Take a chance

My lipstick of choice recently has been a Coco Rouge Shine by Chanel, in the Barbie-esque bubblegum pink shade, Chance. I got it when I was in Cardiff recently and took the opportunity to treat myself. Lipsticks are my weakness and I love to indulge, whether I need it or not!

I was really impressed with the shades on offer, though I do think, as a nude lover, it would benefit from having a couple of pinky nudes in their collection. Plenty of colours in the 'beige' category, but none that I'd really class as nude. There's something for everyone though, no matter what your preference, and there is a particularly gorgeous signature red range.

I swatched a couple of the colours, mainly choosing the pinks and corals, before plumping for Chance. I chose this colour for two reasons - Chanel Chance is my favourite perfume, and I can't resist a pink lipstick! I left Boots and skipped outside into the sunshine and immediately regretted my choice. The Aventure shade swatched on my hand looked far more pleasing, with golden shimmer running through it's coral-pink base. I was really disappointed with how rubbish my lipstick looked in comparison. As soon as I got home I tried it again, and was relieved to find I actually really, really loved it.

 Top swatch is applied once and it is swatched more heavily each time.

Chance is a pretty, bright, bubblegum pink with blue undertones, reminiscent of YSL's Lingerie Pink. It smells and tastes florally, which took some getting used to (I usually wear vanilla MAC or watermelon YSL) but the colour, moisture and finish makes it all worthwhile. It's a sheer, shiny lipstick that feels and moisturises like a balm, and the pink colour perks me up immensely. Of course, there's a certain sense of glamour associated with Chanel, and whilst I might not ooze it on a daily basis, I do feel a little bit special when I apply this. The only downside is packaging - for a £23 lippie I'd expect something a bit more luxurious - YSL Rouge Voluptes are the perfect example of this. This doesn't warrant the product a failure though as the lipstick itself is divine. I can't wait to buy more!

Have you tried any of the Coco Rouge Shines? What colour is your favourite?

xoxo

Giveaway time {CLOSED}

Happy August lovelies! To celebrate the arrival of Summer (finally!), I have teamed up with Apothica.com and have a $25 giftcard to giveaway for one lucky winner to spend on anything they like on Apothica, SkincareRx or SkinBotanica.

Apothica is a great webste that stocks really fabulous brands, including the Stila goodies that I showed you on Saturday. Stila Cosmetics is a girl's best friend with its full line of face-friendly makeup and tools designed to work for all skin types and tones. It takes a non-intimidating approach to tackling makeup meltdowns, providing a product for everyone, so you can use this opportunity and snag some of that lovely Stila for yourself. Good luck choosing what to spend your $25 on though, because I'd have difficulty choosing between these scrumptious goodies:

Stila Smudge Pot - Gray

Stila Smudge Pot - Bronze

Stila Smudge Pot - Kitten

There are three ways to enter. If you use all three methods, you will gain three entries, so the more ways you enter, the more chance you have of winning!

♥ Option 1: Facebook

1.       Visit Apothica.com

2.       Write on Apothica’s Facebook wall about what you think of Apothica

Bonus: Opt in to Apothica’s Newsletter

♥ Option 2: Twitter

1.       Visit Apothica.com

2.       Tweet about Apothica on your own Twitter Account

Bonus: Retweet Apothica’s tweet about this giveaway

♥ Option 3: Blog

1.       Visit Apothica.com

2.       Write something on your blog about what you think of Apothica

Bonus: Write about the brand I highlighted and link it to Apothica

RULES {NOW CLOSED}

♥  You must be a follower of my blog.

♥  The giveaway is open internationally, but check on the Apothica site first to make sure they ship to your country.

♥  The giveaway is open until 23:59 (my time - GMT or BST as it as at the moment) on August 31st 2011.

♥  If you are not over 16, please make sure you have your parents permission as Apothica will need your full name, address, phone number and email address. It's also a good idea for you to add SkincareRx into your email contacts to stop your prize going into the junk folder. I have missed out on so many things because of emails being misdirected!

♥  Once you have entered using at least one of the above methods, you must comment on this blogpost stating:

a) Which Stila product is your favourite.

b) The links to your entry methods (if using your personal Facebook account and don't wish to share your real name on this blog, you are more than welcome to email me - lollipop.1984@hotmail.co.uk - You still need to comment on this post for the entry to be valid).

c) Your email address.

