A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

This year, China Glaze’s Fall release includes one of the prettiest polishes I’ve seen in a very long time.  Choo-Choo Choose You, from the All Aboard collection, is an absolute stunner and one that I’d gleefully describe as a “must-have” this Autumn.

To my eyes, the base shade is a dusky violet/taupe, China Glaze describe it as a purple/grey smoky shimmer but I can’t pick up the grey in it at all.  Regardless of the base shade, China Glaze do it a dis-service with such a mediocre description, talk about underplaying its depth and chameleon-qualities!

Choo-Choo Choose You is packed with a myriad of colour-changing shimmer.  The polish duochromes from base to tip, in some lights it looks quite olive-y, in others… almost coppery.  It’s quite, quite, beautiful!

Thanks to the guys at @nailpolish_uk, I have three bottles of this lovely polish to giveaway to you fantastic lot!  If you’d like to get your hands on one… please enter via RaffleCopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 16th September 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 20th September 2014
3. There is one prize to be won, a bottle of China Glaze Choo-Choo Choose You (worth £4.95 each). No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open to UK residents only.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. Three winners will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

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Want to really spoil Mum this Mother’s Day?  Or perhaps you just want to spoil yourself?  It’s ok… I won’t judge… there are plenty of others who will happily do that for me!

Either way, if you’re in the mood for a truly wonderful giveaway, look sharp because beauty emporium Escentual have kindly provided today’s prize!

And what a prize it is…

Givenchy’s latest fragrant release: Very Irresistible L’eau en Rose takes the lead from the much-loved original Very Irresistible and gives it a fresh, Spring 2014 look with a sublime coral jus and soft fruity, floral accents that pay homage to the Mother of all flowers, the Rose.  Described as a universal fragrance, one that can be enjoyed by all ages and at any time of the year, it will make an absolutely perfect gift for a lucky someone in your life.

Want to win a bottle?

To enter the competition, simply leave a comment and tell me which men’s Marc Jacob’s fragrance is likely to give you the most “___” for your buck?       (need a clue?: click here)

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 18th March 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 25th March 2014
3. Winner will receive 1x bottle of Givenchy L’eau en Rose. No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform & dispatch the winner’s prize.
7. One winners will be selected at random from all correct entries received.
8. Winner will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

COMPETITION NOW CLOSED!

WINNER IS: “IZABELLA” (COMMENT #96045) – WINNER HAS BEEN EMAILED!

It’s still January, the MET office have just issued yet another weather warning for the South and South East of England. I think it mentions the word rain, why are we not entirely surprised?  Have you been paid yet?  I haven’t… although I did finally get around to filing my pesky tax returns with more than the usual 24hrs to spare… maybe I’m getting more organised in my old age?

I spent last weekend clicking through holiday websites and drooling over far-off climes on Pinterest.  I think this means that I’m long overdue a little getaway, no?  Problem being that next month I’ll need a doctor’s note to allow me to fly… and ain’t no-one got time for that.  Plus, Mr. L is convinced that were we to jump on a plane for a last-minute escape to somewhere gorgeous, the baby will use this as a cue to put in an early arrival and we’ll all be stranded.  Ah, ever the optimist.

With all this in mind, and the fact that it’s a bloody horrible Wednesday anyway.  Here, have a little treat from me to you.

The prize includes three fabulous products, from three fabulous brands and is worth over £75!  If these three don’t inject your days with some get-up-and-glow, then there’s no hope for you!

Urban Decay Baked Bronzer in Baked (worth £22)
New CID i-glow Compact Shimmer Powder in Sirocco (worth £24)
Arbonne Sheer Glow Highlighter (worth £31)

To be in with a chance of winning this treat, all you need to do is leave a comment telling me your secret to achieving a good glow!  It may be naughty, it may be nice… but let’s send January off with a bang and welcome a more illuminating February!

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 29th January 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 5th February 2014
3. Winner will receive 1x Urban Decay Baked Bronzer in Baked, 1x New CID Cosmetics i-glow in Sirocco and 1x Arbonne Sheer Glow Highlighter. No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. One winner will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

if you liked this post, don’t forget to check out my subscriber options, here

I don’t know about you, but I woke up this morning with a distinct “Hello Monday morning, I’ve been expecting you…” kinda feeling.  Maybe it’s because today is officially the “bluest day of the year”… maybe it’s because I’m dragging my heels over doing the last bit of my tax return and you know… tick-tock.  Or maybe it’s just because I looked out of the window and saw a sheet of ice about an inch-thick covering the car just before the realisation that I forgot to buy de-icer this weekend.

