Guest Post By Hair Advice and All Things Nice - How To be Victorious in Voluminous Hair

Getting volume in our hair that stays put and doesn’t fall flat is something most of us struggle with. Too much backcombing and you look like a birds nest, too little and you’re left with limp locks. Read on for some hair-boosting advice and a few product recommendations.

Good volume is all about the prep. Go for a volumising shampoo (Redken Body Full is great!) and avoid using conditioner on roots; this tends to weigh hair down. Concentrate on the ends to help hair look big without sacrificing the condition. Using a mousse or spray pre blowdry will with styling and avoid using too much product to finish as this can weigh hair down. A light spritz of hairspray should do the trick.

If you can’t give yourself a salon quality blow dry yourself without getting in a tangle, use Velcro rollers to give hair added lift. Simply blow dry as normal then pop some large rollers in the top section of hair (crown and parting) and blow dry on a low setting for a couple of minutes. Leave to cool completely and don’t take out until you are just about to walk out there door. 

There are tons of hair products on the market that promise to boost our hair but luckily I’ve tested and trailed most of them and have found a couple of gems that will hopefully make your hair look so big, people will ask if it’s full of secrets.

1. Lee Stafford Double Blow Mousse – this stuff is great for creating volume and comes with the signature scent
2. Oribe Dry Texturising Spray – whilst a little pricey, this stuff delivers volume without the product feel to hair, great for those with fine tresses
3. Indola Innova Volumising Powder – this little tub of hair texturising powder works wonders sprinkled along roots.
4. Ojon Volume Advance Shampoo & Conditioner – this will give hair a volume kick and can also help make it stronger and thicker thanks to high protein ingredients.
5. Boar Bristle Backcombing Brush – you can pick these up from any good salon supply store. Use the fine point end to section hair, and tease from underneath to get instant volume.

You can read more from the lovely Kelly at http://www.klghairadvice.com/

This post: originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

Kodo Incense Ceremony With Odette Toilette

To my intense dismay, having enjoyed many a scented adventure through Odette's work, I was unable to attend the Kodo Incense Ceremony arranged by Odette Toilette last week. Luckily, however, the lovely Callum Bolt was able to take my place at the ceremony, and here he gives us a fabulous round-up of his experience:

 

Last week, what was supposed to be another dull day at the library ended with one of the most memorable evenings I have had in quite some time. Odette Toilette and Fornasetti Profumi were hosting an evening of Kodo (an ancient Japanese incense ceremony) with junior master Souhitsu Isshiken Hachiya in Conran’s gorgeous shop in South Kensington Unfortunately Ms Lippie was unable to make it so I leapt (almost literally) at the chance and soon I was packing my books away and heading for what promised to be a quite incredible evening. 

 

After draining my glass of champagne and discussing with some others what we expected from the ceremony (none of us were quite sure), we sat cross legged on the floor and Odette opened the evening by briefly talking of how she had come to learn of Kodo by chance in a book she had read some years ago. We were then introduced to Souhitsu, junior master of Shino-ryu; a school of Kodo that has been continuously passed down the generations for over 500 years (Souhitsu’s father is the 20th master, and he will eventually become the 21st).

 

Souhitsu began by performing the Kodo ceremony himself in silence. The delicacy with which he handled the tools, and the absolute precision of each gesture, were utterly hypnotic. On a wooden tray there was a small pot, decorated with Chinese paintings, and filled with ash that hid a burning piece of charcoal. Also on the tray were a selection of utensils and a small paper packet containing the incense bark. The ash was pressed into a cone shape with something resembling a fish knife, then with a little white feather any loose ash was dusted away. Souhitsu then made 50 lines on the slopes of the cone which represented the 5 elements of Chinese philosophy: wood, earth, water, fire and metal. This done, a tiny square of glass was placed on top of the ash, upon which Souhitsu put the incense that would be gently warmed. Then he took the pot in his left hand, while holding his right over the ash in order to check the temperature, and leant forward and inhaled the scent.

 

Once the ceremony was been completed, and we were all captivated, Souhitsu began to speak. (I must mention the incredible lady who was able translate for Souhitsu so effortlessly that I almost forgot that he was speaking Japanese.) He instantly proved to be a charming fellow - warm, funny and very knowledgable. We heard of how, in Kodo, they do not ‘smell’ the incense but rather ‘listen to’ it using all of the 5 senses in order to appreciate absolutely the subtleties of the scent and the effect it has. He went on to tell us of the importance of our sense of smell: though we have become a culture obsessed with sound and vision, our noses hold the key to our more primal instincts. He used the example of a cavemen needing to be able to sniff out prey and predator in order to survive.

