A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Following your awesome replies about the Moroccan Black Soap, I realised that I was short of an exfoliating tool to do it proper justice.  I rifled through my beauty cupboard and pulled out these dubious-looking pair of gloves*.

If you can for a moment, look past the luridness that screeches “I cost £1.00” they’re actually rather effective which makes me very happy that they only cost £1.00 afterall.

They’re rough without being unbearably scratchy and although I’m sure they won’t last longer than a few weeks, it would be hygenic to replace them once a month anyway.  I’m many things… but a dirt-bag, I’m not.  Mostly.

I tend to blitz my body in bursts of faux spa-related activity so these make a great pick-up for when I suddenly decide that tonight’s the night I’m gonna turn casa Lipglossiping into spa sanctuary Lipglossiping and take my rough bits in hand!

I also recommend the similarly ugly and polka-dotted shower cap, it holds in heat very well making it great for hair treatments.  Can’t remember how much I paid for the shower cap though, sorry!

Wilkinsons “Bath Time” Exfoliating Gloves are priced at £1.00 and available to pick up in store.

What are your favourite tools for recreating that in-home spa experience?

* pr sample

Following my pledge to suffocate the makeup snob in me that threatens to overwhelm, I spent a little while swatching at the Maybelline stand in my local Tesco the other evening.  OK, I swatched at all of them, I’m a quick healer.  Infact, I was gone for so long (just popping out for a pint of milk dear!) that Mr. L looked slightly white-faced when I returned home after 10pm having forgotten to take my phone.  Oops.

I thought I’d share some photos of my favourite purchase of the evening, Maybelline’s Eye Studio Mono Eye Shadow in Silken Taupe (£4.09)…

Alright, so it’s not exactly the Show Orchid of the eyeshadow world.  It’s taupe.  But damnit, I like my taupes… and I like them a lot.  Wanna know how much?  Well… here’s some potential dupes I pulled out…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Shu Uemura M810 ♦ Helena Rubenstein Dark Ebony Duo ♦ NARS Ashes to Ashes ♦ Estee Lauder Tempting Mocha

Wait… there’s more…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Chanel Safari ♦ MAC Style Snob ♦ Paul & Joe #23 ♦ MAC Satin Taupe

Last one, I promise…

From left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

Swatched from left to right: Maybelline Silken Taupe ♦ Stila Cloud

The moral of this post of boring eyeshadows is…

a).  Go and buy Maybelline’s Silken Taupe right now.

b). Count your neutral shades and work out just how many millenia it will take to use them up.

c). If you want to borrow a taupe, you’ll have to ask elsewhere… I don’t seem to have very many, must rectify this.

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* estee lauder’s tempting mocha was a pr sample

There’s not long left if you wanted to stock up on this Impulse/BarryM offer…

Don’t know what I’m talking about?

For a limited period, Impulse have joined forces with BarryM to combine three of their best-selling scents with three lipgloss shades!  Touted as a handbag essential, the body fragrance/lipgloss duos are selling for the quite remarkable price of £3.00 each.

Your choices are…

Very Pink which comes complete with a sumptuous strawberry scented and flavoured pale pink lip gloss.

Into Glamour which comes with a velvety vanilla clear lip gloss.

Tease completes the collection with a nude lip gloss in a delicious caramel flavour.

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve been the target audience for Impulse but I can recommend the nude BarryM lipgloss which is one of my favourites for toning down a bright lip (and that’s coming from a lipgloss hater!).

Available from Superdrug and Tesco until the 6th June, priced at £3.00 per duo.

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Have you picked up a set yet?  Great for storing up as stocking fillers!

Hair dyes are taking the proverbial at the minute and I’m *this* far away from being brand loyal for once and going back to Superdrug for my essentials.

The reason I haven’t done so already is because I’m loving the (newish) mousse formula for a mess-free application.  I have previously reviewed the two other main contenders on the market if you’re interested in comparing.  Individually, I found them lacking… they had their strengths but also displayed weaknesses that I wouldn’t be able to overcome when it was time for a repurchase.

