A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

When I was contacted and asked if I wanted to review a couple of products from the Elemis range, I tried to choose carefully.  The last thing I wanted to do was choose something that left me feeling uncertain of it’s value.  I wanted products that I could have an opinion about…. something tangible that I could describe to you.  I don’t care if it’s rubbish, fanastic or unfathomably dull… I just want to be able to have confidence in my feelings on the product.  And sometimes skincare leaves me feeling a little confused.

It’s to this end that I chose two masks that claim concrete results.  You may have already seen my Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask review.   That mask blew me away with outcomes that I could almost instantly appreciate…. smoothing, refreshing, complexion lifting… most of it’s promises came true on my face.  A blogger’s dream and an absolute delight to describe to you.

But then it all went a bit wrong.

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask will leave your purse £27 lighter for a generous (considering how far a little goes) 30ml tube.

It describes itself thus:

Elemis Absolute Eye Mask is an eye-brightening treatment that combines vital extracts of Rose, Mimosa, Cornflower and Comfrey to help decongest, firm and minimise dark circles and leave the delicate eye area soothed and revitalized.

So… I’m looking for decongesting, firming, dark circle reduction and a soothing/revitalizing effect.

So far, I haven’t experienced any of this.

In a complete contrast to the tri-enzyme mask, this eye mask leaves me with no instant impressions.  It doesn’t tingle, soothe, feel cooling, refreshing or even hydrating upon application.  Infact, if anything… there’s a small amount of tightening.  And not in a good way.

The blurb on the back tells me to apply sparingly around the eye bone area avoiding direct contact with the lid and inner eye areas.  “Sparingly”… I like it when expensive products say that.  As previously mentioned, a very small amount will spread nicely over the eye area… this tube will last me months!

But the problem is this…

Ultimately, Elemis Absolute Eye Mask is marketed as an anti-ageing product.  Maybe I’ll see some beneficial anti-ageing effects in a years time but unlike their anti-ageing Pro Collagen Marine Cream (be still my beating heart) this doesn’t even feel that nice before, during or after application.

And there you have it.

I’ll keep using it a couple of times a week as suggested on the box, and if in 6 months time I start noticing some longer term benefits, you can be sure I’ll be back to update

But those instant mask-type results that I was looking for?  Move along… there’s nothing to be seen here.

I was reminded of my NARS Mediteranee (£23) duo yesterday when talking about neon orange eyeshadow.  This isn’t neon… but it is bright.

Perfect for Summer!

My NARS Mediteranee duo also happens to be one of the most buttery shadows I’ve ever had the pleasure to swatch (esp the orange half).  I adore it, but do have to use with an incredibly light hand thanks to it’s immense pigmentation!

Scary!

It’s a wonderful duo for darker and olive-toned girls but I was determined to make it work for me too.  The warm tones really bring out the green in my eyes.  I’m wearing a tiny amount of the orange in this FOTD… just a speck and then dragged out towards the end of my eyebrow.

I think it’s probably the brightest eye shadow I own.  What’s your favourite Summer bright?

This review is about 6 months overdue… sorry about that.

In late December, I treated myself to a Le Metier de Beaute eye shadow… I wanted a silver, something that I could use for the party season, not that a woman with a 7 month old (at the time) goes to parties… but I obviously had this mental fantasy of rocking some silver shadow like a post-Christmas fairy.

So I picked up “Platinum”.

How I laugh now… £21.

I’ve used it once.

WHY GOD WHY did I choose silver?  Why not brown or purple or even *cough* taupe?  Silver.  What a fuckin’ idiot.

I will say that it’s a very pretty silver…

It’s soft and smooth with a medium pigment that builds nicely.  It’s a metallic shade (duh) that catches the light when applied near the tearducts.  Hell, I might even make a dent in it come 2056.

Would I buy another Le Metier de Beaute eyeshadow?  Yes.  I might go for a nice neon orange next time.

I liked all the products that I was sent from Stargazer thus far… infact, more than liked.  They’ve impressed me.  Factor in the price for them, and I’m singing their praises from the blogosphere rooftops.

Sadly, the eyeshadows that I was sent fall into the category “More what I expected from a budget brand”.  They’re not terrible, but they’re nothing that I’m gonna get excited about.

