A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

One of the best beauty innovations in recent times was when bareMinerals finally made their sifters, lockable.  It was a game-changer… no more loose minerals floating around on the wrong side of the pot, no more having to poke selectively through the labels with a biro, exposing only a few sifter-holes at a time. Simply genius.

Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about the latest innovation coming from bareMinerals HQ.

The brand’s Limited Edition 15th Anniversary Mineral Veil Finishing Powder looks the damn business, let’s be honest.  It’s basically a cross between a gadget and a beauty-item and you can’t tell me that you beauty-loving souls don’t love a bit of gadgetry with your cosmetics, ‘cos I know you do!

The 8g of Mineral Veil powder is housed in one end of the revolving “clam shell”, while at the other… a soft brush dispenses the product onto your face, blurring imperfections and giving your skin a final gloss.  Now, whilst the product does all of those lovely things (I’m a long-time fan), unfortunately the limited edition dispenser doesn’t really add much to the experience.

First things first, it’s not refillable.  There seems to be some confusion online about whether or not you can top-up the contents once they’ve run out.  You can’t.  This is a one-off novelty purchase, and this irks me a little.  Ok, a lot.  What if I’d fallen in love with it only to discover that my product-lust was subject to a time-limit?

Secondly, it takes a lot of effort to get the powder to distribute through the brush evenly.  During normal use, you’d just dip your brush into the sifter to coat the tips with a fine layer of powder.  With this gadget, you’re working from the opposite end of those brush fibres and the powder needs to work its way down to the tips from the base.  The dispenser is only able to flow product from two holes at either end of the brush (shown above where the two pink “plugs” are located).

My experience over the last few weeks has shown that nine-times-out-of-ten, I just don’t get an even distribution of product across the brush head.  It’s not unusable but it’s definitely a step down from the usual application method.

Not to put an entire downer on the product, I truly can’t deny that it’s really convenient for travel and I haven’t discovered any spillages or leaks in my handbag.  The dispenser locks securely when not in use and it is a pretty neat solution for taking down the shine on a midday face.

Ultimately, it’s a great idea but it needs fine-tuning… I’d love to see this product return as a permanent (refillable) item after a little product development.

The bareMinerals Limited Edition 15th Anniversary Mineral Veil Finishing Powder will be available from next month instore in bareMinerals boutiques, on the website, and at Boots, priced at £22.00

* press sample

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Whenever I write a post or a review about a lipgloss, I start it off with the words: “I don’t like lipgloss”. This is an absolute. It cannot be changed.  I don’t like lipgloss, I think it’s a horrible lip-covering that puts me in mind of windy days/sticky lips scenarios…. lipgloss lips that create strands of gloop as the mouth opens and closes, you know what I’m talking about.

For you, as a reader, it means that when I do review a lipgloss… I’m reviewing it because it delivers something that makes it more interesting than your bog-standard tube o’ lip-jizz.

The BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie range… (btw, “marvelous/marvellous”.. you say tomayto, I say tomahto – obviously I’m right and you’re wrong) does deliver something in addition to the norm.  It packs a fair-to-middling amount of lip-plumping goodness in that little tube.  It’s not as good as the old crew mind… do you remember the old Pout Lip plumper that used to feel like you’d actually been punched in the face to achieve the trout pout of your dreams?  Those were the days…

Anyway, Marvelous Moxie contains enough peppermint oil to deliver that satisfying tingle and pleasing fullness to the lip-line.  As I’m getting a wee bit older, I’m appreciating things like this more readily.

The formula is fairly typical though thankfully, not too thick or heavy in texture on the lips.  It spreads nicely and the applicator allows for some precision without overloading the doe-foot tip.

Game Changer is a somewhat cool-toned red, quite dense in its opacity (for a gloss) and will layer up on your lips, building in pigmentation as you apply.  For me, I can’t bear more than a single swipe, so the photos below show just that.  The texture isn’t too bad… it’s tacky but not to the extreme, just enough to ensure some longevity during wear.

If I’m honest, I begrudgingly like it and I’ve reached for it a couple of times in recent weeks.  Usually when I want something to brighten my look without screaming “bold lips” in your face.  That’s not to say that I don’t inevitably end up wiping the back of my hand across my mouth after an hour… but still, I’m always tempted to reapply.

Excuse the fringe…

One coat delivers semi-sheer coverage that, on my pale lips, delivers a fairly impressive amount of pigment.  It’s enough to give a hint to my love of red on those days when I’m not quite feeling brave enough to go the whole hog.  Red lips for wimps?  Absolutely… but with the added benefit of some super-sexy shine and a plumped-up lipline.

Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in Game Changer is available to buy online from feelunique.com priced at £12.80

* press sample

“I have found men who didn’t know how to kiss. I’ve always found time to teach them.” – Mae West

Whatever you forget to do this morning, don’t forget to brush your teeth.  Twice.

You see, today is National Kissing Day.  The one day of the year where I think it’s practically legal to demand kisses and if you don’t get enough?  Stand your ground, stamp your feet and demand some more!  Failing that, take a look at some of the lovely things below that practically guarantee to make your pout as irresistible as a sugar-coated crumb on National Doughnut Day.

There is a national doughnut day right?

01: BareMinerals Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish (£18, bareminerals.co.uk)

Take your pick from a total of over 20 shades of lip-boosting gloss.  From the sheerest of pinks to the sparkliest of corals, the tingling formula of BareMinerals Buxom Big & Healthy Lip Polish will ensure a knee-trembling rush of blood to the hea pout.

02: LUSH Bubblegum Lip Scrub (£5.35, lush.co.uk)

Smells and tastes so damn good you’ll be hard-pressed to divert your attention away from this little pot of lip-smoothing scrubbiness.  But divert you must!  You have 24-hours to secure a lip-smacking partner, don’t delay.

03: Carmex Strawberry Moisturising Lip Balm (£2.55, asos.com)

With Wimbledon just around the corner, how could you resist this strawberry-scented offering from Carmex?  If it’s a slightly less tremendous tingle you’re after, this cult classic balm with leave you feeling suitably nourished and prepped for a good ol’ smooching session.

04: L’Occitane Rose Aurore Radiant Lip Gloss (£8, uk.loccitane.com)

If subtlety is more your thing, L’Occitane have got your back with their Rose Aurore Radiant Lip Gloss.  Adorn your lips with a pink, delicate shimmer and let your natural radiance shine through while the moisturising formula ensures you’re well nourished enough to still be in a lips-locked position this time next year!

05: Lipstick Queen 3 Piece Lip Nouveau Collection (£30.96, qvcuk.com)

When is just one lipstick not enough?  Always!  Have your cake and eat it with this collection of colour from Lipstick Queen.  A classic high-voltage red, a shimmering pink and a sheer deep crimson, this trio will see your lips looked-after from dawn-to-dusk, prepped for every occasion with a variety of texture.

One final piece of advice from the lip queen herself, Poppy King: “Most importantly, smile!  It has been suggested that simply smiling increases endorphins which are the most flattering thing for natural glow ever.”

Have a great day lip-lovers, whoever you may be smooching!

I remember the first time I visited the Bare Escentuals store in Covent Garden. It hadn’t been open very long and at the time, I think I referred to it as “the candy shop”.  You see, for a makeup lover, there’s something about being surrounded by so many mini pots of jewel-toned pigments that makes it quite easy to lose your sense of decorum.  I emerged from the store, so completely covered in swatches, it looked like I’d had my own private Holi festival.

Obviously, pigments and powders is where it all started with Bare Escentuals and when the brand announced a range of pressed-powder products, I was excited for the convenience that this brings, but also wary that the same kind of vibrancy and pigment quality wouldn’t, nay perhaps couldn’t translate itself so well from the confines of a pressed pan.

Well, I worried needlessly.

My first experience of the new(ish) BareMinerals READY Eyeshadows comes in the form of one of their quads: A List*.  On paper, it’s got my name written all over it, I’m a sucker for a purple-toned palette.  I’d heard about the “incredible” texture of the new READY eyeshadows and I had the highest of expectations as a result.

First thing to note about this particular eyeshadow quad is indeed, the texture which is truly buttery.  You can tell that this product comes from a brand who know their way around a pigment or two because the powders are so softly textured, they feel almost creamy.  There’s a hint of roughness to the purple shade (Swanky) but you have to expect that from the glitter particles.

You’d expect a buttery-textured eyeshadow would blend with ease, and in my opinion, they do.  Infact, above all else, I’d put weight on this being their best selling-point.  It’s not always easy to blend smooth gradients from shadow to shadow, getting that perfectly refined edge to soften to the point of invisibility is a well-honed skill, and anything that makes lighter work of it is a marvel.  On this score, the BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in A List, is, a marvel.

Where I think some of these palettes could do with a little work is with their combination of colours.  I feel that A List doesn’t quite give me the eye palette that I want to work with.  The highlighting shade (Icebreaker) is very pale, very shimmery, and very…. highlighter-y.  Unfortunately, I feel that the next shade up in the quad, the pink (Fashionably Late), is also playing the same role… albeit in a more vibrant way.

