Benefit 'Hoola' Gloss

Benefit 'Hoola' Ultra Plus Lipgloss |  £14.50* | Link

It's not often that a lipgloss makes it to 'handbag' status in my books.  I'm really not a lipgloss girl - I'm the type to kill two birds with one stone and opt for a glossy lipstick instead.  I don't know why, but I just cannot stand the feeling of it on my lips and I usually wipe it straight off as soon as I can lay my hands on a Kleenex.  However, after trying out Benefit's 'Hoola' lipgloss I've managed to find a new favourite -  finally a lipgloss I can actually wear on a daily basis without having to suffer for the sake of a bit of sheen! The gloss glides on so smoothly and it doesn't have a hint of stickyness whatsoever.  In fact, I'd liken the consistency to a glossy lip balm or lip laquer - very comfortable to wear and not at all heavy.  Thumbs up so far - so why else do i love it?

The perfect companion to Benefit's ever-famous 'Hoola' bronzer (you can read my review of that here), the shade leans towards a brown/golden tone with a hint of shimmer - perfect for summer tans!  The colour really is right up my street - I've become quite partial to a browny-nude lipstick just recently (my little nod to the 90s) and the warm brown/orangey hue to this really does compliment my lipstick choices - the teeny-tiny shimmers in there set off the colour perfectly and add dimension. Fear not though - even though it's shimmery, there's no grittyness to it whatsoever and it glides on with ease. You don't need much at all either, just a quick squeeze of the tube and you're good to go - I really like the packaging as there's no mess or fuss and the tip is angled perfectly for application.  Personally, Hoola is the perfect shade for me as I'm a big fan of nude colours and light corals (i find the gold tone works very well with shades like these). In the photo above, I'm wearing it with Mac's 'Spice' lip pencil - as you can see, it adds a teeny hint of orange/golden shimmer without completely masking the colour underneath - a perfect complimentary hue and one that will work very well with a wide variety of skin tones.  Wear time is also quite impressive to say how light and smooth the texture is and I don't find myself having to reapply every single minute of the day.

Overall, I've been loving this lipgloss. If you're like me and usually hate the feel of gloss on your lips but crave that perfectly polished finish - I urge you to give these a go. It's worth mentioning that I've tried 'Coralista' in the past and I found that to be very similar (maybe slightly thicker in consistency but nothing I couldn't handle) - so it seems as if the texture will be pretty spot-on across the rest of the range.  I'm actually thinking of doing a post on lipglosses soon for those of you who struggle with consistency like me - I've tried my fair share of them in the past and only a select few manage to find a permanent space in my makeup drawer! Hoola, however, has gone one step further and has shuffled it's way into the little pouch in the side of my handbag... (a space I often only reserve for essentials like car keys and the odd lip balm) - yep - that's how much I've been loving it. If you fancy having a browse through the shade range or finding out more about Benefit's lipglosses, head on over here.  I've also discovered they've launched a few more shades I wasn't aware of here - (I'm definitely tempted by 'Poutrageous')...

Have you tried Benefit's lipglosses? What did you reckon?

Glossy Vampy Lips | Revlon Evening Opulence Lipgloss in 'Embellished'

So I happened to be strolling on by the Revlon stand the other week.  I'm never normally one for buying lip glosses - lipsticks tend to tickle my impulse-buying fancy much more - but I took one look at this beauty from Revlon's new range and knew it had to make its way in to my collection! Revlon have bought out a new trio of glosses as part of the 'Evening Opulence' collection and the shade 'Embellished' really did catch my eye.  I've been quite partial to a 'vampy' lip of late - I'm drawn to deep berry shades and dark, wine coloured reds and this gloss seemed like the perfect counterpart to my new lip colour preference! 

The colour is simply stunning.  It looks somewhat different when swatched as it does in the tube - as you can clearly see from the photographs above.  In the tube, it appears much more purple toned, but when swatched on the hands and lips appears much more of a wine tinted burgundy red. Right up my street. The flecks of purple and red glitter make it just that little bit special and add to it's festive appeal (yep - now it's November I can officially throw Christmas out there!)   It's slightly sheer, so it will look different depending on what lipstick you decide to pop on underneath (if any at all) - I find it darkens any plum colours slightly and adds extra depth and dimension to a berry lip.  It's ever so slightly 'vampy' whilst still being completely wearable.  As for consistency,  I do find it ever so slightly sticky, but then again, I find most glosses annoying to wear and I wouldn't say it's overly thick or gloopy.  I also don't find the glittery flecks gritty in any way.  I also have to admit that I'm a sucker for Revlon's packaging - their quilted lids really do appeal to my packaging preferences (such a marketer's dream aren't I?) and the long, doe foot applicator makes for a swift, easy application.

