A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

…in Burnished Copper.

So pretty… so, so very pretty.

I’ll admit that Laura Mercier is a brand that I’ve never gotten into before now.  I’m always drawn to the sleek packaging and impeccably made up SAs but the line confuses me a little.  It’s all those powders I think… I once asked about the Secret Brightening Powder and left the counter with the impression that I needed to buy about 7 other products before the Secret Brightening Powder would be able to do it’s intended task.

So now, for the sake of my tiny brain… I ignore that whole “secret” part of the counter whenever I stop by for a look.  I’m probably missing out on something great… but don’t tell me that.

So anyway, I hadn’t even noticed these cute little tubes before… but last time I was browsing my eyes alighted on them straightaway!

I already have a particular fondness for creme eyeshadow formulations and was eager to swatch them all.  I was terribly torn between this one (Burnished Copper) and Alloy (Cool Taupe).  I went with Burnished Copper in the end because I knew it would really pull the green in my eyes to the forefront and just seemed more Christmassy (only 10 weeks away – don’t hate me).

You can either squeeze a small amount of product onto your finger tip and apply like that for a sheerer finish or use a brush to build up the colour intensity.  I would recommend using a primer underneath if you have oily lids… longevity lies somewhere between NARS cream shadows (i.e. none) and Benefit’s Creaseless Creams (good).  With a primer, they last a whole lot longer on me.

Ain’t it purdy though?  Metallic but more of a metallic sheen than robot wars.  At £18 each, they ain’t much of a bargain… but I am such a sucker for beautiful shades.

Have you tried the Laura Mercier Metallic Creme Eye Colours?

No one celebrates the end of October more beautifully than the people of Mexico.

“Day of the Dead” or “Día de los Muertos” as it’s known locally is a celebration of the lives of those who have passed on and allows the living to remember them in their own way.

The costumes and festivities involved in this celebration have inspired LUSH to release their Halloween goodies themed around the Mexican holiday.

1. CALAVERA Bath Ballistic (£2.95)

Calavera means skull in Spanish, so drop this ballistic into your tub and watch as it explodes with bright, vibrant colour and dances around your tub.  The fragrance is a blend of lime oil and Mexican marigold petals – both of which play a huge part in traditional Mexican cooking and celebrations. One of our new version ballistics with bubble bar mixed in with it, it leaves a trail of skin softening bubbles as it dances about the water, interweaving different colours together in a celebration of the after life.

2. CALACAS shower jellies (£2.95)

Calacas is skeleton in Spanish, so these colourful jellies are designed to represent dancing skulls – another iconic image of the Day of the Dead celebrations. There are four to choose from: in red, green, yellow or orange and each one is scented with the same uplifting, invigorating scent of lime and neroli. These wibbly wobbly jellies are also infused with aloe vera gel, to soften and soothe the skin. Especially good frozen, they make for a great bracing, sharp shock in the morning – great if you’ve overdone it with the tequila the night before!

3. LADY CATRINA soap (£2.95 for 100g)

A spectacular hat-shaped soap decorated with bright, neon flowers. Lady Catrina was an etching by Jose Guadalupe Posada that he made in the early Twentieth Century to parody that the rich and fashionable, despite their pretensions to importance, are just as susceptible to death as anyone else. Since then, Lady Catrina has become an iconic image for the Day of the Dead celebrations … And she wore big, colourful hats! The same fragrance as Calavera ballistic, it’s fresh, zesty and uplifting.

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Anything among the new Day of the Dead themed bathroom goodies that capture your attention?

I’m not a fan of LUSH shower jellies (too tricky to chase with soapy hands!!) and I have far too many bars of LUSH soap to get through as it is… but I’ll definitely be indulging in a Calavera Bath Ballistic – I love that the new ones bubble!

Twitter was a-buzz (a-tweet?) with the news yesterday that Rachel Weisz would become L’Oreal’s new global ambassador… I for one, completely welcome the news and will quite happily admit to a mega girl-crush on the English actress.

Photo Credit: Rachel Weisz for L’Oréal Paris.

I remember her first capturing my attention when she played Tania in Enemy at the Gates.  She alone, managed to make a film starring Jude Law completely bearable.  Quite a feat really.

Rachel’s first campaign with L’Oreal will be the new RevitaLift Anti-wrinkle & firming day cream which will air nationwide on 1st December 2010.

Do you have any girl crushes?  Come on… spill the beans!

This Autumn has been quite eclectic in it’s choice for nail shades… from muted greens through to grey purples and chocolate browns, it’s certainly not been as vamp-heavy as usual.

Leighton Denny are continuing down this path with a set of colours that don’t appear to adhere to one particular focus.  For some, this is a relief… for me?  I’m just genuinely pleased to see a lovely-looking gunmetal grey put in an overdue appearance this season.

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Indulgence: Classic, scarlet red will be centre stage for AW10 & this shade will suit everyone.

Prim & Proper: Bright, stark nudes compliment dark outfits. This  icy nude shade will help achieve a contemporary look.

Timeless: This sophisticated, feminine coral shade paired with subtle make-up looks will help to soften more extreme winter styles.

