A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m bringing out the cheesy post titles!

I was recently sent a bottle of Victoria’s Secret Dream Angels Heavenly Angel Touch Lotion… awww, doesn’t that name just make you want to bring up your lunch?

Apparently, this is America’s #1 fragrance (according to Victoria’s Secret of course) but I have to say, it is rather lovely.

With long-lasting notes of vanilla, freesia and white musk, there’s nothing extraordinary to be found here – but my husband adores the way it makes my skin smell and that’s good enough for me if it means I get a back-cwtch in bed before sleep.

The lotion itself is light and non-greasy.  It glides on smoothly and sinks in almost instantly leaving absolutely no residue or stickiness behind.  You could literally apply this minutes before bed without having to peel yourself off the bed sheets every time you want to turn over.

It leaves my skin feeling soft and moisturised though I’d suggest that it may not be rich enough for more dry-skinned types.

If you’re a fan, the Dream Angels Heavenly scent can be found in many Victoria’s Secret products, I just with the same could be said for locating the brand in the UK.

They’ve recently announced that they’ll be opening a flagship store in London in 2012, but quite frankly… that’s just not quick enough is it?

Until then, we’ll have to make the most of the Victoria’s Secret counters available when flying out of Heathrow.  You can pick up a variety of the VS Beauty line from the World Duty Free stores located at the airport.

Are you a Victoria’s Secret fan?  What are your favourite products from the brand?

No, I haven’t started blogging in Algebra, C25K stands for “Couch to 5k”, a running program that has been devised to get anyone up and running 5k in roughly 9 weeks.  Yes, really.

Being English, I didn’t actually know what 5k was off the top of my head.  I’m all about the inches, feet and miles.  I guessed at 2 miles, so was shocked when I looked at a converter and saw that 5k = 3.1 miles!

Me? Run? 3 miles?

In 9 weeks?  Not a bloody chance.

But you know what they say about God loving a tryer…

The program consists of 3 runs a week, each getting progressively longer and more challenging.

Last night, I attempted my first run.  I literally mean, “my first run”.  I honestly can’t remember the last time I broke the “fast walking” barrier.  I mean, why would I?  I never have to run for a bus and I’m well past chasing men!

I wasn’t even sure if I’d be able to co-ordinate my flailing limbs into a running motion anymore.  What if I fell over?  What if I knocked myself out with my boobs?

First things first, the boobs had to go.  I bought a sports bra online a few days ago and it arrived this morning.  It doesn’t kill the motion completely, but it absorbs the shock enough for it not to be a problem to my back or my chin!  It also happens to be the most comfortable and uplifting bra I’ve ever worn (though alas, far from the prettiest).  I’m buying another in white to trial wearing daily (I’m a sad old sports bra-wearing mum nowadays).

Anyway, enough talk of bras… back to the running!

The first week’s schedule consists of interval training which involves a 5 minute warm up/cool down and alternating between 60 seconds jogging and 90 seconds walking.  Repeat this until you DIE or for 20 minutes, whichever comes sooner.  In my case, it was very nearly sweet, sweet death.

It’s cold out there now in the evenings and heaven forbid I’m only going to attempt this kind of body wobbling under the cover of darkness.  Cold air = burny lungs and that was my first obstacle.  I’m a chronic asthmatic which although well-controlled, still requires daily inhalers and the whole burny lung thing was not comfortable.  Next time, I’m wrapping a light scarf round my gob – I don’t care if it looks stupid.

Second obstacle?  The snots.  My nose would. not. stop. dripping.  Again, the cold air… I’m thinking that at least the scarf will double as a nose wiper.

Third obstacle?  None really!

Of course, I was knackered after about 10 minutes of walking/running – but I didn’t get any stitches, painful calves or shin splints so I think I got off quite lightly really.  Those last 3 minutes did nearly put me in an early grave though… my head felt like it was going to explode every time I pounded the pavement (did you feel the quaking from where you are?).  I think that was because I was a touch dehydrated, I should have had been sipping fluids regularly for a couple of hours before starting the programme (especially being on the CWP).  Something I’m going to remedy from now on.

Once I got home and collapsed in my chair, my pulse stayed elevated above 100 bpm for a good 15-20 minutes… a sure sign that this chick needs to get back out there and improve on her fitness.

I downloaded the C25K iPhone app (there are also podcasts and an android version available) to help me with this endeavour and the app vocally guides you through the timings of when to run and when to walk.  The countdown is particularly motivational for those last 20 seconds of each running segment!

