A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m engaged in a bit of a tempestuous relationship with Clinique’s new CC Cream*.  A turbulent love affair that swings from “YOU DO NOTHING FOR ME!”, to “HOW DID I EVER LIVE WITHOUT YOU?”  Unforunately for you dear reader, this may make for a somewhat confused review that I’m hoping will unravel itself by the end of the post, leaving me standing firmly on one side (or the other) of the fence.

First up, CC Creams… why would you need one?

Marketed as the industry’s answer to colour-correction, you should be interested in them if you suffer from a range of tonal issues.  Nose like a lush?  Hyperpigmentation like an ageing banana?  The CC Cream, in theory, should help to brighten, reduce dark spots, take out redness, reduce sallowness and act as your one-stop solution to anything that removes you from the “normal” range for skintones.  Of course, that’s not actually going to happen, not in the biblical sense at least… we’ve been around the block long enough to reduce our expectations somewhat when it comes to these kind of claims.

But still, it’s an interesting theory… particularly when you’re not expected to use these CC Creams as a stand-alone base product.  The CC Cream should be considered a primer, something that will prep your skintone in advance of your usual base product.  Except, that’s not actually the case here.  Bucking the trend, Clinique have released a CC Cream that contains enough pigment to actually act as your base product… oh, ok then.

Forming part of their established Moisture Surge range, the Clinique CC Cream promises to deliver oil-free hydration, colour-correction, and sun protection.  It comes in a total of six shades ranging from Very Light to Deep and contains a summer-appropriate broad spectrum SPF30.  For your money, you get a fairly generous 40ml of product… though priced at £28, it sits at the higher end of Clinique’s pricing for their base products – has anyone else noticed their recent price jumps?

Application is a little tedious and best achieved (in my opinion) with clean fingers, a little at a time, working the product into the areas of the skin that need “correcting” before blending toward the edges of the face.  The thick texture requires you pay attention to ensure that your blending skills are up to par, I’m assuming that this is a side-effect of a higher SPF protection.  That being said, it’s a product that will happily accept a few layers over the areas that require a little more help.

The shade Very Light is well-suited to my skintone despite it looking somewhat peachy when initially dispensed from the tube.  I would say that instead of brightening my complexion, it actually dulls it a little.  It’s not a disaster, because I’m handy with a bit of highlighter… but still, it seems to take away radiance rather than inject it.

So how does its colour-correcting capabilities perform?  Well, it certainly does “something” but I’m not convinced that it achieves it in a different way to any other light-coverage base product on the market.  In other words, I wouldn’t bat an eyelid if Clinique had called it something other than a CC Cream.  You know, maybe something breakthrough like “tinted moisturiser”… but as much as this irritates me, I can’t dismiss the product because it does fit in perfectly with my preferred summer makeup routine.

Even though it delivers too much blanket coverage for me to value it as anything other than yet-another-tinted-moisturiser-masquerading-as-something-new, my dehydrated skin bloody loves it.

Once applied, the gluey texture diminishes and leaves behind a velvety finish that feels comfortable on the skin without encouraging too much shine across my t-zone.  The level of sun protection means that I don’t feel too guilty about forgetting to apply a separate SPF underneath, particularly when I’m finishing off my base routine with a dusting of (SPF-rated) mineral foundation to achieve a more complete level of coverage.

So, there you go.  I feel like I’m fence-sitting a little, despite my best intentions not to.  Incase you’re under any misconception, I’m calling bullshit on the CC Cream status because I’m not seeing anything that I wouldn’t get from a standard (good) tinted moisturiser.  The areas of my face that aren’t affected by diffused redness are displaying the same colour-correction as my red bits… it just doesn’t feel like they’re being cleverly targeted in a specific manner.

That being said, I like the product.  Go and get a sample from your nearest counter and try it on your face before deciding if it’s the kind of product that would fit in with your daily routine.  Certainly don’t judge it on a back-of-the-hand swatch like I did when it was first released, once applied to the face it’s a completely different animal and very kind to those of us with complicated moisture-concerns.

