A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Always a sucker for a bargain, I dived in head first when ELF recently cut the prices of their new(ish) Studio Matte Lip Colors to £1 a piece.  I jumped on them more because I love lipsticks in pen form than because I love matte formulas.  Let’s face it, matte formulas can be tricky to wear unless you’re 14 and addicted to Carmex.

Currently available on the UK website in four neutral shades, I grabbed the lot (and some nail polishes that I’ll probably never get round to blogging).

Tea Rose, Coral, Praline and Natural are the four shades available to purchase.

Here’s what they look like in the tubes…

For what it’s worth, I really like the packaging on these.  The simple and minimalistic black casing defies their £3.50 price tag.  The lids click to a tight, flush close and the twist mechanism feels like it will go the distance.  No complaints from me.

The formula on these didn’t vary too much between shades.  I found Praline perhaps gave the most drag during application, a little less creamy than the others but probably my favourite to wear because it looked the least chalky once applied.

Tea Rose was the creamiest but I felt that the colour was a little off, it’s quite mauve based which made my lips look a little… dead.

Coral looks far more apricot than a true coral shade in my humble opinion and Natural is easily the most nude for my complexion.  They’re a good, solid bunch of lip-neutral shades and I think most should be able to find one shade from the selection that will suit their skintones well.

And the lip swatches…

I know I usually do a full-face shot with lip swatches for context but none of them flattered me and I have a huge zit on my chin that has been there (without a head) for the past week – some days, you just can’t face those pesky FOTDs and today was one of them.  I also thought the close up might be useful so that you can see just how ‘drying’ each shade appears on the lips.

The paler shades definitely come out a little chalky looking, something that would easily be remedied by a touch of lipgloss to conceal those furrows.  In terms of comfort, I didn’t actually find them particularly drying on the lips which is testament to a quality purchase from the budget brand, however, I wouldn’t describe them as moisturising either.  Just your standard, good quality matte lipstick.

The ELF Studio Matte Lip Colors taste very fruity but are not particularly scented, something which surprised me (on both counts).  The taste, although synthetic, is pleasant enough…. similar to what you’d expect from something like a chapstick.

Overall, and for the money, I can’t really fault them too much.  Sure, I’m not really a fan of how the colours turned out against my skintone but that’s personal preference… throw me a red or hot pink and this could well have been a gushing post of epic proportions.  I’d say, give ’em a go – you might just find your holy grail nude matte lip!

ELF Studio Matte Lip Colors are available to purchase online at the ELF website, priced at £3.50 each.

Well, more… mini-sized, nano would just be ridiculous despite the mileage one might get from the whole alliteration thing.  Could you imagine trying to paint your nails with a brush designed for a nano-sized container?  That would take polish rage to a whole other level.  You get polish rage too right?

The sizing comes in at 7ml and retails online at around the £5.25 mark.  It doesn’t work out to be the most cost-effective way to purchase polish (buy in bulk people) but it’s still a cute gift idea for people you don’t like enough to shell out the full amount of money on right?

Was I not supposed to say that out loud?

What I particularly like about the mini range is that Nubar have included some of their cult classics (*cough* Peacock Feathers *cough*) in the 54-piece shrinkies and not held their best-selling shades hostage.

Nubar minis are available online at BeautyShed priced at £5.25 each or from Nubar-Nailz priced at £5.00 each

What is it?

A 3 piece collection of Elemis’ hero skincare products neatly presented in a BRIGHT PINK travel case!

Pro Collagen Marine Cream (30ml)
Pro Collagen Lifting Treatment Neck and Bust (15ml)
Skin Nourishing Shower Cream (50ml)

How much is it?

The set retails at £29.90, saving 50% off the usual prices.

How much of your money goes to PINK projects?

Elemis have pledged a donation of £10,000 this October to Breast Cancer Care.

How do I get it?

The Elemis Think Pink Beauty Kit is available to buy online from timetospa.co.uk or in spas/salons and selected department stores.

On Monday night, I was invited to attend a rare UK appearance from Dr. Howard Murad who was visiting the UK with his son Jeff to introduce a few new products to the brand’s lineup.  Included in the launch are a new range of primers, marketed as “Hybrids” that draw maximum inspiration from the well-established skincare line.

