A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Thank you for all the Twitter and email entries for my recent giveaway to win one of five Revitalash Volumizing Mascaras (worth £19.50 each)…

… I’m pleased to announce the following five winners, each of whom will receive a Revitalash Volumizing Mascara to add some va-va-voom to their lashes!

@ladytubedriver

@powderedalmond

Dr. M. Karela (via email)

@theladiesuk

@scarie

Congratulations!  I’ll be in touch over the next couple of days to request address details and will get your prize in the post by the end of the week!

I’ve started delving into my new acquisitions from Pro Beauty and first up is SpaRitual’s It’s Raining Men – a swirl of pastels that look, at least to me, like a big cupcake-y nebula.

Comprising blue, pink and gold – on my nails, you mostly see the pink throughout the day.  I enjoyed messing with Leila’s head “what colour is it Leila?”

“Pink! No, it’s blue! Wait…”

Three coats will give a solid opacity, I was expecting to need more for this kinda of multi-chrome paleness but three covers admirably.  Any tip wear doesn’t really show too obviously and I didn’t get any chipping after even three days (with a top coat).

It’s Raining Men is available to buy online, priced at £8.50 with free shipping

Thanks to my pale, cool-toned colouring, I’m usually restricted to white-toned jewellery, gold can look quite brassy against my skin tone.  My wedding ring is a plain, silver band… not the most luxurious of metals but I’m not a fan of white gold and platinum stretched way, way beyond our student budget at the time.

A few evenings ago, I was introduced to Tiffany & Co’s new metal.  Yes, a whole new metal – created specifically to mark the iconic brand’s 175th year.  RUBEDO™ (pronounced roh-bay-doh not roo-bee-doo!) is a beautiful, glowing rose with a warm pink hue which promises to be universally flattering on any skin tone.  And indeed it complemented my colouring very nicely, sitting perfectly between the yellow and white spectrum of the usual jewellery options.

Looking at the collection in person, the new RUBEDO™ metal looks to be a little pinker than standard rose gold, perhaps a touch cooler, with more brilliance than I expected and a little less creaminess – if that makes any sense at all.  Each piece from the RUBEDO™ metal collection made in this, the brand’s anniversary year, carries the signature of its founder Charles Lewis Tiffany.

I tried on a couple of pieces, the Tiffany 1837™ wide ring in RUBEDO™ metal (£505) and the Tiffany 1837™ cuff in RUBEDO™ metal (£3,050) – funny story, I couldn’t get the cuff off after I’d tried it on.  And by funny, I mean so embarrassing I wanted to die.  My wrist did the best impression of a sharpei puppy as I tried to wrangle it off.  “Oh sorry!  It won’t come off so I’ll just have to take it home with me”.  Can you imagine?

Anyway, you’ll be pleased to hear that prices for the collection start at a slightly less bank-breaking £160 for the Tiffany 1837 Bar pendant in RUBEDO™ metal but if we’re going to play my favourite ‘price is no object’ game, the most lustworthy piece, in my opinion, is the exquisite Tiffany 1837™ interlocking circles bracelet.

Which is your favourite piece from the new RUBEDO™ metal collection?

Small children and babies are often bestowed with the gift of incredible lashes.  Have you looked into a four year old’s eyes recently?  Go find one and then come back and tell me that it’s not ridiculously unfair that they get such beautiful lashes.  I don’t know what happens to them over time but eventually, they too will spend their adulthoods trying to recapture the flutteryness of their youths.  Leila has some of the most awe-inspiring lashes I’ve ever seen – she has my curl and her Dad’s length… it’s a killer combination even if I do say so myself.  Me, well I need a little assistance in the lash department.  Not too much, but without a good mascara – they’re pretty insignificant.

Today, I’ve got a really lovely mascara to show you.  Not only that, but I’ve got FIVE of them to give away to you, my lovely readers.

Revitalash, the brand perhaps better known for their length-inducing eyelash conditioner also make a rather nifty day-to-day mascara.  The Revitalash Volumizing Mascara (£19.50) promises both volume and definition, the holy grail for thin, weedy lashes.

The packaging is fairly unassuming and the brush… pretty unremarkable.  There’s nothing about the product that gives you a buzz of anticipation, but they say it’s always the quiet ones don’t they?