Have you ever tried the C25K programme?  If you fancy giving it a go with me, I could sure do with the virtual company!  Week 1, Day 1 complete… I’m eager commited resigned to the next installment!

Steady yourselves ladies… this is a sparkler…

I received a bottle of Glitter Gal Cosmetics Marine Blue holo nail polish via R8Beauty (check them out on Facebook if you haven’t already) and when I first pulled it out of the envelope, I knew I wasn’t going to be disappointed.  I was right.

The holo effect is so wonderfully intense that it can even be easily detected without direct sunlight.  The formula was a touch thin and took three coats to achieve a fully opaque finish – I wouldn’t normally mind this at all, but as the bottle is only 9mls and I can see myself working through it quite quickly.

I’ve had SO many compliments on my nails and even got a “WOW!” from an SA in Superdrug yesterday!

The finish is smooth and doesn’t *really* need a topcoat though the addition of one does amp up the shine a touch, so if you can be bothered, I’d recommend.  The brush, although stumpy, didn’t give me any application issues and wear has been perfectly adequate.

Glitter Gal Cosmetics are an Aussie brand and there are currently no UK stockists.  You can purchase the Glitter Gal Nail Polishes online priced from AUD$9.95 each.  Sadly, when I added a few polishes to my basket, I was quoted a prohibitive AUD$25 for shipping.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a UK stockist soon.

Twitter was a-buzz (a-tweet?) with the news yesterday that Rachel Weisz would become L’Oreal’s new global ambassador… I for one, completely welcome the news and will quite happily admit to a mega girl-crush on the English actress.

Photo Credit: Rachel Weisz for L’Oréal Paris.

I remember her first capturing my attention when she played Tania in Enemy at the Gates.  She alone, managed to make a film starring Jude Law completely bearable.  Quite a feat really.

Rachel’s first campaign with L’Oreal will be the new RevitaLift Anti-wrinkle & firming day cream which will air nationwide on 1st December 2010.

Do you have any girl crushes?  Come on… spill the beans!

I was going to do one post that encompassed the entire Christmas Collection, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get a colour-accurate tube shot of the lipstick that I received in my goody bag.  So instead, we’ll have to make do with the eye palette that I was sent home with for now.

Avon’s Luxe Lace True Colour Eyeshadow Quad in Lace Hues is one of two eye palettes that Avon are releasing in special packaging as part of their Luxe Lace collection which is due to hit their online store at the end of the month.

Lace Hues contains four shades.  A shimmering white-gold, a matte neutral pink, a satin grey/green and a shimmering navy.  The packaging is delightful… a glossy black, well-built palette with pink lace embellishments.  It’s sturdy, secure and the large mirror inside is more than adequate for application’s sake.

On first inspection, it was the navy that caught my eye… it has a brighter blue flash to it… a certain interest that the other shades are lacking.

The texture of each shadow is quite hard and colour payoff is sheer but buildable with a bit of work.  I’ve been wearing the matte pink all over the lid with a touch of the grey/green in the socket and lashings of the blue underneath my lower lashline.  It’s a winning combination.  I’m not so fond of the pale gold highlighting shade as the shimmer is a little chunky and apparent for me.

The matte pink in particular has a tendency to kick up a bit of dust when loading up the brush, but the fallout doesn’t seem to transfer to my cheeks.  I know I’m gonna hit pan on that blue before any other colour though.  Isn’t it lovely?

What is the general opinion on Avon’s eyeshadow palettes?  I have to confess… I’ve never tried one before!

If you follow me on Twitter, you may be aware that I’m currently following the Cambridge Weight Plan.  I’ve been on it for almost 7 weeks and have lost just over 28lbs so far.

It wouldn’t be everyone’s choice to lose weight so quickly in such an extreme way and indeed, I have my own reservations about the cosmetic side effects that such rapid weight-loss may leave behind.  My biggest concern is keeping my body as toned as possible in an attempt to retain skin elasticity and firmness.

I’m no expert in how to achieve this but anything that claims that it can help me has my full attention.

I first came across Functionalab supplements in Harvey Nichols whilst I was having a look at some Nails Inc. polishes.  The first thing that drew me to the brand was the packaging.  Functionalab has curb appeal by the bucket load!

The brand’s Beauty Doses are presented in rather cute Erlenmeyer Bulbs.  Who knew laboratory glasswear could be so chic?!