The 4-piece range includes:

Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer Matte Finish (£27)
Hybrids Skin Perfecting Primer Dewy Finish (£27)
Hybrids Eye Lift Illuminator (£25)
Hybrids Eye Lift Perfector (£25)

The two Skin Perfecting Primers in the range project obvious differences in overall finish (one matte, one glowy) but both claim to offer universal shade-matching from an oil-free formula.  They promise to disguise flaws, even skin texture and minimise the appearance of pores whilst balancing oil production.  Sadly, there’s nothing specific in the release about promoting longevity of makeup but that may well come under the ‘balancing oil production’ umbrella.

The other two products are intended for the eye area.  The Eye Lift Illuminator promises to instantly brighten the eyes thanks to a colour corrective formula (violet-toned), whilst hydrating, de-puffing, and minimising dark circles to give the surrounding delicate skin a more youthful appearance.

The final product is the Eye Lift Perfector which promises the same improvements to general skin health as the Illuminator but with the addition of a natural tint (concealer) to even skin tone further.

I won’t deny it, I’m very excited to try the skin primers – and for one reason in particular.  The brand have placed emphasis on something that sounds remarkably worthy of an eye-roll but has me wetting myself in anticipation regardless…

Pore Factor-5.

Murad describes Pore Factor-5 as a proprietary technology that will…

~ Improve skin grain by tightening dilated pores
~ Blends with skin’s natural pigments to add luminosity to the skin while msoothing out fine lines and wrinkles
~ Normalizes oil production and helps control bacterial proliferation
~ Soothes and reduces inflammation
~ Protects against the damaging effects of UV-induced free radicals to preserve and improve skin elasticity, firmness and tone.

Honestly, I’m too fixated on that first one to bother caring about the rest.  Note how it doesn’t say ‘improves the appearance of pores’.  Yeahhhh Murad, you’ve just given me a BENCHMARK.  I like benchmarks.

I’ll be putting the primers to the test over the next few weeks and will be looking for all these lovely, instant results that I wanna see.  As a fairly pore-y kinda chick, I’ve got my fingers crossed.

Murad’s new Hybrids range is available to buy online from Murad, Feel Unique, Urban Retreat Beautique and from leading salons and spas nationwide.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and with one woman diagnosed with the disease every 11 minutes in the UK, it’s a cause that needs all the awareness it can get.

My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 12 years old and I’ll never forget the day she told us she’d be going into hospital the following morning. My Mum is still here today… many other’s aren’t.

So, with that memory always lurking never too far from the surface, I’m very pleased to be showcasing some of the ‘pink’ products over this coming week that will be providing a donation to various breast cancer-related charities throughout the next month.

If you want to find out more about some of the charities involved, have a read through some of the following links: Breast Cancer Care, Pink Ribbon Foundation, Look Good Feel Better, Breakthrough Breast Cancer

Also…

Tomorrow is the annual Look Good…Feel Better Beauty Editors Day where more than 20 top beauty editors will be paired with over 20 cosmetic brands in the Beauty Hall at Selfridges in a unique fundraising event.

Tickets may still be available via Selfridges’ booking line – 0800 138 8140.  For £20 you can meet your favourite beauty editor, seek lots of advice (and ask lots of questions!), plus you’ll get a mini make-over and leave with a fabulous beauty gift too!  For more information, visit the Look Good Feel Better page here.

As if that isn’t enough excitement for a weekday afternoon, Estee Lauder spokesmodel Liz Hurley will be putting in an appearance this same Thursday for a meet and greet in Selfridges at 12pm before an extra appearance at 8pm, where she will flick the switch and light Selfridges PINK in an illuminating show of Breast Cancer Care Support.

Show your support.  You know you don’t really need any extra excuses to go to Selfridges.

I fished the Smashbox Soft Focus Powder Eyeliner in Gunmetal out of a press day goody bag a couple of months ago and promptly fell in love.  Deeply pigmented with a lovely hint of sparkle, it ticked many of the boxes that the Guerlain powder liners have never been able to do for me — number one being a soft, flexible tip that doesn’t fill me with fear everytime it comes within 2 inches of my eyeball.

I think that these powder eyeliners are a love ’em/hate ’em type affair and after buying and giving up on the Guerlain Kohl, I thought I was in the latter camp along with all the other haterz.

Not so.

Yes, there’s fall out.  Obviously more so than any other kind of liner but I remedy this by applying before foundation and it doesn’t bother me.  You can (if you’re careful), apply without dropping a speck but if you manage it consistently, you’re a better woman than I am.

