A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This, THIS is why I love being married.  Well, not just *this* but, mostly… this.  Can you guess what my lovely husband is making me?

Ooooooooh!!  It’s coming together!!

It looks a bit fiddly doesn’t it?  Glad I’m not the one making it.

Come back tomorrow to see it in all its glory!

Some of you may have noticed that I’ve lost some weight over the past year and although I’m still not at my goal weight – or even close (damn my love for bombay mix and kebabs) – I’ve decided to come off the strict regimen that I was previously following and go it alone.

The Background

I’ve always known that my major problem is carbs.  I’m a PCOS girl with insulin resistance.  Long story short, my blood sugars are fine until I eat something carb-o-rific, then they shoot up beyond what would be considered the normal range.  I’ve tried following a traditional diabetic diet in the hopes that it would help but regular blood sugar testing showed that so many of the recommended foods still sent my blood sugar skyward (hello porridge!)

While I was pregnant, I built a food plan based around the things that kept my sugar levels as steady as possible and I ended up weighing an additional stone less once Leila had been born, I was also feeling a lot healthier.  So, it’s to this end that I’ve meal-planned again.  I’ve been on the Cambridge Diet since last August (yes, 2010) and as a result, I’m 4.5 stone (63lbs) lighter but my metabolism is (understandably) shot to pieces.  I’m being realistic about some initial weight gain while my body readjusts and comes out of starvation mode and I’m hoping that regular visits to the gym will help give my metabolism a much needed boost.

I have experienced a lot of negativity when I mention the Cambridge Diet which is why I haven’t talked about it before on the blog.  I will happily hold my hands up and say that it’s not a healthy way to diet, it really isn’t and as with all crash diets, you will pile the weight back on quicker than ever if you go back to your old habits, simply because of the havoc very low calorie diets play on your metabolism.  But, when you flip the coin to the other side, I have complete confidence that without it, I would still be sat here today as I was the day I started, all 16st 7lbs of me.

The Food Plan (click to enlarge)

Things to Note

I’m focusing on the Low GI aspect of things.  I’m not carb counting unless I feel that I absolutely have to, simply because it’s a pain in the arse.  I’m also not being massively aware of calories or fat content.  Again, I’m hoping that the common sense approach of a Low GI diet will automatically mean that I remain fuller for longer on the increased amount of vegetables and wholegrains.  I’m packing my evening meals with a variety of (non-root, except carrots) vegetables – my stew/curry/stirfrys hold enough veg to sink a battleship!

I admit that I will probably have to look at my calorie intake a little more closely once I’ve gotten into the above routine and possibly make some adjustments, the same goes for fats.  But I also know that it’s the little ‘treats’ like bacon and tomatoes on toast on a Sunday or a melted cheese wrap that will keep me on this new regime with more enthusiasm than without it!

You’ll also notice that I’m still going to be supplementing my days with a protein based diet shake/bar.  Mostly this is because I have them left-over and those things are too expensive to waste, but I also tend to eat my lunch whilst doing a hundred other things, so this is a convenient way to stop myself from falling into the trap of reaching for carbs (read bread) as a quick lunch.

Exercise

I’m also back at the Gym and currently thinking that I need to hire their personal trainer for a couple of sessions to ensure that I maximise my results in the minimum amount of time.  My (unfit person) routine currently looks like this:

~ 15 minutes treadmill (5 minutes warmup, 5 minutes running, 5 minutes cool-down)
~ 10 minutes rowing machine
~ 10 minutes stair-master
~ 5 minutes various weights

I do this three times a week and I’m not entirely sure this is going to be enough to build my metabolism back up, my major motivation for going.

Is anyone else on a kick to get healthier and drop some pounds?  Looking at what I’ve planned, got any alternative suggestions or tips for me?  Talk to me about your diets peeps!

There ain’t half some bloody odd names about for products aren’t there?  I always think that the weirdest are the ones that go onnnnnnnnnnnn forever.  By the time I’ve finished reading them, I’ve forgotten how they started.  In the name of all things catchy, surely that can’t be good for memorability?

