A Long Awaited Haul!

After a self-imposed curb on beauty product spending, I've recently found my shopping mojo again and this week, I've had a lovely selection of goodies come into my possession.

I went a bit crazy on the nail polish front and purchased 6 Essie polishes - the entire Mirror Metallics collection, and Lilacism, which I've had my eye on for quite some time.

I won a giveaway from the lovely Sukie at A Little Bit of Everything, of one of the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stains which I have been dying to get my hands on, along with a Lancome Juicy Tube in Mandarin and a No 7 Lip Liner in Nude.  I'm so excited to try all of these out as I am a total lip product junkie!

And finally, Charlie at Lady of the Lane held a blog sale earlier in the week where I picked up two items - a Mac Lip Gelee in Lush & Bright and a Chanel liner in Platine.  

Let me know if there are any items you would like to see reviewed.  I'm off for a play with my new goodies!

Beauty Products I Wish Could be Invented!

As much as. I like playing with beauty products, there are some that I wish would hurry up and be invented!

Self Cleansing Make Up Brushes

I'm so lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes, I have even been known to buy new ones rather than wash old ones!  I know, the shame!  I wish there was some easy way of cleaning them, a product a bit like the Bourjois Express Nail Removal where you just put you brush in a  container and whip it out and ta da - its clean!  How amazing would that be?!

Lip Gloss that doesn't stick to everything in sight!

I very much enjoy wearing gloss but what I don't enjoy is the transfer from lips to cups, hair and husbands!  It gets everywhere, even the ones that claim to be less sticky.  I'd love a long lasting gloss that gave that fabulous glossy look without sticking to everything I come into contact with.  I can but dream!

Skintone Adapting Foundation

Now I know we technically have this already with BB Creams but I am talking about medium / full coverage foundation which adapts throughout the year, according to your skintone and is a cinch to blend.  I get fed up of having several different foundations on the go throughout the year depending on my tan (or lack of it this Summer) and this would be amazing.  I suspect this will never become a possibility though, even if the technology exists, as companies make far more money selling us multiple shades, grr.

Hair Dye Magic Pills

I spend a fortune on my hair every 6 weeks to essentially look exactly the same!  As a dark haired girlie who has an addition to bleach, every six weeks I hotfoot it to the salon to get my roots re-tinted.  I find it annoying, expensive and rather dull sitting in a chair for 2 hours.  I'd love it if I could take a magic pill each day and my hair would turn the colour I wished with no regrowth.  Why can't someone invent this?! 

What do you wish you could invent?

 

My Lip Products Collection!

I was inspired to write this post after seeing Sandra Beauty Balm's post about her collection.  I have to say that lip products are my 'thing' and I find it very hard to resist purchasing them on a regular basis!

These are the majority of my collection, although there are bound to be some hiding in the bottom of bags that I haven't photographed.  I've linked to reviews where possible.  Sorry that this will be a photo-heavy post!

I keep all my lip products in these stackable draws from Muji.  I think they were around £9-£10 for the set of two draws but I'm sure you can get cheaper ones elsewhere.  I'm almost at capacity with these so I will need to invest in a couple more draws to stack on top of them soon.

In the top draw, I have all my glosses. 

And in the bottom draw, my lipsticks.  Note that the lipsticks are much tidier!

 Here are my Mac lippies, from left to right:

I Like It Like That (Limited Edition), Cremesheen

Radicho (Limited Edition) Lustre

Chatterbox, Amplified (review here)

Laugh a Lot (Limited Edition), Lustre

Ravishing, Cremesheen (review here)

See Sheer, Cremesheen (review here)

Crosswires, Cremesheen (review here)

Viva Glam Cyndi (Limited Edition), Lustre (review here)

Cockney, Lustre (review here)

My small Chanel and Dior collection

• Rouge Dior 35, Elegant Pink (review here)
• Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet La Distinguee (review here)
• Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle (review here)

Some random high end lippies

• Dr Hauschka Violet Marble 15 (review here)
• YSL Rouge Volupte 9 Pink Caresee (review here)
• YSL Rouge Volupte 27 Rose Paris (review here)
• Estee Lauder Pure Colour Crystal Baby (review here)

And more randoms, including Revlon Lip Butters

• New CID iPout Nude
• Max Factor Ruby Tuesday (review here)
• Revlon Lip Butter Lollipop (review here)
• Revlon Lip Butter Tutti Fruitti (review here)
• Revlon Lip Butter Creme Brule (review here)

