A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…with a neat video showcasing three very different looks created around three very different lipsticks from the Chanel Rouge Coco range.

Which look is your favourite?

Straight ones, short ones, long ones, curly ones.  Pubes Eyelashes, they’re the business.

They’re the shields that protect our precious eyes from debris every second of the day, they’re sensitive enough to let us know when that mascara wand is getting perilously close to our eyeballs and trigger the reflex that clamps our eyes shut just before we stupidly poke ourselves with it.

The problem with eyelashes though?  They’re just not long enough.

Horses have fab eyelashes, have you ever noticed?  Straight as a poker… you’d need to put the Shu Uemura’s to work… but still, mega lashes.

I was contacted by the PR for Trish McEvoy who are going to love the fact that my feature about their lash enhancer has already managed to mention pubes and horses when we’re barely 100 words in… but nevermind…

Where was I?

Oh yes, nice PR lady said “Hello!” and “Would you like to try our new Lash Enhancer?”.

“Hmmm” said I… “I’m already using some lash enhancing stuff that I bought, but if you don’t mind a potential guest reviewer I have just the person!”

Meet my cousin… A.

I don’t like this before picture… she’s not as good at taking photos as me.  She says she has some more, so if and when she emails me them… I shall add them.  But this will do for now.

She’s desperate for longer lashes and infact… this photo is the first time I’ve seen her for ages where she isn’t sporting either extensions or a pair of falsies.

We’re gonna give it a couple of months and see how she gets on with the Trish McEvoy Lash Enhancer.

This stuff isn’t cheap by the way… around £89 for 4 months supply.  I hope she doesn’t drop it down the loo or something stupid like that.

Let me give you the rest of the blurb:

Lashes lose fullness due to day-to-day wear-and-tear, makeup removal, eyerubbing, and the aging process. Using highly potent SymPeptides™ and an abundance of powerful proteins, vitamins, and moisturizing ingredients, Lash Enhancer helps condition, hydrate, strengthen, and nourish lashes to help them withstand the mechanical, natural and environmental aggressors as well as aging process that may shorten their life.

A single nightly application of Lash Enhancer Nighttime Conditioning Treatment will promote the stronger, fuller, healthier lashes of your dreams. In just 2 weeks of daily use can you experience as much as a 25% increase in volume. A few quick seconds each night will put you on the road to fuller lashes.

So… fundamentally this stuff is different from the more pharmaceutical lash enhancing treatments.  Most importantly, you can apply this stuff without fear of your eyes changing colour or growing a second head.  Which is always reassuring.

The packaging is sleek, sexy and heavyweight…

A nice precision applicator so you don’t waste too much product during application and deliver the good stuff right to where it’s needed.

I’m excited!  I like these kind of trials… I like tangible results!

Fingers crossed for A that Trish McEvoy’s Lash Enhancer can turn those puny lashes into floor sweepers!  Stay tuned!

Tiny picture… sorry… it’s a makeup bag.

But not just any makeup bag…. oh no…

The Refresh Make-up Chiller is an ingeneous way to keep your cosmetics cool when the temperature rises.

This handy little pouch with a pocket for a mini-ice pack is the ideal way to protect your cosmetic essentials when you’re hot in the city or relaxing by the pool.

Large enough to hold your daily essentials, but small enough for your handbag, the Refresh Make-up Chiller takes the heat out of looking your best in the sun!

Um. Ok then.

While up in London last weekend, I headed over to Fulham to check out Guru Makeup Emporium in person… it’s down this super cute little cobbled mews.

The shop itself is lovely… spacious and well stocked and the lady behind the counter couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating.

I actually went there to have a look at the MUFE HD Blushes, but when I was swatching I was finding them quite hard to blend aswell as being perhaps just a little too pigmented for me.  I’m fairly ham-fisted with blusher and to put it simply, my skillz weren’t up to the job!

Anywayyyy

I was distracted by the new Aqua Creams.  I’d snagged one already from one of Goss’ infamous blog sales but I figured I’d check out the other shades… I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with 3 of them *eek!*

£16.95 each maketh for an expensive splurge.

But check out these shades….

Beautiful no?  There was another one that I really loved too… a medium bronzey shade… I think it was #14.  But I had to bitch slap myself and remember that my family need to eat.

#13 (Warm Beige) is a shimmering nude champagne, it’s a great lid colour.

#2 (Steel) reminds me of Benefit’s Skinny Jeans, but it’s more cool-toned… slightly greyer and more complex.

#5 (Peach) I bought to use as a blush.  In the pot it looks like everything I wanted NARS Enchanted to be… on the cheeks, it’s nicely pigmented but there’s too much gold glitter for me to use as a blush *sigh*.

So how do these work?  Are they cream shadows? blushes?

Well… they’re described as multipurpose.  They’re simply waterproof cream colours that can be used on your eye, lips or cheeks.  I’m not really interested in using these on my lips… I’ll mostly stick to using them on my eyes.

