Makeover: Isobel

Another very quick makeover this week, featuring the lovely Isobel, who came to visit Chez Lippie recently.
Meet Isobel:

Isobel wanted a very simple evening look.  One that looked polished, and elegant, but that wasn’t too dramatic.  We had a chat about colours, and discovered that muddy purples were the order of the day.
As ever, we start with the base.  Now, Isobel is 60 years old, and has skin that many a thirty- or forty-something would envy, barely any pores, and very minimal lines, I was in awe!  With this in mind, we used a very, very light base of Benefit You Rebel in Lite:
Then, onto the eyes.  We wanted to make them the focus of the look, so we picked out a Laura Mercier eyeshadow (one of my own personal favourites) in Twilight, and used that all around the eyes:
I also used the same shade as a liner – applied with a liner brush – and followed this with a touch of Bourjois Ultra care mascara in black:


To highlight those lovely cheekbones, I used Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips as both a blush and a highlight.  I love these US-only versions of Bobbi Brown’s shimmer bricks, the quality is astonishing for a “drugstore” product, and they’re very flattering.

I added a touch of lipstick (sorry, very, very sorry, I can’t remember which one) and used MAC Behold eyeshadow to darken Isobel’s eyebrows a touch, for added definition.
Here’s the before and after:

Apologies – as always – for the terrible photographs in this makeover, this was a nighttime makeover, and we struggled with the lighting.
Thank you, Isobel for taking part, it was great fun, and I really hope you enjoyed your new look!

Foundation Week - Tinted Moisturisers

Yes, I know that tinted moisturisers aren't strictly foundations, but I'm doing this post by request! During summer, I'm actually a big fan of tinted moisturisers, as they're lighter, and generally offer better sun protection than traditional foundations. Nothing worse than looking a bit dry in the summer sun.

One of the most famous tinted moisturisers is Benefit You Rebel. Long touted by Benefit as the ultimate "suits all" shade (three words that always make me suspicious, whether it's a foundation, a lipstick, blusher, or whatever), they brought out a "Lite" version not all that long ago - why would they do that?  It's a "suits all" shade! - and I thought I'd show a comparison of the two:

The original formula is at the top, and the lite version is at the bottom.  As you can see, there is actually a massive difference in the two shades, for me, the original is the one I actually prefer! But, I cannot tell a lie, I tend to use it more as a bronzer, or faux tan, than a tinted moisturiser.  This is, however, actually my third tube of it! The lite shade is actually just a little bit too light, and can upon occasion make my NW20/25 skin look a bit washed out, but it's good for winter.

Here's how they look blended out - and many apologies for the poor quality of pic in advance -

As you can see, on my winter-skin, the lite version disappears completely, but the original leaves quite a distinct tide mark ...

Much as I like You Rebel (and I've been using it since back in the days when it was still called I Am Rebel), it's not, actually, my favourite tinted moisturiser, mainly because whilst it's nice and pigmented, I find I still need to use a moisturiser underneath it.  That's mainly, of course, because I have stupid flaky and sensitive dry skin! For oilier skins, I doubt you'd need another layer of product with it, to be honest.

No, my favourite tinted moisturiser - and I bang on about it at any opportunity I get - is Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturising Balm (above).  I like it because it has a decent level of pigment, is available in quite a large range of shades, from extremely pale through to dark, and it's quite possibly the nicest-smelling tinted moisturiser I've ever found.  Also, I find it gives a nice dewy sheen without making you look sweaty.  It is more suitable for dryer skins, but Bobbi also offers a more traditional tinted moisturiser, in a tube, that's not quite as heavy on the oil content.  I'm out of this at the moment, but at the first sign of spring arriving proper, I shall be investing in a pot, and discarding all the moisturisers + foundations I've been using all winter!  Fickle?  Mebbe ...

I occasionally also like to wear Estee Lauder DayWear Plus Multi Protection Anti-Oxidant Moisturizer SPF 15 Sheer Tint Release Formula (catchy!) which starts off a rather unappetising grey shade straight from the tube, but transforms on contact with the skin to a sheer (and quite light) tone, that isn't quite as pigmented as the other moisturisers in this review, but is well worth a look if you're looking for something that's a bit lighter in texture.  It also smells rather delightfully (if somewhat artificially) of cucumber, which is  very refreshing on a hot day!