Some Bobbi Brown

• Bobbi Brown Lip Shine in Naked Pink
• Avon Metallic Pink
• Jane Iredale Lip & Cheek Stain in Forever Pink
• Bobbi Brown 20th Anniversary Lip Palette

Phew, and onto the glosses:

Benefit, Paul & Joe and Laura Mercier

• Mini Benefit glosses from Christmas Gift Set (review here)

Frisk Me

Kiss You

Foxy Lady

Spiked Punch

Life on the A List

Nudie-Tude

• Paul & Joe Brilliant A Levres Gloss in 15 (review here)
• Laura Mercier Mystic Mauve

 Mac, Clinique, Becca and Carmex

• MUA Gloss in Candy Pink (review here)
• Becca in Grenadine (review here)
• Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry (review here)
• Bobbi Brown Brilliant a Levres in Petal
• Mac Lipglass in Viva Glam VI (review here)
• Mac Lipglass in Mad Cap (review here)
• Pout Plump - had this for ever but seems to still be ok!
• Carmex Moisture Plus in Sheer Berry (review here)
• Carmex Moisutre Plus in Sheer Pink (review here)

And finally, the randoms

• Clear gloss from M&S which has now turned a little pink as I use it over my YSL Rouge Volupte all the time
• M&S Colour Intense Lip Lacquer, Orange Fizz
• I Love... Juicy Watermelon Shimmer and Shine lip gloss
• Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss in Apriocot - this was a sample with a Clinique bonus time, a nice neutral colour.
• L'Oreal Glam Shine in Aqua Watermelon (review here)- very disappointed with this, no colour, very sheer and wears off almost instantly
• Miss Sporty - no idea of shade name as it has worn off but its a nice peachy shade.
• NYC Liquid Lipshine in Brighton Beach Peach (review here) - another peachy pink staple!
• Rimmel Stay Glossy - again no shade name but a lovely peachy pink with micro silver shimmer
• Bourjois Effect 3D Max in Rose gold - a pink with gold shimmer

 

Have you tried any of these lip products?  

What do you think of them?

Review: Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Moisture Balm in Juicy Peach

The Summer season demands lighter, sheerer lips and I often tend to opt for tinted balms or products like Chanel's Rouge Coco Shines or Revlon's Lip Butters.  Whilst having a wander around Boots recently, I came across Soap & Glory's Lip Moisture Balm, 'A Great Kisser' in Juicy Peach and thought it was worth a try.

As I've mentioned in previous reviews of Soap & Glory products, I am not a fan of their cutesy, retro packaging, although I know many who are.  This balm is encased in a sturdy tin and smells strongly of peach when opened.  Thankfully, when applied to the lips the scent dissipates quickly.  

Despite the bright peach tint which is evident in the tin, when swatched and applied to the lips, it is pretty much sheer.  It is rather on the sticky side and I would actually class this more of a gloss / balm hybrid than a straightforward tinted lipbalm. It did leave a nice, glossy sheen on the lips but it was fairly transparent and I was a little disappointed there was not more pigment present. 

I found this lasted around an hour or so before I needed to reapply which is as expected for glosses and balms.  I found it to be fairly hydrating but not as moisturising as my trusty Carmex   My main grumble with this product is the fact that it comes in a tin rather than a stick and I can see it getting very messy very quickly.  I'm not a great fan of tins for applying products on the hoof as well, as I tend to end up with sticky fingers!

Verdict

This is a nice enough balm but for the price, I expected more from it and it really isn't much different from other basic balms.  You are paying for the Soap & Glory packaging and scent.  Having said that, if you are one of those people who love all things the Soap & Glory, then you will probably like this and it is by no means a bad product.  If you have a sensitive nose though, I would avoid it as it is highly scented and unfortunately, Soap & Glory don't provide testers for their balms so there is no way of knowing whether it is to your taste before you purchase.

3/5

Where to Buy - Boots

Price - £5

MUA Pro Plumping Gloss in Candy Pink

A little while ago, I won a giveaway from the lovely Yu at Let's Make Yu Up!  I won this pretty plumping lip gloss in Candy Pink from MUA, which I was very excited to try out as I haven't tried anything from the MUA range yet! 

