A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Want some tips on creating the perfect ‘flick’?  Need some guidance in mastering your smoky eye technique?  Well cancel any plans you’ve made for this Sunday because Illamasqua are holding their inaugural Beauty School Drop-In at their Beak Street store.

The brand will be running a series of 15-minute makeup classes to give you the confidence and know-how to wield your makeup brushes without causing any traffic-stopping beauty faux-pas!  And best of all?  It’s completely free to attend!

The class timetable is available online now, so click through and take a look – you can attend as many or as few as you like, though don’t be surprised if the store gets kinda busy!

Which of the classes is taking your fancy and will you be attending beauty school this weekend?

Has it really been a year since the Royal Wedding?  Amazing.  And to think that before then, no-one gave a shit about Pippa’s bum.  Oh, you you still don’t?  Me either.  As weddings go, it was quite a nice one… there weren’t any post-nuptial punch-ups outside the palace and no-one sicked on the bride’s train.

One of the wedding’s most enduring legacies (other than the arse du jour) is the brand that Kate chose to scent herself with on the big day, Illuminum.  Launched by creator Michael Boadi in March 2011, and elevated to cult status by the Duchess of Cambridge merely a month later, there isn’t a better welcome to the world than receiving an (unofficial) seal of approval by a real-life princess!

The Duchess of Cambridge chose White Gardenia Petals for her grand occasion, I chose Tahitian Yuzu simply because I had money burning a hole in my back pocket and I wanted. one. dammit. – you can see the similarities.

Tahitian Yuzu reminds me a little bit of L’Artisan’s Mûre et Musc, which also kicks off with a forest-fruit vibe.  In the case of Mûre et Musc, it’s blackberries… and in Tahitian Yuzu?  Blackcurrant.  But this is where the comparability ends.  Tahitian Yuzu blasts some major tropical notes with a sparkling cocktail of pineapple which gives real effervescence and youthfulness to the fragrance.  Mûre et Musc has a gentler, more home-grown berry feel.

Like an excitable hula-girl (yeah, they have those in Tahiti), the scent calms down as the night falls and the headier, more sensual notes of jasmine come to the surface.  Here lies the real heart of the perfume… I can still detect some lingering fruitiness but it becomes fully tempered by the softer night flowers which bring warmth and a little bit of sexiness to the fragrance.  The deeper, base notes of musk never fully surface on my skin, which is unusual because my chemistry normally carries them to the fore but I’m assuming that this is what grounds the accord and prevents it from projecting too light-heartedly.

Sillage is fairly weak which suits my interpretation of this as more of a skin-scent.  Step into a cloud of this as you step out of a shower and carry a little bit of the Southern Seas around with you for at least part of the day as alas, with my dry skin, I get low/medium longevity from this one, about 4 hours at the most.  Tahitian Yuzu is going to work beautifully on warm nights (if we get any) and I can’t wait to expose a bit more skin to the sun and see just how capable it is at transporting me to a tropical paradise!

Illuminum Tahitian Yuzu is available to buy instore at the Illuminum’s Perfume Lounge in Mayfair (I recommend a visit!), or directly from their website.  Priced at £70 for 50ml

Well, not entirely monstrous, but green is not a colour that I can pull off with much success.  Mr. L, who never comments on my makeup (other than to tell me I look lovely when I drop enough hints that he ought to be saying something), readily agrees that green is not a colour I should allow into my makeup-playing repertoire too often.  About halfway through the day I asked him, “Have you noticed that I’m wearing green on my eyes today?”.

“Yes. *pause* It doesn’t look too bad does it?”

And that ladies, clearly means that it looks amazing.  Or not.  I’ll go with the former.

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re getting a bit old to wear bright colours on your eyes?  I do.  I mean, when I was 27…. I thought I was getting too old, but now that I’m 30 and I’m looking at the photo thinking, “I think it doesn’t look too weird” but, I surround myself (online) with beautiful women who love to have fun and enjoy a passion for makeup.  What must women who don’t share our creativity when it comes to slap think?

Of course, one totally shouldn’t care what other women think and I’m neither fishing nor asking for validation here, it’s just that being on the cusp of the wrong side of 30 makes me hesitate.  Nothing more and nothing less, I guess it comes down to the fact that you can’t really pull off the “cute” thing once you reach your thirties, and so there’s no room for error in the same way as when you were younger.

“Should know better”.  I’d like that on my headstone… along with “One Day”, a long-held shot at faith.

I usually only have time in the morning for the basics when it comes to makeup but Mr. L has been super-generous with his time in the run-up to releasing his next game, so you can expect a few more FOTDs than normal simply because it feels lovely to walk out of the house in a proper made-up face once a week you know?  The type where you’ve played and pontificated over choosing what to apply rather than reached for the quickest, most fool-proof things you own.

