A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

It’s like Kajagoogoo (oh children of the 70s/80s) but pusier.  Why does the word pusier never translate to text very well?  Pus. i. er.  as in yellow stuff, not… oh, nevermind.  Look, I’m talking zits.  Spots, pustules, pimples, blind boils, are you eating?  Sorry.

I’m talking about the ones that grow their own head (arms, torso and a pair of legs) overnight.  You can often feel them brewing in advance… and of course, knowing that the last thing you should do in. the. world. is touch it, you spend all day picking at it, poking around it and generally coaxing it to come out and sing too shy, shy, hush, hush, eye to eye.

So what are your options?  Don’t say toothpaste or I will mock you.

Well, you could cover it with a big granny-tights coloured plaster and just pretend it’s not there.  This is fine if it’s somewhere discreet, like on the soles of your feet but not so good if you can a). see it or b). reach it.  Basically, it’s a rubbish option because you know that within five minutes, you’ll have that plaster off and will be digging around with it again until you get the skin-picking guilts.

How about some topical treatments?  Some people swear by Sudocrem but the only tub I have in the house has actually been used for it’s intended purpose and I just don’t fancy it.

Then you’ve got your topical treatments.  In all manner of guises…

The ones that I’m dabbling in at the minute are The Sanctuary’s Blemish Serum* which helps to calm the redness and general rage that accompanies the facial intrusion.  BareMinerals Blemish Remedy* which comes in a powder form and contains sulphur to draw the bugger out more quickly and finally, La Roche Posay’s Effaclar A.I which keeps making me think of that film with Jude Law in it which works both as an anti-bacterial and exfoliator to promote faster healing.  It feels hugely comforting to have a dedicated blemish-buster to tote around in your handbag.

And finally, you’ve got the ever-faithful aspirin mask.  I actually put quite a lot of stock in the value of this remedy, especially as a way to get the blighter to look a little less inflamed before an evening out.

But I wanna know, what do you do when you feel a particularly unholy zit brewing?

* press samples

Last week, I logged onto one of my favourite online shopping destinations, escentual.com to take advantage of one of their current offers.  Until the end of March, the beauty emporium are selling their French pharmacy brands (including: Avene, La Roche Posay, Vichy and more) at 1/3 off the usual price.  It’s the perfect time to take advantage of some of those purchases you’ve been putting off!  Or was that just me?

I picked up the Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser, the La Roche-Posay Effaclar AI (because LondonMUGirl always recommends it), the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Huile Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil, A-Derma Oat Milk Soap Free Foaming Gel, and the La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP.  My order came to just under £31, so I got free delivery aswell!

My order arrived the next day!  I was really tempted by some of hte Klorane shampoo/conditioners aswell, particularly as they do some for sensitive scalps but in the end I decided that they could sit on the wishlist for a little longer, especially as I stocked up on ‘poos during my last mooch around in T.K. Maxx.

What’s your favourite French pharmacy brand?  Have you taken advantage of the escentual.com offer yet?

Having spent the afternoon skirting around the possibility of knuckling down and doing some actual work, I was indulging in one of my favourite evening procrastination activities (online shopping), when looksee what I spotted!

Lanolips Herbal Treatment Body Oil.  Holy mother of all things oily and lanoliny.

If like me, you’re a fan of body oils  – you’ll be delighted to hear that this one is completely free from mineral oil.  It’s a super-concentrate of Ultra Pure Grade Lanolin Oil with extracts of Pine and Eucalyptus thus needing no petro-chemical fillers, note the 60ml sizing which I’m guessing means that a little is destined to go a very long way.  There’s just one thing… where’s Lady Lamb gone?!

Ok, now I’ve got that off my chest, back to the oil…

I personally apply my body oils whilst still in the shower over skin that has been wiped with a flannel (not dried) to lock in the maximum amount of moisture.  It’s the quickest, least messy way I know of giving my skin a suppleness boost in this icy weather.

