A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

I’m a very open person and never mind sharing more intimate details if I think they may be useful to someone else who finds themselves in my situation.  Heaven knows the nights I’ve spent trawling Google looking for people I can relate to in terms of hairy chins, diet struggles, inability to draw straight lines with liquid eyeliners or hunting down moon-faced chicks who’ve scored themselves flattering hair cuts I could copy.

I don’t *know* any of these women of course, but they somehow make me feel less isolated, more supported… connected.  I still write things on here that I probably wouldn’t tell my mother… which is stupid really ‘cos for all I know, she could be reading (hi Mum!).

I guess what I’m trying to say in my own wildly convoluted way is thank you for your kindness, encouragement and affirmation on Friday.  I wrote the post about my weight really late on Thursday night and then cringed my way through Friday whilst having a ‘shouldn’t have posted that’ wobble.

So whilst words really aren’t enough.. they’re all I have and I want to use them to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart.

We have been together for over 20 years, our lives so entwined that I’ve never been sure how to live without you.  I would like to tell you that you’ve been nothing but a miserable companion… but I would be lying.  At times, you’ve been a comfort, an invisibility blanket that has shielded me from the world,  holding my hand every step of the way.

Beside me throughout my childhood and teenage years, you often held me back from enjoying myself but I can’t deny that when the going got tough, you would be there to remind me that you were the only thing I would ever need in life anyway.  We were thankfully never bullied for our friendship, though both knew that it was almost impossible not to be pitied.

You regularly made me sad, insecure and doubtful of a happy future with your controlling ways… but despite your omnipresence, I have only fond memories of those formative years.  Further down the line, you shared those first precious moments with my husband, I think you knew I’d kick your arse if you interfered.

Every photo of every holiday, party and get-together… even on my wedding day… you’re there.  My shadow.

I still often question whether it was you that screwed with my hormones, or if we were only tied together because of my hormones…. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to put the chicken before the egg.  Regardless, it was then that you settled in for the long haul… knowing that I wouldn’t have the strength or the willpower to leave you for good.  When they said that I wouldn’t be able to have children without intervention, I turned to you for comfort… and you obliged, like you always do.

But then something clicked.  I don’t even know what or why, there was no lightbulb moment, no flash of inspiration… nothing that I can pinpoint as the moment I realised our relationship had to come to an end.  Like a drip feed, I started to wean myself off you and out of your controllling grasp.

It’s been a long road… 3 years in the making.  Through this time… I have stumbled and fallen back into your waiting arms many times… enjoying the familiarity that you provide… but it never lasts long before once again, you become the abuser and my body, the abused.  Conceiving Leila naturally served to remind me to ignore your parasitic sweet nothings that attempt to shatter my resolve.  I know that you don’t mean to hurt me, you just can’t live without me.

So today, it’s with a strange mixture of loss and overwhelming joy that I tell you something:

I’m leaving you and you won’t see me again.

.

This morning I weighed 12st 12lb wwith a BMI of 29.7, meaning I am overweight and no longer obese.

.

Please excuse this post.  It’s a bit of a For Leila one… but well… For me.  I just really wanted to record it, somewhere.

Um… yay!

“Talk about it Tuesday” is a complete excuse for me to ramble.  It’s actually 3.30am and I’m supposed to have gone to bed about 2 hours ago *whistling*… but I got sidetracked by some blogs, Amazon, JamieOliver.com (have I ever told you how much I love Jamie?) and then thought I’d better at least *attempt* to reply to some emails.

All that stopped abruptly when I caught sight of my hair on my way to the bathroom.  How can hair be both frizzy and flat at the same time?

I hinted last week at finding an amazing deep conditioner… and I’ve held off posting about it ‘cos I’m hesitating that perhaps that initial WOW has since morphed into more of a WUH sound.  I need to give it a bit longer… but anyway, I digress (it is 3.33am afterall)…

Hair…

My hair seems to benefit from a salon blow dry.  No, I mean REALLY benefit.  The hair shaft lays flat and smooth, I get volume at the roots and some beautiful separation and swishiness to the ends.

Which leads me to my Talk About It Tuesday question…

I own a hairdryer, I even own a brush…

WHY THE HELL CAN’T I RECREATE A SALON BLOW DRY AT HOME?

