A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m nothing if not eternally late to the party. Not in a fashionable manner you understand, more of an “everyone’s gone home now” kinda way.

Incase you hadn’t guessed, this is my first A-England polish purchase.  The reason that I didn’t jump on the wagon a couple of years ago was down to an honest fear of not being able to control my spends.  Infact, even now… hype long-gone, I can still feel the pull back to the website for more.  MOAR I tell you!

Ascalon is an understated holographic, understated in a prettily scattered way.  Infact, as a bonafide holo-whore… my favourite thing about this shade is more to do with the lilac duochrome that flashes across the nail bed and not the holographic effect at all.  Application was nice and smooth, happily complete in two coats.

These darker, cool-toned holos are my favourite… not particularly seasonal but so, so beautifully chic.  What’s your favourite A-England shade?

A-England Ascalon is priced at £9.00 and available to purchase online from a-england.co.uk

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Hands up who had a bloody lovely weekend?!

ME! I did!

Casa Lipglossiping is finally beginning to shake the lurgy that had taken hold with a vice-like grip for the past fortnight.  Just a “cold”, said the Doctor… but honestly one of the worst I’ve known in my time, our noses were unaffected but the coughing… oh boy, the coughing!  If anyone knows how long broken blood vessels in the eye take to heal, Vampira here would like to know the answer please.  I look like I’m on a quest for blood-lust and it’s not very attractive!

What is rather attractive though, is my latest installment in my mini-series of Layla Cosmetics nail polishes…

Cloudy Violet.  What a corker!  And a little better-lasting than the others I’ve featured so far, hell… I got a full three-days out of this one before it chipped.  I know, right?!  Truth be told, I’m sure I could get a bit longer out of all the Layla’s if I used a base coat… something like the LUMOS or CND’s Stickey… but I don’t really do basecoats, I don’t normally need to.  This one was another three-coater that needed a top-coat to retain the shine.

Cloudy Violet is a lovely blue-toned purple with a myriad of holographic linear sparkle.  Not a brain-dazzlingly, in-yer-face holo but not as subtle as the Catherine Arley’s tend to be.

There are seven of these left on Amazon now, priced at £5.25 each, another recommended purchase from me!

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A dark brown holographic? This is stuff of my dreams!

It’s pretty similar to the first Layla Cosmetics Holo I posted from my recent haul: Misty Blush, albeit a little less red-toned… if you’re a fan of the base shade, get both… if not, it’s quite hard to choose between them.  I had guessed that they’d be close-enough for me not to need to buy both but I love these darker holographics, so I just couldn’t walk away with only one.

Application once again, needs three coats to ensure no patchiness but each coat dries quickly and didn’t give me any major issues.  I’m sorry for the (almost daily) Layla spam but I’m taking massive advantage of the sunshine while it lasts!

Layla Coffee Love Hologram Effect Nail Polish is priced at £5.32 and available to buy online from amazon.co.uk

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I can’t stop showing these new Layla polishes off, I’m sorry.  Everytime I see a chink of direct sunlight, peeking through the shadows, I’m out on the balcony with my camera desperately trying to capture the holographic sparkle like a woman possessed.  My neighbours must think I’m a bonfide “speshul” case as I angle my hand this way and that to capture the brightness between the clouds.

Shock Pink is a cheerful magenta that’s pretty true to its name… bright enough not to be babyish but in the shade it’s subtle enough not to be obnoxiously “pink”.  This multicoloured beauty takes on a real golden hue in the sunlight, alongside the rainbow holo effect that’s a little less intense than the one I showed you the other day.  Application was a little kinder this time but still needed a total of three coats… I think this may be the sacrifice one has to make for a great (but inexpensive) holographic.

Wear was about 48hrs before I got a chip from one of the tips…. top-coat the crap out of it.

There’s currently only 8 left in stock of the Layla Shock Pink on Amazon.co.uk, priced at £5.09 so get your skates on if you’re interested!

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My little haul of cheap Layla Cosmetics Nail Polishes arrived from Amazon on Saturday morning, and like a kid in a multi-coloured, holographic candy store, I couldn’t wait to paint myself up.  We’ve been especially blessed with the weather this weekend too… isn’t it the warmest it’s been since last October or something?  Anyway… ultimately, this meant sunshine… and nothing appreciates a bit of sunshine more than a holographic nail polish.

Eeny, meeny, miney, mo… went I…

…I settled for Layla Cosmetics Misty Blush as my first NOTD.

Isn’t she a beauty?  If my cuticles weren’t so ravaged at the moment, I’d have given you a close-up of the holographic intensity with my Canon point & shoot but I’m afraid this was as close as my vanity would allow me to get.  Application wasn’t brilliant, but it wasn’t too dreadful… the polish is pretty thin and had a tendency to “flick” specks about during application – perhaps more the fault of my virus-ridden, shaking body – but please don’t apply this anywhere near a white carpet just incase.  It took three coats to reach full opacity and definitely needs a top-coat as it dries pretty matte.

Wear also isn’t amazing… I have a tiny chip one day later, I don’t usually get any chips though… I’m a tip-wear girl, chips… barely ever.

Ultimately, I still love it.  I can’t help it.  Perhaps I’m a bit seduced by the sunshine, by how it sparkles… I think I’m willing to forgive it more than most just because it’s so damn beautiful.

Layla Cosmetics Misty Blush NOTD is available to buy online at amazon.co.uk, priced at £5.21

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I don’t care what the newspapers are saying, put down those pastel shades ‘cos it ain’t Spring yet!  Until I see a daffodil or tulip with my own eyes, we’re still firmly in the depths of Winter as far as I’m concerned.  I have an odd love/hate relationship with pastels anyway so I’m not gonna be grumbling about a couple more months of Winter trends.

