Tag Archives: lips

Lily Cole for The Body Shop – Lip & Cheek Dome

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I'm definitely not the first beauty blogger to have mentioned model/actress Lily Cole's limited edition collection for The Body Shop but I can't not write about my latest beauty love.

The collection, if you haven't come across it in your travels, has recently been released in Australia and, while it appears to be missing some items available elsewhere (please correct me if I'm wrong), it does feature the Lip & Cheek Dome I got on the weekend, a quad eyeshadow, a liquid eyeliner, and a dome of shimmer balls complete with puff for application. It's pretty sweet, like, so sweet your teeth might start to hurt.

I love the tropical hues of peach and coral and pink and lilac that make up this collection. The look Lily wears in the campaign reminds me of eating sorbet in summer. 

I picked the Lip & Cheek Dome up in Pinch Me Pink and really love the used it as both this morning my the pinkish outfit and loved the creamy texture from the beeswax. 

I love the flushed look it gives without drying my skin from a regular blush. When I tried it on my lips, I got a much more subtle colour, meaning that my lips and cheeks didn't match exactly but complemented each other.

 The concept and design of the packaging is brilliant and a real treat to apply, although I'm still working out how to get the silky product onto a lip brush to properly apply it, but rubbing it onto the apples of my cheeks is just too much fun, it puts my usual cheek tint or powdered blush to shame, that's for sure!

In short, I love my new lip/cheek dome and suggest that you get some rosy pink action from The Body Shop before it all runs out! I might try the coral too, just because I'll probably love that too!

Lily Cole's Lip and Cheek Dome is $28.95 from The Body Shop while stocks last.

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The Case of the Disappearing Lips

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About 20 years ago, I read a magazine article explaining that when women (and probably men too, but would anyone notice?) reach mid-30's, part of the aging process includes atrophy of fat in the face, including the lips (why not the thighs and hips is what I wanted to know!!).  I then remembered when 10 years previously my mother-in-law, complaining about her lipstick 'bleeding' (a phenomena I had yet to experience) purchased a serum from Avon to solve this problem (she was disappointed with the result, if my memory serves me well.)  And that was when I began to worry about the future of my lips, and the disappearing landscape that I required to utilise the wonderful array of lipsticks that I owned.
 
I then shared this information with a group of girlfriends that I'd gone to school with when we were on a girls week end away and they wondered why I was applying lip balm just prior to sleeping.  I gave them the bad news of what was to come in the future along with the benefit of my research into receeding plumpness and the great products on the market that might slow the decline.  These included externally applied cosmetic products and more dramatic surgical procedures but one of my dear friends, who had sported thin lips all her life, refused to believe the biological fact that I was so sure of. She wouldn't take my advice that even just some balm applied before bed would assist to slow the process and, a few weeks ago (more than 20 years after I had delivered the drastic news) my friend admitted that I must have been right, because she's not sure she has much real estate pout left to paint.
 
In addition, my 78 year old mum recently told me that the reason she doesn't wear lipstick any longer is because she has no lips left to put it on.  I hadn't noticed, because she's never worn much makeup but since she pointed it out, I've realised what a shame it is to lose such a lovely feature.  And giving up lipstick is just sacrilige.  So I will continue my night time ritual of lip care, in the hope that I don't have to go down the cosmetic surgery route.
 
 
In terms of surgery, as early as 1900 surgeons began injecting lips with paraffin to plump the declining pout.  Then in the 1960's liquid silicone was tried, but later abandoned in favour of bovine collagen.  Today, amoungst other procedures, women can get injections of Restylane and Juvederm, or even have fat removed from areas on their own body from where it can be spared, and then injected into the lips.
 
Can I just say here that I am too nervous to try any of the above procedures, no matter how concerned I am about disappearing lips and no matter how much spare fat I have in other areas that could be used to plump a thousand thinning lips? I have two reasons for this nervousness.  One is that I am blessed with perfect health, and therefore I would hate to start messing around medically with my body and risk putting that at risk.  And the other reason is the really obviously bad outcomes of such injections that I have seen with my own eyes.
 
