A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Forever on a quest for a kick-ass mascara, today I’m bringing you my thoughts on Jemma Kidd’s Lash Xtension Volume Mascara which I was sent a couple of weeks ago.

It promises both volume and length with a formula designed to promote lash strength and healthiness thanks to the help of some added vitamin A and E.  As an aside (and something I can’t accurately test because my lashes are already being artificially ‘boosted’) this Jemma Kidd mascara contains something called “BioBoost Complex” to stimulate growth.  It really is all the rage at the moment isn’t it?

I like the Jemma Kidd packaging style and this is no exception… it has that matte/glossy juxtaposition going on and looks embroidered, neat!

“What a stumpy little brush!” I exclaimed when I pulled the wand from the tube…

You can see that compared to the DiorShow… it’s only 2/3rds of the length with a chunky, short head making it ideal for those of us with smaller eyes or hooded lids.  I can get right to the outer corner lashes without blobbing (technical term) product on the hooded part of my eyelid.

I’d call this a “natural” mascara.

Yeah, I don’t really get excited over that term either.

On my left eye (your right), I’m wearing 2 coats of it.  This mascara excels in it’s buildability.  After taking the photo I thought I’d keep going… another 2 coats left me with lashes that were thicker at the base without clumping at the ends.  I don’t have watery eyes… but I didn’t notice any problems with flaking or smudging.

It’s not the most exciting mascara I’ve tried and it sadly doesn’t leave my lashes reaching for the stars but it is pretty foolproof.

If you’re looking for an everyday natural mascara that would particularly suit mature eyes and give you a foolproof application I’d really recommend giving this a go.  Add in the whole “BioBoost complex” selling point and perhaps you’ve found your next mascara?

Multi-use products often don’t provide the results that they claim.  The innovation is there, but the performance generally isn’t.

Not so with Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector I was sent last month.

Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector is a product clearly designed to fulfill three uses: Anti-feather, Prime and Plump… all housed in a single double ended pen-esque container.

I am terribly dubious about most primers (excluding my beloved UDPP) and it wasn’t too long ago that I tried the new Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion, which went a long way to solving my pigmentation issues but was a drag (literally) to apply and left my lips feeling a little dry.

I expected something similar from this.

One end houses the anti-feather ‘nib’.  A waxy translucent lip liner that creates an impenetrable barrier in the same way you would Vaseline your hairline to stop your hair dye from seeping down towards your eyebrows.  The other end holds a concealer-coloured bullet which claims to ‘prime & plump’.  And it does so nicely.

The primer glides on in comparison to the Urban Decay version… it’s a joy.  The concealer colour that it imparts blanks out the colour from my lips and allows for a neutral base.  I would recommend blotting the primer before applying a lipstick ontop just to remove the excess product but keep the neutral colour base.

It does indeed tingle like a true plumper should and doesn’t leave my lips feeling any dryer than normal.  Infact, I applied the primer to one half of my mouth before using a lipstick… and in all honesty, couldn’t see a massive difference in application BUT the primer’ed half felt far more comfortable 10 minutes later, whilst the non primer’ed side began to feel a little dry and tight.

The photo above shows my lips wearing just the Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector with nothing ontop.  You can see that it blanks out all natural pigmentation successfully.  I would recommend this over the Urban Decay Lip Primer Potion because it is so good at creating a blank canvas without drying.  I’m not convinced it gives me any extra wear from my lipsticks, but the addition of the anti-feather product makes this an extremely useful tool to own.

The Jemma Kidd Pro Lip Perfector is £15 and available from QVC online.

Despite the ill-thought out blog name… I’m not actually a big fan of lip gloss.  There, I’ve said it.

For one… is there anything more irritating in life than battling the sticky gloss/errant flyaway hair pairing from hell when you’re doing your utmost to look nonchalant and breezy?

No.

What about when you see a hawt lipgloss shade and apply it only to see ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER.

