A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Of all the samples I was sent from Liz Earle… this is the one (and only) product that I would happily repurchase without any hesitations.

It’s also the one I thought I would like the least.  The one I thought I’d like the most… didn’t do it for me (review coming soon!) and although I love, love the Superskin Moisturiser… that £32.50 price tag puts me off.

Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic is a toner, something I never use.  It seems like one of those superfluous steps to a routine that I barely have time to squeeze in to my day anyway.  Not only that, but it also contains Aloe Vera… an ingredient I always avoid because I hate that slightly tacky feeling I find Aloe extracts leaves on my skin.

Now… when I think of ‘toner’, I think of ‘cleansing lotions’… which I hate.  I’m a washer (we’ve had this discussion before), I dislike faffing about with bits of cotton wool when all I want to do is go dribble on my pillow for 8 4 hours.  The thing is though, this feels like a treat, an indulgence if you will.  I like indulgences.

I find the Instant Boost Skin Tonic entirely refreshing and after using my cleansing oil, it ensures that every last scrap of oily residue is removed.  The slight tackiness lasts no longer than a minute or two before fading and although I can’t pinpoint any specific skin benefits, I am noticing slightly odd things like my moisturiser absorbing more effectively.

I’ve decanted some of my bottle into a spritzer and I’m also using it to set my makeup or to simply refresh my skin mid-afternoon.  It has a beautiful floral scent that practically screams “countryside!” (minus the cow pats) and which I find quite calming in an admittedly pappy arometherapeutic (is that a word?) kinda way.  It doesn’t leave any unpleasant tingly sensations behind, the slightly-thicker-than-water texture just soothes and cools.  I’m excited to use this in the Summer, I think it’s gonna be amazing after an afternoon in the sun (if we have any).

I should point out that I am actually a die-hard fan of The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist for all the same makeup setting/face spritzing reasons above, but I’ve never liked it much as an after-cleansing experience because unlike the Liz Earle, my Body Shop face mist dries me out if I apply with cotton wool.  I think it’s the alcohol, which the Liz Earle Instant Skin Boost Tonic doesn’t contain.

Ml for ml, the Liz Earle works out cheaper than The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Face Mist too.  Bet you didn’t see that one coming did you?  I didn’t!  200mls of The Body Shop’s alcohol and paraben-filled (5 of the 14 listed ingredients are parabens) face mist will set you back £14.  The equivalent volume of alcohol/paraben free Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic?  £11.50.  Awesomesauce.

I don’t actually like to be proven wrong.  I didn’t think I’d like this, I’ve extolled the virtues of The Body Shop Face Mist to you all for a long time.  But from now on… my money’s going to Liz Earle.

Cult US eccentric brand Lime Crime are currently enjoying a boost in credbility thanks to UK based apothecary Space NK.  In an unlikely but ultimately interesting pairing, Space NK will be bringing the full range of Lime Crime CandyFuture lipsticks to the store’s shelves later this month.

The collection of 10 lipsticks which range in colour from an opaque black right through to palest lavender will hit UK shores with a price tag of £14 each compared to US equivalent pricing of $16.  The price hike is pretty much expected, and perhaps slightly less than anticipated when you consider Space NK’s ill-fated launch of excessively priced Sonia Kashuk brushes last year.

The reputation of Lime Crime… with self-proclaimed “Unicorn Queen” owner/operator Doe Deere at the helm, has recently endured the internet equivalent of a “beat-down”.

The company may initially struggle to gain trust and loyalty from cosmetic connosieurs in the UK with the recent allegations raised against the brand, but I don’t doubt for one moment that the playful, fantastical nature of the brand will appeal to many high-street shoppers.

The launch has the potential to bring a fresh, younger audience to Space NK… which may ultimately validate this unusual synergy between conservatively styled Space NK and the whimsical Lime Crime.

As an interested observer (but ultimate fence-sitter) with regards to the recent Lime Crime dramas, this has the potential to be one hell of a launch.  I just hope that Space NK have ordered in enough glitter and life-size unicorns.

Like many in the beauty blogging community, I’ve been trialling a few Liz Earle products over the last month or so and I’d like to offer my thoughts on how they’ve been working for me.

I’m gonna start with the Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser.

Before I had been contacted by the PR for Liz Earle, I’d had a couple of ‘beauty’ friends on twitter comment to me that I should be trying this moisturiser for my combination/dry skin.  Now I can see why.

