A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Luxury skincare brand Lubatti have released their latest skincare product in the form of Anti-age Wonderlip which has been specifically designed to help increase lip volume whilst reducing fine lines and wrinkles.  I was sent a tube a few weeks ago and have been putting it through its paces thanks to the recent cold snap.

The tiny 10ml tube is filled with a deliciously-light, gently scented balm that promises to nourish lips whilst providing a plumped up pout with less of those pesky fine lines and lip wrinkles.  First things first, it works… really, really well but not in the stinging, lip-irritating way that lip volumisers usually plump.  This is a silicone-heavy lip primer that fills the furrows and smoothes the lip texture, creating the illusion of a prettier pout.  That’s not to say that there are no long-term skincare benefits to help promote lip volume, but first and foremost – think of this as a non-drying lip primer.

And the term non-drying is key here, as most lip primers I’ve tried in the past leave my lips looking good but feeling tight.  The Lubatti Anti-age Wonderlip* manages to prime without any unwanted side-effects.  Except for one.  A great, big dent in your wallet.  Priced at £29, it’s a costly addition to your skincare routine but seeing as it offers a tangible difference – I have visions of this becoming a bit of a cult product among those who can afford such luxuries.

If you suffer from dry lips, I think you’ll probably still need the support of something a little more heavy duty on the moisturisation front and paired with a nightly application of Lanolips 101, this has become a bit of a dream team lip-combo.  Not one that I can afford to sustain… but it’s very, very lovely while it lasts.

Ingredients: Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isododecane, Cera Alba, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethiconol, Aluminium Starch Octenylsuccinate, C 18-21 Alkane, Vp/hexadecene Copolymer, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Tribehenin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aroma, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Nicotinate, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol.

Lubatti Anti-age Wonderlip is priced at £29 and available online from lubatti.co.uk

* press sample

…and what, in all honesty is prettier than this?

Estée Lauder Radiant Bloom  – RRP £95.00

and this…

Estée Lauder Precious Bluebirds – RRP £250.00

and most definitely this…

Estée Lauder White Linen Jewelled Sea Turtle, RRP: £320.00

Every year since 1963, Estée Lauder has introduced a collection of limited-edition solid perfume and powder compacts. These delicate pieces enjoy a worldwide following among collectors with their intricate and ornate designs. Nothing speaks to Estēe Lauder’s great legacy like these treasured collectables.

These exquisite miniature designs are available to collect and cherish. Each enamel and sparkling crystal compact is filled with either Lucidity Translucent Pressed Powder or a classic Estée Lauder Solid Perfume.

The Spring/Summer 2011 collection of compacts are available exclusively at the Estée Lauder counters at Harrods from March 2011 for a limited period only.

Now excuse me, I’m off to root around down the back of the sofa.  If I don’t find a spare £320 back there, I may at least find a chocolate button to console myself with.

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Which one is your favourite?

When I read on the Perricone MD website that Cold Plasma was “A New Paradigm in Scientific Skincare” – I succumbed to the realisation that I didn’t have a clue what paradigm meant.  I suspected that I might need a degree in something better than Media and Cultural Studies to be able to use that word in company without much sniggering.

I went to Wikipedia to try and make sense of it, but came away even more confused.  Something about exemplars apparently…. so then I got out my dictionary to look up exemplars (whilst wondering how long all this was going to take and couldn’t they have just used the word “breakthrough” instead).  And then I struck gold, the penny dropped, the lightbulb flicked on and I ‘got it’.  It just means something that’s so brilliant, someone else is bound to half-inch the idea soon.

If you all knew exactly what it meant anyway… congrats, you just wasted about a minute of your life reading this.

So anyway, on with the product!

Perricone MD are well-known for their ultra-pricey, ultra-scientific skincare.  They’re like the Hell-Fire club of skincare but without the sex, whips and debauchery.  A pot of Cold Plasma will set you back 120 of your British pounds… that’s a lot of money for 30mls of something that smells like the inside of a fishbowl.

Which is why it was given to me earlier in the year at a PR event… I don’t have the kind of money to drop £120 on a cream that I’ve never sampled before in the hope that it will turn me into Bieber’s younger and more fresh-faced sister.

But that’s also why I was determined to see the pot through to the bitter end and not take this review too lightly.  People out there WILL spend that kind of money because they like to have the best of the best and sometimes, the best don’t come cheap.

I started using Perricone MD’s Cold Plasma around April/May.  The gel texture is cooling, refreshing and beautifully light.  It sinks in leaving me with velvet-soft skin and an almost instantly smoother complexion.  Sadly, this effect never lasted till morning or else I’d be commanding you all to go buy, buy, BUY!  The scent (which has been commented on many times before) is fishy.  Not fish and chips fishy, or harbour-side fishy but aquarium fishy.  There’s a difference…   Have you ever walked into a pet shop?  It doesn’t smell of cats and dogs does it?  It just smells… like a pet shop.  Well, this smells to me like a fish tank, are we clear on this completely unimportant distinction?!