For example, my entry would be:

Happy networking ladies, and good luck!

xoxo

Stila goodies

I recently received a giftcard from one of my sponsors, SkincareRx, and literally spent days browsing the website trying to decide what to buy. It stocks many of the biggest brands and there were hundreds of things I wanted!

In the end I chose some Stila goodies, as it's not a brand I've tried before but have heard good things about. I plumped for the Stila Convertible Colour in popular shade 'Lillium', and a Stila Lip and Cheek Stain in 'Yumberry Crush'.

I have to say I am a fan of the cardboard packaging. I'm loving all things natural and rustic lately, and this packaging really appeals to me. I also loved the packaging of the actual products - pretty colours and a metallicy finish. Lovely.

The Convertible Colour has been on my radar for years, so I chose the most universal shade there, Lillium. This is smaller than I was expecting, but it's still a substantial size with a lot of product. This is a muted, natural, rosy peach type of colour (excellent describing skills there...) and would definitely suit all skintones. Because it is a neutral shade, it would compliment any look, so I can see myself using this a lot. It's a lovely, smooth, creamy er... cream, and it glides on and blends beautifully. It doesn't look or feel greasy on me, but then I have dry skin anyway. As far as longevity is concerned, I don't notice it lasting any longer than my other favourite cheek creams, MAC Cream Colour Bases, but it lasts well into the day for me. It doesn't wear off enough for the need to reapply, but then I am lazy when it comes to reapplying my make up through the day. I just can't be bothered. If you are familiar with the CCB's, you'll notice it has a kind of powdery finish when it sets. The Convertible Colour is nothing like that - it stays creamy after blended and gives a dewy sheen to my skin. I love it. I'm very impressed with this cream and would love to try more colours.

Mrs Beckham tweeted recently that she has found the perfect lip and cheek colour for summer, and revealed it was Stila's Lip and Cheek Stain in Cherry Crush. As soon as I got wind of this I knew I wanted one, but the Cherry colour was too red and scary for me. Enter: Yumberry Crush! How sweet is the name? That partly helped my decision (it's cute!) but when I discovered it was a frosty pink, I was 'in there like swimwear'. It didn't disappoint either. It is a tad more rosy than I was expecting but the shimmer is so pretty and it smells absolutely divine. I love that it can be layered too so I can build up the colour should I require. I am a huge fan of the colour it stains my cheeks - a pretty, vibrant pink, but the shimmer makes it pretty hard for me to wear on a daily basis. In the warmer weather and on nights out or the weekend I would definitely wear it on my cheeks, but for now it is reserved as a lip colour only. As a stain, it lasts all day on my cheeks, and I get a good 4-5 hours wear on my lips. Very impressive!

Some swatches:

Lilium Convertible Colour - Heavily swatched on the left, blended on the right.

Yumberry Crush Lip and Cheek Stain - Thickly applied on the left, blended with the brush applicator in the middle, blended with my finger on the right.

I ordered this on a Sunday night and it arrived the following Monday, so 8 days in total. It was perfectly packaged and inside my box were some skincare samples, which was nice. The shipping cost around $25, which works out at about £15. I don't think that's bad considering it is from the US, but it's something to consider, especially as I never know when I'm going to get hit with customs charges. I'd definitely use this site again, though I'd reserve it to treat myself to some US-exclusive brands.

So all in all a big thumbs up to SkincareRx.com and Stila from me! Want some Stila for yourself? Keep your eyes peeled for my giveaway on Monday :)

xoxo

Top 5 lipsticks at the moment

I've been neglecting my lip products for a while. Not intentionally, I've just been slicking on some lip balm as I'm running through the door. These last couple of weeks I've been making more of an effort, and I've found myself reaching for the same few lipsticks. In no particular order, my favourite lipsticks at the moment:

NYX Lipstick - Summer Love
A nude with brown/beige undertones, so it stops me looking washed out. It's also great when I've used bronzer as 'regular' nude colours are so pale and pink that they look like concealer. It's a semi-matte finish, so it's not the glossiest or most moisturising lipstick I own. I pair it with a lipgloss to counteract that though.