For definition, I need a solid crease colour, and unless I go black, my only option is the glittery Swanky.  The jump between Fashionably Late (on the lid) and Swanky (in the crease) is quite large and on my skintone at least, the palette is not quite there in terms of shade combining.  I would have liked to have seen these pink/violet hues without both extreme ends of the spectrum (white/black) incorporated in the 4-pan palette.  Perhaps something like The Dream Sequence is closer to what I’m looking for.

I had one other, minor, issue with the palette.  In the photo below, I’ve highlighted where one of the pans is raised above the level of the palette.  It’s not quite enough to cause any problems with the closure mechanism but… and perhaps I’m being a touch fussy… it’s not something I expect from a £29 (on counter) eyeshadow palette.  It looks untidy but is hopefully a one-off.  Really not interesting in a sponge-tipped applicator when I’m paying nearly £30 either.

These grumbles aside, I really can’t fault the colour payoff and texture of the included shades.  Black Tie Optional makes a great liner close to the lashline, or smoked out at the edges to deepen and intensify the overall look.  Both Icebreaker and Fashionably Late offer something a little more frosty but both will work as highlighters, although FL is a little saturated to blend too high up the browbone.  Swanky is a really nice purple that’s blue-enough not to deliver the bruised/consumptive look, the added sparkle is a nice touch.

BareMinerals READY Eyeshadow Quad in A List is available to buy online from beautybay.com, priced at a very reasonable £23.49

* press sample

** come back later today for a FOTD with the above palette

When we first moved into our new flat, I was all about painting chevrons on a feature wall and incorporating some graphic loveliness into our interior design.  Of course, it being our first home, we ended up taking more inspiration from the sale corner at Ikea than the distant reaches of my imagination.

This beautiful limited-edition set* from BareMinerals features New York designer Jonathon Adler’s signature aesthetic, I think we should all just take a moment to enjoy its prettiness.

There, doesn’t that feel better?

The Limited Edition Jonathan Adler for BareMinerals set contains an Original SPF15 Foundation in luxury size, a Handy Buki Brush, and collectible box.

The set is a Selfridges exclusive, available on counter and online now, priced at £50.00

* press sample

If you’re a regular reader of lipglossiping.com, you’ll know that I’m quite fond of the bareMinerals mineral foundations… I generally use them over a tinted moisturiser-esque base to achieve extra coverage without a heavy finish.  I find that the formula melts into my skin like no other powder, despite my dry skintype.  The only real issue I’ve ever had with the bareMinerals foundation is the fact that working with loose powders can be pretty messy.  Of course, there are also benefits: the main one being that you can generally achieve a lighter application when using powders in loose form… however…

bareMinerals have obviously come to the conclusion that they’re missing out on a major portion of the beauty-loving public’s coffers with things as they stand.  Over the past year, the brand have introduced many of their beloved products in pressed form.  And you know what?  Most reports have been complimentary.  I’ll hold my hands up and say that I was concerned that by making this shift in what seems like the brand’s USP would result in them dumbing down.  I expected eyeshadow pigments to become less impressive, formulas less… melty.  It appears (and I haven’t tried their eyeshadows myself yet) that I might be wrong.  Christine (from Temptalia), whose opinion I hold in high esteem, regularly includes her bareMineral READY eyeshadow compacts in her “top” lists of products.  And I have to admit, the swatches I’ve seen look plenty pigmented.

But… foundation?

Foundation is where the brand have really garnered legions of fans.  It’s a bold move.  I’m a little bit excited to be honest, I’m praying for the same formula.

It launched yesterday in the UK, time will tell… it’s available to buy online on www.qvcuk.com, currently priced at £20.00

This past week has been an absolute horror for trying to get some blog photos taken, I’ve had to push a table directly in-front of a huge window in an attempt to capture at least, some light. Apologies if the photos seem a little grainier than usual, that’s me whacking the ISO up higher than I would want to. But anyway…

I told you about Bare Minerals new range of concealers a couple of weeks ago, and featured one of those brightening under-eye type pens that add luminosity to the more shadowy areas of the face. I also told you how, on me, it didn’t make a difference… thanks, in part, to not actually having too much in the way of under-eye discoloration and shadows. Yay me!

However, what I lack in the way of under-eye circles, I totally make up for in redness. Across my cheeks and my nose. It’s not full-blown rosacea or anything as serious as that, I just like vodka too much. I’m kidding!! In my case, it’s just the curse of a celtic complexion and general diffused capilliarires under the surface of the skin. Nothing a bit of makeup doesn’t tone down… but will Bare Mineral’s latest correcting concealer do the job?