The whole look is minimalist and doesn’t strike me as the usual holistic supplement brand.  I’m not only a supplement n00b, I’m also a skeptic.  I’ve written before about how I’m loathe to pay money for supplements that claim to achieve nothing that good old-fashioned diet and exercise can achieve.

That’s good, sensible advice right?  In fact, it’s just the kind my mother would give me.  My mother would raise an eyebrow to the ceiling if she knew how much I was handing over every week to my Cambridge Diet Counsellor.  “You’re paying them £40 a week… to help you diet?!”

“Yes, but they’re helping me do it in a quick, controlled way that I just can’t seem to achieve through normal healthy eating” would be my repsonse.  Regardless, that eyebrow of hers would stay raised.  I guess what I’m saying is… we’re all terribly tempted to take the path of least resistance through life.  Whether or not we should is immaterial… if it’s available to us and we can afford to do it, I’m starting to realise that it’s perhaps better not to judge one another’s choices.

So back to these Functionalab Beauty Doses… what are they and what do they claim to achieve?

Anything and everything (almost!).  You can purchase supplement solutions to help you lose weight, stay toned (as shown on the left), tan more successfully, encourage skin radiance and balance oily skin and that’s just a few of the available programmes!  There’s even a whole range of anti-aging supplements that promise to “help protect against the visible signs of aging” (we haven’t heard that one before right ladies?!)

Functionalab asked me if I’d like to try their Body Toning supplement programme after hearing me fret on Twitter about whether I’d be able to buy pockets big enough to stuff my excess skin into once I’d finished with this diet.  I was pleased to accept.  I’m hoping that by taking these supplements in conjunction with my newly discovered hatred for jogging 3x a week, OCD body moisturising and general boring scrunches and toning exercises… I may get away with a pair of very tight ‘hold it all in pants’ once  I reach goal weight.

Here comes the tricky part though… how do I review?  How do I judge whether or not the Functionalab Beauty Dose Body Toning supplements have actually done anything?  It’s going to have to involve instinct and finding the answer to the age old question:  Would I personally part with £32 a month until I’m through with this diet to continue on this course of supplements?

I’ll tell you more about the science and ingredients behind the cute packaging and tempting promises in my follow up post.  I have a month’s supply and I’m starting tomorrow.  I’m strangely excited at the prospect of popping these pills with every meal… I feel all space age and futuristic!  Heck, all my meals will come in powdered form next!  Oh wait…

‘Till next time! x

As beauty addicts, how many times have we done that huh?  I’ll tell you how many… too bloody many.

Not only that, but let’s not forget that when in the UK, you’ve got more chance of finding genuine MAC on eBay than you have being able to return your purchases… these mistakes can really add up.

So, you can imagine my utter deflation when my NARS #12 Small Domed Eye brush turned up and wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.  I mean, I know that it’s called ‘small’… but I didn’t expect the head to be quite SO small.  My fault entirely.

But then I used it and I fell in love.

The NARS blurb on the website reads… Squirrel hair for definition and for creating depth in the crease of the eye.

I say… If you have hooded eyelids, get this brush.

(excuse the eyeshadow dust – it needs cleaning!)

The NARS #12 Small Domed Eye Brush is incredibly soft.  I find some NARS brushes a little scratchy for their price… but this one is a winner.  It’s densely packed and firm enough to do more than just place the colour.  This little beauty is a master blender to apply defined but soft crease colours.

Hai!  My name’s dopey.

Ignoring my moronic eye-expression (and need for a one-on-one with my tweezers) for a moment… can you see how perfectly the brush fits under that hood?  I don’t have the most hooded eyelids in the world, but they are a pain for muddying colour when the upper part droops onto the lid itself.  If I’m wearing a v. dark crease colour, I need to be precise and I need to focus it in the outer corner and just in the actual crease itself because of that reason.  With this brush I can do this.

Why not just use a pencil brush or a small eye contour brush then?  Because I’m crap at makeup in general and those kinda brushes always encourage me to be too heavy handed.  With the NARS #12 brush, I can do gentle windshield wiper movements along the crease contour (whilst keeping my eyes half open) and achieve a soft, smoky but perfectly defined dark crease.

At £22.00 (for such a teeny little brush) my initial disappointment almost resulted in a mild strop but now?  I’m considering a backup.

Which NARS brushes do you rate most highly?

…as voted for by you (and me).

Do you remember this post?

Heathrow wanted to know what we considered our must-have pampering products when travelling.  It would have been uber nice if we’d had a wider initial range to choose from… but I was still able to pick a definite favourite from each category.

