A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Just a quickie to show-off my lovely new Sugarpill loose eyeshadows (proper review and swatches coming VERY soon!)

Eyes:
Sugarpill Cosmetics in Starling on the lid and lower lashline (dry)
Sugarpill Cosmetics in Goldilux in the crease and inner corner (dry)

Cheeks:
NARS blush in Angelika

Lips:
Lanolips 101 Ointment
OCC Lip Tar in Pageant

Remember this post from last week?  (gawd, was that *only* last week?!)

A couple of you demanded requested swatches, and I do aim to please… (sometimes)…

Pink Icing/Devil’s Food:

L – R: Pink Icing (foiled), Pink Icing, Devil’s Food, Devil’s Food (foiled)

Bewitching Bronze:

L – R: Dry, Foiled – not a huge amount of difference there is there? Amazing pigmentation.

Fire Water:

Sorry, no pan shot (forgot!), check out the very top picture to see what it looks like.

L – R: Fire (Foiled), Fire, Water, Water (Foiled)

The Blue out of Fire Water is indeed beautiful, and the swatch does it justice… but it’s still too glittery and crumbly to be classed as anything other than a pain in the arse.

Here’s a quick EOTD with Pink Icing/Devil’s Food (my favourite):

Very simply: Pink Icing on the lid, Devil’s Food in the crease and foiled as a liner.

Sorry for the manky eyeball shot, hopefully you’re not eating or anything… I woulda shut my eye, but then you’d have had manky creasey eyelids to look at instead.

Thanks for all your recommendations on which other Laura Geller products I should have a look at, I’ve now got *quite* the shopping list!  Enablers, the bleedin’ lot of ya!

Here comes the older, more glam sister…

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin has been out in the US for over a year now, and I’ve been cooling my heels ever since I saw it pop up on Sephora many moons ago!

It promises all the benefits of the original UDPP with a little added pizazz.

They Say:

~ Use it alone; it’s a crease proof shadow!
~ Maximise it’s potential by using it as a highlighter, dab on brow bone, eye corners and cheeks for a radiant finish.
~ Sin works perfectly with any eye shadow and doesn’t show through, experience vibrant colour all day, with absolutely no creasing!

I received the sample of this last week and as a fan of the original, I was keen to see exactly why I’d want to purchase this one instead.

The new-fangled angled (I’m a poet) wand which promises to reach into each dark primer-potion filled corner of your tube.  I was initially sceptical about how putting an angle on the wand would *really* help, but having had a little play at ‘scooping’ from that very bottom jutting out bit, I think it might just work.  I don’t like how it makes the wand more difficult to remove from the tube though, I keep thinking it’s gonna ping primer at me as it pops free.

Swatched beside the original UDPP you can see that it’s a champagne cream with a metallic looking shimmer.  I instantly liked it… what with being a fan of metallic neutrals with a bit of shimmer n’all  😉

It’s quite heavily pigmented and the first thought that struck me was that it may do a better job at evening out skintone on pigmented eyelids better than the original.  I’m only speculating here as I don’t have a particular issue with red eyelids, but it makes a nice neutral base that sheers out well depending on how much you blend.

I really like this worn as a cream eyeshadow combined with a powder crease colour, as you would imagine, the staying power is rather marvellous.

The two primers blended out a little (not completely).

You can see that Sin retains it’s champagne shimmer whilst the original UDPP is well on it’s way to blending invisibly.

I’m an idiot and forgot to take a photo demonstrating how the same eye shadow looked applied over both primers.  I promise I’ll do it before the week is out and just pop up a quick comparison post.  Basically, if you’re applying a shadow over UDPP Sin… it ups the shimmer.  I <3 it, but it’s important to see as it may put you off completely.

I find that staying power for eyeshadows applied ontop is pretty equal for both primers, if there is a difference, it’s not discernible to me.  Blendability is still hard work over Sin and I’m a bit disappointed about that as it’s the only thing I really would have loved to see changed about the original UDPP.