Lanolips Herbal Treatment Body Oil is priced at £9.99 and available online now from Victoria Health (who may or may not be harbouring one lady lamb)

Do you use body oils or creams?  Miss Lady Lamb too?

This may sound like something you’d expect to read in your newspaper on the morning of April 1st, but there’s no fooling about it.  Fujifilm, the photographic pioneers from Japan, have turned their hands to the beauty market and developed a line of skincare products that are landing in the UK next month.

Astalift, which has been available in Japan and other parts of Asia since 2007 offers a comprehensive skincare lineup including: make-up removers, cleansers, serums, eye creams and priming lotions but it’s the Jelly Aquarysta Rejuvenating Concentrate that’s set to be the most anticipated release from the unlikely beauty brand.

FujiFilm have taken inspiration from their years of research into how to succesfully harness the power of antioxidants to prevent photographs from fading and applied it to skin.  Collagen is as essential to the photographic industry as it has become to the beauty industry, and the brand are hoping to bring proprietary technology in the form of Pico-Collagen (essentially collagen that they claim is small enough to penetrate the skin) to a new European audience.

In addition to this innovative nano-technology, the Astalift range contains a naturally occuring antioxidant found in marine algae called Astaxanthin, an ingredient which has been recognised for its ability to protect the skin from ultraviolet light.  The most interesting thing to note about this Astaxanthin – aside from its unusual coral-red colour – is that it’s claimed to be approximately 1000x more effective than both vitamin E and CO Q10, the ingredients more commonly used in anti-aging skincare.

The range promises to target the visible signs of premature ageing that include dark spots, lines and dull skin whilst stimulating the production of elastin fibres, helping to produce more luminous, plumped-up skin.  The brand have just appointed actress Naomi Watts as European brand ambassador, so expect to see the 43yr old actress featured in Astalift’s new ad campaigns soon.

The range will be priced toward the luxury end of the market and is set to launch in March.  You can follow the brand on Twitter @Astalift_UK or register for updates at http://www.astalift.com

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

Like Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher Jane Tennison (sexier)… I’m taking on a cryptic challenge to uncover the secret behind The BIG Skincare Mystery.  Unlike my Prime Suspect role model, they’ll be no dead bodies (only dead skin), and hopefully no issues with institutionalised sexism.

A suspect package containing an unbranded, unmarked bottle of lotion dropped through my letter box* yesterday morning with the curious label you see above attached.  I shall call it… Exhibit A.  A milky, pale green hue with a creamy formula that smells fresh and a little bit like cucumber(?).  Curiouser and curiouser!

Let’s look at the evidence.

All I know about it (thanks to a purposefully vague press release) is that it’s a new multi-purpose daily cleanser which promises to tackle common skin issues like oiliness without leaving skin feeling tight or dehydrated.  Well, it’s picked a tough tester here because my skin tightens at the mere sight of anything targeted toward oilier skins thanks to my typical combination/unbalanced skin type.

Ingredients: Aqua, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Betonite, Kaolin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Coco-Glucoside, Salicylic Acid, Xantham Gum, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Salicylate, Persea Gratissima Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, CI 77891, CI 42090, CI 19140

In my non-expert opinion, the ingredients suggest that it’s something we’ll find on the high street *strokes chin thoughtfully* and I see clay and salicylic acid to help degunk those pores.  I’m told that it’s multi-use and as well as a daily face wash, it can be employed as a face mask up to 3x weekly, leaving on for up to three minutes before rinsing clear.

Dermatologist Susan Mayou from the Cadogan Clinic, London says: “When it comes to facial cleansing, many products, especialy thouse designed for problem skin, can cause drying if used every day.  The impressive thing about this mystery new range is that each product has been specially balanced with ingredients that clear blemishes effectively but are also gentle enough to be used as part of an everyday cleansing regime”.

So.

Who wants to be Watson to my Sherlock? (I know, the comparisons are getting bolder)

If you want to join in with the fun, head over to the facebook page for The Big Skincare Mystery and request a mystery sample to try for yourself – by doing so, you also stand the chance at winning your share of £1000 in Topshop vouchers.  The BIG reveal will take place on March 1st 2012.  The game is afoot!

