Dior Cannage - 002 Whisper Grey

 Saw this palette a couple of weeks ago at a preview and fell in love with it, but it's taken till now for me to get set up to do swatches!  For Spring/Summer 2011, Dior have gone for cool greys and pinks, which makes a refreshing change from all the bronzes and corals we had last year.  I have a selection of the products from this range, and I'll work my way through showing you them this week.

I selected the Whisper Grey palette because there was a little more pink in the shades than there appeared to be in 001, which is a lot more monochrome.  Also, it's a darn cute little thing:

It's quilted in the same fashion as Dior handbags and feels great in the hand.  There's no protective velvet pouch with this one though, so maybe not one for dragging around with you too much as the squashy pleather may get scratched.  Love the Dior logo though:

Once you open the palette, you have four shadows, a decent-sized mirror, and a sponge applicator:

There's a pink, a pale grey-taupe, a darker matte grey and a frosty white (at least, that's how they appear in the pan):

It appears on first glance that the top two shades are shimmery, and the bottom are more matte, but these shades are slightly more complex than they appear, as you'll see from the swatches:

(swatched dry over bare skin with the sponge applicator included with the palette)

 

 

As you can see, these are actually fairly pigmented (I don't have much luck with Dior, the last palette I bought barely showed up on swatching at all, and the Minaudiere I bought from my mum was snatched off me in a mugging before Christmas), and I like how they appear on skin. 

The shimmery pink top left is not quite as frosty as it appear here, and the grey-taupe (top right) is a lot more complex, and is probably (surprise!) my favourite shade in the palette.  However, the matte grey bottom left is probably going to get a lot of use from me, as it has a pinkish base, which I think will make it far more flatteringly wearable than a more traditional steel-y grey, which tends towards a blue base.  I was suprised by the white, expecting it to be flat - and chalky - but there's actually a hint of shimmer, and it's shot through with a very pale, flattering gold.  Used sheerly, I'm sure it'll be far more useful than a plain flat white.

I did also swatch these shades over primer, but they don't, in all honesty, look all that different:

It pulls the grey-taupe a little more silver (which I'm not entirely sure is a good thing), and make the pink a bit more frosty, but I think I prefer the swatches without a base, in all honesty.

Grey lipgloss coming up tomorrow!

The Fine Print: These products were bought'n'paid for.  Ask MrLippie, he was most amused bemused at my shopping habits.

Chantecaille Turtles Palette

Oh my, how pretty is this?

I spent several years living in Greece, and several nights whilst there were spent camping out under the stars and watching turtles lay their eggs on some of the beaches there, so this will be a lovely reminder of my days as a rep.

I love the fact that some of the whopping cost of these palettes (these retail around £73), about 5% , goes to help wildlife charities, this year it's Widecast). I rejected last years Chantecaille Tigers Palette as the shades were just a little too on the cool side for me, but this is something I'll definitely be picking up, I think. It's too pretty not to, I love the cute turtle oversprays, and that's a perfect coral blush bottom left there.  And ... is that a taupe, top right?!

Not sure when it's released in the UK yet, but I'll let you know when I find out ...

EDIT: The palette is due to be released in the UK at the end of February.  Swatches for you when I can get them.

(Pic courtesy Chantecaille US)

Project Perfume

Accountants need projects like fish need bicycles water.  This year, I've decided to set myself one, I have around fifty different projects going on at work so, what's another one for home?

Over Christmas, I downloaded Perfumes: The A-Z Guide by Luca Turin onto my Kindle App (Santa ignored my repeated requests for a Kindle this year, I hate him), and spent a glorious day and a half reading about practically every perfume under the sun.  I also spent a lot of time bookmarking those perfumes I was really interested in having a sniff of.  It's completely and utterly engrossing, and I learned a great deal reading it.

2010 was the year I really re-discovered perfume. After several years of avoiding buying it altogether, being disgusted with the proliferation of syrupy-sweet stinks that all smelled the same, I stuck to a few old favourites (Acqua di Parma, Jicky and Aromatics Elixir, in the main), and thought that there was nothing on the market to interest little old me.  I was wrong.

