A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

There’s not long left if you wanted to stock up on this Impulse/BarryM offer…

Don’t know what I’m talking about?

For a limited period, Impulse have joined forces with BarryM to combine three of their best-selling scents with three lipgloss shades!  Touted as a handbag essential, the body fragrance/lipgloss duos are selling for the quite remarkable price of £3.00 each.

Your choices are…

Very Pink which comes complete with a sumptuous strawberry scented and flavoured pale pink lip gloss.

Into Glamour which comes with a velvety vanilla clear lip gloss.

Tease completes the collection with a nude lip gloss in a delicious caramel flavour.

Now, it’s been a while since I’ve been the target audience for Impulse but I can recommend the nude BarryM lipgloss which is one of my favourites for toning down a bright lip (and that’s coming from a lipgloss hater!).

Available from Superdrug and Tesco until the 6th June, priced at £3.00 per duo.

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Have you picked up a set yet?  Great for storing up as stocking fillers!

We all have a few of these in our collections right?

Those products that we wanted for ages… thought about more frequently than food or sex and then when we eventually found ourselves clutching them in our hot little hands, wished we’d opted for those other thoughts instead.

Here are my current disappointments.

1. Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder – £18.50

I have a bit of a ‘thing’ for finishing powders, the right one really makes a huge difference.

The reviews for the Too Faced Absolutely Invisible Candlelight Powder are generally pretty good but it’s just a bit too sparkly for me.  I’ve tried using different brushes to ensure that I’m not being too heavy handed but I still don’t dig the effect.  It’s a nice powder… but the (albeit minute) particles of glitter seem to catch the light in a sparkly rather than glowy way.

2. Make Up For Ever HD Blush – £21.75

Can’t. Blend. It.

It doesn’t look atrocious but it doesn’t look as well-blended as my other blushes and whilst I’m fully aware, confident even, that the problem lies more with my (lack of) skillz than the product… this knowledge doesn’t make me like it more.

Shame ‘cos the shades I own are gorgeous… *sigh*

3. Benefit Erase Paste Concealer – £18.89

I always thought that Erase Paste was for under the eye area and Boi-oing (or whatever it’s called) was for blemishes but for the life of me, I cannot make this work on my dark circles.  It cakes and gathers in any fine lines within an hour of wear.  It may be heavy duty in terms of coverage but I’m not willing to comprimise about 10 years of my youth for a bit of concealing.

I’ve tried: warming it up before using/buffing it in with a brush/patting it on with my ring finger/setting it with powder/a combination of all the above!  Disappointing.

4. Illamasqua Rich Liquid Foundation – £21.50

I bought this with the hope of mixing it with a moisturiser and really being able to control the amount of coverage I achieved.  It gives the ‘death mask’ look when worn alone… which is fine for a night out but unwearable (for me) during the day.  I’m fine with this though, I expected it… what I’m not fine with is the fact that everytime I try to use it, it’s separated and takes about 5 minutes to combine with vigorous shaking.

What products in your collection do you wish you loved more?  Are you like me and can’t bring yourself to ditch them incase you suddenly get an a-ha moment?

Illamasqua are launching the ‘Distinction in Make-up Artistry Awards’ to recognise true artistry in makeup and as someone who posesses absolutely no artistry whatsoever, it’s something that I always appreciate!

The awards are open to all Illamasqua Professional Members and celebrate up and coming British make-up and beauty students and professionals.

There is just too much information to take in and process, so if this is something you think you’d be interested in hearing more about, take a look at the image above and read more on the Illamasqua blog.

Some savings are worth taking a closer look at and this one from Stylist.co.uk definitely had me going in for a more detailed inspection!

Stylist have teamed up with cult British brand Illamasqua to offer a 25% discount online at Illamasqua.com – the discount code remains valid for use until 5pm on the 6th April, so you still have some time to get your shopping lists in order!

To get your hands on the code and to read the terms and conditions, click through to Stylist.co.uk and take a look.