Whatever the reason, I feel that it’s my mission in life (today, at least) to spread a little joy.

And what could be more joyful than the opportunity to win a brilliant brush set from The Body Shop?  Nothing!  You see, these brushes are a makeup bag staple for any ladies getting serious about makeup.  I cut my teeth on The Body Shop brushes… their softy-synthetic loveliness is gentle on the face and kind to the bunnies.  They’re well-cut, solidly constructed, hard-wearing, and give a beautifully-polished finish day after day.

To make buying a little easier, the UK brand has recently released a trio of Brush Collections (Essential, Expert, and Ultimate) which take the effort out of trying to decide which brushes to add to your arsenal and today, I’m giving away one set of The Expert Brush Collection.

The set includes:

Eyeshadow Brush
Lipstick & Concealer Brush
Blusher Brush
Foundation Brush
Face & Body Brush

Basically everything you’d need to create a full face of beautifully-applied makeup!  The set retails at £30 online, but is worth a staggering £58 were you to buy each brush individually!

To enter the competition and stand a chance at getting your hands on the brush set, simply leave a comment below, telling me a silly joke.  Go on, let’s have a bit of cheer among the misery of Blue Monday!

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 20th January 2014
2. Closing date for this competition is 27th January 2014
3. Winners will receive 1x The Body Shop Expert Brush Collection (worth £30). No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. One winner will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

Like sparkle?  Like Instagram?

If so, keep reading because I’ve got a great flash giveaway happening over on my Instagram page.

Face Lace, creators of beautifully-crafted, ready-to-wear makeup designs have produced a stunning crystallized mask in time for Christmas.  Crystallised Beauroque (worth £25.79) is a one-of-a-kind extravagance that will ensure you turn all the heads at your Christmas and New Year’s Eve parties.  Not only that, but as a limited edition piece of only 150, you can be sure that you won’t be playing matchy-matchy with any of the other partygoers.

Want to win it?

Simply upload an Instagram photo of something sparkly: nails, baubles, fairy lights – the possibilities are endless this time of year – and tag the photo with #facelacesparkle so that I can find it on Instagram.

You have until this Sunday at 23.59 (GMT) to take part and the competition is open worldwide.  Entrants must be over 13 and one winner will be chosen at random.

Come on ladies, get snapping!!

Morning all, here are the lucky winners of my recent competition to snaffle a bottle of Face The World Cleanser…

Leanne M. (@LilMissStylish)

Charlotte G.

Peter G.

I shall be in touch with the lucky winners later today!

If you weren’t lucky enough to win a bottle this time around, you’ll be pleased to hear that Face The World are currently offering a BOGOF promotion on their mini gift kits and cleansing lotion – no code needed, just in time for some bargainous Christmas shopping!

Have a great week everyone x

You already know that I’m a big fan of the gorgeous Face Lace designs, artfully created by makeup artist Phyllis Cohen… but did you know that she’s just released a set of uber-colourful designs to complement the current collection?

You can read more about what Face Lace is and how they work here and here.

These re-usable, Woodstock-inspired designs are sure to bring out the love child in each of us without the need for orgies, drugs, and booze.  I know, sorry about that.

The good news is, I have eight of these pretties to give away, if you’d like the chance to win your very own Face Lace in either a Dovechild or Sunbeam design, simply do the Rafflecopter thang below…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 2nd July 2013
2. Closing date for this competition is 9th July 2013
3. Winners will receive 1x festival-inspired Face Lace chosen at random (worth £8.29 each). No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
7. Eight winners will be selected at random from all entries received.
8. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

I love many things… the smell of freshly-cut grass, Leila telling me that my dress looks pretty, a slice of bread devoured hot from the breadmaker, looking back through old photos, and choosing the perfect gift are among my favourites.  Life is made up of a million tiny pleasures, and I know that many of you will agree with me when I say that a little bit of sparkle definitely counts as a tiny pleasure.

Well, I hope that today, I can bring you a little pleasure as I have not one, not two, but THREE sparkly holographic Glitter Gal nail polishes to give away courtesy of PowderRooms, the UK’s new and exclusive stockist for the Aussie brand.

These polishes have long-created a blogging sensation thanks to their rainbow hues and linear holographic awesomeness, and it’s about time the brand found a reliable UK supplier.