 

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipstick - Lingerie Pink
I <3 YSL Rouge Voluptes, and this colour is just gorgeous. It's a bright, vivid pink akin to MAC's Viva Glam Gaga, but is a much better formula. Fabulous way of having statement lips without being OTT. It's opaque with just one swipe, so although it isn't sheer, it is buildable to get a bolder look.

MAC Lipstick - Gotta Dash
My newest addition to my collection and it is an uber glossy coral colour. I love wearing this when I want my lips to be the focus but want something a little bit different to red or pink. I also like this because I love wearing peachy coloured blush, so they compliment each other perfectly.

MAC Lipstick - Angel
Old faithful and popular colour, Angel. It's a muted pink colour, so will go with a whole array of looks. It is a frost, which I used to hate, but the more I wear it the more I fall in love with this lipstick. I used to prefer Creme Cup (also from MAC) as the colour was identical but the creamsheen finish was better. Well, I've changed my mind and prefer this one. The frost finish adds a lovely sheen and because it isn't super glossy or shiny, I find it to be longer lasting.

MAC Lipstick - Victorian
This was a limited edition colour and I just adore it. This is reserved for Summer only as it is so bright and gorgeous. It is a pink-coral with a golden shimmer. Another frost formula so lasts a while, even in the heat (not that we've had much heat), and the colour is just glorious next to bronzed, glowy skin.

And here are some swatches for you. From top to bottom we have:
NYX Summer Love, YSL Lingerie Pink, MAC Gotta Dash!, MAC Angel and MAC Victorian.

These colours have been my staples recently - what colours have been yours?

xoxo

Products I'm loving at the moment

I noticed that I've been using the same products recently. I haven't had the inclination to try out new things, or reach for something different from my collection each day. I think I'm at that stage where, truthfully, make up is boring me. I just want a quick, simple routine in the mornings that makes me look half-decent, and I think the following products certainly help!

MAC 'Virgin Isle' Cream Colour Base

I have been after this for such a long time, but it was discontinued. MAC re-released it with one of their collections (I'm not sure which) and I missed out again, so when I saw a brand new, unused one in a blogsale for £10, I snapped it up quickly. When I opened it, I was a bit alarmed as it looked like a neon, orange toned coral that I would look ridiculous wearing. Thankfully, when I swatched it, I could see that it was a beautiful, pink toned coral, and despite it's vibrancy, it blends like a dream and adds a gorgeous flush to my cheeks. Swoon. I heart it.

Revlon 'Peach Petal' Lipgloss

I've featured this on previous 'favourite' posts, but I can't feature Virgin Isle without featuring this, as the two together make a beautiful, glossy, milky coral lip colour that I just adore. I love mixing these two as I can custom-create my shade. I prefer it when I've used bronzer as I can afford to be more vibrant, but even without it, I can create the right shade to compliment my skintone. I feel really pretty with this lip colour, defined eyes, and messy, wavy hair fixed with daisy flowers. Love, love, love.

MAC 'Shy Girl' Lipstick

Another lip product, I know, but another one I've been desperate to get my mitts on. I really love the creamsheen lipsticks and this is no exception. It is a creamy, nude lipstick with a coral tint to it, so it is a welcome change from my usual brown-toned or pink-toned nudes. Plus, being creamsheen formula, it has a slightly glossy finish. So pretty, and looks wonderful with a flick of eyeliner and Virgin Isle-tinted cheeks.

Skin Wisdom Instant Beauty Balm
I used to swear by this stuff, but stopped using it for one reason or another. Reading through some old blogposts recently, particularly this one, reminded me about it and how much I liked it. Of course, I couldn't do my weekly shop in Tesco without picking one up, and I've used it everyday since. The packaging is different but it is the same brightening, fruity formula that creates the illusion of a full night's rest.

Andrew Collinge Purity Hydrating Conditioner
When it comes to haircare, I'm a John Frieda girl through and through, but I saw this on offer recently and got tempted away. It contains coconut milk and manuka honey, so smells amazing, and is such a lovely, nourishing conditioner. I'm not using the corresponding shampoo (though the shampoo is still from the Andrew Collinge Purity range) but I will definitely be picking it up next time I'm stocking up because I think it will have an even better impact on my hair. Back to the conditioner... it makes my hair really soft and manageable, and I feel it does a great job of conditioning my recently bleached and frazzled ombred ends.