The formula is quite, quite lovely… inky black with an almost rubbery texture.  It’s wet but not runny and leaves my lashes super-soft regardless of how many coats I apply.  From the first coat through to the third, this didn’t clump on me at all.  It pulled the lashes together at the base to create a greater emphasis on the drama but kept some really good definition right through to the tips.  One coat yields a distinctly natural result but from the 2nd coat onward, it was easily buildable into something more flutter-worthy.  Want to see?

No mascara on the left, three coats of Revitalash Volumizing Mascara on the right.  You can see the fullness at the lashline, when combined with some careful eyeliner application, the effect is dramatic.  I didn’t experience any smudging or flaking though this isn’t a waterproof product so perhaps not as suitable for those with particularly watery eyes.

Overall, I’d describe the Revitalash Volumizing Mascara as a solid all-rounder that ventures gallantly into the dramatic territory.  It’s not quite false lash effect but will see you through from day to night without any clumpiness headaches.  For stockist details, visit www.skinbrands.co.uk or buy online from lookfantastic.com

Or…

Have a go at winning one for yourself in today’s giveaway!

To enter and stand a chance of winning one of FIVE Revitalash Volumizing Mascaras, simply…

1.  Follow @Lipglossiping on Twitter

2.  Tweet: I’ve entered to win one of 5 @Revitalash Volumizing Mascaras in an exclusive competition with @lipglossiping http://bit.ly/xOMl1F

The competition closes on the 7th March at 23.59.  You have one week to enter!

T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all @Lipglossiping followers who have tweeted the required phrase.
3. Competition closes on 7th March 2012 at 23.59.
4. Winner will be notified over Twitter within 5 days of the competition’s closing date.
5. If you don’t have a twitter account you may still enter by sending me an email via the contact page using the subject line: “Revitalash Volumizing Mascara competition” and leaving your name and contact details.  If you win via this method, you will be notified by email.  No email details will be kept once this competition has closed.

Look lively ‘cos the bloggahz are coming.  For the last couple of weeks we’ve been busy contemplating some of the loveliest products on the counters (aren’t we always?) before tasking BuyaPowa with the mission to offer them up for less.  Rising admirably to the challenge, the co-buying initiative have declared this week; Blogger’s Week!

Each day will bring new products as put forward by various bloggers on the interwebz.  I’ve included a full list of bloggers and products below, so if you’re liking the look of any of them, don’t forget to sign up to make sure you’re notified as soon as the co-buy goes live.

Charlotte from Lipglossiping: Tom Ford Lipstick (Scarlet Rouge)

Charlotte from Charlotte’s Obsessions: Benefit Porefessional

Nic from Strawberry Blonde Beauty: Chanel Blush Horizon de Chanel

Yinka from Vex in the City: NARS Gina Blush

Kim from Dottie K: Illamasqua Pigments Trio (Ore, Furore, Android)

Sarah from I Heart Cosmetics: YSL Faux Cils mascara

Jen from A Little Bird Told Me: Chanel le Vernis (Paradoxal)

Amrita from The 6 Inch Stilettos: Benefit They’re Real mascara

Lily from LLYMLRS: Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner (Black)

Bettina from Beauty Swot: Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter

Jennie from Sailboat: Illamasqua Cream Blush (Promise)

Claire form The Beauty Scoop: YSL Rouge Volupte (#13 Peach Passion)

Khila from Miss Budget Beauty: Benefit Hervana Blush

Zoe from The London Lipgloss: NARS Multiple (Orgasm)

Charli from Charli…: NARS Laguna Bronzer

Lucy from Lucy’s Stash: OPI Holland mini collection

Liloo from Le Petit Jardin de Liloo: Shu Uemura Smoky Layers false lashes

Milly from Pearls and Poodles: Benefit Coralista Blush

Emma from Milkteef: Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh EDT

Stephanie from May Loves Makeup: Pureology Pure Volume Shampoo

Kate from gh0stparties: Smashbox Softbox eyeshadow palette

Charlie from Lady of the Lane: Too Faced Natural Radiance face palette

Karris from Karrisx: Urban Decay 15th Anniversary Palette

Jen from Beauty Junkie London: St Tropez Bronzing Mousse

Choosing my ultimate BuyaPowa co-buy was pretty easy once I’d decided to go down the lipstick route!  The Tom Ford Lipstick in Scarlet Rouge combines my passion for a great red lip with the benefit of having a few pennies shaved off the retail price.  Hooray for posh red lipstick!

What do you think of the blogger choices, are there any you’ll be going for?  What would you have chosen?!