Next, we are given a brief lesson on the importance of incense in ancient Japanese aristocratic seduction. Around 1000 years ago, Souhitsu tells us, men and women would not look at each other’s faces and because of this men had to get creative. They would write haikus, scent the paper with their finest incense and post them to the lady (or ladies) that they desired. This made the process of courting a rather drawn out affair - especially as, if the lady didn’t like your poem, or thought that your incense smelled horrid, then she would simply not reply. Even when the the the lady did reply, there had to be a long exchange of letter before the pair could finally meet, which they had to do in the lady’s home. In the dark. In fact, so strict were the rules about not being able to see each other that the gentleman had to leave before the sun rose in the morning, because of this the incense used to scent the clothes became hugely important. They were judged almost entirely on their scent, and therefore it had to be good.

 

Souhitsu then spoke a little on the art of Kodo itself. Kodo, literally meaning ‘the Way of Incense’, is not something that can ever be learnt but is a lifelong process of learning. Souhitsu spent a year living in a temple with a priest in the mountains in order to begin to master the art of Zen (becoming ‘nothing’ through meditation), but said that it takes decades to truly be able to experience it properly. The state of Zen is integral to Kodo as you must be experiencing nothing but the incense, allowing it to conjure images, memories and emotions freely. (Souhitsu, apparently, is often reminded of the rice fields near his grandparents when he used to visit as a child.) Kodo began during the Muromachi period when an aristocrat asked for all of his incense to be classified and evaluated, during the course of this process the ceremony took shape. It soon became very popular throughout Japan, being used by almost everyone from the Samurai who performed the ceremony before battle to the aristocracy for whom it was a fun game. The incense is most often described in terms of taste: sweet, salty, spicy, sour and bitter

Finally, it was time for us perform the ceremony. Once again Souhitsu prepared the incense by placing it on the hot ash, and then passed it around the room for each of us to smell. There were two different barks which he told us were both “completely different”. When the first incense made it’s way to me I was surprised - this was not the church-like smell that I had been expecting, but something altogether more subtle, softer. Firstly, there was the familiar scent of hot charcoal and ash but once I had disregarded them I discovered a beautiful fragrance that made me think of blonde woods, and reminded me slightly of being in a sauna (so perhaps I wasn’t able to disregard the charcoal as successfully as I had hoped.) The second did indeed feel different. This bark was brighter and had a brilliant saltiness to it. One lady said that it made her think of the sea, while someone else was reminded of the woods and animals such as deer. Souhitsu was careful to be incredibly diplomatic telling us that all of our responses were correct, and that his impression of the first bark was that of a beautiful sunny day with blue skies and not a single cloud in sight.

 

And with that, it was all over. I could have happily spent several more hours listening to Souhitsu talk of his art - his knowledge of the history of Kodo was fascinating and as a speaker he was brilliantly entertaining. Odette was back to thank Souhitsu and make not-so-subtle hints that he should come back to the UK soon (which I sincerely hope he does.) Then it was time to head home, with a rather-handsome incense box courtesy of Fornasetti Profumi and Nippon Kodo.

 

You can find out more about the amazing events put together by Odette Toilette here.

The Fine Print: Get Lippie and Callum Bolt bought and paid for the tickets involved for this event.

This post: Kodo Incense Ceremony With Odette Toilette originated at: Get Lippie All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper

Guest Post - Georgina Regazza: Makeup Tips for the More Mature

Following on from my guest posts during my week off, here is the wonderful Georgina Regazza from Makeup Tips for My Sister giving us her top tips for her makeup look:

Now that I am a Woman of a Certain Age and cosmetic counter assistants call me Madam, I confess to being a bit bewildered by it all. Serums make me think of monkeys, and I don't really know if I'm supposed to be concealing, light-reflecting, making things dewy or just staying indoors until it all blows over.

I started wearing makeup in the era of disco and polyester and things have changed a LOT cosmetics-wise since my first Miners' blue eyeshadow, but after much trial and error, I've gone back to keeping things simple, and this is how I get myself out of the house of a morning and face the day - wrinkles and all. My hair might not be so big these days, but I don't look half bad for an old bird.

My Top Five Essentials:

1. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer  I honestly don't know how I lived without this. I've yet to find a reviewer who doesn't struggle for the words to describe HD primers, and who doesn't resort to using the phrases "soft focus" and "you just have to try it for yourselves". It's at the pricier end of products, but you need two pumps per go, so it does last well. It's silicon-free, which is a plus for me, makes your skin feel like silk and lasts for a good eight hours. But here's the kicker - you don't notice much of a difference at first, but then you start to catch a glimpse of yourself and you look... different. Soft focus. Smooth. Healthy. You still have the odd wrinkle, but it looks somehow pleasing. And on camera - and who doesn't take photos and make videos these days? - you notice a BIG difference. You have good skin. REALLY good skin. I am in love with this product.

