A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This doesn’t really need much in the way of explanation does it?  Unless, of course, you’re living on the Seychelles or something, in which case… I hate you.  It’s now nearly July and we haven’t had much of a Summer have we?  Sure, I’m appreciating the longer daylight hours but seriously, this rain?  Not so much.  We had one glorious week back in March (that everyone apart from me has forgotten about), and almost two weeks in May… but that’s it – besides those, it’s been nothing but Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death (or something).

So, here’s a giveaway in the hopes of injecting a little summer into our grey skies.  You’re absolutely free to enter regardless of your location, just so long as it’s not sunny where you are.  If you live in the tropics, just wait until it’s night-time and none of us are any the wiser.

You could win a variety of summer-inspired goodies including: Barry M Pink Flamingo Nail Paint, Wet n Wild Color Icon Palette in Blue Had Me At Hello, Le Metier de Beaute Bronzer in Sun Drenched, and a Make Up Store lipgloss in Vide

Interested?

To enter, leave a comment below and tell me about your favourite childhood memory of Summer and I’ll pick out a name at random to enjoy the spoils.

T&C
1. Entry open worldwide.
2. I will choose 1 winner at random, my decision is final.
3. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
4. Competition closes on Saturday 30th June 2012 at 23.59 BST.
5. Winner will be contacted via email.

I took delivery of my new hula hoop yesterday – it’s very pretty, which I’m sure isn’t supposed to be the thing that I’m most fixated upon when it comes to exercise equipment.  After getting my interest piqued in the idea of taking it up as an exercise (thanks Cami) I went and bought a Casall Rock Ring but it gave me hella bruising and a back-ache that wasn’t subsiding and after speaking to a hooping guru (yes, there is such a thing!) on Twitter – she advised me that those super-heavyweight things with their bumps and nobbles can actually cause damage to your kidneys, spine and skin – I’ve since put it back in the box just in case.

Instead, she linked me to an Etsy shop (temporarily closed) that offers hoops suited to dance and general exercise and so I went ahead and ordered this one, let’s call her Sally.

Photo courtesy of Innerspiral here (and by courtesy, I mean flagrantly stolen)

Here she is in my photo… I would have taken a piccie of her in full circular glory but I hadn’t picked up Leila’s toys as you may notice from the tornado of multi-coloured, blurry crap in the background.

I love Sally.  She’s very springy and comfortably solid without being heavy.  At 40″ diameter, she’s pretty hefty (much like her owner) and everyone ducks for cover/moves glasses off tables/runs for their lives when I pull her out from behind the sofa.  She’s so much fun – fifteen-minutes of exercise infront of MTV has never flown by so quickly!  I’m a bit of a n00b at finding my rhthym but for once, I can do something better than my husband who basically turns into Mr. Bean.

I found this video last night and I am in awe…

…but I have to say, I got brought back down to earth with a bump on my funny bone when I read mixitango’s comment:

I wish I were tall and thin. Hula hooping is 57320x more elegant when you look like that.

I just look like a potato with a belt.

You may remember this post about the brush guards that I use whenever I clean my brushes, it allows them to dry and retain their shape perfectly.  In the comments, Ellie told us about the el-cheapo version you could pick up on eBay for just ninety-nine pennies!  A couple of my original brush guards were showing some wear on the edges so I picked up a couple of rolls and waited patiently for them to arrive from the far East.

I thought I’d do a quick comparison… this isn’t particularly in-depth but I thought it might be useful to demonstrate the major differences between the available tools.

The most obvious difference is in the rigidity of the material used to construct the brush guards.  The eBay equivalent is much softer, more pliable and to be honest, less substantial.  The ‘official’ brush guards are firmer and more rigid with a stronger construction.  If you imagine a rope… the stronger rope will be weaved of more strands – this is pretty much what’s happening here.  Think of it as the ‘official’ version of The Brush Guard being triple-ply loo roll as opposed to the single-ply eBay alternative!