So, having spent last year discovering that there was perfume I like available, I'm going to spend some time this year, sniffing my way through the classics (and some not-so-classics - just because I love them) and see if I can educate my nose a bit more.  I spent some time before Christmas with some amazing perfumers, and I'll be talking about those soon.

It turns out that when I'd been bookmarking the scents I was interested in, I'd picked out around 100 or so that I was really, really super interested in, so, being an accountant, I've created a spreadsheet (I even added a pivot table, deep joy!) and I'll be tallying everything I've sniffed as the year goes on. I can manage two sniffs of new perfume a week, I'm sure.  I'll even review them here ... a bit.  Occasionally.  If, over the next 12 months, you see an anorak  accountant with a spangly pen frantically writing notes on random bits of paper in a perfume hall near you, then you'll have spotted Get Lippie out in the wild ... I'll publish the list in full at a later date.

So, if money were no object what perfume would you buy for yourself?

My Picks of 2010

Needless to say, you'll have seen a million of these posts already, and I was in two minds whether or not to post my selections too, but some of these products have been life-changing for me, and I thought I'd share them anyway ...

Bath Products of The Year:


Aromatherapy Associates

Early on in the year, I was sent an Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath and Shower oil selection, which I adored, and since then, I've been through two - count them! - full-size bottles of the Deep Relax bath oil.  Both heady and relaxing, this stuff has seen me through an operation, a change of job, and moving house, I can't recommend it highly enough.  A capful (or two, in my mega-bath's case) is more than enough to soothe my aching bones, and ease my weary head.  You can also use it as a shower oil, or, in extreme cases, you can dab it on your pulse points and sniff as required. They do great candles too.


Lipstick of the Year

Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia

Adore the packaging, love (love!) the colour, and the fact that it's both £10 cheaper than Tom Ford's Pure Pink, alongside being slightly easier to wear makes this glorious shade my pick of the year.   The Tom Ford Private Collection lipsticks did grow on me throughout the year (to the extent that I now own three of them), however, this is the shade I'll be buying  back up of very soon.

Shampoo/Conditioner of the Year:

Andrew Collinge Smooth & Shine

An oldie, admittedly, but a damn good one.  I found this moisturising, and made my hair behave beautifully.  Easy to rinse, and it left my hair with an amazing shine, and at a bargainous £4.99 for a 500ml bottle, it lasted forever too!  If it were SLS-free, I'd be using it still (I had a keratin treatment at the end of year, so am using SLS-free formulations right now), but I had no issues with colour-stripping whilst I was using this on my dry, colour-processed hair.

Blusher of the Year

Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush

2010 was the year I really started to get into blusher, it started with Estee Lauder's Bronzed Goddess bronzer, and ended with Nars Douceur, but in between were these little gems. I love them still, and now own three, in Truth, Cherub and Dare (plus I intend to get my hands on Flush and Gentle at some point too), as they're practically perfect.  Long-lasting, buildable and perfectly tinted, after I learned to handle them, I fell in love.

Eyeshadow of the year

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope in Le Cirque

To be fair, everything I've tried from Le Metier this year has been great, but the Le Cirque Kaleidoscope blew me away a little bit. Beautiful and endlessly versatile, this is practically the only eyeshadow palette I've reached for since I bought it a couple of months ago. Alas, it's limited edition, so I'm glad I arranged a backup when I could.

Foundation of the Year

A tough one, this, so there are two winners (and a runner up ...):

 Guerlain Lingerie De Peau and Bourjois Healthy Mix

Both great for a glowing finish (even though the Bourjois is technically only a "satin" or semi-matte finish), I genuinely couldn't choose between the two.  The Guerlain is a lighter-than-air, dewy finish that I find works best when set with just the tiniest bit of powder, whereas the Bourjois doesn't need setting, but I find the coverage is a little heavier.

Just want to give a mention to a distinguished runner up, which is Armani Face Fabric.  Amazing mousse texture, but for me, I need to be having a really good face day to do it justice.  But this is great stuff:

Nail Varnish of the Year

Deborah Lippmann: Hit Me With Your Best Shot. 