Superskin Moisturiser is a deceptively light-feeling cream that packs one hell of a moisturising punch.  Brimming with natural ingredients such as Borage Oil, Cranberry Seed Oil, Glycerin, Pomegranate Extract, Rosehip Oil, Shea Butter and Vitamin E, it’s marketed towards a more mature consumer with dry to very dry skin.  I have combination/dry skin with a slightly oily nose and I didn’t find Superskin moisturiser to be too heavy for my oily areas in the slightest.

It absorbs quickly, leaving my skin feeling supple and replenished.  I haven’t noticed it having any particular softening effects like some moisturisers I’ve tried, but I can happily attest to the fact that my skin no longer feels tight or dehydrated since I replaced my usual moisuriser with this a month ago.

There’s a slight scent that I would class as herbal, it’s not entirely to my liking… but it’s not unpleasant at all, it’s just one of those ‘natural’ smells.  I apply Superskin Moisturiser at night only, prefering a day cream with SPF in the mornings.  The packaging is darling, from the outer cardboard design to the heavy acrylic jar inside.

Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser doesn’t come cheap at £32.50 for a 50ml jar… in all honesty, I balk a little at that price considering it has no specific anti-aging claims… but now I know how well the cream is suiting me, I think I’m probably forever ensnared into the cult of Liz.

I think this would particularly suit you if you would like a lighter, more easily absorbed product that gives the same level of moisturisation as a thicker, heavier and more uncomfortable cream.

Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser is available from the Liz Earle website priced from £12.00

Remember this post from last week?  (gawd, was that *only* last week?!)

A couple of you demanded requested swatches, and I do aim to please… (sometimes)…

Pink Icing/Devil’s Food:

L – R: Pink Icing (foiled), Pink Icing, Devil’s Food, Devil’s Food (foiled)

Bewitching Bronze:

L – R: Dry, Foiled – not a huge amount of difference there is there? Amazing pigmentation.

Fire Water:

Sorry, no pan shot (forgot!), check out the very top picture to see what it looks like.

L – R: Fire (Foiled), Fire, Water, Water (Foiled)

The Blue out of Fire Water is indeed beautiful, and the swatch does it justice… but it’s still too glittery and crumbly to be classed as anything other than a pain in the arse.

Here’s a quick EOTD with Pink Icing/Devil’s Food (my favourite):

Very simply: Pink Icing on the lid, Devil’s Food in the crease and foiled as a liner.

Sorry for the manky eyeball shot, hopefully you’re not eating or anything… I woulda shut my eye, but then you’d have had manky creasey eyelids to look at instead.

Thanks for all your recommendations on which other Laura Geller products I should have a look at, I’ve now got *quite* the shopping list!  Enablers, the bleedin’ lot of ya!

After suffering for the past 4 months with flaky, dry lips… I’ve finally found my cure.  Let me tell you a bit about it…

Lanolips is an Australian brand that proudly produces one of the most natural cosmetic products on earth.

The Lanolips lineup currently includes 2 core products:

~ Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour 12.5ml  (AUD13.95/£8.40)

~ Lanolips 101 Ointment 17.5ml (AUD17.95/£11)

I was sent the range for review consideration over a month ago now and I tell you now without a scrap of embarrassment despite the risk of sounding like I’m gushing…. this stuff has made a big difference to my life.

I could tell you all about how pure and natural the ointments are, I could share the anecdotes about how it’s so safe it can be used on the mouths of new-born babies… but to be honest, you can find all that out by visiting their website.  I wanna tell you why from this day forward, I’m never going to be without a tube of this in my handbag.

But let me first concentrate on the Lanolips Ointment with Colour.

These are fabulous lip gloss alternatives.  They’re sheer, but the colour is build-able.  Thanks to a completely non-sticky formula, you can also apply without fear of errant breezes gluing your hairdo to your face.

The shades:

Rose is a milky-toned soft pink, perfect for paler skin-tones and also works fabulously to tone down bright lipsticks a touch.  I feel it may be a little too pale for darker skintones and WOC unless you apply with a light hand or like the super pale look.

Dark Honey is a true dark nude shade, I would imagine this is flattering to all skin-tones – very easy to wear.  It’s a “your lips but better” shade for me.

