Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette - 02 Defining Berries

Contouring is the trend that just will not die, isn't it?  Here's yet another ostensibly "contouring" product, the Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palette in 02 Defining Berries, which is actually just a (very) beautiful blusher, and is all the more useful for it not being another pan of brown goop. Since it turned up, I've not wanted to use any other cheek product at all...

A set of three colours, one a deep "contour" shade, a medium blush, and a light highlighter, the intention is to use the shades separately to create sculpted cheeks in a more natural way than the tans and taupes you usually see in a contouring kit.

In reality, I find the sections are a little too small to do this with a normal blusher brush, but then I should really admit that I do not contour.  Life is simply too short for some beauty routines (all over at home fake tan, I'm looking at you), and contouring on a daily basis is just one thing too many for me. My makeup routine takes me five minutes or so on most days, my skincare routine takes a lot longer, admittedly, but that's the way I like it.

The shades in Defining Berries have a beautiful sheen to them without being sparkly or glittery, and they produce a sophisticated, barely perceptible glow when blended and used as a blush rather than a contour kit.  Defining Berries is a perfect blush colour for me, having a little depth to the pink, and not being too warm.  There are three other shades available in-store: Defining Nectars/Nudes and Roses alongside the Berries in this post, but there are two more shades available as online exclusives, Defining Sugars and Pinks.

Whilst I'm in love with Defining Berries, I am SO OVER contouring ...

Clinique's catchily-named Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palettes are available now, and cost £28. I'll be getting a backup.


The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.

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Alpha H Liquid Laser Cleansing Oil

As well as being on a bit of a lipstick kick at the moment, I'm currently obsessed - and I do mean obsessed - by cleansers.  Having recently discovered, and loved, Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, I am currently using that and this Liquid Laser Cleansing Oil in semi-permanent rotation.

Another oil-gel-based product, the Liquid Laser range is suitable for older, or duller skins, but is mainly targeted at the surgery-shy over-45s.  Despite not being quite in that bracket yet, this is still a joy to use.

Lightly reminscent of lavender with a hint of citrus in smell, this is a sticky gel that melts on contact with skin to form an oil. This lends itself incredibly well to a bit of facial massage on application. It's a great nighttime cleanser, but I'd use it after you've done your makeup removal, now I come to think of it.  It will remove makeup, but it's a bit of a waste of a lovely product, actually.

Designed to lighten pigmentation, the formula contains white mulberry, cucumber and hibiscus to soothe, and I find it doesn't redden or irritate my sensitive skin.  It emulsifies beautifully, requiring only a few drops of water to form a milky cleanser that is easy to remove from your skin, however you prefer (I prefer to emulsify and then use a hot cloth personally, but it is whatever works for you):

All in all, a bit of a winner.  I'm a bit in love with the Liquid Laser range generally at the moment, but I'll tell you more about the rest of the products another time.

What are you cleansing with these days?

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.

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Philips Sonicare Diamond Clean - Pink Edition

Since I became parosmic last year, toothbrushing has been a major problem for me. More regularly than I would wish (and definitely more regularly than you imagine), just the simple act of keeping my teeth clean results either in tears or vomit, and usually both.  As such my toothbrush occupies a place of much more importance than it used to do.

I bought a new toothbrush over Christmas, and I HATED it.  Serves me right for not checking reviews beforehand, I guess, but not being able to switch off the brush with just one press was impossible, and this was a dealbreaker for me - when you reach that STOP BRUSHING NAOW!!!! point in the morning, every second counts, believe me - so I did what I am prone to do and tweeted about it.  Philips heard about my problem and sent me this Sonicare Diamond Clean to see if that would help me out.

Now, it hasn't escaped me that my one particular issue with the original toothbrush could have been solved (to a degree) by a manual toothbrush, but I've been an electric brusher for nigh on a decade now, and going back to manual brush when I have a tendency to brush too hard (and have had the ripped up gums to prove it) just wasn't an option for me.  That said, I definitely wondered if there would be a massive difference between electric (rotary) brushing and sonic brushing. So I was curious.  Sue me ;)

There definitely is!  Normal electric toothbrushes spin, whereas the sonicare brushes vibrate, and you can totally tell the difference in use. If you're ticklish at all (and it turns out I'm ticklish in places I never suspected before since this turned up), you will definitely be able to tell.  I've found that I can tell the difference afterwards too - somewhat to my surprise my teeth very definitely feel a LOT cleaner after brushing with the DiamondClean! Some days it is all I can do not to spend my whole morning constantly running my tongue over my teeth ...

