Jao Brand Lip Jao - LMB Cult 60

 

Why I think you should know about it? - it's the best lip balm. That is all. 

Revlon Fire & Ice - LMB 60 Cult Products

LimeLife Perfect Balm - Quick Review

I love these balms and whether you are thinking of buying one or you are part of LimeLife here's everything you need to know about these Perfect Balms

Four Ways to Use Red Lip Liner

I love a red lip liner it fixes all sorts of trouble and the one I'm using has a built in sharpener in the lid.

LimeLife True Red Liner
Charlotte Tilbury Tell Laura
LimeLife Cherry Pie 

Come and join in the conversation on Facebook at the Corinna Harrod Beauty Group - just send me a request and I'll add you.

If you haven't already then Subscribe to my YouTube channel 

Top Summer Lipsticks

It's officially summer. Even I who am a staunch believe in the 3 month per season rule has to admit that summer is officially here. It's nearly July and it is actually hot in the UK. Now I'm always one for a bright lip but when it gets this hot I sometimes just go for as nude as possible. I also find myself reaching for the pinks rather than reds and more of a luminous than matte finish. Though I have just remembered that Lady Danger exists so I may be wearing that tomorrow.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick Quick Review

I really like nearly everything about this lipstick. I forgot to mention how annoying I find some of their names. Why would a grown-up want to buy a lipstick called Lost Cherry? Anyway...

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick

Come and join in the conversation on Facebook at the Corinna Harrod Beauty Group - just send me a request and I'll add you.

Some links are affiliate links which means I will get a small commission if you click through and buy from them. There is no extra cost to you and if you are not comfortable with that then do feel free to open a separate window and google the product for yourself

Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick

Sometimes it's worth mentioning products that may not be the newest thing on the block but are the best of their kind and the Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipsticks from Hourglass are, as far as I'm concerned,  unbeatable for pigmentation and longevity.

This lipsticks will not be for everyone. They are very matte in finish and properly set after a few minutes so they feel quite dry. This is why they don't move but if you're not used to it or don't like the feel of a lipstick then you'll find them uncomfortable to wear.

Jao Brand LipJao

A lip balm is a lip balm is a lip balm right? Wrong. LipJao from Jao brand is flat out the best lip balm I've used. The perfect mix of deeply moisturising but not too glossy. I love everything about it from the packaging - great for even the smallest handbag and I much prefer the roller as opposed to a twist up which can break the stick.

Shea butter, coconut oil and cocoa butter are the top ingredients which make this so moisturising but what really puts this in a league of it's own is the way it can blend out any lipstick or lipliner. Which may sound very niche but we all have those favourite lipsticks or liners that just don't last the day. Yes you can reapply but if you are anything like me you get to a stage where you just want to carry on stuffing your face/drinking the beer/smooching and don't want to reapply your lipstick. Lipjao blends everything together effortlessly so you can look... well effortless. I love make-up but having dinner with someone who reapplies their lipstick and looks in the mirror 800 times isn't fun.

Also a great one for boys who like lip balm - all the moisture, but kind of manly. I have one of these in my kitchen, at my desk and in my handbag.

What You Need to Know - Jao Brand LipJao

• £8
• 4.6g
• Natural, non-toxic, no sulphates or parabans, mineral oils or silicone
• Also from Jao Brand - Goe Oil
• Available from Blue Bowl

Ilia Multistick

Ilia is one of my favourite brands of the moment and I have been using their multistick pretty much daily since I received it a few months ago. Even though the colour, Tenderly, isn't necessarily one I would choose myself it blends so beautifully I'm a complete convert to a paler pink.

I've never been much one for multisticks - I can see their usefulness but I'm not that into matchy-matchy make-up though I do keep meaning to try this as an eyebase, it would probably work well under a taupe. This has completely converted me, it has such a beautiful finish, lasts for ages and is so incredibly easy to use. I've even dug out my old Kiko one that I bought and never really got round to using.

The multisticks are made using Shea Butter and Vitamin E so they feel great on the skin but these seem to last a lot longer than other cream blushers that I've tried. Really easily blendable too you can draw it straight onto your cheeks and blend out with your fingers or use a brush if you prefer. I think this would a great - if pricey - place to start for those who want to try a really natural-looking cream blusher.

Ilia Tinted Lip Conditioner

As much as I love wearing a bright lipstick, most days I want something that is going to be minimal effort, maximum comfort and will pull the rest of my make-up together without me having to think about it. A tinted lip conditioner is just the thing for this and the one from Ilia is my current favourite. And for so many reasons.

Firstly, and without wanting to go into too much detail as I want to do a whole piece on the Ilia as a brand separately, it's so nice to find a cruelty free, ethical, green brand that makes good products. The packaging is lovely, doesn't feel cheap and is in fact very similar to another high end brand, but it uses recycled aluminium. And the products that I've tried are genuinely great to the extent that I'd recommend the brand to anyone even the products I haven't tried out yet. But more on those to follow over the next couple of months. I believe that the tinted lip conditioners were the first product launched by Ilia so it feels right that  these my first product review from the brand.

Red Lipstick

Lady Danger, Fire & Ice, Berry, Raven

Red lipstick is such a classic look that most make-up wearers have at least tried it even if they don't already own a few. In fact a lot of people I speak to have tried a red lip and felt that they couldn't pull it off. I can really understand this - a red lip is a bold statement, you need to feel confident to carry it off and even though it's a classic look it can be hard to wear. You need the right red which in this day and age is hard to find just for the sheer amount of choice.

What I personally love about a red lip is when it isn't a statement but just a chic everyday look - Monica in friends often wears a red lip but she's never a character I think of as being particularly make-up based. Get the rest of the make-up understated, team it with the right red and it can look incredible.

