A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

The beauty blogosphere has been rumbling with news of a collaboration between slick nail art gurus WAH Nails and high-street favourites… polish maestro’s Models Own!

As originally reported by ElleUK last month, the pairing is set to bring nail art to the UK High Street in the shape of some new Nail Art pens!

It’s a marriage made in heaven if it means that we can recreate fabulous designs like these in the comfort of our own homes:

image credit: WAH Nails

Now, if only the pairing could come up with a way to bottle the talent needed to mastermind designs like the above… that WOULD be a bestseller.

Can we have some WAH/Models Own nail art tutorials thrown in too please?  PLEASE?

What do you think of this collaboration?  Hit or Flop?

High five – it’s a makeup amnesty!  Anyone fancy trying a new mascara?

How about a lovely deluxe sample of one of Clinique’s top-selling products?

Clinique are offering us this rather brilliant opportunity to take in one of our crappy old mascaras and exchange it at the counter for a deluxe sample of one of these alternatives!

You can choose between:

Clinique High Impact Mascara

Clinique High Lengths Mascara

The offer is valid from 29th October – 16th November exclusively in Boots and only while stocks last.

Absolutely no purchase is necessary but stop rummaging through your sister’s/mother’s/mate’s makeup drawers ‘cos it’s only one per client.  I SAW you!

I haven’t tried the High Impact (volumising) one yet, so will be hot-footing it down my nearest Boots/Clinique counter to give it a go.

If you want to see how the High Lengths (lengthening) looked on my lashes, click here for my review and some before/after shots.

Will you be ditching an old mascara and trading up for this offer?

I wanna know… which mascara will you be swapping and which of Clinique’s will you be choosing to replace it?

When I was in London last week I was on the hunt for some of the new Accessorize Illusion nail polishes… you know, the duochrome ones.  Sadly, I only found one solitary polish and I nearly had to beat someone up to get my hands on it first.  It’s ok, I only broke a couple of her fingers… she can always paint the other hand.

It was totally worth it though right?  Look at those gorgeous purple/green/amber flashes! *dies*

Please excuse my death-warmed up hands… we were having double glazing fitted and the house was an ice-box sans windows.  My hands were ready to drop right off.

What d’ya think?

That is a bloody gorgeous duochrome to feed our inner 8 year old’s craving for something PURRRRRRDY right?

Application isn’t too shabby but it did need a good 3 coats and a healthy splodge of quick dry top coat for optimum shininess.  Wear has been good… no chips, just some minor tip wear.  Removal was a bit of a pain thanks to the glittery bits but othing too soul destroying.

My niece came over yesterday and the first thing I did was thrust my nails in her face and demand to know if she’d ever seen anything like so completely amazing?  She looked at me in the way only a 7 year old can when embarrassed by someone old enough to know better.

But she agreed, it was pretty cool.

Priced at £4 each for 10ml… Accessorize Nail Polishes are available instore (though I can only ever find a couple – usually by the tills), online (full selection) and I believe they’re coming to/are already in Superdrug?  Or did I imagine that bit…

Anyway, the moral of the story is… go and hunt them down, even if it means maiming your fellow shoppers in the process.

With all this Chanel vs. BarryM nail polish dupe talk… how could I possibly have resisted CHARGING down my local Superdrug as fast as my fat little trotters could carry me (ok, I drove) before scooping up a bottle of BarryM’s new nail polish sensation Dusky Mauve to compare for myself?

Well I couldn’t.  Hence this post – duh.

So is it?  Isn’t it?

It most certainly is.

BarryM’s Dusky Mauve Nail Paint is a practically perfect dupe for Chanel’s Paradoxal – I’ll let the photos do the talking.

When Bazza met Coco… *cue music*

The only teeniest, tiniest difference between the two is that I feel the BarryM version may have a touch more sparkle in direct sunlight… but I’m not even 100% confident on that.

If you had wanted to indulge in Chanel’s Paradoxal but couldn’t quite stretch to the £16.50 required to do so… put those pennies towards the £2.95 dupe of the year and head down to Superdrug for BarryM’s Dusky Mauve instead.  No one will be able to tell the difference.

