A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Do you remember Streetmate?  That thing with Davina Mccall terrorising innocent people and trying to get them to cop off with other equally innocent strangers out doing their Saturday shopping?

Well, Soap & Glory’s Cheekmate has absolutely nothing to do with that, sorry.

Cheekmate* is a new gel blusher from the British brand best-known for their cheeky one-liners and ever-popular bodycare products.  I received a sample from their cosmetics launch which I was unable to attend and it arrived in the shape of this unassuming tube of red liqui-blush.

I say unassuming because this thing packs one hell of a pigmented punch.  I’ll let some pictures do the talking…

Easy to dispense and a little goes a very long way!

It imparts a nice rosy glow which blends well into moisturised skin.  Definitely apply this before any powder products and my top tip would be to apply before foundation too as inevitably, you’ll want to tone down the clown cheeks just a touch before venturing outside the front door.  Or perhaps that’s just me.

I love the translucency of the product that allows it to appear more of a flush across the cheeks as opposed to something that’s been painted on.  I would love to see this available in a peachier shade too.  As for use on the lips, I don’t recommend it because it tastes, frankly revolting until it sets dry.  I would never reach for this to use on my lips over a simple swipe of coloured balm as a less-drying alternative.

A final point to note about Soap & Glory’s Cheekmate is that this stuff STAINS.  The above photo shows my fingers after washing my hands.  This obviously means that the product sets and stays in place on my cheeks for most of the day but it also renders my fingertips unsightly.  A little thing, but worth noting.

Soap & Glory Cheekmate is available online and instore at Boots, priced at a very reasonable £8.00

* press sample

Let’s face it, we’re closer to the festive season than most of us would like to admit.  Have you made any preparations for the big day yet?  No?!

Well, Boots have devised a cunning plan to get us filling up those Christmas stockings quicker than you can devour the mince pies you were supposed to leave out for the main man himself.  They’re called Star Gifts and include a series of fabulous one-off offers every week during the Christmas shopping period.  And by Christmas shopping period, I mean NOW.

Not only that, but Boots are getting all social with their Twelve Gifts of Christmas campaign.  Once a week from now until Boxing Day, they’ll will be selecting one lucky blogger to receive the Star Gift of the week.  In turn, that blogger will pay it forward by nominating another blogger to receive the same Star Gift.  It’s like a paper-chain of beauty booty!

Seeing as I’m the lucky recipient of this week’s Star Gift from Frontcover pictured above, I’d better tell you a bit about it!

Frontcover are well known for their fantastic releases this time of year and this one doesn’t disappoint.  A one-stop make-up collection for eyes, lips and cheeks which includes hints and tips from Frontcover make-up artist, Leanne Shaw, and all the tools needed to create many different looks for the festive season.

The Frontcover Style Queen Colour Set includes:

~ 6 lip glosses
~ 7 dome baked powder eyeshadows
~ 6 pressed powder eyeshadows
~ 2 fine-line baked powder cheek domes
~ Double ended mascara/sealer
~ 2 iridescent pigments
~ Shadowline
~ 6 make-up brushes
~ Mini lash curler
~ Double pencil sharpener
~ A mirror in the lid

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For this week only, the set can be snapped up for just £17.00!

(usual price £35.00)

What’s the catch?  You’ve only got TODAY left to buy it!

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And now for the extra fun bit…

I’m paying it forward and nominating…. my good friend, Cosmetic Candy to receive this week’s Star Gift on me.  Nepotism rules OK.

Keep your eyes peeled because somewhere across the blogosphere, Father Christmas (ok, Boots PR) will be pointing the finger of fortune at another lucky soul to help them count down to Christmas with next week’s ‘Star Gift’ of the week!

Who could it be?  WHAT could it be?!

I’m in it… um innit.

Nutribeauty is a new one-stop-beauty-shop for all your natural, organic and ethical beauty desires.  Featuring household-name brands such as: A’kin, Green People, Neals Yard and Dr. Hauschka alongside some lesser-known gems including: Suti, Victoria Moore and Spirit of Beauty.

