New CiD i-Glow and i-Bronze Minis

There is little more pleasing than a giant version of something small, or a mini-version of something rather larger.  When New CiD sent me a taster of their mini-versions of their really rather superb face powders last week, I was utterly delighted.  I'm a big fan of New CiD powders, I think they're hugely underrated for blushes, and it must be said that their i-Glow in Coral Crush is probably my favourite blusher ever - certainly it's the only one I've hit pan on twice!

They sent me i-Glows (which work as blushes or highlighters, or in the case of Coral Crush, both) in Sirocco and Ice Pop and an i-Bronze in Rio, which, if you've ever read this post, you'll know I own full-sizes in these already:

Coupled with their dinky powder brush, these are an ideal stocking filler, and a perfect addition to any makeup bag.  I'll be carrying Ice Pop around with me for blush emergencies from now on!

So, how do they measure up to the full-size versions?  Full size i-Glows and i-Bronzes are 8gms of product, and the mini-size contain 1.8g, so just less than a quarter size.  That said, these powders last and last and last though, in daily use, 1.8gms would probably last you at least 6 months, if the two year lasting power of a full-size powder is anything to measure by ...

They're just as pretty and as pigmented as the full-size powders, and cost £14 each, as opposed to the £25 for a full-size one.  The brush, also a handy makeup bag size also costs £14.  Now, I'm just off to pick up a mini Coral Crush, and I'm all set ...

You can find New CiD makeup at their website, or at Look Fantastic.

The Fine Print: PR Samples


This post: New CiD i-Glow and i-Bronze Minis 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

MAC Stereo Rose vs New CiD Coral Crush Comparison

 I once read a tweet - or possibly a blog post - about a girl who had hysterics when she discovered that MAC had sold out of their Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish almost at the exact instant it was first released a couple of years ago.  I've been boggling about both the product, and the state of mind of that poor girl ever since.

On hearing that MAC had recently re-released this cult item, a blusher capable of making grown women weep, I naturally picked one up.  I think the hype has died down a bit on this one now, as I bought this from the Covent Garden store well after the release hit the shops, and they still had them in-store.  I have seen people tweeting about stocking up on it though, so ... who knows?

Well, it's a very nice blusher, a pink-coral, highly pigmented, and the gold veining is very nice indeed.  It's a highly shimmery (not glittery) finish, so you won't need a highlighter with it as well.  Can I figure out why it's a heartbreaker?  Well, not really.  It's lovely - genuinely - not hard and prone to glazing as a lot of MAC powders can be, it's soft and easy to blend, but if I didn't have it, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

I'll show you why:

I appear to already have it!  On the right there is Coral Crush by New CiD,  don't let the picture fool you, my camera is making it look pinker than it actually is, for some reason, but these two products are actually very similar in shade, so much so that if you're not a makeup obsessive like myself (and even I'm distancing myself from the crying girl I opened this post with, let's face it),  then you won't need both.

MAC Stereo Rose is actually a little more pigmented than New CiD as you can tell in the unblended swatch above, which, if you don't own the right brush could be a little problem, you need a very light hand in application, whereas the lighter pigmentation in the New CiD enables it to be a bit more buildable, which, for a cack-handed muppet like myself, is a blessing.

 
On blending the differences are even less obvious. Both give a gorgeous glow to the skin, and, it has to be said that New CiD is one of my most used cosmetic products of all time because of this.  So, do I need both?  No!  Am I glad to have both? Yes.  Have either of them made me cry? No!  

MAC Stereo Rose is a limited edition product, so stock up on tissues just in case you can't fnd it.  If you're of a more sensible bent, New CiD Coral Crush is a permanent part of their lineup.  No tissues required. 

The Fine Print: Mixture of PR samples and purchases. Q: Why did the rubber chicken cross the road? A: She wanted to stretch her legs.

This post: MAC Stereo Rose vs New CiD Coral Crush Comparison 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

Five basics every makeup bag should have

I get asked, quite regularly, what makeup products every makeup bag should contain, and I always find it a difficult question to answer (I don't really carry a makeup bag round with me, and, when I do, it mainly contains lip products ... the name of this blog didn't come around by accident, you know) but, in response to a particularly heartfelt plea from MummyBarrow, asking for the five products you need to re-stock an empty makeup bag, here's what I think you need in a basic, but well-stocked makeup bag:

1) Base
2) Blush
3) Mascara
4) Eyeshadow/Eyeliner
5) Lip Colour

Here's my product picks:

1) Base 
 
Every makeup bag should contain a base product, whether it's foundation, concealer, or a powder is entirely down to individual preference, but, if I was starting from scratch, I'd pick a pigmented base with some skincare properties - either a tinted moisturiser from a reputable skin-care company, or a BB cream, again from a reputable skincare company (rather than a company better known for their colour cosmetics.  So, which ones would I pick?  Well, depending on budget, I'd either pick:

Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser (£57 from Space NK)

Or Dr Jart Regenerating BB Cream (£21 from Boots)

 Both can be used as a moisturiser in their own right (confession, I never use a coloured product in place of skincare, I always use my full skincare routine then use tinted moisturisers etc, but not everyone is as obsessive about their skincare as I am, I admit), and both give great coverage.  If pushed, I prefer the Chantecaille, less mineral oil, nicer fragrance, more buildable coverage as you can apply in successive layers - but the Dr Jart has an SPF of 30,  over and above the Chantecaille's SPF of 15.  The Dr Jart is nice and soothing on the skin though, and doesn't irritate my stupidly sensitive skin. 

