A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

If you spend over £75 (eek!) at Cosmetics A La Carte, the bespoke cosmetics brand will treat you to a limited edition Valentine gift set known as…

Lippy Love Duo

*insert Barry White music here*

They say: A Classic Dr Rita Matte Red Lipstick and a super glossy Campari Red Lip Lacquer to wear together or alone to create your own individual look.  Easy to use and long-lasting colour to get you noticed this Valentine’s!

I barely have 75p to spend on makeup in the weeks following Christmas and Mr. L’s birthday (yesterday btw!) but that doesn’t stop me from staring at that image, going a little misty-eyed.  That lipstick looks heavenly!

I am seriously developing a proper red lip addiction, can I blame all of you for encouraging it?  Pleasethankyouverymuch.

The Lippy Love Duo is available in store: Cosmetics A La Carte, 19b Motcomb Street, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 8LB.

Those guys at Denman and Batiste are spoiling you!

A red diamante studded Denman hair brush?  Yes please!

And if that isn’t sparkly enough for you, how about some Batiste shimmer dry shampoo too!  Perfect for nights out on the tiles!

Leave a comment to enter.  Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 15th January.

UK Only, sorry ladies.

If you’re from outside the UK but don’t want to miss your chance at winning “most dedicated” entrant mystery prize… you can still comment.  Just let me know that you’re not eligible to win the daily prize because of your location!

Winners will be announced early in the New Year.  Info and rulez can be found here.

Sometimes a favourite comes in an unlikely guise.  I love Urban Decay, I really do… they’re a brand that get me equally ecstatic when they get it right and just as hacked off when they screw up.  I think you have to care about a brand to experience proper emotions about what is, after all, only makeup.

So yeah, I like Urban Decay.  But I don’t generally get that excited by their lipsticks.  I was sent this one just before Christmas and because I had a Chanel to wear… this one got pushed a little further back in the queue.

Revolution is a glossy, creamy true red.  Pillar box and opaque as-you-like.  I used a lip brush but it practically painted itself on.  I can’t find fault with this product… the adorable ‘dagger’ packaging, smooth application, glossy finish (if glossy reds are your ‘thing’), and a longevity that’s competes up there with most of the other, less-creamy formulas I’ve worn so far.

I suppose, if pushed… it does have a greater risk of transfer because of the creamy formula but just do that filthy-looking finger pop trick to remedy any of that nonsense!

Urban Decay Revolution retails at £12 but I have seen it on discount websites for a lot less than that… but shhh, you didn’t hear that from me.  If you want a BOLD, creamy red… go forth and buy.

Available today while stocks last you can purchase 5 full size Nails Inc. products for only £10! (shipping £3.95)

Your Lucky Dip order will include:

~ 1 full size Chelsea Park Gardens polish (iridescent hot pink)
~ A top or base coat polish
~ 3 additional polish shades selected at random

Click the image below to go to the deal…

If you were to buy these items separately, they’d set you back £55 – quite a saving!  Also try promo code JAN20 for 20% off non-sale items.

But that’s not all… remember October’s 10 bottle mega deal?  Well… I’m spotting another one of those in the SALE section called The Red Carpet Colour Collection.  Different colours (bar one), same deal!  10 full-size bottles for a bargainous £25!

Shop, shop, shop, shop, shop…

Worth nearly £30, I’ve got three MyFace Cosmetics Blingtone Eyeshadows for one lucky soul to win today!

MyFace Blingtone Single Eye Shadow are ultra-modern, show-stopping eye shadows that deliver super-chic, shimmery glamour.

The shades are: Purple Haze, Morococo and Caribbean Queen.

Are you feeling lucky?

Leave a comment to enter.  Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 14th January.

Winners will be announced early next month.  Info and rulez can be found here.

It’s every mother’s worst fear… watching their child get sick and being powerless to wade in and fix it all.

Clinique are once again partnering with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity for the KISS IT BETTER appeal which raises money to fund research into the causes and treatment of childhood cancer.

Throughout February, you’ll be able to purchase a special Limited Edition Smoothie Kisses Lip Gloss Set (£22.50) featuring the latest lip launch from Clinique, Vitamin C Lip Smoothie Antioxidant Lip Colour.

The set includes four Vitamin C Lip Smoothie glosses, in Pink Me Up, Goodness Grapecious, Nude-tricious and Mango-thon, all housed in a brightly coloured pink bag.

Sold exclusively in House of Fraser stores nationwide during the month of February, £4.00 from each purchase will go to the KISS IT BETER appeal (£2 from Clinique and £2 from House of Fraser).

If the new set doesn’t take your fancy, then A £2.00 donation will also apply to all Clinique lipstick or lip gloss (£15.00) sold at House of Fraser stores nationwide, throughout February. (£1.00 will be donated by Clinique and £1.00 will be donated by House of Fraser).

