A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I was recently introduced to Salon nail brand Precision during a press event and although not a brand I’d encountered before, my eye was immediately drawn to their new collection entitled Glam Rock.

The overall look of the products is sleek with their OPI-esque packaging, heavyweight bottles and even contoured handles!

The Glam Rock collection comprises of 6 darker, slighty industrial shades which all fit in well with the concept.

R01: Glam Metal – warm charcoal base with multi coloured shimmer
R02: U Rock & I Roll – Industrial dark grey creme
R03: VIP Very Important Polish – Berry purple with multi coloured shimmer
R04: The After After Party – Navy with multi coloured shimmer
R05: Rebel Red in You – Black with Red Glitter
R06 : Party Like a Rockstar – Gold with multi coloured shimmer

I’m really late in swatching these… I’ve been looking at them longingly for about a month, but having been without camera means that I’ve got a hell of a lot of catching up to do now!

I’ll leave you with one swatch shot.  Here’s R05: Rebel Red in You…

The red glitter suspended in a black base is not an original concept.  I’m thinking China Glaze Lubu Heels, Eyeko Vampira, Color Club Red Velvet etc.. etc… but it’s a good idea well executed here by Precision.  I have no complaints about quality, infact the bottle and brush are simply divine.

It did require three thin coats to achieve the above finish… but if you’re a little more heavy handed than me, you would be done in two.

What I will say for this collection is that so far I’ve worn two from the six shades I was given and one of them has just easily jumped into my top 20 Winter polishes of all time.  It’s THAT gorgeous.  I’ll get it posted up later in the week.

Precision is available to buy online from their website or Venus Nail & Beauty with bottles priced at around £5.99 each.

You might remember this post from August… I talked about a new serum from Origins that I had been sent for review consideration.  It  contained (amongst other things) mushrooms!  It promised to relieve sensitive, red and reactive skin and I’ve been putting it to the test on those claims.

I won’t go into too much detail on the background and theory behind the product because that’s already been covered in my earlier post.  Today, I want to talk about how it was to use and more importantly, the results.

The pump dispenses a decent sized blob of serum which is light and cooling when applied to the skin.  It has a slight earthy smell but nothing unpleasant.  However, when I had a sniff of the Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Serum on counter I thought it smelled foul.  Proper, unbearably horrible.  Like rotting compost.  I’m not sure what was wrong with the tester… but it’s something to perhaps be aware of and don’t be too put off if you encounter the same because mine still smells perfectly fine after 2 months use!

It’s quite a ‘wet’ feeling serum and a small amount spreads a long way.  It doesn’t take too much effort before my skin absorbs it and it leaves no residue behind.  I would always apply a moisturiser over this night and morning if you’re prone to dry skin like me.

So how did the trial go?

Well, I didn’t notice instant results.  It’s taken nearly 2 months and it’s only now that I feel my redness has subsided a little.  As I expected, I haven’t seen any results on the broken capillaries around and on my nose… but to my eye, there’s definitely less contrast between my red areas and the areas where I’d consider my skintone to be ‘normal’.

It’s always quite difficult to judge these things and even harder to ensure that a before/after photograph taken 2 months apart retains simillar lighting/poses etc.  I’ve done my best and I’m pleasantly surprised by the difference, it basically confirms what I thought I was seeing in the mirror.  Can you see it too?

Incase the last one didn’t give you nightmares (you can even click to enlarge)…

So overall, my experiences with Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Serum have been positive.  Perhaps not mindblowing, but for me…. enough to warrant a repurchase in the hope that I will continue to see improvement.

Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Serum for Redness is available to buy from your local Origins counter or online from their website.  Priced at £50 for 50ml.

When I read on the Perricone MD website that Cold Plasma was “A New Paradigm in Scientific Skincare” – I succumbed to the realisation that I didn’t have a clue what paradigm meant.  I suspected that I might need a degree in something better than Media and Cultural Studies to be able to use that word in company without much sniggering.

I went to Wikipedia to try and make sense of it, but came away even more confused.  Something about exemplars apparently…. so then I got out my dictionary to look up exemplars (whilst wondering how long all this was going to take and couldn’t they have just used the word “breakthrough” instead).  And then I struck gold, the penny dropped, the lightbulb flicked on and I ‘got it’.  It just means something that’s so brilliant, someone else is bound to half-inch the idea soon.