It's rather an impressive bit of kit, too.  The glass you can see in all the pics is actually the main charger (it has a stand that you plug in), you just pop the brush in and it charges.  You can use the glass for rinsing too - best kept without the stand in the bathroom though! - and there is also a travel case for the brush, which acts as a charger too:

This comes with a USB connector so you can even charge it through your laptop!  All in all, I love the Sonicare DiamondClean, and I'm glad to have it.  I love, love, love the tiny brush-head, it is fully a third smaller than the Braun Oral-B brush heads that I'm used to, and it has made an entire world of difference to me, making it much easier to reach the teeth at the back without gagging. If you have small, or crowded jaws, it might make a heck of a difference to you, too.  I can get into all the nooks and crannies with this!  Oh, and it turns off with one (long) press of the button, too, in spite of the button also controlling the different cycles as well.

There are a few issues though.  The price is £250, which is insane, though it does come with two innovative chargers.  They could have designed the glass better, currently the brush just lolls about in it, and the sides are too wide to keep your tube of toothpaste in there as well.  My tube just slides over and falls out, which is annoying.  I'm used to keeping my brush and my paste in the same toothmug.  Small things though, particularly when the brush is currently on offer at 50% off at Boots, which is a much more manageable price.

Finally, the colour (which I wouldn't even be mentioning if the press release hadn't made such a complete song and dance about it, tbh).  It's pink.  It is a pink toothbrush. Which is fine. Nothing wrong with a pink toothbrush, actually.

What is not fine is that it is pink because, if you hadn't realised already, this is a toothbrush for ladies.  Because ladies love pink.  Don't we ladies?  Pink!  Ladies!  PINK! LADIES! Finally, Philips have brought out a pink toothbrush for us pink-loving ladies!  Let there be lady-rejoicing throughout the land at this up till now unfulfilled lady-need finally having a solution.  A pink toothbrush in a pink case. For ladies.  Now, I'm not sure, but I don't think my teeth care what colour the toothbrush is, and certainly I've never felt deprived at not having a pink option in my electricals before.

My workmate probably had the best thing to say about it when I opened the box: "Oh my god!  That looks obscene!"  And you know what, if you squint a bit at it in the travel case, it does.  Best be careful when people are inspecting your hand luggage on your holiday, ladies!

Overall, this is a good toothbrush, maybe even actually a great toothbrush.  Much like going back to a manual was impossible after having an electric toothbrush, I suspect going back to electric after sonic will prove an impossible step too.  I will see if my dentist agrees in about six months.

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Moisturising Lipstick: Matte - Rose Petal and Bold Red

I'm still in a lipstick kind of mood.  Aw heck, I'm always in a lipstick kind of mood, there's a reason why Get Lippie is called Get Lippie, after all ...

I do, I admit, have a bit of a soft spot for Elizabeth Arden lipsticks, mainly because I love the packaging so much, I think they look like tiny golden tardises (Tardis's?  Tardi?), they're classy and cute, which is a tough trick to pull off, I think.

Inside we have two shades of the newest Elizabeth Arden matte lipstick formula, in Rose Petal (on the left) and Bold Red, on the right there.

Matte lip colours were huge last year, and they're showing no signs whatsoever of being a craze that's dying out this year, which, as a matte, opaque lipstick fan, I'm very grateful for.  Your mileage may, of course vary, but I love full-coverage lips, sorry!*

Rose Petal is a soft rose-mauve, a little on the pink side, and Bold Red looks quite bright in the tube, but in wear is actually a lovely soft red, a little on the warm side, but easily wearable on most skin-tones, as it is more muted than it appears in the tube.

Against skin, the colours are saturated and bright, not powdery matte at all.  The texture is whisper-light, and creamy, you can barely feel it on your lips.  I blotted them down slightly on my lips, however:

Naked lips

Elizabeth Arden Rose Petal

Elizabeth Arden Bold Red

Rose Petal is just a slightly cooler version of My Lips But Better on me. It reads as "nude" on my lips with my skintone, making this a very versatile shade.  Bold Red is, for me, an incredibly wearable shade of red, rather neutral on the skin, and not screaming RED LIPSTICK APPROACHING!, which is nice.  I admit, I do find reds easier to wear than most people, and this shade is particularly appealing to me.

There are three other shades in this range, Coral Crush, a light tangerine, Nude, a slightly yellow-toned beige, and Raspberry, which is a very cool fuchsia, which I like very much indeed.  The formula is light and not drying, and has a slight satin finish.  Lasting properties are pretty much as you'd expect, though I did find that the brighter colour had a slight staining effect, meaning you don't get so much of the red ring of doom effect as the lipstick wears off.  Which is nice.

They retail for £21, and are available nationwide.  And hey, who doesn't want a Tardis-shaped lipstick in their handbag?

*Not sorry.  Not even a little bit.