* press sample

If I can dodge doing the weekly shop for just a little while longer, I’ll be going to the gym this lunchtime which means that without a full face of makeup, I can give my parched skin a richer dose of moisture.  Tomorrow, I’m out and about all day, so I’ll need to concentrate on preventing my lips from chapping and priming my skin to grip my makeup from dawn to dusk.  Skincare is a variable we all struggle to set in stone, making it both a nightmare to ‘get right’ and a joy to ‘solve’.

Nivea have launched a new web tool called Your Skin, Your Rules which celebrates the diversity in our daily routines and dances on the grave of the traditional three-step “cleanse, tone, moisturise” routine.  Like the capsule wardrobe from which you pick and choose those classic pieces to create the perfect outfit for any occasion, Nivea believe you can mix-and-match a few essential products to customise your skincare routine to suit your ever-changing needs.  And let’s face it, some of our needs are more glamourous than others…

This week, my idea of glamour has involved trying on sale dresses that I’d like to wear to all the parties that I’m too grumpy to attend, but if you’re craving something a little more exciting than this, the Your Skin, Your Rules web tool has a treat hidden up it’s sequined party sleeve.

Purchase a Nivea Daily Essentials product and get ready to glamourise your daily routine by logging on to www.nivea.co.uk/YourRules.  Input the barcode or take a webcam picture of your Nivea Daily Essentials product to claim either a free online yoga class, dance lesson or makeover and photo shoot – simply tell Nivea about your skincare routine and receive your instant reward!

As it’s January and we’re squarely in central-heating mode – my skin is demanding a completely different routine to the one I created for it in the Summer and I’m still playing catch-up as I work to establish a new set of rules to maintain the balance.  What is your routine currently dictating and are you being affected by the weather conditions too?  Also, just for fun – which treat would you choose: yoga, dance or makeover and photo shoot?  Are you a salsa kinda girl?!  I’ll be honest, I like salsa… but only on my nachos.

Don’t forget to log on to www.nivea.co.uk/YourRules to check out the available treats!

* sponsored content

Sometimes, you know you’re going to love something before you set eyes on it and when I received an email describing an organic lip balm, delicately housed in a real-life sea shell?  I felt the love immediately.

Upon arrival, I wasn’t disappointed – something that had such potential to be overly-delicate and a little bit flimsy actually feels quite robust.  Sure I wouldn’t wanna drop it on the kitchen floor from any kind of height but I can’t see much harm coming to it from being toted around in my handbag.

The Shell Lip Balm itself is lightweight and adds a nice sheen to your lips without any thickness or stickiness.  As a constant lipstick-wearer, I need something a little more intensive than this during the depths of Winter but I haven’t been able to resist whipping it out and using it at every opportunity regardless!  This is a balm that would be perfectly suited to anyone who needs some added moisturisation but dislikes that heavy, balm-y feeling.  It’s a really very, very comfortable wear.

There are four different shell varieties available: Tiger Crown (mine), White Frangipani, Mocha and Oriental Fan.  The shells are recycled after being washed-up on the shore and go through a stringent cleaning process.  The lip balm is certified organic and contains: Coconut Oil, Rosehip Oil, Beeswax, Lanolin, Jojoba Oil, Macademia Oil and Mango Seed Butter.  There is a faint coconut smell but no taste.

Priced at £12.99 each, they make fantastic gifts (you could even pass a chain through the catch and wear it as a necklace) – I’m smitten with mine and have gone all Pokemon about them, gotta collect ’em all!

Shell Lip Balm is available to buy online at http://www.shelllipbalm.co.uk – if you’re still trying to think of what to buy the person who has everything this Christmas, I’ve just solved that problem!

* press sample

It’s gone a bit giveaway-crazy on Lipglossiping this month and the fun is going to continue as I line up some more great goodies for you lovely lot.