Talking Winter trends, here’s a lovely top-coat from Butter London.  It’s all holographic n’ stuff.

In the photo above, I sponged the top coat over the tips… graduating the density on the way down toward the cuticle, it’s much easier than it sounds; You just need a high-density makeup sponge (you can pick up bags of them in Poundland/99p shops) before simply stippling the glitter over your existing polish.  I can’t even tell you how much easier it is doing it this way than trying to graduate the polish smoothly with a brush.

The above swatch doesn’t pick up the holographic sparkle too well, you really need to be a little out-of-focus to appreciate the fairy light-esque quality of this polish, so if you could all just go cross-eyed for a moment, that would be great.  Failing that, here’s an instagram which shows off the sparkle a little better.

As with all glitters, removal isn’t the highlight of my day, but the particles aren’t too chunky and to be fair, didn’t pose enough of a problem to send me reaching for the tin-foil.

Butter London Stardust Overcoat is available to buy online from powderrooms.com, priced at £11.95

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If you follow my new tumblr account, you would have seen this particular beauty pop up on there last week. When I challenged you to guess the shade from the swatch most of you said China Glaze Ruby Pumps… well, you were wrong! Glitter Gal Hot Chilli is just as sparkle-tastic but with the added bonus of some major holographic loveliness.

Non-gritty and richly-pigmented, the warm slightly wine-y base will be perfect for autumn and has enough of a jelly type of quality to make it look all squishy and scrummy on the nails.

Application was a dream, two easy coats later and the colour is fully opaque with a strong holographic effect in sunlight. In my experience, the Aussie-based brand (now available in the UK exclusively at PowderRooms) has always made some of the most beautiful holographic reds available and this one is no exception.

Glitter Gal Hot Chilli is priced at £10 for 10ml and is available to buy online at powderrooms.com, this one’s a limited edition shade so if you want to get it in your collection in time for Autumn, be quick!

* press sample

There are more silver holos on the market than there are old-enough-to-know-better 1D fans on twitter but Dodgy Barnett is different.  This particular holo-infused polish blurs the lines between silver and grey, leaning more to the understated sophistication of a cool-toned grey than the usual bling of a silver holo.

As you can see, it’s a pretty unassuming polish when worn indoors and in the shade but as with many holos, its true beauty comes alive when you get outside and find a patch of sunlight…

Dodgy Barnett sparkles a multitude of rainbow colours but ultimately keeps that wispy, pastelly grey thing going on… perfect if you’re looking for something sophisticated but with a little something different to show off about!

Butter London’s Dodgy Barnett is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online at PowderRooms.com who are offering 25% off all Butter London products with the code “butter”.  But hurry, today’s the last day to take advantage of the promotion.

* press sample

Look lively beauty-lovers, there’s a new holographic collection coming to town…

Leighton Denny is launching a trio of kaleidoscopic-dazzlers exclusively with The Urban Retreat Beautique and I’m delighted to have a genuine sneak peek* for you, so without further ado…

Hollo Rose

Hollo Skye

Hollo Silva

The new shades deliver a medium holographic effect from what is most interestingly, a matte nail.  Ignoring the press release (which describes these as high-gloss) the trio actually imparts a matte/suede finish that can be topped off with a top-coat should you require more shine.  The matte effect doesn’t do anything to downplay the light reflection and indeed, gives a really interesting twist on a tried and tested formula.

Talking of the formula, it’s an odd one although consistent across the three shades.  Laying down the first coat, the polish grabs to the surface of the nail almost too vigorously and has a tendency to leave bald patches.  I quickly surmised that the best way forward was a very thin bottom layer followed by a thicker second coat which helped smooth out any imperfections. The polish dries remarkably quickly and is touch dry within a couple of minutes.

Those of you who are familiar with matte nail formulas will understand the difficulties that can sometimes be had with these formulas, especially if your nails suffer with excessive ridging or chipping.  I would definitely consider pairing these with a ridge-filling base coat next time.  Either way by the third coat, you’re fully opaque and ready to go!

The Leighton Denny Holographic Collection will be coming online exclusively at The Urban Retreat Beautique in the next week or so priced at £13.25 each.

ETA: As of 12/06/13 – these polishes are now available via the above link.

* press sample

Why are some nail polishes so damn hard to capture on screen? In real life, they can be as pretty as a flower… but through my camera lens? We be talking cauliflower.

Powder Rooms sent me this polish to photograph for their site late last year, back in the murky depths of dark nights and well, even darker days.  It made for a frustrating assignment.  Butter London’s Trustafarian basically only sings in the sun, it needs strong daylight like I need intravenously feeding Pepsi Max.

Check it out.

indoors

outdoors

Ahhh, you beauty. You pain in the arse beauty.

It applies with three smooth coats and dries quickly enough not to give me any major application issues. You can see that the holographic effect, although fairly subtle, is still super-pretty in a pixie-esque, twinkly kind of way.

Do you need this in your life? Possibly, particularly if you live in a country whose weather patterns consist of more than just perma-drizzle.

Butter London Trustafarian holographic nail polish is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online from powderrooms.com

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.

Most people dream in black and white.  I dream in red holographic.  Or, at least… I dream OF red holographic.

This isn’t a bad attempt at it, but it’s doesn’t quite cut the mustard in the same way as Glitter Gal’s incarnation of red rainbows.  The holographic is there but it’s very sparse and subtle.  That’s not to say that this isn’t a very pretty red polish with a hint of holo, because that’s precisely what it is.

I bought this one a couple of months ago and sadly I’ve only gotten round to swatching it now that the weather is too overcast, dingy and downright depressing to get any holo effect to show up – but, you get the idea.

Catherine Arley polishes are best gotten hold of via an eBay search, they’re pretty inexpensive.