LIPSTICK

Beauty For a Snip! Cien at Lidl

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Despite being rebranded, I have long admired the cotton pads for sale in Lidl. Iseree, Cien? Eh, just don’t take away my love, dudes.

Beauty products come and go in the global discount supermarket chain, but Cien‘s new line that’s taking up permanent residence from now on.
CIEN makeup launch
I’ve given the lippy a good going over, as well as the lip gloss, and both are excellent. I esepcially love the Rich Magenta (fourth from left) because it is just the right amount of pink without being too hot or too rosy.

Equally welcome is the new haircare range:
CIEN haircare launch
You can get the full whack for less than a sevener, and it is really stands up to anything that you’d buy in the €15-20 range, particularly for a keratin-infused concoction. In this case, the Intensive Repair Mask is my fave, as I love little better than a good hair mask; take this one for a spin if you are a fan of co-washing, it is so good.

For those of us who like to impulsively fling a new lippy into the trolley, you {we!} can now do this with abandon…

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{Co-washing, you say? It’s using conditioner only, without shampoo, something that those with fine and super curly hair swear by. My version is more like condition, shampoo, condition, and it’s worked a treat. I also find that this gets the best out of those good-for-you, but hard-to-use sulfate-free shampoo/conditioner duos. I find them pesky because of the low-lather, which makes my fine hair explode like bamboo shoots tossed into a wok. As ever, YMMV.}

Beautyfull News: Clarins Paris, L’Occitane, Aldi, Rimmel London, Nuxe Paris

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CLARINS PARIS Joli Rouge Moisturizing, Long-Wearing LipstickCLARINS joli rouge
€22 Paired with their range of new, neutral Lipliner Pencils {€17.50}, this collection of 25 revamped hues is bound to be an autumnal go-to. Because I’m a divil for deleting photos on my phone and can’t be arsed to connect to the cloud or whatever, here’s a screenshot of the Insta I took on the day I wore Delicious Pink, which lives up to its name. The lipliners come in Nude Fair/Beige/Rose/Mocha, to suit the range of skin tones from fair to dark. I went for the lightest to go with the pink; it was fine, and frankly, it was nicer on its own. I imagine they’ll come in handy the further you head towards the dark end of the spectrum. I found the lipstick to be lovely: light, long-wearing, and in the case of this particular colour, as shiny as it looks in the photo. Perfect for people who’d prefer to wear their lippy, rather than have it wearing them.

L'OCCITANE hermeL’OCCITANE Pierre Hermé Limited Edition Fragrance Collections
€10-56 Speaking of delicious! Monsieur Hermé is a pastry chef, and has collaborated with the Provençal brand to create two new ‘flavourfull’ fragrances. There’s Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli, a flowery bend for those who wouldn’t normally go for something sweet. I find you can never go wrong with Neroli, it’s really gives one’s spirits a lift. For those who like something zestier, there’s the Pamplemousse-Rhubarbe which I also like: it’s as crisp as can be, and with its cedar and vetiver notes, can shared with your fella. The range ranges from lipgloss at a tenner to €56 for the EDTs. The packaging is delightful, and the gift sets at €72 are perfect for holiday gift giving sans an in-your-face-this-is-a-Christmas-gift vibe.

ALDI Lacura Expert RangeALDI expert eye gel
€5.99 That’s the price for all the products in the line — pretty good! There’s an Expert Wrinkle Smoother, an Expert Beautifying Serum, and an Expert Double Effect Eye Gel, and all are infused with Mimox®X, an active complex that helps encourage the skin to regenerate its own collagen and elastin fibres. NGL, I don’t know how that actually happens, but hyaluronic acid is implicated, which is still all the buzz as far as anti-ageing is concerned. I have given them all a go, and am pleased with the eye gel especially: it’s cooling and soothing, and it’s also a bit of a pick-me-up of a sleepy morning. I am also impressed by the serum, which gives great coverage and absorbs like a shot.

RIMMEL LONDON Match Perfection FoundationRIMMEL match perfection
€10.29 I prefer the coverage of the 24hr version of Rimmel’s foundation range. This promises invisible coverage to create invisible pores; my skin is in excellent nick, and I feel like this didn’t really do it justice. If you have skin like a newborn baby and want to look even more perfect, then this might suit. So basically: younger skins may get loads of joy out of this; less young, maybe not so much. I also found that I feel somewhere between the two lightest hues, with neither of them being… a perfect match.

NUXE PARIS Splendieuse Radiance-Activating, Anti-Dark Spot Range
€30-38 I suspect that the word ‘splendieuse’ is along the lines ‘fabilicious’ in English; it is, in fact, a combination of ‘splendid’ and ‘radiant’. I say go for it, Nuxe: make up all the words you like, as long as you keep expanding your lines of skincare. This targets dark spots, and boosts the radiance of the complexion, all the while smelling gorgeous and feeling luxurious — far more luxurious than you might think you’d get at that price. There’s a fluid for normal skin, a cream for dry skin, a serum, and the pièce de résistance, which is the Anti-Dark Spot Perfecting Mask, an actual mask that you lay one your face and gently press against the skin. One got passed around at the launch and it felt rich with product — in fact, it’s infused with what amounts to almost the entire bottle of 30mls of serum; even holding the box, you can feel how heavy they are. As ever, all of these take their effectiveness from natural ingredients and there are no animal-origins ingredients involved. Check back here for an in-depth review of that mask! {Look at the drawing at the bottom left — I die!} CLARINS perfecting mask

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Those Three Little Words: Gift With Purchase (Thanks, Elizabeth Arden!)