A good base is all-important for making the rest of your make-up (however little you spend, and however little attention you pay to it) look good, don't skimp here.

2) Blush

Only one possible choice here, for me, and that is:

New CID iGlow in Coral Crush (£24 from New CID Cosmetics)

This is possibly the most-used cosmetic item in my stash at the moment, and I adore it.  Gives a wonderful glowy lift to my cheeks (it's ostensibly a highlighting product, but I find it pigmented enough to use as a blusher), and it goes with most makeup looks.  It photographs amazingly well too.  Writing this reminds me that I need a backup.

3) Mascara

The mascara I've been wearing most often over the last few months is:

Benefit They're Real Mascara (£18.50 from Boots)

I was slightly underwhelmed with this on first release, but, over the last while, I've come to love it a great deal, and regularly reach for it over and above other fancier (and more expensive) releases.  It's a good, buildable formula that, on me, doesn't flake or smudge, and only comes off when *I* want it too.  Can't say much more than that.  It's a bit wet on first opening though, but after a week or two when it dries out a little, it's a cracking tube of mascara.

The above three products are what I would consider the absolute bare essentials, if you've evened out your skintone with a base, highlighted your cheekbones with blush, and defined your eyes with mascara, then, frankly, any other colour cosmetics are an optional extra.  That said though, here's my pick of eye and lip products to round out a new collection:

4) Eyeshadow/Eyeliner

Sometimes, you just want something quick, and versatile.  When that's the case, I reach for:

Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencils (£18 from Harvey Nichols)

Soft and smudgey, these pencils are a total boon if you're a bit short on time.  You can use them as a soft liner, a base for other shades, or smudge them and create a soft smokey eye look.   They come in a variety of no-fuss, no-worry shades, so there's something to suit most people.

If I was really splashing out, to be honest, I'd also pick up a Cream Colour from Tom Ford in Platinum. A cream eyeshadow that doesn't crease, and isn't greasy, and lasts all day.  I just wish they were a permanent part of the range (and didn't cost £28, but that's a different story).

Clinique are rumoured to be bringing out an eye version of their cult Chubby Sticks, and I, personally, am waiting with baited breath for their release.

 5) Lip Colour

Blimey, where do I start?  When it comes to lipstick, it really is up to you (your budget) and your personal preferences.  For budget preferences, I've discovered I'm a bit of a fan of the Kate Moss range of lipsticks for Rimmel, the matte collection is really cute, particularly in the darker shades.  If you want something a bit less fussy, then the Clinique Chubby sticks:

Might be what you want: Retailing at around £14, they combine the best parts of lipbalm and lipstick.  There's a whole slew of imitators around, but I definitely prefer these for their superior balm properties (little known fact, Clinique's range of superbalm lip products are amongst the best balms on the market, for me at least), and their sheer range of shades.  They're releasing an "intense" version now too, which have more pigment ... I may already have a couple, and will be bringing you a full review soon ...

If you want to splash out, and still have a balmy consistency, well, then you need a Chantecaille Lip Chic.  Which is, for my money, the most divine lipstick formulation in existence.  If you really want to push the boat out, well, then, head yourself over to Tom Ford.  Or pick yourself up a Guerlain Rouge G.  You know you want to ...


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

New CID: i-glow and i-bronze

I don't see an awful lot of New CID on the beauty blogs I read, which I think is a shame, because in my opinion, they make some of the best powder products available.  Over the last year, I've acquired almost a full set of their face colours (three i-glows and one i-bronze), and I thought it was about time I showed them to you, too.

From left to right we have Sirocco, Ice Pop and Coral Crush (all i-glows) and that is Rio on the far right, which is an i-bronze.

All are baked formulas, and they're rather wonderful. Also, they last and last and last.  Coral Crush up there is the oldest (and most used) one in my collection, having been used at least three times a week for the last 12 months.  Next to it is Ice Pop, which I picked up last week.  Can you even tell that Coral Crush has been used 150 times more than Ice Pop? I don't think you can.

The shades tend towards the slightly complex, here's a closer look at all of them:

Sirocco

Ice Pop

Coral Crush

Rio

The powders are smooth and pigmented, Coral Crush and Sirocco are both shimmers, and Rio and Ice Pop are more on the matte side, though they both have seams of shimmer running through them.

 Swatches

With flash:

All of these have been swatched very heavily to get them to show up in the photo.  Normally I just swirl a big fluffy brush over the top of the pan, and swipe over my cheeks, if I'm using Coral Crush, there is normally no need for a highlighter too.

I'm not, I have to say, a fan of the packaging, it's extremely bulky, but at least these products don't come with the built in lights that are more or less standard on the rest of New CID's range.  A lot of the packaging on New CIDs products is deeply, deeply gimmicky, and it makes me a little nutso sometimes, but these are fabulous.

New CID powders are available from QVC and selected Debenhams, they cost £19.50 each.

 The Fine Print: PR samples, collected over a very  long period of time.


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