If your local Superdrug/Boots are out of stock, don’t forget that you can also buy BarryM’s Dusky Mauve Nail Paint online from the BarryM website which ships internationally.

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.

From Lip Butters to Body Butters, Body Scrubs to Shower Foams… Body America’s range of bathroom goodies will be hitting the mainstream when they land in the new House of Fraser Apothecary from the middle of this month onwards.

A little birdy also told me that the Body America Body Butters come from the same creator as the much-loved Body Shop Body Butters… interesting…

But this becomes even more interesting when I tell you that a 200ml jar of Body America Body Butter will set you back a trifling £8 compared to £12.50 for The Body Shop equivalent.  Now you’re talking!

The entire range is described as 72% organic and comes enriched with certified organic Aloe Vera juice to naurally soothe and protect the skin.  The lineup is available in four flavours:

~ Vermont Va Va Voom: Green Apple, Maple and Blueberry
~ New York Cheesecake with an Edge: Vanilla and Strawberry
~ Toast to the Coast: Ocean and Grapeseed
~ Southern Belle: Peach and Mango

I fully intend to make a beeline for the Vermont Va Va Voom range…. Maple?  Oh god yes.  Now if only it came with pancakes too…

I scoured high and I scoured low for this little bottle of Barry M Instant Nail Effects… it’s seemingly harder to acquire than the proverbial gold dust.

When I first saw it on Yinka’s blog… I didn’t think I was gonna like it.  I like NEAT nails and I’m not hugely into nail art.  Not really… I just like polished tips that add a bit of interest.  Instant Nail Effects looks haphazard… indeed it is.  It’s messy, it’s random…

But I kinda like it!

What I didn’t like was that I slapped a glossy top coat over it.  Next time I’m gonna keep the crackle matte.

Is this a new idea?  Nooooooooo…. these crackle polishes have been around for years, but as far as I’m aware – it’s the first time it’s been brought to the UK high street (correct me if I’m wrong!).

Wanna know how it’s done?  Watch the official BarryM tutorial video on how to make the Instant Nail Effects work for you here.

Do you like the effect?  I think the general consensus is that it works best over bold, pale colours… think bright pastels!

If you can source it on the high street, Boots are currently offering two BarryM polishes (including this one) for £5, otherwise you can purchase online from the BarryM website for £3.95 a piece.

I’ve hit the shops a few times in recent weeks in a bid to cheer myself up – I’ve been a total grump lately.  Mr. L says that extra-marital affairs are out so I took comfort in the warm arms of the high street instead.

Here’s what I’ve been indulging in recently…

I repurchased Max Factor Second Skin Foundation (£12.99) today.  It’s become an everyday staple… I wouldn’t reach for it on a night out or when I need flawless skin, but for daily wear… it’s a keeper.  Doesn’t let me down and evens out my skintone without looking heavily made-up.

Last week, I took a risk on Benefit’s Boi-ing “industrial strength” Concealer (£16.50) and whilst it’s ‘ok’… it’s not wow-ing me.  I find it quite dry and hard to blend… plus it emphasises any dry skin around my nose.  Coverage is indeed good and lasting power impressive.  I think perhaps I would have been better buying this at the start of summer rather than the prelude to Winter.

I can’t stop myself from heading for the makeup aisle whenever I’m in Asda… it’s those George nail polishes (£1.00)!  And right now, they’re back on at £1 each.  I originally picked up 2 to go towards this year’s Advent Giveaway (yeah, I’m a big spender) but I liked one of them so much, I picked it up for me too!  It’s a glass flecked orange that enchanted me in the bottle.  Very Hallowe’eny!

Talking of nail polishes, I grabbed the last bottle of Barry M’s new Instant Nail Effects (£2.95) this afternoon.  Superdrug was out of stock, but Boots came up trumps!  On my way home, I stopped off at Sallys and raided their reduced section for O.P.Is.  Only one caught my eye… infact, more than anything… it was the name.  “You’re a Doll!” (£3.50) – too cute.

