A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

My little haul of cheap Layla Cosmetics Nail Polishes arrived from Amazon on Saturday morning, and like a kid in a multi-coloured, holographic candy store, I couldn’t wait to paint myself up.  We’ve been especially blessed with the weather this weekend too… isn’t it the warmest it’s been since last October or something?  Anyway… ultimately, this meant sunshine… and nothing appreciates a bit of sunshine more than a holographic nail polish.

Eeny, meeny, miney, mo… went I…

…I settled for Layla Cosmetics Misty Blush as my first NOTD.

Isn’t she a beauty?  If my cuticles weren’t so ravaged at the moment, I’d have given you a close-up of the holographic intensity with my Canon point & shoot but I’m afraid this was as close as my vanity would allow me to get.  Application wasn’t brilliant, but it wasn’t too dreadful… the polish is pretty thin and had a tendency to “flick” specks about during application – perhaps more the fault of my virus-ridden, shaking body – but please don’t apply this anywhere near a white carpet just incase.  It took three coats to reach full opacity and definitely needs a top-coat as it dries pretty matte.

Wear also isn’t amazing… I have a tiny chip one day later, I don’t usually get any chips though… I’m a tip-wear girl, chips… barely ever.

Ultimately, I still love it.  I can’t help it.  Perhaps I’m a bit seduced by the sunshine, by how it sparkles… I think I’m willing to forgive it more than most just because it’s so damn beautiful.

Layla Cosmetics Misty Blush NOTD is available to buy online at amazon.co.uk, priced at £5.21

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Remember when I got all excited about Layla Hologram Nail Polishes? It was a while ago, so I’ll forgive you if your memory is kinda rusty. You can remind yourself by clicking through to my post here which contains a few swatches, alternatively… fire up Google Images and prepare to part ways with your pennies.

You see, as I scoured Amazon late last night for nothing in particular, I noticed that the Layla nail polishes appear to be prettily heavily discounted to the tune of 50% or more.  Whereas I originally paid over £11 a polish, you can now pick them up for under a fiver in some cases!  The only catch is that stock appears to be a little on the short side, so if you wanted to snag a couple, don’t leave it too long!

Here’s what I just picked up for my collection, please don’t tell my husband… I’m supposed to be saving for the “baby”.

There’s also a couple of rather beautiful flakies that nearly found their way into my basket… but I was determined to keep my total in the £20s and not go any higher!

Are you tempted?  If you buy any… please tell me which ones caught your eye!

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Some “gift with purchases” are predictable but useful.  Some GWPs make you wonder why the marketers bothered, and some… well, some make you tear down to your local counter Roadrunner stylee (meep meep!), leaving nothing but a trail of dust behind you.

I think it’s fair to say that the latest GWP – available when you buy any 60ml Jimmy Choo fragrance this month – very much falls into the latter category.  Please, let me present, the Limited Edition Luxury Jimmy Choo Shoe Case.

Now, you may not own a pair of fancy Jimmy Choos to put in said shoe case, let’s face it… you wouldn’t be alone!  But what else could you put inside?  Your collection of favourite fragrances?  How about employing it as a memory box for your most precious photos?  It’s roomy and solidly-constructed enough for a thousand uses.

Know someone who’s getting hitched this year?  Do they need somewhere to store their princessy shoes?  The possibilities are endless.  Failing all of this, you could just use it to hide your secret stockpile of Cadbury’s Twirl and Wispa bars.  Don’t try and pretend it’s just me that has one of those…

This delightful GWP is available in selected department stores nationwide, with a purchase of any Jimmy Choo 60ml fragrance, while stocks last.

If you want a hot tip on which fragrance to pick, check out my review of the Jimmy Choo Flash EdP

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It’s easy to mistakenly believe that the only worthwhile judgements in life are those that are deliberated over with great consideration and care, but I believe there’s something to be said for an impulsive reaction.  Snap judgements and the choices we make from them are a skill that takes us years to hone and develop, we should put a lot more trust and value in those instant decisions because you know what?  Our guts often know what’s right for us before our brains have even had time to digest the information.

Take these new Perfumed Shea Butter Body Cream releases from L’Occitane…

I bet that subconsciously, you’d already know which tin would tempt you into a cheeky sniff before you’ve read the “flavour names” below.

But what I’d love to know is whether your quick-thinking proved to be correct.  For me, I’d instinctively reach into the lush green tin, expecting a scent of freshness and a mouth-watering tang.  Thankfully, I’d be right, the brand have got the styling spot on… it’s a trigger, and it’s just aswell they’re on the ball because psychologically, there’s nothing worse than when an obvious sight trigger lets you down!