A glimmering steel-grey shade with hints of multi-coloured micro-shimmer, I've reached for this polish again and again since it arrived in my stick little paws, I love it, and it just edged out Dolce & Gabanna's Perfection (which it very nearly is) as my pick of the year.  Unfair as I still don't think House of Fraser have it in stock yet, but when they do, snap this one up!

Candle of the Year

Jonathan Ward Idina's Locket

No competition - unless you count the rest of the candles in this superbly-scented Amber range from Jonathan Ward, of which I bought the entire range of the day it was released!  And I know I wasn't the only person to have done the same, either. Warm and evocative, this candle smells like it was stolen straight from the boudoir of  Coco Chanel herself.  I now have more candles from Jonathan on my "Candle Wall" than I do from any other maker, and the reason for that is because they are wonderful, not to mention very clean burning.


Perfume of the Year

Untitled by Maison Martin Margiela

A possibly controversial choice,  but my blog, my rules, so ... I have to say that out of all the mass perfume releases I smelled this year, this was by far the most interesting, and it's definitely the scent that's responsible for getting me interested in perfume at all during 2010, so for that, it was a very important discovery for me.  Not every perfume in store smells like sweeties, and thank goodness for that.  You're going to be hearing a lot from me about perfume in the coming months, so you can all blame the 'Martin.

Skincare Range of the Year:

 Much like Le Metier above, where I haven't had a duff product from them all year, Alpha H has been the same for skincare.  I've tried practically every product from the range now, and (one exploding eyecream aside) I've liked (at worst) all of them, and loved some of them.  Start with Liquid Gold, try the facial oil, then move onto the masks, you can't really go wrong.  I'll have some more in-depth reviews of a couple of things coming up soon, but this is a great, no-frills brand, and I highly recommend them.

You might also want to have a look at Mir Skincare, which is formulated for sensitive skin, and is a bit of a marvel, in particular I loved the (vegan-friendly) Argan Oil, which I'll shortly be placing a replacement order for.

And finally - if you're still reading!

Overall Product of the Year

Clarisonic

Quite simply, it's a life (and skin) changing bit of kit.  I've banged on about it at relentless length several times before now, so I shan't go on, but suffice to say, I can't imagine life without this now.  Even if it is, essentially, a giant toothbrush for your face.

This has been one massive post, sorry!

And the Haus of Gloi winner is ...

Oh, I'm delighted by this one, as she's one of my favourite people too ...

It's Emily from Sparkle and Shade!

Please drop me an email, lovely, and I'll get your parcel out to you as soon as I can.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered, I greatly enjoyed reading all the entries, and it looks like I'll have to do duckface on a more regular basis in 2011 .... 

Happy New Year everyone, see you on the other side.

Looking forward to 2011? Guerlain, Lauder, Dior, Lancome and Clarins are ...

Nope, haven't gone quite mad - yet - but I found these pics on my iphone today and thought I'd show you some of the things you'll be able to see on Get Lippie coming up in the next couple of months ...

Here you can see the spring/summer releases from both Dior and Guerlain (Dior on the left, Guerlain on the right).  I'm loving the pressed Meteorites powder there, and the grey lipgloss from Dior.  Dior have a new mascara brush too, which I'm looking forward to trying when I get rid of my eyelash extensions ...

Here you can see the next Tom Pecheaux collection for Estee Lauder - Wild Violet - this looks simply beautiful. I think Tom has done amazing things for Lauder since he became Creative Director, and this looks like no exception:

The palette looks amazing - I'm a sucker for purple, as most of you should already know - and the Untamed Violette eyeliner looks fab too, can't wait to try this.  The range launches at Selfridges on 3rd January, and will be available nationwide from February.

Clarins are specialising in nudes for Spring 2011, and these are some lovely shades. Personally, I can't wait to have a proper look at the one second from the right there.  Those shades of mauvy-pink are perfect for me.  There's an eyeshadow palette too, which has some lovely pinkish neutrals, which looks very interesting.

