Top Three: Illamasqua Lipsticks Box, Magnetism & Salacious

I love a bit of lipstick.  Some of you might have noticed.  I also love a bit of Illamasqua, so I thought I'd show you my top three Illamasqua shades.

Step forward Box, Magnetism and Salacious:

Box is a classic blue red, Magnetism is a cool raspberry, and Salacious is a beautiful pink-red. Here's a closer look:

Whilst I adore these colours, I'm not always a fan of the Illamasqua lipstick textures, to be honest.  These three all have different textures, Box is a very dry texture that can drag on your lips somewhat, Salacious is extremely pigmented, much more so than the other two, but is a bit creamier than Box.  I think Magnetism has by far the best formula of the three, it has a good slip, and a slight sheen, and is a bit less drying on the lips as a result.  

Artificial Light

Natural daylight.

Texture, and formula, issues aside, I do genuinely love these shades.  Salacious was the first Illamasqua lipstick I ever bought and I love the colour, is it pink? Is it red?  Well, depending on what you wear with it, it can appear either colour, that's why I like it.  Box is a classic red that no makeup bag should be without (just make sure you use plenty of lip balm first), and Magnetism is a flattering raspberry shade, that suits almost every skintone.

What's your favourite Illamasqua lipstick?

This post:  http://getlippie.blogspot.com/2012/09/illamasqua-lipsticks-box-magnetism-salacious.html originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved. If you're not reading this on Get Lippie, then this feed has been stolen by scrapers.

Webster Whiteman Wedding Hair Trial

I do love the team at Webster Whiteman, and I'm beginning to think that I don't go and visit them nearly often enough. During my last visit (far too long ago), they sorted out my colour, gave me an excellent blowdry, and I was very happy with them. More importantly, I was very comfortable in their lovely Mayfair salon - it feels like a real home from home, an increasing rarity in London.  These days, my colour is always sorted by Jack Howard, but I haven't settled on a stylist yet, and I remain terrified of getting my hair cut!

However, as the wedding draws ever nearer, and my Pinterest Hair Inspiration board gets ever bigger, I thought it was time to finally try and find a stylist I like and trust. And the first place I looked was, of course, Webster Whiteman.  Last Monday, I found myself having a good old chat with Darren Webster about what I want and need for my wedding hair.  I've mentioned several times that my hair is a bit mental, it likes to get out and party the second there's a hint of moisture in the air, and it is this tendency, coupled with a February wedding that means I really need an updo that can stay put.

Darren listened to all my concerns, had a darn good play with my hair, and then suggested three or four different styles that might work.  Here's a sneaky peek at what we came up with:

Style One:

We'd originally tried a really deconstructed, and completely un-smooth look, which wasn't quite what I was after, so we tried a quite traditional updo, that had plaits woven in, to make it a little edgier.  I liked the height, liked the interesting details, and was quite happy with this, but we decided to take it even smoother for the next look:

Style Two:

I absolutely loved this in the chair, I think it shows off the colour very well, and I love how it shows off the plait details.  It looks a little "Lady Gaga-ish" and I thought it would be interesting from the back.  Looking at it now, however (and especially after the next look), I'm not entirely sure about it.

We then went for something very different to the previous two, which instead of featuring a plait (or two), actually is a plait, take a look:

Style Three:

It's not quite perfect - Darren and I both agree that it needs a little more height at the top - but I  love how complex this looks, and how simple it was to actually do.  It is, essentially, a fishtail plait which has been looped around, and caught up in itself.  It feels very secure, and I really like how it has something interesting at every angle.  And, whilst plaits are rather trendy at the moment, something about treating the plait this way makes it feel more timeless.  I like how it shows off the different colours in my hair, too.

So, what do you think about my first wedding hair trial? 

Get Lippie was a guest of Webster Whiteman.
 
This post originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.

Discount at Cult Beauty - 48 Hours only

One of my favourite online places to shop, Cult Beauty, is having a flash sale today, offering an amazing 25% off their entire range, but the discount code "FLASH 25" (use it at the checkout) will only be live until midnight on Monday 1st October, so hurry up and get shopping!

You can pick from cult favourites such as Sunday Riley, or my personal pick, this Amber candle from Laboratory Perfumes ...

What'll you buy?


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

Milk Pocky from CyberCandy

I love milk flavoured sweeties, I do.  I can get nostalgic for milk bottle gums at the merest snap of a haribo packet. I like milk in my skincare as well (goat milk, for preference, thank you), but I really like milk.  Do you know, on the vanishingly rare occasions I visit coffee shops, I drink hot milk?  Yes, I am THAT weird, plus it confuses the heck out of the baristas and that amuses me.  It always strikes me that a lot of the drinks in those places could only be improved by taking the coffee out of them, but I think I'm digressing ...

Right, where was I?  Oh yes, Milk flavoured Pocky.  CyberCandy is one of my favourite places on earth, I've lost count of the number of hours I've spent filling shopping baskets then not buying anything on their online store, and I've spent more than my fair share of time in their offline stores as well, usually hassling the staff for salty licorice (what do you mean, euuuuwww? It's delicious!) and chocolate coated pretzels.  And pretzel-filled M&Ms.  Basically anything a bit salty. With chocolate or licorice on it.

Hang on, Milk flavoured Pocky!  I was offered my run of the Camden CyberCandy store last week, and picked a packet of these to try.  Have you any idea of how difficult it is being given the run of a sweetshop when you're on a diet?  I tell you, it's very difficult.  But, hey, I weigh two stone less now than I did in June, and Pocky are only half a syn a stick on Slimming World, and they're milk flavoured.  I may have mentioned that I like milk.  