Seeing as I’ve had a couple of queries over Twitter, it’s probably a good time to announce that I won’t be holding the annual Advent Giveaway this year.  I’ve been doing it for the past couple of years now and for me, it’s run its course.  It can be pretty stressful to organise (especially when things go wrong!) and I predict that there will be a million blogs running the same format this year, so hopefully you’ll still get lucky!

But back to today…

I’m currently sharing my Christmas pearls of wisdom over on the Jurlique website.  If you click through, you’ll find an indecently large picture of me (cringe), my top Jurlique gift set for Christmas and a mini-essay on the Joy of Giving.

Now, how ’bout that Joy of Giving?  Well, it gives me unadulterated joy to offer you the chance to win my favourite Jurlique gift set: Rose Essentials, worth £54!

The set contains: Rosewater Balancing Mist 100ml, Rose Hand Cream 125ml and Rose Shower Gel 300ml – it all smells absolutely exquisite!

The Australian skin care company pride themselves on their botanical expertise and natural formulas, so stick around for the rest of the week to see what other goodies I’ll be bringing your way!

Want to win Jurlique Rose Essentials gift set, worth £54?!

You do?  Excellent!  Get this question right and you’ll be in with a chance of winning…

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Jurlique’s Mylor Farm can be found in the hills named for which Australian city?

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T&C
1. Entry open to UK residents only.
2. One winner will be picked at random from all correct entries.
3. Lipglossiping.com is the sole promoter of this competition.
4. One entry per email address please.
5. Competition closes on Tuesday 29th November 2011 at 23.59 GMT.
6. Winner will be notified within 5 days of the close of the competition.

Remember I told you about this TSV last week?  Well – it’s gone live today and the remaining set details and price have been revealed!

Contents (details pulled from the QVC website):

1 x Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (30ml) – award-winning moisturiser helps to actively reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles whilst hydrating your skin

1 x Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser (150ml) – formulated to deeply cleanse your skin, gently dissolving make-up and daily grime to a radiant, youthful-looking complexion

1 x Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream (100ml) – luxuriously rich hand cream quickly absorbs to instantly hydrate hands and condition your nails. Only available at QVC

1 x Frangipani Monoi Body Oil (100ml) – super-hydrating oil designed to leave your skin feeling silky soft and beautifully fragranced. It can be used as a massage oil and a hair treatment

1 x Tranquil Touch Bath Elixir (300ml) – enriched with cocoa butter, patchouli, cedarwood and vetivert to leave your skin felling soft and delicately scented

1 x navy patent wash bag – 26.5cm x 17.5cm x 8cm (10.3″ x 6.8″ x 3.1″)

And the price? 

£39.96 on Easy Pay! (4 interest-free installments) – representing a massive saving off the original combined RRP for these products.

I’ve snapped one up but I’m gonna be a bit devious and split them into individual Christmas gifts.  However, this plan has ultimately left me umming and ahh-ing over whether or not to nab another one for myself, I don’t need it but it’s the Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser and Monoi Body Oil that’s pushing me close to the edge!  Perhaps I’ll just have to come to the conclusion that I don’t know anybody who would like those two for Christmas.  Delusional much?

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Are you buying this set today?  And if so, is it for yourself or someone else?

You may remember my post of tips I put together regarding the cleansing of dry skin… well, I’m back with a follow-up on how to treat dry, reactive skin types.

Allow me to copy in a little from the previous post to remind you of the background…

What do I mean by dry skin?  Well, for me… my combo/dry skin is largely self-inflicted.  I know I don’t drink enough water (and always see a marked improvement when I do), I refuse to give up my cleansing oil addiction and although I’m leaning more toward kinder organic cleansing balms, I refuse to just ‘get rid’ of some of my more drying oils until they’re finished.  Waste not, want not as my Mum would say.

I don’t suffer too badly in the Summer, but come the end of October, my skin loses its glow and the biggest problem I have to battle are those dreaded flakies that make any foundation look like crap.

