Ever Hip – the Perfect Coral Lipstick

“Buy it now, or regret it later” if ever there was an example of that, not buying Ever Hip would be it! This limited edition shade formed part of Mac’s Flower Flower collection earlier in the year. I tested it, liked it but decided I didn’t need it (like we ever really NEED a lipstick). Deciding to mull it over I walked away to think about it. I knew I should have bought it, but I let me conscience get the better of me. By the time I went back to buy it, it had sold out, after all it is a limited edition and we all know Mac Limited Editions don’t hang around long.

I could have kicked myself because I’d been wanting a “perfect” coral shade for the summer and this was it, I just didn’t know it until I couldn’t have it, and of course once I couldn’t have it I wanted it so much more.

I’ll spare you the details, but let’s just say I searched high and low to track down one of these bad boys and finally I have it, and just in the nick of time. You see, I’m going on holiday this week and this was meant to be my holiday lipstick.

Ever Hip is a Cremesheen lipstick – meaning it’s soft, moisturising and creamy. It’s semi opaque to opaque with a sheen, not shine finish. I would say it as a nudey coral. For me it’s the perfect coral shade – not too orange, not too pink, not too bright, just right! And I know it will team perfectly with a tan.

I couldn’t compare it to any other shade, the closest comparison I could make would be Mac’s Costa Chic, although that’s much bolder and further up the orange scale.

It looks a little paler in the picture

As well as the tan, I’m also planning to team it with coral nails in the shape of Revlon’s Tropical Temptation. Ok, you might think it’s a bit tacky matching lips and nails, but hey, it’s holiday!

17 All About Nude Palette

If you’ve been in Boots anytime in the last week or so this summer palette might just have caught your eye. Unfortunately the limited edition palette is not for individual sale, instead it’s a free gift when you purchase any two 17 products. I ordered mine online as the shops had sold out, and now I see why. The palette is really good quality and wouldn’t be out of place alongside premium palettes from the likes of Benefit and Stila. It contains two eye shadows (top row), a multi purpose cheek blush/highlighter (bottom left) and a lipgloss (bottom right).

The golden coloured eyeshadow is divine – buttery texture, highly pigmented and metallic finish. The cheek product reminds me of a pigmented highlighter, think Nars’ Multiples or Topshop’s Cheek and the lip square is rosey glossy lipstick.

l-r pink eye shadow, golden eye shadow, blush and lips

 So which two 17 products did I choose to go with the new palette? Well, I opted for a mirror shine lipstick in Peace that I’ve had my eye on for a while and a practical, but slightly boring pencil sharpener (£1.99).

Mirror Shine Lipstick – Peace £2.59 (online, £4.59 in store)

If you fancy one of these lipsticks, order online. Boots have £2 off the Mirror Shine range, for some reason they’re still full price in store. As the title suggests, this is a shiny, glossy lipstick. It looks like a lipstick but feels like a balm. It’s shiny like a lipgloss but not at all sticky. Peace looks like a bright coral, but on the lips, it’s more of a hot pink – either way it’s a nice summer shade and super shiny.

All three products cost less than five pounds, a pretty savvy haul I’d say!

Something for the Weekend… Bourjois 10 Days Nail Enamel

Something for this weekend, and the one after if the claims are to be believed! First they brought us 1 second nail polish, now a polish that lasts for 10 whole days!

Come on, there’s got to be a catch? Well, yes – lasts for 10 days with touch ups. Still, a much better effort than the usual 2-3 days.

Apparently the chip resistant and strengthening pro-silicium formula acts as a protective barrier to prevent nails from chipping for 7 days. It makes nails twice as strong, more resistant and protects them from breaking.

Keep chips at bay with the precise angled touch-up brush, which has been specially designed to retouch the tips for an extra 3 days of fabulousness. Wide and angled, it perfectly adapts to the nail shape and is fast and easy to apply.

Currently available in 7 shades bright and bold shades – I heart Violet , an Electric Fushia

Retails at £5.99 DEAL ALERT: Get two Bourjois polishes for £8 at Boots.

17’s Miami Pop Bronzer – Possibly The World’s Worst Bronzer?

I blogged a while back about my excitement for 17’s impending summer collection, Miami Pop. A super cute amd colourful summer range inspired by Miami’s iconic Ocean Drive.  A sucker for all things summer, it sounded right up my street. I expected the jewel in the crown to be the Miami Pop Bronzer, a gold, baked bronzer with a marbled shimmer… how wrong I was.