What's your favourite tinted moisturiser?  Or do you think, as a couple of my housemates do, that they're a complete waste of time?

The Small Print: I bought these, they're mine, I tell you, MINE!  No PR's were harmed in the making of this post.

Foundation Week - Cream to Powder

Now, as cream to powder formulations are the ones I have most trouble with, I invited two guest bloggers to try out a brand new foundation on the market, Urban Decay Surreal Skin.  Let's take a look at how Lina from Make Up to Make Out and Charlotte from Lady of the Lane got on with it:

First of all, Lina:

I was given this Urban Decay Surreal Skin Cream to Powder Foundation by Get Lippie as she needed a reviewer of darker skin and I greedily put my hand up for it! As the name suggests, it's a compact foundation that is cream in formula, but sets to powder finish. Having naturally dry skin (plagued with it my entire life - I was BORN with eczema, EW!) I was a bit dubious about how well I'd gel with this product; ordinarily, any kinda powder finish product (especially in compact form) is a massive no no. Looking quickly online to see any further info about it didn't really help much either in deciphering its target skin type.  Oh well, I'll give anything a shot!

The first thing I learnt when playing around with this was don't even bother trying to use the special brush it comes with; cheap, crappy, and scratchy. I don't even have much to cover and I could barely get ANY coverage with it. I tried a few other brushes and interestingly found my No7 Foundation Brush worked best (as opposed to my beloved Bobbi Brown one). It's quite a thick fluffy foundation brush so you could really work the product into it. And working the product into it I did! Unlike most foundations, where you start of with a little and build, I literally swirled my foundation brush in the compact, and the applied straight to my face. This worked really well and I managed to get a really good, even coverage .

What I noticed when applying it was that is it incredibly weightless, and feels really silky on your skin. It did dry to a powder finish, but luckily not so severely that it dried my skin out in the process. With a bit of concealer it made my face flawless, made up but flawless. A little bit unusual for me as I tend to go for quite light dewy foundations so this finish was fairly new to me.

The lasting power is pretty good, admittedly I found around my nose it wore off more quickly but I get that with every foundation so that's fine. I did feel the need to touch up just to freshen it up a little bit half way through the day, not the sort of product you can apply in the morning and then forget about it till bed time, but this led me to discover that it was great for building with - even hours after original application. Didn't cake in the slightest.  Neither did my skin feel particularly parched either, which was really surprising.

I'm not sure if my skin could take wearing this everyday, especially for days which start at 8am and finish at 1am, my skin would just collapse from dehydration on day 4, but it's definitely great for evenings where you want to look made up and have a powdered finish matte base. Obviously, if you have oilier skin then you could probably (happily) get away with wearing this everyday but dry skin needs a little bit more nourishment. However, in general this is good matte, powder finish product that even dry skin gals can get away with using on occasion! Just make sure you slather on the richest night cream when you go to bed to put back some of that moisture into it at night time!


Here's how Charlotte got on with it:

I’ve been using Lilly Lolo Mineral foundation for years, it works well and looks really natural which is great, but sometimes I want a more finished and polished look and so have been on the hunt for a cream foundation that suits me. Louise kindly offered to send me this one she had in return for a review as it was too pale a shade for her. So here we are.


The packaging is really rather nice. Heavy solid, transparent purple compact with inlaid design on the lid. Inside is a (very  shallow) pan of foundation and underneath that is a brush to apply it with.

Okay now brace yourselves, you need to see what I’m working with. Eeep!

I applied this on day one using the brush it comes with. It went on easily and smoothly, was easy to blend and gave good coverage to the spots on my chin, it wouldn’t need much touching up with concealer. However, I’m recovering from a cold and I have some dry skin around my nose – the effect wasn’t pretty. This stuff is definitely not for people with dry skin. The other thing I should mention is that within moments of application I started to come out in red slightly itchy blotches. These were caused by the brush. I don’t know why, or what the brushes that do this to me are made of, but an hour later the blotches were gone. I won’t use that again, but that’s not a massive problem except it loses the portability factor me as I’m unlikely to carry a foundation brush around with me.

