A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…make sure it’s this one!

The Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Dream Cab will be pootling around town right through London Fashion Week and onward until the 5th October.

If you see it, be sure to hail down the bright pink rose-emblazoned taxi because inside you’ll find free trial sized samples of the cult Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream!  If you remember to ask for a receipt, you can also enjoy a 15% discount on products and treatments at the Dr.Hauschka treatment rooms and shop in Notting Hill.

That’s a couple of great reasons to save those weary legs on the journey home!

Do you remember about a month ago I asked for potential guest reviewers for this new (to the UK) range for young skin?

Well, Jemma was good enough to step up to the plate and take the challenge and here’s what she had to say about the range…

This kit comes in a sea threw reseal able bag which I think is very handy. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture with the products all stood up looking neat . It also comes with a booklet explaining each product and when you should use them – I find this very handy as there is quite a few products in this kit and it is aimed at teenagers to get them into a skin care routine. Also, on the back of the products they either say ‘am’ or ‘pm’ on them so you know when/how regularly to use them.

Wash Off
This face wash is easy to work into lather and only a small amount is required to clean the whole face. The first thing I noticed about this was the smell; it is incredibly fruity and it really uplifts you at the start of the day and wakes up you and your skin. Using this in a morning my skin was clean of the dirt and grime left from overnight, however when taking a full face of makeup off this needed a little help (I used a face wipe beforehand) at removing all the makeup. After I had washed this off of my skin, my skin felt clean, tingly and really soft to touch.

All Over Clear
The thing that I love the most about this toner is that it is a spray. After washing your face you just spritz it over your face and neck and it instantly refreshes the skin and leaves it feeling cool and fresh. The problem that I normally have with toners is that they leave my skin either looking greasy or feeling dry yet this one finds the right balance and keeps shine at bay whilst leaving my skin feeling supple. The smell of this isn’t quite the same as the Wash Off and is a little bit plastic; however it wouldn’t stop me using it.

Ready, Set, Scrub!
This is my favourite product out of them all. You apply it onto your face as a mask and leave it to set for 5-7 minutes. This product smells beautiful and it really wakes you up if you were using it in a morning. After the mask has set, it becomes a scrub. And you then use it as an exfoliator and then wash it off. I don’t know which half of this product works the best but afterwards, my skin felt a lot smoother and looked brighter.

Welcome Matte SPF15
This moisturiser comes out white which for some reason, I really liked. I don’t know why, maybe it was because I had previously been using the yellow Clinique Dramatically different, but it just seemed a lot ‘cleaner.’ The texture of this moisturiser is incredibly light and after you have let it sink into your skin, your skin instantly appears matte. This is great for oily skin but not so much for combination as it didn’t add quite enough moisture for me. I loved that my skin was matte throughout the day as I do get shiny skin, it’s just that it emphasised my dry patches. I will also add, the matte effect doesn’t wear off quickly and it lasts around 8-10 hours, which is incredible. It also has SPF15 in it which I think is great for blemish prone skin as you’re not adding a separate product onto your skin which would block it up more.

Bedtime for Breakouts
This is a moisturiser than you use at night time. I love the idea of this as I like using a separate moisturiser for night; this is because your skin repairs itself at night time so I think it’s good to have a moisturiser that helps that along. Another nice smelling product, and this one comes out clear. Although this is a moisturiser, I used it as a serum because like the Welcome Matte, it just wasn’t moisturising enough for me, especially because it was at night. It did work just as well though as I woke up with fresh looking skin.

Smart Mouth Lip Shine
This Clean Start kit is for blemishes and this is the one product that I didn’t understand. I don’t know why a lip balm was in this kit because in all honesty, it doesn’t help with spots does it? But I must say, I’m glad it was! As well as the Ready, Set, Scrub this is another of my favourites. The lip balm smells beautiful, tastes gorgeous and moisturisers the lips very well. I can’t explain the applicator so I’ve added a picture, but as you can see it dispenses out of holes which ensures the correct amount of product is distributed so there is no waste. This is also very shiny and can be used as a clear gloss or a lip balm to moisturise your lips. I find myself using this when I’m having a natural day as it just adds a nice sheen to the lips.

L-R Brighten Up SPF 15, Hit the Spot
I received both of these products in a sachet, but I dispensed them both so they would last me longer.