Sunshine is a warm, summery coral.  It’s beautiful.. and on paper, is probably my favourite.  But unfortunately, it doesn’t flatter my cool skin-tone quite as well as the others.

Apples is described byLanolips as “the colour of babies lips” and I totally get that decription, it’s a rosebud red.  I’m afraid it looks a touch warmer in my swatch than in real life though, sorry about that!

There’s also another, newly released shade called Rhubarb which has been described as a deep, vibrant pink, but I don’t have that one to show you.

Scent-less and taste-less, I’ll be using these daily in the Summer when I want something a little lighter, a little more natural and glowy.

The main point to remember with the entire Lanolips range is the core ingredient, the fundamental base upon which all this colour frivolity has been added – the ultra-moisturising Lanolin.  It keeps my lips supple and so far is improving tone and texture unlike anything else I’ve tried.

Having sad that, there are still a couple of things that I’d change.

I’d personally prefer a slanted plastic applicator so that I could use the tube to applythe product instead of my finger.  I’d also like to see the packaging include the word ‘tint’ somewhere for clarification.  The colours look SO bright in the tube, I’d be surprised if there weren’t at least a few consumers who were expecting more colour payoff upon application.

That aside, onto my favourite product!

Lanolips 101 Ointment is the DADDY.  It’s the no-nonsense “what you see is what you get” multi-purpose cure-all.

The stand-alone tube, slightly bigger than the rest at 17.5ml, contains nothing but pure ultra medical-grade lanolin.  To be (un)fair, it’s kinda boring… it’s unscented, unflavoured, uncoloured, un…inspiring… yeah, it’s a whole lot of ‘uns’.

But it’s this little marvel that I’m marking up as my lip saviour today.

I’m not new to lanolin.  I was a big fan of Lansinoh throughout the months I breastfed my baby.  Lansinoh saved my poor nips (tmi?) on many occasions whilst me and the babs were still both figuring out what the hell we were supposed to be doing.  I’ve even tried to use Lansinoh on my lips before… but it’s too damn sticky.  I used to be able to bear it for about 15 minutes before having to grab a tissue and wipe it off.  I’ve been told by Lansinoh PR that it’s not as sticky as it used to be, but I only have the experience of my year-old tube to compare to.

Lanolips advise you to use the Lanolips 101 Ointment generously but I haven’t found that I’ve needed to apply it very thickly at all.  Which is just aswell, ‘cos I hate that feeling where you’ve got about 8″ of product built up on your lips.

I use the Lanolips 101 Ointment in a number of ways:

1. On my lips before bed as a moisturiser
2. A thin layer underneath lipstick to moisturise and stop matte lipsticks looking like crap
3. A thin layer above lipstick to add shine
4. On Leila’s eczema
5. On my cuticles at night as an intensive moisturiser.

I think out of all those uses, the one that stands out to me… the one reason that I’ll be repurchasing this product for as long as I can get my grubby little hands on it is #2.

Is that shallow?  Surely I should choose the fact that it’s a fabulous lip conditioner?  Or um… wait, maybe I should have chosen the fact that it diminishes my daughter’s eczema patches… but um… I can wear my OCC Lip Tars without looking like I’ve been mummified!

I can wear my Revlon and MAC mattes lipsticks again – the joy!  I’ve spent months trying different lip balms underneath with no success.  On the rare occasion that a lip balm has succeeded at keeping my lips smooth, the lippie has inevitably slid off my face after 20 minutes.  If anything, as long as I keep my layer of Lanolips nice and thin, it’s almost as if it gives my lipstick something to adhere to!

The cheapest online stockist I can find offering international delivery is MakeUWell who charge 10AUD (about £6) for postage.

Lanolips 101 Ointment *is* my solution.  Now I just need someone to come along and stock it in the UK so I don’t have to pay international postage charges.  Is that really too much to ask?

I don’t generally copy press releases verbatim, but thought this might be of interest…

We love mums here at Lush – they give good cuddles and bake yummy cake, so we think they deserve some serious spoiling come Mother’s Day. With this in mind, on Sunday 14th March 2010 Lush will be opening up their doors to all mums for an afternoon of decadent pampering.

The afternoon festivities will have a 1950s theme and there will be free hand massages, foot massages and facials available, – along with cups of tea, cakes and even some vegan treats. All mums are welcome – young and old – whom their children are treating or who just feel like indulging themselves! And there’s even something to keep the children occupied – while mum is being pampered and preened, the little‘uns can colour in their special Lush Mother’s Day cards.