Happy bargain hunting!

Get it wrong and Mum will serve you up the sad, soggy-looking roast potatoes forever more.  That smug brother of yours?  He’ll get your crispy ones.

On a budget?  Never fear… here’s my pick of the best Mother’s Day Gifts for £15 and under!

1. Cath Kidston Cherry Blossom, Jam Jar Candle (£15.00)

Large Jam Jar Candle, fragranced with Cherry Blossom from Cath Kidston’s latest home fragrance collection.   Burn time 40 hours.

I think it’s like… THE LAW… for Mum’s across the land to swoon at the altar of all things Cath Kidston.  There is no way on Earth you can go wrong with this purchase.  Cherries?  Kitsch?  Kidston?  Those tatties are yours.

2. Woods of Windsor, True Rose Perfect Pairs (£13.25)

A fabulous gift for any occasion, featuring Eau de Toilette (30ml) and Hand & Nail Cream (125ml) in a beautiful presentation box, fragranced with our elegant rose petal scent, combining crisp green violet leaves, rose otto and warm damask rose.

I have the hand cream* and it’s a gently-scented, nourishing cream that leaves my hands feeling soft but not greasy.  Not intensive enough for cuticles but a really nice all-rounder with a delicate true rose fragrance.  Tres jolie!

* my hand cream was a PR sample

3. Illamasqua ASOS Exclusive Nail Duo / Viridian & Scarab (£10.35)

Bejewel your nails with the ultimate Christmas duo, deepest emerald and decadent ruby. Talk with your hands and make a statement.

I don’t need to tell you how much of a bargain this is… just don’t tell your Mum it’s a Christmas set and you’re laughing (at your brother) all the way to the oven!

4. Vaseline Pink Therapy Tin (£6.99)

Originally intended for my red lip series, Inika Mineral Lipstick in Electric Red is formulated with natural shea butter and jojoba oil and prides itself on being a completely natural and vegan lipstick.

I say ‘originally intended’ because once I applied it to my lips, I could see that it wasn’t really a fit for my red lip series what with it not really being red n’all.

Inika Cosmetics are an Australian brand boasting over 79 permanent products in their lineup.  All natural products are guaranteed to be completely free from petrochemicals, fillers, talc, bismuth oxychloride, GM ingredients, parabens, preservatives, mineral oils, phthalates and fragrances.  That’s quite a list… but usually consumers often find themselves making compromises in terms of pigmentation or wear when it comes to natural products….

Inika’s Electric Red* is indeed lacking in pigmentation.  While this will disappoint some, others will be delighted to find a more wearable version of a strong shade.  I can’t help but feel that with a name like “Electric Red”, I want something a little bolder to translate to my lips.

It has the prettiest metallic sheen… and in truth, I’m actually quite delighted to find such a wearable warm red that neither makes me look like a clown, nor a cheap tart.  It’s quite an unusual shade and perfect for summer.  Texture-wise, it’s quite hard but softens up as the warmth of your lips encourages the mix to spread.  Once on, it feels light and comfortable.  Despite the natural ingredients, I can’t say that I found it particularly moisturising but it definitely didn’t dry my lips out either.

If you’re looking for light, wearable shades to suit all skintones, take a closer look at the Inika Cosmetics range of highly wearable lipsticks.

Inika Mineral Lipstick in Electric Red is priced at £12.77 and available to buy online from the Inika Cosmetics website.

* press sample

The final item I received in my goody bag from the recent Illamasqua Blogger Event was this nail polish…

Don’t be fooled by its demure-sounding name, Purity* is about as vivid as a peach can get!  Not entirely suited to my skintone, I can see this looking freakin’ amazing on dark-skinned sisters.  It’s creamy, opaque and glossy.

The formula was great and the above image shows two coats… longevity has been impressive as I’m on day four of wear and can only see a tiny nick on the tip of one of my fingers…. not even a proper chip and barely any tip wear at all!

