Monday, February 27, 2017

Lip Six


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Sunday, February 19, 2017

January empties


Let's start this post with a cliché-how is it the middle of February already?  Maybe I am just getting old but time is flying by!

My January empties are an equal mix between skincare and make up and there's some great products in here I am sad to say goodbye to!

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy AM Gel Cream-longest name ever but I did enjoy using this light, non sticky eye gel.  it's quite hydrating for a gel and absorbs quickly meaning you can follow up with make up immediately.  I think I might need to start opting for heavier formulas than this going forward given I am in late thirties territory but 20-30's might love this.

MAC Prep and Prime Blemish Control Gel-This is probably my 4th tube of this, it's a brilliant spot zapper with a hefty dose of salicylic acid.  I love it.

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel-Another Elemis product I love, this cream mask contains AHA's to chemically exfoliate with natural fruit acids.  It can tingle a bit but this is one of the milder AHA products and should be fine even for sensitive skin.  It doesn't dry down, you just apply to dry skin for ten minutes and rinse off with a damp flannel for glowing smooth skin.
Glamglow Powercleanse-I loved this dual cleanser and reviewed it in full here.  It's a mud and oil in one and the ultimate lazy girls double cleanse.

SKII Eye Mask-I liked these under eye saturated fiber masks but I didn't see a significant improvement considering the price.  These come in a box of either 8 or 12 and are individually packaged.  I feel like I get the same result from the Sephora eye masks from a fraction of the price.

Lancome Hydra Zen moisturisor-Although this was only a deluxe sample size I wanted to include this because this was a moisturisor I hadn't used for years but I really love.  The gel texture of the cream feels so soothing on the skin and it instantly calms redness and stressed out skin.  I can't smell it now because of my anosmia but I remember it haven't a really beautiful, soft, sweet, relaxing fragrance when I used it years ago.
Too Faced Hangover Primer-I raved about this primer because I thought it was amazing but then I started using the Marc Jacobs Coconut Face Primer and I utterly loved it.  The Too Faced primer is good though-it has a nice 'tack' to it to keep make up on and make up sits really nicely over it.  But the Coconut Primer from Marc Jacobs is just lush.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation-I loved this.  It has a great density and offers great coverage without settling in pores.  It really smoothes out the skin and lasts a good amount of time on me.  It applies equally well with fingers, a brush or beauty blender although I prefer to use the beauty blender or hands.  I think I would repurchase this again

Trish McEvoy 24 hour eye shadow and liner-If you haven't heard me rave about these where have you been??  I've done a detailed review here.  They're in my top 5 all time favourite beauty products.  I recently restocked on 5 more in London.  This shade was Smoky Quartz and is a beautiful taupey purple shade and it is perfection.  I highly highly recommend.
MAC Woodwinked-My all time favourite eyeshadow, I love this warm bronzey shade all over the lid.  This shadow was super creamy and easy to blend and so pigmented.  I of course repurchased, but I have to say I feel like MAC changed the formula??  My new one doesn't seem so velvety or pigmented and I am so disappointed.  I'm using it damp to get the same metallic shine from my finished pan.  Devastated.  MAC, you disappoint me.

Tarte Amazonian Clay foundation in the shade Exposed-I love these blushes for their staying power.  And Exposed is a very easy nude shade to use that just ties in with every make up look.  If I wear a red lip I would always choose a shade like Exposed because it's a 'nothing but everything' shade.  I wore this obsessively the latter half of last year-it's just an easy (read lazy) choice.

Marc Jacobs (P)outliner in Honey(bun)-I loved this liner from Marc Jacobs beauty and the shade Honey(bun) is brilliant for a nude or coral lip.  It's gel based so it doesn't drag at the lips and the twist up aspect means no sharpening.  I've reviewed this in full here and my thoughts remain the same.
MAC Fix+ No matter how I try to photograph Fix Plus it never looks clear #EpicFail  But I live for this stuff.  Here are two empty bottles-one normal Fix Plus and one Fix Plus I 'enhanced' with MAC pigments in Tan and Vanilla for extra glow.  I spritz it everywhere, before make up, during make up and after make up.  I just think everything sticks better and lasts better with it.  Love love love.

Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit-Another absolute obsession.  I've spoken about this so many times but I adore it.  It's a comforting hug in a bottle.  It's a winter-only scent for me but as December 1st rolls round, my Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit gets cracked open.  Luckily I have a back up-and it's sold exclusively to the Regent Street store in London.

Have you tried any of these products?

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Friday, February 17, 2017

Metallic lipstick-trend or foe?

metallic lips

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Monday, February 13, 2017

100th Lip Six-and a giveaway!