 It lasted well throughout the day and I would describe it as light to medium coverage, it didn’t mask out my freckles and looked soft and natural.
 
I tried again today but this time used my own foundation brush, went on nicely with no irritation this time. My dry skin has pretty much gone today so the finish was much better without the clumping in the dry spots!

It’s a pretty good colour match for me and I like the finish, but it won’t be my go-to foundations for a couple of reasons:
I do get dry patches from time to time which this foundation does not suit.
The brush doesn’t work for me.
It’s not terribly buildable and if you try it can get a little cakey.
The quantity you get is tiny. It wouldn’t last me five minutes.

I take a lots of pics of myself (for my blog) and this gives you awful white face when a flash hits it, but in natural light it’s good.  I think it’s a pretty good foundation actually and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a handbag foundation compact just so long as they don’t suffer with dry skin and can afford to replace it often. I will definitely finish it, but I probably won’t replace. The search continues!

Now, in the interests of thoroughness - and because I hate to miss out! - I tried it myself, in the shade Kismet.  Actually, I surprised myself by liking it a great deal, normally with cream-to-powder formulations I find them cakey, and drying, and just awful. I didn't find it clung to any dry patches, and it gave a lovely natural finish. But ... but the brush is dreadful, don't even bother using it. It reminds me of those dreadful Benefit blush crushes, which are neither use nor ornament, I think it would be better to actually have more product and a separate, rounder brush with more bristles.  I do appreciate the packaging (it's very pretty, and portable) but the brush is only really fit for top-ups during the day, and not for a proper application. I use a flat top Kabuki (from Elf) which works way better, and I'll be talking about that a bit more later this week.

Urban Decay Surreal Skin Foundation will cost approx £18 and will be available from your usual stockists later this month.

Do you use Cream-to-powder formulations?  Which ones do you recommend?

The Small Print: Foundations used in this review were provided for review purposes.  All reviews are impartial, regardless of the source.  

Foundation Week - Powder

Foundations come in all shapes, sizes and formats, I'm spending a day on each of the main types of foundation (powder, cream, and I'm splitting liquids into matte, and dewy, but I think a mousse might slip into at least one of those, so be warned!) and I'm starting with powder, as they can be a bit less scary than full on foundation ...

Loose/Minerals

Trendy among powder formulations at the moment are mineral foundations, I know a lot of people find them difficult to work with - they're generally loose powders that you "buff" over the skin with a large brush to give you an airbrushed look.  The trick with these is to use a very, very light hand at first, and build up the coverage until you have a look you're happy with.  Use a very small amount on your brush, then knock the excess off before applying to your face.

Pros: It's very easy to get a nice, even, buildable coverage.  Many of them are made of natural ingredients, and contain nothing in the way of synthetic dyes.  They're supposed to be less irritating than traditional-style liquid foundations. They multi-task, as you can use the same product as concealer, if you use a smaller synthetic brush.

Cons: many of them contain bismuth, meaning they can leave you looking rather "plastic" or "artificial" (aka "fembot").  Bismuth can also make the product  feel a bit like you're wearing a mask.  Also, the buffing motion itself can lead to aggravated and irritated skin.

I like Bare Escentuals - even though it's trendy not to, but I'll be talking more about Bare Escentuals later on in the week - and Christopher Drummond is an excellent - albeit expensive - alternative.

Recently, I've been using a Cosmetics a la Carte powder foundation, Cover Tint in Sand.  I like the packaging, as it doesn't require an additional brush, and comes complete with a mirror (a proper mirror, not just a silver painted top, which you have to squint into) in the lid.  CalC foundations don't contain bismuth, and I've found the coverage to be extremely buildable, meaning that I've been able to use this both on it's own as a full foundation, and as a finishing powder over liquid formulations.  Basically you just dot this on your face, and then "smoosh" the puff around a little to distribute it, if you want a lighter look, or dot repeatedly, if you want to build up to full-face coverage. Priced at £30 for an off-the-shelf shade, or £45 if you want a custom blend shade made to your own requirements, it's very quickly become a makeup bag staple for me.

