A sneaky peek ...

Some people are fascinated by my array of lipsticks, so here's a sneaky peek at something I'll be posting about in more detail very soon:




Doesn't look much there (well, to me it doesn't, but I'm aware that they are jammed in that drawer four or five deep), but that's only one part of my collection ...

Time for a heated debate!

In my spare time - you know, the time I get in between working twelvety million hours a week, and the time I spend blogging - I also moderate a debate forum.  I know, I'm a sucker for punishment.

There was a debate recently about women in positions of power, and someone suggested that the only reason women wear makeup is to attract men.  And that women who go out whilst wearing makeup and reject advances made to them by men are "ball-breakers".  Here are his actual words:

Has anyone ever noticed that there are allot of women in  {...} who will spend literally hours on their hair and make-up...wear hundreds of dollars worth of clothing and expensive perfumes...go out to a dance bar and...

SIT in groups of women, chatting and so on, while every so often a guy will make his sorry-ass way over to their table and ask one to dance. Can you guess the answer he gets more often than not? Sure ya can...

"No thanks...hehehe..." 

I pointed out that there are many reasons to wear makeup:

... women do not {solely} wear makeup to attract men. There are almost as many reasons to wear makeup as there are people wearing makeup. ... neither is it only women who wear cosmetics.  

To which the response was:

Now: "women do not wear makeup to attract men" To which I have to say, that unless the women in question happens to be a lesbian...then Bull S**t! Please...that's just silly. Women wear make-up in order to enhance their appearance and attract a mate...of either sex. Just as these men you speak of who also wear make-up...do so for the same reason. I'll admit there may be the odd exception, but please...its the same thing with jewelry, hair-do's, cloths even. I think that's rather self-evident.

(all spelling mistakes theirs)

So, I was wondering what my readers thought?  Is it self-evident that the only reason people wear cosmetics is to make them more attractive to potential partners? Why do you wear makeup?  


Personally, I think the existence of charities such as Look Good Feel Better disproves his entire theory - not to mention the fact that women who have  partners don't immediately stop wearing makeup, which, if his theory is to be believed, is what would happen naturally.  But I want to  know what you think, please let me know in the comments, thanks!

 

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Project Perfume - an update

Oof, it's been a little while since I did an update, I have to admit!  It's not been because I've had a lack of things to think about, rather the opposite in fact.

If you take a look at the Project Perfume page itself you'll see that I've sniffed, or obtained samples of around about 50% of the list now, which is due in large part to three websites: Luckyscent, one is Scent and Sensibility and last, but by no means least, Escentual.com.  

Luckyscent (based in the US) and Scent and Sensibility (based in the UK) both specialise in niche, or hard to find perfumes, and I've been purchasing samples from both of them for a while now, I ordered a bunch of Andy Tauer perfumes from Ronny at Scent & Sensibility at the end of last year, and they turned up very quickly and beautifully packaged, and there was a little treat of a sample of Hilde Soliani's Vecchi Rossetti perfume included too, which is about as perfect a scent for a beauty blogger as can possibly be, as it's inspired by the scent of theatres and theatrical makeup.  Violets, roses and beeswax combine to make this smell of the makeup your grandmother used to wear, ladylike and powdery, and just a tad old fashioned, it's a gloriously glamorous scent which evokes the forties and fifties and just needs a beautiful powder compact to make the image complete.  It's not something for everyday wear - it's definitely a fragrance that requires a bit of dressing up to accompany it, but for those days when I prefer my pearls to my edgy silver jewellery, it's wonderfully evocative.

I'll talk more about Luckyscent and Scent & Sensibility next week (look out for a special post next week where I've teamed up with S&S to bring you something I'm very excited about indeed), but I wanted to talk about some scents I've been sent by Escentual.com this week.  

I'm hugely indebted to the lovely Louise (are there any other kinds of Louises?  I rather think not - however long term readers of this blog may have views that differ ... ) at Escentual who saw my list of perfumes and got really on-board with the project, thanks to Louise, I was sent samples of fully a fifth of the perfumes on my list, and it's been wonderful over the last few weeks having a "lucky dip" of some wonderful - and some er ...slightly less so - perfumes to choose from every day!  I suspect my workmates have been a little confused by some of the scents I've been wearing recently, but hey ... 

First off, Calandre by Paco Rabanne:

On first spray this is metallic, and flowery.  And, as is the way of these things, I had an initial impression of tinned peas.  The perfume doesn't, in fact, smell anything like tinned peas, but everytime I wear this, they're what I think about, at least for the first few minutes.  There's a tinny, metallic accord on first spray, which will tickle the back of your nose - and in my case, get the old brain cells working overtime - but, once this ticklish phase is over, there's a beautiful (and I do mean beautiful) essence of roses and glorious full-bodied florals, which leaves me sniffing my wrists in ecstasy.  It's perfume-y, but not at all old-fashioned, which is rather a wonderful trick to pull off, particularly for a scent that was first released in 1966. It's fresh and floral, and rather lovely, I've worn my sample of this one a lot since it arrived, to the detriment of a few other samples that appeared in the same batch.