 

I skipped along to Boots on launch day and was thoroughly DISAPPOINTED. Now I don’t say that very often, but the Miami Pop Bronzer is awful. It’s everything a bronzer shouldn’t be – ORANGE, GOLD and SPARKLY. It reminds me of really bad fake tan. I’m all for a bit of shimmer, especially in the summer months. I expected this would be a great holiday buy, but it’s not shimmery, it’s fully shiny and sparkly. Put it this way, the only people likely to wear this bronzer are Katie Price and the cast of Geordie Shore!

I swatched a little on my hand – looks like I’ve been tangoed.

Imagine what it would look like on your face! Not a good example for 17’s target audience!

On a positive note, the nail varnishes are cute and the Hot Pink Lipgloss  £3.99 is very nice – juicy, highly pigmented and super shiny.

Something for the Weekend… a £1 lipstick

Get on trend, celebrity approved lips (a la Jameela Jamil and Jenifer Hudson)  for just £1!

I’m all about the bargains. Yes, I do love my premium brands, but can’t resist a good buy and this is certainly a good one. Not only that, BOLD LIPS is one of the season’s hottest trends.

 In case you’re not familiar, Superdrug launched it’s MUA (Makeup Academy) range earlier this year, offering products at a credit crunch friendly £1! With everything from eyeshadows to blushers, their products are surprisingly good value and their colours are gorgeously bright.

I picked up one of their lipsticks in (the unimaginatively) named Shade 3. What it lacks in name, it makes up in the colour department. Hot lips were huge on the Spring/Summer 2011 catwalks. Hot pink, neon pink, fushia pink –  any pink as long as it’s bright! I’m happy to report that “Shade 3” fits perfectly into that trend. It’s bright, longlasting and gorgeous. If I was to compare the colour to a Mac lipstick, it would fall somewhere between “Girl about town” and “Lickable” – a bright hot pink, verging towards a fushia.

Pictured here with the flash…

and without

It’s easy to apply, comfortable to wear and long lasting. They texture is very nice and not at all drying. The finish I’d describe as satiney. For £1, there’s got to be a downside??? Well, yes, but just a small one…. It stains – but hey, you don’t need to reapply it very often and it does wash off.

No7 Summer Limited Edition Sundowner Collection

Apparently today is the first day of summer and with temperatures set to reach the mid 20s later this week, I’m well and truly in the summer swing. As too are the make up counters with limited edition summer collections popping up all over the shop. No7’s new Sundowner Collection really caught my eye, not only is it summery, but it has a 70s vibe too – bonus!

No7 Sultry Glow Bronzer £13

Become a bronzed beach babe with this three toned palette. The bronzer is made up of ultra fine powders, which give it a light texture, perfect for blending and building colour. At first look, the terracotta shade looks a bit too red, but the three shades blend perfectly together for a mid toned, natural looking bronzer. I love the 70s sunset and leaf design but don’t love the cardboard palette.

Sunset Metallic Eye Quad Palette  £13

A cocktail of four richly pigmented bronzed metallic shades, a perfect accompaniments to bronzed skin. The shadows are quite rich and creamy, On the down side, they’re housed in another cardboard palette… No7 STOP cutting corners.

Stay Perfect Nail Polishes £10

Available in Sultry Sands (pictured), light metallic gold shade that will look perfect with a tan and Golden Palms, a glamourous gold bronze.

Lipglosses £10

Enjoy a balmy night out by the shore with show off sultry lips. No7’s new intensely moisturising gloss leaves lips with a brilliant shine and feeling super soft and kissable. Available in two shades, Sultry Nude and Sultry Red.

Overall a cute summer offering from No7, with a very similar vibe to 17’s Miami Pop collection due out later this month. Available in Boots stores now, plus take advantage of their (nearly always on) 3 for 2 offer.

Avoid the post wedding blues with a few mini pick me ups

It’s back to reality with a thump this week. The Royal Wedding’s over, Easter’s over, the endless run of bank holidays are over and we’re back to the 9-5 grind – Booo!

Before we slip into another Blue Monday, hatch a plan to cheer  yourself up… WARNING, it could cost you money.

1.  Paint your nails

I’ve painted mine shocking pink today and I must admit, every time I look down at my hands I feel quite proud of my bright finger nails and they’ve caught many an admiring glance. I’m wearing No7 Foxglove – two coats with a base and top coat.

2.   Treat yourself to some summer make up

Especially important if you also happen to be having a fat day. Something like a bronzer or a bright lipstick should do the job. I just purchased a gorgeous 17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in Hawaii Pink £4.79. Perfect for that LIP N GO look. There are few things I love more than make up, but the Sun I worship. So when it’s shining I can’t afford to waste vital tanning time applying a face full of make up, nor would I want to. However I still want to look summery and fresh, so I slapped on some bright lipstick with some concealer and a touch of mascara and I’m good to go.