2. L'Oreal Paris Touche Magique Concealer  - I struggled with this at first. I have bags under my eyes and no cream or gel will shift them. It's a drag on my confidence and I tried everything in the way of concealing before almost giving up and considering cosmetic surgery. And then I saw Wayne Goss' video  on how to do it properly and it Changed My Life. Dark colours recede. Light colours advance. So you find the dark line under the bag and put the concealer there and nowhere else, blending it gently. Result - eye bags disappear. I like that the brush pen gives extra precision and again, a little goes a long way.

3. Bio Oil  - age brings pigmentation and this is the only product I've ever found that makes it fade. I've been using it for three months now and the area of pigmentation around my mouth has reduced by about 60%, another thing which had previously sapped my confidence. You apply it morning and night on clean skin and massage it in. It has a pleasant floral smell and I've not found any problems with clogged pores as long as you use it sparingly - I've used about a quarter of the bottle so far. It's an essential part of my daily routine now.

4. Urban Decay Lip Junkie  - over time your lips start to thin and out of the army of lip plumpers on the market, this is the one I come back to again and again. It doesn't have that painful sting to it, just a pleasant tingle and a gentle plumping effect rather than making you look like Mick Jagger. Rush is a lovely pinky nude which goes with just about everything, so it's a no-brainer on mornings when I'm in a (excuse the pun) rush. My only beef is the cap, which seems to consist of multiple moving parts that have a habit of going south, but it goes on smooth and lasts for a good couple of hours between applications.

5. Maybelline Great Lash  - I haven't been blessed with big, long, luscious lashes and time has conspired to make them even thinner and shorter. No matter how many brands I stray to and play with, I come back to this one. It does the trick, giving me decent lashes with no clumps or bumps, and stops me from looking like a space alien. Big thumbs up!

So there you have it - less is more when you target rather than mask. Older faces are beautiful too - show yours off, girl!

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What do you think?  I like these choices, but personally, I'd pick a plant-based oil such as something from Clarins, Decleor or Darphin over the Bio-Oil (which is mineral-oil based and doesn't contain anything intrinsically "nourishing" for older skins), but what are your tips for older skin?

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

Guest Post - Cosmeceuticals: Are We Expecting the Impossible?

This is the last of my guest posts for this year, and it's from the ever-lovely and adorable Modesty Brown, whom I adore.  She's brought us some more corking pics and some scientific know-how again this year ...

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Last year, I got the labcoat out for my guest slot on Get Lippie. I had initially intended this post to be a rant an informative chat about specific active ingredients but in sitting down to write, it has somehow morphed in to musing about cosmeceuticals and their promised benefits.

The skin care world is usually awash with amazing product claims and fancy active ingredients. ‘You too can return your skin to a baby soft state using collagen/growth factors/stem cells/the stolen tears of a lone weeping unicorn’…..ok, so maybe not that last one, but you catch my drift. Some of these claims result in major eye-rolling at the sheer scientific improbability.  I will also admit to shouting at the television, whenever I hear the lines “inspired by the science of genes”. I mean seriously, you want to have a read of Genes V, it’s a bit dry and low on the inspiration stakes…

At this point I was about to launch in to individual gripes about particular ingredients but on reflection I think that’s probably a little unfair. The sorts of products that cause the eye-rolling are those that probably fit best in the ‘Cosmeceuticals’ bracket. Cosmeceuticals fall somewhere between a cosmetic and a pharmaceutical, hence the catchy name. They usually contain biologically active ingredients that are supposed to have medicinal or drug-like properties. I think most anti-ageing ranges could be described this way.

Of course, because they don’t actually contain drugs or medicine, there’s no obligation to go through the same rigorous testing pharmaceutical drugs go through to get to market. I want to read the scientific backing for the active ingredients from laboratory research or patient studies, but often there isn’t any supporting evidence as it simply isn’t a requirement. The evidence for many active ingredients is purely anecdotal. Even when results have been published by the big pharmaceuticals, doubts are raised about bias or lack of statistical significance anyway. So, I wonder if some of my expectations are a little unrealistic. Is it fair to expect over-the-counter, easily available products to give exceptional results and still be reasonably priced? It may be a little ambitious of me to expect such things but at the same time, I’m not the one making the bold scientific claims!

So, how do you weed out the fact from the fiction? How to you decipher the real deal from the magic skin care pixies? Well, I’m coming around to the idea that you have to use your own common sense and sometimes you might just have to take an educated risk. Some ingredients are much better understood for their value in anti-ageing regimes; such as stable Vitamin C, Retinoids, AHAs and Nicacinamide. Consumers are already beginning to understand that Vitamin C in skin care needs to be in a stable form for it to be of value and that Retinoids require a good delivery system to reduce skin surface irritation and maximise the concentration delivered to the dermis. In terms of newer ingredients, I think it’s probably left to us as the consumer to sort the wheat from the chaff or indeed the Collagen from the penta-peptides.

