A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

You see, what the magazines don’t tell you is that every woman should own a blood-red eyeliner.  Ever since the day I got creative with an eyeshadow, owning a red liquid eyeliner has been high up on my list of life’s priorities.  I’ve scoured high and low for the perfect shade… and I’m yet to find it.  I thought I may have struck lucky with my latest purchase, Clio’s Kill Blood Eyeliner but alas, it just doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Let me show it to you anyway, just incase it’s your next purchase.

The eyeliner comes simply packaged in a cardboard box and the lid clicks off to reveal a firm, felt-tip style nib.  The nib is sharply tapered to allow you to draw a thin, precise line or indeed, you can angle the pen as you draw for a thicker, heavier sweep.

Pigmentation is fair but if you want a truly opaque burgundy red, you’ll need to wait a couple of minutes and go-over your initial line to strengthen the depth of colour.  I find this to be the case with many coloured eyeliners, even the browns… so it’s not a huge surprise.

One thing that is a little bit of a bore is the bleeding that I get from this eyeliner.  It’s not as bad as I’ve experienced with some liquid eyeliners in the past, but unless I gently hold the skin taut across the eyelid, I don’t get the sharpest of edges.  This wouldn’t be a problem except that I need to allow the eye area to relax in order to achieve even flicks, so I’m having to go back with a dampened cotton bud to tidy-up each time.

Longevity is pretty good, with wear appearing on the flicks by the end of the day.  The line across the lid stayed pretty solid but it does benefit from a bit of primer if you’re applying it over a bare eyelid.

All in all, and for the price I paid… the Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is fine.  It just doesn’t match up with the high hopes I had for it, but to be fair, expectations can be a bugger to live up to.

Clio Kill Blood Pen Eyeliner is priced at around £8.70 and available to buy online from eBay.co.uk (where you can also pick up a black and brown version)

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Oh, I can’t take it any longer! It’s so dreary! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Summer’s biggest fan… but c’mon, give a girl a break! I’ve got some gorgeous, suede boots that I haven’t been able to wear for about two-months thanks to my lack of initiative in getting them scotchgarded**

Not only that but I had to wade through a field of mud picking Leila up from school yesterday after the wind had uprooted a monster tree onto the path and to add insult to injury, the workmen chopping it into teeny, tiny pieces weren’t even hot.  No 3pm Diet Coke break for any of us Mums, just a bloody quagmire to wade through.

So I’m taking it upon myself to Spring things up a bit with this cheerful little number from Butter London.  Molly Coddled is from last Spring’s “Sweetie Shop” collection and has the perfect amount of chalkiness to keep it looking fresh without pushing into starkness territory.

The more astute, or simply fashion-aware among us may also be getting seal-clappy about the fact that this lavender orchid would work nicely with the current Pantone Color of the Year.  If you give a shit about that sort of thing.

The formula is superb on this one with no patchiness or streaking like you’d often get with pastels.  I definitely recommend picking this one up if you’re feeling a little Spring-resistant like me today.

Butter London Molly Coddled is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online from www.powderrooms.com

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** 1st world problems

I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  I don’t like sheer lipsticks.  Said the beauty blogger from 2009 until now.  In my defence though, I probably wouldn’t be that bothered about these were it not for one teeny tiny little detail that I just can’t ignore.

They give me plumpity lips, where no plumpity lips exist.

Tropical Pink (on the left) Coral Tulip (on the right)

You see, it’s the shine that does it.  Shinier than a penny that’s been sitting in Cillit Bang for a month.

It’s not a frost… don’t mistake the sophisticated glimmer for something that the 80s called for (and wanted back).  This is far more sophisticated, understated, and gorgeous than a frost-monster of a lipstick could ever be.

I’ve got two shades for swatching today and in all honesty, despite the difference in undertone… they’re not a million miles away from one other.

Tropical Pink is the cooler toned of the two and reads a little brighter on my lips, the texture is soft and easy to apply but not especially lightweight.  I suppose the best way to describe its texture would be to call it a little “balmy” in feel, with the signature fruity Clarin’s lipstick scent.

Coral Tulip is the warmer of the two shades, sheer enough to warm up my complexion without looking garish.  Surprisingly, it’s my favourite of the two and has pretty much established itself as a holy grail lip product for me over the past week.

Why?  It solves that “pulled-together, goes with every other piece of makeup you own” lipstick demand that every girl should have the solution for.  It’s low maintenance and simply perfect.