Anyway, I’m really rambling.  I’ll do a quick product breakdown.

Face

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Ivory
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-1
Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00

Eyes

GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Green Grass on the upper lashline
Purple Eyeshadow from the Smashbox Muse Artist Eye Palette on lower lashline
Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara*
Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Gaze

Lips

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Natural in 09 Sienne Kiss*

What’s your colour nemesis?  Do you hesitate when it comes to colour?

* press sample

Twice a week, I’m instructed to make bubble monsters of varying shapes and sizes.  Some are scary, some are friendly… some exist for mere seconds before a chubby toddler squishes them back down beneath the water. Others cling to the bath until I can be bothered to flush them down the plughole with a healthy dose of Cif.  We like bubbles in our house and a bath simply isn’t a bath without an accompaniment of pops and froth.

Imperial Leather have released a duo of limited edition fragrances, one of which caught my eye owing to the fact that it alludes to one of my favourite perfumery notes, and one that you don’t usually see in high street bodycare products, Amber.

Claiming an intoxicating base note of Amber, the Blissful* range (which comprises a shower gel and a bath cream) promises a highly nourishing formula, balanced to be pH neutral.  Other than the colour in the bottle, I didn’t detect too much of the promised amber but it does still offer a warm and comforting exotic floral scent.  Containing jojoba pearls to help both exfoliate and offer additional moisturisation and with bubbles a-plenty, it passed the toddler test with flying colours.

The other limited edition fragrance is Sublime and is based around a pomegranate scent, expect a far fruitier affair!

Can you remember the Imperial Leather ads from when we were growing up?  I found this one on You Tube and have to say, despite it featuring the magnificent Julie Walters, this one slipped my attention!

The new Imperial Leather Limited Editions range of pampering shower and bath creams are available from all major retailers, with an RRP of £1.89 per 250ml shower cream and £1.53 per 500ml bath cream.

* press sample

These trio of eyeshadows from Illamasqua’s latest Human Fundamentalism* collection landed on my desk this week and I thought I’d post up some swatches.  The three matte shades are: Vernau (yellow ochre), CanCan (bright lilac purple), and Pivot (yellow green).  Get ready for some piccies… (I dunno why I always say that like it’s 2001 and you’re all hitting X so as not to max out your 56k dial up *shrugs*)

The shades have fair to good pigmentation (for mattes) and blend nicely.  The pick up is powdery but again, this is something you often have to contend with when you’re using a matte formula.  On with the swatches…

Applied on dry skin with no primer (please excuse the cycling scratches).  The pales don’t look too chalky considering.

Each shade applied with Illamasqua’s Sealing Gel* (as you would for an eyeliner application).

My attempts at a FOTD sadly ended with me looking at myself in the mirror and declaring “you look like a twat in those colours”.

But…. and this is where it gets interesting…

I went to the bathroom to remove my clown face and upon scrubbing with face wash and warm water….

The swatches done with the Sealing Gel would. not. budge.  I mean, they really wouldn’t budge.  I’m sat here 5 hours later and they’re still looking at me.

So my review is being thoroughly hijacked because I can’t coo over a trio of eyeshadows in shades that I wouldn’t be seen dead in (did I mention Illamasqua will makeover your dead body?).  However… I can get excited over the Illamasqua Sealing Gel which would be a phenomenal addition to your makeup routine if, like me, you have hooded eyelids and can’t stop eyeliner from transfering up to your hairline when you blink a bit too hard.

The shadows are ok, if you’re gonna get all hot and sweaty over them… you probably don’t read my blog anyway to be honest.  But check out the inconspicuous looking bottle of sealing gel next time you’re near a counter.  I already own/use a mineral-makeup branded sealing gel… this is 100x better.

Illamasqua’s sealing gel is priced at £10.50 and can be purchased on counter or online.  Also, if you haven’t seen them already – check out Illa’s pretty glorious moving swatches on their new-fangled website.  The Human Fundamentalism Collection can be seen here.

* press sample

My poor, poor face.  I’m in the middle of a snot fest and I’m now understanding why I was brought up on a diet of haliborange.  Throughout the year I’m not a terribly sickly person (I was as a kid) which is just aswell because I’m the biggest wimp you could meet (probably).  I even have a ‘cold’ voice – you know that weak-sounding, more-than-slightly whiney tone that resonates through the nose more than the throat?  My poor family.  Anyway, this week’s cold has been particularly frustrating because of how beautiful it’s been outside!  The whole family have had it and thus we’ve been mostly quarantined indoors through the weekend.  I decided to make a break for it yesterday and thus needed a face of makeup to disguise my ravaged skin.  It’s so dry and dull, combined with the snot-induced nose flakes and hormonal jaw-line mega zits?  Not pretty.