Pressed

Pressed powder formulations have been around forever, and I recommend MAC studio fix to any of my personal shopping clients who are too scared to think about a "traditional" liquid foundation.  Benefit's Hello Flawless is also a good one, but it has a very small colour range, whereas MAC is outstanding in that area in comparison.

Powder foundations are simple and easy to use, but they don't always work for dryer skins, and you do need to make sure that you're well moisturised if you are at all prone to dryness before using them.  But they're a godsend to our greasier-skinned sisters!


Do you use powder foundations? What do you recommend I should have a look out for?

The small print: I was sent the Cosmetics a la Carte foundation for consideration to review, all other opinions on foundations in this roundup are based on items I already own.  Opinions are impartial and honest regardless of the source of the product.

Foundation Week - Bespoke

It's foundation week here at Get Lippie, I'll be bringing you some hints and tips, and reviewing a few foundations (and the odd tinted moisturiser) from my collection for you too. If you have any questions, let me know, and I'll do my best to get back to you!

But I wanted to start the week off by mentioning Cosmetics a la Carte.  A lot has been written lately about the demise of Prescriptives, and people have been bemoaning that they're not able to get custom-blended foundations any more.

Well, Cosmetics a la Carte are, arguably, the company who Prescriptives got the idea of "bespoke" cosmetics from in the first place, and they've had a bespoke service for over 30 years! I had the pleasure of chatting to Lynne, the company's founder, a couple of weeks ago and was bowled over by her commitment to cosmetics and her enthusiasm for makeup in the first place.  I had a makeover from them, and loved their choice of items, too!

Cosmetics a la Carte will custom-blend your foundation to your perfect shade, in the format of your choice, matte, powder, satin or all of the above, if you so wish.  And best of all, none of that silly colour-matching nonsense with the yellow/red/blue and orange pencils, which only ever worked in proper daylight (and, not ever, in department store lighting), and was entirely dependent on the whim of the sales assistant in the first place ...

But I digress, if you want a bespoke foundation, Cosmetics a la Carte are the place to go, and the prices start at £45 for a foundation.  Take a look at the website, for more details, you can find it here

I'll be reviewing my foundation from them later in the week.

Do you have anything you'd like to see featured in Foundation Week?

New Giveaway! CLOSED

This Giveaway is now closed, and comments are no longer allowed on this post as a result. 

Remember my post about Lip Tars? I picked up eight of them at IMATS, and, I confess, there are still a couple I would like - mainly Grandma, but I could be talked into Vintage and Plum too ... the only thing that's been putting me off has been the faff of ordering from the US, to be honest.

However, I'm beyond delighted that OCC are now available to buy in the UK! The lovely people at The Makeup Artist Boutique have managed to convince OCC to let them be the exclusive source of Lip Tars in the UK.  They arrive on March 23rd, and I, for one, can't wait!

To celebrate this happy event, Makeup Artist Boutique are offering one of you, my lucky readers, the chance to win a Lip Tar in one of the four brand new colours that have just been released by OCC in the US.  These colours are so new, they're not even on the official US OCC website yet!

Here's a sneaky peek at the new colours:

Pictures taken from http://www.pursebuzz.com/2010/02/occ-new-lip-tar-swatches/ 

Not only that, but everyone who reads my blog can have a 10% discount off everything on the site up until the 23rd of March if you use the code LIPPIEOCC when ordering. Please bear in mind when ordering that any Lip Tars you order won't be dispatched until March 23rd. As well as Lip Tars, you can purchase Yaby cosmetics, which are a great brand too, check them out!

If you want to see more about the exclusive Lip Tar shades, you can see them on Enkore's video here.

If you want to take a look at the rest of the Lip Tar range, have a look here.