Everytime I used it… I was like “ooooh, there goes £1”, which is quite off-putting when I kept losing about 20p worth under my nails.  Have I mentioned how much I dislike my products packaged in jars?  Squeezy tubes all the way please!

But anyway… I did it!  I reached the bottom of the jar at the beginning of August, which actually means that although I can’t describe this with a straight face as being “value for money” – this stuff did last me a hella long time!  I think because it spread so well over my skin, I really only needed to use a v. small amount each time.  I should downsize that £1 theory.

So, would I actually go and spend £120 on this to repurchase?

Um… no.

Despite it being a thoroughly lovely treat, I just didn’t see enough overall difference in my skin to warrant that kind of purchase.

I mean… Cold Plasma is promoted as helping to combat the 10 signs of aging, which include:

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And I just can’t say that I experienced long-lasting differences to these areas.  Yes, for a few hours my skin felt: smoother, softer and I also think it made my pores appear smaller.  But that effect would only last me through to lunch-time and I’m not even 100% positive that I wasn’t looking EXTREMELY hard to notice these things.

I am skeptical about all things claiming to work miracles but goodness me would I have sung the praises of this concoction from the rooves of the blogosphere if it had delivered.  For me, it delivered around £40 worth of good skin.  And that’s the most I’d give you for it.

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!

This review is about 6 months overdue… sorry about that.

In late December, I treated myself to a Le Metier de Beaute eye shadow… I wanted a silver, something that I could use for the party season, not that a woman with a 7 month old (at the time) goes to parties… but I obviously had this mental fantasy of rocking some silver shadow like a post-Christmas fairy.

So I picked up “Platinum”.

How I laugh now… £21.

I’ve used it once.

WHY GOD WHY did I choose silver?  Why not brown or purple or even *cough* taupe?  Silver.  What a fuckin’ idiot.

I will say that it’s a very pretty silver…

It’s soft and smooth with a medium pigment that builds nicely.  It’s a metallic shade (duh) that catches the light when applied near the tearducts.  Hell, I might even make a dent in it come 2056.

Would I buy another Le Metier de Beaute eyeshadow?  Yes.  I might go for a nice neon orange next time.

Elemis, who were recently voted “Best British Brand” at the prestigious UK CEW awards are marking a special occasion with a rather special release.

Celebrating their 20th year, one of their most celebrated products has undergone a transformation!

From the 31st May until the 27th June, you can purchase a supersized 100ml pot of Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream for £99.  Taking into consideration that a 50ml pot retails at £75 and if I do my maths correctly… that makes a saving of £51!

Now, I’m not gonna pretend this is the “bargain du jour”, some skincare is just pricey, and Elemis’ Pro Collagen Marine Cream most definitely falls into the luxe range.

It’s been a product that I haven’t been without since I first got a sample from the Elemis counter last year… infact, I think I posted about it.  Yes, I did!  I’ve never actually reviewed PCMC other than to declare random love for it occasionally (I will put that right soon!).  Anti-Ageing skincare reviews are HARD, I think they’re so personal and more often than not based on how a product makes you feel rather than any immediate effects.

By the way, Elemis are hustlers with their generous sampling policy!  That 15ml sample I innocently picked up last Summer has cost me a bleedin’ fortune since!

You can buy the Limited Edition 100ml Pro Collagen Marine Cream online from their website at TimetoSpa or from your nearest Elemis counter or Spa.  But only until the end of the month!

…into beauty brand Elemis!

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of the British luxe brand, but it’s definitely on my ‘treat myself’ list rather than my ‘repurchase regularly’ list.  This stuff is pricey!

However, from the 3rd till the 31st May there’s a rather good deal going on:

The Elemis Rose and Lavender Recovery Regime is a collection of four of Elemis’ top-selling detox products, with some significant savings to be made.

Excuse a little c&p whilst I tell you what each product claims to do:

Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules (60 capsules / worth £58)

These little gems counteract the damaging effects of pollution and help repair the visible signs of ageing. Each capsule contains Moringa Oil which is clinically proven to have 1700% more anti-oxidant power that Evening Primrose Oil when applied to the skin. The pink Rose Absolute ‘day’ capsule restores a youthful bloom, whilst the green Lavender evening’ capsule helps to balance and repair stressed skin whilst you sleep.

Gentle Rose Exfoliator (50ml / worth £25)

Gently exfoliates the skin, smoothing and revitalising the skins surface and is excellent for use before a treatment mask, it removes dead skin cells making the surface of the skin appear smoother and brighter.

Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (15ml / worth £26)

This is Elemis’ no. 1 best selling product globally! This super lightweight anti-ageing moisturiser is perfect day and night. Containing revolutionary Padina Pavonica, a marine algae that has ability to mimic the skin’s function to boost collagen in the skin and give you youthful skin and is proven to reduce wrinkles and increase hydration.

Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream (15ml / worth £31)

Apply before bed, this oxygenating night cream increases oxygen levels and in the skin by up to 41%* to help it regenerate speedily. *Independent Clinical Trials 2006

RRP £58.00 / worth £140 / saving over 55%

Available from 3rd May until 31st May 2010 at Elemis’ official online retailer www.timetospa.co.uk, spas, salons and selected retail stores.

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I’ve personally tried the (infamous) Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and became a huge fan…. but at retail price, I can’t really afford my habit… so continue to look elsewhere.  I am very tempted by this offer though…  If you do take advantage yourself, have a quick google for a discount code for Time to Spa, I know there are some around… but I think they all expire at the end of this month – boo!

I bought the SK-II Air Touch Foundation back in May.  I was beyond excited to get my hands on it after it had been sat at the top of my wish-list for nearly 6 months, and that’s a long time for an item to remain on my wish-list.

I’d tried it a few times and had been disappointed with the result.  I’d found it simply too sheer to be of much use to me.

It’s a beautiful little thing isn’t it? And look! You can see me in it!

SK-II is a Japanese brand whose USP is a little ingredient called Pitera, you can read more about Pitera here – I’m far too lazy to go into all that now.

Anyway, bollocks to Pitera, all I was interested in were the words “air touch” – woo hooooo!

I was immediately picturing myself with perfect, pore-less radiant skin.  Woah, I was gonna need a 10ft ladder to get this little product down off that pedestal I’d placed it on.  Secretly, I envisaged it turning me into sodding Snow White.

Where’s the bluebirds? Oh! Here they are!

Back to reality for a moment…

The basic premise is simple.

You get a teeny tiny sachet of foundation (and I’m talking wincey).  To get hold of refills in the shade you want, you’re gonna have to do some kind of deal with the devil whilst remortgaging your house.  We’re talking £45 for 5ml.  I’d sell you my eggs for cheaper than that.

Anyway… before I digress into full-on human trafficking…

Still sexy isn’t it…

That droplet icon is the one you set it to if you haven’t used it for while… it pushes out a single droplet to clear the nozzle.

The “business” end…

I’ve read loads of “how to” tips and watched many guides for this and the general consensus is that you hold it about half an arm’s length from your face and make smooth zig-zag motions back and forth until you’re happy that you’ve got enough coverage.

Which is exactly what I did.  Or at least, I thought that’s what I was doing.

See, subconsciously I was really going…

“£45…. for 5ml? Feck, better not use too much of this then.”

Which probably goes a long way to explaining why I felt I wasn’t getting enough coverage from this little marvel.

Today, after GraceLondon gently urged me to try again, I may have been in a slightly different frame of mind…

“Bollocks to it… if it’s shit again, it can go in a blog sale.”

See the subtle tonal shift there?  Look closely, it’s easy to miss.

Ugh, another one of them no makeup faces and I didn’t even warn you it was coming this time! Bwahaha.

I put the SK-II Airbrush Foundation into action again.  This time with a little more gusto, a little more confidence and a great amount of careless-ness.

I love it! It’s smooth, even, non-cakey but sheer.  Sod “my lips but better” this is proper “my skin but better”.

The redness around my nose has been evened out and it’s given my skin some luminosity that it was previously lacking.

Unfortunately, these photos aren’t the best.  The sun was being an arse and the lighting was rather uneven so you’ve got some over-exposure on the before image which conceals some of the unevenness.

Can you see it though?  Tell me it’s not my imagination!

I’m sneakily borrowing the below image from a FOTD that I’ve got coming up at the end of the week… but I wanted to show you how my skin looked with the SK-II Airbrush Foundation after it had ‘set’ (it takes 5-10 mins to dry) and I’d added a little powder and some blush.

So pleased with the results…

Nevertheless, I’m gutted to admit that I won’t be anouncing “Holy Grail!”… despite my new found adoration for Pitera.

It’s with absolute hand-wringing regret that I have to face up to the fact that £45 a pop is a lot of money for me.  Granted, if 5ml lasts me 6 months of daily use then I may rethink my stance but even then there is another obstacle… availability.

I know the refills are sold in Harrods, but they don’t stock my shade online…  they occasionally crop up on eBay (but are they genuine?)

However, I can happily conclude that until the day that last nectar-like droplet has spritzed the last red blotchy bit, I shall continue using this with joy and reckless abandon.

Want one?

[starreview tpl=14]

Quick PSA thanks to catching this on moneysavingexpert.com before heading off to bed…

If you’re near an Elemis counter (John Lewis) today or tomorrow (Friday/Saturday) – take any old bottle or jar of moisturiser that you don’t use anymore (even if it’s empty) and swap it for a shiny new 15mls of Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream (apparently worth £22.50) – perfect for travelling!

…look what I’ve got in my grubby little hands!

Hello lover, please don’t disappoint me.  Anyone got one of these little beauties, any tips?