A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…as voted for by you (and me).

Do you remember this post?

Heathrow wanted to know what we considered our must-have pampering products when travelling.  It would have been uber nice if we’d had a wider initial range to choose from… but I was still able to pick a definite favourite from each category.

Anyway, the results are in… and the winner is:

Prevage Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum

I have to say, the Prevage range from Elizabeth Arden has kinda passed me by.  It’s just not a range that I know very much about… but it seems that lots of you do because the BAA website had over 8000 votes cast in their hunt for the nation’s number one.

The full results list for the beauty category were:

1. Prevage® Face Advanced Anti-Aging Serum

2. Soltan Light Lotion

3. Sisley Supremÿa Anti-Aging night cream

4. Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus

5. Clinique Even Better Dark Spot Corrector

6. Dior Extase mascara

7. Rituals Sundance Shimmer Powder

8. Dr Sebagh Rose de Vie

9. YSL Nail varnish

10. Guerlain Rouge G lipstick

The 10 winning products will be showcased in a giant suitcase in Terminal 5 for the month of October.

They’re all available to purchase at Heathrow with some nice savings (not to mention exclusives!) when compared to the high street.

Before I gave up smoking, the only thing that really interested me at the airport were the cartons of duty-free Silk Cut!  Since dropping the habit, I have been enjoying the freedom to explore what else duty-free has to offer.  Actually, I always pick up a YSL Rouge Pur lipstick once airside at the terminal – I’m not sure why those in particular?  I’ve bought a new YSL lipstick at the airport ever since my first long-haul to Sydney over 10 years ago!  It’s a lovely tradition I think 😉

A good reason to go on holiday if ever there was one…

Do you beauty shop at the airport?

Completely inspired by Kellie at BigFashionista, I had a go at applying the BarryM Instant Nail Effects over Models Own 25 Carat Gold to get a more feline interpretation!

Close up… it’s not that leopard print-y, but from 3 feet or further, it works REALLY well!

This stuff really is nail art for the completely unartistic (i.e. me!)

But enough of all this!

Who are my two lucky winners from this weekend’s giveaway?

The gods over at Random.org have spoken… and I’m pleased to announce that…

Elizabeth/Makeuptini

Estelle/StellieStellina

… are the lucky winners, I shall email you this evening for your addresses ladies!

Thanks for entering everyone, with over 180 entries in 48hrs, I can’t tell you how much I wish I could afford to give away more bottles.  Instead, I shall wish you all the bestest week ever xx

This Autumn has been quite eclectic in it’s choice for nail shades… from muted greens through to grey purples and chocolate browns, it’s certainly not been as vamp-heavy as usual.

Leighton Denny are continuing down this path with a set of colours that don’t appear to adhere to one particular focus.  For some, this is a relief… for me?  I’m just genuinely pleased to see a lovely-looking gunmetal grey put in an overdue appearance this season.

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Indulgence: Classic, scarlet red will be centre stage for AW10 & this shade will suit everyone.

Prim & Proper: Bright, stark nudes compliment dark outfits. This  icy nude shade will help achieve a contemporary look.

Timeless: This sophisticated, feminine coral shade paired with subtle make-up looks will help to soften more extreme winter styles.

Captivated: Bright accent colours are perfect for brightening the winter blues. This electric shade will add drama and accessorise a look.

Embellish Me: An indulgent aubergine  to achieve a glamorous high-end finish.

Graycious: A strong, gunmetal shade is perfect for achieving sultry elegance, as well as trend-led more edgy styles.

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Priced at £11 each, they’re available to buy online from www.leightondennyexpertnails.com

For Autumn/Winter, L’Oreal have released some new shades to join their Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks lineup.  Titled the “Nude Collection”, the four new shades are (as you would expect) wearable and flattering for most skintones.

Marketed as “having the power of a serum at it’s heart (with) powerful active indredients… …to restore moisture and definition to the lips” and boasting some pretty good ingredients to back up these claims.  Among these ingredients, I was pleased to see Hyaluronic Acid listed and had a quick google on another ingredient “Pro-Xylane”… which appears to have originally been developed by Lancome back in 2006 and is used in many of L’Oreal’s more expensive anti-aging facial products.

On paper, if there’s one thing these lipsticks should achieve… it’s a non-drying formula.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  Yes, it’s useful to be able to see the exact shade of the lipstick by looking through the little window… but these feel cheap.  They’re very lightweight, overwhelmingly plasticky and they damage easily.  I spent an afternoon with one of them in my handbag and as you can see from the below photo, the casing is already starting to show wear and tear (lipstick on the left).

I guess the overall design is pleasing, but the materials used are a let down.

While I’m discussing what I dislike… I’m also going to mention the scent.  For me, it’s not appealing… the lipsticks are quite heavily violet-scented and it just conjures up the old lady lipstick smell.  Something a little fresher or unscented would have been preferable.  Thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger too long once applied, but it’s a point to note.