Clinique’s Moisture Surge CC Cream is priced at £28 for 40ml and available on counter and online from clinique.co.uk and johnlewis.com

* press sample

If ever there was a product subject to some major scrutiny on this here blog, this would be it. You see, Kiehl’s recently discontinued one of my favourite base products: their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer… and this, their new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has taken its hallowed place. I’m not entirely happy about this but I am curious to see how it compares, and ultimately, differs.

If Kiehl’s have done away with a fantastically valued tinted moisturiser – we’re talking 75ml of product for £20.50 – and replaced it with a glorified 30ml of tinted moisturiser (hyped as a BB cream), priced at £23.50 for 30ml, I’m not going to be a Kiehl’s fan for much longer am I?

Old vs New

Their old tinted moisturiser was a no-fuss product without any real skincare claims (not withstanding a less-than-substantial broad spectrum SPF15). Other than fantastic value, a naturally sheer coverage, and some thoroughly decent moisturising capabilities, it delivered nothing more. But that was all I wanted.

The new Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream has far more going on beneath the surface. The most obvious of which is broad spectrum SPF50 PA+++ sun protection. Whether or not one physically applies enough product to benefit from this protection in the real world is still up for discussion but it does at least, offer it in the first place.

It’s also been formulated with a high level of Vitamin C to help boost skin radiance and fade dark spots, which combined with a moisturising base certainly does enough to qualify bullshit-free, bonafide BB Cream status.

the old Tinted Moisturiser (on the left) compared to the new BB Cream

You can see that the texture of the two base products are completely different. At this point, my faith in Kiehl’s has been restored and I’m sufficiently convinced that their new release isn’t simply an excuse to bump the price on an old favourite.

So what do I actually think of Kiehl’s new BB Cream now that I’m happy to judge it on its own merits?

It’s available in three shades: fair, light, and medium. Of the three shades, I received “light” which is sadly a little too dark for my skintone as you’ll see in the following photos.

The texture is thick and the tone is fairly neutral, it certainly doesn’t present the greyed-hues of some Asian BB Creams which should please anyone who finds they tend to look ashy on their skin. Unfortunately, if I’m wearing the “middle” shade of the three, anyone with a darker skintone will feel excluded from this launch.

Please excuse the pin curl clip!

The texture feels heavier than their tinted moisturiser and yet provides only the same level of coverage and skin-unifying. The heavier texture is something that can often be expected from a product with increased sun-protection. Nevertheless, the finish isn’t greasy or even particularly dewy, something that many combination/oily skintypes should be pleased about.

I don’t feel that the BB Cream delivers the same level of prolonged moisture to my skin as the original tinted moisturiser did, and as someone with dry skin – this has the potential to be a deal-breaker for me. To be fair to Kiehl’s, this new BB Cream isn’t marketed toward any specific oily/combo/dry skin issues and as such, I’m assuming it’s more of a one-type-suits-all product. Taking this into consideration, I’m impressed that it neither highlights nor clings to my dry patches.

One thing that I will say improves upon my beloved tinted moisturiser is the longevity of the BB Cream. I have worn it on four ocassions and each time, coverage has lasted comfortably into the evening – something my old favourite would never have been able to achieve.

Ultimately, I don’t like Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream as much as I liked their Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturiser, not for my specific skin concerns and not for my wallet.

However, as a BB Cream, and standing on its own merits, it performs very well and should suit most skin-types thanks to a formula that genuinely seeks to provide an effective skincare treatment alongside surface beautification.

Kiehl’s Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream is priced at £23.50 for 30ml and available to buy on counter and online at www.kiehls.co.uk

* press sample

If I concentrate hard enough, I can hear my Nan speaking to me in her sing-song valleys accent.  She’s saying: “There was a little girl, who had a little curl right in the middle of her forehead.  And when she was good, she was very, very good.  And when she was bad, she was horrid.”  Which is precisely how my skin feels about mineral makeup – on a good day, nothing comes close to looking better and more naturally flawless on my skin.  At other times though, it can look like I’ve dipped my face in a vat of semolina flour… which then slowly cooks in situ, as the day progresses.