Which meant I was pretty excited to see a new mousse formula on the shelves when I trotted back to the chemist for a replacement.

L’Oreal Sublime Mousse in #40 Pure Dark Brown caught my attention in an instant.  I was practically clapping like a seal as my eyes drifted over the wonderfully ashy-looking shades in the range.  Ashy suits me well, red tones make my face look even pinker and as Summer approaches, I can do without the permanent flushed look.

Application was good, though I was a little disappointed to see the usual (too big) plastic gloves included.  I’ve been spoilt by the proper latex ones John Frieda’s product provided!  The instructions were precise and clear and didn’t incorrectly tell me to ‘shake the bottle’ as I experienced with the Clairol either…. so far, so good.

30 minutes of developing time later, at least it covers the greys….

Let’s just say… I’ve been using anti-dandruff shampoo daily in an attempt to fade it.

Not only that but the colour is leaching as a semi-permanent might.  How do I know this?  My white 500 thread count Egyptian Cotton pillowcase tells me so.  Yeah, I’m ecstatic about that one.

L’Oreal Sublime Mousse Hair Colour is available to buy from most usual stockists inc. Boots priced at around £6.99

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What are your preferred hair colourants at the moment?

I love to get my teeth stuck into a new beauty infatuation, not that I need another one… so the fact that it’s an affordable obsession makes it all the more appealing!

I bought an empty 12 pan palette from Cocktail Cosmetics and 4 blush pans to satisfy my initial cravings.

From Left to Right: Mocha, Coral Spice, Pink Velvet & Misty Plum.  The pans are 36mm, each holding a generous 5.5g of product which cost me a measly £2.95 per pan.

These blushes are deeply pigmented and I wouldn’t apply without using a stippling brush for the lightest dusting on my fair skin.  I’ve been tapping the surface gently with the brush before stippling along my cheek and then blending with something a bit fluffier.

Three of the four I own are matte, Coral Spice is the only sparkler of the bunch with just a light dusting of glimmer that’s completely wearable.

L-R: Mocha, Coral Spice, Pink Velvet, Misty Plum

Aren’t they gorgeous?  With the exception of Pink Velvet… the above photo shows a single swatch of each shade.  Pink Velvet is a little less pigmented than the rest and I swatched it twice.

The blush lasts for most of the day, easily equal to the majority of my NARS shades.  The only negative I have is that they suffer from some fallout, they’re a little ‘dusty’ in the pan.  When I tap the surface of Mocha… I need to blow the dust from the surface of the pan before I can close the lid.

If you can see past the bingo wings (I know I can’t), this shows a cheek swatch of Pink Velvet which is the perfect pop of pink.

I also purchased the La Femme Twelve Pan Empty Palette (£10.95) to hold my goodies in which is one of those sturdy cardboard numbers .   It appears to be well constructed with strong magnetism and now scrappy corners.  I’m also pleasantly surprised by how lightweight and slimline the palette is.

I’m so pleased these are finally available to pick up in the UK!  Get your bums over to Cocktail Cosmetics and commence hauling immediately!

So, this is how I imagine the conversation went one day at Eyeko HQ…

“So guysssssss, how about it?”

“How about what?”

“Bile polish, you know… polish, that looks like Bile!”

“???”

“C’mon!  If Chanel can do Shit fingers, we can handle a bit o’ Bile!”

Eyeko Bile Military Polish is a murky brown/green mix that probably triggers equal amounts of joy/repulsion.  I’m… ok with it until the sunlight hits it and the slightly yellow-hued green shows through *gag*.

It’s a two coater with a fairly thick formula, it’s quite glossy on its own but the above photo shows it combined with a quick-dry top coat.  Wear was fine on this, 3 days before tip wear became enough of an issue to warrant removal.

So, it’s not my favourite shade in the world but I’ll tell you something…

Slick this on your toes before your Summer holibobs and you won’t need to put a towel out on the sunbed at 4am.  You’ll be clearing the poolside faster than you can say “fungal infection”.