I think that’s where beauty blogs come in. Done properly, skin care reviews can help us discover the products that really work and which products are pure hype. If you’d like an idea of which things you should be looking for in your anti-ageing treatments, there’s an excellent post on  The Beauty Mouth  that I urge you to read, if you haven’t already. In many ways it’s easy to forget the benefits of the basics too, keeping the skin clean and hydrated as well as using a good sunscreen is crucial in taking good care of your skin.

These days, I do try very hard to switch the science cynic off (maybe I need a lab-otomy?). It gets boring dismissing things and I would really like to appreciate the products and treatments for what they are and what they can do. Even if the benefits are purely superficial. I know I tend to gravitate towards skin care that is a mix of science and botanicals. I hated plant science so I can merrily join in with the claims without being any the wiser! I do think how a product makes you feel and what it does for you, even if it isn’t lasting, is the most important thing.

When all else fails, there’s always my magic wrinkle cream!

I do still refuse to subscribe to the idea that more expensive always equals better. If you have several hundred pounds to spend on a cream, then maybe that money would be better spent visiting a dermatologist privately for the more potent, concentrations found in prescription pharmaceuticals anyway? The pots probably won’t look as pretty on your shelf, but the results might actually be more satisfying.

I shall shut up now, as what I really want to know is how you feel about the scientific claims. Do you find it reassuring, does it make you more likely to buy a product or do you simply choose to ignore it all and buy things based on good reviews? Do the scientific claims and active ingredients entice you to spend more money? I’m fascinated to know how other people feel. 

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Get Lippie says: Another thought provoking post from Modesty - care to share yours?


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

Guest Post - Thoughts on Manscaping

Gotta love a boy beauty blogger, and The Chap Blog is one of the best!  After Mr Lippie giving us his thoughts on his new personal grooming routine last week, I thought this would make a great companion piece.  Manscaping.  How far should it go?

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Hi boys and girls! I was asked by Get Lippie if I would write a guest post and the brief was left totally open to allow me to write what I like! Well……recently over at The Chap Blog I posted an ‘Interview with Diane Wood AKA Queen of Shaves’ and here was her final answer.
 

“I can’t stand when men do not trim or shave down south! It’s unhygienic and unattractive. Most women know how to keep their love rug trimmed so men should take the time and do the same.”

So this got me thinking, should men Manscape?
 
Is it really hygienic?
Is it necessary?
And is it attractive?
 
To answer the first question…..personally why not! If it makes you look good and feel good then go ahead. I’m sure it suits some more than others, and because it gives the illusion that your tackle is bigger it may even give confidence to some. As mentioned already, in the past I’ve removed my chest and stomach hair, but never have I gone lower than my belt. Personally I’m not sure that I would want to and the idea of any type of razor anywhere near that area scares me to death. However, looking into this I have found it’s actually more common than you might think. From Body Builders to models to the general guy on the street has done it, or at least has tried it, or thought about it. Curiosity got the better of me and I bet that there’s many guys out there who’s been the same!
 
Is it more hygienic like Diane Woods suggests? I’m not sure…..Surely if you clean down there every day then it’s clean. As long as you don’t have fleas or lice then there’s nothing wrong with a little hair.
 
Is it necessary? Well it is in some cultures and religions. But I think for the most it’s down to preference. However be warned that the hair growing back will feel uncomfortable and itchy. This certainly put me off from ever trying to remove all the hair again.
 
Is it attractive? I think I’m the wrong person to ask, I’ll leave that up to you the reader to decide? But, it did get me thinking! Instead of removing it all together may be guys should tidy it up and make it look more presentable. It’s acceptable for ladies to do it so why not the boys! What do you think?
 
If you are about to enter the world of Manscaping especially going below the belt; just remember your skin down south is thinner, more sensitive and a lot more stretchy than the rest of the body so trim or shave, either wet or with an electric razor. Never ever wax or use a hair removal cream in that particular part of your body. I can only imagine you’ll most certainly regret it.
 
So there you have it, my thoughts about Manscaping! For me trimming is more acceptable but what do you think?
 
Thanks for reading and please leave a comment!
The Chap : )
 
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Get Lippie says: Personally, I find hairless men slightly ... and I'm sorry to be saying this ... but for me it's a no-no.  I like a hairy chest.  I'm not against grooming and cleanliness, but ... well, if I were a gay man, I'd like bears, put it that way.

I can't believe I've just admitted that.  Thank goodness I'm out of the country!  What do you think?

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

Guest Post - Love Your Lips

I love Oh Panda!  She's a mine of information, and a source of inspiration, and she's a total sweetheart to boot.  Here she is to talk to us today about how to look after your lips ...

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It’s all well and good buying a new lipstick, falling in love with it and never wanting to take it off but it is important to look after your lips to ensure that you’re getting the most from your lipstick and your lips are looking their best.  After all, lips are skin too, just very, very thin (around 4 to 5 layers, compared to the 16 layers on your face!)