Please, for the love of all things vanity-driven, excuse the ‘left to dry naturally until it looks like shit’ hair.  Please.

Brushes mentioned:

E.L.F – Bamboo Angled Blush Brush (£5.50)
E.L.F – Studio Blush Brush (£3.50)
E.L.F – Studio Small Precision Brush (£3.50)
E.L.F – Studio Powder Brush (£3.50)

Boots No7 – Concealer Brush (£3.00 with till spit)
Boots No7 – Eyeshadow Brush (£0.75 with till spit)

Crown Brush – C139 Stiff Tapered Crease Brush (£2.95)
Crown Brush – C217 Bent Liner Brush (£2.60)

Stila – #4 Precision Eyeliner Brush (£3.50)

Revlon Vital Radiance – Brow Brush (£1.29)

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Do you agree with any of my choices?  What are your favourite cheap makeup brushes?

My poor, poor face.  I’m in the middle of a snot fest and I’m now understanding why I was brought up on a diet of haliborange.  Throughout the year I’m not a terribly sickly person (I was as a kid) which is just aswell because I’m the biggest wimp you could meet (probably).  I even have a ‘cold’ voice – you know that weak-sounding, more-than-slightly whiney tone that resonates through the nose more than the throat?  My poor family.  Anyway, this week’s cold has been particularly frustrating because of how beautiful it’s been outside!  The whole family have had it and thus we’ve been mostly quarantined indoors through the weekend.  I decided to make a break for it yesterday and thus needed a face of makeup to disguise my ravaged skin.  It’s so dry and dull, combined with the snot-induced nose flakes and hormonal jaw-line mega zits?  Not pretty.

I massaged my freshly-washed skin with a combination of Liz Earle SuperSkin Concentrate* and Alpha H All For Eve Age Delay Facial Oil* in an attempt to revive some life.  Kinda like a cardiac massage for the face before giving my driest spots (flakey bits) at light cover of Lucas Paw Paw Ointment (this stuff is great for disguising nose flakes).  I went with the spring-like weather and injected some colour onto my face with a bright streak of blue under my lower lashline.  This is my favourite way to wear the shade and I do it quite a lot in the Summer.  Anyway, enough talk.  Here’s my Springtime in the Sahara FOTD:

I think I could have done with a touch of highlighter but I’m otherwise looking fairly perky considering I felt like DEATH.  Like my Tammy Faye Baker eyelashes?  Tough – I do!  I never put that much on my lower lashes normally but now I’m gonna (until I get bored of it).

I’m wearing:

Skinfood Gingko Green BB Cream
Priori Perfecting Mineral Foundation (lightly buffed where I needed more coverage)*
Maybelline Pure Cover Mineral Concealer

KIKO Automatic Waterproof Eyeliner
Laura Mercier Luster Eye Colour in Marina under the lower lashline
Benefit They’re Real Mascara*
Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Gaze (I found it, I found it!)

Benefit Hervana Blush* (I did promise you a FOTD with this beauty)
Boots No7 Vital Brights Lipstick in Blooming Pink*

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What do you think?  Bit too early in the year to pull out these shades?  Hope you’re well and less snotty than me!  At least the pancakes (bacon and maple syrup!) cheered me up!

* press samples

My husband has just finished watching REN’s new short film after I squealed like a 12 year old and called him over to my computer.  He watched with a flicker of amusement on his face and as the screen darkened, turned to me and said “so REN… they’re a Swedish brand right?”.

Well, no.  But REN is the Swedish for “clean” and the British brand (thanks Jane!) are celebrating 11 years of sharing their passion for beautiful, clean skin with the world!  Screw stereotypes, let’s roll with it.  Please don’t click play at work/infront of the kids.  You have been warned.

Danny Brook Taylor, the man behind the short film said:

There’s a modernity about REN, coolness and confidence that we wanted to expose.  It’s about saying I’m happy with my skin, and I’m going to care for it, show it off. Touch someone’s skin that I love and celebrate it.

Personally, once I stopped blushing in my slightly prudish way, I kinda fell in love with the simplicity of it.  Sure, it’s attention-seeking and “ooh aren’t we being controversial” but I can’t help but admire the gentle premise and the rejection of the airbrush when it comes to body image.  Yeah REN, you got my attention and I love you a little bit more for it.