The ‘nib’ of the wand is a flexible, soft sponge that holds enough rigidity to run along the waterline but is also soft enough to provide a good application to the lashline.  I feel that the Smashbox shades are inferior to Guerlain’s which are generally, simply beautiful — but I can work with these happily.

The Gunmetal on the left contains more sparkle than the Black.  The fall out is visible and I didn’t take any care here to minimise it.   I went out and bought the Black because I loved the smoky definition that the Gunmetal provided but wanted something a little more dramatic to wear in the evenings.

My favourite thing about the Smashbox Soft Focus Powder Eyeliner is the way they wear after a few hours, the line fades evenly and cleanly – if you want something sharply defined that will look the same at 6pm as it did at 8am, these won’t be for you.  Over the course of the day, they soften and melt without straying too far and give a nicely ‘lived in’ look, not as dramatic as the whole rock-chick thing but heading in that direction.

The Smashbox Soft Focus Powder Eyeliners are priced at £19.50 each (yes, expensive) and are available instore at Debenhams, or you could save a few pennies and buy online from JustBeautyDirect.

Do you wear loose powder eyeliner?  Love it or Hate it?

This Thursday, I politely suggest that you don’t venture too far from your local John Lewis.  Trust me on this…

Luxury Haircare brand Ojon are offering a rather hair-raising product amnesty deal.

On the 29th September, for one day only (and while stocks last), venture instore at your local John Lewis where Ojon are offering customers the chance to take home a full sized Damage Reverse Shampoo and a full sized Damage Reverse Conditioner by simply trading in any empty shampoo or conditioner bottle, no purchase necessary*.

Yeah, I had to read it more than once too.

The Ojon Damage Reverse Shampoo and Conditioner is formulated with Ojon™ Oil and is designed to hydrate extremely dry, damaged hair and helps strengthen it to protect from future breakage.  Just what we need as the seasons change and we gradually enter the big freeze!

I’ve got my empty bottle of shampoo ready, now… where’s my elbow sharpener, ‘cos I predict this might be a wee bit popular.  If you’re keen to take advantage, I suggest you get to your local John Lewis store early.

* one per customer – don’t be GREEDY!  Stockist list is available here.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Sarah and I have no eyebrows.  Nope, nada, none.  It’s not that I’m deformed, they’re just not there — they don’t exist.  And before you’re quick to judge like most, I did not wax, shave, torture, over-pluck, or burn them off in a freak accident.  For a mousy brown haired girl, I simply have very fair eyebrows that have some slight growth at the start before fading away to nothing.

For a long time, this didn’t worry me but then it became a mission, a quest for the perfectly arched, fierce, don’t-mess-with-me power brow.  I have tried countless pencils (too harsh), filling in with eyeshadow (too dusty) and gels (too brown), alas the search for real Brooke Shield brows was still defeating me; until Charlotte offered me the M2BROWS Eyebrow Renewing Serum to trial.

Stocked at Harrods and retailing at a rather pricey £133, I had high hopes for this baby.  Infused with natural black sea rod oil, the serum aims to stimulate growth for sparse or out-of-shape brows in just under six weeks.  I followed the easy instructions and got into the routine of painting the liquid onto clean brows after showering and before applying my night time moisturiser.  The brush applicator was easy to use and I was heavy handed, slathering on a generous amount to all, and I mean all, areas of the brow.

After a week or so, I began to see growth, mainly in the sparse area beyond the arch.  Over the coming weeks, the amount of hair increased dramatically, creating the perfect bushy-ness needed for transforming and re-shaping.

I ditched my tweezers for the 6-8 week trial so that you would be able to witness the results, thank the lord for glasses to hide the re-growth!

To my utter delight you can see the serum worked to full effect, I was completely gobsmacked, the serum had stimulated growth in all areas of the brow – hurrah! However, this new growth was very blonde so it was time to bring in the Eylure Eyebrow Tint and whip these unruly bad boys into shape!

I purchased the at home Eyebrow and Eyelash Tint by Eylure, I was excited, nervous and pretty bloody scared at attempting to do such thing to myself, but it couldn’t have been any easier.  Simply mixing the dye into a thin paste, two minutes later, hey presto the girl HAD EYEBROWS.

After a MASS plucking session, I am pleased to announce that I am currently sporting a very natural, not too bushy, fierce Brooke Shield pair of brows.  It has added a new dimension to my face, creating a better balance.. They say you don’t know what you’re missing till it’s gone, well I never knew what I had till they grew and got tinted!