So it was with curiosity that I accepted this Jemma Kidd Lip Gloss Trio from their PR recently.  I mean, not everything I get sent ends up on here… I like to have an opinion about a product one way or another if I’m going to feature it on Lipglossiping.  We all know that there are many, many ‘meh’ products out there…. and if something is so utterly ‘meh’ that I can barely bring myself to photograph it… then I don’t.

And in my world… lipgloss is kinda ‘meh’.

But wait!  This Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Gloss Trio is kinda caaaa-ute!  It’s a trio of mini lipglosses that snap into a handbag-sized holder.  I’m not sure why you’d need to carry 3 lipglosses around with you… but shush, I don’t like to be caught up in practical details when I’m presented with cute cosmetic presentation.

You slide the chosen gloss up and out of the holder…. no wait, I’m gonna call it a ‘holster’.  Like a gun… it sounds wayyyy cooler now right?

So, you slide the gloss up and out of the holster and it’s primed and ready for action!

Jemma Kidd have chosen three of their best-selling shades to include in the Air Kiss Gloss Trio and I like 2 of ’em.  I think the 3rd should have been a red… but that’s personal preference.  Do you like the colour combination?

The shades are sheer… not so sheer as to be un-noticeable, but they’re more for layering than wearing alone unless you’re going for a natural, simply polished look.  Which actually, is probably pretty apt for the Summer season no?

I’m wearing Rendezvous (on bare lips) in the above photo.  Once applied, the name makes sense… these glosses feel very lightweight on the lips.  They’re not gloopy and they’re not sticky, they’re just shiny with a hint of colour.  Oh and they smell ah-mazing too.

I’m also pretty impressed with the price too!  Ever since the Jemma Kidd line left the shelves of Boots many moons ago, it’s been a brand that has steadily risen in price.  So £9 for a trio of lip glosses makes pretty good financial sense.  Alsooooooo… they’re $19 in the US, so let’s celebrate in a very rare occurence.  Something’s cheaper over here! Woohoo!

Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Gloss Trio is priced at £9 and available from ASOS.

To celebrate the launch of the Jemma Kidd Make Up School range on QVC, Hi-Shine Hydrating Glosstick SPF15 is EXCLUSIVE to QVC from the 18th April 2010.

Available in 5 shades:  Bridgetown, Hibiscus, Sugar Cane, Holders, Paradise

I love these chisel shaped lippies… ever since my Besame’s, I appreciate how much they aid application straight from the bullet… though I’m not sure they’re really necessary for a more balm-like product as this.

The Jemma Kidd Gloss Sticks promise a super sheer wash of colour for lips with a hi-shine gloss finish and light reflecting particles to give the illusion of fullness.

Jemma will be presenting a special two hour launch show today on QVC’s Beauty Day.

HI-SHINE HYDRATING GLOSSTICK SPF15, £13.00 available via your telly box (don’t make me tell you what channel) and online at QVC

My IMATS haul is coming up (if you’re not insanely sick of them)… but I’ve got a rotten cold and I’m not up to taking photos of it all.  Is everyone ill at the minute or is it my imagination?

Anyway, I love having a nosey in the ASOS beauty clearance section – not just me is it?

I came across these goodies:

My bill came to: £13.15 inc. P&P thanks to a 20% off discount code – hoorah for savvy shopping!

I picked up…

Models Own Duo in Red Alert and 25 Carat Gold (£2)
ASOS Ciate Paint in Mary-Kate (£2 – they’re now £1.50) love the gold sparkles
Jemma Kidd i-design in Vogue (a neutral beige – £3)

ASOS Ciate Paint in Agyness (£2 – now £1.50ea)

My first Butter London – Knees Up.  This is how a red should look! Although I don’t usually love metallics, so it’ll be interesting to see what I think of this.  Well, when I say interesting… only to me, but you’re stuck along for the ride now.  It’s like being halfway up a mountain on a ski lift. – (£5)

A swatch of the Jemma Kidd I-Design in Vogue.

That felt weird… I don’t usually do haul posts… ever.  Was that boring?  Be honest.

If you fancy a little ASOS splurge, check here for discount codes.