I was sent two of the new shades shown above by L’Oreal: S106 – Freshly Rosy and S204 Beamy Plum

Of the two, Freshly Rosy is paler and a little frostier whilst Beamy Plum applies creamier whilst still carrying a sheen.

That different coloured core is cute right?

Both apply like a dream.  They’re smooth and glide on with no effort at all.  Pigmentation is best with Beamy Plum but buildable for both lipsticks.  They don’t stick to any dry patches on my lips and neither do they accentuate the furrows and grooves.  So far, so good!

Hand swatches…

For my colouring, I was expecting to prefer Freshly Rosy… but my lips must be more pigmented than I thought as I struggled to cover my natural pigmentation with this shade.  I got there eventually, but it took a few swipes from the tube to do it.

You can see that they’re both completely wearable for fair skin tones and have a glossy appearance.  Despite how moisturising these are, they don’t feel at all sticky or thick on the lips.

In context… (please excuse the pyjamas *blush*)

Beamy Plum is a great choice for those of us who want to indulge in slightly darker lips for A/W but are scared of vamping it up too much.  In other words, if you’re a bit of a wimp like me… you need to try this shade!

The lipsticks lasted fairly well throughout the morning, both could have benefited from a touch up after my mid-morning coffee but neither *really* needed it.  After my soup though?  Forget about it… they were gone!  To be fair, I fully expected this considering how moisturising I found the formula.

Pros: Moisturising Formula, Wearable Shades, Smooth Finish, Easy to Apply

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks are priced at £8.49 each and the Nude Collection will be available from this month onwards.

~ My Lips But Better writes about the MAC Venomous Villains launch party and shares her thoughts about the products.

~ Check out the duo-chromed awesomnicity (yes that is a word!) that Aijuswhanakno found through Persephone Minerals.

~ Tammerly at Pink Diva’s Beauty Spot gives you the ‘gloss’ on the 2010 Sydney International Beauty Expo.

~ Amy Antoinette experiments with Kim Kardashian curls.

~ Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed gets to pretend she is a real makeup artist with the TEMPTU AIRbrush system!

~ Kim Porter reviews Dr. Miracle’s Follicle Healer Hydrating Oil, a great product for dry, damaged hair.

~ With blogger events and launch parties, it’s Illamasqua overload at Hellcandy make-up! Check out the photos from the launch party here.

~ Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Mascara and Yinnie’s lashes become BFFs over at Looking Glass Beauty.

~ Daily Polish professes her love for all things Catrice with the turquoise lacquer, “I Sea You!”

~ Over at The Glamorous Gleam, Mz. More gives you a sneak peek at the new Sleek MakeUp Bad Girl & Good Girl Palettes, due to be released on October 27th!

~ Eyelining uses some NYX pigments to demonstrate how bad packaging can ruin a perfectly good product.

~ Vex in the City shows you how to step up your nail game on the cheap, with the new Instant Nail Effects from Barry M.

~ Emma swatches the best Orgasm dupe yet for only £3.99 at BirdsDecorateBranches!

~ Melissa reviews Smell Bent’s limited edition Halloween Killer Smellies over at LovelyAndroid.

~ You need an idea for Halloween? Vesna at Beauty addict blog has one: turn yourself into a Dark Fairy for this year’s Halloween!

~ Love NARS makeup but not the price tag? Lipglossiping signals the “dupe alert” siren when she shows off a serious but affordable dupe for NARS Albatross!

~ The Pink Sith is less than impressed with the Too Faced Naked Eye Palette, despite it having a few great taupe shadows.

~ Jellyminx jumps on the naked band wagon and shares a look created using the Urban Decay Naked Palette.

~ Jolie Laide girl gets to work showing you the best of the Elf Mineral Shadows.

~ Louise spends a day chatting with Daniel Sandler and getting a whole new look!

~ The Lip Print discovers a products with a Happy Philosophy; you can share the love too!

~ theNotice finds a fab product to banish under-eye bags, and it’s under $5!

~ L at Beautifully Addicted To gives a run down on Liz Earle’s Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanse.

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~ Jeweled Thumb is celebrating reaching her 400th post with a giveaway! Enter to win Stila, ELF, BE, Milani Bare To Wear and more!

~ Enter Phyrra’s Beauty for the Earth The Wizard of Oz-Some Giveaway for a collection worth $60!

If cat-shaped lipsticks aren’t really your thing, Paul & Joe have also released three new (and rather lovely) limited edition face colour shades for Autumn/Winter and as always… P&J know exactly how to do the pretty.

They Say:

Blended with several varieties of champagne gold frost, each face colour has an individual overtone and translucent sparkle creating a  truly sublime radiant glow.

How perfect does the champagne frost sound for the upcoming party season?

Paul & Joe Face Colours are priced at £15 each and available instore from Fenwicks and Harrods.  Alternatively you can buy online from Zuneta and HQHair.

From Lip Butters to Body Butters, Body Scrubs to Shower Foams… Body America’s range of bathroom goodies will be hitting the mainstream when they land in the new House of Fraser Apothecary from the middle of this month onwards.