The new L’Occitane Perfumed Shea Butter Body Creams launch on the 15th February, priced at £18 each.  Which one will your nose be led to?

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I’m not doing any Valentine’s gift guides this year because, quite frankly, I can’t even come up with a single gift for my lovely husband, let alone a heartfelt collection that you lot could choose from.

A Twitter friend suggested that I just need to look down to find his gift, I assumed that she was talking about my baby bump rather than my vagina, but either way… after 10yrs of marriage and one snotty five-year old, I don’t think either suggestion will raise more than a sarcastic eyebrow.

However, the one Valentine’s-related release that has made my blood pump a little faster is this beautiful collection of sultry reds from Illamasqua.  If you’ve been reading Lipglossiping for more than a few seconds, you’ll already know about my love affair with red lipstick.  I only own the one from Illa’s range (Sangers), so to see the ridiculously feisty Maneater in my parcel evoked a couple of mid-air heel clicks.

The new I’m The One Collection* contains a total of four passionate pieces from the British makeup line.  Including:

NEW! Intense Lipgloss in Touch (£14.50) – Infused with fine shimmer particles, this plush gloss will add depth and fullness to your lips.

NEW! Colouring Pencil in Feisty (£14.00) – A creamy addition to your lip collection, use our Feisty pencil to create a precise and alluring red lip.

Lipstick in Maneater (£16.50) – An intense, full coverage formula, apply this lipstick to bare lips for a long-lasting pop of colour.

Nail Varnish in Throb (£14.50) – Apply two coats of this glossy blood red shade for an elegant, classic manicure.

From left to right: Feisty Colouring Pencil  |  Maneater Lipstick  |  Touch Intense Lipgloss

Of all the items in the collection, I have to say that I fell in love with the least likely offering.

Feisty, the brand new lip pencil is one of the most pigmented-yet-creamy red lip-liners I’ve ever had the pleasure to use.  With a deep, long-lasting pigment… you usually have to compromise on the texture and a dry, unyielding lip pencil is something that many of us will be familiar with.  No such compromises are necessary here, it’s an absolute dream.

I’ll leave you with a couple of extremely pose-y FOTDs featuring the new Feisty Colouring Pencil and Maneater Lipstick.

If you fancy the chance at winning some hand-picked pieces from the new collection, you have until the 15th February to brush off your Social Media skillz and tweet @illamasqua a Red Lipstick Selfie, using the hashtag #ImTheOne – good luck!!

The Illamasqua I’m The One Collection is available to buy on counter and online now at illamasqua.com, priced at £50.00

* press sample

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I don’t get excited about hair products.  They’re not my forte, my cup of tea… they‘re just not my bag (baby).  I view them in the same way that I do many bathroomy-type toiletries, something to be chucked in the trolley while doing my weekly shop.  The truth is, you’ll rarely find me scouring online beauty emporiums for styling products and high-end shampoos.  I’d rather spend my money on lipstick.

Which is why LUSH have surprised me with this bottle of shampoo.

LUSH Rehab shampoo describes itself as a “restorative and repairing” shampoo with extracts of pineapple, papaya, and olive oil to moisturise and “take your hair back to its healthiest, glossiest state”.  You wouldn’t know any of this without reading up on it because frankly, it doesn’t feel or smell like a traditional “SOS-type” shampoo.

My hair is dry but not brittle and to be fair, is in better condition since swapping my permanent hair colours for semi-permanent almost a year ago… but still, it could never be described as soft or silky.  Introduce my hair to a hairdryer and I’m finished within three-minutes, whereas on the rare occasion that I style Leila’s… I get killer arm ache long before her hair shows any signs of drying.

I also suffer from an itchy scalp.  It comes and it goes, focusing upon the change of seasons but it lurks nonetheless, waiting to flare up in great crusts of scalp-soreness.

I’ve been using the LUSH Rehab Shampoo for around two months now, washing my hair every other day and I’ve been impressed with the noticeable improvement in both scalp-sensitivity and the general condition of my hair which feels more balanced: less oily at the roots and more nourished at the ends.  The improvement has creeped up on me, I wouldn’t say that it was an overnight miracle but more a realisation that my hair and scalp simply hasn’t been this good for a long time.

My only caveat against this glowing review are those pesky pregnancy hormones that may well be skewing the results, but in all honesty, my skin is a hot mess at the moment, so I’d imagine my scalp to react in the same way.

