A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I don’t do many ‘haul’ posts, I don’t think they’re quite as popular in the blogosphere as they used to be?  Taken over by beauty box posts perhaps?

Anyway, I’ve been having a bit of a high-street love-in this past week and in the town where I’m currently staying, I’m limited to a Boots and a Superdrug – the Superdrug is a good ‘un, the Boots store massively blows but I did spot a good discounted section at the back that I didn’t have a chance to check out.  My LUSH purchases came from my local store in Southampton just before I drove up North. Um, that’s about it really – here’s what’s prompted me to open my purse this week!

When you’ve got a full fringe, dry shampoo is your friend and I thought I’d give Batiste Cherry a spin, I usually go for the original, dark, or tropical but I think this one is my new favourite.  I’m a massive fan of Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation and surprised myself when I realised that I hadn’t given the Healthy Mix Serum version a go – again, this is a big hit with me (so far).  I think it suits my dryer skin even better and gives a slightly more translucent coverage.  The only gloss that I’ve ever repurchased is BarryM’s Lip Gloss in Toffee, it’s a wonderful colour with a pretty amount of shimmer and a non-sticky texture, I love it!

As for my LUSH dabble, I picked up another holy grail in the form of Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, it’s the one I keep in my handbag and I generally alternate between this and CND’s Solar Oil which I use immediately after painting my nails.  I was sent a bottle of LUSH 9 to 5 Cleansing Lotion a few weeks ago and whilst I’ve been enjoying using it, it hasn’t set my world alight you know?  I’m not really expecting LUSH Ultrabland to either, but I wanted to try another cleanser to discover the differences and to see which one I lean towards in terms of formula, as they’re both quite different.  Finally, I picked up a bath bomb for Leila – yes, it’s Space Girl.  Yes, it contains copious amounts of glitter.  No, I didn’t have a say in the selection and yes, I will be the one left cleaning the bath.

What was the last beauty product you snapped up?

17 years ago, Liz Earle launched one of the UK’s most popular cleansing products and the brand haven’t looked back since.

Until now.

For two days only – you’ll be able to purchase the cult Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish at its original launch price of just £9.50, instead of its current retail price, £14.25 – a substantial saving of £4.75.

I anticipate this will be a phenomenally popular offer, so get in fast as soon as it goes live.  The offer is available only online at lizearle.com and via the Customer Centre (01983 813 913) from Wednesday 23rd May.

Will you be purchasing for the first time or restocking?

With most of Jo Malone’s iconic fragrances garnering inspiration and ingredients from nature, it seems fitting that they sow back into the soil some of the benefits that they reap from it.  Announced yesterday on their Facebook page is their partnership with UK charity Thrive who use the therapeutic effects of gardening to change the lives of disabled people.  The British brand are funding the much-needed regeneration of Thrive’s largest London gardening project: the Old English Garden in Battersea Park.

From this…

To this?

Well… time will tell, but the volunteer gardeners are keen to get their green-fingers stuck into the challenge: developing skills, confidence and additional wellbeing along the way under Thrive’s nurturing guidance.  If you want to learn more about the national charity, you can visit the Thrive website to discover more about their current projects.

If you want to follow the progress of the Old English Garden, log on to the Jo Malone facebook page where you’ll be able to see “how does their garden grow” with a weekly update.

Want some tips on creating the perfect ‘flick’?  Need some guidance in mastering your smoky eye technique?  Well cancel any plans you’ve made for this Sunday because Illamasqua are holding their inaugural Beauty School Drop-In at their Beak Street store.

The brand will be running a series of 15-minute makeup classes to give you the confidence and know-how to wield your makeup brushes without causing any traffic-stopping beauty faux-pas!  And best of all?  It’s completely free to attend!

The class timetable is available online now, so click through and take a look – you can attend as many or as few as you like, though don’t be surprised if the store gets kinda busy!

Which of the classes is taking your fancy and will you be attending beauty school this weekend?

