A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I was on the lookout for a true peach blush but I couldn’t decide whether I wanted matte or shimmer…. I do love my shimmers but it’s mattes that consistently give me the best results on my skin.

I was walking round John Lewis a couple of weeks ago checking out all the peaches at ALL the counters (I don’t do brand discrimination when I’m on a hunt) and my eyes alighted on this little number:

I don’t actually own a Dior blush… so I wasn’t really sure what to expect.  I find Dior can sometimes be a little hit and miss in terms of texture and pigment but on my pale skin, a slightly less pigmented blush can work just as well if not better.

I took the plunge!

Check it out!  Matte on the left, shimmer on the right – you CAN have your cake and eat it too!

The shimmer side is very finely milled and adds a touch of glow to the long-lasting and overall matte appearance.  It’s a great combination for shimmer/matte fence-sitters like me!  The strange thing about this blush is that although it looks scarily peach in the pan (I did have a little wobble after buying it because of this)… it actually ends up looking pretty pinky/peach on my cheeks.  Which in fairness, is probably for the best.

(A terrible patchy swatch, I’m sorry… it looks quite ruddy here.  I’ll do a FOTD when bruises have gone)

I only need to pull my brush across the surface once to pick up enough product and I do notice a little bit of excess powder lift on the pan (what’s the term for that? – when you have to blow on the pan after to get rid of the excess powder?) but it applies smoothly and blends nicely.  I really don’t have any complaints about this blush at all.  Apart from perhaps the price… but I didn’t go to the Dior counter expecting to get a Sleek bargain now did I?

I paid £27.50 for this and am truly delighted to have done so… more DiorBlush! More!

Available online and on counter, do you ladies have any other shades that you’d recommend a hopeless addict?

I couldn’t resist picking up the Paul & Joe Creamy Cheek Powder in 01 – Marionette last week in the ASOS sale… it was down from £18 to £11 – steal!

This post is a bit picture heavy… simply because it’s so pretty and I got my new camera and I couldn’t stop snapping.

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If matte orange lips for Spring isn’t your kinda thing… how about some coral for Autumn?

These new inclusions from New CID Cosmetics… I could handle nicely!  It’s that guava-y coral that usually works well on both warm and cool skintones!

Perhaps a touch summery, but the general consensus last week was that we don’t *really* go in for all that trend stuff anyway…

They say…

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New CID i – glow in Coral Crush (£23.50) offers a perfect ‘pick me up’ for dull and tired skin. The beautiful marbleised baked powders offer an easy, silky smooth application, while the light reflective pigments mimic the skin’s natural radiance. Build up the shade to use as a blusher or sweep across the face and décolletage for a beautiful warm glow.

New CID i – gloss in Coral Candy (£15.50) is the perfect companion to keep some sunshine in your life. This pretty shade is suitable for all, creating high-glam shine that really lasts. Featuring built-in lights and mirror for easy on-the-go application, you won’t be fading into the darkness this season!

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I’m wondering if the i-glow is a more wearable version MAC Stereo Rose for cool, pale skintones.  Any thoughts on New CID’s i-glow range?

On an unrelated note, I’m positively itching for my new camera to arrive (hopefully tomorrow!)… hurry up!

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.

One of my purchases from last week includes an addition to my steadily growing Illamasqua Cream Blush family!

Illasmasqua Cream Blusher in Laid is a beautiful pink that leans toward the berry family… cool toned… almost raspberry-ish.

I love the Illamasqua Cream Blush formula…. it’s all melty, thin and beautifully blendable.  It never clumps or drags on application and despite being heavily pigmented, it’s forgiving in clumsy hands like mine.

I have VexInTheCity to thank for this purchase… I’m such a sheep.  She bought one and I didn’t want to be left out.   You’re not supposed to covet thy neighbours blushes are you?  Or something like that….

On the left is 2 swipes and on the right shows the blush blended.  What other Illamasqua Cream Blushers do you guys recommend?  I already have Sob and Rude…

Oh.. one last thing!  These blushes last SO well on me considering their cream formula… easily 6-8 hours before showing signs of fading.  Though I will say that this is on normal/combo skin.

Illamasqua Cream Blush in Laid is priced at £16 and available from counters nationwide or online.

I was gonna incorporate the Clarins Instant Blush I was sent into a feature on ‘colour-changing’ cosmetics… but then I tried it and decided that it deserved a post on it’s own.  It’s pretty close to blush heaven.

I don’t generally associate Clarins with innovation (sorry Clarins!), but it’s one of those brands that sits over there in that ‘safe’ category of cosmetics.  Maybe it’s the counter staff… in their red & white ensembles, makes me think of Butlins or something.  Either way… the Clarins counter is generally one I don’t spend too long browsing.

The new Clarins Instant Blush is a cream/gel formula that promises to adjust itself to your skintone upon application.  I’m not sure about all these colour changing products… In theory I love the idea!  But I dislike gimmicks with no substance.

I’m feeling particularly sore about these type of products since I swatched the new Bourjois Rose Exclusif onto a piece of paper the day before yesterday and watched it change into the exact same shade it develops on my lips… I’ve gone all skeptical.  That stuff is supposed to give you a unique shade dependant on personal PH levels blah blah blah.  Apparently, I’m as unique as a sheet of A4.  Great.