I get around 4-hours of wear from these before the inevitable fade which leaves behind a scattering of microglitter (non-gritty).  Even when the colour is gone, the impression of fullness remains and because of this… I am completely, totally and utterly smitten.

Clarins Joli Rouge Brilliant Sheer Shine Lipsticks are priced at £18 each and will be available on counter and online at clarins.co.uk next month.

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Well, colour me confused.  The Avon Gel Finish Nailwear range has been getting rave reviews across the pond since its introduction over there a couple of months ago.  Not only for its far-reaching shade range that spans a variety of different finishes aswell as colours, but for its impressive wear time.

The coming-soon-to-the-UK range of 24-shades promises a gel like shine and intense colour, delivered in just one coat… a salon finish at home, and no need for a top-coat.  That’s a lot of promises for a small bottle of polish… I was sent a small selection from the new range to see if it lived up to my expectation… and I’m sorry to say, that so far, it’s fallen short.

The shade range however, is indeed impressive… but then again, so is Avon’s current Nailwear Pro+ enamel, of which I count myself a fan.  So for me, this range really has to deliver on and above an already fairly high benchmark.

Every single shade that I was sent needed more than a single coat to achieve opacity.  Infact, they all needed a total of three coats for full-on no translucent patches coverage.  Which flagrantly laughs in the face of their one-coat claims, no?  Bad enough you say… but listen, because the formula is thicker than most… not in an unworkable way, quite the opposite actually as it flows nicely onto the nail.  So what’s the problem?  Well, the problem is, that this ain’t no speed-dry polish and when you’re testing claims that a nail polish needs no top-coat, you’re in for a damn long wait until you can pull your knickers up when you’re piling three coats of thickly-formulated polish onto your fingertips.

I painted my nails at around 9pm.  At 11.30pm, I took myself off to bed… my nails felt completely dry to the touch but they weren’t.  Ok, so I didn’t wake up with duvet marks but they had lost A LOT of the shine, as if the surface had been lightly buffed by premature contact with bedsheets etc.  I just don’t have 3hrs to hang around waiting for my nails to completely dry.  You can probably see that there is barely any shine on my nails in the photo below.

In addition to this, look at the tip wear I’m starting to get (without a top-coat, remember how it says it doesn’t need one?) after a period of no more than 17-hours!  Now, all of the issues I’ve encountered can (probably) be solved with the addition of a quick-dry top coat.

But then, I just don’t see why I’d need this range when there’s a brilliant Nailwear Pro+ range already fortified with acrylic gel for strength, which doesn’t make any claims that it doesn’t (for me at least) live up to.  I’m going to work my way through the rest of the shades with a proper wear-test and if I’m forced to eat my words, I promise I’ll be back to provide a further update!

Avon Gel Finish Nail Enamels are due to launch in April, priced at £7 for 12ml.

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As I’ve gotten older, I’ve made friends with products that promise sheerer coverage.  As a younger makeup-addict, I definitely went all out on their fuller-finish, matte counterparts that obliterated every blemish with a single swipe, they were my makeup nirvana.  The sad fact of the matter is, that on younger skin, you can get away with it… but as you get older, you need to find products that rest more lightly against your skin.  Products that reflect the light and even out your complexion without sinking into pores, fine lines, and *whispers* wrinkles.

Clarins latest release promises to do just this.  The Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is available in three shades: 01 Rose, 02 Champagne, 03 Peach… each of which promise a light texture and effortless glide over the skin.

Don’t think of this as a typical base product.  It’s not a foundation, neither is it a primer… I like to think of it more as a little touch of skin S.O.S which would come into its own on a morning after the night before.  It contains pigments that will help reflect light and luminosity back from the skin surface, giving the impression of a more well-rested complexion and also contains moisture-boosting Katafray to help balance the skin’s natural hydration levels.

My skin is unlikely to ever be good enough to wear this alone, but I would happily combine it with a light foundation base to further even out the redness and tone without overloading my pores with product.  The 30ml pump tube delivers the product efficiently and without wastage, always a plus point in my opinion.

My only caveat is shade selection.  As you can see, the shade (03 Peach) that I have is too dark and shade-impacting for my complexion.  As sheer as it is, it gives me an overall warmth that isn’t flattering.  You may still need a little assistance from a Clarins expert on counter who will help ensure that you walk away with the shade that benefits your skin-tone the most.

