A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

With celebrity fragrances reaching saturation point a couple of years ago, it’s not really surprising that 2010 saw a decline in both sales and new releases.  With anything so inextricably tied to fleeting popularity and snapshots of pop culture, it’s inevitable that these releases would be churned out rinse, wash, repeat style until we all got sick of smelling like a mixture of fruit, white flowers and vanilla.

Except, there’s always room for a latecomer to the party right?  Especially when it comes from a brand as big as Brand Kardashian.  The self-titled fragrance was actually released in the U.S. last year but saw it’s UK launch on Wednesday when hoardes of fans descended on Debenhams, Oxford Street for the chance to purchase a bottle and if lucky, catch a glance of Kim herself.

Floral top notes of mandarin, honeysuckle and orange blossom reflect Kim’s captivating nature; while at the heart, pink jasmine, tuberose, sensual spices and lush gardenia evoke her femininity. The last impression of tonka bean, jacaranda wood, vanilla orchid, sexy musk and creamy sandalwood add warmth to represent Kim’s softer side.

I haven’t had an opportunity to sniff it yet, so will try and spritz while in London today.  I’m expecting it to be all about the tuberose and anticipating bold things!

It’s worth pointing out that the Kim Kardashian 100ml Eau de Parfum is currently available at CheapSmells.com for £27.85, a sizeable saving when compared to the Debenhams online price of £40.00

Still sitting down there in my wishlist purely because I’m a lazy oaf who hasn’t updated yet, sits the fragrance Agent Provocateur.

CheapSmells.com are currently doing a ridiculously good deal on the Agent Provocateur family, so I thought that now would be the most useful time to update and review the fragrance that I finally got around to buying last month).

Agent Provocateur EDP starts with an intense blast of spice, reminiscent of a (very) steamy evening in Marrakech before quickly softening as the fragrance blends with the warmth of my skin.  The floral begins to peek through as the heart notes surface to smother the spiciness in a shroud of powdery rose and white flowers.

Despite the scent’s obvious femininity made apparent in the floral aspect of the perfume, there’s a musky sourness that remains intact from that initial spritz to eventual fade.  It’s animalic, sexual and bold.  Don’t expect a juicy, sweet fragrance to make you feel light and girly.  Agent Provocateur is a seriously sexy number that will wear you if you lack the confidence to wear it back!

Agent Provocateur is available for upto 70% off the RRP at CheapSmells.com until the 5th June.

Do you like your fragrances to be provocative and bold or a little more demure?

I’ve got a special treat to kick off the weekend because one of you is going to win this gorgeous Esme Jewellery Perfume Pendant adorned with Swarovski crystals!

Hanging from a 30″ silver chain it manages to remain delicate and feminine whilst still proudly proclaiming itself as the statement piece of jewellery it is!

Inside each Esme pendant sits a refillable roll-on perfume pod, ideal for discreet top-ups on evenings out.  Unsure?  See how it works.

If you’d like to win your own Perfume Pendant from Esme Jewellery, just answer one simple question…

The Esme Perfume Pendants are available in how many designs?

(click here to find the answer)

Error: Contact form not found.

.

T&C
1. Entry open worldwide by email only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all entries that provide an answer to the question.
3. One entry per email address.
4. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
5. Competition closes on Monday 6th June 2011 at 23.59.
6. Winner will be notified by email within 5 days of the close of the competition.
7. No email addresses will be stored once the competition has closed and will only be used to contact the winner.

As if an obsession with all things beauty wasn’t enough to contend with, I thought I’d let you in on one of my other little ‘collections’.  Home Fragrance Oils.

I’m actually in recovery as far as these bijou bottles are concerned.  Mr. L has in the past, banned me from entering The Body Shop until I finish a bottle which quite frankly, is probably for the best.

I usually have one of these ‘on the burn’ somewhere in my home, they’re mood-lifting, fun to choose from in the shop and often on sale!  As far as quality goes, some of the scents can be a touch Glade-esque but occasionally, The Body Shop blend a scentsational gem!

I have four particular favourites and unfortunately, none of them are currently available.  The Body Shop’s turnover for these products are pretty rapid and ultimately seasonal.  They’ll sometimes be re-released the following year but if you find one that you fall in love with, my advice is to buy in bulk!

My four biggest favourites from recent years have been…

Hit The Beach: I think this was from 2007/2008 and I returned for backups when I discovered how lovely it was!  I actually find it a bit more floral than oceanic despite the name… it’s light, summery and carries a gorgeous vibe that makes me think of wide open windows, dune flowers and a stiff breeze.