A perfect peach of a polish that is guaranteed to turn heads all Summer.

Illamasqua’s polishes may be a little pricey at £13.50, but they back it up with quality formulas and exciting shades.

Illamasqua Purity Nail Polish is available now to buy on counter, instore or online.

* press sample

Illamasqua’s Atomic lipstick is a non-hooker fuchsia pink with blue flashes makes for one hawt Spring/Summer lipstick!

It’s packed with pigment for an opaque, matte finish which is pretty unforgiving on lips that are in anything but the best condition.

I own a few Illamasqua lippies and they are all hard-textured, solidly opaque affairs that are unkind to dry lips but I think this is the most drying yet and should be accompanied with a lipgloss.

I know that some will be happy to sacrifice moisturisation for lasting power and Atomic has plenty of this, with the kind of longevity you’d expect from a stain rather than a lipstick.  Thanks to the hard texture of the lipstick, you shouldn’t get too many bleeding issues from this bright.  I didn’t notice any problems despite not using a lip liner… it just doesn’t move.

Overall: Illamasqua Atomic lipstick* is an awesome shade with amazing pigment, incredible lasting power but potentially quite uncomfortable to wear without proper lip preparation.

Illamasqua Atomic is a shade from the Toxic Nature collection and is available to buy on counter, instore or online priced at £15.50

* press sample

Finding a natural looking contour for my pale (very pink) skintone has probably been one of my toughest makeup tasks and the closest I’ve come so far is another Illamasqua product, a powder blush called Rumour.  The general criteria for my skin tone consists of two factors.

a). be pale enough to look natural and blend easily

b). be pink-toned enough to avoid looking orange or yellow.

Being a total fan of all things cream-based for my dry skin, I was excited to see if the new Illamasqua Cream Pigment in Hollow* would work well as a contour shade.

Well, the answer is… I’m undecided.  It applies beautifully and blends easily with fingers and I think it will make a lovely contour for those with neutral or warmer toned pale skin but I’m not convinced it makes a perfectly natural contour for uber pinks.  I’ll let you be the judge…

Does it look a little yellow to you or am I scrutinising too hard?  I’m definitely hyper-aware of bronzer and contour looking ‘wrong’ so I’m generally pretty tough on them, do you think it works or are there better matches out there?

Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment (£17.00) is available as part of Illamasqua’s Spring/Summer Toxic Nature Collection and available now from counters, instore and online.

* press sample

Stepping away from the dark-side for a wee while, Illamasqua have brought their own version of Spring/Summer to the table.  And as you might imagine, all is not quite as it seems…

The 17-piece collection comprises of pastels, neutrals and vivid neons… but with a few curveballs thrown in for good measure!  Let’s have some piccies…

The campaign imagery depicts a surreal, unpredictable world inspired by a natural world that is retaliating against the mankind that has distorted it.  Those feelings are demonstrated by shades that conflict, revel in their hybrid nature and tease with now-you-see-me, now-you-don’t pearl and glister.

6 New Cream Pigments (£17.00) that promise to be more crease-resistant than Illamasqua’s current cream eyeshadows and suitable for use all over the body.

Mould (Grape) / Hollow (Toffee) / Delirium – EU Only (Rose Taupe) / Bedaub (Mint) / Emerge – EU Only (Peach) / Dab (Lilac)

Thanks for lending me your swatching arm Rowena!

Did you spot those lip colours in the top row of the last picture?

Not ashamed to admit they might be my favourite thing about this collection.  Well, one of my favourite things… here’s my personal picks from the Illamasqua Toxic Nature Collection:

Torture and Divine are the new Illamasqua Sheer Lipglosses (£13.00) for this collection.  Just beautiful for Summer.

Dab and Delirium are my picks from the new Cream Pigment range… lovely, wearable shades.