As far as the texture goes, the base shows a lot of promise.  You can apply allover the face or simply buff it into the areas that need some extra radiance, I’ve also tried mixing it into my foundation and the formula takes to this well without balling up on the skin or grumbling about such an injustice!

I’m going to leave you with a link to ReallyRee’s before/after photos that demonstrate better than I am able, how the product actually looks when worn on the face.

Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base is priced at £26.00 and is available on counter and online now.

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In all my years of makeup-hustling, I’ve never once gotten used to the idea of applying cream blush with my fingers.  On paper, how hard could it be?  Dap, dap, rub, rub, rub.  A child could do it…

Except, that my blush-fearing soul has the tendency to rub a little too hard and I always – not occasionally – but ALWAYS end up blending the colour away to nothingness.  My fear of being clowned by a blush knows no bounds, my uber-ghostly complexion simply won’t allow for mistakes and after lots of experimenting, I usually revert back to my “safe” blushers.

Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blushes are particularly kind to blush-fearing souls like me.  When you usually read a statement like that, you can scan between the lines for the word “sheer” and discover it, but not in this case.  It’s not that these blushes are for wimpy types, it’s more than they have a magical ability to blend themselves.

“Oh, hang on!  Let’s not carried away here… blend themselves?  Are we talking revolutionary-style, robotic blushes with superhuman capabilities?”

Err, not quite… it’s just that they’re so damn blendy, it feels as though they’re doing more of the work than you are.  These new blushes, due on counter next month, are incredibly lightweight and enriched with floral waxes from rose, mimosa, jojoba, and sunflower to help create a flawless application over even the most dehydrated of skin-types.

I’ve got two shades sat in front of me: Grenadine, on the left in the picture above is a warm pink-coral, and Rosewood is more your skin-friendly neutral rose.

Both pans are generously sized with plenty of room for fingers (or brushes) to get right in there without the need for contortion and each compact comes complete with a mirror.  I’m wearing Grenadine today and I need to tell you about how completely curious it feels to apply…

When you apply a cream blush, you can feel your skin move under your fingers… there’s a resistance against the motion of application.  Using my index and middle fingers together for application here, my finger pads glide over my cheeks and nothing moves underneath.  The application feels bone-dry to the touch, almost as though I’m applying a powder in the oddest of ways, except that when I’m done… there’s no patchiness, just a smooth and even application of colour.

I tell ya, this stuff has been formulated with fairy-pee.  You need to get to a counter and try it yourself, then you’ll all be… “AHHHHH! I can see what she means now!”

Well, you’ll be pleased to hear that you won’t have long to wait…

The new Clarins Multi-Blush Cream Blushes arrive on-counter and online in February as part of the new Opalescence Spring collection.  They’ll be available in four shades: 01 Peach, 02 Candy, 03 Grenadine, 04 Rosewood and priced at £18 each. 

Go for a snoop and tell me what you think!

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I umm’ed and ahh’ed a little over this purchase… despite being a huge fan of masculine scents, I couldn’t help but wonder if I were taking things (too much) to the next level by indulging in a fragrance that was so steeped in the masculine staples of sandalwood, cedar, and cypress.  Eventually, I came to a “to hell with it!” conclusion and decided that if those notes were good enough for my candles, they were good enough for my skin.  And I’m so glad I did…

Diptyque’s Tam Dao is about as masculine as a “unisex” perfume can get, let’s make no bones about this… it practically scratches its balls and holds your head under the covers before letting rip.  However, unlike the olfactory experience that scenario describes, this one is quite delicious.  Its initial presence is incredibly strong… the woody notes flow through the air and make me worry that someone will come along and Mr. Sheen me before they (rather quickly) dry-down to a creamier and more musky affair.

To my nose, the cedar is most prominent… followed closely by the sandalwood, which lends a clean sharpness that I keep mistaking for spice.  Supposedly, there’s some rose in there, but my nose just isn’t picking that up which is a bit of a shame.  Longevity isn’t brilliant against my skin chemistry, I get around 4-hours at most, but its presence is strong and I’ve had a couple of few compliments from unlikely sources since adding it to my collection.

I’d describe this as quite a raw concoction, it’s bold and unapologetic in its lack of restraint but if you desire a natural-feeling, deeply woodsy scent, this one could well be for you.

