A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Do you know what I like in a lipstick?  90% pigment.  Precisely what you get from the lipstick that I’m showing you today.

In the Lipstick Queen core lineup, the brand delivers two major formulations, Saint and Sinner.  Saint offers wearable shades, optimum moisture and 10% pigment.  Sinner presents all colour no filler, a formula that grabs you by the balls and says, “Hey, if you don’t wear me… you ain’t got none.” Oh, and 90% pigment.

You see, it’s not that I don’t like sheer lipsticks, it’s just that if I go to the trouble of wearing one, I do like to be able to see it from 400 paces.

Housed in devilish red and black card-backed packaging, the lipstick appears quite unassuming in the tube.  Sure the colour is there but we all know that appearances can be deceptive and that it’s hit or miss as to whether what you see in the bullet translates to the lips.

The Lipstick Queen Sinner line endows a what-you-see-is-what-you- get philosophy… take Bright Rose* for example….

and on the lips…

No shimmer, no gloss, just pure almost-matte colour that belies its creamy formula. The beauty of this formula is that you don’t need to grind the bullet into your lips or apply coat after coat to achieve head-turning pigmentation, it’s just there from the start. Sure, it’s not the most moisturising lipstick in the world but I certainly wouldn’t class it as a lip-cracker, I own (literally) a hundred lipsticks that are less comfortable to wear, it’s just not hydrating than this one.

Longevity is good, around 4/5 hours before it needs a little touch up, sooner if you eat… fade can be a little unflattering, as with most bright lipsticks and is worth keeping in mind.  A beautiful lipstick from an inspiring lipstick designer.

Lipstick Queen Sinner in Bright Rose is available instore and online at SpaceNK, £18.00

* press sample

Late last year, I talked about a Brenda Anvari candle that I’d been burning, it was full of spice and citrus and all those wonderful Christmassy things that we get heartily sick of by January.  Well, I’m back with another product from her Persian Rose range of scented bodycare products.

Last weekend, I scraped the last few grains from the jar of Persian Rose Body Scrub* and howled a gentle “nooooooooooo” into the air as I replaced the lid.  You see, it’s a really freakin’ beautiful scent.

The rose isn’t the most complex of fragrances, I think of it as pretty universal – it’s kinda safe, being both inoffensive and rather lovely.  Brenda has taken the classic rose and whipped it into a headier form.  Persian Rose takes on a dirtier, naughtier vibe with altogether more earthy qualities.

What I’m saying is, there are two types of people in this world.  Those who like the thought of walking in to find a scattering of rose petals on their bed, and those who like the thought of being physically whipped with a rose, thorns and all.  I’ve always hated the thought of waking up with a rose petal stuck up my nose.  You know?

I also like a good scrub.  And this is a good scrub.  It’s got just the right amount of grrrr going on, it rasps a little at the skin and feels like it’s working some proper skin-smoothing magic.  But if all that sounds a little too intense for you wimps, don’t worry because the salt granules sit in a base of beautifully-scented Persian Rose-infused oil that ultimately leaves your skin feeling nourished and kissably-smooth.

I haven’t mentioned the body moisturiser* or the bath oil*, because… well… they’re ok.  There’s nothing about them that makes me not want to recommend them, they make great flankers for layering the scent but there’s nothing that screams “buy me above everything else available on the market” either.  It’s a tough world out there.

If the thought of Persian Rose doesn’t float your boat, other scents available from the Brenda Anvari bodycare range include: Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood & Black Pepper, Lime, Mandarin & Grapefruit, Orange Blossom, and Pomegranate, Raspberry  & Patchouli.  Prices start from £8.95 and you can shop online.

What bath-time scents are you loving at the moment?

* press sample

I’ll admit that when I first saw this shade in the bottle… I thought it looked a bit mauve/rose-granny-chic.  I’m still not sure it feels very Spring/Summer to me but it thankfully has enough raspberry in it to keep it looking modern.

Dahling *air kisses* is a pleasant enough shade.  It doesn’t knock my socks off but it does look good with most outfits and is conservative enough to wear whenever a red might be considered a touch too saucy!  It’s one of those shades that you’d reach for when you want a neat/polished look with little thought.

Application was solid with no issues to report… wear was average too… it’s an all round average kinda polish that will fulfil all your polish needs without blowing your mind.  And let’s be honest, we all need something we can depend on sometimes!

Dahling is available online from PowderRooms priced at £11.95.

Are there any polish shades that you can’t get excited over?

Love it or hate it, Rose-scented products tend to polarise opinion… I’m in the love-it camp, I find it a comforting smell in a Granny kinda way.