Skincare is particularly notorious for rubbish names, I guess the brand often needs to name-check the technologies involved *cough* Estee Lauder Daywear Sheer Tint Release Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer SPF15 *cough* but really… surely it’s more important not to have your customer standing at the counter scratching their heads.

I know there are women out there who refuse to buy certain products because of their names.  Mostly the sexually-oriented ones like: Orgasm & Deep Throat [NARS], Sexy Mother Pucker [Soap & Glory], MILF [Illamasqua] and the notoriously risque [Urban Decay] with shade names like: Jailbait, Gash & Fetish… or perhaps worse are the drug-loaded references in: Blow, Loaded, Baked, Yeyo, Narcotic and hell, don’t even get me started on [TooFaced’s] Pearl Necklace!

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Anyway, there’s not really much point to this post other than a ramble and to give props to the kooky names out there that never fail to put a smile on my face.  Here are some of my favourites…

01: Bliss – No ‘Zit’ Sherlock
02: Lush – Lovely Jubblies
03: Tanatomicals – Get A Tan Without Looking Like Your Gran (my personal favourite!)
04: Soap & Glory – Super-Colour-Fabu-Lipstick
05: Cowshed – Grumpy Cow Uplifting Bath & Massage Oil

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What are some of your best and worst product names?

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.

Not the classiest way of putting it, but it’s a simple fact of life that people love a bargain.  The killer spring in your step that can only be achieved from walking away with a bagful of goodies you KNOW you couldn’t have afforded at pre-sale prices.  Cheers to that.

My favourite brand for killer sales is Paul & Joe.  Specifically in the Fenwicks store on Bond Street – which in itself, is one of my favourite places to shop in London.  Come sale time, I will physically not leave the city until I’ve walked around it seven times and once more for luck.  I’m still haunted by the fact that some HORRIBLE woman beat me to the last sale bottle of Calamity Jane (JHAG) when I was last in-store.  It all happened in slow-mo — in fact, I think I may have let out a slow-mo “Noooooooooooooo!” as I watched her walk away with my dream.  Bitch.

Anyway… where was I?

Oh yeah, sale goodies.  Some brands are tight as…  while others announce their sales with great flourish.  My favourites are the ones that just silently slip last seasons goodies into a little box on the counter and let you get on with it.  Guerlain are awesome at this.  Lancome, getting better.  The rest?  Well, you can pretty much forget it.

Is it just the case that the brands who don’t put aside last season’s items simply don’t have any stock left?  Or do you think it’s a status ‘thing’.  Do you think it cheapens a brand’s image as ‘high end’ if it discounts their products?

I think it is undoubtedly a question of status but in these cash-strapped times, a real shame that some brands don’t have the foresight to be clever enough to attract new customers in this manner.  There’s no need for all ‘bargain bins’ to look like the ones in Superdrug — you know, you need a hazmat suit to go near those right? — I strongly believe that all brands can do discounts without cheapening the brand image.

And would it pay dividends for the brands in question?  I think so.  From a personal point of view… I started small.  I lived in my local chemist, hoovering up the bargain pencils from Collection 2000, a few months later… as my interest in beauty grew, I moved onto the Revlon.  It’s like drugs.  You know you’re gonna eventually end up on the hard stuff (Chanel) with a bit of puff (BarryM) inbetween to keep you high*.  You just need your dealer to give you that first taste.

And just because drugs and porn** go so delightfully well together (so I’ve heard), I’ll leave you with a little makeup version.  Three exquisite Paul & Joe beauty items, under £25…

Which brands get you running for their sale items and which brands would you give your eyeliner-applying arm to see throw some old stock in a discreet discount box?

* in my experience, brands absolutely love being compared to class A drugs.