Diptyque Tam Dao is currently priced at a ridiculously good £19 for 50ml from the SpaceNK sale, alternatively you can pick this up for £55 from diptyqueparis.co.uk

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If you ever had reason to think that beige is boring, think again.  Clinique have recently released a lovely, understated collection of nail polishes that range from the palest skin-suiting shade right up to the darkest.  In addition to these eight new limited-edition nail polishes, there’s also an eye shadow palette featuring another eight complimentary neutrals.

Focusing first on the eyeshadow palette, the limited edition All About Shadow Neutral Territory 2 Palette (£32.00/€39.00) includes an essential wardrobe of work-friendly neutrals, from the softest sparkling white right through to the smokiest dark brown.  The textures are soft and blendable with a creaminess that belies their powder form.

The first five shades in the palette (from left-to-right) contain a very subtle shimmer that reflects a luminosity rather than a glitter but the final three, darker shades, are the ones that will carry your look from day into night, featuring a (slightly) more prominent sparkle.

The palette contains a large mirror and applicator with a sponge tip on one end and a blending brush on the other.  As much as I take issue with sponge tips, I won’t deny that the addition of a brush on the other end does ensure that you can get a decent application without carrying your own arsenal of tools around with you.

One thing that I haven’t mentioned yet is the size of the palette.  As much as I love my Urban Decay Naked Palettes, I find them far too big to offer any kind of portability.  This one is small enough to pop in a handbag with ease.  Most interestingly, despite its minute size, each pan contains more product (gram for gram) than the Naked Palette, although the Naked palette offers a total of twelve pans to Clinique’s eight.

Now, onto the new, limited edition A Different Nail Enamel (£12.00/€16.00) shades…

I’ve got two of the eight shades to show you, so naturally, I swatched one shade on each hand!  The colours that I received are almost similar enough in shade depth to get away without anyone noticing I’m sporting completely different polishes on each hand!

First up is the lighter of the two: Peek A Boo, I See You which is described as a nude peach.  I’m not sure I’d agree with that description… in my experience, peaches tend to be a lot warmer in tone and this one isn’t quite warm enough to qualify in my opinion.  Having said that, for me, this is no bad thing as it complements my pale skin-tone beautifully.  It gives a soft, clean finish that’s effortlessly chic and lengthens my fingers.

Following this is the next tone darker in the collection: Birthday Suit.  It’s a slightly deeper version of the above with just the tiniest hint of a mocha hue.  Both polishes took three coats for a smooth application, but each covered easily without pooling in the cuticles or any other application issues.

What do you think?  Does the collection offer enough interest for you to be tempted or are you of the opinion that beige really is boring?

The Clinique 16 Shades of Beige Collection is available to buy online from clinique.co.uk now.  Alternatively, the collection will roll out across Clinique counters nationwide from the 7th February.  I imagine the eyeshadow palette might sell out pretty quickly though!

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I don’t care what the newspapers are saying, put down those pastel shades ‘cos it ain’t Spring yet!  Until I see a daffodil or tulip with my own eyes, we’re still firmly in the depths of Winter as far as I’m concerned.  I have an odd love/hate relationship with pastels anyway so I’m not gonna be grumbling about a couple more months of Winter trends.

Talking Winter trends, here’s a lovely top-coat from Butter London.  It’s all holographic n’ stuff.

In the photo above, I sponged the top coat over the tips… graduating the density on the way down toward the cuticle, it’s much easier than it sounds; You just need a high-density makeup sponge (you can pick up bags of them in Poundland/99p shops) before simply stippling the glitter over your existing polish.  I can’t even tell you how much easier it is doing it this way than trying to graduate the polish smoothly with a brush.

The above swatch doesn’t pick up the holographic sparkle too well, you really need to be a little out-of-focus to appreciate the fairy light-esque quality of this polish, so if you could all just go cross-eyed for a moment, that would be great.  Failing that, here’s an instagram which shows off the sparkle a little better.

As with all glitters, removal isn’t the highlight of my day, but the particles aren’t too chunky and to be fair, didn’t pose enough of a problem to send me reaching for the tin-foil.

Butter London Stardust Overcoat is available to buy online from powderrooms.com, priced at £11.95

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Is it purple? Is it blue? Neither, this is AUBERGINE bitch!  Well, kinda…

It also happens to be a one-coat wonder, unless you’re ridiculously meticulous and couldn’t possibly leave it at that.  Me?  I left it at that.  The finish is smooth and glossy and application harks back to some of Butter London’s best from a couple of years back.  When you’re dealing with bold colours, you really appreciate a faultless application and this can unquestionably be described as an easy-to-work-with polish.