I’m not a body lotion type person but I have about four bottles open, each at various stages of emptiness… I slather them on and wander aimlessly across the landing and back, waiting for the icky feeling to subside.  I have to use them because underneath my skin, I have scales.  After showering, the water seemingly dissolves the upper epidermis leaving me feeling more horny toad than supple and soft.

The worst bits are typically in those hard to reach areas, namely that horizontal line that connects both shoulder blades.  As the water evaporates, my skin tightens and I feel a familiar tingle that has me running for the body cremes.  When I say “me”, I actually mean Mr. L… I’ve already said that I can’t reach.  It’s a daily ritual… and one that I’m very grateful that I have a husband to help me with.  I’m so high maintenance.

Enter LUSH’s latest innovation, Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner*.

Taking the hair conditioner theory and applying it to the skin, it’s basically a tub of sweet-smelling, oil-infused skin conditioner that you smear over your body after washing, then rinse off prior to stepping out of the shower.  Towel dry your skin gently and you’ll feel as if you’ve just smothered yourself in a rich body creme.  And unlike last year’s innovation, Toothy Tabs… I’m a massive fan.

A). It smells completely delicious, like a mixture of cocoa butter and roses… truly edible.

B).  It really works.

It feels odd on the skin whilst you’re still in the shower, like you’ve just waterproofed your skin with a slather of grease to be honest.  Deliciously-scented but lardy nonetheless.   As I patted my skin dry with the towel, it felt simply amazing and still does, sitting here 5 hours later. *strokes arms*

A little goes a very long way and the trick is to increase its ‘spreadability’, work with a small amount and don’t be afraid to really eke it out over the skin’s surface.  It’s generously rich in oils and although some parts may feel like you have more product on than others, have faith that you’ve done a good job in spreading the conditioner.  It’s not the cheapest outlay but it will easily last twice as long as my regular body moisturisers PLUS, I don’t have to stand around shivering as I wait for it to sink in!

LUSH Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner is priced at £15.50 for 225g and I highly recommend it for post-shower lizard people.

* press sample

Never judge a book by its cover, or so they say…

Which tends to make one automatically assume that ugly things shall all be amaze and beauty-to-behold type things, the opposite.  Well, I’m writing this post today to put the record straight and declare that beauty can be found both within and err… without?  Wait, that’s not the expression I was looking for was it…

Poor phrasing aside, I received a La Bougie Candle* sample last month and although I’m still struggling with the fact that bougie (French for candle) looks a bit like bogey, I’ve decided that at the age of 30, I should be well past that kind of childishness, and so I’ll overlook it.  But not without putting it in your heads first (sorry La Bougie Candle company).

The candle arrived beautifully gift wrapped, which makes all the difference to my shallow-ass soul and I could immediately smell the scent contained within (not without this time) and I have to say, I didn’t like it.

The company kindly gave me the choice of which scent I thought I might prefer and I chose the Rockrose & Oudh because I freakin’ love the woodsy, aromatic resin in all its different incarnations.  But this didn’t really have that signature oudh scent, I could detect floral, floral and a bit more floral.  Until I lit it, and then all bets were off because it’s bloody divine.

It turns out that it wasn’t actually the candle I didn’t like the smell of, it was the scented tissue paper that it was wrapped in! Doh!

Just like wearing an oudh-based perfume on the skin, the accord brings an impressive amount of depth and sensuality to what is otherwise, a rather gentle floral.

It’s absolutely perfect for lighting in the bedroom or anywhere that you want to take the time to relax.  I light it every evening, just as I start my “getting ready for bed routine” and as I’m picking up the toys that have been scattered by my daughter, darting in and out of the bathroom, and making that final cup of tea before bed, the Rockrose & Oudh candle works its magic, transforming my room from toddler telly-paradise to proper boudoir palace.