It wasn't until I went back to Luca Turin and "the book" that I realised where the tinned peas thing came from. Luca talks about Rive Gauche a lot in conjunction with Calandre (allegedly, the two are almost identical), and Rive Gauche is a perfume that my mother wears.  As for the tinned peas, well, there's a very metallic note in Calandre, and my mother ... well ... my mother fed us a lot of tinned vegetables growing up, and that's the scent-memory my subconscious dragged up ...  

Lippie Rating: Lovely.

 Carrying on with the vegetable theme, I next tried Fahrenheit 32 by Dior.  Described as an unpretentious "minty vanilla" by Luca Turin, this is exceptionally difficult to find in stores, I tried everywhere before it turned up.  Yes, it's very definitely a minty vanilla, it's both herbal and sweet, cool and comforting.  For some reason, I do find a lot of vanillas rather too reminiscent of custard, and I'm uncomfortable in them for that reason, but this is very green, and I'm occasionally reminded of watercress (this isn't a criticism, I love watercress, and would eat it every day if I could), with a hint of orange blossom, and the vanilla just takes the edge off the sharp, green herbs, and rounds off the orange blossom a little.  If I want to sharpen it up, I add a little "fizz" with a drop or two of Commes des Garcons Rhubarb (from their "Sherbet" series), and the minty rhubarb'n'custard that results is perfect for carefree weekend days, and wearing with jeans and sitting down the pub in.  
Somehow though, I can't convince MrLippie to wear this, the big wuss.  Although, that might be because I've refused to hand it over to him since it arrived.


Lippie Rating: Weird - but good.


More on Project Perfume coming soon ....


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.

Dior Addict Lipstick 578 Diorkiss

Apparently, some people think I'm a bit obsessed with lipstick.  I cannot imagine why people might think this.

[looks up at logo]

Oh.

Alright, they might have a point.  But, I'd like to make clear that I only own three drawers worth of lipsticks/glosses and balms.  For the purposes of the point I'm making, I'd like to - of course - ignore the box of lip products in the bathroom.   And the fact that I always have at least 10 lip products in my handbag at any one time.


Where was I?  Oh yes, Dior are relaunching their Addict range of lipsticks, and they very kindly agreed to send me one so I would stop sending them begging letters could take a look at them for you.  I was sent 578 in Diorkiss which is a pink.  I think my search for the perfect pink has overtaken my search for the perfect red over the last few months, which is a surprise!

This lipstick is also the shade you'll see Kate Moss wearing the advertising campaign.  In the bullet, this looks quite a deep shade:

But be not scared if you're wary of dark lipsticks, for in what appears to be an increasing trend this year (like the Guerlains and Chanels I've shown you recently), these have a gel base and are perfect for a more sheer look:

As you can see from the swatch, this is a soft and gentle pink on the skin, a little less "bright" than a lot of the other pinks I wear, and it feels very emollient on the lips.  If you like a deep, opaque look from your lip colours, then it's likely that the newly released (they're currently in Selfridges, but you will be able to buy them nationwide from 11th April)  Addict line isn't for you.

On the lips, it's a gentle wash of glossy colour, perfect for no-fuss looks.  Lasting power is about average for a glossy sheer - about three hours if you can abstain from eating or drinking for a while, less if you must indulge in a coffee in the morning.


I love the pearlescent packaging, and, even though it took a little while for me to figure out precisely to get the lid off (look, I'm old, and opening things seems to not be my forte these days), it's a lovely bit of kit.  I think I might have to indulge in a couple more.


Dior Addict lipsticks will be available nationwide from April 11th and will cost £22.  Which is cheaper than the new Chanel Rouge Coco shines (by 50p), and a good few pounds cheaper than the Guerlain Rouge Automatiques which will be released later in the month.


The Fine Print:  I was sent this to review.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

A Week in Lipstick

So, after last week's accidental all-pink lipstick extravaganza, let's take a look at what I've been carrying around with me this week:




From top to bottom:

Max Factor Xperience - Pink Opal
Chanel Rouge Allure - Incognito
Bourjois Effet 3d - Brun Rose Academic
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine - Boy
Tarina Tarantino - Cameo
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine -
Bonheur
Dior Addict Lipstick - Diorkiss

And so, what colours did this week's lips entail?




Sigh. Nearly all nudes.




Swatches in (almost) the same order - the Dior is the odd one out, but there's a in-depth review of that one coming up tomorrow.