Atomic is a hot non-hooker pink lipstick (£15.50) that I was excited to receive in my event bag… I’ll bring you a proper lip swatch v. soon.  The other lipstick, Flare is a vivid matte orange, canyousayontrend?

and for the nail polishes… Bacterium was going down a storm with nearly everyone.  The metallic putty shade flashes with pearlescent blue to give it an edge and Radium is just retina-searingly awesome!

Swatches of my picks of the collection…

Now, one thing that WOULD have also made my pick were it not for the fact that I DIDN’T NOTICE IT in it’s unassuming black housing is this little marvel…

Illamasqua’s NEW Precision Ink (£17.00) in Glister is a skin-toned (obv depending on whose skin!) liner packed full of purple/pink glitter pigment (v. finely milled) that’s bears more than a passing resemblance to their Static Pure Pigment that was such a hit in 2009.

The thing about this liner is that unlike most… to my eye, it gets better with age!  The more rubbed-down and worn it becomes, the more that beautiful pigment shows through… glistening… just like its namesake!

Let’s finish off with some nails…

Here’s The Claw (£35.00).  The Toxic Claw!

Terrible camera angle there which I appreciate means you can’t see the tips!  The Toxic Claw is a play on the original nail quill by Mike Pocock that involves making it look more animalistic and… well… claw-like!

And the nail polishes (£13.50)…

Big thanks to Janaka for being such an excellent hand model!

5 new polishes, 5 fingers!  Woot to Helen too for lending her fingers in the name of beauty!

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Illamasqua Toxic Nature will be launching online from the 10th March and instore from the 17th March.

For the chance to win your favourites from the range, register at Illamasqua.com and join the waiting list for your desired Toxic Nature shades.  3 winners will be sent all of the items from this wishlist!

Is there anything there that tempts you?

Touted as a ‘true’ red, I can’t decide if I agree?!  One minute I think it’s a teeny bit orange-red and the next… leaning toward the blue.  Perhaps that is the mark of a true red?

Oh, I don’t know… these reds, they start to confuse me after a little while!

Sangers is matte, very matte and a little hard textured.  I’ve been warming it up on the back of my hand before applying as the brush drags across my lips otherwise.

It’s bold and it’s beautiful and somewhat unforgiving on dry lips.  But it lasts like a trooper with practically no transfer at all.  Not even a speck on my wine glass (ok, cracked mug – I was trying to sound sophisticated).

I bought it last week from the store on Beak Street and it’s another red that I’m pleased to call mine own.  I will wear it often but ensure that my lips get extra TLC before and after.

Sangers is priced at £15.50 and available in the flagship store, Selfridges and online.

Is it just me or are we seeing a bit of a theme emerging? 😉

First up…

Hot.  Hotty Hot Hot.

Blush – Scandalous (£4.29)
Pout Polish – Scandal (£4.29)
NAILED – Geisha’s Seal (£3.89)

Due to be released exclusively to Superdrug on February 14th.

All For Eve and all for a very good cause indeed.

All For Eve have joined forces with London florist OnlyRoses in time for Valentine’s Day.  Above is the “ultimate in red” package.  Priced at £90, it includes a dozen red roses, an award winning lipstick from celebrity make-up artist Daniel Sandler, the Sophy Robson Nail Polish and the clutch bag essential of a Swarovski Crystal Nail File.

Orders are being taken online at allforeve.co.uk and www.only-roses.com from 27th January with 100% of All For Eve’s net profits going directly to The Eve Appeal.

If you haven’t seen or read about this collection 100 times already then you truly are in love and should stop snogging your beau before your lips drop off.  C’mon, the makeup’s this-a-way!

Illamasqua Throb is their nod to the season of lurve and the cheekily-named pieces reflect this.  I picked up the lipstick in Sangers last week and can’t wait to give the true red it’s first outing!

Nail Polish – Load, Scorn, Throb (£13.50)

Lipstick – Sangers (£15.50)

Intense Lipgloss – Succubus (£13.00)

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Any of those take your fancy?  They’re less maintenance than a fella!