Anyway, the results are in… and the winner is:

Prevage Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum

I have to say, the Prevage range from Elizabeth Arden has kinda passed me by.  It’s just not a range that I know very much about… but it seems that lots of you do because the BAA website had over 8000 votes cast in their hunt for the nation’s number one.

The full results list for the beauty category were:

1. Prevage® Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum

2. Soltan Light Lotion

3. Sisley Supremÿa Anti-Aging night cream

4. Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus

5. Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector

6. Dior Extase mascara

7. Rituals Sundance Shimmer Powder

8. Dr Sebagh Rose de Vie

9. YSL Nail varnish

10. Guerlain Rouge G lipstick

The 10 winning products will be showcased in a giant suitcase in Terminal 5 for the month of October.

They’re all available to purchase at Heathrow with some nice savings (not to mention exclusives!) when compared to the high street.

Before I gave up smoking, the only thing that really interested me at the airport were the cartons of duty-free Silk Cut!  Since dropping the habit, I have been enjoying the freedom to explore what else duty-free has to offer.  Actually, I always pick up a YSL Rouge Pur lipstick once airside at the terminal – I’m not sure why those in particular?  I’ve bought a new YSL lipstick at the airport ever since my first long-haul to Sydney over 10 years ago!  It’s a lovely tradition I think 😉

A good reason to go on holiday if ever there was one…

Do you beauty shop at the airport?

Completely inspired by Kellie at BigFashionista, I had a go at applying the BarryM Instant Nail Effects over Models Own 25 Carat Gold to get a more feline interpretation!

Close up… it’s not that leopard print-y, but from 3 feet or further, it works REALLY well!

This stuff really is nail art for the completely unartistic (i.e. me!)

But enough of all this!

Who are my two lucky winners from this weekend’s giveaway?

The gods over at Random.org have spoken… and I’m pleased to announce that…

Elizabeth/Makeuptini

Estelle/StellieStellina

… are the lucky winners, I shall email you this evening for your addresses ladies!

Thanks for entering everyone, with over 180 entries in 48hrs, I can’t tell you how much I wish I could afford to give away more bottles.  Instead, I shall wish you all the bestest week ever xx

This Autumn has been quite eclectic in it’s choice for nail shades… from muted greens through to grey purples and chocolate browns, it’s certainly not been as vamp-heavy as usual.

Leighton Denny are continuing down this path with a set of colours that don’t appear to adhere to one particular focus.  For some, this is a relief… for me?  I’m just genuinely pleased to see a lovely-looking gunmetal grey put in an overdue appearance this season.

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]

Indulgence: Classic, scarlet red will be centre stage for AW10 & this shade will suit everyone.

Prim & Proper: Bright, stark nudes compliment dark outfits. This  icy nude shade will help achieve a contemporary look.

Timeless: This sophisticated, feminine coral shade paired with subtle make-up looks will help to soften more extreme winter styles.

Captivated: Bright accent colours are perfect for brightening the winter blues. This electric shade will add drama and accessorise a look.

Embellish Me: An indulgent aubergine  to achieve a glamorous high-end finish.

Graycious: A strong, gunmetal shade is perfect for achieving sultry elegance, as well as trend-led more edgy styles.

[/stextbox]

Priced at £11 each, they’re available to buy online from www.leightondennyexpertnails.com

For Autumn/Winter, L’Oreal have released some new shades to join their Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks lineup.  Titled the “Nude Collection”, the four new shades are (as you would expect) wearable and flattering for most skintones.

Marketed as “having the power of a serum at it’s heart (with) powerful active indredients… …to restore moisture and definition to the lips” and boasting some pretty good ingredients to back up these claims.  Among these ingredients, I was pleased to see Hyaluronic Acid listed and had a quick google on another ingredient “Pro-Xylane”… which appears to have originally been developed by Lancome back in 2006 and is used in many of L’Oreal’s more expensive anti-aging facial products.

On paper, if there’s one thing these lipsticks should achieve… it’s a non-drying formula.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  Yes, it’s useful to be able to see the exact shade of the lipstick by looking through the little window… but these feel cheap.  They’re very lightweight, overwhelmingly plasticky and they damage easily.  I spent an afternoon with one of them in my handbag and as you can see from the below photo, the casing is already starting to show wear and tear (lipstick on the left).

I guess the overall design is pleasing, but the materials used are a let down.