Want to win your own Glitter Gal polish?  All you have to do is click through to PowderRooms and tell me which one you’d like to win, simples!  Enter and earn extra entries by following the Rafflecopter instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C

1. Start date for this competition is 11th March 2013 at 00.01 GMT
2. Closing date for this competition is 18th March 2013 at 23.59 GMT
3. UK residents only please.
4. There are three prizes to be won, each prize consists of your choice of Glitter Gal nail polish. No cash alternative.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Only one entry per IP address will be accepted.
7. Personal details will only be used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
8. Three winners will be selected at random from all entries received.
9. Winners will be notified within 7 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter your comment within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.
10. In the unlikely event that your chosen shade is out of stock, Powder Rooms will request that you choose an alternative shade.

Well now, hasn’t February been a gloomy month so far?

At least in January, we had the promise of a fresh new year… well, that novelty has worn off somewhat along with many of our resolutions.  As for the weather… more snow?!  Where where you in December when I actually wanted you?!  For me, February has been all about the no-buy and judging by what I’m reading across my social bookmarks… many of you are joining me in the unpleasant but ultimately sensible endeavour to save some pennies this month.

So how the opportunity to win a little splurge?

My zalando.co.uk picks! (the boots, the boots!)

Lipglossiping.com have teamed up with Zalando to offer ONE lucky reader a fantastic £100 voucher to spend online at Zalando.co.uk.  If the heavens smile down upon you, make sure that you embrace the opportunity to indulge in some guilt-free shopping with everything from the latest fashion to niche beauty buys available online.

The site offers some of the biggest brands around with free delivery AND free 30-day returns, what are you waiting for?

To enter the competition, simply leave a comment below to tell me about the last thing you stopped yourself from buying!

T&C

1. Start date for this competition is 12th February 2013 at 00.01 GMT
2. Closing date for this competition is 19th February 2013 at 23.59 GMT
3. There is one prize to be won, a £100 voucher to spend online at Zalando.co.uk. No cash alternative.
4. UK entrants only.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Only one entry per IP address will be accepted.
7. Personal details will only be used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
8. One winner will be selected at random from all entries received.
9. Winner will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter your comment within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.
10. This giveaway has been made possible by a partnership with Zalando.co.uk

You guys seemed to be quite taken with the trio of duochrome polishes I blogged about last week, so when I was in London, I picked up three of the Miss Sporty Metal Flip Duochromes to give away.  Ok, it’s not the most valuable competition I’ve ever held, but for those of you who can’t get your hands on these babies, well… it’s hopefully still enticing!

Aren’t they pretty?  They look like miniature galaxies swirling around the bottles!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck ladies!

T&C
1. Start date for this competition is 28th November 2012
2. Closing date for this competition is 5th December 2012
3. There is one prize to be won, a trio of Miss Sporty Metal Flip Duochrome Nail Polishes (worth £1.99 each). No cash alternatives.
4. Competition is open worldwide.
5. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
6. Only one entry per email address will be accepted.
7. Personal details will not be kept or forwarded and are only used in the context of this competition to inform the winner(s) of their prize status.
8. Three winners will be selected at random from all entries received.
9. Winners will be notified within 5 working days and will be expected to reply to an email sent to the address used to enter the competition within 5 working days or risk forfeiting the prize.

I do have an A Level in French but everytime I add any of the beautiful language to a blog post I just get reminded of this scene from Only Fools and Horses!  Anyway, I’ve received all of your lovely entries, have had a fully sleepless night over choosing my single favourite interpretation of the brief, of which I shall now remind you….

Create an artistic representation of Paris, with one catch.  You have to use the medium of BEAUTY to create it.

Here are the entries I received (click to enlarge, hover to see who created them!)…

As you can see, the standard runs pretty high, as does the obvious misuse of recreational drugs (I want what some of you are on!)

But without further ado, the one that stood out is this one… a portrait of Coco Chanel, done in the pointillist style, in nail polish.

The entry features one of the most iconic women from the world of beauty and fashion, from perhaps the most iconic Parisian brand of all time created using a technique made famous by Parisian painter Georges Pierre Seurat.  You can’t get much more Parisian than that!  It pays excruciating attention to detail and embodies all aspects of the required brief.  Plus, it simply looks flippin’ brilliant.

So, please join me in delivering a huge congratulations to Sophie, a.k.a @Radiofireworks who has just won herself and a friend a 5* weekend in Paris with £500 spending money!

Here’s a couple of bonus images Sophie sent through showing the “arteest” in action and a scan which displays the technical details more clearly.

Congratulations Sophie, bonnes vacances!

I’m so pleased you guys got into the spirit of things and threw yourselves at the challenge.  When I say that I wish I could award you ALL with a prize, I mean that from the bottom of my heart.  Thank you so much everyone for joining in and a big thank you to Vaseline for allowing me to host such a wonderful and generous competition.