I’m breaking the tips into a couple of posts:  cleansing, treating, moisturising & makeup.  Please remember that I’m in no way an expert, I’ve just bumbled through a lot of trial and errors to find what works well for me.  So without further ado…

Treating

1.  Think about supplementing your diet with additional vitamins or minerals to keep your skin in top shape.  Either go for a general multivitamin to give a beauty boost or look for something more specific containing zinc and a good balance of vitamins A, E & C.  Also aim to eat more foods rich in high-quality fatty acids such as Omega-3.

Suggested products: Neals Yard Beauty Boost with Frankincense, Cosmetofruit: Face Anti-Aging Defense, Functionalab Radiance Formula, Oskia Pure MSM, Viridian Hyaluronic Acid 50mg

2.  One of my most-frequently repurchased beauty items are cans of pH-balanced water.  To many, that will sound like a horrible waste of money but I became addicted after my laser hair removal last year, when nothing else worked to cool and hydrate my skin as quickly.  I keep a can in the car and one by my computer, they mist lightly and instantly give a boost of hydration when needed.

Suggested products: Avene Eau Thermale, La Roche Posay Thermal Spa Water, Evian Facial Spray, Uriage Thermal Water

3.  Exfoliating is critical for those of us with dry skin but as our skin is often quite sensitive, we have to be careful to choose the right kind of exfoliator.  If you prefer the feeling of a mechanical exfoliator, make sure the granules are fine enough not to cause any micro-tearing to your skin.  Alternatively, opt for a chemical exfoliator that harnesses the power of fruit enzymes, glycolic acids and BHAs.  As to how often you should exfoliate, that varies and the best way to find out is to see what your skin will tolerate.

Suggested products: Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads, Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant, Origins Brighter by Nature Peel Pads, No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator, Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Mask

4.  Get specific to your skin’s needs with a high-intensity serum, oil or concentrate that contains hydration-boosting or skin-repairing ingredients.  Incorporate this into your bedtime routine to give your skin optimum time to repair itself while you sleep.  Look for products that combine well with your favourite night creams to quench the thirst!

Suggested products: Dermalogica Ultra-Calming Serum Concentrate, Elemis Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules, SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel, Medik8 Hydr8 B5, REN Max Moisture Concentrate

5.  Lie back, put your feet up and treat your skin to a regular mask treatment.  Because I still get an oily nose, I tend to use two different types of mask simultaneously — on my cheeks, chin and forehead I use something deeply nourishing whilst my nose gets blasted with a good old dose of something clay-based to draw out the impurities.  Don’t be afraid to mix and match, it’s all about tailoring your skincare to find the best results for your skin type.

Suggested products: Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream, Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque (t-zone), Dr. Hauschka Rejuvenating Mask, Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Cream Mask, Korres Thyme Honey Mask

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Whilst you’re treating a flare up, avoid products that foam and make sure that when you bathe or shower, the water isn’t too hot.  Turn down the central heating just a touch (yeah, I know) and if Winter causes annual issues, think about investing in a humidifier for the room you spend the most time in.  Most “normal” dry skin conditions can be treated with a little know-how and a lot of dedication to pinning down what works for you but if in doubt, always consult your doctor.

Do feel free to add any TREATMENT tips you’ve discovered for dealing with dry skin, I’d love to hear them.  I’ll be covering general moisturising tips later.

* disclosure: in the above picture, the SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective, Neals Yard Beauty Boost and Dermalogica Skin Refining Masque were press samples

The budget skincare brand that enjoys a cult following in the U.S. is now available to buy in Boots.  I’ve previously bought the Cetaphil cleanser from my local Lloyds pharmacy but availability was hit and miss – hopefully, with such a major stockist now, those troubles will be a thing of the past.

Despite an ingredient list that consists of mostly fatty alcohols, SLS, parabens and mineral oil derivatives, this somehow works for me.  It’s not perfect but it is cheap and it doesn’t strip my dry skin like most cleansers.  If you’re an organic-loving skincare girl, give it a wide berth.

If you’re curious to try something new to settle your irritated or reactive winter skin, give this a go before spending the big bucks!

Cetaphil is priced at £9.18 for the large 236ml size bottles, available online and instore at Boots.