The magazine celebrates the launch of the storefront and in amongst the articles, tips and product news sits a little page devoted to beauty bloggers, featuring LondonMakeUpGirl, BeautyMouth, GetLippie and Me!

Yeah, I wrote about myself in the 3rd person.  That means I’m going to hell.  I also notice that I prescribe not wearing full-on eyeliner whilst wearing full-on eyeliner in my avatar thing, dumb-dumb.

I share these things with you not because I think you won’t laugh at my ridiculousness but because no-one in my family cares.  My Mum did for about 5 minutes but then a few days later, when I asked for the magazine back, she told me she’d binned it.

I think I mostly blog because I’m too old to phone childline.

Hourglass Cosmetics will be holding a special event at their Liberty counter this Saturday, 22nd October.  Gina Brookes, the brand’s Artistic Director will be flying in from the U.S. to hold her first UK personal appearance.

The highly respected makeup artist, known for her work with Madonna and Gwen Stefani will be giving expert insight, offering tips and demonstrating applications on a 1-2-1 basis for lucky attendees!

Appointments will be held between 3-6pm and issued on a first come first served basis.  To book, call 020 7730 1234 ext 2632.

The lucky winner of the set of Boots 17 Magnetic Nail Polishes is…

Twitter follower…

Congratulations Zeby!  I’ll be getting in touch v. soon to nab your postal details so I can get your prize dispatched!

Thanks for taking part everyone and better luck next time!

Please forgive the weary expression, it’s late at night – I wanted to film this during the day but I just don’t get 10 minutes to myself at the moment.  I thought it might be fun to record my thoughts on the new (ish) Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Cream…

Click play to see what I thought of it.

Ingredient List

Aqua/Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isohexadecane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sequistearate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methyl Glucose Sequistearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Nylon-12, Cyclohexasiloxane, Propylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Stearyl Alcohol, Argilla/Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum/Fragrance, Caprylyl Glycol, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Limonene, Caffeine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Geraniol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Citral, Ammonium Polyacryldimethyltauramide / Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl taurate, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, [+/- May Contain CI 77891 / Titanium Dioxide, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI77499 / Iron Oxides]

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Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Daily All-In-One B.B. Cream is priced at £9.99 for 50ml and available to buy online and instore at Boots in shades Light or Medium.

Inexpensive and YSL.  Not two words that you’d usually find in the same sentence but as I was browsing some of my usual late-night shopping haunts, I came across a lovely beauty bargain.

For less than the price of most high-street eyeshadows, you can scoop a YSL Water-Resistant Cream Eyeshadow in a non-disgusting shade.  £4.99.  Bargain of the week yes?

Let me show you how pretty it is…

It applies wet and blends to a sheer, crease-resistant base of smokey purple/grey.  It’s a great start for building up a smokey eye or worn on it’s own as a subtle wash of colour.  It blends nicely with either a brush or fingertip and is one of those great work-to-night out essentials.

The swatch on the left shows a couple of layers built up, whilst the swatch on the right shows how I wear it most of the time with a slightly darker crease colour.

YSL Water Resistant Eye Shadow in Amethyst Grey is priced at £4.99, available online from DirectCosmetics.com

Today’s FOTD features an Estee Lauder eyeshadow palette called Enchanted Berries*, featuring some beautiful Autumnal, berry shades that work really nicely to accentuate green eyes.

The rest of the FOTD comprises of:

~ bareMinerals Original Foundation in Fair
~ Max Factor Lash Extension Effect in Black
~ MUFE HD Blush in #4
~ MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

I always feel a bit lame that I can’t list a billion products but the truth is, I don’t get time to apply a billion products.  One day, I’d love to learn to apply concealer in a way that makes me happy/comfortable enough to do it daily because every face can benefit from a little light and clever concealing – I only bother for nights out or if I have a huge zit.

What are you wearing on your face today?