I was sent two shades:

Very metallic looking in the pan, the texture instantly reminded me of Superdrug’s MUA… they have that slightly greasy feel to them.  Nothing wrong with that, but it does scream CHEAP!

Decently pigmented, the Arctic Blue shade took a little more building than Copper Fire, both are metallic.

They wear for a few hours before fading… combined with an eye primer, I just about got 7/8 hours from them before creasing. I’m being a little harsh, they’re performing like most budget eyeshadows… and they are budget eyeshadows at £3 each… but I was so impressed by the other products I tried, I think I was hoping for something more exciting from these aswell.

What I will say for them though is that the range is immense!  Over 50 shades of every colour imaginable in single pan form.  You can purchase Stargazer online from their website.

I done did it!

Thanks lovely ladies!  With your help, guidance and lack of “LIKE DUH, she doesn’t know where to apply her shadowz”, I created a look with the soon-to-be-released limited edition Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia palette I received at the recent blogger launch:

Excuse the wayward eyebrow, I’m honestly not raising it… why DOES it do that?  I look perpetually dubious about something.  I only included it so that I could show you how it looks like with eyes open.

That’s better! (slightly).  How gorgeous is the teal on the lid?  I wasn’t sure I’d be able to carry teal next to my blue/green eyes very well, but I can just about get away with it.

So here’s what I used (and where):

(Shade #1) On the lid and blended just into the socket line

(Shade #2) In the crease and blended above

(Shade #3) Underneath the lower lashline

(Shade #4) Blended in the outer-v and inbetween the upper lashes to darken

(Shade #5) Just above the upper lashline for a little sparkle when I blink!

Hoorah, I used all shades!  I totally forgot to highlight with anything… so lazy.

I really wasn’t sure about using the teal and navy adjacent to one another, but you guys inspired me and you were completely correct!

I found that all the shades were easy to blend and nicely pigmented.  The white lacks pigment, but I’m certain that it’s inended use is as a layering shade rather than a highlight… it adds a good amount of sparkle without disrupting the tone of the shade you’re applying it to.

The taupe is the softest shade in the palette, with an almost buttery finish.  The blues are slightly rougher in texture, but apply beautifully nonetheless.

I also used a sample of one of the new Pure Colour Glosses in shade Twilight Petal, a very pretty pinky-nude infused with sparkle.  It’s a bit sticky, but the flipside is a long lasting finish.

The Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia palette and Twlight Petal gloss are due for release in August.

…Eye Revival Roll On (£5.40).

Bearing more than just a passing similarity to Garnier’s Eye Roll On, Tesco’s Derma Intensive Eye Revival is enriched with many of the same ingredients as it’s pricier alternative.

• Caffeine Extract – Helps to improve the skins elasticity under the eye.
• Horse Chestnut Extract – Encourages the skin to stimulate the blood microcirculation under and around the eye.
• Hyaluronic acid – Is a wonderful moisturiser that helps the skin to rehydrate, essential for mature skin.

Great for keeping in the fridge during the Summer!  Yeah… I have a bit of a ‘thing’ about keeping my products in the fridge *blush*.  And even more amazing… I’ve just checked on the Tesco website… and it’s only flippin’ half price at the moment!

£2.76? – Bargain!

What’s in a name?

I’m curious ladies… which of these would you be happy to call taupe?

All of ’em? None of ’em?

Adj. 1. taupe – of something having a dusky brownish grey color

These are a few of my favourite shadows… individually I refer to them as taupes, but seeing them together like this makes me realise just how un taupe-ish some of them are.

Infact, only about three of them qualify for me.

Which ones would you classify as taupe?

And don’t say “does it really matter… they’re all brown” or I’ll insist you burn your makeup collection as penance.

EDIT: You guys sure care about taupe more than I thought you would!

#1 is Fyrinnae Species 8472
#2 is NYX Sparkle Cedar
#3 is NYX Dune
#4 is Fyrinnae Maneki Neko
#5 is a Body Shop shadow (#32 I think)
#6 I think I swatched #10 twice which would explain why I can’t remember it!
#7 is MAC Satin Taupe
#8 can’t remember, sorry!
#9 is MUA (superdrug £1) Eye Dust No5
#10 is BarryM Mushroom

I’m in agreement with most of you. The truest taupe’s (to my eye) are #3, 9 and 5.  The others are far too plummy or bronzey.

