A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This week I’m gonna be showcasing the Barielle Style in Argyle Autumn collection… I have mixed feelings about the collection as a whole.  It feels very different to Barielle’s usual releases but I do love the warm, cosy, Autumnal theme.

One of my favourite things about Barielle’s collections however, is their eclecticness and this collection doesn’t stray from the path laid out.

It couldn’t be more ‘on trend’ though could it?  Camel IS the colour for Autumn… Barielle have solidly nailed it in that respect.

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”e6e6fa” bgcolor=”b0c4de”]Indulge yourself with Cashmere or Loose Me – a soft brown with copper pearl; cosy up with Tight Knit – a purple brown crème; keep your hands as pretty as the fallen leaves with Aura Angora – a royal gold crème; get tied up with Unraveled Red – a burnt rust crème; engage yourself with Wool you Marry Me? – a plum brown crème. and howl at the moon with Cowl of the Wild – a mushroom taupe crème.[/stextbox]

What are you first impressions?  Stick around for this week’s NOTDs if you want to get up close and personal with the Style in Argyle collection!

I’m guest blogging over on Zuneta again today!

I try out the no makeup makeup look with a little help from a certain Mr. Bess…

Head on over there and don’t forget to leave a comment!

Holy hairballs Batman.

This is the new Jessica Simpson Bob Wig from the HairDo range created by Ken Paves.

Nothing shouts “I’m wearing a big wiggy wig!” like a wig with this amount of hair in it.  Who has hair that is WIDER than their face?  Seriously… I reckon I could sleep under that.

It would probably look great thinned out… but you’d need a dumper truck to carry away what’s left on the salon floor.

By the way, this is an excellent opportunity to plug the charity My New Hair, founded and inspired by Trevor Sorbie MBE.

My New Hair offer a specialist wig styling service for people suffering from cancer or medical hair loss.  I had the opportunity to see one of their clever stylists in action a couple of years ago at Guy Kremer’s salon in Winchester and there ain’t nothing those wig wizards can’t do to make a NHS wig sparkle!

In celebration of the launch of Eye Prep FX, Cover FX will be hosting an International treasure hunt which will give you the chance to nab an Eye Prep FX before it hits stores in mid September!

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”How it works…” ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”7b68ee”]From September 7th – 11th, Cover FX will be placing treasure boxes throughout selected cities across US, Canada and the UK. Fan Cover FX on Facebook to learn specific clues and locations on where you can find the hidden treasures in a city near you. All packages include the new Eye Prep FX, and some lucky winners may receive gift cards up to £100 in select treasure boxes redeemable at participating Cover FX retailers*! http://www.facebook.com/CoverFX[/stextbox]

As a geocaching nut, I freaking love a good treasure hunt… alas, I come back from London on the 7th so don’t think I’ll be able to join in 🙁

Londoners, will you be taking part?

Now, I’m not usually into brand bashing but how about an original idea TheBalm?

A).  Batter Up is a stupid name.

B). Adding the words Creaseless Cream to the title? Oh HAI Benefit…

C). I get that you’re a quirky brand from San Francisco too already…

D). You could have redeemed yourselves by leapfrogging Benefit and going all out on the colour shades…

did you?  DID YOU?

No.

No, you didn’t.

Lame.

Having um said that, I think I’ll still probably try one at some point…. yano, just to satisfy my cream eyeshadow addiction.  Yeah, I’m lame too.

Though… perhaps not if the retail price of £18 (they’re $18 in the US) is to be believed… £18?!  For a TheBalm *insert stupid name* Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow that may or may not be as good as a £14 Benefit Creaseless Cream?  On yer bike.

Look, LOOK!

Shu Uemura now have an online presence in the UK… and rather dangerously, it comes with a shopping cart!

Not only that, but you can currently get 20% off all purchases you make through the website if you use the code “elle20” at checkout.  The code will expire at midnight on the 7th September, so get ordering!

duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh…. or something…

Facial Wipes… we know that we’re not supposed to rely on them right?  I mean… they’re convenient and all, but they don’t really ‘cleanse’ your face effectively enough to be your go-to cleansing solution.  Though, I’m sure lots of people do use nothing but wipes night and morning.  Dirty gits 😉

These are currently my favourites and I’ve forever got a little stock of them for cleaning swatches, tidying eyeliner mistakes and generally freshening up.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Good Things Total Wipe Out (£3.49/25)

Aimed at younger skin, these thick wipes make a really quick job of removing most makeup.  I love these for when I wear a smoky eye.  1 wipe makes it a much easier and quicker job once I get to the sink.