I tried NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation, after it was recommended to me as a cross between a mineral foundation and a setting powder. This is good news for me as I often use my mineral foundation as a setting powder… albeit with a very light hand.

Compared to most mineral foundations I’ve tried, I found this to be sheerer… more finely milled, and lighter in texture.  The unglamourous but practical packaging features enough space to hold a sponge between the lid and the sifter should you need a way to avoid spillage during travel.  This extra roominess also means that you’re more likely to keep the powder in the pot whilst picking up product on your brush, and not allover your dressing table.

The foundation is available in four shades, and I was sent the second lightest – which as you can imagine, is a touch too dark for my skintone but thanks to its sheerness, doesn’t cause me much concern.  The foundation is about as genuinely organic as you can get, certified so by the prestigious ECOCERT and promises a hypoallergenic, paraben-free formula which has been approved by AllergyUK as an allergy-friendly product.  Quite interesting when you consider that the label states that the product may contain Bismuth Oxychloride, a known potential irritant and something that many of you have grumbled about in the past.

The quantity shown in the lid is roughly the amount I’ve been using for a full face after applying a light tinted moisturiser as a base.  It’s my favourite way to apply this foundation and both sets my makeup and gives me a little extra coverage in the areas where my base is letting me down.  The combination of the two products as a single base gives me great medium/full coverage with none of the heaviness that I’d get were I using liquid/cream foundation alone.  It’s a real time saver as I don’t have to worry about the finish looking at all caked-on or artificial.

The NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation lacks the pretty sheen that I enjoy from other brands such as Bare Minerals, infact I’d consider this one as fairly mattifying, obviously a bonus for half the population but I prefer my finishing powder to have a little luminosity in these darker months.  I’ve been mixing a liquid luminizer into my moisturiser to solve this problem.

Hopefully the above photo will let you deduce the amount of coverage you can expect from using NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation on bare skin, it’s a sheer-medium finish and as I’ve already mentioned, a matte one.  I’ve been enjoying using a flat top kabuki brush which works the product into the skin and ensures that you get maximum coverage with the least effort.

NATOrigin Loose Powder Foundation is priced at £17.75 for 5g and available to buy online from www.natorigin.co.uk

* press sample

When it comes to makeup, things can get pretty personal. One person’s dream product is another person’s nightmare and nowhere is this more keenly felt than when trialling a new foundation. Liz Earle’s long-awaited venture into the world of “proper” foundation comes in the form of the Liz Earle Signature Foundation. I’m glad that it wasn’t rushed out with the initial launch, the brand have obviously taken the time to create something that they’re happy represents their approach to cosmetics.

The classically-packaged foundation offers a heavyweight glass bottle with a well-designed pump, allowing complete control over how much product dispenses from the bottle. You only want half a pump? You got it. This obviously ensures no product wastage, and so it should because unlike most foundations, the Liz Earle Signature Foundation comes in a little under the average volume count at 25ml.

The silicone-rich formula offers a lightweight texture that skims over pores and primes the skin as it goes. As with similar formulas, I feel that a primer underneath makes wear a lot heavier and less comfortable than it should be. Having said that, the little pamphlet that comes in the box recommends using their Perfect Canvas primer underneath… but then, it would… wouldn’t it? It’s also worth noting that the Liz Earle Signature Foundation provides no sun-protection as part of its formula – and I don’t know about you but I’m not a massive fan of: moisturiser, sun protection, primer, foundation, makeup. That’s TOO much product for an everyday face. Personally, I’d skip the primer unless you have a real problem with your makeup sliding off by lunchtime.

The foundation comes in nine shades, ranging from Porcelain (which I have), through to Mocha (which promises to suit medium-dark Asian skintones). It’s obviously not the full spectrum, so hopefully the brand are working on increasing the palette next year. I usually opt for the 2nd lightest shade in a range because I favour a hint of warmth to counteract the redness in my skintone but in this case, the 2nd lightest (Ivory) would definitely prove too dark for me. Something to think about as I know that some of you consider yourselves to be paler than me.