What is wrong with my spasmodic hands that stops me from being able to co-ordinate holding a brush and a hairdryer at the same time.  I may aswell have flippers instead of fingers.

I managed a 2:1 in Media & Cultural Studies (ok, admittedly… not *quite* rocket science), I totes bagged myself a freaking GENERAL anaesthetic during child birth and I can’t even remember the last time I washed up dishes by hand.

What I’m saying is… I’m a resourceful kinda girl.  So why is this simple act so completely out of my reach?

Can you achieve a salon finish at home?  Do you bother trying? Someone teach me the magic!

If it weren’t for those pesky prematurely dark evenings… Autumn would be my favourite season by far.

The excitement at dragging our lovely knitwear out from storage, discovering warming new recipes for the slow cooker, 100 denier tights and nature’s most vibrant display of colour.  It all combines to fill me with that pre-Christmas thrill.

For me, Autumn is the season of scents… crushed leaves underfoot, cordite in the air and hearty stews on the stove.

Here’s my take on some of the nicest Autumn scents that money can buy.

.

Ancienne Ambiance Scented Candle Collection – Romana (£28)

Brainchild of Adriana Carlucci, Ancienne Ambiance offer luxury goods inspired by Antiquity.   When you burn an Ancienne Ambiance candle, you’re burning more than just a beautifully blended scent.

Romana is like a portal to another age.  Described as: A powder-like scent with sensual & comforting effects..particularly good when desiring a calm ambience.

Comforting is exactly right… it’s soft and evocative.  The amber tones are rich, earthy and overwhelmingly Autumnal.  Perfect for warming up these dark evenings.

The quality in this candle is evident with a flame which burned evenly throughout the many hours of enjoyment I’ve had thus far.  The scent remains true and consistent from the first time you light it through to the moment it extinguishes itself.

The Ancienne Ambiance Scented Candle Collection is available to buy online and instore at Fenwick of Bond Street.

.

OCCO  Motovun no3 Bath & Body Wash (£18)

Croatian-inspired OCCO are a new to the UK, natural brand with a wide range of luxury products.

The Motovun no3 range combines essences of Cypress Leaf, Labdanum, Oak, Cedar Leaf, Vetiver and Black Pepper, to create an earthy and woody selection.

They say:

Oil of cypress tree fuses with gentle oat-based cleansers with anti-oxidant properties, to help restore elasticity and cleanse your skin. Natural extracts of pine and oak calm and centre your mood.

With an impressive list of active ingredients including: Pine Oil, Cypress Oil and Sage Oil Grape Extract, OCCO’s Motovun No3 promises to be a moisturising experience.  Something that our skins definitely crave this time of year.

All OCCO products contain a minimum of 95% natural ingredients and 100% natural fragrance blended from absolutes, extracts and oils to reveal subtle top, heart and base notes. All products are free from parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals and synthetic colours.

The brand are set to open a central London boutique this Autumn but for now, you can purchase online and instore from Harrods and John Lewis.

.

Haus of Gloi Parkin Bubbling Scrub ($9)

My latest Haus of Gloi order turned up yesterday morning and amongst it was the newly released Parkin Bubbling Scrub.

Heavy in black treacle, ginger and roasted chestnuts… the initial ginger sweetness morphs into a richer, darker base that lingers on the skin for hours.  Synonymous with Bonfire Night, I was delighted to scrub myself silly with this yesterday morning to mark the historic date.

Now, if only I had some real sticky Parkin to go with it *nom*

Parkin Bubbling Scrub is available online from Haus of Gloi (for a limited time).

.

LUSH / Gorilla Perfumes – Tuca Tuca (from £2.50)

I wanted to include an out and out fragrance in this selection but I found myself struggling to choose.  Sure, there are many amber and woody offerings…. even heady orientals that would fit with the theme but as I was exploring my stash of lovely things, I remembered Tuca Tuca.

It’s a love it/hate it pick.  Mr. L hates it, I love it.  Not quite as much as I love some of LUSH’s other new fragrance offerings (I’m looking at you Lust and The Smell of Freedom) but by Jove it reminds me of Halloween!