The Rockrose & Oudh Scented Salon Candle offers approximately 50 hours of burn-time and each La Bougie scent is developed and produced in the company’s own perfumery.  The glass holders are carved, painted and polished before being hand-poured in La Bougie’s chandlery, located in West Cork, Ireland.

Lovely candles and at £29.50 for the Salon-size (room-sized) ones… not outrageously expensive either!

Rockrose & Oudh, Sweet Pea & Pear or Cox & Carnation – which scent would you choose?

* press sample

Has it really been a year since the Royal Wedding?  Amazing.  And to think that before then, no-one gave a shit about Pippa’s bum.  Oh, you you still don’t?  Me either.  As weddings go, it was quite a nice one… there weren’t any post-nuptial punch-ups outside the palace and no-one sicked on the bride’s train.

One of the wedding’s most enduring legacies (other than the arse du jour) is the brand that Kate chose to scent herself with on the big day, Illuminum.  Launched by creator Michael Boadi in March 2011, and elevated to cult status by the Duchess of Cambridge merely a month later, there isn’t a better welcome to the world than receiving an (unofficial) seal of approval by a real-life princess!

The Duchess of Cambridge chose White Gardenia Petals for her grand occasion, I chose Tahitian Yuzu simply because I had money burning a hole in my back pocket and I wanted. one. dammit. – you can see the similarities.

Tahitian Yuzu reminds me a little bit of L’Artisan’s Mûre et Musc, which also kicks off with a forest-fruit vibe.  In the case of Mûre et Musc, it’s blackberries… and in Tahitian Yuzu?  Blackcurrant.  But this is where the comparability ends.  Tahitian Yuzu blasts some major tropical notes with a sparkling cocktail of pineapple which gives real effervescence and youthfulness to the fragrance.  Mûre et Musc has a gentler, more home-grown berry feel.

Like an excitable hula-girl (yeah, they have those in Tahiti), the scent calms down as the night falls and the headier, more sensual notes of jasmine come to the surface.  Here lies the real heart of the perfume… I can still detect some lingering fruitiness but it becomes fully tempered by the softer night flowers which bring warmth and a little bit of sexiness to the fragrance.  The deeper, base notes of musk never fully surface on my skin, which is unusual because my chemistry normally carries them to the fore but I’m assuming that this is what grounds the accord and prevents it from projecting too light-heartedly.

Sillage is fairly weak which suits my interpretation of this as more of a skin-scent.  Step into a cloud of this as you step out of a shower and carry a little bit of the Southern Seas around with you for at least part of the day as alas, with my dry skin, I get low/medium longevity from this one, about 4 hours at the most.  Tahitian Yuzu is going to work beautifully on warm nights (if we get any) and I can’t wait to expose a bit more skin to the sun and see just how capable it is at transporting me to a tropical paradise!

Illuminum Tahitian Yuzu is available to buy instore at the Illuminum’s Perfume Lounge in Mayfair (I recommend a visit!), or directly from their website.  Priced at £70 for 50ml

This month sees some new additions to the home-scenting range from Jo Malone.  Flanking the ever-popular candles, the British brand have introduced Scent Surround diffusers, room sprays, and limited edition drawer liners and sachets.  Playing nicely on the layering theory when it comes to fragrance, you can now treat your home environment to the same luxuries as you do your skin.

The diffusers and room sprays are available in three iconic Jo Malone fragrances: Red Roses, Lime Basil & Mandarin, and Pomegranate Noir whilst the limited edition items are available in Lime Basil & Mandarin only.

As for the ‘negative’ I mention in the post title… well, take a look at the new packaging for the Home Collection…

Cheekily reversing the traditional Jo Malone style from cream boxes with black ribbon, to black boxes with cream ribbon… talk about double negatives, and we all know what they make?  A positive! *groan*

The idea behind a reed diffuser* is that it will continually fragrance an area of your home for upto 5 months, it’s perfect for families with small children or pets that are liable to knock candles over.  The Red Roses scent smells exactly like the skin perfume, and hasn’t been ‘dumbed down’ into an inferior home scent.