Orange Clove: The Body Shop do the citrus-y scents very nicely and this is my favourite of the bunch.  It’s incredibly festive and indeed was a limited release a few Christmases ago.  It’s sweetness reminds me a little of Orange squash which makes it sound far less impressive than it actually is!  Think sweet oranges with a hint of spice.

Very Vanilla: Is the booziest of the vanilla fragrance oils I’ve purchased from The Body Shop… it’s rich, creamy and decadent.  Perfect for burning on cold evenings.

Line Dried Cotton: Ahh, my first and still one of my absolute favourites.  Nothing smells quite as amazing as getting in a clean bed right?  Well… take the scent of clean sheets and intensify it, you’ll get this.  An amazing fragrance for the Summer and I’m on my last bottle now!

There are others that I love to light up but these are the ones that I will always snap up if I see them pop up on eBay (as long as they’re not extortionate).  I would love them to re-release Line Dried Cotton in its original form…. all the other linen/cotton ones they’ve released since don’t quite do it for me in the same way.

Aside from The Body Shop, I’ve also started burning my Haus of Gloi perfume oils (I sound like an arsonist!) not the most economical way of scenting my home but my God are they deliciously potent!

Candles, wax tarts, oils, reed diffusers… I’m a sucker for a great scent.

.

Are you a fan of home fragrancing?  What are your favourite scents?

When a product gets over 200 5* reviews on Amazon, I can’t help but take notice.  Which is how I ended up buying one of these Travalo perfume atomisers last Christmas to put in a care parcel for my sister in Oz.  I haven’t actually *sent* this parcel yet, infact… I’m looking at it with overwhelming guilt as I type this. Note to self: send the damn parcel already, it has creme eggs and a packet of twiglets with her name on ’em!

I’m tangenting…

Anyway, I was contacted by Travalo’s PR last month who wondered if I’d heard of the atomiser… “Yes!” says I, irrelevantly explaining what a completely awful sister I was.  Once I’d stopped rambling, they deduced that I hadn’t actually tried it for myself and kindly offered to send me one.

Behold.  The Travalo.  (and a nearly empty bottle of Hypnotic Poison).

The premise is simple.  We don’t want to carry big bottles of breakable perfumes around with us in our handbags and we *definitely* don’t want to pack them in our suitcases to take on hols but we still want to smell incredible right?

Old fashioned perfume atomisers involved fiddly things like funnels and swearing under your breath as you poured half your bottle of EDT over yourself, the kitchen counter and the cat before managing to eke maybe half a drop into the atomiser vessel.

Travalo uses a pump action to draw the juice from the original bottle into the atomiser chamber without a single drop going to waste.  Or that’s how it works in theory at least… look…

You just pop the nozzle off your favourite perfume and press the base of the Travalo onto the exposed, erm, errr, stump?  I’m sure that’s not the technical word.

It totally reminds me of watching my mum refill her BIC lighters in the 80s.  But again, with less swearing.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about pumping the Travalo up and down on the stump of the perfume bottle.  And it doesn’t even remotely make me think of sex either.

You get about 50 spritzes from a full Travalo which should be plenty for a week in the Sun.  I like that the atomiser has a decent nozzle too… it doesn’t dribble fragrance pathetically or force me to make do with my most hated of dispensers… the roller ball.

It’s a bit “form follows function” in its design and styling but it serves its purpose well without any major faults.  I’ve lumped it about with me in my handbag, given it to L to play with in the back of the car and even let Mr. L have a go at filling it after his curiosity got the better of him.  It has suffered a fair few scratches where the Travalo has bumped up against my car keys so I’d like to see the product come with one of those little drawstring pouches to keep it better protected.

When all is said and done though, it’s solidly achieved what it promises without fuss or palava, providing an affordable solution to a common fragrance dilemma!

Travalo Rapid Pump Fill Perfume Atomiser Bottle is available to buy online from CheapSmells and Amazon, priced from £7.10 with free delivery.

GIVEAWAY TIME!

Now, for the giveaway… I have one of these Travalo Atomisers (in PINK!) to give away to a lovely Facebook follower!  If you don’t already following Lipglossiping.com on the book of faces, why not? Oh, you hate facebook?  In that case drop me an email and I’ll enter you anyway.

If you ARE on Facebook, it’d be much easier to go here and click LIKE.  Or alternatively click the ‘like’ button over there on the right somewhere —>

T&C
1. Entry open to worldwide participants by liking the Lipglossiping.com Facebook page.
2. Alternative entry available for Facebook haters by email.
3. One winner will be picked at random from all participants.
4. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this giveaway.
5. Competition closes on Friday 13th May 2011 at 23.59.
6. Winner will be notified through Facebook or email within 5 days of the close of the competition.
7. No email addresses will be stored once the competition has closed and will only be used to contact the winner.