Here are a few tips on keeping your lips looking and feeling fabulous.

Exfoliate
 
The most well known technique is the dry toothbrush scrub, lightly sloughing away dead skin with a medium/soft toothbrush.  This works fine and is a cheap and effective method.  I prefer to use a sugar scrub though (cos they taste nice.)  I currently use Lush’s bubblegum scrub.  It is ridiculously yum and sloughs dead skin away perfectly, leaving my lips ultra soft.  You can also make your own lip scrub quite simply, have a little Google for some recipes, they are dead simple to make and in most cases the ingredients will already be in your cupboard (and it’s fun to get a little creative!)

Moisturise

Do not get confused between products that moisturise your lips and those that create a barrier.  Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) will create a barrier and can be used to keep moisture in, however, it will not moisturise them.  Therefore go for something super moisturising once you have exfoliated your lips, something with vitamin E in is always good.

Protect

As mentioned above, petroleum jelly is awesome as a barrier for your lips so once moisturised you can add some Vaseline on, particularly if you suffer with chapped lips.  I would also recommend products with SPF in.  I have burnt my lips once.  It hurt beyond belief.  Most lip products contain an SPF nowadays or at least offer an SPF version in their range – I cannot stress how important SPF on your lips is,just Google “Sunburnt Lips” *pukes*

Tips for Colour

•    Use a neutral lip liner to outline and fill your lips.  This will help the lipstick stay in place for longer and also prevent feathering. Do not use a lip liner if you are using a stain to colour your lips!
•    If you have time, apply your lippie with a brush.  It gets into those creases better.  I also like applying it with a clean finger, again it ensures the colour gets in all the nooks, though there is no definitive right or wrong way about the method of application, try a few ways and see what works best for you…
•    Don’t overdo the gloss, not if you want some kissy kisses anyway.
•    Once you’re done, pop your finger in your mouth and pull it out.  This will stop you getting lippie on your teeth (not a good look…) It’ll now be on your finger instead, go wash your hands!

(some images of my favourite lip care products!)

I hope you found some of these tips useful.  Lip care is so important, particularly if you spend a lot of time outdoors, wearing colour on your lips or kissing… and I am sure you fit in to one of those categories…
 
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Get Lippie Says: Can't agree more about the tip about vaseline, barrier creams high in mineral oil only seal in the moisture that's already present on your lips, and don't add any of their own.  For preference, I use plant-based balms, which add moisture, and, crucially, taste nice ... 

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

Guest Post - Bourjois Mascara Madness

Floamia is my latest guest poster, who's come out of her blogging retirement to take a thorough and much appreciated look at a range of Bourjois mascaras.  I'm very honoured, thank you Floamia!

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I’d like to start off this post just saying thank-you for the opportunity to write for this blog, which I’ve been a fan of for quite a while. Much appreciated!
 

 So today I thought I’d look at four mascaras from my collection, all from Bourjois! There are a few high-end ‘cult’ mascaras, and I feel like the high-street brands can often become abandoned and forgotten, so I’m here drawing attention to four from just one brand, and doing a compare-and-contrast for all of you. And I apologise in advance for staring at you in all of the swatches. Sorry ‘bout that.
 

[Left to right – Volume Glamour Ultra Curl, Liner Effect, Volume Fast & Perfect, Coup de Theatre]

Volume Glamour Ultra Curl - £7.99
The first in our line-up boasts of the ability to double the volume of your lashes. Without anything on them, my eyelashes are quite fair and fluffy and nothing-y, the remnants of being a fair-haired child, which now look somewhat out of place with my now dark hair!
This mascara is one of the three I’m reviewing today that can stand up on its own, which I quite like. It’s rounded, as most mascara packaging is, so it could roll away if left horizontal, so it’s nice that it can support its own weight as it were. Nice flat base, always a plus! I’ve owned this mascara for a while now, so the shiny pink lettering and lid has started to fade and chip a bit, which is somewhat less glamorous a “Volume Glamour” mascara ought to be, if I do say so myself, but that is truly just a bit of pedantry on my part.
 

The spoolie in the product shot on the website actually looks a lot more curved than it is in person. Again, I think this may be in part due to the fact that I’ve owned it for a while, and its bouncy resilience has faded somewhat with me repeatedly taking it out of the tube. If you’re someone who regularly replaces your mascara (and it’s debatable whether or not you actually should), this won’t be an issue.

  [Top, bare lashes, Bottom, one coat of Volume Glamour Extra Curl mascara]
In comparison to my bare lashes, the effects of this mascara look quite striking. My lashes are much, much more visible, and seem slightly more curled open, leading to a more ‘awake’ looking eye, I think. This mascara does tend to flake a bit, when worn all day. I’ve found that if I put this on in the morning, by about four or five o’ clock I will have little sooty bits of mascara debris littered on my cheeks.