Lancome are giving us pinks and purples this spring, and this looks very pretty indeed.  That purple eye palette in particular is really calling my name.  I like purple, what can I tell you?

A closer look at Guerlain - I think I need that new Rouge G. It's red, of course I need it!

Urban Decay is launching creme blush this spring, alongside a limited edition box of all of the 24/7 eyeliners.


So ... see anything interesting?  Anything catch your eye?  If so, let me know, and I'll arrange a review for you ...

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas, and Get Lippie is taking a little holiday (literally, whee!) but I'll be back next week, showing you my picks of the year, and some other bits and pieces.

In the meantime though, here's hoping all of you have a wonderful Christmas, and I'll see you next week!

But, if you're really desperate for something to do while I'm away, why don't you enter my Christmas Giveaway?

Sienna X - Fake Tan

I had a fake tan recently.  Those of you who know me will know how funny this is, but truth be told, when you're offered a tan by Sienna X - the people who are responsible for the tans on Strictly Come Dancing, then it's actually pretty hard to turn down. Honestly!  Plus, I had a party to go to that weekend, so it seemed like a good idea at the time.

I'll be honest.  I've never had a fake tan before, so it was with no little trepidation that I headed to a top-secret location in central London for my spray-down. Elaine, the person who carried out my tan (the lucky, lucky girl) instantly put me at my ease - to be honest, some of the backstage gossip from Strictly kind of helped, I have to admit - and I was all sprayed up and ready to get dressed again in just about six minutes.  Colour me deeply impressed!

On initial spraying the liquid smelled lovely and tropical, slightly coconutty, and not at all biscuit-ish.  There was just a hint of digestive overnight - it can't be denied - but it wasn't too dreadful.  once I'd showered off the guide colour, I was left a gorgeous pale-caramel shade (Elaine had promised me the "party tan", which just makes you look like you've been away for a week or so), and I was exceptionally happy with the golden colour, which didn't look at all orange.  Best of all, in the office the day after getting tanned, I was asked a few times if I'd actually been away!  On one occasion by someone who had actually seen me the previous day, which just goes to show how convincing the shade was.

So impressed was I (especially with my face, as the fake tan had completely covered up my red blotchiness, so I'm going to be more willing to try some facial tanners this coming year, I think), that I gave some of the products to a work colleague to try.  Here's what Joanna had to say about the home-tanning products:

So it is well known fact amongst my friends that I should never be left alone with a bottle of fake tan.  I’ve tried them all, from the sprays to the graduals and ending up with even having slight problems applying after sun creams which contain just a smidgen of fake tan!

I have had to brave the outside world in a myriad of colours from Oompa Loompa orange to plain good old fashioned jaundice. I’ve been streak ridden, and had blotches and horrendous hair line mistakes, oh and not forgetting very strange coloured eyebrows on some occasions. 

I had in general given up completely and resigned myself to the fact that I will be brown once a year when I return from my holidays, until that is I was very kindly given a set of the Sienna X tan.  Now, I was told by a certain someone who I have huge beauty faith in that this was a different kind of fake tan and the idea behind it is to make you sun kissed, not orange as some well known brands make you, and I am pleased to say it does exactly that.  It is amazing. 

You exfoliate and put on the gradual tan 1 hour before bed so it can dry and the results are fantastic.  I looked like I had just had a two week holiday in the Caribbean!  The smell of fake tan is still there so I suggest you apply before bed.  Reapply the next day or day after and the results are pretty shocking I have to say.   The texture is pretty thick but it moisturises your skin beautifully and the exfoliator and radiance body moisturiser in the same range are an absolute must too.  I defy anyone to go wrong with this product.  Seriously……. I have found my perfect fake tan at last.

As for me, impressed as I was with my professional spray tan - and I was, very - I don't think it's something I'll be doing on a regular basis, turns out I'm a bit more low-maintenance than I thought I was!

The Fine Print: Products were provided for review consideration, Sometimes you just have to try something different.  I don't think I can take the smell of biscuits too often though ...

