A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Today’s red lip is courtesy of Italian brand KIKO – I picked shade #222 Dark Red up a few weeks back and gave it a first outing the other day. I have to say, it’s not going to make it to my top twenty. Colour-wise, I love it but the texture is uncomfortable to wear, it feels cheap and it smells cheap. Just aswell it is cheap I guess?

I know that people laugh at paying good money for lipstick… essentially wax in a stick but wearing this has reinforced my appreciation for creamier, better-quality formulas. Having said that, I do still like the shade a lot… I’m just not sure whether I’ll be reaching for it too often.

KIKO Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in #222 is priced at £5.90 (currently £3.00) and available from their store in Westfield Stratford or online.

A few weeks ago, I headed to the KIKO store in Westfield Stratford and picked up a few things that I couldn’t resist.

I haven’t had time to form any real opinions on the products that I purchased yet but I thought I’d share my purchases and a few swatches.

Nail polishes!  Most of these were in the sale section, reduced down to around £1.50 a-piece but I couldn’t resist the white (with a funky skinny brush for tips), and the cornflower blue – both of which were full price at £3.90 each.

I know, not the most exciting of shades but when I’m trying out a new brand, I like to buy the things that I know I can compare with simillar products from other brands.  I wear these shades daily and know what I expect from them with a certain degree of clarity.  Plus, they’re gorgeous right?

‘Cos I don’t have enough red lipsticks.  Obviously.

I’m a sucker for a liquid eyeliner… especially in pen form like this.  I think this one was in the reduced section and on initial inspection, it looks good!

Some swatches of all of the above – see how pigmented that black liner is?!

Have you bought any KIKO bits and pieces yet?  What do you think so far?

I’ve had a ‘thing’ for this Kjaer Weis eyeshadow in Wisdom ever since reading Jane’s post about it over a year ago.  I already knew that the brand produced quality items (albeit at a price) and a few months ago I decided that I could stand it no longer and took the plunge.

Wisdom is a taupe with a difference… a subtle difference for sure, but it has a beautiful, ghostly sheen that intrigues me and catches the light at certain angles.  To most, it would mean nothing but to taupe fans, it’s enough to give it that ‘get in my basket’ factor.  The cool taupe is nicely, though not densely pigmented and blends like a dream, lasting through the day with or without primer.

You can see the ethereal sheen in the swatch above, it’s like a ghostly flash of pretty that really gives it a softer look once on the eye.  Yeah, I like this one a lot.  Refills are priced at £13 each, if you want it in the original Zamac packaging – you’ll be looking at parting with £32 for the pleasure.

Kjaer Weis used to be available in the UK from SpaceNK but I’ve just been on their website and everything appears to be out of stock.  Never a good sign.  Anyone know what’s happening with the brand’s availability in the UK?

It’s been a while huh?  I’m thinking that the temperature has dropped enough now to kick-start the red lip series again…

I’m easing myself back into the season slowly though with this little number from makeup uber-God Kevyn Aucoin.

Kevyn Aucoin’s The Expert Lip Tint in Dantique is a proper grown-up red that oozes sophistication and I’m completely smitten with it.  The shade reminds me a little of my Burberry Lip Cover in Claret but while the Burberry is slightly more pink-berry toned, this one leans to a rosey/red-brown.  It’s a totally work-appropriate red if you live in fear of wearing your lips a little too loudly.

Genuinely moisturising on my lips and wears down evenly to a pretty stain, I can see myself hitting stump on this shade.

There are currently some Kevyn Aucoin lipsticks for sale on eBay at a very good price, I’m sure they’re old stock but I’ve bought a couple with no problems, otherwise – you can buy online priced at £20 each from MiseBeauty.com

I’ve heard SO much about this eyeliner over the past couple of years and following my semi-disappointment with my Illamasqua Precision Ink, I was in the market for trying out something new.  Combine this with a late night mooch around eBay, and the rest (as they say…) is history.

Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner is the finest-tipped eyeliner pen I’ve used.  It’s a brush tip rather than a felt tip and the bristles hold together tightly to provide a very tight line.

I find the formula to be quite watery and it can bleed a little but thankfully dries very quickly.  For a very dark line, you’d need to make a couple of passes which is a shame.