Lush has also designed a selection of limited edition gifts and products especially for Mother’s Day. Treat her to the new MUM hatbox (£25.95) containing a selection of bath and body products to spoil and pamper; or buy a bunch of MUMS ballistics (£3.50 each) that are short for chrysanthemums and offer a quirky alternative to giving mum flowers!

So if you are looking for the perfect Mother’s Day gift to say thank you to your wonderful mother, what better way than heading down your nearest Lush store and giving your mum the treat she really deserves!

Mother’s Day parties are taking place on 14th March 2010 in Lush stores nationwide. To find your nearest Lush store, please call 01202 668 454 or visit www.lush.co.uk

Ok, press release outta the way, am curious…

Are any of you “Lush Heads”?  I’ve never known (what is essentially a soap company) divide opinion so strongly.  A lot of people seem to love the brand with a passion… and there are equalliy as many who can’t stand it.  Which camp are you in?

Me?… I think it’s mostly overpriced, but there are certainly a few gems in the lineup that I would purchase over and over again.  Plus, I haven’t found better drawer scenters than their bath bombs… Leila always smells like a litle Lushie!

…I’m cultivating it gently… I don’t want to go all out and mega haul, I’m dipping my toe 1 product at a time.  eBay, QVC, my mother’s makeup collection… nowhere is safe.

Oh hai Laura Geller!

I’m loving your baked goodness!  I’m the happy owner of the above 3 Laura Geller eye products.

L-R: Pink Icing/Devil’s Food Duo, Bewitching Bronze, Eye Rimz Fire Water.

Out of the three, the pink icing duo is my favourite… it’s the most beautiful combo for a neutral eye.

Bewitching Bronze is lovely too but I’m slightly disappointed with the Eye Rimz, as it’s mostly glitter that doesn’t stick too well either as a shadow or a liner.  It’s a gorgeous colour though.

All Laura Geller baked shadows can be used wet or dry, so they’re pretty darn versatile.

Laura Geller are a brand I don’t hear too much about.  The fact that it’s stocked exclusively by QVC in the UK may have something to do with it, rendering it fairly inaccessible.  I’m looking forward to continuing my exploration into the brand.

Are you a Laura Geller fan?  Anything I *must* try?

Baahhhh!

Like the sheep I am, I knew I had to have this after reading about it on the fabulous LionLovingTiger‘s blog.

LUSH Mint Julips is a sugar-rich scrub for your lips, housed in a fully unsanitary little black glass pot.  It’s possibly the most travel unfriendly item I own, and yet I tote it around with me everywhere, sneaking it out of my handbag whenever I’m in a semi-private place to give my lips a quick rub.  I did tell you they were mega dry!  Mint Julips works well, it scours them giving my lips a smoother surface for applying lipstick whilst leaving a little oil behind to moisturise.  I do find myself applying some balm ontop for extra hydration though.

It’s not a clever product, as many bloggers before me have poined out, you could easily make it yourself at home.  But I’m as lazy as I am flakey-lipped.

The new LUSH Lip Scrubs come in three flavours: Mint Julips (After Eights!), Bubblegum (Bubblegum durr) and Sweet Lips (Chocolate).  They taste far too nice for cosmetic products and it’s a struggle to keep them on your lips and off your tongue.  Or is that just me?

I love the product and hate the packaging, alhough I’m not sure how they could have improved it.  Have you tried these?

LUSH Mint Julips Lip Scrub – £4.50 available online and instore.

Every year I do it.  I forget Pancake Day, or to give it it’s biblical name… Jif Lemon Day. (Tuesday 16th February incase you were wondering)

Do you remember those Jif adverts when you were a kid?  They were proper public service announcements weren’t they?

Anyway…

They Say:

Lemslip shower butter cream (£2.50 for 100g) from Lush has been given a makeover.  Lush’s butter creams are now more solid, similar to our soap, so easier to use in the shower and needing less packaging.

Lemslip contains fresh lemon juice, lime oil and sweet orange oil.  This one will awaken the senses and effectively cleanse dull skin. Cocoa butter moisturises the skin, along with extra virgin coconut oil.

I Say:

I love lemon things… food-scented things in general if I’m honest.  Mint, Ginger, Bubblegum… all a big hit with me.  I think this is more for oily skins, thanks to the antibacterial properties of those citrus oils.  I haven’t tried these Shower Butter Creams, but I do like the LUSH Shower Jellies.