I’d recommend this scent for the more communal areas of your home: the sitting room, hallways and landings would particularly benefit from this delicate fragrance.  I’ve had mine sitting on a shelf in the hallway for almost a month and it still ‘catches’ me with a great first impression everytime I walk through the door.  Shame about the untidiness that greets me visually!

I’m a huge fan of scented sachets, and have friends who laugh at me because I physically get a little bit excited when I’m out shopping and discover one!  I love them because they’re a fairly inexpensive way of creating a sweet-smelling atmosphere!  When Leila was a baby, almost everyone used to comment on how beautiful she always smelled – the secret? yep, delicately-scented sachets scattered amongst her babygros!  They’re also great for putting in foisty suitcases that you’ve dragged down from the loft.  Anyway, I’m completely digressing but I think drawer liners and sachets get a bad rap as a bit of a granny product!

Scent Surround™  Diffusers 165ml £45 / €60
Scent Surround™  Room Sprays 175ml £34 / €45
Limited Edition Scent Surround™ Sachets 3 pieces £20 / €25
Limited Edition Scent Surround™ Drawer Liners 5 pieces £30 / €40

Check out the Jo Malone Home Collection online at www.jomalone.com

* press sample

Well, not entirely monstrous, but green is not a colour that I can pull off with much success.  Mr. L, who never comments on my makeup (other than to tell me I look lovely when I drop enough hints that he ought to be saying something), readily agrees that green is not a colour I should allow into my makeup-playing repertoire too often.  About halfway through the day I asked him, “Have you noticed that I’m wearing green on my eyes today?”.

“Yes. *pause* It doesn’t look too bad does it?”

And that ladies, clearly means that it looks amazing.  Or not.  I’ll go with the former.

Do you ever get the feeling that you’re getting a bit old to wear bright colours on your eyes?  I do.  I mean, when I was 27…. I thought I was getting too old, but now that I’m 30 and I’m looking at the photo thinking, “I think it doesn’t look too weird” but, I surround myself (online) with beautiful women who love to have fun and enjoy a passion for makeup.  What must women who don’t share our creativity when it comes to slap think?

Of course, one totally shouldn’t care what other women think and I’m neither fishing nor asking for validation here, it’s just that being on the cusp of the wrong side of 30 makes me hesitate.  Nothing more and nothing less, I guess it comes down to the fact that you can’t really pull off the “cute” thing once you reach your thirties, and so there’s no room for error in the same way as when you were younger.

“Should know better”.  I’d like that on my headstone… along with “One Day”, a long-held shot at faith.

I usually only have time in the morning for the basics when it comes to makeup but Mr. L has been super-generous with his time in the run-up to releasing his next game, so you can expect a few more FOTDs than normal simply because it feels lovely to walk out of the house in a proper made-up face once a week you know?  The type where you’ve played and pontificated over choosing what to apply rather than reached for the quickest, most fool-proof things you own.

Anyway, I’m really rambling.  I’ll do a quick product breakdown.

Face

Face Atelier Ultra Foundation in Ivory
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage SC-1
Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00

Eyes

GOSH Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Green Grass on the upper lashline
Purple Eyeshadow from the Smashbox Muse Artist Eye Palette on lower lashline
Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara*
Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Gaze

Lips

Bourjois Sweet Kiss Natural in 09 Sienne Kiss*

What’s your colour nemesis?  Do you hesitate when it comes to colour?

* press sample

I bought a hair-dye from TK Maxx last week (it sounds like a bad idea already) and decided that the recent crop of ever-increasing greys needed a severe talking to.  That night, I checked out the packet… L’Oreal Recital Preference Hair Color Ultra Lightening in 6.3, Golden Brown.  I knew I was taking a risk… a). I’ve never tried the L’Oreal Recital Preference range before and b). Golden Brown?  Do I look like Beyonce?  I can’t remember the last time my hair was golden anything.