I’m gonna get the comparison out of the way… texture-wish, it’s similar to Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer, there’s a lot of slip in that there compact.  This makes it super-easy to apply with your fingers or a brush without dragging across your skin – perfect for under the eyes.  Another similarity is in the level of coverage, this provides very good, almost full coverage where it’s needed most and a little goes a long way.

It’s all good so far!

Colour-wise, this is Light 01, which is indeed pretty pale and cool-toned, the pink has a touch of peach to it in my opinion… bringing some great colour-correcting tones to the table.  Peach is great for concealing that bluish-grey hue that under-eye areas can often present.

You can see in the photo below that coverage is indeed, pretty impressive.  It all but cancels out the redness and gives me a more even complexion upon which I can apply my foundation.  Indeed, by the time my foundation had warmed upon my skin, there was literally no redness left.  My only negative with the Bare Minerals SPF20 Correcting Concealer is that despite its emollient texture, it clung a little to some flakes on my nose… flakes that I wouldn’t have even noticed before putting the product over them.  This is not a good thing, clearly.

Having said that, I think that I’m going to persevere and try some different application/prepping techniques.  The coverage is too good (whilst feeling so light) not to put some real effort into getting the very best from this product.  I can’t say how it would fare on oilier skin tones, but I would definitely recommend setting it after application if you are prone to watching your makeup slide off your face by lunchtime.

Bare Minerals SPF20 Correcting Concealer is available now, online and on counter – priced at £21 for 2g.

* press sample

BareMinerals have launched some new “retouching” products to their lineup of mineral-based cosmetics.  One of their latest introductions to the range is their Stroke of Light Eye Brightener which, to put it simply, is supposed to work in the same way as something like the legendary YSL Touche Eclat – it’s not a traditional concealer folks, it’s a brightener.  And years of disappointment (Y U NO CONCEAL?!) has led me to understand the importance this subtle nuance makes.

The Stroke of Light Eye Brighteners are available in 4 shades ranging from the very lightest – which I have here, through to a level 4… described as “luminous dark”, whether or not that’s dark enough to cover the full spectrum of skin-tones, I don’t know.  The packaging is a doe-foot style applicator in a simple tube – I always appreciate being able to see how much product I have left in the tube, so the unfussy design works for me.

The shade is a lovely match for my skintone and the formula feels very light indeed, with a lot of slip and a sheer consistency.  Don’t expect this thing to conceal darkness, blemishes, pigmentation or actually, anything at all.  You’ll be disappointed.  This is simply supposed to work as a luminosity-giver, delivering light into the shaded areas of your face that could do with ‘perking up’.  The main area, where most people use this type of brightener is under the eyes.  You apply directly from the doe-foot and then blend gently with your finger, ring-fingers are best – they apply less pressure and are less likely to blend the product into oblivion.

There’s not a huge amount of difference is there?  Infact, I’m struggling to see any.  Perhaps it’s because the photos were taken in such a well lit room (my dungeon was out of operation), perhaps it’s because I’m perfect and need no additional eye-brightening (unlikely), or perhaps the product simply doesn’t achieve anything.  The jury is out.  What I will say though is that for an under-eye product, it’s beautifully textured.  It sat on my skin without creasing or seeping into my fine lines and I feel that it gave the area some additional hydration.  Whether it’s supposed to actually do that, I’m not sure – but it felt almost skincare-y (totally a word) as opposed to makeup-y (also a word) when used in that delicate area.

BareMinerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener is priced at £22 and available on counter and online from bareminerals.co.uk

What say you?  Eye Brighteners… do they work for you or are they simply a case of the Emperor’s new pants?

* press sample

** I should point out that, in fairness, I don’t see a hella lot of difference with any eye-brightening products.

What is it?

Solid mineral cheek colour from the cult U.S. mineral makeup brand in shade The French Kiss, a watermelon pink.

How much is it?

£22.00

How much of our money goes to supporting PINK projects?

£5 from each sale will go directly to cancer charity Look Good Feel Better

How do I get it?

www.bareminerals.co.uk and on-counter.

Fall-out free and less fussy than their loose powder counterparts, these new blushers from BareMinerals pack plenty of pigmentation without any of the faff.  Available in a wide variety of shades, the packaging is both simple and sleek, NARS fans will be familiar with the rubberised finish that sadly doesn’t stay neat and tidy for very long.  The blush palette comes complete with a brush (more on that later) and a generously sized mirror.