I paid around £10 for mine (inc. shipping) which brings it well under high-end prices but toward the top end of high street.  It does fade throughout the day and I’m not going to give this holygrail status simply because I’m not completely sold on the formula.  The precision brush though?  Well, it’s an absolute dream for winging out.

The above photo shows one pass and you can see that it could do with a second swipe, there’s a hint of feathering but check out that sharp wing!

Kiss Me Heroine Make Smooth Liquid Eyeliner is available to buy on eBay (prices vary).

What’s your favourite eyeliner at the moment?

I’m not letting the end of the month sneak up on me again like usual.  Infact, I’m gonna do my “product love” post right now in a rebellious “up yours” to the Gregorian calendar.  Screw you end of month!

Veet Hair Minimising Body Moisturiser*(£4.99) – The difference in hair growth since I’ve been using this has been minimal BUT I’ve just repurchased a bottle regardless because it smells amazing and has become my go-to body moisturiser this month.  Light, easily absorbed and keeps my skin soft and supple during the warmer weather.  If it is slowing down my hair re-growth, good… but I’m not completely convinced on this (though do keep in mind that I has weird hair issues!)

Goody Tortoiseshell Slide Combs (under £2 a pack) – I get annoyed with Goody because they seem to discontinue my favourite hair accessories at such a rate of knots that it sometimes feels like a conspiracy *looks around*.  I’m not sure if these have been discontinued but I haven’t been able to find a backup pack when I looked this month.  These side combs are brilliant because they grip my fine hair like no other.  Brilliantly well made and discreet enough to make it look like you’re creating awesome hair styles with the help of magic pixies.

Kings & Queens Sultan of Grenada Lemon Flower Roll-On Deodorant (£3.50) – My best friend at Uni came from Grenada so this always reminds me of her.  I’m not sure she’d be keen to know that our friendship lives on in my bottle of roll-on mind you.  Without compromising on efficacy, this is simply a lovely (and slightly different) choice for deodorant scenting.  If you haven’t tried Kings & Queens yet, you should.  Keep your eyes peeled in T.K. Maxx too because I’ve seen some mini sets in there recently.

ASDA Little Angels Liquid Talc (£1.47) – If you’re well-endowed in the chest department, you may be familliar with the overuse of talc on particularly warm days.  This liquid talc is Leila’s but I stole it this month and plan to steal it again.  Talcum powder that applies like a lotion?  Clever!  No more mess, no risk of talc on dark clothing but with the same effectiveness as the powder alternative.  For less than £1.50… gerroff Leila, it’s Mummy’s now.

Neals Yard Power Berry Daily Moisture (£22.50) – This was in a try-me kit that I bought a couple of months ago and I’ve been using it on and off since then.  Whenever my skin feels like it’s ‘playing up’ I return to this… it’s like the nurturing, inoffensive aunty of the skincare world that safeguards your delicate state until you feel ready to take on the big boys again.  Make sense?  Well… it did in my head.  It also has anti-inflammatory properties, something I lurve to find in my skincare.  Big thumbs up!

Bare Minerals Purifying Facial Cleanser* (£15.00) – This has been a staple on my bathroom sink since I was given it a few months ago (and it’s still got a 1/4 left!) – I use this after oil cleansing as my second cleanser and it cleanses away any residues and leftover grime without leaving my face feeling stripped.  To be fair, that’s all it does… but it does it just as well as Cetaphil but with less product.  Basically, it’s my Cetaphil replacement.  I take issue at the product’s claims to remove eye makeup (it doesn’t) but I’m going to forgive it just because everything else is spot on.  Definite repurchase when it eventually runs out.

Trevor Sorbie Beautiful Curl Beach Hair (£5.10) – Currently a massive bargain at Boots because of a 2for£6 offer across the range, this salt spray gives my natural waves some good definition without the crunch you’d get from mousse!  I spray this on to almost dry hair and comb through with my fingers.  If I’m near the hairdryer, I give it a blast to finish.  It’s a quick fix for lazy hair days!  Also very excited that Trevor Sorbie have brought their original curl cream back recently, it was discontinued for a while, hoorah for consumer pressure!

Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl EDC (£9.00) – Still only £9.00 makes for an incredible bargain Summer fragrance.  I won’t go on about it because you can read my review here but more than one of you have fallen under its spell at ASDA’s bargain price since I mentioned it last.  I’ve been reaching for this one more than any other this month.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant* (£27.99) – This has become my morning cleanser/exfoliator in one… non-stripping and effective at ridding my complexion of dead skin it’s hugely convenient when I’m time-pressed.  I love the exfoliating action which makes use of Papain and Salicylic Acid to help dissolve excess surface cells in a more gentle way.  Who doesn’t like results-driven skincare?  Mr. L has also discovered its delights, something I’m not so keen on, it won’t be cheap to replace!

Floris London Florissa EDT (£22.50) – Another one that’s already been mentioned recently but deserves another shout out as my 2nd favourite fragrance of the month.  I’m particularly appreciating the complexity in this one which is (to me) a real outdoorsy, traditional scent and one that I’ve been complimented on more than once this month!

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Phew!  That’s quite a few products… what have you been loving this month?

* press sample

With celebrity fragrances reaching saturation point a couple of years ago, it’s not really surprising that 2010 saw a decline in both sales and new releases.  With anything so inextricably tied to fleeting popularity and snapshots of pop culture, it’s inevitable that these releases would be churned out rinse, wash, repeat style until we all got sick of smelling like a mixture of fruit, white flowers and vanilla.

Except, there’s always room for a latecomer to the party right?  Especially when it comes from a brand as big as Brand Kardashian.  The self-titled fragrance was actually released in the U.S. last year but saw it’s UK launch on Wednesday when hoardes of fans descended on Debenhams, Oxford Street for the chance to purchase a bottle and if lucky, catch a glance of Kim herself.

Floral top notes of mandarin, honeysuckle and orange blossom reflect Kim’s captivating nature; while at the heart, pink jasmine, tuberose, sensual spices and lush gardenia evoke her femininity. The last impression of tonka bean, jacaranda wood, vanilla orchid, sexy musk and creamy sandalwood add warmth to represent Kim’s softer side.

I haven’t had an opportunity to sniff it yet, so will try and spritz while in London today.  I’m expecting it to be all about the tuberose and anticipating bold things!

It’s worth pointing out that the Kim Kardashian 100ml Eau de Parfum is currently available at CheapSmells.com for £27.85, a sizeable saving when compared to the Debenhams online price of £40.00

… from ME!

I came across the Korres-owned line of body products whilst surfing the Zuneta site late the other evening.  I was taking advantage of the free delivery code before it ran out and stumbled over this intriguing range of well-priced, temptingly-flavoured goodies!

I’m a sucker for warm scents and tobacco is one of my favourites.  The For Kings & Queen’s version doesn’t disappoint… it’s sweet without being sickly and intoxicating without being heady.  To my nose, I can detect a hint of juiciness that’s sharp enough to gently cut through the warmer base and keep things a little lighter.  It’s simply a beautiful unisex scent and Mr. L has already made one hell of a dent in our bottle.

The formula is runny and toned brown… so beware any spillages!  Another point to note is just how much lather the formula produces… just a tiny drop combined with a mesh bath puff will create miles of bubbles, ensuring excellent value for money!

The scent sadly doesn’t linger on my skin once I’ve left the bathroom, a real shame as I imagine this would make the most perfect layering foundation for some of my warm, amber-based fragrances.  Still, at £5.00 for 300ml I can’t expect the world and I’m very happy with what I get for my money.

Rather dangerously, there’s a particularly collectible element to the line up.  The For Kings & Queens range link their scents to specific royal persons, hence the “Tsar Peter” in this shower gel who was known to enjoy the flavours of aromatic pipe tobacco so much that during times of severe laws against tobacco smoking he extended this pleasure to his people allowing them to smoke freely. It’s like the pokemon of shower gels… gotta catch ’em all!

I’m fascinated by the Korres-owned range which I believe has been around for some time now (how did I not know!) and already have a few more earmarked for future purchase.

For Kings & Queens are available to buy online from Zuneta & ThePowderRooms (where the range is currently on sale) – also check out the brand’s website which has all the historical tidbits about the various royal references!

Have you tried the Kings & Queens range?  Any favourites?

In a childish act of defiance (a.k.a: sticking two fingers up) at what has become my horribly dry skin… I went and bought this Kjaer Weis Creme Blush in Sun Touched.

Created by New York-based makeup artist Kirsten Kjaer Weis, this edited collection pulls off the near impossible: It fuses the very best in organic ingredients with gorgeous textures and chic, always-flattering shades. And as a veteran of the magazine world, it’s no surprise that Kirsten sheathed her products in luxe, eye-catching compacts.