All For Eve on QVC

I make no bones about my support for All for Eve, truly I think it's a great business idea, and I've been proud to be associated with the brand since it's inception earlier this year.  This is just a quick heads up to let you know that All for Eve will be live on QVC tonight at midnight, and they will be the TSV (Today's Special Value) product of the day too.

For those who don't know, All for Eve was set up in November 2009 by George Hammer in memory of his sister in law, Nadia,  who died in December 2008 of cervical cancer.  All for Eve donates 100% of net profits from all it's products to the Eve Appeal, which is committed to supporting research into curing gynaecological cancers of all types.  This is a business model I can really get behind, and I hope that you will too.

So far the range comprises a lipstick (created by Daniel Sandler), a nail polish (created by Sophie Robson), a hand cream, a shower gel, body lotion, body butter and body scrub (created by Urban Retreat) and a nail file (created by Swarovski), I've mentioned many of these products before.

A new product will be launching on QVC tonight too, as Alpha H are launching a new facial oil, with all profits going to the Eve Appeal.  Jam-packed with frankincense, camomile, rosehip, and carrot oils, it's just what the doctor has ordered for adding to your skin-care routine this winter.  I've been trialling a bottle of this for the last couple of days, and it's been perfect for protecting my skin from the dreadful weather, but I'll give you a more in-depth review once I've had a chance to try it out properly.

Oh, and as if it wasn't enough that you can help a deserving charity this Christmas week, if you tune in to QVC this evening - okay, technically tomorrow morning - you'll be able to see the indefatigable Caroline Hirons (aka known as BeautyMouth to other bloggers, but I mainly call her Hilda - you can find out why if you follow her on Twitter), alongside Tom from Alpha H, and my old mate Daniel Sandler.  Show them some support!

Malin + Goetz at St Martins Lane Hotel

I do love a little bit of Malin+Goetz, their pared-down very  "New York" aesthetic really speaks to me for some reason.  I think what I love about them is that they don't make outrageous claims for their products (no "reclaiming your lost beauty"-style ramblings for them, thank goodness!) and the range itself is markedly simple, if ever-expanding, but, the products do work, and they work very well.

What I also love is their range of interesting and almost unique scents.  Rum hand soap?  Yes, please!  Eucalyptus deodorant?  I'll take two!  Actually, I genuinely am on my second Malin+ Goetz deodorant, it sounds a bit odd, but the scent is markedly refreshing first thing in the morning, and I find that it doesn't clash with any scent during the day. And it works, which is always a good thing, when it comes to deodorant.  I'm also a fan of their Vetiver candle, which I burn on random occasions to bring a hint of summer to my bedroom.  I'll be talking to you in more detail about their eye-cream very soon (heads up, I love it).

I'm also a big fan of their lip balm, having written about it before, but I was delighted to find recently that they now have a Mojito flavour version, and this is something I'll be investing in soon (obsessed with rum, moi?  I'm sure I don't know what you mean).  Very soon in fact, because up until the 4th January Malin+Goetz have a pop-up shop open in the St Martins Lane hotel in Covent Garden, and the store is actually being manned by Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz themselves!  I met them recently, and they're a joy to spend some time alongside.

So, if you want to find out more about the brand, or just have a nose at the entire M+G range, then get yourself along to the St Martins Lane Hotel before the 4th January.  Oh, and if you can pick me up some of the Lotus perfume, and a bottle of the hyaluronic acid serum, I'll be very grateful, thanks.

Christmas Giveaway - Haus of Gloi!

Haus of Gloi has been one of my finds of 2010, anything that could convince me that using body lotion regularly would be a) something that I would do, and b) be something that I would look forward to has to have a certain special something about it!

So I thought I'd share the joi a little.  This week, I'm giving away sample size jars of Bubbling Scrub and Pumpkin Butter in Hearth which the Haus of Gloi website describes as: The warm glowing center of any home. Autumns last apple pickings, warm bread, orange rind, various fire roasted nuts, cracked black pepper all nailed down by an oozing sticky benzoin.

I'll also throw in a full-size perfume oil in Madcap Garden, described as: A lively blend, pure black tea chilled with peppermint and the tiniest spike of sweet honey. Very unisex, stimulating, addictive, and bright.