Tuca Tuca is an explosion in a Parma Violet Factory… and in this house, Parma Violets are king… or yano… queen… whatever, I ain’t discriminating.  Even better if we can find the jumbo ones… am not fattist either.  It’s playful, girly and comforting all at the same time.  But most of all?  It’s impish… mischievous and defiantly bold.

A pied piper of fragrances.

Tuca Tuca is available instore at LUSH or online.

.

Neals Yard Remedies Lip Gloss with Organic Orange Oil (£9)

Neals Yard Remedies are new to cosmetics and I’m finding it hard to decide if this is a gloss, a balm or maybe just a bit of both!

Advertised as a gloss, it does indeed leave a lovely (if subtle) sheen behind.  It’s non sticky and wears just as well under a lipstick as it does over it!

But the real beauty is in it’s scent!

I have literally spent an entire car journey with the end stuffed up my nostril.  Well, not *up* my nostril… that would just be dangerous, imagine if we had to brake?

Let me explain…

As a child, around this time of year… I used to make orange pomanders and use them to scent drawers and wardrobes around the house.  The organic orange oil is an acute reminder of those days.

It’s got enough tartness to it to steer it away from being sickly, but enough softness to stop it from smelling like a kitchen cleaner.  Fragrance blenders… I have so much respect for the delicate balancing act you do!

No parabens, no silicones and no carmine.  Neals Yard Remedies offers the first collection to include Soil Association certified cosmetics.  But I’m still all about that orange!

Neals Yard Remedies Lip Gloss with Organic Orange Oil is available to buy instore and online.

.

What are some of your loveliest Autumnal scents?  And which season is your favourite?

So, I was in Poundland yesterday afternoon…  I was TOTALLY on my way to DIOR (I wasn’t), I just got kinda bundled through the door (I didn’t)…. swept in on an errant wave of pedestrians if you will… (nuh uh).

Anyway… aside from the HIDEOUS Christmas musak that they were blaring at 140db and the one sales assistant that I couldn’t look at because she had a bogey on her cheek… I was kinda impressed!

I’ve decided to economise on some of the essentials in order to free up the cash for some guilt-free luxury purchases.

I need a list.  Come on ladies, you’re savvy (if not always frugal), what are the things I can stop hammering my Boots Advantage card with?  I know I love collecting the points (I’m at £70 this year *whoop!*)…. but, it’s not really the most economical way to shop is it?  I’ve probably overspsent triple that in order to collect those points.

I’m not prepared to compromise on quality, because afterall… we’re talking the essentials here.

I don’t wanna swap my bath smellies for cheapies, ‘cos they’re exactly the kind of things I wanna luxe out on.  Same goes for shampoos until I’ve pinned down exactly what irritates my scalp.

But what are the things I could pick up for pennies and not really notice any differences other than to my purse?

Edit: Just to clarify for my one ‘reader’ who got her rocks off on a bit of comment spite this afternoon… I don’t think I’m ‘above’ shopping in Poundaland… I am the pikey queen of discount Maryland cookies.  So shut up and get a sense of humour.  You’re in luck ‘cos they’re on 2 for 1 next to the Toffifee.

I wanna know… are there any brands out there who don’t do cosmetics that you think absolutely SHOULD?!

I was thinking about this because back in the Summer (remember that? No, me neither), I had the opportunity to meet Liz Earle alongside two other bloggers and one of the questions that was put to her was about the possibility of the brand branching into natural cosmetics.

She answered with a wry smile and a slight twinkle in her eye, I’m thinking it might be a case of “watch this space”… but apart from that little bombshell… it got me to thinking…

.

Which brands would you love to see come out with a cosmetic line?

It could be anyone!  From B&Q(erm) to Heinz… from Vivienne Westwood (did that happen in Asia already?) to Apple!

Just don’t say McDonalds.  .

Because they shouldn’t.  Ever.

…even though you know you should.

Do you have any personal items (no, not THAT personal!) that you just can’t let go no matter how old, battered and bruised?

Here’s mine…

I am as ashamed as I am proud of it.

My beloved 27 year old Mason Pearson Nylon & Bristle hairbrush that my mother bought me when I was just 2 years old.