** pornography works well too.

Given the choice between packing my makeup bag for 5 days away and the 12 Labours of Hercules, I’d take his job any day.  Infact, he got off lightly, slaying the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra?  Piece of cake.  Try choosing between NARS Torrid and NARS Deep Throat.  That’s what you call a task.

I’m not gonna accompany the photos with review-type commentary but if you have any questions, shout ’em at me.

Lancome makeup bag

Stuffed!

random hairbands | oilatum natural repair face cream (night) | dermalogica active moist (day) | tweezerman tweezers | qtips for eyeliner fixing | cindy crawford wrinkle smooth (primer) capsules

bareMinerals Original mineral foundation | Cosmetics a la Carte Custom Foundation | Cosmetics a la Carte Shine Illuminator | Lancome Teint Miracle Foundation | Cosmetics a la Carte Concealer

Benefit Powder Time Lover | Illamasua Rumour Blush | MAC Soft and Gentle MSF | NARS Torrid Blush

Stargazer Liquid Eyeliner in Black | Benefit Eye Bright | Pixi Fairy Light Solo #2 Champagne Glow | Benefit They’re Real Mascara | Smashbox Soft Effects Powder Eyeliner | Elizabeth Arden Quad in Velvet Plumtones | Inglot Freedom Eyeshadow Palette

NYX Hot Red Lip Pencil | Rouge Baiser #405 L’Authentique | Burberry Lip Cover in #16 Claret | Urban Decay Super-Saturated Gloss in Big Bang | Cosmetics a la Carte Lip Gloss in Vanilla | Shiseido Automatic Lip Crayon in LC4

NARS Yachiyo | Sonia Kashuk Duo Fibre Stippling | Trish McEvoy Sheer Blush | Bare Minerals Flawless Face | ELF Small Precision | Smashbow #3 Blending | ELF Small Angled | Boots No7 Eyeshadow | MAC 217 Blender | NARS #12 Small Dome Eye | ProMakeupBrushes #11 Spoolie | Paula Dorf Sheer Crease | Lancome Lip | Pair of filthy Beauty Blenders

Revlon Cuticle Trimmer | Suqqu Brow Powder in Nibiiro | ROC Fold Up Mirror | Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin

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What do you mean “excessive”?  How easy do you find it to pack a ‘going away’ bag?

I’ve been away!  Did you miss me?  Of course not, because you were kept in extremely good company thanks to my brilliant guest bloggers last week.  In-case you missed their posts you can catch up by clicking through to: Amrita, Robyn, Lily and Liloo.

Anyway, I’m back!  Although, it’s not with the vengeance I would have liked.  Leila has been hit with a mega-cold on-top of a poorly chest so we’ve been sleeping upright at night which as it turns out, doesn’t actually involve much sleeping at all.

Other than that, I have been dodging the piles of emails that amass whenever I turn my back for a second, trying to get unpacked and look after other work (you know, the proper stuff that pays the bills).  What I’m trying to say, in a really convoluted way is this…

Here, please have a look at my holiday photos instead of a proper beauty post.  I’ll get things back on an even keel before the week is through!

Clockwise from Top Left:

1 Kemble Street (a.k.a Space House) – I love the architecture when walking around London.  From impressive Victorian terraces to stately granite-clad frontages.  Futuristic glass walled skyscrapers to concrete, Brutalist obelisks.  The landscape is rich and varied!

Flatbread at Patogh Edgware Road – Just off Edgware Road is a tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Persian place called Patogh.  It has about 7 tables in total and if you wanna get in, you better get in early.  If you do, you’ll be treated to heavenly sesame-seed dusted flatbreads and minced lamb kebabs to make your mouth water.  We paid £16 all in and walked out with full bellies.

Tate Modern Chimney – I’d like to pretend that I’m all cultured and stuff but I’m really not.  I walk around the Tate Modern as a child might, devouring the cool stuff and not bothering to ‘understand’ anything.  Still, I love the building.