I massaged my freshly-washed skin with a combination of Liz Earle SuperSkin Concentrate* and Alpha H All For Eve Age Delay Facial Oil* in an attempt to revive some life.  Kinda like a cardiac massage for the face before giving my driest spots (flakey bits) at light cover of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment (this stuff is great for disguising nose flakes).  I went with the spring-like weather and injected some colour onto my face with a bright streak of blue under my lower lashline.  This is my favourite way to wear the shade and I do it quite a lot in the Summer.  Anyway, enough talk.  Here’s my Springtime in the Sahara FOTD:

I think I could have done with a touch of highlighter but I’m otherwise looking fairly perky considering I felt like DEATH.  Like my Tammy Faye Baker eyelashes?  Tough – I do!  I never put that much on my lower lashes normally but now I’m gonna (until I get bored of it).

I’m wearing:

Skinfood Gingko Green BB Cream
Priori Perfecting Mineral Foundation (lightly buffed where I needed more coverage)*
Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral Concealer

KIKO Automatic Waterproof Eyeliner
Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour in Marina under the lower lashline
Benefit They’re Real Mascara*
Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Gaze (I found it, I found it!)

Benefit Hervana Blush* (I did promise you a FOTD with this beauty)
Boots No7 Vital Brights Lipstick in Blooming Pink*

.

What do you think?  Bit too early in the year to pull out these shades?  Hope you’re well and less snotty than me!  At least the pancakes (bacon and maple syrup!) cheered me up!

* press samples

You’re more than likely familiar with the name Illuminum thanks to the Duchess of Cambridge’s decision to wear the brand’s White Gardenia Petals on her wedding day earlier this year, causing a mass sell out of the floral fragrance.

Following this runaway success, the British-based fragrance house are opening what is thought to be the largest independent perfumery in the world right here, in the heart of London.

‘Fume heads everywhere will be delighted to hear that the concept behind the boutique revolves around the idea that luxury fine fragrance should not be about rushing, tills and counters.  The space has been designed to invite customers to sit, have a cup of coffee and take their time over the all-important business of scenting!

I want to create an oasis of fragrance in the heart of the city.  There will be no rushing at The Fragrance
Lounge, you can sit and enjoy an espresso or a glass of champagne and take you time – selecting from my scents should be a joyous experience and there are 32 to choose from! — Michael Boadi (creator)

From bespoke offerings to the Haute Perfume Collection comprising of 16 newly launched scents, there should be something for everyone to admire, though with prices starting from £70 for the classic collection and ranging up to £7,500 for a uniquely bespoke creation — it won’t be for everyone.  I quite fancy going in there for a Pretty Woman moment, anyone wanna be my Richard Gere?

The Illuminum Fragrance Lounge will open at 41/42, Dover Street, Mayfair, London.

The lovely Lily from BeautysBadHabit is doing another stint with us today and showcasing Illamasqua’s latest collection: Theatre of the Nameless – take it away Lily!

Illamasqua have been at it again with their Autumn/ Winter collection, ‘Theatre of the Nameless’, being yet another which has had the blogosphere abuzz. Inspired by the dark, decadent creatures of ’20s Berlin who owned the night with illicit acts and wild looks, the ‘Theatre of the Nameless’ is an unapologetic nod towards Illamasqua’s original inspirations.

To my surprise, when Charlotte received a few ‘Theatre of the Nameless’ items to review, she sent them my way since such ‘odd’ shades are pretty everyday for me! Especially lipsticks, with Illamasqua ‘Disciple’ (inky navy blue) being a firm favourite.

‘Kontrol’ lipstick (£15.50) is a medium dark, blue toned purple with a twist of grey and extremely impressive pigmentation. One swipe and this baby is as opaque as they come. To me, ‘Kontrol’ is the perfect ‘night on the town’ colour if you’re a little…um…gothically inclined? Alternatively natured? Heck. If you’re up for wearing something more interesting or ‘edgy’ than primary red or hot pink – this is for you!

I love ‘Kontrol’ with a strong, opaque, sharp application, but it also looks lovely dabbed on and coated with a sheer gloss for a more forgiving finish. This lipstick will last as long as you do, I’ve gone entire days (and then well into the night) wearing this without it fading or smudging – very impressive indeed!