Mooching around Covent Garden last week (as you do!) I stumbled across the Bare Escentuals boutique (the only one of it’s kind in the UK) and practically squealed at it’s boutiquey cuteness and revolving tester tables!  I wish I had a picture to show you… but if you ever find yourself at a loose end whilst down Neal Street, check it out… I could have spent many, many hours in there swatching all the pretty shadows.  Truly surrounded by pigment…. a swatchers paradise.

It also helped that the MUAs in there were completely approachable and at one point swatching with me and rediscovering shades they liked and disliked themselves in an attempt to find a potential alernative for an OOS shade I wanted to pick up.

Anyway, I was looking for a more summery lid colour… but as a neutral-loving fiend I wanted to be able to combine it with my boring beloved array of taupes and mauves in my collection.

I discovered this…

Bare Escentuals Heart is a wonderfully blended concoction or rose/mauve/pink/bronze… it’s dusky without being flat and colourful whilst still remaining neutral.

Being a ‘glimmer’ it’s pretty darn sparkly but despite this, still works surprisingly well as a crease colour.  I do love these minerals for their blendability and this is no exception.  At £13 for a small pot, they’re not cheap… but a little really goes a very long way.  I barely have to touch my brush to the sifter to pick up enough colour for both eyes.

I also fell in love with two other shades whilst browsing… Queen Phyllis makes the most beautiful highlight and Grace is simply one of the most beautfiful minerals I’ve ever swatched… I was proper “woahhhh… that’s purdy” whilst playing with the testers… so I was gutted to discover that Grace was out of stock when I tried to buy it!

Have you checked out the Bare Escentuals boutique?  What are your favourite BE shades?

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?

…this Alhambra eyeshadow duo from NARS.

I wanted something that was soft, fairly pale and neutral… and I found exactly what I was looking for the last time I went to the NARS counter at Liberty.

Alhambra is a soft, romantic nude duo.  It’s perfect for daytime wear or if deepened with a darker crease colour you can create a beautiful smoky look.

I reach for this when I’m feeling lazy… admittedly I usually reach for one side or the other rather than wearing both together.  A sweep of the ‘pink champagne’ side paired some brown eyeliner and mascara gives me a fresh, wide-awake look that’s polished but not at all overdone.

The shadows are soft, pigmented and shimmery with a metallic look rather than glittery or frosty and I imagine the shades would easily complement many skintones.

NARS Alhambra Duo is priced at £23.00 and available at counters nationwide or online.

Do you like?  Or is it a bit plain for you?

…I was talking to a friend on twitter last night who happened to mention that she was about to request a couple of Pop Beauty Eye Cakes in an international swap…

I practically shouted DON’T DO IT!

I can generally work with most products, but these Eye Cakes are probably one of my biggest cosmetic disappointments ever.  I mean, look how beautiful they are in their tins… From left to right: Violet Eyes, Naked Blue Eyes and Brown Eyes.

What a fabulous idea too, naming the pans by what colour eyes they’d suit best.

So what’s to hate, Pop Beauty have a fairly decent reputation, you get 12g of product for an original RRP of £12 and you can often pick these items up for a great price (around £6 ea) on discount websites, which is exactly what I did…

And there’s the problem.

That’s Violet Eyes, swatched heavily.  3 passes on those darkest colours and about 5 on the white which you can’t see at all.

The other two I have are simillar, the best of a bad bunch is the Naked Blue Eyes tin ‘cos that matte brown is a beautiful crease shade.

None of you will ever want to buy these off me in a future blog sale now will you?  Doh!

Have you been disappointed with any purchases recently?

Why don’t these Body Shop Eye Shadows get more love?  I’ve collected a beautiful array of neutral shades over the last few years (yes, years… hygiene freaks – bite me).

I don’t think I’ve ever paid full price (£8) for one though…. I usually pick them up off eBay or when they’re in the sale on the Body Shop website, which… btw…. has some of the best sales and discount codes of any beauty website.

You get 1.4g of product for your money and the shadows come in either matte or shimmer finish.  The shimmer ones are just beautiful…. they remind me of the MAC Veluxe Pearl finish, heavily pigmented and smooth like butter.

Next time you’re passing your local Body Shop, go check out #07 and come back and tell me it’s not gorgeous!

What underrated products would you happily sing the praises of?