Eyeko Military Polish is available to buy online from PowderRooms priced at £3.50

I was born with feet for hands.  Not literally you understand, I mean I don’t actually have toes for fingers… but dexterity wise?  May as well have.

Because of this, I don’t wear false lashes very often but I’m always left wanting to buy some whenever I visit my local CCO.  There’s this SA in there who’s simply stunning (total girl crush) and she always wears perfect false lashes, full and flirty with no hint of Katie Price… they darken her lashline and open her eyes.

Anyway, after my last CCO jaunt, I came home and got straight on the net to satisfy my urge for lashes that I’ll probably never wear out of the house and I came across these:

I favour flirty, natural-looking lashes over the thicker types which I really struggle with and these looked perfect!  I bought two pairs from eBay and they cost around £2.50/£3.00 each once shipping had been added.  Bargain!

Have some piccies…

The boxes aren’t numbered which is a bit of a silly oversight, so I had to do some detective work.  These are #461 – they’re very curly and the band is super-fine and flexible.  The lashes feel soft… really nice for a natural look.  The band is quite long though, I had to cut about 4 knots in to achieve the right length for my lashline.

These are demi (half) lashes, #079 – the band is thicker and slightly stiffer but softens up well with a bit of manipulation.  I’m in total love with these because they really extend my eye outwards and give an almost cat-eye effect…. slinky!  I’m buying a couple more pairs of these this weekend to make sure I have some for wedding season!

Because they’re only half length, I also find them easier to apply… less band, less chance of sticking them to my eyebrow right?!

Excuse the messy brows, I’ve nearly managed to grow them out (whoop!) – I’m booking myself in for a mahoosive threading session next week.

Anyway, back to the lashes, these are the 1st pair (#461), you can see that the curl is strong and the lashes, fine and a touch feathery.

All in all, I’m really pleased with my bargain discoveries from Elise!  You should note that they don’t come with any glue and unlike simillarly-priced Red Cherry lashes, aren’t human hair.

What are some of your favourite false lashes and how often do you wear them?

Every new month seems to bring with it innovations in cosmetic technology. Whether it be gadgets, formulations, application methods or even just the latest must-have ingredients… put it this way, there’s never a dull moment!

But unlike a few years ago, competition is tighter… brands are hot on the heels of one another to grab a slice of the action!

The latest cosmetic innovations are becoming more accessible than ever and I thought I’d highlight a few that have captured my attention…

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What other products have you come across that claim to do the same job as a much higher-priced competitior and do you trust them as much?

I’m generally quite sold on Eyeko polishes… and for the money, since the reformulation last year they’ve been a good bet.  I’m particularly a fan of  their pastels which can often be hit or miss from all brands thanks to streakiness, thickness of formula to overcompensate or just downright chalkiness.

Eyeko Pastel polish is a pale blue that isn’t chalky!  It’s almost creamy infact…

Not only that but the formula is easily spreadable.  The only area this polish fails a little for me is patchiness.  Whilst not horrific, you can see that after two thick coats… it could do with a third.  There is uneveness and a bit of streakiness going on here.

The pale blue has a gorgeous vivid flash of metallic blue pearl which stops it from looking flat.  If you’re willing to go with three coats on this shade, it’s a total winner in my book.

Eyeko Pastel Polish is available to buy online priced at £3.50  from PowderRooms or £4 direct from Eyeko.

L’Oreal Color Infallible* are a newly released set of 8 eyeshadows that pack one hell of a pigment punch!

Housed in squat screw-top pots… are they creams, pigments or pressed powders?  Well… they’re a bit of everything.  A hybrid eyeshadow with the texture of a cream, the density of a pigment and convenience of a pressed powder!

Sounds great right?  Well… they’re fairly awesome but as is usually the way, not without fault.

The lid unscrews to reveal a plastic ‘press’ which keeps the powder compacted inside the well of the pot.