I’m not a huge fan of the scent in this foundation, it reminds me a little of my old Dior foundations but thankfully, it doesn’t linger once it’s on the skin. I know that other reviewers have commented that they like the scent, so again, this is just another example of how personal an experience choosing a new foundation can be.

Liz Earle Signature Foundation applies well with both fingers and a brush. I’ve never been able to use paddle-style foundation brushes with much success, so you’ll have to make do with my experience at using a buffing-style brush, which I think provides a lighter, more natural, coverage. I’d agree with the brand that the texture is lightweight, it also strikes a nice balance between dewy and matte, though it becomes more matte as it sets on the skin. Ideally, you’d have a normal/combination skintype for this one – very dry skins may find it a little too matte to be completely comfortable in this weather. I’m dry/combination and I can just about get away with it…

You can see that coverage is pretty good, I’d describe it as a solid medium, leaning toward the full but without the weightiness that full-coverage provides. If anyone tries to tell you that this is a sheer/medium formula – you need to ask yourself what brand of polyfilla they usually use on their faces because this is about as full as I’d want to go without classing it as a “night out” foundation.

I didn’t find the foundation getting pernickity about being layered either, it let me go back for another pass around the centre of my face (with half a pump) and didn’t start clumping or creating any skin dramas but at the same time, I wouldn’t call it a “buildable” foundation either.

Some skin swatches on the inside of my wrist… look how blue I am! I think the shade variation between 01 and 02 is quite a jump… especially when compared to the variation between 02 and 03 – definitely try and get colour matched on counter for this one because I have a feeling that you’ll suffer from oxidisation and potential patchiness if you go too dark.

The picture above is a jawline swatch, stupidly in reverse order – sorry about that. You see the big leap between 01 and 02?

Longevity on my skin was fine, even without a primer it felt as though it held up admirably throughout the day and kept my redness toned down until the middle of the evening. Ultimately, I’ve been pretty happy with Liz Earle’s new Signature Foundation but I think I would have been a tiny bit happier with a little less matte-ness (totally a word). But then again, if you’re oilier than me – you should be chomping at the bit to get yourselves colour-matched on counter.

Liz Earle Signature Foundation is available to buy on counter, and online, priced at £21 for 25ml

* press sample

I don’t have quite the owl fascination that I know many people share but I can’t fail to appreciate a pretty design when I see one and this owl-inspired eyeshadow set is sure to get many of you hooting (groan – sorry).

The eyeshadow palette from the M&S Limited Collection features five neutral shades, and one flash of bold colour in the form of a jewel-toned blue.  All shades are shimmery, but is it a case of style over content when it comes to usability and value for money?  Or should you be owl over it before it flies from the shelves? (sorry, SORRY!)

The packaging is lovely, a substantial cardboard design reminiscent of many popular palettes featuring some extremely cute owl motifs on the front.  There’s no obvious mention of M&S as a brand, the packaging alludes simply to the Limited Collection rather than the shop where you buy your comfiest knickers.

Under the lid sits a generous, distortion-free mirror and six eyeshadow pans, each featuring a cut-out owl design.  These cutouts prove to be a little tricky when it comes to accessing the eyeshadow and I imagine that the sharp edges will begin to look fairly worn shortly after the initial use.  The palette comes complete with a sponge applicator… an actual brush wouldn’t have gone amiss when you have six shades to work from.

The textures are quite hard and sadly, I achieved little to no pigment from the top left shade, which on paper, was easily my favourite.  Taupe anyone?  The other shades deliver better results, some only marginally.  Swatches coming right up…

As previously stated, the top left shade is no bueno – don’t buy the palette because you think you’ve fallen in love with a new pretty taupe, you’ll be disappointed.  The remaining two shades on the top row are also a bit of a let-down.  They’re patchy and unpigmented for such strong colours (the swatch shows two swipes for each) – workable, but they make you graft to get a result.

