A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Lipglossiping reader and new blogger Jessica took the SK:N Clinic up on their recent offer of a £1 Skin Assessment (with the £1 being donated to The British Skin Foundation).

Her experiences (both good and bad) make for interesting reading…

CLICK HERE TO READ JESSICA’S THOUGHTS ON THE OFFER

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It’s a simple fact that the savvier we become, the harder we are to please.  We crave knowledge and I know from my past experiences… if I don’t learn something new from a ‘specialist’ then it doesn’t matter if I’ve spent £1 or £100, I will leave the session feeling unimpressed.  The same goes for one-on-ones at makeup counters, with skin specialists or even at hair salons.  I want their expertise and I want their knowledge.

The curse of the canny consumer.

Not saying that this is necessarily what happened in this case… but I wonder why companies hold these kind of promotions if they have little interest in engaging their customer in anything other than a barrage of sales techniques.  A bad brand encounter is a bad encounter, regardless of how much you’ve paid to experience it.

Having said that, it’s always good to attend these kind of sessions with an objective in mind.  What is it that you’re hoping to achieve from your one on one?  If you can accomplish that and create a positive brand experience – everyone’s happy.

What do you think of these kind of promotions?  Do you go along expecting the hard sell or are you always hopeful for a softly, softly approach?

Is it true that you get what you pay for?

Just a little something I slaved over last night…

Something I would dearly love to improve is the navigation of this site.  I’ve always been a good girl and ‘tagged’ my posts with relevant info and made sure to pop it in it’s correct category… but I just think it could be better.

And this is my first step…

THE WALL OF NAILS!

Apart from making me realise how many bottles of nail polish I must own (eek), it’s made me realise that I hate any and all kinds of organisation.  I was gonna turn all the photos the right way up… but I got bored.  I was gonna categorise the polishes by colour… but I got bored.  I was gonna… well, you get the idea.

You can hover your mouse over one of the small photos and it will display the shade name.  You can click one of the images and it will take you to the relevant post.  Nifty eh?

Now, I just gotta keep it updated! *ahem*

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I’d REALLY love to hear what you guys think about the site navigation and if you have any bright ideas of how to make it more accessible, I’m all ears!

There were many, many more things I wanted to add to this list… perhaps it will be an ongoing project.  I was sat in the car waiting for Mr. L yesterday making a mental list… I’ve forgotten 90% of them.  Here’s what’s left.

1). Cleanse your face in the morning. This is probably hugely obvious to most of you, but I never did anything more than splash my face with water.  Infact, I thought I was doing my skin a favour by not using product.  Boy, was I wrong… I’m a morning cleanse-convert!

Since using a gentle cream-based cleanser in the mornings my skin has become far less prone to dryness in the middle of the day.  I learned this tip from Jo Givens at the Liz Earle Treatment Rooms in London who recommends using a gentle cleanser both morning and night to remove sweat, dead skin cells and daily grime.  Who knew?  Well… not me obviously.

2). The thrill of the chase is often more exciting than the capture. Tell me about a brand I’ve never heard of… a must have cleansing oil from Guatemala and I’m on it.  I will spend inordinate amounts of money and time to track that baby down.  The harder it is to come by, the better.

Once I’ve landed it?  I usually move onto the next thing pretty sharpish.  Meh.

3). You can kiss goodbye to French Manicures. I haven’t seen my naked nail beds in around 18 months… well only for the length of time it takes to swap out one opaque polish for another.  Despite what started out as a religious and devout use of high quality base coats to prevent staining… my nails are yellower than a canary on a sunny day.

The only way back for these babies is an electric sander.

4). You will notice and develop flaws in your appearance that simply don’t exist to the 90% of the population. Milia? Oh yes… I have a few of those.  Eyelashes sprouting from your tearduct?  Ahem… thanks eyelash growth product *pluck*.  Teeny tiny pigmentation mark near left temple?  Oh Hai!  Let me go in search of 439 different ‘whitening’ products so that I may eradicate you (and then blog about it).

A beauty blogger’s vanity goes a little deeper than most.

5). That one woman really can own and rotate over 50 lipsticks. Why she’d want to?  I’m still not sure… but it’s definitely possible.

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What favourite things have you learnt from reading blogs or keeping your own?

Look away now if you don’t like children.  I totally get it if you don’t.  It’s ok, I only like my child… normal service will resume in the next few days as I get settled back into my routine.