D’yanowot… I’m on the fence about it with regards to my original question: “Why would I purchase this one over the original?”

Don’t get me wrong… I  really like it, there’s nothing for me not to like.  I like neutral, I like shimmer…

Might I sometimes want some of my shimmer eyeshadows even more shimmery… Possibly!

Do I want all my eyeshadows turned a bit shimmery by using it?  Probably not…

Do I want a lovely champagne cream eyeshadow practically guaranteed not to budge in the summer? Yes please!

Would I purchase?  I dunno!  Stop asking me hard questions!!  What say you?

Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin is due out next month, priced at £11.50.

…I’m cultivating it gently… I don’t want to go all out and mega haul, I’m dipping my toe 1 product at a time.  eBay, QVC, my mother’s makeup collection… nowhere is safe.

Oh hai Laura Geller!

I’m loving your baked goodness!  I’m the happy owner of the above 3 Laura Geller eye products.

L-R: Pink Icing/Devil’s Food Duo, Bewitching Bronze, Eye Rimz Fire Water.

Out of the three, the pink icing duo is my favourite… it’s the most beautiful combo for a neutral eye.

Bewitching Bronze is lovely too but I’m slightly disappointed with the Eye Rimz, as it’s mostly glitter that doesn’t stick too well either as a shadow or a liner.  It’s a gorgeous colour though.

All Laura Geller baked shadows can be used wet or dry, so they’re pretty darn versatile.

Laura Geller are a brand I don’t hear too much about.  The fact that it’s stocked exclusively by QVC in the UK may have something to do with it, rendering it fairly inaccessible.  I’m looking forward to continuing my exploration into the brand.

Are you a Laura Geller fan?  Anything I *must* try?

I was recently sent two products from Sleek Makeup‘s range, focusing on a couple of shades that are suited to this year’s Spring trend.

On the left we have the Dip It in Pastel Green and on the right, an Eye Dust in Livid Lilac.

I’m a beauty addict with eclectic tastes and try not to discriminate based on price or accessibility of products.  So, I approach this review with a fully open mind.  Even when I held the Dip It pot in my fingers, twirling it…. marvelling at how incredibly cheap Sleek had managed to make it look.

The eye dust packaging doesn’t fare much better.  I mean, they’re both obviously plastic, but they’re SO lightweight I’m surprised that they’re not defying the rules of gravity.

Having said that, I ultimately only really care about how it looks if I’m gonna be seen in public with it (shallow soul that I am), how about the actual contents?

How ABOUT those contents…

Well, there they are.  In all their ‘spilled across my new desk cos the sifter fell out when I tapped the bottom of the pot’ glory.  You can only imagine how much I was loving that purple Eye Dust at this point.

When I grumbled about my little dust-spilling incident on Twitter, it turned out that I wasn’t the only one who had nearly ended up with a lapful of Livid Lilac.  Something for Sleek Makeup to investigate perhaps?

Anyway, the colour is pretty… it’s more vivid in the pot than it is swatched, a good thing seeing as it’s called ‘Livid Lilac’ afterall and looks thoroughly ‘Royal Purple’ in the container.

The top swatch shows the Dip It liner in Pastel Green.  It’s an opaque mint, and really does look like a fabulous shade for Spring.  Livid Lilac is far softer once swatched (dry) and slightly metallic.  I was really impressed with the choices for this season’s shades.

Application of the Dip It was a bit tricky.  The wand and narrow tip allowed for a precise sweep across the eye lid, but as I was drawing the line, I found that the applicator dragged at the pigmentation leaving the line of colour less pigmented in the centre than at the edges.  To be fair, nothing that a second coat didn’t remedy.  The liner dried almost instantly without transferring to the hooded part of my eyelids.

I had no issues applying the Eye Dust, it blended smoothly and the colour depth was nicely buildable.

Here’s a FOTD, don’t laugh… the shades are a bit bright for me, but I enjoyed playing!