I calculated my options in my head and decided that I’d spent the whole year being a very careful home hair-dyer.  I’ve been touching up only the roots for a very long time now and felt that the ends had gradually faded in colour.  There was still a lot of build-up but nothing like it had been a year previously.  I deserved to take a chance.

I’ve been wanting to go lighter for a long time, I’m working on the assumption that if my hair is lighter it will make the regrowth a little bit less obvious leading to less-frequent dying and ultimately, healthier hair.  It’s all good right?

Except that I’d do well to remember that I haven’t seen myself anything other than a dark, dark brown for many years.  To put it bluntly, I nearly shat myself when I took the towel off my head.  My grey roots were a delightful shade of Donald Trump, glowing furiously under the hallway light.  Fuck.  I took to Twitter and said as much.  Fuck, said I.

Long story short, a wash or two later and a little bit of time to get used to it?  I’m loving it.  Sure… the roots are lighter than the ends but I’m gonna head to the hair-dressers next week and get it all cropped back to just below my shoulders again which should go some way toward helping the situation.

My problem is that I have no idea where to go from here.  I’m tempted to try and go a touch lighter again… but when and how?  I don’t want to overload my hair or damage it seeing as I’ve been trying to be so good for so long!  I’m giving my hair regular coconut oil treatments and treating it to some proper TLC while I weigh up my next move.  I’m thinking that colour remover thing next… (but not for a few weeks yet!)

Anyone else wanting to go lighter for the Summer?  Are you DIYing it too?

I had a little shop-my-stash session and pulled out some things that haven’t seen as much love recently as they should, namely my Face Atelier foundation which is a touch too silicone-heavy for my skin when it’s at its driest in the Winter.  My skin is back in a good place at the moment and I couldn’t wait to see if I still loved it as much as I did last Summer when I bought it.  The answer is a resounding YES!  I’ll do a proper review with before/after shots later in the week, kick me if I don’t ‘cos it makes a great spring/summer foundation for those who aren’t ready to give up ‘propah’ coverage just yet.

My NARS Lhasa got some extra love with a sparkly pairing courtesy of Avon’s Glimmerstick Diamonds Eye Liner in Sugar Plum – it’s a nice way to supercharge a much-loved taupe with a bit of additional colour.  My beautiful Maison Lancome blush* is still pleasing me muchly, especially if I give the brush a good swirl in the darker shades first before building up a little more luminosity courtesy of the pale pink.

Hmm, what else…

Ahh, a Fyrinnae Lip Lustre in Ryo Pinko!  I wasn’t sure if this would still be usable… it’s been a while!  However, it smells and tastes perfectly fine, it’s not quite ready for the cosmetics graveyard just yet!  I love the colour and the metallic finish is a little bit retro (in a good way!).  It inspired me to give today’s FOTD a silly little name though, so it’s all good.

Finally, I layered up two mascaras that I’ve recently been sent and got some epic lashes as a result, I’ll blog them as part of my mascara series shortly.  The Clinique Lash Power Mascara* has a small brush that works well at getting product right into the roots of the lashes before a coat of Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara* ontop sends them skyward.

What’s on your fizzog today and when was the last time you shopped your stash for some forgotten treasures?

* press sample

Thanks to everyone who chimed in with their bath rituals and tales of Easter debauchery!  The Gods at Random.org have wiggled their pointing fingers and chosen TEN lucky winners, each of which will receive a LUSH Carrot re-usable bubble bar.

Claire
SarahC
Vicki
Sydney Kav
Julianne
Gilian
Victoria
Dejeniera
Gemma
Liza

If you’re one of the lucky winners listed above, I’ll be in touch to request your postal details.  Thanks everyone for entering, hope you had a lovely long weekend… next BH is a month away, keep on trucking!

If you’re still crazy for carrots, this is a really cute audio interview with the LUSH product inventors talking about the origins of The Carrot Bubble Bar!