The strong lavender-scent may be off-putting to some… it’s certainly not my favourite and wasn’t what I was expecting.  It can be a little too bracing in the mornings but I’ll happily take the aroma hit while it’s still working its magic on my locks.  The shampoo lathers really well with only a very small amount (the texture is thin and runny) so although it’s marked up at a price-point I can only just about stomach, I appreciate that a 250g bottle will actually last me a minimum of three-months before it needs replacing (I’ve got at least 1/3 left in the above bottle after two-months use).

LUSH Rehab Shampoo is priced from £5.25 for 100g and is available to buy in store and online at lush.co.uk

When I first reviewed the L’Oreal Color Infallible range a couple of years back, I was impressed with the amount of pigment these little pots delivered.  They were obviously hot on the heels of Armani’s Eyes to Kill Intense/Chanel Illusion D’Ombre high-end releases and presented an inexpensive way to jump on the is-it-cream-or-is-it-powder bandwagon.

My only issue with them back then was with their staying power as I found them sliding around on my lids after a few hours, both with or without a primed base.

However, I’m a sucker for my purples and the limited edition Metallic Lilac release had been haunting me ever since I saw swatches a while back.  Still not quite enthused enough to hot-foot it down to Boots (how many purples does one woman actually need?) I held off until I was reminded of its existence during a late-night eBay browse.

The particular beauty of this shade for me lies in its irridescence.  It has a delicate sparkle that remains on your lids without too much migration and injects the area with reflected light… something that I’m particularly partial to when I drag my sorry bones out of bed in time for the school run.

The flashes of pink in the powder prevent the shade from being too icy, and there’s a subtle greyed-out quality that will appeal to those of us who don’t want our eyeshadows to scream too loudly at passers-by.

I use a flat brush to apply this to the center of my primed lid before buffing out the edges for a softer finish.  I’m wearing it today on the lower lashline, a little heavier than I would across the lid and it adds a look-twice amount of colour without being over the top.  Longevity still isn’t the greatest on the lids for me but I’m a little more lenient nowadays, less demanding of staying power in my old age… perhaps I just don’t need all-day-long wear anymore.

That being said, I still get around 5 hours with a primer, so it’s not too bad.  I also should point out that I do believe that I’m in the minority with grumbling about wear issues with this range of eyeshadow.  Most bloggers tend to find that this gives great all-day wear with a primed base.

You can pick the L’Oreal Color Infallible Eyeshadow in Metallic Lilac up on eBay from £2.25 with free postage.  Or you can go to Subway and buy a bacon sub with a drink for £2.00 – I won’t hold it against you if you choose the bacon, there’s no easy answer to this one.

It’s not often you can find a reduction on the legendary lash-extending Lilash and Librow, so hold on to your mascara wands because the UK’s only authorised stockist is having a flash sale on ’em today!

Log onto Powder Rooms between 10am – 12pm this morning (yes, you’ve only got two hours folks!) to get your hands on a tube at 20% off the RRP.  If you’re taking advantage, you’ll need to use the code “blackfriday” at checkout to claim the discount.

If you’re not sure what Lilash can do for you, check out this great review from Bubblegarm.

As you may have guessed from the title, I’m totally blaming the pregnancy hormones for this one.  Whether or not they are actually culpable remains to be seen but it feels slightly less shameful to rest the responsibility upon my ever-increasing levels of hormonal angst.

Some women eat coal, crave the taste of rubber and leather… me?  Well, I just want to smell like all of those things instead.  You can keep your girly florals, sweet fruits, and vomit-worthy vanillas… give me all of the MAN SCENTS.

Were my pockets big enough, I’d carry the above candles around with me 24/7, pausing regularly for a sniff before continuing on my way.  My Jonathan Ward Woodstock candle, which I picked up whilst scouring the shelves at T.K. Maxx is the least masculine of the trio and perfect for the season, reminding me of a dampened but very-much-alive forest floor… woody and aromatic.

My Mum picked up the Rigaud Cuir de Kyara candle for me after spotting it nestled on a tabletop at her local Emmaus in France.  She said that the smell of pure, unadulterated leather “nearly knocked her head off” and thus, knew instantly that I would fall in love with it.  She was right.  It’s a blinder and I’m now obsessed with finding other candles from this Parisian brand.

Finally, and thanks to a Zuneta/Amazon bargain, I’m pleased to finally be able to add this Malin + Goetz Vetiver candle to my collection!  I haven’t been able to walk past the display of M+G candles in Liberty for ages without stopping to sniff this one in all its earthy, woody and downright sexy glory.

But my obsession with man-scent doesn’t just stop at candles.  Oh no!  It gets far more serious…

I bought L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Tea for Two during their Summer sale a couple of years ago and it was love at first sniff but recently, I just can’t get enough of it and have upgraded to a massive 100ml bottle in order to get my fix.  The perfect blend of smoky embers, honeyed tobacco and warming ginger to keep all thoughts of frostiness at bay this Winter.