However, this doesn’t make the eBay Brush Guards any less useful when it comes to keeping the brush hairs in shape.  Look, same brush…

You can see that both guards encourage the brush to keep its naturally domed taper, thus allowing it to dry retaining a good shape.  The biggest drawback to the eBay version is that I simply haven’t been able to use them on any eye brushes with as much success and that includes brushes like the MAC 217 – there’s too much stretch in the mesh to conform to a smaller brush tip and hold the bristles as tightly as I’d like.

As for travel?  Well, the official version would be my recommendation.  The eBay guards are simply too pliable and don’t afford the rigidity needed to protect the brushes when they’re bumping up against one another.  To try and demonstrate what I mean, I pressed my fingertip against the brush tip on a MAC 217… I tried to apply the same amount of pressure to the brush head and you can see the difference between the amount of movement exercised on the delicate hairs.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for something to simply cover, lightly protect and shape your larger brushes after washing and aren’t looking for something to protect your brushes whilst travelling – go for the eBay brush guards.  At 99p for a roll of mesh you’ll be sitting pretty with neatly domed powder brushes at the ready!  If you need something more substantial or struggle to keep your eye brushes in good shape, you should stump up the extra pennies and go for the official versions of The Brush Guard.

It may look like a super low-tech solution to protecting your brushes, but not all brush guards are built equally!

I purchased my eBay brush guards, rather unsurprisingly, on eBay (99p) and my official ones from Cocktail Cosmetics (£5 per pack).

You’re gonna have to excuse the late-night point & shoot pictures, these were taken at around 11pm and I’d just dragged my tired bum through the door after spending an evening at Selfridges enjoying an Armani masterclass with Cesar Santos, one of Armani’s International Face Designers.  I’d already managed to eat my lipstick and gloss off whilst on the train home, so what remains in the photo below is a five-hour old base which my dry skin instantly fell in love with (Luminous Silk 4.5), some phenomenal mascara (Eyes to Kill (VexInTheCity, you were right)), and one of the new Eyes To Kill eyeshadows (#24 – RougeDeluxe has more info on them here).

There was also a blush (blushing fabric #1) which the camera has failed to capture.  I’m sad that I ate the lipstick off, it was probably the best warm pink I’ve ever worn for not looking clashy against my skin.  Don’t comment on my brows, I would say that I’m “growing them out” or something bloggery like that, but I’m not… I’m just too idle to phone my threading lady and my fringe does a great job at hiding them.  Usually.

How about that mascara huh?

Cesar Santos usually resides on the Giorgio Armani counter at Harvey Nichols, London.  You need to track down this man, seriously.  He’s ridiculously easy to talk to, completely non-judgemental when admitting your makeup crimes, and did not put a single foot wrong when selecting shades that complemented both my skintone AND my hair.  Basically, if ever there were a case for human cloning (especially if we could turn them into our makeup minions)… Cesar is it.

I shall be blogging more about the evening soon!

I know!  Right?!

But before you get all excited (as I did when I read about this), the offer is only available to new Boots Treat Street customers.  So, if like me, you’re already justifying your eBay addiction by reminding yourself that you earn Boots points with every purchase courtesy of Treat Street, this deal doesn’t have your name written on it.  The bastards.

However…

If you’re new to the world of Boots Treat Street, there isn’t a better time to sign up.  Except for that time when I signed up and got £15 in Boots points (kerr-ching) via a Living Social deal.  Sorry, you’ve missed that boat and no-one likes a gloater.

So, what’s this Treat Street malarkey all about then?  Well, to put it simply… it’s the Boots Advantage Card system extended to other stores (but only online).  For example, you can’t walk in to Dixons brandishing your Boots card but you can click through to the Dixons website VIA the Boots Treat Street website and subsequently earn Boots points on any purchases.  Clear as mud?  Good.

As much as I hate installing crap on my computer, I must admit that the Boots Treat Street browser toolbar comes in quite handy.  It pops up whenever I’m on a website that participates in the scheme and reminds me to “log myself in” to the system before making my purchase, thus securing my Boots Advantage Card Points from the deal.

If you haven’t shopped via the Boots Treat Street website before, you’ll be wanting this code: WELCOME500 and these instructions on what to do next.

Happy points collecting!  Do you use Treat Street?  Tempted to sign up?