No7 Quick Thinking 4-in-1 wipes (£6.75/30)

Firstly, I’d never pay nearly £7 for a pack of wipes… frankly, I have better things to spend £7 on.  I stockpile these like they’re going out of fashion when the £5 off Boots No7 vouchers appear in store.  £1.75 for 30 lovely and effective wipes is not a price to be sniffed at!  These leave my skin feeling super soft and at £1.75 I don’t feel guilty carrying a pack in Leila’s nappy bag for messy fingers!

Simple Radiance Brightening Cleansing Wipes (£3.94/25)

I love the material of these (yes, I know… get a life) but these have a great stretch and subtle smell of mango.  Non-greasy and refreshing, these are the ones I keep in the glovebox throughout the Summer.  Instant freshener round the back of the neck.  Mr. L steals these regularly (though he’ll deny it).

Tesco Vitamin E Cleansing Wipes (£0.48/25)

Ridiculously cheap but effective.  They’re ALWAYS out of stock at my local Tesco whenever I try to pick these up, so when I DO see them – I grab as many as my basket can hold.  Well, alright… about 5 packs.  I remember when they used to be about 30p a pack… Tesco must have cottoned on!

I don’t really use these on my face but they’re great for cleaning up swatches and eyeliner brushes.  I hope they never get discontinued.

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What do you use wipes for and which ones do you swear by?

The new range of lipsticks from French makeup maestro Francois NARS have launched into Selfridges.  Priced at £18 each, the NARS Pure Matte Lipstick range promises intense, stay-true colour.

But that’s not all…

[stextbox id=”alert” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]Defying the traditional challenge of long-wearing lipsticks, it won’t dry out lips.  Rich in antioxidants, including Vitamin E and Acai Oil, Pure Matte nourishes and conditions lips.  Wild Mango Butter’s advanced moisturizing properties work  to repair lips from dryness and scaling, leaving lips feeling supple and soft.[/stextbox]

If that claim is to be believed…. sign me up!

I haven’t tried any of the shades on my lips, but did swatch a couple at a recent press day.

Clockwise from Top Left: Tashkent (Nude Beige), Volga (Deep Aubergine), Terre de Feu (Black Cherry) – incidentally, how great does Terre de Feu look for a vampy Winter lip?, Bangkok (Soft Rose), Tonkin (Cinnamon Plum) and Vesuvio (Full Bodied Red).

Tashkent and Bangkok

Tashkent and Bangkok swatched.

I clearly remember Bangkok (the rose), dragging on the skin of the back of my hand as I swatched, so I’m not sure how that would apply to my lips… though to be fair, the tester could well have dried out a touch after being open for however long.  By contrast, Tashkent glided on without too much friction burn 😉

Are any of these calling to you?  I must admit that Vesuvio and Terre de Feu look like wonderful Wintery options!

Incidentally, how beautifully shot is this promo?

NARS Pure Matte Lipsticks are £18 each and until 1st October are exclusive to Selfridges.

Not the catchiest post title in the world, but it gets the message across… eventually.

If I’d had the same kind of beauty budget back then as I do now, perhaps I would have killed off my obsession at a younger age… but I didn’t.

I had £5 a week and 20 Sovereign Lights used to cost £2.56 – sorry Mum, Dad… I’ve quit now though right?

This left me with approximately £2.44 a week to spend on EVERYTHING else… my makeup came off a market stall.  If I was feeling flush, I would hot-foot it down the chemist to grab a pressed powder that bared a closer resemblance to a tub of Johnson’s finest than anything else, both in formula and colour!

The things I’d tell my 14 year old self that she NEEDS to own aren’t ‘dupes’ of well known products… they’re close.  They would certainly have been close enough to satisfy my teenage wants.  Hell, I’ve bought them at my age haven’t I?

ELF Studio Blush in Gotta Glow (£3.50) is a fair match to NARS Albatross… it’s chalkier and less smooth-textured with a lot of fall out, but ELF have captured that pale gold highlighter thing very nicely indeed.  And all for £3.50!

Barbara Daly Easy on the Eye Shadow pens (£5.62) would have me twirling these things about like I’d just stepped off the Ellis Faas counter at Liberty.  Who knows, I might have even spray painted ’em silver.

Ruby & Millie I-Writer Liquid Eyeliner (£10.50) far too pricey for my teenage budget, but within reach with the help of one of those lovely Boots £5 off No7 and Ruby & Millie vouchers!  No dupes… but I just wish I’d owned one of these when I was struggling to create lovely smooth eyeliner lines.  Ok, so I still can’t do the flick… but I’m blaming my hooded eyelid for that one.