Ahhh, Molton Brown… I remember when I first came across your distinctively delicious Re-Charge Black Pepper scent (now called black peppercorn) a few years ago whilst staying at a hotel in Basel.  To this day, I kick myself for being good and not stealing all the hotel toiletries, it just felt too naughty to take the ones that I hadn’t actually opened to use during my stay!  Instead, I scoop up other people’s spoils on eBay and long for the candle version!

My final fragrant craving is one that Mr. L is less than impressed with.  He can cope with sharing most of his scents with me, infact… many times, we purchase a fragrance under the certain knowledge that we’re doing so in order to share the bottle (it makes a £70 splurge so much more palatable split two ways).  My desires to wear his smells-just-like-a-freshly-wet-shaved-man Floris Santal*, however, are falling on deaf ears.  I’ve been allowed a quick spritz, twice.  Only twice.  I actually think that might constitute domestic abuse.

Are there any “boy” scents that drive you wild?  And, question is… are you wild enough to wear them?

* press sample

They say that nail polish is the new lipstick in terms of what we’re spending our money on during these tough economic times.  Infact, for the first time ever…. nail polish sales look set to overtake those of lipstick by the end of the year.

And with brands releasing collections as beautiful as Leighton Denny’s new Temptation collection*, it’s not hard to understand why.

Attention Seeker

Hypnotic

Lilac Lust

Mutual Attraction

Statement Maker

Tempt Me

Attention Seeker – Vibrant cherry red with added shimmer creating a deep and sophisticated, yet edgy look.

Hypnotic – A teal blue with an exquisite taffeta appearance.

Lilac Lust – A Lilac base tone with a hint of shimmer.

Mutual Attraction – Sophisticated smoky mauve with a burgundy shimmer touch.

Statement Maker – Emerald bejewelled green with a sprinkle on metallic sparkle for a unique shimmery Look

Tempt Me – A romantic dark purple with a metallic green undertone.

All six shades apply smoothly and easily in just two coats, not one of these needed a third.  A couple of them have a thinner-than-standard formula but most look practically opaque on the first coat.  I love this time of year for jewelled shades and Leighton Denny have embraced the season, giving us punters exactly what we want.  Neons for A/W?  Sorry Butter London… but you’re not speaking my language this time.

The stand-out shade, for me, from the Temptation collection is Mutual Attraction.  I called it a couple of weeks ago as my favourite A/W nail shade and now that I’ve seen it in person… it exceeds my expectations, the shimmer is glorious whilst remaining somehow understated.

If you want to stand the chance at winning the entire collection, the brilliant @URbeautique team are running a twitter competition.  To enter, simply tweet them a photo of your nails with the hashtag #UR_tweet2win – you can find their Twitter account here.  Competition closes on the 30th September, so hurry!

The Leighton Denny A/W 2013 collection is available to buy online at urbanretreat.co.uk, priced at £11 each.

* press sample

It’s something that most of us take for granted.  ‘Aving a wash, getting a scrub, jumping in the bath!  Some of us do it every other day, most of us scrub up daily, and the super-fastidious among us do it even more often!  Some forget to scrub behind their ears and others don’t dry between their toes or in their belly-buttons properly!

What you think you don’t know about getting clean can be written on the back of a stamp, right?  Wrong.

Here’s ten things that I bet you didn’t know about bathing, washing, and general cleanliness!

1. Back in 2009 the world’s oldest woman passed away after slipping in her bath.  She was 130 and had just had the new bathroom installed to celebrate her old age!  Where’s Alanis Morisette when you need her?

2. The romans didn’t use soap, instead they rubbed olive oil onto their skin before scraping it off (along with any dirt) using a special scraper.  Sort of like a slave-operated windscreen wiper.

3. Frying Pan Lake in New Zealand is the largest hot spring in the world, covering an area of 38000 square metres with an average depth of 6 metres.  The hottest areas of the lake reach boiling point!

4. Think baths are less water-efficient than showers?  Not nowadays!  An average bath uses 80 litres of water whilst an eight-minute power shower uses around 136 litres.  If you’re really serious about saving water, you could always share!

5. In medieval Europe, the Church thought of bathing as an “excessive” indulgence and believed that such acts led to immorality, disease, and promiscuity!  In fact, so widespread were the fears of bathing contributing to ill-health that the daily bath (or shower) has only become a common occurrence during the past half century.  I’ll bet Sunday mass used to stink!