It’s seen better days.

I’ve dropped it hundreds upon hundreds of times over the years… it’s been submerged in water, raked through various shades of hair dye, cleaned with all kinds of horrifically damaging cleaning fluids and yet still, it soldiers on.

The nylon bristles have split in places and you can clearly see the marks from a temper tantrum I had around age 13 when I threw it against the wall and then sobbed my heart out when I realised I’d chipped the head.

It’s been sung into, used as a back-scratcher and even circum-navigated the globe with me.

Am I ready to part with it? Am I hell.

This is still the brush I reach for in the mornings to weaken the tenacity of the knots that have appeared overnight before reaching for a paddle brush to finish the job.

Leila has just started to use the one that I bought her in May for her 1st Birthday and already she loves it. It’s a little smaller than mine, easier for her tiny hands to grasp. She bashes herself over the head with it more than she manages to pull it through her locks but she loves to find both brushes and pair them together as in the above photo.

I wonder if she’ll still be brushing her hair with it in nearly 30 years time. I hope for my sake that hers won’t show the signs of quite so many teenage tantrums though.

Mason Pearson hairbrushes are available to purchase instore at Liberty or online at HQHair – price varies depending on brush size.

C’mon, give up your secrets… got any beauty related treasures that you just can’t part with?

Let me set the scene…

My makeup is lovely.  I’m very happy with how I’ve scrubbed up this evening… there’s definitely room for improvement, but on the makeup front?  The girl’s done good.

I’m getting into the swing of things and have been at this function for a couple of hours… I’m relaxing and smiling more… joining in with the odd conversation and life is generally pretty sweet.

But hang on, what’s this?

Oh… one too many gin and tonics tells me that I need a loo break.  Off we go!

Oooooh squeee mirrors!  Let me give myself a quick check, make sure my hair’s not gone too wild, lips aren’t too faded….

….

…errrr wtf?

You don’t see it?  Look closer mi amigos…

Check out the nice mascara smudges… I got off lightly, I sometimes develop matching ones on both eyelids.

Seriously though…for  just HOW LONG had I looked like I needed a bloody good wash?  I stand infront of the mirror, my brain working overtime trying to calculate just how many people had clearly done the polite thing of NOT STARING?

Mascara…

You fail me.

.

Do you have a beauty nemesis?

I under-estimated how hungry the fish were.

Ok, not really… real life has caught up with me in a big way this week (sadly!).  Normal service to resume tomorrow!

xx

I’m going for my fish pedicure at Aqua Sheko tomorrow… I know… I’ve taken my sweet time!  I’m excited and hope my cheesers don’t kill off too many fish.

Have a great evening lovely people of the internet. x

…or Gufic Biosciences Ltd. and Estee Lauder.

I remember reading about the case of an Indian manufacturer of a herbal based stretch mark cream a couple of years ago.

Since 1998, Gufic Biosciences Ltd. had been using the name SkinCliniq Stretch Nil for their popular lotion and when Estee Lauder brought their brand Clinique into the country some years later… Lauder were unimpressed by the brand’s use of the word “Cliniq”.

Lauder brought a succesful injunction against the Indian brand in 2008 which prevented Gufic from using the word Cliniq while selling its products.

Last month, Gufic Biosciences Ltd. won its legal battle against the cosmetic giant.

The judge ruled that Gufic’s use of the world ‘Cliniq’ in its product is not identical or deceptive to Estee Lauder’s ‘Clinique’.

It was also noted that the major price difference between the two brands ensures no potential for confused consumers when shopping.  Gufic’s SkinCliniq Stretch Nil retails at around $5 for 100ml of product.  Hardly high-end pricing.

And perhaps even more importantly… Estee Lauder didn’t even enter Clinique into the Indian market until 2007.  Nearly 10 years after Gufic Biosciences Ltd. began selling SkinCliniq Stretch Nil.

I do love it when a bit of good old-fashioned common sense reigns supreme.

…because it’s mine and Mr. L’s Wedding Anniversary!

He wants to know if bank robbers have to serve as many as 6 years (or um, 10 if you count the rest of it).

I want to know where the hell my eternity ring is and just how many children I need to pop out in order to get one.