A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

If you’re gonna get boozy with your afternoon tea this Christmas, ditch the standard champagne flutes and do it in style.  In conjunction with fine perfumer’s Penhaligon’s, the head bartender at Sofitel London St. James has created four exclusive cocktails, inspired by some of the british fragrance house’s best-selling perfumes: Endymion, Juniper Sling, Peoneve, and Artemisia.

The cleverly-concocted cocktails are infused with essential oils, spices and unusual liquers… ensuring they represent an innovative take on the key fragrances that inspired them.

Endymion Cologne: Spicy and fresh, Endymion is a fragrance of contrasts, sensual, light and dark, velvety, sweet and sharp.

Artemisia Eau de Parfum: Artemisia is both floral and fruity with a sensual powdery dry-down.  Caramel soft, sweet, powdery and silky.

Peoneve Eau de Parfum: An exquisite portrayal of an English garden, bursting with green foliage and the scent of blossoming flowers.

With our five senses so closely affiliated, I love the idea of playing with taste and smell in this way – what a fabulous idea and a great touch to what is becoming a staid tradition in London’s hotels.  In addition to the cocktails, head chef Vincent Menager has created an afternoon tea menu that also includes some real scentsations: scones with rose-scented jam, cardamom-scented creme brulee tartlets, and pear mousse snowballs with violet flakes.

The bespoke cocktail and afternoon tea menu will be available at the Sofitel London St. James from the 28th November 2012

It may have escaped your attention but everyone is going a little bit ga-ga for London at the moment, something to do with some sporting event or other…

Anyyyywayyyy, if you’re up for some celebratory patriotism but don’t wanna get all hot and sweaty about it, you should check out your local (London only) Jo Malone boutique, where the British brand have installed talented artists to pay tribute to the great city by customising gift boxes with hand-drawn sketches of various landmarks.

I received mine through the post a few weeks ago, complete with homage to Tower Bridge (that’s the one you American’s call London Bridge I believe!)

I know I shouldn’t, mustn’t even… but I can’t even begin to tell you how tempted I am to add a little stick man doing an olympic-style long jump across the gap.  Just me then…

It’s a cute and clever trick from the brand who have managed to make those signature cream n’ black boxes now even more collectible!  “OH GOD, Limited Edition – must. collect. them. all. etc, etc.”  Nice going!

You’ve got until August 12th to take advantage of the quirky offer and see your Jo Malone purchases adorned with a little historical scribbling.  Phone your nearest boutique for more details.

* press sample

I’ve been away!  Did you miss me?  Of course not, because you were kept in extremely good company thanks to my brilliant guest bloggers last week.  In-case you missed their posts you can catch up by clicking through to: Amrita, Robyn, Lily and Liloo.

Anyway, I’m back!  Although, it’s not with the vengeance I would have liked.  Leila has been hit with a mega-cold on-top of a poorly chest so we’ve been sleeping upright at night which as it turns out, doesn’t actually involve much sleeping at all.

Other than that, I have been dodging the piles of emails that amass whenever I turn my back for a second, trying to get unpacked and look after other work (you know, the proper stuff that pays the bills).  What I’m trying to say, in a really convoluted way is this…

Here, please have a look at my holiday photos instead of a proper beauty post.  I’ll get things back on an even keel before the week is through!

Clockwise from Top Left:

1 Kemble Street (a.k.a Space House) – I love the architecture when walking around London.  From impressive Victorian terraces to stately granite-clad frontages.  Futuristic glass walled skyscrapers to concrete, Brutalist obelisks.  The landscape is rich and varied!

Flatbread at Patogh Edgware Road – Just off Edgware Road is a tiny blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Persian place called Patogh.  It has about 7 tables in total and if you wanna get in, you better get in early.  If you do, you’ll be treated to heavenly sesame-seed dusted flatbreads and minced lamb kebabs to make your mouth water.  We paid £16 all in and walked out with full bellies.

Tate Modern Chimney – I’d like to pretend that I’m all cultured and stuff but I’m really not.  I walk around the Tate Modern as a child might, devouring the cool stuff and not bothering to ‘understand’ anything.  Still, I love the building.

Leila and Me in the Turbine Hall at Tate Modern – We were contemplating where we could go for cake/ice cream/chocolate – or all of the above.

Clockwise from Top Left:

Leila and the Mega Towers – At Canary Wharf, they’re kinda piddly towers compared to other cities across the globe but they’re still pretty impressive to look up at from street level.  I like Canary Wharf, I like to sit and watch everyone doing busy stuff while I have nothing in the world to do but watch.

Bargainista Afternoon Tea – We didn’t plan to stop for a proper Afternoon Tea and many would be horrified that I even dare call this an Afternoon Tea but tough.  The John Lewis Bistro on the 3rd Floor of the store in Oxford St does a fine spread for less than £10 each.  Attentive service, relaxed surroundings and you barely need to leave the beauty hall.  Good stuff.