Random Sunday Stuff

It's been a pretty emotional week on Get Lippie, I was astonished by the reaction to my post on Thursday, and just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who took the time to comment, tweet and email me with their experiences, and support.  My readers are amazing, and I'm glad you're here, thank you all for not making me regret publishing that piece, rather the opposite.

In other news, I also had my contribution to a brand new online magazine published this week:

I'm writing about high-tech beauty products - click on the picture above and flick through to page 68 if you want to read what I have to say.  It's a gorgeous magazine and I'm really proud to have been asked to take part! 

Also, the lovely, wonderful and amazing people at Escentual.com (without whom my Project Perfume wouldn't be possible, but more about that later on) voted me their blog of the week. They had some really lovely things to say about Get Lippie, which made me feel all warm and fuzzy.  You can see what they had to say here:

So, that's what's been going on here this week, there's loads more shallow stuff coming up on Get Lippie this week, so please stay tuned!

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Katie: My Beautiful Friends.

I was approached to write this piece, and it's a little different to what I'd normally put on here - it's certainly a lot more personal, for which I apologise in advance - so I do hope people won't mind too much.

On Tuesday evening, I sat and watched the Channel Four TV show Katie: My Beautiful Friends and found it extraordinary. Normally, I find TV shows about disfigurement exceptionally difficult to watch, and I very deliberately avoided watching Katie: My Beautiful Face (which was the precursor to this show) a Cutting Edge documentary shown in 2009 about Katie Piper's recovery from being attacked with sulphuric acid by a man she met on Facebook, as I knew I would find it painful. 

Let me tell you why.


My problem - if you can call it that, I suspect that it's more a form of "over-identification", as you shall see - with TV programmes like this stems from my own - very minor - experience of disfigurement.  I was never what you would call a pretty child: pudgy, verging on ginger, and I had a gap between my two front teeth you could park a bicycle in.  When I was five, I went to bed perfectly normal, and woke up with strabismus.  Essentially I went cross-eyed in my sleep, which is pretty rare to happen so suddenly, especially when you wake up so severely cross-eyed that only the white of the crossed eye is visible, which is was happened to me.

I had to undergo major eye surgery several times to correct it, and endured brain scans, blood tests, and vision tests many, many times during my childhood, as they were worried about brain tumours and cerebral palsy, amongst other - scarier - things.  In the mid-70's, none of these tests were a minor undertaking (if you've ever seen the brain-scan scene in The Exorcist, it's based - almost entirely - on the actual medical procedure of the time).  Quite where my mum found her resources of strength to deal with all this, I will never know.


My childhood wasn't really a fun place.  Added to my gappy teeth, the pudginess, the nearly-gingerness, and the constant medical tests and surgery, I then had to endure a year or two of wearing eye-patches, and the adhesive on those things (no sexy black patches on elastic for this kid, no!  Industrial strength Elastoplast all the way, baby!) ripped my eyebrow out, every single time.  So, I was a one-eyebrowed, cross-eyed, chubby ginger child with teeth pointing both east and west, usually to be found wearing smeary pink NHS glasses.  I still have nightmares about those glasses to this day.


I was not popular.  I was not cool.  And I was bullied, unmercifully all the way through school, even after the eyepatch disappeared.  Possibly unsurprisingly, as I was also rather unpleasant.  Whiny, needy, and something of a smart-alec (some things never change).  I was rather isolated, and convinced I was horrific to behold - so I separated myself from people.  Usually via sarcasm (as I said, some things never change), but normally just by being by myself. I read a lot, and wasn't really good in groups of other kids.  Still not, as it happens.  Anyhoo.

I remember, on a family holiday not long after my first surgery, hearing my mother say to one of the holiday camp photographers (we were at Butlins and they followed you everywhere back then) not to take pictures of me as she was "ashamed" to see them. Once in a while she'd yell "no pictures!" if anyone else tried to take a picture too.  Even now, Mum will still make jokes about how terrible I looked back then, and the word hideous is usually used. It still hurts, the fact that my mother thought she couldn't look at me, even when my realistically, my "disfigurement" was very minor, and, as it turned out, purely temporary.  It wasn't quick though, I didn't really grow into my looks until I hit my late teens, and I have days where I'm still not sure I have.

I still don't like having my photograph taken to this day, and I can never ever take a compliment seriously - these things stay with you.  I am less than I look.  Or, rather, I feel that I am less than I look. Objectively, these days, I'm a perfectly ordinary-looking woman, but there has ever been a little corner of me that is still that ugly and unloved little mite, and I carry her everywhere with me.  My little blog about "beauty" is partially a response to that, I guess.  