But back to this (somebody slap me if I go off on a tangent again)…

In fairness, the Clarins Instant Blush doesn’t claim anything about unique shades and PH levels… I think the premise is that it’s just gonna deepen and build intensity when it comes into contact with your skin.

I adore the texture of this product.  It’s a gel/cream… quite thin and vaseline-esque.  It has a lot of slip which makes for easy blending… but being so thin, it’s controllable.  I still have the whole Aunt Sally issue with blush going on, so for me…  the more control the better.

How beautiful is that pink?  Seriously?  The blurb on the website advises that the single shade is suitable for all complexions… it’s totally buildable and the intensity will deepen depending on the number of layers you apply.  On me, it’s quite a cool-toned pink… will it be a slightly different hued pink on olive tones? *shrugs* If you swatch of buy, I’d be really interested to know!

The blush contains some small sparkle… too fine to be glittery and too sparse to be shimmery.  I’m not really sure if the sparkle does much other than look pretty in the pot.

I apply this with my fingers, dotting over the apple of my cheeks and blending backward towards my temples.  The colour builds as soon as you apply, so there’s no guessing games as to what shade you’re gonna achieve ten minutes later.

My one caveat is that it remains quite tacky to the touch for a short while.  It does eventually set… but it’s not immediate.  Having said that, I’ve powdered over it whilst it’s still tacky with no clumping or issues from doing so.  Staying power on my normal/combo skin is great – I didn’t feel the need to reapply on my cheeks until the evening when I was going out.

In the above picture, I’ve also slicked a small amount onto my lips.  I adore this as a lip tint because of the texture.  It’s so thin that it really feels as though my lips are bare.  I hate gloopy lips.  My lips needed another coat by lunchtime to bring the colour back.

All in all, it’s a wonderful multi-tasker in a pretty, pretty pink hue.

Clarins Instant Blush is priced at £16.50 and available on counter or online at Clarins website.

After my disappointment with The Body Shop’s new eyeshadows, I was happy to discover just how wonderful the new Baked to Last blushers are!

Available in 2 shades: Petal (cool pink) and Coral (duh coral!)

Weighing in at 5g and costing £12 each, these can’t be described as high street bargain buys.  But, I guess you’re getting your highlighter thrown in too… and the price in this case justifies how great they look once applied.

Some swatches…

When both shades are swirled together, this cool-toned pink blush takes on a slightly more neutral yellow-pink hue.    I can see this being flattering on most skintones.

The coral is hot right?  A bit scary looking even?  Used with a light hand this gives a pretty warm flush to my cheeks, subtle but buildable to quite a bright coral (as you can see!):

Staying power on these is average, and despite being seemingly infused with sparkles, they stop short of making your cheeks look too glittery or metallic.  A great choice for everyday wear.  I’m particularly loving wearing these in conjunction with the new bronzers (well, one of them).  Review of those to follow.

If you had to, which would you go for?  Petal or Coral?

Illamasqua Sob is one of my favourite blushes… the creme texture is a delight and practically blends itself.  The colour is a cool, frivolous candy pink and once on, it doesn’t budge.  Not even in this heat!

Too hot for much makeup…

Face
Bare Escentuals Mineral Foundation in Fairly Light
Illamasqua Cream Blush in Sob

Eyes
MUFE Aqua Eyes Pencil in Black
Bourjois 1001 Cils Mascara in Black

Lips
Guerlain Kiss Kiss Maxi Shine in Lychee Shine

I thought it might be useful if I did this post ahead of the upcoming MAC In The Groove Collection which is due for release on the 1st July.

The rather lovely Karleigh wanted a shot of my pale arse wearing it. Well, not my ‘arse’… that would be enough to send global MAC sales plummeting. I mean… oh, you know what I mean.

Anyway, I’m gonna show you my FOTD and then I’m gonna link you to one of my fav bloggers who’s got a fabulous shot showing the shimmer far better than I was able to… so read on!

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Here’s my other recent purchase, I’m currently hiding the invoice email in a folder I never venture into.  Out of sight out of mind right?

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose (£29.50)  is a much cooler toned blush/highlight.  It’s slightly less pigmented than Nectar and also a touch more metallic (though equally beautiful).

The white shade is opalescent… it has that pearly pink thing going on, very pretty!

I’m still working out how best to wear these, if you have any tips or blush combinations that work for you… be sure to let me know!

I paid £16 for my Rose Shimmer Brick (unboxed) from StrawberryNET.

My StrawberryNet order arrived on Saturday, super fast shipping from Hong Kong… incredibly fast actually, took about 2 days.

Anyway, here’s my first Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick…

Nectar…

Isn’t she lovely?

I’m pale enough to pull this one off as a blush if I wanted… it might be a bit frosty for that, I think it’s a product I need to experiment with before I work out how best to put it to use.

The texture is pretty smooth and the shimmer although very obvious, isn’t too chunky.  I’m pleased with my £16 bargain!

Next on my ‘play with’ list is Rose – can you see me?  I’m doing a happy makeup dance!

No, really…

Unboxed Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Nectar and Rose for £16 each with free postage?

I’ll take both thanks.

Rose

Nectar

Let me know if you indulge, who needs boxes anyway?