What else…

Also whilst I was in Boots today, I took advantage of the return of the £5 off No7/R&M vouchers and picked up something I’d missed out on last time!  Everyone was raving about the deal where you could purchase No7’s new Exceptional Definition (£12.00) mascara and get a lovely Autumnal eye palette (at top of picture) for free.  Using the voucher meant that I only had to hand over £7 for both!  Bargain!  I need a new mascara like I need hole in the head but… um… shhhhhh.

I also sneaked in John Lewis over the weekend and emerged clutching Chanel’s Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadow in Safari (£19.50).  I don’t know how it happened… I was just browsing the concession (officer) when all of a sudden I found myself merrily handing over a crisp £20 note and sobbing at the pitiful change I shoved back in my purse.

Lastly, I scored MACs discontinued Penny Shadestick from the CCO last time I was in – which was ages ago… but I’ve only just found it in the bottom of a bag *blush*.

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What have you been buying recently?

What might I be talking about?

Brushing your teeth!  We all do it, well… at least I hope we do… some of us even remember to do it more than once a day – special gold star for us!

But it’s kinda boring isn’t it?  Dental hygiene… hell, I’m bored writing about it and I’m only 3 (very short) paragraphs in.

So without further ado, let me show you some lovely things to make your routine a little bit more interesting!

1. Tiens Herbal Toothpaste (£6.80)

If you like quirky things from the Asian market, you might like Tiens Tianshi toothpaste!  It’s packed full of less conventional ingredients including nullipore, honeysuckle and wild chrysanthemum plant extracts whilst still maintaining a recognisable minty flavour.  It’s pretty foamy too so makes your teeth feel squeaky clean!

2. Bumblebee Toothbrush Holder (£2.90)

Too cute, I have three of these… I think you can get ladybirds too!  Stick ’em to the tiles and they grip your (manual) toothbrushes tightly ’till you reach for them.  They stop that age old problem of water pooling in the bottom of toothbrush cups and going all manky.  Plus they look cute!

3. Koziol Kai Dental Floss Dispenser (£16.00)

Not cheap and Mr. L would kill me if I came home with one now I’ve told him how much they are… but who doesn’t want a pirahna with razor sharp teeth in their bathroom right? RIGHT?

4. Endekay Plaque Disclosing Tablets (£1.95)

I’m not the only one that remembers these things from the school dentist am I?  My Mum used to buy me a pack a week before I was due to go sit in her little portacabin in the playground.  I used to use them religiously up until the morning of the fateful appointment to make sure that I had the least amount of plaque possible.  Oh, the shame!

It was either that or walk round school with tell tale red splotches all over my teeth that showed I was a lazy arse tooth brusher!

And yes, I do still buy a pack occassionally *blush*

5. Wisdom Individual Compact Toothbrush (£1.99)

I’m fussy about toothbrushes!  I don’t own an electric one for no other reason than I’ve never looked into getting one.  I also refuse to spend over £3 on a manual which I know I’m gonna replace next month… these Wisdom Individual Toothbrushes come in some lovely designs with nice compact heads for ma petite ‘gob’ and they’re cheap!

What more do you want?

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Do you reside in the dark ages with a manual toothbrush like me or are you a proud owner of one of those all-singing, all-dancing mega pulse action vibrating doo-dahs (we’re still talking toothbrushes right?).

It was the the Body Shop Summer Baked to Last bronzers that caught my eye in store before anything else when they were released at the start of the Summer.  They have that whole MAC MSF thing going on don’t they?  We were introduced to them more closely at a blogger event in the Summer…

Priced At £14 each, one could easily argue that they are aimed at the same kind of market as MAC.  So let’s see how they shape up shall we?

Warm Glow – £14

Warm Glow is the paler of the two shades and despite it’s name, isn’t actually too warm at all.  A hint of pinkness mixed in with the warmer brown tones keeps this from being too orange.

Well pigmented with a fine shimmer, the above shows a heavy swatch on the inside of my wrist.  You can see that I have to work quite lightly with this bronzer but to be honest… that’s the case for 99.9% of all bronzers I use anyway!