But I wanted to share the face that greeted me this morning.

Why the hell can’t I look that cute when I wake up?

While I’m here… I might aswell tell you that I finally booked my fishy pedicure for the 9th and I’m dragging my cousin along with me (Mr. L totally dodged that one!).  I’m all nervous, if you reviewed it… please link me up below!

Monday Musings… Tuesday’s Twaddle… Wednesday Waffling…. Thursday Thuckery?  No, that doesn’t sound right.

And so on…

There just aren’t enough days in the week for the amount of shit I could come up with.

Anyway…

I wanted to acknowledge that I’ve been terrible at responding to comments over the last 10 days.  I’m home now, and I’m working my way back through them (well, I will when Leila’s gone for her nap and I’ve had another 3 coffees – screw proper work).  I haven’t forgotten that I owe a Pantene ingredient list to some nice soul and a comparison of Jo’Mina and Barry M… what else, what else…. I’m working on a nail-care maintenance type post which has been requested a few times and I’d like to do another photo-tip type one but I’m not sure what would be useful?  Any requests?

Ahhh I’m so excited to be home, I could snog my computer!  True to life colours, software that doesn’t freeze and the ability to have more than 2 windows open at once.  Life’s simple pleasures.

Oh and before I forget (yeah, right… like I *really* was gonna forget) – Lipglossiping.com was featured in last weekend’s Waitrose magazine (is it still a magazine if it’s not glossy?)

Anyway, look!

Look at me, inbetween Delia and a BOGOF on extra mature cheddar.  My mama would be so proud.

Celebrate with the brand for a chance to win a trip to Hollywood!

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Visit their special anniversary site to learn more about the brand’s history, how they’re commited to ‘giving back’ and of course, the chance to bag yourself an amazing prize!  Just remember to take me if you win!

I’m on holiday in the wild North East of England.

Somewhere near here:

I’ve had a busy couple of weeks with an even busier few coming up and you may have noticed that my posting rate has reduced to a couple of posts a day from the usual torrent of makeup related diarrhea that sprouts forth from my keyboard to your monitors.

It gets worse (for me!) ‘cos I’m once again unsure of the quality of the mother-in-law’s internet status.  Last time it was dial up.  I felt like I’d driven 325 miles to emerge in 1996.  If I can’t leech onto a neighbour’s internet connection, I’m coming home.

And if there’s snow like last time (admittedly, unlikely in July) I’m refusing to go further north than Watford.  What can  I say?  I’m a soft Southern chick!

I’m 29, but I don’t look a day over 30.

The astute amongst you may have noticed that this isn’t my actual Birthday Cake (I’m sorry Evy… whoever you are).

This is because…

A).  Mr. L is a man

B).  Leila is too stupid to work out how to use a telephone to order me one

C).  I’m not *quite* sad enough to order my own makeup cake (just desecrate other people’s via Google Image search)

Still, as Mr L always says… “Don’t you already have enough makeup?”

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P.S.  I don’t know about you, but that MAC looks kinda fake to me.

Shamelessly pinched from one of Karen’s old polls…

1. Mood

Submerged.  I’ve pencilled in today as tax return day.  Dread, dread… dread it.  I hate being surrounded by paper, receipts, invoices.  Frazzles my mind very rapidly.

2. Highlight of Last Weekend

Spending time with my niece Mildred.  She’s 6 and is 100x more fun than me.

3. What are three staple makeup items you usually have in your makeup bag?

One of those smudgy Kajal cone liners, they’re so easy to run along the waterline and never need sharpening!
Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Gaze, the perfect dark ashy colour for my brows.
Urban Decay Primer Potion – doesn’t need justification!

4. If you could raid one person’s closet, whose would it be?

Oh, this is hard… I’m just not a fashionable chick.  Hmmm…. America Ferrera ALWAYS looks really well turned out on the red carpet. So, I’ll go with her.

5. Your life described in a song?

If only my life were worth writing a song about!  Dunno, Mr. L always says Stone Roses – Waterfall reminds him of me, but I’m gonna say Roxy Music – More Than This seeing as I spend half my life trying to remind myself to live in the moment!

6. How would you describe your ideal Friday night?

Dinner by the harbour with Mr. L, a quiet stroll through empty streets and a goodnight kiss from Leila.

7. Breakfast?

Never remember to have it until lunchtime :/

8. Worst movie you’ve seen this year so far?

Haven’t seen any!