I, myself, may never be a "beauty", but there's always the hope, every new cosmetic release, that there's something that might help lay the ghost of my five year old self to rest.  I think I use skin cream in the hope that I'll suddenly wake up "beautiful" or even just plain "pretty", instead of the "merely passable" being I see in the mirror every morning. These last few paragraphs have been the single hardest thing I've ever written for Get Lippie, and it's possible it makes no sense as a result - or worse, makes me look like an idiot. Or both! But, I'll take my chances, I think.

Because, my experience is nothing, literally nothing compared to some of the stories on display Tuesday evening, particularly the story of Chantelle and her AVM - a condition which causes blood vessels to expand uncontrollably, and because it is Chantelle's nose that is affected, her condition threatens her life.  Such a beautiful - in all senses of the word - girl, unable to hide her affliction, and dealing with everything that life had to throw at her, including the break-up of her marriage on the eve of her life-saving operation.  Katie Piper, too, dealing with finding out about her attacker's appeal against his life sentence with such dignity and grace, these women were strong, graceful and inspirational.


Having watched the programme in full, I feel a bit ashamed of my tale further up this post, it's such a little thing compared to some of the situations some people go through in their lives, but I know that even small things like those can leave a lasting impression, and I know too that my little blog makes a difference to some people's lives from the emails I get from my readers.  Cosmetics, whilst seemingly frivolous, are a serious matter for some people, which is why I'm here, still blogging away.  And, whilst I may still upon occasion complain about my looks, as a result of this show, I'll be thinking about how I relate to my face somewhat differently.


I'm glad I watched.  Looking beyond someone's appearance (even our own) is difficult, and the programme taught me I can face up to my own issues, and I'm grateful for that.  I'm nothing like as brave as Katie or Chantelle, and I'm very glad I haven't had reason to be, and that is a lesson I'm glad to have learned.  That Katie has turned around her tragic experience and it's made her reach out to people similarly affected is astonishing - the show is following her life as she sets up the Katie Piper Foundation, which aims to set up communities in order to support people similarly affected - and the fact that she's such a lovely, unpretentious and warm girl made the programme feel like a real slice of a life shared, and that's been a real inspiration.


Thank you, Katie.  I shall now watch My Beautiful Face, and really put my issues in order.


Watch the first episode here on C4 on demand and tune into the next episodes every Tuesday at 9pm on C4.






The Fine Print: This has been a sponsored post, however, I shall donate part of my fee to The Katie Piper Foundation.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.

Accessorize Molten Truffle

People were asking me recently to post more about affordable beauty products ... well, how does £1.50 for one of the most beautiful eyeshadows I have ever seen* grab you?

Wandering around my local Superdrug recently, I finally spotted the Accessorize makeup stand.  I realise I'm the last blogger on earth to have discovered the makeup, but hey ho.  I picked up the nail varnishes in Aztec and Bronze which are as beautiful as I've been lead to believe (and an utter bargain at £4.50 each), but more about those later.  I noticed a little sign saying the pigment pots were £1.50 each, and picked this one up, it's a cool taupe, one of those perfect greybrownpurple shades, and I was instantly smitten.

However, it wasn't until I swatched it that I realised just how beautiful it was.  The powder is gloriously soft, silky, smooth and so complex a shade that it's actually incredibly difficult to describe.  So here are some really terrible photographs in an attempt to explain:

The second picture actually picks up a hint of the multi-tonal microshimmer - alongside the greybrownpurple of the basic pigment itself, there are hints of pink, bronze and green shimmer.  It puts my beloved Le Metier de Beaute Le Circ palette to shame.

There. I said it.

And breathe. 

Here's another dreadful pic of how it looks on my eyes:

Eyeliner: Illamasqua Abyss, Mascara: Armani Eyes to Kill

 Hmn, my eyelids are unexpectedly creased here, I have been trialling a sealing gel that I'm not hugely impressed with.  So I shall blame that.  DAMN you stupid sealing gel that has given me creased-up eyelids!  

And now, here's an awful full-face pic that doesn't show the eyeshadow at all, but it's my blog, and I like seeing my new pink pearls in photos:

Still aggravated by that sealing gel, obviously.

So, there you go, one bargainalicious beauty product, that even at full-price (£4.50) would still be a bargain.  I'm going back for Molten Khaki tomorrow.




*It's okay if you don't think it's beautiful too.  It's TAUPE, I gettit ... 

The Fine Print: I bought everything I'm wearing in this blog post.  Including the perfume.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

When Poppy King met No7

A brand new range of lip products were born:

 
I can't deny that I have a bit of a fangirl crush on Poppy King, aka the Lipstick Queen,  she's a stylish lady who is basically dedicating her life to lipstick.  Much like myself but, you know, with style and a lipstick company, and business sense and stuff.  I own something from practically every release she's done over the last few years or so, and, even when I think the ideas are a bit suspect (hello Jean Queen), I can't deny that she's onto something.