Liner Effect - £8.99
Our second mascara to be reviewed today is, I know, a firm favourite of a few bloggers I know. I hadn’t actually seen it in my nearest Boots at the time when I was reading such rave reviews of it, but when it suddenly appeared I felt obliged to snap one up.
This is another that stands up independently, but even if it didn’t, it has a silver ridge matching the line in the logo of the name of the mascara (of the brand of the Bourjois of the Paris…) which would stop it rolling away while lying flat, too.

The spoolie has really short bristles on one side, and longer ones on the other. I tend to use the shorter side to get right at the roots, and then sort of top up with the longer side.
 

[Bare lashes on the top, one coat of Liner Effect on the bottom]

I‘m less impressed by the promises here. For something promising the effect of wearing eyeliner, I’d expect much thicker looking lashes. They still look rather fluffy and sparse, here. The wear is good, though. No smudginess, or flakiness, and it seems fairly waterproof, without running it through a shower.

Volume Fast & Perfect - £11.99


The gimmick-iest out of all of our line up, by far, and to be honest the gimmick is the reason I picked it up! I remember there being vibrating mascaras, but this was the first I’d seen of a rotating one, and while I had little hope, I was abundant with curiosity!
 

There’s a little switch on the handle of the mascara with options for clockwise, anti-clockwise and off. It wasn’t until I started playing around with it that I realised that I needed the different directions for my different eyes, and opposite directions on the lower lashes to those of the upper lashes. It’s quite clear if you’re using the ‘wrong’ direction, though, as it begins to move over your lashes and run them over, rather than fanning them open. And fanning them open is definitely what happens when you use this correctly. I can place this at the base of my eyelashes and I swear every lash is separated and coated evenly, and they look much thicker. I’ve even got out my italics a lot for this description; I’m terribly fond of it! 
 

Alas, when it comes to wear, this one is a wee bitty bit smudgy, but I will forgive it its trespasses for its application. Would it be bad to say I actually find it slightly fun? It feels like a toy! But for my eyelashes!

Coup de Theatre - £10.49
I believe this came out round about the time of the 2-in-1 mascara craze, started by L’Oreal, if I recall correctly. Along with every other high-street brand, Bourjois came out with its own double-wanded creature, which, looking at the website, seems to have been updated in the form of a single-wanded version with the same formula. How I feel behind the times!
 

[Double-wandedness. Also, the fact that I have the hands of a child.]

The black end of the spoolie has a similar short-bristles-one-side/long-bristles-other-side thing going for it as the Liner Effect spoolie, but this one seems to be made out of the traditional bristles, rather than the nylon ones.
This is the only one out of our four mascaras that doesn’t stand upright, having a curved base, which thoroughly depressed be when I came to photographing them, as I wanted to stand them side by side. Boo.

[Bare lashes on the top, one coat each of the white end and the black end of Coup de Theatre at bottom]
With the white coat on alone, this mascara looks like it will easily be the most impressive. Lashes look much, much longer, and thicker. Were I in the habit of wearing white mascara, this would come up trumps. Easy.
Alas, I’m not in such a habit, and this mascara becomes much more disappointing once you apply the black coat. It feels like it snags a bit, on top of the white coat, and it takes a lot of careful work to avoid leaving uncovered white patches. This is also the only mascara out of the ones I’ve reviewed here that leaves dots from the wet mascara on my eyelids! And I had had such high hopes to start.

Summary
                 Extra Curl       Liner Effect    Volume Fast & Perfect    Coup de Theatre
Application    8/10                7/10                10/10                                   6/10
Volume          8/10                6/10                  9/10                                   6/10
Length           7/10                7/10                  9/10                                   7/10
Wear             5/10                7/10                  8/10                                    5/10

It is evident, then, that our winner is the gimmick-y rotating Volume Fast & Perfect mascara!
Disclosure: All of these products were bought with my own money

 ****** 
Get Lippie says: I've tried all of these too, and I have to say that the Volume Fast and Perfect is a glorious mascara, even when you accidentally have worn the batteries down by leaving it in your makeup bag with it running ...

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

Guest Post - A Life in Lipstick

All my favourite people are called Louise, so I was very happy when Louise from LouLouMuses agreed to take a guest slot this time around.  She's only been blogging for a couple of months, but she's been on Twitter for a lot longer than that, and she's always a delight to chat to.  Take it away, LouLou!

 

*****

After the initial blog post mental block when Louise asked me what I wanted to blog about, I decided to go with an idea that I'd been considering for my own blog, inspired by Get Lippie’s own 'A Week in Lipstick' series: ‘A Life in Lipstick’.

My first lipstick was No 17's Clearly Carnation, a sheer rosy-pink. However, that’s long since been discontinued, so in my attempt to skip merrily down makeup memory lane I bought the nearest thing that I could find in Boots: Natural Collection's Moisture Shine lipstick in Berry Sorbet. 