Eye-catching?  Definitely!  Also eye-watering at £39 for a 3.5g blush.

The heavyweight compacts are cast in a white bronze metal called zamac and monogrammed in white enamel.  They’re beautiful and unlike some other highly elaborate products (I’m looking at you Guerlain Rouge G), these are purposefully manufactured to be kept and re-filled once you hit pan.

I picked up the shade Sun Touched as I was looking for something neutral that would complement most other shades and be something that I could wear everyday.  Well, you would at that price wouldn’t you?

Sun Touched is a warm neutral, as the name might suggest.  I’m pleased with my choice although it’s definitely warm enough to work better with other similarly toned shades.

A clean and organic cream blush that adds a fresh glow, brightening the eyes and to create a youthful sun-kissed look. Applied to the apples of the cheeks, this hydrating, soft formula gently melts with the warmth of the fingers. Kjaer Weis products are made with natural ingredients, using rose, honey suckle and gardenia as preservatives. Creme Blush is gently scented with Vanilla from Madagascar.

The texture is slightly tacky, feeling more like a gloss than a cream blush.  I’ve been applying with my fingertips and blending softly without the use of a brush.  Once on, the tackiness remains for a little while before fading.  These don’t dry to a powder finish which means that I achieve a far dewier effect.  Precisely what I wanted!

The blush has a delicate sheen without being glossy and is devoid of all types of sparkle!  I’d recommend this completely if you have dry or mature skin.  On me, it lasts the course of the day without too much fading… the picture below was taken at the end of the day (hence no lipstick!).

Refills are priced at a reasonable £18 each if you can stomach the initial outlay and Kjaer Weis products are available exclusively to Space NK both in the UK and USA.

Obviously, this has been out aaaaaages… but ever since I saw the swatches on Jojoba’s blog last month, I’ve been lemming it like a woman possessed.

Since Sephora doesn’t ship to the UK, I have no US friends and I’m not keen on paying £40 on eBay, I’ll just have to suck it up and continue to cry myself to sleep thinking about it until like the beautiful LE item it is, it disappears from my sights forever…

A January essential? Most definitely *sigh*

If you have it, tell me how much you love it!

So, after some suggestions from you lovely ladies (and before consigning the Supra Color to the ever-growing pile of “tried but don’t love” products) I thought I’d give the Kryolan Supra Color another go with some UDPP underneath.

tick tock tick tock…

So, that’s 4 hours… an hour longer than last time.  I don’t see any improvement in the creasing issue do you?

Even worse… it’s slid my eyeshadow *up* my lid so It looks like I’ve applied my eyeshadow with a freakin’ set square for precision. *That chick looks like she could do with a 217 for Christmas*

I’m admitting defeat on this one.  I wanted to love it for it’s reasonable price, the way it makes pigments even more vibrant, the way pigments stick to it like the proverbial to a blanket.  But creasing is never a good look *sniff*.

Onwards and upwards! Aqua Color next?

I bought the Kryolan Supra Color to use as a base for my mineral eyeshadows which tend to apply sheerly without a solid base not to mention the fall out if they don’t have something to sitck to!

It’s basically a black grease paint.  Upon opening, it has a clear layer of grease ontop which I ‘patted’ off with a piece of kitchen roll until I got to the black stuff below!

As you can see by the swatch above, it’s a very deep and pigmented black which applies smoothly.  You can use a brush or your finger to apply, I’ve been using a synthetic flat shadow brush to apply which seems to work really well.

I then pat my mineral/loose eyeshadows ontop of a thin layer of the Supra Color.  The shadows stick really well to the Supra Color with minimal fall out and even more impressively, I’ve discovered that I actually do have some blending ability!  It is SO much easier to blend out eyeshadows over this base than it is over UDPP.

Here’s the finished result:

Unfortunately (and as I mentioned yesterday) my eyeshadows start to crease after a mere 3 hours 🙁  UDPP holds them firm for at least 9 hours on me.

The picture below was taken after 3 hours wear:

What a shame huh?

JoBetterDays & GraceLondon both recommend I try it over a little UDPP.  I’m really hopeful that’ll make the difference because my GOD I don’t want to give up my new-found blending abilities!  Imagine… colour that lasts AND looks fantastic!

Not too much to ask… is it?