Pocky, if you don't know, are a Japanese snack, they're a long thin biscuit, which come 3/4 covered in a creamy topping, usually chocolate, but there are masses, and masses and masses of flavours.  Including milk.  They're a bit like an anorexic Cadbury finger, and they're extremely moreish.  I polished off my packet of Pocky in about two minutes, but I enjoyed them hugely.  I could have inhaled them all in about 45 seconds, but I'm on a diet and thought I'd spread them out (you get about 12 in a pack) a bit and really enjoy them.  You know, like you do.

So yeah, Pocky.  Go buy them from Cybercandy. They're 99p, and it'll be the best two minutes of your weekend.

The Fine Print: I didn't pay for my Pocky.  I actually wanted a bar of Milka Happy Cow, but I was thwarted.  THWARTED! I'll be bringing you more reviews from CyberCandy every once in a while.  I thought it was time I mixed things up a bit. You're still not getting any outfits of the day though, I promise.

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

From the Crypt: Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturiser

Not everyone has a makeup collection like mine, I realise.  By that, I mean that not everyone "loses" products under the pile of products that they own.  It's not that I don't know where anything is, you understand, but more like, well, I know it's in there somewhere ...

The recent change in the weather has meant that my lips have been a bit drier than usual in the mornings, and rediscovering my tube of Malin+Goetz lip moisturiser has been a blessing before applying lipsticks early in the day.

Lipid-rich, this isn't an oily balm, it's a clear, lightweight gel that sinks in very quickly and provides a perfect base for lipstick.  The effects seems to last a bit longer than with a traditional lipbalm too.  We've had a joyous reunion, M+G lip moisturiser and I, I'm glad to have you back ... 

This post: http://getlippie.blogspot.com/2012/09/from-crypt-malin-goetz-lip-moisturiser.html originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.If you're not reading it on Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by scrapers.

Clinique Even Better Eyes Review

There weren't many posts on Get Lippie last week, whilst I won't go into the details for it, suffice it to say that last week was a tough one which involved a few sleepless nights and a few tears to boot.

All sorted now though, thank goodness, and nothing to worry about, either.  I am very glad I had a tiny tube of Clinique Even Better Eyes around at the time though.

A hybrid lightweight concealer and eyecream. this was a godsend for tired, baggy and bleary eyes last week.  I don't use undereye concealers ordinarily, finding very many of them too heavy for the delicate skin under the eyes, and I struggle with eyecreams too - finding them too rich for my skin.

I've had no problems with this cooling light-peach cream, it's not a full-on pigment heavy concealer, it's just pigmented enough to brighten up a dark area, but no more than that, and it's a very light emollient, so it's easy to spread without being too rich.  I like it a lot.

I adore the metal tip, too.  It feels very cooling in use, and just glides over the skin, so you're not pulling and tugging at the skin, but the cooling sensation is very refreshing first thing in the morning.

In long term use, it's said to even out your skin tone, fading your dark circles.  I don't suffer from them ordinarily, so can't speak to how well that particular claim works out, but if you're suffering from a temporary lack of sleep, this will definitely help you out ...  Just be warned, it contains caffeine, which can dehydrate, but I haven't had any problems with it.

 
The Fine Print: Possibly the handiest-timed PR sample ever.

 
This post: http://getlippie.blogspot.com/2012/09/clinique-even-better-eyes-review.html originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved.If you're not reading this post on Get Lippie, then this content has been stolen by a scraper.

Melvita Rose Extraordinary Water Review

I mentioned recently that my skin has been going through one of it's more insane periods - dry, itchy, dehydrated, blotchy and scaly, it's been fun!  The best thing for me to do when that happens is to scale back on the more active skin care and reintroduce more natural and less aggravating products.

 One product I'm really glad to have introduced to my routine is this Extraordinary Water in Rose from Melvita.  Not a water at all, and definitely not a toner, this is, in fact, a liquid-gel packed with hyaluronic acid and glycerine, alongside extracts of rose and marsh clover to soothe, hydrate, and - allegedly - firm skin.

I can't speak for its firming properties, but the soothing and hydration is second to none, at least as far as your blotchy, itchy, sandpaper-foreheaded correspondent is concerned.  It's taken me a long time - a very long time - to come around to the benefits of toning liquids in a skincare routine, and I've discovered that the trick (for me) is to think of them as the start of your moisturising routine, rather than the end of your cleansing one.  The texture, and the glorious scent, of this extraordinary water really helps with that - your skin very definitely feels softer and more moisturised, even before you apply your moisturiser over the top. 

Whilst it probably won't work miracles for anti-ageing (I'm definitely behind the idea that you need the appliance of science for that, frankly), if your skin is sore and dehydrated in the current weather, it'll thank you for investing in a bottle of this.  Mine has!  At £14 per 100ml bottle, it won't exactly break the bank either.   There are two other variants, orange blossom, and narcissus, but this is the one for me. You can buy it online from the Melvita store.

 The Fine Print: My initial bottle of this was a PR Sample, but I've bought a couple of bottles since.  I like it!

This post: http://getlippie.blogspot.com/2012/09/melvita-rose-extraordinary-water-review.html originated at: http://getlippie.com All rights reserved. If you're not reading it on Get Lippie, this content has been stolen by a scraper.