Four new shades from Orly that echo Electronica’s past.  The campaign ad is a distinctly 80s affair with a touch of post-apocolyptic punk thrown in for good measure.  The shades seem to span the seasons from a summery hot pink shimmer to the more wintry slate grey.

Shades are as listed below:

Decoded: Slate grey creme
Preamp: Girly pink with gold shimmer
Shockwave: Royal blue creme
Synchro: Duochrome pink/gold (but all the swatches I’ve seen show a rose-toned polish with blue reflects – go figure!)

All shades are available to purchase online now from BeautyBay, where they’re currently priced at £7.50 each.

Are any of these on your Summer wishlist?

I’ve been a fan of Jo Malone’s Cologne Intense range since it debuted in the Summer of 2010 and although back then, the thought of spending £70+ on a fragrance did little more than bewilder me, you may have noticed that as my interest in fragrance has grown, so my spending budget has significantly increased.  Of the current colognes in the range, it has always been the Oud & Bergamot Cologne Intense that has appealed to my senses more than any other (followed closesly by the Amber & Patchouli – what can I say?  I like the headier stuff!) which is why I was excited to hear about the brand’s latest addition to the line, the Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense*.

Rose & Oud… it’s not the most original pairing in the fragrance world is it?  But there’s good reason for that – the traditional Middle Eastern coupling simply compliments one another beautifully.  If you’re a Rose & Oud aficionado, you may find this version a touch dumbed-down despite the “intense” moniker, in which case, you’ll be pleased to save your pennies.

For everyone else, I have to say that the new Jo Malone version makes for a lovely introduction to the classic duo.  It’s heavy on the rose, as you might expect from the British brand and reminds me somehow of a more velveteen and cleaner Le Labo Rose 31, thanks in no small part to the fact that the Oud in this definitely plays only a bit part on the stage.  It lacks the animalic tang and spice of the Le Labo but the dark, masculine edge is perfectly balanced with a voluptuousness that emerges from the first sniff and stays the course throughout the shorter-than-I’d-like wear time.  So, talking of longevity… this is where I find my disappointment – for such a majestic pairing (and a non-too-shabby price), I’d like more endurance please – on my skin, I achieve around the four hours mark.  Ultimately, this leaves me torn – I adore the composition: the allure of the rose with the darkened petals and its full-bodied, almost torrid sultriness appeals in all the ways I had anticipated.  It’s just aswell it’s only available in a 100ml bottle, because I’ll spraying this liberally and often.

In other news, the brand have recently opened a new London boutique in Covent Garden on King Street.  Most interestingly, this is the first store to employ the brand’s new design in the inimitable Jo Malone style of black and cream, it’s also the largest freestanding boutique in the UK stocking a full range of Jo Malone’s beauty and home fragrance favourites.

Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intesnse is a limited edition fragrance available now, priced at £95 for 100ml.

* press sample

You know how I love to come across an unexpected beauty bargain?  Well, this one is my latest and it’s from the M&S debut Limited Collection make-up range.  The range went live last month, you can read more about the brand’s new beauty ventures in this post but the main thing you need to know about the M&S Limited Collection is that everything comes in at under £6.00

The Limited Collection includes almost everything a girl needs for her daily makeup bag from foundation to bronzer, nail polish to cheek tint and most things that fall in-between.  I was sent a few random bits and bobs from the new collection and I’ve got enough of a feel for the products to confidently call this one out as worth a look next time you’re in store.

The shadows come in a range of finishes and although I suspect that some of the base products will be a little hit and miss when it comes to shade selection (light, medium and dark anyone?) there are some funky nail shades on offer and this little gem of a liquid liner really turned my head…

This liquid liner in turquoise packs one hell of a tropical punch in the colour stakes.  It’s incredibly pigmented and doesn’t do that annoying liquid liner thing of pushing the pigment to the edges of the line, leaving the centre colour-free and in need of seven more layers.  The above swatch images show a single sweep of colour (except for the very outer “v” on the eye where for neatness’ sake I had to go over it).  My only caveat with this product is that it takes a while to dry… I’d say around 90 seconds to set, that’s quite a long time when you’ve only got five-minutes to do your face in the morning.

Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Liner in Turquoise is a complete steal at only £4.00 for 6ml.

* press sample

… I’ve never depotted before.  Which is basically the beauty blogger equivalent of a whore admitting that she’s never actually done it before.  Not that I’m calling beauty bloggers whores.

Wait, where was I?

Well, it was Saturday night and I had about 20 minutes before I was supposed to be in bed, which obviously made it the ideal time to get out a bunch of eyeshadows, light a candle and kiss goodbye to a perfectly good cuticle pusher.

So the above Z-Palette is now made up of a mixture of depots and pressed pigments.  I didn’t sacrifice any of my expensive shadows in the making of this… the whole exercise is an attempt to make me use more of the shades that I’ve been neglecting.  There’s a right old hotch-potch in there – you may recognise some MUA, Art Deco, MAC, The Body Shop, Mary Quant, Maybelline, and NYX.  The ones with bumpy texture are my pressed pigments (mostly The She Space, Shiro Cosmetics and Victorian Disco).

All in all, it didn’t go too badly. I gouged a couple (and quickly re-pressed), dented the pans on more than a couple (what’s a few dinks between friends?) and shattered one (didn’t like it much anyway).  Am I game to do the same for my more cherished eyeshadows?  Am I naff.

Do you depot?  Always or just sometimes?

You can keep your Andrex puppies and their loo roll-pulling antics because Zoya Kendal has super-softness in the bag.  This beautiful polish from the American brand is simply perfect.  A gorgeous greyed-lavender creme that incites visions of mist-swirled candyfloss.

The formula is also divine, reaching full opacity in two fuss-free, streak-free coats. You may be able to tell that this is my favourite polish of the year so far…. making me want to retrospectively check out the rest of the Zoya Feel Collection from last winter (thank heavens for eBay).

If you’re finding Zoya Kendal a little too simplistic or cold for your tastes, these kind of muted pastels are my absolute favourite for enhancing with a little glitter.  In this case, Butter London’s Tart with a Heart did the honours…

Ethereal, delicate, beautiful and blinging to the max!

Zoya Kendal is available to buy online from beauty4nails-body.co.uk, priced at £7.99

Question of the Week: – How do you keep track of the beauty blogs you read? Do you use an RSS reader, bookmarks, GFC, Bloglovin’ or something else?

Answer :- I keep up with my favourite beauty blogs via Twitter, most bloggers tend to link to their new posts and I’m always clicking through to check out their latest highlights.  Any that I miss from there, I catch up once a week via HelloCotton or Bloglines.

Gouldylox Reviews – Want beachy waves? Kelly from Gouldylox tested the irons and found out which ones deliver the wave you want!

Lipglossiping – gets down and dirty, talking about all those things you shouldn’t do… but do anyway…

Nouveau Cheap – reviews a drugstore setting powder that matched her skin so well she could barely photograph it.

Pink Sith – Brings you an UNusual review of UNdeniably beautiful LORAC Unzipped Palette!

Prime Beauty – visits the Island of Capri…sort of. Okay, the Estee Lauder Bronze Sands Eye Shadow palette takes her there. K?

Phyrra – is treated to a Beauty Blogger Breakfast at Neiman Marcus. See what she learned from the experience!

we heart this – is giving away a $100 gift card to New London Pharmacy’s online shop. Shop for Dad or yourself, we won’t tell. Caudalie, Fekkai, Deborah Lippmann and more!

Beauty Junkies Unite – See why Amber has been toting around not just one, but THREE shades of bareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in her purse lately!

Clumps of Mascara – is giving away THREE $50 gift cards to Sephora.com. You want one, uh? Be sure to enter!

How do you keep up with your favourite blogs?

I came across this fun video on a late night YouTube session…

Low Octane. Really? REALLY? Get off my planet.

The only one that I can think of (from the top of my head) that I struggle with is Weleda.  Is it “vell-eeda”, “vell-ayda”, “well-eeda”, “well-ayda?”  FFS.

Which brand names do you struggle with?