Hit the Spot
This is a spot treatment cream (that once again, smells nice). But I found it a little weird. Not only did it help get rid of my spots, it also sort of moisturised them and soothed them. I found this to be a very nice touch which helped my spots in being less red and less noticeable. I have tried a lot of spot treatments in my time and I do like this one; it clears up spots in the same time as other spot treatments do (around 3 days) but I liked that it took the redness down instantly and also didn’t dry my skin up.

Brighten Up SPF 15
I love love love this! This is also a moisturiser and once again, I didn’t find it moisturising enough for my combination skin, so I use it as sort of a ‘primer.’ It is a tinted moisturiser (ish) that doesn’t add colour to your skin but evens out your skin tone and adds a nice shimmer to it. After using this, the redness in my skin has completely disappeared and my skin looks so radiant and bright and awake. I can’t recommend this product enough – and it contains SPF 15! In the picture I have included, you can see it half blended into my skin and it looks pretty orange, but once it’s fully blended, you can’t see the colour.

Overall
My skin is combination and blemish prone and the reason for this kit is to clear up spots, so does it? Yes, it does. Reviewing a skin care routine is a lot different to just reviewing one product by itself, this is because you can’t see if one product is superior to the others. But when all of these are used in conjunction with each other, my skin cleared up within around 2-3 days. I could see an improvement the morning after though; my spots had reduced in size. The only problem that I had with this kit is that it wasn’t very moisturising so I would recommend this product for people with oily skin and no dry patches; it didn’t dry my skin out though I must add, it just didn’t moisturise my already there dry patches. One of the greatest things about this skin care routine (except that it cleared my spots), was that it smells beautiful! It’s nice to finally find spot products that don’t smell of chemicals and smells beautiful. Would I recommend this? Definitely if you have oily skin that is spot prone. It is also great at encouraging teenagers to get into a skin care routine, which I find very important.

As for me, I will be repurchasing the Ready, Set, Scrub, Smart Mouth Lipshine, Hit the Spot and Brighten Up SPF 15 as I love these products.

I’m wildly excited at the prospect of being able to get my hands on the Deborah Lippmann’s collection.

From mid October, House of Fraser will be stocking The Lippmann Collection exclusively as part of it’s new Apothecary.

The collection includes cult shades such as Happy Birthday, Don’t Tell Mama, Superstar and now included under that ‘cult’ umbrella thanks to a recent Vanity Fair cover… Waking Up In Vegas.

Starting from £14 a bottle, The Lippmann Collection may well make our purses weep, but there’s no denying that there are some splurge-worthy shades at our fingertips.

Me?  I’m lusting after Waking up in Vegas (naturally!) and new shade for A/W Across the Universe (the blue glitter above).

Anything catch your eye?

“Don’t sit on that cold step, you’ll get piles…”

“If you sit too close to that TV, your eyes’ll turn square… ”

“You’ll catch your death if you go out without a coat on…”

That’s my Nan talking up there incase you’re wondering. My beautiful Nan… she’s not with us anymore, but you can be sure that wherever she is, she’s got a glass of Guiness in her hand.

Oh, she’ll also have a bag of fluff-coated cough drops somewhere in her handbag (the white Maggie Thatcher-esque one that never left her side).

But what does any of that nonsense have to do with a skin primer that hails all the way from Japan from one of my first-discovered ‘exotic’ (for me) brands?

Absolutely sod all.

Sorry for wasting the last 30 seconds of your life. It was just the words Skin Coat made me think of not leaving the house without your coat on…

DHC’s Velvet Skin Coat was sent to me for review consideration a little while ago.

It’s one of those silicone, skin-smoothing primers like Smashbox Photo Finish. In this instance, you get 15g for £12.50 which puts it a nose ahead of the Smashbox version in terms of value.

I find the packaging of the DHC Velvet Skin Coat preferable to Smashbox’s pump action bottle which always used to spew out too much product. The (rather plain) squeezy tube from DHC offers complete control over how much I’m dispensing without any wastage.

So far, it’s looking good for the DHC… But what does it actually claim to do?