If you all knew exactly what it meant anyway… congrats, you just wasted about a minute of your life reading this.

So anyway, on with the product!

Perricone MD are well-known for their ultra-pricey, ultra-scientific skincare.  They’re like the Hell-Fire club of skincare but without the sex, whips and debauchery.  A pot of Cold Plasma will set you back 120 of your British pounds… that’s a lot of money for 30mls of something that smells like the inside of a fishbowl.

Which is why it was given to me earlier in the year at a PR event… I don’t have the kind of money to drop £120 on a cream that I’ve never sampled before in the hope that it will turn me into Bieber’s younger and more fresh-faced sister.

But that’s also why I was determined to see the pot through to the bitter end and not take this review too lightly.  People out there WILL spend that kind of money because they like to have the best of the best and sometimes, the best don’t come cheap.

I started using Perricone MD’s Cold Plasma around April/May.  The gel texture is cooling, refreshing and beautifully light.  It sinks in leaving me with velvet-soft skin and an almost instantly smoother complexion.  Sadly, this effect never lasted till morning or else I’d be commanding you all to go buy, buy, BUY!  The scent (which has been commented on many times before) is fishy.  Not fish and chips fishy, or harbour-side fishy but aquarium fishy.  There’s a difference…   Have you ever walked into a pet shop?  It doesn’t smell of cats and dogs does it?  It just smells… like a pet shop.  Well, this smells to me like a fish tank, are we clear on this completely unimportant distinction?!

Everytime I used it… I was like “ooooh, there goes £1”, which is quite off-putting when I kept losing about 20p worth under my nails.  Have I mentioned how much I dislike my products packaged in jars?  Squeezy tubes all the way please!

But anyway… I did it!  I reached the bottom of the jar at the beginning of August, which actually means that although I can’t describe this with a straight face as being “value for money” – this stuff did last me a hella long time!  I think because it spread so well over my skin, I really only needed to use a v. small amount each time.  I should downsize that £1 theory.

So, would I actually go and spend £120 on this to repurchase?

Um… no.

Despite it being a thoroughly lovely treat, I just didn’t see enough overall difference in my skin to warrant that kind of purchase.

I mean… Cold Plasma is promoted as helping to combat the 10 signs of aging, which include:

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And I just can’t say that I experienced long-lasting differences to these areas.  Yes, for a few hours my skin felt: smoother, softer and I also think it made my pores appear smaller.  But that effect would only last me through to lunch-time and I’m not even 100% positive that I wasn’t looking EXTREMELY hard to notice these things.

I am skeptical about all things claiming to work miracles but goodness me would I have sung the praises of this concoction from the rooves of the blogosphere if it had delivered.  For me, it delivered around £40 worth of good skin.  And that’s the most I’d give you for it.

This is an absolutely AMAZING Nails Inc. deal!

For TODAY ONLY, you can save £85 by purchasing a set of 10 Nails Inc. polishes for only £25.

I know they occasionally have some nice deals like this…. but usually with a few dubious shades that no-one wants thrown in… not this time!

Those are 10 flippin’ lovely shades and I don’t know about you but I’d be glad to wear each of them!

Also, look at the cute box they come in… what a great Christmas present they’d make for someone special… but I’m not sure I’d be able to keep my hands off them!

Shades include:

Berkeley Square – dark grey
Eagle Street – dusky nude
Duchess Street – vibrant purple
The Vale – deep plum
Eden Grove – vibrant real
Montrose Place – iridescent hot pink
Buckingham Street – hot pink glitter
Dean Street – pillar box red
Maple Street – metallic brown
Shelton Street – gold glitter

What do you think ladies?  Are you as tempted as I am?  I’m really cursing my little eBay polish haul from last night now… my fingers are hovering and I’m wavering… God knows, I don’t need more polishes in my life but I’m not sure I can resist!

Talk me down!

** You may also want to take a quick look here before ordering if you decide to go for it – it worked when I tested it late last night**

As beauty addicts, how many times have we done that huh?  I’ll tell you how many… too bloody many.

Not only that, but let’s not forget that when in the UK, you’ve got more chance of finding genuine MAC on eBay than you have being able to return your purchases… these mistakes can really add up.