Captivated: Bright accent colours are perfect for brightening the winter blues. This electric shade will add drama and accessorise a look.

Embellish Me: An indulgent aubergine  to achieve a glamorous high-end finish.

Graycious: A strong, gunmetal shade is perfect for achieving sultry elegance, as well as trend-led more edgy styles.

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Priced at £11 each, they’re available to buy online from www.leightondennyexpertnails.com

For Autumn/Winter, L’Oreal have released some new shades to join their Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks lineup.  Titled the “Nude Collection”, the four new shades are (as you would expect) wearable and flattering for most skintones.

Marketed as “having the power of a serum at it’s heart (with) powerful active indredients… …to restore moisture and definition to the lips” and boasting some pretty good ingredients to back up these claims.  Among these ingredients, I was pleased to see Hyaluronic Acid listed and had a quick google on another ingredient “Pro-Xylane”… which appears to have originally been developed by Lancome back in 2006 and is used in many of L’Oreal’s more expensive anti-aging facial products.

On paper, if there’s one thing these lipsticks should achieve… it’s a non-drying formula.

I have to say, I’m not a fan of the packaging.  Yes, it’s useful to be able to see the exact shade of the lipstick by looking through the little window… but these feel cheap.  They’re very lightweight, overwhelmingly plasticky and they damage easily.  I spent an afternoon with one of them in my handbag and as you can see from the below photo, the casing is already starting to show wear and tear (lipstick on the left).

I guess the overall design is pleasing, but the materials used are a let down.

While I’m discussing what I dislike… I’m also going to mention the scent.  For me, it’s not appealing… the lipsticks are quite heavily violet-scented and it just conjures up the old lady lipstick smell.  Something a little fresher or unscented would have been preferable.  Thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger too long once applied, but it’s a point to note.

I was sent two of the new shades shown above by L’Oreal: S106 – Freshly Rosy and S204 Beamy Plum

Of the two, Freshly Rosy is paler and a little frostier whilst Beamy Plum applies creamier whilst still carrying a sheen.

That different coloured core is cute right?

Both apply like a dream.  They’re smooth and glide on with no effort at all.  Pigmentation is best with Beamy Plum but buildable for both lipsticks.  They don’t stick to any dry patches on my lips and neither do they accentuate the furrows and grooves.  So far, so good!

Hand swatches…

For my colouring, I was expecting to prefer Freshly Rosy… but my lips must be more pigmented than I thought as I struggled to cover my natural pigmentation with this shade.  I got there eventually, but it took a few swipes from the tube to do it.

You can see that they’re both completely wearable for fair skin tones and have a glossy appearance.  Despite how moisturising these are, they don’t feel at all sticky or thick on the lips.

In context… (please excuse the pyjamas *blush*)

Beamy Plum is a great choice for those of us who want to indulge in slightly darker lips for A/W but are scared of vamping it up too much.  In other words, if you’re a bit of a wimp like me… you need to try this shade!

The lipsticks lasted fairly well throughout the morning, both could have benefited from a touch up after my mid-morning coffee but neither *really* needed it.  After my soup though?  Forget about it… they were gone!  To be fair, I fully expected this considering how moisturising I found the formula.

Pros: Moisturising Formula, Wearable Shades, Smooth Finish, Easy to Apply

Cons: Violet Scent, Cheap Packaging

L’Oreal Paris Color Riche Boosting Serum Lipsticks are priced at £8.49 each and the Nude Collection will be available from this month onwards.

The one saving grace that enables me to keep my spends in check at the Le Metier counter is the fact that it’s a little tucked away at Liberty.

Um… not anymore.

Now available at Selfridges, Le Metier de Beaute is bringing it to the big time.

Anyone else up for walking through Selfies beauty hall with our eyes closed from now on?  Infact… perhaps that’s a technique I could well do with adopting ANYWAY.

Ahhh Le Metier… I get the guilts whenever I step within 10 yards of the counter in Liberty.  The grip on my purse tightens and one hand slaps the other away as it reaches for the clasp.

4ml of nail polish will set you back £10.  That’s one expensive (almost) a teaspoonful of polish right there.

Still, if you’re feeling indulgent… then these new Le Cirque Collection shades from the luxe brand are sure to tempt you!

The teeny, chunky ice cube-esque bottles are adorable.

High Wire

Dynamique

Magic at Night

I believe there’s another one called Noble Passion (which wasn’t on display at the press day), a “blushing nude”.

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Which is your favourite?  I’m intrigued by High Wire & Magic at Night… I see quite a few colours locked into that little bottle.

I bought this cream concealer from Inglot earlier in the year (around the same time as I picked up the MUFE full cover concealer).  I was hoping to do a comparison, but they’re really quite different.

I tend to use this around my nose and on blemishes.  It’s a little thick to use under the eyes, though I have had some success if I apply with a small fluffy brush.  Coverage is medium/full and I find that it dries quite quickly, so rapid blending is essential to achieve a flawless finish.

Compared to my MUFE, the texture is thin and gives less coverage, it’s easier to blend but doesn’t produce quite the same effective results.