Connock London Kukui Oil Comforting Body Wash
I received this as a PR sample a couple of months ago and have honestly used it every single day since - and I still have a ton left! It smells comforting (strange that, being a comforting shower gel...) in a musky sort of way. It's not zingy enough to wake me up but it does smother me in scents that make me feel good, which is equally important in the mornings. Plus I feel all soft once I step out of the shower. I really, really like this shower gel.


What have you been loving lately?

xoxo

Newbies

Wow, is it Wednesday already? It seems like only yesterday I was skipping out of work at 6pm filled with excitement for the weekend ahead, and now we're at the middle of the week? Crazy. I've been feeling a bit poorly this week, hence the peace on the blogfront, but I'm sat here in my jimjams waiting for The Apprentice to start and thought it was the perfect opportunity to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys).

As I've already mentioned, Saturday was a date day for my honey and I, and we spent the day in Cardiff - shopping, eating, shopping some more, eating some more... you get the idea. I had a blast!
We started the day relatively early with a spot of shopping. We were in Cardiff at 10am at the latest, and Primark was already heaving. Is there any time to shop there without having to elbow people out of your way? Urgh. Mr Lollipop hates that shop, but I was in search of a gold chunky ring. In typical Laura fashion, I bought everything but a gold chunky ring! We also did the obligatory rounds of MAC, Debenhams and Boots, and I think I did pretty well as I hardly bought a thing. I could have spent a fortune in the new Americandy shop though! We were literally like children in a candy shop, and everywhere we looked had something new and exciting, either from our childhood or America. I refused to pay £8.00 for a box of Lucky Charms, but no doubt we'll be making a trip back there soon!
All in all I had a fabulous day, but I ate waaaaaay too much. The Krispy Kremes (note, plural), Shakeaway milkshakes, Gourmet Burger Kitchen burger, chips and garlic mayo (nom nom nom)... All tasted divine, but I kinda had a food-hangover on Sunday and I felt rotten. I've been feeling crap about my eating habits lately anyway, so Saturday was the nail in the coffin if you like. I vowed to be back on 'it' (my healthy eating bandwagon) on Monday morning and I'm pleased to say I've been great this week. Feeling so rubbish has really awakened my determination again. Anyway, I am rambling! Onto the newbies:

Gotta Dash! lipstick, £13.50, MAC.

New lipstick always cheers me up and I have been wanting to test the new Sheen Supreme ones since their release. I have been looking at swatches online for a while and thought I'd come home with Behave Yourself (a pretty Barbie pink) or Supremely Confident (a beloved nude), but as soon as I swatched this I knew I'd be taking it home. It's a gorgeous pastel peach (not quite coral but is very coral-toned) and feels really smooth and silky when I'm wearing it. Plus it is opaque so you only need to swipe it once, and it has a darling shine to it. An instant favourite, both colour-wise and formula-wise!

Daisy headband and daisy bobble, both £1 each, Primark.

I have a bit of a growing obsession for daisies, so when I spotted this cute headband I had to get it. We were in a petrol station a few weeks ago and the girl pulling up next to us had her hair in a ponytail, adorned with a big daisy. I have been wanting one since so you can imagine my delight when I saw it sitting on the shelves. I know that both of these are going to become Summer staples as I prefer wearing my hair up in the hotter weather, so they are going to add a pretty finish to an otherwise simple 'do.

Gold earring set, £1.50, Primark.

I don't have many solid gold earrings (solid as in without any coloured stones), so whenever I wear gold jewellery I have to go earringless. Well, not anymore! 6 pairs of cute gold earrings for £1.50?! Bargain! I'd pay £1.50 for the heart dangly ones alone - they are super cute.

Turquoise stone silver ring, £2.50, Primark.

I love wearing turquoise/teal/blue jewellery, so the turquoise stone combined with the detail of the silver instantly put a smile on my face. I love chunky rings, but this isn't so chunky that it is in knuckleduster territory - it's just a big, fancy ring. Love it!

Model's Own nail polish, Pastel Pink / Blooboo / Lemon Meringue, £5.00 each (currently 3 for 2 in Boots).