Here’s the lippy in action

 

I’m wearing the lipstick, L’Oreal Touche Magique Concealer and a light coating of Clinique’s high impact mascara.

A new bronzer is also a good idea. In the summer months you can normally afford to go up a shade. I love the look of Urban Decay’s new Bronzing Powder £20 and my much loved Guerlain Terracota Four Seasons Bronzer needs a little break – at £46 it’s not for daily use.

This lovely, fine bronzer is baked in an oven and even hand-finished. Great for fake tan phobics, this beauty gives a gorgeous light, golden glow for a sunkissed look. Speaking of which…

3.  Fake it to make it

Most of us look, and feel better with a summer glow. I’m all for safe sunning, but it can be a slow process and it doesn’t hurt to give yourself a head start – especially your legs! It’s pretty scary unveiling those white, spikey, scaly tree trunks at the start of the summer months, but it’s amazing what a shave and a hint of colour can do.

San Tropez, still an eternal classic, is a great false tan, but can be messy and stains your clothes. I reserve it for events – weddings, holidays etc. For frequent use, I prefer everyday tanning lotions like Dove’s Summer Glow Body Lotion.  Slap it on after your shower, wait a few minutes to dry and you’re good to go.

 

Follow these steps (or some of your own mini pick me ups) and voile, a whole new you. And if that doesn’t work, there’s another bank holiday in three weeks.

I wonder how poor Kate Middleton’s feeling a week on– the fairy tale wedding is over, her new hubby’s back at work and she’s holed up at home… except home is a palace so boo hoo.

Life’s a Peach

I love PEACH, three words I never expected to say. For most of my life I’ve hated peach, dismissing it as dull, boring, safe, simply BLAH! I can trace this hatred back to my childhood when everything was peach coloured… clothes, curtains, bridesmaid dresses, loo roll!

However, this all changed recently with the launch of Mac’s Wonder Woman Collection. I bought, well nearly the whole collection, but my favourite product by a clear country mile was the Power Blush in Mighty Aphrodite – we have been inseparable for months now. It’s a warm peach coral blush with a slight gold pearl, but isn’t glittery. The shade really suits me and it’s a welcome break from pink. I find the colour adds a perfect glow and accentuates my colouring.

I’ve now gone crazy for peaches, corals and beige. Here’s my pick of the (peach) pops.

When I can bear to drag myself away from my mighty Aphrodite and fancy a cream blush, Mac’s new cremeblend in Something Special – a light coral shade, also does the job, but isn’t as kick ass as my Mighty Aphrodite blush. See my previous post for a full review. TOP  TIP – It’s much better layered over a highlighter or cream base.

For lips I heart Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipgloss  in Peach Petal £6.99. My love affair with lipglosses goes way back, and these silky smooth glosses are up there with the best. It’s a perfect milky creamy gloss. The gorgeous texture, glides on and isn’t too sticky.

Mac Cremesheen lipstick in Shy Girl, a creamy, neutral, coral-beige.  As it’s a creamsheen it’s soft, moisturising and slightly sheer. It’s a lovely day time colour and layers perfectly under the Revlon gloss.

With summer just starting I think my love affair with peach has only just begun. Someone stop me if I start looking like a peach melba.

Lunch time treat… Barry M Limited Edition Nail Paint

They’ve done it again. Another stunning colour from nail polish supremo Barry M.

As the summer vibe continues, this pot’s all you need for funky, fresh, summery nails.

The pinky/lilac shade has the WOW factor, it caught my eye as soon as I stepped foot down the make up aisle and the gold “blinging” lid make it look much more expensive than it really is. As with Barry Nail Paints the consistency is rather thin, but I find they’re a dream to apply, unlike thick and glupey alternatives. It dries really quick and is best applied with a base and top coat.

Here’s a quick swatch on my thumb.

My only gripe, it doesn’t have a beautiful name to match, instead it’s known as Limited Edition 030 (I reckon that’s code for Drop Dead GORGEOUS). For £2.99 it’s top of my summer steals, and right now available 3 for 2 at Boots.

Girls, you know where you’re going for lunch!

Oh my GOSH

Gosh have launched these limited edition nail varnishes for spring 2011 and they tick all the trend boxes – an über-bright pink, two pretty pastels and a matte grey, all with a different special edition lids. Gaw-Jus! Team with your best colour-block outfit and a popping bright pout to put an instant spring in your step! Exclusively in store at Superdrug, just £4.99!

Snap them up quick, they’ll sell out fast.