ELF Mineral Eyeshadow Primer (£3.00) for the love of God, I would scream at my younger self to buy an eye primer.  This one would do nicely, it’s not *quite* as long lasting as UDPP… but it’s also not *quite* £11.50 either.

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy (£4.50ish) my 14yr old self would never have been savvy enough to know of this little miracle.  Sad really.

Lanacane Anti Chafing Gel (£5.99) You may scoff, but have you ever compared the ingredients between this and Smashbox’s cult Photo Finish primer?  No?  U.S. girls have been savvy to the wonders of Monistat Chafing Gel for years… and this is basically the same thing.  Though, to be fair.. both are pretty ineffectual for me.

Yaby Cosmetics Pearl Paints pp040 Cappuccino Dream (£2.50) a tiny little pan, but how often do we get through a whole shadow?  Plus… it’s got a tiny little price to match!  I’m also quite impressed between the similarities of Cappuccino Dream and the now discontinued MAC Style Snob.

Silk Naturals Mineral Blush in Climax (£4ish) unsubtly named for it’s similarities to a certain NARS Blush which holds true makeup cult status.  Orgasm of course!  This look-a-like packs a bit too much shimmer for my 29yr old self, but my 14yr old alter-ego would be all over it like a rash.  Probably a genital one if today’s teenagers are anything to go by *tsk, tsk and all that I’m getting old stuff*

17 Cosmetics Solo Eyeshadow in Mardi Gras (£3.49) I’m sure this was about 20p back when I bought it a few years ago.  The packaging has now been much fancified, but hopefully the shade remains the same.  This is a pretty good budget alternative to MAC Satin Taupe that I would have been very pleased to own.

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What things would you insist your younger and less financially frivolous self go out and buy immediately?

I’m a poet…

Anyway… I thought this was a bit of fun for a Thursday afternoon!

Heathrow airport are currently conducting a BIG vote – they wanna know what makes your checklist on travel must-haves?

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

iPods, digital cameras and other gadgets will go head to head with handbags, books and perfume in September, as Heathrow launches its annual search for the most popular travel accessories.

Launched to highlight the products that make passengers’ journey better and which are available at Heathrow, the annual awards feature more than 140 items shortlisted by a panel of senior industry experts.

People can vote for their travel must-haves at www.heathrowairport.com/vote.  Voting will take place during September, and the winners will be announced in early October.

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Every person who votes will automatically be entered into an exclusive prize draw with a chance to win a selection of the winning products up to the value of £5,000.

And of course there’s the Best Travel Beauty Product, category… be sure to pay particular attention to THAT one!

I’ve been sitting on this post since the beginning of the year.  My draft folder has it dated from February!  Why haven’t I posted it?

Well… whenever I read it, it makes me wonder if I sound like a bit of a know-all to be honest.  But, the truth is… I’m running short on posts following my holiday (you didn’t even know I was gone did ya?!) and I haven’t really done a rant for AGES!

So, here goes…

Brands have been taking Social Media seriously for the last couple of years and have been implementing techniques to jump on the bandwagon left, right and centre… sometimes, without really thinking it through.

I have tons of random thoughts on brand involvement with Social Media outlets (inc. blogs) in general but I’m curious on how you guys feel they’ve impacted on arenas like Twitter and Facebook?

Ultimately, I think it’s a great advancement and would love to see all brands employ a mouthpiece for these channels.  It often makes a faceless corporation accessible to their customers in a way that’s relevant and current.  Though, when it goes wrong… it’s like the best car crash telly ever.

Here’s my 10 top tips for brands wanting to engage with Twitter and Facebook

1. Serve your customers!

If a brand takes on Twitter or Facebook, they need to be prepared for Customer Service duties… don’t ignore followers/readers with complaints.  By all means, direct them to an appropriate email address (though that does feel a little like ‘fobbing’ off).  If you can address issues directly… top marks.

2. Don’t dabble… commit!

I see lots of brands engage in Social Media half-heartedly.  Big No No!   There’s nothing worse than asking a question through an ‘instant’ medium (during working hours) to receive a reply a week later!  Sort it out!

3. Don’t use Twitter/Facebook as a holding page for links to other social media channels.

It irks me so much to click on a Twitter link only to be taken to the Brand’s Facebook page which contains nothing but a link to the Brand’s blog or website.  Thanks for the wasted clicks.  I’ll just click off.