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If you want to learn more about the KISS IT BETTER appeal and discover other ways to donate, visit www.gosh.org/kissitbetter

The timing of MAC’s Wonder Woman collection seems a touch premature to me, with the long-awaited release of a Warner Bros movie slated for 2013, I’m surprised that they didn’t hold out a couple more years and ride that cash cow all the way to the bank!

Regardless, the new collection will be arriving in stores much sooner than that.  Temptalia has the lowdown on the collection which is due for an international (non-US) release of March 2011.

image courtesy of. Temptalia.com

The 32-piece collection (yes, I counted em – anyone wanna check my maths?!) is already kicking up a storm amongst beauty-loving MAC fans worldwide.  The biggest bone of contention?  The packaging…

Temptalia readers have been showing their contempt for the design with comments including:

“…reminds me of the toy makeup I used to beg for when I was a kid.” – source

“…this packaging is actually so horrible that I doubt I’ll be purchasing much (if anything) from this collection.” – source

“…I don’t like the packaging.  The packaging looks verry childish.  I’m gonna buy nothing.” – source

“…I wouldn’t be caught dead taking them out in public.” – source

Of course, there are many protesting in defence of the packaging too…

Me?  I’m not ashamed to admit that I love it.

Sure, I love my Guerlain palettes and the sleek lines of my Rouge D’Armani lippies which always make me feel a little bit posher than I really am when I flash them about infront of people (I totally do that).  But… I really think MAC have pulled the “Wonder Woman” theme off magnificently!

image courtesy of. Temptalia.com

Look at those contrast gold-rimmed pans!  Love. It.

I do understand people’s disappointment… if the theme isn’t for them, it simply isn’t for them and if we all shared the same tastes, wouldn’t the world be a boring place?  But I can totally appreciate that for the theme… this packaging is ticking ALL the right boxes.

As an aside, it’s something that I didn’t think MAC achieved with the Disney VV collection which left me feeling that they hadn’t put any real effort into doing Disney (and it’s fans) justice.  There’s no denying that if a brand can “plug-in” to a much-loved theme and capture it’s essence within the collection, then the tills won’t stop ringing until the last lipstick has been sold.  Easy money if you can get it right.

image courtesy of. Temptalia.com

Kudos.

What do you guys think of the packaging for MAC Wonder Woman collection?  Adorable or Deplorable?  Vote!

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Day 6!

Denman have kindly provided one of their limited edition ‘kiss me quick’ hair brushes:

The Denman Classic D3 Styling Brush comes in sexy black, complete with vibrant red ‘lipstick kiss’ kiss prints. It has an anti-static rubber pad to provide maximum grip and control during blow-drying for smoothing, shaping and polishing the hair. Want sexy hair? Choose Denman!

As if that weren’t enough… Batiste have also provided a set of their inimitable dry shampoos to ensure you’re never without fabulous looking hair!

Whatever your look, unleash the diva inside with this irresistible dry shampoo. In an instant, it gives glamour girls clean, fresh hair, full of body and texture.

Leave a comment to enter.  Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 13th January.

UK Only, sorry ladies.

If you’re from outside the UK but don’t want to miss your chance at winning “most dedicated” entrant mystery prize… you can still comment.  Just let me know that you’re not eligible to win the daily prize because of your location!

Winners will be announced early next month.  Info and rulez can be found here.

Paese Cosmetics is a Polish cosmetics brand new to the UK market.  Currently only available online from http://paesecosmetics.com, the brand encompasses a wide selection of products from primers through to nail polishes and most things inbetween.

Paese Cosmetics’ price point aligns it with the drugstore market, infact… slightly cheaper.  A foundation will set you back just under £10.

I was sent some samples to put to the test, read on for images and my thoughts on the base products I received.

Read the rest of this entry »

This Valentine’s day, why not share a bath with someone you love?  Just make sure that you don’t get the tap end.

LUSH have released some new delights and brought back some old favourites in celebration of the mushy occasion!

New to the LUSH party this year are…

1. Be Mine (£26.95) … A sexy selection of six scrumptious treats that’s sure to make the one you love ‘be yours’ this Valentine’s Day. Inspire someone to melt into a marshmallow bath, let it rain men in the shower and get up close and personal with a Soft Coeur massage. A gift to ensure they’ll stay yours as well! Contents: Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt, The Frog Prince bath ballistic, It’s Raining Men shower gel (100g), Sex Bomb bath ballistic, Sugar Babe sugar scrub, Soft Coeur massage bar, Lust solid perfume.

2. It’s Raining Men shower gel (£4.25 for 110g / £7.95 for 260g / £14.25 for 510g) … hallelujah! A divine shower gel scented with our best-selling Honey I Washed the Kids fragrance … amen! Shower with this luxurious honey and tropical flower gel and your skin will be left deliciously soft, scented like crème brule and extremely lickable!