Poppy believes that there's a perfect lipstick (indeed a perfect red lipstick) for everyone, even people who hate lipstick, and this, her latest collection of lipsticks - and glosses - in collaboration with No7, which is released this week, is almost entirely perfectly pitched, in my opinion.


The lipsticks and glosses are entirely without shimmer, sparkle and glitter (and expect me to have more to say about glitter in cosmetic products later on in the week), and flavour, which makes a refreshing change.  There are seven shades in the range which runs the gamut from nudes to pinks to reds to browns to berries.


At the recent press launch, I was given Romance and History to try - which are, luckily the two I'd have gone right out and purchased that day, had they been available!

Swatches:

As you can see, both the glosses and the lipsticks swatch on the sheer side, Romance is a nice neutral pink, and History a sheer neutral red, not too orange, not too blue. Now, whilst they are sheer, they are buildable, particularly if you layer the gloss and lipstick together.  

Here, I'll demonstrate:


Romance:

History:

As you can see, alone, the lipsticks are sheer, and have a satin - not too glossy - finish, but adding a slick of the (slightly sheer on it's own) lipgloss intensifies the colours.  


Both the gloss and lipsticks are hydrating, and non-drying, although the wear is about average for such a balm-like product, a couple of hours, and they won't really last much beyond your morning cup of coffee. But they are so soft and hydrating that re-applying them isn't too much of a problem.  Best of all, the lipgloss isn't sticky!


The packaging on the lipsticks is nice, it's very different to normal No7 offerings, which I normally think look a bit cheap - even the special limited editions.  Metal cased, and rather on the small side, they actually contain a full-size lipstick, and they're more than comparable to the original Lipstick Queen lipsticks, including price, as they're going on sale for £12 each.


Sadly, the lipgloss packaging isn't that brilliant - Poppy explained it wonderfully at the launch, talking of Bakelite, Man Ray and Marilyn Monroe, and other such great visuals, and her lookbook was amazing ... but, just adding a spotty lid to a lipgloss isn't really that inspiring, to be honest.  Also, the doe foot applicator doesn't pick up much product - and tends to wipe off that which you do apply -  I'd have much preferred a brush, particularly for layering!  The lipgloss will be available for £11.


The range will be available both in-store and online later this week, I'll be going in to pick up one or two of the other shades, will you?

The Fine Print: PR samples received at press launch, but I'd have happily handed over actual cash-money for merely the opportunity to sit and gas with Poppy and Lisa Eldridge even without the goody bag! 


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Public Beauty

 I don't know about you, but I'm a bit squeamish.  Also, I like to keep my beauty routines strictly between me and the bathroom mirror (for the purposes of this post, my blog doesn't count, mmkay?).  So, when I spotted a booth - and I use the phrase lightly - offering tooth-whitening for the bargain basement price of £135 in my local shopping mall, I was a bit horrified.


Ok, a lot horrified.


A shonky booth made of posters of unattainably white teeth, promising superb results in an hour or less, right between a set of escalators, and the entrance to Tesco for maximum footfall doesn't strike me as the best place in the world to get your teeth seen to.  Now, I'm not saying they were cowboys (I didn't catch the name of the company), but ... what if something went wrong?  


Tooth whitening, whilst it's taking place is not sexy, it's not comfortable, and it can be a little painful - would you want people desperate to get at the Krispy Kreme stand, or going up the escalators looking on whilst you have your mouth clamped open?  Really?  You're so vulnerable in the chair, would you want to be gawped at?

I've noticed that fish pedicures are becoming more commonplace in shopping centres too - please don't get me started on those.  Putting aside my issues with feet for a minute, I can't help thinking that fish pedicures are a bit ... cruel to the fish.  But, why would you want to get your feet done openly in a shopping centre?

Anyhoo, I'm digressing a bit, and possibly being a little hypocritical because I have had beauty treatments in department stores, but things like manicures, and eyebrow threadings only.  Treatments unlikely to need medical attention if things go wrong, in other words.  The reason it costs so much in a dental surgery is that you're paying for professional attention, and follow-up, things you're unlikely to get in a shopping centre.


Am I wrong?  Would you be prepared to undergo the indignity for the chance of prettier teeth?  How far would you go in public to be "beautiful"?


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Giveaway winners!

Okay, it's time to announce my winners, and random.org hasn't let me down today, as I'm delighted to announce my two winners as  ....

Winner No1 (Chanel)

JoBetterDays from Music And Makeup

Winner No2 (mystery prize)

Rebecca from Oh Panda

Congratulations, ladies!  Please drop me an email to let me know your delivery addresses, and I'll get them out to you ASAP.

Thank you to every single one of you who entered, I loved reading all your suggestions, and I've had some great ideas for posts from them.  Who know storage ideas would be so popular?

There will be another giveaway in April, so not too long to wait now.