The Fine Print: PR Sample

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Pommade Divine

After swatching 15 lipsticks in one go last Sunday, my lips were sore, sore, sore - not so much from the lipsticks themselves, but from the wet wipes I had to use to remove them all - and so this little pot of well-named divine goodness really came into its own.

A rich, thick, spicy balm, Pommade Divine was first produced in the early 19th Century, and has just been re-introduced to the market. Pommade Divine contains five essential oils, benzoin, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and liquidambar, all of which have anti-inflammatory and healing properties, and, as an added benefit, the formula contains no mineral oil, synthetic dyes or fragrances (besides the essential oils), alongside having no parabens or silicones. but it does contain lanolin, and shea butter if you're sensitive to those particular ingredients.

It's a hard balm, but melts to an oil very quickly on your skin, and it is beautifully healing.  I have used this on my cuticles, and on sore lips, and I've even used it on the skin on the inside of my nostrils which has been thinned considerably owing to long term use of topical steroids, and happens to be incredibly easily irritated as a result.

It has been a bit of a godsend since it turned up. I'll be honest and admit that I mainly bought it because of the spices, as spicy things are easier for me to tolerate than almost everything else at the moment, but the fact that it's a damn good balm as well as smelling amazing is a bonus!   Oh, and the customer service has been amazing.  I ordered this at 2pm one afternoon last week, and  had it in my sticky little fingers by lunchtime the day after.  Astonishing!

You can buy your Pommade Divine direct from here, where it will cost £19.80 for a 50ml pot which will probably last you forever ..

The Fine Print: Purchase

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Sephora Cream Lip Stains

I have a full-time job, I run two blogs, and I do volunteer work on a regular basis.  That said, I'm also a lazy bitch, so I like my makeup to last, and last well.  I've not met a lipstain that works so well as the Sephora Cream Lip Stains, whenever I'm in Paris, I make a beeline for them, and buy backups of my favourites, of which these are they.

Here we have 06 Forever Fuchsia an electric pink, 03 Strawberry Kissed a more delicate pinkish red, and 01 Always Red, which is the classic bright, bright red.

These are incredibly opaque, with total coverage, and are very matte in wear - if you're scared of bright colours, don't go near them.  They're not for the shy and retiring!

Forever Fuchsia

Strawberry Kissed

Of the three, Strawberry Kissed is my favourite, and I wear it on days I need to apply my makeup then just forget about it, because there isn't anything that will get this stuff off during a normal office day, unless you regularly spend your working hours applying donner kebab to your lips every 20 minutes or something ...

I've just noticed these are now half price on the US website, which makes me worry that these are about to be discontinued, so if you're tempted you might want to snap them up now, or start begging your US friends to send you some ...

The Fine Print: Purchases

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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Revlon Colourburst Balms

I do love a balm that stains, and I've been meaning to compare the formula of the new(er) Matte and Lacquer balms for a while now.  Me being me, I picked out the brightest shades from each, Romantic in the original Balm Stain formula, alongside Striking in Matte Balm, and Enticing in Lacquer Balm.

Romantic is a softer strawberryish shade, whilst Striking has hints of orange, turning it a strong coral-colour, and Enticing is a cool blue-red that is a very clear shade.

My bare lips:

Wearing Romantic:

On me, this is a slightly glossy, very sheer colour, which would be very easy to wear as an "everyday" red, there is colour enough to make my lips look finished, but it's not opaque enough to scare the horses.  The dusty peppermint smell is still as bad as I remember from the originals though.

Wearing Striking:

The colour is beautiful, a slightly warmed cross between coral and tomato, the matte formula is great for opaque coverage, but doesn't feel as drying as a more traditional matte lipstick might.  I do find my lips are on the dry side after wearing this for a few hours though, but no more so than with any other Revlon lip product, to be honest.  Is it just me that finds every Revlon formula leads to dry lips at the end of the day?

And finally, Enticing:

Almost precisely mid way between the original formula and the matte balm, the lacquer balm has more pigment than the original, but is more glossy than the matte, as you would expect.  I did find that the increased slip in the formula led to the colour bleeding over the course of wear, which I found super-annoying, but it is a lovely, bright clear red shade that I like a lot, but I won't wear it without liner ever again, which rather defeats the object of these being a fool-proof and simple to use product!

I still don't like the smell of the products - ironically, it still reads as dusty peppermint even after my nose issues - but the matte balms in particular are likely to become a handbag staple.

Best of all, they're almost always on 3-4-2  in Boots, and at 7.99 each, they're a bit of a bargain.  I think my favourite of these three is Striking, which one's yours?

The Fine Print: Purchases

The Even Finer Print: We're not featuring full fragrance reviews on Get Lippie at the moment owing to illness - please see The Parosmia Diaries for more.


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