Julie Hewett brand is only stocked in a few places online in the UK and as far as I’m aware, PAM are the only stockists you can visit to have a look at the products in person before purchasing.

While I was there, I fell in love with this promotional image.  The stark contrast of the dark lips with the barely there makeup enchants me!

and this one…

I’ll leave you with a few more pictures of the Julie Hewett stock available instore…

Have you tried anything from the Julie Hewett range?  Want to?