4. It’s OK to have personality!

Allow a little personality through.  We love seeing you make a mistake and tweet the wrong person the wrong thing and then fluster as you try to correct.  FUN!  It’s also nice if you let us into your world… tell us about your ah-mazing chocolate croissant you picked up on the way into work.  After all, it’s all that banal stuff that makes the Twitter-verse go round!

5. Know when to draw the line.

This one’s tricky… at what point does personality edge into inappropriateness?  Would love to hear your thoughts on this.  It happens and it makes me cringe… if you wanna share last night’s shenanigans with @bestbud then THAT’S what DMs are for!

Unless you know me personally, I’d rather you didn’t call me ‘hun’ either.

6. Give us twitter/facebook specific discounts or offers.

Make us feel like a special part of your family.  If we like you enough to follow/add you… then we’re listening.  Reward that.

7. Showcase your brand and let us tell you what WE think!

Let us in, we’re nosey buggers.  Tweet us a pic of your desk, the R&D dept (though maybe not Accounts eh?), what are you guys working on?  What can we expect from you next?  Twitter and Facebook are such great venues for gauging consumers opinions and feedback, you’d be silly not to utilise the potential.  Plus, we love to feel all important, so give us the opportunity to help you (and possibly shape you as a company!)

8. Make sure your Social Media mouthpiece has a grasp of netiquette.

Do they ‘follow’ anyone back on Twitter?  In an environment that’s all about the flow of information… this communication needs to be 2-way.  If you aren’t following any relevant users or commenters back, what’s the point?  You’ll be asking us to sleep in the wet patch next.

9. You scratch our back, we’ll scratch yours…

Word of Mouth is obviously a hugely significant part of modern marketing and in this age, information is King (and Queen).  If you want your followers to talk about you… engage, engage, engage.

10. Relish the prospect of getting closer to your consumer.

Yeah, we’re scary.  We call you names on Twitter and the same rules of professionalism don’t apply to @badassmomma543 on Twitter as they do to you.  Life sucks.

However, as with all Social Media (blogs included), the rewards can be so much more fulfilling when you loosen that iron-fist and relinquish some of that control.  Take the step that brings you closer to the people who are out there actually BUYING your stuff.

Last year, I listened to an owner of a well-known beauty brand tell a group of people (without any PR prompting!) that (social media) was the purest form of feedback a brand could receive.  I can’t even tell you how much the sincerity in those words raised my spirits as a consumer.  Some brands really do ‘get it’.

Does yours?

What do you guys think?  I know loads of you are on Facebook and Twitter… are there any specific brands that are getting it right or (gasp) wrong?!  Is there anything I’ve missed out… anything you don’t agree with?

I sniffed it… and I liked it!

No1 by Clive Christian is something a bit special, £2700 special to be exact (though the special Imperial Majesty edition pictured above was valued at over £100,000!).  I’m not gonna even attempt to describe it to you other than to say that it’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.  It’s incredibly complex and seems to have so many layers that somehow mingle and dance with one another resulting in something that has to be smelled to be believed.

[stextbox id=”custom” caption=”Facts about No1″ ccolor=”ffffff” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa” cbgcolor=”778899″]

1. This British Perfume House was first made famous 135 years ago by Queen Victoria when she gave her crown to the perfumery in 1872 as a symbol of utmost quality and excellence.

2. Clive Christian revived this perfumery in 1999 and was inspired by the rich history and high quality from the 1800’s which then led to his creation of No.1 – The World’s Most Expensive Perfume.

3. No.1 by Clive Christian is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records as The World’s Most Expensive Perfume.

4. These uniquely expensive perfumes were created with no reference to cost containing some of the most rare and precious ingredients in the world.

5. Due to the highest quality and concentration possible No.1 can only be produced in very small quantities – only 1000 bottles of No.1 perfume for men and 1000 bottles of No.1 for women are released to the world each year.

6. No.1 has perfumed the gardens of Sir Elton John’s White Tie and Tiara Ball and was chosen by Katie Holmes as her wedding perfume for her marriage to Tom Cruise.

7. One pure ounce (30ml) of No.1 perfume currently costs £2,700

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Officially launching in November, Clive is introducing a new fragrance to the current line up.  Entitled “C”, it will be his first new scent in a decade and there is much buzz around this 4th scent which has been released from his own personal collection.

With each perfume created, he releases both a male and female version.  I’ve had the pleasure of smelling both and they’re BIG.  The female version is a floral explosion, whilst the masculine version of “C” is a woody affair.  Both demand your attention entirely.  These are powerful scents.

Available from Fortnum & Mason priced at £195.