Lx

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

A Week In Lipstick

I took these out of my handbag just now. It's obviously been a pink lips kind of week!




Man, I'm predictable ...

Giveaway reminder!

A normal post will be up for you guys later, but in the meantime, here's a little reminder that I have a giveaway on at the moment.

Please click this link for more details

Thank you so much!


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine: Shades 66, 61, 55 and 54

I've been waiting for these to be released for about six weeks now, so when I noticed they'd been released early - I thought they were out at the end of the month! - I had to snap up a couple. Or four...




The shades I picked were (l-r): 66 - Bel-Ami: a lightly bronzed brown; 61 - Bonheur: a sheer berry; 55 - Romance: bubblegum pink and 54 - Boy: a pale caramel nude. In the tubes these shades look vivid and full of pigment, but the full beauty of these sticks is revealed on swatching:




Lightly pigmented, glossy and sheer, these shades are essentially a shiny, cushioned, balm for your lips. Wear isn't, of course, as good as the original Rouge Coco shades, but dang, these do feel wonderful on your lips! Speaking of which, here ate the lip swatches:


66 Bel-Ami:




Not nearly as brown as it appears in the bullet, this is almost reddish on the lips, but is entirely office-appropriate.

61 Bonheur




Possibly my favourite of the four, this pinked-berry is glorious for giving you that "just-bitten" look.

55 Romance




Not nearly as fluoro in the flesh as it appears in this picture, this is an exceptionally pretty, cool bubblegum pink. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one looks with a tan!

54 Boy




My lips are quite pigmented, so much of the colour you're seeing here is not from the lipstick itself, which appears as the merest whisp of creamy beige on my lips. A good neutral for me, possibly, but maybe not a shade I'd consider re-purchasing.

Packaged in a thinner version of the Rouge Coco packaging, these look classy, and will be an asset to my makeup bag, owing to their moisturising properties, and I think they'll be perfect for summer wear.

Chanel Rouge Coco Shines are available now and cost £22.50 each.

The Bluebeards Revenge

Because, sometimes, you can't keep a good man down ... I present you, MrLippie!

So... The world of male grooming is one populated by a mass of extreme soft-focus stereotypes, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, so it was with some trepidation that I examined "Bluebeards Revenge", fearing the worst. I'd heard nothing about it prior to it arriving in Lippie Underground Headquarters (courtesy of Get Lippie herself), and the name and the first glimpse of the steely blue box and skull and crossbones logo had my admittedly warped imagination churning out images of marketing drones desperately trying to link shaving to Cap'n Jack Sparrow in "Pirates of the Caribbean", or some such ridiculousness. Thankfully not! On closer examination, the skull & crossbones logo is slightly lopsided....which intrigued me somewhat. Evidence of a sense of humour? Maybe....but yes! Cue me getting a big grin on as I examined the warnings against usage by the "bum fluff brigade", women, and espoused the values of "real men" and how it can tackle even the manliest of beards! Sarcasm & self-mockery - often the best way to a customers' wallet - certainly in this highly cynical age. So, first obstacle passed, and on to the actual product. The shaving cream comes with a free shaving brush, which looks quite snazzy, being wood & bristle, with the Blubeard skull & crossbones being emblazoned on it in gold. Quite swish, but I will admit to have being spoiled beforehand by having a badger-hair brush, which just pips this in the softness stakes (but doesn't look as nice!). Spreading the cream on my face, I was impressed. It does have an aroma, but it's not massively overpowering. It's slightly flowery, but not hugely distinctive - quite classic, in fact. The cream slides well over the face, and lathers up over overnight stubble growth very nicely, clumping it up in preparation for the application of a razor. It comes off well, generally without requiring a second stroke, but obviously that's mostly dependent on the quality of said razor as opposed to the shaving cream, but we won't mention such a trifling detail such as that, will we?  Errr...yes. Anyhow. It's a good size tin of the stuff, and it's claimed that it can last up to 5 months! Given that my face is not the size of a small moon (nor a Death Star or minor planetoid), I look forward to using this over the next few weeks!   Okay, so that's the last time I'll let him watch "So I Married An Axe Murderer" (some couples fall in love to things like Out of Africa or, Love Story or something, but it turns out that "our film" is a Michael Myers film no-one has ever heard of.  HELLO!)  However, I've tried this myself, on my legs, and, whilst the free brush is a bit scratchy (to the point where I wouldn't even consider using it in my armpits), the soap itself is rather amazing.  Smooth and creamy, and leaving you with super smooth legs, and no hint of post-shaving dryness.  Highly recommended, most of all because it's paraben-free and won't leave you smelling like a fruit salad.  Incidentally, why do all women's shaving products smell of fruit?  I can't speak for the hair retardent claims made for this product, as I've only been allowed near it twice, even though it's technically mine! You can find out more about The Bluebeards Revenge here. The Fine Print: I bought this after reading a review by Do Not Refreeze. This post originated at: http://getlippie.com/ All rights reserved.