Smoky, boozy, warm and decadent.  Richly opulent with a vanilla that transcends all.  The vanilla is a true, gourmand vanille as opposed to anything too playful or overly sweet.  It harmonises and mellows the tobacco beautifully.

Tobacco Vanille* is a fragrance that oozes warmth, breathe it in deeply and you’ll feel the scent warm your belly like the sun.  This makes it quite a difficult fragrance for some to wear during Summer months where the headiness may become overwhelming… but for me, it’s the perfect accompaniment to sultry, Summer evenings.

At £118 for 50ml, a Tom Ford Private Blend fragrance isn’t a purchase to be entered into lightly but these exquisitely blended perfumes stand alone with personalities that cut through the myriad of other frags on the market.  Complex and deep, I’ve sniffed the 12 scents in the Private Blend collection and appreciate the quality of each one.  This doesn’t mean I love all of them but it stands out to me that I only dislike certain blends because the personality of the scent disagrees with my tastes and not because it lacks anything in terms of quality.

The line of Private Blends are described as unisex and this is definitely true for Tobacco Vanille that wears just as smoothly on my skin as it does on my husband’s thanks to the craftsmanship displayed in creating the perfect balance.  The spicy tobacco adds a bitterness to the creamy vanilla whilst the vanilla and honeyed tones smooth the rough edges from the tobacco leaf.  The feminine/masculine tones simply dance a tango in the bottle.

My one wish would be for a couple more hours wear from Tobacco Vanille which lasts around 6 hours on my skin whilst my husband manages to achieve around 16 hours from a coupe of sprays!

If you like sweet, rich scents but feel that the majority of mass scents on the market smell a little too young or fruity… you must visit your local Tom Ford counter to experience Tobacco Vanille on your own skin, then make your partner fall in love with it too, there’s nothing like going Dutch 😉

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille is available from Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Harrods and priced from £118

* press sample

“He loves me, He loves me not…” is a rhyme that many of us will remember from the days when Summer holidays seemed to stretch an eternity and the biggest worry we had was whether or not we’d be able to sneak a jammie dodger from the biscuit tin before bed.

Of course, that particular rhyme meant very little unless we were clutching a fistful of daisies in our hands (we needed more than one incase we got the dreaded “he loves me not”).

Yardley LONDON, one of England’s oldest fragrance houses, re-launched last September with reformulated and repackaged products in a bid to re-energise the brand.  I would imagine that re-launching a brand so quintessentially English, with 240 years of history is not an easy task.  Obviously they need to stay true to their heritage and their loyal customers but in 2011, they clearly need to look to enhance the image of the brand in the eyes of the younger generations aswell.

Enter the Royal English Daisy Collection…

Perfume house Yardley LONDON have introduced the new fragrance collection to coincide with the imminent Royal Wedding.  Based around the perceived fragrance of daisies (the flowers have no actual fragrance), the limited edition range comprises of three products.

Royal English Daisy Eau de Toilette 50ml (£9.99)
Royal English Daisy Body Spray 75ml (£2.49)
Royal English Daisy Moisturising Body Lotion 250ml (£5.95)

Daisies have long been a favorite of many, as they represent loyal love and innocence. They have the ability to bring a smile to a face or brighten a room like a golden ray of sunshine.

Yardley London’s Royal English Daisy is an elegant dewy fresh, green floral fragrance, reminiscent of flower filled meadows in the spring sunshine. It opens with a burst of energetic top notes in the form of fresh green leaves and apple, combined with a heart of hyacinth and white rose, enhanced with warm base notes of sandalwood and musk.

It seems fitting to me that the brand who (are in possession of 2 Royal warrants), be the ones to commemorate and combine this Royal extravaganza with the classic British daisy.

The fragrance itself, was inspired by the future princess, Miss Catherine Middleton.  Yardley London wanted to create a new youthful, light and fun fragrance and they believe that they’ve successfully encapsluated her beauty, energetic and fun-loving character within the scent.

I find the fragrance in all three products to be light, airy and most definitely spring-like.  Not intoxicating enough for warm Summer evenings but perfect to spritz on in the mornings.  It reminds me of cool linens and long grasses… it’s sharp at first, the EDT… alcohol-heavy… but the dry down removes the acidity and what remains is crisp apple and white flowers.  It’s fresh, floral and a bit fruity.