What do you think of REN’s short film?  Like it, loathe it?  Wanna talk about it?  The twitter hashtag is #lovecleanskin and the guys responsible are @renskincare

Want the latest nail trends without the price tags?  Tesco have released their Spring/Summer shades, and all for a recession-busting 99p a-piece!

Which one is your favourite and will any be landing in your shopping trolley this weekend?

This month sees a new foundation release from Rimmel London which promises to instalntly re-awaken skin with a healthy, radiant looking glow.  Otherwise known as Wake Me Up Foundation.  We could all do with a bit of that no?

The formula contains tiny ‘radiance pearls‘ to help illuminate the complexion… but I can’t see them, so they really must be erm, tiny.  It’s not one of those sparkly foundations that luminize by turning your face into a disco-ball, put it that way.  It’s medium/full coverage and conceals an uneven skintone brilliantly… I can also feel some significant silicone going on with a primer-y slip that effectively conceals larger pores better than many foundations I’ve tried.  And I’ve tried a lot.

I’m using the lightest shade (Ivory), which as you can see above – is a hair too dark and a hair too warm for me.  This isn’t groundbreaking stuff… when you only have six shades in your range, you’re not going to have a shade for everyone.  Something to bear in mind if you’re on the pale end of NW15 (I’d class myself somewhere inbetween NW15/NW20).

It claims to last 10hrs, I’d say it gets close to that for me, a little bit of slip down the bridge of my nose but it wasn’t sliding off my face by lunchtime.

Infact, I think this is pretty darn amazing for an £8.99 price tag.  Except for one thing.  It hates dry skin… if you have any flakes, no matter how invisible they may be when you’re bare-faced – once you’ve applied this, you’ll be scratching at them in an attempt to dislodge.  I can’t comment on how this would work for oily skin types, I think you may experience a little too much slip as I didn’t feel this was particularly mattifying.

On my cheeks, where my skin is ‘normal’ – this foundation worked flawlessly, better than flawlessly thanks to it’s pore-busting properties but over my problem (dry) areas, it struggled.  In other words… I’m coming back to this when I get my dry skin under control and I may not stray for a while.

Rimmel London’s NEW Wake Me Up Foundation is available instore now from Boots, Superdrug, etc. Priced at £8.99 for 30ml.

* press sample

In a list devoid of MPs, philanthropists, and celebrities – I bring you 12 products that have impressed me beyond my expectations over the past 12 months. This wasn’t easy to compile. Infact, it was so hard that it’s now nearly February and I’ve only just published it.

Some were a given from the moment I used them (Avon Mega Impact Eye Liner), some were growers (Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil), but all of them have left a real impression for achieving what their claims suggest and let’s face it, that’s what out beauty-loving hearts desire most.

Optrex Itchy/Allergy Eye Drops  |  Lanolips 101 Ointment  |  St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray  |  Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors

Optrex make eye drops for seemingly every occassion and their Optrex Itchy Eye Drops have saved my poor peepers numerous times throughout the year.  I actually prefer their Optrex Allergy Eyes formula for the Summer months when my eyes are really suffering but I find them quite hard to get hold of (it’s over the counter stuff) and so pharmacists always offer me the Optrex Itchy Eye Drops instead.  To be fair, they both work but nothing soothes the feeling of wanting to wash your eyeballs under a running tap (and swill your eye sockets out while you’re at it) faster or more effectively than the Optrex Allergy Eyes formula.

Another product that goes beyond the pretty to simply make my life more comfortable is Lanolips 101 Ointment.  This nourishing, thick balm is as much a part of my nightly routine as washing my face or repeatedly checking Twitter on my phone after turning off my computer.  It’s simple existence means that my lips never peel or crack, as used to be the case throughout the winter months and if I like a new lipstick, I buy it based on how much I like the shade without caring about how drying the formula may prove to be.

My milk-bottle legs are anticipating the return of the warmer weather with a renewed vigour thanks to St. Tropez Perfect Legs Spray.  I’m surprising myself by including a tanning product in my honours list – I really don’t care much about being tanned… but, this product surpassed all expectations of turning my blue-tinged pins into something that I wouldn’t mind showing off when the sun finally peeks out from behind the UK’s perpetual blanket of cloud cover.

As much as the U.S. brand have released some stonking palettes this year, it’s these Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Colors that have been ticking all the right boxes for me this year.  They pack a supreme punch of colour, offer maximum convenience and last well throughout the day.  The shades I own are all searingly bright and obnoxious, just the way I’ve been liking my lip shades this year.  These are real beauties and I can’t wait to see if Urban Decay add to the lineup in 2012.