The pigment under the press is a little tricky to reach with fingers (especially if you have nails!) because it’s located a little way inside the pot rather than level to the edge.  If you use a brush, this obviously wouldn’t be an issue but does make for a sheerer application.

The colours are strong and true with a blendable almost creamy texture.  Shimmery without being too metallic, they make for some really easy looks.  Infact, I can blend this easily with just my fingers for a super-quick morning pick me up!

Unfortunately, I found lasting power to be a little disappointing as these had a tendency to disappear from my lids after about 3 hours… congregating firmly in the crease in a strong, greasy line.  They fared better with primer but I still only achieved around 5 hours wear from them on my normal (not hugely oily) lids.

Having said that, some of the shades look amazing in the promo pictures and I’ll still be picking up All Night Blue from the range (a midnight  blue shade).

Talking of shades, here are the current available tones:

All Night Blue (a midnight blue)
Purple Obsession (smouldering purple)
Endless Chocolate (brown shade shown in my swatches)
Time Resist White (luminous, delicate white)
Burning Black (incandescent black with purple shimmer)
Flashback Silver (metallic silver)
Permanent Khaki (green shade shown in my swatches)
Eternal Black (true black)

L’Oreal Color Infallible Eye Shadows are available nationwide and priced at £6.99 / €10.79 each.

* press sample

After promising myself that I would attempt the next Red Lip with a bit more complementary colour on my eyes instead of a rudimentary streak of liquid liner, I failed.

Revlon Fire & Ice is a re-release of a shade that first saw light of day in 1952… this makes it an absolute perfect option for those wanting to recreate a retro red look!  Fire & Ice has that hint of orange that places it firmly in the 50s.

I’m looking forward to doing the swatch comparisons for the last 7 offerings because this one will contrast nicely to the cool-toned reds that I favour without being in the same ‘orange’ family as shades like Chanel Coromandel.

The formula is creamy and glossy, I tend to apply and blot before slicking on another layer.  Not hugely long-wearing but it fades cleanly.  This is a great shade if you want to dip your toe into warmer reds without going all out.

Plus, at £7.49… it makes for a good budget choice!

Despite her tender age, Leila is becoming quite the discerning shopper.  Not that she has access to my debit cards or Paypal account you understand… but she does have access to the three bottom drawers of my Ikea Helmer (when I’m not looking).

It was here that she discovered my Lanolips Rose Balm Intense a very short while after I’d opened it…

…and now she won’t give it back.

It’s the sheep you see… Lady Lamb has captured her imagination and her heart, everytime I try to steal a squeeze… my attempts are met with tears.

I’ve been using the Lanolips 101 ointment on L since she was a tiny one to dampen the eczema on her face and because she was always swaddled at night as a babe, the thick lanolin used to work wonders at taking the edge off the itch.  Perhaps something in her subconscious recognises this lanolin-based counterpart, the only other beauty product to have awoken her magpie tendencies was a Beauty Blender – and I don’t really blame her for that one.

Still, at such a tender age (and with no offers to do the washing up on the table) she has no need for my Rose Balm Intense, which afterall.. is for very *dry* hands.  Not very *little* hands.

…nor very little teeth.  Grrr.

For the five consecutive nights that I was able to apply the handcream… I formed the opinion that it was certainly softening on my rough bits but not a product that I’d want to use during the day.  It’s heavy and sits on the skin in the way I love my Lanolips 101 to do… but I just don’t love the same feeling on my hands.

It’s strongly rose-scented and you only need the smallest amount to get good coverage.  After 4 days, it was beginning to heal my sore cuticles before it was rudely snatched from my routine.  I’d recommend it for when your usual cream isn’t cutting it.  Combined with a pair of cotton moisture gloves, I think it would make for an intense and quick-fix overnight treatment.

Or yano, a great addition to your toddler’s handbag.

Lanolips Rose Balm Intense is priced at £8.99 for 50ml and available online or instore in Boots.