Before I start, I have to say that I do not usually veer towards these kind of baby pink cool-toned shades as I don't feel they tend to suit my warmer skintone.  However, it you are going to branch out into uncharted territory as far as lip colour is concerned, high street ranges are a good place to start as it means it is not an expensive mistake if it isn't your cup of tea.

First impressions of this gloss is that the tube and wand are both HUGE!  It feels like you get a lot of product for your money.  I did find the size of the wand a little difficult to manoeuvre as it was very long, but that is mostly because I can be a bit cack-handed at applying gloss unless the wand is very short!  The wand has a doe foot applicator which I tend to prefer to brush applicators, not for any particular reason, it is just a personal preference.

The colour in the tube looks to be a very cool-toned pink and not dissimilar to Viva Glam Gaga.  I don't have Viva Glam Gaga to compare it to but, from looking at swatches, it looks to be a very close match.

When swatched, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the colour was still very evident - this is not a sheer, unpigmented gloss.  In fact, on my pigmented lips, it provides good, semi-opaque coverage whilst still looking very glossy.  

Wear time was up to around two and a half hours which I was amazed with!

I didn't notice any particular scent to this gloss so it is good for those with super sensitive noses.  One negative though is that I did find it ever so slightly drying, but this is probably due to the longer-wear time, so I would advise you to pop some balm on before applying.  I also didn't notice any of the claimed plumping effects which some other bloggers have reported as an intense tingling.

 

Verdict

If you are looking to experiment with some different lip colours, you could do much worse than try out some of the MUA glosses.  Decently pigmented, and with lots of product for a bargain price, this is an affordable way to discover some new shades.  I will certainly be looking to explore more of the range!

4/5

Price - a bargainous £2

Where to Buy - Superdrug

Have you tried any of the MUA glosses?

Desires and Deals

In the first of an occasional series, I thought I would highlight a few of the products that have been recently launched that have caught my eye, along with some fantastic deals I've spotted this week that may take your fancy.

Desires

The Sanctuary Skin Perfecting BB Cream SPF15 - £14.99, The Sanctuary, Boots

Available in two shades, this is the latest BB cream to hit the market.  I really like The Sanctuary products and at at this price, I will certainly be up for giving this BB Cream a try.  Sanctuary products are also currently 3 for 2 on their website.

 

Benefit Cabana Glam Kit - £28.50, Benefit, Boots, Debenhams, Look Fantastic, House of Fraser

Benefits Kits are always a great way to try out some of their star products.  This Spring / Summer kit contains the much praised bronzer Hoola (reviewed by me here), Some Kind-a Gorgeous, Posietint, 3 neutral eye shadows in Peach Fuzz, Bronze Buzz and Cocoa Pizazz, a cheek brush and eye shadow brush.  A great gift for someone special or for yourself!

Jo Malone White Lilac and Rhubarb Cologne - £72, Jo Malone

I popped into a Jo Malone store this week hoping to have a quick sniff of the three new colognes in the London Blooms collection.  They did not have the fragrances available to purchase (although they are now available on line), but I was able to have a brief sniff of the three testers they had and it was White Lilac and Rhubarb which attracted me instantly with its fresh, Spring smell, reminiscent of a country garden.  I believe these are limited edition for the Spring / Summer season and unfortunately they are currently only available in 100ml bottles, which makes the cologne a rather pricey investment.  If they come out with smaller, more purse-friendly bottles, I will be there instantly!

Deals

L'Occitane Enchanting Cherry Princess Collection, was £58, now £39

I had a quick sniff of the new Cherry Princess Fragrance in L'Occitane last week and it is so lovely and fresh.  I'm not always a fan of overly floral scents but this has a sweetness added to it which lifts it slightly.  The set contains 50ml EDT, 250ml Shower Cream, 75ml Body Gel and 30ml Hand cream (I adore L'Occitane Hand Creams!) making it a great buy if you like the scent, or it would also make a great Mother's Day gift.

Daniel Sandler Makeup Case, was £80, now £40

If you are looking for extra storage for your makeup, this Daniel Sandler Makeup case is currently half price and will hold heaps of products.  I'm very tempted by this as I have lipsticks hiding everywhere at the moment!

Lip Expert, By Terry, Space NK, was £21, now £10

For not much more than the price of a drugstore gloss, this is the chance to snap up some By Terry products for less than half price.  I haven't tried any of By Terry's glosses previously but I have heard so many raves about their products, I will certainly be having a closer look at these. 