Benefit They’re Real Mascara  |  Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil  |  Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair Oil  |  Avon Mega Impact Eye Liner

An everyday staple achieves its status by being dependable, consistent, and easy to use.  Benefit’s They’re Real Mascara has been my go-to mascara since its release last August.  It extends and volumises my lashes with an inky formula and doesn’t let me down by smudging or flaking throughout the day.  Once it’s time for bed – it doesn’t give my cleansing oil any arguments and I’m still enjoying the same, usable formula from the original tube that I was given all those months ago.  It’s a solid but impressive addition to my makeup bag.

2011 has been a year of weight loss (and gain, and loss again) for me.  I knew from the start that I’d be putting my skin through the mill on my quest for a less flabby existence and I’ve been using various body oils with my cellulite massager in an attempt to keep my skin elastic, supple and unblemished.  While they all did a good job at moisturising, I wasn’t sure that they were achieving much more than this until I began to use Elemis Cellutox Active Body Oil toward the end of last year.  Aside from it smelling as delicious as you’d expect from the British brand, I’ve noticed a marked improvement in skin-tone, texture and dare I say it… cellulite.

Another major concern over the past year has been the constant flare-ups that have turned my scalp into an itching, flaking mess.  I would start a new shampoo, only to be forced into discontinuing its use a month later.  I tried SLS-free which seemed to improve things for a while, though still didn’t eradicate the problem completely.  I’ve been using Dr. Hauschka’s Neem Hair Oil (non-stinky) for a few months now and have so far, touch wood, not had a flare-up that’s been severe enough to cause any real misery.  I also find the oil effective at soothing any persistent itches alongside a welcome side-effect of improving the condition of my dry hair.

If I could only choose one, my product of the year would go to Avon’s Mega Impact Eye Liner for being outrageously awesome at such a reasonable price.  The blacker-than-black formula applies as smoothly as a gel with no tugging along the delicate waterline.  Give it a few moments to set and you’ll be treated to a full day of hard-wearing, sultry lashlines that resist smudging and transfer like real troopers.  They have a new metallic shade coming out for Spring, look out for it!

Suti Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil  |  Lumos High Speed Top Coat (try eBay if you’re not a pro)  |  Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream  |  NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

I’ve always loved facial oils but have only recently discovered the true extent of their capabilities.  Suti’s Rejuvenate Organic Facial Oil is a wondrous concoction that seamlessly melts into my skin to give an instant glow on those days when my complexion is feeling particularly dull and drained by the cold weather.  Perhaps even more enlightening is the oil’s ability to turn a dud foundation into a keeper.  I’ve been adding a few drops (during application) to foundations that I consider dry-skin unfriendly and have been amazed at Suti’s ability to make the formula more compatible to my winter skin.  Lots of money saved thanks to this one!

So good do I consider the Lumos High Speed Top Coat, that I’ve bought the entire family!  From salon-sized down to purse-friendly bottles, they speed-dry my nail polish without causing shrinkage or becoming a thick, unusable mess in the bottle before I’ve reached the halfway mark.  The Lumos System also encourages you to use the High Impact Bottom Coat to achieve maximum results and longevity from your manicures but as someone who doesn’t generally suffer from polish chips, I’m happy to report that for me, it works as well with or without.

2011 was the year that B.B Creams hit the Western world with a vengeance and some bandwagon-jumping efforts from the major cosmetic players have left consumers wondering if there’s any difference between B.B Creams and Tinted Moisturisers with added SPF.  If you want to try a true B.B. Cream without the big-budget advertising hype – I can’t recommend the Missha M Perfect Cover B.B Cream highly enough.  It evens my skin-tone, gives serious sun protection, and calms my redness-prone skin in an instant.

I get annoyed with the NYX Cosmetics incarnation in the UK but if there’s one thing worth picking up, it’s the NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams that come in a variety of shades and offer easy application, good coverage, and long-lasting colour without causing unbearable dryness or discomfort.  Remembering that these are (to be fair) matte formulas, it’s a great option for those who wince at the thought of dragging a hard-textured matte lipstick across their lips.  There are some awesome lip-popping shades to choose from too!

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So there we have my New Year Honours List – a little late, but what’s half a month between friends?  Do you agree with any of my choices?  What would you have included in yours?

* the selection includes a mixture of press samples, repurchases from what were originally press samples and my own discoveries/purchases.