Are they crease-resistant?  Not completely… but kinda.  If you don’t have any problems with the Benefit Creaseless Creams, then I think you’ll be good with these aswell.  On me, they don’t crease or ball-up… but they do settle a little more deeply in the lines after a few hours.

For £16.95 you get 6g of product compared to 4.5g in a £14 Benefit Creaseless Cream so it’s not too bad value-wise (although of course, you can get the Creaseless Creams much cheaper if you shop around).  The obvious benefit to the MUFE Aqua Creams is the huge range of shades available.

Would I buy more… oh yes!

MUFE Aqua Creams are available to buy from Guru Makeup Emporium who do mail order and have a pricelist on their website!

I purchased this in my local CCO last year and it’s a valuable addition to my highlighter collection!

A great product to take on my travels as a multi-use powder/highlighter.  The shimmer side is smooth and I particularly enjoy applying this highlighter with a dampened brush for a smoother sheen.

Applied dry, it’s quite a golden sheen which means that on my cool skintone I prefer to use this one in the evening as it’s a touch too obvious for daytime wear.

If you can get your hands on it, I recommend!

This week I’m talking about Colour Theory…

I actually have no idea what I’m talking about… click the Zuneta logo to go see if I got it right or made myself look like a dumbass.

ARGH!

I hate it when the seasons change!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to Summer… but my scalp is itching and sore!  I have fleas!

I don’t really have fleas… but twice a year (Spring>Summer & Autumn>Winter) my scalp goes to crap and I’d love to know if this is some weird personal freakishness or something that other people experience too?

Anyway, I mentioned it to a PR lady ‘cos I was explaining why I wasn’t suitable to review some other hair products at the moment and she mentioned this Philip Kingsley range to me…

Flaky/Itchy scalps…. sexy.

The fact is though… I don’t care if it’s a bit taboo… a lot of people suffer!  I can’t wear black tops for at least 2 months of the year whilst I’m going through these flare ups and trust me, nothing makes you more HUGELY self-conscious than feeling your husband gently brushing the flakes off your shoulder whilst you’re standing in a checkout queue.

The Philip Kingsley Scalp Mask is basically an exfoliator for your scalp.  It’s a tricky product to apply and if my hair were longer and thicker I’d have struggled to use it.  I got instant relief from it though and I was able to use it despite my scalp being quite sore.  It gives a lovely cooling sensation and simply eased the itch and temporarily cleared the dry skin that was clinging around my hairline.

I was also surprised at how reasonably priced it is, £3.85 and available with free shipping from FeelUnique!

The other product I was sent was the Philip Kingsley Shampoo for itchy/flaky scalps which I have been using in conjunction with the mask.

Sadly, not quite so affordable.  A 250ml bottle will set you back £16.15 delivered from Feel Unique.

But it’s worth every penny.

3 shampoos in and I’m clear of the scabby bits (gosh, how attractive)… I’m still a touch flaky along the hairline, but it’s really easing off and at this rate I’m gonna be completely clear in a few more days.  I’m going to continue to use it for maintenance twice a week and if I only have to purchase it twice a year, it’s really worth it for me.

In addition to the fact that this stuff simply works, it’s also gentle… I colour my hair regularly and anti-dandruff type products are notorious for stripping and dulling coloured hair.  This isn’t having any effect on my dye-job!

I’m not gonna ask if you ladies are in need of a product like this, but I’d love to know privately if you’ve noticed any correlation between the changing seasons and the condition of your scalp?

…only a teeny haul!

It was 3 for £12… and there were 3 further colours I was tempted by, but I’m not convinced of the quality so held off splurging further until I’d given these a try!

L-R: Mouse, Peacock, Factory Grey.

I wore Peacock to the Sleek event, and whilst I love the colour… I wasn’t too enamoured of the formula which was a bit gloopy.

I would have a NOTD for you but I fractured 2 of my nails whilst bowling (of course) so have given them all a much needed prune instead!

Have you tried the American Apparel polishes yet?

Set for a June UK release, here’s a sneak peek of the new Revlon Colorburst lipstick range.  Beautifully packaged in a sleek, quilted tube… Revlon Colorburst is a good-looking range!

12 Shades are set for UK release ranging from a deep vampy plum through to natural nude shades… I believe the US has 20 available, so we’re short a few!

The formula is creamy, smooth and pigmented with various finishes including cremes, shimmers and all out frosts.

Despite packing a vibrant punch of colour, the lipsticks feel extremely lightweight and easy to wear.  I’ve found them fairly… no I’m not using the term “moisturising”, ‘cos I’ve never found a lipstick GIVE moisture… but some steal more moisture than others, and these aren’t too drying at all.

Check out the REVLON embossing on the bullet!

Finally, some swatches…

Revlon Colorburst Lipsticks are set for a UK release of 2nd June, retailing at £7.99 each.

Any of the shades calling out to you?

New to perfume? Don’t fret; theNotice has an easy three–part guide on how to get started!

Glitter Geek goes bananas (B-A-N-A-N-A-S!) over a stunning eyeliner that even stays put on your waterline.