A break from our regularly scheduled programming.

Sometimes, there are no words except these:

Please give generously.

Thank you.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Project Perfume - Yardley

Ahhhh ... Yardley.  It's hardly the trendiest of perfume houses, and if you mention it to most people, they'll sigh a little bit and mention how their grandmother used to wear Lily of the Valley talcum powder, or smell of English Lavender.

And, truth be known, it's because Yardley aren't the trendiest of perfume houses that they've been around for so long. Not reliant on advertising, and celebrity endorsements, they're rather fashion-proof, which is all to the good. They've been the world's premier producer of single floral scents for several hundred years now - being founded around the time of Charles I, and have been producing perfumes as the House of Yardley since the mid/late 1700's. 

I've  mentioned Lily of the Valley already, and English Lavender, which I suspect are their best-known scents - alongside English Rose - but they also have expanded their range in recent years and have added Peony, Iris and Orange Blossom to the basic scent range.

Last year, they also re-released their cult April Violets scent, which had been long sought after by perfume fans and had been changing hands for up to £100 a bottle on eBay.  Not bad for a scent that retails for less than a tenner in the first place!  


I was delighted recently to be introduced to the range, and have found their single flower scents to be invaluable for helping me be able to identify individual notes in more complicated fragrances.  For, whilst Yardley fragrances are simple, they're also well-rounded and "pretty" scents to wear.  They're "linear" - meaning that the top notes are woven through the entire fragrance, and the dry down after a couple of hours or two won't smell too different from the scent that you first spray on in the morning.

In particular I've found myself drawn to Orange Blossom, which is a lightly heady concoction of neroli on the top notes, tempered with a little sprightly clean musk underneath.  It's calming and clean, and I find it's wonderful for clearing my head and making me able to concentrate.

Iris is a pretty, powdery, softly grey scent.  A little more sophisticated than a lot of the other soliflores in the range, this does away with any "old lady" images the range might have.  I'd wear this one.  A lot.  And I will.

Peony.  This is PINK.  It's sweet, and younger-seeming than the others.  A fun, uncomplicated and breezy scent, it's perfect for weekends, and is unthreatening, and very easy to wear.  It's not very me, but then, it's not trying to be.

Yardley also recently introduced their first non-linear floral scent, called: Royal English Daisy, it's a limited edition inspired by Kate Middleton, and her impending nuptials. I was slightly bemused by this idea, as the only thing daisies actually smell of is ... well ... dust.  Seriously, have a sniff of some chamomile tea sometime, it's basically dust with a hint of sunshine.

However Royal English Daisy doesn't, as far as my only-lightly-tutored nose can tell, contain any dusty daisies, it's a bit of a green lettuce and apple explosion at first before gently subsiding into a sweet, lightly floral appley-hyacinth scent, with just the merest whisp of a pale sandalwood base.  It's very pleasant, extremely inoffensive, and very easy to wear.  It's perfect for a young girl just starting out on investigating perfume, but it's nice and easy enough to wear that women of any age can wear it.  Realistically, it's not my cup of (chamomile) tea, I prefer something headier, but I can see this one being very popular indeed.   Get your mum some for Mother's Day.  She'll love it.


For more information about Yardley Perfumes, please click here.


The Fine Print: Reviews - such as they are! - were written from samples received at a PR event. No fudge was harmed in the writing of this post.
 
This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Giveaway Time!

Okay, I'm nearly at 800 followers -where on earth did you all come from? - so I thought I'd giveaway a few bits and pieces to say thank you!

Two prizes:

One: a collection of three - count them, three! - limited edition Chanel Nail Polishes, including Particuliere, Paradoxal and one mystery polish ...

Two:  A mystery bumper bag of goodies from brands such as Max Factor, Rebel Nails, and a set of five Model's Own nail polishes, amongst others!

All you have to do to have a chance to win is leave a comment on this post telling me what kinds of posts you'd like to see more of on Get Lippie in the future, or if there's anything in particular you'd like me to write about. 

Please ensure you leave a correct email address, and let me know your choice of prize in the comment too.
  

As this is a follower thank you, please ensure you're following me on Google Friends Connect on the right over there, as I'll be checking!   I reserve the right to disqualify entrants for not following these (very simple!) rules, and I'll draw the winners next Sunday - 20th March.

The competition is open internationally, so jump on in!


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Random Face of the Day - Diorskin Nude Foundation Test

Apologies for the fact that I'm fully dressed here, random Googlers! I've been trialling Diorskin Nude foundation for about a week now, and I don't really have any hard and fast thoughts about it - yet - but I thought you might like to see how it photographs.