So, you can imagine my utter deflation when my NARS #12 Small Domed Eye brush turned up and wasn’t quite what I was hoping for.  I mean, I know that it’s called ‘small’… but I didn’t expect the head to be quite SO small.  My fault entirely.

But then I used it and I fell in love.

The NARS blurb on the website reads… Squirrel hair for definition and for creating depth in the crease of the eye.

I say… If you have hooded eyelids, get this brush.

(excuse the eyeshadow dust – it needs cleaning!)

The NARS #12 Small Domed Eye Brush is incredibly soft.  I find some NARS brushes a little scratchy for their price… but this one is a winner.  It’s densely packed and firm enough to do more than just place the colour.  This little beauty is a master blender to apply defined but soft crease colours.

Hai!  My name’s dopey.

Ignoring my moronic eye-expression (and need for a one-on-one with my tweezers) for a moment… can you see how perfectly the brush fits under that hood?  I don’t have the most hooded eyelids in the world, but they are a pain for muddying colour when the upper part droops onto the lid itself.  If I’m wearing a v. dark crease colour, I need to be precise and I need to focus it in the outer corner and just in the actual crease itself because of that reason.  With this brush I can do this.

Why not just use a pencil brush or a small eye contour brush then?  Because I’m crap at makeup in general and those kinda brushes always encourage me to be too heavy handed.  With the NARS #12 brush, I can do gentle windshield wiper movements along the crease contour (whilst keeping my eyes half open) and achieve a soft, smoky but perfectly defined dark crease.

At £22.00 (for such a teeny little brush) my initial disappointment almost resulted in a mild strop but now?  I’m considering a backup.

Which NARS brushes do you rate most highly?

If cat-shaped lipsticks aren’t really your thing, Paul & Joe have also released three new (and rather lovely) limited edition face colour shades for Autumn/Winter and as always… P&J know exactly how to do the pretty.

They Say:

Blended with several varieties of champagne gold frost, each face colour has an individual overtone and translucent sparkle creating a  truly sublime radiant glow.

How perfect does the champagne frost sound for the upcoming party season?

Paul & Joe Face Colours are priced at £15 each and available instore from Fenwicks and Harrods.  Alternatively you can buy online from Zuneta and HQHair.

When my lips are in good enough shape for matte lipsticks, there’s one that I reach for over and over again.

It’s pink… but not too pink.  It’s girly, but not prissy.

It’s MAC Please Me!

I find it bright enough to be interesting without being one of those MAC shades that make me feel a bit myspace profile picture-y?  You know the ones I mean…. pink plaid, st. germain, snob etc.  Some people can wear those shades really well… me?  I just look OLD in them.

Having said that, I’m having a bit of a MAC revival at the minute… especially with the lippies.  I have a few on my shopping list including Sweetie, Faux and Milan Mode.

What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?  The ones that you reach for over and over for everyday wear?

Next up doing their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month is…

What is it?

Mama Mio Skincare challenge you to defy gravity with their bust and neck firming Boob Tube cream!

For a lush, juicy décolleté, our anti-oxidant and Omega-rich bust and neck firmer will help you defy gravity and take years off your neck and chest.  With CoQ10, Evening Primrose Oil, Shea Butter, Milk  Thistle, Sweet Almond Oil, Avocado Oil, Almond Oil, Fenu-greek  Extract,  Dandelion  Root,  Wild  Yam  Extract  and  Saw Palmetto Extract.

Price

£28.50

Donation

Mama Mio will donate £1 for each Boob Tube and limited edition Boob Tube with Magic Shimmer sold at mamamio.com worldwide to Look Good…Feel Better, the cancer support charity that helps women manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment.

Availability

Online at Mamamio.com

The comparisons have to be made don’t they?  At just £3.50 for the pale gold E.L.F Gotta Glow compared to £19.50 for NARS iconic Albatross highlighting powder… who isn’t hoping for a remarkable dupe?

The NARS on the left.. E.L.F’s Gotta Glow, on the right.

I’m not gonna talk about the differences in packaging.  They’re there… NARS is annoying and icky sticky, E.L.F’s is sleeker but hella cheaper looking.  Do you *really* care?  I don’t.

But what about the product?