Hope you are having a fab weekend,

Victoria

x

Review: Mac Mad Cap Lipglass

Mac Mad Cap Lipglass is another of the brands sparkly lip products, which are designed to provide a high gloss, shimmery finish to the lips.  It came out as one of Mac's many limited edition products a short while ago, however I have found it currently available on Cheap Smells, and Mac often re-issues their limited edition products.

The first thing that struck me was that the lipglass seems to be tiny! I really don’t think the tube will last long at all, as you only get 4.8g of product and to apply, I found myself having to dip the applicator into the tube several times in order to cover the lips fully. 

 

In the tube, the product looks to be a shimmery, pale golden nude, which I hoped would give a give a subtle, glimmering warm sheen to the lips.  The gloss is on the fairly sticky side, as I believe is common with all other lipglasses, and when applied, it gave hardly any colour to the lips at all, looking almost like a clear gloss.  There was also very little evidence of shimmer on the lips, which is good news for those who have an aversion to glitter in their makeup!

As this gloss appears almost clear when applied, it would probably be best used over the top of a nude lipstick or used on its own when you are after a basic no-makeup look.  Lasting time is around 2 hours for me which is fairly standard with lipglosses and Mac's Lipglass formula and thankfully, due to the absence of visible glitter, the product wears off evenly, with no discernible shimmer left on the lips.  

Verdict

I haven't previously been particularly excited by Mac's lipglass offerings and Mad Cap has not changed my opinion.  This is essentially a clear lipgloss which imparts only the most subtle of pigment on the lips.  If you like the lipglass formula and are after a clear gloss, this would be a viable option, however if you are seeking a nude gloss with some pigment, this is not the product for you.

2/5

Price - usual price £13, however £9.95 on Cheap Smells

Where to Buy - Cheap Smells

2011 Favourites: Part 1- Makeup

I’m a little late with this but I wanted to do a short list of my highlights of the last year. There are some gaps, especially around the skincare and bodycare, mainly as there have not been any stand out superb items this year in these categories. I am still searching for these!!

 

Perfume of 2011 – Viktor & Rolf, Flowerbomb

http://www.julietinton.com/

I adore this and chose it as my wedding scent in June. It is a lovely sweet floral scent with an undercurrent of pepper to it and is very distinctive. I am on my second bottle of it already!

 

 Lipstick – Chanel Rouge Coco Mademoiselle(review here)

 

Bought on a whim, and my first foray into Chanel’s Rouge Cocos, this is a neutral, easy to wear shade which goes with everything. It helps me to look polished and pulled together in one easy swipe.

Lipgloss - Benefit Ticket to Glossytown (review here)

There has not been one outstanding lipgloss for me this year, however I have enjoyed using Benefit’s Ticket to Glossytown set, which was a set of 6 mini lipglosses from their permanent line, suitable for all occasions. 

Lip Balm- Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm in Peach  

I reviewed this in full here but it has been my staple through all of summer, during my holidays and into the winter. It keeps my lips feeling super smooth and provides a hint of colour which warms up my skin.

 

Eyeshadows – Chanel’s Illusion d’Ombres (review here)

I started with one and swiftly bought another two shades, and I have a feeling there will be more purchases in the future…. These are really easy to use and stay put for hours. I reviewed these here.

 Mascara – L’Oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara

 

This was the mascara that finally made me shift my allegiance from Max Factor False Lash Effect. It applies easily, has a wand that I haven’t managed to poke myself in the eye with yet, and stays on all day without flaking or smudging which is a rarity for me!

 

Foundation / Tinted Moisturiser – No 7 Triple Protection Tinted Moisturiser (review here)

 

This was a winner for me and I’m onto my 3^rd bottle! I have been using this daily for over a year as it evens out my skin tone and provides a small amount of coverage for those days when I don’t want to wear full foundation.

 

Blush – Benefit Coralista

 My go-to everyday shade for an easy flush of colour without too many sparkles. It is very similar to Nars Orgasm.

 

Concealer – Bobbi Brown Touch up Stick in Warm Sand

A HG product for me, I have been buying this for several years now. In stick form, it is very handy for touch ups throughout the day and blends effortlessly to cover blemishes and imperfections whilst never caking.

 

Nail Polish – Chanel Graphite

I did a recent NOTD using this for New Year’s Eve and it is the polish I have worn most over the past 6 months. I never have a problem with wear time with Chanel polishes and this glides on beautifully and is unique to my collection.