How to enter:

The competition is open to everyone, including internationally, whether you're a follower of the blog or not.  However, followers of the blog will receive TWO entries into the draw! Please leave a comment on this post stating which Lip Tar shade you'd like (Complex, Vapid, Hoochie or Demure only), and state whether you're a follower or not - I will be checking, and invalid entries will be disqualified.  The draw will be made on the evening of March 15th. If you are not a follower, then please ensure you leave your email address in your comment too. Thanks!

Good luck, everyone!

The small print: This is NOT a sponsored post -  I will not receive any remuneration if you click on any of the links in this post, or make any purchases for any products mentioned.

Mini Makeover - Genna

No time for a proper makeover this week - genuinely things are INSANE here at Get Lippie at the moment, but normal service will be resumed soon, I promise!

Last time Genna appeared on this page, we turned her into a California beach babe:

  This time, something a little more traditionally glam:

A smokey eye with a nude lip.  I used a pink Milani palette (more about that later this week) and MAC eyeshadow in Beauty Marked, alongside Bourjois Clubbing liquid liner, for a glittery, pinkish smokey look. It was a look we created for a party last night, hence no more in-depth photos.

What do you think, would you like to see a step by step on this look?

I fear the tangerine ...

(With sincere spologies to my Scottish readers!)

Spring is in the air, have you noticed?  I'm serious!  The last couple of days have definitely been a bit warmer, and I no longer feel the need to wrap up like the Michelin woman to consider leaving the sofa.

With that in mind, as the weather has made me think about warmer times, I've been gently warming my makeup looks up a bit.  Now, I fear fake tan.  Genuinely, and sincerely, fear the stuff. Never use it. I always think I'm going to end up looking like this:

Only, you know, with boobs. And better hair.  And ... oh you get the idea!

So, to warm up my colouring - and move slightly away from the taupe-rut (sorry, taupe "signature look") I've been in lately, I've been dusting myself with this:

YSL Poudre de Soleil in #1, Light Sun. It's a really nice, not too shimmery (though there is a hint, a very faint hint of gold shimmer in there), not too orange bronzing powder. At differing times, I use this as a blusher, a contour powder, an eyeshadow, and occasionally as a bronzer.  I've even used it as a face powder, it's that versatile. It's very pale, and so suitable for my currently pale-blue skin.  Come summer I'll be my more usual pale-custard shade, and I'll probably be using this a bit more often than my beloved Cargo Illuminator in wind, which is a good bit pinker, and a fair bit more sparkly, and so has been a wonder for the winter, but it'll be too pink for me come summer.  The Poudre de Soleil lasts a long time, I've used mine a lot (and it's quite elderly now) and I've still yet to "hit pan".

Speaking of pinker and more sparkly things, I bought this recently too, the Palette Y-Mail face highlighter in the pearly finish:

I admit, the packaging suckered me in, it has it's own little handbag!

Too cute. Now, I love the shade, the beige is lovely, the pink is radiant.  But the pearl. Oh, the pearl is a beautiful colour, but it's packed with chunks of glitter that I didn't notice either in the store, or the first time I used it.

Glitter is not radiance!  It's a menace! Okay, the powder isn't in the same league as Urban Decay's Midnight Cowboy, but it is very definitely there, and I'm not entirely sure it needs to be.  I had been hoping it was an overspray, but it appears to be throughout the pearl-shade. It's still lovely - and I'm really glad I picked it up - but you do need a light hand when you're swirling your brush over the pearl to avoid the dreaded glittery face-dandruff effect. You might love glitter, but ... it's something I expect in cheaper products, to be honest. Still a beautiful powder, but the glitter cheapens the effect they were going for, I feel.  Beautiful compact to carry around for glamorous touch-ups during the day though.

The last couple of days, I've just worn the bronzer on my cheeks with a swirl of the highlight on my cheekbones and over my eyelids, with a dash of mascara and a touch of lipgloss, and it's a very quick, simple and polished look.

Do you own any YSL? What do you love from the range? What's your spring makeup like?

Nail of the Day – LA Colour Antique Burgundy

While I was sorting out my nail polish drawer the other day, searching for a perfect red after the Crimsun debacle of last week, I pulled out all my Chanel reds – truly, I believe Chanel do the best reds, in either lipstick or polish – but this little beauty caught my eye.