And, if you're very, very good, I might throw in a couple of sample sizes of some other scents as well.


All you have to do is:
1) be a follower of this blog (I have a list, and I'll be checking it twice) via Google friends connect
2) leave a comment on this post, telling me what your favourite post on Get Lippie has been this year
3) Be UK resident (sorry)
and 4) hang on till New Years Eve, when I'll announce the winner


I'll pick the winner at random, but if this competition shows up on any professional competition/money-saving forums or websites, then I reserve the right to change the entry requirements at will, and/or disqualify any entrants which I believe to be fraudulent.  The judges decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into, and there is no cash equivalent available in lieu of prizes.

Good luck!

Chanel - Le Coton

I make no apologies - whatsoever - for this post!  I mentioned Chanel cotton wool to some fellow bloggers the other week, and the gorgeous Vex in the City and Virtues of Beauty both blogged about how insane they thought it was straight after.  Can't, in all honesty, say I blame them, they are a little ... mad!

So, Chanel have released Le Coton exclusively to Henri Bendel's in NYC and a good friend of mine was sweet enough to bring me a box as a housewarming present recently.  There is nothing  - and I do mean nothing - as exciting as being handed a Chanel bag as a gift, no matter what the contents, for this particular beauty blogger!  The "coton" is apparently made of three layers, from cotton fibres so fine that they have to be hand-picked.  The box contains 100 pads, costs $20 and each pad is embossed with the Chanel logo on both sides:

Each pad is a more than decent size - you'd easily remove nail varnish from all ten nails with this, and it is very thick and soft:

So .. is it any better than ordinary cotton wool? Errrr ...no. In fact, I prefer my Boots double sided pads, which are smaller, but the edges are bonded so you don't get those irritating threads everywhere!  But, that said, this is such an insane item, that it's actually fun to use them.  It's fun to have them around, they were a perfect present for a beauty addict, and for that reason I'm very glad to have them! They do, it must be said, look very stylish on my dressing table.  Which is actually a bookcase, but I digress.  I shall ration my use of them though, as, at 10p (approx) a pad, they're an expensive habit to get into!

What's your most insane beauty purchase?

Le Metier de Beaute - Turkish Smoke

I'm a big fan of Le Metier de Beaute, I think every product I've tried from them this year has been a winner, with the exception of one lipgloss I was given for my birthday (and that's only because it gave me concealer lips, which is merely a problem of faulty shade selection rather than anything else) so when I was given this lipgloss at a makeover recently, I was delighted.

Then I swatched it and started to worry:

It's a very dark browned-purple with some gorgeous gold and red shimmer particles. I was a bit worried, as I'm better wearing bright shades rather than dark shades on my lips these days.  It swatched very opaquely (which was nice, even though this was billed as a "sheer" lipgloss), but still, I worried it would be unwearable.

On my lips:

On my lips, it actually applies a lot more sheerly, and you just end up with a lovely glossy berry-coloured stain.  The gloss lasts averagely, but I do find that the Le Metier formula is a very moisturising one, if a little stickier than a balm.  I like it a lot!

Le Metier products are now available exclusively from Selfridges (and I can't even begin to tell you how disappointed I am that the counter has disappeared from Liberty!) and the sheer lipgloss costs £20.

Christmas Countdown - Lavish Vouchers

I was the lucky recipient of a Lavish gift voucher recently, and I think they're great.  Beautifully packaged, and available to spend in more than 300 spas nationwide (including places like The Sanctuary,  plus Dove and Elemis spas around the country), these are the ideal gift for those difficult to buy for people who you think deserve a treat.

Being a nosy person, and knowing that Lavish was set up and is run by one woman - the lovely and very charming Susi Pink - I was so impressed with the Lavish gift vouchers that I had a little chat with Suzi about how she got into the business, here's what she had to say:

I set up Lavish a couple of years ago as I was frustrated with the quality of gift vouchers on the market for spa and beauty treatments.  I found that in most cases if you bought a voucher as a present to celebrate a special occasion or milestone birthday, the vouchers themselves would often arrive not looking very special at all. So I went about developing a new spa & beauty brand that could supply gift vouchers that would feel special and indulgent from the minute the recipient opens their gift.