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Sunday, February 12, 2017

Natasha Denona Star Palette

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Sunday, February 5, 2017

Currently Loving



This months 'Currently Loving' are all basics that I consider to be essentials in my make up stash-I guess that's what favourites should be all about-the things you can't live without.


Something I dug out of my stash thanks to Marni Keane is the Hourglass Dim Light Ambient Lighting Powder-I had used this before and this was an unopened repurchase.  Marni used it in her Flawless Skin video as a finishing powder buffed all over her face and I loved the way it diffused all her makeup, making sure there were no harsh lines and everything looked perfectly blended.  I've been using it daily since.   It gives a really luminous finish to the skin without adding any additional real colour. 


MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait has to be the easiest nude gloss in the world to wear and at weekends I am constantly reaching for this.  I tend to layer it with a nude liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillowtalk or L'Oreal Beige A Nu but I am equally happy using it alone.  It's non sticky and lasts reasonably well.  I'm going through it rapidly.


So this Tom Ford lipstick in 'Pink Dusk' is brand new but it has been my go to nude for the last few weeks-my first one however met a sad end (see this empties post) and so I repurchased from Heathrow at the end of my Christmas holiday.  This is a beautiful peachy nude that works with every make up look.  And the packaging...well it's just everything you want in a luxury lipstick.


I'm a big fan of all primers whether it be foundation, eyeshadow or in this case the Lancome Cils Booster XL lash primer.  I'm not sure where I picked up this sample but this stuff is awesome for boosting your lashes and keeping the mascara on your lashes.  It's white so you can see it on your lashes, I tend to apply one coat on each eye and then go in with my mascara-the result is more voluminous, longer, lifted lashes.  I'm definitely going to purchase a full size.


I've read so many good things about the Tarte Tarteist mascara but this has been a slow grower for me.  In fact I hadn't used it for a few weeks, but this last week I have been using it daily combined with the Lancome primer above and I have been loving it.  My lashes look so black and so full.  The wand is plastic and packed with short, stubby (but thankfully none scratchy) bobbles and it's really easy to navigate the lashes from root to tip.  Without the primer I do find this mascara does smudge a bit on me but the primer keeps that situation totally in check!  Top marks-every Tarte mascara I have tried has been great!

Have you tried any of these products?  I'd love to know your thoughts!

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Friday, February 3, 2017

Two new lipstick launches


I'm a sucker for a new lipstick formula launch.  And I'm a big fan of both Giorgio Armani and YSL lip products so their new additions to my local Sephora had me intrigued-and they're actually both pretty similar!

Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet in 505 Second Skin 

I ended up picking up rosy toned shades in both formulas-not intentionally to be honest but actually it makes a nice comparison between the two.  Something I have found with both forumlas-they're not the easiest to apply straight from the tube.  The Lip Magnet has a pointed 'spade shaped' applicator which picks up slightly too much product and leaves streaks, especially around the outer lip line unless blended really well.  I've found the easiest way to deal with this is to line my lips (MAC Prolongwear liner in 'In Anticipation' goes perfectly with both shades), apply the liquid lipstick and then just use the pencil to smooth out the edges of the lip line again.

The Lip Magnet formula feels quite tacky and it doesn't seem to ever fully set.  The formula is supposed to be matte but I would say this shade has a definite luminosity to it; it's not flat or particularly drying and it does transfer.  What I did find though was it was more drying and likely to cling to dry patches than the YSL.  The pigmentation is excellent considering the fluidity of the formula and it felt very lightweight. 

I think the shade is really versatile and pretty on, but it definitely doesn't last the promised 8 hours on me.  In fact, it failed spectacularly when pitched against pancakes last weekend. 


YSL Vinyl Cream Lip Stain in 412 Rose Mix

Of the two, I did find this one easier to apply.  It has a longer, diamond shaped applicator and it's a little bit easier to work with, probably because the formula is not quite a pigmented as the Armani. But the formula does feel much 'heavier' yet less tacky and it's very comfortable to wear.  It has a much glossier, shinier, vinyl-like finish than the Armani and I did find it to be longer lasting and less likely to cling to drier patches.  However, it reminded me of how the older YSL Vernis a Levres Glossy Stains feel on the lips-I didn't feel much of a difference between those two formulas.   The pigmentation is definitely not as concentrated as the Armani but this formula is very buildable.


If you like liquid lipsticks without that ultra matte look to them then both of these are a good option.  If I had to pick one over the other I would probably go with the YSL because I prefer the feel of it on my lips and the packaging and applicator just nudges ahead of the Armani and I love the glossy finish it gives.

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