Alongside the Nudeskin, I'm wearing:
Sue Devitt eyeshadow in Lonely Splendour (a lovely taupe), 
Illamsaqua  Precison Ink eyeliner in Abyss, 
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill mascara
NARS Blush in Sin
Guerlain Rouge G in Galante (yes, I bought another one)


Six products is about the minimum I can make a FotD these days, even one as simple (though I prefer the term "classic" as this one).


Here's another shot in different lighting:

You can very nearly see my new teeth!


Have you tried Diorskin Nude foundation?  What're your thoughts?


The Fine Print: I bought everything in this post. Not all at the same time, I'm not made of money credit cards.

This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

My Current Skincare Routine

It's been a while since I mentioned skincare, I think - which is mainly because I have a rather settled routine at the moment, which I'm a bit loathe to change before the weather does!

And the title's a misnomer too, as I actually have two skin care routines, one am and one pm!  So here's my evening routine first:

(

(L-R) 

Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex, Absolution La Solution + Controle, Absolution La Creme du Soir and Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel.

Taking these in reverse order - as that's the order I use them in.  Elemis Melting Cleansing Gel is a very recent addition to my cleansing routine, but I'm a big fan already.  I'm usually a bit scared of gels, as they tend to contain high levels of alcohol, but this is a thick oil-based gel, and is almost a balm.  It's unusual to use, as it liquifies as you massage it over your skin, getting runnier the more you rub, in fact.  It's perfect for removing heavy makeup, and even removes your eye makeup, which is great.  The lightly citrus scent might be better suited for morning cleansing, being a little invigorating, but I prefer a deep cleanse at night (with my clarisonic) and a light cleanse in the morning, as you'll see.  I said this was a recent addition, but before this, I would use an oil-based cleanser anyway (either Shu cleansing oil, or the Nude cleansing oil I've been using on and off for a couple of years now)

Absolution  La Creme du Soir - Up until recently, I tended to use the same skincare for both morning and night, thinking night creams were a waste of time.  This, from my very first use of it, changed my mind totally. It's rich, it's thick, it's nourishing, it's organic, and whenever I use it, I wake up with smoother, hydrated and plumped up skin you can see the difference in.  It's amazing.  It's so amazing, I tried to use it during the day too.  Ironically, that little experiment didn't work, it was far too heavy.

I use it alongside the La Solution + Controle which is a balancing complex that you add a drop of to the night-cream and helps control blemishes and oil production.  My skin has been going through an oily phase this winter - I'm contrary, I know - and this has helped keep everything in check.

Absolution products are 99% natural, and these two items are around 65% organic.  I love the packaging too, the "cylinders" the products arrive in actually unroll to form the instruction leaflets, which is a cute and environmentally sound use of the packaging.  Also, the product packaging is both air-tight and protects the creams from the light, meaning that there are few, if any, preservatives used in the creams.

Then I use  Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex all over the eye area, including the lids.  This a cooling, refreshing and moisturising eye gel which I can't get enough of.  It's worked wonders on my bags and dark circles, and it's all I can do not to apply it twelvety times a day.

In the morning, this is what I use:

(L-R) Absolution L'Eau Soir et Matin, Alpha H Balancing Moisturiser, Alpha H Age Delay Facial Oil, and sneaking in there, Alpha H Absolute Eye Complex.

I mentioned that in the mornings I prefer a lighter cleanse (and in fact, sometimes I just have a rinse with water, if I really can't be bothered), so the Absolution L'Eau Soir et Matin works a treat.  Micellar waters are massive in France (indeed, Absolution is a French brand), and they're great for sensitive skin.  You merely wet a cotton pad with the water - and I can't tell you how much I LOVE the bottle for this, as you can pump it onto a pad with one hand - and run it over your face to remove the remains of your night creams. You don't need to rinse it off. It also works admirably well as an eyemakeup remover.  One thing, it smells - rather strongly - of lemon balm so if you're sensitive to strong scents (or indeed, you're not a fan of Thai food) then this might not be a good product for you.


I then follow this up with Alpha H Balancing Moisturiser, to which I add a drop of Alpha H Age Delay Facial Oil.  I like this combo, because the moisturiser is very light (though it contains 10% glycolic acid to help with signs of aging), but then I can add a drop - or two - of the facial oil, if it's a particularly cold or windy day for an extra drop of protection.  I really enjoy the little tingling sensation I get when I use this moisturiser, too.  And I think I can actually see the benefits I'm getting in my skin at the moment too.


Well, I could until I started using a primer that's given me zits, but more about that next week.


Then, as in my night time routine, I finish off with the eye complex.


So, what's your routine?


The Fine Print: As usual, this is a mixture of stuff I've bought, and stuff I've been sent by PRs.  It's all great, wherever it came from though, half of this is repurchases.


This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.