 
So I will continue to treat my lips like the precious commodity that they are, externally applying products that I can buy over the counter.  Currently I am using Avon Beyond Plumping Lip Conditioner and Lucas Paw Paw ointment.  I also use a soft toothbrush to brush over my lips regularly, and when I exfoliate, I also do my lips. Other products that I've used in the past have been Blistex Lip Ointment, Nivea Natural Volume, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lip Protectant, and Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm, just to name a few.  I wear lipstick every day, and apply gloss regularly as well.
 
At the end of the day I'd have to say that it doesn't matter what you use, but I would strongly urge you to use something, no matter how young you are.  In summer you need something with an SPF to protect from the harsh Australian sun and in winter you need protection from the cold and the dry conditions.  But at night when you are sleeping you can be reversing the damage that the atmosphere and the aging process has produced.  And if all else fails – smile or kiss someone…because that's what lips are good at!!

 

 

Image – 1, 2,

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Lips or Eyes?

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Lips or eyes?  Eyes or lips?  Which one to accentuate whilst you down-play the other?  Everything I've read about make-up tells me that you have to choose one and stick to it.  But which one?

Going with bold red lips?  Then eyes need to be soft and natural.

Source: bit.ly via Katherine on Pinterest

Wearing out the kohl by going for smoldering, smokey eyes?  Then nude lips are the go.

I've favoured my eyes now for many years.  I wear black pencil along both my top lid and underneath my bottom lashes nearly every day; I do the 2 or 3 shade eyeshadow as well; and tidy up my brows with a soft beige pencil.  Last but not least, I finish with two coats of black mascara on all lashes.  It's my standard 'go to work' look.  Then, at night, I will often add liquid eyeliner, which I've steadily perfected over the years (only to be fighting an uphill battle as age makes the lines go a little crepey!).

Source: tumblr.com via Katherine on Pinterest

I will also admit here to trying semi-permanent lash extensions earlier this year, but that is a story for another day…

Because of my trust in all media on cosmetics, I have tended to stick to lighter coloured lipsticks to balance my more made-up eyes.  I have also found that once you hit about 40, darker colours have a tendency to bleed into the lines around your lips, which is not a good look.  

Until earlier this month, that is. I had lunch with 3 girlfriends (well, they are more women than girls, but great friends none-the-less) and one (who is much younger than the rest of us) was sporting bold, red lipstick and I was hooked.  I was going to try the red lips again if it was the last thing I did.

Back at home, searching in amongst my 100-odd lipsticks, I found six reds of varying hues, and equally varying brands but not one of them was what I wanted.  They all looked old and sad and I knew in my heart of hearts that if you're going to do red lipstick, there's only one brand that is going to cut it and it was missing from my life.

I went to see the ladies at Chanel, because no one knew red lipstick like Coco and, into my life, I introduced the perfect red lipstick for me – matched to my complexion, with just the right amount of glossiness and no bleeding into the lines.  Thank you, Chanel.

Armed with my new purchase, I was ready to take on a new look but with bold, red lips instinct told me, I needed to tone down my eyes. Which I did.  However, every time I saw myself in a mirror, I looked all wrong.  My eyes had disappeared into my head; they needed a little encouragement to stand out as a part of my face. 

Maybe it's my age.  Maybe these rules are made for girls in their 20s.  Maybe I should read less magazines. Maybe more mature aged ladies need the balance of lips and eyes to look good. Does the advice mean that women with naturally dark eyes, think luxurious lashes and strong eyebrows have to steer away from bold, red lips? No!

So I have put down the magazine and picked up the eyeshadow brush, even when sporting my Rouge Coco 22.  After all these years I know what looks good on me and, after all, aren't rules meant to be broken?

 

 

 

Chanel's Rouge Coco 22 retails for $50 and is available in Australia from Myer and David Jones department stores.

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