The bottom row, however, tells a different tale.  All three shadows sitting across the lower half of the palette are quite delightful.  Rich in colour, smooth to apply and softly shimmering without any chunks of glitter.  The highlighter on the bottom right in particular is a very pretty warm champagne which will open up the eye area beautifully.

Ultimately?  Unless you absolutely must have it because you’re batshit crazy about owls, you don’t need this palette.  The shades are infinitely dupable in better formulas on the high street and because of the underwhelming performance of those top three shades, it just doesn’t offer value for money.

If you are a bit of an owl-obsessive, who cares what the shadows are like because let’s face it – you’re probably just going to stroke the box anyway.

M&S Limited Collection Shadow is available to buy instore and online at M&S, priced at £7.50

* press sample

Contrary to popular belief (bloody blog name), I don’t much like lipgloss – I tolerate it because it’s so damn easy to apply and wear without any maintenance but I only wear it when I’ve got my hair tied back and even then, only in nude shades.  I’d like to tell you that this is the lipgloss that changed my entire opinion on the product genre, I mean… if any brand could do it, it would be a gloss that comes from the Kevyn Aucoin line right?

Wrong.  I still don’t like lipgloss, but don’t let that put me off telling you lipgloss lovers about a very pretty one from the U.S brand that has recently returned to our shores.

Lilium is a sparkle-packed nude pink which flashes silver reflects on the lips.  It’s packaged in a nicely-weighted, square tube with a wider-than-usual doefoot applicator and would look sleek in any makeup bag.  The formula is tacky but not super-sticky, though I still wouldn’t recommend you go out on a windy day without a pair of tweezers to pick off all the leaves/grit/small children that may become stuck to your face, it is still lipgloss afterall.

There’s no discernible scent and the product applies nicely without doing that jizz-lips thing.  Sorry, but you totally know what I’m talking about, lipgloss can look pretty rank when badly formulated or over-applied.  This one won’t leave you shame-faced.

It’s actually pretty hard-wearing for a gloss formula, the colour fades after a couple of hours but the pale reflects linger on to give some natural shine and depth to your lips in an illusory lip-plumping way.  My only caveat with this particular shade is that the sparkle does feel the tiniest bit gritty on the lips… it’s not uncomfortable, but I can feel something there if that makes sense.

Kevyn Aucoin The Lipgloss in Lilium is priced at £23 and available to buy instore and online at SpaceNK*

* who need their butts kicked for such an awful swatch on the shade – can you remember when there weren’t beauty blogs and all our online purchases had to be based on those little damn circles?!

** press sample

*** I bought the Sensual Skin Enhancer in another shade before my no-buy, I’m gonna make it love me.

Whilst my inbox is currently being inundated with bronzing solutions for the current heatwave, I’m slathering on the SPF (broad spectrum of course) and shading myself courtesy of the nearest tree.  Whilst bronzed skin is undoubtedly beautiful, it always makes me feel rather conspicuous.  I simply don’t tan naturally… not at all, my family enjoy a long-running joke that focuses on the fact that I went to Australia to live for a while and returned home paler.

I’d like to say that I’m one of those porcelain-skinned types, milky white with a lit-from-within glow… but I’m best described as blotchy pink/white with more than my fair share of orange freckles.  Throw in a few thread veins and Kate Winslet, I ain’t.  Praise the lord for foundation and highlighter.

St. Tropez Skin Illuminator in Rose* is a highlighter that is perfect for us blue-veined types.  Generously packaged in a 50ml tube, it’s a great solution for holiday packing… you know, those rare times (unless you live in Essex) when it’s practically illegal to have a greater clothes to bare skin ratio.  It effortlessly dispenses a pink-toned sheen to emphasise sharp collarbones, chiselled cheekbones and shapely shins!

Non-greasy and buildable, the St. Tropez Skin Illuminator in Rose has a slight fruity scent which dissipates quickly once on the skin.  The packaging is simplistic but hygenic and reflects what I consider to be a very reasonable price point.  For a full 50ml of product, you’ll pay only £12.26.