Butter London Bramble was released as part of the Holiday 2013 Illusionists collection alongside a trio of top-coats and I’ll be blogging it again, combined with one of the top coats from the set: Stardust, which gives a wondrous, galaxy-esque finish.

I’m loving these chic darker shades at the moment, especially on shorter nails, what colours are you loving at the minute?

Butter London Bramble is available to buy online from powderrooms.com, priced at £11.95

I know that I’m not alone in announcing a mild disappointment with the post-Xmas beauty sales, I usually clean up and feel the inevitable spending guilts for weeks afterwards.  This year, not so much.  Infact, in my quest to add some new blood to my beauty cabinet, I’ve all but failed.

All but…

Thank God for Fragrance Direct and their bounty of Becca goodies that have seen me through this extremely dry patch.

There are still many Becca products available on the website, infact… most of the items that I purchased on Boxing Day are still available so I’ll just get some pictures up with their corresponding swatches in an effort to siren-song you into some lemmings.  Do we still use that word?  Oh, I’m so 2008.

my haul

Becca Sheer Stick Foundation (sherbet), Becca Radiance Primer, Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Becca sheer stick foundation in Sherbet

Swatch of Becca Sheer Stick Foundation in Sherbet

Swatch of Becca Radiance Primer

Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Swatch of Becca Luminous Skin Colour (porcelain)

Becca Eye Tint Water Resistant Colour in Vicuna

Swatch of Becca Eye Tint Water Resistant Colour in Vicuna

Becca Professional Polishing Brush 57

Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina

Swatch of Becca Sheer Tint Lip Colour in Valentina

The Becca stock on the Fragrance Direct website starts from around £2.99 and whilst I haven’t had long enough to provide defnitive reviews of everything, I’d really recommend picking up some of the Sheer Tint Lip Colours and a Luminous Skin Colour as a matter of urgency!

As far as freshness goes, considering that these will be old stock… I haven’t got any complaints.  Even the Eye Tint is showing no signs of oil/pigment separation and everything still smells fresh to me.

Are you going to be taking a look at what’s on offer?

They say that old age doesn’t come on its own but I’d like to add pregnancy to that adage.  I mean, apart from stating the bloody obvious, seeing as you’re growing another whole person, it really doesn’t come without its “side-effects”.  I haven’t had a proper pooh in almost five months and my skin, hair, and nails have had all moisture sucked from them, it’s like I’m spawning a human dehumidifier, set to high.

Instead of a normal moisturiser, the only thing stopping my skin from flaking off in great sheets is a twice-daily slathering of the sunburn-soothing Biafine, left on as a mask overnight.  Even then, I still have to prime with a moisturising primer before a drop of foundation can touch my skin.  As for my lips, well I’m out of Lanolips at the moment and none of my alternatives are cutting the mustard.  It’s a drastic step but until I replace my overnight lip saviour, I’ve had to stand down the lipstick army in favour of… *spit*… lipgloss.

If you’re a regular reader, you may know about my distaste for the sticky stuff but I have to concede that it does have its merits.

Aveda’s Rehydrating Lip Glaze doesn’t go down the ordinary gloss route.  Yes, it’s kinda sticky… yes, it feels a little thick on the lips at first but… with this shade at least, you get some decent bang for your buck.  This innocuous tube of colour packs one hell of a pigmented punch and keeps my lips from puckering up into a dehydrated mess.

Winterberry is a purple-toned plum with a deep, vampy hue and colour that builds quickly from the very first swipe.  You can apply and blot without losing too much pigment if, like me, you’re not a fan of how glosses/glazes feel on the lips.

Priced at £16.00, Winterberry offers a little splurge that won’t break the bank for a slightly more unusual lip colour this season and is very much in keeping with Pantone’s 2014 Colour of the Year – Radiant Orchid.  Despite the minty aroma, the plumping effect is gentle and understated (though appreciated considering the vampy lip-thinning shade).

Are you reaching for more lip-friendly offerings as the mercury plummets?

Aveda Nourish-mint Rehydrating Lip Glaze is priced at £16.00 and available on counter and online from aveda.co.uk

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