So many primers, so little time! Vanity’s Edge is going to battle it out and she needs your help!

Looking for a great summer foundation? Clarins’ latest offering is put to the test by Lipglossiping.

Phyrra from Fresco Phyrra shares some of her favorite Blacklight Reactive products.

Is make up really that complicated? Help Hell Candy’s boyfriend unravel the mysteries of make up and read his guest post!

Jellyminx creates another pictorial creating a pretty pinky-purple look with drugstore products.

Christelle from Beauty Crazed shares the secrets of her shiny hair!

Sophie shows you her Five Skin Essentials!

GlossQueen tries her first mineral lipstick. Mosey on over to see if she liked it.

MAC Senior Artis Nicole Thompson tells us her must haves for Rosemount Australia Fashion Week at Madame B Fatale.

Hypothesis? Glass flecks make everything better.  Jeweled Thumb experiments with different topcoats and proves just that!

Cawfee Tawk on Prime Beauty welcomes you with this week’s topic — Blast from the Past Beauty Products. Discuss!

Joeybunny swoons over her Holy Grail fragrance on the PinkSith.

Art Class is in session as Krasey Beauty takes you on a tour of MAC’s newest Greasepaint Sticks.

Louise takes a look at the new Armani Nudes Contrast Palette and re-discovers her hatred of pastels!

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Tsahi over at The Makeup Artist is ecstatic about having 50+ followers; check out her giveaway and enter here!
Beautywoome has extended the competition for a full set of Ellis Faas makeup until May 14th!

Audrey has 2 giveaways going at once! Check out her Facebook Fan Appreciation and May’s Reader of the Month giveaway.

With bananas that like to masquerade as fingers, I’m not particularly adept at the whole false eyelash thing.  The number of times I’ve attempted to falsify my lashes can be counted on one hand.

I need to practice and improve my technique because a well-chosen pair of lashes can make a huge difference to an overall look…

…not well chosen.

It was with interest then that I read an eye health warning from The Eyecare Trust.

“Failing to follow a good hygiene routine when wearing false lashes puts you at risk of suffering irritation and nasty eye infections such as conjunctivitis and bacterial keratitis.”

Iain Anderson, Chairman of the Eyecare Trust continues: “Common symptoms of these eye infections include: red, sore or gritty eyes; a watery discharge; sensitivity to the light; headaches; blurred vision and in severe cases, reduced visual acuity.”

Whoulda thunk it?

Here are The Eyecare Trust‘s top tips for using false lashes safely.

1. Wash your hands before applying fake lashes
2. Use a good quality adhesive
3. Never stick them to your own lashes (always glue them to the eyelid and following the manufacturer’s instructions)
4. Never wear more than one pair at once
5. Clean them thoroughly before reuse
6. Throw them away at the first sign of wear and tear (most lashes have a lifespan of around four wears)
7. Store them in a clean / dry case
8. Never share your lashes with anyone else
9. Don’t stick jewels or other embellishments onto the lashes
10. Always remove them before you go to bed.

Do you adhere to the guidelines?

Truly excited by this…

It’s gorgeous no?  I dug it out of my goody bag that I was given at the Sleek MakeUP blogger event this week.

I’m loving the new Sleek i-Divine cardboard sleeves… not so much the coloured cases, but the sleeves are a total win for me!

Visible from outer space.

It’s a bright palette… I personally wouldn’t wear these as eyeshadows… but I’d buy it anyway, ‘cos these are gonna make some cracking Summer eyeliners.  I’ve already worn both blues blended tightly along the lashline… fabulous!

Like the Bohemian palette before it, the Sleek Circus palette contains a mixture of shimmer and matte shades.  Mostly heavily pigmented (with 2 exceptions) this is an exciting selection.  It’s exciting because it’s pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone… without going too far.  It’s not the acid palette… I couldn’t wear that one.  This, I can work with… it’ll spice things up nicely!

Here’s a quick colour description of the shades…

1. Guava Pink (Matte)
2. Purple (Shimmer)
3. True ‘shrimpy’ Pink (Matte)
4. White (Matte)
5. Bright Yellow (Matte)
6. Fuschia (Slight Shimmer)
7. Black (Matte)
8. Greyed Lilac (Matte)
9. Chartreuse (Shimmer)
10. Azure Blue (Matte)
11. Midnight Blue (Shimmer)
12. Orange (Matte)

They will be getting named in due course by one of the lucky bloggers who won the opportunity at the event!

4 & 8 are crapola.  Heavily swatched, I’m just not getting any colour payoff from them dry or wet.  They’re write-offs unless you have incredible patience.  I’m not bothered about the white, but it’s a shame that the lilac is so disappointing… it’s an interesting shade.

Stand out shades for me are: 1, 2, 5, 9, 10 and 11.

Infact, I’d buy the palette for 11 alone.  It’s perfection.

The Sleek Circus Palette will be released in June, what do you guys think?  Impatient or Indifferent?