I can't get enough of pastel nail polishes at the moment. I initially wanted Barry M's Peach Melba, but the Barry M stand in Cardiff is ridiculously slow at getting new stock, though they did have the new colours of the nail effects crackle polish. I digress... The pastel colours are very pretty. I have been after a powder blue for a while and this one fits the bill perfectly. In the bottle it looks like it has a purple-blue sheen, but this doesn't translate onto the nails. I've also wanted to embark on the yellow nails trend, but Chanel's Mimosa is a bit too intense for me. Lemon Meringue is so wearable though, so I'd really recommend this one if you want to try the less-intense version of the trend too. Pastel Pink is exactly that, and though I have lots, this one is my favourite. Very opaque and looks fab. Can't wait to go and pick up more!

Natural Collection Nail Polish, White, £1.89.

I wanted a cheap white nail polish and this was the cheapest they had in store. I only wanted one to use as a base under my sheerer colours or to attempt a bit of polka-dotting, and I have to admit I am really impressed. It applies really evenly and dries quickly. The only downside is the brush is a bit thick for clumsy me, but I'll gladly do with that for £1.89!

And something random, but I love these lidded cups that we bought in Lakeland. I think they were about £4 each and on offer 3 for 2. These are going to be perfect in the garden (no flies in my drink, no sir) and also in the car or on my way to work. Smoothies on the go are a necessity in the morning, so these cups are ideal for me. They are melamine so can go in the dishwasher, and they are double layered so the air chamber helps keep your drink cold for longer. I love them!

I'm off to make myself a cup of my new favourite tea, Clipper nightime tea (or something) and a chopped apple sprinkled with cinnamon. Then I'm gonna cwtch up on the sofa and watch Lord Sugar and co before my early night - hopefully a good night's sleep will cure me! Are you watching The Apprentice? What did you think of last week's double firing?!

xoxo

Last call for sin

The post title is from my favourite song in the whole wide world - All These Things That I've Done by The Killers. J'Adore Brandon Flowers and co, though sadly, the more recent stuff doesn't quite live up to the first album 'Hot Fuss' - that was the best album ever and one you should all own in my opinion.

So, The Killers rambles aside, this is the look I've been sporting this week. Nothing special but I really like it, and despite it being another neutral look (quelle surprise), I have tried something new. Black eyeliner. Hardly groundbreaking but this is a massive leap for me. I never, ever wear black eyeliner. When I first tried it years and years ago, I thought it was too harsh for me - I have blue eyes, my skin was pale and my hair was light blonde. It got relegated to the back of my drawers never to see the light of day again. Since my hair is darker now, and I am not as ghostly pale, the brown eyeliner that I loved wasn't adding enough definition. I cracked out the black last weekend and haven't looked back since! No doubt I'll return to my beloved Chocolate Shimmer Ink before long, but until then, this is a welcome change.

FACE

Foundation : DIY tinted moisturiser

Concealer : Benefit Boi-ing

Powder : MAC MSF Natural 'Light Medium'

Bronzer : NARS 'Laguna'

Blush : Bobbi Brown Shimmerbrick 'Nectar'
Highlighter : MAC MSF 'By Candlelight'

Brows : Collection 2000 pencil 'Blonde'

EYES (all from Urban Decay's Naked Palette)

Primer : UDPP

Inner Lid : 'Sidecar'

Outer V : 'Buck'

Crease : 'Naked', just to blend out 'Buck' a little

Upper Lashline : MAC Fluidline 'Blacktrack'

Lower Lashline : A mixture of 'Sin' and 'Naked'

Inner Corner : 'Virgin'

Browbone : 'Sin'

Mascara : L'Oreal Voluminous Black

LIPS

Lipstick : YSL Rouge Pur '148 Tea Rose'

Lipgloss : Revlon Super Lustrous 'Peach Petal'

 

 

Excuse the fringe - it has a mind of it's own these days! I was looking through the pictures and it looked like I had a slight ombre going on in some of the them. In 'real life' it all looks one colour, and lots lighter than it's coming across in the pictures too. I'm fancying some highlights again but I know once I start I'll end up with really light blonde hair again, which I don't want.

 

I know some girls love their eyeliner and don't feel (or look) themselves without it, but personally, I can take it or leave it. How about you?

xoxo

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