Unfortunately, that’s where the fun ended, 20 minutes later, I looked in the mirror and saw that the eyeliner had begun to flake…

Bits of Dip It kept getting caught in my eyelashes, so I ended up using an eyeshadow brush to work back and forward until I’d dislodged all the flakes.  I wasn’t left with much.

Fast forward to bed-time and my cleansing routine.  I cleansed with my ever faithful cleansing oil and a blob of Cetaphil to finish, towelled my face dry and then shrieked at the mirror when I saw a matching pair of pink-dyed eyelids looking back at me.  I would have photographed them for the comedy value, but it was kinda late and I’m kinda lazy so you’ll just have to use your imagination instead.

On the plus side, it showed that my sense of symmetry has improved.  Those dyed patches were perfect.

Overall, I was disappointed at the quality of the 2 products I was sent by Sleek Makeup which is a shame, because in the past I’ve been mostly impressed (how ’bout them 12 pan palettes eh?).

Sleek Makeup products are available from selected Superdrug stores, the Eye Dusts and Dip Its both retail for £2.99 each.

Earlier in the week, I posted a Day Look with the new Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland Palette.

Here’s my “Evening Look” to complete the set.

Apologies for the graininess in the shadows of the image, it looks like I have the beginning of a green-tinged beard.  My flash kept crapping out on me ‘cos I was too lazy to find a new set of rechargeables, so it was pretty underexposed and then lightened when I edited it.  And that’s never a good combo.

Anyway – crap photography excused…

All shades blended like a dream.

Can you see spot any great evening combos in the palette?

I’ve never claimed to be particularly artful in my makeup application… my ‘skillz’ leave a lot to be desired, but I won’t feel like I’ve “done Alice to death” until I’ve posted a day and an evening look using the palette.

It’s also a little more intimidating now I appear to have picked up a fresh swathe of followers along the way – Hello! *waves*…  I promise it looked slightly more blended in real life than it does in the picture.

This was…

It’s a bit Autumnal but I liked it!

Have you spotted any great daytime combinations you’re itching to try out?

This is Part 1 of a 3 Part UD Alice Extravaganza!  Click here for Part 2 and Part 3!

After my not so subtle hint-dropping yesterday, I’m sure that most of you have figured out that I took delivery of Urban Decay’s heavily anticipated Alice in Wonderland Palette (yay!).

I’m feeling priviledged to have been chosen to ‘unveil’ this to you wonderful UK beauty addicts as only one sample box was released to the UK blogging community.  Forgive me just a teeny bit of smugness, but if it gets too much, feel free to slap me.  I’d do the same to you.

Anyway… I’m going to break the ‘unveiling’ into 3 posts… I’m not falsely modest and know that photos are what I do best.  So you can expect each post to be picture heavy (which I am hoping, is a good thing).  This first post will focus on that wonderful pop-up scene.  The artistry that’s gone into the palette is breathtaking and a large part of the overall appeal for many of us.

So, without further ado (or let’s be frank… rambling)… I bring you, Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows.

Open the palette to reveal a pop-up scene of Alice in the mushroom forest. Her “drink me” bottle discarded, she staggers past towering mushrooms, only to cross paths with a very peculiar, hookah-smoking caterpillar. A large mirror rests behind the scene – you feel as if you are transported into the film itself.

The Alice in Wonderland palette is due to be released in the UK on the 22nd February online with a store-wide release set for the 28th February.  It will be a Debenhams exclusive.

The gothic whimsy of the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie is inspiring both audiences and brands alike.

It has now been confirmed that Urban Decay’s Alice in Wonderland palette will be released on the 22nd of February online in the UK at Debenhams.com, followed by an instore release on the 28th February.  It has also been confirmed that the UK price of the palette will be £28.

Interesting news hot from The States is that after much speculation, Urban Decay have thankfully released a name check for the renamed Alice-inspired shades.  So keep reading to see how many colours may be duplicates in your collection.