Back when Barbie was Cool – At the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, I discovered a super-cool Barbie.  Still impossibly well-endowed, she can work those cat eyes sunnies better than most.

Mudchute Farm – Bang in the middle of the Isle of Dogs, overshadowed by the towers of Canary Wharf is an Urban Farm project.  They have giant pigs that made me rethink my love for bacon, sheep that looked just a tiny bit mutated (perhaps from all those inner city fumes) and a petting corner that included ferrets!  A wonderful green lung in the middle of the city.

Clockwise from Top Left:

The Elgin in Ladbroke Grove – If you are/have ever been a Clash fan, this establishment will mean something to you – if not, it’s just a pub in West London that used to play frequent host to the greatest front-man ever.

Ghost-rider at South Bank Skate Park – I can never walk past this place without slowing down to see if anyone falls off their bike or skate board.  I was treated to a spectacular tumble on Saturday which had the gathered crowds “ooooohing” before a big cheer when the rider jumped up with a wave!

Turbine Hall at Tate Modern – Despite the hustle and bustle, this is such a peaceful place… a huge expanse that plays host to frequent exhibitions.  I remember a few years back, they installed a giant slide… too. much. fun.  Sadly, it was a little sparse when we visited.

Millennium Bridge/St. Pauls – The juxtaposition of the old and the new is around every corner.  Don’t they sit comfortably together?  I love this view.

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Well, now I’ve given myself the post-holiday blues! Sigh. I’ve got a couple of days away to Brighton coming later in the month so I’ll just focus on that instead.  I hope you all had lovely weekends – down with Monday mornings!

I’m up horribly late/early (scheduling this post) as I’m waiting for the Travelodge sale to go live and bag a few bargain breaks across the UK if  I can!

I thought I’d upload a couple of photos from my day in London yesterday today yesterday – whenever it was.  I’m all confused now.

Talking of holidays… I’m still trying to snag mine and it’s proving difficult.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

It’s been quite a year for luxury lipsticks!

Only just recovering from the Chanel Rouge Cocos and the Tom Ford purse breakers, we’re now faced with the new collection on the block… and it’s a biggie!

Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care (£22) is a new collection of 32 (yes, 32!) mouth-watering shades.  Each shade has been inspired by (and named after) a vintage Dior Haute Couture dress.  Check out those two beauties in the background!

The range has been grouped into three colour families to make navigating through the line a little easier.  Red to Coral, Pink to Lilac and Beige to Brown, there’s a shade to suit every taste and skintone (if not budget!).

The Rouge Dior Haute Couleur Voluptuous Care collection also promises to plump your lips both in the short and long term using some fancy schmancy hyaluronic technology.  I can’t wait to see the rest of the line up, though I’m already totally drawn to the nude there *swoon*.

If you want to get your hands on one (or seven) of these babies, you need to take your lipstick-loving selves to Selfridges who hold the worldwide exclusive on the range.  Available from yesterday (28th July), these are sure to be hugely in demand throughout August!

When I was invited along for a complimentary cut and blow dry at Eleven Hair in central London –  I’ll be honest, I was totally expecting to leave with good hair.  Let’s be clear… You don’t generally occupy prime real estate in Mayfair with a naff hair and beauty salon.

I wasn’t disappointed.  I left with great hair.

But great hair was only the beginning.

My stylist Russell had me sussed in less than 30 seconds.  A few cleverly directed questions meant that I was at ease in his capable hands in less time than it took for a drink to appear in front of me.

I told him that I didn’t get much time to dedicate to styling my hair in the mornings and he asked me what length I thought my hair would be in a year’s time.  I told him that I wanted to grow it longer again and that I’d only chopped it short because sticky baby fingers kept slime-ing me.  He took a short while to assess the condition of my hair… I didn’t even realise he was doing it at first.  His subtle but direct approach was appreciated.

He suggested to me that next time I get my hair dyed… I should ensure that I only have the regrowth taken care of and he delicately held the ends of my hair against my roots, showing me they were now about 5 shades darker thanks to being over-processed.

I was shocked.  How had I not noticed?  Thinking back, I’m sure I should have felt embarrassed at this… but I didn’t feel judged.  I just felt that I wanted to learn more about how to get my hair back to it’s former good condition and this was the man that had all the answers.

We chatted about my hatred for the dreaded ‘triangle hair‘ and how I loved walking out of the hairdresser’s with razored ends and he explained to me that it was precisely this constant “thinning out” that was giving me a fluffier hairdo several weeks down the line.  I felt as if my eyes were being opened and things were dropping into place, especially the reasons behind why I had felt the condition of my hair had been (quite unfairly!) deteriorating over the last six months.

I could go on, telling you about all the simple little tricks he showed me to get the most out of styling my hair but I’d be here all day.  They were personal to me and felt completely tailored to my hair issues.  I was shown how to easily and quickly achieve a little more volume to my flat bob (one of the tips was as simple as flipping my parting to the other side… it worked amazingly well!)

If you want more than just a good haircut, I can recommend Russell Stevens at Eleven Hair.  Straight talking and no flannel but thoughtful to his client’s feelings and most importantly, intuitive.