CLOSED: November Giveaway - LMB Turns 10

This is late! I only just remembered yesterday that it hadn't gone up. I was distracted by my biggest small boy turning 4. FOUR. How did that happen?

Anyway this month the prizes are two of my absolute favourite products. I have them in my pro kit and in my personal make-up and they really revolutionised my life once I started using them.

The first is the Louise Young Lip Trio in Free Bird. This is the most amazing palette for those who love a nude lip as you can create any colour of nude you want by mixing the three together (or using them individually if you want. The slimline packaging and usuable brush and mirror mean you can slip this into your handbag and it takes up hardly any room. I the whole range of these and use them over and over again and have never had one break which is pretty impressive considering how much they get carried around.

The second prize is the LY27 lip brush which I found to be the perfect size and shape lip brush - and I've tried a lot. It is a natural hair brush and can be used for lipstick, balm and lipgloss and makes it so easy to get really precise application.

MAC Retro Mac Lipstick (All Fired Up) - Quick Review

I really love this lipstick

You can watch my original review of the retro matte's from MAC here

October Giveaway - LMB Turns 10

I'm really excited because I'm completely passionate about each of the prizes in this month. All three of them would come top in their categories for me: favourite lipstick, favourite gel liner and favourite liner brush.

The first is All Fired Up a retro matte lipstick from MAC and for me the perfect deep pink for those who want to wear a red lipstick but can't quite carry it off. It's long lasting and looks incredible and works well with a gloss over the top if a matte finish is not for you. I will be doing a quick review of this later in the month but in the meantime you can see and read my original review here. 

The Inglot AMC Gel Liner is a must for those who like their liner waterproof and long-lasting. It comes in a load of colours but of course for me it has to be as black and matte as possible. It's got a great, easy-to-apply and lasts all day. Another product to feature both in my pro and personal kits, I wrote a full review of it a while ago which you can read here.

In the Kit - Bobbi Brown Palettes

Most make-up artists will tell you that the weight of their kit is a big problem for them in terms of travel and physical health and this does affect their decision on what products they carry with them. Some slavishly decant as much as possible into palettes (more on that another time), some prefer to use products in their original format, some of us hop about somewhere in between but really, the Bobbi Brown palettes are a really great addition to any kit.

I'm not a Bobbi Brown devotee though the more of her products I use the more of a fan I am, it's just one of those brands I was late getting too, but what is so nice the knowledge that I have every eventuality covered with good quality make-up and that is the beauty of having these palettes in your kit.

So lets start with the BBU palette, it was the first of the two to be on the market and used to only be available to pro's. I sort of wish it still was, it is an expensive purchase for any of us and if you are not a pro make-up artist you really don't need this. Especially when there are so many customisable palettes nowadays you can make your own base, contour, highlight and concealer palette so easily for a fraction of the price. Making non-pro artists spend money on products they don't need is something that makes me so angry.

Louise Young Lip Trio

Allure

Are you one of those people who can never quite find the right lip colour? I am. I have drawers full, full, of lipsticks that are just not quite right. Lovely, but never seem to be perfect. This was no longer a problem when I started using Louise Young lip trio's. Now I always have the right colour to suit my mood, whatever mood that may be. I am obsessed.
I've had Free Bird in my kit for quite some time - it's fantastic to mix for bridal and although I do have a palette I've made up of all my lipsticks I hate cutting a lipstick up and frankly I don't get much call for the more exciting colours anyway for brides anyway. MAC Impassioned anyone? At the moment it's bridal nudes and pinks or classic reds that I need and the Louise Young palettes Free Bird, Pin Up and Allure have all of these covered.

November Favourites - Friday Video

This was supposed to be October...



Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder
Coconut Oil
Sofianni Jewellery
Louise Young Lip Trio 
Blue Bowl

Laura Mercier Velour Lovers Lip Colour

Coquette

I'm a fan of a matte lipstick, always have been but man they can be hard to wear. Often drying with a tendency to flatness they are a rather high-maintenance lip look but as usual Laura Mercier have seen the trend and come out with something just a little bit better than all the rest. Except the name. I get what you mean, but Velour Lovers sounds a little... 70s sexy loungewear.

Which is kind of right in a way, this is by far the most comfortable matte lip colour I have worn, including matte lip creams. It is the loungewear of matte lipstick. Yes they aren't as matte as some (hence the velour name tag) but that's because they have mango butter and jojoba in them to stop your lips feeling like dry worms stuck to your face. They also contain hylaronic acid to plump and smooth the lips - love to have a lipstick that's not just making me ingest a ton of things my body can't process. In fact, as with a lot of Laura Mercier products they are free from parabans, silicone, sulphates and are suitable for sensitive skin.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Quick Review - Friday Video

I love these pencils

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat

Pillow Talk (bottom) and Crazy in Love

This has to be one of the most talked about lip products in the last five years, and with good reason. It is quite possible that once you've used a Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat pencil you'll never go back. If you like a hard, defined line around your lips then this is probably not for you but if you like something more subtle, need to expand or reshape your lips or if you have a spectacular pout already that just needs light definition then this could be the pencil for you. I love it and I'm not alone - the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk is one of her bestselling products.

Pillow Talk is the first Lip Cheat I owned, Santa delivered it in my stocking last year and it's pretty much been the only liner I've used since. That is until I bought Crazy in Love a couple of months ago. When pregnant I usually steer clear from bright lipsticks as they attract the gaze to my bloated puffy face - Crazy in Love, however, blends beautifully with Lost Cherry Matte Revolution lipstick which, for me, is the perfect summer pinky, red and the one 'colour' I wore while pregnant and this Lip Cheat would look lovely on darker skin tones worn all over the lip.