* press sample

The budget skincare brand that enjoys a cult following in the U.S. is now available to buy in Boots.  I’ve previously bought the Cetaphil cleanser from my local Lloyds pharmacy but availability was hit and miss – hopefully, with such a major stockist now, those troubles will be a thing of the past.

Despite an ingredient list that consists of mostly fatty alcohols, SLS, parabens and mineral oil derivatives, this somehow works for me.  It’s not perfect but it is cheap and it doesn’t strip my dry skin like most cleansers.  If you’re an organic-loving skincare girl, give it a wide berth.

If you’re curious to try something new to settle your irritated or reactive winter skin, give this a go before spending the big bucks!

Cetaphil is priced at £9.18 for the large 236ml size bottles, available online and instore at Boots.

Luxury spa and skincare brand ESPA are launching into House of Fraser, Westfield with the unveiling of their new counter on the 1st November.

To celebrate the launch, ESPA will be offering their first 100 customers a complimentary on-counter 15 minute HomeSpa facial from one of ESPA’s Skin Therapists as well as an introductory ESPA gift, worth £56!

The gift includes ESPA’s best-selling products: Lift & Firm Intensive Serum (8ml), Pink Hair & Scalp Mud (100ml) and Hydrating Cleansing Milk (60ml), so you can experience the wonders of ESPA at home.  The introductory offer is available until the 30th November, subject to availability.

They say it’s always nice to go away, and it’s always nice to come home again.  I say that it’s even nicer to come home if you’re bringing back some duty-free shopping with you.  Duty-Free is big business and ontop of the great savings over the usual retail prices, brands are now offering travel exclusives to holiday-makers and frequent flyers.  As if it’s not bad enough that they get to go on holiday without us in the first place, they now get beauty exclusives too?!

Pfft.

Just to make those of us who aren’t going away this winter even more jealous.. here are some of the travel exclusives that caught my eye at the recent Heathrow Press Day.  Yep folks, there’s reason enough here to head straight to the travel agents.

A feast for the eyes with huge brands offering baby bundles and limited releases to slip inside your suitcase.  From Guerlain’s beautiful fragrance bottles, La Prairie skincare sets, and Clinique travel exclusives to OPI’s mini country-collections and a super-cute Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance coffret.  There’s something to get you in the holiday mood before your plane has even left the tarmac.

But my favourite travel exclusive?  Well, it has to be this beautiful palette from YSL…

The Very YSL Palette holds a very pretty combination of colours and comprises: 4 eyeshadows, 2 lip colours and a peachy blush/highlighter.  The palette is ultra-slimline (about the size of an iphone) and includes a large mirror and three applicators.  Honestly, it would be worth forgetting your makeup bag for.  The palette is priced at £37.95 and available at Heathrow from World Duty Free.

Do you sneak a few beauty purchases into your luggage when you go on holiday?

Question of the Week: – What polish is currently on your toes?

Answer: None! I’m too scared of my toenails going yellow like my fingernails have to polish them outside of Summer time sandal-wearing!

Lipglossiping – celebrates World Porridge Day with some oaty-goodness!

Pink Sith – is drooling over her newest Armani Eyes To Kill Intense Shadow #3 in Purpura. Is it Taupe or Purple or both? You decide!

Prime Beauty – gives us a preview of bareMinerals limited edition eye shadow palette, The Cocktail Hour. Make mine a double!

Phyrra – tells you how to organize before they rise, by showing you the Meow Cosmetics Zombie Apocalypse collection!

Vampy Varnish – If you love glitter, you might love these colors from Deborah Lippmann for holiday 2011!

we heart this – you SO need to take the new lip products from MAC Styledriven for a test drive.

Clumps of Mascara – Sally Hansen recently released a stunning collection of jewel toned polishes. You pretty much need them all. Really.

Gouldylox Reviews – My new obsession is the dry shampoo from UNITE. It’s not white, you can put it everywhere and it works better than the others I’ve tried. How’s that for an endorsement?