You can see that the sheen it imparts is definitely cool-toned, which is what makes it far more natural-looking for us cool-skinned paleys than the more usual summer offers from cosmetic companies.  The above photo shows two layers of product to ensure that the camera picked up on the swatch.  It feels light-weight on the skin but I wouldn’t recommend it as a luminizing all-over type highlighter, this is definitely more for spot-highlighting.  I’ve also found that the formula is happy to be applied over foundation, important to me because it’s nearly always something I forget to do until AFTER I’ve applied my blush!

St. Tropez Skin Illuminator in Rose is available to buy online from st-tropez.com and Boots.com (where it’s currently only £12 AND on a 3for2 across selected ‘summer products’).

* press sample

Fourteen days, that’s approximately 336 hours, or 20,160 minutes.  In other words, a fair amount of time.  In the world of long-lasting manicures, just what you do with that time is almost as important as the duration spent doing it.  For me, that time was spent typing, packing, cooking, swimming, running, playing at Butlins, and chasing ants in the dark.  I like to think that this manicure has been put through its paces over the last fortnight.  The question is, did it survive?

See for yourself…

I think that it’s coped fairly admirably no?  There is a small chip on my index finger but that was it for the tips… across the entire manicure – spending that extra time to ensure that I had capped all my nails really paid off in this instance.  Infact, you can see that most of the ‘damage’ actually comes from the other end of the nail bed where I’ll happily admit that I didn’t do quite so well at applying with the kind of precision one needs.

I suffered some pooling in the cuticles with the base coat and on a couple of nails this led to a small amount being cured over the cuticle so I wasn’t particularly surprised when I experienced a little bit of lifting after a few days in those areas.  What I was surprised at though is that despite the lifting, I was able to gently clip those areas off without causing any further damage to the manicure.  Most of what you see in the photo above is actually new growth at the base of the colour.

Now, whilst this is a glowing report so far, I do have one issue that I’d like to talk about… removal.

Damn, this stuff is a bitch to remove without damaging your nails.  I lightly buffed the surface of my nails firstly to remove the shine and create a penetrable layer for the remover to do its work before soaking pre-cut cotton pads in acetone remover (where acetone is the primary ingredient) and laying them down over the nails.  Wrapping the tips in foil, I gave it a full 10-12 minutes before sliding the foil tips off my fingers, expecting to see the gel slide off with them.  Uh, not a chance.  The surface had bubbled and warped and the edges had further lifted but it wasn’t giving up without a fight.  I ended up using an orange stick to (as gently as I could) scrape off the gel polish before buffing the surface of the nail to remove the residue.

My nails are definitely in worse condition post Sensationail but seemingly nothing that a hefty dose of almond oil (thanks Squarrell) can’t sort out – I’d say that they’re halfway back to feeling “normal” within a day of diligent oiling.

Hopefully that’s provided an indepth (enough) review for you from application, to pricing, to wear and finally removal.  I’d be really interested to find out what you think about the product in terms of value, I’m confident that it provides the kind of long-lasting, salon-quality manicure that we pay £20+ a time for – but despite knowing that, I’m curious if the initial price tag would still put you off?  I think that this is probably a great bit of kit for a group of friends to pool together and purchase, otherwise – you’ve got to be a very dedicated nailista – know any of those?

The Sensationail starter kit is available to buy online from Boots, priced at £85, additional shades are available at £15 each.  You can get more tips and tricks from the brand’s facebook and twitter pages.

All-in-one neutral palettes have never been more popular, they’re a quick solution to the eternal morning dilemma of eyeshadow selection when all you really want is an extra five-minutes in bed.  Stepping firmly on the bandwagon with their latest palette release is U.S. brand, Stila in the form of their In the Light eye shadow palette*.

A cardboard palette, lightweight and without a mirror makes this a slightly more portable (if flimsy) choice than the Urban Decay Naked franchise.  The palette contains 10 pans of colour, both a mix of shimmer and matte shades.  Each pan provides 1.4g of product, around the same quantity per pan as the Urban Decay offering, but two less pans in total.  The stock images that you will see online of the palette don’t reflect the true shades within, both bliss and sunset do not swatch pink as described in the official colours and shown in the stock photo.  All shades can be used both wet and dry.

