Lancôme GWP

I've been meaning to post this for ages now, so I hope the GWP is still running for anyone who wants to take advantage!

Popped into Boots last week to stock up on my favourite day moisturiser (Lancôme Hydra Zen Neurocalm Extrême Soothing Moisurising Cream-Gel. Catchy name.) and was obviously a walking target as the second the girl on the counter mentioned the free gift I had a supersize bottle of their Galatéis Douceur in my hand.

But onto the gift. And what a gift!

Just look at how the bag bulges! *snigger*

Lancôme always do great gifts - this time last year I bought their Genifique and Visionnaire serums, and as it was geared up for Mother's Day I got both of them in gift sets, plus got an additional gift bag - which summed 3 x mini lipsticks, 3 x mini mascaras, 2 x mini Genifiques, 2 x mini Visionnaires, a full size Galatéis Douceur, mini Hydra Zen day and night creams, and 3 x mini bottles of their La Vie Est Belle perfume! But I digress.

And I think I love this year's offering event more.

The big box and bottle were my purchases, but the rest was all free free FREE!

That's:

• 125ml (full size) bottle of Bi-Facil eye make-up remover
• Mini lipstick in L'Absolu Rouge - a lovely nude pink
• Mini Hypnôse mascara
• Mini Le Crayon Kohl in Noir 
• 7ml bottle of Advanced Génifique serum
• 15ml pot of Hydra Zen Neurocalm day cream
• 5ml tube of Hydra Zen Neurocalm eye contour gel cream
• 2.5g Blush Subtil in Rose Paradis - a perky but subtle pink which would suit any skin tone

God I love Lancôme.

Ax

Time for a change...

Today I went out without liquid eyeliner for the first time in over 10 years. I've worn it every day since I started uni, and I don't feel like myself without it. Putting my make up on the morning is ritualistic for me - but however natural I go on the the foundation, blusher and lips, I always wear at least a little flick of liquid eyeliner.

So going out with just a tiny smudge of khaki eyeshadow (one of a small Sephora palette I was given as a gift) is quite a change for me. And you know what? The world didn't stop turning.

Make-up review - Illamasqua Intense Lipgloss

Cards on the table - I LOVE Illamasqua. They do colour like no other brand, from the palest of shades of foundation (they even do a pure white), to intense brights and bold darks.  They do really good online product demos, showing the same lip colours on more than one skin tone, and in "moving swatch" videos rather than just those hopeless blobs which never truly represent how the product will actually look on you. And then there's all the textures they offer... a little more on that in an upcoming post on their nail varnishes.

I've been looking for an orangey shade of lipstick for a while, so when I spotted their Intense Lipgloss in Mistress in the sale for a meagre £6.60 (instead of £16.50 RRP), I had to give it a shot. It's more coral than orange, but a great way to work out whether orange suits me or not before I go full on tangerine.

I have only one complaint about this lipgloss, and that's the applicator. I hadn't seen a brush applicator in I don't know how long until I got this. And I wouldn't mind, except it arrived damaged - sometimes the brush gets a bit messed up towards the end of a tube of lipgloss when you replace it a little carelessly. This one arrived damaged and splayed, and it's like there's a tiny knot at the end of it scratching my lips when I apply it. I'm going to need to give it a wash and trim the splayed hairs.

That said, I love the product. It's a thick, gloopy gloss with the most amazing colour payoff. It's impossible to stop your hair sticking to your lipgloss in the wind, but this isn't nearly as sticky as you'd imagine for such a thick consistency, and it lasts really well. Plus, applied more sparingly, it gives a great sheer colour which usually gets me til near lunchtime before needing a top up (depending how many cups of tea I need to get me through the morning).

This would look fab with a tan, or pale skin and crisp black eyeliner - which luckily is my signature look.

Illamasqua's Intense Lipgloss costs £16.50 and is available in 18 shades (some of which are still on sale at £6.60!) ranging from traditional pinks and reds to black, lilac and lime green, with both traditional gloss and metallic finishes.

Ax