And I use the word beauty advisedly, as I LOVE this shade, it’s a red jelly finish with just a teeny hint of gold shimmer, making it look like a really expensive metallic car paint job on the nails.

Neither of the pictures really do it justice, I’m afraid. They show three coats over a Mavala base, with a Seche Vite top coat. It’s a pure, clear red that doesn’t shade either pink or orange, and there’s no hint of blue in it.  I think it’s about the nicest, prettiest red I own, and it’s one I think really suits the skin-tone on my fingers.

Oh, the best thing about this polish?  It  cost me 99p. Now, when you bear in mind that I’m happy to pay £11 for a polish, and indeed, I’ve paid £16 for polishes before now, I think you can understand how happy this little baby has made me!  I got mine from Beauty Base in Westfield, but I think you can find LA Colours at places like Savers.

My nail drawer now looks like this by the way, whaddya think?

What I did at London Fashion Week ...

By Get Lippie, aged 32 and a lot of halves.

I don't get serenaded by middle aged men in body paint nearly often enough, I've decided.

I was delighted to be invited backstage (as a guest of Illamasqua) at the House of Blues AW2010 fashion event at London Fashion Week recently. An opportunity to get to see Alex Box work at close range was an offer I simply couldn't turn down, and after reading this interview with Johnny Blue Eyes on Helen and Sheenie's Nice Things the other day, I knew that this was going to be a day to remember! Believe me when I tell you that I haven't laughed as much or been quite that embarrassed in a very long time.

After meeting up with Helen, Sheenie and MizzWorthy, we had a brief Fashion-off (a competition I sadly lost in spite of my sparkly Converse) and then headed to the Freemason's Hall to find out where the action was.  We were thrust straight into the thick of things, and greeted with the words: "ARE THESE MY BLOGGERS? COME HERE, TALK TO JOHNNY! ASK ME ANYTHING MY DARLINGS, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?"

(Johnny Blue Eyes is the only man I've ever met who speaks in capitals. Imagine Brian Blessed with a hint of Julian Clary, and you'll be - somewhat - on the right track. For the sake of my sanity though, and your eyeballs, I'll render the rest of his conversation in proper grammar from here on)

Having been nudged to the front of the receiving line - Johnny was having his hair done at the time - I rather sheepishly asked what we could expect from the show, and the answer was rather surprising (apologies for this in advance, I'm writing this bit from memory), for me, at least.

"It's about colour, it's about peace, it's about love.  It's a reaction to the lack of colour in the world, the recession, natural disasters.  Why should winter collections be dull? I'm bringing colour - like the colour of your eyes darling, that's an amazing shade - to the the world".

Pulling myself together a bit, I asked if he was deliberately giving people the opposite of what they'd normally expect from a winter collection, and his answer was yes, and deliberately so, what he was trying to do was "democratise fashion, make it for everyone.  I'm a 42 year old man, and I'm surrounded by love.  All my models here today are real people, they're my friends, they're all shapes, all sizes, all ages, all sexual orientations, we're all people, and we're all the same, so I want to include everyone in this show, it's ALL ABOUT LOVE".

At this point, I moved onto have a look around the - crazily chaotic - room, and spent some time watching various makeup artists doing their thing:

 

 I found out that the models were all made up with the same base Illamasqua products:

Cream eye shadow in predator was used on the faces, which were then highlighted with both liquid metal in Solstice and pure pigment in furore. The cheeks were contoured with a fushia pink cream blusher in Dixie and the lashes used were no9.

 Then, once she had a chance to take a breather from creating Johnny's rather dramatic look for the show:

 

And once we'd all had a chance to recover from  Johnny's rather, erm, "colourful" call to arms to the women in the room (seriously unrepeatable here!), and I after I'd recovered from being serenaded  (pic above) by Johnny himself (about the most embarrassed I've ever been), I had a chance to chat with Alex Box herself.  We discussed colour, and style, and beauty blogging.  I've long been a fan of her work, and this was an amazing opportunity.