The ten shades vary in pigmentation and texture, some feel quite soft and creamy whilst others are more firmly-textured and require building up to achieve rich colour.  None feel chalky and they all share excellent blendability.  There are four matte shades in total: Bare, Bliss, Sandstone and Ebony allowing you to create a fully matte look with a range of neutral shades if you so wish.

I like this option a lot… it allows me to create a fully matte eye look as my base before adding in a ‘pop’ of something more shimmery without going into disco territory.

The shades are mostly warm-toned with the exception of Night Sky and Luster.  Also included in the palette is a 0.28g black, retractable eye pencil (smudge stick) which provides rich colour with a smudgable but long-lasting formula.

A quick FOTD showing Bare, Bliss and Sandstone with a pop of the inimitable Kitten on the inner corner to brighten the eye area.  Kitten has long been one of Stila’s most cult shades, and I can see why, it’s a very pretty champagne highlight that opens up and lifts the eye area when used as a highlight.

The Stila In the Light eyeshadow palette is available to buy instore at SpaceNK, online at BeautyBay and Escentual.  It’s also available at Stila’s freshly-launched website: stila.co.uk – priced at £25.00

* press sample

In addition to the new long-wear cream shadows, and eye pencils which I talked about here, the Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara* is putting in an appearance and promising to deliver results that last for up to 16 hours.

It’s probably fair to say that when I think of long-lasting makeup, I’m not sure that I’ve ever cursed any of my mascaras for not lasting the course of a day?  Sure, some are more smudgy than others and then you have the ones that flake a little as the day goes on but I can’t remember ever looking in the mirror and thinking “awww crap, where’s me mascara gone?”.  Or maybe they just mean that it won’t flake or smudge… but then again, don’t they all promise that?

If you experience this kind of problem on a daily basis, then perhaps the Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara is your next dream come true?

The packaging is particularly sexy with a metallic-chocolate finish and sleek lines whilst the brush inside is teeny, tiny… and for me, its main USP.  This fabulous brush reaches every lash from the longest to the shortest.  The brush consistently pulls out the perfect amount of product and you can feel the packaging doing its job at sucking back in the excess as you pull the brush from the neck of the tube.  As a result, I can’t see this one drying out too quickly either.

You can see how narrow the brush is in the above photo, a really great shape for women with shorter, sparser lashes to define from root to tip.  I particularly like this mascara for my lower lashes, it separates nicely, fanning each one out without leaving clumps or excess product in its wake.  As for the top lashes, well… it’s not quite volumising, nor lengthening enough for me.  My lashes can take a hefty dose of product before they begin to look worse for wear and this doesn’t provide the lash-drama that I’m forever craving.

It does, however, provide a better-than-natural finish that you can build without too much protest.  As for longevity?  Yes, it lasts the day without smudging – well done.  I do see a couple of flakes if I apply more than two coats but nothing that I’d worry myself over.  Removal is easy with just warm water, though my cream cleanser (waterless cleansing) didn’t experience any issues with sweeping it away at the end of the day either.

Overall, I really recommend this mascara if you’re looking for a good, solid formula with a fabulous brush that helps create precision definition without missing a single lash.

Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara is available to buy on counter and online, priced at £18.00

* press sample

As the summer approaches, my thoughts turn to bullet-proofing my makeup to last the course of a hot, tiring day.  I don’t know about you but despite my dry skin, the first to make a dash for freedom is any and all makeup down the bridge of my nose.  Then my eyeliner melts into my tear ducts, developing into hugely attractive eye bogies before the last of my foundation gives up the ghost and literally puddles in the area where my nose meets my face (hello face).  If it’s really hot, my eyeliner will also strive for symmetry and create matching lines across my upper eyelid where the “hoods” rest gently on the lash-line.  It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

Bobbi Brown’s new Long-Wear Eye Collection promises to stay the distance without letting you down or showing you up.  The eye pencils from the new collection are richly-coloured and deeply-pigmented.  They’re creamy and have that soft, gel formula reminiscent of my beloved Avon Mega Impact/Supershock Gel Eyeliner (whatever they’re bleedin’ being called at the moment).