I highly recommend the M2BROWS Eyebrow Renewing Serum, if like me, you suffer with barely there brows, and I mean barely there, it’s worth splashing the cash.  If you’ve simply over-plucked and you know they will grow back, I would just wait. However, if the actual hair’s there, but very blonde or very fine, then the Eylure Eyebrow Tint is a must.  Priced at a very reasonable £7 (with up to twelve applications), it dyes brows a natural light brown, with no fear of looking like a Scary Mary.

I will continue to use the serum, as there’s plenty left in the tube (even after 10 weeks!) just to help create the perfect shape and make them twins, not just sisters.

My overall thoughts are as follow: HULLALUHAH!

Let’s kick off the week with another nail polish swatch, again from Leighton Denny‘s new Atmospheric Collection.  Your Planet or Mine? is a beetle’s wing duochrome that displays mostly teal with flashes of vivid purple around the edges.  It scores extra points for providing such good coverage after two coats.

Duochromes are notoriously sheer and after a single coat, I thought this one was heading in the same direction.  Thankfully, the second topping pulled it all together and I was done.

If you love this kind of colour-shifting gorgeousness, you might also want to check out: Ciate Starlet and SpaRitual Health, Wealth and Happiness – both of which, provide similar effects but with enough differences between all three to warrant purchases.  Enabler? Moi?

Leighton Denny’s Atmospheric Collection is available to buy online priced at £11.00

When I think of natural makeup brands, I immediately think of sheer, ethereal colour.  Perhaps a bit of pastel, a lot of dewiness and anything that would normally epitomise a harmonious relationship with all things…. natural.

I wouldn’t especially associate grungy, edgy looks and bold colour.  It’s a common misconception and one that I was pleased to see blown away with Dr. Hauschka’s colaboration alongside Louise Amstrup for her Spring/Summer 2012 salon presentation.

But first, a quick look at the collection…

Beautiful prints and pretty pleats that drape gently and soften the bold, patterns.  The presentation was accompanied with a short video that featured makeup created by makeup artist Ayami Nishimura alongside Dr. Hauschka’s range of skincare and cosmetics.

Lithuanian model Egle Jezepcikaite looks androgynous with slicked back hair and the focus placed heavily on the precision liner.  The lips are toned down and some heavy contouring accentuates the model’s chiselled cheekbones.

The second still from the video displays the same precision liner looking a touch more deconstructed than before, mirrored with a vibrant flash of orange over the lids.  Most interestingly, the orange comes from a lipstick(!) in the range and picks up the warm tones in the Amstrup SS12 collection beautifully.

If you’d like to watch the video yourself, click play on the video below and enjoy having a few misconceptions about natural makeup challenged.

Would you associate these kind of looks with a natural brand?

…for a potential best price of £7.00 inc. shipping.

It’s currently sitting at £10 with free shipping and needs a few more buyers to achieve its full potential.

I went to Boots yesterday to try and get hold of the 17 magnetic polishes but they had nothing out except all the posters promoting it, irritated much?

My links aren’t affiliated or sponsored but I am feeling a little pepped and hopeful that BuyaPowa have gotten something so ‘on trend’ and ‘current’ on site so soon after our feedback.  Keep it up guys!

I think I need me one of these (at £7 hopefully).  How about you?

It’s been a long time since I fell so heavily in love with a nail polish shade.  Zoya Caitlin isn’t even a sparkler.  It doesn’t shift colour and it doesn’t glow in the dark or create funny patterns with the help of a magnet.

Zoya Caitlin is just a beautiful creme that has enough edge to make it different to all my other cremes.  I’m smiling as I write this because I think that half of you are gonna be with me on this and the rest are gonna be like “uh what?”

I won’t build it up any more…

Zoya Caitlin is the duskiest blue I own.  I don’t know how it manages to look so soft yet still be so bold.  It looks like a breath of dusty serenity and I’m completely smitten.  It was released as part of their Spring 2011 Intimates Collection as one half of a duo “french-twist” manicure.  Everywhere I look, I see this described as a purple or a violet.  I just don’t see it.  On me, it’s an out and out cob-webby, deep cornflower.

Uniquely beautiful, I have nothing bad to say about this nail polish.

Zoya Caitlin is available in the UK online at Beauty4Nails-Body priced at £7.99 – I have no personal experience with this website, I bought my bottle from eBay U.S.