I've recently invested in Mac's 'Dark Side' and have been wearing Collection's Deluxe Lipstick in 'Prohibition' (post on that here) almost constantly the past few weeks, and a slick of this on top adds the perfect finishing touch.  The lip swatches above show what the gloss looks like layered on top of 'Prohibiton' (this is also the lip look I'm wearing in my current Twitter pic, if you're interested) and completely on it's own.  Some might prefer wearing it on it's own - it's much more toned down without a lipstick underneath yet still makes a bit of a statement - although I much prefer it layered over my trusty lippies!  Even if you don't want to go for a full on glossy look, it looks lovely when simply dabbed on and creates a much more natural finish and 'just bitten' kind of look to the lips.  Overall, I'm glad I bought this little beauty. The flecks of glitter simply make it for me and I really love the effect it gives. I reckon it will be creeping into my handbag for nights out over the festive season! You can have a nosey at the 'Evening Opulence' collection here, and the glosses retail for £7.99 - not bad for a good quality, nicely pigmented gloss!

Have you tried Revlon's lipglosses? Are you loving dark reds as much as me?!

Bev Ridge & Friends | Lip Gloss Trio

Bev Ridge & Friends | Distracted By Shiny Things - Lip Gloss Trio* | £10.00 [link]

A while back, I received an email all about a new website for beauty fans and fellow bloggers called 'Baobella'. After having a mooch around on the site, I began to think of it like a Pinterest/weheartit purely for beauty lovers - with all sorts of social media-typed features packed in. You can upload swatches and makeup looks you've created for others to see and comment on, as well as creating a little online list of brands and products you love.  If you're a beauty fan and haven't yet heard of the site, it might be of interest to you and it's worth having a play around on! The lovely bunch at Baobella very kindly sent me a little treat when they first launched in the form of these little tubes of sparkly goodness, and I thought I'd share them with you all - if you're looking for a pretty gift for a friend or simply looking for a little treat to yourself, then 'Bev Ridge' and friends offer some lovely bits and pieces (some of which I actually picked up for stocking fillers at Christmas time).

The lip glosses come packaged in a lovely decorative box, complete with little floral lids which are coated in a sort of paper-y material, which adds such a unique twist. One thing I really do like is the quirky packaging!  The lip glosses themselves are really nice - if you've read my blog before you'll know I'm very fussy when it comes to lip glosses. They are ever so slightly on the sticky side but not so much that I can't wear them - they're not too thick in consistency which is a big plus point for me, as it makes them more comfortable to wear. My favourite shade has been the mid-pink shade which has teeny-tiny flecks of shimmer running throughout it (seen above in my swatches) - it's just perfect for everyday wear and looks really pretty worn on its own (in the photograph) or over a lipstick. I do like a little gloss to my lips - as you can probably see I have natural lines on my bottom lip and matte formulations ofter don't look too flattering on me due to this - so having a little gloss to slick over the top is rather handy! I really like the baby pink shade - if you know me you'll know I'm partial to a nude pink lipstick or two, and this pairs really well with a tonne of my pink lipsticks - I actually find this shade the least sticky of them all.  If you're after a little gift for a lip gloss fan then it's worth having a look into these - the designs are really quirky and fun, and the little Hawaiian-inspired patterned paper lids on these glosses are just so cute. Not to mention that your purse will surely thank you for it!  Oh - and to top it all off, they smell gorgeous - very sweet and girly. Just my cup of tea.

Have you tried anything from Bev Ridge & friends?

Have you got yourself a Baobella profile? If so, do pop a little link in the comments for me to have a nose!

Barry M Lipgloss Collection

Barry M Lipglosses | £3.99-£4.49 each 

L - R / 9 - Cherry Glitter / 5 - Bubblegum Pink / Limited Edition - Strawberry /  2 - Toffee / 3 - Strawberries & Cream / Glossy Tube - Iridescent Violet Glitter /

Admittedly, I'm the fussiest little madam you will ever meet when it comes to lip gloss.  I am a huge collector of lipstick and if i ever treat myself to something then rest assured it will be a lip product, but one thing I really struggle with is glosses. I've tried all kinds - stains, long-wear, cheap as chips, high-end.. the lot. And so far none of them I've found have come close to my trusty Barry M's.  I hate feeling like I've dunked my lips in PVA glue or chip fat.. (hmm lovely thought for you all there..) but Barry M have ticked the box for a fuss-free lipgloss for me.

Barry M glosses are available in an array of shades (although i do wish they had a few more red/brighter options) - and so far I have 6 in my collection. Each one smells like the name of the colour (toffee is by far the yummiest in my opinion) and are decently pigmented to provide colour pay-off even without lipstick underneath.  They aren't the most long lasting but they don't feel sticky at all which is what matter the most to me with a gloss.. they just smooth on really easily and I don't feel the need to wipe it straight off again! I slightly prefer the gloss wands over the glossy tubes - just because I much prefer a doe-foot applicator as there is more control over how you apply them to the lips. Those who find glitter lip products might find the glitter glosses slightly irritating but the texture and consistency overrides this for me and I just find them very comfortable to wear on a daily basis. Overall they're just really good little lipglosses to have in your collection - and if like me, you can't stand lipglosses, then give these a go - they're currently the only ones I can wear with ease and I will without a doubt be completing my collection for the full set (next in line is the coral shade!) You can view the collection here.

What is your favourite lipgloss? I'd love to discover some more fabulous ones!

♥