I also wanted to develop a single voucher that could be used for any treatment, one that was as open and flexible as a book token so that for the 'giver' there was no danger of giving the wrong treatment or risk insulting someone with a well-meant treatment choice which could be the absolute opposite of what the recipient would actually consider having. 

Also many of my friends and family live all over the country and so I wanted to develop one single voucher brand that was accepted anywhere in the UK, so that I could be sure the people I was buying a gift for were sure to find somewhere near them to enjoy having a spa or beauty treatment. 

So the concept of Lavish was born! I worked with a wonderful designer who came up with a brand inspired by the decadent 1920s and some beautiful packaging to make Lavish vouchers a gift that is sure to impress, delight and be adored. Once we had come up with the brand, a website was developed that would serve as a place for gift buyers to purchase Lavish vouchers and also for Lavish voucher recipients to find a salons or spa to spend them in.

We now have over 300 gorgeous pampering locations in our portfolio that covers a range of places from sumptuous destination spas, to city day spas, high street salons and mobile therapists.  We aim to make taking time out to be pampered an affordable luxury for everyone all over the UK, whatever their lifestyle and to ensure that spending Lavish vouchers is a simple and delightful experience.  

So, if you're looking to support an independent business woman and buy a present of time for a friend, then please, pick up a Lavish voucher today, they'll thank you for it.  I'll be spending my day today figuring out where to spend mine ...

The Fine Print: Links are, as always, for informational purposes only, and are not affiliate links.  I'm just a sucker for fancy packaging.  And spas ...

My Favourite ... Neutral Blushers

After a few days showing you my favourite bright lip shades, I thought I'd show you what I wear with them. To be honest, my blusher collection is pretty small, as it's only something I discovered properly a few years ago.  When I was younger, I didn't, really, see the point, but now I know it's actually a vital product for ensuring you look healthy and glowing.  Now, I'm not addicted (much ...) but it's something I'm slowly adding to my collection of.

Blush-wise I find pinks and reds tricksy to wear, so I tend to veer towards peachy/coral and bronze shades (rightly or wrongly) these shades though, are neutral enough to wear with whatever other makeup I'm wearing, and they're hard to overapply.

Clockwise from top left, we have, Avon Earthern Rose, NARS Doucer, Daniel Sandler Natural Beauty, MAC Prism (yes, I do occasionally use MAC) and Le Metier de Beaute in Tenne.

Swatches:

(click to enlarge)

These are all swatched very heavily to show up in the photo, part of the joy of these shades is that they tend to blend in with the skin very well, but that kind of makes them difficult to photograph.

Avon Earthen Rose is the shade with the most orange, and is better when I'm wearing warmer makeup, I like to use this as a very pale bronzer shade, and it's good for using as a contour powder too.  Sometimes, a girl NEEDS cheekbones!

NARS Doucer, my current favourite there's a fair bit of pink in this one, which means that it brightens a wee bit more than the Avon shade, and I find it goes perfectly well with most every kind of look.  I bought a backup recently.  It's exceedingly difficult to overapply, so a perfect blush for these dark mornings!

Daniel Sandler Natural Beauty, the lightest, and peachiest of these shades, this is good for just adding a hint of colour to more dramatic makeup, I find.

MAC Prism is very similar in tone to NARS Doucer, but it's base shade is peach rather than pink.  This is actually a recent rediscovery for me (I found it when I was moving house in October), and I've had it for years, I've no idea if it's part of the permanent line or not.  If my makeup is leaning towards gold I'll pick this up over the Doucer, but I find the NARS is slightly more pigmented, making it easier to apply.

Le Metier de Beaute creme blush in Tenne was one of those shades that I thought was deadly dull and "muddy" when I received it in a goody bag earlier this year, but the muddiness was just the top layer, once swatched, this is actually a glorious neutral creme blush, that is great when I'm just wearing tinted moisturiser.  It's not to be used near powder, under any circumstances!