I don’t think you can put it on your pancakes though.

Have you tried this or the other Butter Creams?  I’m kind of a LUSH n00b!

I was excited to finally get the chance to try out my new L’oreal Paris True Match Roll On / Roller Foundation.  £12.99 you know! Not cheap for high street, it better not piss me off too much…

Packaging is quite nice, fairly sturdy, sleek(ish) and nice and compact.

On the left is the pan of cream foundation and over on the right is the sponge roller we’re going to be using for application.

You can better judge the size of the roller now, it’s actually easy to hold despite it’s small size thanks to some well-designed dips and ridges on the plastic handle.

You (and I) have to admit… this is all pretty cute so far!  Little compacts, Dinky rollers…  Look! I’m gonna paint my face! *squeal*

Uh oh, I’m noticing a problem… the product is building up unevenly on the roller.  The far edge has a real good coating whilst the rest of the roller remains void of product.

After a bit of swiping, direction changing and weight shifting the roller is more evenly covered… but there is still a bias towards that far edge.  Will this affect application?

Primed and ready for action!

Introducing you to my makeup-less face, not even a smudge of brow powder!

Here we go…

Look! I have a go faster stripe!

Right, as suspected… not a colour match.  Far too warm and a couple of shades too dark aswell.  I’ve been tangoed.

That’s terrible.  This is the lightest shade that L’oreal are offering (in this country at least) for their True Match Roll On Foundation.

Ironic isn’t it… “True Match”… *mutters something unrepeatable*

With all the money and technology that’s gone into this product – why on earth did L’oreal make the shade range so limited?  I *know* I’m pale… but I’m not Nicola Roberts pale, I see many people walking about even more see-thru than I am.  That’s a big chunk of the population not being catered for, and I’m willing to bet the story is the same for those on the other end of the spectrum aswell.

Anyway, let’s roller on… *hah! geddit*

One half done (your right).

The actual coverage is pretty heavyweight.  Don’t be getting this if you’re looking for sheer -> medium coverage ‘cos this is full on.

You wanna know about the application with that little roller don’t you?

It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.  Sure, it’s not gonna get anywhere near the inside corners of your eyes… but I didn’t have a problem around my nose.  The actual “roller” is slim enough to offer even coverage down the edge of the nose.

I also found it a speedy (if a little uncomfortable) process.  I blended with my fingers closer to my eyes and I even attempted closing my eyes and rollering in an up/down motion over my eyelids.  No, it didn’t work very well and yes, I looked really silly.

The finish is matte and looks a little deathmask-like to me (perhaps I’m not used to the heavier coverage).  I didn’t have any problems with streakiness or patchiness but when I touched my face 5 minutes later, my skin still felt tacky to the touch… it took nearly 20 minutes to dry fully.

Your final half n’ half (again, your right has the coverage).

What do you think?  The formula isn’t *so* bad… I did actually prefer it later in the day after it had had time to “fit” to my skin.

I’m torn… it’s not completely terrible, but it’s definitely a case of style over content and that poor shade selection…

I guess the easiest way to sum it up is thus…

Would I buy this again?

…Not even with your money.

“Innovation! One cannot be forever innovating. I want to create classics.” – Coco Chanel

…Bwhahaa, do we reckon I’ve just wasted £12.99?

Tthis is the lightest shade I could find, C2 (Rose Vanilla) and it looks too dark for me… however, we shall see!

Don’t knock it ’till you tried it and all that eh?  I’m actually willing this to be terrible otherwise I’m gonna have to eat my words aren’t I?

Wait, how did I miss this?

Seems this gimmick-screaming gem passed me by when it was launched at the beginning of the month.

It works in a simillar way to a printing plate.  Take the roller, roll it back and forward a few times over the foundation and then ROLLER your face with it.  Sexy.

I can’t imagine that it would be easy to achieve even coverage around the eyes or nose without using a brush or your fingers… but until I’ve seen it in person I’ll stop screeching “TIDE-MARKS!” at the picture.

However, I do hope this current trend of novelty innovation passes soon.

L’oreal Paris True Match Roll On Foundation is available from Boots, Superdrug et al. priced at £12.99

Alternatively, for those on a tighter budget… Homebase are doing 3for2 on Dulux at the moment.