6. The average temperature of bath water in the UK is between 38c to 40c – that’s just a couple of degrees above the average body temperature.

7. Every citizen of Kentucky, U.S.A is required by law to take a bath at least once a year.  Personally, I think we should introduce this globally.  Especially in London, in the Summer.  All tube stations should install stink-o-sensors as standard.

8. A lady called Charlotte Lee holds the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Rubber Duck collection at 1439 different ducks!

9. The Japanese take the business of cleanliness and bathing very seriously.  They even have an amusement park dedicated to the ritual with over 25 water attractions!  Visitors can choose between bathing in coffee, red wine, green tea, or even Sake!  I wonder what the penalties are for drinking the water?

10. In the UK, it is the law upon entering a bath to immediately submerge your head and enter the land of Mermaidia.  Particularly if you have long hair, in fact… if your hair is short, you should grow it immediately to let this occur.

Ok, I made that last one up… but damn… you used to do this as a kid ALL the time right?

Anyway, in celebration of my ten frankly mind-blowing facts about bathing, I wanted to introduce some of my favourite bathroom companions…

From left to right:

Zirh Warrior Collection (£14.99).  When I discovered these were being discontinued, I snapped up a few bottles to keep me going.  Although aimed at men, I love the concentrated scent and divine lather.  There’s something rather brilliant about having a “collection” of commonly-used toiletries like this and Zirh capitalised on using great ancient leaders to appeal to our sense of smell and personality traits. Obviously, I’m Caesar.  OBVIOUSLY.

You can still buy the Zirh Warrior Collection on amazon.co.uk

Abahna White Grapefruit & May Chang (£17)*.  Abahna are all about the ritual of bathing, about turning an ordinary experience into an extra-ordinary occasion.  They’re definitely heading in the right direction with this beautifully citrusy number that perfectly marries the uplifting aromas of grapefruit with the energising zest of may chang.

Available to buy online from abahna.co.uk

Bodhi Rosemary Chi (£23)*. When your spirits are in need of a little reviving, Bodhi’s synergy of Rosemary, Geranium, Petitgrain and Cedarwood oils is just the ticket.  This bath and shower therapy is generously fragranced ensuring that both your mind and your senses are stimulated by the rich perfume.  For an added boost, combine your bathing ritual with their new Rosemary Chi Himalayan Detox Salt Scrub by using your hot bath waters to dissolve the salt scrub after application.  Genius.

Available to buy online from bodhi.uk.com

Kings & Queens Aztec King Vanilla & Pear (£3.33).  No Tesco shop is complete without adding to my Kings & Queens stockpile, I’m currently due another haul as I’m on my last bottle.  The sister brand of Korres have been inspired by ancient rulers from around the world to create a line of body products that delight both visually and during use.  My personal favourite is a toss-up between Tsar Peter Tobacco and Caspar Myrrh.

Available to buy online from tesco.com

What do you to make your bathing routine that little bit less ordinary?

* press sample

Jo Malone’s Peony and Blush Suede is the latest release from the British fragrance house, created by expert nose, master perfumer Christine Nagel. Described by the brand as “the essence of charm”, the fragrance is available in 30ml and 100ml varieties, priced at £39 and £78 respectively.

With notes of peony, red apple, jasmine and “blush” suede… the scent reminds me of a classic girly scent. One that has been crafted to appeal to a younger audience with a bright, uplifting floral bouquet made up of creamy roses and pinker-than-pink peonies.

It’s another very British-feeling scent, the kind that the Jo Malone brand do so well, invoking the feel of strolling through a country garden in full bloom.  To further appeal to the sensibilities of a more delicate nose, the strong (and it is powerful) floral bouquet is set against an undercurrent of red apple, nothing as obnoxiously juicy as wild berries but fruity enough to give it some sweetness and… a little bite.

Beyond this, my nose doesn’t detect a huge amount more.  I long for the promised suede but only get the tiniest of hints at a very clean interpretation that smells somewhat powdery and reminds me more of a white musk than a leather.

I imagine this is why Christine has described this note as a “blush” suede… adding just the lightest of touches to remove the freshness from the florals, amping up the creaminess and giving it a long-lasting “warm skin” type feeling.

Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede will undoubtedly appeal to a huge fan base, particularly with the added benefit of the kind of longevity and sillage that I could only have dreamed of from some of the brand’s previous releases.  It’s not quite my cup of tea in the scent department, I generally favour something a little broodier, but it’s a beautifully wearable scent that brightens the mood and will be top of many, many Christmas wish-lists this year.

Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede is priced from £39 and available to buy online at jomalone.co.uk and instore now.

* press sample