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Even now, after all these years of beauty journalism/blogging, I never tire of hearing that magical, magical phrase. This one is particularly good.

EA giveawayThe bag! So pretttttty! The content! So impressive! These sample sizes would surely last me an entire Christmas visit back to the States, and would mitigate the usual overloading-of-the-make-up/skincare-bag.

There’s a Beautiful Color Lipstick, the anti-aging Treatment Boosting Cleanser {which is the bomb}, Ceramide Capsules Daily Youth Restoring Serum which are also the bomb, two more serums, a moisture cream and a lifting cream.

So, heavy on the serum, which suits me down to the ground — can never get enough serum. I love that the lippy is there, but may have liked a targeted nighttime cream. Whatevs! It is pretty darned perfect, and is yours with purchase of two or more products.

The bag is the work of British designers Preen, and you’d almost be tempted to use it as a clutch, much less as a Product Conveyance Device For Travelling.

Get yours while you can, exclusively at Debenhams, from 21 May to 13 June — while supplies last, naturally.

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Hello, Shiny! You Are Lover-ly: Lancôme Paris Shine Lover

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SHINE LOVER
This is the sort of shine you’d expect from a gloss, but Lancôme Paris have managed to produce this with a lipstick. As boundaries shift and experimentation starts to pay off, the days of heavy, drying lippy may be behind us — plus, there’s no need to sacrifice pigment for comfort.

This is French Sourire, which is the precursor perhaps to the kiss of the same adjective. It’s labelled as 340, if you’re keen on it yourself. One thing that frustrates about this brand is the numbering but not naming of shades; if you are a compulsive Googler makes no odds, but if you’re trying to get posting as soon as poss, it’s one step that feels unnecessary.

Nevertheless, this is a winner: it feels light and moisturising, it looks strong and shiny, and the hues cover the usual range from nude to mulberry-ish. This lasted longer than your average gloss, as well. Lots to love!

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€26/£21/$25

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No 7 Sheer Temptation Knows No Season

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I know it’s autumn, but I don’t care. I love this spring-ish lippy, which is on its way to being AUU {All Used Up.}
NO 7 THUS FAR
This is Pretty Please from No7, from the Sheer Temptation line {€12.95.} I love being able to lash on a pop of colour without looking.
NO 7 IN ACTION
So lazy. But: so pretty, this colour! It’s light, too, which makes a difference when I’m working in an office, sitting all day, and grazing. Blot, eat an apple, reapply. Or, in fairness, a bag of crisps.

I got colour-matched at Boots, and wisely went in on a day when I was wearing no make up, and it definitely made a difference in terms of getting a good match on the foundation. I came up Cool Ivory {€18.25} under these circs; when I got colour-matched at a recent Boots event, I came up Deeply Beige, I think due to the foundation I was already wearing — despite some of it having been cleared away.

The device used is similar to a photographer’s light meter, and once your ‘family’ of colour is established, you get a handy little card that has your colours on it. Here’s my colour-matched face, sporting the Stay Perfect Foundation and Moisture Drench lipstick in Soft Berry {€12.95.}
NO 7 COLOUR MATCHED
The foundation really is a terrific match; I find it to be not-as-long-lasting as I’d like. The lip colour? LOVE. It’s not nearly as low maintenance as its lighter cousin, but sometimes, a little extra effort is worth it.

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Feeling very boldfaced today!

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Yippy! Lippy: New for 2014

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BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION VELVET
BOURJOIS Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper, €12.49 Very intense, in the best possible sense. I found it to be a tiny bit tacky when it dried, as do most class of lippy that claims to be completely smudge-proof and matte. This is great for occasion-wear, but I don’t think I could stick the high maintenance of it during the day. Hence the rather sober-looking gob.

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CLINIQUE MATTE MAGENTA
CLINIQUE Long Last Soft Matte Lipstick in Magenta €20 As a devoted fan of the brand’s Black Honey Almost Lipstick, I haven’t ventured very far — okay, I haven’t ventured anywhere else in their lipstick line. I am encouraged to do so here: this is as soft as promised, and it’s got the typically dense pigment of a matte, sans the dryness. There’s a gorgeous orange just waiting to be snapped up by those who can wear it well — sadly, not me.

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DIEGO DELLA PALMA
DIEGO DELLA PALMA Glossy Lipstick in Natural Pink, €20 I don’t know, this is more like a neutral to me, not a pink… Whatevs, this is my go-to nude for the summer. It feels fab

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ME ME ME PERSIAN PINK
MEMEME Longwear Satin Lip Cream in Persian Pink, €10.50 That’s MeMeMe — looks much better in U&lc. Um, okay, the above is my light go-to nude for the summer, and this is my medium go-to nude for the summer. This has all the lush richness of a Leading Department Store Brand, at half the price.