I also find it a little drying.  Having said a few negative things about the Inglot Cream Concealer, it’s only fair to also point out a major positive.  This doesn’t seem to highlight or sink into my pores.  Some concealers leave my pores feeling rather ‘out there’… but this blends in nicely.  It will sink into fine lines around the eyes unless you use a very light hand during application.  I think that perhaps thin layers may be key with this concealer.

Shade #32 is a good slightly pink toned match for my cool pale skin.  I wish I could remember how much I paid for this but I can’t.  If anyone knows how much the Inglot Cream Concealers retail at, holler and I’ll update.

You can buy Inglot in the UK at the Westfield in London and Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in Dublin.

I’m starting a new series called The Countdown.  Each month, around this kinda time I’m gonna be having a root about on my desk and in my cabinets to find the top 3 products that I’ve reached for in that particular month.  They may be long since discontinued or they may be new acquisitions.

I love reading people’s favourites lists and I often find hidden gems amongst them, so I hope this will be interesting to you lovely lot!  Today it’s my top 3 blushes of August.

1. Shu Uemura Glow On Blush in M23 Wine – Stupid shade name, I’ve never drunk a wine this shade. If I had, I would be sure to have remembered the belly ache that would have followed!

I’ve been using this matte blush with a very light hand, just a pop on the apples of the cheeks with a loose bristled brush.  EASY to go overboard with this one!

2. Topshop Blush in Butterscotch – If Shu’s Wine is easy to overdo… this is the exact opposite.  It takes quite a bit to get this to show up on me.  I’ve been using my fingers to apply and like the natural effect this cream blush gives.  I’m not sure I’d repurchase because I’d like one with a bit more oomph – but I’ve been reaching for it a lot this month because I’m loving the nude colour.

3. Illamasqua Cream Blush in Laid – A recent purchase, Laid is a cool toned hot pink… again, this one is best reserved for the apples of the cheeks unless you’re going for that 80s look!  Blends like a dream and so quick for a fuss-free pop of colour.  Love it.

What have been your favourite blushers this month?

Am I talking about the new Chanel must-have?  Perhaps a little something-something from La Prairie?

NO!

It’s none ofther than Lady Lamb herself, FINALLY making that long journey from Down Under (check out those lips and lashes!)

Basically… what I’m saying is… the time has come!

You can now pre-order your Lanolips online from VictoriaHealth!

If you don’t know what the hell I’m getting so excited about (where have you been?), I first mentioned the brand back in the beginning of March.  If you wanna have a read of my thoughts, click here.

You can also follow Lanolips on Twitter and Facebook.

I went to LUSH last week and one of the things that I came out with was this unattractive looking lump.

Looks like something I’d need a poopa scoopa for to be quite honest.

It smells foul too… whenever I have this anywhere near me, I keep getting flashbacks of when I used to empty my ashtrays.  I’m really selling it to you aren’t I?

I can forgive it all this though if it helps my scalp as it claims…

[stextbox id=”custom” bcolor=”b0c4de” bgcolor=”e6e6fa”]Snake Oil treats dandruff and it smells like it means business. Melt it on to your fingertips, then massage it right into your scalp. Leave the lavender, tea tree and peppermint oils to do their work for twenty minutes or so, and then wash it off with Soak and Float shampoo.[/stextbox]

My hair is coloured, if it strips the colour… it’s going in the bin.  I was told in the store that it would be fine with coloured hair… but the SA was a male student with dreads and a vacant expression.  I’m trying really hard not to discriminate.

Have any of you guys tried the LUSH Snake Oil Scalp Massage Bar?  I’m usually a bit rubbish with anything that I need to put on my scalp.  When you have hair longer than a buzz cut, how the hell do you actually get the product onto your scalp and not just all over your hair?

You can buy the LUSH Snake Oil Scalp Massage bar instore or online.  I paid £4.15.

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By the way, I’m on the 4th wash with the Body Shop SLS Free shampoo/conditioner combo and I’ve promised myself 7 washes minimum with each new brand to give it a fair trial.  So far, it’s not looking that amazing…

Yesterday was the 3rd anniversary of the murder of 20 year old Sophie Lancaster.

I watched this tribute video twice last night.  First time as myself and then again as a mum.  I couldn’t breathe for a second when I watched it the second time around.

A statement from Illamasqua who have worked tirelessly with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation to promote awareness and raise money:

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On 24th August 2007, Sophie Lancaster was kicked to death, simply for dressing differently.

As a brand that promotes the right to experiment and self-express, three years after her death Illamasqua remains committed to changing attitudes towards subcultures, and continues to work with The Sophie Lancaster Foundation in the fight for universal acceptance, free from prejudice.

Honour Sophie’s memory today and watch the ‘Dark Angel’ tribute film. So far we have reached 162,000 hits, but we’re hoping to reach over 500,000, so please forward the link to friends and family and help us spread the message.

Alternatively buy an Illamasqua Sophie Pencil, wristband or make a donation, and help The Sophie Lancaster Foundation continue its work. £3 from every Sophie Pencil purchased, and all proceeds from the wristband sales go directly to the Foundation.

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Please forward the video today if you get a moment.