3. The Frog Prince bath ballistic (£2.75) … kiss this cute little character (on his bright red, pursed pout), throw him in a tub of warm water and, as the fairytale goes, marvel as he dissolves in front of your eyes to reveal your very own Prince Charming … or in this case, a sticker of one of our charming compounders from the Lush factory! And as you would expect for royalty, he has his own, exquisite, sultry brand new fragrance – a majestic blend of jasmine, sandalwood, rose and neroli.

4. Love Birds soap (£3.00 for 100g) … something for all those lovers out there, this gorgeous new soap is scented with some beautiful aphrodisiac essential oils to make Valentine’s Day that extra bit special! It’s the Keep It Fluffy fragrance, which includes sensual jasmine and vanilla for a romantic soap that will soften and moisturise skin, while leaving it delicately scented.

5. P.S. I Love You (£13.95) … say it with Lush and tell that special someone what you’ve been meaning to say for ages. This cute little gift is a foursome of romantic products to leave your special someone feeling in no doubt of your feelings. All wrapped up with love birds and heart embossed paper. Contents: The Joy of Jelly shower jelly (100g), Strawberry Feels massage bar (mini), Love Birds soap, Sex in the Shower emotibomb.

1. Truly Scrumptious (£27.25) … a delectable collection of Lush’s sweetest treats, what better way to tell someone you’re sweet on them?! Contains Lush’s best-selling Honey I Washed the Kids soap, a chocolately Whipstick lip balm, Space Girl and Butterball bath ballistics, Vanilla Dee-lite body lotion, Creamy Candy bubble bar and a Melting Marshmallow Moment bath melt. All in all, it’s exactly what it says on the tag!

2. Ex Factor bath ballistic (£1.99) … a gingerman shaped little friend to join those Valentine-less folk in the bathtub, who may be feeling a little blue at this time of the year and fed up with all the lovey dovey paraphernalia wherever they look! He dissolves in the warm water in a swirl of ylang ylang and vanilla to reveal a small pink candy heart. The delectable mix of essential oils is the same as our best-selling Butterball bath ballistic, so will leave you feeling happy, relaxed and ready to meet someone else!

3. Magic Mushroom bubble bar (£2.30) … a fun-guy to share Valentine’s Day with, this charming toadstool is a frothy strawberries and cream scented wonder for your bath. The fragrance is a blend of Lush’s best-selling Vanillary and the popular strawberry-sundae Yummy Yummy Yummy. Crumble under running water for masses of skin softening strawberry and vanilla scented bubbles.

4. Hello Gorgeous (£17.90) … it’s always good to tell people they’re gorgeous and what better way than with a selection of Lush’s most gorgeous products. There’s a Japanese influence, with a cherry blossom design on the outside and the mimosa scented Sakura bath ballistic on the inside. Also contains a small tin of Gorgeous, our extra special orange blossom moisturiser; Helping Hands hand cream; cherry and mimosa Rub Rub Rub shower scrub (100g) and a lovely pink luxury bath melt made with marshmallows.

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I haven’t decided if I’m falling in line with the marketing this year or going all-out I HATE HEARTS AND FLOWERS.

Are you a Valentine’s celebrator?  However I’m feeling about all that love stuff, I never fail to use the occasion as a magnificent excuse to do things that I couldn’t get away with on an ‘ordinary’ day… hello Chinese takeaway, self-indulgent baths and leftover Quality Street.  Love yourself I say!

Day 5!

Three Essie polishes to inject a little colour into Spring 2011.  The shades you could win are: Pink Parka, Mint Candy Apple & Bermuda Shorts.

Leave a comment to enter.  Giveaway closes at 23:59GMT on 12th January.

Winners will be announced early in the New Year.  Info and rulez can be found here.

I always protest that I don’t like pastels… and on paper, I don’t.  They’re insipid and make my hands look pudgy and blotchy.  I know that my fingers look far more slender with darker tips… but then I look down at my nails and get that happy feeling that only light and airy colours can bring.

Ciate Fun Fair is a cool toned cross between pink and lilac… the thing that strikes me most about it though is that it doesn’t look too stark.  Anything that leans towards pale AND cool does tend to start looking a little chalky and obvious.  Fun Fair just about keeps it’s dignity intact!

The formula was fine, one of those polishes that really come good on a 2nd or 3rd coat.  Don’t expect to be happy with this on it’s first coat.  I find that to be true of a lot of Ciate polishes.

Wear was good too… it lasted a full 3 days before tip wear became noticeable enough to make me want to remove it.

Ciate Fun Fair is priced at £9 and available to buy online from The Powder Rooms.