E.L.F’s Gotta Glow is slightly more yellow toned in appearance and the gold shimmer is less refined looking in the pan… chunkier.  This is pretty much what I expected.  On close inspection, you can see a visual difference in quality.

The texture?  Again… this lives up to expectations.

NARS Albatross is smooth and very finely milled… there’s no flaking when you brush the surface of the pan and no fall out upon application.  The E.L.F version can’t claim the same.  It’s powdery and there is fall out if you don’t give your brush a tap off before applying.

But how about this?  Please look past the hairy arms… I have enough hair elsewhere on my body to frankly give a crap about hairy forearms.

That’s pretty simillar no?

Take a guess before reading on… which one costs £3.50 and which one costs £19.50?  I’d love for you to tell me if you got it right in the comments…

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Ready to find out?

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Sure?

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Oh ok… Well… E.L.F’s Gotta Glow is on the left and NARS Albatross is on the right.  I think that I can tell the difference between the swatches… the E.L.F one looks slightly less pigmented and a bit ‘chunkier’.  But is that *really* a £16 difference?  Not when you take into consideration that once applied and blended… I truly struggle to tell the difference on my face at all.

Before I get really excited though… there is one point to note that although not an issue for my skintone, may make ALL the difference on someone else.  I see a slight ashiness with the E.L.F incarnation that I’m not seeing with the NARS original.  It’s only noticeable when I swatch on my fingertip… but I’m thinking that on a darker skintone, the E.L.F Gotta Glow may leave a slight white cast along with the golden sheen.

Has anyone tried it with a darker skintone than mine?  How are you finding E.L.F’s new Gotta Glow highlighting powder?

E.L.F Gotta Glow is available online and priced at £3.50 – a bargain if ever I saw one.

It’s just not that often that press releases have me smiling wryly to myself in a GOOD way.

But the latest release from Models Own had Mr L questioning what it was that had clearly tickled my funny bone yesterday morning.

The Models Own Car Key Collection. (L-R: Grace Green, Becca’s Brown, Purple Ash)

Chanel’s Khaki Collection (L-R: Khaki Brun, Khaki Vert & Khaki Rose)

Unfortunately, it seems that this is pretty much where the similarities end.  BritishBeautyBlogger has the dupe scoop and Chanel doppelgängers… they ain’t.

Having said that…

I’m really liking the look of Purple Ash on it’s own merits… all is not lost!

Models Own Car Key Collection will be launching next month online and in Boots, priced at £5 each.

If matte orange lips for Spring isn’t your kinda thing… how about some coral for Autumn?

These new inclusions from New CID Cosmetics… I could handle nicely!  It’s that guava-y coral that usually works well on both warm and cool skintones!

Perhaps a touch summery, but the general consensus last week was that we don’t *really* go in for all that trend stuff anyway…

They say…

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New CID i – glow in Coral Crush (£23.50) offers a perfect ‘pick me up’ for dull and tired skin. The beautiful marbleised baked powders offer an easy, silky smooth application, while the light reflective pigments mimic the skin’s natural radiance. Build up the shade to use as a blusher or sweep across the face and décolletage for a beautiful warm glow.

New CID i – gloss in Coral Candy (£15.50) is the perfect companion to keep some sunshine in your life. This pretty shade is suitable for all, creating high-glam shine that really lasts. Featuring built-in lights and mirror for easy on-the-go application, you won’t be fading into the darkness this season!

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I’m wondering if the i-glow is a more wearable version MAC Stereo Rose for cool, pale skintones.  Any thoughts on New CID’s i-glow range?

On an unrelated note, I’m positively itching for my new camera to arrive (hopefully tomorrow!)… hurry up!

Originally, I only wanted Diva of Geneva.. but I kept seeing tantalising swatches of Glitzerland that made me think what a wonderful Christmas polish this would be… and that just perhaps, it wouldn’t be too warm toned for my skin.

I was right!

The formula is good, not too thick nor too thin and 2 coats are fine for a quick polish.  I did three for a perfect finish.

Super sparkly, Glitzerland is a proper ‘hey look at my nails’ shade.  I kept admiring and angling them against the light to view the individual sparkles that combine to create a lovely foiled finish.

Cool-toned ladies… this is a gold you can wear.  Very pale and as subtle as gold can be!

Love.