Look how chuffed I am with my new (slightly windswept) hair!

I left Eleven Hair feeling lighter in my step, doing the whole swish thing and checking out every shop window I walked past.  Not for clothes you understand… just my reflection.

You can find Eleven Hair…

Eleven Hair
11 Blenheim Street,
Mayfair
London W1S 1LL

Tel: 0207 4912390

Email: info@eleven-hair.com

Last week, when I was talking about the new Bare Escentuals Boutique on Neal Street I proclaimed: “I wish I had a picture to show you…”

Well this week, I’ve got several!

I couldn’t resist popping back in there on Tuesday!

On the downside…. they still didn’t have Grace in stock…

…But on the upside, I got to swatch to my heart’s content and discovered at least another 4 shades to add to my wishlist!

I was desperate to try one of the make-unders.  They’re specialising in the “Roxie look” at the moment due to their makeup partnership with the West End show Chicago.  But alas, I was too pressed for time and had to continue on my merry way without a sexy smoky eye/red lip combo.

In my experience… the staff in there are super friendly, and once again… I had them all searching for the non-existent Grace eye shadow that is becoming harder to pin down than an eel swathed in grease.  I’ve left my number and they’ve promised me a phone call when it’s back in stock.

All in all, well worth a visit!

Bare Escentuals Boutiue, 40 Neal Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9PS

So I won’t be replying to emails or approving comments as quickly as usual!

It also means that I won’t be choosing a guest reviewer for the Liz Earle set until Tuesday night now, so I’ll announce on Wednesday who’s been chosen.  Sorry for the delay!

I’m hoping to get a haircut (courtesy of a rather fabulous Wahanda Mob Deal!), dodge the scrums in the beauty hall at Selfridges, maybe head out west for another Inglots visit and go drool in the Shu store at 7 Dials.

Any other recommendations for me?  Beauty or otherwise?

It was good to come home last night and sleep in my own bed after 2 days up in the ‘big smoke’.

I’m pleased to see that my post scheduler has been working well, unfortunately I’m all out of draft posts now!  My backups have been well and truly depleted by that little jaunt!  Best get writing then, I’m certainly not suffering from a lack of material (just a lack of sleep).

While I was away, I attended two blogging events, both of which were a lot of fun and I’m looking forward to sharing the details of them with you.

My break away from home was filled with everything I hoped it would be: fun, laughter, alcohol, makeup, good food, good company, christmas lights, iphone tweeting, shopping and eggnog lattes.  But more on all that later.

How have you lovely lot been? Any salacious gossip, life-changing events? A lot can happen in 48hrs you know!

As for me, baby L is off for a nap… and I think I might join her.

…to buy a Heat magazine… *does shoulder shimmy*

So, I wanna check out the big Westfield Shooping Centre (Inglots anyone?), drink some cocktails, maybe hit Selfridges, ooh I definitely want to find a Boots that has a Dior Counter (can any Londoners help me out with that one?), have another Eggnog Latte and eat some KFC (classy).

I’m staying over-night Thursday and will be leaving Leila in charge of Mr. L for the first time.  Nervewracking, but I’m sure he’ll behave himself.

I’m at a bit of a loose end on Friday afternoon, so if anyone wants to meet for a coffee, shout at me on Twitter!

My Advent Giveaway will be ongoing as long as my post scheduler behaves itself.

Keep your fingers crossed for me that the Dior Holiday Palette is still available!

…stays in Lon… usually comes home with me in a lovely iconic yellow paper bag 😉

So, I was up in London on Saturday for the wonderful Aussie Project Angel event (more details to come later..) and saw lots of lovely things to add to my stash.

Ok, well I didn’t get *all* these bits in London.. the Stila stuff I ordered a couple of weeks ago and turned up today so thought I’d throw them in.

I went on a bit of a lipstick buying rampage – and had to be physically restrained from buying another Shu one that I had my eye on.

On the left, the unmistakable Lingerie Pink… and on the right, the lovely Shu Rouge Unlimited BG907.

I had no intentions of buying Lingerie Pink until I tried it on out of pure curiousity at the counter.  Instant love.

I first saw the Shu one when I went to the Maybelline Event last month and have lusted after it ever since.

How pretty?! – L-R: Pound Cake, Strawberry Sorbet, Baby Cakes

Kryolan Supra Color Black Greasepaint recommended to me by LondonMUGirl.  First impressions… wonderful to blend eyeshadow over compared to UDPP, but it starts creasing after 3hrs 🙁

L-R: MAC Woodwinked (been on my wishlist a LONG time), Kryolan Matte Highlight (got this by accident after SA put the wrong eyeshadow in my bag… grrr.)

Well, that concludes my first proper “haul” post… hope it wasn’t too dull.  I enjoy reading about everyone else’s newest acquisitions, but everyone is different so apologies if this was a boring read – move along, I’m done now!

Oh, and the Stila can wait ’till the rest of my order turns up 🙂