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MICHAEL KORS BOMBSHELL
MICHAEL KORS Lip Lacquer in Bombshell, €30.50 Ah! So sexy! There’s a fantastic gloss in this line as well, which I thought I’d prefer, but I like this lipstick equally.

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REVLON COLOURBURST LACQUER BALM
REVLON ColourBurst Lacquer Balm in Vivacious, €11.20 So shiny! With a touch of sparkle! Plus hydration! I am all over these lip crayons — I find the texture and staying power to be terrific, and again: The. Shine.

Also!
REVLON COLOURBURST MATTE BALM
REVLON ColourBurst Matte Balm in Audacious, also €11.20 The matte version! OMG, using alll the exclamation marks! I am not at all a fan of coral-on-me, but this suits really well, and again, loving the texture and the moisturising. There’s also a tiny zap of mint or something: an unexpected little bit of refreshment.

ColorBurst can do no wrong by me, clearly.

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There are more to come, as I can’t get enough of cosmetics for the mouth. Pictured, the thingie in the on-the-way-out-the-door place, where I make my lip coverage decisions on a daily basis:
LIPPY ARCHIVE
I think a trip in the wayback machine may be in order. Sure, good lippy never goes out of style.

Okay, Okay, I Absolutely Have a Problem When It Comes to Lip Cosmetics

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ALL THE LIPPYs
Okay???! I get it. A normal human female probably wouldn’t have — oh, God, must I count them? — eighteen varieties of cosmetics-for-the-lips, on the go, right? This is not counting the ones that are lurking in pockets and rolling around in my handbags. Gah.

But, but, but — okay. Since I routinely take two of these along with me on a given day, because the whole day could change and require a different hue or texture, then it’s like there’s really nine. Nine lip combinations.

{…}

I don’t buy that either. Although I will argue that giving yourself the option to change up during the day makes total sense. Like, the Pür Minerals or the No7 — or the Benefit Ultra Plush Lip Gloss? Theses are perfect for sitting-at-the-desk wear, but you might like to give your look a wee pop in the evening, with the Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain, or the Clinique Chubby. Or that Essence red, in between the Chubby and the Pür? It is the perfect summer red I’ve yet to come across.

So, you know, options.

Nevertheless, I felt a cull was in order:

FEWER LIPPYsOnly because I need to make room for more…

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Sorry, they just look so ronrey.

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Flippin’ My Lid: Colour Effect Flipsticks by Max Factor

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I’ve gotten lazy as regards lipstick: you have to look what you’re doing, unlike lipgloss, and ugh, the maintenance: it is high.

Also, my only lip-lining brush has gotten extremely unsanitary, which makes it difficult to use most of the lippys I’ve got in trying & testing rotation.

And then I got a bunch of these in the post:

These are FUN with a capital F-U-N.

So what we’ve got here are 6 lippys that are actually twelve, so when you buy one, you are getting two, with one side giving you a matte colour, and the other side a bit of iridescent shine to go over top of the matte.

This is exactly the kind of mix-and-matching we used to do in high school {high school? What am I even talking about? I did this yesterday} only now, you’ve cut your lipstick-bulk in half. Less crap in the handbag! I think we can all get behind that.

The six shades, that are actually twelve are, from top:
>Gipsy Red
>Bloomy Pink
>Folky Pink
>Salsa Red
>Swingy Brown
>Boreal Mauve

So far, I am all about the Boreal Mauve. Those pinks look pretty red to me, so I am leaning towards the Folky Pink to try next. I found the Swingy Brown to be a bit dark when applied to the full gob, but if you put the darker shade on top, and the shiny shade on the bottom, and then smoosh your lips together, the effect is really cool.

As far as application goes: the matte colour is rich, yet light as feather, and it has a lip-balmy feel to it as well.

A layer of clear gloss over top of any one of these and you’ve got red carpet lips. Which sounds weird, and a little gross, but you know what I mean.

Wear is what you expect from a lipstick not designed specifically for heavy duty: it’s a normal, get-a-reflective-surface kinda jawn. Me, I think these shades are dramatic enough to reserve for evening wear, so I don’t need the pigment to last forever. If you don’t plan on eating or drinking, then you won’t be touching this up very much, which, frankly, does not sound like much F-U-N to me.

€11.99/£8.49

Snap Judgements*: Springing into Summer

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Or ‘summer’ as we generally call it in these parts. No! Let’s be more positive than that! We are springing into SUMMER here in Ireland, yeah!!! Let’s fake it ’til we make it!

Ahem. Snap Judgements is the way that you, the reader, can experience what it’s like to be a beauty journo when the stuff starts piling up on the desk. I’m going to give my instantaneous responses to a variety of products, and over time we’ll see if I was too hasty or dead on target.

Let’s begin… Continue reading →