The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencils* are available in six shades: Jet, Mahogany, Black Navy, Black Plum, Hunter and Smoke, providing a colour option whatever your personal taste.  I really like an off-black range that carries the density of an inky black but without the harshness on maturing features.  Not that my features are maturing, shutup.

These pencils haven’t given me any trouble sharpening, the uber-softness of the Avon ones means that I do need to chill them in the fridge for half an hour prior to sharpening, total pain when you need a pencil stat.  I didn’t have to do this with the Bobbi Brown pencils.

Mahogany is swatched on the left, Smoke on the Right.  You can see the density of pigment is really quite impressive.  It’s a teeny bit less pigmented than the Avon offerings (which are insanely pigmented) but as I said earlier, they do provide a little more precision during application thanks to a firmer texture.

Here are the same swatches after scrubbing the back of my hand with soap and water for a good 30/40 seconds.  I was impressed that they didn’t smear or transfer as I swiped and rubbed.  You can see that the pigment has eroded in places but if you imagine that swatch as drawn across your lash-line, I think you’d be fairly happy to emerge from the swimming pool 3-hours later with that much still intact no?

Unfortunately, whilst I think these pencils are brilliant.  This is where the praise ends.

I’ve been comparing these all along to the Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner pencils (which don’t come in as many shades admittedly) simply because the Avon ones are my benchmark and indeed, my daily staples.  As I swatched both alongside one another, I expected the Bobbi Brown ones to outlast the Avon.  They don’t.  They wear identically both on the back of my hand and on my waterline, around 5 hours.

The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencils are priced at £17 each.  The Avon SuperShock Gel Eyeliner pencils are currently priced at £4 each.  And there’s the rub, I’m not going to recommend that you spend extra money needlessly… both are fabulous long-wearing, densely pigmented pencil liners.  The Avon ones are substantially cheaper.

The Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Eye Pencils are available to buy on counter and online from BobbiBrown.co.uk

* press samples

Finding the perfect mascara is much like finding the perfect killer heels.  You want something that makes your legs (lashes) look incredible without crippling the wearer.  Some mascaras sting, flake, smear, or generally flop halfway through the day.  The Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara* is a good choice for anyone who wants impressive lash scaffolding without too many side effects.

My lashes are naturally fairly curly and crave definition and impressive darkening to make the most of them.  Curling isn’t high on my list of priorities but even I could see how once this mascara sets, it holds a rock-solid shape throughout the day.

The brush is a curved affair, with a tapered tip to allow you to reach the tiniest of corner lashes.  It does offer good coverage with a single pass, which is just as well because the formula has a tendency to go a little spidery if you go back for too many coats.  I’d stick with two as a maximum.  The formula is a little wetter than some, so be aware of this when applying… I’m always a little heavy-handed which usually results in a couple of splodges of product on my eyelid when using wetter formulas.  Avoid this by removing any excess from the wand with a tissue, or wiping it against the edge of the tube opening.

The black is a true, inky black which coats my lashes evenly and offers great definition, curling and lengthening.  It also does well to volumise at the roots, but again… with the wetter formula, you do need to be precise here.  It’s a little bit ‘bitty’ as it builds, and these ‘bits’ will flake off throughout the day but it’s purely the excess which drops, so again, just take a little more care that you haven’t loaded your brush with too much product and you’ll avoid this.  Another issue is removal… you’ll need warm water to remove, so simply hold a wet flannel to your lashes momentarily and the formula will slide right off.  If you don’t?  This stuff is holding steady – making it a great choice for Summer holidays!  Basically, there’s a learning curve with this mascara that’s worth getting to grips with.

All in all, I think the Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara is a strong offering from the line.  It does what it says on the tube, and if you’re looking for supreme hold and curl with a long-lasting formula (albeit with a little work on your part to get the absolute best from it), you won’t go far wrong with this one.

Clinique High Impact Curling Mascara is available to buy on counter and online, priced at £16.00

* press sample