My particular favourite from the range has to be the Moisturising Body Lotion, though I’d personally describe it as a light lotion.  It contains the same gentle scent that manages to linger on my skin for a surprising length of time.  It absorbs quickly, leaving behind softened skin that also feels slightly cooled.  For me, this product is going to be a Summer essential.  I’ve enquired about whether or not Yardley London have any plans to introduce the body lotion formula to their other scents.  No plans at the moment, but my goodness they must!

The range is available to purchase now from Boots, Lloyds Chemists and online.  Be sure to go and give it a sniff while it’s still available to buy, you may be pleasantly surprised at what you discover from this re-invigorated, heritage brand.  I certainly was.

I never get round to doing “products of the month” posts because there’s inevitably something else that I wanna blog about when the ‘critical’ time is approaching.

I do love reading other people’s picks though so instead of giving up on these type of posts completely I think I’ll just throw random ones out there when the mood takes me instead.  Who needs time restraints anyway?

1.  Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil (£19.50)

This has given my dry, overprocessed hair such a lift these last few weeks.  I don’t know how it compares to the likes of Moroccan Oil which I haven’t tried yet but the Gielly Green Argan Rescue add shine, softness and smooth ends without being too heavy on my fine (but lots of it!) hair.

You can buy the Gielly Green Argan Rescue Oil here.

2.  Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel (£19.40)

I received a sample size of this tucked into my last Debenhams order and “uh oh”, ‘cos it’s on the repurchase list!

I’ve been trying to work out a morning skincare routine that suits my combo/dry skin and this has become my morning cleanser of choice.  Normally, I use a ‘cleansing gel’ to remove my makeup but this one is so light that a pea-sized amount cleanses my bare face beautifully.

It has a delicious ‘wake me up’ grapefruit scent and is the only cleansing gel/oil/balm type product I’ve used that makes me feel clean without doing a double cleanse.  Add to that the fact that it’s one of the least drying cleansers I’ve discovered and I’m delighted to start the day with this gem!

Now, I’ve said that… watch me hate it once I purchase the full size.  It’s always the way right?

You can buy the Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel here.

3.  Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml (£34.00) *

Now available in a travel-friendly 20ml bottle, Balenciaga Paris is simply exquisite.  I’m not sure how it manages to capture so much in one small bottle.

It opens with a crisp, floral freshness that announces itself with all the fervour that BIG openings bring before mellowing into something quite creamy yet grown-up.

It seems to capture both a lightness and a depth that feels more sensual, darker… naughtier!

My only gripe is that it needs a top-up every 3 hours or so as the fragrance sadly doesn’t last the day… but I guess that’s the benefit of a 20ml bottle!

You can buy Balenciaga Paris Eau de Parfum 20ml here.

4.  Bliss Blood Orange & White Pepper Hand Cream (part of a duo set that cost £8.00)

Beautifully citrusy with a hint of spice, this hand cream is light, fast-absorbing and nourishing.  The scent lingers for a short while and will keep you sniffing your hands until it fades!  It’s a great daytime moisturiser that sadly only comes in a 30ml tube.  I think it may be limited edition too…

Oh well, as much as I love it – I guess I’ll have to find something else to replace it.

You can buy Bliss Blood Orange and White Pepper Hand Cream here. (on offer!)

5.  Vicks First Defence (£7.14)

I know this is a bit of a weird one… but I’ve used it twice now at the onset of a cold.  As soon as I get that “drowning feeling” in the back of my throat, I pull this out and use as often as the directions allow me.  Whilst it hasn’t killed or cured the ensuing snuffles, it’s made a real difference to it’s severity.

The last two times I’ve used it, my cold hasn’t progressed into full-blown face ache/streaming nose type horrors as it normally would.  I’ve been able to get on with day-to-day life with a couple of paracetamol and this nasal spray nearby quite happily!

You can buy Vicks First Defence here.

6.  Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist (£12.95) *

Since my run in with the Prai o2 Infusion I reviewed yesterday, my skin has been in dire need of TLC and the Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist has provided this well.  Once made up in the mornings, I obviously can’t moisturise with normal creams and this refreshing spray gives my skin a hydration boost with a couple of squirts throughout the day.

It’s alcohol-free and at 60ml is handbag-friendly.

You can buy Sheer Cover Refreshing Face Mist here. (Guthy Renker sells products through a ‘membership’ scheme and you may need to cancel your membership if you don’t want automatic product topups every 90 days)

7.  Melvita Eye Contour Gel (£18.00) *

Organic brand Melvita failed to impress me first time round… I tried a particularly stinky oil that I just couldn’t bring myself to use because of it’s… um… aroma.  However, the Melvita Eye Contour Gel is a delight!