9. Outfit?

Sundress and bare feet

10. Weekly goals?

Finish and submit my taxes, get the fam up to London midweek and keep all my appointments!  I’d like to enjoy my birthday on Saturday too!   I’ve been known to be a bit of a birthday grump.

How is your week shaping up so far?

I’ve admitted to being a bit clueless when it comes to fragrances but having said that, I love to smell good and there’s nothing quite like placing a brand new pristine bottle of beautifully packaged perfume on your dressing table.

My family has one of those family folklores going on… apparently, my Aunt was bought a large bottle of Jean Patou’s Joy in the early 1960s as a gift from a very rich Jordanian in-law.  A ‘welcome to the family’ gift if you will.  It was hugely expensive, more because of the bottle than the scent I believe but my mother describes it as being many, many months wages.

My Aunt didn’t like it much… and over the following months used it to freshen the toilet bowl in the bathroom!

I wonder if she at least kept the bottle?

I guess the moral of the story is never to spend more than £7.64 on a bottle of perfume for my Aunt.

Personally, I’ve never spent more than £80 on a bottle, it’s not a hard and fast rule that I’ve introduced… I just try to be sensible and avoid the counters where I might be tempted to part with more than that.  Frankly, I’m a good girl and 98.7% of the time I live within my means.

Admittedly, there is one ‘name’ that consistently tempts me.  Initials A.G. and it all started with a pair of perfumes created for her daughters.  No prizes for guessing, but do any of you fragrance heads know the perfumes I’m talking about?

Anyway…

I thought I’d introduce you to some new scents that have landed in my email inbox this week:

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Dior’s new Hypnotic Poision Eau Sensuelle.

This, I am hugely excited about.  If you’ve read this, you’ll understand why!  Will this new incarnation of Hypnotic Poison be enough to make me fall in love again?  Due to be released in September priced around £48 for 50ml.

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Sisley Eau du Soir is previewing this month with two very limited ediiton bottles simply named “Black and White” inspired by Anish Kapoor’s exhibition at The Royal Academy.  The fragrance includes notes of fresh mandarin, grapefruit and patchouli with deep pepper, oakmoss, musk and amber.

Priced at £162 each.  They can be previewed instore at Selfridges from today.

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Fronting Calvin Klein’s new fragrance Beauty is German actress Diane Kruger.  It’s already set to be a favourite this Christmas with that beautifully elegant bottle.  Those with a nose for fragrances expect this to be a big hit with more mature consumers.  Available from the 25th August at Debenhams..

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Lastly, Armani Privé Oud Royale is a Selfridges exclusive. Heavily influenced by the powerful, earthy scents of Arabian oils it will be available instore and online from the 18th July priced at £175.

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Why do products suddenly stop working?

I can love a shampoo for weeks… even months, then of all a sudden… it turns to shit and makes my hair feel lank or (more often in my case) starts to make my scalp scab up (nice).

And what about lipsticks?  Please tell me that this doesn’t just happen to me…

I have a lipstick that I’ve loved for many months now.  It’s a NYX.  Paris to be exact.  Loved it.  Swore by it.

Put it on yesterday and have completely stopped feeling it.  Shame that, ‘cos I’ve got 2 backups.

As far as I’m aware… the formula hasn’t changed, it smells fine and applies as smoothly as ever but just doesn’t seem to suit me anymore.  It must be me… it must be?

But is this why I have very few (if any) true Holy Grail products?  Am I just too flighty for that kind of commitment?

Do any of you experience this?  If so, what products have you noticed this with?

It’s Friday… the weekend is here!  Let’s have a discussion and compare notes…

How long do you spend preening, pampering and generally grooming yourself?

My answer, in absolute honesty would be…. as long as I can get away with.

I love it.  As long as I’m not too tired, I love to cleanse my skin, pluck my brows, apply my makeup, give myself quick masks, paint my nails…. I take great pleasure and comfort in the whole ‘beautification’ thing.

The one exception to this is my hair.  I’m hair-lazy.  Infact, it was only last week I turned up to a blogger event and realised that I’d forgotten to brush my hair that morning.  Thankfully it was ponytailed and no-one noticed.  I think…

I guess I generally spend about 45 minutes to an hour a day… longer at the weekends when I get more chance to properly play with makeup for blog posts etc.

How long do you spend each day on making yourself beautiful/presentable/human? (delete as appropriate).  Would you like to have time to spend longer?