This is slightly darker than 'Clearly Carnation' but it will give you an idea. There’s not really much to say about this lipstick to be honest, except that I was completely indifferent to it! I can only imagine that this was my teenage way of easing myself into makeup, but it just felt and looked like I wasn't wearing any makeup, and where's the fun in that?! 

From there I moved on to my 15-year old self’s favourite: Rimmel's 'Coffee Shimmer'. Back then it appeared that every other girl was wearing Rimmel lipstick, from 'Coffee Shimmer' to 'Heather Shimmer', to um, 'Coffee Shimmer'. Although these days I'm more likely to accessorise with a heels and a handbag than Dr Marten’s and a Body Shop cotton bag, in the interests of thorough blog research, I added this to my shopping basket.

Recently I've been wearing Revlon's matte 'Strawberry Suede' (an orange-red) and 'Eve' by Daniel Sandler for All for Eve (classic red), so this was certainly 'different'. My initial thought when I applied it was "I look like I’ve smeared chocolate over my lips!”, which is not the kind of look I would usually aim for. And I couldn't really see the shimmer in it, apart from when I wiped a swatch off the back of my hand, and was left with a trail of shimmer on my hand. When I applied it to my lips it just looked flat. My love affair with 'Coffee Shimmer' is definitely best left in the mid-1990s, together with my baggy jeans, shellsuit and Ryan Giggs poster. Yes I admit it, my name is Louise Hartrey and I owned a shellsuit. Although given recent developments, perhaps the last item on the list is the most embarrassing!

 
When I tried to think of what I wore after 'Coffee Shimmer,' my thoughts got bogged down in a giant slick of neutral pink lip-gloss. I stuck with that for years, much longer than any self-respecting beauty blogger should admit to I’m sure! The fact that I can't really remember any of the brands or the shades shows that none of them left a lasting impression on me or my lips. I still own a few from the tail-end of this period: light pink lip-glosses by Jemma Kidd, and No 7's Sheer Temptation lipstick in Excite (oh the irony given that it is perhaps one of the least exciting shades in my collection!)
 

L to R: Berry Sorbet; Coffee Shimmer; Jemma Kidd Candy

L to R: MAC Craving; All for Eve; Revlon Matte Strawberry Suede 

It’s only in the last 2 years that I’ve started experimenting with stronger and brighter colours. I’m not really sure why, but slowly but surely, the stronger colours in my makeup collection have become my 'go to' lipsticks of choice, and now my idea of a neutral is my MAC Viva Glam in Cyndi! It's safe to say that the 'Clearly Carnation' ship has well and truly sailed.
I hope you've enjoyed my trip down makeup memory lane. I'd love to know what shades other people wore, and their memories associated with them, because, well I'm just nosey naturally inquisitive.


*****
Get Lippie says: Is there anyone who doesn't have a secret Heather Shimmer in their lipstick cupboard full of skeletons?  I nicked mine from my mum!

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

Guest Post - Aztec Inspired Nails

I have neither the time, nor the patience to do nail art, (not to mention my being a total cackhanded muppet) so when the gloriously talented Catherine of Catherine's Loves blog offered to do a tutorial for my readers, I jumped at the opportunity!  Here's hoping you enjoy this as much as I did:

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Hello readers of Get Lippie, Louise has kindly let me do a guest post on her blog with my choice of subject, I decided on a nail art post with a little tutorial on how I did it. Nail art is something I really enjoy doing on my blog, so thought it would be the perfect choice of post. I chose Aztec nails, this is my first attempt, I have always loved how they look but never done them myself, here is my interpretation of Aztec nails, and a little step by step guide on how I did them. This is the finished result

One of the most difficult things I found was choosing which colours to use, this involved a rather colourful  piece of A4 paper which I swatched various colour combinations, and in the end I went for yellow, orange, two blues, black and white, these are the polishes I used

L-R Models Own Snow White, Models Own Bloo Bloo, Models Own Feeling Blue,  Barry M Black, Rimmel Lasting Finish Tangerine Queen and Rimmel Lasting Finish Sunshine.
Now you can chose which ever colour combination you want, its entirely up to you, the tools I used the create this look are from my nail art brush set, I also use cuticle sticks.

Here is a quick step by step guide to create this design

1. First I painted my nails in Snow White

2. I then took my Feeling Blue for the stripe at the base of the nail and used a small brush to do this, now this is a design which doesn't have to be really neat and tidy, as a lot of the colours are painted over.

3. I then took my Black nail polish and again used my small brush to draw another block

4. I then used my yellow polish to create the next block of colour, again using my small brush

5. I then took my orange nail polish but wanted to leave a white stripe in between, so I did the block of colour leaving a section of white polish in between

6. I then took the last colour Bloo Bloo to paint on the tip of my nails, then left them to dry, now as you can see they still look quite messy at this stage, until you paint on the details, then it all becomes clear of what they are meant to be.