What do you tend to pair with your brights?

My Favourite ... Red Lipsticks

Yesterday, I showed you my favourite pink lipsticks, today I'm showing you my favourite reds.  My search for the perfect red has been going on longer than the one for the perfect pink, so some of these reds are very old ...

L-R we have Guerlain Geisha, Lord & Berry China Red, Chanel Flash, Chanel Barcelona Red, Beaute Masochist, All for Eve Red, Nars Pop Life.

Swatches:

(click to enlarge)

Guerlain Rouge G and Lord & Berry China Red are very similar in shade, although the Lord & Berry is slightly more matte in texture, both of these are great brick-reds, which are, by far the easiest shades of red for me to wear.  Both longlasting,both vibrant, these are probably my favourites.

The two Chanel shades are rather more brown, Chanel Flash is a limited edition from some years ago, and I bought it mainly because I fell in love with the silver overspray!  As it's probably the darkest shade here, this is one I tend to wear mainly with neutral eye looks.  Barcelona Red is actually quite a bit brighter, but I think being next to Masochist is making it look more brown than it actually is.

Masochist Weighless Lipcreme is the most beautiful glossy shade.  It's impossible to keep neat for more than an hour or so, but it's beautiful.  Very beautiful.

All for Eve Red is the bluest shade here, initially I thought I wouldn't be able to wear it, but it works suprisingly well with my pale olive skin tone.  This is a gorgeous, wearable shade for most people, and it's one I recommend at any and all occasions.

NARS Pop Life is the softest red in this selection, and it veers a little towards coral owing to the fine golden shimmer, again not the longest lasting of reds, but it's a great entry-level red, owing to the softness of the shade.

What are your favourite red lipsticks?

My Favourite ... Pink Lipsticks

 It's coming up to Christmas, and to me, that always means more colourful makeup.  Well, when I say more colourful makeup, what I actually mean is brighter lipstick, which I'm usually happy to pair with a smokey eye look.  I love pink lipstick almost as much as I do red lipstick, although this year, it's entirely possible that my search for the perfect pink lipstick has overtaken my search for the perfect red!

The products you can see above are (l-r) Edward Bess Island Rose, New CID Daiquiri, Chanel India, Tom Ford Pure Pink, Elf Fuschia Fanatic, Guerlain Georgia.

Swatches:

(click to enlarge)

The Edward Bess, whilst it's not - strictly - a lipstick (it's actually a blusher), is one of my favourite shades, a raspberry that pulls slightly cool on my skin, but has a glorious velvety texture, and it's nice, sometimes, to match your lips to your blush.

New CID Daiquiri is a fairly opaque gloss, with golden sparkles.  I find it gives a good, sheer finish, whilst still giving your lips a nice pop of colour.

Chanel India, long discontinued, you can see from the top picture how much I've loved it over the years!  I'm hoarding this last little nubbin for as long as I possibly can.  A more rosey shade than the others, it's also on the muted side for me, but I love it a great deal.  For a long time, this was one of the "brightest" lipsticks I owned, can you imagine?

Tom Ford, Pure Pink, the coolest, and brightest pink of the lot.  I like this one a great deal. Moist, and allegedly made of purest crack, it's the lipstick that may cause me to bankrupt myself ...

And from the sublimely expensive, to the insanely bargainous: ELF Fuschia Fanatic plumping lipglaze.  A dual-ended lip colour, with a pink stain at one end, and a lightly frosted gloss at the other, you can wear the shades singly or together one over the other (it works whichever shade you apply first too, which is nice), this is a nice, tingly lipcolour that I like to wear for work.

And, what is one of my favourite lipsticks of all time: Guerlain Rouge G in Georgia.  I love this shade. It's a nice, bright (but not as punchy as, say, the Tom Ford), brightening lipstick, that lightens up your whole face when you wear it, it's glorious.  And a wonderful moisturising, but not too greasy formula too.

What are you favourite pink lipsticks?  Tomorrow, I'll be showing you some of my favourite reds ...