‘Kink’ polish (£13.50) is one of four from this collection, all of which have the same ‘rubber-look’, waxy finish. The new texture (for Illamasqua at least, I recognise the finish as satin/ semi-matte) is bound to be love it or hate it with all who try it. Personally, I’m a fan, though my opinion may have been swayed by the gorgeous, deep green colour! ‘Kink’ was extremely thin (managed to drip it down my jeans – oops), opaque in two coats, fast drying and lasted two days before any chips appeared – which, for me, is average. The best thing? It’s called ‘Kink’. ‘KINK’. Who doesn’t want to say they have a bottle of ‘Kink’?!

All in all, another fascinating and boundary pushing (green gloss – need I say more?) collection from Illamasqua, but by now – would we expect anything less?

I’m usually the woman who loves the fragrances that others hate, so reading Julian Kynaston describe the brand’s first foray into perfumery as:

There’s no middle ground with Freak.  The name, the packaging and the fragrance will polarise opinion to simply love or hate.

I can’t help but feel tremendously excited.  I’m really hoping for something that strays wildly from the well-trodden, mass-appeal fruity-floral, mild musk that proliferates the market today.

Illamasqua’s Freak lists top notes of: Black Davana, Opium Flower and Belladonna followed up with heart notes that include: Poison Hemlock, Datura and Queen of  the Night (are they making these florals up?) sitting on a base of aromatic Frankincense, Oud and Myrrh.  Finally, something I can grasp at, and although I’m not the world’s bigest fan of Frankincense, I do love (quality) Oud and Myrrh.  Freak will be available to purchase only in 75ml bottles and will be priced at £59.00.

I have a niggling concern that Illamasqua Freak has the potential to demonstrate a classic case of style over content.  Everything about the fragrance has been so carefully constructed to fit with the brand’s ethos and whilst that’s clearly not something to be criticised, I hope that the sum of these individual (edgy-sounding) notes add up to something that represents and rings true for their fans.  I don’t actually care if I hate it, I just want it to be engaging enough to make me care one way or another.  I also want it to be powerful, with great sillage and turn heads regardless – it wouldn’t be Illamasqua without that quality.  The fact that it will be released exclusively as an EDP has me hoping.

First impressions based upon the campaign film and images alone?  I dislike the name, love the film and adore the bottle.

So there we have it, Illamasqua’s first fragrance.  On paper, it works.  On the fragrance blotter and under our noses?  Time will tell.

Freak by Illamasqua is available for pre-order from the 3rd October online at Illamasqua.com before it launches on the 20th October.

There’s nothing like an el-cheapo nail polish to quench that insatiable itch to buy something.  I was walking round town last week and felt the need to scratch.  Still recovering from the new lens purchase (it may be some time), I dived into Superdrug for something that wouldn’t break the bank and emerged triumphant with this little beauty…

…BeautyUK to be precise.  Voodoo – No. 55 (£1.99) is an absolute cracking shade for Autumn, a deep russet with a playful shimmer that glows in the right light.  Two coats to achieve opacity, I did get a tiny bit of bubbling on one nail which made me a little more careful with the application than I might normally be.

After admiring my manicure for half a day, I decided, beautiful though it is, I wanted moar Autumn.  I dug out my Inglot Flakie #205 and slapped on a coat…

Now we’re talking!  I see toffee apples, fallen leaves, crisp afternoons and misty mornings.  Brrr… c’mon Autumn, I’m ready for you!

Are you ready for Autumn?  Digging out your vampier shades yet?

In a world that seems to take ever-increasing pleasure from bringing others down, just five minutes of your time please.

http://www.sophielancasterfoundation.com/

I picked this up at the start of the week from the Inglot store in Westfield.  I was impressed with the super-fluid texture that I knew would combine nicely with my foundation.  I tend to use liquid highlighters to give a boost of radiance to my foundations rather than as ‘spot’ highlighters.

There are a few colour options available, I didn’t take not of exactly how many… but something like 6?  I chose the pale gold which looks remarkably yellow.  Infact, truth be told… I didn’t choose it.  The SA told me I should choose it over the two that I was contemplating (a white/silver and a rose gold).  I was unsure because this really is pale GOLD gold.  She argued that it would tone down the pink-tones in my skin for a more even complexion.

Yeah, that sold it.

I’ve been mixing a single pump into my foundation before applying and I really like it.  It’s not glittery but gives a nice amount of radiance to my complexion.  I also agree that I’d been steered toward a good colour choice… it doesn’t give me a more neutral-toned complexion but it compliments what is already there without exacerbating the pink undertone.

I can’t find my receipt but I think it was around £11, a bargain compared to similar products like the Armani Fluid Sheers (love those too).

Do you mix highlighter in with your foundation?