What I really like about this product is that unlike the MAC MSFs I’ve tried in the past, this doesn’t give my face any kind of metallic sheen.  The shimmer adds a glow without being too obvious.  I wouldn’t use this to contour, I prefer to use matte shades for that… but dusted lightly onto the cheeks?  It’s a really nice warm (without being too warm) bronzer.

Love it!

Golden Bronze – £14

A far deeper affair than Warm Glow.  Golden Bronze is clearly more suited to darker skintones or those looking for a more dramatic effect.

I found the texture of Golden Bronze to be a tiny bit harder than Warm Glow, it didn’t swatch quite as smoothly either.  You can see that I would struggle to use this shade as anything other than an eyeshadow but again, it benefits from a lovely sheen that isn’t too obvious.

Overall, I was impressed with both of these samples I was given and it’s not very often that I’ll say that a Body Shop makeup item is worth the asking price.  I ‘get’ why it’s more expensive than other high street offerings… products produced from ethically sourced base ingredients often are.  But judged purely on it’s quality as a cosmetic product?  These are worth the asking price.

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Also, isn’t it soon that The Body Shop start discounting their Summer cosmetics online?  Keep an eye out ladies because I see that the Autumn blushes are out online (and looking flippin’ gorgeous!)

You can purchase the Baked to last Bronzers online or instore priced at £14 each.

I think it’s about time for an update to this post.

It’s been a month and I’ve been sticking to the new routine, using The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare.  Infact, I’ve finished the bottles that I was given at their blogger event in the Summer.

I know it’s taken me a while to review, but not only did my hair need to get used to the new products, I needed to get used to the new routine too.  It’s a big difference going from normal detergents and condtioners and it takes a while to adjust.

So, I’ve been trialling The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture variety which is aimed at dry hair types.  My hair is coloured (frequently) and as a result, a little over-processed and dry.  It needs something that isn’t stripping.

My first impressions of this weren’t positive.  Within the 3rd use, my hair felt like straw.  It was unmanageable and bushy… rough and knotty.  I tried using more conditioner, but didn’t experience any improvements.  I nearly gave up on it completely.

Instead, I tried using it in conjunction with my normal conditioner.  I was worried that by using a normal conditioner, I’d be giving the sls-free shampoo too tough a job to clear my hair of build-up… but for me?  This is working well.

The shampoo takes a little getting used to, it doesn’t lather very well on the hair.  It’s recommended to rub it between your palms to build up a small amount of lather before applying to your hair and this does make a difference.

I simply found that the condtioner didn’t do enough to smooth the hair shaft.  Whilst I’m not in love with either of these products, I would purchase the shampoo again.  It left my hair feeling clean and since getting rid of my scalp issues (thanks Nizoral!) it hasn’t caused any further irritations.

Priced at £4 for 250ml, I think the range is pretty good value for money considering the natural and eco-friendly ingredients, but I’d need to see more moisture from the conditioner before I’d purchase again.

You can buy The Body Shop’s Rainforest Haircare range online or instore.

I picked these Sue Moxley Famous bits up in Superdrug sometime this Summer, I’ve forgotten exactly when – sorry!

The eyeshadows were on offer because the range is being updated… the shimmer brick thing was full price… £7  I think.  It hardly breaks the bank, but the packaging isn’t exactly enticing is it?  Tack-tastic.  Thank god it’s being updated.

The eyeshadows aren’t my cup of tea at all.

They’re very frosty and have that slight oily feeling that reminds me of the Superdrug MUA ones.  The colours aren’t too bad.. but the frosty over-shimmer kills it for me.  This is coming from someone who doesn’t mind shimmer!

The Shimmer Brick in Pink (which has obviously been inspired by a certain Bobbi Brown version) accentuates my pores in a way that the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks just don’t do.  The brown tone in this also creates a unnatural shade for my skintone when swirled together.

Finally, to add insult to injury… a great chunk of product broke away from the pan a couple of days later.  I don’t have a picture of how it looked after it crumbled… but flicking back through my shots from before I started using it, I came across the potential culprit.

If you’re browsing in store and want to pick one up.  Make sure that the edges are fully intact.  Along that top edge is where mine broke away.

Overall, not a very positive experience with the brand.