I took delivery of shade The Confession, which looks alarmingly warm and dark in the pan but swatches a neutral/warm rose-wood shade that should flatter most complexions.  The texture is smooth and feels as finely-milled as you’d expect from a brand who excel in powder products.  The blush offers ample colour in a single sweep for those of us who are particularly pale and delivers great blendability with no patchiness.

Unusually, I like the brush that comes housed in the palette.  I only tried it after finding myself on holiday, short of brushes and it works very nicely!  It’s loosely packed to ensure you don’t go all Bozo on your face with a single sweep, the hairs are soft and fan out delicately to create a natural ‘shape’ for application across the cheek area.  It’s all I use to apply it now!

I do love a good matte blusher and this one works well with a variety of looks – you can see that despite its warmth, I paired it successfully with a cool eye in the above FOTD photo.  It’s a workhorse shade with a reliable formula – I recommend checking out the shades next time you’re near a BareMinerals counter and be sure to SWATCH – I would never have plumped for such a strong looking shade without seeing how it looked on the skin!

BareMinerals READY Blushers** are available to buy now on counter and online, priced at £22 each

* psst – they’re currently cheaper at beautybay.com and escentual.com (swatch first, buy later?!)

** press sample

Good morning, this is your captain speaking.

On behalf of my crew today, I’d like to welcome you aboard flight number L1P6L0551P1N6 from Heathrow to Antigua.  We are currently flying at an altitude of 35,000 Boots points midway across the Atlantic.  If you look out of the windows on the starboard side, you should get a great reflection for reapplying your lipsticks – alternatively, please await the cabin crew’s further instructions as we have a rather special purchase to show you today.

Virgin Atlantic have teamed up with bareMinerals to create a mile-high red lip that’s worth a swoon or two.  Upper Class Red* is taking off in style with the signature Pretty Amazing Lipcolor formula combining the coverage you’d expect from a lipstick with the high-shine of a gloss.  The scarlet shade is synonymous with the cabin crew’s glamourous image as seen in the airline’s latest advert.

Having been adopted as an official piece of uniform for the Virgin Atlantic cabin crew, you can imagine that this formula really needs to live up to the demands that will be placed upon it in a working environment and none is more important 35,000 feet up than longevity.  While not completely bullet-proof, the colour wears very evenly and transforms from an opaque, glossy covering to a pigmented stain after a couple of hours that lasts throughout the day.  I actually prefer the slightly more subdued stain to the pow-pow in your face-ness of this particular red.

The applicator has a flexible, rounded tip that helps to apply such a strong colour with the kind of precision required for the task.  The texture is thick and I’d suggest wiping any excess product back into the neck of the tube as a little will go a long way.  Once applied, the finish is super-shiny and I prefer to blot it once on a tissue to get rid of  that sticky gloss feeling without losing any of the incredible pigmentation.

To my eye it’s a warm-toned red… not enough to actually be classed as a “warm red”, but you should be able to see that it leans away from the cool end of the spectrum with my pinky colouring as a backdrop.

You can check-in (groan) with ‘Upper Class Red’ exclusively at Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse Spas before it’s made available for pre-order on board Virgin Atlantic flights.  Later in the year, it will become available to purchase from selected bareMinerals stockists.

If you can’t wait until then, check out some of the other Pretty Amazing LipColors available to purchase online at BeautyBay.com

* press sample

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of BareMinerals, infact not a day goes by without  a quick dust of their original foundation either as a “topper” to my liquid foundation – or during the Summer months – worn alone.  I love their little store in Covent Garden that I like to refer to as a “swatchers paradise” with some of the friendliest MUAs in the area.  If I’m honest, I find most of their ad campaigns a little twee (this one included) but they always make me take notice, and that means they’re doing their job right?

I thought I’d share their latest campaign with you — half of you will be dry heaving at the saccharine-sweet concept, the rest of you will be joining me by doing the same but with a certain degree of admiration!

Take a moment to watch this and you’ll see just what I mean…

Animal activists?  Non-profit business types?  Voracious readers?  Striving to be like your own children?

One half of me is completely inspired, the other half wants to throw my Full Flawless Face brush at the screen.  I can’t help it, I’m such a *girl*, I felt a bit goosebumpy at the end, maybe someone left the window open?  Yes, that must be it.

The final selection of faces, “blind-selected” for the campaign:

To read more about the campaign and the models selected to front it, check out the Bare Escentuals website.  What do you think: cute, nausea-inducing or a healthy bit of both?!