While I’m discussing what I dislike… I’m also going to mention the scent.  For me, it’s not appealing… the lipsticks are quite heavily violet-scented and it just conjures up the old lady lipstick smell.  Something a little fresher or unscented would have been preferable.  Thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger too long once applied, but it’s a point to note.

I was sent two of the new shades shown above by L’Oreal: S106 – Freshly Rosy and S204 Beamy Plum

Of the two, Freshly Rosy is paler and a little frostier whilst Beamy Plum applies creamier whilst still carrying a sheen.

That different coloured core is cute right?

Both apply like a dream.  They’re smooth and glide on with no effort at all.  Pigmentation is best with Beamy Plum but buildable for both lipsticks.  They don’t stick to any dry patches on my lips and neither do they accentuate the furrows and grooves.  So far, so good!

Hand swatches…

For my colouring, I was expecting to prefer Freshly Rosy… but my lips must be more pigmented than I thought as I struggled to cover my natural pigmentation with this shade.  I got there eventually, but it took a few swipes from the tube to do it.

You can see that they’re both completely wearable for fair skin tones and have a glossy appearance.  Despite how moisturising these are, they don’t feel at all sticky or thick on the lips.

In context… (please excuse the pyjamas *blush*)

Beamy Plum is a great choice for those of us who want to indulge in slightly darker lips for A/W but are scared of vamping it up too much.  In other words, if you’re a bit of a wimp like me… you need to try this shade!

The lipsticks lasted fairly well throughout the morning, both could have benefited from a touch up after my mid-morning coffee but neither *really* needed it.  After my soup though?  Forget about it… they were gone!  To be fair, I fully expected this considering how moisturising I found the formula.

Pros: Moisturising Formula, Wearable Shades, Smooth Finish, Easy to Apply

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks are priced at £8.49 each and the Nude Collection will be available from this month onwards.

~ My Lips But Better writes about the MAC Venomous Villains launch party and shares her thoughts about the products.

~ Check out the duo-chromed awesomnicity (yes that is a word!) that Aijuswhanakno found through Persephone Minerals.

~ Tammerly at Pink Diva’s Beauty Spot gives you the ‘gloss’ on the 2010 Sydney International Beauty Expo.

~ Amy Antoinette experiments with Kim Kardashian curls.

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets to pretend she is a real makeup artist with the TEMPTU AIRbrush system!

~ Kim Porter reviews Dr. Miracle’s Follicle Healer Hydrating Oil, a great product for dry, damaged hair.

~ With blogger events and launch parties, it’s Illamasqua overload at Hellcandy make-up! Check out the photos from the launch party here.

~ Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara and Yinnie’s lashes become BFFs over at Looking Glass Beauty.

~ Daily Polish professes her love for all things Catrice with the turquoise lacquer, “I Sea You!”

~ Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More gives you a sneak peek at the new Sleek MakeUp Bad Girl & Good Girl Palettes, due to be released on October 27th!

~ Eyelining uses some NYX pigments to demonstrate how bad packaging can ruin a perfectly good product.

~ Vex in the City shows you how to step up your nail game on the cheap, with the new Instant Nail Effects from Barry M.

~ Emma swatches the best Orgasm dupe yet for only £3.99 at BirdsDecorateBranches!

~ Melissa reviews Smell Bent’s limited edition Halloween Killer Smellies over at LovelyAndroid.

~ You need an idea for Halloween? Vesna at Beauty addict blog has one: turn yourself into a Dark Fairy for this year’s Halloween!

~ Love NARS makeup but not the price tag? Lipglossiping signals the “dupe alert” siren when she shows off a serious but affordable dupe for NARS Albatross!

~ The Pink Sith is less than impressed with the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, despite it having a few great taupe shadows.

~ Jellyminx jumps on the naked band wagon and shares a look created using the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

~ Jolie Laide girl gets to work showing you the best of the Elf Mineral Shadows.

~ Louise spends a day chatting with Daniel Sandler and getting a whole new look!

~ The Lip Print discovers a products with a Happy Philosophy; you can share the love too!

~ theNotice finds a fab product to banish under-eye bags, and it’s under $5!

~ L at Beautifully Addicted To gives a run down on Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanse.

***

~ Jeweled Thumb is celebrating reaching her 400th post with a giveaway! Enter to win Stila, ELF, BE, Milani Bare To Wear and more!

~ Enter Phyrra’s Beauty for the Earth The Wizard of Oz-Some Giveaway for a collection worth $60!