7.When dry, I took my white polish and little dotting tool to draw on the lines and dots, you can chose your own designs here, this is the look I went for

With a little tidying up this is the finished result

So there you have it my Aztec inspired nails. Hope you enjoyed this post, and have fun recreating your own designs, thank you for reading.

Catherine x

*****

Thank you, Catherine!  Any nail art that doesn't matter if you're messy or not is a-ok with me ...

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

Guest Post - Parfumerie Generale Private Collection Cedre Sandaraque

Today I'm delighted to welcome Carrie from Eyeliner on a Cat, who has been one of the loveliest supporters of my Project Perfume this year, and writes evocatively about her scent collection on her own blog, she's created a new lemming for me now with this one ....

 *****

Today was one of those amazing mornings. I woke up to a surprise care package filled with perfume goodies from a friend in Austria (I'm looking at you, Olfactoria!). Inside were many things I'd never tried before, even a couple of those Serge Lutens wax sample books I'd been wanting to see for quite some time. The one sample I sniffed and immediately had to try on my skin was Parfumerie Generale's Cedre Sandaraque. I'm familiar enough with the house to know that it was going to be a slam dunk right away.

notes: vetiver, African cedar, sandarac resin, cereals, pralined amber

The opening speaks clearly of spiced, chewy steel-cut oats, lightened by crisp vetiver- a brilliant move. I really love it when perfumers use inventive complementary notes together. So right off the bat, I'm surprised, and that (almost) always bodes well. There is a beautiful, laser-cut sharpness of cedar backed by the resinous spices. Cedre Sandaraque offers excellent contrast of shapes and shadows; round vs. angular. Here's where the mysterious nature of this perfume really starts to develop. The sillage is quite different from how it smells up close. When I sniff my wrist, it's intensely spicy and sharply woody, camphorous resins abound. As you walk, you leave more of a gourmand trail behind you. Fascinating! I cannot recall another perfume where this is the case (if anyone can name one in the comments-- please do!). 

There is somewhat of a boozy effect when the notes are all combined, with a medicinal quality to it, I'm very attracted to that. "It smells like medicine, so you know it's working!" It reminds me of what the town medicine man might mix up for a poultice. The nutty quality of the praline is very rich and toasted, but it never dominates (and I'm glad for that). I don't recognize amber here in any traditional form, but perhaps it's best represented as a "green amber". The spicy resin gets more intense the longer it sits on my skin, and threatens to singe the nosehairs with the fumes. This is not a bad thing for me, believe it or not. I love to eat hot, spicy salsa, I enjoy the burn. It's nice to have a perfume like this that doesn't use pink, red or any other kind of pepper in the notes. What a relief! I am thoroughly peppered out in fragrance. The gourmand aspect does fade significantly as the drydown approaches, and what's left in the final hours is that big, bright cedar note, delicious spiced resin and the fresh, verdant element of vetiver. 

I'm thoroughly impressed with Cedre Sandaraque, it's one of those perfumes that really needs to be smelled to be believed. Olfactoria told me that I would like it very much, and she was right on the money. It's worth seeking out for it's unique nature alone: come for the freak show, stay for the churros. 

Available at Luckyscent in the US, a 50ml bottle for $105 and at Les Senteurs in the UK for 84.50 GBP

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

Guest Post - Le Metier Lip Creme Fraise

A new discovery, but rapidly becoming a favourite, owing to a shared interest in lipstick (and Le Metier de Beaute) is The Black Panties  blog.  Through her posts, I can live vicariously in Bergdorf Goodman ... and today, so can you!

*****

 

My obsession for the past month or so has been Le Métier de Beauté's Fraise lip crème. What makes lip crèmes stand out is their texture because they're a hybrid between a lipgloss and a lipstick. They're slightly reminiscent in terms of texture of the discontinued Dior Creme de Gloss. I find lip crèmes much more long lasting and it just feel softer on the lips. What's also great about them is that I can eat a meal and several drinks and it's still on my lips without any feathering (approx. 5 hours). I was sold on it when the associate was wearing it and she's NC15-20. It's a soft, wearable red with tiny gold sparkles. I know there are people who have their reservations about red because it's too bright or just too much. Trust me, Fraise is one you can wear at the office. It's scented like strawberry crème and be aware that it does have lanolin (to those who have allergies). Otherwise, it is a must have on your makeup bag, because it's truly a unique shade. The price is $36 + tax and it's worth every penny.

(L-R) MAC Venetian lustreglass,  LMdB fraise lip creme, LMdB framboise lip creme

*****

Get Lippie says: Man, I miss Le Metier de Beaute.  The quicker they get themselves back over here, the better.

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