I’m talking Granny in a cool Lily of the Valley sense.  NOT Granny in a mint imperials wrapped in tissue discovered in the bottom of a musty-smelling handbag sense.  I hope we’re clear on that?

Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil promises to protect skin from free-radicals whilst moisturising and promoting inner balance and harmony.

Inner balance? Harmony? Please excuse my whilst I attempt to mainline about 5 litres of the stuff directly into my veins… I’m on the final day of my inlaws visit.  I love them really… but… well, yano…

Oils are my thang, I’m a lazy git when it comes to body moisturising… and oils just seem easier to me than creams.  I apply them after turning off the shower taps whilst my skin is still damp.

Doing it this way, means I can be quick and messy and get the chore over with.  I also like to screw with Mr. L and leave an oily residue in the bath.  It’s like banana skins x700 billion.  *claps hands with glee*

I also find them to be great value for money.  Body Oils are generally more expensive than creams and lotions, but a little goes a very long way and a single bottle will easily last me 6 months of daily use.

I especially like the sound of this one ‘cos you can slather it on your face too… god I’m such a sloth.  I’m sussing myself out as I type this…  I want an all-over oil that I can apply in about 5 secs flat from top to toe without moving from the warmth of the bathroom don’t I?  Well.. step forward Weleda!

And this… ladies and um ladies, is why I’m announcing Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil a bonafide January Essential (for lazy flakey-skinned bitches).

Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil is available from LoveLula.com and priced at £18.95 for 100ml

Are you a body oil fan?

The lovely VexintheCity got me lemming this cream just over a month ago when she nonchalantly tweeted that it was time to repurchase for the winter.  Repurchase?!  That’s a word I rarely hear in the beauty community and so it was that my interest was piqued!

When I was in London at the beginning of December I headed to The Garden Pharmacy on Long Acre to check out the Art Deco they stock there, but it wasn’t long before my attention was diverted when I saw the Dr. Hauschka display on the shelves nearby.

Dropping the Art Deco like a hot potato (such is the fickle nature of makeup shopping) I made a beeline for the Dr. Hauschka display and started rummaging amongst the plain-looking boxes to find what I was looking for:

It’s a thick, silky-feeling cream which as the name would suggest… is rose scented.  I don’t find the scent too overpowering, but then, I do like rose-scented things.

You get 30ml of product for a £20 price tag.  Yes, it’s expensive and I balked at the price.

I suffer every winter from dry patches on my face.  My skin doesn’t seem to be au fait with THE RULES.  It’s supposed to know to be oily on the nose and dry on the cheeks… such is the bane of typical combination skin.  My skin SCOFFS at THE RULES.   Crusty and flaky down the sides of the nose and on the chin/top lip line with a great big pimple on the cheek.

It dispenses easily out of the tube, thankfully at £20 a pop it doesn’t pour out too much product when you squeeze the tube.  As you can see from the following picture it spreads itself quite thinly too, so you really only need a small amount of product to get a great amount of coverage.

It has an impressive list of ingredients which (if interested) you can find here.

So how did I find it? Will I be repurchasing?

I loved it.

I’ve tried many ‘thick’ creams in the winter to combat the flaky bits that make foundation look horrific about 20secs after applying and I’ve tried many creamier foundations in an attempt to stave off that crusty, dry, clumpy effect I get over the dry patches.  Nothing worked until I picked up a tube of Dr. Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream.

I was wary about slathering it on my nose… It *is* thick and heavy feeling and I was concerned that my makeup would slide right off, but it sinks in nicely in about 3 minutes.

The singular reason why I will be repurchasing next winter is this…

It’s an instant cure.  I don’t have to apply this a couple of times a day to see the effect a few days down the line (hello Eucerin) – I simply slap a bit of this on and the dryness is gone.  A gentle rub with a dry flannel to exfoliate and remove any dead skin flakes and they’re not coming back for the day once this has sunk in.  And that’s what I want.  I have cuticles like cactus spikes because I’m not hugely dedicated to the cause of massaging cuticle butter into them 5 times a day.  Ooooh I’m gonna try this on my nails too, that was an instant brainwave right there… you’re watching genius as it happens people!

Anyway, I’m really happy with it.  I’m still gonna shriek at the numbers that pop up on the till next November, but when I think of all the money I’ve spent on rich day creams and foundations in an attempt to battle winter skin problems.  For me, it’s completely worth it.

You can find Dr. Hauschka’s Rose Day Cream online on their website where you can even purchase a sample size (although £3.50 p&p charges may make this seem less tempting).