The Shades…

Underland – Flash
Alice – Painkiller
Oraculum – Baked
Queen – Last Call
Chessur – Chopper
White Rabbit – Polyester Bride
Wonderland – Maui Wowie
Curiouser – Grifter
Muchness – X
Mushroom – Mushroom
Midnight Tea Party – Midnight Cowboy Rides Again (dear god..)
Vorpal – S&M
Absolem – Homegrown
Drink Me. Eat Me – Sin
Mad Hatter – Twice Baked
Jabberwocky – Oil Slick

Because I’m such a geek dedicated to the cause, I’ve been googling Urban Decay’s back catalogue and can tell you what you would duplicate if you already own…

Ammo – Oil Slick, Last Call, Chopper, Maui Wowie, Polyester Bride, Grifter, Sin (7 dupes)
Sustainable – Grifter, Twice Baked, MCRA, Flash, Oil Slick (5 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol II – Mushroom, Twice Baked, MCRA, Homegrown (4 dupes)
Skull – MCRA, Grifter, Chopper, Twice Baked (4 dupes)
Book of Shadows Vol I – Last Call, Grifter, Baked (3 dupes)
Get Baked – Twice Baked, Baked (2 dupes)
Show Pony – Flash, Painkiller (2 dupes)
Wallpaper – Last Call, Chopper (2 dupes)
Arsenal – MCRA (1 dupe)
Face Case – Polyester Bride (1 dupe)
Foreshadow – Oil Slick (1 dupe)
Deluxe Shadow Box – No Dupes (0 dupes)

Have I missed any out? Probably…

Hopefully this is useful to you lovely lot, it means that this palette promises me 7 brand new shades to add to my collection.

I’m not too disappointed with that and that adorable packaging is cute enough that I would have probably talked myself into owning this purely as a “collector’s piece” anyway (or at least until Mr. L snatched the debit card out of my hand).

What say you?

How many of those shades do you already own?

Back in December, I went a little Dior crazy.  I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t eat… (stop laughing)

Anyway!  I was a woman possessed obsessed with the Dior Cristal Boreal Holiday Collection and when I picked up a few pieces, a couple more shadows from the new One Couleur Extreme range fell into my hot sweaty hands too.

Left to Right on the top row: Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Flash Black, Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Silver Gem (LE), Dior One Couleur Extreme Eye Shadow in Trendy Taupe.

Flash Black: A true black infused with silver sparkle… this is such a great base for a wonderful smoky eye.

Silver Gem (LE) – This is a limited edition silver from the Cristal Boreal Holiday 2009 Collection… this is the shadow that I first swatched on counter that made me loopy for the collection.  It’s a pretty darn opaque silver with a buttery finish.

Trendy Taupe – A teeny bit disappointing because it’s so dark on me, I wanted more of a midtone shade for the lid and this fairly pigmented shade doesn’t quite fit the bill.

The cast of characters… You can see the sparkle of Flash Black (left), the opaqueness of Silver Gem (middle) and the deep tones of Trendy Taupe (right).

I think that concludes my pre-Christmas Dior haul…. now to find a new obsession for Spring/Summer… What’s on your radar?

My latest NYX eye shadow acquisitions for your viewing pleasure!

Sparkle Cedar is a weird one, it really is as ‘gritty’ as it appears in the photo.  It’s the only disappointment in the bunch though.

These are such great value for money, but I’m a bit NYX’ed out now and can’t decide if I want any more…  Have you made any NYX purchases recently?  Re-inspire me to buy some more!

Obviously, this has been out aaaaaages… but ever since I saw the swatches on Jojoba’s blog last month, I’ve been lemming it like a woman possessed.

Since Sephora doesn’t ship to the UK, I have no US friends and I’m not keen on paying £40 on eBay, I’ll just have to suck it up and continue to cry myself to sleep thinking about it until like the beautiful LE item it is, it disappears from my sights forever…

A January essential? Most definitely *sigh*

If you have it, tell me how much you love it!