A little birdy also told me that the Body America Body Butters come from the same creator as the much-loved Body Shop Body Butters… interesting…

But this becomes even more interesting when I tell you that a 200ml jar of Body America Body Butter will set you back a trifling £8 compared to £12.50 for The Body Shop equivalent.  Now you’re talking!

The entire range is described as 72% organic and comes enriched with certified organic Aloe Vera juice to naurally soothe and protect the skin.  The lineup is available in four flavours:

~ Vermont Va Va Voom: Green Apple, Maple and Blueberry
~ New York Cheesecake with an Edge: Vanilla and Strawberry
~ Toast to the Coast: Ocean and Grapeseed
~ Southern Belle: Peach and Mango

I fully intend to make a beeline for the Vermont Va Va Voom range…. Maple?  Oh god yes.  Now if only it came with pancakes too…

Like a moth to the proverbial flame, I found myself in my local backwater Boots yesterday afternoon and they had just put out their latest delivery of BarryM.

Being the dedicated beauty blogger that I am *cough* and remembering that some of you are struggling to source this for yourselves, I thought I’d pick up two of the new Instant Nail Effects Nail Paints for a quick giveaway!

And when I say quick, I mean QUICK!

Answer this question in the comments below:

Which polish would you choose as a base coat underneath the BarryM Instant Nail Effects?

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RULES
~ Two winners (winning 1 polish each) will be picked at random early next week
~ Giveaway closes at 11.59pm this Sunday (you have 48hrs – ish)
~ Open worldwide

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Good luck!

I’m a total lip liner eschewer.  I love that word… eschewer… makes me think of nuts.

It just seems like one of those extra steps that quite frankly, I could do without.  Same as applying my lipstick with a brush.  I have a beautiful NARS lip brush that NEVER gets used.  I just don’t see the necessity?

I was killing 10 minutes last night before I had to be somewhere and my fingers alighted on a Laura Mercier lip pencil in Petunia.  I think I bought it off a blog sale or stole it or something.  I certainly wouldn’t have paid PROPER money for a lip liner… heaven forbid!

So anyway… yeah… I had a go at lining my lips.  I usually go a bit wonky around the cupid’s bow, but this time I was pretty spot on.

Then I filled my lips in with it like wot we is supposed to do..

Finally, I dabbed some Revlon Colorburst in Soft Rose ontop and it looked pretty decent.  Sharp, defined… dare I say it… sexy.

But more importantly?

GOD THAT LIPSTICK LASTED!

I came home 4 hours later and it looked amazing still!  It had obviously faded a little but the undercoat of liner really gave the illusion of picture-perfect lips.  And the best bit?  My lips didn’t suffer any extra dryness from adding this step.

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But now I need your help please ladies (I’m a drain, I know).  Are most lip liners created equal?  I’m still not converted enough to drop lots of money on them but I want a stash to play with and I want it QUICK!

What are your favourite budget liners?  I’m thinking maybe NYX?

Please educate me!!

You do?

Well take your lovely selves over to HQ Hair to enter their exclusive competition!

HQ Hair are giving away a stack of goodies to celebrate the launch of the new Burlesque collection which has surely been one of the most well-received O.P.I collections to date?

It’s a simple email entry system… they just wanna know your favourite nail polish colour.

I’ve entered… so actually, sod off – move along, nothing to see here.

I scoured high and I scoured low for this little bottle of Barry M Instant Nail Effects… it’s seemingly harder to acquire than the proverbial gold dust.

When I first saw it on Yinka’s blog… I didn’t think I was gonna like it.  I like NEAT nails and I’m not hugely into nail art.  Not really… I just like polished tips that add a bit of interest.  Instant Nail Effects looks haphazard… indeed it is.  It’s messy, it’s random…

But I kinda like it!

What I didn’t like was that I slapped a glossy top coat over it.  Next time I’m gonna keep the crackle matte.

Is this a new idea?  Nooooooooo…. these crackle polishes have been around for years, but as far as I’m aware – it’s the first time it’s been brought to the UK high street (correct me if I’m wrong!).

Wanna know how it’s done?  Watch the official BarryM tutorial video on how to make the Instant Nail Effects work for you here.

Do you like the effect?  I think the general consensus is that it works best over bold, pale colours… think bright pastels!

If you can source it on the high street, Boots are currently offering two BarryM polishes (including this one) for £5, otherwise you can purchase online from the BarryM website for £3.95 a piece.

When my lips are in good enough shape for matte lipsticks, there’s one that I reach for over and over again.

It’s pink… but not too pink.  It’s girly, but not prissy.

It’s MAC Please Me!

I find it bright enough to be interesting without being one of those MAC shades that make me feel a bit myspace profile picture-y?  You know the ones I mean…. pink plaid, st. germain, snob etc.  Some people can wear those shades really well… me?  I just look OLD in them.

Having said that, I’m having a bit of a MAC revival at the minute… especially with the lippies.  I have a few on my shopping list including Sweetie, Faux and Milan Mode.

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?  The ones that you reach for over and over for everyday wear?