What were your makeup hits of 2011?

Review: NYC Lipgloss in Brighton Beach Peach

Before Christmas, I won a giveaway from the lovely Emma at Fluff and Flipperies of a selection of NYC products including nail polish, an eye shadow palette, lipgloss and mascara.  Today I am going to look at the Liquid Lipshine lipgloss in Brighton Beach Peach 575.

 

NYC Cosmetics were a brand that I had vaguely heard about but hadn’t really been on my radar much until now, so I didn’t have many preconceived ideas when it came to trying out the products.  The packaging of the gloss is your standard high street packaging with a doe foot applicator. It tends to be a personal preference as to whether you prefer doe foot applicators or brushes but I prefer these as I find they seem to hold together better and they pick up more of the product. The colour in the tube is an iridescent, light peachy-pink which looks almost golden coloured in certain light.

For those of you with uber-sensitive noses, you should be aware that this gloss does have a fairly significant vanilla scent, not dissimilar to the scent found in Mac’s lip products. However I quite like this and the hubby certainly seemed to appreciate it, especially as he usually runs away from me when I am wearing lipgloss as I threaten to plant a smacker on him and cover him in glitter!

The product glides on smoothly, providing more than a hint of peachy colour. It is a warm-toned shade, which I have found works well for day and night and I can see it working well on both darker and fairer skin tones. I have been wearing it in many different ways, paired with my Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Emerveille or a bronze-toned cream shadow. As it is a lipgloss, it does not go on opaque, but is not super sheer either and the pigmentation is better than expected for an affordable gloss. It is rather sticky though so maybe one to avoid wearing on windy days....! I found this lipgloss very easy to wear although it only hangs around for about 1.5 hours on me before needing to be reapplied.

Verdict

A surprise hit from NYC, and although not especially unique, (I think I probably have a couple of other shades very similar to this in my gloss drawer), it is very easy to wear and great value, so I am prepared to overlook the short wear time.

4/5

Price – £1.49

Where to buy – Superdrug, although I can’t see this particular shade in stock at the moment it should be available in larger stores.  

Pre-Holiday Haul!

As it was my last day at work today for three whole weeks, I thought I would celebrate by having a little lunchtime spree in Boots!  A lipgloss purchase always cheers me up a stressful, busy day!

I bought:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel in a small tube.  I use this regularly as it works well with my oily / combination skin and I wanted a smaller, travel-friendly version to take on my holidays.

Carmex MoisturePlus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm in Pink and Peach – I will do a brief review of these shortly as I love them!  I bought the peach earlier in the week and liked it so much I had to pick up the pink when I saw it today - and it was free as I bought it with my points!

Benefit,Ticket to Glossytown – I saw these on another blog a few days ago and thought it was a great price, especially as I haven’t tried any of Benefit’s glosses before.  As I have said previously, I am not the biggest fan of Benefit’s packaging but these mini glosses are very cute.  A review and swatches are coming up soon.

This week I also bought the Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eye Shadow in Denim from an eBay seller.  I had been after this for a while and it had popped up on eBay occasionally but not at a price I was prepared to pay.  It came out with the Denim and Rose collection last year I think.  I’m not going to do a full review of it as it has been discontinued now and isn’t that easy to get hold of but I am a little disappointed with it as Bobbi Brown’s quality is normally very good. 

  

As you can see from the swatches below, it is VERY sparkly and isn’t that pigmented. Due to the bad light in my flat, the it looks as though it is a sparkly grey, however in real life it is a true denim blue. The swatch on the left is one swipe and the swatch on the right is 3 swipes and I had to swipe across the shadow quite forcefully as it is very dry.  I have worn it today though by patting it onto my lids rather than brushing it on and not blending it too much, and this seems to work better as you can actually see the colour and not just lots of silver sparkle!  It does last well throughout the day without creasing, when worn over a primer and I didn’t have any fall out which I was very surprised by as I usually expect to have glitter everywhere by the end of the day when wearing a sparkly eyeshadow!

All in all, I am pleased I purchased it as it is an interesting colour and unique to my collection, it just could have been executed better.

I’m starting my 3 weeks off work in the best possible way tomorrow with a Nail’s Inc 3 Week manicure at the Champagne Nail Bar.  I’m so excited for my holidays!