Incredibly lightweight and fast-absorbing, I’ve finally found an eye cream that I’m happy to wear under my makeup.  I’ve noticed a decrease in puffiness since incorporating this into my routine… not sure it does much for fine lines or dark circles but it feels wonderfully refreshing and lifting for bleary morning peepers!

You can buy Melvita Eye Contour Gel here.

.

What are you currently using and loving?

* press sample

When I was making a birthday purchase for a dear friend, I couldn’t resist keeping the GWP for myself.  I know that’s naughty… but don’t act like you wouldn’t.  You wouldn’t?  Ok… now you’ve made me feel *really* bad.

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One has been a hit on counters since it was launched last year.  It’s a very soft, feminine floral that updates the traditional rose scent and reintroduces it to a younger generation.

Of course, as with most fragrance successes comes the spin offs… the body lotions, shower gels and in this case… the body shimmer powder.

I received a ‘mini’ 6g size free with my fragrance order and have been thoroughly loving it.

As an objet d’art, it’s a really pretty thing to have sat on my dressing table.

As soon as you remove the lid you become aware of the delicate scent of roses and grapefruit.  It smells like a really clean floral… immensely feminine and quite suited as a body product.

The shimmer that this product imparts is beautiful.  Delicate, rose coloured with gold accents… it’s shimmer for grown ups.  I tap a little into the lid and use my powder brush to dust along my collarbone.  I’ve tried to catch how it looks in the photo below but not sure I’ve done it much justice.

I would definitely repurchase this in a larger size if/when I run out.  The scent it leaves on my skin is just the right amount and I would imagine that when layered with the complimenting EDP is a force to be reckoned with.

Don’t you just love a good GWP?

D&G Rose The One Shimmer Powder (in the huge 26g size) is available to buy online from John Lewis, priced at £34.

The three lucky winners of my Sugababes perfume giveaway are….

Georgie Foster

Monika Wykurz

Asmaa Mangera

Well done ladies!

Expect an email from me shortly to request your postal details!

Thanks for taking part everyone, if you weren’t lucky enough to win this time round – head over to the Sugababes Fragrances Facebook Page where they’re giving away 30 bottles!

If at first you don’t succeed and all that!

It’s Monday morning and to lighten the inevitable back-to-work blues, Lipglossiping has teamed up with the people behind the new Sugababes fragrances to offer three readers the chance to win 1 of the new fragrances worth £19.99 each!

The collection consists of three essences: Tempt, Tease and Touch.  They’re described as spirited, uplifting, and perfect for the modern young woman.

When describing this new venture for the band, Heidi remarked: ‘Working on Tempt, Touch and Tease has been absolutely amazing for all of us, and the fragrances are everything we wished for!  I hope everyone out there loves them as much as we do.’

For more information on the fragrances and other updates including further competitions, check out the Sugababes Fragrance facebook page!

Want to win a bottle of your own?  Here’s how to do it…

Fill in the form below and click submit – that’s it!

.

GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED!

.

THE SMALL PRINT: Giveaway will close at 23.59 GMT on Sunday 7th November 2010, Personal information is collected only for the purpose of this giveaway entry and will be deleted as soon as winners have been notified, 3 separate winners will be chosen at random and will receive one bottle of fragrance each – personal preference cannot be guaranteed, one entry per email address, duplicates will be deleted, all decisions are final, open worldwide.

I don’t get excited by shoes (yeah, I know – freakozoid)… so this is probably the closest I’m gonna come to getting excited by a Jimmy Choo debut.

Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo is set to enter the perfume market next January as the brand’s first foray into the beauty world.

I’m bowled over by the beautiful bottle which co-founder Tamara Mellon stated has been inspired by Murano glass (there’s worse things to be inspired by right?)  It’s elegant, shapely and there’s not a stiletto-shaped flacon in sight.  Amen.

But enough of how it looks… how’s it gonna smell?!

The fragrance is being described as a a fruity chypre with notes of exotic tiger orchid, sweet toffee and Indonesian patchouli.  That sounds right up my street… feminine but with a little more sophistication than your average floral.  Sweet toffee?  One for the gourmand-fragrance lovers?… i.e. me, as long as it’s not too sweet.

Regardless, I’m sure that Jimmy Choo by Jimmy Choo is destined to be a Valentine’s Day sellout.

Jimmy Choo Eau de parfum is set to retail at £39 (40 ml), £49 (60 ml), and £68 (100 ml).  Available from Harrods, Selfridges and selected Jimmy Choo boutiques.