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]Prepare your skin for pristine make-up application. This transparent silicone gel helps temporarily fill in fine lines and promote a more even-looking, refined skin texture – creating a perfect, silky-smooth make-up base. Just slide our primer between your skin and foundation to absorb excess oil and encourage longer-lasting wear. If you prefer a more natural look, use it on its own for a truly gorgeous matt complexion that is velvety-soft to the touch.[/stextbox]

Pretty much everything then *rolls eyes*

From personal experience, it achieves about half of those things… It creates a matte texture that feels velvety and soft. It doesn’t pill, ball-up or interfere with my other products when I’m applying it alone or in conjunction with foundation.

If I’m applying my foundation with my fingers, then I can definitely feel my foundation gliding on more smoothly… as for longevity… hmmmm… undecided. As for filling in pores? hmmmm, not really. In fairness though, Smashbox doesn’t do these things for me either.

Can you make out much difference between the 2 sides of my face?

Because of it’s clear texture… it also sadly doesn’t do anything to disguise the redness in my skintone and neither does it offer any SPF protection.

The only primers I’ve found that work well for me are the less silicone-y ones… the Shu Uemura UV Underbase and Paul & Joe’s Moisturising Foundation Primer (which gave some great longevity). But having said that… so many people swear by Smashbox Photo Finish (c. £28), L’oreal’s Studio Secrets (£12.99) and other silicone-heavy offerings that just because I haven’t found it working wonders on me, doesn’t mean that you won’t love it.

Final Verdict: If you’re a Smashbox Photo Finish fan, try this purse-friendly alternative! Hell, it’s even cheaper than L’oreal’s Studio Secrets (and it’s far better than that!)

DHC Velvet Skin Coat is priced at £12.50 for 15g and available online from DHC. While you’re there, pick up a bottle of their Deep Cleansing Oil… you’ll thank me for it.

The Telegraph reports a bit of a falling out between top department store Selfridges and Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana.

So severe is the reported dispute, that as from next Spring… the entire D&G line will be unavailable instores.  It is unconfirmed which brand made the decision to step away from the partnership.

The two companies had previously enjoyed a good relationship, even up to the point where D&G used Selfridges as the venue for the launch of their first make up collection last year.  The falling out is reported to be over a proposed change to the lines’ in-store positions.

Unless a reconciliation takes place, (and sooner rather than later!) Selfies fans had better make the most of the new Autumn ad campaign featuring (as always) the tirelessly beautiful Scarlett Johansson before looking to Harrods for their future D&G makeup fix.  Look at those vampy lips!  Are we in for another splurge of Gothic lips this Winter?

Launching exclusively to QVC at midnight on Saturday 14th August is Decléor’s latest cleansing solution.

Decléor’s Aroma Cleanse (£28) is a mousse that promises to deliver well-balanced cleansing with an emphasis on skin-caring ingredients.

In the past, I’ve sworn off mousse or foaming cleanser in favour of cremes.  As someone with combination/sensitive skin I generally find these kind of cleansers quite drying on my easily-irritated fizzog.  However, Aroma Cleanse claims that it will leave my skin feeling (and I quote) “rehydrated”.  Interesting…

The formula promises three distinct actions:

Deep Cleansing

When it comes into contact with water the rich, concentrated cream quickly lathers to a gorgeous mousse-like texture, creating tiny bubbles to swiftly deep cleanse and soften the skin leaving it clean and velvety soft.  The inclusion of two cotton cloths with each pump dispenser also provides a further delicate exfoliating action and helps to ensure skin is left free of residue post-cleanse.

Skin Polishing and Perfecting

Grapefruit, Papaya extract and Japanese White Mulberry exfoliate and gently slough away dull dead skin cells to leave the skin crystal clear with visible clarity and luminosity after just one use.

Moisturising and Plumping

With nourishing Neroli essential oil – also known for it’s decongesting and calming properties – and Hyaluronic acid, a potent protein that occurs naturally in the skin and can hold up to 1000 times it’s own weight in moisture, immediate results on the skin are outstanding.  The skin has renewed plumpness due to the injection and retention of moisture, which gives it an extreme feeling of firmness, while wrinkles appear reduced and skin feels intensely soft and balanced too.

Just a couple of claims to bear in mind while I’m testing the sample I received then… phew!

Mostly, I’ll be concentrating on this moisturising aspect… I’m sceptical!  I’ve never used a mousse or foaming cleanser (and I’ve used a lot!) that hasn’t left me RUNNING for my moisturiser as my skin tightens uncomfortably within minutes of cleansing.