Leila and Me in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern – We were contemplating where we could go for cake/ice cream/chocolate – or all of the above.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Leila and the Mega Towers – At Canary Wharf, they’re kinda piddly towers compared to other cities across the globe but they’re still pretty impressive to look up at from street level.  I like Canary Wharf, I like to sit and watch everyone doing busy stuff while I have nothing in the world to do but watch.

Bargainista Afternoon Tea – We didn’t plan to stop for a proper Afternoon Tea and many would be horrified that I even dare call this an Afternoon Tea but tough.  The John Lewis Bistro on the 3rd Floor of the store in Oxford St does a fine spread for less than £10 each.  Attentive service, relaxed surroundings and you barely need to leave the beauty hall.  Good stuff.

Back when Barbie was Cool – At the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, I discovered a super-cool Barbie.  Still impossibly well-endowed, she can work those cat eyes sunnies better than most.

Mudchute Farm – Bang in the middle of the Isle of Dogs, overshadowed by the towers of Canary Wharf is an Urban Farm project.  They have giant pigs that made me rethink my love for bacon, sheep that looked just a tiny bit mutated (perhaps from all those inner city fumes) and a petting corner that included ferrets!  A wonderful green lung in the middle of the city.

Clockwise from Top Left:

The Elgin in Ladbroke Grove – If you are/have ever been a Clash fan, this establishment will mean something to you – if not, it’s just a pub in West London that used to play frequent host to the greatest front-man ever.

Ghost-rider at South Bank Skate Park – I can never walk past this place without slowing down to see if anyone falls off their bike or skate board.  I was treated to a spectacular tumble on Saturday which had the gathered crowds “ooooohing” before a big cheer when the rider jumped up with a wave!

Turbine Hall at Tate Modern – Despite the hustle and bustle, this is such a peaceful place… a huge expanse that plays host to frequent exhibitions.  I remember a few years back, they installed a giant slide… too. much. fun.  Sadly, it was a little sparse when we visited.

Millennium Bridge/St. Pauls – The juxtaposition of the old and the new is around every corner.  Don’t they sit comfortably together?  I love this view.

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Well, now I’ve given myself the post-holiday blues! Sigh. I’ve got a couple of days away to Brighton coming later in the month so I’ll just focus on that instead.  I hope you all had lovely weekends – down with Monday mornings!

We’ve all had them, those tooth-grindingly painful encounters at our local beauty counters.  From the over enthusiastic SAs who turn us orange to the snooty brigade who look like they’d rather cop off with Barry Manilow than grace us with their attention.

photo credit: w578325

Shall I tell you mine?  (Oh, go on then… if you insist!)

I was in a big department store a couple of years ago, I won’t name the counter but they were a new installment.  I approached with a small amount of trepidation and started swatching at the pretties.  Within about a nano-second, I’d been swooped upon and ‘dusted’ with a powder brush.

I recoiled as the bubbly SA introduced the brand and steeled myself for the hard sell but she seemed to calm down once she realised she had my attention and that I *really* did want to hear about some of the products.

I pointed out a couple of things that I was interested in and asked if it would be ok for me to try them.  She squealed and showed me over to the makeup station, signalling for me to sit down.  I realised that we’d clearly had a communication meltdown when she started playing big-time makeovers on my face.  Ontop of my already applied foundation.  Ugh.

In fairness to her, I’m one of those who suffers in silence.  I sit there and suck it up with a semi-smile glued to my face while my eyes search for the nearest exit.  She moved on to the eyebrows, painting them (literally) black with the help of a wet brush and a liberal dose of powder.  I watch in horror as she (all the time telling me about her marriage breakdown and subsequent move to London) transforms me into a cartoon version of my self.

“There!” she proclaims.  I’m left waiting for the “Ta-da!”

I slink away clutching two products, in fairness… one of which is now a HG and find the nearest toilet in an attempt fix the car crash on my face.

I have to return 10 minutes later because the SA had given me the wrong shade for one of my products.  At which point she apologises and confides that she’s still learning the ropes.  Why would that be?  Well, she normally works in the brand’s office but that they were short-staffed on counter that day.

Laugh?  Cry?  I think I did a bit of both.

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I wanna hear about your worst beauty counter experience.  Spill!

I received an interesting press release yesterday that shows the results of a nationwide survey on fake tanning.  It was conducted by YouTravel.com and I thought it was rather fun!

The regions most keen on their fake bake are the north-east and south-east of England, where renowned tanning capitals, Newcastle and Essex, can be found.  A staggering 81% of respondents from the South East claimed to have applied their tans from a bottle this year!

image courtesy of youtravel.com – click here to see full results

Perhaps indicative of just how rubbish I am at fake tanning, my region (the South West) came out with lowest score on the glow-o-meter with just 46% of us bothering to get our glows on.

How did your part of the UK stack up?  And what about you personally, are you a fake tan go-getter?

This evening, with the UK going to hell in a handcart (I can’t bring myself to watch the news), I thought I’d settle down to a bit of blogging… get back on the bandwagon because it’s amazing how quickly you fall out of sync with things when you have a few days away.

I can always find something that inspires me to blog about but some days, the words aren’t forthcoming.  Today’s been filled with plenty of disappointment in my fellow countrymen and waxing lyrical about lipstick feels somehow wrong.

So let’s laugh at men getting their body hair waxed instead.  That always feels right.

To celebrate the move of feisty and candid female channel Really on to Freeview we created a male waxing viral.  Why?… Men like ladies to be well-groomed, but do they Really understand what this entails?  Can they take the pain when the tables were turned?  Find out what happened when 30 men took Really TV channel’s waxing challenge.  Be prepared for wince-inducing scenes of crotch, nipple and armpit waxes!

With a programming schedule that promises visual delights such as ‘My Big Breasts and Me’ and ‘Hair Battle Spectacular’, I think we can safely assume that you can leave 90% of your brain cells outside the living room door when you tune in.

Still, I think we’re all in need of some distraction and I missed Super Botox Me when it was on the first time round a couple of years ago. (Wednesday at 10pm incase you’re wondering).  OK, I’ve talked myself into a bit of crap telly.  Now, who’s got the Haagen Dazs to complete the stereotype?

No posts for TWO whole days.  I can see a few beads of sweat developing and is that a nervous twitch I can feel tickling the corner of my eye?

Where have I been?  Well, I’ve spent a couple of days in Stratford-upon-Avon, birthplace of Mr. William Shakespeare… I’d like to say that I took the opportunity to have a nosy around the town and check out some of the beautiful surroundings but I didn’t get so much as a chance to pop my head in Space NK.

We travelled there for Mr. L’s nephew’s wedding, the weather forecast was a bit grim but as you’ll see, the sun always shines on the righteous regardless of what the Met office has to say.  I’m massively fond of Mr. L’s nephew A, when I first met him he was only 14 years old (I was 19) and I was very nervous meeting Mr. L’s HUGE family.  I still get a bit nervous 11 years later but A relaxed me with good humour and gentleness.  We would play Silent Hill late into the night together… me, Mr. L and A, raiding my MIL’s biscuit tin and consuming endless cups of tea until dawn broke.  Good times.

Anyway, now he’s all grown up and like his uncle, moved away from the North East a few years ago.  His wife C is one of those rare people who can truly light up a room, as a newcomer to the family I remember envying her ability to take everything in her stride with a casual smile.  I’d still be sat there (8 years down the line) with a halo of awkwardness surrounding me praying that nobody was mistaking my lack of confidence for sullenness.

Anyway, enough of that… here’s a few photos from the day.  I wasn’t official ‘tog so tried to stay out of the way, there’s nothing worse than someone trying to get in the way and be all David Bailey when you’ve got a job to do right?!

I love a good wedding.  Especially when there are no punch-ups.

Is your wedding season over or have you gotta dust off your heels for one more outing before Summer’s out?

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