You’re up against it Decléor!

Del Sol have been around in the US for a while.  I first heard about them from my friend Julia but now they’ve landed in the UK!

UV activated, they change colour in the sun… a great talking-point for summer BBQs!

I was sent the shade Spike to try.  Here it is before sunlight….

A metallic, seafoam green which needed 4 coats to achieve opacity.  No problems with application, but it did take a while to dry…

And here it is after a little dose of sunshine!

It transformed into a silvery pale lilac!

At £10 a bottle  from JinnyRainbow, I think they’re too expensive.  The fun factor can’t be argued with and Ruby Slipper (scroll down) looks like it may be a bit of a must-have from the range.  But at that price, I can’t say I’m desperate to add more to my collection.

Have you tried colour changing polishes before?  What ya reckon?

It’s been quite a year for luxury lipsticks!

Only just recovering from the Chanel Rouge Cocos and the Tom Ford purse breakers, we’re now faced with the new collection on the block… and it’s a biggie!

Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care (£22) is a new collection of 32 (yes, 32!) mouth-watering shades.  Each shade has been inspired by (and named after) a vintage Dior Haute Couture dress.  Check out those two beauties in the background!

The range has been grouped into three colour families to make navigating through the line a little easier.  Red to Coral, Pink to Lilac and Beige to Brown, there’s a shade to suit every taste and skintone (if not budget!).

The Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care collection also promises to plump your lips both in the short and long term using some fancy schmancy hyaluronic technology.  I can’t wait to see the rest of the line up, though I’m already totally drawn to the nude there *swoon*.

If you want to get your hands on one (or seven) of these babies, you need to take your lipstick-loving selves to Selfridges who hold the worldwide exclusive on the range.  Available from yesterday (28th July), these are sure to be hugely in demand throughout August!

I don’t get much time to spend on my ‘beauty’ routine, not half as much as I’d like… so any product that promises to multi-task captures my attention quickly!

Davines Authentic Nourishing Oil (£29.20/140ml) is designed to be used on face, hair and body.  A truly multi-tasking masterpiece?  Formulated with 100% natural ingredients, these include organic Carthame Oil, Jojoba, Sunflower and Sesame oils.

They say:

After a shower, while your skin is still wet, massage on your body, face and décolleté. (For additional moisturising power, add a few drops to your face and body cream at night, when your skin is repairing itself).  Smooth a few drops through the ends of the hair to get rid of split ends and don’t forget your hands – they must be protected against the external aggressors.  Massage your hands and cuticles daily.

I already use a body oil which I apply to damp skin – but I’m a total sucker for oils and I can’t stop adding to my collection.  At £29.20, the Davines Authentic Nourishing Oil is a little more than I’d like to pay… although 140ml would last a very long time.

What are your favourite multi-tasking products?

2 eyes, 83 eyelashes (or thereabouts) and 2 mascaras.

On one eye, I’ve applied £21.50 worth of mascara (DiorShow Iconic)

On the other eye… £5.99 worth of mascara (Boots 17 Wild Curls)

There’s undoubtedly a difference, and the expensive mascara (on the left as you look at it) has done it’s job well.

But is the difference really worth £15.51?

Hand on heart, for me… I think it’s worth it.  My husband thinks I’m a sucker.

What do you think?

Lipglossiping’s next guest reviewer for the Clean Start by Dermalogica kit will be Jemma from Bamboozle Beauty Blog.

Check back next month to read her thoughts on this new range aimed at teen skin.  Thanks Jemma!

I’m looking for a guest reviewer please between the ages of 16 – 22 to trial and review a new range of skincare products for young skin.

The range is called Clean Start by Dermalogica.

The reviewer will receive the Clean Start Starter Kit (RRP: £22.50), a single use sachet of Hit The Spot and a full size sample of Smart Mouth Lip Shine (RRP £8.20) to trial and report back on!

If you’re up for the challenge, please register your interest below and remember to put your email address in the bit where it asks for it so that I can contact you!

I’d ideally like you to give the range a full 4 week test period before letting us know your thoughts…. so if you can commit to a new skincare routine for that period and are happy to share your thoughts with my readers then let me know in the comments below!  I’ll chose a reviewer on Friday 16th July.

Thanks ladies!